Mirika-rin: This time only a little bit late~! Getting better, ne? Here's the climax of the arc~! EVERYONE CHEER. NOW DAMMIT. anyway. prepare yourself for something completely uncalled for~!

Ashine-chan: We're halfway through this arc~! Which means there will be slightly more fluff ahead. Not to mention more angst still, which always goes hand in hand with KuroFai, XD.


~Elsewhere~

"Oh! Fay-san, what about this one?" Archellevon asked, holding up a frilly dress with a smile. Edameonus, who had since cooled down from before, raised an eyebrow.

"Soel wouldn't be able to sit down right in that." He said with a chuckle as he shifted through baby clothing.

"Edameonus is right, and it wouldn't last her very long." Fay replied as he admired the dress, knowing Mokona would only end up getting it dirty when she went about playing. Archellevon looked at the dress fondly before putting it back. Edameonus pulled up a small pair of trousers and chuckled to himself, imagining a little Kurogane wearing them. Said man was over at a different rack, searching for something that the new baby could wear by orders of Fay. The blonde scanned over the various clothes they had been looking through.

"Maybe something she could play in?" He suggested as blue eyes tried to think of something.

"Like overalls?" Archellevon offered with a grin, pulling away from the rack with a pair of jeans. Edameonus strolled over to him and placed a hand on his hip.

"What are those?" He asked while Archellevon looked up.

"O-overalls? Their like these, but they go over your shoulders." He explained, casting his eyes to the side. Kurogane idly looked up and scoffed, bored easily by the way they interacted.

"As long as they wouldn't tear easily, I'm sure Mokona would like them." Smiling, Fay looked over at the blushing teen. He turned his head to look over at Kurogane for a moment, seeing if his lover was getting anywhere in picking out clothes. Kurogane felt Fay's eyes on him and he glanced over to him, holding up several outfits to show he wasn't just muttering and standing around. Archellevon smiled and showed Edameonus the pair of jeans.

"W-would these fit her?"

"Looks about right." Edameonus said as he scratched his head as he eyed the garment, trying to figure out if they where the right size.

"Seems Kuro-min is actually looking for things." The Valerian said to himself as he turned his attention back to the other two. Kurogane growled at his lover, placing his vision on a long sleeved shirt.

"Not like it'd kill me…" He stated from where he stood, easily able to hear his lover's mockery. Archellevon smiled faintly and draped the jeans over his arm.

"I-I don't think we should buy mostly clothing for her… she'd definitely like toys…"

"It'd keep her busy, I'm sure she'd like to have something to do instead of being read to." Edameonus said as he smiled at the teen.

"And here I thought Kuro-pon was just being grumpy and not wanting to socialize with us." The blonde said as he scanned around them for any toys.

"Shut up, Blondie." Kurogane grumbled as he stood away from the rack, placing his free hand on his hip. He knew he was the only one with money here, meaning he'd have to buy all of what the other three picked out as well. He sighed as he looked to the teenager, watching the boy walk over to the selection of toys.

"What's her favorite thing?" The boy asked, oblivious to the tallest man's staring.

"I don't know, Mokona doesn't have any toys all she does is read those fairytale books." The Ginryan said, smiling sheepishly.

"Kuro-tan's not very nice." Fay said smiling as he followed Archellevon, his own interests caught by the shelf in front of them filled with stuffed animals. The former angel picked up a princess doll.

"Then we could buy her something that relates to the story books." He offered, seeming to forget in whose company he stood. Kurogane followed indolently, making sure to keep an eye on what they bought.

"I'm sure she'll like anything like that." The dark haired man said as he glanced at Archellevon.

"All of these animals look a bit strange, though I guess it makes sense that they would to me." Fay said as he picked up a small stuffed animal.

"It does resemble some of the dragons from Ginryuu I've seen, but with wings." Edameonus glanced over at the blonde and looked at the stuffed animal curiously. Archellevon looked over as well.

"That looks really cute!" He exclaimed, standing straight as he held the doll. "S-since it's stuffed and… that…" He trailed off, realizing how loud he had been. Edameonus chuckled and picked up a doll that had caught his eye.

"I've only seen a few of them before." Fay said thinking back to Valeria. His eyes scanned over the other animals before blue eyes landed on another stuffed animal, picking it up the blonde examined it and smiled.

"Kuro-wankoro, buy this for me?" He said, making Kurogane look over to his lover and cocked an eyebrow.

"The hell?" He took the animal from Fay's hand and scrutinized it. "A dog?" He asked skeptically as Archellevon held the doll up to Edameonus.

"I-I think she'd like this one…" he said, noticing how some women off to the side were giggling about 'the two couples'.

"It's cute." Fay smirked, his gaze turned to his lover.

"Mokona will like it." The dark haired man said as he grinned, a slight blush across his cheeks from hearing said women away from them laughing. Archellevon's expression faltered and he looked to the ground.

"Y-yes… I think I-I want to buy it for her for Christmas…" He said, subconsciously putting space between him and the taller man. Kurogane exhaled heavily, handing the doll back.

"Fine, whatever." Fay had to keep himself from laughing as he took the small dog back from Kurogane, glad the other hadn't seen the resemblance.

"I think Toshi will like it and if not I'll keep it." Edameonus stole a glance at the stuffed animal, wondering why the blonde had taken up with it so quickly. Kurogane gave his companion a cynical look.

"You keep it? How old are you? Two?" he asked while folding his arms. Archellevon looked to the animal that the Valerian held and giggled, instantly seeing why Fay wanted it.

"Kuro-min should know by now how old I am." The blonde said before he turned to smile at Archellevon. "It's cute and it even looks grumpy." Holding up the stuffed dog for the teen to see better. Archellevon grinned wider and nodded.

"Toshihiko will adore it." He said cheerfully, holding his own doll close. Edameonus looked over to the ladies and narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering why they were still staring.

"I think we have enough for both Mokona and the baby, I'm sure Toriho and the others will be getting them gifts as well." Fay explained as he looked at Archellevon.

"Then are we done here?" The youngest asked Fay before looking at the other two men. Kurogane scoffed and Edameonus gave a small smile with a shrug.

"I suppose… do you think you'd need anything more from this place?" The Ginryan asked.

