Yakusoku

by

Unmei Hime

Summary: Hyuuga Natsume finally found contentment and self-worth within the walls of the Academy. But the vagaries of fate decided to play a trick on him again, this time taking away the one person he couldn't afford to lose...

Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice

Chapter 1: Goodbye

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Hyuuga Natsume lay down contentedly on the cool grass beneath the shades of the cherry blossom trees. The wind was blowing lazily, caressing his cheek with the refreshing breeze of spring. His day had been good, save for the weird antics of Naru during class that irritated him quite a bit especially when the good-for-nothing-teacher specifically instructed him to take care of "strawberry-patterned panties".

She was a real pain. Clumsy, ditzy with zero brain capacity. He wondered how a person could be such a pig-headed and still be able to remain in the academy.

How long had she been here anyway? Four, five months? Still she needed baby-sitting?

Rubbish.

He'd be damned if he'd allow her to cause any more trouble than she already had. And by trouble he meant, getting close to him and making him feel things he never felt before. Just thinking about it made his skin crawl.

Natsume closed his eyes and much to his disgust (and or inability to admit that her mere presence bothered him, imaginary or otherwise) Mikan's face weaved its way through his mind.

"Natsume."

Now, he was hearing her imaginary voice. Damn her. Couldn't she leave him in peace?

"Natsume."

The boy opened his eyes and blinked. The real Mikan was peering down at him; her blush-stained face only inches away. A look of uncertainty was in her eyes. Natsume had the sudden urge to touch her cheek but self-preservation held him back eventually causing him to give her his notorious look instead.

"What do you want?" he said coolly, averting his gaze sideward.

She sighed and settled herself beside him. "I was looking all over for you. I'd like to ask you if you could accompany me in Central Town. I need to buy something." She said sheepishly.

"Have you gone disabled that you cannot go by yourself?" He countered dryly.

She looked at him and said in a seemingly hurt voice. "Really, Natsume, you're so mean."

Natsume didn't answer. He just continued staring blankly at the brown bark of the tree opposite him. His cold demeanor was his best defense against anything or anyone. He wasn't about to change himself overnight for one stupid girl. Although, the changes he was already feeling about himself was rather alarming.

"Ne, Natsume..." Mikan's soft voice reverberated through the air making the boy shift his eyes to look at her face.

"Suppose...suppose I'll be gone...how will you feel?" She asked in a faint murmur that he almost didn't hear her. She wasn't looking at him but he could feel a tinge of sadness in her words he hardly heard coming from her.

"Idiot. Stop asking me stupid questions." He saw her cringe at the insult but that didn't deter her.

"Seriously. Tell me, how will you feel Natsume?"

Hyuuga Natsume, young as he might be, had already perfected an excellent sense of male arrogance and outrageous air of nonchalance in the face of utter destruction or distraction whichever he thought would be his imminent demise, figuratively or literally.

He said the most reliable answer he had used on her too many times, trying to pretend she didn't matter. "Nothing."

But a feeling of being a complete bastard followed the word when he saw the pained look on her face.

She tried to hide it with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I thought so."

Natsume sat up and was about to say sorry and he didn't mean what he said but she beat him to it.

"Funny, you and Hotaru said the same thing."

It wasn't funny at all. And Natsume, for the first time in his life, regretted being himself. He wasn't good with words. Never was and never would. But crap, how could he not say the truth? That he couldn't afford to lose her?

"Natsume, can you promise me one thing?"

"What is it?" He asked. The realization that Mikan was not her usual gaiety self came a little too late. Even if he'd take back the awful things he had said, the damage had been done.

She was staring into his eyes and she spoke with a seriousness that was unusual in her. "Promise me, you won't forget me? I know I mean nothing to you. But I consider you as one of my closest friends. You and Ruka-pyon. Both of you and Hotaru mean a lot to me."

Natsume was beginning to feel distinctly uneasy with the sudden premonition that something was up with her and that he wasn't going to like it. But he couldn't bring himself to ask. Stupid ego was blocking his mouth.

"I promise." He obliged, willing himself to stay expressionless but his voice gave him away. "Promise me too that you won't do something stupid like vanishing before my eyes." He asked sternly. He couldn't believe he just said that but the thought of losing her was way too unacceptable.

"Thank you, Natsume." She said tenderly with a small smile on her lips. Then she looked down as if contemplating something and after half a minute, she moved closer to him and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek, which left Natsume immobilized and dumbfounded for a moment.

Without another word, Mikan stood up and turned before he had the chance to stop her.

If only he did, he might had had a slim chance of preventing the next unanticipated occurrences concerning the girl because the following day the whole Academy was in total disarray upon the discovery that Sakura Mikan was no where to be found.

--- end chapter 1 ---

A/n:This is my first attempt on a gakuen alice fic. I've watched the series and instantly fell in love with Natsume and Mikan so I've decided why not give my fantasies about them a try. To anyone who read this stuff, thanks and hope you like the first chap. Criticisms/comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!