A/N: I'm back with a new story guys! And I'm so sorry for being absent for a whole month! It was my final exams so my mom locked me into my room. Literally. Anyways, now that that's over, Welcome to Bride & the Beast! Since Mikan has been more or less perfect in all my other stories, let's add a little imperfection this time, shall we?! Hope you like it! :)
Disclaimer: I don't Gakuen Alice.
The Bride's woes:
"Wait, wait just a second! It-It was an accident! I didn't mean to—"
"Well, doesn't really matter now, does it? My shoulder's busted... Thanks to you."
"I'm-I'm sorry... *tears up* Really..." I was… I truly was! None of this would have ever happened if he hadn't tried to help me.
"I don't want your apology. What good will it do me now anyways...? My arm isn't gonna heal for the rest of my life... *Pauses* Unless..."
I looked up, scared stiff and ugly crying to meet my saviour's eyes.
Translation: Crying is shedding tears out of distress, pain or sorrow. Ugly crying is crying with a much less delightful attractiveness to it. Your tears don't glisten; your whimpers aren't light like that of a puppy, and you're DEFINITELY not wordlessly weeping in the corner to avoid attention.
No, I am seriously ugly crying. Like, hideously, unsightly, monster ugly crying.
My sobs are so loud; I could wake the dead with them. I'd been crying over the past 3 hours with no one beside me to ease me, hence making me cry even more as I had no idea what to do.
My eyes were blood shot and swollen like bee stings. My curls were a rat's nest and my uniform is covered in debris and rubble. Even my nose is getting slightly pink.
I thought he was dead... Trying to save me... A stranger... Someone he didn't even know. He risked his life to save me and I- I was just so scared that he lost it because of me...
"U-Unless—?" I asked, swallowing the puffiness in my throat, and forced myself to speak again, despite how utterly terrified I was.
"Unless..." He smirked deviously and a shiver ran down my spine.
I felt my heart beat faster as a dangerous smirk graced his lips. See, I'm forgetting a very important detail here.
My saviour is very handsome, very strong, and very clever too...
BUT... He isn't very... Nice...
3 hours ago:
This is getting ridiculous. What the hell is this man's problem? He's been yelling at me nonstop for the past hour for absolutely no reason at all!
"Are you listening to me?!" Who appointed this lunatic as a teacher?!
"No." I replied indifferently, looking him directly in the eye. The man blinked, eyes ready to pop out, his mouth hanging about in space.
I smirked at the much expected reaction to my audacity. "Who, in their right minds, would want to listen to you, raving off for an hour, on your own in that enormously screechy voice of yours, old man?"
He stood knocked for six, like I just asked him to give me both of his kidneys.
"I came here to tell you that that incompetent excuse of a class leader you appointed, overlooked to take my project with the rest of the class. And I came here to submit it, not hear you ranting at me the way your wife probably rants at you."
I slammed the file down on the desk and walked away without paying him any heed whatsoever. He didn't deserve it anyway.
I don't understand what it is with these people.
I keep to myself. I don't like attending classes cause I don't see what I'm going to gain out of them and I don't appreciate hearing some old bloke telling me the things I already know about for an entire hour. I like the colour black. Occasionally, red too. People come find ME. I don't find THEM. But since they do, I don't have a choice but to fend for myself. Otherwise I'd end up bloody beaten to a fucking pulp.
And that; mechanically, makes me a "Bad Boy" in their eyes. It's always my fault in everyone's eyes. The teachers and students automatically "assume" that I didn't do my assignment, even when I've been at the top of my class ever since school started.
School always ends by 4. And I, being the lazybones that I am, I'm always back home in my apartment by 3:45, thinking about what to do for the rest of the day. Now it's almost 5 and I'm nowhere near my street.
Walking at my leisure, I take my phone out to listen to some music at least when a sudden, stifled whimper falls on my ear. Out of the corner of my eyes, I witnessed a few boys shoving a girl, into the back alley across the street where I'm walking right now.
Oh, come on. Really?!
I sighed, shoving my phone back into my shirt pocket and made my way to them.
I recognized some of them. They were delinquents from another school. Rather the egoistic, all-talk-no-punch type. I can't believe I'm doing this.
