Disclaimer: Don't own Gakuen Alice :) Probably bringing this to a close after this chapter, enjoy!
Chapter Nine – Realisations
"What is it about him, eh? Ruka. Why do you like him?" Natsume leant back against the tree, head down, not once glancing at her.
"What?" She choked out, looking at him tearfully.
"You heard me you stupid bitch." He spat at her, anger growing within him. 'She lets me drink her blood, but is obsessed with him instead. I dared to do something so unforgivable, and it's all her fault. "He's with Imai, and yet you want him. What the hell is wrong with you?" He threw up his head, glaring at her shaking form. "It's ridiculous. And you gave your blood to me. Do you know what that means between a human and a vampire? No. You just gave yourself willingly and I actually thought that you...but no. It's Ruka." He stood up and turned his back on her, resting his head against the rough trunk, splinters poking his forehead painfully.
"Natsume?" She hiccupped. "I've liked Ruka for so long; I just don't understand how Hotaru could do this to me when she knew!" Mikan was on her knees, fists curled tightly in frustration. Something within him snapped. Natsume knew not what overtook his body, acting upon its own. He rounded on her, red eyes flashing in the dying sun and took her wrist, not caring if he hurt her or not. "What...what are you doing?" Mikan stared at him, terror dawning on her. When no reply was heard she tried to pull away, only to be thrown against the tree by him. She looked up into his face, almost pleading with him to let her go. Nut she did not find him there. Instead there was raw anger, a glazed blinding passion staring back at her. An impulsive chaos, ready to explode. Her back aching from impact, she dared not move. Frozen with fear she cowered into herself. Natsume seemed not to care, and in truth his mind had left him, instinct had taken over. Putting a hand behind her head he pulled her as hard as he could towards his own. He rammed his lips against hers fiercely as she struggled and cried even harder than before, pushing and shoving him away as hard as she could. Yet he did not repent, simply threw he back and kissed her harder. Mikan felt sick. How could another treat her so? 'I should have never got involved with him.' A sudden pause and Natsume stopped, and she sighed thinking it was over. Yet throughout the forest, all that was then heard was a high-pitched, bloodcurdling scream leaving her lips.
~x~x~x~
"He's taken far too much of an interest in that girl." Sneered Mochiage. He Yuu, Kokoro and Kitsuneme were sat in an empty maths classroom, staring out of the window towards the Northern Forest. "What do you think he wants with her?"
"Maybe he's just after her blood." Suggested Yuu, hands clasped over his chest whilst laying on a table.
"Don't be stupid," Interjected Kokoro, "He doesn't drink blood. You know that. He takes those shitty tablets instead." He moved towards the window and lent against the sill. "He followed her in there over an hour ago. I wonder what they're doing." He glared, cursing Natsume slightly.
"Why don't we ask Ruka? I'm sure he-" Began Yuu.
"Don't speak that bastards name again!" Spat Kitsuneme, "He's not friends with us anymore. He gave us away to that Umenomiya girl and Imai. He's against us just as everyone else is. He's not fit to call himself a vampire. He-"
"Shut it!" Growled Mochiage. "Listen." They all paused and strained their ears. "You hear that?" They all nodded. A small, distant shriek had reached them, echoing from the trees before them. "You know what that means."
~x~x~x~
There he sat, at the base of that stained tree, breathing heavy and deep. His back pressed against the tree, legs spread wide, his shirt, neck and chin splattered with already drying ruby liquid, Natsume could feel his fangs cutting into his own bottom lip. He was in ecstasy, pleasure beyond anything flowing through his veins. He licked his lips, the taste giving him shivers. Though he could consume nomore, he ached for it. Yet looking down, his senses returned, he felt ashamed. Mikan lay in his arms, her legs spread over his own, arms limp and lifeless, head lolling from side to side. She was white and unmoving, eyes fully closed. He put a hand into her hair and pulled her to his chest, putting his head back against the tree. She may have still been alive, but weaker and closer to death than she had ever been before. His other hand rest against her thigh, he pulled her close to him, lifting his knees so she sat in his lap. He closed his eyes and muttering quietly, "Mine."
~x~x~x~
Ruka was laid on his bed staring up at the ceiling above. "Don't you think you should speak to Mikan, you know, and explain?" He looked down at his chest, towards Hotaru. She was there with her eyes closed, a hand gripping his shirt. Her eyelids fluttered slightly, "Idiots. Both of you. I don't need to explain anything. I like you Ruka. She thinks she does. But there's someone else, she just doesn't know it. I hope instead he tells her first." Though her voice did not change at all throughout, he still blushed at her confession.
"You don't think he will, do you?" Ruka looked concerned. 'There's no way. He's not that kind of guy.' He pulled his arms from behind his head and put them around her, lightly brushing her fringe from her eyes, smiling.
"Most likely not. He'll more likely show her." She replied lifting her head to look at him.
"Technically he already had, he's accepted her blood. Vampires only drink the blood of one human and let them live for a reason. We're meant to kill, or replace with our own blood to turn them into vampires too." He replied thoughtfully, grinning slightly, knowing that he shared this special bond with Hotaru. It was only her. The one he had always wanted.
~x~x~x~
Mochaige pulled down a branch, peering around the side of the large tree. 'I knew it.' He saw them both, slumped up against the tree. "Wait...she's still alive...that means...that bastard..." He scowled, hating Natsume even more by the second. Then he suddenly grinned, a plan formulating.
Unbeknown to him, Yuu and Kokoro had followed. There was no trust towards Mochiage, and from the look on his face when he had heard the terrible cry from the forest, he was up to something. The two boys, although friends with him, valued Natsume far more. They saw him move forward, and unveiled what he had been looking at. "Natsume and Sakura?" A puzzled Yuu looked at his friend, "But, she's alive still, I can see her breathing. Do you think he's chosen her?"
"I doubt it." Kokoro replied, "Natsume isn't the kind of person. He goes it alone." It was fact. No girl could bend him. They looked again towards Mochiage as he moved closer. They followed and now saw the crusted blood all over Natsume,
"Shit, he really has." Yuu gasped. But a sudden movement made them silent. Mochiage had dragged Mikan from Natsume's sleeping grasp and positioned her in front of him, licking his lips maliciously. They didn't need to see him close up to know his fangs were protruding, and he was readying himself to bite. "He can't. Not if she's already taken, it'll kill her." Yuu's voice trembled as he turned to Kokoro, fumbling with his glasses. His friend grinned devilishly,
"Let's teach him a lesson then. Not to mess with someone else's girl."
Japan's Arc Angel