And I'm Home

Chapter 1

A/N: Shades 0f Dawn, I can 1-up your 'title' game. Christmas can be just as romantic of a holiday as Valentine's Day.

Departing From: Kazamino City

Departing To: Mitakihara City

Route: 2020

Date: December 22nd

Departure Time: 5:00 p.m.

Status: ...

ROUTE CANCELED.

No matter how many times Homura squinted at the large monitor, those last two words refused to change. They'd remained plastered on the screen, in large bold and glaring red letters, for the better part of an hour. A few minutes later, the crackling intercom began to confirm her worst fears:

"Attention all passengers, this is another announcement that route 2020 has been cancelled. For those that plan on returning to Mitakihara City, we apologize for the sudden inconvenience..."

Fully aware that the train station was gradually beginning to empty of passengers, Homura sighed and tore her gaze away from the monitor. She gathered her bags and took a seat in the sparsely populated lobby, trying to figure out her next move.

When she had checked out of her hotel room earlier this afternoon, the weather had been fairly pleasant, at least to people that liked winter weather. The air was chilly, yet crisp, and the beginnings of a snowfall had lightly dusted across the cityscape like the glazing on a donut. Since the end of December was approaching, the city of Kazamino had been fortunate to receive sufficiently cold temperatures for the possibility of a white Christmas.

Even if the consequent snowflakes barely piled up to a few inches, the city had become something of a winter wonderland in a matter of minutes. Homura watched as her taxi drove by neighborhoods overridden with energetic kids tossing snowballs, building snowmen, and sliding down hills. She had never participated in any of those activities due to her physically frail nature in her early life and more recently, her responsibilities as a magical girl. But when Homura saw the way other kids her age ran circles outside, yelling at the top of their lungs with wooden sleds and snowballs, she couldn't help but feel like she was missing out on something.

Still, she was able to feel somewhat at peace when she sat by the window of her hotel room, simply watching the snow fall outside as she savored the warmth of the indoors. It was the perfect weather to drink hot chocolate by the crackling embers of the fireplace, Homura had thought with a touch of nostalgia. How long had it been since she had done something like that?

It was also the perfect weather to vacation in, which was exactly what Mami had suggested one winter night a week ago when she saw the upcoming forecast of snow back in the sister city of Mitakihara. And much to Kyouko's and Mami's surprise, Homura had agreed.

Now, she was beginning to regret everything.

The picturesque and serene imagery of Kazamino's cityscape didn't last long, despite its promising beginnings. As soon as Homura arrived at the train station, the gentle snowfall transformed into a freak blizzard that covered the entire city in waves of snow and ice until the scenery resembled something out of the doomsday movie "The Day After Tomorrow". In a matter of an hour, the snow was already waist-high. In another ten minutes, the snowfall had become so thick that the air was nothing but sheets of suffocating whiteness.

As Homura watched people's futile attempts to brave the snowstorm's howling winds from the comfort and safety of the indoors, she couldn't help but shudder. It looked terrible outside. Just looking at the human specks disappearing into the whiteness and the glittering, icy claws of frost that gripped the ceiling-high windows of the train station made her involuntarily shiver.

Soon, Homura's next thoughts were focused on how she was going to get back home.

Her train was supposed to have left half an hour ago, but like most others it had been cancelled by the sudden winter storm. Unfortunately, the train had also been her only way home. All of the roads between Mitakihara City and Kazamino had been blocked by the blizzard, effectively trapping anyone wanting to leave the city.

A section of the train station immediately went dark as the lights flickered out. Homura sighed again as she tried to get comfortable in her seat in the lobby, wondering how long she'd be able to stay. In an attempt to pass the time, she pulled out a book and began to read. It wasn't as if she could call someone else to pick her up just like the other passengers could, after all.

She, Mami, and Kyouko had come here to Kazamino for somewhat of a vacation. As Mami aptly put it, their short trip was supposed to be a relaxing break from fighting demons and help with their mental state. Ironically enough, Mami was also the first to head back to Mitakihara City to put her worries about the state of the city to rest. Kyouko had also rushed off somewhere near the end of their "vacation", muttering that she needed to take care of some things.

Homura had lingered around the city a day longer, hoping that she could obtain some sort of calming, remedial effect by staying indoors and watching the new snowfall. While it had been a pleasant experience, now she was stuck with no way back to Mitakihara City.

ROUTE CANCELED.

The words continued to glare at Homura from the monitor. Ignoring them, she started to think about all the worrying Mami must be doing right now, which made Homura feel worse than she was already feeling. The persisting thought continued to nibble away in her mind, and five minutes later, she closed her book and pulled out her cell phone to give Mami a call. After several rings, no one picked up. Slightly disheartened, but trying not to get completely discouraged, Homura left a message explaining her situation as best as she could. When she was done, she shoved the phone back into her skirt pocket and hoped that it would be enough to ease Mami's worries.

The lobby was emptying as people started to pack up to head back home to their families. Homura knew that it wouldn't be long until she was left here all alone. But even though she had no other plans, it wouldn't help idly sitting around all night. She heaved a weary sigh, gathering her bags again before leaving the terminal.

Soon afterwards, Homura's phone vibrated. She stopped and pulled it out, squinting at the text glowing in the dimness of the train station.

Mami: I just received your message, Akemi-san. I'll see what I can do to arrange something with a nearby hotel. Stay safe in the meantime.

Thank you, Homura typed back and hit "send". It was a meager reassurance, but better than nothing. At least now she had something to wait and look forward for.

As Homura neared the main entrance of the train station, she could tell that the landscape looked even worse than before. The doors slid open to let other people leave, and the gusting winds that blew in had her practically squinting as she trudged down the main hallway. By now, Homura realized that she was basically alone. No one else was in sight, having already escaped from the dark train station.

