Ezra sighed deeply, closing his eyes as he sat on the edge of his bunk. Today was supposed to be a joyful time. It was the one day of the year that he always felt… lighter than usual. But for some reason, he couldn't get into the Christmas spirit.

Maybe it was the lack of celebration on the Ghost, or maybe it was the absence of flashing lights and glinting baubles, but something was definitely off this year. Sure, it was just a local Lothal tradition to celebrate the holiday, but it was something that Ezra held with high expectations. Even with the Empire's reign, people would still string lights across their rooves and decorate beautiful trees with their families. The sweet smell of roast dinners wafted in the air, with crowds of people weaving in and out of the streets in search for the most dazzling house. It was something rich and poor, young and old would all do.

But now it was Christmas Eve, and the crew hadn't done anything festive or cheery for the past few weeks. Ezra was beginning to wonder if they even knew about the holiday at all.

He could still picture the Christmas tree in the corner of his old house, gift wrapped presents laying there just waiting for him to tear them open. And even after his parents were taken, Ezra would still walk through the streets of Capital City and admire the bright lights of houses and buildings. Some folks were kind enough to spare some scraps of food, spreading the holiday spirit to everyone possible.

Ezra smiled at the memory. But before he could reminisce any further, the door to his cabin slid open and the light pierced through the darkness. Ezra squinted, but then frowned after being pulled from his childhood memories. "You okay?" Kanan asked as he stepped into the room.

Ezra folded his arms, replying "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

Kanan shrugged nonchalantly. "Just checking. You've been a bit… down lately. Just wanted to make sure you were okay," he explained while leaning against the doorframe.

Ezra scoffed and smiled lightly. "You sound like…" he trailed off for a moment, eyes becoming vacant and stagnant. The sentence finished in his mind, but the words never made it to his mouth. "You sound like my Dad."

Ezra shook his head rapidly, trying to play the awkward moment off, but Kanan had already realised. The Jedi's cyan orbs watched his every move, causing the boy to shift uncomfortably. Wanting to escape the situation, Ezra jumped off the bunk and made a B line for the door. Kanan suddenly raised his arm to block his path, glancing down at the boy with a soft expression. "I'm here for you Ezra," he said, voice gentle and soothing.

Ezra flinched at the words. That empty feeling settled in his gut again, causing him to duck under Kanan's arm and glide into the hallway. "I know Kanan," he replied with a lax tone.

Kanan arched a brow, staring past Ezra's shields and into his exposed soul. Ezra could even feel the sweat beginning to form on the back of his neck. The silence drawled on between them for a long, tense moment, until Kanan finally said "Fine. But if you ever want to talk, come find me."

That was the last thing said between the two as Ezra nodded, twisted on his heel, and hastily made his way down the hall. He didn't feel in the mood for talking, let alone expressing his true feelings about the whole 'Christmas' situation. It was a stupid thing to worry about. The crew didn't need to think about decorations or lights when they were busy with keeping a rebellion alive. It just sounded like a pointless request from a young child. A fantasy. A dream.

Ezra was about to enter the common room, but hesitated. He felt the sudden urge to get outside, like he couldn't breathe anymore. The teen quickly turned and paced his way to the cargo hold, sliding down the ladder with a slight burn on his palms from the friction. But he was only faced with the one thing he didn't want to see.

Hera, Zeb and Chopper were all standing in the cargo bay. The Lasat was moving crates into the corner, while Hera and Chopper were doing maintenance on other things. Hera glanced up and smiled at the boy. "Hey Ezra," she greeted.

Ezra shot her a weak smile, before bowing his head and hastily making his way for the ramp. And just when he thought he'd make his escape, a gentle hand grasped onto his shoulder. "Where are you going?" Hera quizzed, a thin brow raised inquisitively.

"I… just need some air," Ezra replied, refusing to make eye contact with the Twi'lek. "Just for a short walk."

Hera didn't look convinced. But slowly, she released her grip on Ezra's shoulder. "Okay. Well… contact us on the com if you need anything, okay?" she said softly.

