Karma sat on the couch in the living room and watched the snow fall outside their window. The white flakes slowly drifted by, bright glimmers against the dark background that was the night sky. In the distance, the campus clock tower chimed twelve times. He tilted his head back as he felt two hands lightly land on his shoulders.

"Fia," he greeted the Italian with a bored expression. "What's with that face?"

She smiled softly at him. "Merry Christmas, Karma, and Happy Birthday."

He moved so that Fia could sit next to him and watch the snow too. They seemed to have fallen into this habit as of late. "Thanks," he replied, "but it's not really that big of a deal."

Fia pouted. "We're celebrating the day you were born!" she protested. "Although… I feel like that's hard for most people to say," she sighed.

"It really is," Haven called from her bedroom.

Fia shot a sour look in Haven's direction and turned back to Karma. "You've been saying that you don't care for the last two and a half weeks, but I care. So…" She blushed and bit her lip. "Will you please accept my present anyway?"

Karma sighed. "Alright, where is it?"

Fia pointed to the miniature Christmas tree standing in the corner of the living room. The twinkling lights created a soft, golden glow that reflected off red and green ornaments. She grabbed Karma's hand and dragged him over to the tree. Finding a comfortable spot on the floor, Karma smiled as he watched Fia rummage through the pile of wrapped presents. She grinned as she pulled out a small red box with a black bow.

"How'd you manage to escape your family?" Karma asked as he took the box from Fia's hands.

Fia blushed. "I told them that I already had important plans…" she said slowly as she bashfully looked at Karma. "They're content having me for the week before Christmas and the week after New Years."

Karma pulled the ribbon loose as Fia spoke. Normally, he probably would have just torn the wrapping paper off, but Fia was looking at him with such earnest eyes that he didn't want to hurt her. He peered inside the box and dropped its contents into his open hand.

"This is…" he trailed off as the silver glinted in his hand.

Fia scooted closer to him with a happy smile on her face. "It's a keychain," she explained. "It was a little difficult to work the metal into the dagger shape and set the red crystals into the hilt, but…" Fia blushed as she looked up at Karma. "Do you like it?"

Karma stared down at the small keychain. For something so tiny, the details were so intricate. Fia really made this…? Karma smiled softly at the girl beside him. "Yeah, thank you, Fia."

Relief spread across her face as she smiled brightly. She clapped her hands together. "You really like it?!"

He nodded and grasped the charm tightly in his palm. Karma smiled, but it wasn't like he hadn't noticed the bandages wrapped around Fia's fingers. Sighing to himself, he wondered what in the world he could get Fia to match her gift to him.

Fia tilted her head. "Are you alright, Karma?"

The redhead pocketed his gift and smirked. "Just thinking."

"About what?" she asked with curiosity.

"The fact that my gift didn't include mistletoe," Karma teased as he stuck his tongue out with a satisfied smile.

Her face flushed. "K-Karma!" Fia whispered harshly.

He laughed and ruffled her hair as he began to walk towards his room. "Goodnight, Fia. See you in the morning."

Fia smiled with a slightly nod. "See you in the morning."


"You mean Akabane didn't get coal?" Haven asked sarcastically as she sat down among her housemates later that morning. She didn't exactly look enthused.

Karma fingered the silver charm in his pocket and grumpily huffed. "Just shut up. What did Fia get you?"

Haven shook the small pink box and opened it with care - The present was from Fia afterall. She found a wireless, black computer mouse with pink stripes streaking across its back.

Fia smiled. "I noticed that your old mouse was getting really worn and not scrolling as quickly. Merry Christmas, Angel!"

Nagisa leaned over from where he was sitting next to Haven on the floor and peered over her shoulder. "It's cute," he commented.

Haven nodded and handed Fia a circular green box with a pink bow on top. "Happy Obligatory Gift-Giving Day," she said with a smile.

Karma sweat-dropped. "Is that your way of saying 'Merry Christmas'?"

"I don't celebrate Christmas, Akabane," Haven replied flatly. "But every year, Tsu-chan still gives me something. Or should I call it the day both Jesus and the spawn of Satan were born?"

