The morning after the Great Performance TM, as Akko had started to refer to it as, Akko couldn't contain her excitement. Rambling on about how 'wonderful Diana was' or how she 'couldn't believe mistletoe didn't have magical properties' and did they know that? Her friends were ecstatic for her of course, but there was a limit to how many times Lotte and Sucy could handle listening to Akko give them an in depth play by play of the entire day. Sucy almost regretted giving her friend the "Luck Potion".

The three sat around a table in the dining hall, Akko shoved food in her mouth as she spoke, Lotte politely listened, and Sucy ignored her altogether.

"Akko, don't forget you still have to make your secret santa gift. It's tomorrow after all." Lotte managed to interject, trying to veer the conversation elsewhere.

Akko slammed her glass of water down, sloshing it onto the already messy table. "You're right! I've got to come up with the best secret santa gift ever!"

"I just gotta-" she glanced around the dining hall looking for the green trio "-get some ideas."

Spying Amanda and Jasminka walking into the dining hall, Akko jumped up and ran over to them. "Hey Amanda! Hey Jasminka! Do you know where Constance is? I wanted to...HEY WAIT A SECOND!" She pointed accusingly at her friend. "Amanda you totally lied to me!"

Amanda frowned and cocked her head to the side as she swatted Akko's hand out of the way. "What are you going on about now?"

Akko put her hands on her hips and huffed. "You said mistletoe was magic! I did so many embarrassing things because of you!"

A twinge of guilt washed over Amanda, but was quickly replaced with indignation. "Well it worked didn't it! You never would have had the guts to do anything if I hadn't intervened! You should be thanking me for all my hardwork!" Amanda poked Akko in the chest. Akko glanced down only to get flicked in the nose.

She jerked back and grabbed her nose. "Ow hey!"

"I'm like the best wingwoman ever!" Amanda turned around to head towards the serving area. "Never get any appreciation around here jeez." she grumbled.

Akko mulled that over, bringing her hand down to rub her chin. "Hmmm, I guess that's true… I wouldn't have gotten to date Diana if you hadn't done that! Thanks Amanda!"

Amanda whipped around. "Wait date?! You guys are official now?"

Akko jumped a little at the sudden reaction. She laughed nervously and looked away a little sheepish, scratching her cheek. "Eh heh heh, well.. I wouldn't say official official exactly. We haven't really...ya know.. talked about it." She waved her hands around aimlessly somehow expecting that to help get her point across.

Amanda rolled her eyes and put her hands behind her head. "Well, you guys can figure all ~that~ out without my help." She turned back around. "By the way, Constance is still in her workshop. She's in the middle of a project though, so you might not want to bother her."

"Oh right!" Akko's eyes lit back up. "Thanks Amanda!"

She spun around and ran out the door, eager to get some ideas on what to make Constance.


Reaching the green teams dorm, Akko quickly dove into the shoot leading to Constance's workshop. Crash landing painfully on a mound of miscellaneous parts. "Ow ow! Jeez, how does Constance come down here all the time without getting hurt?" She rubbed her sore back as she stood and took in her surroundings.

Constance was hunched over her desk going over blueprints of some kind and numerous Stanbots were grabbing things from the pile Akko landed on, piecing together some sort of contraption in the middle of the workshop.

One of the Stanbots tried to grab a wooden plank from underneath her. "Hey watch it! You're in the way!" It squeaked.

Akko jumped out of the way quickly so the Stanbot could drag the plank off. "Hmm, Constance seems really busy." She turned to another Stanbot with its arms full of nuts and bolts, heading towards the activity in the middle. "Hey, what are you guys building?"

"A Santa Sled!" It responded, continuing to plod along.

Akko bent down closer to it as she followed. "So what's Constance doing then?"

"She's working on her secret santa gift while we build prototype #7." It chirped back at her.

"Whoa! Why #7?"

"Constance is trying to figure out how Santa can visit every house in one night! None have been fast enough or carried enough presents so far."

Akko turned away to think, leaving the Stanbot to join the others. "I could help her with the sled, but that's not much of a surprise. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm….." She closed her eyes and scrunched up her face.

