"You're crazy, Erichi..." Nozomi hummed. She still leaned against Eri, her head rested on the blondes shoulder and her hands grabbing the hem of her jacket.

After what felt like hours they had finally entered Nozomi's apartment, but the purple headed girl had grabbed Eri almost immediately again. Now Eri leaned against the door while drawing little circles on Nozomi's back. Her best friend wasn't crying anymore, but it was still way to comfortable. So she enjoyed this moment with her eyes closed.

"I may be. But you're just as crazy as I am."

"What do you mean?"

"You were lying, weren't you? About your parents, I mean." Eri tilted her head slightly so she could look at Nozomi properly. "You wanted to spent the holidays with me but thought you would be a bother to me and my family, so you declined my offer, didn't you?"

Nozomi giggled. "You always say that you can't read me, but Erichi can read my like an open book it seems." The playful tone in her voice vanished when she continued. "I didn't lie. Well... Not completely, at least. My parents wanted to come. They promised when they called two weeks ago. But the morning I asked you over they called again, apologizing that they couldn't make it because of the company. I didn't listen..."

"...Nozomi." Seeing how tears started to fill the corners of her eyes again, Eri used her right hand to caress Nozomi's cheek in a comforting manner.

"I didn't want you to neglect your family just because I came along. Besides... I would have felt out of place. I wouldn't have understood a single word I bet."

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Eri hugged her tighter. "You wouldn't have been a bother. You know my parents love you. They would have teamed up with you, teasing me the whole time."

They stood like that a while longer. But Eri started to feel the fatigue in her whole body. She didn't sleep at all and the quick naps in the plain couldn't be considered relaxing. Eventually Nozomi noticed before Eri could say anything. She started to untie the scarf the blonde wore.

"Nozomi?"

"You're tired, aren't you? I don't want you to collapse in the middle of my hallway." She said gently.

I didn't take long and Eri lay in Nozomi's bed, asleep. Brushing strands of blond hair out of her friends face, Nozimi smiled to herself.

She still couldn't believe what Eri did for her. Just thinking about it brought back the tears. She fought them away and took the small box Eri had given her as a Christmas present. She sad down beside her, taking one last look at the quarter Russian before opening it.

She was greeted with a silver necklace. Nozomi looked at it wide eyed. It wasn't the first time Eri had given her self-made jewellery. There was the ring she got on her birthday in their first year together, for example. But nothing was able to compare with what she just received.

The necklace had the general form of a star. But inside it, there was a whole in the shape of a crescent. Nozomi's finger touched it gently as if afraid she would break it otherwise.

Nozomi had told Eri just once a long time ago. Two years to be more specific. While she had been playing with her tarot cards, Eri had asked her about their general meanings. So Nozomi had explained them, leaving two cards out until the end: the star and the moon. After explaining them as well, Nozomi had turned to Eri.

"You know... I always associated you with the star, Erichi. You always work hard towards a goal and you're always accomplishing it. And you helped me feeling less lonely, helping me to overcome the shadows of my past a bit. While I... I am the moon. I always wanted to be a normal school girl. I wanted to have friends to go out with and all those things. But I didn't want to be selfish, so I hadn't told my parents how I feel."

At that time, Eri had been speechless. And to be honest, Nozomi had thought that Eri had forgot about it. But staring at the necklace she knew Eri hadn't.

"Moon and Star... together." She mumbled. Nozomi bent down to give Eri a quick kiss on the cheek before closing the box. She rested it on her table before she snuggled under the covers of her bed, too.

She looked at Eri who's face was peaceful. She could hear the rhythmic breaths the blonde was taking and it took Nozomi all of her willpower not to cuddle with her. She wanted to, but it was a line she wouldn't dare to cross. They were friends, after all. Even though she wanted to be more, she doubt that they could ever be more. She wasn't even sure if Eri felt the same. She never showed any signs and they never talked about such things.

"I love you, Erichi..."

With that, Nozomi fell asleep as well.

"...chi."

Eri felt something poking her left cheek and a faint sound that faded the instant she heard it. Her senses became more and more focused with every passing second.

"Mou, Erichi! Wake up."

Finally being able to make out who was calling her, a faint smile appeared on Eri's face. "Just a couple more minutes, Nozomi."

"It's already 3 pm, Erichi. Come on, don't sleep all day. It makes me sad knowing you're somehow with me but at the same time you're not."

Eri could hear Nozomi pouting just by the way her voice had changed slightly. It always surprised her how sensitive she had become about these changes and signs. It had always been Nozomi who was able to read her at every given hour. But as time passed, along with her feelings becoming more prominent, Eri found herself seeing everything. The slightly different glow in Nozomi's eyes, the way she smiled, the way her voice could betray her. It was strange but at the same time exciting.

"I'll always be with you, Nozomi." Before she could think about what she just had said the words were out of her mouth. Eri's eyes shot open and she looked at the girl sitting beside her. Nozomi smiled and hold her neck.

