I'm going to do it, I kept telling myself as I continued to approach the man of my dreams. I'm going to tell him I like him.

I could hear my heart thumping furiously in my ears, blocking out any other sounds. Not that it would do any good anyway. Even with my ears clogged with the sounds of my rebellious heartbeat, it felt as though cotton had been stuffed into my ear canal with all the other sounds of the early morning bustle to class being tuned out like pressing the mute button on a TV remote.

He was there, the same place he always was at seven thirty in the morning, laughing and chatting amiably to his baseball teammates with Boss and Mr. Gokudera flanking his sides. Just watching the corners of his mouth turn upward was enough to make me weak at the knees, making my clumsy stride even more unstable in gait. His soft, deep laugh made my tongue swell up and I felt my face flush madly when I realized he was looking at me.

I flushed even more when I realized I had reached him in the midst of my swirling thoughts.

"…Uh…U-um, I-!..." My voice shook even in my limited use, the words I had rehearsed perfectly in my head for the past week vanishing into oblivion the moment I opened my mouth.

He watched me expectantly, no longer smiling the goofy grin I had come to expect from his perfect face. His eyes stared a hole into my self-conscious shell with a seriousness that I had only ever seen on the baseball field.

"…I…"

He still waited, ignoring the loud snickers that erupted on his right.

"…I-I…!"

His head tilted slightly, reminding me of the cute little dog that strayed around the neighborhood on a frequent basis. I swallowed hard.

"…like you…"

His eyebrows flew up in surprise.

"…I like you…Mr. Yamamoto…"

Takeshi invited me to go see his family overseas in America for Christmas. He had grabbed my hand and begged me to go like the puppy from the pound in the commercials that I longed to save. He had said it wouldn't be Christmas without me, and it wouldn't be good if he didn't have his pretty girlfriend to take to the Yule Dance in New York on his arm. Before my better judgment could kick in and flat out tell him no, I found myself packing a suitcase the night before the winter break at school with a velvet red Santa dress with white trim and about a million sweaters and pocket warmers.

Granted, I had had Christmas before. For the past few years, my friend Kyoko had insisted on having a little Christmas party over at her house before she and her family traveled across the country to visit extended family up north. I had had the whole package: caroling, baking cookies, decorating a tree, even buying presents for my friends and exchanging them.

But on a day that was supposedly meant to be shared with family, I preferred to be by myself under a warm blanket in my bed watching whatever Christmas movie came on, sipping hot cocoa from the extra-large mug. I would be surrounded by the presents my friends gave me and that gave me more comfort than leaving the comfy recesses of home to be surrounded by people who wanted nothing more than for me to disappear.

That had been my plan for Christmas as usual. But now, I kept watching the clock, not waiting for the moment for me to slip into my comfy and warm pajamas, but dreading the moment I had to take the extra-large suitcases resting by my feet and pack them into Takeshi's car and then ride an airplane for fourteen hours to the coldest place in the world. I slipped into my seat as suddenly the clock span forward from four hours to five minutes before dismissal.

I bit my lip, almost considering the idea of just forsaking the trip and faking an illness. I spun around in my chair, set to tell my boyfriend that I developed a huge allergy to traveling.

Takeshi was grinning, watching the clock as well. He tapped his long pencil in his calloused fingers along the desktop hurriedly; his other hand on the cloth handles of his well-worn baseball bag that was stuffed full with what I could only assume was the same quantitiy of clothing as me. Takeshi seemed to notice my staring because his chocolate brown eyes slid off the clock's face to catch my stare. My breath hitched in my throat as he grinned his heart-stopping grin at my flushed face.

If only I could voice that it was because I was starting to sniffle already.

He mouthed 'Excited?' to me, his perfect teeth glinting in the low light. I could see the shimmer of delight brimming in his eyes as he waited in anticipation for the moment to whisk me away to an unknown paradise called New York. His anxious pencil never stopped tapping, settling instead to drum out a beat on his wrist.

My body betrayed me, nodding a yes before my mind could think to respond otherwise. He lit up immediately, grinning even wider if it was even possible. 'Me too' he mouthed again, flicking his pencil up to the clock.

I turned back, only to realize with dread that the clock had ticked away four minutes in my mindless mental oblivion.

The balding teacher almost seemed to sense the change in my attention, shifting his gaze to the clock with a heavy sigh of annoyance. "Good god people, I can't be that boring!" He groaned, snapping many dazing students back to reality. "I understand it's the holidays and that you all have plans but it does not give you the right to ignore my lesson!" He frowned, crossing his arms sternly in front of him. "I mean, it can't be that important! Nothing's more important than school."

"It is to me!"

The hairs on the back of my neck rose, freezing the air in my lungs as it normally did whenever I heard Takeshi's voice. Just now, it was because of dread.

I turned in my seat to see Takeshi waving wildly two rows behind me, his pencil-fisted hand wagging eagerly in the air to gain the teacher's attention. I could almost guess what was about to spill from his tell-all mouth.

The teacher frowned and sighed dolefully. "What is it Yamamoto?"

Takeshi grinned and stood up from his desk. "It's important to me because…" I could feel him slip behind me and I felt his warm hand on my back. I ignored the tingle, knowing exactly where the conversation was going.

"I'm taking my girlfriend with me to New York to meet my family!"

Luckily, the bell to signal the end of classes, cutting my embarrassment short. But the damage was done, I could tell. I could already hear the whisperings and the snorts of laughter and annoyance. I was already unpopular for taking away one of the most sought after boys in the school, now even more so that we now seemed serious to the other girls.

I groaned from my place inside my folded arms. There was no way I was going to be able to back out of this trip now.

Through my folded arms I heard the unmistakable sound of my heavy bags being lifted off the ground. I peeked through the crook in my arm, seeing the smiling face of Takeshi staring back at me. "Sorry about that," He laughed, slinging my bag over his shoulder onto his back. "I guess I didn't think about how you would feel."

I shook my head, attempting to shake out the negative thoughts. "No, no, it's fine."

Takeshi's smile morphed into an understanding one, immediately putting me at ease. "No, it's not fine," He continued. "I know I'm putting you out of your comfort zone, but I can't help it. You just…really make me happy, y'know? I want everyone to know it."

My heart swelled at his words, making me smile in response. I never had to force a smile around him. He made it happen naturally. I loved that about him.

I rose from my desk with a clatter and grasped my schoolbag. Takeshi grinned his normal goofy grin, slinging an arm already carrying a bag around my waist as we exited the wooden doorway.

In all honesty, I was looking forward to the trip. Being in Japan my whole life, I had rarely ever seen snowfall. With my limited experience, I remember snowing falling one early spring day outside my windowpane but when I had rushed down the stairs to meet it my mother had chastised me and sent me to my room. So for the few hours it stayed on the ground, I had watched it longingly until it melted and disappeared into oblivion the next morning.

