A/N: You haven't see the worst of Mikan Yukihira or her sass if you thought the first chapter was interesting. This one is going to leave you hanging by a thread so, hold on to your stomachs people.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice.

Two.

Ch 2 – Coffee much, boss?

"Hey, I'm Mikan..." Mikan said, walking towards the girl who kept staring at her. The constant stare was starting to bug her. "Hi! I'm Anna, the receptionist but you already knew that!" The girl said politely, beaming at her with a wide grin. Mikan smiled at the genuine friendliness of the pink haired girl.

"I was just going to approach you honestly. I just didn't know how to..." Anna said, a slight blush tinting her cheeks as Mikan smiled amusedly at the girl. "Sorry, I was just staring at you. Sorry if it seemed rude." She apologized. Mikan instantly liked the girl, wanting to envelop her in a hug.

"No worries. You're not what I imagined either so..." She replied as Anna smiled deeply in relief. "Nice to meet you Anna." They both shook hands and Mikan took the second to look around her new office. Half of the male population was ogling at her and I don't mean it in a platonic way...

Most of the woman dressed in tight pencil skirts and blouses that showed off their cleavage faintly in the floor shot a dirty, dark look at Mikan and the other half of the women and men that weren't lecherous were curious as to why the males and females were staring at her, and thus, stared at her too.

"God, I feel like the new girl on campus..." Mikan said, feeling slightly unnerved at the constant stares she was getting her way. "Oh that's just because you're new and you passed the interview despite being a late entrance. Everyone's just stunned. Mr. Hyuuga's interviews are known to be tricky to the point of being downright cruel." Anna explained.

Mikan smiled feeling proud of herself. So what if she was an ex-model? That didn't necessarily mean that she wasn't competent of things that involved something other than smiling at a camera.

Although, somehow glancing at the rest of her new colleagues, she got the impression that people weren't exactly staring at her just cause she passed a hard interview. No, this was something more than that...

"So, how long have you been working here?" Mikan asked the curious looking girl, shaking her thoughts off the stares. "3 years. The pay's great, the benefits are awesome and the boss is tolerable..." She replied eagerly. "You're gonna love it here!" She added as I raised an eyebrow.

"Tolerable, huh?!" I asked, crossing my arms against my chest. Anna grins, sheepishly. "Well, I meant as 'In my opinion' you know? He's great and efficient and all, but not exactly friendly. I mean, he treats us all really well but he hates anything unprofessional and can't stand negligent behaviour..." She replied proficiently.

"Hmm... He sounds wonderful to me. Plus, he's quite easy on the eyes, if you know what I mean." I replied with a wink as Anna blushed. "He's rough around the edges yeah, and easily misunderstood and a total workaholic but under all that, I think he's a pretty okay guy. And like you said, he's really handsome... Which, is a plus for us."

We both grinned, laughing to ourselves. See, that's the thing about having girl BFs. You get to gaze and talk about your crushes without having to worry what the other person would think. And it was exactly like that with Anna. I felt so at ease with her.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur of paper work and organizing my boss's schedule. Unfortunately for me, I didn't see or hear from Natsume again. It's like he's deliberately hiding from me.

Why does that make me kind of... Happy? Oh that's right, I'm planning my perfect revenge on him. So technically, why wouldn't it? In fact, I'm ecstatic! I reach home somewhere around 9:30. I drift off to sleep almost instantly, completely worn out.

The next day I wake up to blinding light pouring through the soft blinds of my window and a very vexing Hotaru shouting right into my ear. I realize I've got a job to get to in 45 minutes and pick out my outfit for the day and hopped into the shower. On the way to my office, I go over the things I have to do today.

I guess I've got to get started on the moose job and that means redecorating his wall in such a way that literally blows him out of his mind yet still assures my continued employment in that company... Hmm...

A devious idea flashes through my eyes like a hundred watt light bulb and I grinned instantly, hooked on the plan. I'm soo doing this, by hook or crook. And that would mean getting an extension of a week for the job from my beloved Mr. Hyuuga.

"Excuse me? A week?!" He looked up with pure contempt in his eyes like I wasn't even from the species of human beings. Like I was some kind of rodent, or worse, a cockroach. "Ms. Mikan, I believe I was VERY clear in my instructions, and I hate to repeat myself BUT I want you to refurbish MY wall, not all the walls in the building! You may leave Ms. Mikan; I suppose you've already gotten my answer." He replied in a sharp, dismissive tone.

Yeah asshole, believe me, I have. All too obviously. But, there's such a thing called persistence. I simpered up at his indifferent face, my own a look of coyness.

"You do get that I'm not simply painting your wall, Natsume." A cringe and tensing of muscles. He looked up, his eyes scowling at me as his lips twitched to say something. "Do you even realize how much those things even weigh?! And you don't so much as, have a preference! What kind of wood, what colour, the placement of your apparatus, everything I'm deciding, by myself, not to mention the other work I have to do in here! A week is more than fair in my opinion." I added crossing my arms.

