Author's Note: Long-ish author's note at the bottom.
"Natsume, where are you going?" called out Ruka, watching his best friend leave their classroom.
Natsume didn't respond, keeping a straight course for room 3C, carefully holding his precious load. Many other third-years, and a few underclassmen, peered at him curiously and whispered to their friends, speculating about what he could be doing, where he might be going, if Mikan Sakura really was a sugar baby or a girlfriend, but none dared get in his way.
Mikan looked up at his approach, blinking cutely. "Oh, hi, Natsume."
He pulled out and turned around the chair from the desk in front of hers, setting down a rather large container. "A bento box for you."
"I have my own food." Mikan gestured at her lunchbox, which held a measly ration of white rice, chicken, and seaweed from the orphanage kitchen. She didn't mind, though, since it filled up her stomach.
"I know that's not enough for you. I said I would take care of you, wouldn't I?" He popped open the lid to reveal thick slabs of juicy salmon and neatly wrapped rice balls and sliced fruit and much more. He just kept pulling out more and more. It was enough for a little picnic between the two of them.
"I can't possibly eat all of this. It's too much!" Mikan peered over at Natsume's bento box that contained a less ostentatious selection. "Why couldn't you give me what you have?"
"Fine, I guess we'll just share." With his chopsticks, he picked up a little sausage from his box. "Open up."
Naturally, Mikan opened her mouth, and he dropped the piece in. She tried to conceal how deliciously savory it was, but there was no mistaking the pleasure on her face. Though she had insisted it was too much, she ended up devouring most of what he had brought her; and some of his lunch, too, for good measure.
The sight of Mikan Sakura and Natsume Hyuuga talking quietly and even laughing over lunch stirred up more rumors, but both of them remained oblivious, safe in their own little bubble.
Saturday 11:27 AM
NATSUME
You wanna go to a manga cafe today?
MIKAN
And sit there for hours watching you read? :P
NATSUME
Not my fault you don't read it
I can get you into manga.
Come on, it's also a cafe.
You can just eat for hours, I know you can
MIKAN
Well now that you say that….
NATSUME
Knew I could always rely on your stomach
Wear something cute
MIKAN
Is this outfit okay?
[Attachment: 1 image]
NATSUME
Yes.
Send another pic
MIKAN
Like this?
[Attachment: 1 image]
NATSUME
Another
MIKAN
Hmmmmm, should I….
NATSUME
Don't be a brat, just do it
I'll buy you a new phone
MIKAN
You don't have to do that!
I just wanted you to say please
NATSUME
Pls
MIKAN
Properly.
NATSUME
Please.
Please send another photo.
MIKAN
[Attachment: 1 image]
NATSUME
What are you wearing under it
MIKAN
Natsune thats inappropriate to ask!
NATSUME
Whatev
I'll know soon enough
Be ready in 5
Even the manga cafe Natsume frequented was high-class. Mikan was used to cramped booths and instant vending machine food, not the spacious, carpeted private room complete with a soft sofa, a low table, and a computer hooked up to a giant screen.
Natsume settled in quickly: kicking off his shoes, making a small nest of the provided blankets, and grabbing a fat stack of books from the shelves in the common space to pile onto the table on his side of the sofa.
"I'll pick some out for you, too," he called out, taking his second trip into the labyrinth of manga.
Meanwhile, Mikan familiarized herself with the menu so she was already prepared when the hostess knocked on the door, asking for their food and drink orders. Knowing Natsume, Mikan ordered him a pot of green tea and some sweet rolls.
"How long are we going to stay here?" she asked when he returned, stealing some of his pillows to pad her side of the couch.
"Only a few hours. I read fast." Neatly he divided his pile into two, setting a few onto Mikan's side of the table. "Those are for you. I just picked some of the more popular ones."
Mikan picked up the volume at the very top, the cover featuring a blond man embracing a dark-haired, wide-eyed female, and flipped through the pages. "I'll try a couple, but I don't know if I'll get into it."
Natsume got comfortable in his own little space, already eager to start on his reading exploits. Following his example, Mikan began skimming a volume about a high school romance and was only a few chapters in when the hostess came in with their food and beverages.
"Yummy," exclaimed Mikan, breaking apart the wooden disposable chopsticks. "Thank you for the food."