To me, the idea that something so fragile could manage to survive through all odds seemed incredulous to me. Inspiring even. And I longed to see it for myself.

Knots continued to twist in my stomach when Takeshi and I reached the entrance to the building, already finding our ride to the airport ready and waiting. The seasoned baseball player had bounded to the taxi before I could even blink, packing my luggage into the trunk without another word. He hummed a sweet Christmas tune under his breath, laying each bag neatly inside the compartment.

I slid into the padded seat clutching my schoolbag to my chest. Takeshi took his seat beside me, wrapping his strong arm around my shoulders comfortingly. I suddenly felt sleepy, wrapped in his soothing warmth. Before I knew it, I fell against Takeshi's toned shoulder, the sounds from the heater and the rumble of the taxi lulling me into unconsciousness and the twists in my stomach slowly slipping far away.

I opened the red and green box with excited fingers. I lifted the delicate decoration out from its protective paper, holding it gently in my palms. I grabbed the thin wire hook and hung it off my index finger and admired it as it spun in place. It glittered with the late December light streaming out of the windows.

I had a great feeling of de ja vu, fondly remembering the day the holly red ornament had been given to me. A tiny, sparkly- pink fingernail traced a bumpy white snowflake on the giant crimson ball, catching the remains of glitter off its smooth form.

"Nagi?"

I turned at the sound of my mother's voice floating across the tiled floor. "Yes Mother?" I asked excitedly, dropping the decoration onto the granite countertop as carefully as I could before rushing to her side.

My mother yanked an Armani silver scarf from her neck and slammed it onto the kitchen table, swiping her long purple tresses from her alabaster neck. I bounced around her thin frame, ignoring her dark brown eyes watching me with distaste. "I can't believe you're home early!" I jabbered innocently.

She arrowed her thin eyes at me. "Nagi, don't torture me like this. I have a major headache."

I frowned slightly. "Oh. I'm sorry Mother." I brightened as a thought occurred to me. "Are you able to spend Christmas with me and Rui this year?" I questioned eagerly, grabbing onto her fine coat and pulling.

She snatched it away from my hands. "For God's sake Nagi, I told you I can't! Mr. Togu wants me to work through the morning and I need to have this project done by the first of the year. I can't spend my days wasting around here!" She rifled through her purse, pulling out a large pill bottle. "Besides, I gave you everything already this year, why do I need to buy you more? What about your father, have you heard from him?"

My face fell at the mention of my missing dad, and I glanced away in shame. "…He said he was going to spend it with Miss Yumi and her parents…in Aspen."

Mother froze, mid-search. Her face darkened into a large frown and I regretted saying anything. "That little bastard!" She snarled through her teeth, slamming her Gucci purse onto the tabletop. "I swear that I'll wring that little bitch's neck one day!"

"Um, Mother—"

"I mean it!" She continued to yelp, scaring me. She rushed past me, stamping her high heels along the beige tile. "I told him that I didn't want to be stuck as the bad guy this year and what the hell does he do? Saddle me with the baggage!"

"Mother-!"

My mother rushed past me again, sweeping up her fine coat, scarf, and purse off the kitchen table. My eyes widened, knowing what was coming. "M-Mother! What-?"

"I can't deal with this right now! I actually have work to do!" She yelled, not even bothering to look over her shoulder. "Just…Just do whatever the hell you do without me, okay? And call up your father and tell him I won't have him dumping you on me again!"

Before I could try and stop her again, Rui blocked her path, looking up at her through his wavy brunet curls. He picked up the forgotten ornament from the countertop, holding up to my mother's nose. He smiled as warmly as he could, stopping my mother momentarily.

"Well Madam," He said, wiping the edge of his sleeve on the glass. "I think you have a meeting to get to, right? Nagi and I have some major decorating still to do. I hope you don't mind."

My mother grit her perfect teeth, hunching her shoulders in anger. Before I knew it, she had knocked the red glass from Rui's hands and the crash resounded along the tile flooring. I let out a small shriek, attempting to hold back tears when I saw my favorite ornament shatter into a million tiny pieces.

The sound filtered out as I heard some prattle from my mother about Rui's place in the house and I heard a door slam along with another resounding shatter. I didn't hear or see any of it, focusing instead on my broken heart spread along the cold, hard floor.

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry about it Nagi; you'll get hurt on the glass." I felt Rui's warm voice in my ear. I turned to look at him, his blue eyes watching me with the warmth my mother never had. I didn't even know I had started to cry until Rui ran his fingers over my wet cheek.

"It's okay," He assured me. "You and I will have our own Christmas, alright?" His smile widened and he enveloped me in a warm hug. "I promise, we'll have a great Christmas. Just us two."

"…Just us two…" I murmured, dreaming of the white Christmas yet to come.

"…rome…Chrome?"

My eyes fluttered open, unwillingly, to see Takeshi's smiling face looking down at me. "Take…shi?" My voice slowly forced out, still in the land of dreams.

His grin stretched wider. "We've landed. You surprised me, falling asleep so quickly! You missed the ending of the movie! And it was a good one too." He stretched out his hand, slowly pulling me into a more upright position.

Sound slowly flooded back into my ears as I watched the various other passengers on the jet bustle around, gathering their luggage from the overhead storage and waking up sleeping children from their seats. Takeshi's father was at the moment pulling down my large suitcases along with his own worn backpack from the compartment.

My hands fisted the seat cushions, attempting to regain my wits. The last thing I remembered was falling asleep against Takeshi in the back of the cab. However, it felt like immediately after I did, I was shaken awake and shuffled through Security after meeting up with Takeshi's father. Boarding the plane was even harder work, due to the fact that our scheduled plane was about two hours late. When we plopped ourselves into the seats, I struggled with consciousness on Takeshi's shoulder while he won the debate with the flight attendant about playing a baseball movie on the in-flight entertainment.

As much as I love Takeshi, there are only so many baseball movies a girl can take. I had cuddled up to Takeshi's shoulder when he settled in for the introduction and promptly fell asleep again. It was then that I had the disturbing dream of Rui's and my last Christmas together.

I shook slightly, as if to shake off the bad memories, and stood up slowly from the chair. I was extremely uncomfortable, and my back ached horribly. When I was younger, I would often sit on my bed for hours, hunched into a ball as my parents rumbled through fights on the floor beneath me. As of late, however, I had never felt the need to in my room in Kyoko's home and my muscles ached with lack of practice.

Without even knowing, Takeshi came up behind me and began rubbing the muscles in my back comfortingly. His strong hand had me almost lulled back to sleep once again as he worked out the kinks in my sore back.

