I highly suggest reading the first part again (since I first posted it so long ago).
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Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
A long inhale of air.
White.
That was the first thing Mikan saw when she woke up. She took another long inhale then a deep exhale before she let her eyeballs roll around in slight wonder.
She saw the clean white walls, the noisy monitors and technology, then she looked down at her slightly crumpled sheets.
Everything was so familiar, it was almost identical. At first, she thought she travelled back in time.
She remembered waking up the same way so long ago when she was shot in the leg.
Mikan sat up quickly - but winced when she felt her body cry out in pain.
A torrent of memories came rushing back at her. Mostly from before her accident. Speaking of which, she wasn't exactly sure how she passed out in the first place.
Suddenly, the door shuffled open, and Mikan smiled in welcome for it was perfect timing.
She opened her mouth to fire a stream of questions but found herself uttering a single word when she saw her visitor. "Nonoko?"
The nurse laughed, her luscious pink hair bouncing with her positive attitude. "No, I'm Anna." She looked exactly like Nonoko, the same blue scrubs, the same facial structures, even the same clipboard - except she has pink hair while Nonoko has blue hair.
Mikan stuttered an apology at the mix up, feeling slightly embarrassed.
Anna waved it away quickly, "It's okay, I get that a lot." She made it to Mikan's side quickly and peered at her with a mix of concern and friendliness, "How you feeling?"
"Tired," Mikan replied honestly, then she remembered her original mission, "confused."
"Tired, I totally get," Anna smiled at her kindly, then cocked her head, "Confused..that might've come with having woken up in an unfamiliar place after such a trauma."
"Trauma?" Mikan snapped up at the word, "What trauma? I'm not traumatized"
"Not traumatized, well, I thought you want to get settled before I give you the news about your condition, I mean..."
"How long have I been asleep?"
"thirty six hours."
"thirty six hours?!" Mikan's eyes widened, "How bad is my condition?"
"It's really not that bad at all," Anna smiled at her patient, then mumbled quietly, "compared to the other patients that came in..."
Mikan looked at her questionably, "So what do I have?"
"You have a concussion." Anna stated first, "There was a bullet lodged in your arm, but looks like you're healing up nicely."
"Oh," Mikan blinked, not remembering how she got any of those injuries. "A bullet? Concussion? how?"
Anna smiled at her, "I'm not sure. Why don't you ask your visitor?"
"I have a visitor?" Mikan grinned excitedly, clapping her hands.
Anna tapped her pen against her clipboard, "Yeah, but now that you're awake the doctor has to come and..." Seeing her patient's radiant expression fall, she decided, "Oh, you can see your visitor now while you wait for the doctor."
"Yay!" Mikan's glad expression returned. Anna smiled at her before going to the door and letting Hotaru in. She exchanged a few words with her before leaving.
Mikan grinned excitedly at her first visitor, "Hotaru!" She tried to sit up, but found she was sore all over. Hotaru was by her side in a second, helping her in a comfortable sitting position.
Once Mikan was fully settled, she turned to her best friend, "Hotaru I've missed you!"
Hotaru gave her a doubtful look as she sat down on a chair next to the bed.
"unconsciously," MIkan corrected, since she was unconscious for the period they were apart..ish.
Hotaru nodded, smiling softly at her for a second, before looking at the machines around her. Then her amethyst eyes focused back on her, "How are you?"
"I am fantastic, Hotaru," Mikan replied enthusiastically, "everyone seems to be asking me that - don't I look fantastic?"
"No." Hotaru stated blandly. "You look like shit."
Mikan rolled her eyes, "Okay so I do feel a little bit crappy, but I heal fast. Enough."
"You better." Hotaru replied, peering at her in concern.
"So what happened?" Mikan asked in genuine curiosity.
"I..." Hotaru paused, "I would tell you...if I knew."
"Oh." Mikan frowned, "You weren't with me?"
Hotaru stared at her as if unsure of what to think, cautiously, she replied, "I was."
"Oh." Mikan then brightened up, as if she had it all figured out, "we got separated, right?"
"Yes." Hotaru confirmed.
Mikan nodded slowly, "okay, well, I'm alive and well, see? So, it's all good, and maybe after I get released, we can go have one of our lunch dates-"
"Aren't you going to ask about Hyuuga?" Hotaru couldn't help herself from blurting. They were already on the subject, why didn't she say anything?'
Hotaru couldn't believe her chest tightening in slight fright and anxiety when Mikan gave her an incredibly pained look. Maybe she shouldn't have brought it up. Maybe Mikan meant to skirt around the subject because she didn't want to talk about it.
Her next statement nearly knocked the breath out of Hotaru.
"I don't know who you're talking about."
"Mikan," Hotaru breathed softly, sternly, "Mikan, please."
"I don't want to talk about this." Mikan turned the other way, refusing to look at her best friend.
"You can't pretend-" Hotaru sighed. "Mikan."
The patient didn't respond.
"Okay fine," Hotaru sighed, "You do remember how we came to know Mr. Narumi?"
There was a pause before a quiet mumble, "he's a nice guy."
"You didn't answer my question, Mikan."
Mikan groaned, turning back to face Hotaru, "I know. But seriously, Hotaru, I didn't need a therapist then."
Hotaru stared at her, then stated monotonously, "Mikan, when your parents died when you were ten, my family adopted you because my parents were close with your parents. For an entire year you pretended you were an orphan from outer space and came in a spaceship that landed in my backyard. Whenever you had a nightmare - since you were in the same car that killed your parents - you said the aliens were coming back to get you."
Mikan stayed resolutely silent.
"When we got you a therapist, Mr. Narumi, for the first three months, you pretended you found your real birth father - Mr. Narumi - and that he had fallen in love with an alien but was too shy to tell anybody."
"I was ten."
"eleven and a half." Hotaru corrected.
"I got over it."
"Yeah when you were sixteen." Hotaru stated factually, "by that time, Mr. Narumi stopped charging us for his services, saying you were a special case and that he didn't mind pretending to be your father."
"What's your point?"
"You need to face your fears." Hotaru look at her in the eye, "Feel, Mikan, you can't always be happy. Cry. Shout. Be angry. Please, Mikan." Mikan found herself wanting to look away at the pleading she found in her best friend's eyes.
"What if I don't want to?" Mikan responded quietly.
Hotaru sat back, "This one's different from your parents' death."
Mikan looked up skeptically, "How so?"
"He's not dead."
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As Natsume drifted around in his unconscious state, and Mikan went back to a troubled sleep, their minds seemed to have gone back to their memories together.
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It was the day after Natsume saved Mikan for the second time from thugs who had tried to scare information out of her after their unsuccessful lunch at the diner with Ruka.
Natsume wasn't sure what led him to the park. Maybe he thought he'd get out of the treadmill and exercise outside for once.
And he really didn't expect to bump into her the only time he went to the park.
It's a good thing he didn't, literally, bump into her. Natsume saw her the moment he turned the corner. That Mikan Sakura girl that thought she knew him better than himself. Pfft.
