Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all are enjoying the holidays and that this short piece can both entertain and warm the heart on these absurdly cold nights.

Snow drifted lazily from the evening sky, between the apartment complexes, and down to cover the ground in cold white layers. Boots trudged through the snow, leading footprints from the end of the block to a set of large doors. Between the long scarf wrapped around the head protruding from the outermost thick jacket and the layers of clothing, it was impossible to discern even the gender of the person entering the lobby.

Halfhearted attempts at shaking the snow off the boots were made before slowly making towards the elevator across the wet floor. A mitten came up to pull back the scarf, fumbling with the cold and the inherent clumsiness of mittens, before sliding the covering down to a slender neck. The elevator doors opened and Kaname stepped inside, aiming carefully with frigid hands to press the right floor.

Christmas was two days away and while the friends and phone calls to family this time of year normally made her feel excited and filled with holiday merriment, there was a certain feeling of hollowness knowing one of the people she most wanted to see still wasn't home. Or at least, she hadn't heard he was. If her phone had gone off on her person it was unlikely she would have known it.

"I'll have him back by Christmas. Promise." Tessa had assured her in an unusual call prior to him receiving orders. Almost as if they needed Kaname's permission to use him. She let out a small giggle, liking the idea before remembering he still wasn't home. 'So much for permission...' She thought as the doors opened to the freezing air again, boots squeaking as she left the elevator.

It wasn't a big deal, she knew there would be holidays like this one when she signed up for the position right after last Christmas. But... There was something different between agreeing "Yeah there'll be some holidays you won't be with me" and actually seeing them through. He knew it was her birthday too, didn't he? She wondered how hard he fought to avoid going, or if it was as simple as Orders are Orders for him.

Steeling herself to expose her hand she pulled off one mitten, finding the key in her pocket quickly and pushing it into the lock before it began shaking too hard. Pushing the door open she was surprised to see lights. Having left earlier that afternoon she couldn't remember having them on.

She stripped a layer uncertainly, looking around her entryway as she hung her scarf over the coat hook. Then she spotted the winter combat boots and closed bedroom door.

The door couldn't have been breached more swiftly by SWAT to reveal a dark room, personal air heater on the floor aiming up at the blankets, and an alarmed looking Sousuke sitting up in bed. A second later he was covered by a beaming Kaname, hugging him tightly.

"You made it home!" She cried happily, not hearing his gasp of shock. "I was so worried you wouldn't be here, why didn't you call me?!" Her tone shifted from pure happiness to minor annoyance as she broke away.

He rubbed his chest trying to restore warmth. "I tried but you didn't pick up... So I waited here."

She moved to embrace him again, forgiveness granted in an instant, before his arms came up to stop her. "Y-your jacket is really... Really cold."

She looked down realizing the only things she'd removed had been the scarf and her boots, the rest of her still dressed for outdoors. A bit of snow clung to her shoulders. She nodded and disappeared around the corner. A minute later the sound of the heater came on and she reappeared in the doorway, seeing he hadn't moved.

Kaname grinned, walking over to his side of the bed. He looked up at her curiously before her mouth captured his in a long kiss. When they broke she rested a hand on his chest. "I'm happy you're home. Now scoot over."

Sousuke's smile faltered as he regarded the untouched half of the bed. He knew it was his duty as the boyfriend to take the brunt of the assault but... He bit his lip as he slid over, the shock of cold on bare skin making him gasp. Kaname laughed, enjoying the sight of his calm demeanor being shattered by something so trivial. She pulled the blankets aside and climbed in next to him, pulling him back to be flush with her. Inhaling deeply through her nose she nestled closer to him, cherishing how lucky she was to be able to do this.

"Did the mission go okay?" She asked the back of his head, finding the bottom of his loose shirt under the covers. "Siberia, right?"

"Affirmative." He answered after a moment. "We saved a lot of lives t-today!" He exclaimed the last word as her icy hands snaked around his torso.

Kaname grinned wickedly as she laid her hands across his warm abdomen and pectorals, relishing his body heat. He was rigid but this was his contractual duty as the boyfriend – to make sure she was warm at all times. That was the rule. "Today?"

"Y-yes." He responded, starting to relax before Kaname flipped her hands over. It felt like ice plates were being pressed against him. "We completed the mission at sixteen-hundred and Tessa had a MAC flight waiting for me. I took a taxi from the airport."

"So you're not here just for the night, then off tomorrow morning or anything? You're spending Christmas here? With me?" She asked, lifting both their shirts slightly to press her stomach against his back.

"Af-firmative." He confirmed as he felt his socks being tugged from his feet by her toes.

"Sousuke, I can't tell you how happy you've made me... I've been so cold, all day..." She whispered teasingly in his ear.

"Y-you don't say." Sousuke stammered, finding one foot sandwiched between the top and bottom of hers.

"Really, like, super cold. All day." She smiled as her feet switched positions on his other foot. "You probably have no idea, being in Siberia and all..."

"I could probably guess..." Sousuke grimaced, looking very much like he preferred the bed how it was five minutes ago, without a cold girl wrapping herself around him.

"I'm just so lucky I have someone warm that I can share a bed with when the weather gets this bad."

"Must be nice..."

"Hey, Sousuke are you listening to me?" Kaname mocked.

"Mm-hm."

"Sousuke, give me attention..." She whined playfully.

He adjusted himself and rolled over, facing her. She took in his expression, stern, stoic, and endearing. Her grin widened in happiness. His eyes closed and she looked over his tired face, mentally tracing the scars, nicks, lines... It was the face she loved so much, the one that belonged only to her.

Sousuke yawned widely and her immediate reaction was to blow in his mouth. He shook his head like a cat and glared at her. He brought his hand up to his mouth to stop her attempts at interrupting him again and she put on her pout-face as he yawned once more.

A minute later she felt the effects of his yawn and she turned to the side, mouth opening wide before his fingers resting in her sides turned hostile, tickling her. She squirmed but still had to yawn, and she tried before his fingers stopped her again. She laughed trying to break away from the bed but he kept her there, tickling whenever she tried yawning or escaping.

"Sousuke!" She tried scolding seriously but her mirth betrayed her tone.

"Kaname." He stated calmly, rare smile across his features.

"O-okay! Okay!" She laughed, trying to stop his hands. "Truce!"

"State the conditions of your surrender."

"I won't use you as a personal heater... Tonight." She lied, holding his hands, fingers interlacing with his.

He weighed this outcome versus the previous truces he'd struck with her. "Deal."

No sooner had he let go than a look of mischief entered her eyes. He watched her warily as she scooted closer to him, delicate hand find his shirt and sliding under it again.

"The truce?" He reminded her, not minding so much now her hands were already warmed thanks to him, but still amazed she'd violate the agreement so quickly.

"Oh? Come on, not even a little heat?" She implored him, hands tip-toeing up his well-defined abdominal muscles. When he didn't answer she smirked, sliding one leg over his hips and sitting up, straddling him. She leaned forward to whisper lustfully into his ear as her hands slid up his chest, "How about now?"

She sat back, looking down on him seductively.

"I think you're breaking our recently formed truce." He declared after a hard swallow, letting her hands guide his to her hips.

"You'd better punish me then..." She conceded, meeting his mouth halfway before crashing to the bed beneath them.

As the bed creaked the frosted window showed an empty street, snow continuing to fall while the two let their passions keep one another warm.