Title: I'll Be Home For Christmas

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: AU. Set in the 1990's, in a large city.

Couple: SHISHIO x YUMI

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. :tear: And I still don't own the song.

I'll be home for Christmas
You can plan on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents on the tree

The two graves were side by lonesome side, unified by the date: April 22nd, 1987. But it was really eleven years after the tombstone's inscription. The graves held the names Makoto Shishio and his wife Yumi. The blue winter frost crawled up the tombstones, curling around the engraved letters, dishonoring the sleep of the deceased. Blanketing snow covered the ground, while spidery tuffs of mossy grass sprung forth, out of the December cold. Outside the bricks walls of this cemetery were the roars of the putrid city slime. This pathetic landmark for the dead held the only peace known to this big city. But it was an eerie peace, a solemn peace known as respect for the dead.

The sky was dark and it was around midnight. Everything was slowly melting into the indifferent shadows, as a lone figure approached the grave site.

"Hey, Miss Yumi," called out a spirited boy with chocolate hair, as he trotted over to the graves. He was about a boy of nineteen - almost a man. Clad in a fine, expensive leather trenchcoat it wasn't hard to see who had just gotten a raise. Black slacks were rimmed with muddy snow, as his black loafers put up with the frostbitten ground. In his white gloved hands, he bore one hot pink box and one white, rectangular box. "I brought candy canes," he cheered, opening the pink box of striped shepherd canes. The second box was forgotten in his arms..."Fresh from Kiki's."

Christmas Eve will find me
Where the lovelight gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams

The boy sat on the ground and began licking one of the candies, his tongues caressing a sweetness that could not sustain his sorrow. The grimy, city snow floated down on him, chocolate hair being glazed with milk-white sprinkles. One feathery snowflake fell on his perfect, button nose, making him chuckle.

"Mister Shishio, a lot has happened since my last visit. Now what should I tell you first?" mused the boy, glancing at the graves. "Oh, yes! Mister Cho, the sword-collector, has taken a job in criminal law nowadays! He's working at the police department down from the university, and his partner is that Mister Hajime Saito.... Poor wolf, I heard that his comatose wife has still not recovered.... It's so sad, y'know?"

He chomped up the last bit of his first candy cane, then moved on to his second.

"Speaking of the university - that kid pick-pocket is still there on the corner. I tried giving him a twenty the other day, but he wouldn't take it. For a thief he sure has a lot of pride, that's for certain. He's still in rags and all, but when I saw him today he was also wearing some large bracelet. I didn't get a good look, but I did notice that it had a GIRL'S name engraved in it. Ain't that a kick? Kid must be young than thirteen and he's getting more action than me! Ha, ha! Oh well..."

The white snow drifted down and the screech of a police car pursuding some creep sounded in the city streets.

"Kamatari's doing good - has a job in a beauty saloon...," he mumbled, ignoring the gunshots fired outside the graveyard. "Kama says it's nothing to great, but it pays the bills. I suppose that's exactly what I think of my job..."

He paused, thinking of other news he had for his adoptive parents. The last time he had been here was a year ago, so he was trying to make it his priority to tell them everything that had changed in the city. This was his Christmas tradition, and even after an eleven years, he still held true to it.

"Um...," he murmured. "I went to get my bike fixed at the auto-repair shop down from my apartment the other week. That Mister Aoshi Shinomori was there, still working like a dog for some table scraps. He fixed my motorcycle up real nice, so now it rides and runs like a dream. Poor guy, he's so much smarter than a mechanic. Too bad, another life wasted... That girl was waiting for him again. She's a roughed-up beauty with bright eyes and midnight hair... She really loves that Mister Shinomori...."

He sighed, ruffling his hair through slender fingers.

"I stopped by that woman-doctor's office today," he informed them. "Can you believe she's still open on Christmas day? Told me she was open all last night too! I think that's unbelievable. She certainly has dedication to her job... Poor woman, she's so lonely, though, so I brought her some gingerbread men I bought with the candy canes. She didn't say much, but I could tell that she was glad I made the time to stop by."

A heavy sigh. The boy cocked his head upward, to the midnight heavens. Somewhere far away from the city, stars were shinning down and jitterbugging with the everlasting moon. But not here... The smog and the storm painted over such novelties. It was just a graying black tonight... Like always and forever more.

Laughing lightly, he went on, saying, "That gang leader, Zanza, is still hanging around the neighborhood. This morning some idiot tried to mug him, but Zanza made sure that man went home in pieces... Granny Momo, the lady next door to me, said that the mugger had tried to steal a locket or something and that's why Zanza beat him up so badly. I'm not sure if her story is true, but it's a delicious piece of gossip."

Now he was on his fifth candy cane, but the sweet, sugary taste of the hard candy never lasted.

"Oh, and here's some sad news from downtown. That ten-year-old hooker's gone. Rumor has it that she died last night in the snow. I found out, because, when I went to take a special, homemade Christmas lunch to her, the police were at her apartment, questioning people on her family ties and such. Poor Tsubame, she was a sweet kid, who was just born into a bad life..."

If Yumi was alive now, she would have been silently crying. And the boy could almost swear that he could hear a woman's tears...

"Himura's wife was finally taken to an alcoholics' rehab," he mentioned, licking his sixth candy cane. "She's getting help for her drinking problem. But..." The boy frowned and then whispered, "But I think the only way she'll feel better is if Mister Himura comes back from death..."

Shrugging, he chewed the candy cane to bits and ate it all up. But he didn't reach for more.

I'll be home for Christmas
You can plan on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents on the tree

"Another Christmas," he muttered, looking at the graves. "Y'know, Miss Yumi? I saw a ball gown in a shop's window two days ago that would have fit you wonderfully. It was a creamy white, beaded with sparkling jewels on the top part. Then it had a full, puffy skirt, with a train that was really, really long." He smiled delicately. "So..." He reached for the white, forgotten box. "I bought it for you. Y'know, for Christmas?"

Tender hands opened the box, reveling a stunning gown. Picking it up reverently, he draped it over the woman's grave. The gift just radiated beauty, so that even in the dead of night, onlookers could see the sparkling gems.

"Pretty, isn't?" he asked. "Just like you, Miss Yumi. An astonishing elegance. Very splendid. Now you and Mister Shishio can dance together... Just scoop up some of that stardust and sprinkle it on. I can guarantee that, if you do, you'll look more magnificent than Venus herself."

Golden laughter rippled out from his voice box, bringing some temporary joy to the gloom.

"That's about it," he concluded, that gentle smile still gracing his features. "I don't think there's anything else that's important..."

He swept off the ground and dusted off his slacks.

"I better be leaving now, Mister Shishio. I hope you have a Merry Christmas," he whispered, bowing in honor of the dead. "Don't worry, I'll come back next year. I'll be seeing ya... or not seeing ya, that is." And he gracefully walked away, never looking back....

Christmas Eve will find me
Where the lovelight gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams

The two graves were side by lonesome side, unified by the date: April 22nd, 1987. But it was really eleven years after the tombstone's inscription. The graves held the names Makoto Shishio and his wife Yumi. The blue winter frost crawled up the tombstones, curling around the engraved letters, dishonoring the sleep of the deceased. Blanketing snow covered the ground, while spidery tuffs of mossy grass sprung forth, out of the December cold. Outside the bricks walls of this cemetery were the roars of the putrid city slime. This pathetic landmark for the dead held the only peace know to this big city. But it was an eerie peace, a solemn peace known as respect for the dead. The only cheer in the place was a forgotten, half-eaten, pink box of Christmas candy canes and evening gown no one would ever wear...

If.. only..in..my...dre...ams...