Himeno: I have a surprise for Hyuuga here… Hihihi….

Natsume: And what is that, idiot?

Himeno: (Gets annoyed) You're such a foul-mouthed brat. If you keep insulting me, I'll have your precious Mikan-chan kiss another guy.

Natsume: You wouldn't dare… (Glares)

Himeno: Then you better shut that bad mouth of yours, jerk.

Natsume: Tch…

Anna: Himeno-chan, why is this chapter entitled 'Sleeping with a Pervert'?

Himeno: I won't tell… You have to read it for yourself.

Nonoko: I'm curious too.

Himeno: Hehe… Like I said, this is a surprise for Hyuuga.

Aoi: I have a good feeling about this. I'm excited, Onii-chan.

Natsume: Whatever, idiot…

Aoi: Hehe… Um… Himeno-chan doesn't own Gakuen Alice, so don't sue her.

Himeno: All rights belong to Higuchi-sensei.

Natsume the Jerk

Episode 10: Sleeping with a Pervert!

Mikan was supposed to go home right away after her taping, but there were a couple of things she had been thinking, which involved a certain raven-haired jerk/pervert. She asked her manager, Serina Yamada, to drop her off at the Hyuuga residence. Serina told her not to stay late and sped away with the car. She walked up to the doorstep and stood stiffly looking at it. She was about to knock when—

"I won't eat your disgusting food, baka!" Mikan heard Natsume say to his sister. "Stop forcing me."

Mikan dropped her hand and took a quick step backward. She looked around hurriedly as she heard footsteps nearing the door. Then she hid in the bushes and waited for someone to come out. The door flew open and out came an irritated-looking Natsume. He walked away from his house as fast as he could.

"Onii-chan, come back!" Aoi stepped out of the house and ran after her brother, but she tripped and fell down. Natsume didn't bother to help her and continued walking until he was out of sight. Aoi started crying on the ground.

"Aoi-chan!" Mikan came out of the bushes and knelt down to help Aoi. "Are you all right?" she asked sympathetically.

"Mikan-chan…since when did you…"

"That's not important right now," Mikan cut her off. "Let's get you inside." She helped Aoi back on her feet and brought her inside the house. She handed the poor girl her handkerchief to wipe away the tears from her crimson eyes.

Aoi pulled her knees under her chin and wrapped her arms around them. "Mikan-chan, I've done something to upset Onii-chan again…" she said, closing her eyes. "But I didn't expect him to get mad at me for cooking dinner. I didn't want him to eat anymore junk food for dinner, so I prepared a meal for him."

Mikan understood what Aoi was telling her and pulled her to a hug. "It's not your fault, Aoi-chan. You were just trying to please your brother, but that jerk doesn't realize your efforts." And she wanted to kill Natsume for treating Aoi that way. "Stop crying…" She rubbed Aoi's back for comfort.

Aoi was glad that her one and only idol was comforting her at the moment, but she couldn't stop crying. She was hurt after what Natsume did. She had prepared a curry dinner for Natsume and gave him the plate, but Natsume merely threw it aside. The plate broke and the food got scattered all over the floor. She told Mikan all about it and hugged her tightly.

The brunette couldn't find the right words to say to her. So, she let the young girl cry as much as she wanted until she fell asleep against her chest. She wiped the tears from Aoi's face before she laid her on the couch. "Natsume has been cold to you for five years now…" She stroked Aoi's hair and sighed. "It's because of what happened to you parents, right?" She still hadn't heard the whole story from Ruka yet, and she was planning to ask him more about it tomorrow.

She went into the kitchen and saw the broken plate and food on the floor. It was just like Aoi had described to her. "Jeez…That jerk… He should've eaten his sister's meal. Curry is delicious…" She cleaned up the whole mess and threw away the broken plate into the trashcan.

"What are you doing here?" a familiar cold and emotionless voice asked.

Mikan spun on her heels and narrowed her eyes at the sight of Natsume Hyuuga. "Cleaning the mess you made!" she said as she pointed a finger at him. "Honestly, why can't you be nice to your sister!"

