Chapter 21 finally here!

Have fun while reading!

As the door softly shut, his eyes lingered to the shadow that had just left. Then, his eyes diverted to the red flowers beside him. They were tulips. Truth to be told, he was not really fond of tulips. But as he saw Mikan bring these flowers for him, that thought was quickly diminished.

There was a small knock on the door and Natsume saw white uniformed nurses and doctors come in. The nurses were trying to hold back giggles.

"Good morning Mr. Hyuuga." A doctor, Natsume presumed, said.

He gave him a wry glance.

"We are just doing the daily rounds so, if you don't mind." The doctor and the nurses started what they have to do.

"Your blood pressure is okay and your breathings fine too. If this continues, you'll be out of here in no time." The doctor announced with a smile. Natsume just nodded.

"But sir, if you don't mind, I think the room is too crowded with the flowers and everything and it may not help that much. How about I ask some nurses to keep away the unnecessary ones?" the doctor added politely.

"That's fine. Just the unnecessary ones though." Natsume replied.

After a few minutes, they left. Then, silence came back to the room.

"Where is she? What is taking her so long?" he wondered as he took a glance at the clock.

Before he realized it, he was deeply asleep that he didn't even notice a nurse came in to throw away the "unnecessary ones".

He didn't know how long he was asleep but when he woke up, his room had a very light atmosphere. He looked around. It was cleaned up. He looked to bedside table; he saw a bag of food.

"So she is here. But where?" he looked around again. "Wait." He realized something was amiss. The tulips were gone too!

He sat up straight and gave a deep sigh. He pressed the emergency button. In less than a minute, a nurse came rushing in.

"Sir?" the nurse asked worriedly but gave a relieved sigh as she saw he was alright.

He looked at her with his fury filled crimson orbs. "Were you the nurse who cleaned up my room?"

The nurse just gave him a questioning look.

"Answer me!" he demanded.

"No sir." She quickly replied.

"Get me the nurse who cleaned up my room. Right now!" he said with his domineering tone.

The nurse hurriedly went out. It took about 3 minutes for another nurse to come in.

"You called for me sir?" the nurse smiled.

"Where are the tulips?" he bluntly asked.

"Tulips?" the nurse asked, making sure.

"Yes. Where is it?"

"I can't remember if I picked one up. There were a lot of flowers here sir." She explained.

"WHERE IS IT?" He asked again, his voice rose.

"Probably in the trash sir." She looked down, she was near to crying.

"What? You threw it away?" he accusingly said. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Midori Yumi sir." She replied, still looking down.

"Midori Yumi. Get ready to say goodbye to your job." He arrogantly said to the poor nurse.

"Please sir. I would get you another tulips." She was now looking up, tears already gathering in her eyes.

"You could never replace that tulips." He simply said, looking at her.

"Please sir. I really need this job. I still have a family to support." She begged with tears falling. She got no reply. "Please. Please." She sobbed.

"That does not concern me. You threw them away." He said.

Then, the door opened. "What's happening here?" was the first thing she said, as she saw the sobbing nurse.

The nurse looked at her, "Ma'am, I'm really so sorry." She pleaded.

"What did you do?" this time, she was looking at Natsume.

"Giving her what she deserves" was his reply.

"I'm really so sorry. Are you his girlfriend? I didn't really intend to throw the tulips. I'm so sorry. I really need this job." The nurse was stuttering between sobs.

Mikan nodded, "its okay. But I'll do my best to help. I'm sorry about it." the nurse left with silent thanks.

Mikan, then turned to Natsume, "Why did you do that?" she asked, then continued "Just because she accidentally threw the tulips too? You're really impossible." She grunted.

"It was her fault." Natsume said, looking away. He just can't look at her. How can she still be beautiful when angry?

"Why are you making a big fuss over those tulips? If you really want one, I can get you another."

"No."

"What?"

"I said no."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

He looked at her and said, "You cannot get me another one exactly the same as those because that was different. It was special. When you have given something away, you cannot give it away the second time with exactly the same meaning."

She sighed and went a little closer. "Those were just flowers. I think you mean a different thing with what you said."

"Not really." He replied, "So tell me then Mikan, why you brought me those flowers?"

"Does it really need to have a meaning? Is it not meaning enough just the bringing of those?" she asked him. She didn't know how this serious conversation started.

"It should have a meaning."

"You're my boss, Natsu…sir." Mikan said.

"So? What does that have to do with anything? Just tell me why. That simple."

"If only it was just that simple." Mikan thoughts wondered.

"Fine. I'll be frank and honest with you, Natsume." She paused, "I brought those flowers because…" she looked at him, he was waiting. "…because I needed a reason to see you. Happy?" Then, she looked away, hiding the little blush that's creeping down her cheeks.

