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"The Warmth of Christmas"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. ReverseTheEclipse

Christmas 2014

   This was the snowiest December this city had seen in years. They were used to snow, they were prepared to live with it, but this was the most they had seen. It wasn't piling up in feet, as it melted between the snow flurries, but even if it didn't, most people didn't complain. After all, this most likely meant they would see a white Christmas this year.
   One girl in particular in this town, loved the snow, for everything it meant to her.
   Staring outside of a large, landscape window, a young echidna girl named Val was admiring the latest snowfall. Christmas was only a few days away, and with how heavy the flakes her, she was almost completely certain it would still blanket the ground on that day to come. This meant more to her than hearing it on the local weather report. She was seeing it with her own eyes.
   She was never a big fan of being cold. It was an all too frequent and bitter reality for her growing up, but lately, it bothered her just a little less.
   Hearing a train whistle in the distance, she giggled. Trains. They were another thing, along with the cold and snow, that made her happy today.
   This girl was standing in the middle of an apartment, near the top of the building it was situated in. This wasn't her home. She didn't even live on this side of town. She couldn't see it, but her home lay in the opposite direction, on the other side of this place. She thought about it briefly. She wondered if the girls and Madame Mona were busy scraping up their spare change for their annual Christmas gift exchange.
   In the reflection of the window, she could make out the image of a giant Christmas tree behind her. She had never seen one so big, not for a home. It was so palatial and fancy compared to where she lived.

   Val lived in a home with many girls her age, some older, and others younger. The woman in charge was a lady named Mona, and she was a madame. However, she did not ask any of the girls living there to take part in the red-light district trade. In fact, the few who did, volunteered, and only did so to earn money to support the other girls living there. Mona instead took in girls that were lost on the street, hungry for food, either having run away from abusive homes, or abandoned by their families.
   The younger girls were all schooled and taught by Mona herself. She'd help the other girls that weren't hooking try and find some kind of work. When they weren't in school or working, they'd clean up around the large home they lived in. They always had food to eat, even if it wasn't fancy, and even if it wasn't much. They didn't starve, and they weren't living on the street, in danger of predators, and dying of exposure.
   Val was one of those girls. Her parents were drug addicts. Once, her mother even tried to trade Val for drugs. Running away one night after this, Val lived alone. She was a five-year-old on the streets, pawing through trash, begging for food, shivering in the cold at night. That cold. Still, it wasn't as bad as the scary glances from large men, or even nasty looking women. Everyone frightened her.
   Mona came across her and extended comfort, and later trust was formed. The girls living there became Val's friends. They were the only family she had, and she didn't have to be afraid or freeze in the cold anymore.
   The past nine years had been pretty happy for her. She didn't know what her future had in store, but nothing could be worse than what she had been through.
   Fate seemed to have dealt her a kind hand to make up for the cruelty of random chance and unwanted consequences of the actions of others that were forced upon her.
   And it all started on that day in the snow, getting jostled onto the wrong train.
   It started, when she was in a scarily familiar position of wandering around a city alone in the cold.

   That's when she met...Rin.

   Val giggled to herself, stepping back from the window. For the past several weeks she had been living here. She called Mona on the first night to explain, so she and the girls would know that Val was safe. She only planned to stay until the trains were up and running again.
   She was still there. The trains had been running for weeks now without fail. Something kept her from leaving. That something, was Rin Nitori.
   He was about three years older than her, living on his own. He was a maroon colored rabbit, walking through the snow carrying an umbrella. She bumped into him, falling to the ground. She heard his voice, and their eyes met.
   That was a moment she would never forget.
   Asking if she was alright, he invited her back to his place, out of the cold and snow, saying she could stay until the trains were back up and running, and call home to explain where she was. This was after she had explained how she had gotten there, and where she came from.
   When he asked her name, she replied with Val, just Val.
   That made him chuckle. Frankly, she honestly did not know her last name.
   If it upset him inside, he didn't show it. Instead, he smiled. It seemed he was completely enchanted with her.
   Each day consisted of them spending all the time they could together. Sometimes he'd go out and leave her in the apartment alone. She felt completely safe. She'd go through his belongings curiously, looking at pictures. She noticed one of an older man that looked like him. She learned later this was his father Shin, someone he hadn't seen in many years.
   The more she looked around, the more she asked questions about him. It was easier learning about him than explaining her emotional baggage. She learned he descended from a family of assassins, and though he could fight, he was far more gentle and removed from the life style. He was active in military endeavors more than anything else, despite being so young. He was gentle, loved to laugh, and was great at making her laugh too.
   He also loved children.
   At first she stuck to looking at pictures, examining little pieces of furniture he kept either for decor or for the memories. Over the days she moved to checking the type of cologne he wore, sniffing the scarf he had worn the day before when they went walking to the market. One day when she had some bad cramps, she even curled up in his bed, snuggling up to his pillow and using his blanket to wrap herself in the warmth and smell.
   She hated being cold.
   He came home and found her there. She didn't know it, but he just smiled, and kissed her head gently, letting her sleep until the smell of dinner and the absence of the cramps helped her wake up for the meal.
   Rin was a wonderful cook. He taught her a lot of things too. She'd sit quietly and watch, giggling and commenting on his style, asking questions so she'd better understand what he was doing. Thanksgiving was a big lesson opportunity for her. She squealed, getting giggly when it came time to wash and prepare the turkey. Funny jokes, running out of hand soap, and whether the word giblets was pronounced with a hard or soft g were the highlight of the day.
   Everything became fun. Val even made a chocolate meringue pie by herself. She promised as the table was being set for dinner that she would try to cook more come Christmas Day.
   Christmas Day. The words slipped out of her mouth so readily.
   She knew she was going to stay. She called Mona later that night to wish her Happy Thanksgiving, and say she was sorry, but she planned to stay at least until the new year.
   At least. Inside, Val hoped that the trains would go under maintenance again...for a very long time.

