A/N: Heyy worlddddd! I could have updated earlier (but I fell asleep accidentally, so yeah). Okay anyway, this chapter's extraaaa long; because it's a special chapter - even though i feel that the chapter ain't all that great... Well anyway, it's kind of a chapter that plays with your mood actually. It's happy at first, then funny, and afterwards bittersweet and sad. Yep okay so anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter (although it's a little cliche), it's linked to the previous chapter! (As in, Of Young Love and Old Men, Of Giving Up and Being Alone, and Of Rooftop Talks and Confessions).

Review replies:

foreverblueskies: Haha I just had to add in Tsuabsa's date XD Well anyway thanks for reading and loving it! ^^
Musinglaiying: Lol seriously? Then I'm pretty honoured I guess :D Oh misleading titles are more fun, don't you think so?
Love Crazed Moron: I gave y'all the answer :D Hm here's your answer! :D
KidTantei: Ah, procrastination. What do you mean by the chapter confusion? :O Just follow the latest post, which I gave on 19. Then this chapter and the previous one follows after that :D Right-o. Yep well anyway some chapters can be swicthed around, I reckon, because some links ain't that clear.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice.

Genre: Romance/Humor/Hurt/Comfort(?)
Characters: Mikan, Hotaru, Anna, Nonoko, Ruka, Natsume
Suggested pairings: N/M

Of Links and Collections

Written by Rock-n-Round

XXI: Of Birthday Presents and New Year's Surprises

Mikan glanced around, while everyone stared at the gigantic clock on the wall. Trying to ignore the counting down, the girl searched desperately for a raven boy's head. When she found the red-eyed boy watching the celebration from a corner of the room, she smiled a little and concentrated on the event once more.

"Three, two, one!"

The lot of people in the room cheered together as the clock struck twelve.

"Happy birthday and happy new year, Mikan!"

The brunette smiled. This is why she had enjoyed the start of the year so much – there were not one, but two occasions to celebrate in one day. It was the day where she felt the happiest, as if she was the most fortunate person on Earth. And, it was definitely not because of the presents and blessings she received from her friends.

"Oh my lord, is this what I think it is?"

"Yeah, believe it, Mikan!"

"I love you both, Anna and Nonoko! I'll treasure this coupon for a life-time supply of Howalon forever!"

Okay, so maybe it had something to do with the presents.

"Hotaru, what did you get me?" Mikan bounced over to the amethyst-eyed girl, "Is this the present?" She asked, pointing to the small parcel in her hands.

"Yes, it is. Here you go, baka." Hotaru held the parcel out, and dropped it in Mikan's hands. The raven-haired girl then gave a small smile, and added in another sentence, "Happy birthday, Mikan."

Mikan returned her best friend's smile with a sunny one of her own, and proceeded to hug the girl. For once, Hotaru decided not to spoil the moment. After all, it was the brunette's birthday.

"Can I open it now?"

Hotaru smirked. "Sure."

Mikan frowned a little at the girl's expression, but unwrapped the present nonetheless. When the brunette opened the box, she gasped in surprise. Inside, was a small music box which played the tune of the piano piece Mikan and Hotaru had used to hum so much. Thinking back, the girl realised that it had been ages since she had heard the tune, and listening to it now was a really nostalgic memory for her. Smiling, she blinked back her tears and whispered a "thank you so much" to her best friend.

Hotaru gave a bored look. "You'd better be, because I spent the whole night modifying it after I found it."

Modifying? What did that mean? Mikan furrowed her brows. Bringing her attention back to the music box, she wondered what Hotaru had done to it. There was nothing unusual about the present… maybe expect for the little red button on the bottom. Turning the present around, she used her little finger and pushed the mini button of doom – and doom came in the form of a punch with added special sounds effects, like the 'Mission Impossible' theme song.

"Hotaru!"

The girl smirked. "What? You didn't think that I'd really just give you a plain old music box right?"

