A/N: New fanfic, hooray! I'm sorry I haven't written anything, the combination of writer's block and anxiety is truly a terrible thing. Anyways, thank you for reading this!
It was a cold, December day in Death City. The merry festivities of holiday spirit was spread throughout the homes and buildings alike. The feeling of joy was certainly resonating in the air. With the town decked out in holiday flare; a selection of reds, greens, and the other colors of the month surely made it a memorable one at that. Many citizens donned their winter attire for the season, preventing the chill of the cold from reaching them.
Now for the kids, those who attended school, were happily given their holiday break to enjoy time with family, friends, and loved ones alike. Yes, most people would be in at home, safe in the joyous warmth of being with others for such a special holiday. However, a certain trio was in the midst of the town...
The meister and pair of weapons sat in a cozy cafe that resided on a street corner. They had just gotten done shopping for decorations to place around the ever gallant Gallows Manor. It was evening from what they could tell, though the sun was blocked by light grey clouds that covered the sun and rained down small flurries of snow, all of them knowing that the day's end would arrive soon. Several shopping bags were scattered amongst the floor around them from their shopping escapade. The three sat at a small table, warm cups of coffee tucked in their hands. They basked in the heat of the building and their drinks, exhausted from having to step out into the cold each time they had to go to another store, only to walk back out again to the next. Many others copied their pattern, scrambling around in the crisp white snow at the risk of potentially freezing all for a few decorations.
"Okay, we're definitely going home after this, right?" Asked Patty, who was adding one to many sugar packets in her coffee.
Death The Kid shrugged. "I think that's for the best." He paused to stare out the window for a brief moment. "It's going to get colder unfortunately, and I'd prefer if we not spend the rest of the day outside."
"Finally." Liz said in exasperation. "I can't wait to get home and relax. Most importantly, I do not want to freeze out there."
He shifted in his seat to look at her better. "Well you wouldn't freeze if you had brought a coat or something to keep you warm like your sister did."
The girl her glared at him, slightly offended by his statement. However, what he said was true. Liz hadn't brought a coat or jacket to protect herself from the frigid temperatures. She hadn't even considered bringing a sweater just in case.
"Hey, how was I supposed to know it would start snowing today? We're in Nevada! And what about you? You're wearing the same outfit you always wear. No coat, no scarf, absolutely nothing! It's ridiculous honestly."
"I'm not effected by extreme temperatures." He replied flatly. "The weather right now, is nothing to me."
Patty took a long sip from her coffee, practically chugging it before she spoke. "You wanna head home, sis and Kid?"
The two looked at each other and nodded on silent agreement. All three of them hopped out of their seats, picked up their bags, and made their way to the door and back out into the cold.
All three of them walked in the streets. Kid walked in-between the two sisters, with Patty the left, and Liz on the right. It was another one of a means of balance, so to speak. Patty had a light skip in her step, and traveled along with a smile on her face. However, when he looked to his right, he saw that Liz wasn't in the same condition. She kept her head low to the ground, strands of hair hanging over her face. Her bare arms were folded in an attempt to keep what little warmth she had in her body. Worst of all, she was constantly shivering from the snowy air. He hated seeing her in such an unbearable state. He stopped in his tracks.
"Hold on." He said, lowering the shopping bags on the snowy ground.
The girls stopped mid-step to observe him. Kid began to remove his jacket. He didn't mind, seeing as how he always wore a white collar shirt underneath, so for now, he would make do with what he had. He turned to Liz, holding out the article of clothing towards her.
"Here." He said sympathetically. "Take it."
She narrowed her eyes at the attire, a look of suspicion cast across her face. Kid didn't react.
"Home is another twenty minutes from here and your clearly freezing. Please, take it." His voice sounded a lot more concerned than he had intended it to be.
Liz slowly reached out to grasp the black fabric, gently moving it towards herself. She looked down at the jacket, then back at him.
"Kid, this is your jacket. Like, your jacket. You wear it all the time I can't just take it." She responded.