"I don't see anything else I need and we still need to look at decorations and things." The blonde said as he looked over at both dark haired men.

"A-and ingredients so we can cook with Tsumebe-san." Another blush made itself known on Archellevon's cheeks as he spoke. Edameonus nodded and placed his hands on his hips.

"Alright then, we should buy these things and then go to the next store." He looked to Kurogane then, who glared back before leading the way to the front of the store. Fay smiled at the cashier, seeing it was the same blonde from the last time they had come to town. She started scanning all of clothes and things they had each gotten once they gave them to her. Kurogane folded his arms and watched as Archellevon timidly placed his selected toy on top of the clothing that he had picked out. Edameonus followed suit, regarding the cashier as she did her job.

She blushed while bagging the group's items and told Kurogane the total. Fay smiled, wondering what the girl was thinking as he leaned against the end of the counter. Archellevon stood, watching, a blush across his own cheeks as he realized how close Edameonus was to him at the moment. The demon didn't seem to notice the smaller one's proximity as he leaned on one foot, watching as Kurogane handed over one bill to cover it all. He sighed and moved a hand to his head to ruffle his hair, wishing he didn't have to hide his horns.

Blue eyes watched lazily as the girl quickly gave Kurogane back his change. Fay turned and grabbed their bags, smiling at the others as he did.

"Where would you like to go to next Archy?" The blonde asked as he looked at the younger. Kurogane also took a couple of bags while Edameonus thanked the lady with a smile, causing her blush to grow darker. Archellevon watched this out of the corner of his eye as he smiled weakly to Fay.

"U-uhm… we can… uh… h-how about we go somewhere to get decorations? Then after that we can buy groceries?"

"Sounds good, Kuro-rin will have to lead the way." The blonde replied, looking at his lover. Edameonus smiled still at the cashier's blush before turning to his companions. Kurogane grumbled something inarticulately before walking out of the store, the teenager following after him so he could hold the door open for the others to exit. He studied the cashier for a moment, wondering absentmindedly why Edameonus had stared at her. Thanking Archellevon, the Valerian stepped outside as they followed Kurogane. Edameonus gave a quick 'thanks' to the teen as well before leaving the store also.

The white haired one let go of the door and fell into step next to Edameonus, though he inwardly wanted to walk with Fay again. The tallest of the group shoved his free hand in his pocket, knowing the metal underneath his fake skin would get colder than normal flesh would. Idly Fay swung the bags he was carrying back and forth as Kurogane led the way towards their next destination. He looked briefly skywards seeing that the clouds were darker than before, wondering if it meant they would have snow later. Archellevon let out a breathless gasp and suddenly stopped walking, smiling to himself as he saw the little trinkets in one store.

"Ah! Fay-san! Look at that one!" He said airily, pointing to a miniature village in the shop window. He looked to Edameonus and offered a wider smile than normal.

"It's so tiny!"

"Strange that they have such little displays." Fay said as he stopped and looked at the window display. He smiled at the houses, seeing that each was decorated with small lights and fake snow around them. Archellevon went up to the window as well, the two other men stopping to make sure they all stayed together. The white haired one smiled as he placed his hands against the glass.

"They always make these, to place under the trees." He informed the outlanders, to which Fay looked at the display in thinking it an odd thing to put under a tree.

"They're really detailed." Edameonus pointed out as he looked over the tiny figures. Archellevon looked to him over his shoulder, still smiling.

"Yes, sometimes they're put on the table too at Christmas feasts." He looked back to the display and pointed one out. "Hehe, look! That one has a dog on the ice…"

"We could go into this store." The blonde said as he looked over the rest of the items hanging in the shop's window. Smiling at the teen's amusement, Edameonus looked over at Archellevon.

"O-oh we don't have to…" Archellevon replied, removing his hands from the glass to wave them in front of him.

"I only wanted to look at the small town, that's all!" He said weakly, though Edameonus took a step closer.

"There's no harm in looking around. We can do that 'window shopping' Souhi talked about… er… Uncle Toriho, talked about…" He looked around to see if anyone was listening to them.

"There's no need for us to rush, we can look inside, besides they seem to have decorations." Suggested Fay as he watched the teen. The boy looked to the ground as his hands lowered.

"…I-if Fay-san wants to…" He muttered, noticing Kurogane had walked over to them as well.

"It's if you want to as well." Giving the other a friendly smile, Fay had wished the teen was a bit more confidence at least when around them. Blue met blue as the younger brought his gaze back up. Edameonus reached forward and placed his hand on the other's back, making the teenager jolt.

"Come on, we can go in." The demon said warmly, though Archellevon pulled away from him.

"O-ok…" Stepping inside first, Fay was greeted with streamers and other brightly colored decorations hanging from the stores ceiling. He smiled at the sight and walked forward towards a tree near the door. Kurogane gave a disinterested look to the shop and followed Fay idly, having nothing better to do. Archellevon smiled to himself and walked enthusiastically into the middle of the store where tree top ornaments sat. Edameonus frowned slightly wondering if it would make things worse if he followed the former angel. He sighed and moved to another section.

"When will you be getting a tree?" The blonde asked as he stared at the tree, noting the glass bulbs and strings of lights on its branches.

"Probably a week before Christmas. Or whenever my dad deems it's necessary to drag me out of the house." Kurogane shrugged, glancing to a doll in boredom. Across from them, Archellevon paused, staring at some of the ornaments forlornly. He picked an angel up slowly, staring at it, not realizing Edameonus was watching him from the other isle.

"That should be fun to see." Fay laughed lightly as he looked up at his lover as he imagined Toriho dragging an unwilling Kurogane off. The other growled, slouching a little more.

"Tch. Of course you'd say that."

"It's not like I could help with much in another month." The blonde replied as he brought his attention back to the tree, his hands moving to brush against one of the ornaments. Not far from them, Edameonus smiled as he looked at the teen while looking at the Christmas decorations as well.

"You act like I don't know that." Kurogane regarded one of the ornaments and frowned.

"It's not that, I know you realize it." Smiling, the blonde turned to his lover. "I was just pointing it out." Kurogane looked to the Valerian and smirked slightly, his mind going back to his child. The former angel stared at the item he held, his nimble fingers tracing over the wings and halo.

