Dedicated to: The authors in Authors of Gakuen Alice group in Facebook. I LOVE YOU ALL! Especially to the triplets, Abi-nee, Michi-nee, and Jei-nii, and to sis Mesh, YOU ROCK. Seriously. \m/
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer applied. (I just got tired of repeating it again and again.)

MAKE A WISH

'-'

"Look! There's a shooting star!" Mikan clasped her hands together and made a wish. Natsume commented, "Tch, wishing is for kids. It's nonsense." Mikan diverted her gaze at him and asked, "Ne Natsume, what would you wish for?"

'-'

It was almost twelve, the most beautiful hour of the night.

The night sky was filled with so many stars, twinkling as if playing with each other. The moon shone its greatest this time of the night, with her faint but exquisite radiance enveloping the earth. The silver outline of the moon shone its glow to the quiet buildings of Alice Academy. It was indeed a picturesque sight.

Under the brilliance of the silver moon there stood a Sakura tree. Its rose pink petals fell harmoniously as if dancing with the air as the wind blew softly. The pleasant smell of the petals shrouded the whole area. Under the majestic being there sat a raven-haired boy namely, Hyuuga Natsume.

His eyes of crimson gazed at the lolling velvet skies above, admiring the magnificent view. He was currently in deep thought, thinking about life outside the academy. Although the academy was praised outside the campus, it had dark secrets that should remain secret. Natsume knew of that secret and hated the fact that he had to be involved in it. He really despised prominent school.

He was in a daze that he didn't notice someone coming over his usual spot under the Sakura tree. And that someone was none other than Sakura Mikan.

"Eh? Natsume? What are you doing here this time of the night?" Mikan asked while clutching her shoulders due to the arctic air. She shivered a bit but tried hard not to be noticed by the man in front of her.

"I should be the one to ask you, what are you doing here?" He asked coldly, giving Mikan the shivers. She just told him, "I couldn't sleep."

"Of all places, why do you go here?" He inquired. "Oi, polka, this is my territory so you don't have the right to be stepping on it."

"Why? Does it have your name on it?" She argued. He was really getting on her nerves up to this minute! A small flame flickered from his finger and he wrote his name on the bark of the tree. It read "This is the territory of Hyuuga Natsume." He smirked. "Now it does."

Mikan was getting really annoyed. He always had a way to provoke her, which was very, and we mean very, troublesome. Seeing that she's not in the mood to exchange insults with her partner, she eventually calmed down. "I wanted to come here because I figured this place would be a good place to relax a bit and other places are scary. I've had enough scare to last a lifetime.

"Hmph, and you chose my Sakura tree?" Natsume raised an eyebrow at her. Mikan was getting more and more infuriated. Damn him! She thought. She's really not in the mood to be teased by him! It seems she went to the wrong place. Instead of loosening up, she's getting more and more exasperated, thanks to the boy beside her. "Ugh! I'm certainly not in the mood, Natsume. So can you please stop it?"

Natsume resisted the urge to smile as she sat beside him, pouting. His eyes went to the skies and watched the stars glimmer. Mikan noticed his sudden quiescence and watched the stars as well. "The moon is bright tonight."

He turned to look at her as she smiled, "The stars flickered like natural fireworks, giving the sky its beauty while the moon's radiance surrounded the heavens with its majestic glow. Such an elegant view, is it?"

Natsume couldn't help but chuckle a bit. He couldn't believe that the Sakura Mikan would come up with something half as articulate. Mikan eventually gave up and sighed. "Fine, I got that from a book okay? But you have to admit that what I said is true. Well, the sky is one of the most beautiful things to see."

Mikan noticed him chuckle and smiled widely. "Hey, you should smile more often. It really suits you. You shouldn't put on your poker face all the time. It makes you look intimidating."

The boy glared at the brunette, making her shiver yet again. Mikan said in defense, "Not that there's something wrong with it!"

"Oi, polka. I didn't say anything." He spoke with his emotionless tone. Then his gaze went up the skies yet again and said, "Stop talking and watch the stars with me if you want."

Mikan felt like shrinking from his menacing presence. She couldn't help but say, "Y-Yes, sir." Then her amber eyes went up the skies as well.

Suddenly, something fell from the heavens above, a shooting star. Mikan exclaimed, pointing at the sky, "Look, Natsume! There's a shooting star! I have to make a wish!" She clasped her hands together and murmured something he couldn't quite comprehend. Natsume just rolled his eyes with her childish behavior.

"Tch, wishing is for kids. It's nonsense. You only waste your time." He commented.

Mikan raised an eyebrow. "Eh? It is not a waste of time at all! Wishing makes you believe that you can reach your dreams. It doesn't rely on your luck, just because you wished upon a star. At least that's what Narumi-sensei told me."

