CHAPTER 8;
Reunion;
"I'm going back to my room."
Having returned to the headquarters, they stood outside the dormitory entrance. Shouta deftly removed his silver cufflinks and rolled his sleeves up. "Not so fast, Natsume. We're throwing a welcome party for you."
The door swung open before Natsume could reply. Deafening music spilled out like water through a broken dam – the large concourse had been transformed into a full-fledged dance floor and pub. Colourful lights crisscrossed randomly across the dim and smoky space, flashing against the tipsy faces of the dancing crowd.
Two boys stumbled out groggily, soaked in the stench of alcohol. Shouta and Natsume dodged them neatly as they collapsed forward on their knees, eyes barely open.
"Next time for sure, Aya senpai…" One of them mumbled almost incoherently.
Shouta raised a brow and bent down slightly towards him, "What did she do?"
"Broke my heart…" He hiccupped and sobbed comically, evidently too drunk to recognise the person in front of him. "Told me she wouldn't – hic – dance with anyone else other than Shouta… bought me – hic – five shots instead… who does she think I am…"
Shouta laughed, clearly satisfied with the boy's answer. "Better luck next time."
As they made their way through the dance floor, the crowd automatically shifted around them as the neon spotlights revealed their faces. Fresh excitement burst across the room.
"It's the Black Cat!"
"So it's true that he joined us!"
"He's even more good-looking than the rumours say…"
"Look, he's with Shouta."
"Shouta-kun, come and have a drink with us!" Two girls in tight mini-dresses squeezed through the crowd and clung onto his arm immediately, "Division leaders get free flow drinks, don't they?"
"Settle down, Division Three girls." Shouta looked unruffled, "Don't get me into trouble with Aya."
"We'll be waiting for you at the bar." They giggled and turned to Natsume before leaving, "Natsume-kun, join us! We want to hear stories from the Academy."
Natsume glanced at Shouta, as the latter casually slung an arm around his shoulder. "Come on, Natsume. If you don't accompany me, those girls are going to destroy my liver."
"I'll pass."
Shouta leaned over and spoke softly in his ear. His voice was drowned by the ear-splitting music and shouting; nevertheless Natsume heard it clearly.
"Earlier, you said you wanted to help me."
The fire-caster's eyes turned sharp as he narrowed his eyes at the Zero leader. Shouta had a faint smile on his lips, which didn't reach his dark eyes. He was not referring to the bar.
Natsume nodded reluctantly, "Fine, but I already have something to drink."
Almost immediately, Shouta's gaze fell onto the soda can in his hand. Amusement flickered in his eyes, as he commented, "I had no idea you had it in you."
"Had what?"
"Lover boy genes."
"Start walking, before I hit you." Natsume answered in a deadpanned tone, as Shouta chuckled and led him to the bar across the dance floor.
Shouta was a liar.
Natsume had come to that conclusion in less than an hour, as he watched the Zero leader tilt his head and down the last vodka shot effortlessly. The last of his female challengers had passed out ungracefully on the marble surface of the bar, her head lolled over to one side.
Shouta beckoned to the teleporter on duty behind him, who had been escorting the drunken girls back to their respective rooms all night. "She's the last, I promise."
Natsume commented dryly. "I think, you have a liver made of iron."
"I do." Shouta admitted, sliding the empty shot glass back to the bartender with a flick of his wrist. "Believe me, the training process was nasty."
"You didn't need me at all."
"Sorry for the poor excuse." Shouta grinned, "I've been wanting to talk to you. Why did you join the Organisation, Natsume?"
Natsume narrowed his eyes, "Surely you know how I got here."
"I know – that's not what I was asking." Shouta turned to look at him, "You could've easily left this place after you recovered, but you chose to stay. I want to know why."
Despite the amount of alcohol he had consumed, there was not a trace of tipsiness on Shouta's pale face. The Zero leader was regarding him with a neutral expression, however Natsume could feel the slight tension between them, thin as thread. After staring at each other wordlessly for one minute, Natsume's lips curled into a hard smile.
His words were slow and deliberate. "I'm an Academy spy."
Shouta's gaze sharpened by a fraction, as the fire caster stared back at him without a hint of fear in his eyes. Rather, he was monitoring the Zero leader's reaction closely.
