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Holiday Special 2004: A Christmas Story
There was a fire burning brightly in the small grate, but for all its merry crackling, it could do nothing to lighten the mood of the room and its sole occupant. It was the only source of illumination for the room, aside from a puddle of moonlight seeping through the glass to illuminate the floor under the window. There was little in the room to shed light upon anyway, a few scattered pieces of furniture and the quiet form of one person. He sat sprawled on the ground in front of the fire, slumped against the base of an armchair with several empty bottles surrounding him. One bottle still half-empty was clutched in one of his hands as he watched the flames dance and cast flickering shadows, occasionally bringing the bottle up to his lips to take sloppy sips from it. The burning of the fire was the only sound in the room until it was joined by the muffled steps of someone's approaching boots on the carpeted floor. Picking his way around the furniture and debris to the front of the room near the fire, the newcomer lightly kicked away some of the bottles and took a seat next to his companion.
"It's almost Christmas, you know..." Zw�lf uttered after Tomm had sat down, rolling his head to one side so he could see the vampire.
"Yeah?" Tomm picked up one of the bottles and studied the label. Cheap alcohol. Strong, but almost without any flavor whatsoever. He let the bottle roll away from his fingertips.
"I
hate Christmas..." The statement was spat so ferociously from drunken lips that it caused Tomm to turn his head and look at his friend in surprise.
"Why is that?" he asked, watching the half-breed take a long pull from the bottle before he dropped it back to his side.
"Because the people celebrating it don't remember
why... They're too busy trying to get the best prices on the biggest things to remember... They've forgotten that this is supposed to be the birthday of their savior, and they've turned it into nothing but a big media hype!" Voice rising in anger, Zw�lf pitched the now mostly empty bottle at the fire, his drunken aim causing it to shatter a few feet above the grate. The remains of the alcohol dripped down into the hearth, where they were consumed by greedy flames.
"And the worst part of it is, he
died for them... Sacrificed himself to purge their sins, and everything turned out to be in vain..." Zw�lf's anger had faded, replaced by a sad, hollow tone. Tomm watched as the last drops of alcohol were consumed by the fire, throwing both light and shadow onto his companion's pained features.
"Not everything was in vain... He changed the lives of many people, got them to believe and to hope... Made them look for the good things in life and learn to help others..." Tomm trailed off, eyes plastered to the intoxicating flicker of the fire.
"Fat lot of good
that did... People forgot what he taught them just as easily as they forgot him... The world still has murder and theft and rape... And things like us, too... Monsters that don't belong on this
earth of God," Zw�lf spat, groping for another bottle, but finding only empty ones. Regretting his rash actions from earlier, he slumped lower against the chair in a huff.
"...Have you been hanging out with Drei again? Not all people are as bad as you make them out to be. There are some who remember what this holiday is for, and what was taught so long ago... Besides, it's not until around Easter that he actually dies, Christmas is celebrated for his
birth, not his
death. You're a few months off if you're mourning for him this soon," Tomm said, finally pulling his eyes away from the flames to look at his friend.
Zw�lf laughed. It was a broken, drunk guffaw, but a laugh nonetheless. Leaning over closer to his partner, he let his head drop down to rest on Tomm's chest, supporting his shoulders and torso on the other immortal.
"I guess you're right..." He grinned sloppily and watched the fire glow. Unsure of what to do, Tomm shifted slightly, hesitating a moment before awkwardly wrapping one arm around the other's waist to offer more support. The two sat like this, watching the flames until they were nothing more than smoldering ash.
When the last flickering ember died down into a glowing coal, Tomm glanced down at his companion, only to find him asleep. Zw�lf's breathing had stilled to a quiet, rhythmic intake and exhalation of breath from slightly parted lips, and he was limp and relaxed at the side of the other. His eyes were closed and his expression for once was calm and peaceful, though his cheeks were still tinted the slightest pink from the alcohol. Tomm sighed, shifted their positions again so both would be more comfortable, and tightened his grip on the other, pulling him closer. He let his head drop down until it rested on top of Zw�lf's own, his chin cushioned on red-brown hair as he watched the coals cool one by one.
"Merry Christmas, Zw�lf..." Tomm whispered and, as the last glowing ember finally extinguished to cast the room into darkness, closed his eyes as well.
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