Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice/Alice Academy belongs to her rightful owners. And the song, White Horse, is by the wonderful Taylor Swift.
Written by: A Loverly Smile

❥ Smitten and Red

"In my opinion, brown & crimson have always made a much better pair."

Author's Note (important): This story has been edited (March 19, 2010) because I felt like it. I edited a lot of things actually. Changing a few words, details, and even the title. In my opinion, it's one step better than before! Original title: White Horse.

Prologue

Auburn hair placed neatly into pigtails swayed with the wind as a girl sat beside her window, singing: "Say you're sorry that face of an angel comes out just when you need it to. As I pace back and forth all this time 'cause I honestly believed in—"

"Yo," a raven-haired lad interrupted, entering the room slowly. The girl put her guitar down, "What be up polka-dots?"

The girl sighed, "You've been calling me that since we were ten, don't you think it's getting old by now?" She jumped off her seat beside the window and walked toward her bed.

The boy walked over to the bed too, "I don't think so, it's only been about six years." He stood in front of the girl as she just stared at her ceiling, "What's up with your oh-so emotional mood lately?" A façade of uncaring interest was applied on his impassive face.

"I don't know Natsume." She replied in a very dull monotone voice, lying down and hugging her legs.

Natsume sat down beside her and smirked, "Ah, Nogi Ruka, see what you do to this thing?" He asked, pointing at her, sarcastically to the sky.

She got up, giggled, and hit him playfully on the arm, "Is it really that obvious?"

Natsume simply shrugged, "No," his sarcasm dripped through with his words, "You just talk about him twenty-four-seven, dedicate so many songs for him, and stare at him all day. Not obvious at all." He turned toward the window.

"I hate this. I don't like this feeling. These stupid hormones just attract to him and I can't stop them," she complained, putting aside Natsume's sarcasm.

"Tell him your feelings?" Natsume implied, not taking his gaze off of the window.

"That's the problem. He's just always there for me and not to mention his amazing blue eyes. They're like the ocean; I just get lost in them sometimes." She continued with her admiration.

Natsume cracked his knuckles, no response whatsoever.

"Besides my smitten -ness, how's it going with that girl you said that you had feelings for?" She gaped at him with chaste interest.

Natsume stood up, "I don't know. She's so stupid anyways. Plus, she's totally in love with some other guy and I don't feel like bothering to attempt to take her attraction and face it toward me." He put his hands in his pockets, avoiding eye contact.

Mikan stood up rapidly, "Don't worry Natsume! I know she'll turn around! You should let me meet her and I'll hook you guys up!" She smiled at her thought, "Do I know her?"

"Yes."

"Is she one of my friends?"

"Yes."

"What does her name start with?"

"No comment," he faced the door.

Mikan pouted, "C'mon Natsume! How can whoever she is possibly figure out that you have feelings for her if you won't tell her? I'm trying to help but you won't even let me." She crossed her arms, "Humph, how exactly do you think she'll find out Mister Who-Knows-Everything?"

"This is coming from you? You haven't even confessed either," Natsume thought—irritated—to himself. "If she opens her eyes and finally notices me." He said, walking out the door.

She extended her arm, "Wait—" too late. He was gone. "That guy is impossible! How does he possibly believe that whoever she is will notice his feelings just by opening her eyes? Everyone does that right when they wake up!" She shouted at herself, trying to unravel Natsume's thoughts, totally oblivious to her rock-solid density.

After breakfast, I packed my things and headed for school. On my way, a mess of raven-hair appeared in front of me on the side-walk, "Hey Natsume!" I rushed toward him.

He turned to look at me and I noticed black shadows under his eyes, "Hm?"

I walked at his pace right beside him, "You know you need sleep right, look at those black things under your eyes! There nearly as big as your actual eyes!" I exclaimed in worry.

"Don't mind me," he rubbed his eyes, "So how's that song you were working on yesterday about Ruka?"

I blushed, "How the hell? How did you know about that?"

He stared at me like I was an idiot, "Because I heard you singing and you were in one of your moods which meant you were thinking about Person-that-starts-with-'R'-and-ends-with-'A'."

I flushed, "I-I don't know what y-you are talking about."

Natsume smirked, "Your stuttering miss."

I stuck my tongue out at him playfully, "Whatever."

As we reached the school grounds, we met up with Ruka and my best friend: Imai Hotaru. Ruka was talking to her animatedly, yet she looked like she didn't care what he was talking about.

When in reality, this best friend that I love so much, is head over heels in love over Mr. Nogi Ruka. That's one of the reasons I can't seem to confess to him. That and because of what happened before.

Ruka and I used to date when we were thirteen but I didn't really understand what loving someone was yet. Because of my lack of experience, he broke up with me a month later. Even though all that crap occurred, I guess when he left me for that stupid reason- I finally understood love. Oh, it hurt like hell but Natsume was always there when I needed to cry my eyes out. I don't know what I could've done without him there to support me.

"Polka! Watch ou—"

I hit the gate, "Ow!" I shouted on the ground, "Natsume! Why didn't you warn me?" I whined at him.

"Hey I tried, I'm innocent," he tried to put on his most innocent face.

"Mikan are you alright?" Ruka asked me as he ran over to my side.

"Hn." Natsume said then walked away.

"Yeah I'm fine, thanks Ruka." I looked at the retreating figure of Natsume, "What's wrong with him?"

Ruka looked at Natsume too, "I honestly don't know."

Hotaru walked over, "You guys are idiots." Then she walked away.

Ruka helped me up and we went back to class, "Thanks Ruka for helping me up by the way," I smiled as we walked to class.

"No problem Mikan, anytime." He looked deep in thought.

After Class

"Where the heck did that dork go to," I asked myself while looking all over campus.

I searched the front of the school, all the classrooms, the roof of the school, and even the boys bathroom—secretly of course—but Hyuuga Natsume was no where to be found.

I walked over to the back of the school and into the Northern Woods. I reached a really big tree and noticed something shiny near the bottom of the trunk. I walked over and noticed a ring on someone's finger. Taking a few steps closer, I saw, "Natsume?"

He was sleeping. I smiled at him and I sat down beside him watching his chest slowly rise and fall. He looked different when he was sleeping: his usual dark brown and deadly eyes, his treacherous glare, and not to mention his temper, evanesced.

I studied the ring on his finger and noticed it was a ruby. I loved rubies and I couldn't believe he had one. I looked at his angel-like face and noticed his perfect complexion. I brushed away a piece of his hair away, "Mikan," he whispered.

My heart skipped a beat and a myriad amount of fluttering wings made their way into my stomach. I looked back at Natsume and the pace of my heart just increased even more. I stood up off the ground and ran toward the school again. I felt a rush of sweltering hot adrenaline purge it's way into my body, my breathing rapidly increasing.

I sat down on the bench next to the school and breathed in and out. "One…two…three," trying to slow down my breath, "One…two…three." I repeated 'til my breathing was once again normal.

I stared at the clouds and questioned myself, "What the hell happened, just because I went that close to Natsume for the first time? What was that anyways?" A series of unanswered questions soar into my head until I heard noises in the bushes.

I stood up, terrified of the sounds, "Who's there?" I said in a slur of words.

The rustling in the bushes continued and I stepped back until a figure stepped out, "It's me." A familiar voice echoed from the bushes.

"Natsume?" I said stepping closer to the bushes. Right when he came out, we were about two feet away. I felt all the blood inside my body leave and seep to my face. I was staring at his chest. I never noticed how broad it was nor the fact that he was so much taller than me.

I looked up and he was looking down at me. I stared at his eyes and I gaped at the sight: his eyes weren't at all that dark, ominous brown that I disliked. His eyes were as red as the rubies I loved. I gulped, frozen.

"What?" He snapped a little surprised that I just stood there.

"Your eyes…"

"What?" He snapped a little harder.

"They are…crimson." I completed my thought.

He just stared down at me, "Yeah so?"

"I just, I never noticed before."

He mumbled something but I didn't quite hear, "Maybe…preoccupied…those blue eyes."

"What was that?" I asked.

"Nothing," he looked at me again, "Why is your face so red? Eat a bag of jalapeños?"

I noticed our extremely close distance from each other and I stepped back, "Sorry."

He shrugged and walked toward the bench, "For what?"

"Never mind," I said trying to smile. I sat beside him, as the sky got a bit darker.

"I have to tell you something Polka-dots," he broke the silence.

"What's that?" I said watching my shoes swing back and forth under the bench.

"My parents have to go to America so my sister could get her leg surgery after the car accident a year ago," he paused, "—they asked if I wanted to go."

