Here's chapter two! I know, finally! Right? XD I'm really sorry for the extremely long wait, but, I'm not the most... uhh... active author, y'know? Anyway, please do enjoy another serving of Broken Family, Shattered Bonds.
Disclaimer: I do not own Alice Academy
.o.o.o.o.o.
May 19
Doctors and nurses continuously shuffled around the hospital's halls, moving constantly in and out of the many wards. In one specific room, a brunette was looking anxiously at her door. Finally, the door opened revealing a doctor carrying a bundle in her arms. She smiled at Mikan and softly said, "Congratulations, Ms. Sakura. You have a healthy baby boy." The doctor showed Mikan the baby and Mikan's face immediately brightened up.
"Can I hold him?" she tentatively asked.
"Of course." The doctor gently gave Mikan the baby. Both of them were being careful to not wake up the sleeping boy.
"What are you going to name him?"
"I think I'll name him Ikuto. Sakura Ikuto."
"What a lovely name." she commented with a gentle smile. "I suppose you'd like to spend some quality time with him. I'll be leaving now, and if you need anything, just give us a call."
The brunette nodded as she kept her gaze on the child in her arms. The doctor smiled at the scene before her and got ready to take her leave. As she turned the door knob, she was stopped.
"Dr. Harada?"
She turned around and faced Mikan. "Yes?"
"Thank you. For everything."
"You're welcome." And with that said, Dr. Harada exited the room.
Mikan looked at the baby in her arms, her eyes held sadness and longing. "You look so much like him; as if you were his child instead of mine."
Five years passed by quickly, Mikan patiently cared for her son all by herself. She was very proud of him, he was intelligent and obedient; the child every mother would dream of having. But, she can't help but feel a tinge of sadness whenever she gazes at her son. It just hurts that he always seemed to remind her about her past lover, and that the more he grew up, the more he looked like him.
"Mom! I'm home!" a young boy called out. He had raven hair that looks like it has never felt the wrath of a comb, deep crimson eyes and a pale complexion. The boy was wearing a white polo shirt, red knee-length pants, white socks and black shoes. He also had a small black knapsack over one of his shoulders. So, to state the obvious, the boy just came home from school.
Mikan came out of the kitchen still wiping her hands on her apron. "Welcome home, Ikuto. How was school?"
Mikan kneeled down as Ikuto gave her a peck on the cheek and a hug. He answered her with a shrug and said, "The usual. The girls were staring at me again as if they haven't seen me for a year."
His mother giggled at his passive tone and ruffled his already unruly hair. "Did anything unusual happen, then?"
Ikuto thought for a while doing his thinking pose wherein his arms are crossed in front of his chest, his eyes were shut tight in concentration and his eyebrows knit together. To Mikan, he looked absolutely cute and she would've pinched his cheeks then and there if she didn't want to hear what he has to say
Ikuto finally opened his eyes and stated, "Well, this morning we held another family thing. You know the one where I brought you last week?" Mikan nodded, a sign that she remembers. "Well, usually, my classmates would bring their mums, but this time, my classmate brought his mother and father. And, I was just thinking…" Mikan's heart clenched, Please, don't let him ask what I think he's going to ask. "Where's my dad? Do I have one?" Mikan's breath hitched; the day she feared has come.
She took a deep breath and looked directly at her son's crimson eyes. She smiled softly as she began, "You have a father, Ikuto. He's just… busy, is all." Ikuto's confused expression made Mikan want to giggle. "Don't worry, I'll tell you everything when the time comes." She finished sincerely.
Ikuto reached his hand out and surprised Mikan when he touched her cheek. "I'm sorry, mum. I didn't mean to make you cry. I'll wait." Mikan was shocked. I'm… crying? She touched her cheek and indeed she felt the moisture of a tear stain. She smiled at Ikuto and breathed, "It's not your fault." And the mother and son shared a hug that contained a multitude of emotions.
Mikan broke the hug and smiled at Ikuto who grinned back. "Now go get changed, you smell… flowery?" Mikan looked bewilderedly at her son, who was pouting as he squirmed out of his mother's hug. He trudged towards his room while muttering: "Stupid girls… chasing me all around the playground during play time, screaming my name 'til my ears hurt. They even tried to tear my clothes!" Mikan giggled at her son's predicament, maybe him looking like his father wasn't a good thing.