While Natsume quietly sipped his tea and nibbled at the sweet rolls, she polished off the entire bowl of shoyu ramen by herself, steadily chipping away at the plate of appetizers featuring fried tofu and bubble waffles. Although it didn't quite fit with the flavors, she had ordered herself a parfait drizzled with syrupy berries and topped with whipped cream.
Lazily, she spooned the sweet dessert into her mouth, satisfied and slumped in her corner of the couch, Natsume too riveted by the next volume of some RPG manga she didn't recognize to help feed her.
"Natsume," she called out impulsively.
"Hmmm?"
"...Never mind."
He barely gave her a glance as he pulled her feet into his lap, her legs clad in her regular knee-highs even though it wasn't a school day.
Returning to his manga, he absentmindedly rubbed her foot with one hand, the other dexterously balancing the book and turning the page when necessary. Soon the massage spread up her calves, over her knees - but not her thighs. His hand coasted back down to the more appropriate areas, the cuff of her socks slowly rolling down little by little. Her legs were still silky smooth from her spa treatment, and she'd been diligently moisturizing every single night and whenever she had time during the day.
He flipped to the next page of his manga.
"Natsume," she protested, shivering a bit before tugging her socks back up. "It's cold in here."
He tugged one of the blankets out of the cozy nest on his side of the couch and spread it across her lower half. "Better?"
"Much better."
"Nice bracelet, Sakura."
Mikan looked up from the sink, her bracelet jingling as she washed her hands, to meet the eyes of two girls she recognized from class 3B. Their names escaped her, and she only knew them by their reputations with the boys in their year. In fact, it sorta surprised her that they knew her name.
So she smiled brightly and answered, "Oh, thank you. Natsume got it for me."
"What did it cost you? A blowie or a fuck?"
Mikan blinked. Now there was no mistaking the malicious sneer underlying the girls' smiles. They had said what they said, and Mikan had been bullied enough times earlier in the year to know she was in imminent danger.
Even so… "...What?"
Water dripped from the faucet, echoing in the silence of the bathroom.
"We know you can't possibly afford that on your own," taunted one of them, "and everyone's saying you're his girlfriend or his sugar baby, but we know what you really are."
The other added, "You whore."
"You're one to talk," snapped Mikan, but her furious resolve soon crumbled upon seeing the shock becoming anger in their faces. She needed to get out.
Before the girls could recover and retaliate, Mikan mustered the courage to stroll right through them (one step at a time, only five steps), turning at the door and doing her best impression of Natsume's "I'm too good for you, scum beneath my shoe" scornful expression, and coldly said, "Don't talk to me ever again."
Hurrying through the door, she created as much distance as she possibly could, eager to find safe territory.
The teachers' lounge? They hadn't done much the previous semester.
Back to room 3C? She hadn't been ignorant to the stares, and she feared mob mentality. If those girls followed and made a scene, Mikan's own classmates might join in.
The library? Possible. She could get lost amongst the shelves, and the librarian was strict.
Out -
A hand caught her arm. "There you are."
Natsume.
Immediately he pulled her close, but not before noticing the expression on her face.
"Hey, you okay?"
She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face against his chest. "Yeah… I'm okay."
"I've been looking for you," he told her, stroking her hair, "Let's go back to my classroom."
Natsume could protect her; she'd be safe as long as she was with him.
"Let's have dinner together today." Natsume shoved his face against her hair, his arm casually around her shoulder, as they strolled through the quad, done for the day.
Absentmindedly, she played with his fingers. "Okay. Where?"
"How about my house?"
Mikan nearly tripped over her own foot. "Your - your house?"
Natsume helped her remain upright as they exited through the campus gates. "Sure, the chefs can cook up whatever you want or we can order takeout from wherever. I don't care."
"But - I mean - it's your house. Are your parents going to be home?" From what he'd already told her, Mikan knew they wouldn't, but the idea of intruding into such a private space, a family space,
"No. It'll just be me and you." Natsume opened the car door for her, greeting Shiki with a wave and sliding in after her. "We can just hang around, maybe swim in the pool. It's warm today."
"I don't have a swimsuit."
"Sounds like a very good time to buy you one."
"Natsume," she scolded, "I don't need one. We can just do something else at your house."
"Nonsense. What are you going to wear when we go to the beach?"
"To the beach? We're going to the beach?"
