Title: Songs and Flowers

Summary: After an accident that left him temporarily blind, Natsume Hyuuga was often visited by an unknown woman. Determined to seek her after her disappearance upon his recovery with only flowers and a sweet voice as his clues, he sets out to find her. AU, Unbeta-ed

Pairing: Summer Tangerine Pairing (NatsuMikan)

Genre: Romance

Rating: T

A.N. : Although I still read GA fics, I'm hardly around the fandom due to my weakening interest in it. However, watching the anime and rereading the manga rekindled my childhood love for it. So here's a present to those who still love GA even after they've reached adulthood.

Disclaimer: If I own the manga, do you honestly think I would be writing fanfics?

Warning: I might change the title. This title makes me go, "Meh."

P.S. : Page breaker design belongs to the amazing Esa MaRie. I'm merely abusing it.

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Part I: The Sweetness of Meeting, The Bitterness of Parting

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Although he would never admit it out loud, Natsume vividly remembered the first time she visited him.

His entire world back then (in those short, agonising times) was a dark void. Accompanying the darkness were scents that irritated his nose and senses that were made incredibly sensitive upon his lost sense of sight. Although his body was blessedly free of cursed tubes, he did not move for fear of bumping into things and only making himself a nuisance.

The doctor said his blindness was temporary, but it still unsettled him. He had, like most normal people, relied heavily on his eyes. So to have his sight taken away rattled him.

Not for the first time, he cursed the accident and the person that caused him to end up in this pitiful state. Had it not been for the clumsy person and unfortunate accident, he would have been the one to stand up and defend his client at court. He grudgingly admitted that it was a good thing that his distant, aloof and coldly professional cousin, Hotaru Imai had agreed to take over the case in his stead (after bribing her with lots and lots of snow crabs). He, in a very brief flash of emotion, pitied the prosecutor who had the misfortune of facing her in court for he knew she would use every means in her power as a successful attorney to win the case. It is simply not in her nature to lose and no matter how much he disliked his cousin, he will admit that she delivered excellent results every time.

But the idea that Imai was defending his client did not calm him down. In fact, it made him feel worthless.

I should be the one to deal with my own client's case. I should be there at court. I shouldn't have been so careless as to put myself in this state.

Those bitter thoughts ran circles in his head. He hated feeling pathetic, worthless, useless.

And to top it all off, the police had not found the culprit responsible for his accident. If anything else, they seemed reluctant to even the mention the case. That made him more bitter than usual.

The cold autumn wind once again blew through the opened window of his hospital room, chilling his already shivering body. He had wanted to close it since the moment the idiotic nurse that tended to him that day opened it, claiming he needed fresh air. He wanted to beat some sense into her. Just who in their right would open a window of a blind patient in the middle of autumn? Does she want him to catch a cold?

But alas, he couldn't. The window was a few steps away from his bed and one wrongly calculated move could end up with him kissing the floor.

He was about to start vulgarly cursing when he heard the door slid open. He stilled.

He could hear footsteps. The light footsteps drew nearer. He could feel the person directly beside him. The sound of the windows closing shut (although quite welcome) did nothing to calm him.

"Are you alright?" a sweet voice asked him. The person, who he can now safely identify as female drew a chair beside his bed. He could hear cloth rustling softly and smell the faint scent of orange blossoms and vanilla. He could feel his eyes narrowing.

This person is not one of the nurses or doctors in this hospital. He had come to rely on his sense of smell to determine the people around him. All nurses and doctors, when in the hospital, smell of deceptive soap and sterile antiseptic. This woman did not have that noxious scent.

"I closed the windows. It's chilly outside," the woman continued. "You were shivering when I came in. I hope you don't mind. Colds aren't very forgiving in autumn."

At his continued silence, the woman let out a giggle. It sounded like chiming bells. "They sure weren't joking when they say you don't talk much."

A frown formed on his face and the woman stopped laughing.

She drew in a breath. "As you may have guessed, I'm not a nurse or a doctor. I'm simply a visitor. A friend of mine convinced me to come and check up on you, every day if possible, starting from today."

He slowly turned his head to 'look' in the general direction of the woman's voice. "Who asked you to come here?"

"I can't tell you that. All I can say is that you know this person very well and is relatively close to you."

He gave out a low curse and growled under his breath. "Get out. I don't need a damn nanny to take care of me." If this is one of Aoi's, Ruka's or, God forbid, his mother's attempt at playing matchmaker, he will be damned if he play along. Why can't they understand that the one thing that he could not stand is women?

He could almost sense the girl shaking her head in refusal. "I can't do that," she told him, her voice gentle yet firm with resolve. "I gave my word to them that I would keep you company while you're recuperating. And I don't make promises I can't keep."

Instantly, he knew what kind of woman she is. She's the type who was gentle and cheerful in terms of personality, yet firm and stubborn in making decisions. In a way, this woman reminded him of his dear sister; cheerful as a happy child yet stubborn as a mule. He knew he could not make this woman change her mind. He had learned as much when dealing with Aoi whenever she was being impossible.

He huffed grumpily. "Whatever," he desolately muttered. However, if she thought he had surrendered peacefully, she was painfully mistaken. One thing is for sure, he would not make this woman's supposedly regular visits a walk in the park. He will have his solitude back, one way or another.

The woman clapped her hands in glee. "Wonderful!"

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That day had been the start of everything between them. She always came in the afternoon or occasionally, in the evening when she had things to attend to. When she came, she would always greet him in the same sweet and cheerful voice that he remembered from their first meeting. And every time she did he pointedly ignored her by dismissively turning his head away from the direction of the door. His rudeness and silence unperturbed her though. Then, she would begin telling him about everything, from the latest news to the gossip running rampant in their rapidly corrupting society. She told him about amusing anecdotes and the fascinating places she had the fortune to visit. All the while, he would feign sleeping. Again, it did not bother the woman from talking. Strangely enough, his silences encouraged her. Sometimes, when he truly was annoyed he would insult her callously, the way he did whenever he was surrounded by snake-like women in soirees. But still, it did not stop her from talking to him or visiting him. When she truly thought he was sleeping, he could hear her sing a soft melody or hear the rustling sound of pages of a book turned. Those times were very rare.

It had been like that for the first few times she visited.

He really tried to send her away (yelling insults in her face, ignoring her with his silent attitude, sometimes, he tried to throw his pillow at her), but as he had correctly guessed earlier, this woman was too stubborn. Nothing could stop her from visiting. He would be lying if he said it did not affect him. He could bend and break anybody at court successfully but he couldn't even make this woman change her decision. His bad mood was made apparent and noticed by his mother, Aoi and Ruka whenever they visited him.

It got even worse when the day ended and visiting hours were over. In the silence of the night, her words rang through his head, her sweet voice refused to leave his memories, her songs haunted him in his dreams and he could remember her cheerful laughter whenever he tried to force himself to sleep.

He was starting to hate the woman. With the exception of his coldly professional cousin, no woman could get under his skin and mess his head as the woman did. How dare she unnerve him when even veteran prosecutors and untruthful witnesses cowered before him.

His thoughts about her start to change one day. The time came when the nurse had tried to feed him his meals. He abhorred mealtimes because, due to his blind state, he needed somebody to help him eat as he certainly could not do it alone. Normally, the nurse would whisper a few inappropriate words to him as she fed him, but he took it all in stride. He needed to get better soon, and in order to do that, he needed to gain his strength back and heal. So far, the nurse had tried to seduce him with words but nothing more.

However, that day, during his lunch time, his shock was all encompassing when he felt a pair of greedy lips upon his own. His forgot to close his mouth due to the disgustingly intimate gesture and that gave the nurse plenty of time to shove the slimy appendage people call a tongue down his throat together with badly cooked rice and bland chicken broth.

The damn bitch was trying to feed him with her filthy mouth.

He remembered how he had struggled, trying to get the evil succubus off of him, but to no avail. Whether it was because he had not been at his full strength or it was simply the nurse being stronger than him, he could not tell. All he could recall were the wretched taste of lipstick and bad hospital food in his mouth and how much he had tried to push the woman off of him and failed to do so.

Then, he heard the door slide open and he heard a gasp. A loud cry resounded through the room and he heard a sweet, familiar voice scream, "Somebody! Help, please! A nurse is sexually assaulting my friend!"

The nurse finally removed herself off of him at the scream and let out a loud string of curses that would make a sailor proud. The sound of running footsteps leaving his room and something bumping against one another was audible. He could also hear light footsteps running towards him as gentle, comforting and welcoming arms pulled him in a hug.

"Are you alright?" the sweet voice asked. Ahh, it was the stubborn woman who always visited him, the one who was so talkative.