Looking around, Homura wasn't sure why she hadn't noticed it before, but with most of the lights turned off and the large lobby completely empty of people, the train station looked incredibly eerie.

"Excuse me, young miss?"

Despite her normally calm demeanor, Homura almost jumped out of her skin when she heard the soft voice. She whirled around on a dime, looking into the tired eyes of a train station employee. "Yes?" She politely replied, her shoulders still tense.

The employee gave her what appeared to be a confused look. "I'm sorry, but you need to leave now. We're losing power, so it isn't safe to stay here any longer. Do you have a ride home?"

Homura nodded, and pulled out her phone as if that would help her explain her situation better. "I'm waiting for someone."

"Do you know when they'll arrive?"

Homura opened her mouth, trying to find the right words. "They're not-"

"They're right here."

When Homura heard the voice behind her ear and felt an arm suddenly slide around her shoulders, she actually did jump. Preparing a scowl for the unwelcome intruder, Homura whirled around. When she turned to look however, she was met with the sight of Kyouko staring at her with a subtle smirk playing across her lips. The parts of Homura's mind that were still able to function noted that Kyouko's eyes were a very nice shade of red. Scarlet red, crimson red. Red like fire, and like roses. Red like the color of cinnamon lying in the cornfields under the setting sun during a midsummer evening.

"Kyou-" was all Homura could choke out before Kyouko tugged her into her warm chest.

"She's with me," Kyouko explained to the train station employee with an air of finality. He simply nodded, satisfied, and left to help another stranded passenger across the main lobby. Once he was gone, Kyouko fixed her gaze back on Homura. "It really is a treat to see you so confused and flustered, y'know," she said with another sly look. "Absolutely delightful."

"Kyouko? What are you doing here?" Homura struggled to get the question out, trying to collect her thoughts as Kyouko patiently waited. "I thought you had already gone back with Tomoe-san."

Kyouko shook her head. "Nah, I figured I'd stick around here a bit longer like you. I just came back from some stuff, so I guess you could say that I'm just waiting around and killing time during the holidays. I thought I was late coming here to see you off, but I guess not..." Kyouko shrugged, using Homura's silence as an opportunity to satiate her own curiosity. "What about you? I thought you were supposed to leave today." A perplexed frown turned the corners of her lips down, as Homura bit her own lip.

"Well, I was, but nature had other plans today..."

Kyouko smirked at Homura's dry comment, but Homura didn't really feel annoyed that she found her misfortune amusing. As much as she knew about all of the other magical girls during her endless timelines, she was still somewhat in the dark with Kyouko. They just never interacted as much as Homura had with the others, with probably the sole exception of Sayaka. Getting an amused reaction out of her was, for lack of a better word, interesting in a good way.

"That sounds like it sucks." Kyouko conceded, tilting her head in mild thought. It was then that Homura realized that Kyouko hadn't let go of her shoulder, the latter running her soft and warm fingers down the inside of her neck and over her collarbone. Heart thumping and suddenly feeling very self-conscious, Homura pried herself away as Kyouko shot her another amused smirk at her skittishness.

"Do you have a place to stay?" Kyouko asked, with a bit more seriousness this time. "I mean, I'm heading back to my place, and I doubt you'd want to stay here for the night," she looked around at the empty train station. "-not that you can, anyways."

Homura shook her head. "I don't have anywhere to go right now. Of course, I didn't plan on being stuck here for the holidays..."

"What are you gonna do then?" Kyouko wondered and folded her arms as Homura looked at her with an unsure gaze. For a little while, Homura said nothing, the silence mounting until:

"I don't know. What should I do?" Homura asked, not really expecting an answer. So when Kyouko replied, she was caught off guard.

"You could stay with me." Kyouko suggested, as Homura blinked in surprise, wondering if she had heard her correctly. Kyouko's voice was level and almost nonchalant like it wouldn't be any trouble to have Homura stay with her. Then again, Kyouko's reputation was built on adaptability, even if she wasn't too keen on sharing with other people. Homura bit her lip as she thought about the idea of spending the holidays with Kyouko. In contrast to not having a plan just a moment earlier, the offer was enticing.

"Are you sure?" Homura couldn't help but ask, as if obligated to make Kyouko think twice about her offer.

Kyouko shrugged, keeping her expression nonchalant. "Why not? Otherwise it'd just be me at home all alone. The more the merrier, right?" Here, she fixed Homura with a wry smirk as the latter tried to keep her expression placid. "Being alone sucks, doesn't it? At least we can try to make it better by being alone together."

"I don't think that's how it works." Homura softly muttered.

"That's still not an answer." Kyouko pointed out as Homura tried to swallow past the lump in her throat.

"...I wouldn't mind staying with you, I suppose." Homura finally said after wrestling with the part of herself that was telling her it was a bad idea. Her gaze fell to the tiles underneath her feet. Was it really a bad idea? The only problem Homura could foresee was spending time too close to Kyouko. And it wasn't like she was going to think about Kyouko all the time... or that anything else would happen between them. "Thank you," she whispered after a second thought.

Kyouko cheerfully grinned. "Well, that settles it, I guess. C'mon, I've got a taxi waiting for us outside. I'll help you carry your bags."

Soon, Homura found herself struggling to walk outside through the snowstorm. She leaned into the blizzard to remain upright, wrapping her arms around her body, but shivering nonetheless. Faint wisps rose from her lips as she exhaled with each step. Once or twice she almost tripped, but with Kyouko supporting her from behind, she somehow managed to trudge to the taxi and slide into a seat.