Just when I was about to collapse in bliss, the hand retreated and went to the handle of my bag instead. "You might want to put on your coat now," Takeshi informed me, slipping into his large heavy weight jacket. "It's pretty cold in New York. Look, it's probably even snowing now."

My head whipped around at the mention of snow. I was sorely disappointed to see most of the plane window shades closed shut against the non-existent sunlight.

Mr. Yamamoto laughed heartily in response, watching my crestfallen face. "Don'cha worry Chrome!" He hollered drunkenly. "The snow'll stick around for some time yet! You'll have plenty of time!" He let out a grunt as he lifted the fat bag onto his shoulders. "Come along, we have a million places to go and only a couple a days to do it!"

I begrudgingly followed the chef out the plane and through the whistling and creaky tunnel. I was slightly overwhelmed by the multitude of sounds that were erupting around me. I yawned and popped my stopped-up ears. I could hear Takeshi rolling my bags behind me and I had half a mind to turn around and ask if he needed help until I saw the exit in front of me.

Trapped. There was no way I could sneak back onto the plane for an express flight back to Japan now.

My first glimpse of New York was darkness. Even though Takeshi tried to convince me that there were in fact lights hidden behind a dense layer of fog and nighttime blackness, I couldn't help but think I got on an airplane for this? Apparently, the whole day had been overcast and rainy. The streets that were usually covered in a thick white layer of snow had resulted in slick, wet roads due to an unseasonably warm shift in temperature. I partly blamed myself for the fact; for the weatherman claimed that it would only last the duration of our stay.

Takeshi's aunt and uncle met us at the gate with their eight year old complaining about the lack of chocolate syrup in her hot fudge sundae. Mr. Yamamoto introduced everyone to me, where I stood awkwardly in my tiny form compared to strapping Takeshi. I could feel their eyes combing over me, and I felt even smaller in my heavy jacket.

Aiko Yamamoto Roberts had immigrated to the United States when she went off to New York University. She spoke fluent English and seemed to resent the fact that I spoke only enough to answer a yes or no question. She shook my hand with a wary pale hand, watching me with stern brown eyes that mimicked the warmer, kinder ones Takeshi owned. Her rich black hair hung in ringlets around the nape of her neck with a bright red and white scarf knotted around her throat.

Terrence Roberts was her exact opposite, smiling at me kindly with a smile that reached all the way to his eyes. His personality mimicked Takeshi's, and seeing how they embraced each other warmly and with unbridled enthusiasm, I soon realized it was Takeshi who mimicked Terrence. His hair was brown, cut in an even square around his brow peppered gray with age. His eyes were a deep blue, looking at me behind square reading glasses. His hand was warm when it was extended to me, and when he saw I had no gloves to protect my frozen fingers, lent me the tiny pocket warmer he had hidden in his jacket.

Marta Roberts was a sweetheart under her bluster. But at that particular moment, all I could see was the chocolate sauce beard that was slowly growing around the ridges of her mouth. The mess extended back all the way into her deep russet curls, giving her the impression of a blue-eyed raccoon than a human child. However, she smiled at me toothily; apparently glad to have a 'big girl' playmate as she grabbed my hand with sticky ice cream fingers.

She jabbered something about cookies and Santa and her presents as we made our way out of the crowded airport. I could tell her mother was shooting me dirty looks over her perfect shoulder. I wasn't afraid though; she had no reason to hate me.

I knew I wasn't all that pretty. Three months ago, when I first asked Takeshi out, I thought for certain I would have no opportunity. There were other girls who were hunting for his affection, that I knew were much prettier, smarter, and richer; everything a man would die to have in a woman. But I continued to secretly hope he would come to see me in the way I saw him.

If he didn't notice immediately, our friends definitely did. Kurokawa was the first to approach me, asking if I was serious about my feelings. I remember flushing like mad and nodding in silence. She had encouraged me and practiced talking to him with me. It was better, she said, to treat him like a friend so that you can endear yourself to him. He would treat me better.

When I confessed, I was scared to death. For a few earth-shattering moments, the whole world was focused on me and to see Takeshi's reaction. His friends started laughing, and girls giggled behind manicured fingers. Boss and Mr. Gokudera attempted to shush them as the time stretched on.

Finally, after what had seemed like millennia, Takeshi smiled. "You…like me?" He had asked, his voice light and even.

I couldn't make myself form the words in response so I simply nodded yes.

His smile had stretched further. "Then…go out with me Chrome Dokuro."

The whole world then gasped in shock and disbelief. Girls who had previously believed I would never survive the humiliation gaped in disbelief. The boys who were previously cackling were glaring at Takeshi in disgust. Slowly, the sounds drifted back into my ears and I had found the words as the realization sunk into my brain.

"R-really?" My voice squeaked, an old habit from years of almost never getting what I want.

He had nodded and leaned into my ear. "But," he had whispered sensually. "Only if you call me Takeshi."

Deeper into New York was a spectacle. I cricked my neck so many times, attempting to take in all of the sights as they disappeared down the street of the window in the yellow taxicab. Despite Marta's attempt to get me to talk about some TV show she liked, I was too busy looking over the city that never slept. I was sad to leave the burg behind as we crossed into the outlying suburbs.

Takeshi kissed my hand in response to my disappointment. "Don't worry," he said assuredly. "You and I can have fun later."

The house was large, considering it was on the outskirts of the city, but with a tiny yard that spanned a two mile radius. I was even more disappointed to see a wilting snowman with drooping spindly arms and a melted smile that reached down to his melted middle. An attempt at Christmas had been put forth, with a few strands of white lights adorning the archway and a giant blow up Santa positioned in the sparse yard. However, Santa seemed to have a hole and was waving like a madman from side to side like a puppet.

If Aiko gave any care about the floundering Santa, she didn't show it. She strode past the crowded yard, dragging a sleepy Marta behind her. Terrence, however, stayed behind to help Takeshi gather my bags and hefted one over his shoulder before I could protest. I followed idly behind, nervous and uncertain.

Aiko led me to a room down a carpeted hall, the one I would share with Marta for the rest of the vacation, and shut the door behind me with a dramatic flourish. Takeshi inviting me had been a last-minute choice on his part, and of course I couldn't possibly stay in the same room as him. No matter how much I wanted to.

Marta's room was exactly how I imagined it would be: pink, frilly, covered from top to bottom with purple stickers, glow-in-the-dark stars, and childish posters depicting the world's most popular children's show characters. I stood in the semi-darkness for a moment, deciding if I wanted to allow myself to rest on the blow up mattress stuck in the middle of the floor and listen to Marta's soft snoring for a few hours before I could finally fall asleep or see if Takeshi was still awake and possibly incur Aiko's wrath further.

I shrugged, and went with the latter.

I opened the door as quietly as I could, softly running along the white carpet in socked feet. I was relieved to hear chattering voices in the open living room and to hear Takeshi's melodic voice among them.

