A/N: I don't own Alice Gakuen.
Chapter Nine: Home
Autumn came.
Mikan had just got the call. It was finally ready. It was finally finished, according to all her requirements.
It was finally time.
Mikan breathed deeply. She knew Natsume would be in the office by now. She called him.
"Hello," his rich, deep voice opened the line, "all good?"
"Yes..."
"Do you miss me? Is that why you called?" He teased; in her mind, she saw that smirk of his.
"I…," she swallowed; then, finally she took the plunge and revealed, "I've decided to move out from my house."
He did not expect to hear that. They had eaten dinner together last night, and she had not mentioned this to him. This decision, to him, felt very abrupt.
"What? Where will you go?" he questioned.
"I actually bought a place." She informed him. "I'm going to move there. It's right by Yoyogi Park. On the quiet side."
He was glad that she was not moving far away.
"That's great," he said encouragingly.
"You think so?"
"Of course. I think it's time you left your house."
"Yes," she agreed, pleased with his reaction, "it is time."
"What about Jii-chan?"
"He won't be joining me," she regretfully said. "He'll stay at the house."
"I'm sorry. I know what he means to you. That's a shame."
"We can always visit him," Mikan said.
"We will,"
"Even better, we can invite him to Yoyogi!"
"I'm sure he'll be happy if you did. So, when are you moving?"
"Today," she affirmed.
"What?! … How did you get the keys so quickly—"
"I… I actually decided this a while back." She didn't want to go into this now though; she pulled the conversation back, and asked the question that she had been meaning to ask from the beginning, "I was wondering… could you come with me? Could you drive me there? I need to move my things in."
"Of course," Natsume easily agreed. "I'll bring dad's car." He knew that Mikan knew of his dad's van-like car: his dad needed the big space for his larger canvases. "I can be at yours by six. Or is that too late? I can ask Jinno let me go earlier—"
"No, six is fine. That's perfect," Mikan said, smiling brightly.
"I'll call you when I'm leaving mine,"
"Natsume," she called; he waited patiently for her to say what he wanted to say: "Why don't you bring some of your stuff too? That way you can stay over whenever."
"I'll do that," He approved.
"Great! I'll see you at six! I can't wait!"
At 5:30p.m., Natsume was packing a small suitcase. He had already gathered the clothing essentials. He had also packed one of his mugs, an unopened can of shaving foam and a spare razor too. Now, he was ransacking through the cupboard in the bathroom, on a dig to locate an unopened, clean toothbrush.
Aoi popped her head out of her room. Her brother's rifling could be heard from her room. Curiously, she walked over and peered into the bathroom.
"What are you looking for?"
"Do we have any spare toothbrushes?" He asked.
"Yes," Aoi said, then, she commanded, "Move—I'll find it."
Like magic, in three seconds flat, she produced new toothbrush, sheathed in plastic. He took it from her, thanking her. He then moved back to his room. Still curious, she followed him there.
Inquisitively, she stared at the suitcase that was laid open on his floor.
"Are you going on a trip?"
"Hm?" he was distracted; but soon, he looked up at his sister and explained, "No; Mikan's moving—"
Aoi gasped. "You're moving in with Mikan? Natsume, you ass, why didn't you say—"
"What? No," he curbed her excitement; "I'm just bringing a few things to her new place."
"So you can sleepover easy?"
He nodded. He continued his packing. Aoi watched him carefully. Then, sighing, she sat down on his bed—that made him look back up at her.
"What?" he asked, confused by her enigmatic expression.
She pursed her lips. Then, finally, in a sympathetic voice, she said, "Natsume, if she's asked you to move in with her, you can say yes, you know. You should say yes." Her tone was very thoughtful and caring, "You don't always need to think of dad and me. We can manage without you. You can go live with her."
Whilst he was touched by her considerate words and sentiments, he shook his head. He clarified, "It's not like that. She didn't ask me to move in,"
Now, Aoi shook her head. Her brother, whilst very intelligent, could sometimes miss the little signs. "I think it's exactly like that. Natsume, I know that I'm your silly little sister, but sometimes I see things you don't. And, I don't know if you've realised this already, but Mikan loves you more than you love her." She considered his dubiously raised eyebrows and appropriately amended, "Okay, fine, maybe not love. Maybe you love each other as much equally. But I'm absolutely certain that she needs you more than you need her."
Impossible, Natsume quickly dismissed his sister's words.
Together, with Jii-chan watching over them warmly, they placed her boxes in the back of his father's car. Everything fit in easily; he was surprised at her five boxes, as he was expecting many more. Granted, they were very big boxes, but he had still expected more.
"I just took what I needed," she easily explained, shrugging.
