Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice belongs to its righful owner. I just own the story.

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They first met when the sun's about. It was quiet, considering it was far from the Capital.

A girl, hood over her head.

A boy, in a khaki pants, T-shirt, with black leather jacket. Black cat-like mask on his face.

Blood was dribbling from the end of her cloak.

Blood was dripping from his left hand.

Her hand was reaching the inside of her cloak.

His hand was reaching his back.

A gun was in the grasp of her hand.

A gun was in the grasp of his hand.

Ruby clashed with brown.

He retraced his hand.

She retraced her hand.

The sun set. Blows of wind. Rain. Fat drops. Escape.

She left swiftly. (Pair of hazel orbs. Locks of golden brown hair)

He stood there and with his bloodied hand, unmasked his face.

'It's her'

"All this time, it was her who they want."

"I know she will bring us ill-luck"

"That traitor!"

"Surely she has already spilt our information to that blasted AAO"

"She deserves to be eliminated immediately!"

The council was in chaos. Men shouting and argumentation were thrown into one and another. It was a feeling that Natsume wouldn't want to experience again. It was ear-splitting sound and he was battling with his impulse to punch the elders to oblivion right here and now. But when Chairman Yukihara saw his curling fist and murdering looks, he solemnly shook his head.

'Violence doesn't solve problems, nor does it calm the raging hearts'

But there was also a limit to Natsume's patience. Sure they were his elders, his superior and he should treat them with utmost respect. Sure that he and Mikan were not exactly in relationship, but damn, she is somebody in his life and he would be damned if he lost her.

He will fight, tooth and nails to get her back. After all Mikan was his savior for his black sinful life.

"They brainwashed her" Ruka told Natsume blankly. "Screwed her mind, fucked her mind, till she no longer has a soul" the blonde man laughed softly so soft that a chill ran through his back.

The raven shook him roughly, "The hell are you talking about! They brainwashed who?" Natsume snarled through his gritted teeth. Both Ruka and Hotaru had been sent to one of the most dangerous information gathering mission of the recently kidnapped Mikan. They went together but only Ruka came home.

Natsume for once felt afraid for reality. Because he knew exactly what Ruka was saying.

"That," Ruka pointed at his chest with his shaking hand. There was blood under his nails.

Mikan.

The necklace she gave to him as their anniversary gift now felt cold and heavy in his throat, like it was choking him to death. The necklace where he keeps all the memories they shared together, that he cherished every moment they spent together.

Mikan. It is his wish, just like she is his life.

"You're lying, Ruka, there's no-"

"She did!" The usually calm Ruka screamed. His pupils shrunk and they seemed to look at him wildly. He punched Natsume and with his weight tackled him to the ground. The blonde raised his fist to punch Natsume who was just lying there with an unbelieving look on his face but made no move to defend.

Because there's nothing he can do to defy the truth. So, he welcomed the pain.

But it never came.

Instead, there it was, Ruka's fist planted on the cement barely two centimeters from his head. Then, Ruka tugged his arm, raised it again, and punch the cement beside his head. Again and again, until it was blue and red and slightly misshapen.

He stopped. And looked down at Natsume. Blood was trickling from his fist to the dented cement, making it look like a morbid red pool.

"I saw it. Stabbed her stomach and blown her head off." Ruka slurred full of grief. The lost was too much for him and it numbed him. He just wants to die with her. it is Painful.

"She killed Hotaru! She killed her own family!" Ruka screamed and screamed and screamed until his throat can't take it anymore but still he screamed. And slowly the anguish cries slowed down and become quiet sobbing.

"I want to die, Natsume."

The raven haired man only stared at him. It took him a few seconds to find his voice again.

"I know. I want it too"

The darkest most unforgivable sin a man ever known of is killing their own kin, thus punishment is death by their own kin.

It feels like he was hearing her death sentences, or maybe it really is death sentences

The next time they met, it was on the seashore. The sky was pitch dark and the current were rising, and the moon was shining brightly alone.

They stood there with unfazed gaze.

This time she wears a half mask. It's plain, so plain that you'll think of colorful and happy this world is.

This time they didn't reach for their guns.

He slowly (like every moment he moves is a torture) raised his hand and took off his mask.

"Mikan is crying and screaming through her eyes." Ruka told him calmly.

"How did you know?" Natsume asked back bitterly. Gray smokes littered the air

Ruka closed his eyes and after a long slow exhale he replied," Cause Hotaru told me so. Before her death I mean."

Natsume lifted his cigar to his mouth and inhaled slowly, enjoying how the nicotine clears his mind. Ruka only shot him a disgusted look.

"You're gonna get yourself killed with that cancer stick you know" Ruka commented off-handedly, not clearly disturbed by the pungent air around them.

"She said that too. That I'm gonna die young or something like that" At that Ruka chuckled softly, already imagining it. She would be using her boisterous voice with one hand in hips and her finger pointed at Natsume.

After a long muteness, Natsume thanks Ruka silently for his concern, being his friend and all.

"Or maybe, that's what I'm aiming for." they both laughed at the sick joke. Trying to forget the pain of lost in the cavity of their chest.

Raven tresses. Ruby orbs.

"You know, I really like your hair." Mikan once said one night on his dark apartment. She was running her hand through the midnight blue hair, slowly, lovingly.

