..:Hey all! This is Kanata again with a Christmas Treat for all:...

..:Dedication: This is one-shot is a Christmas Present to Miyu and a Birthday Present for Kanata. And also a Christmas Present to all of my readers. I really appreciate your support and I hope to continue with greater spirit... Thank you all:...

Merry Christmas To All...

Now, for the story...

The Christmas Blackout

By

Kanata Saionji

'Why should we host the Christmas Party, again?' asked a very disgruntled brunet while sticking lights around a massive Christmas Tree outside a battered looking Temple situated up a hill.

He got down the small stool he was standing on to decorate the Tree and getting down, glared at the blonde who was still thinking of the perfect answer to shut him up while trying to make Christmas Balls stand on the Tree. When he didn't get a reply, the auburn eyed teenager was more ticked than ever.

'Why, Miyu…? Why…?' he asked dramatically, 'I'm the son of a Buddhist Priest and you want to host a Christmas Party in a Buddhist Temple…? and don't even get me started on Ruu and Wanya… What about them…?'

The blonde glared daggers at him and said, her temper flaring up, 'how could you say that? They pushed it right onto me! Anyway, it's your birthday as well… so they wanted a Christmas-cum-birthday party… how was I to say no to all those girls in class…?'

'Right…' he said dropping the lights which were around his neck on the ground, frowning, 'you got us into this mess… you can take care by yourself then…! I'm taking no part in this… call me when everything is over…!'

'What…?' exclaimed Miyu but the brunet was already well away and into the house. 'That idiot, Kanata!' she muttered as she took the lights which he had dropped on the snow.

'Daa!' came a gurgle from behind Miyu.

Miyu turned with a cheerful smile to see Ruu, the alien baby from Planet Otto, flying towards her from where Kanata disappeared. Closely following him with a platter of cookies and milk was Ruu's sitter pet, Wanya.

'Master Ruu… Wait for me…' cried Wanya as Ruu flew right into Miyu's outstretched arms. He snuggled into her neck and gurgled some more. Miyu smiled at the blond baby.

'Milk and Cookies, Miss Miyu?' asked Wanya, breathing heavily. Ruu let go of Miyu and Miyu accepted them with a smile and as she took one sip, Wanya noticed the obvious and asked, 'where is Master Kanata…? Isn't he helping to decorate for tomorrow's party…?'

'He's such a brat!' accused Miyu, 'he said that it was my entire fault and he would not take part in my mess… the nerve of him!'

Wanya gave her a sympathetic smile and then added in a cheery note, 'Ruu and I will help you of course, Miss Miyu… Master Kanata obviously hates all of these social gatherings…'

'Atleast helping us decorate won't kill him, right…?' reasoned Miyu as she took up a star and held it before her face, dangling between her thumb and her index finger.

'Well…' started Wanya as he helped Ruu in placing a decoration on the Tree.

'Hey!' came a call. The three turned to see Kanata standing near the porch with a look of disgust evident in them. As he came down to the three, Miyu noticed something green that looked like a leaf.

He came right in front of her and showed her the leaf. Miyu's eyes widened and she screeched, 'why did you take that away from its place?'

'Why?' he asked, furiously, 'because I don't like mistletoes hanging inside my house! I draw the line there… Mistletoes are restricted in the party that you are supposed to be hosting… get that…?'

'Whatever,' she muttered whilst grinding her teeth as Kanata dropped the leaf on the floor and with his hands inside his pockets left the three to their work, one of whom was fuming with anger at the brunet's lack of concern.

'Kanata is such a jerk,' she accused as she placed gifts around the foot of the Christmas Tree.

Wanya, who had nothing to say that might soothe down the blonde just gave strained smile and tried to concentrate on decorating the tree while keeping up to Miyu's constant complaints on how their house-owner was a jerk.

A few hours later, the three were inside the Main Hall, decorating it for the Christmas Party as well. It was nearly ten and they had just had their dinner and Ruu, instead of helping was fast asleep on a small futon at a corner of the room.

Miyu's eyes drooped as she placed a final small star on the wall. Just as she yawned for the umpteenth time, Wanya announced, 'I guess that'll be it Miss Miyu… we'd better go to sleep now…'

'Yes, you might be right Wanya,' said Miyu, her emerald eyes only half visible from sleep. She yawned again and she hadn't even gotten up when the lights in the room turned off with a pop.

They were all in entire darkness and suddenly they heard a gurgle.

'Oh no… another blackout… this can't be good,' cried Miyu.

'Yeah… the last time it happened, I almost died trying to fix it,' squealed Wanya.

'Daa!' came a very scared gurgle.

'Ruu!' called Miyu, 'don't worry honey… I'm here…'

'Daaa!' cried Ruu again and his level of fear seemed to have intensified.

It was completely dark and Miyu, who, just a moment ago was sleepy, was wide awake trying to get to Ruu without hurting anybody else.

'I'm coming, Ruu!' she cried, extending her arms wide before her, trying to feel her way towards the baby.

'I'll go see whether it can be fixed,' came Wanya's voice.

'Ow!'

'Ouch!'

'I'm sorry Miss Miyu, did I hurt, you?'

'It's ok…' said Miyu, massaging her back where it had come in contact with the hard wooden floor.

'Daa!' cried Ruu and they could almost sense his tears.

'Ruu!' called Miyu.

'What the—?' came a different voice. They all turned to see light streaming into the decorated hall in the form of a candle held by a brunet whose auburn eyes looked almost bored at their struggle.

'Kanata!' Miyu let a sigh of relief.