She seemed to have stopped to rest, for she was emptying a bottle of water down her throat, decked out in all athletic attire - it did very nicely showcase her shape (not that Natsume was looking, or anything) - and holding onto a leash connected to a panting golden retriever.
Natsume tried to jog by subtly. But it was small trail. She threw away the bottle in a recycling bin and looked up just as he passed by.
She gave him a wide eyed look. Natsume didn't have to turn around to know that she had started jogging after him. But then again, the golden retriever to his right was a pretty big hint.
He couldn't say he was incredibly dismayed when the golden retriever started running a little ahead of him, and she started pulling up next to him.
"Hi." She greeted, "What brings you here on this fine morning?"
"Not knowing that you were here." he mumbled, then he supposed he'd be polite, "You?"
Mikan blatantly ignored his rude statement, coming up with something witty, "I'm here to save you from your boring life." Mikan stated cutely, but only earned an unimpressed look from her jogging companion.
There was an awkward silence, except for the slightly uneven breathing of the two runners and the dog, and the pounding of their rubbered soles on gravel.
"Okay..." Mikan blinking, rethinking her strategy, "I was joking."
Her companion only nodded once.
"I usually come here to jog before work." Mikan continued, without much reaction from her audience, "but you seem like a workaholic."
Natsume sent her a curious-annoyed glance, then questioned, quite rudely, "Do you always bother random strangers while they jog or were you just stalking me?"
Mikan gave him a horrified gasp, "First of all, you're not a random stranger. You saved my life about two times already-"
"Oh, now you admit it." Natsume rolled his eyes.
Mikan ignored him, "-and Ruka introduced us to each other. Second of all, you are a complete jerk, and I don't know why I was planning on thanking you in the first place."
"Okay," Natsume looked as if considering her words, then as they reached an intersection, he turned to her, "You're welcome. Goodbye." Then he jogged off to the left.
Mikan threw her hands up and let out a frustrated noise, then jogged angrily in the other direction. Pulling the dog along when he tried to run off after Natsume. "Bad Louie," She hissed at her dog, "bad."
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"Are you stalking me?"
Mikan straightened her clothes, dusting off her arms. She hit the man already sprawled on the ground with her purse, just for extra measure. Then she turned to the speaker.
"No." She spoke firmly, to an unblinking Natsume. She turned and continued walking.
"Really." Natsume replied, skepticism prominent in his voice. He fell in step with her.
She turned to glare at him, "Why would I be stalking you? Obviously, you're the one stalking me."
Natsume turned match her glare with a unfazed look, "I'm stalking you?"
Mikan threw her hands up, flailing her arms, "You show up out of nowhere-"
"Saved your ass-" Natsume added in nonchalantly.
"Yeah, whatever." Mikan rolled her eyes, "I can take care of myself."
"Definitely. You had me going for a minute there," Natsume replied calmly, "'maybe you should test out the gun before you shoot me - maybe on your buddy there.' That was a good one."
"Ha. Ha." Mikan retorted, unamused, "I actually think it was a good idea, if I do so say myself."
"You did say it." Natsume stated factually.
Mikan scowled in suppressed anger, then let out an annoyed sigh. She stopped in front of Natsume, looking up at him defiantly as he looked down smugly.
"Thank you." She smiled at him tightly, sweetly.
Then she turned to move on, saying dismissively, "I can take of myself from now on."
As she turned, Natsume caught a glimpse of a dark gun in her purse.
"Did you steal that from one of the guys back there?" Natsume asked catching up to her in no time.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Mikan marched straight ahead.
"Do you even know how to use a gun?" Natsume followed up, refusing to let her go.
"Yes, of course," She bluffed, "Who do you think I am?"
"A bad liar."
Mikan glanced at him sharply, but walked straight ahead, "I don't need your help."
"I never said I was going to help you."
"Okay," Mikan stopped, causing Natsume to stop too, "Then what are you doing here?"
Now that Natsume was aware of his surroundings, he realized they were in front of her apartment. Not even outside her apartment building, but they were already in the hallway where her condo is.
"Doing my job." Natsume easily kept eye contact.
"Really?" Mikan seemed to trying to burn him with her eyes, except on a repressed level. Or maybe her eyes are just fierce like that. "How?"
"Saving an annoying little girl from hurting herself." He replied, almost teasingly. Then he realized something…Did he just describe a girl's eyes as smoldering?
Gasping in offence, she hissed, "I am not a little girl, you!" She huffed and stomped her foot, her clenched fists at her sides.
On the outside, Natsume stood, unfazed. However, he reluctantly broke eye contact, due to the fact that on the inside, he would have to admit that she was incredibly hot when she's mad...and he might be a little bit attracted to that. Hiding the fact that he may have just lost a staring match with a girl, he demanded, "Give me the gun."
"What gun?" Mikan blinked at him innocently.
Natsume made a grab for her purse, but she backed out of reach. "Really?"
"Don't you need a warrant?" Mikan grinned cheekily. Her smile dropped quickly, however, when she found herself trapped between the wall and Officer Hyuuga, breathless.
"Not if there's probable cause," he whispered down at her, then grabbed the gun out of her bag, holding it with two fingers. Monotonously, he state, "Oh, look what I found."
"Hey!" Mikan tried to reach for it, but Natsume grabbed her two wrists with one hand in a swift movement, and held them against her stomach, which is slightly pressing her against the wall. He held her at arm's length.
Seeing that she is defeated, Mikan demanded, "Then teach me how to use a gun."
"Now, why would I do that?" Natsume looked at her as pocketed the extra gun.
"So, I can, I don't know, defend myself next time those..." Mikan struggled to find a word to describe that random dark scary figures that try to intimidate her in dark alleys, with much success, "thugs try to find me again."
"Thugs?" Natsume looked down at her sardonically, releasing her, "I don't think they're going to bother you anymore."
"Really?" Mikan crossed her arms, "What makes you think that?"
Natsume shrugged as he turned to go, "Third time's the charm," he winked. He then smirked at the befuddled expression on her face, walking off casually, his shadow disappearing around the corner as Mikan found her breath again.
She huffed angrily as she opened her apartment door. She mumbled, "Just because they got beat up thrice doesn't mean they're not gonna come again."
What she didn't know was that Natsume was planning to keep tabs on the men he identified who are harassing her.
...and that's how he ends up saving her from the rest of her awkwardly dangerous situations later on. But she didn't need to know that.
(Did you guys really think Natsume had some kind of Mikan-trouble sixth sense? Please.)
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The doorbell rang as Natsume was pouring milk. He set the carton down and went to the door cautiously.
He opened it a crack but when he caught glimpse of the brunette hair he swung it fully open, forgetting that his upper body was bare.
He stared in surprise at her appearance, then he uttered, "What are you doing here?"
"Natsume, I-" her eyes landed on his toned chest and muscular arms, "uh-you" she sputtered.
He leaned his left arm against the door frame, his right hand still holding on to the door, his smirk plastered on his face as usual, "go on."
