Happy 4th of July everyone! Since it was a holiday here in the U.S. I decided to give you all a small present and update one week early. Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Smiles

We've been riding all morning… scratch that we've been riding all day, stopping just to have a very awkward lunch were neither of us said a single word. Normally I would have at very least tried to make small talk, 'nice weather we're having', 'how's the food', 'what's with the glare', anything! But forgive me if I'm not in my usual talkative mood- though I doubt my company minds it much- since last night I was dragged out of my bed in the middle of the night, asked to flee from my own Kingdom, leave two … no three of my closest friends behind; all for what? To keep myself safe, what a coward.

Oh! Did I forget to mention the part where the perverted assassin looked at my underwear, yes? Well hold on it gets better. Currently I'm sitting in front of him in his horse while my very existence relies on the protection of that same pervert assassin who peeped at me the night before.

It's not much about how tired I am or how alone I feel, what hurts the most is leaving behind all those I care about. That's why I vowed to keep moving even with everything that comes my way. Everyone always helps me, but today and every day that follows, I will try my best stand on my own two feet.

The trail keeps going but we come to a stop, "Why are we stopping?" I ask while what I really want to say is 'why did we ABRUPTLY stop with no consent from my part'

"Hn" he says and for a moment there I thought that's all he would say "Rides over princess" he says ridiculing me with my rightfully given title of Princess of the Sakura Kingdom.

I growl inwardly "Obviously… Why are we stopping though?"

"You're as slow as you are ugly"

"Well you're as ill mannered as you are perverted but that still doesn't answer my question, it just states the obvious, doesn't it?" I finish off by sticking my tongue out at him.

He inhales as if the mere explanation was a hassle "Isn't it obvious that we can't travel on the road without attracting attention?" I haven't noticed and I guess it shows in my face since he inhales again. "There isn't that many people on the road but just the few that passed looked at us like we were a dog with two heads and it only takes one mouth to rat us out, so get off" he slides me off the hoarse -not too kindly might I add- and then slides off himself. I guess my clothes and even demeanor don't look to common but still he doesn't have to put it that way.

I look at the forest "The trees are too thick for Bell she would slow us down" I say in realization

He only rolls his eyes as he unpacks the horse and mumbles something along the lines of 'always the stupid ones'. After a few seconds to my surprise he speaks again without me having to start the conversation "Bell?". It was so unlike him- as far as I knew- that at first I didn't even know what he was asking.

"Horse" I say still surprised "I named the horse Bell" I elaborate realizing how dumb I must have sounded at first.

"I figured that one out, I was just wondering why you picked that name?" he asks taking the saddle off Bell.

"Well she reminded me of the horse from Beauty and the Best" I say truthfully for some reason, I could just as easily have lied.

"The horses name was Bell?" he asks trying to sound casual, I don't know why but I have a feeling this guy doesn't have many of these casual conversations.

I can't repress a giggle "No silly, the girl was named Bell"

He turns to look at me arching his right brow, his eyes flash with… amusement? For the record I'm not good at reading people, especially not such a mysterious person as him; maybe it was amusement, who knows. "Then… wouldn't it make more sense to call the horse by the actual name the horse had in the book?"

"But the horse in the book was a BOY" I tell him like it was obvious to everyone "I can't name a girl horse after a boy horse" I say insulted

He quickly turns away and here's the real shocker of the night. Before he did so, I could have sworn I saw a small tug lingering at the corner of his lips. For some reason my heart flutters at the sight. "Only you could have those thoughts" he says and I'm not sure if that is meant to be a compliment or an insult.

I'll let that one slide, plus it just hit me I don't know his name, all I have on him is what Tsubasa-sempai had mentioned. I don't want to call him 'Black Cat', it just sounds too… what's the right word? I don't know, I feel that it's a title he carries filled with fear, a title given by his enemies and I don't want that. "Ne, I don't even know your name? In fact, we haven't been properly introduced" I step in front of him "Hi, I'm Sakura Mikan, please take care of me" I say smiling and bowing slightly.

"Tch. You're such a little girl" he says as he slips a bag full of our belongings over his shoulder.

"Does that mean you won't tell me?" I asks trailing behind as he made his way deeper into the forest.

"Hyuuga, Natsume Hyuuga, happy? Now try and keep up" he says as he glances at me over his shoulder.

"Natsume-kun then" I say smiling and skipping next to him.

Natsume looks surprised as I reach him "whatever Polka" he says recovering and returning to his indifferent state "I don't even know why telling you my name is something to smile about"

"Why not?" I ask confused. Why wouldn't it be something to smile about? I'm happy that we are slowly becoming friends.

He smirks like if there's an inside joke, one of which I'm out of the loop "There's quite a few people that might object to my name being a cause for joy" he says and then his smirk vanishes into a frown. He picks up his pace "Hurry up I want to be deep in the forest before it gets any later" he says coldly and completely leaves me behind. Talk about mood swings, what did I even say that was so bad?

