Grow Old with You

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice.

I smoothly touched the lustrous pale gray hair that used to be a beautiful auburn one.

She smiled.

"You look stressed Natsume," She softly said with concern as she reached my hand and held it tightly.

"I'm fine. I'll always be fine as long as I'm holding this hand," I kissed her wrinkled hand while staring at her sleepy chocolate orbs.

We remained silent though our eyes were full of thoughts about each other. The passion of love that we shared a long time ago never faded, even the time has passed by... even if wrinkles appeared on our skin.

It was been sixty years since I met her. Sixty years since I found my light, my happiness, my freedom and my love. She became my everything the moment I laid my eyes on her.

"Natsume, do you still love me?" A silly question slipped on her lips.

I groaned, "Idiot! I never fell out of love and I'll never be."

She giggled, "I know but I want to hear it. I still want to hear how much you love me," She looked at me with sincerity. Her eyes and sweet voice never failed to make me amazed each time she used those puppy eyes and child-like voice.

I sat at the edge of our bed beside her. She leaned her head on my shoulder while my hand wrapped along her waist.

"We've been married for more than fifty years and you still want me to be cheesy at this age?" I sarcastically asked her.

She giggled and sniffed the crook of my neck, "Please."

There was a moment of silence, but then again, I decided to break it for her.

"Before I met you, I never planned to live long in this world. All I want is to make a mess and make everyone hate me. Doing dangerous missions was the only one I care not to mention of course reading mangas," I smirked with a little joke I inserted.

"Then I met you," I seriously said and paused.

I turned my head to look at her and softly touched her chin to make her look at me.

"You're irritating, stupid, stubborn, childish, talkative, greedy, pig who likes Howalons until now..." I almost laughed when she pouted. Even we were already old I still found her cute when she used those expression.

"But because of your silly self, you changed everything I planned in my life. You turned my life upside down and made my existence worthy. You changed me into a better one, Mikan. Since the day you appeared and became part of my life, I know deep down in my heart, there's a bond that strongly connects to our hearts; the bond of everlasting love."

She looked at me with amazement written on her face, but didn't utter a single word.

"Did you remember when I first proposed to you in the balcony?" I suddenly asked her.

She nodded, "Yeah we were too young that time and you still had the guts to propose in the middle of the war," She smiled while reminiscing the past.

"The only thing on my mind that time was to get the opportunity to make you mine officially."

She giggled and nodded like she already knew that.

"I love you for all that you are and you're the only treasure I have that I can't trade to any precious gem in the world,"

I touched her delicate face and kissed her gently.

I smirked, "Every time I kissed you, you're always blushing like a tomato on fire."

She softly punched my chest and we both laughed.

Reaching at this age was somewhat a miracle to me and being with her at this long was a blessing. I had an illness of shortening life every time I used my alice due to my limitless type of alice. It was fine with me to have it on my body because I didn't have any purpose in life at that time. Darkness and loneliness were what things embraced my soul.

I hadn't thought a girl like Mikan could save me from the levee of hell and death. More than fifty years of our marriage wasn't easy at all. We both fought for the Academy. We struggled to live in a peaceful life as we could be after the war. We tried so hard to act like a normal couple despite the pain we kept to our heart that the war left us.

Although only the two of us survived in the battle between the ESP, we all became the legacy of the Academy and would always be the founder of peace and freedom of the students.

All of the sudden my thoughts were diverted to my wife when she continuously coughed.

"Mikan?" I worriedly looked at her pale face.

"I'm fine Natsume. I-I just feel tired. Being an old woman isn't easy at all," She slightly laughed.

Four days ago, she was hospitalized and admitted to the ICU because of the heart failure. She resisted staying in the hospital for too long, because she didn't want to die in a place where all sick people were staying.

So I decided to let her stay in our home where she can rest properly in our very own bed. She loved this place so much. You could hear the chirping sounds of birds every morning, the smell of pine trees and the beautiful nature outside.

We knew her condition was critical. It might be frightening and disbelieving, but we already accepted that life wasn't infinite. I shown to her that it was fine to me, but little she didn't know it was actually crushing me to death. Knowing that your love one was in the line between life and death, it made my heart broke into tiny pieces and I was dying in frustration.

"You have to lay down now to regain your energy," I was preparing to stand but she refused me to make any move.

"Stay here. Doctor said once I closed my eyes there's a chance I..." She didn't continue the last word since we exactly knew it.

She embraced me, "I wished I'm not the one who's struggling for life. W-who will be taking care of you once you get sick? W-who will be there to cook for you every day? W-who will be there to sing a lullaby for you every night? I'm scared not because I'm dying, but it's because you'll be left alone Natsume,"

I could now feel the wet on my chest but I stayed silent.

"I wished I left you a fruit of our love," Her voice was obviously in sorrow.

"You don't have to think about those silly things now. I don't regret not having kids with you. You are the only reason why I'm still breathing right now. I don't need anyone to replace you because you might call me selfish but all I want is you and you alone. You are the only person I want to grow old with."

I reached her left hand and slipped a golden cylindrical object in her ring finger.

Despite of her weak body, she was stunned and her eyes widened to see what I put to her finger.

She smiled while looking at it.

"Mikan Hyuuga, for the forth times... Will you marry me?"

Crimson orbs met chocolate orbs.

She gulped trying hard to utter a word, "The first time you asked me I hesitated. The second time, I was angry. The third time, I was shocked. And for this time, I'm happy to be your wife once again."

I smirked, "You're wrong. Because you're my wife forever even in the lifeless world. Happy anniversary."

We both smiled and let a passionate kiss conquer our night.

As we both lay down on our bed, we didn't separate from our embrace. We stayed together until I felt her smile, and her last breath was heard in the middle of the darkness night.

I closed my eyes still holding her in my embrace, "I love you and I'm coming with you."

*End*

Hope you guys enjoy ^o^

God bless