Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters nor do I own the phrase 'saving grace'.
Set before Mikan Sakura enters Alice Academy and a story where Ruka is not Natsume's best friend.
n. saving grace;
a good quality that makes up for a fault;
His speeches are boring but they have the saving grace of being short.
The night sky looked desolate and void of the lighters that kindled the sky ablaze unlike any other night, with only the moon shedding light behind the dark clouds.
Where was he?
That thought intruded Youichi's mind throughout the entire time he leaned on the rail of the small balcony, feeling the nipping wind disorder his strands that strangely resembled the moon's light. It was past midnight and his friend had not returned, which was quite odd because he was never a minute late.
Youichi's teal eyes searched the entire cluster of trees and bushes that were planted in front of the balcony, his eyes wary of any signs of a lingering shadow during this hour. When the creatures of the night would create a hustling sound, he could not help but turn to the sound only to realise to his dismay, it was still not his friend.
Ever since Youichi was forced to attend the academy that supposedly showed him the 'light', the antithesis was unveiled instead.
But during his short time here, he met a boy who held eyes that had seen the utmost darkness, whose lips had spoken and held the darkest secrets, and whose hands had touched the darkest things that had tainted him, but he saw something different one night when he incidentally watched his friend leap from tree to tree, enveloped in dried blood.
Youichi saw light.
From that day on, Youichi decided to befriend him and it turned out that he was a resemblance of his friend.
It was his friend who had unwillingly led him to the balcony every Thursday night as he would leap from tree to tree, enveloped in dried blood.
The ghastly sight was considered the usual for both of them, which labelled them as strange people and outcasts of the academy. But Youichi knew that his friend did not care, because as long as his friend was not in the spotlight, his friend could execute his blemished deeds in the inundating darkness that would blacken his friend's sight, no matter where he went or how bright the day was when sun shone.
Alas, it was his friend who was coerced to perform the dirty work for the academy, obscure from the sight of the innocent inhabitants. Youichi resented the work his only friend was manipulated to do because of the things it does to his friend.
Monstermonstermonster would invade his friend's mind like the day Youichi's own home was invaded of the people working for the academy as soon as they discovered his Ghost Manipulation Alice.
But, Youichi knew better.
The day he saw light within his friend's eyes which had witnessed sights of the utmost darkness, he knew there was hope for both of them. The way Youichi portrayed him would make him sound as if his friend was the epitome of perfection, which was far from the truth. His friend was not unblemished, nor was he the person everyone thought him as.
His friend's only weakness was that he could not help but depict himself as the dark prince. Youichi scoffed at the title, but deep down it did portray his friend's character. The missions his friend accomplished was not for the feeling of victory or blood tarnished on his hands, but for the safety of the academy despite the blemished people it held.
Youichi thought they never deserved such treatment from his friend, but his friend thought different. They both knew the more his friend used his alice, the weaker his strength would become, but the stronger his will power would strengthen ironically.
"Youichi."
The aforementioned boy showed a ghostly smile and turned to his friend who leaped onto the balcony, enveloped in dried blood.
The name and works of Natsume Hyuuga was a fault and a blemish people had seen and heard, yet his story and the boy himself was the saving grace.
They knew his name, not his story.
One more day of holidays until 10 more weeks of flippin' school! So I will most likely not update at all, but we shall see. Well let's just say, the inspiration comes from my dictionary in my mobile phone as I was searching for random words before bed to help me fall asleep rather than counting sheep, lol.
I've always wanted to do a YouichixNatsume without Ruka in the picture, so hope you liked it? Not my best art, but studying for Shakespeare for Monday's exam makes me want to explode.
Have a jolly week dear fandom!
~I've Perfected Imperfection.