   Walking around the apartment Val looked around. The Christmas Tree was big and beautiful and the centerpiece of the room, but it wasn't all there was. Beautiful garland and lights with the colors of the rainbow adorned the arches of doors, wrapped around poles in the foyer, and stretched across the mantle piece and tables in the room. The mantle also had candles on either end, and a beautiful Nativity scene sitting in the middle. It was old, almost antique, and Rin said it was one of his favorite pieces to put up in display for the holiday.
   Hanging on the mantle were two stockings. One had Rin's name. The glitter and glue spelling it out were messy somewhat, as though made by the hands of a child. Beside his was one with the name Val on it. The writing was much neater, obviously made with the steady and loving hand of an adult. She teased him about putting "just Val" underneath it. He grinned back. "If only I could, but I'm quite sure I would run out of room."
   This was the first stocking she had ever had.
   Under the tree were tons of presents. Val had to blush; it seemed like every time Rin went out he came back with some new present for her. Sometimes large, other times small. She told him not to fret over her so much, and then followed it up by asking what he wanted for Christmas.
   "What I want?" he asked. Tilting his head slightly he grinned. "You already gave me what I wanted. All I wanted, was someone to share it with."
   To this, Val blushed gently, as he often drew out of her as of recent days. "You wanted someone to spend Christmas with?"
   "Yeah, but really, I meant, my life." He looked at her, recognizing just how heavy the words were. He wanted to make thoughtful eye contact, so she knew that this time wasn't simply a tease.
   She saw his eyes and this message struck her immediately. She felt her neck tingle, and wondered if it was possible to blush in a color as dark as purple, or even blue. "Rin you...you really..." she started. Before she could finish, she sneezed. Her hands came up to her arms, rubbing them in a steady rhythm for warmth. This was a practice she was very well acquainted with.
   She hated the cold...
   "Here."
   Opening her eyes again she felt something warm wrap around her. Rin had gotten her some warm sweaters that covered her shoulders, unlike the shirt she met him in that left her shoulders exposed. Still, what she felt around her now was warmer even than a blanket. It felt...alive.
   Looking she saw his ears, long and soft like velvet wrapped around her. He had pulled her in his lap, putting his chin on her shoulder. He chuckled softly, saying, "You always get so cold, Val, just Val. I don't know how you made it outside that day that I met you."
   Her mind kept puzzling over the idea of blushing every color of the rainbow. She wondered if his ears were sensitive enough to hear her heart beating faster. This was the closest they had gotten.
   "Well I...I lived...on the streets for so long I guess...so many cold nights just, weakened my defenses," she said slowly. Closing her eyes, she let her mind abandon thinking about blushing, and slowly let her body sink back against his strong chest. His arms folded around her gradually in response. She had mentioned being homeless before, she just liked to keep the most of it, the parts that still scared even her, to herself.
   Her fear and hatred of the cold was just one of those things.
   "You said as much...and, you're probably right, it might have done that to you," he said with closed eyes. The first time she mentioned her past, it got him in his heart in a way no sad story had ever affected him. He couldn't understand, fathom, or even scarcely believe the mind of parents that would throw this dear, sweet girl away like they did. She deserved better.
   Maybe that's why he liked pampering her. The little kisses while she slept, all of the gifts, the laughter, the smiles, the tickles, and the teases. He wanted her to feel like she had a life, a friend.
   A home.
   Now, he wanted to make sure she was warm. She didn't know it, but she revealed her disdain for shivering just then. With how relaxed she got feeling the warmth bundling her up, with how tightly she wrapped up in his blankets when she would take naps in his bed, with how she giggled the first time he let her use his whirlpool bath, he knew.
   She craved the warmth. She would always love that cuddle, those arms, his ears.

