Disclaimer: I do not own GA or any of its characters.

Thanks a lot for reviewing:

pwenie - nopes no alices. Gomen.

Kylee-Cat - thanks :) and anytime!

XxpuffpuffxX - you'll know why Mikan ran away from Natsume in the next few chapters.

Winterberrytrillium - yeah, its been a while! its good to be writing again, and it makes me happy to know that you think i've improved.

A101 - Thanks so much!

Aqua

Crimson-Midnight-Moon - lol

mellisagOrman - thanks and I hope this was soon enough ;)

() - That totally made me laugh. I don't think it'll happen in this story.. but gawwd i agree. and it would be funny if I could make that kick a reality :D

Winter's Melody - Thanks! Yeah, I'm working hard on the interactions. Hopefully they'll stay good.


Chapter 4

Flashback (Five Years Ago):

"How long have I been here?" the girl asked when she finally regained enough consciousness.

"You've been out of it for nearly three days, but your fever finally broke last night." Natsume answered.

"I... I have to go..." the girl mumbled and started to get out of bed only to fall back due to weakness.

"Right now, you are too weak to even get out of bed. Tell me what's going on, and I will help you." Natsume said sincerely but she shook her head empathetically.

"Very well, but you are not going anywhere until you're better." he told her before leaving the room.

She lay there and tried to think, but she was too weak to even stay awake for long, and very soon she drifted off into a deep dreamless sleep.


Present:

"I don't think this is a good idea." Mikan said, even as she lay down on her stomach on the quilt Natsume had spread on the kitchen counter.

"It's a good way to relax." Natsume offered from the living room.

"So say you." She grumbled.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Yes."

Natsume walked into the kitchen and it took a lot of effort for him to not smile. Mikan was laying face down on a quilt on her kitchen counter wearing a pair of denim shorts, and a mid riff baring strapless top. It made for a very interesting view.

Natsume picked up a towel and placed it over her clothes.

"I'm wearing clothes."

"Yeah but this makes me feel like you trust me enough to strip and it'll save your clothes from the lotion. Two things at once, imagine that. " He retorted.

Mikan took a breath to yell at him when he laid his palms on her shoulders and started the massage. His hands stroked and pushed into her body, rubbing away all the tension from each muscle they touched. She sighed in pleasure when he stroked his thumbs down her spine while his palms fanned out over her back.

He took her hand in one of his and laid the palm on his chest before using both hands to stroke down her arm. He rotated her elbow and then her wrist gently, before paying attention to each of her fingers. Then he repeated the entire process with her other hand. Mikan closed her eyes, her body and mind both pliant.

She was half asleep when he got her to turn around and lie on her back. He massaged her thigh, rotated her knee, and then went on to massage her calf, her ankle, and then her foot. He did the same for the other leg and then allowed himself a small smile at the contented expression on her sleeping face. Then he massaged her shoulders and collarbones. His hands slowly stroked over her throat, and then pressed on her forehead, her temples, her chin. His fingers feathered over her lips, and then he lightly massaged her cheeks, her nose and stroked over her forehead again.

She never felt the light kiss he laid on the tip of her nose.

An hour and half later, Natsume looked in amused exasperation at Mikan. She was still asleep and he did not want to wake her, but he could not allow her to keep sleeping on the kitchen table either. He sighed before he picked her up and carried her to her bedroom, glad that her house had no stairs that he had to deal with. He gently laid Mikan down on her bed and lightly moved the comforter over her but she blinked and he found himself staring into chocolate brown orbs from just a few inches away.

"Natsume." Mikan murmured softly before she reached up and stroked his cheek.

"Yeah baby?" he asked smiling and in answer she pulled him down and kissed him. Really kissed him.

Natsume's eyes widened but he was not shocked enough to not kiss her back. Still, he was careful. He never pressed down on her; he even moved to the side and slowly, ever so slowly, maneuvered her on top of him. When they finally broke their kiss, Natsume was lying on the bed on his back and Mikan was sprawled on top of him.

She kissed his jaw, his chin, his throat, and then her hands moved to unbutton his shirt.

"Uh Mikan?" Natsume asked surprised.

"Its okay. Its just a dream. I won't get scared." She chanted, her eyes at half mast, as she steadily unbuttoned his shirt, while kissing his collarbone.

Natsume gripped her wrists to still her.

"This is not a dream sweetheart." He said softly and when he did not release her wrists, she slowly looked up at him .

"Natsume?" Mikan asked, her voice confused.

"Yes love?" He murmured gently as he released her wrists.

"I... " she looked around and then back at him. "I'm not dreaming?" she murmured.

"Nope."

"You carried me here and I kissed you?"

"Yup."

"Why am I on top?"

"I had a feeling you would be happier that way."

"Thanks." Mikan said before she slipped to the side, sat up and pulled the comforter to cover herself. Natsume turned to look at her, his eyes serious even though his expression was light.

"Scared at all?" he asked looking up at her.

"I don't get scared in my dreams." She answered, avoiding his gaze.

"You dream of me." He did not make it a question.

"Yes."she answered anyways.