"I wish that Hotaru and I will be friends forever! Oh, and I wished that Anna, Nonoko, Ruka-pyon, Iinchou and I can be friends forever! And I wish I have more allowance to buy howalons!"

Natsume felt his stomach churn when he didn't mention her name. Ouch. "What a stupid wish."

Mikan suddenly exclaimed with delight, "Oh! I almost forgot my wish for you! I wish that you would have a smile more often! I mean you always frown here and there."

"How did you wish so many things when you had only a few seconds?" Natsume's curiosity aroused. Now this is something you don't see everyday. Mikan just smiled at him, "I just thought about them very very fast!"

"Maybe you should've wished that Imai would stop hitting you with her baka gun. Maybe your idiocy will decrease." He smirked. It was fun to tease her anyway.

Mikan stuck out her tongue and teased back. "Pfft! Natsume, you're just jealous that you couldn't get to wish anything! Maybe you have to wait for the next shooting star for how many years, maybe a thousand years?"

"Like I care about that damn thing. Face it, this is reality. You don't get anything from wishing." He frowned at her immaturity. Clearly, Mikan Sakura is such a pain in the ass, he thought.

"There's one thing about wishing, and that is it's free." Mikan smiled.

Natsume scowled at her. "I don't care, polka." He stood up and prepared to leave until he heard Mikan call him, "Natsume, wait. Can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"If it were you, what would you wish for?"

He snorted, "I wish to get out of here and get away from stupid people."

Mikan glowered at him. "You think I'm stupid? That's not very nice!" Natsume just scoffed. "That's because you're stupid, baka. That's why I told you to wish that Imai won't hit you with her baka weapons anymore."

Mikan sighed, and decided to change the topic. But being persistent as she was, she said, "Okay, point taken. Then what will you do if you get that wish? Then what would you wish for if you had another one?"

He didn't answer.

"Hey, I said my wishes. You should do the same."

He was about to answer but eventually relented. Mikan looked at him nervously. "Um, did I hit a nerve there? Look, I don't mean to pry, Natsume. I'm just curious, since you're always frowning and stubborn at the same time. I'm sorry. You don't have to answer me you know."

He stayed silent as he sat beside her. Mikan just looked at him with concern on her face. "Natsume, you don't have to stay in the darkness for long. Remember that we're always here for you. Even though you sometimes feel that you're abandoned, that's not true. We won't go anywhere. Remember this, you're never alone. I'm always here to help you." She put a hand on her shoulder.

Natsume froze when he felt her hand on his shoulder. He had the urge to put his hand on top of hers but relented as he continued to stare at the horizons above. What Mikan said touched him. Her words repeated in his mind. He had been in the darkness for a long time, and had no intention of coming out, until he met her. She was the light of his dark world. Her cheerful attitude seems to light up the room, even putting him at ease. Even though he calls her an idiot, she would always succeed in making his heart race.

Her smile, for him, is just breathtaking. Her smile would always light up his dark world. Seeing her smile would always make his day, even after a hard mission. He felt thankful that he's always by her side.

She was right. From the start, he was never alone, because she was always there for him.

"Hey, polka, do you want to know what my wish is?" Natsume asked as he turned to look at her. He saw Mikan leaning on the trunk of the Sakura tree with her eyes closed. Natsume couldn't help but smile. It seems that after that pointless argument and that silence, she fell asleep. Well, Mikan had a long day, and she deserved the slumber.

Natsume started surveying her features. Her hair wasn't tied into her usual pigtails, making her look a little different. It framed her face perfectly. Her eyes blocked her amber eyes, showing off her long eyelashes. Her head fell a bit on her right. Natsume tucked some of her hair behind her ear, as he inched towards her and whispered, "Thank you, Mikan."

He caressed her cheek with his hand as he inched closer to her face. He closed the distance between them as their lips met. Natsume didn't try to deepen the kiss. He didn't move as he savored the moment. After a while, he slowly moved away and let her head rest on his shoulder. Natsume whispered his wish as he watched another shooting star fall from the sky.

"I wish to grow up, and run away with you, Mikan…"

Author's Notes:

Wow, it's been a loooooong while ever since I last updated. Well, I've been itching to write something ever since last month but I can't find the words to write. Good thing I had this old document from back then when my vocabulary was still convenient for me, so I just finished this in a whim. I wanted to update to bring back the spark of GAFFN, for May Madness by GJAM. I feel really satisfied of the outcome of this story. :D

I just want to give a shoutout to the members of AoGA in Facebook. Seriously, guys, you've made my life a little more exciting. To Jei-nii, hahahaha~ That's all.

Now why don't y'all drop a little review for the lazy writer ne? That would be appreciated. But no flaming please. o.O

~peps-chan