This isn't connected to the first one. Sorry if some parts are so dramatic. Hahaha! Enjoy! Once again, Merry Christmas Everybody!

Kipla: Oooh! I also like that writer! My favorite, 'I'll Win Your Heart' and 'The Broken Pieces Left'. Hehe! Thank you for reviewing!

True Meaning of His Gift

It was a cold and chilly December night at Christmas Eve. The academy's Christmas party just ended and everyone must be dreaming by now. The party went well and everyone and everything was brimming with happiness. Everyone forgot about school works and problems for a while and just enjoyed the night.

Yes, Everyone must be in their bed hugging their pillows and dreaming about the things they want for christmas. Everyone except for one person. Mikan Sakura stood in front of the window watching those perfect little hexagonal snowflakes falling and sparkling as they fell and reflected the lights in her balcony.

She was waiting.

Waiting for a certain someone to come back from another dangerous mission. Holiday breaks doesn't mean a thing to the dangerous ability students. Christmas or not, whenever duty calls they must respond without complain. They had no choice.

And like usual, Mikan waited for Natsume Hyuuga to come back, worried and with a racing heart. They're not a couple if that's what you're thinking. Even if they are, the academy won't let them be and their relationship might be used against them. They just couldn't risk it. And it's not like they even know their feelings for each other.

She was already in her pajamas and her hair was let down but sleep just can't get to her. She was never able to fall asleep without seeing him at least once a day fearing that something had happened to him during his missions or if he coughed out blood again. She didn't have a clue why she care too much. All she knew was that if anything bad happens to him, she would never forgive herself. After all, she was the reason why Natsume still had to do missions.

"Now that the little princess is gone, don't think that you will stop doing missions." Persona said in a cold tone pertaining to Natsume's sister, Aoi whom they saved from the academy's clutches.

"That kitten of a different color, she has a rare alice. Don't you think?" This time, Persona smirked when he saw Natsume's reaction when he talked about Mikan.

Natsume growled.

"Don't you dare lay your hands on her!" Persona saw the fire in the black cat's eyes that glowed in anger.

"We don't have to. I'm sure of it. You won't let something happen to her, right? Kuro Neko?" Persona walked away while touching anything near him that immediately turned black and died.

"I won't ever let you hurt her." Natsume vowed to himself that he will protect Mikan at all cost. After all, it was him that dragged her into his darkness that she didn't even need to see.

Mikan gave out a deep sigh.

He's late, she thought.

For her, every second of waiting was torture. She doesn't know what might have happened to him and that made her think a lot of things that made her head ache in so much thinking and worrying. What if he managed to ran away? Was she supposed to feel happy that he finally got away from the place that took away his childhood and his happiness or sad that she won't be seeing him anymore? lonely because she got used to his presence and she can't help but long for his company? Does she even have the right to feel such things?

She wanted him to stay.

Mikan knew it was selfish of her but she couldn't help it. She's human and no matter how selfless someone is, that person will still want something for herself. She never told him that. Mikan wanted him to be happy and away from any more danger. And danger is where they are, the Academy. Telling him her selfish wish is like asking him to die.

He's dying.

The more Natsume overuse his alice, the more his life span lessen and Mikan could only watch and cry in secret. She never showed him tears because she knew it would only make everything harder for the both of them. Instead, she smiled for him. It wasn't a fake one but a genuine smile. Natsume would always know whenever her smiles was anything but real. She doesn't know how but he just do.

Mikan touched the glass as she saw her reflection, her fingers felt the icy cold temperature and compared it with the way she felt while waiting. Waiting has always been painful but she still continued to wait. Natsume is worth the wait. He will always be.

Knock! Knock!

Mikan jumped in surprise at the sudden knock. She turned to where the knock came from and saw the person she had been waiting for standing in front of her balcony door. With her earlier thoughts and worries already thrown out the window, Mikan quickly ran and opened the door to let him in.

Without another word, Mikan wrapped her arms around his torso which surprised him. Natsume closed the door and walked further inside pulling Mikan with him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him than she already is.

He whispered to her, "I'm back."

Mikan smiled, relieved and grateful that he came back unscathed. "Welcome back, Natsume."

Ah, music to his ears. Natsume never thought he'd be able to hear those words again after entering the academy but here she is, telling him the words he wanted to hear. How thankful he is to be able to meet her.

"What. Missed me?" He asked with a smirk. Mikan's eye widened as she realized that she's still hugging him and pulled away with a flushed face.

"Sorry." She muttered while looking away as she didn't want to embarrass herself further. Natsume chuckled and Mikan turned to look at him in surprise.

Natsume is chuckling.

Natsume...

Chuckling...

Natsume is chuckling...

Is chuckling...

Natsume is chuckling!

And damn how sexy his voice sounded. She had never heard him chuckle before. She did see one of those rare smiles of him that she admit was very attractive but a chuckle from him was captivating.

"You... You just chuckled!" Mikan exclaimed and pointed a finger at him while Natsume just raised an eyebrow at her.