Mikan cleared her throat, blinking slowly, but couldn't seem to get her thoughts together, her eyes on his chest. Finally, she blurted, "do you ever stop flexing?"
He stared at her amusedly for a moment, "You came over to my apartment to ask me that?" Then he added, with an mock surprise smirk, as if the thought suddenly occurred to him, "Wait have you been thinking about me?"
"No!" Mikan slapped his chest in horror, then her eyes lingered on the spot she slapped him.
Natsume watched her, "Like what you see?"
Mikan made a face at him, scrunching up her nose, then her eyes trailed back to his chest, "Looks like that one's starting to redden a little bit," she could almost see the hand print of her slap. She blinked up innocently at him, "Did I slap you too hard?"
He stepped back to let her in, "Slap me any harder and I might have to call abuse."
"Oh, please," Mikan rolled her eyes, "be a man." She looked around the house in wonder and hidden awe as Natsume walked off.
His apartment minimalistic with the simplest but most elegant furniture matched perfectly with little lamps here and there. No extra accessories, no paintings, no wall murals, nothing. It was simple, neat, and clean.
"You're kidding, right?" He appeared from a door, presumably his bedroom, with a shirt in his hands. He quickly slipped it on, "I'm the manliest of all the men," He said this as he passed by her, his smirking face neared her and his voice dropped, as if telling a secret, "you've ever met."
She moved to slap him again, but he swerved out of the way. "That's a good one, Natsume, real funny joke."
Natsume had walked behind his island, back to pouring his milk. He looked up at her as he put the cap back on the milk carton. He gazed at her seriously, "I'm not joking."
Mikan gave him a skeptical smile, "You haven't even met all the men in my life." She approached him, leaning her elbows on the island as he turned to put the milk in the refrigerator.
He turned back, and he smirked at her. He matched her pose, leaning in to state smugly, "I don't need to." Then he straightened, picking up his mug to take a sip of his milk.
"I'm surprised you don't have a coffee maker here." Mikan said as she looked around the kitchen. "And that you're drinking milk."
Natsume shrugged, "I don't drink coffee." he moved on to his dining table, placing his mug there, but not taking a seat. "What's wrong with milk?"
"I don't know," Mikan followed him, taking a seat at the dining table, "I guess that's why you're so tall."
Mikan looked around in confusion, seeing that her audience had disappeared. "Natsume?"
"When did I give you permission to call me by my first name?" He reappeared from behind a wall next to the dining table.
"You didn't." Mikan replied craftily.
"I thought so." Natsume sat down across from her.
Mikan smiled sweetly at him, "I just started doing it to annoy you."
"That's a good excuse." He retorted smoothly.
She scowled at him, but couldn't find a good comeback.
There was a moment of silence where Mikan fidgeted under Natsume's unreadable gaze. Being an investigator for a job meant that he was very sharp and observant. He could tell there was something she wanted to know. "Why are you here?"
Mikan struggled with herself, fidgeting with her fingers. She bit her lip, peering at him shyly.
As attractive as she looked right now, Natsume muttered impatiently, "Spit it out."
"Natsume..." Mikan started tentatively, then looked him straight in the eye, "tell me about yourself."
Natsume's searching gaze returned her curious one. He realized, in that moment, that no one has actually attempted to know him like she is doing now. Ruka's different because they grew up together. A long moment passed before he replied, "Why?"
Mikan shrugged gently, "I don't know, if we're going to be friends, we should at least get to know each other."
Again, there was a long pause. Natsume seemed to be contemplating whether or not to comply with her request. It was against all his principles. He had never wanted to be close to anyone. (Again, Ruka was a given. They were like brothers.) Against everything inside him, he replied, "what do you want to know?"
Mikan smiled brightly, cupping her chin in her hands, she leaned her elbows on the table, "How old are you?"
"25." Natsume replied monotonously, "let me guess, you're 18?"
"23, thank you very much!" Mikan scowled at him, "When's your birthday?"
"November 27, yours?"
"New Year's Eve!" She exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Wow, your parents must've spent all day trying to get it right."
Mikan gave him a look, "you pervert!"
"I'm just saying," Natsume defended, "favorite color?"
"Orange! It's the happiest color of all!"
Natsume rolled his eyes, "Of course."
"I bet yours is something depressing like, I don't know, black."
He stared at her, then very slowly stated, "orange."
"No way." Mikan gasped, "That's my favorite color!"
"I know." He gave her an are-you-stupid look, "You just told me."
And as they continued talking, their questions escalated into deep, hard, soul-searching inquiries.
"First love?" Mikan asked casually.
Natsume stared at her, his defenses suddenly rising, "How do you know I have a first love?"
"I don't," Mikan shrugged, but he could see the lie in her eyes. "It was just a question."
"How?" He demanded. When Mikan refused to look at him, he suggested the only possible option, "Ruka told you didn't he?"
"No," Mikan replied quickly, then shifted her eyes nervously, "he didn't tell me - it was accidental - he mentioned - but he wouldn't tell me."
"That was the whole point of this wasn't it?" Natsume assumed quickly, his demeanor becoming cold. "All you wanted was a sob story to write about, huh?"
"No! I wasn't going to write about this!" Mikan exclaimed incredulous, "That's - I would never!"
But Natsume could not be stopped in his mean accusations, "But you started that whole 'being a friend' when all you really wanted to know was my little story."
"Maybe if you'd stop jumping to false conclusions, you'll see that that's not who I really am! " Mikan started getting mad, herself, "Why are you being so defensive?"
"Why are you being so intrusive?"
"Because you let me." Mikan answered quietly, "You let me be your friend and you let me ask those questions and you let me in your apartment. You let me in, Natsume."
Natsume knew it was true, but he stood up in annoyance, "I never let you in so you could sit in that chair and help yourself to my life problems."
Mikan followed him, standing up herself, "I'm not - I was just being a friend!"
"Oh - I didn't know being friends also meant therapists."
"All you had to say was I don't want to talk about it!" Mikan threw up her hands.
"I don't want to talk about it."
Mikan stared at his stone face, barely able to contain a frustrated scream. They were back to square one. "You know what? You're right. Maybe we don't work that well as friends. So since - apparently - I helped myself in, I'll help myself out." Mikan storms out.
Natsume knew she didn't mean just out of his apartment, but his life. He clenched his fist, pounding the table. He fumed, Mikan's words repeating itself in his head.
Mikan fumed all the way to her own apartment. She got home, sat for a while, then started throwing sofa cushions at the walls.
Who knew a person could have so many walls of defense around himself?
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Natsume never thought righting a wrong could be so hard.
"just because you're a cop doesn't mean everyone is a bad guy!" Mikan hollered at him.
"just because you're a reporter doesn't mean everyone and everything has a story." Natsume retorted easily.
"Okay tell me something that doesn't have a story." Mikan challenged.
Natsume looked around in annoyance, "that plant."
