Delicious Taboo Chapter 25: Delicious Taboo No More, a gakuen alice fanfic

Ohayo minna-san!

How is everyone? I'm doing a wrap up of my long winded fics.. and I'm working on some new ones so you'll be seeing some new ones pretty soon. Expect TGND to wrap up in two more chappies, and this is the last chapter for DT unless I find it in me to write an epilogue. KN is also done in the next update, I am still debating if I should put an epilogue to that. LoL. The Scam is still starting so that one's gonna be long along with SEC which is halfway done.

So yeah, just a rundown of which ones are almost done although you all probably knew that anyways. If you're new to the fandom or just discovered me (LoL) head on over to my profile for a complete list of my works ;)

xoxo Lexi1989

Previously:

"Oniichan! I'm so glad you're awake." Aoi approaches and takes my hand.

"Aoi." I acknowledge her presence but a more pressing issue crosses my mind.

"Where's Mikan?" Ruka and Aoi exchange glances.

"She's not here." I turn towards the third voice. It was Tsubasa.

CHAPTER 25: DELICIOUS TABOO NO MORE

NATSUME

The doctor ran some tests and found me to be in a stable condition. I was in a coma for six months, during which I'd gotten divorced and found out that I am not the father of Kasai. It was a relief, one that was long overdue, but that wasn't important now. I cared for the child, no matter how short the time we spent together or how I detested his mother. I shook those thoughts away as I looked at the other people in the room.

The doctor just left, stating that I will still need to stay in the hospital for another week or so, just enough for them to complete testing and confirm I am healthy enough to live outside without medical assistance. Since I was in bed for too long, I needed to get used to walking again. My burns on the right side were now faint scars. A bit discolored but healing nicely as what the doctor said. There was a scar on my cheek where the shrapnel hit, other than that, not much damage was on my body, thanks pretty much to the car door that took the hit from the bomb in front of me.

I heard about Luna and Tono from Aoi. I felt bad about her legs being amputated. But I am glad to know someone who cares about her will be with her to take care of her. Despite our history, I can say I am sincerely happy for her.

What was missing now was Mikan. She was nowhere to be found. I'd somehow expected her to be around when I woke up. I felt really bad when I remembered our fight, before the bombing. I recall my dream, with my mother and the brunette. I knew it was her. Why I couldn't remember her name back then so I could call her, I don't know. I just felt that it really was her in my dream. What did it mean?

Aoi and Ruka had strangely kept the conversation off of Mikan. Tsubasa sat there glaring at me the whole time. When they finally ran out of topics to talk about, Ruka and Aoi excused themselves.

"We'll leave you two to talk." Ruka said, urging Aoi to get a cup of coffee with him.

I heave a sigh and decide to get on with it. This was inevitable and I'd expected at some point he would talk to me about my relationship with his stepsister. Tsubasa and I haven't really talked since that day he landed a punch on me at Mikan's graduation.

"Andou." Acknowledging his presence made me a tad uncomfortable but he didn't look like he wanted to have this talk more than I did.

"Hyuuga." Still nothing.

"What are you doing here?"

"I don't know."

"What?"

"I said, I don't know." He looked torn.

"Where's Mikan?" If I didn't ask, I'd go crazy. He glared at me.

"Look man. I – I'm here for her."

"Why? What happened to her? Is she okay?!" I struggled to sit up and felt a sharp pain in my right abdomen. There was a fresh scar with stitches that I didn't notice.

"Jeez man. Don't work yourself up. You're stitching will come undone. She's okay." I clutched my right side where the scar is. It was stinging very bad and he called the nurse to check on it.

After making sure there wasn't any bleeding, I was given some painkillers. And he explained it all.

"Let me just get this off my chest, okay?" He said in a pained voice.

"You were in a critical state after the bombing. I was with her when she found out about it in Brazil. She wanted to be here and I forbade her to come to you. I was really, really, really pissed off about what you did to her man. Plus you were my bro. I mean, we all know about the bro code! It all went to my head. When I found out that she was still seeing you, and you were still married, I lost it. But she chose you. She left, went here for three days. And didn't even want to finish that tour if not for Hotaru and the girls. She came back to finish the tour and declined the feature tour after that. The girls all voted unanimously, because they couldn't bear watching her all worried. They took a break and she came back here. To you." I was about to interrupt when he held out a hand.

"Let me finish." He said and I let him.