He turned so he was facing her now. And she shifted closer to him. The spring from the cheap mattress groan and croaked along their movement.

"Why?"

She hmm-ed, "Well no particular reason. It's comforting. It makes me know that I'm here beside you."

He leaned closer and closer and she closed her eyes until their lips met and they kissed. A short chaste but passionate kiss. Then he pulled and grinned the boyish, wolf-ish grin that always made Mikan fall in love again.

"Or maybe you just like the shampoo I'm using"

She hit him playfully on the shoulder, but it made him winced.

"Ow. God, Mikan that hurts." He massaged the place where Mikan had impaled him.

"Hmph. Serves you right!" she then jutted her lower lip in pouting manner and crossed her hands over her chest. But she loosened her hands when she heard no playful banter from the raven haired man. Instead he was staring at her.

"Helloo… Natsume? Are you there?" she frowned.

"You…" he started.

"Me…" She repeated, already impatient.

"Should stop doing that. Pouting that is. It always makes me want to kiss you senseless."

She grinned cheekily before faked a pout. A terribly no-one-could-resist cute pout.

"Okay. You asked for it."

I'll save you. From the pain.

She stared. Mixes of apathy and nihilist and many more he couldn't comprehend.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

He made up his decision (A resolve he couldn't make before seeing it his very own eyes)

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

"No! I won't do that! I absolutely won't do that!"

Screams could be heard from the Principle Yukihara's office.

"Do you think I want to do this? To kill my niece? Never!"

"Then why do this? I know you have the power! You're the principle goddamnit! Do something!"

"I can't. The decision has already been made. They believe that Mikan Sakura needs to be eliminated" He said the last word painfully, as if hot iron was shoved into his throat.

"It's for the better. We're doing this for her, Natsume, we- no, you- will free her from this world where tears and blood spilt. I'm sure that… she doesn't like to kill her own comrades and-"

"No, no, NO" He clutched his head. Desperation laced his hoarse voice from screaming his head off yesterday night, when no one was watching and where no one giving him pitying looks. His Mikan.

"Can't you see that Mikan is screaming through her eyes? Pleading for help?" Principle Yukihara voice grew louder and graver. "Are you that selfish?"

Principle Yukihara only shook his head mournfully.

"When people face crisis, they believe what was really in front of their eyes."

And, with speed as quick and swift as the wind he took his gun from its holster.

I'm sorry. I'm so-

He pulled the trigger even before she could reach hers.

"I want to get married." She said out of the blue, one day in the evening where the sky was the shade of beautiful orange.

He choked on his drinks and sent her the are-you-kidding-me looks.

But she just waved it casually making his glare intensified. "I mean I love you, and you absolutely love me-"At this Natsume snorted which earned him a smack in the head.

"Hey… who doesn't love this cute pretty me? But anyway, I want to get married."

Natsume, who was completely accustomed to his girlfriend eccentricity just nod his head off. But Mikan took this as an insult.

'He thinks I'm just blabbering some nonsense! Oohh.. That arrogant prick!'

"You think I'm spewing some nonsense, right?" She accused him

"Of course not. Why would i?" He returned with somewhat mockingly which provoked Mikan further but the latter chose to silently fuming inside and imagining shred him pieces to pieces then burn him crisp and ran a bulldozer over him and skewered him and-

"When?" He asked a little warily, apparently noticed the violence on her eyes and her evil cackling. Look! She was rubbing her hands together!

"Huh what?" she asked, dumfounded, being purposely pulled from her lala-land.

"When," he blushed a bit,

He backed away stealthily and brought his hand to his face and cover his eyes when Mikan watch him with shining stars on her eyes. "Spring!" She replied without thinking twice. "But I'm not wearing heels okay? Gosh, they're evil I tell you, evilll!"

Natsume, who was completely accustomed to his girlfriend eccentricity (Such a perfect boyfriend, Hotaru had once teased Mikan) just smirked.

"Spring then." And he kissed her forehead. "Just you wait."

She fell to the ground. Blank eyes staring back at him. Accusingly.

He keeps telling himself that he was granting her the freedom she wants.

Drops of tears escape from his eyes as he lowered the gun.

"You know that I love you, right?"

"What are you talking about?" Natsume asked back.

"Just say it." She insisted, the hazel orbs staring intently at his ruby ones.

He strokes her head which in his lap and wondered why they were talking this kind of conversation. But he decided, all of the beating of hearts when they're together, or how he would keep stealing glances at her, or how he couldn't imagine living without her (and of course, her eccentricity), was the reason why he loves Mikan so much.

"Yes I know it, Mikan."

She smiled. The kind of smile that made you melt on the inside. The slender hand was making its way to his cheek can cupped his cheek and tugged it silently. Natsume then bent his back and before they knew it, they're sharing kisses. A mix of need and desperation and love and maybe some lust.

"I'm glad."

''I'm sorry." He murmured mournfully.

And I love you too, dear Mikan.

AN

Phew, finally finished! Hurray! forgive me for the flawed grammar.

Anyway, this will be collection of one-shot stories, so if you have any idea for the next chapter, do tell me. I will consider it and when it's published, you will get credit!

Like it? Hate it? Do tell! Reviews and flames will be accepted whole heartedly.

Have a nice days!

Ja, BRev.