Bittersweet Love

I apologize for the short chapter!

Please, enjoy ! :D

-Sorry for bad grammar and tenses-

Disclaimer : I do not own Gakuen Alice

Chapter 18 : Step by Step

"Can we live together mom?" Hiro ask innocently. His eyes sparkled with hope.

Mikan froze. The question she dreaded the most is finally out from Hiro's mouth.

"I.." Hiro trailed off for a moment seeing the shocked expression on his mother's face. "I'm sorry mom. Let us forget that I ever ask the question."

Mikan quickly shook her head. "No, sweetie. You are not wrong. I just didn't expect it, that's all. Its okay."

Hiro frowned. His mom is not a good actress. Even he, a 6 nearly 7 years old boy, can read her expression like an open book, and she is clearly not okay. "Please, forget it mom. I am sorry for ever asking it."

"No sweetie. It's okay, really." Mikan started to feel guilty for showing her fear. She squat down and stare straight into his eyes. "Actually I planned to do that, but not now .. I am not ready yet, sweetheart." Mikan ended her sentence softly.

Hiro smiled and hug his mother tightly. "It's okay mommy. I understand."

Mikan sigh and hug him back. "You are the best son in the world, sweetie. I really couldn't ask for more."

"Why are you hugging each other?"

Mikan turn around as Hiro peek over his mother's shoulder. "Dad!" Hiro greeted excitedly with a grin on his face.

Another smile automatically bloom on Natsume's lips. He definitely can't keep a stoic face if its in front of his family, especially his precious son. "Let's go inside. Do you want to have some late night snack?"

Hiro nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! I want to. What kind of snack do you have dad?"

"No ice cream late at night." Mikan chimed in, warning the boys.

Both Natsume and Hiro turn their heads back, grinning identically with the same mischievousness feeling which made Mikan rolled her eyes and cross her arms in front of her chest.

"No. Ice. Cream. At. Night." She repeated, stressing every word with intense glare.

"Just once mom, pleasee." Hiro beg while they are walking into the mansion.

"No is no." Mikan answered strictly.

Natsume chuckled. "I think maybe once would be okay."

Mikan glared towards Natsume fiercely, which surprised him. "Point taken." He amends instantly.

Mikan huffed. "You should keep it in mind."

The door opened smoothly, and Mikan can't help but fascinated by the size and design of the mansion. Surprisingly, despite the unique taste that Natsume seems having, he choose a minimalist design for his mansion, which make everything looks modern. From the floor to ceiling window, high stools black chair in front of a white marbled bar, stainless but exquisite rack full of expensive wines, spacious living room which has a cool gaming station attach to it, fully equipped looking kitchen and a billiard table standing proudly right beside the sliding door that lead to a clear swimming pool.

"Whoa dad! I want to play PS4 with you!" Hiro look at the gaming station with starry eyes.

Natsume smirk, taking a short glance at Mikan's scary expression and easily guess that Mikan has thought different about his gaming station. He casually strolled towards his gaming station and gestured Hiro to come which agitate Mikan more.

"We will play now?" Hiro literally jumping out of excitement.

Natsume's smirk widen as he take another glance towards Mikan. Before finally let out a chuckle and ruffled his son's head. "Tomorrow okay? Now is too late. Its already past your sleeping time way too far."

Secretly, Mikan sigh in relief. She really doesn't want to argue with Natsume about gaming time since it looks like he like gaming a lot, just like her son. Well.. Hiro is Natsume's son too. Sigh. It starting to creep her out seeing the likeness is uncanny between the father and son even to the smallest thing.

"Time to shower and go to bed, Hiro." Mikan gently said.

Hiro pouted cutely, but he nodded obediently. "Yes mommy."

"Come here. Let me escort you to your room." Natsume called Hiro from the stairs, holding his suitcase. "Would you wait for me at the living room, Mikan?"

Mikan slowly nodded, not sure what Natsume's intend by making her wait downstairs. "Sure."

They climb the stairs with Hiro laughing all the way, by jokes that Mikan can't hear since they already all the way up to the second level. 10 minutes later, Natsume appear back on the stairs, and in minute he arrive right in front of Mikan, picking up her suitcase.

"I'll show you your room." Natsume said, smiling.

Since when Natsume Hyuuga become a gentleman?

Natsume arch his eyebrow. "Do you want to sleep on the couch?"

"N-no." Mikan immediately stand up and rush to his side.

"How long will you stay here?" Natsume ask quietly as they ascending through the stairs.

"Of course only till tomorrow. I don't want to make it a habit sleeping in a man's house." Mikan replied quickly.

Natsume frowned a bit before smoothing out his expression. "I see. Okay."

Mikan glance towards Natsume's expressionless face. "Hiro can stay as long as he wants though." She added.

Natsume nodded, smiling though it looks like it was forced. "I'm happy."