Then, she turned to say her goodbye to Jii-chan. She pulled him into a hug. She promised to visit, and she made him promise to come visit her. She told him that she loved him. He returned the sentiment and told her how proud he had always been of her.
To Natsume's surprise, Jii-chan then pulled Natsume into a hug. Beside them, Mikan laughed blissfully.
"You're a good man, Natsume," Jii-chan said, patting him rather strongly on the back, "A good man."
"That's kind of you to say,"
"You take care of her, you hear me? You help her cook and clean, you hear me?"
"I hear you, Jii-chan," he promised.
Ten minutes later, they were finally buckled in. Mikan rolled down the windows and waved at Jii-chan as Natsume pulled the car into motion. She waved until Natsume turned left, until she couldn't see her beloved Jii-chan anymore.
"You'll see him soon," Natsume assured her.
"I will," she said, nodding. She looked at Natsume: she felt relief flood her heart.
"So, where am I going? What's the address?"
Mikan told him, and then informed him that she would give him the necessary directions.
So, they prove peacefully, Mikan telling him where to take them.
Soon, they arrived at a quiet road. She told him where to park. Natsume looked outside his and Mikan's window, impressed. "You weren't exaggerating when you said it's right by the park,"
Mikan nodded, "It overlooks Yoyogi Park."
Now looking at the white period house, he commented, "It's huge!"
It looked very pretty. He liked the big windows. It looked wonderfully picturesque. It suited her.
But Mikan shook her head, "No, it's not really—you see, it looks like a house, but this building is actually compromised of flats."
He was surprised. "You bought a flat?"
She nodded. "On the top floor," she grinned.
"Of course," he smiled back. "Right, let's bring everything in."
She nodded enthusiastically. They both unbuckled.
They decided to carry all the boxes up first, leaving them one by one outside the door of her flat. Once her boxes and his small suitcase were all gathered, Mikan fished her new house keys from her bag. She held his gaze, smiling, as she opened the door to her new home.
He pushed all the boxes in. Once done, he exhaled, before he took the time to look around. At once, he was both awed and surprised.
"Shoes on or off?" He asked her.
"Oh! Um," she hadn't considered this. She thought of the Hyuuga abode. "Off!" She decided once and for all. They both slipped their shoes off.
A beautiful open-plan kitchen lay before them. Just like his home, the kitchen, dining and living room all overlooked one another. It was tastefully designed: the colours were all to his taste, and he liked the minimalism. It was so different to her own house: perhaps, he now reflected, that was purposeful.
She nervously looked at him. She bit her lip, unsure. "Well? What do you think?"
"It's great," he marvelled, beaming at her, taking her hand, "you chose well."
Her nerves dissipated. Invigorated by his support, she took his other hand and pulled him, "Come! There's more,"
She showed him the bathroom. He approved, especially of the bathtub.
Giggling more, she now pulled him into the bedroom. A large bed (already made), a mirror, and a built-in wardrobe stretched across the walls. It also had a small ensuite bathroom, one with a shower. Once again, he voiced his approval.
But he was definitely surprised. His surprise chiefly came from the size of her new flat. He had just assumed that she would have bought herself a bigger place than this, one with many guest rooms and three living rooms. He liked the size of it, of course; to him, it was perfect.
"I've saved the best for last," she then informed, pulling him.
He followed her, "What could possibly be better than the bedroom?"
She brought him to the last unopened door. "It's the study," she announced, as she pushed the door opened.
He stepped in. His lips parted.
This room, the study, was facing Yoyogi Park. From up here, through those big windows, he could see the park. Granted, evening was settling, but he could still see the outlines of the trees. He could only imagine how beautiful this room must be during the day, the windows opening the view into the park, with the natural light coming brilliantly through.
Suddenly, his breath caught in his throat. Suddenly, he understood.
His sister had been right.
Memories of their past conversation flooded his mind…
"I like flats. Less cleaning involved." He had once told her… "I'd like to live near a park. I would like my study to have a good view."
He turned to look at her. His heart was racing. Her giggling was gone. Now, once again, she looked nervous. She bit her lip. She cleared her throat, and averted her eyes to the windows. Her behaviour all but confirmed to him what he now knew to be true: she had bought this flat with the intention to live here with him. This study was his.
Then, she pointed towards the bookshelf. Casually, forcibly so, she said, "You can bring your books here. You know I only read Jane Austen, and that's like… what? Six books? … Without your contribution, it'll be an awfully empty bookshelf."
He looked at the bookshelf. He felt she had taken into consideration how many books he owned. Here, on this bookshelf, he was certain all his books would finally all have a place, a home.
She still looked nervous; just like that night he had met her. Her vulnerability was showing. She feared that Natsume would turn their new home down.
