Disclaimer: I don't own GA and its characters...

Mischievous Secret

written by: anime16

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Mikan Sakura smiled happily as the rays of the sun gently warmed up her cheeks. She looked up at the blue, vast skies and slowly closed her eyes, breathing in the fresh, clean air the environment has to offer. She had a headset stuck on her ears and she hummed a sweet tune in harmony to the song she was listening to. She was completely off to her own world, overlooking the noise coming from the cars and the crowd.

Sumire Shouda, on the other hand, stopped walking and glanced back at her friend who was left behind. She raised her voice and shouted, "Mikan, hurry up or we'll leave you!" She frowned with confusion when her friend just stood there at the middle of the streets, ignoring her earlier remarks.

She heaved a very long sigh and signalled her other friends to wait for her and Mikan. She hurried on the other side of the streets and skipped on her friend's side in a flash. She noticed the headset on her friend's ears and she furrowed her eyebrows. She took the headset off and said, "Mikan! Don't suddenly stop and space off like that!"

Mikan giggled nervously, staring at her friend's scary expression while scratching her head. "I'm sorry. It was just a lovely weather and I couldn't help but stare at the skies." She stretched a little and grinned widely. "It's really a perfect day to swim."

"Then, let's go!" Sumire grabbed her friend's hand and half-dragged her towards the other side of the street. They reunited with their friends and started off towards the swimming pool. They were going to swim in the "Retro" which is famous for their artificial waves and adventurous slides.

Mikan suddenly heard a crash and turned around, seeing a handsome little boy sprawled in the ground. He quickly stood up in his own feet and tears sprang in his eyes but he quickly blinked it away, clearly holding it back.

He was really cute, she thought fondly. The color of his hair is light gray mixed with little specks of brown, and round, blue eyes. And he looked lost in the midst of crowd around him. Somehow her mother's instinct was calling out to her. She grinned sheepishly and smacked her hear. What was she thinking? She was not even a mother yet.

She faced her friends and told them that they probably should go ahead in the swimming pool because she had to help the poor boy who was trying his best to hold back his tears.

"Alright, you got to call me when you arrived at the swimming pool." Sumire patted her friend's shoulder and sauntered forward, waving at her before she disappeared together with their friends towards the swimming pool.

She sighed softly and approached the boy cautiously. She went on front of him and leaned to him, smiling so brightly. "Hey little boy, could it be that you're lost? Do you want onee-chan to help you?"

Upon hearing what she said, the younger boy looked up to glare at her. "Shut up ugly. I could find my onii-chan by myself. I'm a big boy now."

Her ears rang with fury and her eyebrows rose to top notch. "You called me ugly...you little brat!" She pinched his cheeks with both of her hands and stretched it. "And here I am trying to be good and help you."

"Ow – don't touch me with your dirty hands, ugly!" He tried to pry off her hands using the strength of his own but to no avail.

"You really should know how to respect your elders, little brat!"

After a few minutes, she started to loosen her grip on the poor boy's cheeks. It left a red dent on his cheeks and he started to rub it off to lessen the pain. He glared at her more. "Old hag," he murmured. He turned his back on her and started walking away from her.

"Hey, wait! Where are you going?" She yelled at him. "You don't know the way. I'll help you find your onii-chan!"

"Shut up and leave me alone. I'm a big boy now!" He placed his hands inside his pockets and grudgingly stomped his foot on the floor while wandering away from her.

On the other hand, Mikan silently followed him because she was worried about his safety. As much as she wanted to leave that brat alone, she found out that it was difficult because her conscience was raging at her.

She noticed that the boy stopped.

"Where are you onii-chan?" the boy murmured in a very sad voice.

Her eyes softened and looked around. She found a puppet that could be wore on your hand. She went off to buy it, without peeling his eyes on the boy. After purchasing the said item, he approached the boy again. This time, the puppet was worn on her right hand.

"Hello, little boy..." She made the mouth of the puppet move. "Don't be sad anymore because onee-chan would help you find your onii-chan..."

The boy folded his arms in front of his chest and looked away. "I'm not sad. And I don't want puppets because I'm a big boy now." But every now and then, he would glance at the puppet that was on Mikan's right hand, contradicting what he said.

Mikan smirked and removed the puppet from her hand. "Alright then, I'm going to throw it off and you won't ever see it again." She stretched her arms and hands so that she could be able to throw the puppet away. "One...Two...Three..."

She attempted to throw the puppet only to be stopped by the boy. He clung to her arm and begged, "Please don't throw the poor puppet. I like it."