Natsume shrugged nonchalantly, as though he didn't fall asleep every night fantasizing about spending time with Mikan in various locations; the one last night had been at a sunny beach where he had buried her in sand and they had spent most of their time smooching under an umbrella. "I'll take you one day."
Swimsuit shopping took longer than Mikan thought it would. Natsume went for the bikinis, and Mikan went for the one-pieces. Thankfully, they both agreed she didn't need the ones that were more string than material.
Even so, they ended up with a sizable pile that, as usual, Mikan modeled for Natsume. He was analytical about every one she tried on, requiring a variety of poses and stretches before he made a decision. He didn't like how easily bandeau tops could slip off, he preferred halters, that one was too frumpy, that one was too frilly, that was too revealing, that one wasn't revealing enough.
Mikan couldn't care less; they were all cute! She liked every single one, and as long as she was covered up decently enough and she could swim, it didn't matter to her.
"Okay, that's it," announced Natsume upon her modeling a red and light pink striped bikini with a halter top. He stood up and began collecting all of her worn discards.
"Oh thank goodness," she sighed, heading back to the dressing room to put her clothes on. When she came out, he was already at the counter, the cashier ringing up a small stack of swimwear.
"Wait, I thought we were getting this one." Mikan set the last two-piece on the counter.
"Yeah, we're getting that one, but we're also getting the polka dot bikini and the floral one," Mikan could see him getting worked up again, "and the light blue one and obviously, we need this one-piece and - "
"I thought we were getting just one!"
"That's silly. We always need to be prepared with back-ups."
After a little bit more arguing (in front of the cashier, no less, she wanted to die of embarrassment), Mikan convinced him to only buy her three swimsuits, each cutely patterned, but differently styled so she could justify having three. Usually she wore her clothes until they were threadbare, holey to the point of indecency, and even then, it was no guarantee she'd get new clothes.
But she supposed her clothes courtesy of Natsume would last much longer. In the car, she examined the material, which seemed sturdy and durable. She decided she'd wear the slimming black one-piece since it'd just be the two of them.
The cramped city streets soon turned into residential roads, the houses growing bigger and bigger until they became sprawling estates, complemented by rolling green lawns and neatly trimmed trees.
As they passed several mansions, each gated with a long driveway, Mikan wondered which one was Natsume's house. Given his attitude, she had expected it to be the biggest one or the most lavishly decorated and she had been sure she'd be able to tell instantly.
But when Shiki slowed down and rolled down his window to open the gate, his house appeared the same as any other in the neighborhood: three-story, white pillars, numerous windows, balconies galore, stone steps, and a grand water fountain out front.
"It's… big," she managed to remark, stepping out of the car.
"Come on, let's go play."
With Natsume tugging her along, Mikan didn't really have time to absorb just how elegant his house was, managing a nod to the row of servants who greeted them at the door and briefly glimpsing diamond chandeliers above her.
He led her through halls with marble floors, past a room with a grand mahogany dining table, through another foyer with stone columns, and out to the backyard with a giant 8-shaped pool complete with a small waterfall at one end and a small circular pool nearby that bubbled with heat.
He directed her to a small building that he called "the pool house," which Mikan thought was big enough to fit all of the kids in the orphanage comfortably, so they both could change into their swimwear.
They splashed around and raced each other a few times. They sank under the surface, plugging their noses, to see who could hold their breath the longest (Natsume could). He showed her how to jump gracefully from the edge and dive smoothly into the water.
"Oof," Mikan grunted as she collapsed into a lounge chair, her muscles pleasantly exhausted, her body dripping through the mesh and onto the concrete. "It's getting dark. We should shower and change out of these wet swimsuits."
"Here, we can shower in the pool house." Pulling her up by her wrists, he opened the door to the pool house and ushered her towards the bathroom.
He'd already gotten the shower started and was about to strip when Mikan clarified, "Wait, shower together?"
"Yeah, I don't see why not." His face was genuinely curious as he tried to beckon her in.
"Um, personal boundaries, Natsume." He might have already seen her in skimpy lingerie, but he hadn't seen her completely naked. And well, she hadn't seen him completely naked, too; she wasn't sure she was ready for that.
