Dlbn: Hello, everyone, and welcome to day three of Hanukah!

Nbld: And chapter three of our fic! This one is a little bit longer then the others! Let's get to the Review Corner! Thank you to Sycocat2 for reviewing! Here's some gelt for you! *hands it over*

Sycocat2: Seimei's doing what he does best. Manipulating anyone and everyone around him. Including his own, lonely, (former) Fighter. *Hands tissues*

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Loveless! All of it belongs to Yun Kouga. I make NO money off of writing in this category!

000

It wasn't that he wasn't happy to see a familiar face on the doorstep, but he wasn't exactly happy to see that familiar face on the doorstep. Nisei slammed the door in the beaming woman's face, turning around and leaning against the doorframe. He slid his hand to the doorknob and clicked the lock into place.

"Hey!" An angry, feminine voice protested as light knocking resumed on the front door. "That's not cool, Akame! Let me in!"

"Why the hell are you here?" Nisei groaned. "And how did you know where I lived?!"

"Seimei sent me directions to get here." She replied. "You're not going to leave a woman standing out in the hallway, banging on the door all night, are you?"

"A woman? No. You? Yes. Nisei sighed. What do you want, Thoughtless?"

"I got kicked out of my apartment because I can't afford last month's rent. Seimei told me that if I came to you, you'd give me a place to stay."

Nisei groaned. Of course his former Sacrifice-emphasis on the 'former'-would offer up his apartment without his consent to someone he barely tolerated. But, then again, he supposed the green haired girl in the hall was better then the long haired transgender Fighter that gave him the creeps. It wasn't the fact that she was transgender that creeped him out, but rather Yurio's fighting style and attitude towards everyone around him; including his own Sacrifice.

"Akame?" The woman wondered again. "Your neighbors are beginning to stare at my ass and I'm not going to tolerate it for much longer, which could cause you a lot of problems."

Nisei groaned and unlocked the door before opening it and grabbing the girl by the wrist. He pulled her inside and shut and locked the door behind her as she stumbled on high heels and crashed to the floor.

"Oof!" She cried out. "Damn it, Akame!" She rolled over to sit on her backside and rubbed both of her knees. "You know about my legs, so what the hell?"

"Of course they were staring at your ass." Nisei huffed, disregarding her question and shutting and locking the door again. "Who in their right mind wears booty shorts and a tank top in the middle of winter, eh?"

She rolled her eyes. "Unlike you, I have a sense of fashion." She crinkled her nose as she noted the black pajama bottoms he was wearing with furry black slippers, and his lack of a shirt. "You couldn't dress any worse if you tried."

"Gee, thanks, I appreciate the sincerity." Nisei rolled his eyes. "I just woke up, you know. I have no electricity, I only have cold running water, and, oh yeah, I'm all alone for the next few days because it's freaking Hanukah and everyone is celebrating with their families. So pardon me if I didn't think to get dressed and expect random people to come knocking on my door."

"Hanukah?" She wondered, cocking her head to the side. "What's that?"

"Ugh!" He threw his hands in the air in mock surrender before going around her towards his kitchen. "I'm Jewish, dumbass. It's the Festival of Lights. Jewish holiday that lasts eight days."

"Eight days, huh?" She wondered. "That's a long holiday." Using the arm of a chair she had collapsed to, the woman slowly lifted herself up to her feet. She wobbled a little in the inappropriate shoes she was wearing. She followed him into the kitchen.

"Yeah, it's symbolic."

"Of what?"

"Why should I tell you?" He snorted. "You've never been interested in me before, Chouma, so why start now?"

She huffed, mauve eyes sparkling in annoyance as mint green bangs blew up from her face. "So I can't be interested in my host's life?" She asked.

"I'm not your host. I'm going to make you a hot cup of coffee or whatever it is you drink, give you a jacket, and send you on your way."

"Seimei said to let me stay here."

"Seimei isn't my Sacrifice anymore, remember?" Nisei snorted, smirking. "I don't have to do what he says anymore."

"But you will, I know you." Chouma spotted the Menorah and walked to the counter. She grabbed it by the base and looked it over. "What is this?"

"A Menorah." Nisei folded his arms. "Put it down before you drop it."

She did as told, surprisingly. "What's it for?"

"It's for Hanukah, it's just something we do, alright?"

"Which is what?"

He groaned. "You light one for each night of Hanukah."

"But there's nine candle slots."

"Your point?"

"And only eight days for the holiday?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose between his left index finger and thumb. Why was she being so insistent on learning about his culture?

"Well?"

"You light the big one in the middle and use it to light the other candles."

"That's weird."

"No weirder then giving gifts to dead people."

"If you're trying to make a jab at Buddhism, I'll have you know that I am an atheist."