"I didn't know you guys were into sexual assault, too." All of them whirled around, a look of surprise on their panicked faces. I smirked seeing the fear in their eyes.
My eyes scanned the small, dim alley. Two men; sturdily built. They probably went to the gym at least 5 times a week to get those abs... Two more men, puny and thin, looking like they were gonna wet their pants any second, even if I hadn't touched a strand on that newly made hair.
YET.
"So, what's the agenda? You lowlifes are targeting poor, innocent school girls now? Just to sort out your own frustrations?" Steadily built man one's face went sour, his eyebrows twitching. BULLSEYE.
I leaned against the wall, my eyes boring into his, eyeing every crease in his body.
"What, your girlfriend wasn't feminine enough to satisfy you, man? *smirks* Or did she not scratch your itch at all?!" Sturdy man number one, a shift in his body weight. A pitch in his shoulder. A raging fire in his eyes. "Aww... Poor baby. I hit the nail on the head, didn't I?" I added, smirking.
Stupidly impulsive cry of battle attack. "Why, you bastard—!" BULLSEYE again.
Sturdy man number one was gonna strike. Well, I would strike faster.
A fist smashed dangerously close to my jaw. Unfortunately for him, he met the wall instead. I smirked, grabbing his head by his coarsely cropped hair, as he growled in screeching pain right next to my ear.
Just as he counter attacked, I defended swiftly, catching his balled fist in my own as I twisted his arm behind his back, my leg kicking his spine as his face met the floor.
"Battle cry, first mistake. Messing with me, your last ever mistake." It was stars and bullets after that. Skinny boy number one ran off the second my fist met with sturdy man number two's face.
Skinny boy number two kept holding down the girl, scared but determined for some stupid reason. Well, he's gonna regret it.
"Here's a tip for you, buddy. Stop trying to be an asshat. Cause you clearly suck at it." I was beginning to get bored of this. This is almost too easy. It's like they want me to beat the shit out of them.
That's when I took the time to glimpse at the girl. Not that I was worried about who was getting assaulted here. I didn't like playing prince charming whatsoever.
But she seemed familiar... Too familiar. I have this churning feeling in my stomach, my mind spinning, like I've seen her before.
Suddenly, awfully suddenly, (And I REALLY don't appreciate that "suddenly",) all thoughts and I mean, ALL thoughts vanished from my mind.
I could only see the bloody girl. Not hear, not think, not smell. I could only see her.
It's not like she's extraordinarily attractive, with long, spidery legs and breasts like balloons. She was quite the opposite in fact. She was petite and curvy. There wasn't anything model like about her.
Although I was wrong about the bust part. She's curvy with a hourglass figure. Her hips and thighs are faintly wider, her bust an ample amount compared to her narrow and slender waist, showing her curves even better.
Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm saying she's chubby or fat or something... She's just really curvy. If I had to, I'd even say it was attractive as a guy. And to be completely honest, I think she is...
Her mysteriously tempting brown eyes though, were a different story... Brown eyes, to ME, were just plain, simple brown eyes. I never saw anything special in anyone's eyes. What else could brown eyes be, but just that? Brown eyes were supposed to be brown eyes. How could they be anything different? And it's not like her irises are half gold and half brown. That'd just be creepy. Not to mention impossible.
But my whole concept on eyes; black eyes, brown eyes, grey eyes, EYES changed in an instant the second I met hers.
It's like I'm learning how to perceive for the first time. Like, I'm looking right into her than through her. She had eyes as open and honest as any child, a warmth and safety in them. Like, coming back home to your family after 20 long years away from them.
They draw me in... And then, slowly let me go. Her persuasive and entrancing, brown eyes laced with black rings, trimmed with innocent and wet long eyelashes, glazed with pools of white.
Her eyes. Her overwhelmingly exquisite brown eyes. It's like I can't look away... I can't strip my eyes off. Those eyes. Those damn brown eyes really fucked me over. (You'll know what I mean soon enough, don't worry.)
And her hair. I've never really been addicted to hair before. I mean, it's HAIR. And hers is like, 20 inches long. Which should put me off even more... But it doesn't. In fact, I'm all the more mesmerized with it.