Fia laughed wryly. "C-come on, guys. It's Christmas! Let's try not to kill each other, at least for today," she pleaded as she opened Haven's present. Her eyes sparkled as her eyes fell on a green skillet with white polka-dots. "I love it!" Fia pulled Haven into a hug. "Thanks, Angel!"

"Now you have a weapon against Akabane," Haven said. She shot him a look, which he mirrored with irritation.

Smiling, Fia handed Nagisa a small blue box with white swirls. "Here, Nagisa!"

The bluenette smiled. "You got one for me too?" He opened the box and found a small reading light. Nagisa pulled the light out of the box and was pleasantly surprised that he could clip it onto the collar of his shirt.

"It's for your note-taking," Fia announced with a smile.

Nagisa beamed at Fia as he passed her a pink box with a green ribbon. "Thank you, Fia. This will come in handy."

She pried open the container and giggled. She found a green, rabbit-shaped pot clip and a mug with a tag that read 'heat sensitive.' Gasping, Fia fawned over the design. There was an empty conical flask design on the side of the mug that, when exposed to heat, would appear full with a green liquid. Fia hugged Nagisa too. "Thanks, Nagisa!"

"No problem, Fia," Nagisa said as he noticed that there were still more presents sitting among the strewn-about wrapping paper. "Who are those for?"

Fia laughed wryly. "Those are for you, from my sister and other family members," she admitted slowly. Reading the tags, Fia announced "For: the blue-haired boy, For: the icy-looking girl, and For: the trouble-making readhead." She distributed the boxes and waited patiently.

Nagisa sweat-dropped as he took the present box into his hands "At least Felicia could tell I was a boy…"

Haven wore a similar expression as she spoke. "At least she realized that I'm a girl…!"

Several presents and dismayed groans later, the housemates each carried their gifts back to their own rooms, and Fia began cleaning up the living room.

"Do you need help cleaning up, Tsu-chan?" Haven asked.

Shaking her head, Fia got to her feet and began picking up the remnant mess of their Christmas morning experience. "I'm alright. Ready for pictures?" Fia asked with a hopeful smile.

Sighing, Karma, Nagisa, and Haven situated themselves in front of the tree while Fia set a camera on a tripod and began its timer. Haven slipped on her antler headband and red nose with an unamused expression as she took the middle position. Nagisa adjusted his bell-clad hat and pointy ears with a weak smile. He knew that no one had meant any harm, but he felt like dressing as an elf only served to emphasize his shortness. As she ran back to join her group, Fia straightened out the gold-lined ruffles on her green blouse. Judging by her star hair clip and the red hearts that dotted her attire, Fia's outfit was supposed to be a take on the Christmas tree itself. In the back, Karma, dressed like a militant Santa Claus, threw his arms around Nagisa's and Fia's shoulders, sticking his tongue and both middle fingers out at the camera just as the shutter sounded and the flash finished. The birthday boy grinned. Merry X-Day, mother fuckers.


Nagisa and Haven sat on the couch together while Fia and Karma moved about the kitchen. Nagisa was scribbling in his notebook while Haven typed away on her computer. She was using a familiar pair of pink headphones, so she didn't notice when Nagisa called her name. It wasn't until Nagisa had lightly tapped on her shoulder that she looked up.

"Yes, Gisa?" Haven asked as she let the headphones rest on her shoulders instead.

"Does Fia really like Christmas?" the bluenette asked as he pointed to the girl, who was humming as she flitted from fridge to oven.

Haven paused for a moment. "I think she just likes being around everyone. I never really see Fia act religious," she admitted.

Nagisa nodded and wrote something down in his notebook before tucking it into his vest along with his new book-light. "We never really celebrated Christmas either," he said as he returned his gaze to meet Haven's, "so this was a really fun."

"You didn't get anything for Karma?" Haven asked.

He shook his head. "No, I would have but he really doesn't seem to care about either his birthday or Christmas. He usually spends today alone."

"In any case," Haven smiled, "I'm glad we got to spend this Christmas with you, Gisa…"


"Through the years

We all will be together,

If the Fates allow

Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.

And have yourself A merry little Christmas now."