"I know. I think you've made that very clear with the necklace you've made." Nozomi let her hand slide down to reveal the star-shaped pendant with the moon in it. "Thank you."

Eri might had to reconsider what she just thought about being able to read Nozomi. Because she couldn't pinpoint the look in the purple haired girl's eyes right now. They seemed to be filled with happiness, but there was this faint shimmer of longing and... pain? But it vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Now, if you don't get out of the bed yourself. I'll have to tickle you out of it." With a devious smirk Nozomi roamed over Eri, her hands positioned as if she was about to do her usual punishment. When Eri thought about it, she couldn't remember a time where Nozomi had user her wahsi washi on her. Not even once.

"Nozomi?"

The called girl stopped dead in her tracks.

"I just thought about it... why didn't you punish me like the others even once?" Realising how wrong it sounded, Eri felt her cheeks heating up.

Nozomi just giggled and retreated. "Because just thinking about it makes you this flustered. If I would use my washi washi on you, you would drop down dead because of it." She teased. "But I want to have Erichi around me for as long as possible." With that, the purple headed girl tackled Eri on the bed and they started a little tickle war which Nozomi won rather easily.

When Nozomi sat up again, she dragged Eri up with her by her hands. After finally getting out of bed, Eri put on a change of clothes she had with her and went to the living area.

The first thing she noticed now that she was fully awake and in a lit room was the lack of decoration. There was no little tree out of plastic decorated with tiny little ornaments. There were no candles. There was nothing. Eri knew that Nozomi owned such things. She had seen them last year. But Nozomi hadn't even bothered to put them out. Her parents hadn't been coming and Er had been across the world. So why should she decorate her home? Just to be remembered that she was alone on Christmas?

Eri felt her heart sinking. She knew it wasn't her fault, but it still hurt realizing it. Nozomi stood behind the counter, making some tea for the both of them. Eri walked up behind her and hugged her. She could feel Nozomi freezing up at the sudden contact but relaxing once she realized what happened.

"Erichi? What are you doing?"

"Just making sure you're happy." Eri released Nozomi but wished she could stay like this with her friend. But she couldn't. They were friends after all.

"I am really happy now. Don't worry."

Smiling to herself, Eri took the cup of tea Nozomi gave to her and walked over to the little table. Nozomi sat down facing her and the both of them enjoyed the moment. It felt just like a couple of days ago when Eri had told her about her visiting her family during holidays. Except this time, no one was going to ruin the mood.

"Erichi?"

Or so Eri would like to think. She cursed inwardly, hoping that fate wouldn't be as cruel to her as she was afraid it would. "Yeah?"

"Can you stay a little longer? Like... tomorrow, too?"

Smiling and the spiritual girl Eri nodded. "And the day after, too. If you want me to, of course. We have to catch up Christmas after all. But..." She could see Nozomi stopping dead in her tracks, her cup placed awkwardly right under her chin. She looked adorable. "But we have to go to my place today. If I am staying I need some more change of clothes."

Now smiling brightly, Nozomi nodded before she seemed to remember something. "Erichi?"

This time, Eri was sure it wouldn't be something bad and smiled, signalling Nozomi to continue.

"Can I ask you a favour?"

"Anything you want."

"Our shrine is going to really busy during New Years Eve. There are going to be a lot of visitors and we will have to do our daily routine as well as dealing with all those people. We could need some help. Would you volunteer? Please."

Nozomi looked at Eri with a cute little pout and puppy eyes. It was impossible for Eri to say no. Instead she had to gulp down the lump in her throat upon seeing the face Nozomi was making. It was just too cute and too much for her heart to handle.

"Sure. I'll gladly help out."

"Awesome. Now I'm going to see Erichi in the dress of a shrine maiden. Erichi will look beautiful in it." Nozomi giggled. But she really was looking forward on seeing Eri wearing that outfit. She always thought that the quarter Russian would look perfect in it with her blue eyes, her blonde hair and the flustered look on her face Nozomi would make sure to be as prominent on her features as it was right now.

Eri drank her tea in one rush after that, hoping to stop her cheeks from heating up. When she looked back to Nozomi and saw the teasing grin on her face she knew her effort would be in vain. "N-Now drink up. I want to be back before it is dark outside."

"Sure." Taking one last sip, Nozomu stood up to change into something warmer. She couldn't wait to be back, but at the same time wished that the next days wouldn't end. Never.

AN:

I thought they could use a break. '^^

I also had to build up the next chapters. You know, the more fluff there were, the more it is going to hurt later on (what the hell is wrong with me?).

I hope you enjoyed the third chapter.

And I still can't believe the good resonance I've got. Even a few of my favorite writers. *dances around happily* You have no idea how much that means to be. Thank you. Thank you a lot.

Until next time.