The Rose that Bloomed, a gakuen alice fanfic

Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice belongs Tachibana Higuchi , NOT ME, but I AM very thankful to her for creating such vivid characters for me to terrorize.

Author's Notes: Wow, I'm surprised some of you actually liked 'Like a Blooming Rose'. Well, as a show of a appreciation to those who reviewed consider it's sequel, I felt I left the other one to open ended.The songI usedis You Found Me by Kelly Clarkson.Enjoy!

The Rose that Bloomed

Natsume stared at the girl in his arms, shocked in to silence. He didn't even remember how tired he felt, or the fact that he'd just come back from a dangerous mission. No. The only thing that mattered right now was the crying, but happy, girl in his arms.

Is this a dream?
If it is
Please don't wake me from this high
I've become comfortably numb
Until you opened up my eyes
To what it's like
When everything's right
I can't believe

Slowly, a grin broke over his face and he hugged her back. The words she'd yelled as she lunged herself into his arms still ringing in his ears.

"I love you too Natsume! I love you too…"

You found me
When no one else was lookin'
How did you know just where I would be?

The anxiety that had gripped him as he returned to the academy, to the girl who by now would know he loved her, slowly disappeared. His arms tightened around the sniffling girl as he held her closer to him, closer to his heart.

Yeah, you broke through
All of my confusion
The ups and the downs
And you still didn't leave
I guess that you saw what nobody could see
You found me
You found me

She'd said yes. She loved him too. Happy tears slipped from his eyes and he laughed softly, joy consuming him.

So, here we are
That's pretty far
When you think of where we've been
No going back
I'm fading out
All that has faded me within
You're by my side
Now everything's fine
I can't believe

"Natsume?" Mikan whispered, staring up at him with glossy eyes. "I'm glad you confessed." He smiled down at her, gently brushing away her tears.

"I am too."

You found me
When no one else was lookin'
How did you know just where I would be?
Yeah, you broke through
All of my confusion
The ups and the downs
And you still didn't leave
I guess that you saw what nobody could see
You found me
You found me

Natsume felt her head fall against his shoulder and leaned his head against hers, his hold on her tightening when she shivered slightly. He hadn't realized just how late it was, it had to be several hours past their curfew.

She'd stayed up, hadn't she? Waiting for him. The thought warmed him.

And I was hiding
'Til you came along
And showed me where I belong
You found me
When no one else was lookin'
How did you know?
How did you know?

"Maybe we should go in," he murmured, "its getting cold." Mikan shook her head softly, cuddling closer to him and sighing contently.

"Later….for now, just hold me…"

He smiled warmly and complied.

Natsume stared up at the stars above them, aware that the girl in his arms had drifted to sleep. He felt content, whole, and so very utterly complete. Turning back to face the sleeping girl he brushed away an errant strand of hair, and leaned forward to place a tender kiss on her forehead.

You found me
When no one else was lookin'
You found me
How did you know just where I would be?
You broke through
All of my confusion
The ups and the downs
And you still didn't leave
I guess that you saw what nobody could see
The good and the bad
And the things in between
You found me
You found me

His eyes drooped sleepily and he leaned back against the tree that stood next to where they had fallen, Mikan unconsciously curling around him. Glancing back up at the sky he could have sworn he saw a star wink at him, but then again, it could have just been his hazy mind playing tricks on him. Slowly, his eyes fluttered closed and he too drifted of to sleep.

And inside Mikan's room, on the table by her window, stood a vase. A vase that held a rose, a special kind of rose. A rose in full bloom.