Don't


A/N: It's been such a long time since I wrote a fanfic! I hope you all enjoy this!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gakuen Alice.


CHAPTER 1

He hadn't seen her since the day they left high school.

She still hadn't grown her ebony hair out; her violet eyes were as somber as he remembered.

Ruka observed her for a while; this wasn't the first time that he saw someone he thought he knew, and right now he was not up for the embarrassment of suddenly approaching a stranger he mistook for a friend.

She sat alone at the end of the bar, quietly sipping her drink. Once in a while she would reject the men who would come up to her and ask her to dance; however, she gave away her card as though they were fliers, and accepted countless drinks. She looked so tipsy Ruka wondered how she was able to sit up on her stool.

He had not expected to see her in a place like this, especially in such a condition. He wasn't prepared for such a meeting.

Well, given the way that he was now, he wasn't prepared to meet anyone at all.


"You're going to propose to Sakura?"

Ruka had found an engagement ring in Natsume's coat the last time he went over to their apartment.

"What's so surprising about that?" Natsume replied in his nonchalant tone.

Ruka shrugged. There was nothing surprising about that at all. After all, Mikan and Natsume had been together for almost ten years now. After they'd graduated from college, the two had taken the leap and moved in together. Ruka shouldn't be surprised at all that Natsume was proposing.

"Unless," Natsume said quietly, "you're not okay with that?"

Ruka swallowed. He should be okay with it. He always knew that these two were meant to be together. There was no use fighting it. Mikan had chosen Natsume, after all. And he had never seen Natsume this… peaceful. All Ruka wanted was for the two of them to be happy. All the countless times he had been with them, he saw that they were as happy as two people could ever get. Sure, they had their fights, but in the end… there was no separating these two. Ruka knew that.

"Natsume…" he started, mincing his words. "You should do it. I'm so happy for you two."

Still… why did he feel as though his heart was ripped from his chest?


His head was buzzing from the alcohol, and the thumping music was not helping.

"Any more for you, Nogi-san?" the bartender asked. Ruka was a regular at this place—he had taken the habit of haunting it whenever he wanted to get away from his feelings.

Sakura…

"Bring me another one of my usual, Takahashi-san,"

He hadn't asked anymore about Natsume's plans. Harboring unrequited feelings for his best friend's girlfriend—and soon-to-be fiancée—was not something he was proud of. At that time, he just hurried to get away.

He knew Natsume would put off his plans until he knew for sure that Ruka was okay with it. He had done the same before asking Mikan out, and before they moved in together. The two had first asked Ruka to be their roommate at their new place—Ruka had an inkling that they didn't want to leave him out, the only single person in their group since Koko and Sumire got together. However, just the thought of seeing them together everyday, in such close quarters… Ruka knew he couldn't possibly face that. He could afford a place of his own, he told them.

(And besides, he's had about enough of hearing them through the dormitory walls back in college. The whole building knew how great Natsume was because of Mikan's screams.)

"I can't think about them anymore," Ruka said out loud, slamming down his drink. He looked around tipsily. Apparently, that girl from earlier was still there. To hell with it. I need to get over this.

He approached her, careful not to trip on anything in the dimly-lit bar. He stood behind her for a while, trying to maintain his balance and composure.

He cleared his throat.

Her back was to him, so he didn't know if she heard. He moved closer.

"I-Imai-san?"