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manimefrances

A/n: Oh my God. It sure has been a while. I've been gone for more than two years (I think)! Hmmm… I was trying to finish some schoolwork when I came cross my ff files, then I thought that if I really planned on coming back, what better time would it be but now? And sadly, due to my being gone for too long, I am afraid I've lost some of my former quirks and humor that I think have become second nature (at least at that time). And so please bear with me. It should be some time now.

Disclaimer: For the sake of my starting anew, I make it clear that I own only what I upload in this site. No amount of work can sanction me as GA's owner (unless I earn enough money to buy the rights from Tachibana. Care to give a dollar a day?haha)

Chapter 9. Gaiety in the Face of Hurt (I've come up with another lame title, sorry!)

"Mikan, you could always get a new one!" Anger was evident in my voice as I bodily tried to shake her out of her current state. But she only remained dazed, her face contorted in so much pain that it tugged at my insides.

"You must think I'm going crazy," then she laughed "You know, I'm not crying all for the car; it's rotten how some people could just go and destroy a property that's not theirs. How spiteful… Just like ours Natsume, our relationship before. Well, your permission was in it, right?" Then tears once again rolled down her puffed cheeks.

I could've been OOC for all I care or pathetic to most of you but she was simply concealed in my embrace. "Mikan…"

Baka, I'm sorry… I promise, you're not going to get hurt again.

Sobs were all that filled the room.

Natsume's nightshirt was all soaked now as he stayed there, unblinking, with Mikan in his arms. He steadily rocked her back and forth, though without as much as a word. After quite a while, she started to quiet down as her whimpering abated into hiccups, and gradually to silence.

Natsume let her out of his embrace and steadied her by the shoulders to face him. Her eyes were still rimmed in red, and her nose still copiously pink as she looked at him with so bizarre an expression—one that seemed to be a cross of confusion and the want to trust and give in. She looked most vulnerable to him and it rent him into two. The words died at his throat and he could only continue to stare at her.

She looked away.

"I'm tired. I've got to get to my room." She chipped out in a whisper. His grip on her tightened and Mikan whirled back to face him, to regard what he had to say.

He was getting all raw now, his face considerably softening and opening up. "Mikan… I-I—" he cut himself off as her brows drew together in rage, and wildly tried to loosen herself from his hold.

"Let it go Natsume!" she bit out, her arms wildly flailing as she tried to stand and gather her skirts. "We both need a good night's sleep. Good riddance!"

Just as she took as much as a step, he pulled her back by the arm and let the both of them fall back into bed, with Mikan on top. His strong arms closed around her. She struggled, but it was all for naught.

"Baka, you are in your room. Sleep," He commanded, staging a yawn.

The girl, with a sigh, did his bidding as her lids closed and drowsy, let sleep claim her.

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Natsume's POV

Man, this girl's got the energy. Now just how could a 22-year-old act in such a fashion? It irked me.

But then, she was so wrapped up in her pain, and I felt it tug at my heart. Her every sob seemed to drill right though me and though my silence likened me to being a complete asshole, I stayed quiet. I could do little else. What was there more to say? I was a damn fool, and there was nothing else there was to that. I felt immobilized as it dawned on me, finally quite fully, that I was the one doing this to her. Not some mongrel I would've hit right at the face, not some crazy lunatic like Albert Shi. And to think I claimed I love her? Fool.

And it too did not help that she looked at me both accusingly and quite trustingly at the same time. I guess I've always been the jerk she's claimed that I am.

Later on, when she stepped out of her crying, the look on her face stilled me as stone. She seemed so fragile that she'd break with any rough handling. And I did handle her quite roughly.

"Mikan… I-I—love you" she interjected with a surprising bout of strength before I could even get the words out. Sorry. Indeed I am.

"Let it go Natsume! We both need a good night's sleep. Good riddance!"

My hands involuntarily flew over hers and gently flung her body to mine as I let the two of us drop back to bed, with our backs to it. I hardly noticed her puny efforts to undo me and get her own way. She was but a petite female.

Sigh, the idiot was right. Let the light to this come in the morning. "Baka, you are in your room. Sleep," I said, unassailable, as I steadied her down. This day has worn me out. Accepting the fact of your own stupidity topples down quite a couple levels of your ego. And duh, it isn't a good feeling, trust me.

But as all these continued to buzz inside my now aching head, shut eye was just impossible. And when have I ever been the humoring type, when talking to my own self? Sigh baka... You have never been the lucky type. Or are you?

End of Natsume's POV

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Daylight swept the room, entering through the slits that festooned the majestic curtains that hung heavily on the sides. The house was busy with servants going about, hectic with work. At one part of the house, the kitchen smelled and sounded of sausages and eggs on oil and luxurious coffee and morning croissants. At another, people with big rundown but comfy hats milled the garden with large cutting shears. Bugs and bees flew leeway.

Meanwhile, in the master's bedroom, the couple remained on bed, softly snoring the time away. Tic tac tic tac… The woman, her hair fanned out behind her, lay there hugging the man like a teddy. The man, who usually slept roving the whole of the bed, distractedly (because of whatever dreams he had), lay peacefully, without moving as much as an inch. If you by chance happen to have entered this room, coming to find such a display, you would've brightened up, thinking how the two looked so good and right together. But nonetheless, as all [good] things in life, it was a picture intended to be disturbed as the cell phone on the bedside table rang to the extreme. He is sensible and so incredible and all my single friends are jealous He says everything I need to hear and it's like—

"Hello?" An irritated Natsume partically growled over the phone.