I turned the corner, making everyone look at my entrance. Aiko frowned from her position curled up next to Terrence on the oversized lounge chair. Terrence smiled warmly and wrapped an arm around Aiko's middle. Mr. Yamamoto slouched in his position on the left side of the cushy white couch with Takeshi lounged comfortably on the other end.

Takeshi beamed, standing up and coming up to me. "Come on in," He said, taking me and leading me back to the couch beside him. "I figured you wouldn't be able to sleep either. You slept a lot today; plus the timing must be weird for you."

I felt my head nodding along, my eyes trained on the hands folded in my lap. I tried to focus on the hands wrapped around them, warming my frigid fingers.

Mr. Yamamoto clapped a large hand on my shoulder. "Chrome's the first girl that Takeshi's ever been really serious about." He announced proudly. "They do almost everything together."

"Dad!" Takeshi protested, pink staining my cheeks. "Don't tease her like that!" He said laughing. I felt a large arm wrapping around my shoulders and bringing me closer to his torso.

Mr. Yamamoto threw up his hands defensively. "I'm merely stating the truth Takeshi. We're all interested."

"That's true." Terrence answered. "Chrome must be pretty special."

I blushed again and buried my face in Takeshi's chest. I heard his deep, rumbling laugh I response. "Of course she is! She's treated me like a normal person, not just a hot guy or a baseball nut. She's…unique."

I lifted my face, staring in awe at Takeshi's words. He smiled down at me with all sincerity and kissed my forehead. His lips had me grinning in response, heartened by his kind words.

Aiko scoffed. "Then why does she have an eye patch? That screams delinquent to me."

I immediately flushed, my smile disappearing. Takeshi whirled on Aiko. "Aunt Aiko! That was uncalled for! Chrome has her reasons!" He snapped, jarring me slightly. I have never heard Takeshi use that voice before, not even for the harshest critic.

Aiko recoiled back, her brown eyes wide. Terrence patted her arm encouragingly until she rolled her eyes away from my direction.

I coughed lightly. "Um…it's from an old injury, actually." I admitted, attempting to clear the air. "I got hit by a car and I lost the eye. I saved a cat."

Aiko seemed to falter but refused to look at me. Terrence smiled widely. "That was very brave of you Chrome. Your parents must have been proud."

I stiffened at the mention of my parents and I could feel Takeshi's arm tighten around me. "…No." I said softly. "No they weren't."

No one spoke after I did. I sat there, looking at my folded hands nervously.

Mr. Yamamoto was the one who broke the silence for my sake. "So Aiko, I heard Betty's staying with you. Is she staying for Christmas too?"

Aiko nodded. "Yeah, she's sleeping right now. She had a late drive."

"Oh that's only because I know you put some sort of laxative into my food that kept me on the can all night long!" I jumped from the oddly sounding Brooklyn accent ricocheting down the bare hallway. An elderly woman about seventy years old strode confidently around the corner in high heeled black pumps that matched her black sequined skirt and suit jacket. Her face was tastefully colored with bright makeup and she held a cigarette between two painted fingernails. She held out a white, spider webbed hand out to me. "Bethany Anne Roberts, actress extradonaire." She grinned and waved her cigarette hand dramatically into a slight bow. "I was on Broadway once, I'll have you know. I'm sure you've heard of me, correct?"

"Mother!" Aiko yelped furiously. "It's Chrome's first day in New York; you don't need to tease her like that!"
"Oh hush up!" Betty snapped back, her menthol voice thick. "I'm just making conversation." She turned back to me with the same Grandma-like smile that I only have seen on television. "So, you're Chrome are you? Well," She reached out with a long white finger and ran her bright red nail along my cheek comfortingly. "You are just as adorable as Takeshi said you were."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Takeshi beam.

She tilted her head back and forth, studying me. "Oh yes, you do have some stories to tell, don't you?" She murmured quietly. "Some good…and some bad…" She trailed off, her hand pausing by the edge of black silk covering my eye.

Everyone looked at her in confusion.

She quickly retreated backward with a large grin. "Well, a bit peaky but we'll fix that! By the time you leave, I'm sure you'll be burping cookies for some time yet."

I couldn't help but giggle. "Thank you Mrs. Roberts."

She smiled warmly and plopped herself at my side. She gave me a wet, red lipstick kiss on my cheek that left a warm imprint on my ice cold cheek. "Please, dear, call me Betty."

My mother didn't call again that day. While I was used to her not calling me regularly, I still waited by the phone, hopeful that she would call and would suddenly decide I was more important than her work. I sighed, leaving a breath imprint on the counter as I watched the black cordless device. Maybe I could fake an illness to bring her home, if only temporarily.

"Nagi?"

Rui's soft voice drifted from across the kitchen. I hefted my chin from the counter and turned around to meet his gentle gaze. I vaguely remembered having a tiny crush on the brunet, thinking he often looked like surfer ads that I frequently cut out from a magazine and admired on an off day. I shook my head from such thoughts. "Yes?"

He looked at me with his hand covering the speaker on the cell phone in his grasp. "How would you like to spend Christmas with me and my family this year? I'm sure it's gotta be better than sitting here by yourself all the time."

I shook my dark purple tresses. "I can't. What if Mother and Dad come home and see I'm not here? Then they'll never spend another Christmas with me again. I can't."

Rui frowned. "Nagi, I think I can say with certainty that your mom and dad aren't—"

"You don't know! Christmas is a time for family!" I cried in response. "They'll come back, they just gotta!"

Rui shook his head and flopped the cell phone over completely, letting it rest on his shoulder. He knelt down to my eye level and stared deep into my eyes. "Nagi," He said. "I'm asking you as my family. You are just as special to me as my own daughter. So please, come spend Christmas with me and not alone. I'm asking you on my family's behalf. It's just what a family does."

I continued to shake my head sternly, folding my arms across my chest in defiance.

Rui frowned deeper and uncovered the receiver. "I guess not Mom…" he murmured into the speaker. "No, no, I'm sure Nagi will be fine by herself…Mom, I'm sure she doesn't hate you…" He mumbled with a playful lilt. "…Yes, you're right about the presents…I guess Nagi doesn't like your cooking anymore…We'll just have to go caroling by ourselves for once…"

I held back giggles until they became so intense I couldn't hold them in anymore. Rui then let the phone fall to the table and ran to my side. He began tickling me incessantly, making me erupt into shrieking laughter. After a few long minutes of chasing and attacking, we collapsed into the light wood chairs at the table.

Rui sighed and grinned at me. "Come have Christmas with me?" He asked lightly.