"Actually, that plant was a seed that was planted by somebody and nurtured by somebody and grew up to be arrogant annoying asshole - with all capital As - and ended up in my apartment as much as I didn't like it."
Natsume replied quickly, "well then, that's a very sorry plant." and he almost slapped himself for not bring resist continuing with, "for having to put up with you for so long."
"That's fine," Mikan growled back, "the plant can leave."
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Mikan's frowned at the caller ID when her phone rang. She stared at it for a long moment, or more specifically, she stared at the ignore button. She let the call go to voicemail, but she barely had time to put the phone down before it rang again.
Mikan muttered under her breath in annoyance, but pressed answer after the fifth ring, "What do you want?"
"You're overreacting."
"No," Mikan growled, "You're taking this too lightly."
There was a short pause, then he blurted, "Can I come over?"
"No!" Mikan refused quickly, finding a legitimate excuse, "I'm going to shower!"
"Doesn't mean I can't come over."
"But I'm gonna be in the shower."
"So?"
"I'm not gonna open the door for you."
There was a sigh, "Just because I'm an officer doesn't mean I don't know how to pick a lock."
"What - Don't pick my lock!" Mikan replied incredulously.
"You're right, I'll just climb in the window."
"I'm on the twentieth floor!"
"It's no big deal," Mikan could almost hear the smirk in his voice, "there's no need to be impressed."
Mikan narrowed her eyes, "ugh, you, I have a spare on- wait, no, I'm not telling you."
"...is it on the ledge above the door?"
"How did you-" Mikan caught herself quickly, "I mean, no!"
"Do you also have a ladder just in case?"
"Oh, shut up." Mikan growled, "I'm not short and I'm still mad at you."
Mikan hung up on him. She huffed, then gathered her stuff for the shower.
Natsume blinked, looking at his phone and shaking his head, chuckling quietly to himself. Only Mikan - and maybe Ruka - had the nerve to hang up and be mad at him.
Natsume pocketed the phone and sat in his car - like he had been for the past few minutes - staring up at Mikan's apartment building. He supposed he shouldn't make it too obvious that he had been there the entire time.
He started the engine, putting the car in reverse.
When Mikan got out of the shower, drying her hair with her towel, she walked out to her kitchen to find Natsume scooping food from her frying pan into plates.
She blinked at the scene. Then she stared at him as Natsume looked up with a raised eyebrow.
"You...cooked?" Mikan asked incredulously. She walked over and looked at the food with obviously curiosity.
"What, you didn't think I could?" Natsume replied, trying to shrug off her look of wonder. He turned around to place the empty pan in the sink. "You're washing dishes."
"I just - I - this - oh my gosh." Mikan looked between him and the food, "did you seriously make this?"
"No, I got take out and heated it on the frying pan." Natsume droned monotonously.
Mikan sighed in relief, "Oh good I was scared for a moment because I was starting to become impressed by you."
Natsume gave her a, 'are you serious' look. "I made it."
"You're just saying that because I said I was impressed." Mikan rolled her eyes, then looked back at the food, "I don't even have noodles here. And I know because I was craving ramen yesterday and searched all over the house for anything near it."
Natsume wordlessly held up an empty box where the uncooked noodles used to be.
Mikan stared at it for a long moment, then grabbed it from his hands, examining it as if wondering if it was real.
"So you did make me food." Mikan stated, still in shock, "and you went to," she paused to read the label on the box, "Trader Joe's for ingredients."
Natsume stayed silent, almost embarrassed now that he got credit for his work.
Mikan stared at him with an unreadable expression. Then quietly, she spoke, "is this an apology?"
Natsume avoided her gaze. "You always get hungry after you shower." Neither agreeing or disagreeing, Natsume stated nonchalantly as he sat at her dining table.
Mikan stared at him from across the table, with a slight smile, she spoke, "you remember that?"
Natsume refused to make eye contact as he sat down, "I remember a lot of things."
"Really." Mikan stared at him thoughtfully from across the table.
"You expect so little of me." Natsume half-joked, half-stated seriously.
"You act like I should." Mikan replied quickly, completely serious.
Natsume frowned in consideration, looking down at his food. "Yeah. You should."
Mikan stared at him, her face both disappointed and impressed at his humility.
"So...?" Natsume looked at Mikan questionably, almost uncertainly.
Mikan held up a finger as she swallowed her food, "I'm still mad at you."
Natsume raised his brow and then gestured to the food.
Mikan seemed to consider it for a moment, "You're forgiven. A little." She then squinted at her hand where she held up her index and thumb to show the space between. "Just a little."
He figured that was good enough as they moved on to other topics. There was a twinkle in Natsume eyes and a ghost of a smile on his lips as they talked well into the night.
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Mikan knocked, but when nobody answered, she let herself in with spare keys from Ruka.
Natsume looked up from the couch idly, took one look at the spare keys in her hand, then slid back down to his former position. "Ruka sent you."
"Oh good, your brain's working," Mikan stated as she left the keys on the counter and approached him on the sofa. "and you're still well and alive."
Natsume sent her a sideways glance when she sat down next to him. Mikan's heart nearly broke for the emptiness in his eyes.
There was a long bout of silence before she started, "have I ever told you about my parents?"
Natsume looked at her but said nothing.
"everyone does have a story you know." Mikan stated. Then she told him. She told him about her parents and about Narumi, and it felt...almost relieving. She's never told anyone before, and now that she has, she was glad it was Natsume.
When she was done, there's was a long pause. Neither of them moved, but they didn't need to. Somehow, as she was talking, Natsume's arm had reached out and pulled her in sideways. She had ended up quite comfortably resting her head on his shoulder and his arm around his shoulders. Her legs were tucked in and her arms wrapped around it, hugging her knees to her chest.
Slowly, he started stroking her hair. Then he told her his story. His father was a hero and died a hero. His mother told him so. He actually don't remember much of his father because he died when Natsume was three. It was before Aoi was born. That was his sister, Aoi.
"I'm a reporter-which is basically fifty percent detective! I could've figured that out!" Mikan had pouted at this point.
Natsume only sent a smirk and a, "I'm 100% detective," before moving on.
Growing up with a single mom was alright for a while. But the Hyuuga name didn't protect them for long. His mother, who was working two jobs, was never home. Natsume had to grow up too fast, so he could take care of his little sister. They may have struggled, sometimes they may have skipped dinner so their tired mother could have some, but they were a happy family.
"Even though she was tired when she came home at 8pm, she would stay and help me tuck Aoi in, she would tell us a story." Natsume recalled. "She would spend that time with us when that was the only break she had before her next job. She had barely an hour to sleep before she had to leave at 10pm. At 5 am she would come home and she'd stay up to watch us wake up and make us breakfast."
Natsume's mother had a best friend, Ruka's mother, who was worried about his mother as much as he was. Together, they'd try to convince his mother to quit one job, get her sleep, and let Ruka's mother help support them. But his mother was stubborn as a mule.
