She Breathes

by Shinra-ex-SOLDIER

A oneshot series wherein Mukuro is only a corpse in name. Tenth bullet: Even someone as solitary as Mukuro has a family and she's still learning how it works.

8. The Birthday Before Christmas

Non-despair Highschool AU

It's her birthday and tomorrow's also christmas, that's plenty enough reason to celebrate.

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

Sometimes Mukuro forgets that she doesn't have to be alone.

But she doesn't mind when someone reminds her. Usually it's Junko especially with her outgoing personality, and Mukuro has no choice but to go along with her crazy antics. It's not like she'll refuse her either way, she loves her sister dearly even though she could get intense sometimes, well more often than not. She keeps her on high alert more than any ambush did. Ever since she was reunited with her twin and started high school with her, not a day goes by without anything interesting happening, usually instigated by Junko. There's nothing life threatening but it's exciting in its own way. This is more peaceful than what she's used to but she thinks she doesn't hate it.

It's quieter here in the city without her guns and knives but it's also livelier in ways no gunfire or explosions could ever amount to.

She almost questions why she ever left in the first place but then she remembers how Fenrir wasn't so bad either. But she does have her regrets, not many though, just one. Her regret was named Junko. She regrets ever leaving her sister behind. It was easier to bury the guilt when she was too busy fending off attackers or eliminating targets but she couldn't do that anymore. There was nothing to distract her here. All there's left is the overwhelming guilt of abandoning your twin, of separating a pair, of leaving a person who was a part of yourself. When she returned by her side, she had to deal with the crushing guilt of her three-year absence.

There was nothing else she wanted more than to make up for it.

But Junko took it better than she did. She acted like it wasn't a big deal, as if it was water under the bridge and told her not to sweat over it so much or she'd get pimples instead of freckles. At first, Mukuro thought that Junko hated her for it but after being forcefully corrected on it, she realized that she didn't harbor any ill feelings at all. It's not like she was supportive of her decision, it was just more her style to go with the flow or so she said.

You just went for your calling, ya? Wished you were that quick to pick up when I called. Ah, but you forgot to give me your number silly. You're so unreliable that you even forgot your sister. Then you come waltzing back without a souvenir? For shame! Where's my compensation? Law of equivalent exchange! We gotta cram three years worth of good stuff now that we're a package deal again. What are ya lookin' dumb for? Ya can start by helping me with this prank!

She never realized just how much she missed her sister.

Mukuro was always looking out for Junko. To which her sister had to sometimes shoo her away because she was socially impaired to distinguish appropriate bodyguarding from stalking. Mukuro has since learned that hiding at a ceiling corner wasn't normally taken too well, among other things. It was rare to find one of them and not the other because they usually came as a set, as Junko affectionately termed. Although it was mostly because Mukuro followed Junko around as much as possible and the latter didn't seem to mind the attention. They were practically inseparable so they did a lot of things together.

Just like how they were able to celebrate their birthdays together again.

For the past three years, Mukuro hasn't celebrated her birthday. She didn't see the need to do so when she was always out on a mission even during the holidays. Some of the Fenrir members greeted her when the day came but it's only out of courtesy. They greet her then they pick up a gun and get back into battle. To them, a birthday is just like any other day, it could be their last day. There was really nothing special to it so she wasn't disappointed by the lack of parties because she would rather hone her skills than waste her time on such frivolities.

But Junko didn't share the same sentiment. She wanted to celebrate and she wanted them to celebrate together. And Mukuro only wanted her sister to be happy.

"Happy birthday, sis." Mukuro said, actually smiling for once. The upturn of her lips was barely visible but it was there nonetheless.

"Oh, it's that day already? How did you even find out?" Junko gasped and covered her mouth in mock-shock.

Which confused Mukuro as to why she asked that. Wasn't it obvious? "...We're twins."

"You don't saaay?" She stretched the last word and scratched her chin as if she was seriously thinking about it.

"I just did...?" She answered, still confused.

An awkward silence filled the room.

"Wow, I guess they don't teach ya sarcasm back at Fenrir. We'll workshop that later~" Junko sympathetically patted her sister's back. They had much to do. But for now, she enthusiastically clapped her hands and bounced like a giddy kid high on sugar. "Anyways, where is the poor unfortunate soul that I'm gonna rip to pieces?"

Now that, Mukuro understood. She handed over a wrapped flat rectangular box. "Here."

"Ooooh! Avant-garde!" She hollered as she smugly took the present. "Did you get me a rabbit? Please, tell me you got me a rabbit!"

Crap, did she want a rabbit instead? But it was too late. Mukuro had already handed the gift. It was literally out of her hands now. She frowned. "...It's not a rabbit."

"Oh, thank god because that would've sucked." She fake gagged in disgust but she recovered soon enough. With much gusto, she greedily tore open the present. "Let's see what's behind box number 1!"

Mukuro couldn't understand her. If she didn't want a rabbit then why did she ask about it?

"This is! Oh, the scandal! Kyaah!" She shrieked suggestively, her hands expertly skimming through the pages at record speed. Her eyes sparkled mischievously and her pitch high and teasing. "A gravure magazine! Have you no shame? How lewd of you!"

That didn't sound right.

"But it's just a bunch of pictures of that mascot character you liked, you know the bear." Plus there wasn't anything remotely erotic about the design.

"Precisely! He's a bear so he has no clothes, get it?" She said it as if it was already obvious and in a louder voice, she hollered. "He's totes naked! All natural!"

"I guess?" Her face was still unfazed, if anything changed at all, it was that she only looked more serious because she was honestly thinking about why her sister wanted to point out those things.

Mukuro took things too seriously sometimes.

"...Tch. Boring." Junko groaned in defeat.

Here was Junko who spouted obscenities but it hardly scratched her sister's iron wall of denseness. It was disappointing considering the effort she put into scheming this by implanting hints that she wanted that magazine for her birthday present. Which she genuinely wanted by the way but it was also convenient enough to use as fodder for that script she proudly wrote. She was sure that dirty jokes always worked in riling people up but it looked like Mukuro was still catching up on her human side. Such a waste of a perfectly planted script.

"Sheesh, did it kill you inside while you were killing others? Because I already used a dirty tactic and I still can't get a reaction from you." She sighed in defeat.

Seeing her look so sullen worried Mukuro that it might have been her fault. And as per reflex, she apologized immediately. "I don't understand but if I upset you then I'm sorry."

"Shut yer trap. Nobody wants to hear your sorries. This is my moment, my drama!" She explosively said. The last thing she needed was another pity party. "You're just no fun to tease at all, Muku. Are yer nerves really made of steel?"

She flinched. Junko didn't seem too happy about her present. "So you don't like my gift?"

"It's not bad. At least I get to have this zine so that's a score." She flippantly said while waving it off with a well manicured hand. "I mean, I can't really go out and buy this shit, ya know. Just what would the press think if they saw me buying this? The great Enoshima into black and white bears? What a plot twist! Oh, the shame! The media will be all over my scandal!"

She blinked. Did that mean she liked it? "So it's... okay?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." She huffed and hurriedly dismissed the issue. "Just stop looking like I just kicked a puppy! It's seriously effective."

But the fact that Junko liked her gift stayed with her. "I'm glad." A ghost of a smile was on her lips again.

"So thanks and all that. But I got nothin' on ya. Oopsie." She comically stuck out her tongue to one side as she winked.

"Ya see I made a special order just for my favorite older sister! But the shipping's running late because of the holiday traffic." She tossed an arm over Mukuro's shoulder gave her a small squeeze. Junko's wide grin looked bigger up close. "So we're gonna have to pick it up first thing tomorrow! You okay with that, right? 'Cause either we go or I'm dragging your ass out."

"You didn't have to get me anything." She meekly said.

"Yeah well you don't have to give me the same spiel every year. Like seriously!" She whined exasperatedly, tired as to why she even had to explain this. "We get each other presents each and every time this day comes along and we're together, it's practically TRADITION! Get with the program already!"

Mukuro wanted to point out that they only did that when they were kids, before she had ran off to join Fenrir, and that this was actually the first time they'd be celebrating their birthdays together after three years but she thought it was better left unsaid. Whenever Junko had one of these outbursts, even though sometimes she was wrong, Mukuro always conceded. She couldn't find it in her heart to argue back. Then again, that's also part of the reason why Junko told her she had no spine when it mattered but that was a matter for another time. Mukuro's just touched over the fact that Junko still remembered and had every intention to keep the tradition alive.

"Alright." She simply nodded. "Thanks again, sis."

"Don't thank me just yet. Wait until you actually get my present." She smiled devilishly, the same smile she always had whenever she was scheming. The smile that only meant trouble for Mukuro.

She braced herself.

"Once you get your hand on your present, you won't just be thanking me. You'll be shouting to the rooftops, I can't believe my little sister is this cute and wow, I have the best sister in the world that if only she wasn't Ultimate Model already, she would have taken the Ultimate Little Sister title too!"

Well, she wasn't wrong. "I already think you are."

"Yeah but you forgot the shouting part." She sang happily. "Oh, and don't you dare spoil me by doing it now, That'll ruin the fun. It has to be tomorrow. In public. With a santa outfit. Okay maybe not the outfit, just the pointy hat will do."

She nodded and made a mental note. "Got it. You're really excited about this."

"You bet your flat butt that I am! This will be the best present of all time. You might even say that it's the Ultimate Present!" She boastfully bellowed out the term and then blinked at the sudden epiphany that hit her. "Ah, but that gag's already been used so let's go with Penultimate Present instead. At least that's creative enough to have P's at the start."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll like it."

"Like it? How shallow! This ain't your Craiglist SHIT! You are going to LOVE it! Nay, you will even FALL IN LOVE with it!" She reverted back again to a more neutral voice and turned her head to the side, as if she was talking to a camera. "Ah, spoiler alert. Thank goodness someone's slow. If anyone else heard that then they'd take the hint and skip right to the juicy part. But skipping are either for impatient bitches who don't appreciate effort or for whiny wusses who can't take the suspense!"

That was new. Mukuro knew her sister had a thing for theatrics but this was just beyond her comprehension.

She tilted her head, hoping to catch whatever she was looking at. "What are you talking about?"

"Fufufu!" She chuckled ostentatiously as she wagged a finger at her. ""Not what, my dear Muku. But who."

"Who?" She echoed.

"I'm glad you asked!" She brightly answered as she dramatically struck a pose that pointed to the ceiling. "The great me is talking to our audience! The fans! The guys out there rooting for us! The people who are constantly watching over us!"

She blinked. Only one word came into her mind that fit the description. "So stalkers?"

"Hell no! Well, maybe? Kinda, yeah if you think about it they do sound creepily invested in our private lives." She crossed her arms to form an X. "But that's not the point! Not like it matters 'cause we can't see them or anything."

Couldn't see them? This made Mukuro all the more cautious as her eyes started scanning the room all over again. She warily asked. "Are they camouflaged?"

"Oh, so close! I get what you're going for but no dice." She shook her head and struck another pose, this time her forearms were parallel with each other forming an =."More like they live on a different plane from us. Not the motor plane but the dimension kind of plane. The crossing boundaries plane and shit."

"That's…" She's heard of this before. Not that specific explanation but rather of other absurd stories and such. She recognized the source of these bizarre information and she was almost certain that this was also the case. Mukuro crossed her arms. "From Matsuda's manga isn't it?"

"Hm? Did I just hear my darling's name?" She instantly perked up, her voice taking a sweet high pitch.

"Focus, Junko." She snapped her fingers. Seriously, Junko always got like this whenever Matsuda was involved. It didn't matter what she was doing, one word from him or mere mention of him and just like that, she's off lovestruck again. It was hard to get her attention back from that.

"Oh, yeah, it is." She said as she inconspicuously wiped off her drool that just formed seconds ago. "He's reading some spiffy sci-fi stuff. I just kinda skimmed through it so I don't know all of the details but this part kinda stuck with me. Must be because it reminded me of bad paparazzi."

She didn't get it but she went along with it. "Sounds interesting."

Junko's eyes widened. "That's what he said too! But it's BORING!" She started bawling on the spot. It was like watching a child pull a tantrum, a fashionable adolescent child. She sniffled. "I don't get why he likes manga so much when I exist! He should be paying attention to the great me!"

And of course, it was up to Mukuro to ease her sister's fears. "But doesn't he do that already?"

"IT'S NOT ENOUGH!" She angrily stomped on each word. "You've seen him. His head's always in his manga when he could obviously have it in better places." She held up her chest for emphasis. "Like HELLO! These knockers aren't just for show, ya know!"

Honestly though, Mukuro thought that Junko had nothing to be so insecure about.

She knowingly said. "Don't worry. He glances at you a lot when you're not looking."

"At my huge knockers?" She distractingly bounced them.

"...Not exactly." This conversation was getting out of hand too fast and she's not sure if she could take any more of it. Mukuro thought her poker face almost cracked but she quickly composed herself. "Just you in general."

"In general?" She gasped in shock but it didn't last long because all too soon, the lovestruck maiden was back again. "But that's like ALL of me!" She squealed as she embraced herself. "I knew it. Yasuke's into me and not just for my distracting badonkers!"

"Good for you, sis." She cheered on. At least she was feeling better already.

She giggled, a crazed look was in her eyes again. "It's all going according to plan. The Junko and Yasuke lovey dovey forever plan."

"And good luck to Matsuda." She whispered to herself.

The rest of the day was spent on talking about Matsuda with Junko leading all conversations and Mukuro having no choice but to listen. That's just how it goes whenever the Matsuda flip gets switched. Not even Matsuda himself could turn it off no matter how much he wanted to because of how extreme Junko got sometimes. Spending her birthday talking about her sister's crush was not how she expected this day would go but she didn't mind. As long as Junko was having fun then she's happy as well. And she knew just how much Matsuda made Junko happy, no competition there.

From time to time though, her mind would wander. She wondered just what could Junko possibly have gotten for her this time. It wasn't like her to give a gift late but she couldn't be blamed. It was the shipping company's fault or so she said. But there was something about that explanation that seemed off to her. No, it wasn't the explanation itself, rather it was the way Junko had said it. Junko said it with her signature smile. The problematic smile that was a premonition of things to come, unpredictable things.

She couldn't help but be excited and at the same time terrified for tomorrow.

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

It's the Christmas after their birthday.

As expected from a holiday, people flooded everywhere she looked and Mukuro was not a people person. She didn't like the idea of being outside and exposed to all sorts of threats, especially not when there were numerous potential threats disguised as civilians. She always has her guard up especially whenever someone got too close to Junko. Her hand was perpetually hovering over a hidden combat knife inside one of her deeper pockets. The headcount during this season was especially worse since it seemed that everyone was outside. It didn't help that a lot of them wore red so it was harder to distinguish people by clothes. Coincidentally, red could mask bloodstains from fresh wounds.

Coincidentally as well, she was wearing a santa hat as per someone's request.

Mukuro wore a standard military insulated jacket with a snow camo print and matching pants. She wore her usual combat boots and fingerless leather gloves. It was something similar to what she wore during her time in Fenrir whenever they were at colder climates. Well, the whole outfit minus the hat. The santa hat stood out too much for her liking. For her, she could see it used by enemies as a beacon in order to spot her easily. This was obviously a disadvantage for her no matter what angle she looked at it.

However, her honoring Junko's request outweighed her immediate safety any other day.

"Stop right there. This is as far as we can go." Junko announced as soon as she halted in the middle of the shopping district.

"Where are we picking it up?" Mukuro scanned the area and noted the different shops, nothing suspicious standing out as of now.

"We? It's more of me." She declared with her hands on her hips and her chin up. "I'll be flying solo to check on the goods first and wrap it up quick. Don't you dare move an inch from the spot. I have sharp eyes!" She threatened but its edge was lost because of the goofy disguise glasses she wore. "This is an order from your dearest sister!"

Mukuro wasn't all too happy whenever they separated. It was one thing exposing herself to all this danger but it was another to have Junko so vulnerable. She always worried for her sake every time. She could never forgive herself if anything happened to her while she could have done something.

She asked clearly concerned. "Are you sure you don't need help with it?"

Junko just smacked her lips. "Pretty much as sure as I am of my greatness!" She didn't share her concern at all, in fact, she was beaming with confidence.

That wasn't enough to reassure Mukuro but she knew that there was no way she'd win an argument anyways. She exhaled a long breath. "Understood. Take care on your way."

"Don't I always?" She playfully winked. "Get ready to have your mind blown away, among other things, when I get back. Just try not to piss yourself from the excitement."

She blinked, unfazed by the crude comment. "I won't."

"For reals? Damn. Tough crowd." She shook her head in fake dismay and then loudly clapped once or at least it would have been loud if only she wasn't wearing any gloves. She cleared her throat. "Ahem. Let's cut the chit chat short. I'm hitting the road."

"Alright." She nodded.

Junko gave her a flying kiss. "If I don't make it back, tell my fans that I never loved them anyway. Farewell!"

Mukuro lost Junko to the sea of people in a matter of seconds. Anxiety quickly wormed its way to her heart. The usual fears she had whenever they separated were popping up in her head one after another. Was she going to be alright? She wasn't supposed to follow her but what if something happened? No, Junko had her phone so she'd text her if anything happened or call her since she was on speed dial. But what if she was taken in by surprise? She couldn't have the foresight to use her phone then. Not to mention how absurd the crowd here was, one less person wouldn't be too obvious. Anyone of these strangers could pluck Junko and no one would have noticed.

She could be in danger right now. Her mind screamed at her.

Mukuro restlessly fiddled with her knife in an effort to calm herself. She had to tell herself that she was being paranoid. Junko has never been in any sort of danger so far whenever she left her. Aside from that one time when someone did in fact try to kidnap her and hold her hostage for ransom. She personally took care of that. But other than that, nothing else happened. It also helped that rumors spread of Junko having hired an elite bodyguard who took down twenty men singlehandedly so that deterred a large number of threats.

But could you blame her for worrying still?

That's it. She didn't know how long it needed for Junko to pick up the present but half an hour seemed plenty enough. It's been ten minutes past that so she was patient enough, right? It was totally justified that she waited long enough and she earned the right to look for her sister now. She scanned the area for her again. Still no sign. She tightened her grip around her knife and took a deep breath. She'd probably get scolded for this but in her defense, Junko was taking too long. Having hardened her resolve, Mukuro took her first step.

Only to be interrupted by a familiar shriek.

"The shipping has arrived!" The booming voice of her sister cut through the crowd.

Before Mukuro could welcome Junko back, it was then that she only noticed that she didn't come alone. There was someone shorter trailing behind Junko but as soon as she saw a familiar mop of brown hair, she instantly recognized who it was. Makoto Naegi looked smaller in his casual winter wear but he definitely looked cozy in it. This was also the first time Mukuro had seen him in this outfit so since she was unfamiliar with it, her eyes lingered longer. At least, that's the excuse she told herself. Regardless, there was still the large glaring issue at hand.

What was he doing here with her?

"Uh, hello?" Makoto timidly bowed with his greeting.

Junko suspiciously elbowed him in the side which made him wince upon impact. "Not like that! Do it more like we practiced!"

He hissed at her while he tenderly rubbed the spot she hit. "I'm not doing that! It's embarrassing!"

"And not to mention cheesy but don't let that stop you."

"But we're in public!"

"But you're a boy! Just grow a pair already and just do it!"

"Okay now you're just sexist."

The two newcomers engaged into a heated but hushed argument.

"Umm…" Mukuro tried to intervene but it fell on deaf ears.

"Do it or I'll make you." Junko said threateningly with a picture perfect smile on her face.

Mukuro didn't know what they were talking about but it had to be serious enough for Junko to use that face. It was the legendary look of Junko which made even the bravest of men cower in fear. It was a face that said, no, demanded, for something and whatever that was she would get it or else hell would pay. And it seemed Makoto was familiar with it too because he instantly caved in.

"Ugh, fine!" Makoto grumbled as he raised both of his hands in defeat. "But I am NOT doing part two. Just the first part and then we're square."

"Aww, but part two is my fav!" Junko pouted but her lips were still smiling. She had won after all. "You drive a hard bargain buuuut it's a deal."

He slowly dragged his palm over his face and sighed. "I'm already regretting ever letting you talk me into this."

"Less whining more deal honoring." She grinned wider and snapped her fingers.

Mukuro didn't know what just happened but she knew it wasn't over yet. It was far from over.

Makoto suddenly turned to his side and focused all his attention to Mukuro. "Please, don't take this seriously." He pleaded. It was one of the few times she'd seen him this scared.

"Hey! I heard that! That wasn't part of the script~" Junko intervened before Mukuro could even reply to him. She quickly clapped twice. "Now from the top!"

"I don't work well under pressure."

"Don't we all? Now c'mon! We have a schedule to follow!"

Makoto grumbled but quickly cleared his throat with just one pointed look from Junko. He took a deep breath and finally spoke but it was halfhearted. "Hohoho, looks like Santa Junkie-"

"It's Santa Junko-" She interrupted. "No, wait. Actually, keep it. That's a great pen name. I'm keeping it for future use."

He rolled his eyes. Well that insult backfired. "Santa Junkie has a very special gift for you. It's everything you want for christmas." He gulped and looked away. His voice was so small, it almost squeaked. "And… it's me."

He was practically mumbling now but they both heard what he said. He flushed red and tried to cover his face with his hands. They could almost hear his internal screaming.

"Now the jingle." Junko announced smugly.

His eyes widened and switched to begging mode. "Please, no more."

"NOW. THE. JINGLE." She said each word with an overwhelming authority. Fighting back was useless.

"Kill me now." He was getting desperate.

"Oh, believe me I will if you don't start singing." There's a death threat written on her smile.

Makoto blanched, his frame trembled a bit. He was absolutely terrified but whether it was of Junko or of what he was about to do, she couldn't tell. He reminded Mukuro of mortally injured men on the battlefield just waiting for the sweet release of death. Maybe his situation was no different.

He opened his mouth and sang quietly. "All you want for christmas~ is me~"

It was just one single line but it was devastating. His reaction was instantaneous. He clamped his jaw shut as soon as the last note ended and he swiftly brought his hands up to cover his already reddening face. She could still see his ears sticking out which revealed that he was getting redder by the second. He then immediately bended forward, curling himself into a ball as much as he could while still standing. It looked as if he was attempting a sort of fetal position for comfort as a small pained voice escaped from his lips. He looked like he was about to die from embarrassment.

He was so uncomfortable with what he did that Mukuro would have sympathized with him if only he didn't look so adorable like that.

But she pushed that thought aside. More importantly though, why did he sing that? Was it another holiday tradition that she didn't learn about? If so, why were the lyrics backwards?

A single round of applause resounded.

"Classic." Junko candidly wiped off her non-existent tears and enthusiastically clapped. "You've brought tears to my eyes and joy to the world. Naeggs, you've done it again!"

"I am never making deals with you again." He said through clenched teeth, his face still in his hands.

"Your loss. I've got the best deals in town." She nonchalantly rolled her shoulders at him.

Mukuro was at a loss for words. What on earth just happened?

They were only supposed to pick up the present Junko ordered but once they were within the area, Junko decided to pick it up on her own. Only she came back empty-handed but with Makoto in tow. Then with her sister's prompts, he started talking about something concerning Santa and Junkie? Was that supposed to be Junko? He mentioned something about a gift of some sorts. She couldn't keep up with what was happening so she's not sure what he said. Finally, he sang one line from a Christmas song but purposely sang it wrong. She had no idea what was going on.

However, Mukuro knew just who to ask.

"Junko?" She tore her eyes away from Makoto so she could face her sister instead. "Why is Makoto here?"

She grinned slyly. "Why indeed. Look closely at him, my dear Muku, for I have brought you the greatest birthday gift of all! Drum roll please!" She did her own drum solo down to the last beat and at the drop, she raised both arms sideways as if to present Makoto to her. She hollered. "Your future husband!"

And for the first time on that day, Junko got a wonderful reaction from Mukuro. Her face now matched her hat.

"What the?" Makoto interjected, his hands were now dropped to his sides but his face was still red although it looked like a part of it was from anger. Just a small portion though. He hissed. "I thought we said that we weren't going to do part two!"

"Tsk, tsk. Foolish Naegs. We agreed that you wouldn't do it." She tutted at him, she was obviously enjoying every second of this. "So I took it as free lip service to say it for you instead. You're welcome by the way."

"Why do you even bother making up terms when you'll find a loophole anyways?" He pinched the bridge of his nose to fight the migraine that Junko created.

"Meh, formalities." She shrugged. "And I just really like the thrill of getting what I want either way."

"Well, whatever. I already did my part so we're even." He tiredly sighed. "Why are you still here?"

"Oh, I see that someone's excited to jump into the hot and saucy action already!" She nodded approvingly. "Whatever you plan to do with my sister, let me make this clear." She cheekily grinned and at her highest volume, she yelled. " I WILL ALLOW IT!"

That earned them a lot of weird looks from passerby's and a horrified one from Mukuro. She may not be all that knowledgeable when it came to reading between the lines but she's not that dense. She knew what Junko meant and her mind short-circuited. Mukuro was now trying to hide her shame behind her bangs while surreptitiously taking one step away from them. Actually three steps. She needed that to distance herself before she could get sucked any further into her twin's messy idea of fun. She's pretty sure her sister was just messing around like usual but that didn't make her any less embarrassed.

"Just because you're in disguise doesn't mean the rest of us are." He wanted this to come out more assertive but his flustered face ruined his chances so he resorted to weak begging. "Please, let me leave with at least some of my dignity in tact."

"Only if you promise to be gentle with her. It's her first time, ya know?" She said all too suggestively with batting eyelashes.

Just when he thought he couldn't get any redder, he just did. He was so offended and embarrassed at the same time that he stammered his first word. "O-okay, either you're leaving or I'm leaving."

"Well, excuuuuse me! Can ya blame a bored girl for having fun?" She ranted with crossed arms, her chin up indignantly. "Whose brilliant idea was it anyways to get you two together?"

"Don't just say it like that! It's misleading!" He hissed.

"Misleading? You're absolutely right." She scoffed. "You haven't led her enough so moi has to pick up the slack for ya and do the leading for you both!"

"That doesn't even make any sense." He shot back exasperatedly.

"Umm…" Mukuro meekly tried to interject because it sounded like this was escalating but once again, nobody was listening to her since they were too busy at each other's throats.

She angrily stomped her feet and huffed. "Seriously, I invested a lot in this shipping so I better be rewarded for it."

"What are you even talking about? Shipping?" He raised an eyebrow in his confusion as he tried to grasp onto whatever logic he could find. "Did you mean transportation costs? Because I paid for my train ride."

"How foolishly naive you are of the mysterious ways of our world." She laughed condescendingly at him. "I'd tell you more but sadly I'm running out of screentime."

"So that means you're going to leave us alone now?"

"Fine, I get it. I know a gorgeous third wheel when I see one." She flamboyantly flipped her hair. "Just let me educate my sis first on the hanky panky."

"No, please don't." He blanched.

"I was just kidding...not." She playfully shoved his shoulder and grinned mischievously. "Sheesh, don't get your boxers in a twist!"

"I will never understand your humor."

"Tough luck, bud. 'Cause once you two tie the knot, you're gonna be stuck with me too. Package deal, babe."

"Can we please just move on now?"

Junko just proudly smiled at his misery. She looked like she was enjoying herself. It was just another victim successfully shamed, just another day of crushing someone's dignity, just another small victory for her. She was definitely in her zone and she was loving it. Makoto on the other hand looked like he was unreasonably tired and downright annoyed. He was at his wit's end and ready to give up. Junko had that effect on people. Thankfully, she took pity on him and decided to focus her attention on Mukuro instead.

"Happy birthday, Muku." She squeezed her tightly by the shoulders and then pulled back with a grin on her face. "This was fashionably late on purpose but whatever. So d'ya like my gift?"