"Good for you." Nisei rolled his eyes.

"You're in a bitchy mood. What's gotten into you? I mean, you're always a jerk, but this is a new level of jerk for you."

"I'm a Fighter whose Sacrifice, who's whole reason for living, voluntarily ended their connection and then forcefully removed his name, and then was stripped of power but yet allowed to live because Gomon hates Seimei more then me for whatever reason. My family is out celebrating together and because of Seimei's antics last year, I'm too ashamed to go home to be with them for a very sacred holiday. My fiancé is celebrating with his mother, who doesn't like me, and I cannot go. Nor do I have any friends to spend the holiday with. Why wouldn't I be miserable?"

She blinked. "I didn't think you had a heart capable of missing people, Akame, let alone loving one."

Nisei shrugged. "I'm just full of surprises, aren't I?"

"You are." She nodded. Her eyes drifted to the Dreidel sitting on the table. "What's that?"

"Dreidel. It's a game." He didn't blink.

She nodded. "How do you play?"

He quickly went over the rules but caught the disinterest in her eyes as they wandered over the room. "Am I boring you?"

"Never be a teacher."

"I was thinking about it, actually. You know, for a legitimate job while I'm busy hacking computers and obtaining information."

She rolled her eyes. "How clever…" Her eyes landed on the card from Seimei. She swiped it up and opened it to read inside. "So he told you he's coming back, huh?"

"Yeah." Nisei shrugged. "I can't be of much use to him, though. Not without my powers."

She shrugged back. "He needs your hacking skills." She looked the card over again. "May all of your wishes and dreams come true this Hanukah. Remember the good and forget the bad. Happy Hanukah." She read it.

"You…you read the English part?" That didn't sound like something Seimei would write.

She smiled and tilted her chin up slightly. "As a member of Septimal Moon, I am fluent in English, Akame."

"Are you, now…" He paused. "What does the front say, then?"

She looked to the front of the card. Her eyes scanned it before she burst into laughter. "S-Seimei sent you this?" She giggled. "This…this has to be a prank…no way would he choose this!"

"He doesn't speak English so…oh…wait…Septimal Moon." Nisei could have hit himself for that one. How could he forget that Septimal Moon sent their messages back and forth in English only, so unwanted readers couldn't understand?

"It says 'to a dear friend'."

Nisei blinked. "Dear friend?"

Friend? Seimei considered him a friend? Dear? As in very close? A term of endearment? Maybe the Beloved Sacrifice had learned that he had made a mistake and was trying to butter him up so he could come back. That seemed logical.

"So…I'm guessing Seimei sent that in English and then sent you here when you talked to him about being homeless. That way you would translate it for me and he could suck up to me through you, so that I'll take him back when he returns."

"That sounds like Seimei, but I honestly don't know. I was merely talking to him as collegues and told him that our discussions would be scarce because I had to rely on the Tokyo City Library." She huffed, leaning her elbows on the counter and putting her chin in her hands. "He told me to come find you and that you'd help me." She cocked an eyebrow. "Am I wasting my time?"

Nisei sighed. "Since you translated that for me, I suppose I can let you use my guest room…"

"Really? You mean it?" She perked up like a puppy about to receive a treat for doing a trick for her master.

"Yeah, I guess." He rolled his eyes. "I can't leave you out in the cold, especially dressed like that. It's a holiday, so I'll be nice. I'm just lonely, so don't take it as a weakness and use it against me, or I swear I will make your life a living hell. Alright, Thoughtless?"

She grinned. "You got it, Beloved." She replied. "Movers will be here in an hour with my stuff. Hope you don't mind." She bounded over to him and handed him a $100 bill. "Pay them with this or something, would you?"

"I thought you couldn't cover your rent…where did this come from?"

"I pay 400 in rent a month. That's only 100, duh." She stuck her tongue out at him. "I'll be using your shower, kay?" She pulled something from the tiny pocket of her shorts and put it in his hand. "For you." She turned and strutted out of the kitchen towards the back of the apartment to find the bathroom.

Nisei blinked in surprise before looking down to see what she had given him. It was a tiny box, which most likely fit a bracelet or necklace. He opened it up to see a tiny folded up piece of paper and a golden bracelet that read 'Beloved'. He huffed at the insult and took out the note.

Before this homeless bullshit began, Seimei had sent this to me and said to give it to you whenever I saw you again. I was going to just pawn it for some rent money, but I figured I shouldn't or he'd kill me if he came back and you didn't have it. You know how he is with killing people~

Anyway, happy Hanukah, Akame. Thanks for letting me stay at your place.

Nisei groaned. So they'd both known all along that he would let her stay with him, and she's known right along that it was Hanukah. Seimei probably told her and she was faking being uninformed. How did he fall for that one?