disclaimer: disclaimed.
dedication: to Olivia. Uh. Again.
notes: KSDJFKSJH OTP. But. Uh. Writing fear fucks me up, broskis. I can't write sane!Rin
notes2: a little holiday cheer, coming at yo' faces.

title: kill the messenger
summary: Oh, how the lights are shining. — Rin/Shiemi.

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Shiemi tumbled into his apartment at nine-thirty in the evening, pink-cheeked and pink-nosed with cold, and smiling widely. There were flowers in her arms—but no kind of flowers he'd ever seen before, and Rin stared at her, slightly bemused.

"Merry Christmas!" she huffed happily, and proffered the flowers.

Rin took them from her, absolutely perplexed. "What… are these?"

"Poinsettias," Shiemi mumbled, turning as red as the flowers in his hands. "They're, um, good luck. I think. My mother sent them."

Rin's tail twitched, barely controlling the urge to curl around her and drag her close, crimson flowers be damned.

But he didn't.

Instead he grinned goofily. "Wanna come in? We're just—uh, well, I am, Yukio's—you know how he is—"

"Working late?" Shiemi guessed.

"Uh. Yeah. So if you, y'know, don't want to or whatever, you don't have'ta, but eating alone sucks and I know it's Christmas—" and Rin tripped and stumbled over his tongue, trying to get the words out and not ruin everything more than he already had.

Shiemi was already unwinding her scarf from her neck. "It's okay," she smiled. "I'd—um, I'd really like that."

They smiled shyly at each other for another minute, and then Rin gestured vaguely in the direction of the kitchen, and Shiemi nodded. There was hesitance in their steps, the uncertain slowness of two people who might very well have been falling through the ceiling if they did not trod lightly.

Or maybe just two people who really wanted to hold hands.

The halls were hung with garland, and the bright glow of white lights illuminated their merry way. Shiemi gasped as she slipped into the kitchen, a half-step ahead of Rin and caught in the wonder of a million Christmas lights strung along the ceiling in place or ordinary fluorescents. She turned to Rin, a question in her gaze.

He shrugged, sheepish. "I like 'em better than normal lights. And it is Christmas."

"I do, too. And it is Christmas."

Rin frowned. "Shouldn't you be at home?"

Shiemi smiled at shook her head. "No, this is good. This is really good."

She touched his hand, and he didn't think on it anymore.

It was Christmas.

And Shiemi already was at home.

(Home is where the heart is.)

She just thought she'd keep it a secret for a little while longer.

fin.