A Christmas Surprise

Did you know what's worse than being absent on the last week of classes for the year because of some stupid cold?

Missing out the Christmas Party! Missing out the exchanging gift! The very essence of a Christmas party!

Awe shucks how I really wanted to be at the party. I'm not the dirty kind of party girl, the kind which goes home drunk, rebellious and pregnant. But considering that both Haruka and Satoshi being there, I almost decided to escape from home wearing a hundred layers of fabric to keep myself sufficiently warm.

Of course that won't do me any good, so being the nice and responsible girl, I finally decided to just stay at home and sulk all day.

So here I was now all alone in the coziness of my bed, hundreds of meters away from the laughter and joys of the ongoing School Christmas Party.

*Sigh*

After a few twist and turns on my bed, I wasn't able to suppress anymore my bottled-up angst and frustrations that I went loco.

"ARGH!"

"Why do I have to be sick?!"

Sitting up immediately of course had its consequence, but I was too late to realize that. I felt my head as the headache seemed like it has given birth to another headache-ling somewhere behind the back of my head.

I ignored the pain and continuously mumbled my predicament. "This is so unfair, how come Mom gets to attend her own Christmas Party?" I sighed again as I flopped back down to bed. "Weren't mothers supposed to be thoughtful of their own daughters?" I mumbled more as I covered myself totally with my blanket. "At least she could have not attended to make it even for me. She even said that she would not be home until the 26th."

"And why does she have to be cured so soon and I'm not?" I grunted as I remembered that I caught my cold from her when she came home from work.

"Of course I would be cured soon, because unlike you Dear I take my daily doses of Vitamin C seriously."

Curses, curses, curses, curses.

The sun has finally settled down a few hours ago and snow has been falling lightly. Today was the 24th of December and as I could see from my windows, the city was beautifully decorated with all the blinking colorful Christmas lights and trappings. Too bad I could only witness its beauty from my window.

As I was able to finally close my eyes in defeat, sadly accepting the fact that I would be spending Christmas Eve with no one, I heard a knock on my front door.

A visitor? Now who could it be at this ungodly hour?

I grudgingly pushed myself up and made my way downstairs to my front door, it wasn't easy because of the headache so it actually took me quite a while to get there. And when I opened the door it was someone sure I wasn't really expecting. Someone I really wasn't expecting.

He stood there wearing a simple purple coat matched with a pair of black jeans. And from the expression from his face, all I could see was nothing but grim and irritation. Not that it was something un-Shinji like.

"Sh..Shinji?" I stammered almost covering my mouth.

"Are you planning to freeze me out here waiting Stupid Girl?" He answered in an annoyed manner which really didn't affect me. Because the thing was, he's Shinji. If he would have answered me that in a sing-sung manner, then that's definitely a thing to wonder about like maybe someone could have probably drugged him or something.

And I honestly thought about him getting forcedly drugged was a decent idea or at least not really 100% impossible, considering him being in front of my front door right now.

And last time I checked, I didn't wish him from Santa. Feeling guilty about the way I tricked him last time, I already took that as an advance Christmas gift of some sort.

"What are you doing here?" I asked with a tone completely the opposite of what he would have asked, while looking embarrassingly somewhere beside my feet. Oh look, snow! I never knew they were this white.

Ever since that incident with me faking anemia, I was very keen into avoiding Shinji because I felt really guilty and that deep down I deserve nothing but his cold and apathetic attitude towards me.

Just like how he treated everyone else, I suppose. Or just like he have always treated me.

"Since you were absent the whole week, our adviser tasked me to hand out these study lessons you missed." He handed me quite a thick brim of papers.

"May I ask why?" I looked up to him as I completely opened the door and received the papers.

"And can I say no?" He started to glare at me, as if I had done something utterly disastrous with his life and image. Or just like what he usually do when I asked him something in class that he finds completely stupid and useless. I just gulped nervously as it seemed that this was somehow connected to that stunt I did just a month ago. "Just nothing." He continued as he composed himself. "I'm not fond of parties anyway."