'It's my words against yours, Boss'. I thought, narrowing my eyes.

Natsume sighed in defeat, seeing as I wasn't gonna back down on this one. "Fine. 7 days. One week. Not a second more!" He replied firmly as I smirked in triumph.

"Your wish is my command, boss. Oh, and thanks!" I replied. He only nodded. "It's Mr. Hyuuga. How many times do you expect me to tell you? Should I write it down on your head?!" He commented, not looking up from the files he was reviewing, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Hmm... I don't think that would be necessary, Natsume." I batted my eyes in pure, naïve innocence. "Clearly you're mistaken, Ms. Mikan." He replied curtly flinching again. "Do you not understand orders, Ms. Mikan? Or do you take pride in being an insufferable recusant?!"

"Now, whatever does that mean?!" I asked feigning a coy smile and putting in extra bit of warmth in my voice, whilst I spoke, swaying my head slowly. He remained as placid and expressionless as a doll although his forehead pinches uselessly.

"I am absolutely sure you're well aware of what it means Ms. Mikan, so do both of us a favour and get out of my office and make yourself useful... Downstairs." He replied, his voice strained and a hint of a blush hanging on his warm beige cheeks.

"Aww, are you maybe one of those guys, Natsume, pretending to be decorous and stuffy on the outside while you're actually, really shy on the inside? Well, Nat?" I asked, my eyes twinkling with the thought of it, when I realized I abbreviated his name without knowing I did.

"Ok, ENOUGH!" My hearts jumps a little and skips a beat when Natsume pops a vein slamming his fountain pen down on the file with a deafening thump! I immediately tense up seeing his abnormal annoyance, and over his head anger. Normally, he's as reserved and calm as a koala.

But I also feel this amusement, delight... He... Looks so Alive right now, as compared to his ice king mask. There's a heat and hatred in Natsume's voice, a raging fire that I did not quite expect from the cold frigid man I met yesterday.

"You're taking me for a fool, Ms. Mikan and I do not appreciate it in the slightest. I think I've been exceptionally clear in who this company belongs to and whose rules it runs on but let me remind you, I'm the MD, CEO, PRESIDENT or whatever term you wanna call it, OF THIS COMPANY and you WILL OBEY ME!"

I felt myself quake from the gravity in his tone. "And I will not have you calling me silly and ridiculous acronyms of my name. It just happens that there's some amount of manners and leniency left in me and I civilly let your insolence slide."

"Manners that you clearly lack!" He added in a shrill tone, his voice on the verge of a loud and shrill, womanly pitch. "You'll find that I'm a very forbearing and stoical man when I want to be Mikan. Otherwise, you have no idea about the kind of man I am and I'm warning you, don't do anything to bring out the worst in me. You won't like it... I promise you that much." He replied, his crimson eyes burning like flames.

He lives! There's actually some emotion within this rock of a body! I don't believe it! And here I thought he lived purely on a facade of indifference and the occasional puff of smoke looming about his head only to be put out by the ever irritating mask! But no, he lives! He actually lives!

The drive-him-out-of-his-mind strategy still holds appeal, fortunately for me.

Realizing he's awaiting an expression or a reaction of some sort, I look up to him, a massive grin on my face like I just won some sort of trophy, feeling a weird kind of electric rapture run through me, seeing as he called my name without the 'miss'.

Again, the shivers return as my mind and body take in this fact, however I'm too focused on this newly found side of my boss to notice or even care. This is gonna be so much fun. It'll be so much more amusing to tease him now.

"You don't pay me for my mouth, Natsume. You pay me for the effort I put in and I am, so, you don't get to boss me around. I'm an employee, not a scullery maid. And I will not dance to your tunes like some automated parrot."

His lips hang open in the air, his eyes wide with disbelief, that I basically just talked back to him. And Rudely at that. Then his face twisted into a scowl, a much enraged and frustrated one, given that he didn't get what he want. My cooperation.

"You do realize you just efficiently criticized the person you work for?! Very astute of you Mikan. Maybe by the end of the day you'd have realized that this isn't your sorority house and you'll have aspired to play by my rules in this game of ours." He said coldly, his voice losing its professionalism as I shivered in ecstasy.

I smiled smugly. "And you do realize you have no chance of winning against moi?! I have no intention of letting this job go so here's a piece of advice, NAT," His eyes grow dangerous as he gets up, facing me down as we both lean over the desk.., both our breaths mingling, our eyes staring each other down, our faces inches apart.

"I'm dying to know..." He replied, his voice challenging me and I smile, feeling my heart pound faster at the closeness of our personal bodies. His fiery eyes held me in a captive hold and I gazed deeper, powerless to look away, glaring right back.