"But if we take turns showering, we'll be apart," he argued, and she had to take a moment to process what he had said. Mikan hadn't necessarily pegged him as needy, but…
Now that she thought about it…
His parents weren't home, his only friend was Ruka, and he had felt the need to sponsor a sugar baby. He had asked for her company nearly every day, and he sought her out whenever they had a break in school. When he texted, sometimes he didn't even wait for a response before texting her again.
Oh.
Natsume Hyuuga was clingy.
All right, well, she could roll with it. He wasn't paying her for nothing.
She patted his cheek and kissed the other one. "You'll be okay. Go take a fast shower, and we'll be together sooner."
He held her hand to his face, a little crinkle of worry between his eyebrows. "Will you wait here then?"
"I'll wait right here," she assured him, plopping onto the edge of the bathtub.
Natsume nodded before promptly shucking off his swim trunks and entering the shower.
Mikan tried her best not to peek.
"What do you want to eat? The chefs can prepare any kind of meat or seafood you'd like. We can do a regular five-course, or if you aren't as hungry, we can stick with appetizers. One of them specializes in Italian food, though, if you're craving pasta."
The chef, supposedly the one who specialized in Italian food, waved a knife at them. Since Mikan and Natsume were the only residents in the house, the chefs had little to do, already having prepared food for the rest of the staff, who lurked silently in the background.
"Er, that sounds like a lot." Mikan imagined the two of them sitting on opposite ends of that grand dining table she saw earlier, separated by plates and plates of food, and she almost shuddered at the bleak image. "Do you think we can do something simple? Like order pizza?"
"Sure, do you want pizza from… " Natsume rattled a list of unfamiliar names, each sounding authentic and expensive. Mikan recognized none of them.
"Oh, I was thinking more like Piyo's Pizza Place?" It was a favorite for all the kids at the orphanage - cheap, too.
Natsume recoiled a bit, his face grimacing. "The fast food place?"
"Yeah…" She fidgeted with her hands. Was that a bad suggestion?
"If that's what you want." He turned to the head chef. "Do you know how to order from Piyo's Pizza Place?"
The chef smiled. "I think I can figure it out, Master Hyuuga."
Mikan studied Natsume as he intently watched the chef call Piyo's Pizza Place and place the order. She couldn't tell if he was making sure the head chef did it right or if he was genuinely intrigued by a simple phone order to a fast food restaurant.
"It'll be here in half an hour."
That had sounded reasonable to Mikan, but apparently, Natsume had never waited that long for something before. "Half an hour? What's the delay?"
"We can do something while we wait. Come on." Mikan tugged at his wrists. "Didn't you say you have an in-home theater? Let's pick a movie so we can watch while we eat."
The in-home theater was exactly like that: one big screen in front of rows of plush individual seats, separated by thick arms that also acted as food trays and cupholders. As soon as she settled into a chair, she knew they'd be too far apart.
"I was thinking we could maybe cuddle while we watch." That wasn't so weird to suggest, right? They held hands and kissed all the time. Obviously, by the way Natsume's face brightened, it wasn't strange at all.
"Then you probably want the game room instead."
His game room probably could have doubled as an arcade, each corner filled with machines and tables. Mikan eyed the ping pong table before turning to the giant flatscreen in front of an enormous, plush couch, which she jumped onto, sinking into the cushions.
"Ooooh, this couch is so relaxing. We don't even need to build a fort." She sighed as her entire body relaxed, her leg falling off the side.
Natsume sat down more reservedly. "Build a fort?"
"It's something we do at the orphanage," she explained. "Every once in a while, Noda will splurge on pizza, and we get to watch a movie, and we bring our pillows and blankets and make one big cuddle puddle in the living room. It's a rare treat so we all look forward to it."
"Well, I mean, we could still do that. If you'd like."
"Sure, Natsume, we can do that."
They had just put the finishing touches on their thin blanket roof when the chef knocked on the game room door.
"Master Hyuuga, the pizza has arrived. I remembered to tip the driver as requested." He neglected to mention the teenage driver had been very astonished and gaped openly at the lavish entrance.
Mikan opened the box and inhaled deeply. "Oh, yeah, that's the good stuff."
"This looks so greasy. You want me to eat this?" His nose wrinkled at the thought of allowing such an oily puddle to grace his tastebuds. Just looking at the simple pepperoni pizza, he much preferred his artisan pizzas with a thin herb-infused crust, seasoned with pesto and topped with broccolini and mozzarella cheese.