Mukuro's eyes methodologically scanned her twin for any sign or form of a gift but found nothing. "Where is it?"

"Oh my god, you're TOO SLOW." She yelled and then whistled at Makoto. "Naeggs, be a dear and read from the script again."

"Not your slave, Junko." He sighed and then flashed a weak smile at Mukuro. "I'll explain later."

"You see, Muku. When two people really lo-"

Makoto cut her before she could stray off topic again. "Don't you have somewhere else you need to be at?"

"Holy shit, you're right. Why am I wasting my time with you losers!" She took out a compact to check her makeup. Satisfied that she still looked dazzling as ever, he pocketed it again and flashed a peace sign. "You two kids have fun without Santa Junkie."

Mukuro blinked. Well that was sudden. "But what about you?"

"Like duh! It's Christmas! What else am I supposed to do?" She clasped both of her hands together and sighed dreamily. "I have a date with destiny~"

"With who?" Makoto asked in a hush tone.

"Matsuda. Childhood friend." Mukuro answered.

"Also my boyfriend, lover, soon to be husband, and fated person. Pick whatever you want to use, they're all true anyways." She twirled in place. The lovestruck switch has already been flipped.

"O-kay?"

"Just let her be."

"Yasuke and I are gonna make people puke from how lovey dovey we're gonna be. All the other couples wish they weren't together when they see us and realize that they'll never reach our love level. Oh, I just can't wait! Yasuke, my darling~"

Makoto didn't know who this Yasuke person was but he silently offered him a prayer. But at least now he could get Junko off their backs. He goodnaturedly smiled. "Have fun on your date."

"Right back at ya!" Junko winked then in a boisterous voice, she announced, "Yo, Naeggs! Take care of my sis ya hear me? Better treat her right!"

He sweatdropped. "Of course. You're just being melodramatic."

"It's called flair and if you had it then you wouldn't be so plain." She blew a flying kiss. "Anyways, mwah! Love ya sis. I'll see ya later."

"Yeah, see you later." Makoto waved.

"Take care on your way." Mukuro nodded at her.

Junko embraced her sister one last time and also stuck out her tongue at Makoto while at it. He wasn't all too pleased about the gesture but he held back. And with that, Junko left her still confused twin and an exasperated friend behind. Her heels clicked as she walked away and the crowd of people easily hid her in a matter of seconds. Now it was just the two of them together. It was much quieter without her loud sister around but the busy street was noisy enough. Still, it felt a little awkward with just the two of them.

Mukuro didn't fully comprehend what just happened or why it happened but she's just extremely aware of the fact that Makoto was beside her right now. And without her twin to act as a mediator, she didn't know what to do next. Silently, she wished that she hadn't left.

As if somehow hearing her plea for help, they heard her voice shout from far away.

"And don't forget to use protection!"

Nevermind, Mukuro would do better without her sister's advice after all.

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

It's not as awkward as she expected it to be, spending time with him.

Well not after he thoroughly explained just what happened which her twin conveniently failed to do so. Makoto apparently found out about their birthdays when Junko brought it up during one of their conversations. Mukuro just so happened to be missing at that time because she was out on another one of Junko's errands. To his surprise, they were born on christmas eve however, what actually stood out for him was the fact that there was no class during that time. So he asked Junko if she wanted their gifts given in advance or to have them delivered via mail on the day. And that's how this whole thing started.

Junko suggested that he could just give them in person on the day after because as her exact words stated, "our birthday is our holy day" so it's to be exclusively celebrated only by the twins. He understood that so he conceded to meeting them on christmas instead provided that it's not too late because his family won't let him go for dinner. Junko was happy with that arrangement and with that, they both promised to meet on christmas. He asked Junko to inform Mukuro of their plans and she swore that she would right after. By the way, she didn't.

When the day finally arrived, the plans changed. Junko blackmailed Makoto into performing the earlier skit, much to his chagrin. This puzzled her because he wasn't the type of person to keep secrets. He was an open book with contents friendly to everyone so she had to wonder what kind of dirt her sister managed to dig up. Mukuro tried to ask him on just what sort of material did Junko have on him but he never revealed anything. He kept looking away though with a flustered face. That was suspicious behavior especially from him but she thought that it wasn't her business to pry. He's already suffered enough under Junko's teasing anyways.

But still, Mukuro thought that he was being too nice again for going through all the trouble just to give birthday gifts.

"You didn't have to come all this way just to give us gifts." Mukuro frowned. Because of her, he was inconvenienced yet again. The train ride must have been a hassle since she knew he lived farther away and the holiday made it twice as packed.

"Well you're right that I didn't have to but Junko never gave me your address and threatened me not to ask you." He weakly laughed and then earnestly smiled at her. "Besides, I wanted to come."

She didn't know if it was the smile or his words or a combination of both, but she suddenly felt a warmness grow inside her. It was a pleasant feeling that overrode the small skip which her heart just made. But if she had to choose, she appreciated the smile more any other day.

Honestly, just seeing his smile was enough of a gift for her.

She shook her head. "But I don't have anything for you."

"That's because it's your birthday and not mine." He said understandingly.

Her eyes widened in horror as she realized something. "I never got you a present for your birthday." When was it even?

He chuckled in response. "Ahaha, well my birthday's on February and we just met last April so that explains a lot."

"But still…" She faltered, her lips were a straight nervous line.

"Hey, don't look so sad. A gift should make you happy, not make you upset." He spoke in his gentlest voice, trying hard to soothe her worries. "But if it makes you feel any better, I'll hold on to this for a while then." He patted the sling bag he was carrying. The gift was still securely inside.

She tilted her head. "Huh? Didn't you come here just to give that?" Then what was the point of coming if he wasn't going to give it yet?

"Yeah, but it can wait. Hey, I have an idea." He said nonchalantly and then leaned forward with clasped hands. "How about this? Since I'm already here and you won't be seeing Junko for a while, why don't we kill some time together?"

As in hang out? Just the two of them? Together?

She unconsciously backed away. "Oh, no. I couldn't possibly ask you to. I mean, aren't you busy?"

"Not really. To be honest, I actually cleared my schedule just in case we get to hang out. I'm glad I fixed that in advance." He sheepishly smiled over his small triumph. "Well I initially thought that it would be the three of us but I'm also happy with this."

Happy with this? Even if it's just her?

She looked down. "I'll probably just bore you."

"No, you won't. I'm having fun right now just talking to you." He pumped both fists in the hopes of transferring that same enthusiasm to her. "Have a little more confidence in yourself, Mukuro."

"I'm not really…" She wanted to object but she didn't even have the courage to do just that..

He could tell that she was still agonizing over this so he tried a different approach. He spoke with carefully selected words. "This is actually my first time spending christmas with a friend. Is it the same for you?"

That at least got her to pick her chin up. "Yeah, it's my first time too."

"That's great!" He jumped up in excitement. He reminded her of an excited puppy, she could almost imagine him with a tail wagging happily. "If we're both clueless about it then we don't need to stress out on expectations. We can just hope for the best!"

"I guess you're not wrong."

"Come on, it'll be fun! We can at least give it a shot." He urged her on but because of his height, he looked like he was a kid who was begging their parents to buy them a toy.

An adorable and irresistible kid.

She yielded. "Alright. Only for a little while."

A little while lasted longer than she expected, not like she had any expectations in the first place, after all he did tell her to have none. It's just that she couldn't even imagine them spending more than two hours together considering that the most time they spent together after class was an hour. And that only happened once. However, she felt naturally at peace the whole time. Aside from the fact that there were a lot of other people, she felt that it was no different from their after class hangouts. He kept talking to her while she'd say a word or two in between and it wasn't boring or awkward at all. The only difference between that and this here was that they weren't in the classroom anymore. And of course, the occasion.

They're out here in the snow on christmas but she liked to think that it's more because of her birthday.

They walked around for a while and admired the holiday decorations strewn all over the streets. Sometimes they'd enter shops and display booths that were particularly interesting. Attendants would mistake them for a couple more often than not. Her mind blamed the fact that today was christmas and that it was a couple's holiday so a lot of the people out here were indeed couples. Not them though. She fervently denied in her head. But that didn't stop people from assuming differently. Should have been used to it now but she still got flustered each and every time. At least she was calm about it, he on the other hand, panicked and stuttered his words.

She wasn't totally against the idea of them being together though.

After eating out, with a small cake for dessert, they decided to find a quieter place where they could just sit down and talk. Unfortunately, they weren't going to find one at this side of the city so they took a bus and headed out a bit. They didn't want to venture too far out so after a few stops, they got out and searched for a convenient place. They settled for the waiting shed near the playground, where there were a few kids goofing off in the snow, but it was better ambience than the suffocating sea of couples they were in a while ago.

It's quieter now and with less to distract her, she's all too aware that she's colder now.

Mukuro rubbed her hands again in a futile attempt to create warmth. Her palms may be protected but her fingers were still exposed and leather was never the best for insulation. It's not like her hands were frozen enough to distress her but they were at least chilled enough to bother her. She thought how her hand movements could possibly slow down for a fraction of a second and was irked. She had to be in top form, every part of her, including her hands.

So she blew warm air into them every now and then even though she knew it was futile.

"You've been doing that for a while now." Makoto said worriedly, his eyebrows scrunched up with concern written on them. He then leaned towards her to get a closer look, his voice soft and soothing. "Is it too cold for you? Because we can go back inside if this is too much for you."