Ezra nodded sharply, and as much as he didn't want to, he took her words into consideration. Turning, he walked down the ramp and onto the grassy plains of Lothal. A crisp, fresh wind was threading through the grass as the stars sprinkled the inky black sky. Ezra sucked in a deep breath, allowing the sensation of oxygen to fill his lungs. He began to make his way towards the glowing silhouette of Capital City off in the distance. The dry blades of grass brushed past his legs as he strolled peacefully on his way, the lingering darkness lifting from his shoulders.

Ezra smiled. There were some traditions that he would never let down, and he wasn't going to stop today…

It had been almost half an hour since Ezra had left for "some air", and the crew were becoming concerned. Hera paced back and forth in the common room aimlessly, while Kanan sat in a cross-legged position on the floor, trying to reach out to his student through the force. Zeb was cleaning his bo-rifle, Chopper was recharging, and Sabine was scrolling through the holonet with a relaxed expression.

"I'm sure the kid's fine Hera," Zeb said, breaking the silence.

Hera glanced up and nodded gratefully at the Lasat. "I'm sure he is. I'm just worried about him though," she sighed. "He's been really… out if it lately."

Zeb hummed in agreement, turning back to his staff to continue cleaning it. They all knew that Ezra had been a bit glum, usually concealing himself in his cabin or sitting outside on the ramp. And the worst part was that no one knew why. He never wanted to talk, and was extremely reluctant to open up in any way.

The boy had contacted the crew about 10 minutes ago to assure them he was doing fine. This had relaxed them for a slight moment, but every proceeding minute that passed felt like an hour to the crew. They all remained silent for a few more moments, until Sabine suddenly exclaimed "Hey guys! Check this out."

Kanan opened his eyes and stood up, trailing after Hera as they flocked to see what the news was. "Read this," Sabine said while pointing to the hologram.

Hera lent forward. "Christ-mas?" she read out awkwardly. "What's that?"

"It's a local Lothalian holiday," Sabine explained. "It's where families come together and decorate their homes with things like lights and tinsel. Then, on Christmas Eve, which is today might I add, everyone goes around and looks at the lights as a sort of… special tradition."

"You're telling us this why?" Zeb asked bluntly with an unamused expression.

Kanan face palmed himself, releasing a frustrated groan as the pieces finally clicked together. "Because Ezra would have grown up with this event. It would be important to him."

"Hence why he's been acting so weird," Sabine pointed out.

Hera sighed and sat down heavily. The four of them remained silent, until Kanan suddenly turned and headed for the door. "Where are you going?" Hera asked.

The male simply glanced over his shoulder and shot her a small smirk. "Christmas is supposed to be celebrated with family right?" he quizzed.

"Yeah… I guess," she replied.

Kanan grinned widely, before swiftly exiting the common room.

Ezra sat slumped back against a bench as he watched the glinting lights of the house in front of him. It was only simply decorated, with a few strings of blue icicle lights along the windows and gutter. But the flowing pattern along with gentle sway of the wind was almost hypnotising, soothing Ezra's soul into a peaceful state.

Ezra had loved looking at the lights so far. Some were extremely elaborate, while others just showed a lot of care and effort in the effects. The sweet smell of roast dinners and pine trees still lingered in the air. People walked in and out of different streets with their families, admiring the festive houses and filling the city with a warm sensation. Ezra was beginning to feel more in the Christmas spirit now.

The tension released from his muscles, and he teetered on the brink of slumber.

"Hey," a distinct voice spoke.

Ezra almost leapt out of his skin, a small, high pitched yelp escaping his lips. His wide eyes glanced up at his master warily. "K-Kanan?" he stuttered, not exactly sure how to react.

Kanan only nodded, asking "May I sit?"

Ezra's whole body was frozen, and thoughts were racing through his mind at a million miles an hour. It's not like he could just say no. That could call for conversation much more awkward than the situation he was in now. That's why he found himself murmuring "Yeah… s-sure."