"That's the point. Indulge yourself every once in a while," she teased, pulling a slice off, strands of cheese stretching almost unnaturally.
"Funny. That's usually what I say to you."
Neither paid much attention to the movie as they scarfed down slices of pizza, and neither seemed to notice when the movie ended because they were too busy trying out the ping pong table (Mikan won) and the foosball table (Natsume was better).
"Tiebreaker?" suggested Natsume, gesturing at the air hockey table.
"Sure, why not?" Out of habit, Mikan pulled out her phone, just to see if she had any messages. "Wait, is that the time already?"
In her mind, it had only been mere minutes since they finished dinner, but there was no mistaking the digits reading: 10:26 PM.
"I have to get going, but I had fun today." Naturally, she began to clean up the fort and tossed all their used napkins into the empty pizza box.
"Oh." He knelt to help her. "Do you have to leave right this second? Shiki's available anytime, and the orphanage isn't that far from here."
The orphanage.
Usually, it didn't bother her, but there was something pitiful about acknowledging she lived in an orphanage while they were goofing off in his mansion - the destitute contrasting against the affluent.
"I have all my skincare products there…" she said, knowing already it was a lame excuse. "It takes a while."
"Okay," he accepted quietly.
They both remained silent as he walked her out to the car and kissed her goodnight.
The glamour didn't last long.
About three weeks after her amazing transformation, Mikan walked onto campus looking absolutely haggard, and Natsume frowned at the thought of her not taking care of herself.
So siding up next to her, he told her, "You're not taking care of yourself."
Her brown hair had knots and needed a good brush, her face pale with a bit of spotting on her forehead, her eyebrows growing out, one of her nails was chipped.
"Sorry, Natsume. It's hard," she mumbled, not meeting his eyes. "I didn't realize actually paying attention to my hair and skin took so much time. Half the time, I can barely remember what I'm supposed to put on, and the kids are always calling my attention or stealing stuff. Sometimes there's not even enough hot water to finish taking a shower."
Natsume nodded thoughtfully, then said simply, "Move into my house."
The solution was simple to him: there was always hot water, there were no other kids to distract her, and he could help her get ready in the mornings. And if she lived with him…. Already he imagined applying face masks and playing foosball every night.
"I can't just move into your house. It wouldn't be right. The orphanage is crowded, yes, but I can't just leave." It was the only home she'd known, the place she'd grown up in. Although it couldn't provide everything she wanted, Noda treated the kids with gentle love, and Mikan adored the other children, however troublesome they could be.
"I see."
Mikan tried to untangle one of the knots in her hair. "Do you… Do you want to end the arrangement? I didn't mean to disappoint you."
"Disappoint me?" he frowned, taken aback by that concept. "I'm not disappointed. I just understand what I have to do."
Construction started the very next day, and within a week, the entire orphanage had been remodeled.
The pipes had been replaced so hot water flowed abundantly every day, regardless of how many showers were taken or if dishes were being washed in the kitchen. Their dormitories had been updated, and new insulation put into the walls. A miniature library was added and stocked with brand new books. The crumbling and weed-filled backyard had been cleared, along with the plot of land behind it. A play structure had been built, surrounded by swing sets and even a soccer field. To be thorough, the park across the street received an "anonymous" donation, and the officials planned to clean it up and add a baseball diamond.
A small press conference had been called to acknowledge such generosity, where the orphanage director, Noda Miyano, profusely thanked the unexpected benefactor, the one and only Natsume Hyuuga.
Gathering all the children, he instructed, "Everyone, say, 'Thank you, Mr. Hyuuga.'"
"Thank you, Mr. Hyuuga," chorused all the kids, including Mikan.
After cutting the red ribbon to the backyard and posing for several photos, Mikan waited for a chance to talk to Natsume, waiting for him to finish a few rounds of Lava Monster as kids ran around squealing with happiness and taking turns on the slides.
He was good with the kids, she noticed, always bending to their will and letting them guide their play. Soon enough, they bored of Lava Monster and went off to the seesaw and the swings, leaving only the younger ones still attached to Natsume, clutching his legs or demanding a piggy-back ride.
Quickly, she approached, not wanting to miss her opportunity to talk with him semi-privately. "This was very generous of you, Natsume. Thank you so much. Everyone here appreciates what you've done. You've been so kind to the orphanage."