Then, there was a blur of movement as Shouta leaned forward and crashed into Natsume, pinning the latter onto the floor with his elbow. Natsume choked, having all the air knocked out of his windpipe instantly.
The atmosphere immediately tensed up as the crowd stopped dancing to look towards the bar questioningly. Ren had also appeared out of nowhere, towering over them cautiously. Shouta lifted his free arm dismissively and signalled for the crowd to carry on, without shifting his expressionless gaze. "Leave us alone, Ren."
Seeing that Shouta had the situation under control and Natsume did not seem to fight back, Ren backed off slowly.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Shouta studied Natsume with a thoughtful glance. Natsume held his gaze and breathed, "Are you going to hand me over?"
Shouta lowered his head and whispered something in Natsume's ear before releasing him, leisurely getting up on his feet. Natsume's eyes widened.
"You're a perfect fit for our division, you know?" said Shouta as he walked away, "Just don't go around joking about things like that – you'll get me into trouble."
Natsume clenched his right fist and slammed it against the floor in frustration, as Ren hauled him up unceremoniously. A rare smile was plastered on his face, as if satisfied by the sight of Natsume taking a beating. "It's been a while since Shouta gave a warm welcome like that."
Natsume narrowed his eyes at Ren and left the bar, his mind clouded with thoughts. Shouta…
As he attempted to squeeze through the crowd, a person blocked his way and refused to budge. Natsume glared irritably at the obstacle in front of him.
It was an attractive girl, with soft wavy black curls that reached her waist. She wore a silver mini-dress lined with faint futuristic patterns, oddly reminding him of Hotaru Imai's inventions. Nevertheless it did well to accentuate her soft curves.
Someone bumped into her from behind suddenly, causing her to stumble forward. He caught her shoulders and steadied her at an appropriate distance before their bodies could touch.
"Dance with me," she laughed, her petite body swaying carelessly to the music.
As she reached out for his waist, he caught her wrist warningly. "No."
She seemed to hesitate for a brief moment, before smiling teasingly and holding his hand instead, "Believe it or not, I'm not hitting on you. I really just want to dance."
The spotlight swept past them for two seconds, illuminating their faces as he finally saw her clearly.
It only took two seconds.
Natsume's face went visibly pale. He didn't speak, but the overwhelming shock in his eyes was evident. The black-haired girl gazed back at him questioningly, "What's wrong?"
Forcing himself to regain composure, he replied in a strangled voice. "Come closer, if you want to dance."
She wrapped her arms around his neck lightly. He held her waist in response, as the crowd shuffled around them restlessly. The girl clung onto him closely, her cheek pressed against his heart. He asked calmly, "Are you attached?"
"Yes, but my boyfriend's not here tonight."
"What would he do if he saw us like this?"
"We're just dancing," she replied evenly, "He's not the type to get jealous easily."
She felt his chest heave slightly as he released her waist. She looked up, staring directly into his cold, amber eyes. His fingers ran through her black hair slowly, "What if we did something like this?"
Before she could even guess what that "something" was, Natsume leaned forward and kissed her full on the lips. Her soft lips parted in surprise, as he deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue into her mouth.
He was forced to let go as she dug her fingernails hard into his shoulder blade. She gasped, "What was that for?"
"You look just like her," His cheeks were just as flushed as hers, "Your eyes remind me of my girlfriend."
She lifted a hand and he closed his eyes submissively, bracing himself for the slap. It never landed. Natsume opened his eyes.
She was gone.
The midnight air was chilly.
Natsume followed the mysterious girl from a safe distance, relieved that he hadn't lost track of her.
They were once again in the city where his mission had taken place hours ago. Her black hair swept after her as she disappeared around the corner into an alley. Deciding that they were far enough from the headquarters, he finally quickened his footsteps and caught up to her with ease.
"Hey, wait up."
She whirled around and shoved him away furiously, as hard as she could. "Get away from me!"
Her voice bounced across the brick walls. A pained expression crossed his face, "You even sound like her."
"Will you snap out of it?" The flustered expression on her face was evident now, "I'm not your girlfriend. You're drunk!"
"I'm not." Natsume pointed out, "You should've been able to tell."
She knew he was telling the truth – she hadn't tasted a single drop of alcohol in his mouth when they kissed.
