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"I think maybe you should come in," said Toga Yagari in a perfectly casual tone. Normally this statement would have gone unnoticed, a simple stirring in the backdrop of a hunter's life. However, this case was exceptional.

For Yagari had addressed a bush.

The bush in question remained stoically inanimate. A breeze in the cold night air drifted through its dark green leaves, displacing flakes of snow. Yagari sighed, and tilted his head to stare at the starry night sky. Absently he lifted a cigarette from his coat pocket and lit it. He breathed from the fuming stick and blew a huff of smoke.

"You're not going to fool anyone you know," continued Yagari. A long silence filled the quiet night. He glanced to note that the snow, while hours old, still remained mostly pure. Yagari let out a long sigh.

"You're on a roof, Zero,"

And indeed he was. The bush had no comment.

Yagari growled. "Zero," Silence. "Zero!" he barked. The bush remained still for a moment. Then, slowly, a head was born from its branches. Zero Kiryu glared up at his sensei.

"What do you want?" he muttered darkly. Typical of Zero, the un-seriousness of the situation was lost on him. Silvery mist rose to caress his face, linked in pace to his even breathing. Yagari frowned.

"What do I want? I want to know why you're making a fool of yourself. Come inside Zero. It's freezing out here," Zero made no move to get up. Yagari took another huff of his cigarette to calm down. "Look, if you're going to stay up all night, can't you at least do something useful? Hunt vampires like you usually do, at least I can explain that off as 'that's just Zero'. What are you going to tell your neighbors when they ask why you were up on your roof all night?

Zero's face remained passive. "I've two arguments. One, there is no reason why any of my neighbors would bother to glance up at my roof, and even if by some rare chance they did, they'd have to watch me all night to prove I was up here for that long. Two, I brought camouflage, so any revision of the data will be in my favor. That is, of course, unless I'm forced to break character to talk to an annoying sensei…" the younger hunter's voice hid knives.

Yagari stared for a moment. When he spoke, his words were faintly skewed by gentle bites on the butt of his cigarette.

"Fair enough, I suppose. So why are you hiding here?" Zero's head retreated into his leafy haven.

"I have reason to suspect a vampire will be show up here tonight". Yagari's eyebrow raised as his interest stirred.

"Oh?" he asked. "And what makes you think this? Death threats? An intercepted message?" a stirring of leaves indicated a shaking head.

"He comes every year. I noticed him the first year I stayed with the Crosses. His feet would pitter patter on the roof, and I rushed out to catch him, but by the time I got there, he was gone. Yuuki didn't believe me, so when he came again next year, I grabbed her to come with me. He was gone that time too. I was so angry. I had missed a kill, and I had embarrassed myself in front of Yuuki," Zero's voice grew softer. But Yuuki… she just smiled, and said we'd get him next time," Zero's went quiet. Yagari flicked away his cigarette.

"It became our tradition. Every year we'd stay up to catch him. Every year we'd miss him. Every year I'd be upset. Then Yuuki would just smile at me and say we'd get him next year, and every year it would be alright. I-," Zero caught himself. Such prattle was entirely out of character for him. "Well, this year I'm going to get him," and he was silent.

Yagari stood there, as the silence settled around his apprentice like a blanket. When sufficient time had passed, he spoke. His voice came out softly.

"Zero, have you been feeling …lonely?" again, there was a pause.

"No, sensei! No, I'm fine. But… if you wanted to stay up here with me, that would be okay. I mean, if the vampire is particularly strong, I might need help," Yagari smiled.

"There isn't a vampire in the world you'd need help with, Zero," Yagari stretched his arm into the bush, and found a soft mound of tendrils he could only assume was Zero's head. He ruffled it. Between them were the unspoken words, except one. But perhaps there would have been some debate among the two as to which one it was, so neither voiced it. "I'm going hunting Zero. But I'll explain to the Hunters' Society that you're taking a personal day," with that, he turned to leave.

As Yagari came to the edge of the roof, and prepared himself to jump, he heard a shushed voice.

"Sensei," it paused. "Thank you," Yagari stopped, but did not turn.

"No problem. And Zero… merry Christmas," and then he jumped down. Alone, in the press of night, Zero did not speak.

Merry Christmas indeed.

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Chapter one. Chapter two will be out as soon as I can write it.

Constructive criticism is as welcomed as praise. Let me know if it's too slow paced. I've a feeling most of my writing is hard to get into.