"I've supported her all throughout her career as a DJ even if our parents were initially against it. I was able to turn the tide for her, and my parents were able to see that she was finally happy doing what she loved. She turned her back against it for you. Despite being at the height of her career. She said she'd rather give it up than lose you completely. And I honestly thought she was crazy. I even hated you for awhile after finding out about your marriage, well, ex-marriage now. It was the thought of you keeping that secret from us like you didn't even trust us enough. And I thought you were just playing around with my sister."

"What are you trying to say Tsubasa?"

"I'm saying that you are one very lucky son of a bitch to have Mikan love you. More than her career, more than me apparently, because even if I told her not to, she still chose you. And it hurts. I love my sister man. Even if she isn't related to me by blood. And I'm saying that it was pretty lousy of you to do what you did to her. She deserved so much more." I cringed as he said that because I knew it was true.

"I know."

"No matter how hard I fight against you two being together, I can't tell her who to love. I can't make her choices for her." I admired his honesty and I somehow felt he had resigned himself to what was going to happen next.

"You'd better take care of Mikan, man. I mean it." I nodded and he turned and went out the door.

MIKAN

A month and a half ago, I left with a heavy heart to finish the tour with DJ Jinx. As much as I didn't want to leave Natsume, I had to. For the girls. I couldn't taint their reputation just because I was willing to give my career up. What I didn't expect was that they sit down with me and tell me they decided a break would be in order before accepting any tour proposals. They all told me that they wanted me with them when we go on tour and that there was no way we weren't doing this together.

We'd agreed on a one year sabbatical. And then we could all go from there. After the tour, the girls flew back to Los Angeles to return to their families. I went with them only to pay a visit to my parents before coming back here to New York to stay at the hospital with Natsume.

When I got back home, I expected my parents to protest my decision but imagine my surprise when they told me they supported me. It was a big relief for me. Only Tsubasa still hadn't come around. He was pretty mad that I left him in Brazil despite his forbidding me to see Natsume. When I arrived, he barely even said a word to me. He just stood up, leaving his food untouched and left for work.

I left L.A. shortly after getting my stuff sorted out and headed to New York where I became a permanent fixture at the Presbyterian with Aoi and Ruka. Hotaru has come to visit a few times, she and Ruka had apparently become an item. And I'm happy for them. Luna and Tono had come by as well, when Luna went for her check-up with the doctor. She was going to get a bionic leg and would be undergoing physical therapy to get used to it. Everything and everyone else's lives moved on slowly. Only mine seemed to be at a standstill.

I spent the last few weeks by Natsume's bedside. Ruka and Aoi had been pestering me to step out for a breath of fresh air. I've always refused, fearing that he would wake when I was gone. After weeks of being cooped up, I've reluctantly done so and have been gone for the past half hour.

I went out of the hospital and headed towards a small tucked away café at a corner street a couple of blocks away.

"Hi! Welcome to Alice Café, may I take your order?" The blond guy at the counter asked with a charming smile.

"A Caramel Frappe please." I said politely while doling out the change I needed from my wallet.

"You look really familiar." He said in an attempt at small talk while he relayed my order to the barista.

"I guess I just have one of those faces." I said. I wasn't really in the mood for small talk. I whipped out my phone at the pretense of being busy.

"Can I get your name?"

"Excuse me?" I said distractedly.

"For your order. You can choose a table and have a seat and I'll give you your order."

"Oh." Stupid me. I thought he was trying to hit on me.

"Mikan." He looked at me intently until I noticed recognition dawn on him.

"You're DJ Shiro Neko!" He exclaimed.

"Shhh.." I shushed him, although the café was nearly empty, I didn't need a commotion like this.

"I used to hang out at that underground club before! I watched you perform live with The Rising Sun! You girls were awesome!" He said excitedly.

"It's nice to meet a fan. Thank you." I smiled politely and turned to choose a seat.

I picked one in the back and settled down on the plush armchair while waiting for my order. The guy came a few minutes later and delivered my frappe along with a slice of their cookie dough cheesecake.

"I didn't order this." I told him.

"On the house." He said with a wink. I thanked him and he went on his way after procuring an autograph on a table napkin.

As much as I loved my career, I knew I couldn't really focus until I knew Natsume was fine. I didn't know how he'd feel when he woke up. We had a pretty big fight before I left for the tour with DJ Jinx and it had been pretty much unresolved until now. I just hoped he would forgive me for leaving.

All these jumbled thoughts disappeared when I received a text from Aoi.

"Mikan-nee, onii-chan is awake."

My worst fear just came true. He woke up without me next to him.

TWENTY MINUTES LATER

I skidded to a halt at the hallway outside of Natsume's room, out of breath from running the whole two blocks from the café to here.

"Where *huff* *huff* is he?" I said in between gulping mouthfuls of air.