"Wait I know!" She snapped her eyes open and slammed her fist in her hand. "We just have to ask Santa! I could catch him and get him to tell me the secret so I can tell Constance! Eh heh heh it's perfect. It really will be a Secret Santa gift, heh. Good one, Akko."


Akko was a trap setting veteran. Many Christmases spent trying to capture the elusive man in red. Each attempt becoming more and more elaborate. Her friends helped when they were younger, the idea originating from an argument over whether or not he was real, but they slowly lost interest as the years went on.

Her parents always supported her, even when her friends didn't. They were always quick to point out flaws they saw so she could fix them, or help reach places too high for her.

But this time would be different.

This time she had magic on her side.

Akko wiped the sweat from her brow, leaning back to survey her creation. For the better part of the afternoon she had labored arduously over her complex set up.

An intricate web of ropes and pulleys covered the Grand Hall. She had devised a series of trap doors, a giant net made of magic resistant material, and other such booby traps. Getting help from a few of her fairy staff friends in setting up some of the more complex traps, and then having them act as guards to keep the students and professors away from the area surrounding the main Christmas tree, had made things go quite a bit faster.

Akko nodded to herself. "Yeah that should just about do it. Just need some help on the final touches."


Diana skimmed the page in front of her. The enchantment it detailed wasn't incredibly complicated, but since she had never performed it before she wanted to make absolutely sure she executed it correctly.

She pushed the text to the side and focused her attention on the item in front of her. Small, but surprisingly intricate. Something she had gotten in town a few weeks earlier, despite her internal debate on whether she'd have the courage to gift it when Christmas actually arrived.

Diana brought her wand up and closed her eyes, concentrating on the object before her. She took a deep calming breath, preparing to cast the incantation.

A jarring noise interrupted her, a loud rapping on the door followed by what sounded like Akko's muffled voice. She flinched and instinctively covered the trinket with her hand.

"Diaannaaa~ Are you busy? I need your help! It's super super super important!"

"One moment please Akko." She called while hastily stashing her secret project in a desk drawer, closing the thick book on her desk for good measure.

Hannah glanced over the top of the magazine she was reading. "Diana do you want me to send her away?"

Barbara leaned over the back of her desk chair, pausing writing. "Yeah aren't you working on her-"

"That's quite alright girls. Thank you." Diana cut in, rounding the corner from behind the bookshelf.

Hannah and Barbara shared a look before shrugging.

Diana took a moment to calm herself and fix her vest before continuing. A slight smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she strode towards the door.

She turned the knob half-way before the door was thrown open and she was quickly assaulted by an over eager Akko, bursting through the door to flinging her arms around her neck in an impromptu hug.

"Ah! Akko!" Diana stumbled back a step under the sudden weight, trying to steady herself. Her body rigid, arms held out in shock.

Akko pulled back an inch to look at her, a stupid grin plastered all over her face. "Hi, I missed you!"

Hannah and Barbara raised their eyebrows and gave each other a sidelong glance, a humorous glint in their eyes.

Warmth spread up Diana's neck to her ears and she turned away as much as she could in such a tight hug. "I'm happy to see you as well Akko."

She could feel just how close Akko was. The soft comforting arms wrapped around her neck. The cute lips she knew were so close to her face. She relaxed slightly into the hug, conflicted between wanting to return the embrace and the embarrassment she felt doing anything remotely intimate in front of others.

Akko lingered a beat longer before detaching herself with a bashful laugh, scratching the back of her head.

Diana cleared her throat, trying to dismiss the very loud looks she was getting from her teammates. "So what did you need my assistance with?"

Akko's eyes lit up as she remembered her master plan. "Oh, right! I was hoping you could help me finish setting up some magic traps!"

Diana blinked. Had she heard her wrong? "...traps?"

Akko nodded eagerly, a goofy but determined smile on her face. "Yeah! It's for the Secret Santa gift I'm doing.. heh."

Diana gave her a skeptical look. "That doesn't sound very, safe…"

Akko's eyes grew wide in dismay and her bottom lip trembled. Giving Diana the best pout she could muster. She clasped her hands together pleadingly, squeezing them tight. "Please?" Her eyes glistened, a single tear threatening to drop as she batted her lashes.

