WARNING: WILL BE FULL OF FLUFF AND A BIT OF OC-NESS. Just saying's all.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Gakuen Alice; I would think Gakuen Alice owns me. Or pwns me, more like.

"It's cold," announces Mikan.

Natsume rolls his eyes. "Nobody told you to be here."

"I like it here, though. Even if it's cold, and it's winter, and this sakura tree's branches are all bare, and my skirt is way too thin for this kind of weather, it's nice."

"Right." With a sigh, Natsume conjures up a heat wave, only to be stopped right after. He looks back to see Mikan's oh-no-you-don't face looming at him. He waits for it…

"You are not going to shorten your life with something as small as this, Natsume!" Yup, Mikan never disappoints. "I'm not going to die, and if nobody's dying, then you shouldn't use your Alice! I'm being serious! Listen to me! Why are you looking so bored?!"

"You say the exact same thing every time." He leans back unto the tree, letting one foot hang from the branch he's sitting on. From the slight weight changes he sense from the opposite branch, he figures Mikan has done the same.

They stay like that in peace and quiet for a little while more, and then Mikan says the most unexpected thing.

"You know what? If I was your girlfriend, you'd annoy the love out of me."

He almost falls at this sudden change of subjects. "Hn."

"To start with, that 'hn.' I hate that 'hn!' I would hate it even more as your girlfriend, because you know, I'm your girlfriend! No girlfriend of any decent boy should be 'hn'ed by her significant other! And your smartness!"

"There is no such word as 'smartness,' baka."

"See? Totally proves my point. Always correcting me, always calling me 'baka' and 'ahou' and all that bad stuff, making me feel like I actually am one, when I'm not!"

"Oh really?"

"Sarcasm, too. Couples should raise each other up with nice words and compliments and deep, interesting conversations full of sincerity! Not petty arguments and 'I'm right, you're wrong' fights and sarcasm."

He rolls his eyes again. "So everything I do would always annoy you if you were my girlfriend."

"Mmhmm."

"Explains why we're only friends, then."

"True."

A pause. Then, "Actually, though, I would be so awesome it would cancel out all the annoying stuff. Like, I would 'hn' you more than ever-"

"- 'hn' is not a verb, let me tell you-"

"-and your smartness would not affect me because Hotaru is super smart too! And I would always, always make you smile because I'm just awesome like that-"

"-narcissistic much?"

"-oh be quiet. My honesty would cancel out your sarcasm and we'd have deep and interesting conversations except it would be covered in layers of sarcastic stuff because I would understand you beneath all your stuff. So," she took a deep breath, "I would be the awesomest girlfriend you'd ever have."

"Are you saying that you'd be the perfect match for me?"

"Yes!" Mikan smiles at him triumphantly, a proud grin on her face, until she realizes what she's said. "Wait, no, I meant-"

"Then you'd better be my girlfriend then, huh?"

"-hypothetically, see… WHAT?!"

Natsume shrugs nonchalantly, going back to his original position. "If all is like what you've just said, then apparently you'd be the only person who could understand me, which is completely on false bases."

She sputters. And stutters. "W-wait, are you telling me that-"

"Figure it out on your own, baka."

"O-oi! Don't go back to your manga so casually! This is serious!"

"Hn."

"Ugh, that 'hn!' You're so annoying!"

"Are we having a deep and interesting conversation under all the 'sarcastic stuff' and you've actually just said yes?"

"Huh? O-oh, um, uh…"

"I guess I understand you under all your 'sarcastic stuff' and I realize now that you agree with me." He closes his book, jumps down from his spot, and calls out as he walks away coolly, "Tomorrow, seven, right here."

"Ch-chotto, Natsume!"

Alas, the boy is too far away from her to hear her (or maybe just choosing not to), and poor Mikan is left dumbfounded and blushing, up in the sakura tree.

THE END.

[Extra]

"You owe me fifty rabbits, Nogi."

"I-Imai? What are you talking about?"

"Natsume confessed to Mikan first. You owe me a fifty."

"Ruka! You bet against your own best friend? Disgraceful!"

"Wait, no, I didn't!"

"Koko, read his mind."

"Ah, he's thinking, 'I didn't know Natsume had the guts to do it.'"

"He's lying, Sumire! I-"

"'I never thought he was brave enough, what a surprise.'"

"K-Koko!"

"I said, you owe me fifty rabbits. Hand'm over before I hit you with my baka gun."

"Argh!"

[EXTRA FIN]