The silence felt unbearable as his words finally made their way to my understanding, "You should go if you want to."

He shrugged, "I told them I'd think about it and I'd need to give them an answer by tomorrow because tomorrow is when they are leaving."

"That's cool," I said trying to hold back the tears that my eyes were begging to shed at the thought of him leaving.

He looked at me as the atmosphere suddenly curved, becoming peaceful but also extremely serious, "Do you want me to go?"

I looked at him too, "It's your choice if you want to or not, and it's none of my business."

He chuckled, "When have you, Mikan Sakura, ever thought something wasn't any of your business?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. I guess now."

"Polka you've been acting strange lately," he continued. I didn't comment on that. I couldn't take the surge of tears that wanted to trample away from my eyelids and express my extreme sadness of Natsume even thinking about leaving.

"Well let's get back to our houses before it gets too late," he stood up and started walking.

I walked step-by-step with him in silence all the way back to our houses. I was afraid that if I'd even say one word, my tears would fall. I didn't want Natsume to see me crying because of my promise to him that I wouldn't cry anymore because he thought I looked like a crybaby.

Until I reached my bedroom, my tears followed my instructions and remained within my eyes. However, once I pathway between my room and the outside world was shut, the tears were exposed in a sudden gush. I buried my head on my pillow and cried and cried- crying myself to sleep.

In the morning, my eyes were big and red. I didn't know why I was so horribly depressed that Natsume was leaving. I mean, isn't that what I wanted? He always mocked me, he always teases me, and not to mention he makes fun of me! Plus, his sarcasm is unnerving. But why would I be so depressed that he's leaving? I don't know.

I went to school and the entire day, I didn't see Natsume. During lunch, Ruka came up to me, "Mikan," I looked at him. He was on his knees in a begging sort-of position, "Mikan, please, will you go out with me again? I finally understand that I want you in my life." He finished his speech.

It took me a while to realize what he was saying. He was giving me exactly what I wanted. Wanted. But I didn't want him anymore. I knew what I wanted and I wasn't going to find it here. On a plane to America? Possibly. "I'm sorry Ruka, but I don't love you anymore. I'm sorry but you're too late." I stood up and gathered all my things.

I faced him and cupped his face, willing him to stand up, "Don't worry Ruka-pyon," I called him by the nickname I'd always called him when I was younger, "There's someone better out there. She's scary and stoic but the best there is and ever will be." I gave him one last smile then walked away.

I took one last glance behind me, gazing at Ruka. A few seconds passed and things clicked. He began paced his way through the cafeteria into the middle of the cafeteria where my best friend sat.

I ran toward my house then walked next door. I rang the doorbell but no one answered. I rang it again and still, no answer. I was losing hope that they may have left already. I banged on the door but no response. Liquid crystalline seeped through my eyelids, "Am I too late?" I whimpered in front of his doorstep, "Natsume," I said his name through my tears.

I sobbed there for a while until I felt a hand on my head. I opened my eyes and saw someone with a leather jacket, suitcases, and the hand in front of me: possessed a ruby red ring. I looked up and stared at bewildered crimson eyes. "What are you doing here?" I asked him, not getting up off the floor.

"I couldn't leave without letting this stupid girl know my feelings for her," he replied. I felt my heart drop. "He loves someone else," I looked down.

I sobbed even more and Natsume sighed, "Mikan you're so stupid." He said the last word with emphasis. I just cried and cried as he waited for me to understand.

I looked at him and our eyes locked, I got up slowly- never taking my eyes off of him, "I'm, stupid?"

"Yes you are." He looked right at me with those ruby colored eyes of his, "Do you get it now?"

I smiled as soon as he said that, I couldn't hold in my happiness at what he just said, "I love you too!" I jumped on him giving him a big hug.

"Finally, I'm proud of you Little-miss-dense," he said returning my embrace. I felt him smile on my shoulder: he smiled, because of me. I, Sakura Mikan, have made the most impassive guy in the world; smile.

Author's Note Part Dos: Boo, your no fun. It's already finished. Hit the button with the word 'Review/Favorite' on it please. Rawr. I know Ruka was a bit OOC on this--the way I described him anyways--but it was all I could do to fit the plot. Sorry for editing this so much that I even changed the title. But, I'm just in one of my moods. Thanks for the great great GREAT time. :3

Such A Loverly Smile. c: