Read Or Die Fan Fiction ❯ ROD: Last Christmas ❯ One-Shot

Introduction: This story is set shortly after end of the Read or Die OVA and TV series, and therefore may contain some spoilers for that series. If you do not want to know how the series ends I recommend skipping over this story. Also, there is a shoujoai or girl/girl romance, so if that offends you do not read further.

Read or Die: Last Christmas

Nenene Sumiregawa smiled slightly as she walked up to the familiar square building, using her key to open the front door and let herself in. The light brown haired woman went inside, breathing deep the scent of books and shook her head, carefully inching past piles of books in the hallway over to the book lined stairway.

"Sensei," Nenene yelled as she walked, adjusting the canvas shoulder bag she was carrying, "I'm coming up." As Nenene reached the top of the stairs she could hear Christmas music playing, frowning as she recognized the song.

"Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave it away,

"This year, to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special."

Yomiko Readman sat on the bed in between piles of books and magazines, clothes rumpled from sleeping in them as she eagerly read away. With her glasses perched on the end of her nose and long black hair slightly messed up she looked absolutely adorable, or at least she did to Nenene.

"Sensei," Yomiko looked up, cheeks red from happiness, "you've got to read this!"

Nenene had to smile at that, carefully navigating through all the piles of books that littered the floor and covered up almost every available piece of furniture. "I'm glad you like it," Nenene said as she cleared some books and sat down on the bed beside Yomiko, "I tried to keep up with the sort of books you'd like while you were done."

Nenene looked over at Yomiko and felt that surge of joy at seeing her once again. For over five years Yomiko had been on the run, fleeing her former allies at the Library with the clone of Nancy. Leaving Nenene without a word Yomiko had plunged the other woman into despair, only the hope that they could someday be reunited keeping her going.

"You don't have to call me Sensei," Nenene hesitated before adding, "Yomiko."

The blush that lit up Yomiko's cheeks was charming, the other woman setting her book down carefully. Taking a breath Yomiko answered, "Thank you, Sumiregawa-san."

"Nenene," she reminded her and Yomiko repeated it, blushing cutely all the while.

Yomiko held the book close to her heart, looking around at the books all around the room as she said, "You've done so much, I don't know what to say..."

Nenene felt herself blush, pushing up her own glasses nervously. "It wasn't so much," she answered, swiftly changing the subject with, "How is it, being a member of the new Paper Sisters detective agency?"

"I like it, and they even brought Drake-san in, too," Yomiko beamed, "we've been very busy with book retrievals, now that the Library and Literary Mystics are both gone." She blinked, "Oh, that reminds me..." Yomiko nearly fell off the bed as she rummaged beside the bed, coming up with several presents that she passed over to Nenene, "Here."

Nenene smiled wryly as she recognized the names of the paper sisters and quickly unwrapped them. Both Michelle and Maggie had given her books, of course, while Anita had sent her a plush chibi-frog. Drake, surprisingly, had sent a lovely hand thrown clay bowl.

"Not what I would have expected," Nenene mused, thinking to her occasional meetings with the tough, blonde haired man.

"Drake made it himself," Yomiko confided cheerfully, "though I don't think he wants the others to know he does something like that."

Nenene chuckled softly at that. "And how's Junior?" she asked curiously, carefully watching for Yomiko's reaction. Engineered from the clone of Nancy, the girl that Yomiko once loved, Junior was a reminder of the past that Nenene would much prefer stay buried.

Yomiko just smiled cheerfully as she related, "Michelle is taking care of him, that and Anita is keeping an eye on him."

Sighing a bit in relief Nenene added, "Are Anita and Junior...."

"No," Yomiko shook her head vigorously as she continued, "actually, I think Anita is closer to her friend Hisami."

Nenene smiled, thinking of the cute little girl who had accompanied Anita home one night. Hisami had quite a crush on Anita, though the spunky redhead had seemed to be pretty much unaware of her best friend's feelings. "I like Hisami," Nenene admitted, "so I'm glad."