"No, I'm not really that cold." She shook her head and then proceeded to repeatedly open and close her fists, the action less smooth than she would have wanted. "My fingers are just getting stiff…"

"From the cold." He finished for her.

"You can't prove that." She refuted.

"So you can be stubborn too, huh." He sweatdropped and smiled weakly.

She just kept looking forward. He didn't say anything after that so she thought that he dropped the issue already. If only she chanced a glance at him, she would have seen the opposite. Letting her be with such cold hands was the last thing he had in mind. If she could be stubborn then so could he. His eyes burned with determination as he took off his wool mittens, took off his hesitations, and then with whatever courage he had, he moved.

"Eep!" She yelped in surprise at the sudden contrast in sensation.

A pair of considerably warm hands were now on top of her frigid ones.

"Cold! Your hands are too cold!" He winced at the contact and frowned disapprovingly at her. "Why did you even wear this kind of gloves in this weather?"

She tried her best not to let the warmth reach her face.

"It's more practical for movement just in case I need them for an emergency." She spoke matter-of-factly.

"Couldn't you have worn them under your mittens?" He said with a skeptical look on his face.

"Yes, but then I would lose precious time when I remove them." She answered seriously. She took everything in mind when she decided to wear these instead. Even if it was just a millisecond of a difference, it could mean life or death for her or for Junko, and she wasn't about to gamble on that. She'd take efficiency over comfort any day, or rather every day in fact.

"I don't think one second would make that much of a difference but I can't argue when you're the expert." He sighed exasperatedly, if he wasn't holding her hands, he would have crossed his arms in disapproval. "But still, you should have told me earlier that your hands were freezing."

"That's because they're not." She insisted even though he wasn't actually wrong.

"Yes, they are. I'm holding them right now so don't deny it." He squeezed them a bit for emphasis which almost earned another yelp from her.

"I'll live. I've handled worse." She deadpanned. It's true, she's braved through worse snowstorms than this and she's never had a frostbite before. She's never had any form of injury ever.

"But you don't have to handle worse." He shook his head and leaned forward more, trying to get his point across. "I know you've probably dealt with harsher conditions before but this isn't supposed to be one of them. You don't need to be on guard all the time."

"Better safe than sorry." She guiltily looked away.

"And I'm telling you that it's actually safer here."

"Irrelevant. Besides, I'm already fine with this."

"Still…" He abruptly let got of her hands just so he could reach for his mittens. "This won't do though. Here, wear mine instead."

She didn't frown even when she already missed his warmth.

"No, I can't accept that." He reprimanded as he offered the pair again. "Then you'll be the one with cold hands and that wouldn't be fair. They've been warmed up the whole time so now it's your turn."

"I refuse." She politely declined.

"You really won't budge on this, huh." He lightly scratched his chin and smiled shyly. "I'm kind of happy to see another side of you but I'm just honestly concerned for you."

Just the thought of him worrying for her was warmth enough.

"I'll be fine." She stated, her voice tender around the edges.

"Wow, you're surprisingly as stubborn as you are strong." He chuckled lamely and without warning, an epiphany hit him. He straightened up in his seat. "That's it!"

"The answer is still no." She automatically said.

"I just got an idea. How about we share them? Let's just try it out first and see if it works." He said excitedly and promptly gave her one of the mittens. "Here, wear this one."

Mukuro was supposed to turn him down but she couldn't say no when he looked like an excited puppy again right now.

She did as he said while he wore the other one. "O-kay. What next?"

"So you have the right and I have the left. Then we just…" He trailed off.

Makoto then took her left hand in his right and intertwined their fingers.

"There! Now we both have warm hands!" He smiled brightly, proud of his clever solution.

It wasn't just her hands which were warm.

"Isn't this…" She couldn't think straight not when her heart hammered wildly in her chest.

"A great idea? I know, right?" He said cheerily, oblivious to her sudden discomfort.

He looked too happy over his idea to pay attention at the precision of his actions. He could have just held her hand normally and that would have been enough. However, he went a step farther by lacing their fingers. It was an unnecessary step for achieving warmth however, it's not something she disliked. It was just unexpected and well, wasn't this romantic? At least, as far as her limited knowledge went, this counted as romantic. Maybe it wasn't and she was just reading too much into this. Judging by his looks, he didn't seem too bothered by it so maybe she's just overthinking this. Then again, he was always oblivious when it came to these things.

Was he even aware of just how intimate this was?

"This way is fair for both of us. Unless of course, you're not…" His smile faltered and he nervously asked, "happy with this?"

"I…" She trailed as she thought on what to say next.

Should she tell him no? That way she could get out of this awkward situation and they could go back to regular non-hand holding. She briefly glanced at their still intertwined fingers. This wasn't so bad. At the very least, she could tolerate this much skin contact. Maybe her erratic heartbeat would calm down too in a while. So should she tell him yes? She could feel her temperature rise at the thought. That might be too embarrassing for her. She stared back at him who was still waiting for her answer. She had to reply at some point.

She swallowed her indecision. Her voice was so small, she worried that maybe only she heard it. "This is fine too."

But his bright smile told her that he heard her clearly. "See, now don't you feel warmer already?"

It's not just her hands that were warm though. The warmth may have started there but it didn't end at just that. It ran up to her arms, all up to her face, and stayed there. All the while, another similar feeling blossomed inside her. A familiar, compelling and unshakable feeling. This feeling inside her chest reminded her of warmth, reminded her of him, reminded her of hope.

And maybe of something else.

"Yeah, it's… nice." She unconsciously smiled.

There's still some space in between them but their joined hands fill the gap in between. With this, it felt like they were closer instead. They don't talk for a while and that's okay. Right now, words were unnecessary. They'd just be reduced to intruding noise and annoying distraction. Just this was already enough. Them and their intertwined fingers in between. She wanted to savor this warmth, this feeling that has her enraptured in this moment. He seemed to share the same sentiment because even his usual talkativeness was gone and replaced with contented silence. They weren't just quiet, they were happy, warm, and at peace.

There's nothing more she would have wanted than to have this moment last longer.

The kids in the background started singing christmas carols now and he cheerfully hummed along. Even when he squeaked at the high notes, he kept humming still. She never did pay that much attention to those songs but hearing him hum to them has made her take a sudden interest. They're not so bad once she listened closely. That or she's just being swept away with the pace. Again. Lately, she's been swept away by his pace more often than not. She didn't mind though. The faces she'd see, the feelings she'd have, the experiences she'd get, all of these that came with his pace, she didn't mind them one bit. She was beginning to think that she enjoyed them.

All the while, he was oblivious to just how powerful his current was. His happiness was incredibly contagious.

"Hey, Mukuro. Are you having fun?" He asked with a glint in his eyes. He had no more songs to hum now that all of the kids have merrily dashed off.

"Yeah, I am." She honestly admitted. For some strange reason, she felt like talking more than her usual clipped lines. "It's been… nice this whole time."

"That's good to hear." He leaned back relaxed. "I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one enjoying this."

"That's because it's easy to have fun with you." She was almost surprised when she said this if only it weren't true.

"Aww, geez. I do try my best and they do say that happiness is contagious." He smiled shyly and ducked his head in embarrassment. "It's easier for me to have fun when I'm comfortable. And I just feel relaxed when I'm with you. Like I just feel safer, you know?"

"Safer…" She trailed off. What did he mean by that? "Is it because I can protect you?"

"No, not like that. Well, not entirely." He said while he carefully shook his head. "How do I put this, hmm. Have you ever felt safe enough without your favorite combat knife?"

"Never." She deadpanned.

"...I see." He sweatdropped. It wasn't exactly the answer he was looking for. "Not even once?"

"Never. Absolutely not." Her tone was flat and final.

He chuckled nervously. "I guess that wasn't a very good example."

"What answer were you expecting?" She would have sounded sarcastic to anyone not used to her poker face.

"Nevermind. Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way." He sighed and his breath came out warm and visible. "Then how about I ask an example from you instead."

She blinked. "From me?"

He nodded twice in affirmation. "Yeah, like haven't you ever felt safe with anyone?"

That's the first time anyone has ever asked her that. So naturally, she was bewildered as to how to answer. In the first place, safeness was almost non-existent in her experience. Danger lurked in every corner and no matter how skilled she was, she was never truly safe. But that wasn't exactly what his question was about. if it wasn't about being safe, rather feeling safe instead then that was a different matter. To feel safe even when she knew that wasn't necessarily the case, had she ever experienced that?

Mukuro closed her eyes to focus on that thought. It wasn't long before an image materialized behind her eyelids. A familiar and recent scene.

She felt safe now, right? And he was technically with her. Did this count? Was this what he meant? It's not like she felt absolutely safe with him but at the very least, she felt safer. She's not sure herself just what that meant but that's an issue to think about on another day. So in conclusion, she felt safe with him to a certain extent. Until what extent, she didn't know.

However right now, she's convinced that she felt safe around him.

"I think I have." She paused as she snuck a quick glance at him. "Sometimes. "

"That's how I feel about you." He confidently said with his signature smile.

Mukuro's eyes widened at his confession. She was aware that he was just talking about feeling secure but for some reason she wanted to believe that it was more than just that. Still, it was enough to make her heart skip a beat or two. She's not sure of the count. It was hard to tell when she could hardly focus because her mind gave out the second he said that.