"Get out of my house now," he demanded, glaring dangerously at her.

"No way!" Mikan stomped her foot and marched towards him. "You can't tell me what to do."

"Do you want me to use force on you, little girl?"

"And I thought you're becoming nicer. I was wrong. You're still a moron." Mikan grabbed Natsume's shirt and gritted her teeth. "Aoi-chan has been nothing but nice to you. She keeps telling me that even though you're like this, she still loves you with her whole heart." She lowered her head, her bangs covering her eyes, as she trembled a bit.

Natsume brushed his hand through his hair, pretending not to care. "Just get out… I don't want you here."

Mikan wanted to slap him hard, but she restrained herself from doing so. "Don't you think that you're going overboard, Natsume? And why the hell are you blaming yourself for your parents' death? Ruka-pyon said that it wasn't your fault, so why keep dwelling in the past?" Her eyes were serious.

"That's because it's really my fault…" he said, turning his back at her. "I killed them…"

"Huh?" Mikan's hazel eyes widened. "You k-killed them? That can't be true…"

"I'm nothing but a jynx. That's why I stop caring about others."

"What? I don't understand you." Things were getting more complicated for her. Why did Natsume say that he killed his parents? It couldn't be true. Ruka didn't say anything about that. "A jynx?"

"I only bring misfortune to others," Natsume said, clenching his fists. "That's why you'll regret being friends with me."

"I told you before…I'm not going to regret it, Natsume…"

Natsume paused in silence. Once again the brunette amazed him with her optimistic nature. He wanted to change. He wanted to become a better person. He made up his mind about it before, but he couldn't help being cold to others. He was used to it. And he also thought about his past with his parents and the way they died because of him. He didn't want his sister or his best friend, Ruka, to suffer like his parents. He had treated himself like a black cat—a bringer of misfortune—over the years.

"Don't you get lonely being isolated from the others?" Mikan said, going in front of him. She looked up at him and touched his cheek. "Natsume, quit doing this to yourself. Please…"

He gazed upon her hazel eyes. He could see how worried she was for him and he felt miserable about it. He held her hand that was on his cheek and squeezed it gently. Her hands were so soft and smooth, and he didn't want to let go of it for some reason. "I know I've been an idiot all this time," he murmured as his expression remained unfazed. But deep down in his heart, he wanted to cry and let out all the pain. "But I can't revert back to my old self just like that. It's too late for me."

Mikan shook her head slowly. "It's never too late to change, Natsume." The sound of her voice was so gentle and sincere. "You still have a chance."

And then there was a moment of silence between the two as they kept gazing at each other's eyes. Mikan could see the sadness present in Natsume's crimson eyes, though his kept his poker-face. She knew that he was tearing up inside and she wanted to hug him for that reason.

Their silence was broken by the sound of Mikan's cellphone. Mikan quickly turned away, pulling her hand away from Natsume and answered the phone. Natsume looked disappointed when she did that.

"Hello?" Mikan answered.

"Mikan, it's getting late. Should I send a limo to pick you up?" Serina asked.

"Oh… I see… O—" Natsume suddenly swiped her cellphone away from her and placed it against his ear. "She's staying here for the night."

Mikan's jaw dropped. "WHAT!" she screamed. "NO!" What the hell was he thinking? She can't stay over at a guy's house. The pervert must be up to something, she thought unpleasantly.

Serina was a bit surprised by this, but she remained calm and composed. "You must be Natsume Hyuuga, correct?"

"So what?" Natsume replied coldly.

"I'll allow my young star to stay with you for the night, and I trust that you will not do any indecent to her…" Her voice was surprisingly colder than Natsume's. "If you make her pregnant, you're going to pay." After that, she hung up the phone.

Natsume's face was almost blank when she threatened him. She was one scary manager—even though he hadn't met her yet. He handed the cellphone back to Mikan, who was staring at him, looking appalled at the moment. "She said you could stay," he said in a bored tone.

It took a few seconds for Mikan to register what he just said. "I-I'm going to spend the night… Here?" She then pointed a finger at Natsume. "WITH YOU!"