Thankfully, the interior of the vehicle felt wonderfully warm. The freezing cold had chilled her to the bone, and it took a majority of the slow drive to Kyouko's place for her teeth to stop chattering. Even her thick winter coat hadn't been enough to protect her from the extreme elements of the blizzard.

The ride to Kyouko's house was awkwardly silent. It wasn't so unbearable with the radio to fill up the silence, but the conversation between them after their initial meeting just... stopped. Not spending much time together outside of fighting demons can do that, Homura eventually realized. She looked over at Kyouko, but the redhead was gazing out into the snowstorm. Deciding to respect her privacy and leave her alone, Homura also sat in silence for the rest of the ride.

After nearly an hour of driving thanks to the snow, they finally reached Kyouko's place. Homura's ears and fingers were red and tingling by the time the taxi pulled up on the driveway of the small flat, coated in the faint glow of the setting sun.

"We're here," Kyouko spoke up for the first time in a while, her voice just barely audible over the humming of the taxi's engine.

"It's a nice-looking place," Homura commented, wisely choosing to ignore the fact that half of it seemed to be buried in snow. Besides, all of the nearby houses seemed to share a similar fate.

The next few moments were spent taking Homura's luggage out of the trunk and into the house. Both girls were sopping wet by the time they retreated into Kyouko's flat, closing the front door against the howling winds. While Kyouko went off in search of towels to dry themselves off, Homura placed her bags in the main foyer waited in the living room. She remained standing as cold water dripped down her hair, soaking her shirt underneath.

Taking a look around the interior of the flat revealed that it was actually a very nice and tidy place, albeit a bit on the small side considering only Kyouko lived here. Only now did Homura actually think about the full scope of her decision to stay with Kyouko. They had never truly been either enemies or friends. There were certain timelines where they fought or teamed up against Walpurgisnacht, or both. Over time, Homura began to learn all about Kyouko's emotional tendencies and physical strengths. But she hadn't really gotten to know Kyouko on a more personal, intimate level. Because of that, she was beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable at the prospect of trying to carry future conversations. It wasn't like she could avoid talking to Kyouko now.

Homura sighed, mentally convincing herself that it'd somehow work out. Wondering what was taking Kyouko so long, she was just about to look for the redhead when a small picture resting on the fireplace mantle caught her attention. Squinting, Homura approached closer as she made out an image of what appeared to be a man and a woman holding the hands of their two daughters, all smiling at the camera.

"Is this... Kyouko's family?" Homura wondered, inspecting the picture more closely. She held it to her face, looking at a young and innocently smiling Kyouko. "I'm surprised she keeps something like this with her," she absentmindedly thought.

Homura put away the picture just as Kyouko rounded the corner, arms laden with fluffy-looking towels.

"Took you long enough," Homura flatly remarked before she realized, with appreciation, that the towels were warm to the touch.

Kyouko handed Homura a towel, taking one for herself. "Sorry about that. I figured it'd be better if the towels were warm, so I stuck them in the dryer for a bit."

Homura nodded understandingly, rubbing the towel over her face and hair and basking in the enveloping warmth. "It's fine. It was a good idea," she reassured Kyouko as redhead brightened at her comment. Once she was relatively dry, Homura took a seat on the couch, feeling exhausted from her long day. Kyouko joined her in an instant, flipping on the television to break the relative silence.

As the heater gradually began to warm the place, Homura's teeth stopped chattering and her hands stopped feeling like they had been locked away in a freezer. Still, she had been out in the cold long enough to feel the aftereffects. Homura shivered, unable to keep herself from sniffling. Noticing this, Kyouko scooted closer to lend a shoulder. Reluctantly complying, Homura leaned into the redhead, snuggling deeper into her warm chest to hide a faint blush that had crept across her cheeks.

"We've got to use our body heat to keep each other warm, right?" Kyouko asked as she smirked at Homura, expectantly waiting for an answer.

"Just this once." Homura quickly muttered, refraining from saying anything the redhead could use to joke about.

Kyouko simply laughed. "Sure, whatever you say."

Homura felt her cheeks flush again, inwardly denying that the warmth radiating from Kyouko's body felt absolutely lovely, even if it made her mind all cloudy. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, Homura ran her fingers through her long wet hair to mat down any stray strands, but the more she tried, the more tangled her bangs seemed to get. Annoyed, she tried to blow them away, but all that did was leave her more breathless and frustrated.

Kyouko raised an eyebrow and laughed at her efforts. "For someone who tries to keep a straight face all the time, you sure look stupid sometimes. C'mere, Homura," she said, reaching to invite her closer.

Homura tried to relax as Kyouko gently brushed the bangs away from her face, neatly tucking them behind her ears. But it was hard not to let anything show on her face when she felt the warmth from Kyouko's fingers on her skin, and her face mere inches away, ruby eyes intently flickering over her own.

"Oh, um... thanks, Kyouko." Heat rose to Homura's cheeks as she began to stutter. Kyouko just snickered again and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Your welcome." Kyouko's smirk lasted a little longer than Homura thought was necessary.

"This is a nice place," Homura said in an effort to change the topic, and to alleviate her own uncomfortableness. Kyouko just nodded and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but getting it was a whole ordeal."

"Was it?" Homura turned to inquisitively look at Kyouko.

"Jesus Homura, don't you know how much it costs to rent a townhouse here?" Kyouko asked incredulously, shaking her head in disbelief when the look on Homura's face suggested that she didn't.

Homura hummed contemplatively. "No, but I imagine it wouldn't be cheap."

Kyouko sighed. "Hell no, it wasn't. I had to pay a hundred thousand yen to stay for a week. I mean, it was money well spent considering the state of this place, and most of it came from Mami, but still... that was most of the money I'd saved up."