This time, I nodded eagerly. "It's not as easy to have a tickle fight with one person after all…"

The next morning was the same: bleak, cold, and dreary. The only upside was that the temperature had risen to a brisk 42 degrees which called for a heavier jacket and scarf and gloves. I was awoken four hours early to the sound of Marta leaping off her bed onto my blow up bed at 7:43 in the morning. I then spent the next few hours dozing in and out of consciousness in between Marta's bouncing on her pink bedspread and her tuning the loud TV into a particularly noisy show.

I quickly slipped out of her room at about 10:30 to sneak a longer nap in Betty's room after it was graciously offered. At 12:16 I awoke to the smell of gingerbread wafting in under the guest room door. I stumbled through my morning routine and pulled a gray sweater over my head before I emerged from the bedroom.

The large kitchen was crowded with all the girls gathered around the large oven. Aiko was smiling and joking as she shelled various candy pieces alongside Terrence who kissed her temple every now and then. Marta excitedly tasted the white icing for Betty as she mixed the various ingredients together while Mr. Yamamoto was skillfully kneading and pressing out the batter onto a cutting board.

Takeshi was stirring something delicious-smelling in a big mixing bowl before he noticed my presence. He then dropped the spoon to come up and hug me instead. "Morning Sleeping Beauty." He joked, pulling me taut against him. "I hope you slept good."

"Well," I corrected with a smile. "And yes, I did."

Takeshi grinned and attempted to sneak a kiss. I batted him away, blushing like mad. "Not in front of Marta." I argued feebly before sliding into the kitchen chair. He grinned and sat down next to me, stirring the mixing bowl again and sneakily sliding his arm over my shoulders.

My nose was once again attacked by the spicy smell of gingerbread wafting in the air and my eyes were drawn to the oven, where Betty was in the process of pulling out a silver tray lined with the little brown men. My stomach growled lowly in response.

Aiko's head rose, as though she heard my stomach. She bit her lip and looked away shamefacedly. "U-Um…Dokuro—I-I mean…C-Chrome…" She stammered, her face pink as she nervously twiddled a piece of candy in her hands. "Um, well…w-we were wondering…well, Marta was…I mean, I was too…but, um…w-would you like to…it's, it's our tradition to make cookies on Christmas Eve…and well, all of the family does it…"

My face fell. "Oh…I see…" I mumbled slowly, ignoring the throbbing in my chest.

"And I was wondering…if you'd like to help me decorate them once they're cooled." Aiko added, taking the large bowl of icing and handing it to me.

I was stunned. "…Yes…Yes of course! Thank you!" I answered eagerly, earning a surprised look on Aiko's face. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her smile as warmly as she did whenever she snuck a glance at Terrence.

Aiko sat down beside me with the bowl of various candies. "So…um, Takeshi told us you were nervous about coming. How come?"

"Well…I've never really met anyone else's family before. Only my friend Kyoko's." I admitted. "I was afraid…you weren't going to like me."

Betty's loud laugh resonated through the large kitchen as Aiko's face turned bright red. "Oh you poor girl, of course we would like you!" Betty responded, pouring a large amount of sugar into another bowl. "As Tsuyoshi said, we're happy Takeshi's taking such an interest in you! You're the only girl he's ever brought home! And we're a pretty close family, I'll have you know. As a family, we're inclined to tell each other everything. It's just what a family does."

A pang resounded in my heart at Betty's words. The smile fell off my face and I couldn't feel my fingers. I hadn't heard those words in such a long time that it hit me hard. I twiddled the gingerbread man in my hands, a few crumbs falling onto the plate below.

Aiko's smile slowly vanished too, watching my face closely. "…Chrome?" She said softly.

I looked at her. "Yes?"

"…You're part of this family now. You know that right?"

I shook my head.

Aiko smiled, her white teeth glinting at me lovingly. "Well you are. And with that," she turned and snatched a cookie from a plate on the other end of the table. "You get to decide if our gingerbread men are delicious enough for Santa." She held the cookie in front of my face, ushering me to take it.

I smiled and took the cookie from her hand. Then, I lathered the cookie in icing and took a large bite from his head.

Somehow, Betty seemed to understand my undying desire to see the city. She suggested after the last cookie was taken from the oven and lunchtime was over that everyone take a leisurely travel into the city under the guise of wanting to do some last minute shopping. And so everyone packed into Terrence's Hyundai and we went back into the city for dinnertime.

Takeshi led me around the city, to Times Square to see all the jumbo screens and the speeding cars, to Radio City Music Hall showing a funny rendition of Hairspray; even to the New York Harbor where I got a funny picture of Takeshi leaning against the Statue of Liberty. I felt much better than I had the entire trip and I laughed constantly at Takeshi's horrible attempt at sounding knowledgeable about the city and everyone's quick corrections under their breath.

My insides were still hurting as we walked down a path leading down the way to our dinner place. I stepped around the brown slush, pretending they were large piles of pure snow. I looked up to laugh at a joke Takeshi said to everyone, only to have my eye catch a bright red sign entitled Memories and Makers Brothers.

I was intrigued. "…Hey…what's this store?" I asked, gaining a surprised look from Takeshi.

He looked around, grinning in recognition. "Wow." He muttered in surprise.

"What?"

He looked at me with his warm brown eyes. "Somehow…out of all the stores in New York, you managed to find the one that my mother loved." He admitted, smiling into some faraway memory.

"Really?" I looked up again, my eyes tracing the gold lettering and traveling down into the store window. I admired the small glass figurines lining the clear window, the light glinting in each facet. I bent down to look one crystalline elephant in the eye.

Takeshi bent down with me. "If you want," he offered. "We could go in."

I shook my head. "I don't want to interrupt anything."

"Oh, we have some time before our reservation." Terrence announced, glancing at his watch. "Takeshi, why don't you take Chrome in and let her look around and we'll meet you at the restaurant. You know where it is, right?"

Takeshi nodded. "I remember."

"Then we'll see you there. Our reservation is at 6:30 so don't take too long. If you want, we'll see if we can get you two a private dinner at a later time."

"That'd be great Uncle Terrence, thanks." Takeshi said.

I grinned widely and grabbed Takeshi's hand, pulling him through the door. It tinkled inside, making it slightly an understatement. The walls were lined with glass statues of all shapes and sizes from animals to buildings and photo frames, even people. A little sign by the door announced that each figure was handcrafted by family craftsmen and because they did it all themselves, they were cheaper than most department stores.

I fell in love with each figurine a hundred times over, loving the tiny elephant in glass trousers and the tiny mouse with the giant cookie. I skipped over the mother and daughter resting on a heart shaped balloon and instead went for the tiny man with the pineapple shaped hair.

Finally, just when I was about to leave, I saw it. This glass ornament rested nicely on the silver frosted tree in the corner, decorated with tiny snowflakes and red paint just like the one from my childhood. I couldn't resist reaching out my fingers to rake them over the smooth surface, its smoothness taking me back into bittersweet memories.