"Now I'll be taking my leave."

He turned around but I was surprisingly quick to hold on to his scarf to stop him. It was all involuntary honestly when I held his scarf that I didn't even know I already did it, and my sudden actions caused me to stumble a bit causing the papers to fall out from my grip.

"Oh my bad." I squeaked apologetically. "I'm sorry." I released my palm from his scarf and quickly collected the fallen papers on the snowy ground.

Without even looking up to him I bet he was irritated at the view of me stammering at picking up the pieces of papers. Each time I was able to pick one paper, another would fall out from my other hand. It was all too frustrating, and the headache was nowhere near from help.

Without asking for my permission, he surprisingly took hold of my shoulders and stood me up. I was dumbfounded by the moment thus I was unable to put any kind of resistance making it easy for him to grab the papers from my hands and resumed collecting the papers himself that were still left on the snowy ground.

"Let me do this. It's irritating looking at how you pathetically can't pull this all up." I knew it. He grunted without even looking up to me, saying more words like how irresponsible I was or like how he positively thought that I was the most spoiled child he ever met and how did I ever lived up to this point in time being this clumsy.

I scrunched my eyebrows at him and huffed. "Does 'parents' ring any bell to you Mr. Sour Pants?"

"My parents died a long time ago. How come I get to be responsible and you're not?" He finally stood up.

"I'm sorry." I apologized quickly, remembering that Shinji was just living with only his older brother and the part about not being responsible despite having my mom.

He didn't answer as he gave me back the papers. "Now I'll be leaving, I need a place to stay tonight. My annoying older brother is holding a party at our house. It's very irritating."

"Wait, you're not okay with it?" I asked immediately. I partly knew that he wouldn't answer, and partly he would even bear to listen. But despite that, I still asked.

"Does that brain of yours really perceive information the way a normal brain does?" He grunted as he turned his back against me and made crunchy noises on the snow. "I told you I'm not fond of any stupid parties."

"Wait Shinji!" I called out, not really bothered by his usual insults. "Uhm, if you want you can stay here for the night. My mom is out for a party." I didn't know how I came up with this, considering the fact of just being the two of us alone under a single roof plus the way I had him on a lot of struggle the last time, but man the guilt was really stabbing me ever since that day that if I couldn't do him any favor of some sort I would definitely lose my sanity for sure.

"I won't bother you or anything, you just rest for the night and you can leave by morning." I added, darting my focus all over the area.

He stopped in his track, I just saw his shoulders stiffened as he turned to me. He heaved himself a big sigh as he relaxed his shoulders. "Are you sure you want someone shady like me entering your home?"

I didn't answer as I only nodded. I mean what bad thing could he do? He might be heartless and cold, but he's definitely not a criminal. He wouldn't steal anything.

Though maybe except, hmmm, except my heart? Ha! That was a pretty neat one Hikari.

Anyway, I was inwardly happy, even though no matter how hard I thought how it's even possible for him to be agreeing to stay with me. I was also happy when he agreed because then it would mean that I would be free of guilt. All that's left to do was to let him inside and leave him alone to rest. That's all. The last thing I would need was any more ridiculous plan this crazy mind of mine would come up. I still really couldn't believe I was able to deceive him being anemic. Pathetic Hikari!

"Just so you know Troublesome." He started as he hung his scarf by the door and placed the papers on a nearby table. "Your mother called the school earlier this morning if she could ask someone to hand you these stupid lessons."

"Is that so?" I answered, gazing unconsciously at how dark the purpleness of his hair really was and how the small light from our living room managed to give it a sort of attractive twinkle. "But why does it have to be you then?" I added, crashing back to reality.

He turned around and stared at me for relatively a while. It wasn't his usual death glare, but it was like as if he was accusing me of murder or something, as if I knew what the reason was. Deep down inside, I felt my guilt flower like how his accusing stare seemed to have given it nutrients. I knew this had something to do about me faking anemia.

