Side Story: December's Bride

Helena welcomed the snow, dancing in drifts, into her waiting palms gladly. Winter in the Imperial Capital never ceased to amaze her, and she often found herself lost in the moment as the rare snow started to fall—when blanketed in white, everything in the city seemed dream-like, brief as it may be.

It's almost sad that they would only last a few days before dissipating, but this transitory nature made them beautiful. That was how people in the Empire perceived them—a way of thinking she came to embrace.

Helena glanced at the man beside her, who was holding an umbrella over their head as they waited for the chance to cross the road. He was watching a group of men dressed as Santa Claus making rounds around Ginza, but she knew he had just stolen another glance at her moments before, and his distant gaze told her his mind was most likely elsewhere.

"Is something wrong…Kido-san?" she finally voiced her curiosity.

Kido cleared his throat as his reverie was brought to a sudden end.

"Have I told you that coat looks good on you?"

"You have. Quite a lot, in fact," Helena let out a small laugh. Now that she thought about it, St. Louis was right when she said the all-white, flannel coat—her early Christmas present—would surely swoon him. It also feels more appropriate for the occasion, even though she usually favors blue and something less extravagant.

"…I guess you are right…Anyway," Kido changed the subject, "think we missed anything for the Christmas party?"

Helena thought for a while—for some time now, she had been learning to keep lists memorized so she wouldn't need to write them down—and shook her head.

"I think we have all of them," she answered. Most of the ingredients for the dishes she's planning to make with Hiei had been bought days before, and all that's left are the decorations and the wine. Kido had insisted on buying them at Wako, which is why they were there in Ginza right now.

"Oh, that's great. Why don't we take a little stroll before we get back?" Kido suggested just as the crossroad cleared enough for them to get to the other side.

The night had just begun, and the streets were starting to light up. Helena didn't say no.

***

"…Now that I think about it, we might need some flowers. You know, to spruce up the decorations," Helena remarked as they passed a flower shop in a corner.

"Okay, let's stop by," Kido replied and led her inside.

Within moments, they were already walking the streets again. Helena held the bouquet of mostly blue flowers in her hand as carefully as possible; it was bigger than she thought, and she wondered if she had picked too much.

They walked until they passed a deserted, ruined church, one victim of the war, waiting for its fate to be decided. Seeing the building, Kido stopped walking.

"…Oh, is something the matter, Kido-san?" he heard Helena asking and turned to her.

"…People in your country would get married in buildings like this, right?

"Yes, usually."

"And they would often wear a white dress, right?"

"Yes, it's the most common color for wedding dresses there…"

"And carry a bouquet of flowers too…"

"Well, yes. Um, why are you asking all these questions, Kido-san?"

"…When I think about it, you do look like a bride right now."

Slightly flustered, Helena examined herself—her attire and the bouquet she had in hand. Perhaps he isn't entirely wrong after all, she thought.

"Kido-san, if I'm a bride, then I would like to hear the wedding promise from the groom," she said, suppressing a giggle.

"…Uh…Well, I don't know what they'd usually say, but know this," Kido paused, his previously jovial expression turned solemn, "I said this before, and now it still sounds lame, probably. Still, I will say it again and many times after that—everything you have gone through, I won't let it happen to you again. Nobody's going to hurt you anymore."

He noticed her smile had become serene as she gazed at the church.

"Your words are always reassuring, Kido-san, and I couldn't think of asking for anything else. Now," Helena turned to look at Kido, who smiled back, "it's only fair that the bride makes a promise to the groom as well. So, for you who have waited for me…I will always be there for you, no matter what. You will never be alone, Kido-san."

Without a word but with the broadest grin he ever had that day, Kido took Helena's free hand in his; though he didn't say anything, she could see that he was grateful for how he held her hand.

Hand in hand, the two soon disappeared into the corner of the street amidst the falling snow.