Mikan grinned at him and reached for the boy's hands. She placed the puppet in it and told him, "I'm just kidding. I won't throw it away."

"You trick me!" he pouted.

Mikan laughed and patted his head. "I'm sorry, alright? I just wanted to become your friend and help you. So..." Mikan extended her hand towards the boy. "Would you let me help you?"

The boy hesitantly looked at her and her outstretched hand. After a few minutes, he cautiously draped his hands on top of hers.

Mikan smiled brightly to him and asked, "What's your name?"

"My name is Youichi Hyuuga. What's yours onee-chan?"

Hyuuga...the same surname as Natsume-sama...Mikan momentarily daydreamed about the young raven-haired lad with a handsome face. Her face turned red all of the sudden and she desperately chased away his face from her mind.

She felt a Youichi tugged her hand and expectantly looking up at her. "Your name...what's your name onee-chan?"

"My name is Mikan Sakura...Nice to meet you, Youichi-kun."

They started walking around the streets after a few moments of getting to know each other. Mikan turned her head from left to right and vice versa. And she stopped and mentally slapped herself for not asking about Youichi's older brother. How would she find someone if she didn't know a thing about him? Right, she's technically an idiot.

She was about to ask Youichi about his brother when her voice was drowned by someone shouting.

"Youichi...where are you? Youichi!"

Youichi suddenly jolted and shouted, "That's my onii-chan!" He hauled her towards the source of the voice and they began to run. "Onii-chan! I'm here! Onii-chan!" They turned sharply in the curve of the street and bumped into someone.

Just as they were about to fall to the ground, she felt someone grabbed her hand and towed her to safety. She glanced up and found herself unable to speak any word. Because, standing in front of her and encircling his arm on her slender waist was no other than Natsume Hyuuga himself.

"Sakura-san..." Natsume murmured.

"Onii-chan..."

Natsume looked at the boy who was in his arms too. "Youichi!" He sighed with relief. "I finally found you! I've been looking everywhere! Where did you go?"

"Onii-chan!" Youichi hugged his brother like there's no tomorrow. Natsume smirked and had to let go of Mikan to give his brother a big hug too. He carried him in his arms and spoke to him strictly, "Now, you learned your lesson. Never wander off ever again."

"Yes, onii-chan..." Youichi obediently replied.

Natsume turned his attention to Mikan again. "Sakura-san, were you helping my brother?"

"Uhmm...Hmmm..Ahhh..."

Natsume frowned and said, "Pardon. I can't understand what you're saying." He leaned his ear towards her. She was clearly hyperventilating already and she couldn't quite grasp the words to say. He was too close. She could smell his scent, that familiar refreshing, scent of his.

"Y-Yes...and what are you doing out here with your brother?" She asked frantically. She raised her hands and placed it in Natsume's chest, lightly shoving him away from her. She needed to bring back her space.

"We're going to swim together at Retro..." He answered, wrinkling an eyebrow at her. "I've promised him last week and here we are..."

She was mildly surprised to hear him going the same place as his. "I'm going to Retro too...with my friends to be exact. But they just went ahead already because I have to help your brother find you."

"Oh..." Natsume trailed off, clearly lost to what he's got to say next.

"Since we're heading in the same direction, you can come with us onee-chan..." Youichi spoke suddenly, giving each of them a bright smile.

"Yeah..." Natsume murmured.

Mikan, happy that Natsume agreed to have her on board, grasp Natsume's free hand and squeezed it. "Well..." She fidgeted a little then continued, "If you really, really want me to come with you guys...then...there's no reason for me to turn it down."

Not following what the girl was thinking at all, Natsume merely nodded.

"Then let's have a swimming blast!" Mikan shouted excitedly.

Mischievous Secret

"Eh? You've started changing swimsuits already?" Mikan pouted. "Why didn't you guys waited for me?"

"Well...we are excited to swim already and you're taking too long helping the boy," Sumire told her with an apologetic look on her face. "And I see...you've found the boy's onii-chan and he's the most beautiful man in our school!"

"Sumire-chan...shhhh...he'll hear you and it'll make it awkward for him to join us and it's just when he accepted my invitation too."

I already can hear you...Natsume mused amusingly as he watched the two girls openly bickering at each other and their failed attempt to keep their voices down.

"Onee-chan!" Youichi called her newly found friend. "I and onii-chan can accompany you to the female's toilet, though we're only allowed outside."

