Chapter 10

Secret Santa!

Disclaimer: Must I do this EVERYTIME? Yeesh! Fine: I do NOT own Gakuen Alice or Natsume (unfortunately).

Thanks for Reviewing:

-ayumistar00

-gabyrendon

-sarah3905780

- - a . LiTtlE . bIt . DiFfeRrEnT - (I'm sorry! It won't let me write your name right! Sorry!)

-princess27banana

-illutia mist

- sakura (.) mist07 (Same as DiFfeRrEnT! sorry!)

-chris3169512

-mikan-natsumeLove

-Moonlightnin

-badinfluence

You deserve a comment, Mr/Miss badinfluence! Why am I an idiot? You never responded when I asked you! Please explain! PLEASE!

-crimsoneyes44

It was early morning, a few weeks before Christmas, and all through the grounds, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. 'Cause he's busy cuddling with Ruka! It was December 10, and Mikan was terribly excited. Today was the day that they would pick their Secret Santas! She'd been looking forward to this since… well forever!

At her old school, they never had these kinds of festivities. There wasn't enough money in the whole town, so no one could afford to be a Santa. But here, in the Great Alice Academy, there was plenty and with tons left over!

Mikan was lying down on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Because it was so early- the sun was JUST coming up- she got a very good view. She sighed in contentment and yawned. She really had tried to sleep! But she was just too darn excited!

She turned her head slightly and looked at the clock. 5:34 AM. Hm, she thought, Mommy was working late last night… So I should probably leave her alone… She bounced up into a sitting position on her bed, tingling with delight at her idea. I know! I should call Natsume! He can come with me to look at the list!

Humming, she bounded out of bed and threw on her clothes. She padded to the kitchen to get her shoes, then tip-toed out of the apartment so as not to wake her mother. Once clear, she ran as fast as she could and reached Natsume's room. She pounded on the door, jumping with impatience when he didn't come right away.

Mikan stood out there for three minutes, tapping her foot quickly. Finally she couldn't take it any more. She threw herself at the door and fell inside the room. An amused Natsume loomed in front of her. She pouted while he smirked. She jumped up, using his knees to pull herself up, and glared up at her.

"Why. Didn't. You. Answer. The. STINKING. Door. HYUUGA?" she shrieked.

He covered her mouth and spoke quietly, "Okay, little girl. One, its 5:30, I was asleep." She flushed a deep red. "Two, I'm not even dressed yet." She looked up, surprised. He responded by looking down. She followed his gaze and gasped. He wasn't naked, but he WAS only wearing a pair of black boxers.

She blushed and started flailing her arms, spouting apologies. He laughed and shushed her, putting his finger in front of her lips. "Its fine, Giraffes. Think of it like this," he continued, blatantly ignoring her rising anger, "now we both know each others' underwear. Fair is fair, after all. Ow." She had hit him with an old lady purse, filled to the brim with used tissues and hard candy. "Where did you even get that?" He demanded. She merely swung it around her hand, smiling a smug grin.

"You are such a baby. What do you even want?" She cocked her head to the side in confusion. Natsume sighed; she was hopeless. "Why," he started, enunciating every word perfectly, "did you come here?"

"Silly! I came because I'm an Alice! Yeesh!" He slapped his forehead, rolled his eyes, and tried again.

"Why did you come here TO MY ROOM at FIVE-THIRTY IN THE MORNING?"

"OH! C'mon, get dressed! We have to go find our Secret Santas!" He rolled his eyes. "You know, if you keep doing that, Mom says they're gonna get stuck!"

"Get out." He ordered, her eyes filled with tears. "Idiot, I have to get dressed." Mikan's eyes popped open and she raced outside. Natsume shook his head and proceeded to his dresser. He donned his uniform and strutted outside.

"LET'S GO, LET'S GO, LET'S GO!" Mikan shouted. And off they ran to find Mr. Narumi

"Mr. Narumi!" "Naru." The blonde man looked up from his clipboard and smiled warmly at the pair.

"Mikan-chan, Natsu-kun, how may I help you?" he asked politely. But Mikan had no patience for manners right now.

"We need to know, teacher! We NEED to know! TELL US!" She felt a poke in her side. She glanced up and looked at Natsume.

He mouthed, 'Say please.' Naru waited, he was a man of low tolerance for hooligans.

"Um…" Mikan whispered, "Please, Mr. Narumi? May we please know our Secret Santas?" She bowed her head respectfully.

"Well…" Narumi began. "If I do, you can't tell anyone- not even each other - who you got! 'Kay?" Mikan nodded enthusiastically while Natsume just 'hn'ed. Narumi smiled and leaned to Mikan and whispered in her ear. Natsume growled when Naru tried to do the same with him. So instead, he wrote it down on a slip of paper and passed it to the angry boy. Sighing, he turned and skipped down the hall.

He pouted, saying, "Darnskis! I weally wanted to hug Natsu-kins! Hmph!"

Back at the tree, Mikan chirped happily, "Oooh! Yay! Natsume, Natsume! Guess who I got, c'mon! Guess now!"

"Mikan, remember your manners," Natsume scolded lightly. Mikan hung her head and repeated herself.

"Sorry sir. Please guess?"

"Better, but we're not supposed to tell, remember?" Natsume shook his head in mock shame. As in, 'ah, I thought you knew better than that… I have failed.' This was a game they routinely played. But it wasn't always Mikan who played the fool. It's hard to believe, but Natsume sometimes acted like a complete dunce, dunderhead, idiot, moron, whatever else.

"Fine!' Mikan harrumphed, running off to see her beloved Hotaru. He chuckled as he watched her dart and scurry. 'Silly little girl,' he thought, sitting down to read his manga. He leaned his back against the Sakura tree and looked up into the endless sky. 'Yeah…silly…'