Her long, loose and wavy hair, flitting across in every direction, twisting at the ends in an untamed S shape, inviting me to stroke them, caress every curl, that were currently busy trapped up in the puny man's fist.
At present, her eyes are filled with tears, and are frightened to hell. Her long, loose brown hair a mess and the source of her pain. Her chubby pink lips trembled. Those lips that might have only smiled up till now.
Those lips that hadn't ever had the need to taste fear so badly. Those lips that are so badly covered in blood that I want to run my hand over them to wipe it off.
"S-Senpai, W-Watch out!" And she speaks too!
Wait... What?!
*SMACK*
No one here would have been able to lay a hand on me, had I been paying complete attention. But I'd let my guard down and sturdy man number one whom I'd insulted before had taken the chance. A coppery taste filled my mouth; my head throbbed in pain, a electric jolt ran up my spine to rest on my very injured shoulder.
Damn... How embarrassing.
I turned to look at him, bloody murder raging in my eyes and my mind telling me to take immediate revenge for the shot, but my arm was convulsive with soreness. My legs felt numb, like I lost all contact with them.
"What's wrong?! Did I hit you too bad?" Sturdy man number one had a very smug look on his face. One my hands were itching to knock off his face.
But reality happened.
Thankfully, I didn't have to live through the indignity any longer. "Hey! What's going on here?" A masculine voice broke the tension, snapping the attention from me into whoever stumbled upon us. I recognized the man as he came closer.
It was the owner of the supermarket across the street I often hung around at. I don't know what happened next. I felt relief surging through me, and an instant weariness took over my body.
All I remembered was a sweet voice, ringing in my ears. "S-Senpai, hold on! Please!"
The next thing I knew I was waking up to a white wall in front of my eyes and the obnoxious smell of medicine. Sorry, it was the ceiling. My shoulder still felt too sore, so I didn't move and closed my eyes again. Slowly, I gained control of all my parts again.
The first thing right after the ceiling, was the dying walrus cry. I liked watching Nat Geo Wild and a lot of Animal Planet and I swear, that's what it sounded like.
Something miserable was seated right next to me, and I was dead SET on it being a dying walrus. I couldn't take it anymore. The way the weeps and howling and sobs of the poor creature echoed in the small room, resting dead right and torturing my ears...
I opened an eye tiredly, glancing to the side to see a brunette girl, her head in her hands, her small hands covered in tiny droplets of water. I'm assuming it's her tears.
Then I realized. It's the same girl I rescued. Huh. Now THIS is SOME stark difference.
I comprehended at some point, that this idiot isn't gonna stop making my ears bleed unless I make myself known. And so I did. "Hey you..." That's all I said.
THAT
IS
ALL
I
BLOODY
SAID.
Now I'm wishing I hadn't said that at all. "*Looks up* Oh my god! *Sniffles* I-I thought you were—I thought that—! *Cries again*" And I THINK, this is getting really exhausting.
Her loud voice, her weeping in between words, her face that is too ugly to describe right now. Is she really the same girl I rescued before? I don't feel a thing now unlike before.
My head is starting to ache with her loud snivelling. And my eyes aren't getting any better of a treatment either. "Will you stop crying like I'm fucking dead?!"
She cried even harder to that. "You weren't *sniffs* Waking up... It's been 3 hours. I-I thought... *rubs her eyes* That you were dead..." She whined in that maddening voice of hers. Can't she at least be a little quiet?
"Yeah, I'm certainly feeling the love over here, brownie. Tell me, is that something you usually say to people who just awakened from a street fight saving the very girl who is branding her rescuer dead?" I asked sarcastically, without a shred of care to the fact that she is crying her eyes out for me.
I don't fucking care at all whatsoever.
"I-I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to be rude—" She sniffed, trying forcefully to wipe off all her tears, but they just kept on coming back, falling down her red cheeks, and her small hands that were shaking miserably tried desperately to stop them to no avail. She only cried harder.
Sighing, I reached out to my uniform pocket, pulling out my handkerchief. I know. How perfectly cliché. I still carry handkerchiefs around in my pockets.