I felt Takeshi's warm breath on my ear. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine…" I responded lowly. "I mean…this…this ornament looks just like the one that I had when I was little." I smiled, running my finger over the glitter. "My mother took me to see my first ballet a few days before and she had bought me a pretty silver ballerina from the gift shop center. But, I had a friend over and he knocked it off the tree in spite. Oh, I was so upset.

"But then, my nanny took me out to the department store. He couldn't afford to buy me the same silver one, but he did buy me the red one. I treasured it for so long…and then my mother broke it when she was upset about something my father did." The smile slipped off my face. "And then he…" My voice trailed off, uncertain of how to continue without blurting out my whole life story and completely ruin this happy day. I swiped a sleeve over my eye. "It's um…it's nothing."

Takeshi watched me silently before nodding. "He sounds like he really cared about you."

I nodded. "He said I was like his own daughter. His wife and child died in a car accident a few months before he came to work for my family. The baby wasn't even two months old."

Takeshi's eyes became sympathetic. "That's so sad." He mumbled.

I nodded. "Rui was like my brother and father combined. He always was so nice to me…" I trailed off again, slowly releasing my hold on the ornament. "…But that's in the past…" I said, mainly to myself.

Takeshi smiled. "I'm glad you told me." He admitted. "I like it when you open up and smile a little bit wider. It grows more beautiful every time."

I turned and grinned at him. "Thanks." I muttered sheepishly, not knowing how to respond.

He grinned again. "Now turn around so I can grab the ornament and buy it for you."

I shook my head. "No, no, Takeshi, you don't have to—"

"I want to." He answered defiantly. "And that's that. I'm not doing it because you guilted me into it or anything. I'm doing it because I love you and I want to. Is that okay?"

"Do I have a choice?" I teased back.

"Not a one." Takeshi replied, plucking the glass ornament from its branch. "Wait for me outside, I'll be there in a minute."

"Rui?" I squeaked in my warm blue comforter. He stopped smoothing out the wrinkles from my bedspread to look at me compassionately. He smiled.

"What is it Nagi?" He asked, his voice calm.

"Rui, why won't Mother and Dad ever come home for Christmas?" I questioned. "I've been good, haven't I? Santa said so as well."

I saw Rui's face twitch as he struggled to maintain his calm façade. He looked away, mentally deliberating how to answer my question. I watched indecision float over his face several times.

Finally, he seemed to decide against his previous decisions and instead sighed as his smile fell. He pulled the chair away from my white desk and placed it at my bedside. He cradled his head in his hands for a moment of silent contemplation before placing his hands on mine.

He faced me, solemn. "Nagi…" he murmured slowly. "…Do you love your mother and father?"

I nodded.

"Even though they fight and don't spend so much time with you?"

I nodded, though much more slowly than I had done so the first time.

Rui smiled. "Then that's all that matters." He assured me, stroking my knuckles. "Your parents are…going through a tough time. But, I'm here. You still like me right?"

I smiled and nodded eagerly. "Of course!"

Rui smiled and kissed my forehead. "Goodnight Nagi. Sweet dreams Dear One."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, squishing myself against him. "Goodnight Rui."

We parted after a minute and I fell back against the pillow. He clicked out the bedside light and walked to the door.

"Rui?"

He paused, mid-close. "Yes Nagi?"

"Help me with my Christmas shopping tomorrow?"

Rui smiled. "Of course Dear One…"

We did end up dining later than everyone else and by the time we were done, the nonexistent sun had long since set. Takeshi called a cab and I vaguely remember him trying to point out a few more landmarks during the trip back home. All I really remember was falling asleep in Takeshi's arms, clutching my new Christmas present to my chest.

Marta woke me up the next morning with "CHROME! CHROME COME ON, GET UP, IT'S CHRISTMAS, IT'S CHRISTMAS TODAY!" How I managed to stumble back to my bed remained an unsolved mystery as I was pulled up from my somewhat comfy mattress to the tree located in the cool basement.

Everyone was seated and waiting for me patiently, with a somewhat grand pile of presents sitting beside each of them. Takeshi patted the couch next to him and pointed to a considerable amount of presents next to the spot as well. I realized with a shock that they were all for me.

Before I could object, Marta had dragged me to sit next to her under the tree limbs and dug into her pile before anyone could tell her otherwise. She shrieked for joy in an increasing volume with every box opened. When she had finally filtered out all her presents and began dragging a doll from a popular show along on the carpet in a new bright red wagon, it was finally the adults' turn.

Everyone accepted my presents with gracious dignity, even Takeshi (one free kiss without mistletoe and without complaint about who was there) and I even acted surprised when I pulled the bright red ornament out from its box for all to see.

"Oh that is gorgeous!" Betty exclaimed, taking it from me as carefully as possible. "This must have cost a fortune."

Mr. Yamamoto leaned over with a playful grouch. "Oh, I've seen bulbs like these in department stores. They're nothing special."

Aiko grinned. "If I remember correctly Tsuyoshi, you were the one who gave me your Christmas ornament when I broke my first one." She turned and grabbed Terrence's hand. "And Terrence and I bonded over the ornament at the top there."

I turned around to glimpse the aforementioned decoration, looking up into the blue, egg-shaped oval with bright green and purple stripes with tiny birds adoring the equator. "We both reached for it at the same time," Aiko continued, bumping noses with Terrence's square one. "Because we were buying gifts for different people at the time. I tried to give it to him, but he insisted I take it. Later, we ended up breaking up with our partners and we were set up on a blind date." Aiko smiled at Terrence warmly. "It was love at first sight all over again."

"That's…so sweet." I murmured, subconsciously looking at Takeshi. I was shocked to find him staring at me just as intently.

Aiko nodded. "Ignore fate, it was destiny, I'm sure of it." She looked back at me with that same motherly look that she had been giving me as of late. "Just like you and Takeshi were meant to meet. And I'm glad you did."

I smiled in response to Aiko's kind words. "Thank you."

"Enough of that!" Betty added, annoyed. "Let's pour the eggnog now before I have to go off to that stupid excuse of a dance party!"

I never really wore a dress before. The only exception was when Kyoko insisted I go with her to a family wedding, and even then I was called away for Mafioso business and ended up completely destroying the thing. Which I wasn't too sorry about in all honesty.

But my Christmas dress had been a last minute buy, and all the store had left was an old Santa costume. Kyoko bought it anyway and had spent the night after cutting up and remaking the fabric into an extremely cute dress that would have looked amazing on any other girl but me.

I felt the skirt was too short in comparison to the low neckline it gave me, showing off more skin than I ever intended to. I also thought the color washed me out and the furry cuff and collar made me itch constantly out of instinct. However, when I walked into Betty's bedroom, Aiko, Marta, and Betty all squealed with like and fawned over how good I looked in it even with my normal thin black boots over white stockings.

