Guys. I actually updated. Oh my god. :D I didn't proofread it again cause I just really wanted it to be DONE and out there. Sooo~ Yup!
Disclaimer: I don't own bakugan. If I did, it would mean I own Shun, and I don't own Shun. So, therefore I don't own bakugan. D:
Enjoy!
Shun couldn't get to sleep last night. He would always nod off for a few minutes but the nightmares forced him awake. He sighed and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. Kami, how can I survive without her? Each time he closed his eyes, he could still see the agony in her eyes and her voice echoing around him. I hate you.
Alice never hated anyone. But the moment her emotions bubbled up inside, she snapped and said that she hated Shun.
She could never hate Shun.
Nothing he would do could ever make her truly hate him from the bottom of her heart. He could murder her and even in death she'd forgive him. A small dark part of her wanted him to pay for making her feel this way. But no one deserved to be hated, and everyone deserves a second chance.
She just needed some time away from him, that's all. Time to collect her thoughts, control her emotions and fix her composure. It was scary. Every since she could remember, Shun was there holding her hand through it all. What good was she if she couldn't even last a day without him by her side?
Alice didn't like to admit it, but nothing bad would ever happen if she was next to him. But she didn't want that. So many other girls would selfishly keep him for themselves, but she would never do that to him. He should be free to make his own decisions that pleased him.
That was why she wanted to start going to school. But it had to be a school that he wasn't at. Then that would defeat her whole purpose. If she wasn't able to hold her own without him, how will he ever stop worrying about her? Shun was too intent on making her happy, she was so afraid that he would neglect his own happiness. This was the main reason why she had never complained about the beatings she would suffer. Ignorance was bliss, after all.
In the future, Alice had planned to leave the Kazami home. She decided it would be best for the two of them. Shun was going to take over the company, and what good would it do for his reputation and his sanity if he continued being friends with her? If he was to constantly worry about her well being, while also trying to concentrate on the company, it would kill her to be the one who ruined his good future. She wasn't worth giving up riches for.
But it was so hard. When she had finally stepped into the real world, unguarded by anyone from the Kazami home, it was tough. Alice didn't even realize all the people out there who weren't spoiled like she was, or was treated kindly. For these commoners, they worked and they worked hard. She respected that they were so independent, while she constantly needed to be watched. That was why when the kids would write mean notes or spill food on her, she wouldn't ever hold it against them. Alice wasn't from a noble or rich family, nor was she particularly intelligent; she definitely did not deserve the gifts Shun and Shiori would shower upon her.
She had cried herself to sleep, last night. Not to mention locked all the possible ways that Shun could get to her room. It was weird to be cut off from him that way. But Alice knew that this was only the beginning. She couldn't stay here forever.
But you love him, why would you leave him? A small voice piped up from the back of her head.
I can't be selfish and have him for myself. That isn't right. I won't hold him down. I can't.
Convinced that separating from Shun was the right thing, she ignored the huge hole in her heart and tried to make herself look presentable.
Shiori Kazami noted the strange tension between her son and unofficial daughter in law. Shun kept staring at Alice, and she was doing her best to look unaffected. The matriarch couldn't help but worry about the two. What's going on? As she mulled over her thoughts, the students completed eating. Not wanting them to wait long, she decided to announce today's activities.
"Today, boys and girls will be separated." There was silence, and the gang looked at Shun, expecting the boy to object it. But oddly enough, Alice and Shun only glanced at each other and quickly looked away. "Well since there isn't any opposition, Shun, you can handle the guys. I'll take the girls!"
The female population immediately giggled and wondered what the great Shiori had planned for their day. Alice sighed and slowly walked to her room. Today is so not gonna be fun. Shun's amber eyes watched her retreating form and he felt lost.
I hate today.
Julie pointed at Alice and mouthed to Runo. 'There's something going on between Alice and Shun!' The blue haired girl nodded, and tugged on her pigtail thoughtfully.
Shiori had brought the girls to the mall and set them loose. She was like the mother that would watch you twirl in fancy new clothes and smile at the ones she liked or frowned at the ones she didn't. Right now, the girls were at the food court taking a little shopping break.