"What do you dream of?"

"It used to be about finally meeting you again, but then you came here, and the dreams became more detailed. I could touch you, hold you, kiss you, love you in a dream." Tears shimmered in her eyes.

"I've been dreaming of you since the first time I saw you. My nightmares are those where I fail to protect you, and my dreams are those where I have you close, where you touch me; where you want to touch me, and you want me to touch you." Natsume said quietly, and Mikan finally met his eyes.

"How about we see if you can touch me with some help from me?" he asked and she stared at him for a moment before nodding.

Natsume quickly kicked his shoes off and pulled out the shoelaces.

"Here, tie me up." he said and Mikan gave him wide eyes.

"Wrists together, or wrists to bed posts, whatever makes you feel more secure." He said and Mikan gaped at him.

"C'mon love, try it." Natsume urged and finally she took the laces from him and tied his wrists together in front of his body. He raised his hands above his head, making all his chest muscles flex. Mikan could see them rippling through the half open shirt.

"I'm at your mercy. What will you do with me?" Natsume asked Mikan in a teasing tone, but his eyes were still serious.

Mikan reached out and laid her palm against the beat of his heart. She felt it speed up from such an innocent touch, and slowly she ran her hand over his skin, slipping inside the shirt and feeling his ribs. She reached out with her other hand and touched his jaw.

Natsume acted as if he could not break out of those restraints in a moment, as if his wrists were tied to headboard over his head, and because he stayed that way, Mikan found the courage to touch him.

Her hands whispered over his torso and her lips followed them. She opened all the buttons of his shirt as she moved over him, smiling when she realized that he had ticklish spots.

She tickled him and he chuckled, but his hands stayed where they were. Mikan felt the last vestiges of fear leave her at the restraint he was showing. She kissed the corner of his mouth and then rested her forehead against his. She reached up and pulled the shoe laces from his wrists.

Natsume lowered his arms and carefully wrapped them around her, while she just cuddled close to him, her head resting on his now bare shoulder.

"Not scared." Natsume murmured.

"Not scared." Mikan answered and he could feel her smile against his skin.

"But you're breathing hard, and you're heart rate is accelerated." he said innocently.

"They're not signs of fear." Mikan answered blushing, even though she knew he was doing this on purpose.

"Oh?" Natsume asked archly and Mikan moved her hand over his chest until it came to rest on his heart. It was beating twice as fast as normal.

"Are you scared?" she asked crankily.

Natsume laughed and turned to his side so that he was facing her.

"I enjoy being afraid of you." he told her with a straight face.

"You're such a..." Mikan growled in frustration but he just laughed and kissed her forehead. They talked for a long while; teasing, laughing, or just looking at each other.

Natsume kicked the comforter over them both when she shivered, and pulled her close to his side at the same time.

"Go to sleep now. I"ll be right here." he said gently.

Natsume stayed awake while she slept curled into his side. His mind kept working on every way she could be harmed and how he could prevent that from ever happening. He would wrap her in cotton wool and protect her from everything forever, but he knew that it would make her unhappy, and it would make her weak, ill-prepared. He needed her strong, able to protect herself. That was the best defense he could give her.

Natsume stroked her hair. "I'll keep you safe baby. Even after my last breath, I'll keep you safe."


Three Days Later:

" How did you con me into this?" Natsume grumbled as he chopped off branches from the huge pine trees Mikan had growing in front of her house.

"You want to eat my cooking again or not?" Mikan asked from where she was lounging on a lawn chair in the garden.

"You're a damn mercenary, woman." Natsume mock snarled as he jumped down from the ladder, finally finished after three hours of hard labour.

"Quit whining. I kept you company, did I not?" she asked crankily and Natsume rolled his eyes.

"Sitting there reading a book is not called keeping me company." He told her and she just shook her head.

"You're just never satisfied." she retorted and Natsume gave her a slow once over and then raised his eyebrows. Mikan felt herself blush, and hurriedly turned to go back inside. She could hear his soft laughter behind her. Jerk.

She stomped into the house and then came to an abrupt stop. Something was wrong. She could feel it, and she had learnt to never ever ignore her gut feelings. She did not react anymore than she already had, before she called out in a voice she knew was sure to carry to Natsume.

"Natsume!" she yelled out, before calmly walking back to the main door as if she had all the time in the world. Natsume was at the door before she reached it. His expression was easy, and his body posture relaxed, but she could feel the tension in him, and the gun in his hand was a dead giveaway. He motioned for her to stay with him and silently moved into the house.

She followed him like a shadow as he went from room to room, gun held at his side. He checked every room thoroughly and secured all the windows. The last room they came to was the kitchen and there too he found nothing out of ordinary except that the back door was unlocked. Someone must have left hastily, but just to be sure he glanced at Mikan. She shook her head. She had locked it before she had gone outside. That was what he had expected but it was good to be sure.

He locked the door, and then turned to her.

"Pack a bag. You're staying at my place until I can have your house secured." He ordered coldly. Mikan gave him a long look that told him that she did not like him ordering her around but then went to pack the said bag. There was no point in arguing when he was right.