"Why are you looking away?" he asked, nonchalantly. As if not affected by what she said.

"Why? Can't I?" Mikan responded.

In that moment, when she was looking away, he gave a smile. A genuine smile. One that he had not given for quite a time now. Just in time, Mikan looked at him then she caught the smile as he quickly turned away.

"Wait!" Mikan suddenly said. "Was that a smile?" she said, a wide grin playing on her lips.

Natsume ignored her.

"Come on." She went closer to him. "You actually smiled, on your own will." She poked him in the face. "Why are you looking away?" she mocked. Poked him again.

She was about to poke him again when Natsume grabbed her hand and she fell down on him with her face a few inches away from his.

Mikan's eyes widened, "What did you do that for?" She tried to look away.

"Come on, don't look away." He teased her, using his other hand to let Mikan face him.

"What…Let me go!" She struggled. But too bad, even if he was hospitalized, Natsume was still stronger.

He was smirking.

"Hey! What if a nurse will get in? Let me go!" She struggled again.

"So?" He still was smirking. "Not my problem really. I am just a helpless patient, aren't I?"

"Natsume!" She gave him a warning tone.

"I'll let you go…" he paused. "…if you'll kiss me." he finished.

"WHAT? As if I would do that." Mikan quickly said. "Stop acting like a child will you." she added.

"Too bad. I would not let go, then." Natsume said, still gripping her wrist.

"Let me go!" Mikan was serious.

"Kiss." He closed his eyes but was smirking.

"No!"

He ignored her.

They stayed like that for a couple of minutes. None of them moving and talking. Mikan checked the clock. "Not good." She thought. "In a few minutes from now, a nurse will come and check." She sighed.

"Let me go." She said in a pleading tone, almost.

"Kiss."

"You're still on that?"

He simply nodded.

"Why is he acting like a child? What a mean brat." She was thinking.

"Fine. Fine." She gave up. "Cheeks, okay?"

"Cheeks? That's for little kids." Natsume said.

"Huh? Where do you want it to be, anyway?" she asked.

"Lips." He casually said.

"WHA…!" She took a deep breath. "He's really acting like a brat."

"It's not like we have never done it before." He smirked at her.

She sighed. "Fine. Fine. Fine. You win." She gave up entirely.

He closed his eyes.

She moved a few centimeters.

"I could feel her breathing." He thought.

She moved again.

"It feels so close. Why did I have to close my eyes?"

She moved. There nose was almost touching. She closed her eyes and was about to…

KNOCK! KNOCK!

A nurse came in, "Good…" she stopped. Her eyes widened.

Natsume looked at her with his annoyed crimson eyes, "What?" he was almost shouting.

"I'm sorry. I'll just come back later." And with that, she left.

"I'm so ashamed." Mikan looked away. "This is your entire fault. Just let me go." She looked at him straight in the eye.

She hadn't noticed that Natsume's hand was on the crook of her neck and before she can process how that happened and when, Natsume's lips were already on hers. Their lips danced to the rhythm of unheard melody and not just their lips, but also their hearts. A kiss filled with their emotions and feelings that Mikan almost could not hold back the tears. It was a kiss they willingly gave.

They slowly pulled away. They stared into each other's eyes while Natsume feels her face around his palm. Mikan gave a small smile.

"Can you let me go now?" she asked politely.

"Never." Was his reply. He hugged her tightly as if to never let her go.

"But…don't you find me heavy?" she innocently asked.

"A bit."

"I'm not gonna go anywhere. I'm just gonna stay here." She assured him.

Then, he let go of her.

"You're not going to get mad at me for that, right?" Natsume asked her, sitting up.

Mikan just gave him a smile. Then, she sat down at the edge of his bed.

"You know what…" Natsume started saying.

"Hmm?" Mikan looked at him.

"I feel much better now." He said. "Maybe the medicine I need was you after all." He finished saying with all sincerity.

She smiled. "That's great, then. So you'll be better now and get out of this hospital, right?"

Then a nurse knocked and came in.

"I'll just go out for a while, okay? Mikan said.

After a couple of minutes, she came back and Natsume was sleeping. "He must have been tired."

She sat down and held his hand. "It's okay Mikan. Just for now, let your emotions take over you. Just for now, think that you are just Mikan and he is just Natsume. Just savor the kiss."

She looked at him behind those misty eyes.

"Why did I have to realize it? Why now? It should have been before so I can escape it. Well, it's too late."

Her tears fell silently so as not to wake him up.

"There's nothing I can do. I am in love. I love him. I love Natsume Hyuuga."

She finally realizes it! So much love for Mikan for not being as dense as usual.

Please review! Thank you for reading.

-ECO