   Pouring a glass of milk Val walked over to the couch, turning the television on. It was Christmas Eve, and pretty much every little cartoon or movie Rin had showed to her that entire month were on at one time or another. The turkey was washed and the stock was boiling on the stove. Val told Rin she felt confident enough to make it herself, or at least watch it while she was gone.
   Before he left, he promised to buy plenty of hand soap.
   She took a cookie nibbling it. She had had the most fun making the cookies. While they baked, Rin helped her put together a gingerbread house. She said it was the cutest thing she had ever seen. He promised they could eat it once Christmas was over. She told him to bring home chocolate syrup and vanilla ice cream, so they could make gingerbread house sundaes for Christmas Day night.
   Washing the cookie down with a sip of milk made her smile as she remembered this. She felt sorry for the little house. She made sure to take enough pictures with it, even dabbing some icing on Rin's nose before he posed for the last few shots.
   A fire was crackling in the fireplace. She glanced up at the Nativity scene while an advertisement played on the television. She wondered if that set belonged to his mother, or even his grandmother before her. Perhaps that's why it was so precious to him.
   Maybe he planned to leave it to one of his children. He took such good care of it after all.
   Val pulled a microfiber blanket around herself. Rin gave her some "presents" early, bringing her warm blankets to keep her cozy. She remarked once she felt healthier and stronger than she ever had. It wasn't that Mona didn't try to keep her girls healthy, it was just they could only afford so much with so many mouths to feed. Rin understood. He responded by saying it was for that reason that he had stored so much money away. He planned to have a big family, and he wanted to be sure they were in want of nothing.
   "Big? Just how big are we talking?" Val asked.
   Sipping his drink, Rin grinned. "Oh, at least ten. I am a rabbit after all," he replied, winking. "But I am reasonable. I want their mother to be able to handle it. She is the queen of the burrow after all."
   "Ten...?" Val blinked, then she giggled. Without hesitating she replied, "I'd love that, I'm used to being surrounded by many others, and the flurry of activity. I think as long as you can provide a healthy and happy household then there's nothing wrong...nothing wrong at all." She took a bite of her biscuit looking outside. It was cloudy. It was going to snow again, steadily until Christmas Eve.
   His eyes glistened. He may have been exaggerating with the number ten, perhaps, but her response to it was beautiful, glorious. A lot of girls he knew were just focused on themselves. Val, though she went without her entire life, was just concerned with making sure the lives of her children were better, and never knew poverty like she had. Yes, he knew when she said what she did, she was thinking as though she were the very queen of the burrow he had mentioned. It just came so fast so...naturally to her lips. It had to be what she was thinking; only a mother as beautiful as she would be would be thinking of children she didn't even know yet.
   She would be sure they would never know the bitter cold that would haunt her even in the middle of a toasty room.
   That cold was so persistent, only one thing chased it away.

