Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters.
Author Note: I am on a writing spree and I want to write at least one more chapter tonight, so do forgive me for not saying thanks and what not. I'll do it later. Of course do review, I mean I should get something for posting more than 3 chapters in 2 days.
Also this chapter might seem a bit abrupt. Its just that I can't make it smoother. Its like, i have these images and I have to put them here but they don't seem to begoing together too well. Basically even though I have to explain it, I don't like the whole separated and sad part either :(
"So Christmas break starts tomorrow." Kia said with a bright smile.
Mikan smiled back and after a long time it was filled with real warmth. "I can't wait to get back home!" she said excitedly.
"Want to see Natsume-sempai?" Kia said laughing.
"Yup!" Mikan grinned impishly. She hadn't had any contact with Natsume for the last 3 months. Ever since she had come here. But when she went back, he would be there.
"Well knowing him, he might be here to pick you up tomorrow." Kia said, breaking into Mikan's thoughts.
"Maybe." Mikan said downplaying the hope that had blossomed. Kia just laughed more at her expression. Mikan was glad that Kia was here. They had been friends at her previous school until Kia had left it and come here since her parents had left the country. Now after a year they were together again. Having someone who knew Natsume to talk to made Mikan feel a lot better.
All the hope and excitement that filled Mikan as she headed to the door of the academy the next morning left her face as she saw who it was who had come to pick her up.
Narumi frowned as Mikan's face fell at the sight of him.
"Hi Mikan!" he said brightly ignoring her gloomy expression. Mikan sighed and gave him a small wave, but that was all the response he got from her until they reached the mansion. Without a word to anyone Mikan headed upstairs, but Narumi stopped her.
"Natsume's not here." he told her in a kind voice.
Mikan whirled around.
"He went to visit Ruka in Norway. They are spending Christmas there." Narumi watched as Mikan's face lost all color, but then she turned back and went upstairs. From then on she took her meals in her room, and only stayed in the library and garden when no one else was there.
After a week of this Misaki stopped her in the garden.
"Mikan stop doing this." Misaki said angrily.
Mikan gave him a blank look.
"This is why you had to be separated. If you are going to act like this, it will be even harder to... " he stopped as if he realized that he had said too much.
Mikan left him. This time though she went to Natsume's room rather than her own. It was exactly the way she remembered it. She sat down on his bed, her eyes slowly filling with tears. So they had been separated on purpose, and Natsume had known about this. He had known but he hadn't told her.
She remembered how he had looked the night before she had left. The raw pain in his face when he had watched her leave. It all made sense now, but she still wanted to beat them both for lying to her. She had no doubt that Ruka had known as well.
Even as the tears started falling, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. There was something stuck in the door of Natsume's cupboard. She stood up and opened the cupboard. Inside she saw a beautifully wrapped box.
She brought it back to the bed and opened it. Inside were two scarves. One a jade green with silver embroidery all over, and the other a deep red, with a golden embroidered border. Underneath the scarves was a small box. Mikan took it out with shaking fingers and opened it. She gasped.
In the box were two pairs of earrings. One pair of earrings was exactly like the one that Natsume wore, except while his had rubies in them, Mikan's had emeralds, which matched her new scarf perfectly. The other were simple red coral studs. Simple but exquisite. She was about to close the box when she saw a small paper was folded into it on the side. She opened it.
She could not stop the tears that fell from her eyes on seeing the two sentences. One was in Natsume's handwriting while the other was in Ruka's.
"I am glad you found these. Sorry." Natsume had written in green ink.
"Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Mikan." Ruka had written underneath in red ink.
Mikan murmured a series of insults for them even as she hugged the note. She had no idea how long she stayed in his room, but it was dark when she left, taking her presents with her. She came back soon and placed the christmas present she had gotten Natsume in his cupboard. Then she went and placed Ruka's present in his cupboard. They'd see her gifts whenever they came home.
Home, she snorted. They had been effectively betrayed by the people who lived in this home.
The next day was christmas and Mikan acted normal. Well as normal as she could be, but she did not avoid the family, and neither did she give them murderous looks. Everyone decided it was an improvement. She gave them all presents, and she received hers. None interested her. She knew that the green things had been from Natsume while Ruka had sent the red ones, so there were no other presents that they had sent which she could receive under the eyes of Narumi, Misaki and Grandfather.
Two days after Christmas, Mikan went back to school. She had no wish of spending New Year's here as well. At least this way, Natsume might come home.
She knew he was in Japan, with Ruka. There was no way that the two of them would not visit aunt Kimiko on New Years, and even if she could not be with them, she would not be the reason why they would not be able to visit her either. Mikan had visited Natsume's mom on christmas. Now she knew that as soon as everyone was sure that she was back in school, Natsume would come back to the mansion and then he and Ruka would spend quite a while with Kimiko in her hospital room.
Two days later, Natsume stood in his room, holding the watch Mikan had left for him in his cupboard. There had been no note with it, but he knew that she had been crying, since the tear drops had marked even the surface of the wrapping paper she had used.
He sighed softly. Three and half years more.