Note: So late for Christmas, but oh well. At first I wasn't thinking about X'mas fic since I never thought of KuroKura as Christmas element, but a poke from readers, plus my going to a carol made this thing pop up. Although I can't really tell it has something to do with Christmas, but anyhow, Merry (belated) Christmas and Happy (belated?) New Year!

Timeline: This happens somewhere after TSASAN.

Warning: This fic is unbeta-ed. I took longer than I thought to get it done, and beta-ing is going to take longer than I expected as well. Please let me know what you think of this. In near future, I might be doing unbeta-ed KuroKura drabbles as well.

By the way: pleae visit my livejournal page (link via profile page) for KuroKura doodles and drabbels (that has yet to come). Please feel free to drop by and talk there :D

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Black Christmas

Christmas was a time to celebrate with family, friends, and loved ones, that much Kurapika knew. Definitely not the time to spend with a sworn enemy.

So why was he having his time with Kuroro Lucifer now?

Thinking back, Kurapika knew exactly why…

X

It all started with a simple…

XXX

"I want to see the snow."

In the well sunlit blazing room of their temporary inn in Reservoir Urban, the country near the northern hemisphere, Kuroro had said it after finishing the book he'd been reading for the past hour. Across from him, Kurapika sat by the table next to the half opened window, he glanced up to Kuroro from the book he'd been occupying. Next to him, sat a cylindrical container where the Kuruta eyes they'd recently retrieved floated in it.

Green eyes studied the man, wondering what brought about that. Was the room they were in too warm? But then he realized it had been a while for him too…since he last saw snow. Years. Given that there were only a handful of places where it snowed. But then, he had to think again…'Kuroro…just said he want to see snow?'

It had been quite a while, after their unlikely truce. Even more so, unlikely relationship they were in. Yet, there was always something new -and strange he would add- he'd learned about Kuroro everyday. Then again, he knew the man would say likewise.

"Some country in the west, what do you think?" Kuroro asked as he put away the book and leaned back on his chair. When Kurapika did take a while just gaping at him, he went on naming a few countries for Kurapika. But then, upon the distance look on the boy's face, Kuroro exhaled a bit, "Okay, you're not up to any break at all until-"

"No, it's not that," Kurapika cut in, finally shifting his eyes to Kuroro as he put his book aside as well. "I'm just thinking…how about-" He found himself having to avert the man's gaze here, "-going to Rukuso? Snow falls there at this time of the year."

Kuroro's silence that followed was even deafening than Kurapika's previous one. Disbelief passed on the man's face and the jet black eyes that had always been expressionless then became so intense that Kurapika started to fidget despite himself. He saw that tell-tale awkward sign coming and he just wanted to get away with it. "Forget it, it's nothing there anyway-"

"I want to go," Kuroro said with a firm voice after the mild shock prior wore out. Yes, he was shocked, more or less. Kurapika had just asked him if he wanted to come to his hometown? After all what he had done to the boy's Kuruta village, setting his foot, even on the edge of Rukuso Region should have been the last thing Kurapika would allow him.

Then again, those things that he thought were going to be the last things that happened on earth had happened before.

X

XXX

And here they were now, in the only dome-liked small house that was left in the condition good enough after having been partly fixed, among all else that were destroyed.

The heat from the small fireplace and the candles about the room kept them warm in the cold night air that seeped in through the cracks of the structure. The two of them sat huddling on the same chair. They'd kept their eyes to the outside world through the long vertical window that snow falling from the night sky to the snow covered ground was visible.

Kuroro found it a little odd, but there was no way he was going to say a word about it, when Kurapika had been so calmed through all this. Kuroro had expected more reaction from him about his returning to this place. There was the fact that his taking care of his own well-behavior in this sacred place helped, but still…Kurapika allowing his clan's murderer to walk about his land?

Even more so, the boy had no qualms about sitting on his lap, wrapped up under the same blanket with him. Was the reason of having only one of each item functional in the entire village enough for him to be okay with this? No. But Kuroro was not going to think about that, not when he was just content with this. There was more interesting things for him to learn.

"You come back here from time to time?" He asked, his lips almost touching Kurapika's ear, with the proximity they were in.

Kurapika nodded. After he had buried his people and sworn to set off for revenge and retrieve the eyes, there was a part of him that didn't want to come back until he reached the goals. But there were times, when he just couldn't carry on anymore, and he had to come back for that emotional support. And while coming back here would only serve as a reminder of his greatest lost in life, it still was his place to return to nevertheless. This home would always renew his attempt to keep going.