"So?"

"You don't chuckle." She pointed out.

Natsume rolled his eyes and sat down on her bed. "I'm human, polka. I do."

Mikan stood in front of him with her arms crossed. "Then why haven't I seen or heard you laugh before? You rarely smile too!"

"I don't have any reason to." He said with his usual emotionless voice and expression. At his answer, Mikan's gaze soften.

"Natsume..." She whispered.

Changing the topic, Natsume narrowed his eye at her and gave her a scolding look. "Why are you still up?"

Mikan froze at that.

"I'm not tired yet." Mikan stuttered and she silently cursed herself for doing so.

"Lie."

"I'm not lying!" Mikan exclaimed defensively while Natsume glared at her for being noisy.

"How many times have I told you not to wait? Yet, you still wait for me on nights that I'm on missions!" Natsume scolded her in a hush tone so no one would find out that he's been going into her room at night.

Mikan's eyes widened. How did he know? "But—"

"Don't even think of denying it. I saw you." Natsume stared at her straight in the eye making it impossible to think of any excuse because of his distracting beautiful crimson eyes that always managed to detect her lies.

Mikan sighed and sat beside him. She looked away and spoke softly, "I really couldn't sleep while knowing that you're out there with the possibility of dying."

Sensing the truth in her voice, Natsume stared at the beautiful brunette beside him. "I'm not going to die Mikan," he assured her.

At the mention of her name, Mikan turned her head to looked at him. Natsume rarely call her with her name. It was always polka, polka-dots or the current print of her panty. (She was never happy with it by the way.) And when he use her name, it means he's serious.

"Trust me." He whispered.

She sighed again, "You know I do."

"Good."

He smirked while she just smiled and raised an eyebrow at him. "So what are you doing here?"

"You should know. I heard you calling my name." He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her making her back face him and played with her soft and long tresses.

"I didn't call you. You're just delusional." Mikan couldn't help but laugh a little as she heard him growl.

"I'm not. You just missed me so much that you kept on calling me. Don't lie, I heard." Natsume ruffled her hair and it was her turn to growl. Mikan turned around to face him again, kneeling on the bed and glaring at him. Girls and their hair issue...

"Did your mouth hear it instead of your ear?"

Natsume then posed as if he's thinking. "No. My heart actually," he said making Mikan's eyes widen and jaw dropped.

"My gosh! Natsume what happened to you!" She pounced on him making him lay on the bed with her on top of him on all fours not realizing her actions. She mockingly put a hand on top of his forehead then to her own. She grinned at him, "You're getting mushy!"

He grunted and silently cursed himself for saying such things.

"Whatever, teddy bears." He muttered.

Mikan looked at him horrified, "Natsume, you pervert!"

"Says the one hovering above me." Natsume watched her in amusement as he saw confusion in her face and a sudden realization. Took her a while, he thought.

"Don't scream," he warned.

Mikan's hand flew to her mouth then she laid on her bed beside him with her face buried on the pillow. She let out a frustrated scream that was muffled by the pillow so the only one who heard her was the annoying person beside her who was chuckling again.

Mikan faced him with a glare. "Finished?" She nodded, her frown still present.

"Close your eyes." He said, now serious. Mikan looked at him like he just grew another head. "Just do it!" Though unsure, she did it anyway.

"Give me your hand." She did as she was told and she felt him open her palm and placed something on it then closed it.

"Can I open my eyes now?" She asked thinking that he's done but...

"Not yet. One more." He murmured. Her eyes snapped open as she felt soft lips against her own but closed them again as she savoured the kiss. He pulled away and when Mikan opened her eyes, Natsume was already outside her room and in the balcony ready to jump to the next room. His room. Convenient isn't it?

"Merry Christmas, polka." She heard him say before he disappeared from her sight. She opened her hand to find a bracelet with black cat charms on it that looks like Natsume's black cat mask.

Next morning... December 25, 7:45 am.

"What's that cute thing!" Anna and Nonoko both exclaimed when they saw her bracelet.

"Oh this? Secret." She grinned when she saw their disappointed faces then they excused themselves because someone called them.

"His present." Hotaru stated when the two left.

Mikan nodded. "Yeah but... how did you know?"

"Are you kidding? It's obvious that he's decorating you with his trademark. He's claiming you as his, baka." Hotaru rolled her eyes at her idiot of a best friend and continued reading her book.

Mikan blushed as she tried to process the new information. Natsume is claiming her? What! She shook her head. That couldn't be possible. More importantly, she still haven't told him 'Merry Christmas!' yet since he didn't gave her a chance last night.

Mikan stood up from her seat and ran out of the classroom to look for a certain fire-caster who is currently smirking somewhere knowing that Mikan had only realized the true meaning of his gift and was now out to find him.

Heh. Now, he just need to wait for his idiotic polka-dots.

Finished! Two Christmas one-shots. It's my first Christmas out of my home country, the Philippines. :( I can manage. Just show me some snow! Winter doesn't exist in my home country eh.

-MitsukaiYuki