Oi...oi...me too?...Natsume mentally said. He looked at his brother's strange behaviour. It's very rare for him to recognize a girl, much more, to offer his sweet time just to accompany her somewhere.

"Really, thanks a lot Youichi!" Mikan sighed with relief and she began fidgeting again whilst looking at Natsume. "Thanks in advance too, Hyuuga-san."

Mischievous Secret

Calm down me...Just wait...how can I calm down when my biggest crust is outside the door of the toilet, waiting for me? Mikan thought anxiously. She pulled her shorts and skirt off and replaced them with polka dotted two-piece swimsuit. She went out from one of the stalls in the toilet and looked at herself in front of the giant mirror.

She sighed inwardly...she could have brought a sexier swimsuit if only she knew she had a chance to be together with Natsume in a swimming pool.

Mikan was still in the pit of depression when he exited the toilet. He found Natsume and Youichi exactly where she had left them not too long ago.

"Hyu-Hyu-Hyuuga-san! Have I kept you waiting?" Mikan asked as she approached the unsuspecting lad. He glanced back at her and shook his head, "Nope. You've just gone for only five minutes."

It feels like a date...a dream come true...Mikan's thoughts had gone wild, for all we know. Tears of joy had sprung from her tears, shocking Natsume.

"Why are you crying?" Natsume fussed. What's wrong with this girl?

Mikan immediately wiped away her tears and said, "It's nothing. Dust just got in my eyes." Then she turned to Youichi and snatched his little hand. "Let's go Youichi. Let's swim 'till we drop!"

She tugged him towards the pool and they made a very large jump. Mikan resurfaced after a few seconds and encouraged Natsume to join them. The handsome lad nodded and took off his shirt, reavealing his well toned abs and structure.

"It's dripping...onee-chan...You just had a nosebleed..." Youichi told her.

Mikan clasped her nose, slightly embarrassed. "Don't mind it Youichi. It's just too hot! It's the hot weather you see, it's not because I saw your brother's great body!"

Because she couldn't take it anymore, she dived at the water once more and resurfaced again, finding herself face to face with Natsume's chest. "Oh God..." Mikan muttered. Why can't you give me a break already...?

"I didn't give you a break?" Natsume questioned, bending over so that his face was just a centimetre away from Mikan's face.

Did I voice out my thoughts just now? Mikan panicked and struggled with her words. "It's nothing. Forget it, Hyuuga-san. It's just the hot sun getting on me, that's all."

"Are you alright onee-chan? Do you want me to bring you something to drink?" Youichi spoke to her with sincere voice and look.

"Really? You'll give me one?" Mikan asked. "Aw...that's sweet of you, Youichi."

Youichi grinned at her and grabbed his brother's hand. "You'll go with me too, onii-chan."

"Uh, right, ok." Natsume and Youichi went out of the pool together.

Mikan dropped herself in the water again. "I need to calm down." Just as she was about to relax, she could feel the artificial waves in the pool started to become higher and powerful. Then she heard someone shouting at them to get off the water because of some technical difficulties.

She sighed and pulled herself up, getting out of the pool. She heard a whimpering voice at the pool and she turned around, seeing a lovely young girl drowning.

Without any second thought, she jumped after her. She did all of her might and finally she reached her. She fought the strong currents by herself and was dragging the poor girl to safety.

For the next few seconds, she was unable to take a step towards safety. He saw a lifeguard coming towards them. "Hey, take the girl first. Even if it's you, you can't save us both with these strong waves." She pushed the girl towards the lifeguard.

"I'll come back to save you..." the lifeguard promised and took off to rescue the girl.

Mikan smiled, she couldn't maintain her ground anymore. She was carried away by the waves and found herself not resisting anymore. She was tired, already tired.

Am I going to die? I haven't confessed to Hyuuga-san...yet...

In her fading vision, she saw a pair of crimson eyes heading towards her. It was the eyes that she knew very well. It only belonged to Natsume Hyuuga.

He grabbed her hand and jostled her towards him. He gave her a brief kiss in the lips to offer her some of his oxygen. What happened next...she didn't know...because she just totally blacked out.

Mischievous Secret

Natsu grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

He was so close in losing her. She almost drowned, leaving him alone in this world.

He gave her a kiss in the lips, thankful that she was still alive.

"I don't want to lose you...Please...Misa..."

"Yes...I'll always be here...Natsu..."

Mischievous Secret

Author's Notes: Thanks for reading my story and sorry for the long wait for my updates. Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts.