Well, this is my first submission to the Black Cat fandom. And here I am again, showing my love for yet another under-appreciated pairing. Really, there isn't enough ChardenxKyoko stuff out there. (And way too much TrainxKyoko. Hiss.) So... yeah. Those of you that dislike the pairing will probably find more pleasure in clicking the back button than in reading on. :P To all the rest... enjoy.

Warning: Again, full series spoilers for the Black Cat anime.

Disclaimer: I don't own Black Cat, nor any of the respective characters that appear therein.

Black Cat

---:::---

Red Letter Day

Kyoko sat perfectly still, pen poised an inch over the red paper. Slowly, deliberately, she lowered it and began to write.

Dear Charden, she began. Then she stopped.

She didn't know what to write.

Why was she even writing this, anyway? It wasn't like she knew where to send it; she hadn't seen Charden in over half a year, his cell phone was always turned off, and she didn't exactly have a mail-to address. Well, it had seemed like a good idea at the time. So she put pen to paper again.

I hope this letter finds you well. There, that was people always said you should start letters with, right? She held the paper aloft and inspected it. Then she frowned. It was way too... too dry. It sounded like she was one of those boring people that had nothing better to do all day than write business letters. She stuck her tongue out at the letter and furiously scratched out the sentence, then began again.

How are you? I'm doing great, and I hope you are too.

There. That sounded a little more like her.

I know it's kinda dumb writing this letter to you, since I don't know where you are, but I thought I'd do it anyway, because I kind of miss you

Um. Or not. Kyoko scratched out the last part.

because school is really boring. You're lucky, not having to go to school anymore, traveling wherever you want. I wish I could be there with you

Ack! No, no, scratch that. Hmm. What else?

Oh yeah! Guess what! There was a festival in town the other week, down by the river. There were a whole bunch of stalls with cute stuff and jewelry and lots of snacks! I bought a cute cat keychain; I think I'll give it to Kuro when I see him again.

It was really fun. I wish you could've been there.

Kyoko paused in order to frown at the last sentence, but decided to let it be. Any more scratching out and she'd go through the paper - and it was really nice, expensive red paper, too.

There were fireworks, too, and they were super huge and colorful really really cool! And they reminded me of when we were all together fighting in Eden.

Kyoko paused for a second.

That was the last time I saw you, you know? Because we were all happy and celebrating and you just left, and that was really silly because you missed out on all the food and the party and now I'm really lonely because I love you.

The house was silent; outside, dusk slowly gathered. Kyoko put her feet on the chair and rested her hands on her knees for a moment before continuing.

There, I said it. I guess this is why I'm writing this letter even though you'll never read it, because I've got to tell someone and it might as well be you. So yeah. I love you I love you so much except I didn't realize it until you weren't around, and if you ever came back I'd bake you a suuuper huge chocolate cake to show you that I love you.

So there.

xoxoxoxo

Kyoko.

There. Done. She stood up and stretched, yawning, and put the pen in her pocket. Then, feeling strangely happy (or, rather, strangely happier than usual), she put the red letter into a matching red envelope and skipped downstairs and outside with it.

Humming a tune, she started to open the mailbox - and stopped suddenly. She snatched the pen from her pocket and, laying the envelope on the top of the mailbox, scrawled To Charden on the back in large, round letters. Then she planted a kiss on the envelope, and left it in the mailbox with the rest of the outgoing letters. Giggling, she made her way back indoors.

She wouldn't actually send it. She stop and collect it before going to school tomorrow. But she could pretend.

That night, Kyoko slept with a smile on her face.

---

The next morning, Kyoko raced downstairs to the mailbox in order to retrieve the letter before the mailman got to it, barely saying 'good morning' to her parents in her rush to get outside. Opening the mailbox, she looked inside -

and stopped. And stared, a look of surprise on her face.

The letter wasn't there.

Immediately her thoughts began to race. Could the mailman have arrived already? No, it was still too early, he wouldn't pass by here until later - and besides, all the other outgoing letters were still there, same as yesterday. Kyoko rested her chin in one hand, elbow in the other. Could it have fallen out somehow? Quickly, she checked the ground around the mailbox. Nope - no conspicuous red envelopes to be found.

"Hmm..." Kyoko scratched the back of her head. If the letter wasn't in the mailbox, and wasn't on the ground, and the mailman hadn't come yet... where the heck was it?

"Mom, Dad, have you seen a red envelope anywhere?" she called as she re-entered the house. Her father, preoccupied with poring over the business section of the newspaper, didn't respond.

"No, dear, we haven't," said her mother, not looking up from a letter of her own. "But it's nice to see you up so early," she added brightly. "Usually by the time you're awake we're already gone to work."

Kyoko huffed and stuck out her lower lip. She was thoroughly confused now. If her parents hadn't seen it or taken it either... then where could it have gotten to?

---

All throughout day, Kyoko was spacey - more than usual. The mysterious vanishing letter occupied her thoughts, and more than once she was reprimanded by a teacher for not paying the attention they felt their class was due.

When she arrived home, she was no more enlightened as to what might have happened to the letter. Pausing again by the mailbox, she hmm-ed thoughtfully. She still couldn't seen it anywhere... what if it had fallen out and someone had taken it as a joke? No, that was silly. Or was it? What if it had fallen out and someone she knew had taken it? That would be so embarrassing, and some of the girls in her class were kind of mean, so if they found it -

Just then, a familiar deep voice sounded just behind her.

"Dear Miss Kyoko," it said.

With a gasp, she whirled around. And sure enough, right in front of her, in familiar black attire, hair tied back and startling blue eyes unobscured by sunglasses, was none other than Charden Flamberg.

Kyoko, for once, was completely and utterly dumbstruck.

"Thank you for your letter - I was very glad to hear from you again," he continued, as though dictating a letter of his own, a slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I'm doing most well, and am happy to hear that you are, too."

The smile grew slightly more pronounced.

"The festival sounded fun; I regret not having been there."

"Charden, I-" she began, suddenly finding her voice. But he took a step forward until he was so close they were almost touching, and put one gloved finger to her lips.

"Allow me to apologize for missing out on the celebration after Eden, as well, Kyoko." His tone grew softer, and slightly hesitant.

"But since I was in the neighborhood and, I confess, slightly curious as to who you might care so much for as to give a kiss by correspondence..." he continued, and her eyes widened slightly in surprise. He had seen that?! Glancing down, she saw that the red letter was clutched loosely in his left hand.

Well, that explained where it had gotten to, at least. A finger curled under her chin and raised it until she was looking right at him again.

"As I was in the neighborhood anyway," he repeated, slowly, "I thought I'd drop by to give my answer instead of writing back."

Here he paused, and she thought she saw him set his jaw for a moment.

"Firstly, I'm sorry not to have visited during all this time; please forgive me. And... I love you, too."

For a moment, she was silent as her brain processed exactly what he had said. Then, with a squeal of delight, she jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck, planting a joyous kiss on his lips.

Charden made a small sound of surprise and stumbled back slightly, trying not to fall under the sudden extra weight. Then he steadied himself, and slowly placed one hand at the small of her back, the other going to her jawline, tipping it back slightly to deepen the kiss.

After a long moment, they separated slightly. Charden's face was slightly flushed, and she knew hers probably was, too.

"Well, one thing's certain," he said thoughtfully, his embrace tightening.

"Hm? What's that?" she asked curiously.

"I'm glad I didn't respond by mail."

I maintain that I'm incapable of writing fluff, and yet I always gravitate towards it. Oh well. Comments and concrit - as always - are greatly appreciated, as are long rants about how totally awesome both Kyoko and Charden are which means that KyokoxCharden is awesome squared, because srsly. :D