Alice was unresponsive no matter how much they tried coaxing a reaction out of her. Julie even forced her into a dressing room with a handful of clothing, but after 20 minutes of her not coming out, Runo burst in the tiny room only to find her just sitting on one of the chairs on the inside.
"Dammit Alice, SAY SOMETHING!" Runo shouted, unable to contain her frustration. The redhead looked forlorn as she stared up at her friend.
"I told Shun I hated him!" Alice finally blurted. At their disbelieving looks, she explained what had happened. Their expressions shifted into anger.
"THAT BASTARD!" Julie shrieked, causing everyone within a ten foot radius to wince. She stalked towards the exit of the mall, but Runo gripped her arm so she couldn't. "LET GO OF ME RUNO! WE HAVE TO STRANGLE THAT BOY!"
Runo sighed. "Julie, calm down. BECAUSE I'M GONNA GET TO HIM FIRST!" The two linked arms and started for the exit. Alice grabbed both of them by the backs of their clothes and gave them a reprimanding look.
"You really don't have to do that. I feel horrible already." She sighed and the two girls sat down once again.
"You shouldn't feel bad at all, Alice!" Julie smiled sweetly at her and grabbed her hand. "You're a strong, beautiful, and talented girl. Shun's an asshole. That's all there is to it." Alice giggled a little.
Runo gently hugged her, then released. "Julie's right, Alice. Shun's a jackass, and you shouldn't have any guilty feelings at all."
Alice frowned. "I can't help but feel guilty. Shun and I have been together from the beginning. We would do everything with each other."
Julie squealed and leaned closer to the redhead. "So, tell us your story! I'm dying to know!"
"I don't know Julie…" The silver haired girl pouted, and Alice couldn't help but give in. "Okay fine, but please don't tell anyone else." They nodded enthusiastically. "It all began when we were six~
"This is my daughter Alice!" Erika, her mother smiled and placed a slim hand on her shoulder. Shiori and her husband, Daisuke, were smiling at the young child. Little Alice was a bit shy, and she bashfully kept her head down as they complemented her.
Jiro, Alice's father, was grinning at their old friends. "So where's Shun? I haven't seen him since he was just a wailing pink blob." Daisuke laughed and nodded his head towards the gardens. "He's isolating himself again. I wonder why he's so antisocial!"
The Gehabich and Kazami families were having their yearly reunion. Having missed a few years, due to Erika and Jiro's move to Russia to be near her grandfather, they had to put it on hold. But finally they were able to get together once again.
"Alice, sweetie, go play with Shun over there." Erika gently nudged her in the direction of the gardens and the small girl skipped over.
Alice looked around and she fell in love with the whole place. The roses were vibrant and sweetly scented, the bees were buzzing around playfully, and the trees danced in the wind. The koi swam, and the birds chirped. It was just like in a fairytale. "I wonder who that little boy is!"
He stood out, yet blended in at the same time. Like a shadow. His eyes were closed and he had a serene expression on his face. His green shirt was slightly wrinkled, and his shorts were covered in dirt and grass stains. Alice walked over to him and leaned closer to his face.
He smelled like cinnamon and grass. His facial features were more defined than most kids their age, and his nose was pointy and aristocratic. "What a pretty boy." Alice murmured to herself. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and she quietly inhaled sharply at the sight. His eyes were the most beautiful shade of amber, with speckles of brown, red, and gold mixed in.
"Who are you?" He spoke soft, and careful. As if making sure he didn't say the wrong things, or talked too much. Alice smiled sweetly at him.
"My name's Alice! Are you Shun?" His eyes became guarded and cold. Alice took note of this immediately. "Gomen, I forgot to tell you. My kaa-san told me to come here and play with you! See?" She pointed over to the adults and he nodded.
Shun looked at her straight in the eye, making Alice lose her train of thought. "Could you please move away from my face?" She flushed and swiftly stepped back.
How embarrassing! Alice mentally moaned."Gomen, gomen. Wanna play hide and seek?" Shun stared at her blankly, making her shuffle her feet awkwardly.