He tried to calm her. "Don't worry, I have more than one back at home."
"If you say so..." She said wearily before putting it on.
The jacket fit her surprisingly well. It hugged her body, but was loose enough to the point where she could move around comfortably. She smiled at her meister, eyes brightening.
"Thanks..." She said softly. "I really appreciate it."
For what seemed like ages, the two stared at each other, smiling. A sound from behind Kid is what broke their contact. Looking over his shoulder, he could see Patty. She was letting out a small chuckle, with a smile on her face. Kid looked at her strangely. What was so funny to her? With that, he picked up the bags he'd dropped earlier and they resumed their tread back home...
Returned to the manor, the feeling of welcome spread throughout them. Night had fallen minutes before they made it back home. But it was early in the night. What with daylight savings time and all, the three couldn't find it in them to sleep.
"Eyo, I'm going to put on some Christmas movies!" Shouted Patty, running into the living room and frantically searching for the remote. "You two make popcorn and hot cocoa!"
Kid silently set down the shopping bags to one side, relieved that he was finally in his own home.
"Alright, well I'm gonna go change into my pajamas." Liz announced as she headed up the stairs. Kid didn't have time to respond as she a ascended the staircase.
With a sigh, he rummaged through the bags, searching for the hot cocoa mix. They already had popcorn in the kitchen, so it was a little more easier to get things going. After searching, he finally found a small rectangular box with several packages inside. He took a small moment to examine the box, checking for any dents or rips. Nothing of the sort could be found, so Kid made his way into the kitchen.
He placed the box of cocoa mix on the countertop. He made his way over to the cabinets that were fixed in place just above the counter, and delicately opened both sides of the small doors. He reached out and grabbed a single metal pot. He routinely followed the rest of the steps. Placing water in the pot, putting it over the burner of the stove, and finally turning the knob so that the burner would emit a low, flickering flame. Kid was about to open another cabinet that had contained several mugs when he heard a voice behind him.
"Hey." Liz said, her voice sounding calm. "Do you need any help?"
Kid turned to see her standing on the other side if the counter, wearing a set of pajamas. The girl was prodding the box of cocoa mix with her finger.
"Yeah, sure." He replied. "Go over to the pantry, there should be some popcorn packaging inside."
Liz made a small noise in agreement, heading towards the pantry. While she did that, he opened the cabinet he had planned to in the first place, and one at a time placed three mugs. He turned on his heal and quickly pulled out three identical packets. Behind him, he heard a loud beep and looked to see Liz standing in front of the microwave, a bag of popcorn kernels sitting inside.
"I'll grab a bowl." She said, quickly making her way to the cabinets.
Kid was about to turn of the pot of now hot water, leaning behind the part of the counter where the cabinets stood as well. Unfortunately, he hadn't been paying attention. He collided with the weapon, bumping up against her. He blinked in surprise for a moment, but looked up to see a just as surprised Liz, her face tinted a rose colored blush. Kid was pinned between the countertop and Liz. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't even think of what to say. All he did was stare deep into her eyes. A thought flashed across his mind, but pushed it away immediately, snapping him out of his trance.
"Sorry." He squeaked out, unintentionally making his voice sound so small.
For a few long, aggravating seconds, Liz did nothing. Slowly, she leaned down until she was gazing directly into his eyes. A playful smirk flashed across her face, eyes glimmering mischievously.
"Don't worry about it." She said in an almost whisper, slowly pronouncing each word.
Kid felt his heart race. He couldn't see it, but she had used one arm to open up the cabinet door and grab the bowl. She pulled away from him, smile still remaining. Satisfied, she made her way back to the microwave, the popcorn reaching its completion.
All Kid could do was stare wide eyed at the girl. Had she just teased him? Made a flirtatious move on the reaper? Several questions started swimming in his thoughts when a particular idea had pushed it's way back to the front of his mind. He had wanted to kiss her. Right then and there. He wanted to pull her close and embrace her in all her beauty. Kid believed that it was rude to be thinking such things.