Natsume scoffed at her compliment. "Don't get it twisted. It was all for my personal benefit."
"Uh…"
One of the kids babbled nonsensically as she clambered onto Natsume's shoulder, using his cheek as a handhold and nearly twisting his neck.
Despite the smushing of his face, he continued haughtily, "Now you can focus on us. Since the kids can play by themselves in the backyard, you don't have to watch over them and you can spend more time with me and take care of yourself better."
But the way he let the toddlers hang from him as though he were a tree made Mikan think not everything he had done had been for selfish reasons.
Thursday 4:12 PM
NATSUME
Come over
MIKAN
I'm studying
NATSUME
You can study here
MIKAN
I'm serious
I have to focus
I'm almost failing basic chemistry
NATSUME
You need a tutor?
MIKAN
Please don't pay for a tutor
NATSUME
I was talking about me
You know, I'm actually pretty smart
MIKAN
Yeah right
Don't you cut class?
NATSUME
And I still have perfect marks
So
What does that tell you
MIKAN
Okay
But we actually have to get through a few chapters!
We can't just make out
NATSUME
Sure.
Shiki's going to pick you up
Be ready in 10
"You feel a little thicker," he commented, his fingers pinching the growing layers of flesh over her ribs. They had gotten about an hour's worth of studying done when Natsume declared a study break, which basically meant making out.
As expected.
"Thanks, Natsume," she said, rolling her eyes, "that's what every girl wants to hear."
"It's good. I like it."
And he showed her how much he liked it.
"Natsume? I got your text." Mikan held up her phone as she approached him and Ruka in the quad. Most students had already gone home or were busy with their respective clubs.
"You're here. Come sit." Natsume patted his thigh. To Ruka's surprise, Mikan did settle in comfortably on Natsume's lap, her arm winding naturally around his shoulders.
"It's just me here, Natsume. You don't have to keep up the charade."
"What charade?" he asked as he combed his fingers through Mikan's long hair. Bringing the tips to his face, he sniffed it, comforted by the scent of her new shampoo, before examining for split ends.
Ruka turned towards Mikan, whom he had always thought as honest and straightforward. "You're not actually Natsume's sugar baby, are you? He's just paying you to pretend, but not paying to take care of you. Right?"
A little crinkle of confusion formed on her forehead. "Ruka… Where do you think I got all these things from?"
For the first time, Ruka had a closer look at Mikan's acne-free face, the shine of her hair, the light gold-threaded necklace, the sparkling diamond bracelet, the fit of her uniform. She certainly hadn't had those last semester. But as far he knew, from what he'd overheard from their classmates, she lived in an orphanage and didn't have any family. Which meant someone had to be paying for her, which meant…
"Anyway, here, Ruka," Natsume handed over his phone. "Take a picture of us."
"Take - you want me to take a picture right now?" Ruka helped the phone uselessly in his hands, still stunned by the revelation that it wasn't some elaborate prank, a game set in motion by Natsume to toy with their classmates.
"Yeah, that's why we're here." Natsume turned to Mikan, dropping a hand onto her exposed thigh. "Is that how you want to sit?"
Mikan adjusted herself, flipping her long hair over a shoulder, as she watched Ruka hold up Natsume's phone. "Well, how else would I sit?"
Natsume leaned in to whisper something in her ear, slyly smirking, and Mikan let out a loud laugh, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.
Seizing the moment, Ruka snapped a quick candid photo.
Natsume looked happier than Ruka had seen in years.
Maybe this wasn't just a game.
Ruka's home was just as impressive and extravagant as Natsume's, but for some reason, the atmosphere felt warmer and brighter. Maybe it was because his mother had greeted Natsume and Mikan like they were her own children or the fact that the housestaff chattered happily through the halls or all the open windows letting in the bright sunlight.
Most definitely, it did not have to do with Mikan's constant shouts of, "I'm trying as best as I can!" and "No, no, nonono!" as she watched her on-screen character get slaughtered once more. She hated first-player shooter games, but both of them said they loved playing Alice vs. Z so she gave it a try.
A horrible, failing try.
Ruka reassured her gently, "It's okay, you'll get better with more practice."
"I'd do better," she muttered, "if Natsume wasn't breathing down my neck the whole time."
Literally.