   Val's eyes were drawn from the mantle to the door. She saw Rin step inside, folding his umbrella and sitting it inside its stand after shaking the snow off it. Even with the umbrella in hand snow had managed to get in his hair, on his clothes, and even those velveteen ears.
   She got up smiling. He always volunteered to be the one to go outside in the cold, even if it was just something she needed, even if it was something feminine. He was such a gentleman.
   He just didn't want to make her face that freeze, not if he could help it.
   Looking up he grinned. "No need to dream of a white Christmas. It's here in earnest."
   "Aww Rin," she smiled, "Get yourself settled then come sit, we'll warm you up. The stock still has about an hour left." She walked over, taking his coat from him after he had removed it, and placed it in the foyer closet.
   Still he grinned. "You've become quite the chef, I'm proud of you." He shook his head gently, letting his hair flow out and little flakes of snow to drift to the ground. "I'd like to sit and warm up very much. I think sitting with you, some blankets, cookies and milk, and Christmas shows on TV by a warm fire will make for a wonderful evening."
   Val giggled, closing the closet. "I'll get a glass and some cookies." She ran over to the kitchen gathering everything together.
   Rin walked over to the couch watching her as he did so. He did feel cold, but was already warming up simply from being inside. He couldn't imagine Val just randomly getting the shivers. Looking at the couch he saw she had practically made a nest out of the blankets he had bought her, and the one she snatched off his bed. That one was a favorite by now.
   But he smiled. Keeping her warm was easy. He knew the one way to do it, the sure fire way to keep her warm even from the random shivers.
   "Here we go."
   He looked up and saw Val sit down the plate of cookies and the glass of milk. "Smashing," he said with a smile. He sat down on the couch, a practice they were accustomed to by now. He would sit first, and she would sit down half beside, half in front of him. He'd wrap the blankets around them, mostly around her, cocooning her to lock in the warmth. He never complained once, even if she had to get up several times during an evening.
   In the event the shivers still came, Rin knew what to do.
   For the next few hours, the couple sat together watching Christmas favorites. They had been played so many times, a lot of them, Val felt like she knew them as well as Rin did, having held them close since he was a child. She'd giggle and he'd chuckle. He'd sip milk after she playfully popped a cookie in his mouth after he told a joke about Frosty the Snowman. He got up once to go take the stock off the stove, putting it in jars for the next day. After a fair amount of begging, Val consented to let him cut up one of the chocolate meringue pies they had made earlier that day, as long as she could have a slice.
   The hours ticked by. Two pieces of pie, a batch of cookies, and four glasses of milk later, Midnight struck. The Christmas shows continued, but Val's eyes were drawn outside. She spent at least one Christmas on the streets, and the first five years where December 25th rolled around, she didn't even know what Christmas was.
   Though the past eight times had been happy, this one was magical. It warranted attention, appreciation, and thankfulness.
   "Val?"
   She looked back at Rin smiling. "Merry Christmas Rin...Rin Nitori." She giggled softly. The way she said it, the tone matched how he would call her Val, just Val, exactly.
   This caused him to smile. Something about it. Everything about it. Everything about her.
   He loved every facet of it, of her, of Val. One day, he planned to make her Val, Val Nitori.
   Something got his attention though. She had dropped her gaze, curling up gently. He felt her arms start to rise up like they would when the shivers found their way to her soft skin, taunting the glossy fur on her arms that tried to protect it. He wondered if subconsciously, the heart of a six year old little girl remembered a not so warm and wonderful Christmas eve, one devoid of that warmth, and of course, love.
   That one thing that chased the shivers away did so again. She felt his ears work their way around her like a hug, like a warm scarf on her shoulders. Eventually his arms did the same. Like exhaling a slow breath, the shivers began to recede. Like she did the first time, she relaxed, sinking into him, craving that warmth.
   She hated the cold. She loved the warmth, but she loved something else even more.
   "I love you Val, just...Val."
   Blinking, Val opened her eyes. She glanced up at his face, seeing it from where he rested his chin on her shoulder, but his eyes were closed. His lips were curled very slightly. Though his expression appeared peaceful, you could tell he was happy, euphorically so.
   For the first time, Val appreciated more than just the snow, and the horrible trains that left her lost and alone, just like her calloused parents had done when she was young. For the first time, she even appreciated the cold, knowing it would haunt her the rest of her life. It had weakened her defenses, making her susceptible to sickness, maybe even difficulty in having children, and frailty later in life.
   But as she looked around the room, she took it all in, closing her eyes as her senses flooded her spirit. She could feel the taste of cookies, milk, and chocolate meringue pie in her mouth. She smelled the scent of pinewood as the fire burned in the fire place. She heard the crackling of those embers, and the sound of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" playing on the television, the last bong of the clock tower ringing out he Midnight hour. She saw images of the beautiful tree, the antique nativity set, and her very own stocking hanging on the mantle.
   She heard the laughter of jokes that they shared, the washing of the turkey, whether giblets was pronounced with a hard or soft g, and the little bit of icing on Rin's nose as they posed for pictures of their gingerbread house, in anticipation of gingerbread house chocolate sundaes on Christmas Day night. She smelled the scent of his cologne, his own smells wrapped in the soft blanket on his bed, even in the fibers of the pillows. Instead of visions of sugarplums in her head, she had a brief thought of a much older, wiser version of herself. She was sitting on a similar couch, children all around her. It had to have been at least ten, or maybe more. They too were listening to that song, watching that TV show, sitting near that glorious, albeit much larger tree, with their own stockings on that poor mantle, still showcasing that beautiful nativity scene.
   Val wasn't sure why, but she imagined two of the older girls were already fighting over who would inherit their father's precious treasure, as playful as it was.
   They shared cookies, milk, and excitement over gingerbread chocolate ice cream sundaes after presents and dinner that next day. The dinner...their mother was such an amazing cook after all.
   Their mother...she was their mother. She wanted to reach out and touch their heads, even kiss them. She was the queen of that burrow...she wanted to feel it.
   But instead, she felt those ears. Yes. Even in that distant future, there were his ears, making sure the shivers stayed away. Making sure, she never felt lonely, afraid, or cold again.
   She appreciated...the cold. She appreciated it, for bringing her to this man, for showing her, such a beautiful future could possibly exist, or even come true. This was only the first Christmas of many. All she had to do was accept the cold, to welcome the warmth in.
   She giggled softly. She had gotten her Christmas wish too. And it wasn't in any of the colorful packages underneath the tree. It was nestled in those velveteen ears, resting in the heart that beat, pumping blood and warmth to them, that he shared with her now, and always.
   "I love you too...Rin, Rin...Nitori."

