TAXED
Disclaimer I don't own Gakuen Alice.
A/N Apparently, I've been taxed. I know, I'm so careless. This is something set after Taciturn, more or less a continuation but not entirely an epilogue. Think of it as a side-story— pretty brief with almost nothing. I needed it to be lower than 1000. Ignore FFN word count.
"Are we really playing this game?"
I hear him sigh, and not just any sigh. It's the why-are-you-like-this-I-can't-deal-with-you-right-now kind of sigh, aka, the type for Sakura. "You're being difficult."
"Natsume, you're taxed. We had an agreement, we discussed this, don't try wiggling out!"
"As far as I know, I never agreed to anything."
"You promised You-chan and broke the poor kid's heart—"
"Excuse me?" Youchi hisses from beside me. "Don't drag me into your drama. And please, lay off the '-chan'. It's not cool."
"Stop it," I mutter, "I'm paying you to walk my new dog, is that fair enough? That is, if I get one, and by the rate this conversation is going, you're not helping." Who could've known Youichi Hijiri can be so much like his so-called role model?
Note the sarcasm.
Youichi snorts but says nothing.
We are both occupying the seats near the windows of a dainty coffee shop. The scene has always been better outside but the weather's not as cooperative. To add insult to injury, Natsume's not, either.
"I heard him. He's not fuming, so what's got you vexed?"
"You promised." I grit my teeth. "You said today. You told me you were going back today; you didn't tell me the rain was going to stop you! If you did, I would've asked my old Special Ability friend to control the weather but right now he's vacationing in Majorca having the time of his life while I'm stuck here with a—!"
"A what, exactly?" Youichi glares stonily.
"Zip." I warn him before going back to the phone conversation. "I know we said no promises but I was kind of hoping you'd at least be with me on this one."
"I'm actually here to make sure your ass is safe!"
"Well, what if I don't want my ass to be safe?" The statement earns me hisses from the surrounding tables and I annoyingly wave them off. Youichi smirks beside me and I throw my table napkin at him. I breathe deeply and add in a quieter voice, "What if I just want you safe?"
Youichi begins making gagging sounds with one hand on his neck in a strangling gesture.
"Look, I'll see you when I see you."
"Oh, so you're going to hang up on me?" I can't believe he's doing this. "I swear, Natsume, if you hang up on me, you will regret this day for your entire life."
"I don't know. I'm not the one making a fool of myself."
"Wonderful, you have the nerve to be sarcastic?" I jeer at him. My hands are gripping the edge of my table hard. Youichi notices and slaps my hands off.
"I bet you're gripping on the table right now."
"And if you were here, it would go straight to your face."
"The thing is, I'm not there."
I sigh. It's not the first or the last when it comes to Natsume Hyuuga. "You tell me off for being so difficult, but you should really hear yourself right now." I am about to flip my phone shut but then I add as an afterthought, "And you're still taxed."
Promises are never the thing with us and we learned it the hard way, but this is just overdoing it. I shouldn't have expected more. I mean, it's Natsume-freaking-Hyuuga. Even if all he's to do is show up, maybe sit down for five minutes before he goes off saving the world like he's Superman, he's not in
Too bad for him, he's got a girlfriend who actually learned how to kick his stubborn behind when he's being more of his backside than of his face.
It's just frustrating how I always have to adjust and make time for him and all he can do's sit, act pretty and pretend he hasn't got one foot to a one-way train to DeathVille.
I mean, I know what I agreed to.
Sometimes it's just too difficult not having him around to remind me it's worth it.
I slam my apartment door hard and throw my keys on the carpet. It's not like I have some stupid pet that can choke on it.
Natsume, the cheater, has seen to that.
"I know you're angry, but don't take it out on the door."
"Great." I pull my hair in frustration. "Now I'm hearing voices. I think I need to drop by Tsubasa-senpai, he knows everything..."
"Don't cancel on my account."
"Shut up!" I yell it thrice. Then there's a furiously rapid knock. "Sorry!" I add in a lower voice, "Natsume Hyuuga, you better not show your face until you've got me a damn puppy."
Swish.
That's funny. I could've sworn I closed my windows.
I walk to the living room frowning. It's too dark; before I could even step inside, the blinds shut and the winds quit whispering on my ear until I pee on my pants.
Something's twitching near the mirrors. I turn. It's gone, and when I turn back to the windows to check the locks, I'm rendered speechless.
I'm pretty sure it's not him. After all, Natsume's supposed to be a train ride away…
He gave me that smirk of his, the one I adore and despise at once. On his arms shivers a puppy wrapped in a towel.
"Can I get a rain check?"
- THE END –
"Mikan, I think the dog's choking on something shiny. Do you think it needs help? Wait, are those your keys?"
(maybe)