Plastic Mistletoe
Tall towers loomed over him as he walked through the night, bathing the city below in an ethereal white glow. The closed office buildings were decked with thousands of tiny lights, illuminating the snow on concrete and pavement as people walked merrily down the streets. Here and there were carolers, faces pink and chipper with the cold as they sang tirelessly. Santas and nuns rang bells for collecting tins, smiling and wishing a very Merry Christmas to people as they passed.
"Fuck, it's cold," Ban thought.
Before meeting Ginji, Ban had always worn a thick white shirt. He'd owned two of them, an extra for when the other was dirty. He had always chilled easily – Yamato had jokingly blamed the snake in him – and Ban liked an extra layer to keep him warm.
Of course, now that he had other things to keep him warm, he had gotten rid of his ratty sweatshirts. So now Midou Ban was walking down the freezing Shinjuku streets in Paul's borrowed thin coat, trying to keep his teeth from chattering as he trudged over icy concrete. His nose prickled with the cold.
Stopping at the crosswalk, he waited amidst a crowd for the light to turn red. He drew a cigarette and lit up, earning him glares from the people next to him.
"Hark, how the bells, sweet silver bells all seem to say throw cares away,"Ban allowed himself a small smile as he took a drag. Ginji liked this song. He'd heard it when they spent last Christmas in the Honky Tonk and some carolers had stopped by for a warm-up. They hadn't had as good English as these did, but Ginji loved it all the same.
"Christmas is here, bringing good cheer to young and old, meek and the bold,"The light changed and the crowd crossed, leaving the singers behind. Ban felt something cold touch his cheek and looked up, people busily passing him by as he stood. Small snow flurries had begun to fall. He drew the coat closer, relishing the warmth of the cigarette against his lips. He exhaled slowly, his breath fogging up his violet glasses.
He scrunched his nose when a snowflake landed on it and walked forward across the street. As he headed down the block, the carolers erupted into chorus. Ban couldn't help but smile. Dammit, the spirit was contagious.
A vendor stood in front of a store on the street corner, selling lush poinsettias to a smiling young couple. Ban smirked and plucked off a small decoration from the stand, then walked off unnoticed. 'Tis the season of giving, he thought.
He turned the small leaf over in his hand as he walked down the icy sidewalk, brushing against grinning kids and bag-toting parents in his haste to get out of the cold. He felt a hand reach for his wallet once but shook it off quickly.
A huge digital clock flashed "20:13" from across the street and Ban picked up his pace.
The lit sign of the Honky Tonk came into view through the crowd, gaudily decorated with flashing multicoloured lights. Its warm, golden lights shone onto the street, a beacon of homecoming for the retrieval agent. Ban sighed, snuffed his cigarette on the concrete, and pushed the glass door open.
He was greeted with a blast of warm air as he stepped inside the café. People were laughing and dancing to happy Christmas music.
"Ban-chaaaaan!"
Ban grunted as a grinning blond and green blob tackled him to the floor.
"You look cold! Come on and have some coffee, Natsumi-chan's treat!" Ginji said cheerily, smiling at his partner. Ban smirked. Ginji was obviously hyped up on all the extra electricity flowing through the city tonight. And perhaps, just maybe, Ginji had caught some of the contagious happy spirit in the air. Maybe.
"Free? Count me in."
Ban hauled the both of them to their feet and plopped down on the nearest chair. Ban glanced around. The usually quiet café was bustling full of people breaking from their last-minute shopping, and Ban recognized quite a few familiar faces around. "Ginji, did I miss something?" Ban asked.
Ginji smiled and replied, "Oh, sorry. While you were gone Natsumi-chan convinced Master to invite some of our friends here." He gestured around the room and Ban saw his partner's old friends talking, laughing, drinking from steaming mugs. He took off his coat and moved to join them.
Ginji looked at him. "Hey, Ban-chan", he said, "how much did they charge us for the car this time?"
Grinning, Ban flashed the yen notes he'd left the café with earlier. "Not a cent. Poor idiots are too busy with all the extra crime to bother with meter tickets."
"Yet, anyway," Paul cut in. He was behind the bar counter as usual, drying a dirty coffee mug. "I'd hold onto that money, lord only knows when you'll get another job."
"Ah, knock off for once," Ban said lazily, tossing Paul's coat over the counter. Ginji snickered and went over to a booth to rejoin Kadsuki and... Needle Boy. Ban couldn't remember his name. He smirked and filched some hot coffee when Paul wasn't looking. He sipped at it, feeling its warmth fall down his chest and spread throughout his body. When the steam fogged his glasses he finally resigned and took them off.
Ban sighed deeply, satisfied, and looked idly out the windows. The flurries had turned to snow, falling onto the streets. The crowds were thinning as it grew later into the night, going home to their families.
The brunette set his coffee down and walked toward his partner. "Oi, Ginji," he said softly. Ginji looked up from his conversation.
"You been outside yet?" Ban asked. Ginji grinned and hopped up.
"Be back in a second, guys. I want to see the snow!" Ginji said cheerily. Kadsuki nodded politely, smiling, and Ginji excused himself again, joining Ban at his side.
Ginji bit back a shiver as they opened the entrance doors, a freezing blast of air catching them both off guard. The sudden chill was quickly forgotten when Ginji saw the falling white snow around them. Ban grabbed his hand and they rushed outside, chilly wind whipping through their hair.
Ginji laughed, hand still clutched in Ban's, delighting in the feel of cold snow touching his skin. He'd seen snow before, of course, but it had never been quite so inviting as now. In Mugenjou the cold had always been harsh, and last year they'd had a warm front on Christmas day.
But this year, today, right now, was perfect.
The lights, music, and spirit all around made him feel warm inside, like he was home. Ban laughing beside him made it even more right.
Ginji winced as a snowflake drifted into his eye. "Ah!" he cried laughingly, then grinned at his partner. Ban was smirking at him.
"Real smart," he teased, snickering as Ginji rubbed at his eye. Suddenly he looked very serious. "Hey, Ginji..." he said quietly.
The blond looked up at his partner, cheeks flushed and beginning to shiver from the cold. Ban half-smiled and held up his free hand, the other still holding Ginji's. Ginji looked at Ban's raised hand. In it was a small, green plant with a tiny white berry attached to the stem.
Ban smiled. "Plastic mistletoe," he said. "Merry Christmas, Ginji."
And when they kissed on the cold Christmas Eve, even in the midst of the café music playing nearby, carolers singing, snow falling, wind blowing, people shopping, lights twinkling...
When they kissed on the cold Christmas Eve, someone yelled "PDA!" and Ban flipped him off, mouth never leaving Ginji's.
Christmas was here, bringing good cheer.
-fin
Author's notes: Awww, isn't that cute XD Sorry, but I couldn't resist the temptation. This is the corresponding fanfic to my first drawing ever. In the above I captured my favourite feelings and sensations from the spirit of Christmas, and got some fangirl satisfaction while doing it XD Beta'd and helped with title by Daisy Grey; thanks so much, babe. Merry Christmas to you all, and I hope your holidays are the best.