Author: Thank you to those who have read the two chapters of this story! That would be:

Lonely angel 94

& -kimy-chan- :

Disclaimer

Hotaru: Leilani22 does not own Gakuen Alice, but she did create this story.

Me: Thank you, Hotaru!

Hotaru: …..

Me: Um…anyway….Enjoy!

In My Heart, I Have Come to Love You

Chapter 3

At first she did not reply. Then she looked up and whispered," Cause I no longer have the will or the heart to stop..."

Ruka couldn't believe the words he had just heard come out of her mouth.

'Why has she changed?' Ruka thought looking down at the hand he was holding gently in his hand.

"Hotaru," Ruka said lifting her chin so she met his eyes," why were you under that tree when I found you?"

Once again silence met his question, but he wasn't going to settle for that. He never truly thought much about Hotaru except for when she blackmailed him, but now that tingling feeling was in his heart as he looked at her lovely face.

'She really is beautiful,' Ruka thought gazing into her her eyes,' I never saw her truly before, but now I see that behind that stoic mask she puts on is a fragile and delicate girl who's afraid to show herself to someone.'

"Hotaru, please tell me what's bothering you," Ruka softly pleaded.

Hotaru's voice was barily autoable, but Ruka coudl her what she was saying.

She whispered," I had gotten word from one of my aunts that my parents died in a car crash a couple of weeks ago...I never showed them that I loved them and I never even got to say good bye..."

Tears began to roll down her face as she continued," I didn't tell them how much I loved them and how much they meant to me...Ruka ...I- I feel so alone. No one cares about me and they don't even really know me. All they see is some cold, rude inventor that only cares about herself. I started to believe in that, but being alone is the worst feeling I could ever imagine. Mikan showed me friendship and love, but I still kept a barrier between her and my heart. Since hearing my parents death, I feel broken and lonely. I'm not even sure if I have the will to continue living knowing that no one would care..."

With that said, Hotaru sobbed into her hands once more. Ruka never knew that Hotaru felt like this. Actually, he never truly cared before what went on with Hotaru. He felt something stir within his own heart. It was that feeling again, but this time he could see it. He finally realized what his feelings towards Hotaru were...it was called love.

" I care about you, Hotaru," Ruka said hugging her by the shoulders," To me you are not just a cruel heartless person who feels nothing, you are the most beautiful and amazing girl I have ever met. Don't think all that horrible stuff about yourself when it isn't even true."

Hotaru looked up at him. She could see that he was telling the truth, but being who she is, she wasn't sure she could trust him. Actually, ever since Hotaru saw Ruka on her first day she started the school she has had a crush on him, but she didn't want anyone to know so she blackmailed him as a cover up.

" Why do you care?" she asked with watery eyes.

"Because...I think I-"

"Hotaru!" Mikan shouted throwing her arms on her best friend," You're awake finally! I'm so happy!"

Well, looks like Mikan has perfect timing. Ruka was kind of blushing since he almost revealed his secret to Hotaru.

"What's the matter with you?" A bored voice asked from behind him.

Ruka turned around to see Natsume watching him.

"Oh nothing!" Ruka said rubbing the back of his head(sweat drop)," Well, I got to go check on the on the horses, so see you guys later!Good to see your up Hotaru!"

With that Ruka dashed out of the room. Hotaru watched as he left with a small smile playing on her lips.

'I wonder what he was going to say to me,' she thought,' Well, I guess I'll never know."

(For now...hehehe)

The Next Day

"Hello Natsume!Ruka-pyon!" Mikan cheerfully said coming into the classroom with Hotaru behind her.

" Hey strawberry pattern," Natsume replied not taking his eyes off of his manga," have a new pair of underwear to show me?"

"NATSUME!!!!!!!!!!" Mikan screeched at the top of her lungs," You are such a pervert!"

"I love you too," He smirked meeting her eyes.

Mikan instantly turned red.

"Why does he always make me feel this way? Is it because he looks so handsome saying everything to me oro is it because I like him? I don't know. Oh no, Kokoro is reading my mind again," Kokoro said reading Mikan's mind aloud to the whole class.

Mikan was seriously red now. She turned towards the mind-reader and slapped across the face.

"BAKA!! You are going to pay Kokoro!!!!" Mikan yelled as she began chasing him around the room.

Hotaru didn't do anything about it, she still wasn't herself.

'Mikan, you are a baka,' she thought as she watched her best friend running around the room. She felt someone staring at her, so she turned to see who it was. It was Ruka. When she saw this she quickly turned away and opened her text book to the page indicated on the board. She was blushing while she flipped the pages.

' Why did I have to like him?" she asked herself.