Homura frowned at that. "Considering you haven't saved up more than ten thousand yen in your entire life, I don't think you have the right to complain when Tomoe-san paid for over ninety-percent of the rent, especially for something that's only for your personal use."

Kyouko just rolled her eyes again. "Well now Homura, way to make a girl feel good about the choices she's made," the redhead grumbled. Homura just shrugged unapologetically. "But your being here has kinda made up for it though." Kyouko added with such suddenness that left Homura slightly confused. "I mean, it was pretty boring being here all by myself."

And with that, Homura found herself face-to-face with Kyouko. There was a particular seriousness and weight to Kyouko's stare that made heat rise to Homura's cheeks, which left her mentally cursing herself for her own weakness. Homura buried her face in her towel, party to avoid making any more eye-contact with Kyouko and mostly because she still needed to dry off her hair. Aware that the conversation was over for now, Kyouko rose from the couch and ambled to the kitchen at the same time her stomach eagerly growled.

As Homura scrubbed the last of the melted snow and ice from her hair, her mind wandered to the girl noisily clattering around in the kitchen. They'd teamed up in the spring, and after several months as a group, it was their first Christmas together. Despite some initial complaints from Mami, Kyouko chose to spend her holiday alone for the most part. Homura would never have thought to intrude on her personal life like she clearly was right now. That was why she was still in a mild state of shock, considering how agreeable Kyouko had been to invite her over.

It also would have been rude for Homura to interrupt Mami too. Everyone was off and perfectly content being on their own, it seemed.

Everyone except Homura.

When Kyouko didn't immediately return from her escapade in the kitchen, Homura tried to peer outside to catch a glimpse of how much more snow had fallen, but the torrent of fat and fluffy snowflakes completely obstructed her view. Trying not to grow more disheartened by the turn in weather, and instead focusing on the situation at hand, Homura took the opportunity to stow away her luggage. Once she learned that her room was upstairs and the one right across from Kyouko's, she carried her bags up into her room. After neatly setting them down against the wall, she quietly took a seat on the bed and looked around.

It was a good-sized room despite the smallness of the house, Homura thought. The bed was pushed against the wall across from the door, with a large, oaken bookshelf leaned against the wall adjacent to it. On the other side was a window through which Homura had a clear view of the landscape outside. Of course, there wasn't much to look at aside from thick whiteness layered on top of more whiteness, but Homura had the feeling that on a more pleasant day, she could throughly enjoy sitting here in the sunshine with a good book. Resisting the urge to take a book from the shelf and begin reading, Homura simply watched the snow fall for a few minutes before lazily falling back onto the mattress. Too tired to get up, she pulled out her phone to check the time. 8:35 p.m., the screen declared. If it weren't for the snowstorm, she'd already be back in Mitakihara City, but here she was stuck in Kazamino with Kyouko... Kyouko and her fiery red eyes...

Suddenly tired, Homura's eyes flickered shut and she buried her face in the warm pillow under her head.

"Akemi-san, this is Sakura Kyouko. Kyouko, this is Akemi Homura."

Mami gently pushed Homura forwards, as she stumbled into Mami's living room and awkwardly clutched her skirt. Seemingly content with having done her part, the golden-haired senpai retreated to the kitchen to bring out some tea and snacks. Homura glanced at the redhead in front of her while she responded with a vaguely attentive grunt, yawning and returning to her share of cake. It wasn't that Kyouko didn't care, but they had met before, so it was more of a ceremonial introduction than an official one - one that signified their alliance as magical girls in Mitakihara City.

From the kitchen, Mami smiled at her two new partners, humming away to herself as she pointed out a spot for Homura to sit down. Grateful, Homura muttered a 'thank you' and reclined on the sofa across from Kyouko.

There was no need to be nervous, Homura thought. She knew every little detail about these two from past timelines, whether they knew it or not. And luckily for her, neither of them seemed even remotely hostile. They had even fought in a few battles together prior to today.

But it was the first time that Homura had committed to something longterm, all the way into the unforeseeable future, something that had become more or less a fixed routine for Mami and Kyouko.

The first official demon hunt together, Homura couldn't help feel her heart beat slightly faster than normal. So she decided to play a lesser role and observe the first few minutes of the fight. It went smoothly, with Kyouko mostly trying to showboat and claim all of the glory, along with Mami's consequent scolding. There was a sense of tension between the two, but it was because they were close that they could engage in that friendly banter. They had their roles, and Homura wasn't quite sure where she would fit in. She felt apprehensive when she saw the easy camaraderie between Mami and Kyouko, Mami the calm and levelheaded senpai and Kyouko the sarcastic yet down-to-earth tomboy. As opposite as they seemed, they had their group dynamic down to a science. Homura just didn't want to be the newbie screwing everything up, which was an odd thought since she never thought of herself as clumsy or awkward.

Midway through the fight, Homura broke her taboo of silence with a comment without much thought, and she was slightly startled to hear Kyouko laugh at it. The grin she received from the redhead boosted her confidence, even if just a little. Once the battle was finished, Homura didn't feel so tense anymore because really, these two were just magical girls trying to find their place in this new world, much like her.

When they headed back to Mami's place, and Kyouko cracked another joke that garnered everyone's laughter, including Homura's, for the first time in forever, she felt that she could get used to this.

Of course, one fight wasn't enough to force her out of her tentatively silent and observant role, but eventually, she began to realize that she had unwittingly found a spot here with these two. It was a strange feeling, but satisfying and reassuring. It took awhile to get used to her permanent role as the silent strategist of the trio, but it was a place that she felt comfortable in, since she knew what was expected of her.