Karma smiled and leaned against the kitchen counter as Fia sang over her array of frosted desserts. From the brownies wearing strawberry and whipped cream santa hats to the cupcakes with frosting Christmas trees and reindeer cookies with chocolate-covered pretzels for antlers and M&Ms for faces, Fia had her hands full.

"Hey, Fia," Karma called.

"Hm?" The other girl stopped humming and looked up at her male counterpart.

"You've got a little bit of - nevermind, I'll just get it." He used his thumb to wipe some frosting off of her cheek and licked up the sweet substance.

Fia's cheeks glowed hotter than the oven beeping behind her. "Th-Thanks," she stuttered as she robotically went to remove the bread from the oven.

Karma laughed. "If you got embarrassed by that, Tsu-chan, I can't wait to see how you react to the mistletoe I hid somewhere around here."

An involuntary shudder of fear ran through her body. Cheeks inflamed and eyes widening, Fia turned to Karma with a look of shock and horror. "You didn't!"

He smirked. "Maybe I did. Call it party decorations for my birthday~?"

Fia was about to retort when an expression of realization crossed her face. "Karma, you're turning 21 today, aren't you?"

He raised an eyebrow and nodded. "What does that matter?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing much," she started, "I just realized that you're exactly two months older than me." Fia giggled. "When's Nagisa's birthday?"

Karma hummed in thought. "July 20th."

Fia's eyes lit up in wonder. "He's exactly two months older than Haven too!" she declared happily. "What a funny coincidence! It's like we were all meant to meet like this."

Giggling, Fia snapped off a piece of gingerbread for her and Karma to share. Karma gladly took the piece and began crunching it loudly between his teeth. He hoped to annoy her, but Fia brushed off some crumbs from the corner of his mouth and gently sucked them off of her own thumb. Karma's face began to redden as Fia smiled up at him.

"You had a little bit of something there, but I got it~" Fia sang happily.


"I think the white frosting is supposed to hold the roof in place and look like snow," Nagisa said as he supported the sides of the gingerbread house.

Fia held the roof in place as Haven slathered the creamy, white frosting over the layers of tiles. "Angel, the frosting is so pale that I almost can't tell where you've accidentally frosted your own hands…" she laughed nervously. Haven shot her an unamused look but finished her job and grabbed the candies they would be using for decoration.

"I still think we should make it look like it's bleeding," Karma replied as he used sugar glue to seal the walls and roof into place.

Fia shouted in alarm. "DID YOU JUST GLUE MY HANDS TO THE HOUSE?!"

He snickered and twirled the tube of sugar glue between his fingers. "Oops?"

Nagisa shook his head and blowed a little bit of powdered sugar at Karma. The redhead tried to wave the cloud away, but ended up coughing on the sweetened fog. Haven's smirk spoke to her satisfaction as she watched Karma struggle. She passed the bowl of candy to Nagisa and they both began decorating the outside of the gingerbread house with contented expressions on their faces.

Fia, having carefully peeled her hands away from their creation, grabbed a tube of frosting and began creating icicles. She jumped slightly when she felt something warm touch her back. Fia turned to see that Karma, nose slightly red and irritated from Nagisa's stunt, had come up behind her and was grabbing her hands in his.

"Do it like this," Karma smiled wolfishly.

Her jaw dropped. "I'm making icicles, not pikes to impale the gingerbread men on!"

Laughing, Karma tried to wrestle the frosting away from Fia. Once he got ahold of it, he took advantage of his height by dangling it high over her head. Flustered, Fia jumped and jumped for her precious frosting.

Nagisa sweat-dropped. He envied Karma's height just a slight bit. Whereas Nagisa had always been the shortest boy in their class, Karma was one of the tallest people he knew, and his friend had only grown since middle school. He turned to see that Haven was working steadily beside him. His blue eyes widened and his cheeks reddened as he realized how close they were - and as he realized that he was the perfect height to kiss her forehead. Maybe his height was something he could get used to afterall. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Nagisa smiled.

"What are you doing, Haven?" he asked.

Haven finished gluing a cross-section of pretzel sticks. "Building a fence," she replied simply.

Nagisa gently grabbed her hand as the fearful thought of Haven shutting herself off from the rest of them flashed through his mind. He hated the thought of losing the closeness they had now. "Why don't you wait until the house is done?" he requested tentatively.