Natsume gently pulled her into his embrace. He hugged her and kissed her on the top of her head. "I love it," he assured her, his voice brimmed with thankfulness and love.
She looked up at him. "You do?"
He nodded, pushing her hair behind her ears lovingly. "I do. All of it," He leaned down to kiss her. She kissed him back. Then, his lips against her lips, he murmured, "I won't lose you in here,"
"Never,"
They returned towards the open-plan kitchen, intent on unpacking; as they did, Mikan pointed at the walls. "I was thinking, we could put photos up here! Framed pictures of us,"
He nodded, agreeing, enjoying her childlike enthusiasm.
"We can put photos on the fridge too!" She piped up, excited by all these homey prospects.
Natsume opened the drawers in the kitchen. They were all empty. No plates, no pots or pans.
"I was… well," she was bashful once more. She did not want to come across as forceful. She never wanted him to feel like he was obligated to stay and live here with her. "… On Sunday, do you want to go get some houseware with me?"
"We'll go tomorrow," Natsume amended, smiling. "We can't wait until Sunday. Jinno's grandson is in town. I'm sure he won't mind if I take the day off tomorrow."
"Really? Are you sure?"
He nodded, closing the drawers. His mind roughly mapped the plate sizes best suited for the storage space. "Of course. The car's here; it makes sense to go tomorrow. We can even swing by a supermarket and get some food too; and cleaning equipment. Oh, and a drying rack for the clothes."
She nodded early at all his suggestions, her heart pounding in this domestic bliss.
Mikan had not explicitly asked Natsume to move in with her, but her intentions were crystal clear. He could tell that she was reluctant to ask him outright; he knew her well enough to know that she wanted him to say so, to accept his place here. It was her unsaid plea. Perhaps it was because she was scared of his rejection. Perhaps it was because she wanted him to make this choice. Perhaps it was a bit of both.
Natsume now responded to her unsaid request, with a gentle smile, "After we buy all that, we can swing over to my dad's," he suggested, "I'll pack the rest of my things and bring them here."
She understood the implication of his words. "You will?"
He nodded. "I won't forget my books."
Mikan beamed. "I'll help you pack your things!"
Then, she darted off to find her handbag. She returned back to him, holding a brown paper envelope. On the front of the envelope, Mikan had written down the address of their new home. She gave it to him. He opened it and found a set of keys.
"They're, well, keys."
He laughed. "I can see that, Mikan."
"For here," she clarified.
"I assumed so," he teased.
She pushed him jestingly. Then, she suggested, her expression tentative, "I was hoping you could come back here."
"What if I came back here every night? Would that be okay?"
Mikan sighed in relief. He understood her. He was moving in with her. This was really happening.
Relieved and incredibly happy, Mikan declared, "That would be more than okay,"
This was really happening! They were going to live together!
Natsume popped the keys back in the envelope and left it on the counter. He would attach it to his keychain later. Natsume walked over to the couch and sat down. The material was very soft, yielding to his weight.
He turned around and asked, "Shall we order pizza?"
"Yes!" Mikan agreed, jumping excitably on the couch, right next to him. She was being so cute. Indulgingly, he smiled down at her.
"We can have a t.v. dinner!" She decided. He agreed. Then, she smiled coyly at him, leaning in to murmur, "Then we can break-in this couch,"
He raised an eyebrow. He liked what she was thinking, but he couldn't help but point out, "It's new; what if we ruin it?"
"We wooon't," Mikan's naughty pout contradicted her words, and then, she tugged on his collar to pull him down to her.
She was in the mood for him. He wanted her too. "We need to christen the bed tonight too," Natsume added, "it's bad luck if we don't."
Mikan's sultry expression lifted, and now she looked concerned. "It is?!—Well, let's go do it now—"
She slipped from under his arms and stood up, then grabbed his hand. She made to move but he firmly remained seated, so they did not budge an inch; she looked back at him. His eyes were crinkled in mirth, that age-old smirk toying on his face.
She groaned, shaking her head, disbelieving of her own naivety. "You were kidding," she understood, smiling, her free hand covering her forehead. She couldn't believe she fell for that pseudo-tradition.
He stood up, and muttered in her ear, "We'll do it anyway." He kissed the shell of her ear, making her squeal.
Then, after admiring that coquettish smile of hers, he said, "Let's get some shit done first."
Natsume ordered the pizza as Mikan started to unpack the box labelled 'Toiletries'. Darting to and fro with bottles of shampoo and sweet-smelling soaps, Mikan organized their bathroom. All that was missing now was Natsume's things. She returned to the open-plan kitchen; Natsume had finished ordering both pizzas, and he was now holding his suitcase. He was going to unpack the very few things he had brought in their bedroom. Mikan made to move towards her box labelled 'Bedroom and clothes'.
