A/N

Hey everyone! Yes, I know, you're probably weirded out, right? Yusuki doing a Gakuen Alice thing? I know I'm a hardcore YYH writer, but I couldn't help but be swept away in this idea. Besides, I LOVE NatsumiXMikan. What can I say, it delights me!

Disclaimer: I don't own anythign gakuen Alice. I'll face the truth of this when you're not looking, so please avert your eyes. Now.

Chapter 1

If I had wanted to associate with rich people—the stubborn snobs, the grotesquely porky and delirious to humanity—I would have beg around the palace gates. But then, if I had wanted to associate with the rich, I'd definitely be a masochist. Palace guards were well-known for their beating rods among the poor.

My name is Natsume Hyuuga. My parents died in a mill accident. The mill burnt down while they were working and—well, never mind. It's not like that matters any way. I'm what matters now. My life, my story; that's what I'm trying to concentrate on.

It was dark out the night my life began its slow, drastic change. The air was chilly, the ground damp with a layer of ever-present muck. I sat down in the shadows of a couple of barrels. The smell of rotting, salty fish penetrated my nose and I curled my lip back in disgust. No matter how many times I slept and scavenged around here, I could never ignore my own disgust at the conditions.

The inn owner came out. I brushed my back against the stone wall, and curled my bony appendages into the barrel's shadow. He left spare meat out for his cat, Jiffy. The man turned around, glancing for Jiffy, and shrugged, knowing his cat was probably around here somewhere. I waited for the door to shut. The moment the soft door closed, I scrambled for the dish.

I had to kick a few rats and hiss at Jiffy, but I claimed the prize. I tore the meat from the bone. It tasted dry and unseasoned, but my mouth-watered until I'd picked the bones down to the very last edible morsel.

The sound of soft footsteps pitter-pattered behind me. I whirled around, hunching my back.

It was a girl. She looked my age, with two long, skinny ponytails of fire-red hair falling down each side of her head. She glanced at me with plain curiosity.

"What are you doing?" She asked. Her voice is too loud.

"Shh!" I commanded her with a violent glare. I crept backwards, heading for an escape, when she called out to me.

"How'd you like to be my playmate?"

I turned and held my nose up high. I still had my pride. "Excuse me?"

She was obviously happy I was listening. I sneered as she skipped forwards, her nice, lacy dress skimming the filthy cobblestones. "Do you want to be my playmate? My mommy and daddy are willing to get me one. They promised they'd let me have whoever I want, just as long as they please me."

She beamed childishly. I gritted my teeth together, and made my face cold.

"I please you?" I asked. She nodded joyfully. I narrowed my eyes. "Too bad. You don't please me. Ugly."

Her mouth dropped open, and I took pleasure in her aghast expression. Her face turned red. "Well, you know what, you're a pervert! So there!"

I cocked an eyebrow. "Do you even know what 'pervert' means?"

"Yes!" She exploded.

"What does it mean?"

"A…" She glanced around awkwardly. "…bad person?"

I smirked, and stuffed my hands in my worn pockets. "Dumb broad. I guess even riches don't help the ugly and stupid, huh?"

She let out a squeal of rage and stomped towards me, "You're awful!" She stopped; face draining of color as she suddenly appeared to consider something. When her eyes skimmed over my face, I glared, and she smirked with evil intentions.

"You are going to be my playmate." She grinned, and rubbed her hands together. "I'm going to teach you how to be nice! Crash course in manners, homeless boy! That's what I'm going to give you."

I wanted to smack her pretty, rosy cheek, but she gripped my arm and dragged me down the alley before I had the chance. She shouted, "Mommy! Daddy! I found my new playmate!" before I could shut her up.

I dove out her arms as I saw a rather large, tall man and a red haired woman in elegant, prim attire. I dashed, searching for my special hiding places. The one underneath the County Inn was good, but I thought I might not make it there fast enough. My heart pounded. My feet are slipped. The ground moved under me, and my head cracked against the stones. Pain erupted in my skull. My head burned. Something began throbbing, something sticky licking at my cheek.

Voices fought for my attention. Small hands touched my shoulders, but soon took flight. A pair of large, man hands grabbed my torso. I wanted to struggle, but the darkness in the sky bled into the stones against my face, and suffocated the gas lamps lining the streets.

"Stupid."

I blinked. A chandelier dangled over my head, soft white clouding me left and right. I jumped up, my bones and legs ready. I moved to dive through the door; sure I've been caught by somebody who wants me as a slave; when my head throbbed. I clutched my temples, and squeezed me eyes closed. I went down onto a soft ground—quite unlike cobblestones.

"Moron, where did you think you were running to?" A too familiar voice cried as twe hands grabbed my shoulder.

I peered upwards, searching for the owner, gritting my teeth already. Low and behold, there she was. The girl from the alley who had apparently kidnapped me. I smacked away her hands and ignored the indignant look on her small face.

"Just because you're rich doesn't mean you can buy my life!" I hollered, and moved to stand. A wave crashed over me. I wanted to throw up. I tilted too many ways at once, the soft carpet sliding under my feet.

The girl grabbed my shoulders and steadied me. Her honey-brown eyes gave me an angry, hard look. "Listen, stupid, you hurt yourself running away before. You need to sit down. Belle has mended you best she can for the time being, but you have to lay down!" She pointed off to the side. I glanced, glaring in that direction.

A beautiful, embroidered bed lay where her finger pointed. The sheets and cover shine in the light, ribbons of gold shining across the red. My breath caught. It was so elegant—so beautiful. Half of me burst with rage, but the other half could only think one thing. A bed. A bed.

I missed having a bed.

I pulled from the girls grasp and approached it slowly. It wasn't as if I had ever had a bed exactly. I had a straw mattress covered with straggles of burlap. But after mom and dad died, I didn't even have that. I let my hands near the bed, the pure, silken sheets. I turned my palms over; sticky with blood, and dried with dirt. I recoiled my fingers, and clenched my fists.

"You can lay on it." The girl said, coming up next to me. I shot her a death-glare, which she ignored. "It's for you and me to sleep on. Go ahead—try it out." She smiled, too happy—too nice.

I glared. "You've kidnapped me. You don't have the right."

She pouted. "I'm trying to be nice. Just lay on the stupid bed, you stupid, stupid boy."

I folded my arms. "Ugly."

"Stupid."

"Ugly."

"Stupid."

"Snob."

"Pervert!"

I smirked, barely restraining a laugh at her stupidity. Her face was red and angry again.

The girl sighed, and leaned back from where she'd been yelling in my face. Her red hair swung around. "I think we got off on the wrong foot." Her eyes opened, and she smiled. "I'm Mikan. What's your name?"

"Tsk." I looked off to the side. "Why would I tell you, snob?"

I glanced at her. She had her teeth gritted, but her face only went pink. "Look, you're going to be living with me, in my room, as my playmate. I think you and I should at least get to know each other's names."

I narrowed my eyes, feeling flames burn inside me as I closed the distance between us, towering over her, glaring down at her. Mikan's eyes widened, whether in awe or fear I wouldn't tell.

"I don't want to be here." I hissed.

Mikan's face turned a little pale, but she merely backed away and folded her arms with false bravado. She was scared of me. All I would need to do was terrorize her a bit more, and she would let me go with open arms. I smirked, adding as much darkness and anger as I felt show through it, staring determinedly at her. She lifted her chin, but her eyebrows tipped upwards in ill-concealed anxiety.

"My name's Natsumi." I said. "But you can just call me your personal Nightmare."

A/N

So? What'dya think? reviews, please :D Oh, and chocolate, if yah can spare it ;D