"If you say so, Gisa," Haven smiled and took the fences down, much to Nagisa's relief. "Will you help me with the windows and doors?"

The bluenette bobbed his head. "Of course!"

The mood in the other half of the kitchen contrasted greatly. Karma growled and held his hand out expectantly. "Give me back Ginger-Karma or Ginger-Fia gets it!" he threatened as he tightened his grip on the gingerbread girl in his hand.

Fia held the redheaded gingerbread man over the sink's garbage disposal. "Don't you dare hurt her! I'll let Ginger-Karma go once I get my Ginger-Haven back!"

"You say that, but you're the one who snapped Ginger-Gisa's neck!" he retorted with a teasing smirk.

Fia's face flushed. "I DID NOT! I was fixing his pigtails when you tried to snatch him out of my hand! You're the one who snapped his neck!" she yelled back. Unlike Karma, Fia took her confectionary creations very, very seriously. She grabbed an open tube of frosting and pointed it at him like a gun. "PUT YOUR HANDS - AND THE GINGER-PEOPLE - WHERE I CAN SEE THEM, KARMA AKABANE!"

Karma pounded his fist on the counter, causing a similar tube of frosting to go flying. He easily caught the spinning tube and turned the colorfully-pigmented decorative cream on Fia. "Is this a stand-off, Fia~?" he crooned.

Nagisa sighed and confiscated both Karma and Fia's weapons before they could turn the kitchen into a warzone. He took the gingerbread men from the two and placed them in front of their completed house. Fia quickly mended Ginger-Gisa's broken neck with a licorice scarf and had him join the others. Karma smirked and moved things around so that the licorice scarf would be wrapped around both Ginger-Gisa and Ginger-Haven's necks.

Nagisa's cheeks reddened and, although Haven was becoming a little more pink, she shot Karma a look. "I think I'd prefer a pink tie," she retorted.

"Oh~? Would you really?" Karma grinned. "I don't know. I really doubt that."

Fia smiled at her friends and snapped a quick picture of the house they had all created together. The four were covered in colorful, sticky sugary substances but they were all laughing together. Her gaze softened as it met with each of her friend's. This is what this holiday was all about.


A few days finally passed before Karma made himself do it. "Haven," he called from where he was leaning against the girl's door frame. "You have a minute?"

"What do you want, Akabane?" she asked with a flat tone. Haven didn't even look up from her computer.

He sighed. "It's about Fia - And I want to do this now while she and Nagisa are still busy fawning over that book they just finished. Do you know what she likes?"

Haven raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask? Why do you care? Why should I help the likes of you?"

Rubbing the back of his head, Karma sighed. "Because I want to get her something," he grumbled. "For Christmas and my birthday or whatever."

"You're actually doing something nice for once?" Haven smirked, "I guess I'll help you."

"What does Fia want for Christmas?" he asked again begrudgingly.

"Ask her. She'll tell you," Haven began typing on her laptop.

Karma shook his head. "It's supposed to be a surprise. Are you going to tell me or not?"

Haven sighed, "It'll be something practical. She likes green, so that's a safe color choice. Cute is a must…" Haven kept listing off guidelines to Karma. His cheeks slowly reddened to the same shade of his hair as he, in a fluster, tried to remember everything Haven was saying. He was beginning to think that he should begin taking notes like Nagisa when, suddenly, Haven turned her computer around. "Get her this," she pointed to the screen.

He sweat-dropped. "If you say so…"


Karma slipped his wool gloves onto his hands. "Hey, Fia. You ready to go?"

"Coming!" Fia ran down the hall with all of her clothes in disarray. "I needed to make sure I had my shopping list!" she explained between pants. She straightened herself out and buttoned up her parka before tightening the waist with the adjustment straps to better suit her figure. Fia grabbed her boots and began hopping around as she tried to get them onto her feet.

Chuckling, Karma offered Fia his hand to steady her. Once she had successfully laced up both of her boots, Karma took the scarf hanging from Fia's shoulder and wrapped it cozily around her neck. "C'mon, Fia. We have to go if we want to hit all of the stands today. Nothing is going to open tomorrow for New Year's Eve."