"Hey, you like that, doll face?" Came a voice next to him that made the boy jump. He smiled weakly to the person who had decided to talk to him.

"O-oh hello… y-yes… I do like it…" He bit his lip. Edameonus frowned as he listened to the other, gripping the small wreath in his hand tightly as he tried to see who it was talking to Archellevon.

"So, uh, who ya with? Want me ta buy ya that?" Said the brunette as he stepped forward. A red flag went up in Archellevon's mind and the teenager stepped back a little.

"O-oh no, I-I'm just looking! Besides, I'm just shopping with friends…" He said, hoping that it wouldn't go any further than this. Fay blinked before he turned, feeling Edameonus's aura spike. Kurogane followed the blonde's gaze as well, raising an eyebrow at the teenager. Edameonus had his back turned to both Kurogane and Fay as he gritted his teeth, trying not to lash out at the human in the opposite aisle. Archellevon held the ornament close to him and didn't wait for the other person to say a reply. He turned sharply and went to Edameonus on instinct. He tugged on the demon's sleeve, eyes shifting nervously to the other man.

"I-I want… I w-want to leave…" He said feebly, the angel in his arm tightly. The Ginryan nodded before he grabbed a slender arm and pulled Archellevon with him towards the others. He was grateful that things hadn't escalated, not sure what he would have done if they had. The teenager let himself be led, actually moving to link his arm with the taller man's. Kurogane regarded this and suppressed a snort.

"You done looking?" He asked, nodding to the angel ornament. The white haired one nodded fervently, not looking up.

"Are you going to get that?" Fay asked the teen, worried about what had happened. Edameonus continued to frown, his eyes scanning around them in case someone else tried anything.

"I-I…" Archellevon tried to speak before giving up, shaking his head and taking the item and placing it on a nearby shelf. Kurogane looked to Edameonus and sighed, feeling like he should've guessed that he'd be so protective.

"Oi, let's go then." Edameonus pulled the teen along, seeing that Archellevon still wasn't looking at any of them as Fay smiled faintly while they left. Looking back behind them, the Valerian couldn't see the person who had upset the boy, so instead he looked at Kurogane briefly in concern. Said man shrugged, not knowing what to do either. The former angel wrapped his arms around Edameonus's, letting the demon lead him. He couldn't understand why he was frightened all of a sudden, but he was glad that the other would put up with him as he held onto him.

"Where should we go to now? Any ideas Kuro-tan?" The slender man asked as he looked up at Kurogane. He didn't think Archellevon would be up for continuing their shopping at the moment. Beside the still startled teen, Edameonus was glad that he was at least helping the boy feel safe.

"Wanna stop by that guy's shop?" Kurogane asked, knowing Sorata would have something to calm the shorter one's nerves. Edameonus glanced over his shoulder to Kurogane.

"…'That guy'? That's specific." He stated, but Fay nodded.

"I'm sure Sorata will be happy to see us again." Smiling, the Valerian continued walking towards Sorata's shop, thinking it would be best for the teen to sit and calm down. The taller man nodded as well and continued, moving to lead the others. Archellevon looked to the ground with a frown, feeling guilty that he had caused the three men to stop shopping because of him. Noticing Archellevon's reaction, Fay smiled before turning his attention away from the two walking behind him and Kurogane.

"It'll be nice to sit and talk to everyone. I needed to rest for a bit and Sorata's shop is always fun." The blonde said to no one in particular as the four of them continued to walk. Kurogane raised an eyebrow to his lover, wondering if he was being truthful about resting or if he was just humoring the smaller member of their group. Edameonus looked to the blonde ahead of him.

"Everyone? Who else would be there?"

"Syaoran and Syaoron, they work for Sorata and they look up to Kuro-pipi." Fay chuckled thinking back to Syaoran and Sakura. Edameonus chuckled deeply, noticing Archellevon's grip slightly loosened as they got farther away from that store.

"How anyone looks up to Kurogane is a surprise." He teased, making the student turn sharply to glare over his shoulder.

"What was that, asshole?"

"It's rather cute." Fay replied as he smiled cheerfully. Sorata's shop came into view as Edameonus continued to laugh.

"I said I'm surprised anyone could see you as a role model." Kurogane growled dangerously.

"You obviously don't know most of these people then." He barked, thinking of all the people who waved to him every time he entered town or the college. He opened up the door and instantly was revolted by the wafting smell of sweets that hit his nose from the inside of the shop.

"Kuro-chan's popular despite his attitude." Fay said as the door chimed as they entered.

"Kurogane's here!" Sorata said from behind the counter, he waved enthusiastically at the group as both twins looked up to see them. Kurogane grumbled in his throat, looking to his lover.

"Oi, take them to a seat." He said lowly before going over to Sorata to talk to him. Archellevon looked up slowly, having eased up a bit. Deciding not to ask, Fay nodded before walking to one of the tables further back, away from the few other customers there. Edameonus followed silently, the teen still holding his arm. Syaoran smiled as he waved, carrying a tray to a couple with his other hand.

After picking the booth out Edameonus let Archellevon sit in it first, the boy sliding into it to sit by the wall. He sat next to the white haired one, hoping their proximity wouldn't bother him. Kurogane joined them shortly, setting the bag down next to the chair.

"I thought Kuro-myu didn't like talking with Sorata." The blonde said as he looked to his lover. Blue eyes watched as Syaoran took an empty tray to the kitchen before his twin came out soon after.

"I don't. I asked him to get something for me." Kurogane replied, sitting next to Fay. Archellevon didn't look up from the table, his hands fidgeting in his lap slowly.

"Kuro-tan shouldn't say such things about his friends." The blonde replied as he rested his chin atop his hand, smiling at Kurogane. Edameonus watched the teen, worried.

"He's not my friend either." The half blood replied with a growl. "He's a parasite." Edameonus looked up to Kurogane with a curious glance, wondering why he'd call a man a pest.

"Just because he's friendly?" A smirk spread across the blonde's lips as he spoke.

"There's a difference between friendly and tumor-like." The man said as Sorata exited from the kitchen, carrying a tray with four glasses. He smiled over to them and walked over.

"Hello, Fay-chan, Kurogane. Friends of yours?" He asked, smiling to Edameonus.

