"I have little left to teach you," Kyouya told me as we closed one of our tutoring sessions. I gathered my books and pencils into my backpack, hoisting it onto my back.

"I guess that means I'll have my work cut out for me because I still have a lot to cover with you," I mused aloud, waiting for Kyouya to shut down his Pineapple laptop. "You ask so many questions that we barely get through a subject before time runs out…"

"Remember I am going to give you a quiz over everything I've taught you," the Ohtori reminded me as we both exited the classroom and headed for the front of the school. One rule about tutoring was that, for the time being, Kyouya and I were equals which meant I wasn't his slave.

I groaned. "You and every other teacher that's giving a quiz before Christmas break." Suddenly I brightened and hopped up and down excitedly. "Yay! Christmas is in one month exactly! Wohoo!"

I swore Kyouya's lips made the ghost of a smile. "One of the reasons I agreed to tutor you today instead of attending Host Club activities was to avoid Tamaki's unbearable enthusiasm about Christmas."

"Well sorry to rain on your parade and blow up your floats, but Christmas is exciting! And it's snowing outside! I've never seen snow, let alone so much!" I couldn't stop smiling, but I stuck my tongue out at Kyouya. "Don't compare me to that idiot."

Kyouya said nothing as we both exited the warm building and began trudging through the knee-deep snow that had built up. Suddenly I stopped and gasped, "Tomorrow is Friday! Double score! Christmas in a month and tomorrow is fry-your-brains-out-with-quizzes-and-tests day which means less homework next week!"

Kyouya's dark eyes glinted with amusement as he actually smiled slightly. Well, more of a wry smile, but it counts! "You look forward to testing?"

"Yeah, so I can get it over with and see how much I've improved," I answered, nodding enthusiastically.

We stood near the edge of the campus by a ring of trees. I amused myself for a few minutes with my visible, steamy breath before admiring the untouched snow. I whipped out my cell phone and turned around, shutting one eye and sticking out my tongue slightly as I tried to angle the camera on the phone correctly.

SNAP.

I smiled, saving the breath-taking picture of Ouran High School and made it my background.

"I see you enjoy taking pictures," Kyouya commented. He had watched me take the picture and switch by cell phone wallpaper.

"Yeah, the camera on this phone is definitely impressive," I nodded sagely. "Its recorder is also remarkable."

Kyouya raised his eyebrows when he heard my cell phone alert me to a picture message: 'Warning: this episode contains copious amounts of Duke Devlin. Women with heart conditions are advised not to look directly at Duke Devlin. This also applies to women without heart conditions. He's very pretty. See? See how pretty he is? He's very pretty. I'd like to run my fingers through his hair and I'm just a voice. Anyway, without further ado, enjoy your crappy anime cartoon.'

Flushing with embarrassment, I flipped open the phone to find the picture message was from Tamaki. He had sent a picture of his dog, Antoinette, slipping on a patch of ice and sprawled in an awkward splits position. I laughed and replied with a picture of Kyouya and me standing outside the school. The reply was from Tamaki's strict head mistress that sent a video of Tamaki slipping and sliding on the frozen sidewalk to rescue Antoinette. "Master Tamaki was going to take Antionette for a walk, but Antoinette had other ideas," the stern woman's voice said. I burst out laughing as Tamaki slid across the frozen sidewalk gracefully before making a snow angel, face-first, in the untouched and deep snow.

"Poor Tamaki," I giggled, sliding my phone into my pocket after replying.

"See you tomorrow," Kyouya said with a pleasant but synthetic smile as his limo pulled up.

"Bye Kyouya," I replied, flashing a grin. I frowned however when Kyouya set down the brief case he carried the Pineapple laptop in and squatted down, gathering snow. I stiffened. "Kyouya, why are you making a snowball?"

"You'll see." I didn't like his smirk when he stood and threw it in my direction. It whizzed past my shoulder.

"Ha! You missed!"

"No I didn't," he smirked and I heard an ominous rustling of branches as I remembered I was standing close to a large pine tree. And it had snowed.

"Noooo!" I howled, covering my head before I was buried under a ton of snow. When I clawed my way to freedom and poked my head out from the pile, I saw Kyouya was laughing. He had his cell phone out and took a picture before climbing into his limo, still laughing but not as hard as before.