Betty grabbed my hair. "Are you going to do anything here?" She asked, flipping my long strands over and over in her hands.

I shook my head. "Not really."

She frowned at that, winding it around her finger. "You should have some curls at least. Aiko, why don't you curl Chrome's hair a bit? It would frame her face nicely."

Aiko nodded and took up the curling iron. She wound it through my hair as Betty hustled Marta out the door to get her into her holiday dress. The moments passed in silence between us before Aiko spoke again.

"…I'm sorry…"

I blinked. "Beg your pardon?"

Aiko sighed as she unwound a particularly large curl from my hair. It fell in a perfect ringlet around my neck. "…I said I'm sorry. I was…I was rude to you before, I never should have acted like that. It's just…Takeshi never talked about you, and then out of the blue he said he was bringing his girlfriend along. And when I first glimpsed you, I was afraid you were exactly the opposite of the person Takeshi was. That you were this cold and unfeeling person that didn't want to do anything with us. And I'm sorry for ever thinking that." She dropped the curler and walked around me to face me with a comforting smile. "I'm glad I was wrong. You are everything that Takeshi deserves. And I'm sure my sister-in-law would have felt the same." Aiko took a breath and hugged me tightly.

I've had few memories of being held and hugged. I remembered being constantly embraced by Rui in the few months he had been around and I never was hugged by either of my parents. The first time Takeshi had tried to hug me I asked what he was doing. When he told me, I had asked him what a hug was. Then he laughed and had wrapped his arms around me anyway.

So then, in that moment, I cried. The feeling of being held so tenderly by a woman I'd now come to look at as a second mother who obviously liked me and cared for me more than my own mother did welled up into tears of happiness. I'd only felt this much love given by a few amount of people through my lifetime. It felt relieving.

We finally broke apart, unwillingly, after a few minutes of me sobbing into her shoulder. I quickly dabbed my face dry with a towel Aiko produced, attempting to quell my sniffles. She smiled at me bittersweetly until I regained my composure. "Chrome," She murmured lovingly. "How long have you been suffering like this?" She asked gently.

"A while," I hiccupped back.

She ran her fingers through my hair comfortingly. "Takeshi's here." She reminded me. "And now, so are all of us. Be a part of our family too, okay?"

I hiccupped again, unable to answer. I fell back against Aiko's arms and resumed quiet tears. I stayed in that position until Takeshi came to see what was taking us girls so long.

I clung to Rui's hand as we skipped down the street in a shiny blue velvet skirt. I heard him whistling a familiar tune and I began to sing along. By the time we had finished our song, we were giggling madly.

"So…next stop, Fortuna Maestro for lunch?" Rui asked, looking at his watch. "We have some time before we have to be at my mother's."

I rocked back and forth, grinning. "Okay!" I chirped back. "Can I have some spaghetti please?"

Rui laughed and hugged my shoulders. "Of course Dear One. Mom's planning on serving chicken and green beans tonight, so as long as you eat that I'll buy you some ice cream after lunch."

"Yay!" I jumped up in the air excitedly, grabbing his arm and holding it close to me. Rui's warmth permeated my skin and I breathed in his scent of sunflowers and spice. It filled my lungs and made me drunk with happiness.

We approached a street corner with the red and green arrows and I looked around feverishly to try and keep myself entertained. I ended up watching a spry little gray kitten scampering after a tall smoky blue Russian down the walk. I giggled to myself as the kitten stopped to swipe at a butterfly that touched his nose.

The kitten continued to swipe at the insect as it wavered closer and closer to the street. My smile began falling as the kitten swiped one last time at the offending insect before leaping onto the hot pavement.

"No…" I found myself whispering.

"What? Nagi, what's wrong?"

I ignored Rui's confusion as the kitten continued to bound into the middle of the crosswalk on the other street as the light turned green. It was all too soon as I saw the big, lumbering truck coming up the road that was completely oblivious to the kitten now situated on his back with his paws stretched up in the air.

The feline finally lifted his head and even I could see his eyes widen in fear. He was frozen.

The kitten mewed in distress.

The truck blew his horn.

I let go of Rui's hand.

"Nagi?...NAGI, NO!"

A loud screech and a flash of white zoomed in front of my eyes before I felt tingly warm. The next thing I knew, I could hear my parents arguing in some faraway place. But it didn't matter anymore.

"Is this her? Poor girl…"

"I know. A shame too, that man was so young…"

I felt a tear slip out of the corner of my eye as I took my last breath.

I was sleepy. That was why I was suddenly remembering other things, I reasoned. That's why I was digging up memories that I didn't want to remember.

It must have been the eggnog, I mused as I looked down into the empty bottom of my fourth cup. Though mine had no alcohol, I could still taste an oddly bittersweet feel running down the back of my throat. I was wobbling on my feet, finally drowning out the loud thumping of the remixed Christmas music behind me.

I yawned very unfeminine-like, watching the crowds in front of me. The past few hours had been wonderful. Takeshi and I spent little time away from each other, and everyone who attended were all laughing and joking and enjoying time with their families. The corners of my mouth lifted as I took in all the sleepy memories of all the fun I had had that night.

Takeshi and I danced to every Jingle Bell Rock and White Christmas, swooping Marta into a twirl when Santa Claus is Coming to Town came on, and Aiko shared another bonding moment when the raffle prizes were dealt out. We laughed so hard when we vowed to go half on a spa trip to a resort of our choice and still didn't win. Overall, it was one of the best times I'd ever had.

I continued to hum along to Little Drummer Boy as I watched the door for Takeshi exit with my coat in his arms. I knew he probably was being stopped every which way for questions and introductions from his Uncle's coworkers so I wasn't upset for waiting. Aiko and Terrence had to leave early with a sleepy Marta collapsed in his arms with Betty and Mr. Yamamoto leaving soon after to change out of their tight clothes.

Over in the corner beside me were a bunch of delinquent teenagers whom I had seen inside the party. They had been very noisy and threw the occasional pastry or sandwich at each other in jest. I had avoided their glances, focusing instead on the party and enjoying it. I could feel one man's eyes on me, licking his lips like one would act around something delicious.

"Hey Girlie." I heard someone slur behind me, obviously under the influence of something other than eggnog.

I cringed as the group from before encircled me like hawks. I shook one's hand off my arm. "Hello." I answered acidly, praying for Takeshi to come sooner.

"Come alone?" Another pressed, taking a step closer.

"N-no." I attempted to answer firmly. "My boyfriend is grabbing my coat. We're leaving now."

"Aw, come on!" One shrugged an arm over my shoulders before I could shrink away. "We were hoping you'd stick around for a while. With us! We're the real life of the party, I promise ya."