"He's inside." Aoi responded hesitantly.

I made to open the door but Ruka grabbed my arm before I could reach the knob.

"I don't think it's a good idea right now, Mikan."

"Why not? I've already been away when he woke up! Wait! Is he mad at me?" I'm barely functioning now with lack of sleep and stress over his condition. My mind is reeling with the possibility that he hates me. Tears start pooling in my eyes. I couldn't bear it if he didn't want to see me because I needed to see him. Alive, awake and well.

"No. He was looking for you actually." Ruka scratched his head and turned towards Aoi, imploring her to help explain.

"Uhm, Mikan-nee, your onii-chan is inside talking to him."

"WHAT? WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO?" The nurse at the nearby nurse's station gave us all death glares and shushed us.

"I texted you that. After I told you that onii-chan was awake. He just went in to the room and sat there. I think he was expecting you to be there. We told him you were out for a bit to get coffee." I checked my phone and sure enough, there was a second text from Aoi that I didn't see because I was in a rush to get back here. I apologized for freaking out but felt all the more paranoid.

After waiting for five minutes, I really couldn't take the suspense and decided to interrupt whatever chat they were having. If Tsubasa was still mad he could take it out on me and not on a man who had just woken up from a coma. As soon as I touched the knob, the door opened from the inside and Tsubasa stepped out and closed the door behind him.

"Mikan." He said awkwardly.

"Tsubasa. What are you doing here?" I confronted him.

"I came because…"

"Because what?"

"I came because I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry for being such a dick about everything. About you and him. And I've told him already. I just want my little sister back." He said with his head bowed low.

I responded by giving him a hug. A tight one.

"Thank you onii-chan. Your support means a lot to me. You don't know how painful it was for me when I left you in Brazil. I missed you onii-chan."

"I missed you too. But right now, I think there's someone else who missed you more than I do." He gently broke our embrace and pushed me towards the closed door.

It was now or never.

I stepped in hesitantly through the door and my knees are shaking. Tsubasa, Aoi, and Ruka are all behind me and push me forward. I'm honest to goodness scared and excited at the same time. The moment he turns towards me and I see the smile on his face though. All the fears disappeared.

"Mikan."

"Natsume." I walked towards him and cradle his face in my hands.

"I'm –" We both started talking at the same time and we all chuckled. There were so many things to say.

"You go." I urged him.

"I'm sorry. For asking you to give up your dream for me. I'm sorry if I was such a selfish prick. I'm sorry for everything. For Luna. For all those years wasted. I love you and I want to be with you and only you. Please say you forgive me."

"Of course I forgive you, silly. I'm sorry too. For giving up so easily. I love you too, with all of my life." I cried as he held me close and kissed my forehead.

"You're the person I want to spend my life with. Once I get out of here, please say you'll marry me Mikan." He asked.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" I answered him in between kisses.

Aoi and Ruka cheered while Tsubasa gave us a small smile. I called my parents and skyped with Hotaru and the girls sharing the good news. That Natsume was awake and that we were getting married. Everybody was excited. Luna, her father and Tono were also informed that Natsume was awake and promised to drop by this afternoon.

Looks like we would have our happily ever after. Despite the heartaches and the challenges along the way, his secret shotgun wedding, my career, our initial break-up, my being his mistress, our second break-up, we still found our way back to each other. Everything was in place.

"Oh and Tsubasa?" My brother looked up from his cellphone towards my unofficial fiancée.

"Yes?"

"Should I call you onii-chan now?" Natsume teased.

"Don't push it bro."

AND THIS CONCLUDES DELICIOUS TABOO

So I inserted a little humor in the end since it is a happy ending and a bit anti-climatic. Not much major events going on there. But I hope you still liked it. Stay tuned for new stories coming your way!

Let me know if you want an epilogue! XD

miamu-chan – Oops! It was just an abstract dream though, it would be too long if I made him lose his memories and inconsistent since he still remembered her upon waking up. Consider it just something not too central to the story lol. I hope you enjoyed the ending!

Katherine Kalissa Amara – Amnesia would be too predictable and dramatic. I hope you come back online soon! Get better with your hand!

Anilissa – No problemooo you've been with me since my first story so I completely understand. I feel a bit challenged actually, I may need new plot twists to keep you engaged hahaha! And yeah, I feel the laziness sometimes too. So all good my dear, all good. Enjoy this ending! Thank you for your undying support! Love ya mwah :*

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Story cycle update:

The Scam - Secrets - Karaoke Nights - The Guy Next Door

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xoxo Lexi1989

AND THIS CONCLUDES DELICIOUS TABOO