It had really all started last night at exactly midnight.

There was a report about a robbery in an old, unknown museum, and the cops and detectives were having a tough time figuring out what had happened. The museum was closed at the time of the robbery but the manager had found out about the missing artifact after his morning employee opened up the museum and took a walk-through of another sloppy scan of the building. The sloppy scan paid off though when the employee saw the boxed glass on the floor and the royal blue cushion empty.

So they were all making a big deal to the cops about this stolen lump of rock on a piece of string. Great.

Unfortunately, that's where I came in: Ryume Kazemizu, age 16 (going onto 17), tall, long brown hair, green eyes, and some good solid fighting moves. Already done all the Tae Kwon Do classes, Karate classes, go to the shooting range every while, and yes, walk (or run) with my dog every morning. Just your average high school girl with lots of friends. Pshh. Right.

"So when will you be able to come down here, Mizu?" I hate it when they use half my last name. They think it just sounds so formal.

"I'm not sure, Detective Brown," I replied through the phone. "I kind of have school today and I think I've had enough tardies for the year." It was true. Everyone at the office knew the drill. I was usually late and had an acceptable excuse: I had to go get some bad guys… Or I had just slept in from catching bad guys late at night. Not that bad of an excuse, right?

"These morons are so worried about their precious necklace. We can't snap them out of it. They want it found as soon as possible."

I mentally rolled my eyes. "It's not going to work, Detective. I can't afford to miss anymore classes." Nor can I keep missing my chance to give a gift to a special someone. It was almost Christmas and I still needed to hand out gifts. I looked behind me and into my living room. All of my couches' were filled with pretty rainbow boxes of all sizes and cute blue and black flower ribbons on all of them. I liked blue and black.

"Listen, kid, I still have to go Christmas shopping for all my employees. Do you not know how annoying that is? You don't. So get your ass down here." He snapped at me. He snapped at me!

I gaped at the phone and felt like tossing it across the phone. Excuse me?! At that moment I felt like saying 'I have a life too, ya know!?' and hang up. But I didn't. Because that would've been immature. I try to be better than my older workers and bosses. It just didn't work to act my immature age in front of them, especially being the youngest in the company.

Instead, I said sternly, "I'm not missing class. Now I must go or I'll be late."

I heard him sigh long and hard against the phone and could picture him shaking his head at me. Or himself, not sure. But he finally gave up and said to be at the museum after my 'kiddy-time'. That got him some real eye rolls.

Gathering as much presents as I can, I put them in a cardboard box and had more in a Walmart plastic bag. I slung my one-strap back bag over my head and put everything in my yellow convertible 2004 Mustang GT. Looking at my watch and reading 7:10 am, I was nice and almost early.

Taking out the box, plastic bag, and my own back bag, I went into the school and turned left into the office. Everyone's heads went up to look at me and I smiled at everyone, giving them a warm 'Hello'. They all smiled back or waved or replied back at me, each one of them as happy as can be. I put my over-sized and over-filled plastic bag on the counter. "Alright ladies, here're some Christmas presents for you. Enjoy!" I walked out before they could come around and hug me with a flurry of cheek grabbing, extreme hugs, shaking hands, and long conversations that never ended until the bell rang.

Since I was early, I walked towards the cafeteria and gave out more small gifts to friends, the whole time searching for that special someone. Yes, as a high school girl, I did have a major crush on someone. And that special someone happened to be my best friend.

He came out from behind me and grabbed my waist, hugging me against him. Hikuro Atsukai. My age, messy dark brown hair, and amazing brown and golden-ringed eyes that were usually hidden behind his long hair. But it wasn't the long hair like girls. Just messy long for a guy. He was too tall and too strong for his age, but was by far the most fun ad exciting person to be with. He really knew how to make someone laugh and any girl smile.

I laughed as he grabbed me and hugged me tight against him. Burying his face in my hair, he said a "Good morning' to me and let me go. I smiled up at his grinning face that showed his big canine teeth and wanted to just pat him on the head. I've never told anyone, but I think he's adorable, hot, and just irresistible.

"What's with the huge box?" He asked, still smiling.

I looked down at the box still half full of gifts, "Just presents for some friends."

He put his hand to his chest and opened his mouth, gaping, and his eyes going wide, "And what about moi?"

I laughed and ruffled his hair like a cute puppy. "I have a special one for you, mister," I reached into my back and brought out a small box with a sparkling black and blue ribbon and red and black wrapping paper. His favorite colors and mine.