We walk for hours and after what happened earlier Natsume completely closed himself off, we are back on those terms. Right on time too, because that's just what I want a long awkward night with a pervert. Well, the good thing is he went off a few minutes ago and when I asked him where he was going, all I got for a response was "around" with a shrug. That in Natsume language roughly translated to "None of your business"

"Good riddance!" I yell to the trees. Honestly that man is so infuriating, I have half a mind to get myself kidnapped just to teach him a lesson. Not that he would care he probably would just think that this was his big break "Now I don't have to deal with that Polka" I mimicked him and throw my voice to make my laugh sound husky like I would assume his is... now that I think about it, I doubt I've ever heard him laugh.

That's it! I'm determined to make Natsume Hyuuga laugh! I slam my hands together in joy, this is going to be so much fun. Then again, I can barely make the guy speak… grrrrr great I just reminded myself of the guy's mood swings. I cross my arms over my chest and puff out my anger but that hardly helps there is still more anger inside.

"Oi Polka, do I have to add crazy to your list of flaws?" Speak of the devil! I hear his annoying voice come from behind "Did you and the dirt have a fight or something?" he teases.

I growl inwardly "For your information, I happen to be traveling with the most infuriating, annoying, socially repressed…." And absolutely gorgeous man… my mouth parts a bit as I stare. There he is wearing nothing but his pants and if that isn't enough he was dripping wet, water ran from his beautiful raven hair to his perfectly toned body.

Natsume smirks, I guess realizing the effect he has on me "What's wrong little girl, am I too much for you?" he mocks and I would be more insulted if I was in control.

"W-would you put a shirt on!" I scream to the ground feeling my cheeks burn. He's silent and stares at me, which to my surprise is a lot more nerve wrecking then him making more of his stupid cocky comments. "Pervert, who goes around shirtless like that?" I say trying to break the silence but never once looking up.

From underneath my lashes I see him shrug and turn away "I didn't know your perverted mind would get dirty thoughts" he says as he reaches for more wood for the fire.

"Please who's the one running around here half naked, in fact don't try anything funny" I say as I walk over to him. Actually I should be more worried about spending the night with a complete stranger, but I'm not. Natsume gives me a strange sense of ease that I haven't felt with any other guy, not that I don't trust Tsubassa-sempai or the others, it's just different with Natsume.

"Don't worry ugly" he says directing his gaze at me "I like women who are a little more developed then you're A cup chest" he says and that's when I realize he isn't looking at me but more specifically a part of my anatomy.

"Pervert!" I scream loud enough to wake the dead. I crossed my arms over my chest and turns around, I might just reconsider my previous thoughts about Natsume. "I want you sitting as far away from my tonight as possible, you hear?"

"Tch" is all I hear; I peek to see what he is doing. Natsume's sticking his hand into the flames to fuel the fire, I don't want to praise him but his Fire Alice is pretty amazing. Maybe that's why he doesn't bother with a shirt; it would burn up if he tries that trick with it on. "There's a lake passed those trees if you want to shower" he says pointing passed me, never looking away from his task "if you want to shower go now before it gets any later"

"Oh" I say as I looked at the darkness passed the trees where the lake should be, I shiver at the thought of showering in a freezing lake.

"It's safe" Natsume comments "I checked the area but you know" he begins a bit uncomfortable "just call if something happens and… I'll go over". He must think I'm scared but that never even cross my mind, I feel safe with him.

I smile at him "Yes!" I respond happy to know that he is trying to be nice and from the looks of it, 'nice' is foreign territory for him.

"Just get out of here idiot" he says turning away from me quickly.

That's right, mood swings. Oh well, I grab my things and skip towards the lake. Sure enough I only walk for a few minutes and I find it. The lake isn't that big but its pretty, untouched by man, the moonlight shines and makes the place sparkle.

"It's pretty but that doesn't change the fact that it's cold" I shiver and begin to undress. "Ok just go in fast and you won't feel it too much" I tell myself and submerge into the water.

It feels so nice, the water is warm! Just the right temperature, it helps my aching feet not to mention the rest of my body. I submerge again and wonder what exactly has caused the water to warm up this way in the middle of fall; I mean winter is just at the corner.

Then it hit me "Natsume" that's why he left and that's why he told me to go shower before it got late. I finish up and go back smiling to nothing in particular. He looks at me as if I was demented but holds his tongue. I can't say he held it the rest of the night but even his witty comments are not going to make me change my mind… at least for tonight.

Even if he knows exactly how to aggravate me to my limits and sure he is the biggest pervert I've met… ever; still I'm starting to see what a good person he really is. In his own weird, socially retarded way, Natsume is nice, in fact he is nicer than most of the men back home.

Thank you for reading! See you all next time! ^-^