He had to watch, as the years went by, as his mother became more and more tired. He had to watch as she was laid off countless times for sleeping on the job. He had to watch as she went into an endless cycle of being fired then applying for another. He had to watch as eventually she fell sick. He was in middle school and Aoi was in elementary school.
He knew he couldn't do it, support Aoi and his mother's hospital bills. He was only 13. What could he do? It was the first time he cried in front of anybody, but he was thankful it was Ruka. His pride wouldn't allow it but Ruka knew, and Ruka's parents would accept nothing less than have the Hyuugas move in with her, and to pay for their mother's hospital bills. They wanted to her to live as much as Natsume did, they said.
Living with the Nogi's, life became easier. By the time he was in high school, he was able to start focusing on school, sports, normal teenage stuff. There was no need to worry about Aoi as much as he did before, or clean the house thoroughly to repel bugs, or spend all night trying to stuff mechanics into his premature brain so he could fix the dishwasher, the toilet, the fridge.
Though it was all behind him, he wouldn't dare forget the injustice of it all.
When Natsume was a sophomore in high school, he'll never forget the day he tried to visit his mother in the hospital. He couldn't even get within a block of it due to the police perimeter. They told him to stay put. But he argued, he said his mother was in there, he needed to make sure she was okay. The police officer only said that everything is fine, that they've got it, but he could tell the uncertainty in the man's eyes.
From what he could later deduce from papers and his own investigation, the same hospital had an important witness in it, one a powerful gang was adamant in keeping silent. They had broken into the hospital and assassinated him. However, along the way, there were casualties. His mother was one of them. By this time, she was healed enough to walk around. She had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. She immediately saw what was happening and tried to save the witness.
His father died a hero, his mother died a hero.
When he went to the police academy - so he could do a better job than those dumbasses that let his parents die - Ruka had went with him, having vowed to stick with him always. They were both proud when they graduated from police academy to see Aoi enter Cornell's law school.
It was his first year of being a police officer when he met her. Because of his intellectual ability and skills that he was quickly assigned to homicide. He was still a rookie, but he was happy with his assignment. He liked investigating. It was in one of his investigations that he met her. Her name was Luna. She was a young reporter. She was sweet, and she somehow understood him, she saw his struggles, and she was a ready listener.
It was her convincing listening that led him to trouble. Somehow she had managed to get into one of his investigations. Natsume was worried for her, so he had to tell her confidential information to make her realize how serious the situation was. He wanted her to leave, to run, to get away while she can. Instead, she turned around and she went to the press.
He was in trouble with his boss, for leaking, panicking the public, and basically compromising the investigation. Now their suspects were in the wind. Luckily, Aoi and Ruka were there for him, and Aoi, as a lawyer, was ready to file a suit against luna. She readied her weapons, and Luna knew she would lose. She had to write a press release stating that her claims were false and she only wanted attention, she was so desperate for a story she had to make it up. Meanwhile, Ruka had argued with the boss, and after a billion visits and a record of Natsume's history with the police department, the boss consented to having Natsume stay as homicide but only as a rookie. Natsume would have it no other way than to work his way up. He blamed himself for falling for Luna's schemes.
It didn't take him long and his boss was more than proud to promote Natsume to head detective by the time Natsume was 24.
This then leads to the present. Being a lawyer, and another stubborn advocate for justice, Aoi had gotten herself into trouble. She had been bringing a case against Persona and his gang when she was kidnapped. Natsume and his team jumped on the case, both investigating her kidnapping and his organization.
He didn't know if they waited until his team was close enough to the answers, or they just picked a time to give him a warning. The warning came in the dead body of Aoi.
Natsume looked at Mikan, finally meeting her eyes, and she saw the brokenness in his eyes.
Oh, the injustice of it all.
"What do I do now?" And though his voice was quiet, raspy, she could hear the uncertainty in it.
Mikan took a deep breath, "You go to her funeral, you're probably not going to move on from her death, but that's okay because you'll always remember her. They did this to her to get you off their back. You'll show them that this only added more fuel in your engine. You're going to get them, Natsume, and then you'll be okay."
"How do you know?"
"I don't, but it takes a leap of faith," Mikan turned to look him in the eye, and suddenly Natsume knew his answer. "trust me. It's going to be okay."
Quietly, he let out, "Okay."
A slow smile started to form on Mikan's lips, "Okay?"
Natsume nodded, continuing to stare at Mikan. He neared her, his eyes alternating between her eyes and her lips.
Mikan waited, then she rolled her eyes, "oh, just kiss me."
He paused, "not because you told me to but because I wanted to."
"you're a - mmphng."
When they broke apart, he smirked, "what was that?"
"you - mmph"
When they broke apart this time, Mikan spoke first, "I hate you." Controversially, she wound her arms around his neck.
"But your actions say otherwise," he murmured as he allowed himself to be pulled in closer to her.
Mikan laughed quietly, "I think I hang out with you too much."
"I don't think it's too much." Natsume muttered seriously, quietly, before he captured her lips again.
When they pulled apart, neither spoke. Natsume stared intensely at his girlfriend, searching her eyes. It was a long moment before he slowly dropped his head on her shoulder. Her arms tightened around his shoulders comfortingly and his arms dropped from pressing against the wall to leaning lightly on her waist.
It was the most intimate embrace either of them had ever felt.
.
.
.
Sumire always did throw extravagant parties.
Natsume was not surprised that he was invited to her birthday party at, of course, her mansion, and that she wrote a personal note to him detailing what she would do if he didn't show up in a tux. It included the comment that even though he would look good in anything, and especially scrumptious in his uniform or undies, he needs to wear that tuxedo like a normal person. P.s. she knows that he is not a normal person - it was just a figure of speech.
Natsume was caught by surprise however by what he saw when he got there. In fact, he was so astounded he nearly stopped in his tracks when he caught sight of it, and he couldn't help but stare for quite some time before he came to his senses.
No, not strippers. No, not Persona.
It was possibly the most beautiful woman he's ever seen.
She was wearing a gorgeous soft pink dress, reminding him of Sakura trees. Her shoulders were wrapped in lace and her skirt flowed down elegantly, a little bit of cloth even trailing behind her as she walked.
And, of course, she was being hit on by numerous incredibly disgusting men.
Mikan Sakura moved away from the bar with a drink, twirling around the numerous people milling around the big ballroom, and settled with leaning against a column at the edge of the dance floor.
"I'm starting to think someone's trying to set us up." A deep, masculine voice spoke from behind her, startling her to turn around completely.
She blinked at the sight of Natsume, hands in his pockets, dressed in a tuxedo with faintly patted down hair. "Natsume!" She exclaimed in surprise, then smile in greeting, "I'm betting it's your best friend. My best friend-"
"-is a stone." He interrupted.
Mikan frowned slightly at him, "No, I was going to say, Hotaru would never torture me so." Then she smiled teasingly at his frown.
"Really."
Mikan took in his appearance, "well you look..." She didn't want to boost his ego, so she settled with, "masculine."
Natsume nearly laughed. Nearly. "you look feminine." He replied smoothly, his eyes mocking her.