Natsume raked his hand through his hair as he leaned against the wall. "Yeah… Got a problem with that?" He shot her an intense glare that startled Mikan a little.

Mikan slumped her shoulders in defeat and massaged her temple with her hand. "This can't be happening…"

"It's not like I'm going to do anything to you," Natsume said with a shrug as he slipped his hands into his pockets. "Besides, you're not my type, polka-dots…or should I say, peach colored…?"

Oh, no…He just had to say that ridiculous nickname again and the underwear color she was wearing. Mikan shot him one mean glare, her eyebrows twitching. She raised a fist high just to hit him, but the jerk simply dodged her. "Hold still so I can hit you, baka hentai!" And the chase went on.

The two of them stampeded all over the house, as Mikan tried so hard to catch Natsume—even if she was an adept runner already. Because of Natsume's martial arts training, her attacks were nothing to him. The way she was nagging at him seemed annoying to him yet he found it to be amusing. And the pout on her face was too cute to resist, he silently thought. He just loved teasing her without knowing the real reason why. This girl definitely got him interested in her, and he doesn't mean like in a fan-boy-type of way.

They soon got into the kitchen and started running around the table like a pair of immature children. Mikan was so intent on killing him for being a pervert and for telling her manager that she'll stay over at his house for the night. She simply had no intentions of staying in the same house as him. She was getting tired of chasing him, so she got a glass of water and tried to splash him with water. Her attempt failed, of course, because Natsume was too fast for her.

"I can't stand this!" Mikan said, aggravated, as she dropped her fists to her side. "I'm going home!"

But Natsume didn't want her to go home. Call him a pervert or crazy, but he wanted the young pop star to stay with him. "You're staying here, polka-dots…"

"No, I won't!" She walked away from the kitchen as quickly as she could, but she failed to notice the slippery wet floor that she caused. So, she managed to slip up. She closed her eyes and waited for her butt to hit the floor, but Natsume saved her in the nick of time. As she opened her big round hazel eyes, she found herself in the arms of Natsume and his face was so close to hers. Mikan couldn't help blushing.

"Are you always this clumsy?" Natsume told her coolly. It was getting awkward for him to have her stare at him like he was some kind of item.

"Let go of me!" Mikan shoved him away and stood up. She touched her chest only to feel her strong heartbeat. She touched her face, knowing that she was blushing beat red. What the hell is wrong with me? Why does my heart feel likes it's going to explode? She closed her eyes, trying to think of an answer, but her emotions were making her more confused.

Natsume took a step forward and grabbed her shoulder, which made her scream so loud. "Don't scream, little girl…" he grumbled, covering his ears.

"J-Just don't t-touch me, hentai!" Mikan demanded.

Natsume let out a frustrating sigh as he scratched his head. "Whatever…" He rolled his eyes over the wall clock. The time was already 9:30 PM. "Look, it's really late. A girl like you shouldn't walk home at this hour."

"So what? I can defend myself just fine!" She was being stubborn.

However, Natsume can even be more stubborn. "You're going to stay here. I don't want to get in trouble with that manager of yours." And seriously, her manager's voice did give him the creeps.

"You're not responsible for me."

"I am now."

"And why do you care?"

"Because I feel like it."

"I thought you didn't like being friendly with other people. You're so complicated, Natsume."

"Only when you're around."

Mikan placed her hands on her hips. "And what does that supposed to mean?"

"Betsuni…" he plainly said.

Mikan decided not to argue with him anymore. It was pointless. He was too stubborn for her own might. "So, where am I going to sleep?" she asked with a sigh.

Natsume smirked at her. "My room…Where else?"

"What!" Mikan started blushing again. "In case you haven't notice, you're a guy and I'm a girl. We're not related and we're not even that close. You're expecting me to sleep in the same room with you? Are you planning to take advantage of me?" She spoke so fast, but Natsume understood what she was trying to say.

And he replied, "So?"

"Grr… So? Is that all you can say? I'll sleep in Aoi-chan's room!"

"My stupid sister is currently asleep, so you can't ask her permission," Natsume told her. "And don't plan on waking her up."

"But I can't sleep in your room!"