He heaved himself a big irritated sigh.

"Could you be at least a little bit smarter?! Try harder!" He stated in an irritated voice as he scratched his head. "You're a senior high school student already Stupid Girl! Think like one!"

The situation was becoming worse. First, I only had the idea that it was somehow linked to what I noxiously did before but that didn't mean I completely understood what in the world he was talking about. Second, my head felt like it was about to explode any minute, excuse me, any second from now.

I was about to answer something at least I thought was logical enough when he cut me off.

"Our adviser thought that you were my girlfriend!" He exasperated as he kicked the floor in an annoyed manner. "She thought that I would be responsible for handing these stupid heavy piles of junk to you!"

"Oh, is that it?" I flustered. I felt my heart pump gallons of blood to my face that I had to puff my cheeks in order to suppress whatever emotions that were starting to war inside me.

"May I ask why?" I manage to speak up with my heart racing over the heartbeat speed limit.

"You still don't get it?!" He angrily kicked the floor once more. He took hold of my shoulders again and stared furiously into my eyes. "Because I was the one frantically carrying you all the way to the clinic!"

I wasn't really registering whatever he was screaming at me as of the moment, because for the second time in a day, Shinji held me, though not in any romantic way which I would have preferred. It didn't matter to me that he would feel the heat rush up to my face, or how heavy my breathing has begun or even hear the mad beating of my heart, all I did was stare in wonders at how beautifully indeed were his dark mysterious eyes. Yes they were angry and scary, but they were still captivating.

"The last time you were faking anemia! Oh god, don't tell me now you're having dementia?!"

When he noticed that I wasn't really listening to him, he touched my forehead without asking my consent. And by the moment his skin touched mine, I practically felt a puff of warm steam out of my head as I felt my temperature erupt by a hundred degrees Celsius.

God! Could you make him be more careful when touching me?!

"If you're really that sick you should stay in bed." He collected himself. "Can you walk by yourself?"

I didn't answer as words seemed to prefer the shelter of my mind than out of my mouth. I just stared blankly at him.

He gave the floor another irritated kick as he grabbed my hand and lead me upstairs to my room.

"Your room is this way right?"

I gave a nod while he answered with a sigh. It was very easy for him to move and drag me around since I was just like some sick lifeless doll, frozen and all. It was very ironic that the fact that my temperature was high yet I was frozen.

"Bed!" He pointed out.

I didn't hesitate as I went to bed politely.

"Now I would think twice about forgiving you for tricking me last time if you would just close your eyes and rest." I heard him say as I finally flopped back down to bed.

"Uhm, can I ask a favor?" I asked him out of nowhere. "I mean say something?"

"No more damn favor or anything!" He reprimanded. "Or else I'll be leaving." He added as he squatted on the floor with his back against the wall near the door of my room.

The incident with me faking anemia has been on my mind ever since Shinji said that it made our adviser thought I was his girlfriend. I must have really put a very big pressure on Shinji that it made me feel very bad about myself. I mean that was sort of a good news for me, but I'm sure that was a disastrous news for someone with a lot of fangirls like him. He's really that famous at school, and bearing the rumor about being the boyfriend of someone troublesome like me, that indeed was something not good.

"This could be the last time I get to talk to you, so uhm." I stuttered badly at the end so I flipped my side on the bed letting him face my back, hoping that this could somehow help me say the proper words I wanted to tell him. Oh crap, I disobeyed him and said anything, just please don't mess up. "I'm really sorry about last time Shinji."

I didn't hear a single response from him, even a grunt nor a sneer. I knew it. I knew I was taking it too far. I knew he wouldn't forgive me. I even disobeyed him. How stupid could I get? Just because a month has gone didn't mean that I would be less hated and more forgiven. "I-I I'm r-r-eally s-s-sor-sorry." I stuttered even more badly, fighting the load of tears that were starting to trickle from my eyes. I couldn't even face him. I'm the worst!