"It's not just for when we're in dangerous situations." He continued on, oblivious to her inner conflict. He was about to add fuel to the fire he just lit. "I feel like I can always be myself around you."

That piqued her curiosity. "Be yourself…"

"Yeah, like I don't have to hold back or be afraid of you judging me." He nonchalantly shrugged. "Not that I'm pretending around anyone else. I just feel... what's the word? More comfortable? Happier? Better? Yeah, that's close enough. I feel better when I'm with you."

He felt better around her?

What did he mean by that? Maybe his interpretation was different from hers. She didn't want to get her hopes up. So she asked just to clarify. "What does better feel like?"

"I guess that was a pretty vague way to put it. Well, better is…" He paused. " Better is…" Then he suddenly flushed bright red and looked away. "Geez, please don't make me spell it out."

That was unusual behavior worth investigating. So she innocently asked, "Why not?"

He fidgeted in his seat. "I mean, I will tell you! Eventually. But right now is a little bit too early for me." He shyly looked away and mumbled. "I don't think I can put it into words just yet."

Maybe he thought she wouldn't hear him but she did. And she understood that there were just some things that were hard to say that's why-

"Then show me."

"Huh?"

"Actions speak louder than words. If you can't use words then you still have actions." She said in her usual flat tone but something about the words made her voice come alive. She sounded so awe-inspiring and the fact that she spoke this with a straight face brought out the novelty in her line. "So show me. What do you mean by better?"

Her challenge was a force to be reckoned with.

"That's... amazing!" He said with stars in his eyes and his voice was dipped in admiration. "You're so cool, Mukuro."

"Thanks?" She's not sure why he's praising her or why he looked so happy about it.

"That was really inspiring. It makes me want to be a bit braver." Before his words even reached her, he already made his move.

And closed the distance.

Now they were sitting closely together, shoulder to shoulder and their sides touching. Their hands still joined were now on top of where their knees made contact. They're close, significantly closer, the closest they've ever been. Too close! Her mind raced along with her heart. The closeness was all too much for her to handle. She's suddenly aware of the fact that if she leaned toward him just a little more, bent her head lower just a fraction more, gathered courage just a bit more, then there wouldn't be any distance left between them. The two of them without the intruding space in between. The mere thought of it was enough to make her panic.

She's frozen in place but she's warmer than she's ever felt before.

"Here, like this. Does this feel better?" He shyly smiled at her.

This certainly felt… different. Good different. Maybe even better different.

"...Mm" She only barely managed to nod. She was still in the process of overcoming the shock that came with such close proximity.

He beamed wider. "Then we feel the same way."

The words struck a chord in her. Makoto also felt this? Mukuro didn't know what to do with that information. Her heart hammered wildly. He's so close right now that she's afraid he'll hear how loud her heart was right now. She didn't want him to know just how much he was affecting her.

At least, not yet.

Wait, not yet? Why did she think of that not yet? What did she mean by that? She mentally reprimanded herself. Her mind really was a mess right now for her to think straight. She had to escape from this dangerous situation or else she didn't know what she'd do. She grasped around for something to change the topic, anything. Her eyes widened as an idea hit her. Of course, there's still that to talk about.

Contrary to her state of mind right now, she was relatively calm when she spoke, "About that present."

His eyes widened at the mention of the word. "Oh, right. I guess this is a good time as any." Using his free hand, he grabbed his forgotten sling bag and brushed off the thin layer of snow that accumulated on it. "Want to open your present now?"

"Yes, please." She nodded a little more enthusiastically. She's glad for the change of pace because she didn't think she'd last that long if they kept at it.

"Okay but woah, you're finally going to see it." He chuckled weakly. "Now that I think about how I'll be here to see your reaction, it kind of makes me nervous."

"Why would I make you nervous?" She tilted her head in curiosity.

"All for good reasons, I assure you." He smiled good-naturedly and then not so casually started kicking his legs to release his nervous energy. He really was tense about this. "Well, you might not like what I got you or worse, I might have gotten something that will upset you, and it's really nerve-racking when I think about it."

Why would he get nervous over that? She thought. "You already know what's in it so you shouldn't be too nervous. I'm the one who's actually nervous."

"No way!" He waved his free hand over his face to emphasize his point. "You're the one getting the gift so you should be excited instead. What reason would you get nervous over opening a gift?"

"Junko." She deadpanned.

"Ah…" He paused.

An understandable silence fell between them.

"That is a very valid reason." He sweatdropped.

"Yes, but since it's from you then I have nothing to worry about." She shot him a wary sideway glance. "Unless?"

"None, of course! I won't pull off any weird tricks unlike Junko." He defensively said as he shook his head and crossed his heart like a little kid. "Ah, but I won't reveal anything other than that. I don't want to ruin the surprise."

"That's fine." She smirked. "I don't think you're the type to pack in anything dangerous like laughing gas."

"I kinda want to ask but I also kinda don't." He said as he nervously scratched his chin.

"It's better if you don't."

"I'll take your advice on it."

She steered the conversation back on track. "So where is it by the way?"

"Oh, just let me get it out of my bag." It was a bit awkward fumbling with the zipper with just one hand especially with a mitten on but he was persistent in not letting go of her hand. It took a few attempts but he finally got it.

Once he got the gift-wrapped box out, his face instantly changed to a look of horror.

"I… I brought the wrong present." He said in disbelief, his voice full of dread and disappointment. In his shock, he started mumbling fast and incoherently. "I must have gotten this by mistake when I took it under the tree. Argh, I knew I shouldn't have placed it there but Komaru kept bugging me and now look at what happened."

"I'm sorry, I was just so tense last night and I forgot to check again this morning to make sure I brought the right one." He bent forward, the closest he could get to a bow while seated. "Now I'm just making excuses. Sorry again."

He sounded so miserable that she couldn't help but sympathize with him.

"It's alright." She wasn't even that disappointed so he shouldn't be so downtrodden over this. She tried her best at reassuring him. "That doesn't change the fact that I had fun today."

He broke his bow so he could look at her with a pained expression still on his face. "But still, the whole reason we met up was so I could hand it over to you."

She thought that he was stressing over this too much. There was always a simple solution for a simple problem.

"You can still bring it with you the next time we meet." She paused. And with a straight face she casually suggested, "Hopefully before classes resume?"

It took him a few seconds before he finally reacted. By which he immediately turned his head away so she couldn't see just what kind of face he was making. But from the redness of his ears, she could hazard a guess.

"Wow, that was just… wow." He said in a starstruck voice. "Real smooth of you, Mukuro."

She tilted her head, clueless as to what he meant. "Sorry, was I asking too soon?"

His head immediately turned to face her again. He cried out in protest. "No, no you weren't! Don't apologize."

It was now confirmed that his face was indeed red. Adorably red.

He seemed slightly distressed though. Maybe he wasn't okay with that schedule so she thought of suggesting another. "If it's too much of a hassle, you can also give it to me when we get back to school."

"NO!" He yelled in protest only to shrink back when he realized just what he did. "Sorry, I didn't mean to shout." He composed himself and spoke less hurriedly this time. "I'm totally fine with us meeting again. We should definitely do that. Meet-up before school starts."

"Really? Are you okay with that?" She still wasn't convinced.

"Really. I'm okay with this." He insisted. He then took a deep breath and flashed her an encouraging smile. "You just caught me off-guard that's all."

"Sorry?" She didn't understand him. Just which part of what she said was surprising enough to jump him?

"It's not something to apologize for." He smiled sheepishly. "In fact, I'm really happy you suggested it in the first place. I hadn't thought of that at all."

"That's because you were too focused on the fact that you forgot to bring it." She said matter-of-factly.

"Hey, it's not like I forgot." He huffed. "I just brought the wrong one."

Well when he put it that way, he was technically right. Which reminded her, "So Junko didn't get hers either?"

"Hm? Oh, no. She got hers." He chuckled lamely as he shrunk back a little in his seat. "Which is why I expected to have yours right too but…" He said a little less confidently, "well it turns out that it wasn't."

"I see…" She deadpanned.

So he got Junko's right but hers wrong. How coincidental.

"I swear it wasn't on purpose though! My luck fails me at the worst of times." He hurriedly spoke to correct whatever misconceptions she could have implied.

Did it show on her face what she was thinking?

He timidly scratched his chin. "But I guess this is good luck too in its own way."

Good luck? She blinked. "How can you say that?"

"Well now I can look forward to our next meeting." He nodded as he said this, a smile already forming on his lips. "And I don't have to think about Junko because this time it really will be just the two of us."

Just the two of them.

"And you're okay with that?" She asked hesitantly, her voice just as nervous as she felt, "With… just us?"

"Okay with it? I'm happy about it!" His grin reached his ears.

"You are?" She couldn't believe what she just heard.

"Of course, I am!" He said confidently, a stark contrast to her doubts. "I know we're going to meet again soon but now I can't wait." He then shyly continued, "I'm really excited about this. It's kind of unfair how it's your birthday but I feel like I'm the one who received a gift."

Mukuro internally shook her head. He shouldn't feel guilty. After all, didn't he say a while ago that they felt the same?

"Isn't that okay?" She spoke more confidently to her surprise. He always had that effect on her. "I'm happy too. With or without the gift." Her face broke into a small smile. "I've had plenty of fun with you from just today. That's already more than enough for me. So it's fair, I think."

"That's not how birthdays are supposed to work." He laughed but at least that did the trick to lift his spirits up. "You're supposed to be pampered."

"There's no need for that." She firmly said.