Mikan paused. "Okay, I guess not." The girl pushed back the giant boxing glove into the little music box, and smiled. "But still, thanks for the present, Hotaru!"

"No problem, idiot."

Following that, the hazel-eyed girl turned to Ruka.

"Here you go, Sakura." The blue-eyed boy said, and handed a little box to Mikan. "Open it after Natsume's, okay?"

"Natsume?" Mikan glanced around, trying to search for a shadow of the lad. Noticing that the lad had disappeared from the corner he was in earlier on, she frowned. "But, he's not even here."

"Don't worry, he left early." The girl noticed the blonde boy's expression had darkened. "He's probably at the Sakura Tree. Why don't you try looking for him now?"

"Alright," Mikan had said after a while, "I'll go now."

Ruka nodded. "Okay. Good luck, Sakura."

"Natsume? Are you there?" Mikan called, as she neared the Sakura tree. The brunette stopped at the roots of the tree, and tried again.

"Natsume, answer me!"

With that, the auburn-haired girl felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around, only to find a finger being poked into her cheek and a red-eyed boy greeting her.

"Hey."

Instantly, Mikan smiled. "Hey yourself."

Natsume smirked, and shoved his hands back into his pocket. "So, did you enjoy your celebration?"

The girl nodded. "I did; but why didn't you stay longer?"

The lad looked down, and paused. "I had to change."

"Change?" Mikan scrunched up her features, before realising that the boy was no longer in the traditional garb. Instead, he was dressed in his school uniform now. The girl gasped, and then whispered, "You have a mission?"

Frowning a little, Natsume sighed. "Yeah."

Mikan didn't look up or speak after that. The lad ran a hand through his raven locks. Trying to break the silence, Natsume spoke.

"Anyway, I didn't tell Ruka to call you out here for nothing, you know. I wanted to give you your present, before I left."

The brunette looked up slowly, forcing back her tears. Clearing her throat, she replied him. "You got me a present?"

The raven-haired lad nodded, and fished out a rectangular box from his pocket.

"Here you go. Happy birthday, Polka."

Mikan had managed to smile, and took to the present from Natsume. "Thanks a lot, Natsume." Then, she proceeded to open the present. And when she laid her eyes on the gift, her eyebrows had shot up, and she gasped in surprise. The present was a charm bracelet, with two charms so far – one of a Sakura, and another of a black cat. The girl immediately knew what the two charms had meant, and smiled.

It was Natsume's confession to her.

"I'd love to, Natsume."

The lad smirked, and leaned forward for a sweet, chaste kiss. "Who said I was giving you a choice?" The boy picked up the bracelet delicately, and clasped it around the girl's wrist. Mikan smiled in return to his gestures, but frowned soon after when she saw him look up into the sky straight after that.

"I'm sorry, Polka. I have to go now."

The girl nodded slowly. She walked forward, and stopped before Nastume. Mikan buried her face into his chest as she hugged him. "Be careful. I'll be in your room waiting."

Natsume smirked, and inhaled her scent. "I will. Wait for me."

Turning, the lad jumped into the trees above him. Mikan watched as the lad vanished from view, before allowing herself to walk back to the party.

When the girl returned to her dorm that night, she sat down on the bed and remembered the gift Ruka had given her earlier. Slowly, the brunette took out the little box, and unwrapped it.

Inside, laid a rabbit charm and a note.

.

Happy birthday, Sakura.

Here's something to remember me by. I hope you'll accept my present. Oh, and, good luck with Natsume.

From, Ruka.

.

Adding the rabbit charm to the bracelet, she smiled. On this day next year, there were many events to remember.

It would be New Year's, and her birthday.

Then, the day was also Natsume and her anniversary.

And lastly, it was also the day where Ruka Nogi gave up Mikan Sakura to Natsume Hyuuga.

A/N: Was it okay? :/ Well anyway thanks for reading this chapter, and I hope you'll continue to support my story! Review? :3