I decided to try and make a Christmas themed AU, one that will (hopefully) be updated every day up until December 25th. It is meant to act like a Christmas series, which also means that each chapter may not be that long. It's a bit of a challenge, but one I wanted to take on, as Article 13 may soon come into motion, and if so, then I may never get to share fanfictions again...

This little series is inspired by an old Christmas series that more or less matches the Blue Exorcist universe, though with a good amount of tweaks here and there. If you do not know the manga, then there might be slight spoilers ahead.

I do not own Ao No Exorcist/Blue Exorcist.

December 1st

It was a chilly evening in December, a thin layer of frost covering the grass outside. It was the middle stage between minus and plus degrees, and you had to make a wild guess whether a scarf was needed or not before leaving the house. Everyone was busy with something, whether it was finishing the last exams or buying Christmas presents, and Yukio was no exception. He had been so busy lately with missions that he rarely ever saw his bed, let alone his brother.

He had been looking into new findings, holy relics to be exact. There had been rumors of something supernatural going on underneath True Cross, a catacomb that no one dared to enter due to it being highly unstable. Due to this, all entrance had been denied, not even the Paladin was allowed to inspect it. Truth be told, as curious as Yukio was, not having to go down there was nothing less than a blessing, as that meant less work. Not that he really cared that much about Christmas, but free time was a rare occurrence that he would gladly embrace when he had the chance.

It wasn't that he truly minded being busy though, it was a relief to be away from his brother for a while and have his focus on something else. Rin would be about done with the exams by the time he came back, and he had friends like Bon to help him study. He really didn't need Yukio anymore, and he wasn't sure whether he felt relieved or disappointed with that fact. He had spent his whole life trying to protect him, so a part of him wanted Rin to be less independent, at least that would give him a purpose in life, a reason to wake up every morning. But perhaps that was selfish. In the end, he was glad that his brother wasn't helpless or in need of constant guidance. Things were looking brighter.

At least that's what he thought as he walked under dimly lit street lamps and winter decorations, the streets of True Cross mostly empty except for a few business owners that were getting their stores ready to close, the last costumers leaving with plastic bags and nicely wrapped presents. He had bought some cup noodles on his way back to the old dorm, knowing that it was too late to make a proper meal. Then again, since it was Saturday, the half-demon that he shared a room with just might be in the mood to make them something, now that it was the first day in December, and Yukio was home after being gone for a couple of weeks.

Once he reached the dormitory, something felt off. He had expected a greeting from Kuro, who usually heard him enter, and yet, there was no Kuro in sight. He brushed it off at first, the cat could be sleeping for once, and to be fair, it was late. The younger brother entered the kitchen, put down the noodles and heated some water. He found himself staring out the window, noticing a few snowflakes falling from the sky. He would go and check on the other once he had finished preparing the food.

With two cups of noodles, one in each hand, he headed upstairs. What he was met with was a rare sight, one he hadn't expected. Their door was ajar, and he could hear the sound of someone speaking. The voice was unfamiliar and sounded professional. One he opened the door fully, he found Shura standing by Rin's bed watching a doctor placing a stethoscope on Rin's chest, instructing him to take deep breaths. Yukio almost dropped the cups when Shura turned her attention towards him, a solemn frown making her look ten times older and sober for once.

"We need to talk."