I was making progress towards him as classmates starting middle school, and being able to talk to him this Christmas was something I could never imagine, but it did happen. And now, I'm willing to give it all up just for him to have the normal life back he had before I had ruin it.

I wiped the tears that have stained my cheeks with the blanket as I gathered what's left of my strength to face him and tell him how I was truly sorry and that I won't trouble his life ever again, even if it means going back to just gazing at him during classes.

Or talking about him with Haruka about how unusual his hair was for being purple.

Or how he has this sort of weird antisocial disease.

And those times when I tried to ask him about the lesson during class periods and he wouldn't give a damn about it 80% of the time.

I guess I'll be left with all these memories that I was able to share with him.

I breathed one final breath before turning my side to face him, but when I did that, my cheek bumped to a certain green rectangular box. The pointed corner that jabbed my cheek sent a little wave of pain, but I wasn't able to notice it as Shinji was practically standing near the side of my bed, shoving me this sort of present.

Wait, present?!

"What is thi-"

"Ssshhhh!" He hissed at me sternly. "Please don't ask anything about this Idiotic Girl, don't say any word nor any comment." Was it just me or did I just saw Shinji blush when he said that, the way he delivered it to me with his eyes pointing aimlessly around me. It was probably just me as the moment I blinked, his face returned to its usual scowled appearance. Damn it, why did I have to blink? "Accept this and just go to sleep. It would have been easier for me to give this to you while you're asleep."

I slowly received the box from my face trying very hard not to show how my hands trembled quite horribly. "T-thank-"

"Ssshhhh! What did I just tell you?!"

As I saw his retreating figure back to his spot on the floor with his back against the wall, I felt a lot of emotions in a gang war inside of me. I wasn't sure what kind of emotion to feel at this moment, I felt happy but at the same time I felt guilty. I felt delighted yet ashamed.

I placed the box on the spot near my pillow. I would have opened it immediately like some excited five year old child, but the thought that it just came from Shinji, I was even having second thoughts if this was even real. That by the moment I would tear through its green Christmas decoration, I would jolt up from bed.

I saw him lowered his head near the door as he was trying to get asleep. And that's when I tried to do something that I wouldn't even do if it was even a dream.

It's now or never. I may be left cherishing all those memories with him, but I couldn't also back down on how far I have gotten to get closer to him. Plus, I couldn't let a visitor sleep on the floor.

At least not alone.

I stood up from bed and sat beside him on the floor.

"What are you-"

"Ssshhhh!" It was my turn this time to silence him. I could see how his dark perplexed auburn eyes widened in astonishment and how his face was starting get pinkish as I did that. I laid my head on his stiff shoulders and didn't bother looking up at him anymore. Whatever was his reaction to this, I was equally not caring about it like how he didn't bother to know my reaction in receiving that gift. I slowly closed my eyes when I sensed he loosened his shoulders.

"Merry Christmas Shinji.." I muttered.

Even though I would have preferred him say 'Merry Christmas too Hikari.' All I did hear was his usual grunting. But even I thought it was already cute and sweet.

"You'll pay for this if I ever caught your cold." I heard him mumbled.

I didn't answer as I only smiled inwardly and snuggled closer to him, pretending that I was already unconscious. I know I promised that I wouldn't play pretend again, but this time I promise this to be the last. Just let me snuggle closer to him, just this once.

Who would have thought I would get to spend my Christmas Eve with him.

I guess missing the Christmas party wasn't so bad after all.

A.N:How was it?haha This is by the way a special request, or product from a little push from Rin Hijiri haha I know I know that the setting is waaaaaaaay out of season and I could have posted this last Christmas if only I didn't lost the USB that stored this data :( and I just found out that my older brother kept the USB without my permission and it was sooooo infuriating, eherm anyway, not that it's no longer okay to post this still haha
Hope you guys had fun reading it. Thanks for reading! Please do review! :D

~~KicksAndKisses~~