"Hello, you've already met Hien, beside him is Archellevon." Fay smiled as he introduced the others while Sorata set everything down. Sorata smiled wider.

"Charmed!" He looked to Archellevon and it faltered somewhat.

"Here you are; I'm assuming you asked for this for him, Kurogane?" He said with a cheeky grin while setting a steaming glass in front of the teenager. Kurogane narrowed his eyes and growled.

"Can you not be annoying for once?"

"Kuro-kun shouldn't growl so much." Sorata smiled at Fay as he set down their glasses. Edameonus looked at his own mug in curiosity. Sorata stood straight and looked to another customer waving to him.

"Ah, I'd love to stay and chat, but even when we're not busy we're busy." He said with a shrug. Archellevon's hands moved slowly from his lap to hold the sides of the drink, but he didn't bring it to his lips. As the shop owner left, Fay brought his attention to the drinks Kurogane had ordered for them.

"What did you have Sorata bring us?"

"Tea." Kurogane replied, picking up his cup to take a drink of the hot liquid. Edameonus tilted his head to the side. Before he could say anything Archellevon spoke up.

"I'm sorry…"

"There's no reason to apologize to us." Fay said, smiling gently at the teen as Edameonus looked at the former angel. The teenager shook his head gently, his grip tightening slightly on the cup.

"N-no… I… I've been a… a trouble, again."

"You're not bothering any of us." The blonde said as he wrapped his hands around his drink. Edameonus continued to look at the teen as he spoke up.

"None of us are complaining, so you shouldn't think you're such a burden to everyone." Archellevon grimaced and looked up to the others. He knew that if any of the others had been bothered like he had that they would've still been shopping now. Edameonus kept his eyes on the smaller man, wondering why he was acting that way.

"It's ok to be scared, we've only been in town a few times now."

"Yes and besides we've been shopping for a few hours now, taking a break is a nice change, we can all sit and rest here before we continue." Fay said, not wanting the teen to feel guilty about them stopping. Bringing his cup to his lips, Fay took a tentative sip, wincing at the temperature before setting his glass back down. Archellevon closed his eyes but nodded. Kurogane looked out the window, noticing that the clouds had started to gather more so over the town.

"It might snow before we finish shopping." He muttered, making Edameonus turn to look as well.

"That should be nice to see then." The blonde added as he held his cup to his lips, blowing at its surface, in an attempt to cool it. Archellevon slowly moved the cup to his lips, taking a tentative sip of it. Kurogane looked to Fay with a slight frown, thinking that the snow might bring back bad memories of the smaller man. Fay grinned as he took a drink of tea.

"Kuro-rinta?" Edameonus drank his own tea as well, still trying to keep an eye on the one beside him. The dark haired man shook his head.

"Nothing." Archellevon looked up again, his expression seeming to have relaxed.

"I-if Fay-san and Kurogane-san still want t-to go shopping I-I didn't mean to stop them…"

"The only things we need to get are groceries." The blonde said, wondering why his lover had given him such a look. Archellevon frowned more so and looked to the table again. Edameonus sighed and placed a cautious hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Hey, stop worrying over it ok? Taking a break isn't a bother and we need your help on buying the groceries." He said softly, noticing that the white haired one didn't pull away like he had before.

"Yes, you were the one to check everything to see what we needed." He said still worried about Archellevon's current state. "Without Archy the three of us wouldn't know where to begin." The youngest member looked to Fay and smiled faintly. He nodded again.

"O-ok…" He took another drink of the tea Kurogane had gotten him, noticing said man was watching him intently. Propping his face up with his hand, Fay watched Archellevon for a moment, hoping he had helped, before looking outside. His mind briefly wandering to Kurogane's early assumption about it snowing. The demon watched as Sorata juggled two trays full of dishes across the room. He sat back in his seat with a slight smile.

"And maybe 'Uncle' bought a bunch of decorations. Is there something in Christmas time that you can put all around the house?" Archellevon looked up to the other and blushed a little.

"U-uh… there's holly… and wreathes… a-and… uh…" Fay's attention moved back to the pale haired teen as Archellevon began explaining something else to them. He smiled as his fingers wrapped around his mug.

"Th-then there's candles and… m-mistletoe…" Kurogane turned his head sharply to the boy.

"Like hell that's going in my house!" He snapped. Archellevon gave him a nervous smile.

"I-I'm just naming things off…"

A devious smirk swept across Fay's lips at seeing his lover's refusal. "What's that?"

Archellevon's face went red and he looked to the tea, fidgeting with it.

"Y-you hang it in doorways a-and in entrances s-so that w-when two people stand under them th-they kiss…" He stammered, his mind wandering to if he and Edameonus would get caught under one and his face lit up in multiple shades. Edameonus blushed before looking over to Fay, he could practically hear the wheels turning in the blondes head at the information.

"Is it hard to come by?" Archellevon shook his head fervently.

"During Christmas y-you can find it anywhere." He squeaked. Kurogane growled lowly.

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking Blondie, the answer is no."

"Oh? Kuro-kun knows what I was thinking." The blonde smiled innocently at Kurogane. Said man narrowed his eyes even more.

"Don't play dumb." Archellevon let a giggle slip before bringing the tea to his lips; once it had cooled down he realized he really liked the flavor.

"But, it'll be fun and besides I'm sure I can find some on my own if need be." Fay said teasingly to his lover.

"Two words; Like. Hell." Kurogane retorted, bringing his mug up to finish off his cup. Edameonus mimicked him, trying not to laugh into his glass.

"Why?" The slender man asked as he pouted mockingly at Kurogane, knowing he might wear the other man down.

"Because I said so." Kurogane pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh, determined not to falter under his lover's gaze. Archellevon smiled fondly to them, glad that they were comfortable together even in public.

"But Kuro-tan~" Large tears formed at the corner of the blonde's eyes as he continued to stare at Kurogane. Edameonus had to look away so he wouldn't laugh, knowing Kurogane wouldn't be able to resist. The taller man hesitated when he saw this, mentally slapping himself as he noticed that others were now watching him and Fay.

"Fine! What the fuck ever!" He barked, caving. Archellevon giggled again as he finished his tea.