Diana turned away and chewed on her lip, weighing her options. Not only did it sound as though Akko was breaking school rules, but she wanted help doing it! And how could a trap be a gift? It was obviously a reckless, dangerous, half baked scheme. Although… Akko's endeavors usually stemmed from genuinely kind motives. And, she had to admit, her last plan had been rather wonderful.

Sighing after a moment, and blatantly ignoring the amused looks Hannah and Barbara were giving each other, she spoke slowly "...perhaps I could inspect what you've done-"

Barbara snorted.

"-for safety purposes of course."

Akko's mouth spread into a wide, toothy grin. Tears long forgotten. "Yay you're the best!" She stood on her tiptoes and gave Diana a peck on the cheek. Lips barely brushing her skin, but causing her heart to skip a beat nonetheless.

"A-Akko!" Diana's hand jumped up to cover her burning cheek. Heat spreading throughout her face and neck. Every thought vanishing from her mind in an instant.

Hannah and Barbara gasped. Previously enjoying watching a flustered Diana, they were caught off guard by the sudden intimate act.

Barbara's mouth was left gaping open as she froze in place and Hannah fell back on her bed, out like a light. Diana would have a lot of questions to answer later.

Akko grabbed Diana's hand, ignoring the overly dramatic teammates. "Come on! We have to finish as soon as possible!" And with that she dragged a stunned Diana out the door.


The girls approached the doors of the Grand Hall and the gnome guarding it gave Akko a subtle nod before opening the door.

Diana halted abruptly at the doorway, absolutely floored by the sight in front of her. The ground was covered in a complex labyrinth of ropes, a few strands extending towards the walls and ceiling. All somehow held together with a handful of gears, pulleys and probably a dash of magic. The logic behind the design, and for that matter the reason to create such a spectacle, was lost on her.

Akko picked her way through the maze, ducking under a few strands, carefully stepping over a tripwire. "So I mostly just need your help making everything invisible, but there is this one section I was hoping you could show me how to enchant so it'll trigger an alarm when… Diana?" Akko glanced back, holding up a rope for a Diana who wasn't there, finally realizing she wasn't being followed.

Diana blinked, hoping to clear her vision. "...you want me to.."

Akko nodded. "Make everything invisible, yeah. Also for this section-"

The scene before Diana finally registered in her mind. "Akko. What in Jennifer's name are you doing to the Grand Hall?!"

"I can't tell you! It's for the Secret Santa present remember?" Akko cried in exasperation, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, letting go of the rope as she threw her hands in the air.

Diana sighed heavily and began massaging her temples, eyes closed. "Honestly Akko."

Akko quickly made her way back to Diana, realizing she needed more convincing. "Pleeeaassseee Diana. It super important I promise! Cross my heart hope to die!" she pleaded.

Diana cracked an eye open, sighing internally at herself. This girl was going to be the death of her. Or the death of someone else. Or at least the death of her reputation. "Well I certainly don't hope that… I'll help on one condition.."

"YES!" Akko wrapped her arms around Diana in a tight bear hug, trapping her arms against her chest.

"Oof. Akko please, I said on one condition. You must inform Headmistress Holbrook of your plan." Diana said, half-heartedly extracting herself from Akko's grasp.

"Ehh?! Ugh fiiiine. But can you help now?" She tugged on Diana's arm, urging her to hurry and get started. She paused, hand still holding Diana's sleeve, a mischievous grin sneaking it's way onto her face. "I promise to thank you after~" She wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

Diana's heart leapt into her throat and she looked away, blushing furiously. She cleared her throat, trying to take her mind off of the incident in her room.

The gnome by the door snickered, obviously enjoying Akko's antics, watching them with interest.

Diana shot him a dirty glare from the corner of her eye and she let herself be gently pulled forward. "Alright. Invisible you said?"

Akko smiled and nodded eagerly, diving back into her spiel on the plan for the setup.


It just after midnight.

Everyone was fast asleep, the halls left empty but still twinkling with lights. Moonlight shone through the windows, illuminating the gentle flecks of snow drifting down outside.

A lone figure padded along corridors, a single purpose carrying them to the heart of the castle. Shifting the weight of the heavy bag over their shoulder as they went.

A sigh of relief left them as they reached the doors undetected. They turned the knob and slipped inside.


A/N: Lets all ignore the fact that this took me 3 months to update 。゚(*´□`)゚。