Chapter 9

Falling Leaves

Last Chapter:

"The bravest person I know is sitting right next to me, Mikan." He whispered in her ear as he watched her sigh in contentment.

A small smile playing along the edges of her lips.

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Laughter is the light that penetrates the darkness of hard times.

Mikan laughed with exhilaration as she was once again running across the field towards the next destination. Her hair billowing behind her like ripples in the water, the late afternoon sun shining down on it, making it look like rays of the sun itself.

Natsume shared the laugh as he ran behind her, perspiration running down his cheek as he ran faster.

"Natsume-kun! Over here! Over here!" Mikan shouted as she stopped in front of a cluster of trees.

Natsume sprinted toward the spot and leaned against one of the trees, wiping the back of his hand across his forehead to wipe the sweat.

Mikan giggled as she tapped him on the back before nimbly climbing up the trunk of the tree, jumping from branch to branch towards the top until he could no longer see her through the dense wall of leaves.

Natsume brushed off the freshly fallen leaves from his hair and followed her, breathing evenly as his body jumped and landed on each branch silently.

He finally reached the very top of the tree, looking around as he searched for Mikan.

"BOO!"

Mikan yelled as she suddenly appeared in front him, grinning as she heard his yell echoing in the surrounding forest, almost masking the audible thud from below as he landed on the soft soil.

"Veeeeeeeery funny polka!"

Natsume shouted upwards, scowling as he heard the familiar giggle above him.

"Sorry Natsi! (Don't call me Natsi!) Can't be helped really, I mean who could ever get tired of surprising the so-called 'toughest boy in the world'?"

Mikan stated as she hung upside down before him, her legs wrapped around a thick branch.

Natsume brushed dirt from his shorts and calmly looked up to the annoying grinning face before him, he quickly brought his hand up and karate chopped the thick branch.

He smirked as he saw the branch crack and fall to the ground, but the smirk soon disappeared when he saw that the occupant of the branch was no longer there.

"Someday polka, I will get you."

Natsume huffed as he heard Mikan land on the ground beside him.

"Aaaaaawwww, a certain somebody seems to be jealous that his partner is better than him on missions and what-not, just because I started after you…"

She then jumped up towards a branch and grasped it with her hands, swinging herself over it and letting go, landing on top of Natsume.

"OW!!!"

Natsume shouted as she pinched his cheeks.

Natsume raised both of his hands and put them on her waist.

"What are you doing? Wait…What are you doing?"

Mikan asked, panic evident in her voice as she saw Natsume grin evilly.

In a swift motion, she was suddenly pinned to the ground.

"Waaaaaaait a minute, waaaaaait a minu-AAAAAAH!!!!"

Mikan was cut off as Natsume started to tickle her, holding her down so she couldn't move.

"NOOOO!!! LET GO!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! STOP!!!"

She laughed and screamed, tears running her down her cheeks like waterfalls as he continued the torture.

"OK! OK! I TAKE IT ALL BACK!!! I TAKE IT ALL BACK!!!"

She screamed, gasping for breath and wiping away her tears when he finally stopped.

Natsume stood up and then suddenly clutched his stomach, his body shaking hard.

He fell to the ground as Mikan stumbled over to his shaking figure.

"Na-Natsume?"

Mikan whispered in his ear, his body shaking harder.

He suddenly looked up at her, tears also flowing down his cheeks.

His mouth was clamped shut, looking like it was ready to explode.

And explode it did.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Natsume laughed, clutching his stomach tighter.

"YOU….YOU SHOULD'VE SEEN YOUR FACE!!!!!"

Mikan suddenly burst out laughing too; she rolled beside him as he curled into a shaking ball.

Their laughter echoing in the forest, bouncing off the trees as they gasped for breath.

Mikan was still gasping for breath when she reached into her pocket and removed the flower she needed.

She placed the flower in Natsume's shaking hand, laughing again at his face.

Natsume looked down at the deep violet Iris she had given him, wondering what the reason was.

"Eighth…rea…son…to…wh…why…I…love…you…"

Mikan gasped, embracing Natsume as he broke into a fit of laughter.

"Is…be…cause…of…your…laugh…"

She said, also breaking into another fit of laughter.

Natsume put the iris in his pocket as he listened to the sound of Mikan's laughter, high-pitched and bell-like.

Your laughter will always be sweeter than mine Mikan, your laughter is like music to my ears.

Natsume thought as he embraced Mikan, laughing with her and forgetting all their sorrows together.

Hey peoples! I'm so sorry for the really late update! My dad brought me and my cousin on some trip so I haven't been able to write…please review more!!! Anyway, the ending is coming soon so you if you need to you can clarify some things with me. I am planning a new plot for my next story. I would also like to say that I am hoping this story will become a tear jerker…Thanks for reading! (P.S. sorry I don't put the disclaimer…Imma lazeh person…)

-fanpire