Author: Errr… guess that would be me?! Acedia. ^.^

Fandom: Gakuen Alice

Summary: "Will you finally be nii-chans girlfriend again, nee-chan?" Youichi asked indifferently, "I always thought you were the biggest airhead around until I met the other girls brother brought home and now I know you were actually quite bearable."

Warnings: AU ;) No alices, no dorms ... normal High School.

Pairing: Natsume x Mikan (Both are seventeen years old in that one. :) )

Rating: T - just to be on the safe side, you know.

Enjoy~!

The Matchmaker

I ended up standing directly in front of his house. Well, one would probably use the word "mansion", as the Hyuugas are one of the richest families of the whole country and thus try showing off their wealth in every way possible. Many people admire the architecture, the wonderful front garden with all those flowers in full bloom … I, however, dreaded that house and whenever I passed this corner of the city, I would normally just go the long way around it, since I honestly didn't want to come here ever again.

But I owed Ruka, I could have hardly told him "no". It would have been his job as Natsume Hyuuga's best friend to deliver those project papers, but as he was "terribly busy" today, he asked me to do it in his place. I had wanted so bad to just pass the address and sheets on to some random member of Hyuuga's fanclub, but then again – as stated before – I owed Ruka.

As one of the only people who didn't fawn over his best friend and also because I already knew where the Hyuugas lived, he deemed it perfect to send me. Perfect, if you ignore the fact that Hyuuga and I jump each other's throat whenever possible.

Actually, we had not always been so hostile towards one another. We once were pretty civil … scratch that, we were the "dream couple of Gakuen Alice" for roughly one and a half years back then, when I was merely a stupid girl. Thinking about it, I can't even remember why we broke up in the end. Then again, I can't remember what the hell made us get together in the first place. I think it was just a silly quarrel we had and never made up after again that ended our relationship so suddenly. It was for the better anyway, I don't regret a thing and now that I am nearly three years older and way more intelligent – I have to congratulate myself on the break up.

I guess I had been standing by the front gate for at least ten minutes now. I really did NOT want to enter. After all, what if he ditched school in order to spend it with his newest girlfriend? Don't misunderstand, Hyuuga is not really a playboy at that, but he had an immensely huge fan club that would follow his every move. Every now and then he would pick out an exceptionally annoying member and drop her again a few days later in order to get her off his back for at least some time. (Which I always thought of as pretty hilarious. I love everything that annoys Hyuuga.)

Well, not that I have a much better love life right now as it is … I had had some boyfriends after our break-up, but I guess they were never the real thing. (Who could possibly blame me? I even dated Kaname-sempai for two weeks, until he finally decided to kiss me. The kiss only lasted for about three seconds, then he collapsed due to lack of oxygen and was brought to hospital. After that, we agreed on remaining friends. Dating with Ruka had been refreshing, but it also lacked something vital I can't describe – but not oxygen. Definitely not. It's amazing how long Ruka can hold his breath. He says it's because he likes swimming in the sea with the fishes. Ruka loves any kind of animals, which in my opinion is pretty cute.)

"Nee-chan?" A quiet voice brought me back to earth and only then did I realize the young boy standing in the door.

"Youichi!" I squealed upon seeing the youngest son of the Hyuuga family. He was only five, but already pretty big for his age and exceptionally intelligent as well. I went towards him and he motioned me to get on my knees. Like in old times, he would kiss my cheek.

"Are you brother's girlfriend again?" He suddenly asked and I froze, "WHAT?"

But I was actually beat to an answer as another person appeared in the door.

"Sakura?"

I have to say, I felt oddly pleased seeing him looking at me as if I were some kind of ghost. I had managed to catch Hyuuga Natsume off guard! Success! Oh, but I didn't come for that.

Choosing to ignore Youichi's weird question, I raised my hand holding the project papers for Hyuuga to take. He grabbed them hesitantly, as if he thought it was some sort of a trap, and looked at the sheets scrutinizingly.

"Ruka couldn't make it today," I then looked him up from head to toe, ignoring that he was obviously still in his sleeping outfit as he wore no shirt, but baggy trousers and no socks. I had to admit, his body held a certain ... charm. Scratch that one again, he might be hot, but that didn't make up for his terrible, terrible personality. While doing, what many people would call "checking out", I found no signs of him being sick in any way.

"You look terrible," I stated sarcastically. "With that kind of illness, you should probably stay home for another week or two! What if it's contagious?"

I was trying not to show how I thrilled I was at the mere idea of not seeing this guy for a whole week.

"Try not too hard to use your brain, polka," He said smirking, knowing that this nickname alone would manage to anger me endlessly, "Or else your stupidity might become contagious, too. There's no need for any more dumb people around than necessary."

"I am NOT wearing polka!" I screeched, ashamed that he was still using that nickname for me. It had been years since I had had last worn that polka dotted underwear. "So stop calling me that. And I'm not stupid, either. You're the idiot ditching school and making me come here against my will. You could at least thank me!"

"Thank you? For wasting my time?" He shot the papers a distasteful look and just threw them inside the house, where they scattered around on the floor in a big mess. Poor maids, they probably had clean up his mess.

I wanted to open my mouth again, until I felt something pulling on my skirt lightly.

"Nee-chan?"

We both stopped bickering in order to listen what Natsume's brother had to say.

"Will you finally be nii-chans girlfriend again, nee-chan?" Youichi asked indifferently. We were only able to look at him in shock, "I always thought you were the biggest airhead around until I met the other girls brother brought home and now I know you were actually quite bearable."