Sensing the forlorn vibes from the boy, Kuroro wrapped his arms around Kurapika's torso. Just like when he had pulled the boy down to his lap earlier, Kurapika stiffened a second before he relaxed. The boy was taking lesser time to get used to this everytime Kuroro touched him.

As for the silence between them, it was getting more and more comfortable. Until they'd have something to say.

"Isn't there snow in Ryuuseigai?" Kurapika asked.

"No…only rain and hails," Kuroro answered and added, "and sometimes, like its city name, shooting stars."

"Eh? I didn't see it last time I was there," Kurapika responded.

Kurapika's last time there was his first time to Ryuuseigai, where his perception of the Ryodan, particularly its leader, had been from worst to a bit less worse, which changed things after he learned the Ryodan had contributed to the community there.

"It's in August, I'll take you there next time."

"Sounds good."

Kuroro had to smile. That last time Kurapika was under his order to be there. Now he expressed his interest to go, willingly. He drew his face closer to the boy. He'd find this mellow out Kurapika a bit odd, yet endearing, as much as Kurapika would find his civilized version. Yet, they accepted each other the way they were: whether their initial selves that the both of them had put forward on their first and second encounters or their other selves where both of them could see one another underneath the layers of defenses.

"Do you know it's Christmas today?"

Turning away from the window, Kurapika looked at Kuroro. "I thought it doesn't mean anything to you, since you're agnostic."

Chuckling a little, Kuroro shook his head lightly. "It doesn't, and you know Christmas has a history even long before the Christ was born. But what I'm more interested is how do you people go about your Christmas, if there is any?"

A slight hesitation nagged at Kurapika. But he gave in. He asked the man to come to this town so why shun answering things about Kuruta? "We didn't celebrate like the way western people do. We just spent time together, for a main thing. Exchanging presents and carols were sides."

Despite the calmness that Kurapika presented, Kuroro could hear the pain in the boy's voice when he said 'together' and how he used his past tense. He tightened his hold on the boy. "We're spending time together now."

Narrowing his eyes at Kuroro, Kurapika grounded out, "with a sworn enemy, very Christmas-like."

Kuroro chuckled again. Despite the boy's biting words, there was no hostility in it, although his eyes turned a faint hue of reddish orange. Kuroro knew him so well that it was a saying, a belief that Kurapika still couldn't let go entirely that he was his enemy even when Kurapika accepted that they had become so much more than that.

Just like his eyes that showed the boy wasn't angered…just agitation.

This relationship of theirs would always have a touch of bitterness.

"You have no qualms with this," Kuroro pointed out, skimming his fingers on Kurapika's face. Despite himself, he always found it hard to resist when Kurapika's eyes shifted color.

"I don't," Kurapika responded and closed his eyes to Kuroro's touch. When he opened his eyes, they were red. A faint smirk passed on his face upon the briefest look of surprise on the man's face. Kuroro must not have expected this, even though he learnt Kurapika could shift his eyes to scarlet state at will. "You like my eyes that much, don't you?"

Mildly puzzled by this question that came out of nowhere, Kuroro responded by pressing his lips upon Kurapika's eyelids, "You already know."

"If I died, you can have them."

The silence that followed was thick and tensed until Kuroro had to break it. "What brought about that?" he question with a deep frown, an edge in his tone. To his surprise, Kurapika shifted to circle his arms around Kuroro's neck. He leaned in, burying his chin in the crook of the man's neck. It wasn't everyday that the boy would show such a gesture.

"I just came across one passage in the book yesterday-," Kurapika trailed off as he closed his eyes. "-that you either go to a friend's funeral or he to yours." He sensed that slightest vibes of sternness from the man right under the contact. Kurapika drew back to look at the man in the eyes. Kuroro had a look of disapproval clear on his face. "Isn't that true? Even with friends of the same age who grow old together, it just depends on who will go first. I'd never realized that before."

Kuroro's look of disapproval intensified. "I believe our circumstance makes a whole lot different from that universal truth."

"Hmm?" Kurapika's hand loosened a bit as he drew back, resting his hands on the man's shoulder.

"I'm older than you," Kuroro retorted.

"I have more tendencies," Kurapika noted. He knew right from the beginning, his nen-master had made it even clearer that his chosen path was a guaranteed way to a self-destruction. "Universal truth still holds true. That's why I want to let you know. You may have them if I died first. I'll make sure they turned red before I go."