"Aw, thanks," Mikan playfully batted her eyelashes, "well it's a good thing you can tell I'm a female now."
"You called me masculine!"
"I didn't want to stroke your ego."
"I did dress up for this, so I deserve some reward." His piercing gaze left no room for evading the question.
"You look spiffy," Mikan reluctantly replied, "and handsome, and kind of like you should be on the cover of some magazine." She scowled at Natsume's smug smirk, "There, see? Your ego has skyrocketed into space."
"My ego has always been in space." He replied almost snarkily.
Mikan frowned up at him, "well I did better than just masculine, so you had better do better than feminine."
"Let's just say, looking like that," Natsume's eyes wandered up and down her figure, before landing on her face, "someone might pick you up off the streets, shove some new clothes at you, and put you in a stripper bar."
Looking like what? She wanted to ask, but Mikan laughed, "That's ridiculous."
"They tried it with me." Natsume smirked.
It was Mikan's turn to look Natsume up and down, then she laughed, "No, they didn't."
"What? I don't look like I could be a male stripper?" Natsume glanced down at himself, "I was fully clothed, too, and they said they could see my rippling muscles just explode from behind the cages of that fine cloth."
Mikan laughed, "Did they really say cages? Rippling muscles? Please."
"Yeah." Natsume nodded fiercely, "I'm pretty sure they did."
"That is most ridiculous story I've ever heard," Mikan replied firmly, "and you are bragging."
Natsume shrugged, as if not knowing she was talking about, "There's nothing to brag about."
"Uh-huh, right," Mikan raised her eyebrows, then lowered her voice to imitate him, "I just flexed a little with you know, my biceps, no big deal really, and my ten-pack..."
A pair of green eyes narrowed at the scene. Natsume was leaning on the column, head bent slightly downwards, talking quietly to a laughing Mikan.
She marched across the floor, making a beeline to the couple.
"Mikan." She greeted with slightly fake sweetness and hidden rage.
The couple immediately broke apart in sight of the newcomer.
"Sumire!" Mikan greeted excitedly, "Hey! Happy birthday!"
"Mhmm," Sumire responded dismissively, she turned her head stiffly to greet her other guest, "Hyuuga."
"Shouda," Natsume tilted his head in response.
Sumire grabbed Mikan's arm, "Can I borrow her for a second?"
Natsume nodded affirmative, opening his palm up as a gesture for a "go ahead".
Sumire smiled tightly, and fiercely pulled Mikan away...far away.
"Sumire," Mikan called, "Sumire...Permyyy...Okay I think I lost blood circulation, Perms."
Sumire whirled around, "and I lost the perms, already, hon'."
Mikan only smiled, "You keep fuming like that, they're gonna curl right back up."
Sumire smiled back, "Okay, whatever Mik." Then she looked her straight in the eyes, "Is there something you'd like to tell me?"
"Yes," Mikan stared back with a straight face, "I'm pregnant."
Sumire jumped up, grabbing both MIkan's hands, "I knew it!"
Mikan laughed loudly, "Oh my gosh, I'm kidding! Perms, I'm kidding!"
Sumire calmed down but looked at her sideways, "Are you? Mikan, are you really?"
"Yes," Mikan rolled her eyes. "So what's the big deal?"
"You and Hyuuga got something going on," Sumire stated, "am I not your best girlfriend or am I your best girlfriend? Come on, Mikan."
"I mean...Hotaru..." Mikan weighed her two arms indecisively.
"Okay, yeah, aside from her," Sumire rolled her eyes, "That's beside the point." She held Mikan's shoulders, "You are flirting with the hottest guy in my party. Girl, we've been friends for how long? I did not think you have game - look at you," she released her friend to gesture to her outfit, "You look like a grandma. Lace up to your collar and soft pink, what?"
"Hey, I like it!" Mikan patted down her dress, "It's got a slit on the side, look," she held out her leg so the slit would show.
Sumire tilted her head and made a humming noise, "I guess it's kind of cute. Yeah."
Mikan slid her foot back, "Hottest guy in your party, really? There's like 60," she looked around, "or 100, I don't know."
"86, honey," Sumire corrected, "That's not counting the male waiters, who, by the way, are models." Sumire winked.
"No wonder I thought they looked familiar." Mikan nodded innocently.
"Seriously? Not even a single drool? Unbelievable." Sumire rolled her eyes, "But anyway, look at your new love interest, Mik, look at him. He is a hunk."
Mikan did look. Natsume was still leaning against the pillar where they left him, sipping his champagne and staring at the dancers on the dancefloor. It looked like a scene out of a Giorgio Armani photoshoot. Especially the way he wore that tuxedo. Even if he was wearing it like any normal man. As if feeling their stare, he looked up, then rose his eyebrows at them.
Mikan turned back to Sumire who smiled and waved at him before turning back to her. "Did you see the way he turned and looked at us with those deep, mysterious, dark eyes and beautiful face and the way he leaned against that pillar mmhmm you can lean against me anytime, babe."
"Sumire, honey, you have a boyfriend."
"I'm still a little mad Koko didn't introduce his buddies until after we started dating."
"I wonder why," Mikan rolled her eyes.
"The blond, Nogi, is real dashing too," Sumire cupped her cheek, her eyes staring up as if daydreaming, "like the perfect prince charming coming out of a fairytale. He's so incredibly sweet too. And they're both police officers? How can a man be so perfect?"
"Back to Earth, Perms." Mikan rolled her eyes.
Sumire looked back at Mikan, narrowing her eyes at her, "I can't believe you never told me anything. I can't believe we're friends. When I saw you two flirting - oh my goodness - I was so mad. You can imagine my train of thought when I marched towards you like a woman on a mission. Like Mean Girls. Like when the girls walk down that hallway, I was literally like you cute but get out of my way."
"Permy," Mikan interrupted, "You're overreacting."
Sumire frowned, then paused.
Mikan's eyes widened, "I know that look."
"I will stop being mad if you'll tell me the story. You know, like the notebook, in The Notebook."
"There's not much to tell..." Mikan trailed off evasively.
Sumire stared at her with crossed arms.
"Okay, short version." Mikan took a deep breath, then started slowly, "We started off hating each other."
"That sounds like how you two would react to attention from the opposite sex." Sumire commented. Mikan gave her a look. Sumire shrugged, "Sorry, keep going."
"But, I don't know, we keep bumping into each other." Mikan smiled sheepishly, "And he keeps saving me from these bad guys...maybe like five times already."
"Oh, Knight in Shining Armor, sexy," Sumire commented.
"Even when he's not in uniform, like it's not even his duty, and I don't know, it's like we just end up spending some time together, but I mean we'd argue 'cause he's a total rude ass and jerk and I'd give him -"
"Attitude." Sumire filled in, "Yup, Sounds like the Mikan I know."
"I was gonna say a piece of my mind," Mikan corrected, glaring playfully at her friend, "Yeah, I guess we totally clashed but...you know," she averted her eyes, "but when we really clashed, we really clashed..."