"I owe Kuro-min then." Fay said as he reverted back to smiling, his tears gone. He thought idly how much Kurogane would buy for him as he finished off his tea. The student growled to himself, knowing it had become easier to give in to Fay's crocodile tears. The white haired one looked to the others briefly before to the table.

"U-uhm… I-I think I'm ok now, we can go back to shopping if you'd like to…"

"I can pick up some mistletoe before Kuro-san changes his mind." The blonde nodded in agreement. Edameonus smirked as he stole a glance over at Kurogane. Said man glared to his lover in defeat, knowing Fay would from then on take advantage of this skill. Edameonus stood up, picking up the bags he had set to the side.

"I'll have to pay Kuro-rinta back for the mistletoe." The Valerian said having a good idea as to why his lover was against the stuff. Kurogane grumbled and got up from his seat as well, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets. Archellevon took the other bags, glad to help out in any way he could.

"Kuro-grump shouldn't act so mean around the holidays." The blonde chided halfheartedly as he moved from the booth to stand.

"Tch, get used to it." Kurogane snapped as he watched Sorata wave at them, having paid the man when he had gone up to the shop owner earlier. Edameonus was startled lightly when Archellevon's arm snaked around his own, not expecting the smaller to still want to hold onto him. Fay smiled in surprise as he saw the small gesture, knowing Kurogane would be embarrassed if he were to do the same.

"But there's a lot to look forward to Kuro-kun."

"And?" The taller asked, not glancing over to the others. He lead the way out, not bothering to watch Edameonus place his hand on the one hooked around his elbow. Archellevon blushed at the gesture, but he didn't let go as they followed Kurogane out.

"And you shouldn't be so grumpy because of it." Fay waved at Sorata and both twins as he stepped outside.

"Would you quit calling me grumpy?" Kurogane asked in exasperation, glaring at his partner. The teenager giggled behind his free hand, thinking it sounded funny that the older man would say that word.

"Would Kurogane-san lead the way to the grocery store?" He asked, to which the taller nodded.

"Then stop acting that way and I will." Fay retorted as he grinned up at the half breed. Edameonus was about to say something as well, but didn't want to break whatever had fallen over the teen as the other's arm was still entwined with his own. Kurogane muttered something incoherently and began to lead the way to the next store they needed to go to, not wanting to deal with Fay's antics. Archellevon's hand slightly tightened on the fabric of Edameonus's shirt.

"U-um… i-is this alright? M-my hand…"

The Ginryan looked at the teen grinning. "Its fine, you're not bothering me."

"Kuro-pyon's being cute now." Fay laughed as he followed.

"Don't call me cute either!" Kurogane barked, his fists clenching in his pockets. Archellevon blushed somewhat deeper, but smiled wider and looked away.

"A-about this morning… I-I'm sorry I made you worry… you didn't have to do that…"

"It wouldn't be good for you to catch a cold." The Ginryan said, nervous about saying the wrong thing. Archellevon brought his eyes to the ground while following the taller men.

"Yes… I-I guess you're right…"

"Kuro-tan's very picky." The blonde said as they continued to walk. Kurogane glared at his lover, moving into the town square first.

"Not like I'd like any of those stupid personality traits anyway." He grumbled.

"But you do, you just don't want to admit it." Fay pointed out as Edameonus smiled a bit nervously at the teen.

"Like hell that's true!" Kurogane barked, causing the former angel to remove his attention from the pavement to the Earthling.

"Kurogane-san, where's this grocery store?" He asked timidly. The spiky haired man nodded his head forward.

"Right there."

"If Kuro-myu doesn't want to admit it..." The blonde said amused before turning his gaze from Kurogane to the store in front of them. The white haired one walked forward, removing his arm from Edameonus's so he could open the door. Looking inside he smiled.

"This place might have everything we need."

"Kuro-rin should take me on a tour of the town one of these days." Fay said as he followed Archellevon, curiously about the store. Edameonus's smile faltered as Archellevon left him, but followed nonetheless.

"Tch. That's so troublesome." Kurogane griped, entering the store last. Archellevon placed a finger at the bottom of his lip as he scanned the store, looking for items he'd need.

"Hm… Let's go to this isle first, it seems to have flour and a few other things we need. Fay grinned as Archellevon lead the way, glad that the teen had actually remembered what they needed.

"Kuro-pyon always thinks things are troublesome."

"Because they are." The taller man replied, watching listlessly as the youngest member grabbed a small cart to hang off his arm and as he moved silkily to the chosen isle. Edameonus followed on instinct, focusing more so on the boy's wellbeing than what he was supposed to help out with.

"Kuro-tan thinks I'm troublesome then?" The blonde asked as he walked in front of Kurogane, a smile across his lips. Edameonus fidgeted before asking the shorter teen if he needed any help with his shopping.

"More often than not." Kurogane grunted, scanning the store lazily. Archellevon picked up a small bag of sugar powder.

"U-uhm… I need to get certain things…" He looked up to Edameonus slowly with a smile. "Y-you can help me find them, i-if you like…" Edameonus nodded, seeing that the other two were occupied with each other at the moment.

"Kuro-san's not being very nice." Fay pouted as he looked over his shoulder at Kurogane.

"Am I supposed to be?" The man asked skeptically as he raised an eyebrow. Archellevon leaned forward over the items sitting up and grabbed a better bag, not paying attention to the couple.

"At least around me you should be." The Valerian grinned before turning his attention to the others seeing that Edameonus and Archellevon were fine on their own.

"You should be used to it by now." Kurogane snorted and folded his arms, moving his vision to the other customers. The teenager placed the bag of powder in his small cart before walking further down, pointing to something to ask Edameonus's opinion of it.

"I'm not really sure, these things look different than what I'm used to." The Ginryan said as Archellevon looked over a bag of sugar.

"I suppose, Kuro-rinta is affectionate sometimes." Smiling to himself, Fay wondered if he should offer to help his friends. The shortest of them gave a puzzled look as he scanned over the sugar.

"It looks the same and I can read it just fine, but it's hard to tell…" He trailed off, picking up another to compare the two. Kurogane grumbled in complaint, but didn't speak up besides that.

"Maybe Kuro-san and I could find something? That way we're not just sitting here." The slender man suggested as he stood close to his lover.