"Curse you, Ohtori!"

"Haruhi, is Tamaki still your slave from the Truth or Dare game?" I asked her as Mori pinned up the Christmas lights Haruhi and I were holding up. The twins and the blonde King were the second team decorating with Christmas lights which proved to be disastrous so Kyouya was overseeing their progress. The last time I checked, my raven-haired slave driver was untangling his leg and looking rather ticked while Tamaki and the twins were hopelessly tied up.

"Iie," she answered as she glanced over her shoulder at the ill-fated second team. "I couldn't stand him following me around everywhere with those puppy eyes. He's worse than useless when it comes to house chores and disrupted my studying so I released him after the day after our game."

"Oh."

"How is your tutoring with Kyouya?" Haruhi inquired.

"He's eating the information out of my hands so fast I have to worry about my fingers getting bitten off," I admitted with a light laugh. "Kyouya gets irritated when we finish early because he absorbs everything I tell him faster than the Hindenburg burning."

"What about when he teaches you?" the commoner asked with an amused smile.

"I really have no clue…" I shrugged. "When Kyouya teaches, the only sides of him I see are when he is no-nonsense and scholarly or when he's irritated. I believe it frustrates him a little that I don't pick up information as quickly as he does so Kyouya gets annoyed he has to slow down. Once and only once have I ever seen a glimmer of bring impressed—that was when I told him I read tons of anime and manga before taking Japanese classes so I know bits of Japanese by heart. Or maybe that was annoyance..."

"Hm, well, Kyouya isn't one to display emotions easily," Haruhi agreed with a shrug as we both descended from the wooden ladders. "Little surprises him, less impresses him."

I sighed. "Don't I know it, but persistence pays."

"Alexis," Kyouya snarled looking murderous as he stomped over, "go assist those idiots."

I grinned, climbing down the ladder as the usually composed Ohtori had difficulty smoothing his ruffled feathers. "Would you like some Earl Grey tea, Kyouya-sempai?" I inquired over my shoulder in an attempt to give him time for his temper to diffuse.

"Iie," he answered, cool, calm, and collected.

I sighed as the Hitachiin twins and Tamaki called for help untangling themselves from the tight embrace of the Christmas lights.

I found myself repeating the same process but with the maid. Kuretake and Kadomatsu, both eager to please, had a little too eagerly strung up the Christmas lights outside the mansion and I assigned myself the task of extricating the tied up maid from her binding.

"Arigatou, Alexis-san," Kuretake sighed as she rubbed her chilled hands together. "You are skilled at untying."

"Nah, I just practiced on Tamaki, Kaoru, and Hikaru not too long ago," I chuckled, my steamy breath fanning out like a train's smoke but white. "What do you think, Master Umehito, Mistress Kirimi?" I yelled from the rooftop down at the pair who gazed up at us.

"Beautiful," Kirimi gasped, hopping up and down while clapping her hands. I could barely make out Nekozawa's pleased smile from where I was. The snowstorm had picked up and the three of us hunched down as Kuretake boldly slid down the ladder, her feet clamping the sides. I simply climbed down and Kadomatsu slid down before we hurried inside.

"N-Now the t-tree," I puffed, unzipping a thick winter coat I had borrowed from Kuretake. I hung it on the coat rack as the others followed suit when I spotted Kirimi shivering and hugging herself. I smiled. "I think some hot chocolate is in order and perhaps a large, roaring fire to thaw everyone." Man, the Christmas bug had really bitten me hard this year; I usually wasn't so cheerful!

Kirimi's face brightened at my suggesting and she looked up hopefully at the other three. "I'll make it," Kuretake offered.

"I'll help!" the blonde preschooler announced as she dashed after the maid.

"Kadomatsu, would you prepare and start a fire in a room nearest to everyone's sleeping quarters?" Nekozawa asked the butler, who nodded and left. "And cut down a pine tree in the front yard."

"Guess that leaves just us. Where's the ornaments?" I glanced around as if it would pop up out of the floor.

"The ornaments…are hidden within the depths of the haunted attic," Nekozawa told me in that eerie whispering voice I had long since adjusted to. He had that trademark spooky smirk to go with it.