In the beginning, Mami was the easiest to get along with. She had a tendency to be a bit controlling at times, but it was truly nice talking to her, and they were instantly bonded in a sense over their similar fighting styles as long-range fighters. Mami taught Homura a few things too, like how to approach other students at school, how to manage an emotionally stable lifestyle, along with the "basic" necessities of cooking supposedly needed to live on her own. It was because Mami was welcoming and provided a sense of security in an unstable time period that Homura learned to feel comfortable around her.

With Kyouko, it was a bit harder. Mainly in the sense that she was everything that Homura wasn't. Even though they were about the same age, there was an obvious barrier between them. Half of the time, Kyouko's comments went straight over Homura's head which was disconcerting to her. They just seemed so different at first, with Kyouko's incredibly short attention span, loads of energy, and aggressive and loud nature. Homura was the type of person that preferred sitting back and observing in comfort, rather than diving headfirst into a fray. Even when Kyouko wasn't talking, Homura was reminded of a quiet sense of rebellion continuously smoldering underneath the surface, which proved to be slightly intimidating at times.

But despite all of the yelling and her brash nature, Kyouko was also easygoing and nice at times, which reminded Homura a little of the simplicity of the childhood friend archetype. At least, easygoing enough with ridiculous jokes and statements that somehow seemed to make conversation natural. Now, her effervescent nature is almost endearing to Homura. And her quiet strength underneath her flashy movements, along with her strong gaze was something that belied her supposed immaturity.

Kyouko was also open in a way that spoke of confidence and slight arrogance, sure of the role and reputation that she'd built up and carved for herself. Homura couldn't help but admire her and feel slightly envious for that.

It was definitely not the most expected friendship, but they learned to work together. And they worked well, with Kyouko finding amusement by turning Homura's careless actions and words into jokes. It was a bit unsettling at first, but Homura had learned to grow into that too.

"You need to learn how to fit into our group," Kyouko had once bluntly said to Homura. "I remember it wasn't the easiest thing for me either, so I think I know what you're feeling."

"Well, at least I'm confident in my ability to listen," Homura replied, a bit slowly and quizzically because she wasn't sure if Kyouko was trying to comfort her or not.

"You don't have to be so wary around me and Mami, is what I'm trying to say." Kyouko reiterated, which Homura took to heart because she knew that even though Kyouko could be ruthless with her anger, she could also be comforting with her keen awareness.

"It's hard to trust someone you didn't really know until a week ago, and I get that. Especially since we're magical girls, and we're supposed to hate each other. But believe me, Mami and I aren't assholes. Well, usually I'm not," Kyouko grinned, as if to scatter some of the awkwardness surrounding Homura. "-but it's been nice having you, y'know. You're frickin' mysterious as hell, of course. But somehow, you work pretty well with us."

Homura didn't really know how to respond, still caught somewhere between gratitude and uneasiness, but she slowly nodded at the interior of Mami's apartment as if it was almost too profound of an answer to be conveyed in words. Soon afterwards, Mami came in with a smile, leaving Homura confused, yet oddly content.

A knock at the door pulled Homura from her sleep and out of her memories. Slightly startled, she reluctantly pulled aside the warm blanket and rubbed her tired eyes.

"Hello?" Homura called out, but her voice sounded hoarse and came out as more of a questioning grunt. A moment of silence followed, before she heard the door slowly creak open.

"Homura?" Kyouko's voice sounded hesitant to Homura's ears. It was strange to hear such a cautious tone coming from the normally confident redhead, and it sounded almost foreign to Homura's ears.

"Hmm?" Homura propped herself up at the sound of Kyouko's voice. No doubt she looked incredibly out of it after about an hour of fitful sleep, but if Kyouko noticed, she didn't mention it.

"I was thinking about making some hot chocolate to warm us up. You want some?" Kyouko offered in another uncharacteristic gesture. Homura wasn't the biggest fan of sweets, but the way Kyouko sounded so hesitant about offering it to her made her feel obligated to accept. So, she did.

"I wouldn't mind, I suppose." Homura said as she tried to roll out of bed and stand up, shakily regaining her balance. A sudden throb in her head made her wonder if getting up was a bad idea, until Kyouko's lips formed into an innocently cheerful grin.

"Come downstairs, then. You can wait in the living room while I'm making it."

Homura nodded gratefully, and followed Kyouko out of the room.

With Kyouko insisting that she could take care of everything in the kitchen, Homura was left to her own devices in the living room, sitting on the couch with nothing better to do than watch reruns of old programs on the television. Luckily, the faint ringing of her cell phone broke the silence as Homura picked up.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Akemi-san?" A distinct female voice greeted her, and Homura felt a wave of comfort wash over her as Mami continued. "I heard about your problem, the one about your ride home getting cancelled. That's just too bad. I really wanted to get back to you and pick you up, but all roads between Mitakihara City and Kazamino have been blocked off by the snowstorm. I was really hoping to have you over for Christmas..."

"I know." Homura nodded, her heart dropping slightly at Mami's concern. "Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it'll be clearing up anytime soon. Don't worry about it."

"I hope you've found a place to stay. I couldn't contact any of the nearby hotels, but if you need to borrow any money, then-"

"You don't need to worry about that," Homura quickly interrupted. "Kyouko is letting me stay with her."

Mami paused for a brief second, as if trying to digest Homura's words. "Oh, is she?" The voice had a mixture of surprise and delight. Homura could relate to the surprise, but it was the delighted part that she wasn't sure she particularly liked. "That's wonderful!" Mami's voice gushed over the phone.

Homura nodded, even though she knew Mami wouldn't be able to see her. "It appears that I'll be staying with her until the snowstorm clears up."

"You two won't spend all holiday fighting, won't you?" Mami added with a more solemn, motherly tone.