He was so relieved that he completely let himself fall in her embrace, his face buried in her neck as the woman soothingly rubbed his back with warm, gentle hands, trying to comfort him as she spoke reassuring words. He greedily breathed in the innocent scent of orange blossoms and vanilla. Normally, he would never show such weakness to anybody, even his family, but, damn it, he was so terrified and so shocked, he wanted familiarity and comfort then and there. And apparently, this woman was the only one who can offer him both right now.

As he heard two people enter the room, who turned out to be doctors who had heard the woman's cries for help, the sudden realization that he had considered the woman comforting and familiar and definitely not a source of hatred did not shock him as he thought it would. In fact, it made him feel safe.

And with that, something strange started to develop in the young, blind attorney's chest.

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Apparently, the nurse who had fed him during meal times and sexually assaulted him did not work at the hospital. In fact, she was never a nurse to begin with. The hospital staff who saw her running out of the room claimed that they did not know the nurse. An investigation was conducted and it was determined that the fake nurse was a fan-turned-stalker of his. The police and hospital staff immediately came to the conclusion that the stalker disguised herself as a nurse (with a fake ID and all) to get closer to him. Thus, the hospital transferred him to another safer, more comfortable ward as an apology and to make sure it never happened again. The hospital also tightened their security.

That should have been the end of it. However, because of the callous assault, his trust towards the hospital staff was blown away like dried autumn leaves would when the cold wintry winds pass by. The damage had been done.

Shortly after that horrific force-feeding incident, he refused to eat hospital food and allow a nurse or doctor to enter the room. The moment somebody entered and the smell of antiseptic intermingled with soap hit him like a ton of bricks, he would start yelling and shouting at them to leave. He would never again trust himself to be alone with these people. One would never know the thoughts lingering in their hearts. Scared out of their minds, the nurses and doctors decided to abide by his demand but his refusal to eat food worried them.

His mother and sister were notified of his condition and the incident that caused it. They tried to persuade him to eat, but for the life of him, he couldn't. Whenever food passed through his lips, he could remember the taste of the bitch's lipstick and her hateful mouth upon his, and at the remembrance, bile rose up in his throat. The only thing he could stomach were fruits. It was enough to keep him alive yet definitely not enough to keep him healthy.

Ruka tried to coax him to eat some take out from a restaurant Natsume had often visited before in an effort to make him eat, but a few bites was all he could take before he pushed the food away. Somehow, he could not bring himself to eat it no matter how hard he tried to force his mind to accept it. This is not hospital food, he reasoned with himself. This is a take out from a restaurant you yourself frequented before. Surely, you can eat it?

He can't. He can't eat it. In the back of his mind, he knew he couldn't eat anything now, not when he could remember a rude tongue savagely exploring his mouth together with the taste of bland food.

The cheerful yet mysterious woman was also worried about him. She had tried to distract him of his hunger by talking about, well, anything that she thought would put his mind away from his troubles. It worked, but only for a short while before the hunger cramps came back. As she peeled apples for him, she enquired about his physical state now that he was refusing to eat anything that was not fruit. Of course, her question was met with his typical silence but Natsume knew the woman had known him enough to tell through the silence that, no, he was not okay and yes, fruit and warm water was not enough. His stomach cramped as though angry at his refusal to grant it what it had wanted so badly.

He was saved, though, again, by the mysterious woman with the sweet voice. Three visits after that horrible experience (something which he now dubbed as The Incident, with a capital T and I), the woman came in through his newly designated room as she had normally done before. Then, along with the familiar scent of orange blossoms and vanilla, came a wonderful aroma that, had he not had such good self control, he would have started drooling. The woman had come bringing him some chicken porridge and ginger tea she had made herself. Like Ruka, Aoi and his mother, she had persuaded him to try some.

At first, he was sceptical. Both his mother and Aoi, together with Ruka had failed to get him to eat anything. However, at that point, his craving for real food was so desperate that he agreed without question, without any of his usual insults or cold remarks.

The woman held up a spoonful of chicken porridge to his lips and as he hesitantly accepted it, he realized his prayers were answered. There was no sudden flashback of the fake nurse, no taste of badly cooked rice, no texture of disgusting lipstick. There was only bliss. He could feel his eyes closing in bliss as he savoured the wonderful taste.

He accepted spoonful after spoonful of porridge until the woman announced that he had finished everything and handed him a cup of hot ginger tea which washed down the delicious taste of the chicken porridge and warmed him to the core.

For the first time, he was truly inwardly grateful that he had met this woman. She had not saved him once, not twice but thrice. Once, with her willingness to accompany his bitter and pathetic self with her pleasant presence (something which he could finally admit after so many denials), twice by coming at the right place at the right time during The Incident, and now by finally bringing back his ability to swallow food down without feeling nauseous.

The woman had sounded very happy for him and it was obvious in her tone when she spoke to him. He was sure he did not smile but he could tell that a content expression was set on his face. He did not scowl and frown nor did he pretend to sleep anymore. He listened as the woman talked, her voice blanketing him with a feeling serenity and security. He absorbed everything she said like sponge would when submerged in water.

When it was finally time for her to leave, she said to him, "Have a good day, Hyuuga-san. I hope you get better soon."

And when he can no longer hear her footsteps, he settled himself into the bed as he felt his eyelids covered his temporarily blind eyes. Then, her parting words rang to him. No, it was not the 'Have a good day' part or the 'I hope you get better soon' bit. It was when she said his name.

"Hyuuga-san."

As he opened his eyes in shock, he realized –

He didn't know the woman's name. The woman never told him her name.

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The woman had come in the morning the next day, this time bringing rich tomato soup which was incredibly delicious. She told the doctor who was in charge of him, Dr. Itou, that she would cook his meals from now on. And the doctor had agreed. She giggled delightfully as she mentioned how terribly relieved the doctor looked when she mentioned that he was eating.

"It looked like the doctor would faint from happiness. I think, if I wasn't there with him, he would've start kneeling, thanking his lucky stars. You certainly don't make yourself an easy patient, Hyuuga-san," was what she said, in an almost exasperated tone.

True to her words, after she left that morning, his mother came in the afternoon and helped him eat his lunch which was a chicken sandwich and apple slices. Ruka came in the early evening and spoon fed him rice and vegetable stew. From the moment his taste buds met his lunch and dinner, he immediately knew that she had not been lying when she said she had made it. Hospital food just don't taste this good. For that, he was inwardly thankful that the mysterious woman was a very good cook.

Although they were also grateful, his sister and his mother had wondered about the woman's intentions when Dr. Itou mentioned her to them. It was the same with Ruka.

"Maybe she's indebted to you. Are you sure you haven't met her somewhere at court? Perhaps you had helped a friend or a family member and now she's returning the favour by helping you," his mother reasoned.

"Maybe she's one of your admirers. That shouldn't be anything new for you would it, baka-niichan?" That was Aoi's speculation.

"She's most likely related to the doctors or nurses working in this hospital. She's probably helping you recover to ease their minds. That kind of thing happened all the time in hospitals," Ruka had said when Natsume quietly asked for his opinion.

When Natsume asked for physical description of the woman from Dr. Itou, he had refused saying that he had promised the woman he would not tell anybody about her including his patient and nurses. The same goes for Natsume's family and friends, no matter how much they wanted to thank her personally. That disappointed him a bit. His family and best friend also tried bullying Dr. Itou into spilling the beans about the mysterious woman, but he did not budge. Although, Aoi mentioned with a rather malevolent cackle, the doctor looked nervously scared.

The day went by and night came. Visiting hours were once again over. He leaned back in his bed as both his arms pillowed his head.

Natsume spent almost half the night thinking about her.

Ever since he realized that he did not know the woman's name, he became curious and wary. For a talkative and sociable woman, she had never once mentioned her name to him. Why wouldn't she tell him? Was she hiding something? Was it something that he had said or did that discouraged her to tell him her name? Or was it something else?

If anything else, the woman was determined not to give out anything that might hint at her identity, if Dr. Itou's adamant refusal to reveal information and her pointedly ignored self introduction was anything to go by. The fact that his family and best friend did not know who she is only deepened the mystery.

At least this wasn't a matchmaking attempt.

He immediately crossed out the possibility that she was one of his fan girls or stalkers. If she were, he would have been eaten alive from the moment he had unintentionally presented himself as vulnerable. It happened with the fake nurse during The Incident. He had admittedly let his guard down quite a few time before in her presence and she hadn't jumped on the numerous chances when she could have had her way with him.

She certainly was not his colleague. His colleagues all had the same air, intimidating and demanding; the result of numerous times defending or prosecuting at court having to show a mask of cool confidence and convincing assuredness, a mask refined and polished through repeated use and an intimidating aura they developed to help get through the trials. They were definitely not as calming and gentle as she is.

Maybe she was a former classmate or schoolmate during his schooldays. But that can't be, for he would've remembered somebody as stubbornly determined as her. In fact he remembered the faces and voices of all his schoolmates. His female schoolmates had either screechy annoying voices with an almost fanatic personality or unfeeling monotones with a cold attitude that would make ice seem hot.

Or maybe his mother, Aoi or Ruka was right. She could've been a relative of someone he had helped in court. She could've simply been another one of his admirers or perhaps she was trying to help her relatives who were working in the hospital. But he found it quite hard to believe.

If she had been a relative of a client he helped in court, he was sure that he would be able to identify her easily. After winning cases, relatives of his clients always came to him and gave their heartfelt 'Thank you' to him. If this woman's personality is anything to go by, she would've thanked him the moment he stepped out of court.

The sheer idea that she was an admirer made him scoff in disbelief. Had she truly been an admirer, she would've done everything he asked her to including his desire to be left alone. Her unyielding resolve during the first time she visited had certainly made him believe that she was no admirer.

He had considered Ruka's speculation. Perhaps she was related to the hospital staff. That seemed like the most likely reason. However, his instinct was telling him that Ruka was wrong for she did not have that nauseating soap and antiseptic smell. It was silly to contradict Ruka's thought based on her scent of all things. But, he reasoned, how can a person not smell like a hospital after staying in one for so long? Even Natsume was starting to believe he smelled like a sick patient; like bitter medicine, chemicals and old paper.

Then he remembered what she told him during that first time meeting her.

"A friend of mine convinced me to come and check up on you, every day if possible, starting from today."

At that reminder, he frowned fiercely. Did that friend of hers told her not to mention her name? Did that friend of her told her to accompany him and then when he was weak enough, destroy his good and flawed (yet exactly what he had thoroughly believed) perception of her as a prank? That would be possible, but if it is, it is one cruel joke.

However, the woman sounded genuine about her feelings and emotions and he definitely knew that she's the type he would wear her heart on her sleeve? Could somebody as seemingly sweet as her perform such deception? But no, if she did, he would notice. He was not one of the most sought after defence attorneys in Japan for nothing. Seeing through lies was his forte. It was what he always did in court. Such a thing would be impossible.

Or maybe she didn't tell Natsume her name because the moment he recovered, she would disappear from his life just as suddenly as she had appeared in it. But that doesn't seem possible, because from her personality, she was the kind of person who loves to make new friends and he was pretty sure the woman considered him as a friend. If she does, a disappearing act is unlikely.

Or maybe...

She hates you.

Despite being blind, he could feel his eyes blinking at that. Where did that come from?

She despises you.

His fists clenched. No, that can't be. If she hated him, she would've made it clear from the moment she met him. She doesn't strike him as deceptively secretive, more of a forthcoming person.

She's terrified of you.

Why would she be? He fisted the bed sheets, strangely angered by these hateful lines of thoughts. She had no reason to be scared of him, not in his state. In fact, he should be scared of her. She could do anything to him, any time at all. And he would be helpless to her machinations. He had already somewhat trusted her and that trust for her was a serious chink in his armour. Again, there is plenty of opportunity for her to take advantage of him. And she never did anything like that, as far as he knew. So that's that.

How would you know? You're blind.

He carded a hand through his hair in frustration. This is ridiculous. This whole thing is ridiculous. He was being ridiculous. He's hopelessly blind in a damn hospital bed in a freaking ward. He doesn't need to hear malevolent voices inside his head or develop schizophrenia; he had enough on his plate.

Fine, he decided. If that woman wouldn't tell him her name, he would give her a new one. Something that would suit her.

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The following visit, after a breakfast of creamy mushroom soup and slices of freshly baked homemade bread, he called her "Sakura."

He chose Sakura because she reminded him of spring, wonderfully scented and exuded a gentle warmth. Whenever he thought of spring, he would be reminded of the cherry blossom tree, with its sturdy trunk and branches covered with soft and fragrant pink petals which would swirl around him as they fell to the ground. She was like a cherry blossom tree, with her firm resolve contrasting with her soft demeanour, just like how the hard woodiness of the trunk contrasted with the soft beauty of the pink flowers.

When he had called her that, she let out a surprised gasp. Weirdly enough, it seemed to have shocked her terribly. Filled with the strange urge to comfort her, he said grudgingly, "You never told me your name and you probably never would. It's difficult calling you 'the woman' or 'that woman' all the time. Do you have a problem with that?"

A heavy silence ensued. Natsume subtly shifted his body, uncomfortable with her silence. Sakura was never like this whenever she visited him. Then slowly, she asked, "No, I don't mind. After all, it's my fault for not telling you my name. I have my own reasons for never mentioning it, so I'm sorry. It's just..." At that she trailed off.

"Why would you decide to call me 'Sakura'?" Her voice had a odd tone to it.

At that, he could feel a very slight heat creeping up in his cheeks. Although he thought it was a good choice of name for her, his reason for picking it was pretty cheesy.

The woman must've seen his blush for she had let out charming laugh, dispelling the uncomfortable atmosphere. "It's fine," she said. "I won't push the issue. It must've been a pretty cheesy one if your blush is anything to go by," she teased him.

She had continued giggling when he turned his face away from her, embarrassed. He cursed himself. Why was he acting like a damn blushing schoolgirl? Men do not get embarrassed over something as simple as a name!

When she had finally stopped laughing, she said, "Its fine. I don't mind being called 'Sakura'. It's a nice name. Cherry blossom; reminds me of spring."

He had been unable to stop the faint upturn of his lips when he heard her words.

And with that, he started to call her 'Sakura.'

~.~`~``,`.;.*.;.*.;.*.;.`,``~`~.~

Time pass by. Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. Autumn shed its final leaves as it gave way to Winter's icy breath and pure snow. Natsume had spent very content days in that peaceful period. Of course, if given the choice, he would have chosen a better setting (biding his time in a hospital bed had him bored silly) but he was grateful for the very few company he had.

His family and his best friend made his stay in the hospital ward better, but it was Sakura that had him looking forward to new things every day, the single spot of light in his world of dark void. Sometimes, he would catch himself tilting his head at the general direction of the door longingly, waiting to hear her light footsteps and her cheerful voice. Other times, he would unconsciously sniff the air hoping to catch even a faint trace of her pleasant scent. Instead of hating having to depend on Sakura to eat his breakfast, he was pretty shocked to find that he was looking forward to the feeding sessions.

These things had made him realize that Sakura was quickly turning from an acquaintance to a very close companion. His relationship with her wasn't the same as his relationship with Ruka, who he also considered a close friend, his best friend. While both of them were able to connect to him, relate to him and truly listen in his silences more than his words, his feelings for Sakura were different than his feelings for Ruka. Ruka made him feel calm and collected, but Sakura made him feel free and warm.

He knew that it was not friendship he felt with Sakura as it was far more complicated and he certainly did not have a name for this emotion. But that's alright. He doesn't mind. He could take his time exploring it later on.

That winter, along with his upcoming birthday, he would be proven how truly wrong he was, that his time with her was limited and he was running out of it – fast.

~.~`~``,`.;.*.;.*.;.*.;.`,``~`~.~

One cold morning, as he woke up from his sleep, his eyes opened and he could see blurs of shifting colours. He told Dr. Itou about it and the doctor had said that his eye sight was coming back, faster than he had expected.

His mother, Aoi and Ruka were beside themselves with happiness. Sakura had also been happy for him, but he could sense that her enthusiastic response was tinged with something else. Was it sorrow? Trepidation? Fear? He couldn't tell.

The next day, the blurs shifted into focus. He could now make out a few things. A white curtain, a glass window framed with metal, the light green walls, his skin which looked sallow (it used to be a healthy tan), the blue colour of his hospital garb, the cream colour of the carpet, anything he could identify.

He can now also make out people's features such as Ruka's sunshine blond hair, his mother and sister's raven locks. He tried especially hard when Sakura came. He could make out long silky auburn hair, a light pink long sleeved sweater, a white knee length skirt which fluttered as she moved, fair, unblemished skin, small hands and delicate, rosy lips.

Of course he was discontented with just those features. But they will have to do for now. Besides, his sight would probably make a full recovery tomorrow. Tomorrow, he could finally see how she truly looked like. Tomorrow, she would have nothing to hide.

On the third day, which was his birthday, his sight completely came back, exactly as he predicted. He can now see everything clearly and with clarity. His mother looked so happy and her eyes were suspiciously bright. His sister was so excited; she hugged him so tightly he almost couldn't breathe. Ruka had smiled and patted his shoulder. "Good for you, Natsume."

However, the one person he had anticipated the whole day never came. Sakura did not come that morning or in the afternoon. It wasn't until evening that Natsume realized Sakura knew he made a full recovery. A bouquet of flowers came for him, delivered by Dr. Itou. Delicately arranged irises, jasmine, white poppies, pink roses, white bell flowers and purple hyacinths greeted him. A card was inserted in the folds of the wrapping.

He read it. And as he read the words written in a neat and feminine script, he could feel his mounting anger, dissatisfaction, hurt, sadness and pain course through his blood furiously.

'What a horrible birthday gift,' he wryly thought. To have this happen to him on the day he recovered, on the same day as his birthday...she was cruel. Much too cruel.

He let out a sigh and stared at the beautiful bouquet with burning intensity.

He will be damned if he let the woman escape from him. Once he set his sights on something, he will never let it go. Sakura was somebody he will never let go, especially when he had then finally realized what he truly felt for her upon finished reading the note.

Sakura will not escape him, not after she had shown him happiness and contentment, not after she had made him an addict to her soothing presence.

Not after she made him fall in love with her. Like hell would he let her slip away from his fingers after she had changed him so much.

Sakura will receive what she gave to him tenfold. He will make sure of that.

~.~`~``,`.;.*.;.*.;.*.;.`,``~`~.~

Dear Hyuuga-san,

I'm happy that you had recovered fully. I imagine that you must be very excited. However I could not be there for you, not anymore. I could not share your happiness, just as how I could not share with you my given name. However, always know that I had not regretted spending my days with you. Those days of peace and contentment, I will remember it for the rest of my life. Regretfully, I knew I could no longer stay with you the moment you made your full recovery and that these wonderful times will not last. Yesterday will be the last time you'll ever see me.

Please, carry on and continue your life as you had once done before I stepped foot into your ward. Assume that I never existed in your life. Pretend that I was nothing more than a phantom that had disturbed you for a brief moment. And last of all, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.

Oh, and Happy Birthday, Hyuuga-san. May you live your life to the fullest.

-Sakura

~.~`~``,`.;.*.;.*.;.*.;.`,``~`~.~

End of Part I

~.~`~``,`.;.*.;.*.;.*.;.`,``~`~.~

A.N. : So how was it? Too sweet? Too sappy? Too OOC? Too much? Let your thoughts run wild and write a review to let me know what you think.

Personally, I think Natsume's a bit docile here and Mikan (Sakura) is just too soft and gentle. However, I think it's alright. After all, this is an alternate universe, where they had lead different lives, experienced different things and met different people than the canon universe. These things can shape a person's character, just as how it had shaped us into the person we are now. And do remember that the Natsume and Mikan were somewhere around 10 to 13-14 years old for the most part of the manga while in this story both of them are in their early or mid twenties. To quote a review I read a long time ago about Mikan being OOC in a fanfic which is not mine, this person typed:

"NO ONE IS THE SAME AS THEY WERE WHEN THEY WERE 10. That's actually always been a complaint of mine for GA fics. Sure, Mikan is a typical sheltered country girl who was raised by an old man, so she matured slower than everyone else. But sooner or later everyone grows up. Even Mikan. Why people think it's funny to have a 16 year old with the brain of a 5 year old is beyond me. She'd be a sexual assault victim waiting to happen."

...something like that. Nice to know that someone had noticed.

Oh, and before I forget, some of you might be wondering what the flowers in bouquet symbolises. So here is something to guide you guys.

Iris – Good news/Glad tidings/Loyalty

Jasmine – Friendly/Graceful

Poppies (White) – Rejoice/Celebrate

Roses (Pink) – Trust/Perfect Happiness/Confidence/Grace/Thankfulness

Bell Flowers (White) - Gratitude

Hyacinth (Purple) – Sorry/Please forgive me/Sorrow

So there. I hope you're satisfied with the answers. Also, this story would have 3 or 4 parts. I've written the draft and it was too damn long, I couldn't even call it an attempt at one-shot (which was what this monstrosity was supposed to be). So...yeah. 3 or 4 parts and if there are no complications, updates will come on a weekly basis.

Until next time.