Merry Christmas 2014

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"The Warmth of Christmas"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. ReverseTheEclipse

Christmas 2014

   This was the snowiest December this city had seen in years. They were used to snow, they were prepared to live with it, but this was the most they had seen. It wasn't piling up in feet, as it melted between the snow flurries, but even if it didn't, most people didn't complain. After all, this most likely meant they would see a white Christmas this year.
   One girl in particular in this town, loved the snow, for everything it meant to her.
   Staring outside of a large, landscape window, a young echidna girl named Val was admiring the latest snowfall. Christmas was only a few days away, and with how heavy the flakes her, she was almost completely certain it would still blanket the ground on that day to come. This meant more to her than hearing it on the local weather report. She was seeing it with her own eyes.
   She was never a big fan of being cold. It was an all too frequent and bitter reality for her growing up, but lately, it bothered her just a little less.
   Hearing a train whistle in the distance, she giggled. Trains. They were another thing, along with the cold and snow, that made her happy today.
   This girl was standing in the middle of an apartment, near the top of the building it was situated in. This wasn't her home. She didn't even live on this side of town. She couldn't see it, but her home lay in the opposite direction, on the other side of this place. She thought about it briefly. She wondered if the girls and Madame Mona were busy scraping up their spare change for their annual Christmas gift exchange.
   In the reflection of the window, she could make out the image of a giant Christmas tree behind her. She had never seen one so big, not for a home. It was so palatial and fancy compared to where she lived.

   Val lived in a home with many girls her age, some older, and others younger. The woman in charge was a lady named Mona, and she was a madame. However, she did not ask any of the girls living there to take part in the red-light district trade. In fact, the few who did, volunteered, and only did so to earn money to support the other girls living there. Mona instead took in girls that were lost on the street, hungry for food, either having run away from abusive homes, or abandoned by their families.
   The younger girls were all schooled and taught by Mona herself. She'd help the other girls that weren't hooking try and find some kind of work. When they weren't in school or working, they'd clean up around the large home they lived in. They always had food to eat, even if it wasn't fancy, and even if it wasn't much. They didn't starve, and they weren't living on the street, in danger of predators, and dying of exposure.
   Val was one of those girls. Her parents were drug addicts. Once, her mother even tried to trade Val for drugs. Running away one night after this, Val lived alone. She was a five-year-old on the streets, pawing through trash, begging for food, shivering in the cold at night. That cold. Still, it wasn't as bad as the scary glances from large men, or even nasty looking women. Everyone frightened her.
   Mona came across her and extended comfort, and later trust was formed. The girls living there became Val's friends. They were the only family she had, and she didn't have to be afraid or freeze in the cold anymore.
   The past nine years had been pretty happy for her. She didn't know what her future had in store, but nothing could be worse than what she had been through.
   Fate seemed to have dealt her a kind hand to make up for the cruelty of random chance and unwanted consequences of the actions of others that were forced upon her.
   And it all started on that day in the snow, getting jostled onto the wrong train.
   It started, when she was in a scarily familiar position of wandering around a city alone in the cold.

   That's when she met...Rin.

   Val giggled to herself, stepping back from the window. For the past several weeks she had been living here. She called Mona on the first night to explain, so she and the girls would know that Val was safe. She only planned to stay until the trains were up and running again.
   She was still there. The trains had been running for weeks now without fail. Something kept her from leaving. That something, was Rin Nitori.
   He was about three years older than her, living on his own. He was a maroon colored rabbit, walking through the snow carrying an umbrella. She bumped into him, falling to the ground. She heard his voice, and their eyes met.
   That was a moment she would never forget.
   Asking if she was alright, he invited her back to his place, out of the cold and snow, saying she could stay until the trains were back up and running, and call home to explain where she was. This was after she had explained how she had gotten there, and where she came from.
   When he asked her name, she replied with Val, just Val.
   That made him chuckle. Frankly, she honestly did not know her last name.
   If it upset him inside, he didn't show it. Instead, he smiled. It seemed he was completely enchanted with her.
   Each day consisted of them spending all the time they could together. Sometimes he'd go out and leave her in the apartment alone. She felt completely safe. She'd go through his belongings curiously, looking at pictures. She noticed one of an older man that looked like him. She learned later this was his father Shin, someone he hadn't seen in many years.
   The more she looked around, the more she asked questions about him. It was easier learning about him than explaining her emotional baggage. She learned he descended from a family of assassins, and though he could fight, he was far more gentle and removed from the life style. He was active in military endeavors more than anything else, despite being so young. He was gentle, loved to laugh, and was great at making her laugh too.
   He also loved children.
   At first she stuck to looking at pictures, examining little pieces of furniture he kept either for decor or for the memories. Over the days she moved to checking the type of cologne he wore, sniffing the scarf he had worn the day before when they went walking to the market. One day when she had some bad cramps, she even curled up in his bed, snuggling up to his pillow and using his blanket to wrap herself in the warmth and smell.
   She hated being cold.
   He came home and found her there. She didn't know it, but he just smiled, and kissed her head gently, letting her sleep until the smell of dinner and the absence of the cramps helped her wake up for the meal.
   Rin was a wonderful cook. He taught her a lot of things too. She'd sit quietly and watch, giggling and commenting on his style, asking questions so she'd better understand what he was doing. Thanksgiving was a big lesson opportunity for her. She squealed, getting giggly when it came time to wash and prepare the turkey. Funny jokes, running out of hand soap, and whether the word giblets was pronounced with a hard or soft g were the highlight of the day.
   Everything became fun. Val even made a chocolate meringue pie by herself. She promised as the table was being set for dinner that she would try to cook more come Christmas Day.
   Christmas Day. The words slipped out of her mouth so readily.
   She knew she was going to stay. She called Mona later that night to wish her Happy Thanksgiving, and say she was sorry, but she planned to stay at least until the new year.
   At least. Inside, Val hoped that the trains would go under maintenance again...for a very long time.