But what she had done prior. The look in her eyes, her voice...was that just her playing around or was it possibly an invitation to something else? He really shouldn't be looking so much into it. Perhaps it was just some light teasing and that was that. A loud, repetitive beep echoed throughout the kitchen. Liz removed the freshly made bag of popcorn from the microwave, opened it up, and began to pour it into the bowl.
"You gonna finish the hot cocoa?" She asked.
He focused his attention back to the drinks he had been preparing. He turned off the stove, allowing the water to cool for a few seconds. Sure it was hot, but he didn't want it to be burning. Like a lightning bolt, Patty rushed in to the kitchen.
"I found the perfect channel!" She shouted in absolute delight. "They are marathoning like, a bazillion holiday movies! I have the blanket all set up on the couch, you two ready?"
"Well the popcorn is finished." Liz responded as she held up the bowl. "Not sure about the hot cocoa..."
"I'm almost do-" He didn't have any time to finish as Patty pushed him out of the way, and grasped one of the mugs along with a packet of cocoa mix.
"Was that really necessary?" He groaned.
"Kinda!" She replied, still just as chipper as she ripped open the packaging and poured the contents into the mug.
Liz let out a small laugh. "You know you shouldn't get between her and anything that's sweet."
His mood lightened. "I suppose not." He smiled, looking back at one girl to the next.
Patty had already poured the hot water into her mug and watched in happiness as a small cloud of steam rose from her drink. She skidded over to the pantry and threw open the door. She firmly grasped a bag of marshmallows and plopped several in them into her cocoa. Liz and Patty couldn't stop laughing, while Kid let out a small chuckle.
"You go get comfy." She told Patty. "Take the popcorn, and we'll meet you out there in a few."
"Okay!" She merrily skipped her way back into the living room, a mug of hot chocolate in one hand, and a bowl of popcorn in the other.
Liz maneuvered her way to the counter so she could prepare her own drink. Kid watched her repeat the same process Patty had done. With a now freshly brewed cup of cocoa, she made her way out of the kitchen, but not before smiling at him.
The trio now sat in the living room, comfortably positioned on the couch. None of the lights were on, with the television screen being the only means of illumination. They all had cups of hot chocolate in their hands, taking small little sips every so often. Kid was sitting in the middle, with Patty on his left and Liz on his right. They shared the blanket between them.
They sat there in silence, watching each movie and providing them with more joy for the holiday. They made small talk during commercials, but that was their extent. The three were all warm, cozy, and happy...
Hour after hour of mediocre holiday special went by, eyes trained to the screen. It was around the fifth movie in a row when Kid felt something. It was Liz. She had gingerly lowered her head and placed it on his shoulder. Once more, he felt his heart thumping loudly in his chest. Her eyes were still on the screen, as was her sister.
The first thing that crossed his mind of course, was symmetry. He didn't feel balanced with one of them leaning against his shoulder. That wasn't until he turned to look at her. She was so relaxed, and comfortable as well. The happiness on her face made her look positively beautiful. As much as Kid wanted there to be symmetry, he'd decided not to intervene. Perhaps he'll mention to her next time how this effects the balance between them. He was unsure of what he was about to do next. Slowly, he felt for her hand and gently grasped it, intertwining. At this, he felt Liz shift a little and let out an amused hum.
The longer He gazed at her, the more he realized something. He smiled a little. It was funny how different they were. Her golden hair, now luminescent from the television screen, always seemed to shine brightly like the sun in contrast to the inky blackness of his own. Their eyes. They were different as well. Her eyes were a deep blue, which reminded him of sparkling sapphires or a lovely ocean, while his were a bright, gradient gold. Even their skin tone strayed away from comparison. He must admit, his skin was paler than normal, but that was because he was a death god. A physical embodiment of death. Of course it would be that way. He almost laughed at an idea that emerged into his head. Different, almost opposite. The blatant contrast between him and her. Life and Death...