"I don't play games like that."
She pouted a little, and then lit up at the sight of the tree that he was leaning against. "Fine… I'll just climb this tree!" Alice grabbed onto the lowest branch and pulled herself up. She moved up the tree, just like a squirrel. At the top, she found a branch to settle upon and looked around. It wasn't a really tall tree, but you could see most of the gardens from that height. "So pretty!" Suddenly the branch broke off unexpectedly. "AHHH!" She screamed in terror as she plummeted to the ground. Bracing herself for impact, she snapped her eyes shut and prayed her guts wouldn't splatter everywhere.
Instead of landing on the hard ground, she felt something soft underneath. "Nani?" Alice looked up and met amber eyes. Shun had caught her in his arms with his ninja skills.
At first glance, his eyes seemed emotionless as ever, but when she looked closer she noted how tense he was. Shun glared at her. "You stupid girl! What were you thinking? You could've gotten yourself killed!" Alice pouted.
"You sound like otou-san! I just wanted to climb a stupid tree. It's your entire fault you didn't want to play hide and seek with me!" He sighed exasperatedly.
"If I play with you, will you keep yourself safe?" Alice nodded and held out her pinky.
"Pinky promise!" She smiled sweetly at him, oblivious to the slight tint of red that spread through the young boy's face. "I know we'll be together forever!"
"And we became best friends soon after."
Julie squealed with delight. "How romantic!" Runo looked unaffected, but her eyes were obviously softened and twinkling.
"That doesn't change a damn thing. He was still a bastard and a touching story won't make me feel any different." Julie gave her a pointed look and Runo cracked under her gaze. "Okay, fine. It did make me feel different. I never knew you guys had such a sweet beginning."
Alice sighed. "If only everything was that simple. Don't you ever wish you could go back to the time when you were ignorant of all the bad things in the world? The only thing that would scare you was the monster in the closet."
"You love him a lot, don't you?" Julie stated, noting how the redhead's eyes widened slightly. "We're your friends Alice. We may not have known each other long, but I feel like I could tell you anything and everything."
Runo gently held her hand. "And I hope you feel the same way too."
Alice started to tear up. "You guys, you're too sweet."
Dan nervously looked back at Shun. "Hey, Billy." The blond looked up from his game and stared. "There's something wrong with Shun's aura. Look at the way its pulsing angrily and sadly at the same time!" Billy rolled his eyes.
"I bet even you can't see his 'aura'; must be some delusion. But I have to admit, Shun does look pretty depressed and pissed. I wonder what happened." The teen they were talking about glared at the two.
"I can hear you. We're only like two feet from each other."
While the girls were shopping, the boys got to hang out in the Kazami game room, much to the delight of many of the males. Shun, however, was still lost in his thoughts about Alice.
The brunette boy looked at him with sympathetic eyes. "You and that chick got into a fight?" Both Shun and Billy looked incredulously at him. "What?"
"You… made a reasonable guess!" The blond shouted, which attracted some strange stares. Dan turned defensive.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!" He sighed. "But I know that look on his face. It's like the one I get whenever Runo and I fight. Like in a real, big, nasty fight." Shun nodded slowly.
"It was a seriously huge fight." He carefully explained what happened.
Billy frowned. "But don't you love her? The way you're acting feels like you are truly, head over heels, in love with Alice."
Shun looked away. "How? She's been my best friend since forever. I never thought it would be love of all things. Sure I love her as a friend, but a romantic love?"
"Just OPEN YOUR EYES TO THE TRUTH IDIOT!" Dan shouted and punched Shun in the arm. The dark haired teen sat there, contemplating it over.
Shun-chan! A little Alice grinned at him arms wide open.
Shun. A preteen Alice sat next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder.
An older teenage Alice glared at him. I hate you.
He opened his eyes. "I love her."
Is this better? Or not really... xD Sorry you didn't get a Shurisu reconciliation scene... I decided to put it in the next chapter. And that chapter's probably gonna be pretty short too...
I hope you review~ (Using the epic new review button. You know you wanna push it... :))