"That just makes things worse," She snapped, her body trembling uncontrollably with anger. "To think you do these despicable things behind your girlfriend's back."
Despite her harsh words, a faint smile tugged at his lips. "I think I owe you a slap."
"Is that why you followed me all the way here?" She sounded incredulous, "Natsume Hyuuga, you're unbelievable."
"How do you know my name?"
"… Everyone does."
"What's yours, then?" He asked quietly. She looked stunned for a moment, before looking away. "You have no right to know."
"Then, I'll make a guess." Natsume reached out swiftly and grabbed her wrist, yanking her with such force that she staggered into his arms. Alarm rang in her head as she noticed that his indifferent aura from seconds ago had disappeared.
His voice was hushed when he spoke again, but the words that came out almost knocked the breath out of her.
"Sakura…" It felt as if he were cradling the whole world in his arms, "Mikan Sakura."
As he said her name without a hint of doubt, it finally dawned on Mikan that he had seen through her disguise right from the start, thus his puzzling actions in the club.
The Natsume she knew would never have kissed anyone other than her, no matter how striking the resemblance. The Natsume she knew would never have shown any special interest towards girls other than her, no matter how attractive they were. Guilt washed over her, as she realised how foolish she had been to believe otherwise.
"Well?" Natsume said calmly, "Did I guess right?"
Mikan sank in his embrace in defeat, burying her face in his shirt and awaiting the scolding that she well deserved. Instead he relaxed his shoulders, sounding more exhausted than anything, "Idiot, you almost gave me a heart attack back there."
"How did you know?" she said in a small voice.
"Are you seriously asking me that?" Natsume rolled his eyes, "As if I wouldn't be able to recognise you."
Their conversation before he left her weeks ago echoed in her brain, willing her not to lose herself in his arms. "I thought you said it was over."
The harshness of her own voice shocked her, and she half-regretted it as Natsume tensed up against her.
After a long pause, he finally admitted slowly, "I did say that."
Mikan immediately pushed him away and stepped back, fighting to suppress the hurt and disappointment from her eyes. "Well, congratulations on your newfound freedom."
A bewildered expression crossed his face, "What?"
"You looked like you were having fun back there."
When Natsume didn't respond, she looked up questioningly. He was staring at her, as if she were crazy. "Did you really think I would leave you for something like that?"
His incredulous tone stung her, as she promptly turned defensive. "You said you'd had enough of the Academy."
"I did." He said fiercely, "I've said many things to you in the past, Mikan. You should be able to tell what's real and what's not!"
"And what happened when I chose to believe in you?" She snapped, referring to their encounter in the alley, "You pretended to be someone else and brushed it off as some romance story!"
"I had to." Guilt flashed in his eyes, as he immediately comprehended her words. "If I had revealed myself just now, both of us would've gotten killed. I didn't think a stranger's words would-"
"-hurt me?" Mikan finished for him, her voice rough, "Well, it did. Even though I didn't know it was you, it still hurt."
Natsume's expression darkened, "Can we stop fighting?"
"We're not done talking yet, Natsume."
"I don't want to talk anymore."
"Oh?" Mikan said sarcastically, "Then what do you suggest we do? Stare each other down?"
He answered quietly, "Close your eyes, Mikan."
It only took one sentence. All that rising anger instantly died down her throat, as she forced out a choked reply. "Why should I?"
"I'll tell you what you want to know."
Their uneven breathing resounded in the cold air, and suddenly, nothing around them mattered – not even their heated argument.
"No," she breathed, but her answer was weak. "You can't just get away like this every single time-"
As he drew her closer, she trailed off and found herself cupping her hands around his face. Natsume had lost weight – his angled cheekbones even sharper and the collarbone beneath his shirt more prominent. He lifted a hand and gently drew her palm away from his right cheek.
He locked lips with her as if they had never been apart before. His fingers ran through her black wig and gently tugged it off, letting her real auburn hair fall onto their shoulders. The wig dropped onto the floor soundlessly. He then moved to kiss her cheek lightly, his finger caressing the contour of her face.
"I'm on a mission to infiltrate the headquarters," he whispered. "I never intended to break up with you for real. Mikan, baka… how could you not know?"
He broke off as her tears flowed through the gaps between his fingers.