"The colors a bit different, but I guess it would taste the same..." Edameonus hadn't really thought much about how different such simple things were from the other planets. Kurogane shrugged, looking down the isle to the other two.

"Well where should we start, Blondie?" The white haired boy shivered slightly and decided to go with the bigger bag, putting it with the powder.

"Archy was the one to make a list." Fay said, not wanting to admit he hadn't paid much attention when they were checking for things. Chuckling, Edameonus shook his head at his friend. The teenager stood straight and looked to the others.

"E-eh? D-do you want to find some of the things?" He asked with a small smile, moving to reach in his pocket to take out the sheet of paper.

"We can at least help instead of letting you do everything." The taller of the two said as he smiled. Archellevon nodded and moved his hand to the side of the paper, effectively tearing it in two.

"H-here, I guess it wouldn't hurt to split the job…" He said, giving the other light haired one a half.

"Kuro-san will at least know what to get." Fay took the slip of paper looking over before he smiled. "I'm not sure if I could get everything right."

"Most likely wouldn't." Kurogane teased, looking over the other's shoulder to skim through the items needed. Archellevon grinned and held up his half.

"Should we meet up a little later?"

"Once we're finished we'll look for you." The other replied as he scanned over the list, smiling as he noticed Kurogane reading the paper as well. The demon nodded and turned away from them.

"It shouldn't take that long to get this stuff. There isn't as much as I thought there was." He said as Archellevon took the bag in the taller man's hands and setting it in the basket his smile widened a little.

"Alright then, we'll be back shortly." Fay waved as he turned and moved around Kurogane to head down the aisle, scanning the shelves for anything on their list. Kurogane followed, glancing at the other two once before turning his vision to his lover. Archellevon watched them go out of the corner of his eye, a faint blush going over his cheeks as he realized he was now alone with Edameonus. Fay continued walking as he moved between looking at their half of the list and up to the shelves.

"Kuro-min should be helping me."

The taller of the two exhaled angrily and looked over the other's shoulder again. He clicked his tongue and moved to one side of the walkway, picking up a can of some fruit.

"Why the hell would he need these for cookies?"

"Maybe it's some type of family recipe? Though he might be making tarts." He replied, mentally marking off one thing from their list as Kurogane inspected the can.

"Tch." The taller man held onto the can while placing his other hand on his hip. He thought briefly to the weather outside and frowned, glad that they hadn't taken his motorcycle to town that day. Fay turned to face his lover, holding the list up to Kurogane's face as he smiled.

"You'll have to find our next item." Kurogane growled and snatched the paper, scanning over it idly before turning on his heel.

"Come on Blondie. The rest of the items are on the other side of the store."

"Lead the way Kuro-sama~" Fay mock saluted his lover as he smirked. The other rolled his eyes and sighed, beginning to walk toward the opposite side of the somewhat large shop. Chuckling, Fay swung his arms idly as he walked, his eyes scanning the all of the different varieties of foods as they passed. He kept fairly quiet as he followed Kurogane through the grocery store. The man stopped abruptly, almost causing the shorter to run into him. Red eyes scanned over the small section before he reached forward to grab a bottle of vanilla extract.

"Hn… He'd better appreciate this crap. It's been years since I went with mom to get stuff like this."

"I appreciate Kuro-tan helping and I'm sure Archellevon and Tsumebe will as well." The Valerian said as he stood behind Kurogane, his eyes scanning the labels of various bottles.

"Tch. Mom'll probably point out something I got wrong." Kurogane rolled his eyes as he thought back to a time where he and Tsumebe had gone shopping and the woman had laughed delicately at a mistake he made.

"I'm sure it helped your cooking skills." Fay stepped to the side in order to stand beside Kurogane, blue eyes scanning their list again.

"Hn." Kurogane looked around for a bit before he began to walk slowly, remembering something from the list. Fay watched as Kurogane continued gathering things, he turned his attention to the items around them wondering what Archellevon had planned for them to bake. Said teenager stretched his arm to reach for an object at the top of the shelf, wondering to himself why they would place a food item so far away.

"Hnn…. E-Ed, c-could you help me please?"

"Yeah...which one do you need?" He smiled seeing that the teen wasn't tall enough to reach the top shelf. The white haired one gave up easily and backed away slightly, pointing to the white bag among blue ones.

"That one, I think it's semi-sweet…" Edameonus nodded before he reached up for the bag, careful not to knock anything over as he offered the bag to Archellevon.

"Here you go." The other smiled and took the bag, setting it in the slowly filled basket.

"Now then, we've got three more things…" He announced happily, glad that the earlier event hadn't deterred him from remaining content with the taller man. His mind wandered to the way he had clung to Edameonus and the blush on his cheeks darkened.

"That's good." Smiling he rested a hand on his hip.

"Wonder how the other two are doing?" Edameonus said before he noticed the other blushing curious about it. Archellevon nodded, trying to will away the thoughts.

"Y-yes… I hope I wrote everything clear enough…" The former angel said, fidgeting as he stood in front of Edameonus.

"It's not your list I was talking about...I'd be surprised if we didn't hear Kurogane yelling any minute now." The Ginryan smirked at the thought of getting to taunt the human again before he returned his attention to the boy in front of him. A smile spread across the younger lips and blue eyes closed.

"Yes… even though they fight often… I-I know… and I'm glad… that they're finally allowed to be happy…" He allowed his mind to search through blurry memories of the court with Kurogane and Fay and how the taller of the two had been so resolute to be with the blonde in peace.

"Yeah, as much as Kurogane likes to bitch and Fay likes to tease him, they do deserve to be happy together." The other said, thinking back to his own encounters with both men on Edonis. Archellevon's grin widened and he opened his eyes.

"I want to do something nice for them… but I can't think of anything I'd be able to do…" He looked to the basket.

"I can hardly teach them anything, since they're older than me… but this is the least I can do…"

"Never know until you try, though I'd recommend showing them something while separated or else you won't be able to keep them from arguing long enough to get anywhere." The taller man was glad to see the other smiling as he talked. Archellevon giggled and nodded, moving over to the next aisle.

"This is true…" He shifted the small cart to his other arm, feeling a dull pain in the muscle as the weight started to get heavier.