Mikan hold herself as to not commenting further about his reaction, and the rest of their walk to her room is in silence.

"Here is your room." Natsume stop in front of a tall wooden door intricate with swirling leaves and flowers. "My room is two doors on the right. Just call me if there is anything you need."

"You don't have any maids?" Mikan inquired curiously.

Natsume smirked. "I have. But they are on holiday today. They'll be back tomorrow, early in the morning."

Mikan nodded, opening the door to her bedroom. "Well then, I'll just ask your maid for my necessity tomorrow morning."

Natsume shrugged. "Sure thing. Your toiletries already inside the bathroom. They are all new, use them as you please."

"Thank you for always making Hiro happy." Mikan softly said, smiling a bit before slipping inside with her suitcase and closing the door right in front of Natsume's nose.

Natsume blink twice in surprise as a ghostly smile make its way on his lips. "Huh. That is clearly a progress." He muttered to himself.

Mikan turn in her bed restlessly.

She can't sleep.

Not because her bedroom is not good enough, no. She has been living in modesty for all her life, and of course, Natsume's mansion obviously won't have any moderate bedroom. Truth to be told, the first time she saw the bedroom she was plainly flabbergasted.

It is extravagant beyond words. Lavishly decorated, but simple at the same time. Completely spoil the eyes of those who in the room.

Mikan loves the bathroom the most, with a big shower and bathtub which can play music, glowing white marble floor and a rack full of bath bombs, bathing oils, shampoo, soaps, scrubs, etc. All the things girls ever dream of bathing products are there.

She admire the room too, the way the bed dip comfortably as she climb on it, or the drapes that surround the bed, effectively giving her privacy that she needed. Also the way the vanity table is placed right in front of a big window which stretch from one side to the other side of the room, or the fluffy black carpet that covered all the bedroom's floor.

But still, she can't sleep. She felt uneasy, maybe because the new surrounding or perhaps the flashing light and the sound of thunder from afar that indicating a storm coming.

She never could sleep through the storm. She has this unknown trauma which make her wide awake and cowering in fear every time there is a big storm.

She never experience this again ever since having Hiro. Hiro always sleep next to her wherever they went, and in her apartment Hotaru has kindly installed soundproof walls which make Mikan can sleep peacefully no matter how big the storm raging outside.

This is actually Mikan's first time, since having Hiro, sleeping in new place without him beside her.

Mikan grip her blanket. She can't suddenly came into Hiro's room and ask him to sleep with her, can't she? It is too embarrassing, and she doesn't have heart to disturb him in his peaceful sleep.

Mikan try to squeeze her eyes shut and play some music from her phone to soothe her ears. But after an hour keep turning left and right as she can still see the flashing lightning and the loud thunder, she finally gave up trying to sleep.

She glance towards the curtains which covering the enormous window right now.

Though she can't see outside, her feelings never wrong if its about storm.

She knows that it has started to rain, hard, and the thunder doesn't get any better.

Mikan bit her lower lip, trying to hold back her incoming tears and calm herself down.

"What should I do?" Mikan mumbled to herself. She force her brain to think as a face suddenly appear in her mind. "Should I.." She trailed off, quickly shaking her head to make the image disappear.

"No, no." She keep talking to herself, shaking her head. "What if he thinks bad of me? It is embarrassing! More embarrassing than asking Hiro!"

FLASH! BOOM! BOOM!

Mikan instantly screamed at hide herself inside the comforter. Her hands are literally shaking badly right now.

"No way. The storm is getting big."

FLASH!

"Ugh, not again."

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Mikan tried to muffled her scream by burying her face inside the comforter. Tears already gathered on the corner of her eyes, ready to fall anytime.

"Screw the humiliation! This storm is insane!" She hollered before jumping out from her bed, dragging the comforter which being wrap around herself from head to toe, running and tearing her bedroom door open.

She run like being chased by a mad dog, as she stop in front of the door that Natsume showed as his room a few hours ago.

Mikan take three deep breaths, clutching on her comforter before bracing herself and slowly knock on the door.

No answer.

Mikan sigh. Of course he will be sleeping already, its three o'clock in the morning for goodness sake! And she doesn't dare to just barge in since it is Natsume's room, not like Hiro's or Anna's room.

BOOM! BOOM!

Mikan hold back her scream as her body trembled with fear.

She knock again on the door.

FLASH! BOOM!

Tears stream down on both of her cheeks, hard. She knock again.

"It's not locked." A sleepy voice finally answered as the door open, showing Natsume in his black t-shirt and boxer, messy raven hair, and beady crimson eyes.

"Hi." Mikan greeted, her body already shook badly. Her tears hasn't stop.

Natsume swore under his breath at her state before inquiring loudly, "Mikan? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Writing this chapter is so much fun!

Thank you dear readers!

Much love,

Aquabluemarine