Wow, after a long hiatus. A lot of people really requested for this story to continue. I hope you all will like it. Bows!

The Long Wait

"Where is he?" Mikan pounded her fist on the table. "He promised to come here today and now he's a half hour late!" She shouted and the restaurant stared at her and she bowed in apology.

"That's the third time you've apologized to them. Be patient, Mikan. He'll be here," Hotaru said.

Mikan sat on the chair and started to get restless so she rocked it. Hotaru glared at Mikan and Mikan pouted. "That's it! He's not coming! Let's leave!" Mikan slammed her fist on the table.

"No, they're here," Hotaru pointed out to the two boys coming into the restaurant. Mikan blushed when she saw Natsume again. His hair, his eyes were still as mesmerizing as ever.

"Good to see you, Hotaru Imai," Ruka bowed and Hotaru did the same. Natsume and I were having a staring contest. He stared into my eyes as I did with his. He's now completely pissing me off. "Natsume, come on, take a seat," Ruka said and Natsume did as he was told.

She looks so much different than before. She let down her hair and it's now straight to her back. She's so much slimmer and beautiful. Her eyes sparkle even more than the last time I saw her. "So how've you been doing, Sakura?" Natsume asked formally.

"You know the usual, going around the world representing the country," Mikan answered. "How about you, Hyuuga?" Mikan asked while taking a sip of her mocha.

"I feel as though a volcano is about to erupt soon," Ruka said and Hotaru nodded.

"Me? Of course I've been doing meaningful things for the country unlike what you've done," Natsume said.

"Really?" Mikan raised her eyebrow. "What meaningless things have you done?"

Natsume stood up and stared into Mikan's eyes. "Well for one, I don't ditch my old friends," Natsume said in anger.

"Well, for me, I ditched a bastard!" Mikan shouted.

"You numbskull peabrain!" Natsume shouted.

"Big headed bastard!" Mikan shouted and Hotaru pulled Mikan and Ruka pulled Natsume back to sit down.

"Cool it, Mikan!" Hotaru whispered.

"This is our only chance to make you get known," Ruka whispered to Natsume and Natsume folded his arms. "So what have you got in store for us?" Ruka asked and Hotaru grinned.

"Well, the first thing is that I need you t explain how Hyuuga Natsume would be qualified to be Sakura Mikan's partner," Hotaru said.

"What?!" Natsume shouted. "She was the one who invited me here, now you want a qualification?"

"Chill!" Ruka said. "Well, he's in the top five of the Junior championships this year and aiming to get into the Nationals by the end of the next semester," Ruka said.

Mikan merely chuckled at his outcome. "What's wrong Natsume? Only interested in juniors or is it that you sucked so bad?" Mikan laughed and Natsume clenched his fists.

"Well, juniors are a hell lot more gorgeous than any girls I've seen. I think they've got bigger boobs than you do," Natsume chuckled.

"You…!" Mikan started and saw Hotaru glaring.

"So what has Sakura Mikan accomplished for the past year?" Ruka asked.

"She's now number two in Japan for the Senior Nationals. And just a few weeks ago, she was appointed as the best Waltz Jump skater in Japan. Sakura Mikan also have the best scores for the Sit Spin for the recent Senior Qualifications round," Hotaru said as she was flipping through my documents.

"Get me a Chocolate Frappe, please," Mikan raised her hands and ordered. The waitress nodded and walked back to the counter. "Can we just get on with it, please? I'm going shopping with my mother later," When Mikan said mother, Natsume's face perked up.

"Your mom's back in town?" He asked and Mikan nodded. Suddenly he smiled. "Yeah, just get on with this," Natsume agreed and Hotaru and Ruka were surprised.

"What's the catch?" Mikan asked suddenly. "Why'd you suddenly agree to the conditions?" Mikan asked.

"So that I could follow you and tell your mom you said 'bastard'," Natsume grinned.

"Oh no you wouldn't," Mikan glared.

"Try me!" Natsume said and suddenly stand up and run out of the door.

"NATSUME! GET BACK HERE!" Mikan shouted and ran off to catch him. If Mikan's mother's back in town, Natsume will surely know where she is. The boutique she owns just for figure skaters. "NATSUME!"