"No..." Homura trailed off when she heard Mami sigh knowingly.

"Will you call again?" Mami pressed.

"I'll try." Homura replied, making a mental note to actively try to remember. Mami was known to easily get lonely, after all.

"I guess that's something..." Mami trailed off, and Homura wondered if she should try to think of something else to say to prolong the conversation. Or if she should hand the phone over to Kyouko, in the hopes that hearing the redhead's voice would brighten Mami's spirits. "Well, I hope to talk to you later, Akemi-san."

"Mmm, okay. Goodbye." Homura hung up the phone and let out a relieved sigh. Now that Mami understood the situation, everything had been taken care of. All that was left was to wait out the snowstorm.

In a few minutes, Kyouko entered the living room. Homura looked at her, before lowering her gaze from Kyouko's face to her arms laden with a tray holding two steaming mugs and a dish of what looked like apple pie. Kyouko set the tray on the coffee table.

Homura reached for a slice and took a bite as Kyouko sat down next to her, snuggling deeper into the kotatsu. "I thought you were just making hot chocolate," Homura pointed out after swallowing a mouthful of the pie, which she realized was tremendously delicious.

Kyouko shrugged and licked her lips before replying. "A hot drink is fine on its own, but there's nothing wrong with eating a snack too, right?"

"Didn't you just eat dinner?"

"Yeah, but you didn't." Kyouko gave Homura a strange look as she munched on her own slice of apple pie. "Aren't you hungry?"

"Yes, but..."

"But what?" Kyouko's gaze pined to know the reason behind Homura's hesitation.

"If I said 'yes', that would just give you a reason to eat more. You'd just finish everything on your own." Homura finished, looking at Kyouko's now empty plate to prove her point. "Hence, no food for me either way."

Kyouko unapologetically laughed. "I can't argue with that," she grinned at Homura, winking.

The coy gleam in Kyouko's eyes made Homura subconsciously stop chewing. As they fought together over the past several months, Homura would sometimes catch herself looking in Kyouko's direction. It had been with a sense of silent amazement at first, admiring Kyouko's daring and physical strength as she recklessly charged forwards. Sometimes, Homura wished she could have that strength and fearlessness. So Homura began to revel in the days where they could fight together. They never really talked, but it didn't matter. Just being together, spending time together in companionable silence was enough.

Even now, these simple conversations were something she could get used to. It wasn't an expected friendship, but they actually got along fairly well, what with Kyouko's mischievousness and brashness and Homura's demureness and calmness. Homura knew that she had been lonely for a long time, fighting in this world without Madoka. Having Kyouko nearby made it easier to get out of bed each morning and embrace the new day. Kyouko's presence was reassuring, like the smoldering embers of a crackling fireplace in the middle of winter.

Homura didn't really know what to make of Kyouko after all these months, but one thing she knew for sure was that sometimes, Kyouko was still as inscrutable as when they had first met. Sometimes Homura thought she saw Kyouko staring at her, like she didn't know what to make of her. But whenever Homura swiveled to look, all she got was a view of a crimson ponytail.

"So you're that type of person, huh?" Homura remembered Kyouko commenting one time after finishing off a demon together.

"I'm what type of person?" Homura had responded, confused.

"Someone who just likes to sit back and observe everything..." Kyouko trailed off, not bothering to offer an explanation to her sudden comment. "It just makes me wonder, aren't you ever lonely?"

"..." Lacking the words to reply, Homura had just delved into silence.

Neither of them had brought up the conversation afterwards, but those words ended running through Homura's mind more than a few times over the months. What exactly had Kyouko meant by that?

"Are you usually this deep in thought, or are you really just trying to play up your whole 'brooding-girl' personality to me?" Kyouko's tone was heavy with amusement as she broke through Homura's idle musings.

"What?" Homura felt herself choke out, and Kyouko smirked. It was the slightest suggestion of her lips curling, not quite a smile, but definitely amused, that made something stir in Homura's heart and bring heat to her cheeks. Homura just tried to ignore it in lieu of maintaining her composure.

"I asked you if you were going to finish your hot chocolate, but I guess you didn't hear me." Kyouko slowly explained.

"Ah, sorry." Homura muttered, grabbing the mug closest to her and taking refuge in the sweet aroma of the beverage inside. It also gave her an excuse not to make eye-contact with Kyouko anymore.

When Homura took a slow sip of the hot chocolate, savoring the rich taste, she almost missed the expectant look Kyouko gave her. Homura quickly took another sip to which Kyouko chuckled at.

"So, do you like it?" Kyouko eagerly asked as Homura nodded.

"Mmm... what did you put in it?" Homura asked as a quizzical look took over her expression.

"It's a secret," Kyouko coyly whispered, much to her own amusement when Homura's face fell.

Aware that she wasn't going to get an answer to her question, Homura looked around the living room again and recognized a small pine tree sitting in the corner, wondering why she hadn't noticed it earlier. "Do you celebrate Christmas?" she asked, pointing to the tree as Kyouko's gaze followed.

Kyouko slowly nodded, as a warm expression stole over her features. "Yeah, I guess. Well, I don't usually put up a tree though. Not since..."

"Since what?"

"Since what happened to my family." Kyouko replied, noticeably softer than before.

Homura mentally kicked herself. "Oh... I'm sorry."

Instead of dwelling upon it however, Kyouko graciously continued the conversation: "It's not like it was your fault, so don't be. It'd make me feel even worse."

Homura fell silent, trying to come up with the right words to provide a sense of comfort to the redhead. "...do you want to decorate it?" she finally suggested.

Much to Homura's surprise, Kyouko laughed. "Um, sure I guess," she answered with a cheeky grin.