   Walking around the apartment Val looked around. The Christmas Tree was big and beautiful and the centerpiece of the room, but it wasn't all there was. Beautiful garland and lights with the colors of the rainbow adorned the arches of doors, wrapped around poles in the foyer, and stretched across the mantle piece and tables in the room. The mantle also had candles on either end, and a beautiful Nativity scene sitting in the middle. It was old, almost antique, and Rin said it was one of his favorite pieces to put up in display for the holiday.
   Hanging on the mantle were two stockings. One had Rin's name. The glitter and glue spelling it out were messy somewhat, as though made by the hands of a child. Beside his was one with the name Val on it. The writing was much neater, obviously made with the steady and loving hand of an adult. She teased him about putting "just Val" underneath it. He grinned back. "If only I could, but I'm quite sure I would run out of room."
   This was the first stocking she had ever had.
   Under the tree were tons of presents. Val had to blush; it seemed like every time Rin went out he came back with some new present for her. Sometimes large, other times small. She told him not to fret over her so much, and then followed it up by asking what he wanted for Christmas.
   "What I want?" he asked. Tilting his head slightly he grinned. "You already gave me what I wanted. All I wanted, was someone to share it with."
   To this, Val blushed gently, as he often drew out of her as of recent days. "You wanted someone to spend Christmas with?"
   "Yeah, but really, I meant, my life." He looked at her, recognizing just how heavy the words were. He wanted to make thoughtful eye contact, so she knew that this time wasn't simply a tease.
   She saw his eyes and this message struck her immediately. She felt her neck tingle, and wondered if it was possible to blush in a color as dark as purple, or even blue. "Rin you...you really..." she started. Before she could finish, she sneezed. Her hands came up to her arms, rubbing them in a steady rhythm for warmth. This was a practice she was very well acquainted with.
   She hated the cold...
   "Here."
   Opening her eyes again she felt something warm wrap around her. Rin had gotten her some warm sweaters that covered her shoulders, unlike the shirt she met him in that left her shoulders exposed. Still, what she felt around her now was warmer even than a blanket. It felt...alive.
   Looking she saw his ears, long and soft like velvet wrapped around her. He had pulled her in his lap, putting his chin on her shoulder. He chuckled softly, saying, "You always get so cold, Val, just Val. I don't know how you made it outside that day that I met you."
   Her mind kept puzzling over the idea of blushing every color of the rainbow. She wondered if his ears were sensitive enough to hear her heart beating faster. This was the closest they had gotten.
   "Well I...I lived...on the streets for so long I guess...so many cold nights just, weakened my defenses," she said slowly. Closing her eyes, she let her mind abandon thinking about blushing, and slowly let her body sink back against his strong chest. His arms folded around her gradually in response. She had mentioned being homeless before, she just liked to keep the most of it, the parts that still scared even her, to herself.
   Her fear and hatred of the cold was just one of those things.
   "You said as much...and, you're probably right, it might have done that to you," he said with closed eyes. The first time she mentioned her past, it got him in his heart in a way no sad story had ever affected him. He couldn't understand, fathom, or even scarcely believe the mind of parents that would throw this dear, sweet girl away like they did. She deserved better.
   Maybe that's why he liked pampering her. The little kisses while she slept, all of the gifts, the laughter, the smiles, the tickles, and the teases. He wanted her to feel like she had a life, a friend.
   A home.
   Now, he wanted to make sure she was warm. She didn't know it, but she revealed her disdain for shivering just then. With how relaxed she got feeling the warmth bundling her up, with how tightly she wrapped up in his blankets when she would take naps in his bed, with how she giggled the first time he let her use his whirlpool bath, he knew.
   She craved the warmth. She would always love that cuddle, those arms, his ears.

