Author's Note: I'm absolutely on a roll with this one! Here I am, already surpassing my previous story by continuing on past the 2nd chapter! I've even looked through the comments on that one so I can try to incorporate the ideas that readers so nicely shared, though I fear many of them won't even know I'm rewriting it since it is 3 years old at this point...Anyway, read, review, whatever, please give me ideas and advice!!!~-~-~

Ryuji opened the door to his home--with trouble due to the petite figure cradled in his arms--and continued inside. His heater wasn't the greatest thing in the world, but it was better inside than out there in the cold, and he really was worried about getting Taiga sick...

As he knelt down before the table in his living room he noticed that that very girl was looking up at him, tears still pooled in her eyes, though with what looked like a smile on her face. As he went to place her on the floor she suddenly opened her eyes wide.

"Ryuji, wait..." she quietly piped up.

"Can we stay like this a while longer?"

Ryuji's cheeks got warm and he nearly looked away, but instead he smiled at her.

"Why don't you warm up with a bath, and we can both get changed into something more comfortable? After that I'll hold you as long as you need me to."

"...until morning?"

He felt his face grow hot and flushed, and he finally looked away.

"...as long as you need."

He placed her on the tatami and went to his room to change. He wore the sweats he'd been in before Taiga had given him her father's old suit, and he managed to find one of Taiga's night-dresses she'd accidentally left behind in the past, setting it out for her in front of the bathroom.

Soon she slowly walked out into the living room, finding Ryuji sitting cross-legged in front of Inko-chan's cage.

She walked purposefully towards him and gracefully placed herself on his lap, surprising him. 'Guess it was only a matter of time before we started to move in on each other's space...'

"...hold me..." she nearly whispered to him.

"O-okay."

Flustered again, she tried to explain, "Your heater's a piece of junk and I'm still cold, so I'm going to use my dog's body heat to warm me up."

"Dog, huh? What happened to being a good girl?"

She felt a warm and fuzzy feeling in her stomach, the way she used to around Kitamura-kun, but which had more recently become only a faint feeling when she was alone around Ryuji.

"Santa already visited me."

"Oh yeah? Did he leave you any presents? Or maybe you weren't good enough and you only got coal?"

He probably wasn't quite coal but he was certainly her rock. Even though she was always physically and verbally attacking him, he always showed up to support her and be by her side, even tonight when she was absolutely sure he'd fall short because of Minorin.

"Yeah. He left me a really big, really good one."

"And what's that?" he replied, sarcastically.

"I can't open it until tomorrow, so I guess I'd better go to bed so I can wake up early and enjoy Christmas morning with Yasuko and... you."

"Sounds good to me." as he picked her up and headed into his bedroom.

"W-Wait! What the hell do you think you're doing, mutt!?" again blushing heavily.

Hmmm... Ryuji thought for a moment.

"Keeping you warm," he said, "We have another futon if you-"

"Did I ask for another futon? If we're going to be boyfriend and girlfriend we may as well get used to shar..." she trailed off.

"So that is the plan? Is that your official declaration?"

Taiga Aisaka found herself completely floored. How could he be so stoic and up front about it?

"...sure..."

"Alright then."

As they crawled under the covers, Taiga curled into a ball and Ryuji faced her, wrapping his arms around her petite form and kissing her forehead. Taiga let loose a hidden smile and a happy sigh.

"Hey Ryuji... what happens if Yasuko gets home and finds us like this?"

"She'll probably crawl right into bed and not even notice, provided she even makes it past the front doorway... Christmas eve is one of her busiest days at the bar each year, so she'll be exhausted. I bet she doesn't even wake until noon tomorrow."

Taiga closed her eyes and moved closer to Ryuji... her boyfriend, she supposed.

"Mmm... okay..."

The two drifted off to sleep, somehow feeling more comfortable and relaxed than they ever had before.