AN: I decided that I would do a Christmas themed chapter even though it'd be impossible to do one at this moment in the plot. So, I decided to just call it an "out" chapter. It does not flow logically with the last chapter and is basically a short story within itself. Hope you like. (Also, I've been itching to use a slightly older Kazuya…)

The Out Chapter 1 (Known as Chapter 23)

It would be yet another Christmas spent alone. Kazuya wasn't the least bit surprised about this. After Jinpachi's demise, he knew that he'd have to get used to being on his own all over again. Without even realizing it, he had actually grown accustomed to the presence of others. He was used to the comfort of knowing that there was someone else living with him even if that person was two floors below him, even if that person couldn't possibly hear if he was in trouble. No one was going to come over this holiday season—Kazuya would have no reason to concern himself with Christmas at all. He could shrug it off as any other day and continue on with his regular routine of training and more training.

He didn't want to admit it, but he did feel a profound sense of loneliness. Now, as he walked out into the streets to the nearest grocery store, he could see the joy in people's eyes. Not the cheesy kind that he'd find in movies, but the genuine one. There was reason to be glad to have family to shower gifts with or a significant other to spoil. More than anything, there was love in the air. Everywhere he looked, couples held hands each person entranced with the other. It was no different as Kazuya finally stepped into the grocery store. He thought he might be able to ignore it, but all it did was make the pain of loneliness far more intense. It wasn't as if earlier he was in a good mood, but now his mood really began to sour. He had a list of items he wanted to get, but he didn't know how much longer he could take being around so much…happiness. He simply grabbed a six-pack of energy drinks and quickly made his way to the cashier. It was beginning to feel more like a game than anything else. He tried to dodge any couple that he saw so that he wouldn't overhear their conversation or see their smiling faces. Needless to say, he wound up traversing the entire store before finding a "safe" route to the front. Really, it was pitiful.

"Kazuya—wait, Kazuya, is that you?"

Kazuya stopped in midstride with a look of obvious surprise on his face. He regained his composure when he turned to the person he knew the voice had come from.

"Kazuya! It is you," Jun said excitedly.

Kazuya might have said something back if she hadn't rushed forward pulled him into a tight embrace. What could he do, but hug her back?

"Kazuya, I've been looking all over for you. When they said Jinpachi was…I didn't know where to look," Jun said as she still grasped him.

She felt herself being pushed back gently and she finally got the message as she released him.

"Jun, what are you doing here?"

"What? Is that all I get after all the trouble I went through?"

"You still haven't answered my question."

"Look, I'm out on winter break so I thought I might fly back home to see my mom. Does that satisfy you?"

"I see. Well, if you came to see your family, don't let me stop you. I have to be getting back as well," Kazuya said turning.

"Wait, Kazuya…I came to see you too. I thought you'd be…" Jun didn't want to mention Jinpachi's name in front of him for a second time. She had no idea what had happened to end up with his Grandfather dying, but she knew intuitively that it couldn't be anything good. Knowing Kazuya, he probably hadn't taken it well at all.

"You thought I'd be doing something with my grandfather like I do every year, right? That's impossible now."

"Kazuya, I'm sorry…"

"What are you apologizing for?" Kazuya asked shaking his head, "Same old Jun, wearing her heart on her sleeves," he said as he turned again.

Jun was silent for awhile as she watched the other continuing down the aisle, but of course she couldn't let him go so easily after all the time she spent trying to find him. She followed after him. "So, do you have something planned tonight?"

"Nothing in particular."

"Well then that settles it. We have to do something together."

"Right now?" Kazuya asked finally stopping to look at her once again, "I'm sure you had some plans of your own."

"Those can wait."

Kazuya looked at her for a moment longer perhaps trying to decide if this was a good idea or not.

"Well, what? I'm not cute enough or something?"

"Now what would make you say something like that? Jun, wouldn't happen to be insecure about herself, would she?"

Jun crossed her arms in irritation just as she caught the beginnings of a smirk on the other's face. Well, it was better than his usual frown, Jun thought to herself. "It's not as if I have a lot of guys begging to go out with me and I've been in college for a while."

"What does that even mean?"

"Oh, yeah, I forget who I'm talking to sometimes. You still live in that small world of yours."

"If that's what you want to call it."

"I guess I better stop beating around the bush. Think, Kazuya, isn't there something you want to do today besides going back to whatever place you live and wallowing in loneliness? And can't you do that thing now because I'm here."

"How is this not 'beating around the bush'? I still don't…"

"Kazuya—what is a guy and a girl supposed to do on Christmas?"

/

This was far better than what Kazuya originally had planned. Kazuya found himself watching scary movies with Jun in his apartment. He wasn't sure how it had gotten to this point. They had spent the better part of the day reminiscing on the past—the good and the bad. They had walked to the near park and travelled the length of it twice doing just that. Kazuya found out more things about Jun than he ever had and Jun vice versa. At some point, they had gotten to the Halloween that Kazuya was first convinced to go trick-or-treating on. Jun had promised him that she would show him all the scary movies that she knew about and Kazuya had agreed to it. However, it had never happened. Now here they were watching them together on a Christmas night.

It was perfect. Kazuya, of course, was not scared in the least of the movies and Jun found herself using Kazuya as some kind of shield and gripping his arm in support. He was stoic as usual. It was hard to tell if he was even entertained by the whole thing. Jun had seen these movies before. She found herself paying more attention to him than the film. She would look at the screen and then secretly steal a glance at him. He seemed only mildly amused at the especially violent scenes, but that was all. They managed to get through four movies. He dozed off around the third movie and in that time Jun made herself quite a bit more comfortable near him. By the last movie, he noticed her change in position and almost as if he was familiar with such situations, he wrapped his arms around her. Since they were sitting on the floor against his sofa instead of on top of it, it was easy for Jun to find a nice warm place where she would be in perfect position to lay against the other's chest. He was very warm despite having nothing on but a t-shirt and jeans. If there was ever a doubt in her mind that he was playing it off and he was in fact frightened of all the blood and gore, there was none now as she felt his steady heartbeat—a far cry from what her heart was doing at the moment.