She had to pull away to glare at him because he was so goddamn close. He had the audacity to look innocently at her as though he hadn't been feeling her up and laying kisses on her neck the entire round.
"I didn't say anything," he said guilelessly.
"Sometimes, Natsume," she remembered to breathe, "it's not what you say, it's what you do."
"And I wasn't doing anything!"
"Oh, yeah, okay, so you weren't doing anything in the last five minutes that could possibly distract me?"
"Um, no…? It's not my fault you're new to this game. I offered to show you the ropes, but you said no."
Ruka stared at his controller as they continued to bicker. Besides Natsume, Ruka did hang out with other friends, mainly people in his classes whom he'd partnered up with for projects and whatnot. Those other friends did have significant others, and sometimes when he hung out with them, he glimpsed what it was like to be in a relationship: promises to call later, hugging, kissing, coordinating schedules, and yes, sometimes fighting.
Most times, Ruka politely smiled or excused himself to give them privacy, not digging in too deep and not trying to involve himself more.
But Natsume was his best friend; he had never before expected Natsume to be in a lovers' quarrel.
Should he try to intervene? Should he just pretend he was hard of hearing and ignore them? Should he take sides? Whose side: Natsume's, because Ruka was loyal, or Mikan's, because she was right?
All bad ideas.
Ruke stood up. "Uh… I'm gonna go grab a juice. You two want anything?"
"No, I'm good," Natsume and Mikan chorused in unison, causing them to glare at each other once again and begin arguing all over.
"Cool…." he chuckled awkwardly. Maybe he'd return in ten minutes, find somebody to talk to or play around with his phone, and hope everything had settled down by then.
But right as he left the room, he heard Mikan say, "Get all your kisses in now. I'm trying to be a good team player here."
Oh, God. Please, don't let them get carried away on my bed.
Tuesday 12:32 PM
NATSUME
Come eat lunch
MIKAN
I am eating lunch
NATSUME
In my classroom 3A
MIKAN
I can't just leave my classroom
NATSUME
Why not?
I do it all the time
MIKAN
Well, you're you
NATSUME
It's not against the rules
Mikan bit her lip. Technically, she knew it wasn't, but it was out of habit that she stayed at the desk, quietly eating. Other than when Natsume visited, she usually ate alone.
She looked around at her classmates, clumped in their groups, laughing, sharing things to look at on their phones. A few lounged in the hallway, and they looked like the epitome of what high school students should be: carefree, happy, and social.
Everything she wasn't.
Except when she was with Natsume.
Well… She supposed there was nothing in there for her anyway.
Affirming her decision, she quickly packed up her two boxes, the one provided by the orphanage and the one Natsume had slipped her earlier that morning.
Even though Mikan knew some of her classmates went off campus for lunch or even just ditched for the rest of the day, she felt like she was a thief sneaking in the night, ready for her teachers to call her out, as she made her way to Natsume's classroom. She peeked her head just a bit, just to check out the atmosphere.
If she saw any of her popular, former bullies, she'd turn right around and make some excuse to Natsume, maybe lure him back to the relative safety of her own classroom.
What Mikan saw, instead, was a small group of boys hanging around Natsume's desk, where he sat, proudly showing off a picture on his phone.
"And here she is dressed up for dinner at Ibaragi's." Mikan knew exactly what photo he was showing: her in a little black dress with a plunging neckline, standing in front of a background of fairy lights and roses at a restaurant a few weeks ago. She had lightly curled her hair and attempted some make-up.
"Damn," whistled one of his classmates, "if I'd known that such a beauty was underneath, I'd have tapped that long ago. You know what I mean?"
"Don't talk about her like that," Natsume said quietly, the unspoken threat rumbling beneath the surface.
"Chill, Hyuuga. We mean no disrespect. We just want to pass our compliments to the lady."
"And to you for completely flipping Sakura around. I mean, her face before was - "
Faster than her eyes could process, Natsume had the other boy in a headlock while the others struggled to pull them apart. Ruka himself couldn't pry Natsume's arm off the boy's throat.
The class representative eventually wedged himself in the scuffle. "Okay, okay, break it up. Hajime, go sit over there. Sorry, Hyuuga."
Natsume sat down with a huff, looking disgruntled.
That was her cue to enter.
"Natsume." She bent down and kissed him lightly. Having heard their earlier conversation, Mikan didn't particularly enjoy the thought of sitting in his classroom, surrounded by leering wolves. "Let's go eat outside."