"And I'm not letting you sleep in the living room either."

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"Stop complaining…" Natsume grabbed her wrist. "And come with me." He took her upstairs and literally pushed her into his room. His room was quite messy, but it fitted Natsume's style perfectly. There were stacks of mangas in the shelves, a laptop computer and PSP on the table, and a Television with a Playstation 3 connected to it. Posters of different Anime series were posted all over the walls.

She looked at the bed, which was big enough to fit 2 people on it, and blushed even more. Was she really going to sleep with him? She shook away her thoughts and glared at Natsume. "I'm so not sleeping on the same bed as you!"

"I make the rules in this house," Natsume said as he walked towards his closet. "And you can't do anything about it." He reached in for a white t-shirt and threw it over at Mikan.

"And what is this?" She looked at the clothing strangely.

"Your change of clothes, what else? You'll have to bear with that for now, since my sister's asleep. I don't want to barge into her room and take out her clothes. She might make a fuss about it."

Mikan was frustrated as hell, but she didn't whine about it anymore. Controlling her temper, she went into the bathroom to change. After a few minutes, she came out wearing the oversized white t-shirt that was barely covering her naked thighs. She was done washing her face and brushing her teeth. It was a good thing that she found a spare toothbrush inside the drawer.

Natsume, who was lying in his bed reading a manga, turned to look at Mikan when she came out. His eyes widened as he saw her in the t-shirt. He had seen her in cute outfits before, since she was a celebrity, but he had never seen her wearing only a t-shirt before. She was sexy beyond comparison.

Mikan noticed his stare and began feeling awkward. "What's with that dirty look, Natsume?" she muttered.

He shifted his eyes back at his manga, pretending that he wasn't ogling her. "Betsuni…"

Mikan was sleeping soundly that night on Natsume's bed, while the man of the house slept on the couch in front of his television in his room. At the stroke of midnight, Mikan woke up from her slumber as she felt the urge to use the bathroom. She sat up on the bed, rubbing her eyes carefully, and jumped off the bed without a sound. With only the moonlight lighting the room, she took a brief glance at Natsume, taking note that he looked absolute cute when he was asleep.

"I can't believe this pervert can actually make a humble face like that," Mikan whispered with a giggle.

She slowly walked into the bathroom and did her business. After that, she went out of the room, headed downstairs, and walked into the kitchen to get drink a glass of water. When that was done, she decided to check up on Aoi.

"I just remembered that she doesn't have a blanket with her," Mikan said, slapping her forehead. She approached the sleeping Aoi on the couch and noticed that she was already wrapped up in a warm blanket. "Eh? Who put? Wait a minute…" A small smile crept on her face. So Natsume still cares for her after all…

She went back into his room and sat right next to him on the big couch. She looked at him tenderly and brushed away some strands of hair from his closed eyes. "Natsume…" she muttered his name softly, careful not to wake him.

Just then, the raven-haired guy jarred his eyes open and grabbed hold of her wrist. "What are you doing?" he asked her coldly.

Mikan gasped. "I-I'm sorry for waking you up."

"Don't tell me you were planning to do something to me, polka-dots?"

Mikan blushed. "NO! Dream on, pervert!" She stood up and turned around. "I was just…I was just…" Oh great, she didn't have an explanation ready for him.

Natsume sat up on the couch and pulled Mikan towards him to sit on his lap. "If you want to get intimate, just say so…" He doesn't sound like he was kidding, but he was actually just teasing her.

"Let me go, baka hentai!" Mikan uttered, and Natsume quickly clamped her mouth with his hand.

"You're such a loud-mouth. If you make a racket, the neighbors will here you."

Mikan pulled his hand away from her mouth. "Just let me go already…" she demanded in a softer yet serious tone. Her cheeks were burning red and her heart was pacing.

Then Natsume did something so un-gentleman like and that was to push her away. "Fine then…" He sounded disappointed as he lowered his head.

Mikan turned to glare at him, but her face grew serene when she sense sadness from him.

He let out a sigh and went back to lying down on the couch. "Just go back to sleep and don't you dare wake me up again unless it's morning."