And in my last year of high school too. I am from THIS decade, I'll have you know. I just hate getting my uniform filthy cause, that would mean I'd have to wash it. So, yeah, the handkerchief.
But the woman didn't even notice it... Hell, she didn't even so much as look up, her hands covering all of her wet, soggy face. I cleared my throat pressing the soft cloth against her elbow.
She was sitting pretty close to me, after all. And just so I'm being clear, it's frankly annoying how close she is to me. I don't welcome people acting too personally with me. I felt annoyed, yes, but I didn't particularly want her to move away that very instant either.
She looked up, her eyes flitting to her elbow. "Umm, is-is something wrong?" She bawled, her eyes absolutely innocent and naïve, like she didn't have any idea what I was trying to do here.
I arched an eyebrow, wondering if she was really that thick. I wouldn't be surprised if she was. She had that odd, brainless Barbie from Malibu type look to her after all. I could really imagine her: Playing the goody two shoes, helping everyone out, the populars bullying her while the guys ogled her body from afar, trying to become official with her but she would be too shy to do so and they'll end up being just friends. The simple, adorable girl everyone loved.
…
Wait...! Did I just...? No, no, I didn't... That-That doesn't count!
…
It doesn't count, right? It shouldn't! I mean, I just called her 'Brainless Barbie'!
…
Oh okay, fine, fine! I yield! I just complimented the woman again!
…
But it really shouldn't count because.. I-I don't know, I'm in this very mess because of her. But she really does pull off the sit-still-look-pretty exterior.
I mean, I know I called her ugly just a few minutes ago but... Honestly? Seeing her cry like that is just driving me insane here. I want to do everything I can to stop her from crying right now.
And I'm CONVINCING myself it's only because her wails are annoying.
I'm offering her a handkerchief here, and she's bawling like a three year old, denied of lollipop and she's asking me what's wrong! Either she's incredibly dim-witted or she's making a fool out of me.
"Your bawls are beginning to dry my blood cold, brownie. That's what's wrong. So stop already." I coldly replied and she looked even more unhappy now, shaking her head.
"That-That's okay, I-I have one. Thank you." She bit her lips, leaving me hanging in space as she dug into her bag, pulling out a simple white handkerchief, pressing it to her puffy lips as she glanced up at me through shy lowered lashes, still crying. I just blinked at her, my mouth wide open left hanging in space at her refusal.
Why didn't you just bloody use that 5 minutes ago then, and spare me the torment?!
She's definitely making a fool out of me here. Utterly embarrassed, I reluctantly lifted my hand away from her and back into my own lap. 'Fine, see if I ever try to offer you anything ever again, you blithering fool!' I thought.
Sighing at my own childish thoughts, I calmed myself, realizing, I didn't yet know how I got here at all. Taking the chance, I asked her. She was the only one here, after all.
"Hey, brownie, what happened exactly?! How'd I get here? I remember the shopkeeper..."
She glimpsed up, plunging into the topic at once. "Y-You fainted... The shopkeeper helped me bring you here... We're in the city hospital; it was the closest, so... I tried informing your parents but I didn't know their contact info so... You can use my cell now, if you want..."
I shook my head, somehow amused by her kindness. "I live alone. My parents reside in the another part of the city. And it's really okay. It's not like anything serious happened, so..." She nodded as my eyes fall to her, her uniform was covered in rubble.
"Hey brownie..." She peeks up, "...You okay?" For a second, she seemed surprised that I was asking about her status. Fuck, even I was surprised here.
Blushing, I looked away, rubbing the back of my neck. "You were hurt across your lips, weren't you? Did you get yourself checked?"
She shook her head, as I sighed in relief. 'Well, at least that's one less thing to worry about. How the hell am I gonna pay for the hospital bill though? And if I can't, what am I gonna say to dad?! He's gonna kill me this time for sure.' Then, to add to my misery, she added, "I'm fine really... T-Thank you... For worrying about me. It's just a scratch anyway..."
I blinked at her in absolute awe... It's like this idiot was put in this planet just to test my anger management skills. And I can proudly declare without a shred of shame, disgrace or humiliation whatsoever, that I'm flunking. With flying colours.