"Sounds perfect," he agreed easily, any hint of tension gone. "Later, losers."
His fingers traced the lacy design of her bralette, the material thin enough to feel the heat of his palm.
Mikan was too out of her mind by the feeling of Natsume's wet mouth on hers to really mind the lewd sounds or to be embarrassed by how she unconsciously rubbed her thighs against his.
Natsume trailed down her neck, sucking on her collarbone, and Mikan bit her lip, holding back a moan as -
Her phone vibrated as her alarm went off, displaying the late hour.
Persistent, Natsume leaned heavily onto her, pinning her down, as his hand snuck beneath the underwire, his index finger toying with her nipple.
"I have to get home," she said, wriggling.
"No, you don't."
"It's late, and they won't let anyone in after midnight."
"Midnight's in an hour. Stay a bit more," pleaded Natsume, shifting his weight on top of her.
"I have to get ready for bed."
"So you can just sleep here."
"I can't," she insisted.
"I have the space, and it wouldn't be a bother. We have spare toothbrushes and - "
"Good night, Natsume," she said, with a note of finality.
Natsume paused, considering his options. "What if I don't call Shiki to take you home?"
"Then I'll just get him myself." She had grown quite attached to him, asking about his family and making small talk during those frequent rides back and forth, and she could tell the man had grown fond of her, too.
Natsume sighed, leaning back onto the bed, running his hands over his face.
"Come on, grouchy pants. Walk me out."
He near-pouted almost the entire way, clinging onto her, as though by touching her longer, he could transfer his desire to her mind through osmosis or something, swap his thoughts with hers by physically imprinting them on her body.
"Good night," she said, pecking him on the lips through the car window, "we can see each other tomorrow if you want."
"Pick you up at seven?"
"That's too early, Natsume. Nine."
"That's too late. Eight."
"Ten."
"Ten," agreed Shiki from the front seat. "I've been working almost double my hours, Master Hyuuga."
If Shiki wasn't such a good driver and thoroughly good man, Natsume might have been more incensed. "Fine, ten. Ten on the dot."
"Ten," she confirmed, kissing once more. "Good night."
He stood there and waved her off, Mikan waving back until they had passed through the gates and he was out of sight.
Slumping into the cushy backseat, she sighed. Almost, almost, she had been tempted to stay the night - she was so drowsy! It was like Natsume could hypnotize her every time they fooled around, lull her into a state of mindless pleasure while the hours flew by.
And Natsume's mouth… At the memory, Mikan's lips almost puckered, before she caught herself. Thankfully, Shiki's eyes were concentrated on the road, a path he had taken nearly a hundred times by then.
Being Natsume's sugar baby was different than Mikan expected; it was some weird cross between fuckbuddy and girlfriend and companion and friend. They made most of it up as they went, no formal contract ever written between them.
But even so, Mikan saw no need to change their relationship; they had achieved a perfect equilibrium. Natsume didn't take more than she wanted to give, and he gave everything she wanted to take. They took from each other what they needed, and they gave everything else they could spare; Mikan with attention, and Natsume with wealth.
There was no reason they needed to disrupt that balance.
Author's Note:
I am so fucking sick of looking at this document. The writing process went a little like:
Me: Okay, so this is what the next chapter is going to look like. Nice and simple because we gotta get going to the good stuff.
Brain: Wait, but we have to slowly develop their relationship to a point of mutual trust and desire, demonstrating their dynamic through various interactions while also making sure they both have equal power.
Me: ... bro, skip all that. What we have is good enough.
Brain: I don't know, maybe it'd be nice to add more details to this part. And this part. And this part. Oh, we should just add another part here.
Me: Thanks, now we got a Frankenstein of a chapter. What - I don't even know what a mansion looks like in Japan.
Brain: well, describe it anyway.
Me: please, pls, for the life of me, can we just wrap it up, I just want it over with
Brain: you want this over with? I want this over with, I got an entire life to be thinking about - just add it and don't write it poorly
Me: aNd DoN't WrItE iT pOoRlY - okay THANKS, how about you just don't be sad anymore - make your own goddamn serontonin for once
Brain: hey whoa whoa, that was super uncalled for
Me: how about u fight me lil BITCH
(Me and my Brain duking it out over several weeks)