Natsume stuck out his tongue and ran forth towards the shop. "What are they? Kids?" Hotaru raised an eyebrow. "Heck, it's not good to waste food. Come on Ruka Nogi. Join me," Hotaru said and Ruka joined her for the food that they ordered.

…………………………………

"MISS SAKURA!" Natsume shouted when he got into the shop.

"NO MOM! DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!" Mikan shouted as she entered the shop.

"MIKAN SAID A BAD WORD!"

"I DID NOT!"

"SHE SAID BASTARD!"

"HAH! NOW YOU SAID IT! MOM! NATSUME SAID THE 'B' WORD!"

"What's with all this ruckus?" Yuka Azumi got out from the manager's room and saw Natsume and Mikan breathing in deeply.

"IT'S NATSUME –MIKAN SAID –HE SAID THE –BASTARD! –B WORD! –PUNISH HER –HIM!!!" Both of them said at once.

Yuka Azumi chuckled. "Good to see the you again, Natsume," Yuka smiled. "But aren't you guys too old to be telling on each other?" Yuka laughed and all the staff joined in the laughter which made Mikan and Natsume blush in embarrassment. "By the way, Natsume. I taught her to say that word," Yuka chuckled and Natsume blushed furiously.

"Ha-ha!" Mikan sarcastically laughed. "Sucker!" Mikan cried out and giggled.

Yuka walked towards Natsume and smiled. "Like I said before, it's good to see you again, Natsume Hyuuga," Yuka smiled.

"You too, Miss Sakura," Natsume blushed.

"Well, I can't deny you're really good looking after thirteen years of not seeing you. You're really model material," Yuka smiled. "Come on, why not take a few pictures with these new denims for my La Denim's project. I'd love to have you in it," Yuka said. "Mikan has already taken a few or a lot. But that's how you get publicity," Yuka sighed.

"Sure, why not? It's not like I've got anything better to do," Natsume said.

"Great. Go to the back and I'll ask Mikan to get the outfit for you," Yuka said and pushed Natsume towards the fitting room. Mikan walked past him and got to the room filled with the new designs. Natsume glanced at the pictures that were already taken. Mikan with her hair straight to the back posing with her right leg bending and her hand over her shoulder with a denim jacket.

"Wow these are beautiful," he thought. Suddenly Mikan came out and pass him the clothes. "Are you sure you're not sabotaging me with this?" Natsume smirked assuming Mikan gave him stupid clothes for him to embarrass himself.

"Whatever," Mikan said in a pissed tone.

"Ooh, you shouldn't have done that," A lady came by and said. "Mikan Sakura is a professional even when it comes to the people she hates, she'll give them the right things and never cheat," The lady said. "She hates it when no one believes her. No wonder she's going to die soon," The lady said.

"Excuse me?" Natsume asked. "Die soon?"

"Huh, it's just a metaphor. She always feels like she wants to die when no one believes her," The lady said. "Come on, the photographer is out back. Better not waste his time," The lady said and pushed Natsume into the fitting room to change.

When Natsume comes out. All the female staff blushed. Natsume wore the jeans which has small scrapes on the knee which shows his skin and a black T-shirt with the denim jacket over it. With his ruby earring matching the outfit, he looks gorgeous!

"You look beautiful," Yuka grinned. "Or is that an offensive word to your gender?" She chuckled. "Come on, Chad hates waiting." Yuka said.

Natsume followed Yuka to the back of the boutique and saw Mikan wearing a denim skirt and a halter top. She tied her hair to her top left and posed. The photographer kept on taking shots of her every move. "That's it Mikan. Now twirl and smile," He said and Mikan did as she was told.

"That's so cute, Mikan!"

"Beautiful!"

"Thanks, Chad," Mikan bowed.

"Anything for you, luv," Chad was the photographer. He was a tall man with hardly any hair. But he really looks professional. "What else is there to do, Azumi?" He asked and glanced at me. "The boy? Hmm…I'm sure I'll figure something out."

"Excuse me?" Natsume asked.

"The way you wear those is somewhat not your style. We can't have someone wear something they're uncomfortable with," He said. "Azumi, get your 31 B Denims and the sleeveless dirty cut Denim Jacket," He said and Yuka ordered a few girls to get it. "Change into this. Those will only look better on you once you know how to change your expression properly."

"Change expressions?" Natsume asked and he motioned him to come to him and he produced a few pictures.

"Look at Mikan. All these were taken simultaneously with 20 seconds in difference. She can change from a pout, to an emo look, to a grin then to an angered expression then to a giddy look. Think you can do that?" He asked and Natsume shook his head.

"I've never done this before," Natsume said and Chad nodded.

"Which is why we have to start slow," Chad said and the staff handed the garments to Natsume to change. "Here, change and we'll see how'll it go," Chad said and Natsume nodded.

Natsume once again went inside the changing room and overheard a conversation by some of the female staff. "That boy is Mikan-chan's old friend, huh?"

"Yeah. I pity the boy, he doesn't know how much time she has, I hope him being around her could make her feel a slightly bit better before she passes."

"But her leukemia disease is really bad isn't it?"

"Because she ice skates, it's as if it's spreading by her movements."

"Yuka Azumi has tried to force her to stop skating but she refuses. She said she'd rather die than not Ice Skate," The woman said.

"Let's pray she could stay longer with us."

"Yeah! What are we to do without that giddy happy girl?!"

The staff giggled and walked away from Natsume's fitting room. She's dying?! What! Why didn't she tell me any of this? Why did she call me out here? SO she could say her final goodbye? Idiot! Ugh! I better not tell her I know or else it'll really be our final goodbye. Natsume thought and went out of the changing room.

"Ah, that looks better on you, boy. Come on, step on stage and I'll see what you're made of," Chad said and Natsume walked up on stage and glanced to his right and saw Mikan wearing a black Halter neck with long dark blue Levi's jean.

"Why not try posing or just move around. We'll see how it goes," Chad said.

Natsume looks strange. After seeing mom, he'll usually be happy since he didn't have a mom and my mom always bakes cakes for him, that's how they became close. But he looks so depressed now. His eyes are so deep in sadness. "Stop it!" Mikan shouted suddenly everyone jolted to a stop.

Mikan stomped her way to Natsume and pulled on his collar. "If you want to do this right, DO IT RIGHT! Having those sad eyes aren't an expression to publicize! It's more to sympathy! Don't you ever dare let me see that look on your face again!"

Natsume stared into her eyes. She's dying, obviously she doesn't want anyone with sad feelings. I feel as though after years we're apart, I know you much better than before! "You actually thought that was real?" Natsume snorted. "Proves that my expression was real!"

It was real alright! Mikan thought and let go of the collar. She had nothing to say so she walked back out to the entrance of the boutique and found Hotaru and Ruka by a small table. "Ah, Mikan," Hotaru smiled. "The agreement was settled. The junior classes will be an intensive training for twenty days."

"That short?" Mikan asked.

"Well, your Senior Finals is in two months. You too, need time to practice," Hotaru said.

"And I've registered Natsume for the Senior Qualifications for Amateurs. Speaking of him, where is he?" Ruka asked.

"Out back, mom told him to model a bit," Mikan said.

"Well, that's good for publicity," Ruka said and Mikan sighed.

"Before, Ice Skaters only skate for the breeze and the fun. Now everyone's paying more attention to the public respondents," Mikan sighed and Hotaru glanced at Ruka.

"Ruka, check out this pictures," Natsume suddenly appeared and dropped four pictures on the table. One was the picture with Natsume putting both his hands on his head and bent his left knee a little. The second was him sitting on a chair and he placed his hand on his chin and smirked seductively.

"It's gorgeous," Mikan said and made Natsume blush a little. The third picture was him facing sideways and his hands in his pocket with the wind blowing that made his hair dance around. The last one was him facing the ceiling in a 45 degree angle and his hand a few centimeters in front of his face.

"This is great," Ruka thought then Hotaru suddenly snatched the photos and took a better look.

"Problem," Hotaru suddenly said. "You sweat easily. We better get you a facial treatment. With the flash of the cameras and your sweats, you're going to have a very oily face." Hotaru said and Ruka faced Natsume.

"You've never done a facial?" Mikan giggled. "You're so funny! Come on! This would be the best time to have one!" Mikan pulled Natsume towards Hotaru's car.

Looks like Mikan and Natsume have slowly started to tolerate each other and became better friends. Let's see what happens in the next chapter.