"I know, I know! You don't have to tell me twice!" she giggled from behind the fabric of her white scarf. Fia grabbed Karma's arm and began pulling him out the door. "Let's go!"

Karma and Fia chattered happily as they stolled into the open winter market. The snow was no deterrent for everyone there. No amount of cold could kill the festive atmosphere as people sampled food, bought decorations and small gifts, and, overall, just had a good time.

Fia dragged Karma over to a stand selling desserts. "Karma, look!" The girl pointed excitedly as her eyes reflected the pastry that had stolen all of her attention. "Choux à la crème!" she pressed her face against the glass.

"Hello, young lady." A hefty vendor dressed in chef's garb smiled down at Fia. "See something that catches your eye?"

She blushed profusely and shyly stepped behind Karma. Fia nodded slowly at man who was smiling good-naturedly at her and patiently waiting. Grabbing tightly onto Karma's arm and mustering every ounce of courage she could, Fia pointed at the choux à la crème. "C-Can I-I p-p-please…" Taking a deep breath, she continued. "Can I please h-have t-two of those?" Exhaling, Fia buried her red face in the back of Karma's jacket.

The man laughed and grabbed the pastries for them. Fia's hand extended from in between Karma's arm and side as she tried to hand the vendor her money. Karma sighed and rubbed his temples as he shook his head.

Laughing, the vendor waved his hand and handed Karma the bag of desserts. "It's on the house - for your adorable girlfriend."

Steam escaped Fia's ears as she turned red. Karma's cheeks grew pink as he grabbed the pastries from the vendor. "Y-yeah, Thanks…" Karma grabbed Fia and quickly dragged her down the street.

Fia waved meekly as the stall faded into the distance. She quickly righted herself and began walking beside Karma. She graciously accepted one of the rolls from him. "Don't mind if I do~!" she cheered as she took a huge bite. Karma was vaguely aware that her chewing sounded a bit like the "omnomnom" one might hear in a cartoon. Fia squealed happily and earned a renewed bounce in her step. "It's soooo good!" She turned to Karma and held out the choux à la crème to him. "Want a bite?" she asked cheerfully.

Rubbing the back of his head and ignoring his pinkish ears, he leaned down and took a bite. Orange eyes widened and cream spread across his tongue. "That's really rich…" Karma said.

She nodded with a giddy grin. "Isn't it good?"

Karma smiled. "Yeah, but you finish it." He patted her head and guided her through the crowded streets. "Where to?"

Fia brushed the crumbs away from her face with the back of her sleeve and hummed. "There!" Fia grabbed Karma's sleeve again and pulled him in the direction of a colorful stand. The two contentedly began browsing. Fia picked up a pack of sparklers. "How about these?" she giggled.

He nodded. "Those work." With a slight of hand, Karma grabbed a box of smoke bombs and firecrackers."

"Oh no you don't!" Fia laughed. "Put those back!"

"But think of all the fun we can have!" Karma protested. He grabbed Fia and began tickling her. "See! You're laughing already!"

She laughed loudly as she broke free from his grasp. "Fine! But, if Nagisa and Angel ask, you didn't get permission from me!" Fia grabbed the boxes from him, as well as a few party poppers and Bang-Snaps. She brought them up to the elderly woman running the stand and shyly paid.

Karma leaned against one of the stand's tables as Fia bounded back to him with a happy grin. He took the bags from her hands and led her back into the street. "What are the Bang-Snaps for?" Karma asked as he pulled out one of the boxes.

Fia grabbed the box from him and dumped the small white bombs into her hand. "This!" She giggled as she tossed one down.

Karma jumped back as the Bang-Snap cracked and sparked at his feet. "Hey!" He growled and snatched a handful of the Bang-Snaps from Fia. Beginning to laugh, he and Fia chased each other around the market place, throwing Bang-Snaps at each other.

Twenty minutes later, the redhead found himself panting and in the middle of the market square. Karma looked around and realized that he couldn't see even a single strand of auburn hair anywhere. "Fia?" he called into the crowd. When he didn't hear a response, he swore to himself. "Fia!"

Fia rounded a corner and began walking down the next street of stalls with a sigh. She had lost track of Karma well over an hour ago and was really beginning to worry about him. Shivering, Fia pulled her parka closer around her. She knew that Karma could handle himself, but the sun and temperature were both dropping and she wanted anything but him getting sick again.

"Fia!"

She turned around to see a redhead racing towards her. "Karma!" Fia ran in his direction and threw her arms around him as soon as she reached him. "Ow!" she cried as she felt a fist land on the top of her head. "What was that for?!"

Karma scowled and then exhaled in relief, tightly holding Fia to him. "You're a real idiot," he sighed.

Fia blushed slightly. "S-Sorry for worrying you…" she mumbled as she buried her face in the warm crook of his neck. Although she didn't want to pull back yet, she whispered, "Should we go…?"

He pulled away slowly and took her hand. "Yeah. Don't let go, alright?"

She nodded with a shy smile. "A-Alright…"

He peered down at her red cheeks and nose. The girl's hand was ice-cold in his. Karma sighed and readjusted Fia's scarf around her neck before biting his gloves and pulling them off. He slipped his gloves over her hands. "There," he said.

Fia pouted up at him. Her adamantly, stubborn expression read 'There's no way I'm going to let you freeze.'

Smirking, Karma let Fia pull off one of her gloves but grabbed her wrist before she could remove the other. He put on the warm glove and held her bare hand in his free one. Karma tucked their held hands into his jacket pocket. "Embarrassed yet, Tsu-chan?" he asked teasingly.

She shook her red face furiously and puffed out her cheeks.

"Not at all~? You're not a good liar, Tsu-chan~."

Fia laughed embarrassedly. "N-No… I'm just happy I found you…" She smiled softly as her gaze fell to the ground. Her eyes shone with emotion and she clasped his hand more tightly in hers.

Surprised, Karma subconsciously squeezed Fia's hand in his own. "Let's go home."


There was a knock at the door. Haven went to get it, smiling.

"Hi, Benny," her smile faltered a bit as she recalled their last interaction.

"Hey, Haven. Can I come in?" he asked quietly.

"Of course," Haven stepped to the side and let the boy pass. He walked into the living room and sat on one of the couches. He exchanged a look with Nagisa who was sitting on the other couch. Nagisa gave him a small nod and headed to his room.

"Gisa?" Haven asked. She didn't want to face the awkward situation of being alone with Benny.

"I just have something I need to do before tonight," Nagisa said as he walked into his room.

"Oh, okay," Haven sat on the couch where he had just been sitting. Nagisa closed the door behind him.

"Happy New Year, Benny," Haven began.

"Happy New Year," he replied. "Haven, have you had any time to think about what I said to you?"

Haven looked at her knees, "Not really."

Benny sighed. "I didn't think so, that's why I wanted to call you. Will you hear me out?" he asked her with a serious look in his eyes.

"Of course," Haven figeted.

Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly. "Words aren't exactly my thing, so bear with me here. When we first met, I approached you because you were sitting alone. I mean, who wouldn't want to approach a pretty girl sitting alone? Nevermind that. Anyway, as time went on… I-I came to realize that I really liked you. Like, you never criticized me or my gaming and you were really easy to talk to, you know? I thought that you were really cool and I guess somewhere along the way I started to think that you were the girl I wanted in my life." Benny paused. "I know that you don't think of me as anything much more than a friend, but I had to tell you the truth. I had to before midnight tonight… Before you say anything else, you should know that I just want you to be happy and, if it's with him, that's alright with me."

Haven looked at him with confusion, "Him refers to whom?"

"Do you have plans tonight?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah, the four of us are going to watch fireworks from the roof," Haven forced a small smile.

"Well, I hope you two have fun. I'm happy for you," he gave her a small smile.

"Eh? There will be four of us," Haven corrected him. Benny waved a hand dismissively as he showed himself out of the apartment.


That night, the four walked up to the roof to watch the firework show being held at the nearby lake.

"Come on, guys," Haven called as she ran up the steps, an excited smile on her face.

The four housemates reached the roof of the apartment complex and sat down on blankets.

