Hei/Yin or just friendship; interpret it as you like.
Disclaimer: Darker than BLACK does not belong to me.
A Time To Appreciate
By: winterscry
It was cold. Yin instinctively wrapped her arms around herself, but that was hardly enough to keep the warmth. However, there was nothing else she could do, so she would just have to settle with that for a while.
Was it snowing? Yin stretched out her hand, waited for a moment and pulled it back. There was not a trace of water in her palm. No snowflakes had fallen. However, sensing how dry and chilly the air was, Yin knew that it would be snowing soon. It was just a matter of time.
Sitting quietly on a swing in the park, Yin could hear the happy chatter of people who passed by. What they were talking about did not really register in her mind. All she thought about was waiting for Hei, Mao or Huang to give her instructions. It was all she could do.
"Oneesan, are you waiting for somebody?" piped a child's voice. The speaker was male and no more than ten years of age. He sounded innocent and curious, a complete contrast to the guilty and suspicious tones that Yin was more accustomed to. She tilted her head slightly.
"You are...?"
"Ah, I forgot! I'm Shinta; nice to meet you!" the boy greeted cheerfully. "I've been for a while and saw that Oneesan hasn't moved a bit since I first came here. Umm...the girls want to play here, but they're too scared to come over, so..." He sounded a little shy.
"Then you're a messenger?"
"No! They didn't ask me or anything! I just... got curious; that's all." He laughed sheepishly. "So, Oneesan, are you waiting for someone?"
For a moment, Yin thought about it. "I am waiting for somebody," she finally answered.
"Is it somebody important?"
"Shinta!" a woman's voice called anxiously. "Don't talk to strangers!"
"Okay, Mother!" he called back. "Sorry," he said to Yin, "but I have to go back now. Whoever you're waiting for... they must be very important. Anyway, merry Christmas!" He turned and ran off.
Yin listened as the footsteps disappeared into the distance. They were soon replaced by the sound of other children laughing and playing nearby. She thought about Shinta's words. Hei, Mao and Huang were really important to her. Was that why she was waiting for them?
Why were they important to her? It was a very simple question. Had they ever been so difficult to answer?
"Yin." Hei was suddenly standing beside her. She knew then that it was time to go. Mechanically, she stood up and waited for Hei to lead the way like he usually would. However, instead of hearing his familiar footsteps, she felt him push something into her hands. "Merry Christmas," he said monotonously.
She felt the little parcel in her hands. All she could feel was a sheet of wrapping paper around a cardboard box. Even so, it felt strangely fragile; she did not shake it in case she broke whatever was inside. "Why?" she asked expressionlessly.
"Because you're an important partner," he answered simply.
At that moment, Yin felt a snowflake melt on her hand. Instinctively, she tilted her head upwards, wishing she could see the snow fall from the sky.
"Merry Christmas, Hei."