With the little light from the candle, Ruu flew right across the hall and into Miyu's arms. There, he closed his eyes tight and held onto her for dear life. Miyu hugged the blond and massaged his head going, 'there… there…'

Kanata came into the room and sitting down beside Miyu, who was already seated by the push that Wanya gave her and he placed the candle on the floor. The room had been decorated for his birthday as well as for the Christmas Party but in the darkness, nothing was visible much.

'I'll go check what is wrong…' came Wanya.

'There's no use Wanya,' announced Kanata, 'I was on the phone with Santa when the blackout happened and it looks like there no power anywhere… it's a complete blackout… we don't know when the power would be back…'

'Oh no!' wailed Miyu and added, 'all my work will be ruined…'

Kanata just raised his eyebrows and remarked, 'I told you this was a waste of time…'

Miyu just scoffed and turned away. Ruu looked between his Earth-parents and had no idea what was going on.

'We'll just have to wait for the power to come back on,' said Wanya, slumping down on the floor on Miyu's other side.

'Isn't there any more candles?' asked Miyu.

'We used it all when there a blackout last Halloween… we didn't replenish it, remember?' said Kanata, closing his eyes lightly and leaning a little back.

Miyu sighed and as she sat there, massaging Ruu's head, she had no idea what was going to happen and whether the Party would still be on without power and all. She sighed again and wished that she had bought some more candles the last time she had been Grocery Shopping.

*blackout*

It was nearing twelve and the family of four was still sitting idle, lost in their own thoughts. The blackout was worse than they thought. There was not a watt of power throughtout the small town of Heiomachi. Miyu had called on Aya and Nanami and there was no current anywhere in their locality either. Miyu was just wondering when the current will be back when Ruu let out a loud yawn.

Everybody turned to him and Wanya, tired himself said, 'i'll take him to his spaceship... he is really tired...'

'Yes,' said Miyu, 'you do that Wanya...'

Wanya produced a small bulb on his tail and carrying the sleeping blond made his way, in air, out of the room, towards theirs. Miyu looked at the two and sighed inwardly.

'The candle is going to go out'.

Miyu turned to see Kanata looking at the candle with an uneasy look in his eyes. Miyu saw that there was nothing much left of the candle. She got to her feet and said, 'I'd better go to bed too... It's no use staying her all night...'

She hadn't took a step towards the door when the light in the candle vanished with a hiss. There was complete darkness. Miyu got a little scared at the darkness. As she took another step, she steped on something squishy and she let out a screech.

'What happened?' came Kanata's worried voice, 'Miyu...?'

'Kanata,' she called back and tried to say that she was fine when she heard him get to his feet as well.

'Miyu...?' he called again, 'are you still here...?'

'Yeah...' she muttered through the darkness.

Suddenly she felt her wrist being caught. She winced a little and as felt Kanata's warm hand on her wrist. She could almost feel his breath on her head. She felt his grip tighten a little as he asked, 'are you alright?'

'I'm fine, Kanata,' she replied while trying very hard not to blush, though even if she did he wouldn't be able to see, right?

'I'll take you to your room,' he offered easily.

'It's ok...' she started with her protest but then suddenly Kanata's watch lighted up.

'It's one minute to midnight,' he muttered looking at his watch.

From the light from the watch Miyu could tell that he was really tired. But she felt more tired herself. So she just accepted Kanata's offer to take her to her room.

But before she could even start, she heard him gasp, 'oh my... I told you not to put them...!'

Miyu had no idea what he was talking about. But following Kanata's gaze to the roof she noticed a small mistletoe attached to the decorations. She gasped and looked at Kanata, a little nervous--after all the two were standing at the bottom of a Mistletoe...

'Ting... ting...'

Kanata's watch chimed midnight and Miyu was about to wish him 'Happy Birthday' when the lights turned on. They were blinded by sudden brightness. Kanata closed his eyes for a moment. So did Miyu. But she could still feel his hand on her wrist.

Before she opened her eyes she heard Kanata whisper, 'Merry Christmas...'

She opened her eyes and saw that he was giving her a rare smile and he continued, 'I'm sorry for not helping out... I was a jerk... I'm sorry...'

She smiled at him. She stood on tiptoe and an inch between their lips said, 'Apology accepted...'

Kanata turned a bright shade of crimson as her lips covered his. She closed her eyes lightly and in a few seconds so did he. In what felt like seconds she withdrew and both the teenagers looked like fresh plucked tomatoes. Miyu shifted her gaze away from him and so did Kanata as he gave an unnatural cough.

'Happy Birthday,' she muttered, finally smiling at him.

He returned her smile and muttered with an embarrassed smile, 'thanks...'

She then started, 'ok...' and then looking around said, 'I feel really sleepy... I'd be going back to my room then...'

'Ok...' said Kanata, off-handedly.

'Kanata...?' she called pointedly.

He looked at her and looked at their hands and he let go of her at once muttering an almost inaudible apology.

Miyu walked to the door and looking back called, 'aren't you going to sleep...?'

'In a minute...' he muttered and as she turned called her, 'hey miyu...?'

She turned and asked him, not meeting his auburn eyes, 'what is it?'

'Well...,' he started moving towards her, 'i was just wondering...'

'Yes?' she asked, stealing a glance at him. He walked towards her and then stopped a few inches away

He got really close and inches from her asked with a small smirk, 'Are there any more mistltoes in the house?'

Miyu turned a bright shade of magenta and said, 'I hope there isn't any...'

'But i don't,' he said with a smile, making Miyu freeze to the spot.

He walked right past her and said, 'good night Miyu...'

A few minutes after he was gone Miyu muttered shaking her head lightly, 'Idiot...'

The End

...:Hope you all liked it. Please Review:...