"Now, we just wait," Haven's breath condensed as she exhaled. She was sitting criss-cross-applesauce with her elbows on her knees and her chin cupped in her hands. She was rocking gently from side to side, smiling contently. She didn't notice that Nagisa had sat down next to her until she rocked into him.

"Do you like New Year, Gisa?" she asked.

"I think the different customs are interesting. What about you, Haven?"

"Although I find most of the traditions surrounding it pointless, I think it's my favorite holiday," Haven smiled and looked into the sky expectantly. At the moment, all that was visible was the crescent moon.

Fia plopped down beside Karma, who was staring up at the moon with a melancholy expression. When he noticed her, he took a seat next to her.

"You aren't cold?" he asked. "I can hold your hand again~" he teased.

Blushing, she shook her head quickly and hugged Bacio close to her chest.

"You brought that thing out here…?" Karma asked with a sweat-drop.

"He!" Fia pouted. "Bacio is a he! … Yes, I thought it would be nice to let him see the fireworks too - And it's only fitting since New Year's traditionally calls for a kiss at midnight."

Karma quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, that's right. Bacio means 'kisses,' right?"

She nodded. "More or less. You like the name, don't you, Angel?" Fia asked her friend for support.

"I'm not taking sides tonight," Haven smiled up at the sky serenely.

Nagisa looked at Haven with a smile. The girl was so excited for the upcoming firework show. In the moonlight, she looked like she was glowing with anticipation.

Fia laughed as she passed out the sparklers and party poppers. "Fair enough~."

Karma pulled a lighter from his pocket and lit everyone's sparklers with a satisfied smile.

Haven smiled and leaned against Nagisa as the two of them watched their sparklers in content silence.

Fia happily danced with her sparklers to the upbeat music blasting from the speakers by the lake below. Almost everyone on campus must be down there and the collective feeling of hope and excitement was making her feel absolutely ecstatic.

"'Cause, baby, you're a firework

Come on, show 'em what you're worth!"

Karma shook his head as the girl beside him sang her heart out. He twirled his sparkler casually in his hand.

"Woah!" Fia's eyes sparkled. "That looks so cool!" she exclaimed.

Showing off, Karma threw the sparkler from hand to hand like he might if he were handling his knife. He grinned smugly as Fia fawned over the beautiful light display. Before they knew it, they were both laughing and singing quietly together.

"Make 'em go, "Aah, aah, aah"

As you shoot across the sky-y-y!"

Suddenly, shouting erupted across the entire campus. "10! 9! 8! 7!"

Haven and Nagisa readied their party poppers, courtesy of Fia and Karma, as the chanted together. "6! 5! 4!"

Karma and Fia stopped their antics to watch the clear sky with anticipation. Smiling to themselves, they shouted in sync with the other. "3! 2! 1!"

"HAPPY NEW YEAR'S!" Fia jumped to her feet as she screamed and danced with the crowd below. Karma laughed up at her and placed his dying sparkler aside, pulling out a small box from his pocket instead. As his fingertips brushed a familiar silver charm, he smiled, a genuine smile, not the arrogant or self-satisfied smile he normally wore.

Haven and Nagisa cheered as they exhausted all of the party poppers they could find together. They laughed as confetti rained down all around them. They were as colorful and sparkly as they hoped the fireworks would be. Suddenly, there was a high-pitched screech and a loud boom. Golden sparks flew through the air.

"Look, Gisa!" Haven exclaimed and pointed to the explosion almost directly overhead as she turned to face him. He was closer than she had expected and their lips brushed momentarily. Haven blushed and quickly went back to watching the fireworks. Nagisa did the same with a small grin on his face.

Fia excitedly grabbed Karma's arm and bounced happily in her seat. Her eyes were lit with wonder as they reflected the blossoming flowers of light exploding the in the night sky.

"Is this where the midnight kiss comes in?" Karma laughed.

Fia giggled back. "What? I can't hear you over the fireworks!"

He leaned in and whispered in her ear what he had just asked a moment before. Her eyes widened and cheeks turned red. Grinning, he teased her more. "You said it was a tradition, didn't you?" With a smirk on his face, Karma leaned in once more, slowly enough to give her time to pull back.

"Mmph?"