"Say brownie, are you always this stupid or are you just doing it to annoy me?" I'm pretty sure I'm being sardonically patronizing here. So, what is it with that perfectly innocent and curious look on her adorably endearing face?!
"I'm s-sorry, was it something I said? I didn't mean to be rude or anything..." Her soft sweet voice left little to be angry at.
Trying to argue with this idiot is exhausting... It's like trying to kill a mosquito that is sucking the blood out of my cheek, I might or might not kill it, but I WILL end up slapping myself for sure.
I sighed, rubbing my eyes together. "Just go. Get yourself examined once. You might have some wounds too." I replied calmly. She blushed, her head lowering which made my chest squeeze.
I swept my eyes slowly all over her small, curvaceous body, taking my time to take in all of her assets. Like how her thighs were wider, but her calves were slender and sleek and her chest was bigger than most girls I've met and rejected, but her waist is lean and slim, highlighting her body.
I couldn't... Help... But stare...
She squirmed in her seat, her cheeks turning a slight cerise as I blushed too, looking away seeing as she was getting uncomfortable. I wonder why...
I found her attractive. God knows why, but I did. Despite her stupidity, and lengthy hair, I liked her. Looking at her, talking to her, hearing her. I just did.
That's when the doc burst in on us and dropped the bomb on me. "I'm really sorry." Like hell he is. He didn't even meet my eyes when he blurted the damn apology and went out the door the second his job was done. Not that I care for his fucking apology whatsoever. He can shove it up his ass for all I care.
There was another miserable creature beside me however, who was TOO sorry. I groaned.
Not again...
Here we go again, with the bawling, sobbing, weeping and every other synonym for crying there is. Honestly, hasn't she ever heard of the word 'stop'?!
I mean, I'm the one with an incurable shoulder. And I don't give a shit. It's not like I want to play NYC football or something. Then why is she bothering to cry her eyes out like that?! It's not like I'm her brother here!
My mind wandered off to my apartment and the fact that I wouldn't be able to clean for a while... I might have to hire a maid, but I don't really have the money. I guess, I'll have to start looking for part time jobs.
At least I'll be excused from homework and assignments for a while... Frankly, this shoulder injury isn't so bad in my opinion. The benefits from it easily outweigh the drawbacks.
Unfortunately, the halfwit beside me doesn't know that. "I'm really so sorry about, about your shoulder... *sobs* I-I am... *sniffs* I'll, I'll do anything to repay you!" She said, a determined look in her tear filled eyes even if her lips were trembling.
I sighed, placing a hand on her back, stroking it gently, in the hopes of soothing her. "There is really no need to repay anybody here. Look, I'm not even angry, ok? So, can you please quit it with the crying?"
She looked up at me with blurred eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. "But-But, your shoulder won't heal for the rest of your life! You won't be able to play sports, or do any heavy lifting... E-Even everyday life will be difficult for you!"
She does have a point... Part time job isn't gonna be a piece of cake unless I opt for a receptionist desk. Or a ticket collector in cinemas. Finding that maid is gonna cost me a lot.
Unless...
I smirked, a devious idea taking form in my mind. This injury really paid off. Now, I won't have to touch household work at least for a month and goodbye to pesky homework and projects! Plus, I get to watch Ms. Cute and adorable work 24/7, right in front of me.
I blushed at the thought. Focus, man. You're not here to ogle a high school girl. (No matter how alluring she is.) It's only a deal for the maid. Nothing else.
"So... Brownie..." She looked up. I smirked. Maybe- Maybe I could just play around a little bit... If the lady gives me her consent... "Y-Yes?" Huh. Wait, was that-? NO, no, focus! That wasn't her giving her consent, you idiot! She was just asking a reciprocal question. Stop daydreaming!
"*Ahem* ...You're willing to do ANYTHING?" I asked, hiding my growing blush.
"Uhm... I-I am. If I am able to..." She replied. You're gonna fit just fine, brownie.
I extended my good hand towards her. "Natsume Hyuuga... This is gonna be really fun..." She blinked, unable to follow as I smiled mysteriously.
"Really, really fun."