All he did was look at me and raise his eyebrows. Then he pointed at a random box in the box. "Why's that one bigger than mine? Did someone else win you over me? Who's ass do I need to kick?" With every sentence brought him closer to my face and I ended up laughing.

"That's because size doesn't matter on the gift, but of what you're given. Yours is more special." I smiled up at him.

He smiled down at me, still a little too close, and took the gift, putting it back in the box of other gifts. I look at him questioningly. All he did was give me a seductive smile and grab my hands, bringing our faces closer to each other. "All I need is you, my Cupcake Ryume." He whispered and kissed me on my forehead. I felt my face go hot and knew I was blushing. I always blushed so easily, especially around him.

Hikuro grinned my favorite grin with the canines at me and took back the box, one hand still holding my own. And with that we went to homeroom class of Chemistry.

The first thing I saw when I entered the classroom was a pile on my desk. A pile of colorful boxes with ribbons and smiley faces and even some hearts. I felt Hikuro laugh behind me and I grabbed a random box in the pile. On it, it said "It may not be Valentine's Day, but please be mine for Christmas."

I felt my jaw drop and hid the note from Hikuro. But he had already noticed and took it from me. His face showed disgust, "Tsch. Loser."

I glared at him and shook my head. I read more ridiculous notes and love letters and came to the bottom of the pile with my friends' gifts. I smiled at some humorous letters and designs on the wrapping paper. I stuffed everything in the box and moved the rest of the gifts that needed to be given out, in a spare plastic bag.

I looked at Hikuro who was examining, or admiring, my gift to him. He was smiling but his face showed sadness. "Hikuro?" I called.

He looked up at me, the sad smile still in place. "This totally sucks. You probably gave me something amazing and I have no idea what to get you." He smiled again and shook his head at himself. "Some best friend I am."

"You don't have to get me anything, Hikuro. Just be there with me for Christmas Eve and Day. That's all I ask." It was true. We had both agreed to be together at my house for a day since we had no close relatives or family members. Hikuro's mother left him when he was very young and his dad's a drunken bastard. Hikuro deserved better than that. As for me, my parents had died years ago and I was taken in by an outcast of the family. I don't call him dad but he's more than a dad to me.

"You deserve more than that, Ryume. You're my life. I can't just give you anything." He put his hands on my shoulders and put his forehead against mine.

"You give me happiness, Hikuro." I said quietly.

"That's not enough for a person like you." He said just as quietly.

Then the bell rang. Hikuro smiled at me and kissed me on the forehead again before heading over to his seat in the back of the class. I smiled at absolutely nothing and felt like an idiot.

--

The day went by very smoothly. And after getting more love letters, gifts, notes, and random hugs, I was actually ready to go home. I was outside in front of the school, in the freezing cold, waiting for Hikuro, with a box and another plastic bag full of letters and gifts. I knew too many people. Standing out in the freezing wind with my blue jeans, blue and black DC shoes, black shirt, a stud belt with random key chains, and a thick black jacket, I was ready to go. Hikuro finally came out through the doors, laughing with some friends. He noticed me and did the whole ridiculous hand shake thing that guys do, and hurried towards me. Running towards me, he picked me up and held me in a bear hug. I was instantly warm all over. He was really good at that.

"Ready to go, Cupcake?" He grinned, setting me down.

I blushed and mumbled; looking away, "Stop calling me that." He laughed and messed with my hair. "How can you take the bike in this weather? It's freaking freezing!"

"You get a special jacket and the right helmet, hun." He said and dragged me towards my car and his motorcycle. I was totally against bikes. Too dangerous. But Hikuro loved bikes so I didn't say anything. He knows, but loves it so much he just stays quiet about it around me. He knows the drill. "It's not so warm in a convertible Mustang either, sweetie."

Again with the blush. Dammit. To hide it, I went in my car and turned the car on, putting the heat on. "There," I said, "Warm it up before I drive so my fingers aren't frozen."

He smiled and held my hands, bringing them to his face. He kissed my hands and snuggled my knuckles. "I'd help keep you warm but I don't have anyone to pick up my bike."

I did a short laugh, kissed him goodbye, and said I'd see him later, before getting into my car and driving off. His lips were soft and innocent, unlike his personality. It felt so good to be in his arms; it felt as if being in his arms made me immune to anything else outside the protection of them.

Oh yeah, we were in love with each other.