"High-ho then," I replied enthusiastically, lighting a candelabra. "Let's see if the three Christmas spirits will pay us a visit a month before Christmas, shall we?"

"I was unaware there were Christmas spirits," Nekozawa commented as he lead the way.

"You've never read or watched The Christmas Story?! Blasphemy!" I gasped dramatically. Maybe Tamaki's cooties had infected me earlier when I had been untangling him from the long strand of lights… "Such blasphemy cannot be tolerated," I decided aloud. "We're watching the Jim Henson version tonight."

"Will it frighten Kirimi?"

"Probably with the Ghost of the Christmases Yet to Come," I nodded. "His corporeal form is that of a large grim reaper without the scythe."

"Kirimi will definitely be scared of that," Nekozawa frowned.

"That's why she is going to sit between us."

"Nani?!"

"You heard me," I told him as we hiked into the musty, attic that was barren of life aside from spider webs and dead insect corpses, but everything was covered with white sheets that had browned from so much dust piled on them. There were also boxes with weapons, a mini Guillotine, a couple skulls grinning at us, and empty vials standing upright rigidly.

"We have our work cut out for us," I wowed as I took in the attic that was twice as large as my bedroom.

"Indeed," Nekozawa agreed.

After much yanking of sheets, flying dust, coughing and sneezing, we finally happened upon the ornaments and more Christmas decorations and hauled them into the room where Kadomatsu had already set up the tree and was in the process of beginning the fire. Kirimi was sitting on the couch sipping her hot chocolate and Kuretake offered us two steaming mugs.

"Darkness is an excellent cleanser after being exposed to the foulness of the daylight," Nekozawa told me as we both sat on the couch with Kirimi between us. Kadomatsu had been sent to search for The Christmas Story movie and Kuretake was whipping up more hot chocolate.

I purred at the warmth of the hot chocolate easing down my throat and the gentle heat of the fire stroking me. I shut my eyes, leaning my head back, as I sighed comfortably, "The darkness is easier on the eyes and velvety soft…this fire is most excellent." Still, I grabbed the blanket draped over the back of the couch and curled up in it; Kirimi joined me after setting her empty mug on the wooden table.

"I like spending time with brother and Alexis," Kirimi said, closing her eyes as she burrowed into my side, wrapping her arms around me. She seemed worn out from the excitement.

"I like spending time with you too, Kirimi," I told her, running my hands through her hair slowly.

"As do I, Kirimi," Nekozawa added quietly. A mischievous smile played on my lips as I directed the look at the robed young man, who was immediately suspicious having firsthand experience with that grin from the Hitachiin brothers which could only mean trouble. I gently picked up Kirimi and sat her on Nekozawa who seemed alarmed, but the sleepy preschooler leaned against him and nuzzled his chest. I tried not to laugh at the face the poor prince of darkness was making.

'What do I do?' he mouthed desperately.

I gestured covering her body up with his cloak and running his fingers through her hair. Nekozawa swallowed visibly before obeying my instructions with a blush on his face, obviously waiting for his little sister to suddenly wake up and leap from his grasp, but when she didn't Nekozawa looked so happy I felt my heart swell. I took out my cell phone and made a video of the precious moment. In fact, Nekozawa was so happy he lowered his hood and removed his wig, revealing the tears of joy pricking at his eyes.

My heart leapt into my throat. I could not take my eyes away from his face. The huge portrait of Umehito Nekozawa in the hallway above the staircase did him no justice; the living, breathing Umehito Nekozawa was infinitely cuter and more adorable especially with the way he was grinning madly. I wanted to kiss him again. My mind even goaded me by replaying the Truth or Dare shojo manga scene and when Nekozawa had kissed my cheek after discovering I had saved his club.

"A-Arigatou," Nekozawa quietly sobbed happily.

I heard a sharp gasp of surprise and my head swiveled to find Kuretake standing in the doorway gaping at the miraculous sight and was in danger of dropping the hot chocolate. I darted from the couch and rescued the drinks before they could be spilt.

"B-But how?" Kuretake gawked.