Kanan sat down next to the teen, deciding to keep his eyes focused on the dazzling lights rather than his awkwardly shifting padawan. Ezra other on other hand, no matter how hard he tried, couldn't seem to stare at one specific thing anymore. The tension was thick enough that you could cut it with a knife, and it made Ezra so uncomfortable that he felt like he couldn't breathe.

The silence was finally broken when Kanan said "Oh, and Merry Christmas Ezra."

The boy perked up. "How'd you-"

"You didn't honestly think we wouldn't realise, would you?" Kanan quizzed, turning and giving Ezra a suspicious glance. Ezra wasn't sure how to reply at first, until Kanan smirked slightly and added "Plus the fact the streets were flooded with people saying 'Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!' might have also given the slip."

Kanan chuckled, but his expression darkened when he realised Ezra's blank face. "Hey. You okay?" he asked, resting his hand on the boy's shoulder.

Stagnant blue orbs stared up at him, a foreign mist clouding their bond. "I… I-I," Ezra started, before flinching and bowing his head. "I just… didn't want to make a big deal out of it. It seemed kind of pointless to ask about it."

Kanan frowned. "But it's important to you," he said, though it was more of an unspoken question.

Ezra glanced up from behind a veil of hair. He didn't respond, just watching his master with a soft eye. A long moment later, he finally caved in and nodded in defeat. Kanan smiled, squeezing his shoulder and saying "Well if it's important to you, it's important to me."

Ezra was surprised. "R-Really?"

Kanan ruffled the teen's hair playfully, replying "Of course."

Ezra chuckled and swatted his hand away gently, his cheeks tinging to a rosy pink. "Thanks… Kanan," he murmured sheepishly.

"For what?" Kanan quizzed.

Ezra hesitated, before a smile broke out on his face. "For caring."

Kanan patted Ezra's back warmly, saying "Isn't that what Christmas is about?" There was a small pause, until Kanan nudged Ezra's shoulder and whispered "That's what it's about, right?"

Ezra chuckled, his blue bangs swaying as he shook his head disapprovingly. "Yeah…" Ezra smiled. "I guess so."

The two returned a caring glance and a nod of gratitude, before turning back to stare at the colourful house. They remained quiet for a long time, just allowing the soothing motion of the lights sooth them. The comfortable silence was only broken when Kanan, whose eyes were still fixed on the building, asked "Did you see that house in the middle of Fifth Street?"

Ezra nodded. "Yeah. It was pretty amazing, huh?"

"They were passing out something called 'Candy canes' when I walked by," Kanan said.

Ezra turned his head just as Kanan glancing down at him. A huge, mischievous grin was plastered onto the boy's face, electric blue orbs beaming with joy. Kanan raised a brow. "What?"

Ezra gasped, clutching his heart as if he was offended. "Don't tell me you've never had a candy cane before!"

Kanan shrugged. "Never heard of them until now."

Ezra suddenly grasped Kanan's wrist, yanking him onto his feet as he began dragging his master down the street. "Okay Kanan. Time for the full on Christmas experience," Ezra announced gleefully.

Kanan rolled his eyes but smiled, obliging to his student's lead. When they made it to the closest corner, Ezra glanced over his shoulder, a sparkle in his eye as he let go of Kanan's hand and bolted down the street. "Race ya!" he yelled back.

Kanan was at first surprised, before sprinting into action and chasing off after the teen. Kanan had a feeling he was going to enjoy the 'Christmas break'.

Okay, so firstly,

I know it's late. But I had started this on Christmas Eve and just couldn't finish it in time since I was so busy with… ya know… Christmas. XD But I was still really determined to finish and publish it so, here it is! :D

Secondly,

All those who also go out light-looking on Christmas Eve say 'I'! ;D

Thirdly,

I was originally planning for this to be a two-shot, so if you'd like one more addition to this story about actual Christmas day, tell me in the reviews. You just have to deal with the fact it'll be a bit late. :D But, hopefully you enjoyed this short story and that you all had a very, Merry Christmas! May the force be with you, always! :D

~With lots of Christmas love!

Superherotiger