They sat in silence for a while, till everyone else had dropped off.

Then, she began to hum. An old, simple melody, which was at once strangely soothing and oddly intimate.

"... What's that?"

She rested her head on the arm of his chair. "A lullaby Mama used to sing."

"Ah."

She sighed contentedly. "This feels nice... We used to put up a tree every year, too."

He let his hand slip down to her head in understanding. "Till your mother...?"

"Yep."

"And you still like Christmas?"

She nodded, the movement ruffling her hair against his fingers. "Christmas was Mama's favorite time of the year."

"... You're a peculiar girl, Mayura."

"I had lots of good memories with Mama during Christmas." She snuggled against his palm, and sighed again; whether it was in peace, or with regret, he could not tell.

Maybe it was the hushed surreality of the situation at the time which had loosened both their inhibitions.

"Loki-kun, remember you told me to ask you directly if I had any questions?"

"Mmm."

"Who are you?"

He smiled. "We've been through this before, Mayura."

He felt her shake her head slightly. Hesitantly, she asked, "Would you be angry with me if..." She bit her words off.

"If?"

She took a deep breath. "Remember the time we went to Koutarou-kun's lodge? When you rescued me from that bird?"

"Yes, I do. What about it?" He had a peculiar feeling that he knew what was coming.

"I... well... After you told me to go back first..."

His lips curved in rueful amusement as his hunch hit home. "You followed me, didn't you?"

She stiffened. "... You knew?"

"Mayura, you're as easy to read as an open book."

"Am not."

"And are we going to engage in juvenile banter, or will you get to the point?" He arched an eyebrow at the fire.

She hmphed, then continued. "... Your eyes glowed red, Loki-kun." She paused, then added, "As in, bright red. Not... not... naturally, Loki-kun."

"... Was that why you snooped in my study afterward?"

He looked down to see her flush guiltily. "Eh... About that... I'm sorry. I didn't really... mean to make you angry. I was just..."

"Scared?" he supplied.

She nodded, after a moment's hesitation.

He sighed. "Of what, Mayura?"

She was quiet for a while. Then, "... I'm not sure. I think... I sort of realized then that I really didn't know you as well as I thought I did."

He laughed softly at the understatement, and she pinkened. "Don't laugh! I'm being serious here!"

"That's a rare enough occurrence to merit me keeping quiet, yes," he agreed impishly, but complied.

"Mou... Anyway, I want to know. So, please?"

He fell silent, debating his options.

Twisting under his hand, she looked up at him hopefully. He looked down at her expectant face, and mentally consigned himself to whatever consequences would follow.

"I'm not human, Mayura."

Surprisingly enough, she didn't squeal her trademark "fushigi mystery!". Instead, she looked thoughtful. "So Yamino-san isn't either?"

"... No, he isn't."

"Oh."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence as she mulled things over.

"Then... are you the man I met in your study the day you left?"

His voice was rich with amusement. "You managed to figure that out?"

She sounded put-out. "I'm not dumb, Loki-kun! The two of you are so much alike..." She stopped as something occurred to her. "That means that you're a god, right?"

He threaded his fingers through her pink hair. "I thought you didn't believe in gods."

"I didn't. Until Kami-sama... that is, Loki-kun... granted my wish."

"... I've wanted to ask. Why did you make that particular wish?"

She leaned her head against the side of his chair again, and he could feel the glow of her smile, even though he couldn't see it. In a soft voice, she answered simply, "Because I didn't want to lose you, Loki-kun."

"... Ah."

Perhaps they might both have said more than that, had the Christmas lights not chosen to sputter in a final burst of light, then die unceremoniously, ending the moment.

She frowned at them. "Not again!" She started to rise before his hand stopped her firmly.

"Loki-kun?" She blinked confusedly.

Shushing her, he waved his hand at the tree. And a thousand tiny lights flared to life, dancing whimsically around the branches to cast slivery planes of illumination on the trinkets they had hung on it earlier.

He glanced at Mayura and grinned at the amazement he saw in her face. "How do you like my humble skills?"

She sank back down on the floor beside him, still gazing wonderingly at the display. Awed, she breathed, "It's beautiful... Like a fairy mist." Carefully, she laid her head back on the armrest and watched the pinpricks of effulgence floating around their tree.

His hand trailed down to her head again, and played with her long, silken hair, enjoying the way she seemed perfectly content to let him do so.

After a while, her drowsy voice drifted up to him. "Loki-kun?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for not going away." Then, her breathing changed, deepening into a regular, steady rhythm.

He smiled softly as he watched the girl who had changed his very fates.

"Good night, Mayura."

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA

Authoress: Simply because I just couldn't pass up a chance to indulge my LokiMayura fangirl-ism. Also pointless, just like the first chapter. And, uhh, yeah... The similarity between the endings was deliberate. /shifty eyes/ Oh, yes. /nods absently/

I -might- make a sequel to this. Plot bunnies are multiplying! XD

And... MERRY CHRISTMAS to one and all! -showers confetti all round-