"I'm sure they'll like whatever you decide." He said looking at Archellevon.

"I could carry that for you...at least help some too." Edameonus said noticing how the handle dug into the pale haired teen's arm. Said other gave a weak smile and shook his head.

"N-no, it's fine. I don't want to burden you… even with something as silly as this." He blushed again, feeling guilty for troubling the others as much as he had, especially with the smaller things like a broken plate or not doing the laundry.

"I'm only offering to help...we're friends and I can at least help carry something and not just stand here while you do everything." He smiled faintly, trying to keep the teen from feeling as if he was a bother again.

"…Well…" Archellevon shifted his weight from one foot to the other awkwardly, looking to the basket. He hesitated before moving it off his arm and holding it up with both hands.

"I-if it wouldn't trouble you… my arm does sort of hurt…" Edameonus smiled and grabbed the basket with one hand, feeling that it was a bit heavier than he had expected.

"It's not a problem, glad I could help." Archellevon smiled sheepishly, absentmindedly rubbing the spot where the handles had been. Even with the cushioning of his coat it seemed that he was fragile.

"…E-Ed?" He began softly, busying his hands with a can on the shelf.

"Yes, Archy?" He raised an eyebrow in question, curious about what Archellevon could possibly want.

"I've learned that Souhi-kun and you were friends in childhood… a-and… I know you…. You are the…" He trailed off to mumbling, his face red beneath bangs that were too long for his vision.

"What?" He asked, his grip tightening on the basket. Edameonus looked at the teen, not liking what the other might say. The blue eyes looked to the ground before Archellevon shook his head.

"Th-the point is… I-I don't remember… I don't think… I'd ever… remember…" He grimaced to himself, knowing that the other man would be hurt by his words.

"A-and I'm sorry… because I knew that the someone I-I was… I know that you loved that person…"

"..." Edameonus paused his voice caught in his throat at what Archellevon had said. He stared at Archellevon for what felt like forever, then swallowed the lump in his throat.

"...How long did you know that?" He looked away from the teen, trying to keep his voice from sounding too strained.

"….Too long to have kept it from you…" Archellevon replied, bowing his head more. "I-I know… that me not remembering… I know i-it hurts you…" Suddenly pale hands reached out and grasped Edameonus's tightly, bringing it to the former angel's forehead.

"I'm sorry… that I-I've taken away your most precious person… a-and kept their face…"

"..." The Ginryan froze as he listened, not knowing where to begin. "It's not you're fault...it's just how things turned out..." He wondered briefly if everyone else would know now and tried not to retract his hand from the teen's as he spoke softly. Archellevon shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut.

"E-even though I can't change it, I wish I could… i-if I would've known that E-Ed was hurting b-because I arrived, I-I…" the boy trailed off again, finding it harder to speak.

"Don't blame yourself...like I said before; we're friends." Edameonus smiled softly as he looked down at Archellevon. "I've been hurting way before you arrived so don't think it's because you came here."

Archellevon looked up, tears brimming his blue eyes as he felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He couldn't form words with his lips, though thoughts raged through his mind. He shuddered gently before moving forward swiftly, wrapping his arms around the taller man's torso. Edameonus frowned, his free hand moved to wrap around Archellevon, feeling guilty that he had been the reason the teen was now crying. He knew he'd have to talk to Souhi later, if the man somehow didn't know already.

"There's no need to be upset over me." The boy shook his head, his eyes squeezing shut again as he tried not to let the tears fall. He was first surprised when Mokona had let it slip that Edameonus had been upset, but it had only recently clicked that it was over his lost memories.

"I-I'm… going to try…" He choked out softly, burying his face in the other's trench coat.

"Don't force yourself to because of me." The other said as he narrowed his eyes in thought, wondering just how long the teen had known. Again, Archellevon shook his head. He pulled slightly away, looking up to the demon so their eyes would meet.

"I-I want to remember… s-so that maybe…" One hand snaked back around, moving nimbly to be placed against the beige cheek cautiously. "S-so maybe Ed can really smile again…"

Edameonus stood surprised, his eyes widened slightly at the thin hand against his face. He remained quiet, knowing he wouldn't be able to argue with the teen. He averted his gaze, feeling he shouldn't be so selfish and protest more, especially when Archellevon was only wanting to remember for the small chance that he would be happier. Doing so caused him to realize that Archellevon wasn't the only one staring at him. A very small crowd of shoppers had paused to stare in curiosity at the two. The former angel withdrew his hand when he too found this out, his face going completely red.

"Maybe we should go find Fay-chan and Kurogane?" Edameonus suggested as he grabbed Archellevon's arm, shooting a glare over at the people gathered. Archellevon nodded in defeat, wiping his eyes so he wouldn't have to see the individuals whispering and gawking at them. He wasn't sure whether to pull away from or to lean into the grip, his feelings confused enough as is. Glaring once more for good measure, Edameonus pulled the teen with him down the aisle, his eyes scanning for the rest of their group, trying to keep his thoughts about what had just happened between them at bay. Archellevon stopped then, his hand resting on top of Edameonus.

"E-Ed…"

"Yeah?" The Ginryan said as he stopped to turn and look at the teen. Blue eyes stayed averted as his face was relieved of some of the red.

"I-I just realized something… I-I accidentally left my gloves at Sorata's…" He admitted, not noticing Kurogane and Fay walking down the aisle to them.

"We can go back and get your gloves; I'm sure someone's found them and put them up." He said trying to offer the teen a smile.

"N-no…" Archellevon began, looking to the ground. "Y-you three can continue shopping… I can get them and meet with you by the car…" Edameonus looked to see the others before turning his attention back to Archellevon.

"Alright." Releasing the other's arm, the Ginryan stood to the side as he held the basket with Archellevon's things in his other hand. The former angel gave him a grateful smile before he turned, walking swiftly down the aisle. Kurogane's eyes chased after him curiously, placing a hand on his hip as he approached the other dark haired man.

"What's his problem?"

"Forgot his gloves at Sorata's shop." The Ginryan said as he watched the teen leave. Fay paused for a moment in feeling something was off.

"We got everything on the list." Edameonus also hesitated before grinning feebly to the light haired man.