"Hmph…" Mikan marched towards the bed and tucked herself in. Really…Natsume is so complicated… But I guess that he's becoming better now… Aoi-chan will be happy if this keeps up. She giggled as she thought about Aoi, who was sleeping soundly in the living room, wrapped in blanket given by Natsume.

Natsume woke up with beads of sweat on his face. He had a nightmare. He had dreamed of his parents. It always haunted him from time to time. The dream did nothing but to make him guiltier. He let out a frustrated groan. When was it going to stop? It was painful to dream about your parents' death over and over again.

Natsume jumped out of bed and hurried into the bathroom to brush his teeth. A minute later, he hurried back into his room to wake up the brunette idol. But when he pulled the sheets away from the bed, he saw nothing but pillows underneath the blanket. Mikan was gone. Did she leave the house while he was asleep? He checked for any signs of her belongings and found her cellphone by the bedside drawer. His face may not show it, but he was actually relieved that Mikan was still in his house. But where was she?

He went downstairs to check, and at the same time Aoi woke up and saw him. As usual, he gave her a cold look, sending shivers down to her spine.

"Um…Ohayou…Onii-chan…" Aoi said nervously, lowering her head. She didn't want to make contact with her brother's eyes. They were too scary for her—even though they had the same color of eyes.

Natsume shrugged. "Morning…" he grumbled.

"Huh?" She looked at her brother. Did he just greet me? That can't be… It was unbelievable since Natsume had never bothered greeting her back for the past five years. Sure, he didn't say it in a lively manner, but he still replied to her. Aoi wanted to smile, but the cold expression on Natsume's face made her still.

It was then that they suddenly smelled something good coming from the kitchen. Aoi's stomach grumbled in hunger. "Oh wow… Smells delicious…" But she wondered who was cooking in the kitchen. Her big brother was standing right across her and she was there sitting on the couch.

The Hyuuga siblings came into the kitchen and saw a cheery brunette setting the food on the table. She was already in her school uniform and had a pink apron on. "Mikan-chan?" Aoi called out.

Mikan smiled at the siblings. "Ohayou, Natsume, Aoi-chan!"

"Ohayou…" Aoi muttered before she shook her head. "Wait… Mikan-chan, why are you here so early in the morning? You even cook breakfast…"

Mikan started removing the apron as she said, "Well, your stupid brother forced me to stay for the night…" She hung the apron back on one of the hooks on the wall and turned back at Aoi. "And I had no choice but to sleep here in your house."

Aoi's big red eyes grew wide. "You actually slept here? Where?"

"Erm…Why don't you ask questions later?" Mikan let out a nervous chuckle. How could she possible tell Aoi that she actually slept in the same room with Natsume? Of course, they didn't sleep on the same bed, but Aoi might get suspicious of them. "Breakfast is served. I hope you guys like pancakes. It was the only thing I found that would make a decent breakfast. Good thing there's maple syrup too."

Aoi's stomach grumbled again and she just blushed in embarrassment. "Hehe…Well, I am hungry."

Natsume rolled his eyes and shook his head. Then, taking a seat, he grabbed the fork, which was already set on the table, and began eating the pancakes. They were really good. He hadn't had a decent breakfast for five years now.

Aoi took her seat and started eating as well. "Delicious!" she exclaimed, turning to Mikan. "I know I made pancakes before, but yours are better than mine!" She sliced another piece and took a bite. She was definitely going to enjoy her breakfast.

"Of course they are…" Natsume said in a monotonous voice. "Yours are barely edible…"

"Onii-chan, you're so mean," Aoi said, puffing her cheeks. "I can cook decently, you know."

"No, you can't."

"I can. I'll prove it to you." Aoi tapped her chin for a while to think. "I know! I'll make lunch for you today. How does that sound?" Her cheerful smile was present in her face.

"I would rather eat dirt than your food, idiot," Natsume muttered uncaringly, his lips curving into a small smile, a cocky smile.

Aoi wasn't hurt by his words this time. She can't explain it, but she felt like her brother has changed. He would normally have such an indifferent aura all the time and his eyes would look menacing to her. Right now, his eyes were still serious yet a little bright and he was smiling, though not wholly.