"Really?" His eyes lit up. He seemed to take special interest in that fact. "That's such a loss. It's the only day you get to be spoiled, you know."

"I'm content with what I have." She shrugged.

"That's just the type of person you are. You're too selfless." He earnestly said, his smile was tender around the edges. "You sometimes forget to care about yourself. That's why…" He mumbled the rest.

She couldn't quite catch what he said. "Why what?"

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing. Just talking to myself. Haha!" He suspiciously laughed loudly to brush off her inquiry. Before she could ask him again, he beat her to the punch by shooting her a question first. "You sure you're okay with me forgetting your gift?"

She's aware of what he's trying to do but she'll let that slide for now.

"Yes, absolutely." She nodded.

"Well, the truth is…" He dramatically paused for effect. "There's one more thing I forgot though."

He was staring at her deeply now. Too deeply.

"What is it?" It took all of her willpower not to look away from the intensity.

And then he smiled a smile only for her.

"Happy birthday, Mukuro."

All of a sudden, she's overwhelmed.

Mukuro has become all too aware of everything that was happening. She was aware of their hands still joined together, fingers intertwined, atop their also touching knees. She was aware of their shoulders bumping, how his elbow lightly burrowed at her side and how hers was mimicked his. She was aware of how bright his smile was which she unconsciously mirrored. And she was aware of just how warm and nice all of this felt, of how warm and nice he was, of how warm and nice this whole day has been for her. The awareness overwhelmed her but in a good way. She's also aware that this all happened because the important persons in her life decided that her birthday was special enough to celebrate.

Her birthday was actually yesterday but that didn't change the fact that she's happy today.

And she's realized that she didn't mind being spoiled every once in awhile.

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

Shinra-ex-SOLDIER

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

OMAKE

Twintuition

Meanwhile, under the same snowfall was another mismatched pair.

"Kyaaah!" Junko suddenly screamed in her highest pitched voice. She then hugged herself and proceeded to rub her arms. Another wave of goosebumps from nowhere hit her as she shivered. "I totally felt that! Those were some juicy goosies!"

"Juicy goosies? What are you, five?" Yasuke snickered as he flipped another page of his manga.

"My point is that something just happened to my sis like BIG TIME." She excitedly waved her arms around. "It hasn't even been that long yet and it looks like Muku's already getting in some action!"

"Nobody cares." He commented offhandedly.

"Aren't ya going to ask me what just happened? Huh? Babe? Woncha?" She bounced in front of him, trying hard to get his attention and failing miserably.

"No, it's not worth my time. Now be quiet." He deadpanned, still unfazed.

"But I promise you that it's gooood stuff." She tiptoed as she stretched that one word. "Like really good shit! High quality! 10/10 would recommend!"

"Not interested." He didn't even glance at her once.

"You sure about that?" Still undeterred, she continued to pester him, much to his annoyance. "Obviously not. I mean, you're missing out on the story of a lifetime. Just think ESP only real! That's science-y enough for you, right? This could be a breakthrough for you science geeks. You're passing up the chance to win a Nobel!"

"The only prize I need is peace and quiet. Unfortunately, I already passed that chance when I agreed on escorting you today." He snidely remarked as he turned another page.

"And aren't we having such a blast?" She playfully batted her eyelashes at him.

"You must be so pitifully blind to think that." He tiredly sighed. "Why do I still make bad decisions concerning you around when I know I'll regret them anyways?"

"Because you love me!" She all too happily answered for me.

He closed his manga only to hit her head with it. He didn't even hold back. "Stop deluding yourself. I'm not into ugly airheads."

She rubbed the already forming bump on her head but that didn't dampen her fighting spirit."Of course, you're not into that. You are into me!" She said in her too sweet voice and then playfully winked at him. "Just say the word and we can take that line to the next level~"

He clicked his tongue and grimaced. "Tch. Wash your mouth with soap the next time you take a bath."

"Oh? We'll do it in bath? Kyaaah! How bold for our first time!" She shrilled as she climbed on his back as a show of her tenacious affection.

"Hey! Get off me!" He angrily removed her from him. What a hassle, he thought. Seriously, the word clingy must have been invented just for her.

She pouted. "Aww, don't be shy. We're going to get much more comfortable anyways."

"Like hell we are." With one strong shove, he finally got her off him. Once freed, he quickly started to walk away without even looking back at her. "That's it. I've reached my harassment quota for today and for the rest of the year. I'll be heading back home now."

She effortlessly matched his pace, skipping every now and then. "We're doing it at your place? How did you know about my fantasy!" She mock gasped but looked pleasantly surprised about it. "Don't tell me you already know which position I want! No, really. Less talking and more doing."

"Too much information." There really was no use talking to her so he picked up the pace. "I'm leaving you behind. Don't follow me."

She hounded on him and then seductively licked her lips. "We're gonna have lots of fun!"

Elsewhere, on a different street.

"...!" Mukuro's steps halted when she felt a sudden chill down her spine.

"What is it?" Makoto asked, he too had stopped shortly after her.

Was it just her imagination or did she really feel that? She shivered again as another chill hit her. It didn't feel like it was because of the temperature though. Something about it made her suddenly think of Junko. It didn't feel threatening though or alerting her that she was in trouble. She couldn't quite place why but she knew that wherever her sister was, she must be having fun. Well, Junko was supposedly with Matsuda so naturally she'd be happy. However, Mukuro could not comprehend where the intrusive thought was coming from. That was strange and out of nowhere.

"It's… nothing." She then nonchalantly rubbed her arms. "It's actually colder than I expected."

He glanced at her worriedly. "If it's too cold for you then we can go somewhere else. Somewhere inside probably since it'll be warmer there."

She shook her head. "No, this is fine. I can handle this much."

"Are you sure?" He tilted his head and stared harder.

"Yeah." She was grateful for having a non-expressive face or else he'd see just how much his stare was affecting her. She then calmly nodded. "Let's continue."

"If you say so…" He didn't look too convinced since his feet stayed rooted on the ground. He scratched his chin and then spoke, "On second thought, could you wait? There's something I need you to do first."

She blinked. "Sure. What do you need?"

"Hold still." As soon as he said that, he took off the red scarf that he wore and gently wrapped it around her shoulders.

Her face now matched the scarf.

"Why did you..." She started but in her shock, she couldn't find the courage to finish her sentence.

"You can borrow this for a while, I don't need it as much." He smiled brightly, his face was also turning a shade darker but it was hard to tell if it was just from the cold.

The pink dusted on his nose and cheeks coupled with his irresistible smile was a powerful combination.

"Thank you." Her voice came out smaller than normal and her cheeks flushed harder.

"No problem. Now we're ready to go." Satisfied that she was warmer now, he started walking again and so did she.

Whether it was from the scarf or from something else, Mukuro was indeed warmer now.

Which reminded her of the earlier chill she felt and the foreboding sense that it was caused by Junko. Mukuro glanced at the sky and whispered under her breath. "Stay strong, Matsuda."

Even though the twins were far apart, sometimes they get these little bursts of feelings that let them know that the other was still alright.

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

BONUS

Merry Kissmas

"Look, sis. I know you already got your gift which I know you totes love, don't deny it." Junko teasingly tapped Mukuro's nose lightly with a smug grin on her face. "But I'm breaking tradition and got you another present. Kind of like those package deals where you buy one and take another one."

"Oh…" Mukuro frowned. Another gift? As much as that was supposed to be a good thing, it actually had the opposite effect on her. She suddenly felt guilty instead. It wasn't fair for her twin. "But I didn't get you anything else."

"You can just owe me one." She casually waved away her sister's objection and snappishly spoke, "There, happy? 'Cause I know you're a hardass for the equivalent exchange rule."

Mukuro thought about it. While it did upset her to not have another gift prepared too, it would be hard for her to procure one on such short notice. Promising her to get one on another day seemed logical enough and both of them would be happy. Satisfied with that conclusion, she slowly nodded. "Okay, that works fine."

"Great!" She fervently pumped one fist to the sky. "So here's your plus one or as I like to call it, plus ultra!"

"..." Silence replied.

Plus ultra? Wasn't that redundant? Was this just her exaggerated style of speech again or was it another one of those things from Matsuda's manga? Mukuro thought to herself.

"Forget it. That reference is wasted on you. I don't even know if the fans get it either." She deadpanned and then unceremoniously tossed a tiny wrapped box over to her. "Just here, take it and open it."

She caught it with practiced ease. She wondered if her cluelessness upsetted her sister but since she got her gift anyway, she thought that maybe not. She hesitantly spoke, "...Okay."

The gift was a small and unassuming green box wrapped in a red ribbon that easily fit in her palm. It was plain compared to what her sister usually would get her. Junko's presents were just as flashy on the outside as they were on the inside, a reflection of her lively personality, which made Mukuro look forward to the surprise even more. Well, it was either flashy or confusing like how Junko was telling her that Makoto was her gift.

Mukuro's fingers froze at that thought but she quickly pushed that aside.

She focused again on the tiny box in her hands. She knew just how unpredictable Junko could be which was why she was staring at this box with trepidation. It was light and it didn't make any suspicious noises when she caught it so it couldn't be an explosive like one of her last gifts. Then again, maybe it was something just as lethal like gas, probably laughing gas. But judging from the size of the box, there wasn't enough space to pack an effective dose. Or could be a cringeworthy accessory that she'd never wear but nonetheless still keep and treasure. Like she said, unpredictable.