For a second, we all stood there in silence. Then Natsume began roaring with laughter. My face went all red from embarrassment and I was still not able to believe he had actually said that to me.

"Youichi, you are priceless," Natsume gasped in between his fits of laughter. It was a rare thing to see him actually laughing. Normally he would just smirk or look indifferently. The fact that he was actually laughing at ME didn't improve my mood at all.

Youichi's face didn't change at all, "I don't want to see that Sumire in our house ever again. So I'd tolerate you around. But don't make out in front of me. That's gross." With that, he turned around and left.

Again, we stood there, looking everywhere but at each other as silence engulfed us.

"Well, I'll be going then… Send Aoi-chan my greetings, jerk," I finally muttered and turned around.

"You ask me for a favour while cursing me in the same breath?"

"It's not exactly a curse - it's more like a realistic description of your whole being, a matter of fact."

"Then 'stupidity' would probably be defined with 'see Mikan Sakura' in the dictionary…"

"Stop saying that! I'm not stupid!"

" … and Mikan Sakura would be something along the lines of "Brainless idiot wearing polka dotted underwear at the proud age of frigging fourteen years" …"

I felt my face heat up more and more, although I wasn't even sure whether it was because of anger or embarrassment.

"Well, at least when Youichi is older, he will have a good excuse for his personality. With a brother like you, there's no wonder he ends up saying stuff like earlier."

"Hey, I didn't teach him that!"

"Of course not. Nobody would EVER notice how he acts just exactly like you."

"I would never just tell you to snog me!"

"I could SO imagine you going up to some random girl, telling her straight on to freaking do exactly that!"

"Yeah, that would be no problem."

"Do you even listen to yourself speak? You just said yourself that you wouldn't do that! Who is the stupid one between the two of us?"

Then a small smirk crawled up his face as he took a step forward, while I backed away.

"You are. You should really learn to listen more attentively, stupid," Suddenly he stood right in front of me. "I said 'I'd never just tell you to snog me."

I furrowed a brow at him questioningly, slowly taking another step back as the proximity was way too small for my liking. Just in case, I already thought of a cocky remark in advance, before simply asking:

"Why me?"

The smirk grew wider and suddenly he placed his hands on my waist, pulling me closer to him, almost hugging me. For a second, I only felt his hot breath on my ear, then:

"Maybe I'm just too afraid of your rejection."

I growled, "Are you saying I'm violent?"

He gave me just a little bit more of space to look me in the face, then he shook his head. "You're such a baka."

"What?"

The next second I already felt him pulling me closer again and his lips covering mine, kissing me softly at first, then a little bit more demanding, holding me as if he didn't want to let me go ever again. Involuntary I felt myself responding to him, I even parted my lips a little bit to allow him access to my mouth.

When we finally broke apart again, he whispered lowly into my ear:

"Did I ever tell you that you and that Kaname idiot looked just horrible together?"

Then, my senses kicked back in and I pushed him back.

"What are you doing?" I screeched and he winced slightly.

"Not so loud, woman," He growled and acted, as if my innocent scream had deafened him. Then he suddenly closed the distance again, his voice softened:

"Just a second ago, you seemed to enjoy yourself... What's wrong now?"

"Everything is wrong. For your information, we broke up years ago!"

"Then let's be together again. What's the problem with that...?"

"You're a jerk!"

"And you're stupid. That didn't stop us three years ago, did it? Not even your underwear managed that."

"I wouldn't date a guy that normally only goes out with girls like Sumire!"

"Ouch... I hope you're not being serious. Are you? You can hardly compare that to ... well, you. Stupidity also has to have its boundaries, you know. Even yours."

"Ok, point taken. But you're always making fun of me!"

He snickered slightly. Natsume Hyuuga really snickered!

"And you like it, admit it," Again, he blew into my ear, "You wouldn't want it any other way, or else you would have just stayed with Ruka."

For a second I had nothing to say anymore. A victorious smirk spread over Natsume's face, until I remembered something.

"We would owe it to your brat of a brother if we were to come back together!"

He stopped immediately and pondered on the idea for a second, "You're right ... We can't have that little idiot thinking he could possibly influence us..."

He shot me a look and our eyes met yet again. Have I ever told you how his eyes are like fire? Not only the colour, but it was as if they were literally burning... Well, I never denied his body, right?

I couldn't even tell who initiated it, but the next second our lips met again and this time we didn't separate for a while, until I felt a little bit out of breathe. (I didn't faint, mind you.)

"Let's keep it our secret... Our secret from Youichi," he mumbled then.

"Our secret?" I asked incredulously.

"Our very own little secret," Then, he snickered, "Or we could just make out right in front of him. The last one sounds wonderful, doesn't it? I totally want to know whether you've really quit with the polka do-"

"PERVERT!"

"What? I'm just curious!"

Well, I hope you liked in... Somehow. I wrote it pretty quickly and I'm afraid it didn't work out quite as planned... My wit failed me, I guess. Natsume is waaay too much out of character. Sorry.

Whoever finds mistakes, please don't keep them. (They're not edible... They make me feel sick to the bone, you know.) So please when you find them, hand them right back to me. Thanks!

Which means: Critisism is more than just appreciated. Flames, however, are unbearable and will be deleted instantly. I'm sorry. :P

Reviews make my day!

Love, Acedia. :)