"Honey, you lost me." Sumire shook her head at her friend. "Tell it to me straight."
Mikan smiled sheepishly, "After he saved me like fifth time, um, we kissed."
Sumire gasped loudly, and nearly screamed. But Mikan, having known her for so long, covered her mouth before it happened, laughing along at her reaction. Sumire pulled her friends hands away, "Is he a good kisser?"
"Hell YES!" Mikan replied as enthusiastically as Sumire and they both squealed. Mikan covered her mouth just as Sumire laughed loudly, not bothering to hide it, glancing at Natsume.
"You, my dear amazing friend, have scored the most sexy, hot, sexy unapproachable man, I am so proud of you." Sumire stated dramatically, "you know what comes next?" She winked and nudged her.
Mikan slapped her friend, "We didn't do it! But we did kiss a couple times...like took it to like second base...maybe?"
"Ooh," Sumire looked at her friend suggestively, "Well, so you guys are an item now, right?"
Mikan looked a little disappointed, "That's the thing. I don't know, he shows up sometimes when I jog and he'd jog...next to me."
"That's called jogging TOGETHER, dumbass!" Sumire nearly yelled at Mikan, then quietly, "Oh my gosh, you see him all sweaty and hot," she then turned to Mikan, "dang, how much does it take to not just jump him?"
"What," Mikan pfft-ed, "I don't have the urge to jump him when he's all sweaty and his biceps are showing..."
"Deny all you want," Sumire rolled her eyes, "You didn't answer my question, are you two together, or not?"
"Sometimes we'd eat together, I mean, I don't know, it just happens. He doesn't specifically asks me out or anything..."
"So?" Sumire dragged the word out in emphasis.
Mikan shrugged, "He hasn't, really - he gives me mixed signals."
Sumire sighed, "Then what are you doing here?"
"You dragged me here!" Mikan replied in confusion.
"Go pounce on him," Sumire turned Mikan around, towards Natsume, "C'mon, like a tigress, rewrr! Repeat after me. Do it."
Mikan laughed as Sumire and her walked back towards where they came from.
Natsume just finished talking with Ruka, who walked off to meet up with Hotaru, when the two ladies approached.
"Uh, hi," Mikan started awkwardly.
Sumire gave her a look, then turned to Natsume with a charming smile, "She's all yours."
Mikan's eyes widened at all kinds of meanings her friend tried to imply.
Natsume nodded slowly, in amused confusion.
"Take care of her." Sumire patted Natsume's in the chest, her hand lingering a little bit.
"I will," he replied slowly, as he looked questionably at Mikan.
Mikan smiled tightly, "She's just kidding," she then shoved Sumire away, who winked at them, before disappearing into the crowd.
"You weren't supposed to play along." Mikan added.
Natsume smirked, "So I heard you two scream, then look at me," he gave her a questioning look, "What's that about?"
"We were just saying that," Mikan smiled, "who knew Natsume Hyuuga, oh King of Assholes, could actually be charming."
"It's one of my many talents," Natsume smirked smugly. His body pivoted away from her and he looked out at the dance floor. "Along with dancing."
"I wouldn't call your dancing a talent until I've seen you on either ABDC or So You Think You Can Dance."
He looked at her in mock surprise, "You didn't watch season six?"
"That's funny," Mikan grinned, "I watched all of them."
"So..." Natsume looked out at the dance floor coolly, averting his eyes, "you think you can dance?" he turned to look at her, penetrating her with his eyes, "With me?"
"Lame!" Sumire yelled from across the floor, her arm hooked to a laughing Koko.
"Did you hear something?" Natsume asked Mikan as he led her out to the dance floor.
"Nope." Mikan replied quickly, glaring at Sumire over Natsume's shoulder.
You can imagine what happened next. They danced, they talked well into the night and he walked her home.
Not.
Somehow, they fell into their usual flow of argument and he followed her home as Mikan claims.
Somehow, they were onto the topic of other guys. As much as they didn't wanna admit it, it was a lover's spat.
"I don't care about what they think, I care about what you think."
Natsume turned to look at her deeply for a second but said nothing.
Disappointment radiated off Mikan as she went on, "they kept saying I was so beautiful today but I'm pretty sure they just wanted to get under my skirt."
"since when did you get smart?"
"oh, shut up."
"and they're wrong."
"What? About the beautiful thing?"
Natsume nodded once.
"Well gee thanks, that's one way to say 'you're ugly, Mikan.' see, it wasn't so hard to say what you really feel was it?"
Natsume frowned in slight annoyance, "no, they said today."
"oh, so i'm ugly everyday."
"you're not listening to me." Natsume followed her in her bedroom, he caught her, twirled her to face him, then cupped her face in his hands.
Mikan did have a way of making him say what he really felt. He stroked her cheek for a second, looking deep into her confused eyes before muttering quietly, "You're not only beautiful today."
Though it might've been the most roundabout way to compliment her, Mikan was struck speechless.
Then quietly she spoke, "Natsume, what are we?"
Natsume released her, turning away.
"Don't run away from this Natsume, like you always do."
Natsume gritted his teeth, "I'm not running away."
"Yes you are," Mikan replied firmly, "and you're really giving me mixed signals."
"Mixed signals?"
"sometimes I think you hate me or dislike me or I don't know, sometimes we don't feel like a couple at all because we just argue. But sometimes you are the sweetest guy. Sometimes I don't know what to think."
"you think too much. Just don't think."
"how am I supposed to not think when you ignore me one day but act concerned another day."
"i'm not acting."
"and you just said something so incredibly sweet and romantic, how am I supposed to react to that?"
"oh, I don't know with a thank you? Maybe a kiss too?"
"you- speaking of kisses. You are just so unpredictable, just randomly kissing me-"
"you can't say you don't like them"
"but why?"
"Why? What do you mean why? Do I have to have a reason for everything I do?"
"yes because that's the kind of person you are! Why do you randomly kiss me and randomly come out of nowhere sometimes and save me from bad guys and why are you so bipolar and why do you try to push me away but you say it's hard to resist me-"
"Why? Because -" Natsume threw his hands up in frustration, "I'm starting to think I'm in love with you which is possibly the weirdest, most ridiculous thing that's ever happened to me."
His words, I'm in love with you, echoed in her head. Mikan opened her mouth but closed it, then she settled with, "oh."
Natsume ran a frustrated hand through his hair, "I just said I was in love with you and all you say is, 'oh'?" Then he breathed as he returned his palm against the wall, "You are so infuriating sometimes."
Mikan sputtered, attempting to explain herself, "I'm infuriating?! You're infuriating!"
Natsume gave her an annoyed look. "That's not the point."
Mikan smiled cheekily at him, "Sorry."
"Well?"
Mikan continued looking at him with a mischievous smile.
"No," Natsume gave her a stern look, reading her mind, "You are not gonna keep me in the dark." When Mikan only grinned wider, he growled, "I hate you."
Mikan snickered, "You're so self-contradictory - like a paradox!"