"Probably a hell of a lot better than your wimpy guy too I bet." One hiccupped.

I stepped around them, sliding the one's arm off me. "Thank you for the offer." I answered mechanically. "And Takeshi is not wimpy. He's a baseball player."

All the men started laughing in chorus as if what I said was the funniest thing they'd ever heard. "Ooh, a baseball player!" One mimicked, throwing his hands up in the air in mock surrender. "What's he gon' do? Throw his jockey strap at me?"

"Is he gon' throw his balls at me, eh Girlie?" One man slurred drunkenly.

"No, no, man, he's gon' beat you to death with his bat!" Another joked, earning another round of laughter from the group. I attempted to slip away again only to have the alcohol breath leering closer to my nose.

One with a bright red ball cap leaned in close to my nose so that I could see every evil intent lying in his bottle green eyes. His pupils were blown as his hand slowly slid from my captured wrists up my arm to my shoulder to my breasts in a matter of seconds. He grinned like a piano when I began to squirm and writhe at the unwanted contact. "I'll tell you what," he slurred sensually into my ear. "Baseball dude's lucky to have such a hot little bitch to sling on his arm."

"Sling this."

I shrieked when a pale fist flew from nowhere, landing straight into the jaw of my captor. The man let me go, crumpling into the ground in a heap and clutching his offended jaw. I felt a strong arm wrap around my waist protectively, and I almost collapsed in relief when I felt the familiar warmth invade my senses. I clung to Takeshi's back, peeking over his shoulder to watch.

A few more guys attempted to rush him, instead receiving a beating of a lifetime. Including one last feeble attempt by the one who had me in his clutches. Takeshi was especially harsh on him, bashing him so hard that I heard a few teeth tinkle and leaving the man nursing a bloody red mouth. I couldn't see his face, but from the sounds of "Teach you to mess with my girl" and "No one calls her a bitch" being spat from his mouth on a regular basis, I could only imagine Takeshi was livid.

Eventually, they scrambled away, nursing their broken bodies and bloody sores like cowards. Takeshi didn't face me for a long minute, taking several breaths to calm himself. I didn't even notice that it had started to rain but when he finally looked back at me, Takeshi was completely drenched through his white and red sweater and looking at me with a concerned expression.

"You okay?" He asked softly, his voice cracking.

I nodded, wrapping my arms around him comfortingly. He let me, and for a few minutes we allowed the chilling rain to fall down before I broke away, afraid of icing myself to his side forever. I ripped a piece of fabric from the hem of my dress, dabbing it at his bruised lip that I realized must have come from an offending swing. He accepted it gratefully before holding me again.

"…I love you, you know?" He murmured against my shoulder. "You have no idea how much I wanted to kill those guys. I mean, really, really kill them." He sighed heavily. "You must hate me now."

I shook my head against his neck.

"Well, you should."

"You saved me Takeshi." I wrapped my fingers through his hair. "I could never hate someone who saved my life."

I felt his grin slowly creep back onto his face against my neck. "Just promise me, next time just tell them you have a pointy thing in your bag and you're not afraid to spear them."

I giggled. "It's a trident." I corrected, eliciting a laugh from him.

"Whatever. Just say that and that your boyfriend can bench three hundred pounds."

I laughed again. "Can do."

He chuckled again. His grin slowly faded as we spent another long two minutes against each other. He sighed. "Chrome?"

"Yes?"

"Who was Rui?"

I froze against his torso. "…What do you mean?"

"I mean who was he to you? So that I don't have to spend the rest of my life competing with him."

I let go of Takeshi, holding him out to arm's length. "You're not in competition with him." I told him.

"I know, but now it's gonna feel like I always am." He shook out his sweater uncomfortably. "So please, we've gone out for three months and I still know absolutely nothing about you."

I sighed and sat myself down in a frigid bench, ignoring the wet patch it made on my dress. "Where do I start?"

"How did Rui come into the picture?" Takeshi answered instantly, coming to seat himself beside me.

I sighed. "He was my babysitter. And that only, I swear. His wife was a client of my mother's. When they passed away, she offered him the position. She was never on good terms with him. And while he was depressed about losing his family, he never was depressed with me like I guess my mother assumed he would be.

"I told you, Rui was like the big brother I never had. And like the kind of father I wanted. My father was always fawning over whatever girlfriend he had that week. Rui played with me and taught me and put me to bed every night. He often asked me to join him in family events with his mother-in-law's family. I didn't figure it out then, but the family was thinking about trying to adopt me.

"In any case, Rui had invited me to spend Christmas with his family. We had just finished Christmas shopping when…when I spotted a kitten about to be run over. I dove into the street…and wrapped my arms around the cat…and Rui pushed me out of the way." I grinned bittersweetly at Takeshi when his eyes widened in surprise and shock. "That's how I got this." I swept my hair away from my face, lifting up the lone eye patch that I never moved. Until this moment.

I could only imagine how Takeshi felt, seeing my nonexistent eyeball staring back at him, the skin pinched and yellowed around my socket. I quickly put the flap back down, looking away from his even gaze. I continued.

"Rui died upon impact. The driver was put into a coma and the kitten was fine. But I was still heavily injured and I died for two minutes. That was when I met Master Mukuro. He saved me by creating my artificial organs. Rui was an organ donor; he donated a kidney to me to save me from kidney failure." I folded my hands and rubbed my knuckles nervously. "Rui saved my life…in more ways than one. He took care of me and even gave me a second chance at life." I looked up at Takeshi, smiling as warmly as I could. I held back a laugh when I saw him glaring at me over my shoulder to some unknown ghost of my memories.

"But nothing in the world…can replace what you've done for me Takeshi." I stood, pulling him up from the bench with me. I wrapped my arms around his neck. "You gave me a purpose to live and you've shown me how to relax and be myself. You've given me your family as my own and loved me even when I didn't love myself. Rui has nothing on you." I stood up on tiptoes and kissed Takeshi's pink and cold nose. "Especially when I love you so much more."

Takeshi grinned, gently leaning his head in. "I love you Chrome." He whispered, a hair's breadth away from my lips.

I giggled as I felt the cool tingle of snowflakes on my cheek. My mouth opened slightly and I tasted water. The skies had opened up and white flakes began falling in a steady rhythm against a dark gray sky. A clock tower off in the distance bonged loudly, counting it as midnight on December 26th. I smiled and leaned back into Takeshi's embrace. I bumped noses with him. "I love you too Takeshi." I murmured lovingly.

We grinned and kissed deeply, ignoring the snow hitting my chilled skin as I relished the bubble of happiness building up in me. Maybe I had been waiting for this perfect moment when I could look on the future and realize everything was going to be alright. "…Just so you know, this counts as your coupon."

"What? That's not fair! Chrome!"

...After all, I only get to have one Christmas With You.