"Alright, we were almost done too." He informed the others, giving Fay the list that had been placed in the basket. Kurogane grumbled to himself, angry that he would have to go searching for things again.

"Just a few things then." Fay said as he looked between the second half of the list and what Edameonus was carrying. He held it up for Kurogane to read as well. The Earthling looked over it and then to the aisle they were in, frowning in irritation.

"Fine then, this way." He sighed, leading the way to the cold food section. Fay moved to follow, glancing back to Edameonus briefly, wondering if anything had happened before he followed after his lover. The demon didn't go after them for a moment, his hand moving to his chest where the boy's face had been laid. He closed his eyes briefly before beginning to walk, wondering if it was alright that the teenager had gone out on his own.

"We should hurry, I'm sure you're parents and Mokona will be finished by now." The blonde said as he trailed behind Kurogane, noting that Edameonus was following along as well.

"He'd have called then." The other waved him off, knowing his father would probably be stuck in the toy section of some store as he planned how to flood Kurogane's house full of useless things.

"Well we should at least hurry so we can meet up with Archy, wouldn't want him just standing by your car waiting." The blonde retorted as the came to the frozen food section of the store.

"Hn." Kurogane replied, knowing that the snow would be falling any minute. Edameonus frowned deeper, unable to think straight as the earlier events ran through his head. Fay sighed at his lover's lack of a response before looking over to Edameonus again, seeing that the man was lost in his thoughts.

~Elsewhere~

Archellevon sighed heavily, reaching into his pocket to pull out his gloves. He felt bad that he had wanted to have a little time to himself, but worse that he had lied to the taller man. He shook his head and placed his gloves back in his pocket, his grip tightening on the small shopping bags he carried.

"Why if it isn't the cutie from before, I was wondering where you'd run off to." The man from before, who had frightened the teen, smiled as he approached Archellevon.

"A-ah!" The former angel's eyes widened and he turned away sharply, walking quickly in the direction from where he had just come. His heart beat was quickened now, the thought of getting away becoming stronger.

"Come on now, I just wanted to talk." The voice behind him said as footsteps sounded closer to the teen. Archellevon didn't turn to the voice, not wanting to get involved in anything with that person. He felt his breath hitch when he saw that there was another man headed his way. He turned again parting through a small crowd to go into a smaller street, yet again being cut off. The teenager felt panic rise in his throat; he was practically running now.

"There's no need to run away; we're just wanting to chat, doll face." The same man from before said as he continued to follow Archellevon. The teenager halted in his steps, realizing that three other men had cut him off in an alleyway. He twisted quickly, staring at the man who was still talking to him.

"J-Just leave me alone…" He tried to warn, taking a step back.

"Don't be afraid, we don't look that scary do we?" He smiled as the other gathered around varying grins plastered on their faces as well. Archellevon's eyes darted to their separated faces, feeling the brick of the store on his back.

"L-leave me alone… I-I'm not interested i-in t-talking…"

"But I am, why don't you come with us?" The apparent leader replied as he took a step closer to the teen. Archellevon shook his head.

"N-No… I'm with others… I-I already told you before!" He tried to press himself into the wall, hoping maybe he'd merge with it. Why did he have to leave?

"Shouldn't be afraid of us cutie." The man repeated as he stepped closer, a broad smile stretched across his lips. The others around him closed in as well, blocking off escape. Archellevon's grip tightened on the bag that held Mokona's gift in it, blue eyes never wavering from the man who seemed to be the leader.

"I-I'm not afraid! J-Just leave me alone!" He cried, hoping that Kurogane and Fay and the others would've paid a visit to the car already to see he wasn't there.

"Have any of us given a reason for you to not want to talk to us?" The brunette said as he continued to smile at Archellevon.

"I-I just don't want to!" The teenager replied, shaking his head very softly. Another one of the men walked forward, pointing to the bag.

"Whatcha got there, cupcake?" The white haired one lifted the bag and held it to his chest, wrapping his arms protectively around it.

"G-gifts… for my niece…" One of the other men snickered.

"Such a sweetie too to get a little girl a gift." Archellevon felt his eyes start to water, not wanting them to go anywhere else with this.

"P-please… just l-let me go now…" He whimpered weakly, begging himself to not cry in front of them.

"Aw, we've gone and upset him now, all of us should make it up to him." The group's leader said as a smile curled the corners his lips upwards. The other with him nodded and smirked as well in agreement. Archellevon looked to him in horror, shaking his head again more ardently.

"N-no!" He cried out, and in some crazed panic he pushed himself off of the wall to try to make a break for it.

"Not so fast now." Another man said as he grabbed Archellevon's arm, his grin not hiding the fact that his grip had tightened. The former angel's breath hitched in pain while he felt his limb being squeezed and as another man grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back against the wall, making him drop the bag. A tear rolled down the pale face as blue eyes looked to the group leader again.

"D-don't…"

"Now, now don't ya cry, sweetie." Both of the people holding Archellevon grinned as the brunette step forward, moving towards the teen. Archellevon feebly struggled against the tightening hold, his heart rate quickening as the man stepped forward.

"P-please…" He whispered, staring at the other. The brunette stooped down picking up the bag Archellevon had dropped.

"Don't want to get this dirty, do we, guys?" He smirked as he looked over at the other men with him. He stood the bag held loosely in his hand as he stood in front of the teen. The white haired boy looked at the bag in worry, his fists clenching slightly.

"N-no! D-don't touch that!" He cried, trying to get his hands free to grab it and run.

"I'm not going to bother it." Opening the bag he looked down at the small doll.

"This doll must be pretty important for you to react like that."

"J-Just let me go…" Archellevon begged, feeling more tears run down his face. "I-I… I j-just want t-to go…"

A wider smile found its way on the brunette's lips as he put his fingers underneath Archellevon's chin and lifted the teen's face so he could look him in the eye.

"Shouldn't have wandered off then, cutie. We're more than willing to take care of you though, so you shouldn't be crying like that." The teenager felt his heart rise into his throat, not liking the proximity of the other. He whimpered again in protest, though he knew he could most likely do nothing about it. He closed his eyes in reluctant submission, wishing that the others would at least find him eventually.

"Now that's loads better." He said as he smiled cheerfully. The others with him not holding Archellevon watched in amusement as the former angel's dread became reality.