A stunned, to the point of horror expression flitted across Kuroro's face, before it settled into a deep frown. "Should we be having this conversation about death on Christmas?"

"I thought you don't care about Christmas?" returned Kurapika, his face straight.

"I don't. But I do care a whole lot about this conversation's issue we're having," Kuroro said, impatient marked his voice.

The warmth seeped into Kurapika's very being, right from Kuroros' words and touch. He nuzzled closer to the man than he already was. There was a time when Kuroro had become more of a human than him, when it came to Kurapika. And that had made Kurapika's world of hatred towards the Spider head turned upside down as well. Which is the reason why he just said what he had. A part of him believed he must be out of his mind for having said that. Yet, a whole lot of him knew better. If there'd be a person who'd value his eyes the most, that'd be Kuroro.

He raised his hand to Kuroro's face, saying, "You'd take the best care of them, right?"

"I don't want them without you."

"Then you may keep my body too-"

"Stop this nonsense," Kuroro ordered, failing to restrain his authoritative tone. "Didn't you say you'd be the one to kill me? What about your judgment chain? You die, I die. Remember?"

At times Kurapika thought about it, he wasn't even sure if his judgment chain was still there, binding Kuroro's heart. If he were to die now, there was a chance – no matter how small that might have been - his nen might not kill Kuroro anymore. Then again, there was a fact that his death would suffer Kuroro more than anything.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I'd hate…if that were to happen, as much as I'd like it to happen." Kurapika's voice had gone soft by words.

"Then…" Disregarding Kurapika's contradiction that'd always stayed in their relationship, Kuroro gave it a thought and said in his absolute voice, "We go together." He tightened his arms around the boy's torso. "According to our original pact, you'll never leave without my permission. And I'll take you…wherever I go."

"Hmm…" Kurapika responded as he too gave it a thought. A slow smile came to his lips. "Sounds good to me." he watched as his smile mirrored on Kuroro's face. Despite how indifference and heartless Kuroro had once been, or still was to the rest of the world, Kurapika had learned the man owned a humanity soul which would have been shot to hell if the man were to lose him. If Kurapika died, Kuroro would only be a Spider again, not this kind of human.

"It's a promise then," Kuroro said.

"Unnn, a promise," Kurapika agreed as he drape his arms around the man again. Then he rested his chin on Kuroro's shoulder, feeling too comfy for his own good after the long day.

Upon seeing the boy's dozing off, Kuroro asked, "Sleepy?" he felt a nod against his neck. "Let's go to bed then, the candles are almost out." Then Kurapika drew back, attempting to get up on his feet, but Kuroro wouldn't let him. Kuroro slid his hand behind the boy's knee and the other behind his back and came to his feet, carrying Kurapika in his arms.

"I can walk," Kurapika grouched with a light frown but made no effort to struggle.

"I can carry you," Kuroro returned with a smile.

Given that there was only one bed left intact, Kurapika had no reason to complain about sleeping in it with Kuroro, on the same pillow and under the same blanket. One pillow was for Kuroro while Kurapika didn't need it since he was all against the man. It wasn't their first time and he'd come to prefer Kuroro's warmth more than anything in this kind of weather.

"For what it's worth, have yourself a Merry Christmas," Kuroro said as the room began to fall dark when the few last candles were going out.

"And to you too," Kurapika mumbled as he went to sleep.

In the world between dreams and reality, he saw himself as a kid again. Before the massacre of Kuruta clan, festivals had always been something he'd look forward to. Just to have fun with his best friend and spend time with family.

Then that fun feeling had died along with his best friend. Festivals became meaningless, just a day to remind him where he was at the time of the year…how much time had passed and how much time he had left in search of his clan's eyes and seeking revenge.

Yet, the person who had ever brought, or sometimes shoved these break, holidays, or festivities upon him, aside from his caring hunter-friends, had been Kuroro Lucifer, the very one who had stolen his life twice. And now he was rebuilding what was left of it for him. Their ground was unstable, but a steady ground nevertheless.

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Note: I don't really know much about Christmas history. I looked for the information so I could probably write this fic better but I'm pretty busy at the moment with the paperworks (that I've kept postponing and spend time on my fics) I've gotta get them done before I go back to my country (go back to that plot notebook! I wanna see it more than anything now!)

Why black Christmas? I just suck with title, dude! =[]="