"It's thanks to Alexis," Nekozawa sniffed as he smiled gratefully at me. Kuretake regarded me with utter astonishment and I blushed sheepishly.

"Kirimi was tired," I said, trying to shift the spotlight away from me.

"This calls for a celebration tomorrow!" Kuretake squealed. Nekozawa and I shushed her. I made a strangled noise when the maid jumped at me and crushed my ribs with her killer embrace before leaping away, dancing on her tiptoes before gasping again. "I need a camera!" She dashed out of the door faster than the speed of light and came back just as speedily but with a digital camera; after one million pictures in the space of five minutes, Kuretake carried the sleeping preschooler to bed.

I sank onto the couch again, wrapping myself in the blanket, as Nekozawa scooted over. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Alexis-san. I can never repay you for the precious moments I have just experienced," he told me as he tenderly embraced me.

Immediately my face flamed. "You're welcome," I replied awkwardly into his shoulder. We sat side by side sharing the blanket as Kadomatsu popped in our feature presentation. I felt warm inside.

And it wasn't from the cocoa.

"I'm bored," I sighed as I sat in the Third Music Room eyeing the usual drama unfolding, most of the drama circulating around Tamaki, Haruhi, Kaoru, and Hikaru. Hunny had been invited to some sort of candy factory by Reiko-hime Kanazuki from the Black Magic Club and Mori had tailed along as chaperone.

"Kyouya, don't you have something for me to do?" I asked in a desperate, long shot attempt to alleviate my acute idleness. I was a worker bee, not a slacker; I hated free time or more specifically not being able to occupy myself for long periods of time.

My employer-master glanced down at the floor where I lay near his table staring up at him. "Not really…The decorations are in place as well as the lights, the tree, the ornaments, the garland, tinsel…"

"Can I leave then?"

"No."

"Could you explain why?"

"I am not at liberty to," he replied distractedly as he returned to whatever he was working on.

'At least he doesn't ignore me,' I thought as I blew out another breath as I returned to intensely scrutinizing the ceiling. "Of all the times, now I would gladly run an errand for you and yet you have nothing to dish out. I think you're doing this on purpose."

"That is an interesting view."

Since Kyouya wasn't in a talkative or slave-driving mood, I stood and took up a position near the window sill where I leaned against the wall near the window and gazed out as the small but elegant white flakes lazily floated to the ground in massive piles. I crossed my arms and let my head bump against the wall as my mind wandered. It never snowed where I had lived in America; one would have to travel upstate in the winter to find snow. I wanted to go outside and savor the powder.

"We should go outside and make snowmen or snow angels," I muttered to myself, noticing my breath steaming part of the window.

I cringed when a loud, exuberant voice behind me exclaimed, "What an excellent idea, my daughter!"

"You're going to scare me to death one day, Tamaki," I scowled irritably as I put a hand on my chest to calm my racing heart. The blonde merely shot me an innocent look before dramatically pivoting to face the rest of the Host Club, minus Hunny and Mori.

"My daughter, Alexis, suggested a magnificent idea," the King announced boisterously. I didn't miss the way Kyouya's head darted up slightly or the way his dark eyes narrowed marginally as they focused on me. Tamaki, however, was oblivious to this and continued rambling on. "Winter is not a time where we should always be cooped indoors, growing fat, lazy, and wasting away! We should set an example to the beautiful ladies and handsome men of Ouran and organize a Winter Festival!"

Kyouya and Haruhi were both giving me black looks and I frantically mouthed to them, "That wasn't my idea" while shaking my head furiously but subtly behind Tamaki's back.

But the damage had been done.

"The Winter Festival shall be held the day before the Christmas Ball!"

Disclaimer: too see more about Duke Devlin, watch the Yu Gi Oh Abridged Series on youtube; the Abridged Series is owned by LittleWingedKuriboh.

Author's Apology: Sorry for the late update. I'm such a horrible authoress! I need to find my writing groove again but also an unfortunate sequence of events has prevented me from writing. My mother got a new CPU and hasn't installed Microsoft so there are no Word Documents for me to open which sucks and the USB ports don't function either so I can't even use my flash drive on the new computer and the school library was closed for the first half of the week. I'll try to update more frequently, but I make no promises since school has begun.