"Huh, Mi-san?" a woman, uncertain, drawled out from the other side.

"…" He was drumming his fingers now.

"Mi-chan! Get your ass back here! The boss is ready to give you a promotion. That's how much he wants you back!" she suddenly droned in a fit of hysteria, in English.

"Miss Sakura is very much pregnant and ballooned up by his husband that flying across the Atlantic would be suicide," he said, adding a dose of concern to his voice, successful at holding back a smirk that was coming.

"Husband! She never told me that!" She exclaimed in a gasp, disbelieving and relieved at the same time.

"Yes, if you'd excuse us," Natsume trailed over huskily, and cut off.

At the other side of the world, specifically on a partitioned office on the 68th floor D Corporation in California, the woman, suddenly very much excited, ground on her heels and jumped over a man carrying a box of supplies (a poor—or lucky?—officemate who happened to pass by at that exact moment) and clung to him as she openly kissed him, feeling very much horny herself.

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Natsume set the phone back on its place and sighing, looked at his wife who still was wrapped around the blankets. He shielded his eyes with an arm from the incoming light and looked at the clock. Eight forty, it read. The people in the office, without the usual reprimand from their stern boss, must be going haywire right as of this moment, he silently mused. Let them, he evilly thought.

"Oi," he shook her by the shoulders in an attempt to wake her up. When all such efforts proved to be futile as she only moaned (like a contented kitty-cat haha!) each time in response, Natsume knew that there was only one way to get through her thick lazing brain, one he, with cadence, often employed many years ago, when they'd been happier.

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Mikan's POV

I was in some field full of flowers. All my limbs were sprawled out over the smooth grass and I felt my hair and the soft curves of my dress dance in the wind. I let out a sigh of euphoria as my fingers came to contact with the flowers that achingly bloomed just by my side. I felt all bubbled up with happiness and I sorely wished I could contain it, to save me in times of grief and depression.

But then, black clouds started to pattern the sky. It outright shielded the sun and my happiness, astride with the light, dissolved away just as it had. I knew I'd soon have raindrops dripping on me from the heavens above, but I just stayed there, enveloped by what little protection this stretch of land had to offer.

Rain fell. It fell on me quite strangely. Wet, yes of course, but it tickled me all over and I felt like I would churn with delight. I threw my arms in the air, and whatever possessed me, laughed till my lungs allow. It was such a good sensation. The clouds and the rain, menacing in their stead, did not hit me the way I thought they would, sending me to shivers and rattling with fever. It served me quite the opposite.

Oh how I love the rain!

End of Mikan's POV (or should I say, dream? Ahaha)

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"Oi, it's well over time for your breakfast, pig," he whispered, amused, as he continued to rain kisses over her face and bared neck.

Oh, she tasted so good.

"You stench," he quipped, but languished her with more of his kisses, smoothing his fingers over her arms.

She moaned and stretched out, getting to her senses.

And she rose so suddenly that Natsume was knocked off. "Rain!" she shouted as she ran off. The door stilled back into place with a loud bang as she totally disappeared from view.

"Idiot," he bit out, irritated, as he imaginably wiped off some blood that oozed from his chin from contact. What he could not wipe out though was the sudden quirking of his lips. (hotaru: flash flash flash,--oooh I'm sure this'd sell for millions, lol)

(wahahahaha serves you right dumbass!)

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"I am feeling quite hungry today," she remarked over a bite on another piece of croissant. She then forked down a piece of sausage that Natsume was sure was her fifth. Or sixth.

She stiffened when she felt Natsume's gaze on her, but then, unruffled, only continued eating and quirked up questioningly, "Ne Natsume, aren't you hungry?" she said after another spoonful of rice (we eat rice in breakfast here in my Philippines and I'd like to keep it at that with this story XD).

"Didn't know you were a binge eater," he commented drily as he sipped from his coffee, trying his hardest to keep his face straight (or he'd give out the impression of a lunatic if he gave so much as another quirking of the lips!).

"Whatever you say but, oh!" she downed some blockage with some milk "gulp, but this is good," she looked at him gaily, amused at his seemingly stumped expression.

"I've had stuff way better than that just a couple of minutes ago," he said in a monotone, as a sort of a reply.

"Oh?"

"Yes, and I plan to have more of it—eat the whole pack actually—tonight"

Mikan was nonplussed with his wolfish smile and only invitingly smiled, "Sure, go ahead."

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A/n: Hahahaha, I was laughing the whole time I was typing this. Whew! I'm in bliss, weeeeeee! But well anyway, I gotta stop for now; I've papers to finish. I'm just gonna continue this weekend, and guys? Do me a favor and review, ok? I am in dire need of that. So even criticisms are welcome, and certainly starved for. Pretty please? Please help me get on with my writing and my career here in ff. And I could only say thank you to those who understand and care enough to grant me this one wish, though I know this hardly is enough.

Mwah, [: I hope to be engulfed deeper and feel more opportune the next time I check this story. Reviews really would brighten up my days!

And oh! If you thought that this chappie was just so full of jesting, I intended it to somehow balance out the seriousness of the situation. I don't know. I hope I haven't overdone it. And I hope Natsume wasn't really that out of character. But anyway, he is twenty-three for goodness sake! He's got to act more mature now. xp