All she could say is that she felt extremely safe. Even the scary parts didn't seem so scary when she felt his closeness. There was no way that anything could hurt her, not when her Kazuya could defeat any and every kind of danger. She wondered if this had been the reason she had come back for the holidays. Mom missed her, sure, but wasn't there something else that drew her? She had spent days searching for him and she was glad that she did. A moment like this was priceless. She turned to face him when the credits started to roll. Already she had been close, but now as she turned, their faces were only inches from each other.

"So? Spill, did you like it?"

"You're asking me if I enjoy watching people die. Now, what would you do if I said yes?"

"If you said yes, then it wouldn't come as a surprise to me, but then I'd know what to buy you for say…your birthday or something."

"I'd hardly want to watch it on my own though."

"Oh? You need someone brave like me to back you up?"

"Not at all. It's just far more entertaining watching you squeal and jump through the whole thing."

Had he been watching her this whole time? She hadn't even been sure if he had noticed her in the least. She couldn't recall his eyes ever being on her, but…In an instant, she felt her cheeks burn—it was a rarity in the presence of Kazuya. It wasn't as if he was actively seeking to get that kind of reaction out of her. In fact, many days she wondered if Kazuya was even capable of liking another in such a way. Was he able to look at her in the way that she wanted? She'd spent so much of her life with him and aside from a few times, he was never so much as speechless in front of her. Maybe they'd always be just friends. Not that it was an altogether bad thing, but she wanted something more than that…something closer.

"You enjoy watching me suffer."

"You're certainly not the kind of person to find any of it entertaining. Wasn't Halloween your favorite holiday?"

"It's not 'cus I like being scared half to death," Jun said matter of factly, "It's the dressing up part. Your remember, right?"

"Always wanting us to be themed for some reason. I wonder if anyone else found that strange."

"You know, rumors did start."

"What rumors?"

"What do you think? If we're always doing things together…"

"I guess after college you gain the ability to talk in code."

Jun sighed heavily. He was hopeless. There was no way to even get to that topic. "I'm not talking in code, you know."

"Well, the Jun I knew always just got straight to the point."

"You can't always be so blunt. Some things require a little finesse."

"Like what?"

"You're gonna' make me say it? Actually, I've just noticed the time, it's getting pretty late."

"What are you five? It's only nine."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were asking me to stay longer."

"Do what you want. If you really have to go, then go."

"See that's what your problem is, Kazuya. I don't know what you want," she said as she stood up, "I'm always guessing. It's always some type of game I have to play with you just to figure things out. Well, I'm tired of it. I'm tired of you acting like you want me around or me assuming that you do and then you turning around and saying something so callous like "if you want to go, then go" or "fine, do what you want". Just for once help me out here. Do you want me to stay or leave?"

Still, his eyes were unreadable as she looked at him in irritation. She didn't know how she expected him to respond. It could go either way. Maybe she had spoken too harshly. Maybe she had pushed him away too much. Maybe she had miscalculated how tough is skin was when talking about something so personal. Maybe this was just his way and she needed to get used to it. Maybe this was the end of it. Right now he could burst into a fit and say something regretful like "I never want to see your face again." That would hurt the most. She gulped once involuntarily as he stood up and approached her. He was too silent. Was he that angry? Could he not even put words to it? For some reason, she backed up once. What was she doing here anyways in another man's apartment at an arguably late hour? Why hadn't she opted to take him to see his mom and let this be a kind of family reunion?

They had gone out on a date.

She found that she was now looking up into his eyes. Still they were quite unreadable. She didn't know what to make of it, but somehow she knew what was supposed to happen next. All on her own, it seemed, she was moving in for a kiss. What logical sense did that make? Why did she assume that that was what he wanted when he hadn't said anything at all? Yet he was so close to her now. Before she could even have the chance to rethink her actions or to become embarrassed, she felt his lips on hers. For a moment there, she stopped breathing. Was this some kind of miracle? Had she been reading the signs wrong? Was he actually more perceptive than she first thought? Had he been able to read her thoughts?

It wasn't a quick kiss. It was long and powerful—she didn't want it to end, but her head was reeling. She hadn't been sure what a kiss was supposed to be like, but if this was it then she was sorry that she had waited so long. She was almost upset when he released her only to hear him say quietly in her ear:

"I want you to stay."

She felt her knees buckle beneath her. She couldn't believe it—why now? Why did she have to faint now? She was angry at herself for being so weak. Being swept off her feet wasn't something she was accustomed to. He caught her before she fell completely down and he carried her in his arms until he got to the couch and laid her down in it. It was a couple of hours later before she finally woke up again.

"Kazuya…?" When she turned her head and opened her eyes, she saw that he was right there. "Kazuya, I'm sorr— "

"Why do you always apologize for something that isn't your fault?" Kazuya asked before she could finish. "Jun," he began again softly perhaps even tenderly. It was a tone that sent chills down her back, but in a good way, "If you wanted a kiss, then why didn't you just ask? Women are so complicated."

/

AN: Just to break the monotony, I may just do a few random chapters here or there. Sometimes I get writer's block, but still want to write something—here's the finished product. Hope you like. Again, thanks again for all the reviews. It really is the best gift a reader could give to the writer. Happy holidays or Happy fill-in-the-blank.