So for the next half an hour, the two girls pulled out boxes of decorations and began tying paper snowflakes and blinking lights around the Christmas tree. It was more tiring work than either of them expected, but once Kyouko helped lift Homura to put on the star at the top, they both took a step back to appreciate their work. Afterwards, both girls smiled at each other and shared a somewhat awkward high-five, mostly because Homura had never participated in that gesture before, but Kyouko was gracious in teaching her how to.

"Do you ever get homesick?" Kyouko asked a moment later they settled back into the kotatsu, and Homura blinked at the sudden change in topic.

"Do I ever get homesick?" Homura repeated as Kyouko nodded.

"I mean, with your mysterious act, you seem like someone that wanders around a lot from town to town, not really letting herself get attached to anything in particular. Except... her, of course." Kyouko sympathetically added. "But I figure you've gotta miss something, don't you? I'm just wondering since you've seemed a bit on edge ever since you came to Kazamino."

Homura inclined her head to look at the curious redhead. "I do miss my family, and Madoka..." she trailed off, taking in Kyouko's attentive expression. Only now did she appreciate how nice it was to have someone that was willing to listen to her. This wasn't the Kyouko that cracked wise jokes when it was the three of them, including Mami. It was almost a different side of her, one that's more mellow and sympathetic to Homura's needs. Homura looked down at her lap, wondering if it would be right to say 'thank you' in this odd situation.

Being with Kyouko was like venturing off into some uncharted territory, and Homura wasn't sure where deepening their relationship would take either of them. It was partly nerve-racking and exhilarating at the same time. But only being with Kyouko did Homura also ever feel at peace these recent months.

"Homura?" Kyouko gently prodded, and Homura looked up from her lap. As Kyouko's brilliantly red gaze held her in a daze, she swallowed down some of the worry that Kyouko would laugh at what she was about to say. Even though she liked to make jokes, Homura got the feeling that she knew when to be more aware of other people's feelings, over the course of their time together.

"I do miss some people," Homura continued. "-and I miss Mitakihara City, but I live alone so it isn't like I have anyone waiting to greet me at the door when I eventually get back."

"I see." Kyouko let out a sigh, blowing up at her bangs. "I mean, Christmas is the time of the year you should be at home with your family."

"I don't really have a home..."

Kyouko grinned. "Then you're perfectly allowed to crash with me, as long as it's to your liking. Like I said, it's better that we're alone together."

"Mmm..." Homura made a slightly content sound, feeling her cheeks flush from the warmth. "I suppose..."

"Do you?" Kyouko asked with a heavily implied 'tell me more about what you're thinking', and Homura bit her lip before she decided against her better judgement. There was no reason not to tell Kyouko, and she already knew part of it anyways. Homura took a deep breath, and then exhaled as her shoulders rose and fell.

"Like you said before, it's nice sharing someone else's company, especially during the holidays..."

Kyouko's eyes lit up with an "aha!", and the heartfelt grin she wore made Homura almost blush again. "So you do have a sweet side to you, Homura-chan!"

"Oh, stop it." Homura brushed a laughing Kyouko away, trying her best to ignore the teasing remarks. "What about you? I thought you were someone that liked being on their own."

"Me?" Kyouko asked as Homura nodded. "Hmm..."

Homura watched as Kyouko leaned back with a contemplative expression, and she got the feeling that she was in for a story.

"Well, before I came back to Mitakihara City and before I fought alone, it was me and Mami. We were a nice team, but unfortunately that didn't last long. When I was alone, it was just enough to get by, y'know? I thought I could handle myself, and I was better off relying on my own strength. But deep down... I kind of always knew that I missed those times. I didn't understand it back then, but after coming back here and meeting you, I eventually got it. It's better being together, isn't it? When the whole world is crumbling down, it's always nice to have someone by your side."

Here, Kyouko quietly finished by resting her head against Homura's neck. "...so could you do me a favor and let me stay like this for a bit? It's pretty warm here, and I don't feel like moving anyways..."

Homura pretended to muse it over, before eventually sighing. "Luckily for you, I'm not in the mood to say otherwise," she said, sitting still as she felt Kyouko tracing curious circles on her collarbone with her finger. Up close, Homura could feel the warm breathing of the redhead and her gentle movements tickling her skin. Maybe it was the warmth of the kotatsu or the hot chocolate clouding her better judgement, but Homura didn't think about moving from her position, instead cuddling closer to Kyouko who sighed happily in response.

"So, what about you?" Kyouko asked and Homura frowned at her question.

"What about me?" Homura shifted in her confusion, but Kyouko didn't seem to mind.

"Don't you have a story to tell me about your past?" Kyouko elaborated from somewhere beside Homura. Realizing that she hadn't touched the food in a while, Kyouko reached up and began to gobble down another slice of apple pie.

"Oh," Homura cleared her throat and ignored the uncomfortable feeling of having Kyouko's undivided attention, feeling her stare burning into the side of her cheek. "Well, you know most of my past from what I've already told you countless times. After all of those timelines, I just assumed that I was better off being alone. I wasn't sure how to approach people... including you and Tomoe-san. It's not that I didn't want to let myself grow attached to other people - I consider you two irreplaceable friends. It's just... I've never really been part of a friendship like you and Tomoe-san have in the past. It made me feel... I don't know."

Unable to find the words to express herself, Homura fell silent, but the look in Kyouko's eyes told her that she understood what she was saying. Another smirk from the redhead reinforced that notion, and then:

"I see."

"Wanna watch a movie?" Kyouko quickly changed the topic again, but this time Homura was quick to recover.

"Sure."

Kyouko got off the couch and headed over to the television. She snatched a remote and powered it on, before heading back over to Homura and flopping down next to her.

