xx-10 Kisses for Mikan and Natsume-xx

Author: DarkQueenDraconite

Description: A series of usually lighthearted oneshots about kisses throughout their lives.

Author's Comments: Please review.

xxx

"Natsume!"

A high childish voice cut through the air and reached Natsume's ears, and he scowled in irritation. He'd gotten used to blocking out the constant yelling and laughing of second grade recess, but her voice somehow had this weird quality to it that just made it so loud.

He snapped his 'Superman' comic shut. "What do you want, Polka-Dots?"

"Hey!" The girl in front of him with her hands on her hips, scowled. "I told you to stop calling me that! I invite you to my sleepover once and you see my pajamas, and then you start naming me after them! And then even Ruka-pyon starts calling me that! You really are a horrible person, Natsume."

Natsume smirked. He was only too aware that Ruka harbored a huge crush on the girl in front of him, and was resorting to taking love advice from Natsume. Natsume, being Natsume, decided to trick his poor friend and told him to be as mean as possible to her. Ruka, being the overly-nice person he was, could only call her "Polka-Dots" as he tried to be mean, but then he would rush out of the room, mortified.

"I'm not the one disturbing other peoples' recess, Polka-Dots."

"Y-you!" Mikan wailed. "I'm not being mean! I just wanted to ask you something!"

Natsume glanced at the other children. They were all very far away, sliding up and down the colorful cheap things called slides. No one could see Natsume Hyuuga talking to a girl.

"What is it?"

Mikan suddenly became very interested in her shoelaces. "I, um, I, well, y-you know, it's Valentine's Day tomorrow?"

Natsume regarded her warily. "Is it? What about it?" His stoic face betrayed no emotion, but inside he was pondering. Is it that Andou? Always thought he looked fishy…movie star face, bah. He scowled.

"Natsume?"

Natsume looked up at her, still scowling. He noticed that her ears were glowing red and that her eyes seemed to be looking everywhere except him.

Suddenly the eight-year-old boy seemed to reach an epiphany. Is this not about Andou after all? Is she going to ask me out? The boy suddenly felt very uncomfortable, but with a strange sort of thrill…

He scowled. What was he thinking? Of course he'd say no. Why would he ever say yes to a stupid girl like her?

"I won't take any chocolates." He said flatly.

Mikan gaped at him, open-mouthed. "H-how did you know what I was going to say?"

"It's obvious. You're so simple and naïve."

She stomped her foot in frustration. "Just cause you're the Class President doesn't make you so much smarter than everyone else!" She cried.

He rolled his eyes, reaching for his comic again.

Mikan snatched it away. "Alright, if you won't take any chocolates, how about snacks? Hotaru loves them."

Natsume frowned, now getting impatient. "Look, I'm not going out with you no matter what you give me, and that's final."

He was unprepared for the scream of an indignant girl, and wincing, he clapped his hands over his ears as disturbed birds flew out of sight.

"What is wrong with you?" He said angrily, ripping the comic from her hands. "Just because I won't go out with you—"

"I don't want to go out with you, you idiot!" Mikan screeched, whacking him on the head as she talked.

Rubbing his head, Natsume scowled up at her. "Then what do you want, ugly?"

"U-ugly?" Mikan trembled with barely suppressed rage. "Why you-why you-"

Natsume sighed. Hopefully she would go away now. Most girls did when he told them that.

When he looked up from his comic again, she was still there, her back facing him.

He sighed and went back to his comic. A few seconds later, he tentatively looked up again, and he blinked as he saw her facing him, her eyes staring intently into his.

He felt a slightly warm sensation in his cheeks, and felt slightly annoyed. "So what do you want?"

"Do you know Tsubasa-senpai?"

Natsume blinked, feeling a strange clench of his chest. He ignored it. "Yeah."

"W-well, you know he's really cool and that he's the nicest senpai I have, and that he has a face like a movie star's…" she sighed dreamily.

Natsume frowned. The clenching in him was getting worse. "What's your point? Spit it out."

She scowled, angry at being cut off. "You don't have to be so mean about it! I just wanted to know that I want to get together with Tsubasa-senpai tomorrow, and maybe, I'll be able to k-k-k-"

"Kiss him?" Natsume said tersely, unconsciously clenching his fists.

Mikan blushed. "Y-yeah…"

He leaned back, trying to keep his face under control (it seemed to want to cry, for some reason). "Why don't you just give him chocolates?"

Mikan sighed, exasperated. "That's what boys usually do, Natsume!"

Natsume frowned. A lot of girls seemed to like giving him chocolates.