"I got it," Natsume gallantly offered; with his strong right leg, Natsume kicked and slid the box along the parquet floorboard towards their room.
"All that football training helped, huh?" She laughed. She thanked him when they reached the room.
Together, Mikan humming, they unpacked.
As he didn't bring much, Natsume finished before Mikan. His few clothes were stowed away, some folded, some hanging. His new toothbrush was standing in a cup, next to hers. He put his spare shoes by the front door. He was done.
So, naturally, he went over to Mikan's box to help her.
"You know I would have said yes if you asked me, right?" Natsume suddenly checked as he pulled out three lavish coats from the box. His tone was neither accusatory nor condescending; rather, he simply said these words to assure her of his place in her life.
Mikan, sitting on the floor, who was folding some pyjamas, blushed. "I didn't know that. You could have said no."
"Mikan, I asked you to take my surname someday. You said yes. Living together, sharing a bed is small compared to the promise sharing a whole life," he simply said, fondly looking over at her as he hung up one of her coats with a hanger.
Natsume moved back to her box and found that she had also packed his hoodie. Well, he supposed it belonged to her now. It belonged on her side of the wardrobe. He picked it up and mused how it smelt her like now. He got another hanger and hooked it on her rails.
When he returned to her box and peered in, to fork out the next item, his eyes found then focused on red. His eyes glinting hungrily, he pulled out a delicate, lace lingerie. It was deep, dark red.
"Shit, Mikan" he cursed; she looked back at him, saw what he was holding and smirked, before she coyly returned to folding her pyjamas, "why haven't I see you in this yet?"
"I thought I could wear it tonight," she breezily explained, "I thought of you when I saw it last week in the shops."
Natsume laid it on the bed, as an eager reminder to her to uphold her words later on.
By the time the pizza came, they had finished unpacking all of Mikan's boxes. They had been making out passionately when the doorbell rang; Mikan turned away from Natsume, but he continued to grope her under her top and his lips now hotly kissed her just under her ear.
Mikan pulled herself up from the bed. Natsume groaned at the loss of contact, dismayed by this interruption.
"We'll continue later," Mikan breezily said, smirking at his sulking, "and I'll wear that."
She left to go open the door. Natsume exhaled deeply, steadying his heartbeat, calming his carnal thoughts. After a few more seconds, he got up too, making his way into the kitchen.
Mikan was already sitting on the new sofa with the two boxes of pizza. She was flicking through the channels, trying to find something good for them to watch.
As Natsume ate, his attention wavering between the food, television and Mikan, his mind how wandered to more practical things. The pure jubilation he felt towards their new home still resided in the forefront of his mind, but now, other matters presented themselves too.
He knew his dad would be okay with his new living arrangements. Aoi had already given him her blessing. Yoyogi Park had good transport connections, so he would be able to commute to university and his jobs easily. But there was more at hand here.
Finally, Natsume breached the matter, "So, how much is the rent?"
Mikan paused. She stopped chewing, and her eyes slowly peeled away from the television screen, turning to Natsume. She saw his firm expression. Finally, she swallowed her mouthful, "I bought this place. In full. There is no rent, no mortgage—"
"Well, I can pay rent to you," Natsume said, "I didn't contribute anything. I can't live here for free."
Mikan put her pizza box down on the coffee table. She tucked her legs under her on the couch and turned to face him.
"Look," she spoke in a firm tone, "you don't need to pay me rent. That's ridiculous. It's done, okay? I won't accept rent money. I bought it, and—"
"But you bought this flat with me in mind," Natsume softly said; his tone was not accusatory; it just held a smidge of regret. He wished he could have contributed to their new home.
"I did," Mikan gently agreed, her hand touching his bicep, "this is our home."
"I'll pay for the bills then," Natsume reasoned, "and I'll get the groceries. I know that it won't add up but it's the least I can do—"
Mikan laughed. "Silly," she shook her head, "we'll both pay the bills and groceries, okay? We'll share."
Natsume appreciated her saying this, but he still felt he was not contributing enough. He averted his gaze, contemplating. Then, he realized that Mikan had not told him of her plans to buy this flat specifically because of this: she knew that he would have insisted on sharing the cost if she had told him that she was buying a flat for them. He understood that she had done all this with him in mind, him as her priority.
"Natsume?" she softly called, seeing his conflicted expression.
He blinked, finding her tentative eyes. This was no time to act like this. So, he cleared his expression and said, "Promise me something?"
"What?"
"The next place we live in… it'll be a house, not a flat. It'll be our family home," he elucidated, and she understood him to mean a house for four or five, "and we'll buy it together."
Mikan nodded, taking his hand. "Together; I promise." She sealed her words by kissing his cheek.
A/N: In a rush, but let me say thank you for all the reviews!