Orange eyes widened as his lips came into contact with Bacio, the white guinea pig plush. He pulled away and rubbed his head before laughing. Fia's was gripping the plush tightly over her firework red face. Karma put his hand over Bacio's head and lowered the plush. Fia stared up at Karma with red cheeks and big, terrified eyes.

Karma's cheeks took on a pink tint. "Don't look at me like th - " His words were cut off as soft lips touched his cheek.

She blushed and smiled shyly. "I do love tradition…" she mumbled. "H-Happy New Year's!"

He took a second to watch the colorful flashes of light that ebbed and flowed on her skin. Touching a cheek that looked like liquid stained glass, Karma smiled. "Happy New Year's, Fia… I got something for you."

Fia tilted her head. "For me?" She felt a small box in the palm of her hand. Fia looked down and gingerly opened the box, feeling like the entire world around her had fallen away into a whispering distance, leaving just her and Karma. Reaching inside the container, Fia pulled out a palm-sized crystal flower. "What's this?" she asked quietly.

Karma reached inside his pocket and pulled out his lighter. He touched the flame to the tip of the flower and each of the petals, causing all of them to catch different colored flames. Fia gasped and Karma rubbed the back of his bed. "You said your name means 'flickering flame.' I don't think that's true. You're timid, but your kindness gives you a strength I haven't really seen in people before," he forced his thoughts out. "So long as there is something internally driving them, these flames will stay steady and won't go out. So… Have some faith in yourself, Fia."

Tears welled up in and fell from Fia's eyes. "K-Karma…"

He sweat-dropped, taken aback. "H-Hey, what did I say about crying?"

Fia quickly placed the crystal flower down and threw her arms around Karma. She buried her face in his chest and laughed, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. "Thank you, Karma! Thank you so, so much!"

"Can you believe that Haven wanted me to get you a matching spatula?" They laughed, and Karma held Fia as the two watched the finale of the fireworks show. As the last firework faded and the cloud of smoke began drifting away, they stood slowly and gathered up their things. The two descended to the familiar apartment unit of 1-11 together, humming 'Firework' all the way."

After the firework show, Nagisa pulled Haven aside. "Haven, I have something for you," Nagisa pulled a small wrapped packaged out of the pocket of his coat. "It's your Christmas present. I'm sorry it's a bit late," he gave her a small smile.

Haven began to unwrap it slowly. Inside was a plastic cell phone charm, the type that you stick in the headphone jack. It was of a pink bow, like the one she had worn to the hockey game.

"Wow, thanks so much, Gisa!" Haven exclaimed with a smile, "But I still need to get you something."

"It's okay. You've already given me something," Nagisa replied.

"Really? What?" Haven gave him a puzzled look.

Nagisa gave her a knowing smile before following Karma and Fia off the roof, touching his lips lightly.


Narrator: I live off of comments! There haven't been a lot recently, so I'm just going to warn everyone that you're kinda starving me here.

Fia: She really asked you to get me a spatula…?

Karma: Yup. Why do you ask all of a sudden?

Fia: … I need to show you the pantry… (Throws open the pantry door and a flood of green kitchenware rushes out, pooling around her feet). Every time I get Haven something, she adds to this set. I think I'm going to be set for life!

Karma: (Laughing so hard that he needs to use the wall for support)

Fia: It's not funny!

Haven: Did you not like my present, Tsu-chan?

Fia: (Sweat-drops) I love your presents, Angel. I was just thinking about how very, um, practical and like you it is to give my cooking equipment!

Haven: (Smiling) Then please expect a set of baking pans next time!

Fia: Th-Thanks, Angel…

Nagisa: Why is this chapter called X-Day Time?

Fia: How many walls are we breaking with that question?

Haven: What about with yours, Tsu-chan?

Fia: (Holds hurting head) This is confusing!

Karma: (Shoves hands in his pocket) The title refers to the fact that it's both 'X-Mas' and my 'B-Day' if that makes any sense. I like to think that X-Day means the day the Messiah of Misery was spawned.

Narrator: Next chapter the gang will be going on a training mission! You girls sacred?

Karma: (Looking ahead) They should be. Really, Teach? Why'd you bring THAT?