"Any preferences?" Kyouko asked as she started browsing through various titles, and Homura shrugged.

"Anything's fine..."

They eventually settled upon something not related to the season at all. Kyouko picked a B-rated sci-fi action movie that took place in a desert world, to which Homura raised an eyebrow, but didn't voice any objections. They were about halfway through the opening credits when Kyouko suddenly paused the movie.

"Kyouko?" Homura asked as Kyouko stood up.

"If we're gonna watch a movie, we should have snacks, right?" Kyouko replied in lieu of directly answering. Homura's response was a blank look of confusion.

"But we still have the apple pie you brought over..." Homura trailed off when she noticed the smirk on Kyouko's face, and waited for the redhead to explain.

"Yeah, we still do. But between you and me, how long do you think it's really gonna last?" Kyouko asked with a well punctuated smirk.

"Because you're involved, probably not long," Homura answered.

Kyouko laughed, but she headed over to the kitchen without a word. She came back with a bag of popcorn, chips, and soda. And while Homura wasn't sure that those were the healthiest of snacks, she didn't have any qualms about digging right into the food so freely offered.

"Happy holidays," Kyouko raised a can of soda towards Homura, who reciprocated the gesture.

"Happy holidays," Homura agreed. "Here's to us, being alone together."

Kyouko's response was a smirk, but Homura felt the redhead's curious gaze linger on her for a short while before refocusing back towards the TV screen.

It was nearing midnight when the movie abruptly ended, and Homura suddenly noticed that she was the only one awake. She turned her head to see Kyouko fast asleep and snoring lightly beside her. The credits rolled by on the television screen, but it wasn't as if Homura had really been paying any attention to the movie anyways.

It awed Homura to see the usually loud-mouthed girl sleeping so defenselessly next to her. The entire time, she had felt somewhat flustered and uncomfortable being in Kyouko's presence, but now that she was asleep, it was almost like it was seeing a different side to this girl.

What really caught Homura's attention was the long, magma-red spiraling of her ponytail down her shoulders and her dark lashes curving against Homura's own cheeks. She was mesmerized by the rise and fall of a chest on a body that seemed so small compared to the one that fearlessly battled demons. Homura couldn't look away from reddish lips, slightly parted, and red bangs in their usual disarray.

Talking with Kyouko all day today had been the perfect opportunity to capture every little detail of her expressions and quirks, especially that trademark smirk that appeared on her lips whenever she caught Homura staring. They had been partners for almost an entire year, so why was Homura just noticing these things now?

Homura wasn't the most poetic of people, but she was pretty good with words, at least in her mind. And yet, Kyouko managed to leave her tongue-tied whenever she tried to think of something to describe her. From what Homura had seen before being invited, Kyouko was a strange mix of brash loudmouth and fearless fighter. This subtler side of Kyouko, the one who spoke softly to Homura, made her hot chocolate, talked things through, and watched movies together until they fell asleep side-by-side was a completely new experience.

Her mind awhirl with thoughts, Homura was interrupted from her musings when she felt something fall onto her shoulder. When she turned to look, she found Kyouko lightly pressed against her, still slightly snoring and chest heaving with the gentle rhythm of sleep.

Time to get her to bed, was all Homura could think.

Knowing full well that she lacked the raw strength to carry her upstairs, Homura settled upon propping Kyouko against the sofa. Careful so as to not wake her, Homura placed an arm under Kyouko's back and lowered her onto a sofa cushion, placing the warm blanket of the kotatsu over her legs. The whole time, Homura tried to ignore the warmth of the other girl's body in her arms and how her measured breathing began to lull her into a sort of calm that she'd rarely associate with such a chaotic personality.

As Homura helped Kyouko settle into a more comfortable position, an inexplicably fond feeling seized Homura as she draped the blanket over the slumbering girl. The mess left over from their movie was more than she was used to cleaning up, but it was the least she could do for Kyouko, who freely gave her a place to stay. Homura cleared everything from the table and dumped the trash in the garbage bin. After soaking the plates in water, she lined them in the dishwasher, taking out all of the other items left in there from the previous wash, slightly surprised at how neat Kyouko could sometimes be. She took all of the utensils, bowls, and cups and stacked them in their respective positions in the cupboards. Once everything was done, she placed her hands on the edge of the sink and hung her head with a tired sigh. Checking the clock revealed that it was almost one in the morning.

Then, just as slow and careful as before, Homura exited the living room and headed for the stairs. She gave the sleeping girl in the living room one more look, and just as she was about to continue up the stairs, she let out an exasperated sigh.

Oh, for Christ's sake-

Hazily wondering whether or not it was possible to catch a cold if you slept underneath a kotatsu, Homura pulled back the covers to let herself in and gently leaned against Kyouko. For someone with such a small body like herself, it wasn't likely that she possessed the body heat to truly make a difference and warm someone else up. But it was a reassurance for her if nothing else.

She settled herself into a comfortable position alongside the curves of Kyouko's body, or at least a position that felt somewhat comfortable in her tired state. She was about to drift off to sleep when some unbidden thoughts came flashing back into her mind, namely about Kyouko and the fact that she was sleeping right next to her, and that they'd be alone together for the next few days, if not longer.

"Get ahold of yourself, Akemi Homura," she hissed, folding her arms across her body.

After some turning and tossing, she eventually fell into a deep slumber. Her last thoughts were about the deep redness of Kyouko's ruby eyes, and those thoughts eventually followed her into her dreams...

A/N: The final chapter should be out within a week. If you'd like it sooner, feel free to barrage "XP Flipside" with some messages telling him to put away the video games and stop being such a lazy sod and finish his parts.