She wondered why that possibility hadn't occurred in her mind before this – the answer had been so blatantly obvious when he kissed her. He was madly in love with her, and those feelings had never changed all the while.
"The night I left, Persona injured me to lure the Organisation out. From there, I infiltrated the headquarters and entered their elite assassination team. Mikan, if my identity is discovered…" Natsume shook his head lightly, "You're not even supposed to know all this. I'm only endangering y–"
He broke off as she wrapped her arms around his waist so tightly, that it was impossible for him to budge an inch. He sighed and placed a hand on her head comfortingly. "I shouldn't be glad to see you here… but I am."
"I had to see you." Her voice was muffled against his shirt, "I had to, after knowing where you were…"
"How did you find out it was me in the alley?" He was sure that Mikan had not recognised him back then.
"After I was abducted by that giant eagle." She shuddered, recalling her unpleasant experience being snatched up by a bird twice her size.
(Two hours ago…)
"H-help…"
Mikan's teeth chattered as the strong wind plastered onto her face like a sheet of ice. She had stopped flailing her arms comically in order to wrap them around her body due to the cold. Of all things, being picked up by an eagle had not exactly been part of her escape plan.
"Excuse me, Mr. Eagle…" She started timidly, "Where are we going-"
It was precisely at this moment that the eagle decided to release her. A bloodcurdling scream involuntarily escaped her throat before a pair of arms caught her firmly like a safety net, "Mikan!"
A cold sensation washed over her heart from the shock of the fall, as she looked up to find Ruka's concerned face shadowing over her, "Ruka!"
He smiled, "Look who decided to 'drop' by."
Mikan's threw her arms around Ruka, wailing, "Ruka-"
"Wh-what's wrong?" he asked anxiously, "Are you hurt anywhere?"
She shook her head vigorously.
"Of course she isn't hurt. Natsume would never let that happen on his watch." Hotaru's smug face appeared above them, "Hello, idiot."
"Hotaru, you came too!" Mikan broke into a smile, and then blinked confusedly. "Did you say… Natsume?"
"How was your reunion with Natsume?"
"What reunion-" She trailed off, as the image of the masked boy shielding her flashed in front of her eyes again. His protective actions. That familiar feeling she was unable to shake off the whole night. And then it finally hit her.
"It really was him…" Her words came out trembling.
Ruka shifted uncomfortably, "Mikan, let's head back for now."
"No, not yet." She grabbed hold of his sleeve desperately, "Ruka, Hotaru… please."
"Damn that Imai." Natsume muttered, "She's too perceptive for her own good."
"But really, how did you recognise me in the club?" Mikan blinked at him and pointed at the black wig on the ground. "Hotaru did such a great job – even I couldn't recognise myself in the mirror."
"I had my suspicions when I saw your dress designed by Imai." He glanced at the futuristic patterns on her dress, vaguely recalling the same design on Hotaru's inventions. "And when I saw your eyes, I knew for sure."
Mikan blushed a little at his words.
"Mikan, don't ever do something stupid like this again." Natsume looked at her seriously, "Right now, I can't even guarantee my own safety, let alone yours. Stay away from the Organisation, I'm begging you."
She returned his gaze steadily, "I understand. But in exchange, you have to promise me something."
"What?"
"Promise that you won't push me away, anymore. I won't go near that place anymore, but you have to let me in one way or another. Let me help you."
He could almost see the raw determination in her clear eyes. She was beautiful, and his heart seemed to beat harder every word she said. He suddenly had a flashback of the night he'd rejected her and she'd slapped him, hot tears streaming down her face. They had gone through so much since then and he finally noticed for the first time, that her hazel eyes had shed its naivety and become more wistful now.
"Natsume…?" Mikan's voice abruptly brought him back to the present, as he shook his head, smiling for the first time since they'd reunited.
She trailed off as he stepped up, closing their distance.
"Thank you," He murmured and leaned forward, as she quickly closed her eyes, but that familiar sensation on her lips never came.
Instead, a gust of cold wind swept past her face, and she thought she heard distant footsteps. Her eyes fluttered open in surprise, catching the silhouette of his back a second before he disappeared from her sight. His voice resounded faintly in the alley.
"We've run out of time tonight, but I'll come see you soon. Wait for me, Mikan."
A/N: *dodges rotten eggs and tomatoes* Gomennn for the century-long update!