For a moment, Mikan thought Natsume was being a jerk to his sister again, but his aura was different. It looked more like a regular sibling-argument to her, and she smiled at that fact. It was just how she pictured it—the Hyuuga siblings having a normal breakfast. It was an accomplishment for her.

On their way to school, Aoi kept on asking questions to Mikan about the whole sleep-over thing. Mikan explained some of the details to her, including the part where Natsume told her manager that she'll stay over. But she didn't tell the young girl where she slept last night. Natsume was quiet about it as well, much to Mikan's relief.

"How did you get your uniform, Mikan-chan?" Aoi asked.

Mikan had her in-line skates and protective gear as she skated ahead of the siblings. She turned around and started skating backwards. "I called my manager and asked her to deliver my stuff to your house."

"Oh…I see…" Aoi ran up to Mikan and took her hands. "Mikan-chan, you can sleepover at our house anytime you want. You're always welcome there." She peered over her shoulders and cast her brother a smiling face. "Right, Onii-chan? You won't mind, right?" It was like her fear of Natsume had disappeared in one snap.

Natsume would like it if the brunette idol sleepovers at their house all the time, but he wouldn't dare to say that out loud. "I don't really care," he said dispassionately.

Aoi squealed in delight. "You hear that, Mikan-chan!" She was jumping up and down, expressing her happiness.

"Yeah…" Mikan wouldn't mind if she sleeps with Aoi next time. It was definitely a no for her to sleep in the same room as Natsume again.

Mikan spent a good time in school. She had told Ruka about the sleepover, except for where she slept, and about the breakfast she made for the siblings. She wanted to know more about Natsume's past, but she decided to ask some other time. She kept on observing Natsume for the whole day. She had noticed that he wasn't causing any trouble with the teachers. He was also avoiding Raito and his gang whenever he saw them. A major surprise for her! She was still a bit sad, because Natsume was still hated by many.

"Natsume has quite the bad reputation around here," Ruka said as he packed his books into his school bag.

"I know…" Mikan knew that others will find it hard to see the real Natsume.

Ruka zipped his bag closed and threw it over his shoulder. The fact that Natsume was changing thrilled him. Natsume didn't try to ditch him nor did he insult him for the whole day. Even though Natsume was still a little cold, Ruka could see the minor changes in Natsume's attitude. He knew that Mikan would be the key to Natsume's stone heart. He knew he could count on the pop star. "Sakura, thank you for helping Natsume…" he muttered in a gentle voice. He looked at her kindly with soft blue eyes. "Even though he keeps pushing you away, you still don't give up on him…"

"Honestly, that guy is such trouble," Mikan said as she sat down on her desk. "I'm not even sure why I'm helping him this much. I may be doing this for Aoi-chan, but I feel that there's something more than that. I can't explain it. It's quite confusing really." She lightly laughed.

Ruka didn't know whether to smile or frown. What Mikan just said kind of struck his heart. He felt sort of jealous, because his best friend was getting all of Mikan's attention. Yet, he retained his friendly face, not wanting to depress the brunette or anything like that.

"Well, I have another taping today," Mikan said. "Work, work for me!" Being an idol was tough, but it can be very rewarding. She absolutely loved her job.

"Good luck with that, Sakura," Ruka said.

End of Episode 10

Himeno: Wah! My head hurts. This was a long chapter.

Mikan: Himeno-chan, you were great!

Himeno: Thanks, Mikan-chan…

Mikan: When is the rest of Natsume's past going to come up?

Himeno: Well, I'm not sure if I'll write about it in the next chapter. I'll try.

Mikan: Really?

Himeno: Yup! There will be surprise too.

Aoi: I love surprises! What is it?

Himeno: Aoi-chan, I can't tell you, since it is a surprise. But I'm sure you'll be so happy.

Aoi: I'm looking forward to it.

Himeno: Hehe… Well, that's all for now. Please don't forget to review.

Aoi: Review please!

Mikan: No flaming, minna-san. Don't scare, Himeno-chan.