   Pouring a glass of milk Val walked over to the couch, turning the television on. It was Christmas Eve, and pretty much every little cartoon or movie Rin had showed to her that entire month were on at one time or another. The turkey was washed and the stock was boiling on the stove. Val told Rin she felt confident enough to make it herself, or at least watch it while she was gone.
   Before he left, he promised to buy plenty of hand soap.
   She took a cookie nibbling it. She had had the most fun making the cookies. While they baked, Rin helped her put together a gingerbread house. She said it was the cutest thing she had ever seen. He promised they could eat it once Christmas was over. She told him to bring home chocolate syrup and vanilla ice cream, so they could make gingerbread house sundaes for Christmas Day night.
   Washing the cookie down with a sip of milk made her smile as she remembered this. She felt sorry for the little house. She made sure to take enough pictures with it, even dabbing some icing on Rin's nose before he posed for the last few shots.
   A fire was crackling in the fireplace. She glanced up at the Nativity scene while an advertisement played on the television. She wondered if that set belonged to his mother, or even his grandmother before her. Perhaps that's why it was so precious to him.
   Maybe he planned to leave it to one of his children. He took such good care of it after all.
   Val pulled a microfiber blanket around herself. Rin gave her some "presents" early, bringing her warm blankets to keep her cozy. She remarked once she felt healthier and stronger than she ever had. It wasn't that Mona didn't try to keep her girls healthy, it was just they could only afford so much with so many mouths to feed. Rin understood. He responded by saying it was for that reason that he had stored so much money away. He planned to have a big family, and he wanted to be sure they were in want of nothing.
   "Big? Just how big are we talking?" Val asked.
   Sipping his drink, Rin grinned. "Oh, at least ten. I am a rabbit after all," he replied, winking. "But I am reasonable. I want their mother to be able to handle it. She is the queen of the burrow after all."
   "Ten...?" Val blinked, then she giggled. Without hesitating she replied, "I'd love that, I'm used to being surrounded by many others, and the flurry of activity. I think as long as you can provide a healthy and happy household then there's nothing wrong...nothing wrong at all." She took a bite of her biscuit looking outside. It was cloudy. It was going to snow again, steadily until Christmas Eve.
   His eyes glistened. He may have been exaggerating with the number ten, perhaps, but her response to it was beautiful, glorious. A lot of girls he knew were just focused on themselves. Val, though she went without her entire life, was just concerned with making sure the lives of her children were better, and never knew poverty like she had. Yes, he knew when she said what she did, she was thinking as though she were the very queen of the burrow he had mentioned. It just came so fast so...naturally to her lips. It had to be what she was thinking; only a mother as beautiful as she would be would be thinking of children she didn't even know yet.
   She would be sure they would never know the bitter cold that would haunt her even in the middle of a toasty room.
   That cold was so persistent, only one thing chased it away.

