Disclaimer: I do not own Darker than Black.

Snow Angel

Chapter 1 – Making a Snow Angel

Near the end of Season One

Darkness. No, not quite darkness... there are white fuzzy spots dancing on top of the black. Their movements are casual and erratic. Some of them are approaching me. One fills up my vision and gently comes to rest... cold. Perhaps I should blink... yes, that seems like a good idea. The act is only slightly harder than the decision. I am still cold, but now I can see. Pitch black sky, a sprinkling of stars, and drifting snowflakes illuminated by a nearby lamp fill my vision. I would never consider myself a connoisseur of art, but the contrast is simply superb. That's right, I used to enjoy gazing at the stars, before I became a contractor anyway. Wait... something about this situation is wrong. Why am I watching the snow fall? Am I lying on my back? I can't feel my anything!

Hei slowly lifted the back of his head a few inches off of the frozen ground, and looked as far down as his eyes could strain.

I still have my body, that's a relief, although I think I saw some blood. Well, this isn't the first time I've collapsed injured in the snow. Now that I'm calmer, I think I can feel my limbs a bit. Yes, I am definitely moving my left hand. Not quite sure which finger, but it's something. My body is probably colder than it feels... this is not good. I may need some help. Where's Yin?

Hei paused in his thoughts for a moment.

Now, why did I think of Yin before I even tried to sit up? I fail as a contractor yet again.

His blue lips parted slightly as if to form a chuckle, but no sounds escaped. The shadow of a smile did not reach his eyes.

I still don't want to die though. That must be the most human part of a contractor, the will to live.

Hei's left pinkie twitched again, the only movement besides the snowfall in the otherwise still and peaceful park.

What am I doing, I'm lying in the snow, dying of cold, yet I'm chuckling to myself, thinking of Yin, and philosophizing. This is unlike me, I'm starting to worry myself. Really, though, if this hadn't been a surprise engagement, one of my team members would have been here by now. I wonder if it is too much to hope that Yin stays up all night spying on me? Hah. Yeah right. What would she do then, run out in the snow to find me? I don't think she CAN run. Especially when the easiest way for her to see what she is doing is by watching herself with her specter. It sure took a while to figure out that she is mostly blind, since she has that same blank look that all dolls have. How did I confirm that again? That's right, we were standing about six feet apart.

"Can you see me?"

Yin turned her head me, her eyes as vacant as ever, but stayed silent. I tried being more specific.

"Can you see my face?"

"No," she said, without a trace of emotion.

"Can you see my silhouette?"

"Yes."

Those were most likely the only two words she said that day.

That was probably the most fun I had that week, if not the entire month.

My life is pathetic.

Maybe that's why I'm finding it so difficult to find the motivation to try to save my own life right now.

Snow gathered itself on the bare branches of a nearby tree, and then a chunk broke off as though it was the ice on the side of a glacier collapsing into the ocean in fast forward, and fell a dozen feet to the snow dusted cement path below, ending it's journey without a sound. A flake descended towards Hei's face, hovered over his nose, and then glided away.

I wonder if Yin ever attaches her specter to snowflakes... damn it, I must be losing my mind. It's time to sit up.

Hei's arms slowly dragged upward through the thin layer of snow until they were slightly above his shoulders. The soft sound of the snow crunching against his arms covered up a similarly soft sound that approached him and stopped at the same time.

My mind is so messed up right now, I can't even move my arms the right direction. Where are you Yin...

"Hei," a soft female voice stated, or perhaps asked, as there was no tone to indicate either way. Hei's body jerked in surprise, and then with more strength than he thought he had remaining, he pushed himself into a sitting position.

"Yin!" he exclaimed, with less emotion than one would expect a startled person to show, but nonetheless more than he normally let himself display.

"Are you okay?" Yin said.

Hei looked at her for a moment, then said, "Not really."

Normally, their conversations began and ended with about the same amount of content as had just occurred. Both of them had a bottleneck between their minds and the world, with the majority of their thoughts kept locked in their head. However, at that time, Hei had two distinct advantages: he was not a doll, and he was delirious from cold and blood loss.

Yin was about to raise her arm towards Hei when he blurted out, "It's good to see you, Yin."

Her arm paused slightly raised, and she continued to stare blankly at Hei, her arm giving her an air of indecision. Then she said softly, "It's good to see you too, Hei."

Hei tried to smile, but his lips were chapped with cold and unused to smiles, and didn't seem to stretch in the right way. Had she really stayed up to the middle of the night watching him? Perhaps that sort of thing was supposed to be creepy, but it caused a strange warm feeling in his chest, and it had just saved his life. He should thank her, or compliment her, or something.

"You're a sweetheart," he told her. This time her arm came to a stop about halfway to his shoulder, and stayed there for longer than before. Hei marveled at how delicate her arm and hand looked up close. There was no way she could bear his whole weight, it was a good thing that Hei's body was mustering much more strength than it had been a few minutes ago.

After a couple seconds, Yin responded in that same quiet voice, "Thank you." Then Hei finally hauled himself to his feet and put his arm across her shoulders. She put her arm around his waist. The snowflakes were falling heavier than before; they were beautiful, just like Yin. Hei looked at her.

"Have you ever attached your specter to a snowflake?"

"No."

Hei staggered a bit, and they started walking. "It seems like it would be fun." He looked back over his shoulder at the crimson stained snow angel he had left next to some bushes, a short ways from the path, then he hung his head down, lacking the mental energy to watch where they were going. "You should try it." It was increasingly difficult for him to shape words.

He didn't remember when they reached his apartment.