Just what was inside this, she thought as her fingers lightly tugged at the ribbon.

"WAIT A MINUTE! WAIT! HOLD THE PRESS!" Junko shouted at the top of her lungs and dramatically stretched her arms forward in a frantic gesture to get Mukuro to stop.

She did stop and then immediately tensed at her sister's urgency. "What? Is something wrong?"

Junko held that pose for a few seconds longer.

And then comically stuck out her tongue to one side and then lightly hit her own head. "Oopsie, I almost forgot the most important part." She then lowered her voice and crossed her arms, taking an intimidating form of authority. "I'm calling it."

Mukuro tilted her head in confusion. "Calling what?"

She nodded. "The favor. I'm redeeming it right now."

Oh, so that's what she meant. "Sure, anything you want, sis."

A tense silence fell between them.

"... WOAH!" Junko suddenly jumped after being stunned for so long.

"Are you alright?" Mukuro warily asked.

Junko vigorously shook her head and then started talking animatedly, her face was a mixture of oddly pleased and angrily protective. She probably couldn't decide which one to feel between the two. "For a second there my mind just overloaded from the possibilities. Don't you dare use favors and anything in the same sentence again! That was dangerous. Who will protect you from the wolves when I'm not there? The carnivores might just attack you."

She didn't understand what she meant by wolves and carnivores but she understood enough that her sister was just worried for her. That thought alone touched her heart. "Alright, then I'll be more careful next time."

"You better be sister!" She scolded her again but it came out more endearing than angry.

"I really will." She bowed her head. "So what do you want?"

That got Junko's attention back.

She smiled mischievously. "A picture."

Mukuro blinked. "That's it?"

"Yup! Just a picture of this glorious moment." She held out her phone just to show how serious she was about this.

For Mukuro, she didn't doubt that Junko wanted a picture but she could have asked for a picture and something else on top of that. She felt like a picture wasn't enough."That's fine but you sure you don't want anything else?"

"Don't tempt me, I'm the sultry temptress in this set." She snarkily remarked and then continued with a menacing laugh. "Fufufu, besides I'm sure that you wouldn't be as chill later when I take it. NO TAKEBACKS, alright? That photo is MINE!"

"You know I won't say no to you."

"That's because you ain't got a spine. Oh, and love too, I guess."

"Yes." Love too. "So uh, should I…?"

Junko's grin reached her ears. "Let's not forget your boyfriend!"

"He's not!" Mukuro sputtered.

While Junko continued on as if she hadn't heard her. "I'm gonna need an eyewitness for when I brag about this, and I will, once we get back to class." She yelled over at the unsuspecting victim. "Yoohoo! Naeggs, yo! Scramble up here or you're gonna miss a flag because you stayed there for another second by your lonesome sorry self."

Makoto begrudgingly came as per Junko's beckoning. He was only standing idly by a few steps because of her earlier insistence on some quick alone time with her twin. As a standard of Junko, she welcomed him back with quips much to his annoyance but thankfully, it didn't escalate this time. Without much explanation, she unceremoniously pulled him along.

So now Makoto was awkwardly standing beside Mukuro at arm's length.

"Geez, move closer will ya? It's not like Muku will bite… yet." Junko suspiciously coughed on the last word.

"Junko!" Mukuro flushed, her pitch higher than she would have wanted.

"Kidding! ...Not really." She held a peace sign. "Anyways, you're gonna be in the shot so might as well stay in the frame. Don't worry about your ahoge, you're short so it's not gonna get cut."

Makoto ignored her jab at his hair because he had more important things to talk about. Things like why he was dragged here and what she was talking about. "Shot?"

Thankfully, Mukuro answered for him. "Junko wants to take a picture."

"Yes, let's not recycle dialogue and explain that again." She impatiently rolled her eyes. This was too much filler dialogue for her. "Blah blah skip, it's Muku's gift but since you're already here, I might as well see your reaction too. Oh, and I have a legal binding contract to take this picture and what I say goes."

Makoto looked questioningly at Mukuro but she just nonchalantly shrugged.

Junko continued on with her rant. "It's a phenomenal cosmic gift that comes in an itty bitty box so you might as well cozy up or you'll miss it."

He stepped closer to Mukuro but only just one step. "Like this?"

"Oh, for the love of!" Junko threw up her hands in exasperation and then strode over to the two. She haphazardly shoved them together so now they were shoulder to shoulder. "There! Now was that so hard?"

The two instantly blushed at the close proximity.

"And no separating! I'm cutting off any part that does otherwise! Now hurry up and open my wonderful gift. We don't have all day!"

Having no choice in the matter, Makoto stayed where he was and so did Mukuro. She tugged again on the ribbon until it gave way and then she took off the lid. There's the tiniest sheet of bubblewrap she has ever seen but she doubted that was the present itself. So she set that aside as well only to find that there was a folded strip of paper at the bottom of the box. She picked it out and dexterously unfolded it. There were words written on it.

"Look up?" She read out loud and so they both did as per instruction.

Their reactions were instantaneous.

"...!" Mukuro froze upon the sight.

"This is!" Makoto blanched.

Above them, attached to a retractable stick held by none other than Junko, was a mistletoe.

"Gotcha!" Junko squealed in delight. "Oh, c'mon! Don't say you didn't see it coming because we all saw it coming. Well, I'm sure the fans saw it. I mean, hello, look at all the flags! Not entirely subtle but it comes with the season. "

"And what's a holiday special without a little fanservice?" She winked to no one in particular. "Ah, but not that kind of fanservice. Get your dirty heads out of the fucking gutter, I'm kinkshaming your asses! We gotta stick with the family friendly, environmentally friendly ratings. Life doesn't always give you lemons! Go look elsewhere! We only got vanilla over here so take it or leave it!"

"Ah, is she still talking to us?" Makoto warily asked, not quite comprehending what Junko was talking about.

"I don't think so." Mukuro shook her head. It was too long to explain so she didn't bother.

"Going back, don't think I've forgotten about you two." She smacked her lips for emphasis. "Better pucker up your lips, Naeggs."

"M-me?" He sputtered as his face turned a shade darker. "Why me?!"

"Well, duh. You won't get Muku to do it. She'll just freeze forever like a human version of the blue screen of death." She crossed her arms and spoke condescendingly, "Besides, aren't guys supposed to take the initiative? Granted that it was actually me who initiated this but who cares! Give me some action already!"

"But this is…" He audibly swallowed.

"It's not even on the lips so it's fine!" She furiously hollered. "Geez, what are you, a maiden at heart? How pure can you get?"

"Hey, I have feelings too, you know." He weakly replied.

This was a good sign for Mukuro. It's not like he was going to be swept by Junko's whims.

"As long as it's not on the lips…" He hesitantly started.

Wait, where was he going with this?

"Then just on the cheek should be fine, right?" He said in a small voice and with a flustered face.

They're going to do it? Mukuro internally panicked.

"Yup! Totally! That area's virgin too anyways." Junko cheekily beamed.

"Junko!" Mukuro yelled in protest and then turned to Makoto who was still red. She was probably red as well. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to."

"No, it's okay. I want to." He said without thinking.

Mukuro's eyes widened. What did he just say?

"I mean I don't! I mean not that I don't because I do… I mean, ack!" He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, not quite meeting her eye contact. "Let's do it. In the spirit of the holiday that is."

Well if he put it that way, she conceded. "Yes, for the holiday spirit then." But that didn't get her heart to beat back to its normal pace.

"Finally! Some actual lip service!" Junko jeered from the side.

Mukuro's heart hammered inside her ribcage. Even if this was awkward, it wasn't enough to distract her from the tension. She felt nervous and just a bit excited? Why was she excited about this? It's just Makoto, practically the nicest guy she's ever met who coincidentally makes her happy without even trying, it's only Makoto. And it's only a dare of some sorts so she shouldn't read too much into it. But still, just the idea of him kissing her sent her brain running haywire.

He was so close now. She could see his face adjacent to hers. He's even closer now. She shut her eyes. This was it. She could feel his warm breath over her cheeks. They were about to kiss.

"Muku, your left." Junko said out of nowhere.

"Huh?" Mukuro opened her eyes at the voice. Working on instinct, she followed her sister's command and swiftly turned her head slightly to the left.

So instead of getting kissed on her cheek, his lips accidentally landed on the corner of her lips.

"...!"

"Mmph!"

A shutter resounded. A picture taken. A memory forged.

"Merry fucking Christmas to you."

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

---

If you can help me with the title, please do. I couldn't think of anything than Nightmare Before Christmas. I originally wanted Muku to receive an actually gift from Naeggs but I couldn't think of anything and the scene just wrote itself. I'm kinda pleased with that happy accident.

Also, 16K WORDS! And I was this close to giving up on it when I got stuck at 10k, ha! Take that past self without self-confidence!

Ask and you shall receive. For TK Macintosh who asked for a birthday/christmas chapter. I don't know what you were expecting because I sure didn't expect Junko to happen.

AU where Junko is a walking shitpost generator. Non-despair Junko gives me hope. I don't know which Junko I prefer, this one or the chapter 2 one. But then again, chapter 5 despair Junko is loveable in her own way. I just had too much fun with this one. This was supposed to be a heartwarming chapter but well, Junko happened goddammit.

Anyways, we're on our 9th chapter next time and coincidentally, it's divisible by 3. That's it. No more hints.

So tell me how this went for you. And drop by a request too! See ya!