Mikan smiled sadly as she watched her son's door close. She stood up from her position and walked towards the window, staring thoughtfully at the blue sky. "Someday, for sure, I'll tell you everything." She touched the glass as a tear dropped from her eye. "Nothing remains a secret forever."
Another five years pass by, and Ikuto never breathed a question concerning the whereabouts of his father. Mikan was grateful that her son respected her request even though he was only five years old back then. Despite this, the ache in Mikan's heart never ceased, she knew that someday, he was going to ask again, and she was afraid that when that day comes, she might not be ready. But she knew, deep inside her heart she knew, that Ikuto is going to learn the truth about his father sooner or later. She just hopes that it wouldn't be too soon.
Ikuto was seated at the dining table surrounded by piles of books, notebooks and sheets of paper. He put down his pen as he rotated his wrist while looking at the wall clock, 06:24? Mom should be home any minute now, he thought. And as if on cue, the front door opened to reveal Mikan wearing a blouse and slacks.
"Hi Ikuto, I'm home." Mikan said with a smile, which Ikuto answered with a grin.
"Welcome home, mom. Um, by the way, I sort of need you to answer something for me. Please?"
"Sure! Just let me change into something more comfortable."
"'kay."
Mikan went into her room while Ikuto continued doing his assignments. After a few minutes, Mikan came back out, wearing a plain t-shirt and knee-length shorts. She placed herself beside Ikuto and watched as he answered his book dutifully. Another sad smile played on her lips as she once again pictured a different person in the exact same position Ikuto was in. She sighed and shook herself out of her daydream.
"So, what do you need me for, Ikuto?"
Ikuto jumped, causing some of his books and lots of papers to fall on the floor. He feigned an annoyed look at his mother who smiled sheepishly at Ikuto. Ikuto groaned as he started to pick up the mess on the floor.
"Mom! Don't surprise me like that!"
"I'm sorry! I didn't think you'd be that concentrated on your homework to not have noticed me."
Ikuto stared at his mother as if she were an alien from outer space.
"What? You have to admit, you're usually more attentive than that."
"I guess." Ikuto grumbled as he finished stacking up his books on the far end of the dining table. He quickly got his Values Education book and opened it to a certain page before handing it over to Mikan.
"Please answer this one; my teacher said you have to answer it. She also said that you should put your signature at the bottom part of the page."
"Okay." Mikan scanned the page and her eyes widened a bit at some of the questions. That did not go unnoticed by the crimson-eyed boy.
"Are you okay, Mom?"
"Huh? I'm okay, Ikuto. I just didn't think you'd have this kind of assignment."
Ikuto was quiet for a while and looked down at his book. He already finished his assignments while his mother was changing clothes. He looked up at Mikan again to see that she was writing down answers at the book. Ikuto knew what she was answering; he took a quick look at the questions earlier at school.
"Mom?"
"Will you please tell me something… anything… about dad?" Ikuto pleaded.
Mikan stopped writing and looked at her son. His eyes were sad and had emptiness in them that she never noticed before. She bit her lip and thought: A little white lie wouldn't hurt, would it? I mean, a part of it is still true. Mikan mentally nodded as she looked at her son seriously.
"Your father… He was a kind and handsome man. He… you… you look exactly like him, messy raven hair and crimson eyes." Mikan sighed, picturing how Natsume looked like when she last saw him.
"But, he kept something from me when we were dating. He… he already had a family back then. So when I learnt that I was pregnant with you, I never told him. You were two and a half months old when he broke all ties with me." Mikan willed herself not to cry. No, I promised myself I would never cry because of him again.
Ikuto looked thoughtfully at his mother. He was absorbing everything his mother has just said. He knew that he should be satisfied, but he wanted to know one last thing, and he wanted to know it directly from his mother, not from something she wrote for his assignment.
"Mom?"
"Yes, dear?" Was there something else he wanted to know?
"What was my dad's name?"
Mikan's breath caught in her throat again, just like five years ago. He has a right to know, Mikan thought while biting her lip. She breathed deeply as the name she never thought she'd say again left her lips.
"Natsume Hyuuga."
.o.o.o.o.o.
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
ANONYMOUS REVIEWERS:
red devil
KNOWN REVIEWERS:
.Hime no Kanashimi., Little-Miss-Shy-Girl, NadeshikoEverdeenHimeSama, Rosey Steena, SetoJouFan, blue07, xxxryoma4everxxx, Ageha14, Maricris, MiSa-sama-MiSa-chan, Kuroichibineko