   Val's eyes were drawn from the mantle to the door. She saw Rin step inside, folding his umbrella and sitting it inside its stand after shaking the snow off it. Even with the umbrella in hand snow had managed to get in his hair, on his clothes, and even those velveteen ears.
   She got up smiling. He always volunteered to be the one to go outside in the cold, even if it was just something she needed, even if it was something feminine. He was such a gentleman.
   He just didn't want to make her face that freeze, not if he could help it.
   Looking up he grinned. "No need to dream of a white Christmas. It's here in earnest."
   "Aww Rin," she smiled, "Get yourself settled then come sit, we'll warm you up. The stock still has about an hour left." She walked over, taking his coat from him after he had removed it, and placed it in the foyer closet.
   Still he grinned. "You've become quite the chef, I'm proud of you." He shook his head gently, letting his hair flow out and little flakes of snow to drift to the ground. "I'd like to sit and warm up very much. I think sitting with you, some blankets, cookies and milk, and Christmas shows on TV by a warm fire will make for a wonderful evening."
   Val giggled, closing the closet. "I'll get a glass and some cookies." She ran over to the kitchen gathering everything together.
   Rin walked over to the couch watching her as he did so. He did feel cold, but was already warming up simply from being inside. He couldn't imagine Val just randomly getting the shivers. Looking at the couch he saw she had practically made a nest out of the blankets he had bought her, and the one she snatched off his bed. That one was a favorite by now.
   But he smiled. Keeping her warm was easy. He knew the one way to do it, the sure fire way to keep her warm even from the random shivers.
   "Here we go."
   He looked up and saw Val sit down the plate of cookies and the glass of milk. "Smashing," he said with a smile. He sat down on the couch, a practice they were accustomed to by now. He would sit first, and she would sit down half beside, half in front of him. He'd wrap the blankets around them, mostly around her, cocooning her to lock in the warmth. He never complained once, even if she had to get up several times during an evening.
   In the event the shivers still came, Rin knew what to do.
   For the next few hours, the couple sat together watching Christmas favorites. They had been played so many times, a lot of them, Val felt like she knew them as well as Rin did, having held them close since he was a child. She'd giggle and he'd chuckle. He'd sip milk after she playfully popped a cookie in his mouth after he told a joke about Frosty the Snowman. He got up once to go take the stock off the stove, putting it in jars for the next day. After a fair amount of begging, Val consented to let him cut up one of the chocolate meringue pies they had made earlier that day, as long as she could have a slice.
   The hours ticked by. Two pieces of pie, a batch of cookies, and four glasses of milk later, Midnight struck. The Christmas shows continued, but Val's eyes were drawn outside. She spent at least one Christmas on the streets, and the first five years where December 25th rolled around, she didn't even know what Christmas was.
   Though the past eight times had been happy, this one was magical. It warranted attention, appreciation, and thankfulness.
   "Val?"
   She looked back at Rin smiling. "Merry Christmas Rin...Rin Nitori." She giggled softly. The way she said it, the tone matched how he would call her Val, just Val, exactly.
   This caused him to smile. Something about it. Everything about it. Everything about her.
   He loved every facet of it, of her, of Val. One day, he planned to make her Val, Val Nitori.
   Something got his attention though. She had dropped her gaze, curling up gently. He felt her arms start to rise up like they would when the shivers found their way to her soft skin, taunting the glossy fur on her arms that tried to protect it. He wondered if subconsciously, the heart of a six year old little girl remembered a not so warm and wonderful Christmas eve, one devoid of that warmth, and of course, love.
   That one thing that chased the shivers away did so again. She felt his ears work their way around her like a hug, like a warm scarf on her shoulders. Eventually his arms did the same. Like exhaling a slow breath, the shivers began to recede. Like she did the first time, she relaxed, sinking into him, craving that warmth.
   She hated the cold. She loved the warmth, but she loved something else even more.
   "I love you Val, just...Val."
   Blinking, Val opened her eyes. She glanced up at his face, seeing it from where he rested his chin on her shoulder, but his eyes were closed. His lips were curled very slightly. Though his expression appeared peaceful, you could tell he was happy, euphorically so.
   For the first time, Val appreciated more than just the snow, and the horrible trains that left her lost and alone, just like her calloused parents had done when she was young. For the first time, she even appreciated the cold, knowing it would haunt her the rest of her life. It had weakened her defenses, making her susceptible to sickness, maybe even difficulty in having children, and frailty later in life.
   But as she looked around the room, she took it all in, closing her eyes as her senses flooded her spirit. She could feel the taste of cookies, milk, and chocolate meringue pie in her mouth. She smelled the scent of pinewood as the fire burned in the fire place. She heard the crackling of those embers, and the sound of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" playing on the television, the last bong of the clock tower ringing out he Midnight hour. She saw images of the beautiful tree, the antique nativity set, and her very own stocking hanging on the mantle.
   She heard the laughter of jokes that they shared, the washing of the turkey, whether giblets was pronounced with a hard or soft g, and the little bit of icing on Rin's nose as they posed for pictures of their gingerbread house, in anticipation of gingerbread house chocolate sundaes on Christmas Day night. She smelled the scent of his cologne, his own smells wrapped in the soft blanket on his bed, even in the fibers of the pillows. Instead of visions of sugarplums in her head, she had a brief thought of a much older, wiser version of herself. She was sitting on a similar couch, children all around her. It had to have been at least ten, or maybe more. They too were listening to that song, watching that TV show, sitting near that glorious, albeit much larger tree, with their own stockings on that poor mantle, still showcasing that beautiful nativity scene.
   Val wasn't sure why, but she imagined two of the older girls were already fighting over who would inherit their father's precious treasure, as playful as it was.
   They shared cookies, milk, and excitement over gingerbread chocolate ice cream sundaes after presents and dinner that next day. The dinner...their mother was such an amazing cook after all.
   Their mother...she was their mother. She wanted to reach out and touch their heads, even kiss them. She was the queen of that burrow...she wanted to feel it.
   But instead, she felt those ears. Yes. Even in that distant future, there were his ears, making sure the shivers stayed away. Making sure, she never felt lonely, afraid, or cold again.
   She appreciated...the cold. She appreciated it, for bringing her to this man, for showing her, such a beautiful future could possibly exist, or even come true. This was only the first Christmas of many. All she had to do was accept the cold, to welcome the warmth in.
   She giggled softly. She had gotten her Christmas wish too. And it wasn't in any of the colorful packages underneath the tree. It was nestled in those velveteen ears, resting in the heart that beat, pumping blood and warmth to them, that he shared with her now, and always.
   "I love you too...Rin, Rin...Nitori."

Merry Christmas 2014