"Anyway, maybe we'll even get to go on a date!" She said brightly.

Natsume snorted. "Go on your little date, then. It doesn't have anything to do with me." He turned pointedly away from her, and opened his little book. Several seconds passed. He frowned, trying to concentrate on the words, but somehow they just passed out of focus every time.

"Natsume?"

Natsume's fingers twitched.

"Natsume, I'm really sorry…" The girl said hesitantly. "It's not like I'm using you. You see, it's because you're one of the only people I trust with this…"

Natsume's eyebrow quirked. What on Earth is she talking about?

"I know it's a lot to ask you…I mean, if you came up to me and asked to practice kissing, I'd think about it too…so I understand if you don't want to. Kissing is really important, after all, and your first kiss is supposed to be great…and I'm only eight, after all…and besides, kissing Tsubasa-senpai isn't that important yet…" she trailed off, a miserable expression on her face.

Kissing practice? With me? Natsume's brain froze. Was this what she was embarrassed about earlier? She wanted to practice kissing with him? He felt his cheeks burning, and he pretended to read his comic book as he tried to think of an answer.

As he stared at his comic, he heard footsteps. Footsteps slowly trudging away from him.

He gritted his teeth, willing the red in his cheeks to go away. "Polka-Dots."

She turned around, surprise flitting across her face. "Huh?"

"Come over here."

Reluctantly, she swung around and came back to him, looking apprehensive.

"Closer."

She leaned in closer, her two braids fluttering in the wind.

"Closer."

He thought he saw a blush on her as she leaned even closer, so that their faces were nearly touching.

He smirked at her languidly, and her mouth dropped. His hands slowly snaked their way up, and he saw her eyes widen and her breath come in rapid gasps.

He cupped one hand on her cheek, and he—

Tugged sharply on one braid with the other hand.

"AIYEEEEE!" Mikan screeched, hopping back. "You idiot, Natsume! You absolutely mean, bully!" She attempted to punch him, and he evaded smoothly.

"I can't believe you fell for that, Polka-Dots."

"I can't believe you just did that!" She fumed.

He raised an eyebrow. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"You did!"

"Fine, I'll make it up to you, then." He stood up, and walked up to her, and she looked at him suspiciously.

He leaned in, and Mikan blushed, stepping backwards slightly. He stepped forwards.

S-NAP!

"Na-Na-Na-Na-NATSUME!"

The remaining birds fled.

Mikan stood, trembling, her face red and her arms crossed over her chest. "YOU PERVERT!" She screeched, stomping her foot. "H-how could you…?"

He glanced at her with amusement. "Pull your shirt forwards? Polka-Dots, it's not as if you have a chest in the first place."

"YOU!" She wailed. "You moron! I'm going to tell on you, you great bully!"

He regarded her, fiery amusement dancing in his eyes. "I saw Tsubasa doing it the other day to Misaki. Are you going to tell on him?"

Mikan's jaw dropped as she flushed. "Tsubasa-senpai never—Tsubasa-senpai would never—"

Natsume's eyes darkened. "Alright, then I'll stop playing."

And this time, he marched up to her, glowering slightly.

Mikan ran backwards.

He ran forwards.

She ran backwards.

He sprinted forwards.

"Natsume!" Mikan breathed, looking up to him as she stood with her back to a tree. "What are you—"

He leaned down, and this time—

The kiss was clumsy, two mouths grazing each other, but Natsume never knew how her lips just seemed to melt into his, and that that how natural it was that his arms came up and rested on her shoulders, and that how after it, his mouth missed the warmness that came from hers and that he felt a greater leaping sensation than he had ever felt from when he was playing with fire…

They flinched back after that brief contact, and Mikan stared up at him with wide eyes.

Natsume regained his bearings quickly, though he still felt rather dizzy. "You practiced. Now go."

Mikan kept staring at him.

"Mikan, go."

Her name seemed to startle her from her reverie.

"Um, all right…" she mumbled, walking backwards into a tree in her confusion. "I—"

She left, stumbling over sticks and holding onto trees for support. She couldn't believe how much that one contact could lift her like that…and it was only Natsume! She had never been so close to him before, and she could smell the smoky scent that came with him, and she thought she had tasted apples when she kissed him…

Natsume stared after her, his heart beating frantically. How could she, how could she have so much power over him? She hadn't tasted like anything remotely sweet, and from that brief touch he could tell she had just eaten her bento, and that there were tangerines in there…

He licked his lips, resolving to buy tangerines when he got home. But he knew they couldn't compare to a kiss…a kiss with her.

xxx