"Oh look, a big word," he rolled his eyes, "congratulations."
Mikan continued grinning at him. She let herself linger on the thought that he is so cute.
Natsume scowled at her, "You know you're giving me the 'you're cute' look, right?"
Mikan approached him slowly, earning a cautious look from him.
"I'm not going to forget that you never answered me, you know," Natsume stared at her seriously.
Mikan stopped only a breath away from him. Their bodies barely touching. She grinned up at him and he looked down at her with his deep crimson eyes.
She always did like that piercing stare of his.
"Are you trying to seduce me?" He finally whispered down at her.
She laughed at him, then quietly, she finally spoke, "I like you too."
"Like?" Natsume looked really bummed.
And Mikan fought the urge to pat his head, "okay, maybe love."
"Maybe?"
Mikan grinned at his uncertain look.
Natsume was caught by surprise when Mikan's lips crash into his and her arms wrap around his neck. He felt her smile into the kiss. It didn't take him long to wind his arms around her slim waist.
After about the third kiss, Natsume breathed, "I knew you loved me."
"Oh yeah?" Mikan challenged, "Did you also know I'm not wearing any underwear?"
Natsume paused.
Mikan laughed hysterically, "Just kidding! You should've seen the look on your face."
Natsume scowled down at her, but turned his lips into a wolfish grin, "I do know," he brushed a little of her hair behind her ear, "that by the end of the night you won't be wearing," he leaned down closer to whisper in her ear, "anything."
Mikan gasped, slapping his chest, but laughed when he winced. "Easy there, tiger."
Natsume, rubbing his chest, retorted with a wink, "Look who's already all over me, huh?"
"Oh, shut up," Mikan growled back, kissing him again.
When they parted, Natsume leaned his forehead against hers. Mikan laughed quietly and Natsume Hyuuga smiled.
Suddenly, Mikan pushed back, holding him at arm's length. "You never did tell me what you think about me."
"It's hard to explain." Natsume replied evasively.
But Mikan wouldn't budge, she crossed her arms, "How's it hard to explain? You can describe me in one word. Lots of people have done it."
Natsume rolled his eyes, "Have they said persistent, yet?"
"No, but I'm sure they will." Mikan replied easily, "Is that your word?"
Natsume shook his head slowly, then stared at her for a moment. "I can't really put it in words," he replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes, approaching her slowly, "So I'll make you feel what I really think of you."
Mikan furrowed her eyebrows, but didn't have time to reply for he suddenly pushed her against her wall, his hands holding her waist, sandwiching her body between his and the wall
She blinked, breathing an, "Oh." He smirked in that handsome way of his before capturing her lips in passion.
Nearly overwhelmed by the kiss, she subconsciously wound her arms around his neck. He held her above the ground and her legs naturally wrapped around his waist. They pushed off from the wall as she fought back with as much passion.
It wasn't long before he carried her onto the bed. Mikan smiled, stopping Natsume for a second, "You know, I don't know how you ever resisted me for so long because I'm feeling pretty sexy right now."
Natsume grabbed his shirt, pulling it over his head, revealing a very well toned upper body, threw the shirt across the room, and chuckled darkly, "That's a good start."
"Did you say," Mikan's eyes widened impressively, but her eyes wandered down to his chest as he hovered over her "Start?"
Natsume laughed quietly, moving in to kiss her.
.
.
.
Natsume blinked slowly. Watching, as with each blink, the sight ahead of him - mostly white - became clearer.
He looked around with slight wrinkle in his forehead, eyes sweeping over the hospital room. He swallowed in the usual hospital stuff, but paused and double-backed to his left. He stared at the form by his side for a long moment. He realized that it was Mikan, sitting in a chair, head in her arms rested on the left side of his bed. No wonder he felt very warm on that side. He stared at her even breathing in the subtle rise and fall of her back.
As if feeling his stare, Mikan's head slowly rose. She stared straight ahead, blinking slowly, lifting her right arm to rub her eyes. Then she glanced at him, sitting back. She double-backed to stare at him as he stared at her.
"Natsume?" Mikan blinked as the fact that Natsume was staring at her sank in. She jumped up, "You're awake!"
He nodded slowly, not taking his eyes off of her. "I'm alive." He croaked quietly, as if not believing it himself.
Mikan nodded excitedly, grasping his left hand, the one closest to her. "I have to call the doctor-" she moved to let his hand go.
Natsume held on, however, his right hand reached out and grasped Mikan's wrists for reinforcement.
Mikan turned back to him in question. "Natsume?"
He struggled to sit up, against her protest. Mikan decided it was futile forcing him to lay down, so she helped him. Once he was settled, Natsume grabbed her wrist, much to her surprise, and pulled at it, forcing her to come closer.
Mikan, seeing as she was Mikan, stumbled, and in attempt to save herself, her arms flailed. Natsume caught her first however. His left arm wrapped around her waist, his right arm cupping her chin, and his lips crashing down on hers in a long, sweet kiss.
Her entire body froze in surprise.
Mikan blinked when they pulled apart, then scowled at him, exclaiming, "You wake up and then you kiss me, you!"
Natsume, however, was unaffected. He smiled, one of his rare qualities, at her, speaking quietly, with finality, "I'm alive. You're alive."
Mikan couldn't stay mad at him. She smiled back, "I know, it's a miracle, right?"
"Nah, it's me saving you, and us both." Natsume replied, and Mikan knew he was back.
"You are so full of yourself." Mikan retorted as usual.
Natsume smirked, then pulled her in for another kiss.
.
.
.
"I can't tell if it's Mikan or Natsume that has the hero complex." Ruka muttered, as he recalled the events of the past few months.
"The 'I gotta save the world' idea? Both of them has a severe case of it." Koko replied, rolling his eyes, then he lit up, as if a thought occurred, "But since it's what brought them together, I say it's not that bad."
"What brought them together?" Ruka repeated incredulously, "It's more than that. It's their only similarity. They are completely opposite people!"
Koko shrugged, "Opposites attract but it's also the similarities that make them stick."
"Wait, so, Natsume wants to save Mikan on the more physical level from harm, and Mikan wants to save Natsume on the more emotional level."
"Yeah, sounds about right." Koko affirmed, being the one with the psychology minor.
Ruka paused suddenly, "But technically I brought them together..."
Koko rolled his eyes, "here we go."
"Yeah," Ruka nodded, smiling victoriously at his own self-proclaimed accomplishment, "I made Natsume go interview Mikan that first time, and then I introduced them at the diner and made him go after her..."
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SHOUT OUT AND THANKS TO SPICA14 FOR CATCHING MY ERROR :)
Sorry it's been so long! I rewrote this like ten times. It's hard to make a sequel as good as the original. Technically, this isn't a sequel, but still, I hope you liked it!
Also, I don't know if you got this, but part one is about Natsume saving Mikan. Part two is about Mikan saving Natsume. And this all relates back to their hero-complex. Discussed by Ruka and Koko. So I hope you guys see where I get the title from.