"I got a postcard from Nancy," Yomiko said and Nenene felt herself tense.

Nancy Mukahari had been paired with Yomiko on the Ijin investigation, the two developing a close relationship that might have been growing into love. When Nancy had been revealed as an Ijin agent Yomiko had been heartbroken, her grief only deepening when Nancy sacrificed herself to defeat the Ijin along with her evil clone. Her memory gone Nancy's clone had been held by the library, her DNA used to make Junior. Yomiko had helped save the young woman from the Library, going on the run with Nancy for over five years.

"How is she?" Nenene kept her voice level.

"She's not coming back," Yomiko said softly, "Nancy's settled in England, apparently, found a job and everything...."

Nenene wanted to jump for joy but she firmly restrained that reaction, respecting Yomiko's feelings. "I'm sorry," she said awkwardly.

Yomiko looked up to Nenene and smiled, "No, I think I'm happy for her." A breath, "I know that she's not the Nancy I knew, and I can't keep holding onto the past forever."

Nenene looked down at her hands, then hesitantly reached out to take Yomiko's hand, squeezing it gently. Yomiko squeezed back as they sat there in silence for a moment, both listening to the Christmas carols still playing on the radio.

"I wanted to bring your gift over early," Nenene set her bag down and reached inside, handing over a neatly wrapped flat package to Yomiko.

"Oh!" Yomiko quickly pulled the wrapping away, her eyes widening happily as she saw the novel that lay within. She beamed as she saw Nenene's name as author, turning it over wonderingly. "I haven't seen this one," she murmured.

"Proof copy," Nenene answered, feeling warmed by Yomiko's reaction in a way she had missed for so long, "you're one of the first people to read it."

"Thank you!" Yomiko startled Nenene by throwing her arms around her in a hug, accidentally knocking them both right over.

"Hey!" Nenene laughed, looking up into the sparkling eyes staring down at her. Then they clouded suddenly and Nenene worriedly asked, "What's wrong?"

"I didn't even get you a gift," Yomiko confessed tearfully, "how could I be so forgetful..."

Nenene reached up, laying her finger on Yomiko's lips as she quietly said, "You've already given me the best gift I've gotten this year."

Yomiko looked confused, "What?"

"Having you back, Yomiko," Nenene said softly, dead serious, "having you back in my life has made me happier than I've ever been."

"Nenene," Yomiko smiled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Carefully she reached up, wiping those eyes with the back of a finger. Nenene smiled slightly, "Do you remember when we first met?"

Yomiko sighed softly as Nenene cupped her blushing cheek, the young woman's hand resting there gently. "Yes," she answered, "you were writing away so passionately, I was in awe."

"I wanted to write a kiss," Nenene gently pulled Yomiko down, "but I hadn't been kissed before, didn't know what it felt like..."

"Then you kissed me," Yomiko smiled, her breath coming a bit faster.

"You were my first kiss," Nenene murmured, "and I've always wanted to do it again."

With that Nenene closed the distance, pressing her lips to Yomiko's. She slid her arms around the other woman, feeling Yomiko pressing close, both of them clearly enjoying the kiss. They were breathless as they finally separated, snuggled close on the bed.

"I'm too old for you," Yomiko finally murmured, "there are a thousand reasons why we shouldn't do this...."

"I'm a writer, I'm sure I can come up with a thousand and one why we should," Nenene answered, holding on to Yomiko, "but there's only one reason that matters."

"What's that?" Yomiko asked.

"I love you," Nenene answered, kissing Yomiko again.

Yomiko returned that kiss eagerly, shivering under Nenene's gentle but surprisingly knowing touch. "I love you, too," she said happily.

Authors Notes: Thanks go out to the members of the Read or Dare yahoo group, who offered various suggestions for the Christmas gifts. ^_^ The Sisters restarting their detective agency seemed like a reasonable idea, considering, and bringing in Yomiko as a partner would be pretty smart. And before anyone asks, I have no plans to do a 'New Paper Sisters' series, though this can be thought of as a sequel of my "Read or Die or maybe to Dream" fanfiction.