I drew in a deep breath as my irises dilate, and I feel a warm sensation of bliss wash over me. A bitter cold warmth. If that's even possible. Feeling both, cold and warmth, all at once. It seemed like a harmless game, but now I realize, that I actually have to earn my paycheck. And that means pleasing Mr. High and Mighty...

"Don't cheat." I replied, my voice barely a whisper. A sexy, pleasurable moan of a whisper as I let out the breath I was holding in. Confusion shoots across Natsume's face as he quirks his eyebrows, clearly taken aback. "What are you implying at?" His voice is hoarse and his hands rub harder down as he leans forward, piqued.

I let out a intense sigh, leaning away, as I bit the insides of my cheeks. "Your hands on mine." I replied almost accusingly trying hard to control the slight pink rising up on my cheeks. Clearly, the man didn't so much as realize that his hand was on mine this entire time and that it's beginning to hurt slightly.

"..." Natsume looks down immediately and hurriedly takes away his hand away from mine on the desk. He stares blatantly up at me before glancing to the side, cursing, his cheeks beginning to flush a deep, deep red.

"...!" I guess the exclamation says it all. I don't think I have to actually explain here how utterly, completely shaken I am to the point of being helplessly speechless.

And to think... All it took was an unintentional, accidental, brush of the hands to get him this embarrassed. Oh, the hilarity of it! He looks like a damned schoolgirl!

"I-I—" He clears his throat, and then inhales deep calming himself, or else, should I say, moulding himself back into the lifeless version of him aka Ice King.

"*scoffs* I guess I was right about the shy part huh, Nat?" I commented, smug and satisfied at his reaction. He closes his eyes and lets out an irritated sigh.

"Look I can't go on like this. If you persist on calling me by my first name, fine but in exchange for that, could you stop playing these back and forth mind games? I've really got no idea what it is that you expect from me or anyone for that matter, and I don't plan on finding out so, get it together by yourself." He said.

I feel ready to burst. Temper flashes across my features at his unconcerned and cold attitude. "Coffee. On my table in 10 minutes. And also, organize a meeting with the Asano's in the conference room for 12:30. And have someone pick Mr. Yamada up from the airport. And yeah, have a copy of this folder distributed, on the conference table for all members of staff."

"Anything else?" I asked. He shook his head and gestured towards his door. "Thank you. Mr. Yamada's been picked up and he called to let us know that he's residing at the Keio Plaza Hotel, and to call him if need arises. I called the Asano's publishing office and apparently Mr. Asano's out of town on an emergency and they wanted to know if the meeting would work out exclusive of him. Tobita wanted to make some modifications in the files before it's presented at the conference. He should be here, any minute now."

No longer after I'd said that, Yū Tobita, a lean man of 22 walks in, his dusty blonde hair, large brown eyes and nerdy glasses adding to his open-minded appeal. Smiling he walks inside to Natsume's desk but not before acknowledging me.

I turn around to bow and left Natsume's office, without anticipating a reaction from him. Even though, when I twirl around faintly to close the door, Natsume's crimson eyes—brooding yet beautiful—meet mine.

A shiver runs down my spine as we maintain the lock that has automatically clicked itself in place, on the pretend path that connects both our eyes together. He slightly nods, his lips curling into a neutral line.

No smile. No frown. Just a thin line that is slightly curved upwards. His eyes are much less dangerous now. Instead, they're calm like the sea... And breathtakingly beautiful.

The shivers intensify seeing his ALMOST smile. I felt my breath catch in my throat as it becomes hard to breathe... I realize his eyes are still locked to mine, and I blink slowly, as if acknowledging him. Then I run down the stairs.

That wasn't supposed to happen... I just... Froze! Just like that, and we only just met eyes. 'What—what would happen if he were to actually touch me?' I thought, my mind racing back to a moment ago when our hands touched.

Unconsciously, I brought my hand up to my eyes, as if, I could still see the sliver of his hand there. Quivering, I let it fall to my side as I walked towards the pantry, shaking my head at the throbbing of my heart, brushing it off lightly.

I'm making my horrid boss's coffee when Anna comes skipping by, flashing me a sweet grin. "Making coffee?" She asked and I held the boring travel mug up for her to see that I was. She smiles, "For our eye candy boss?" She asked.

For some reason, we both smile and I shake my head at her. "Yes. For our beloved eye candy boss. Too bad he doesn't have an adequate personality to go with that hot body of his." I replied mixing 2 cubes of sugar into the plain black coffee.

I set the tongs down into the bowl of sugar cubes, mixing the coffee when my eyes fell to the bowl. I stared at the bowl a good long moment before I turned to Anna.

"Say Anna, do you know whether our eye candy boss actually likes candy?" I asked to which Anna blinks immediately. "Huh?" She exclaimed in confusion and I grin. "*Giggles* Does he have a sweet tooth?" I asked and she made an 'Ohhh' sound.

"Hmm, I guess? I mean, he always orders the lemon cheesecake from Occitanial. It's the best patisserie here. Oh, and biscotti with dark chocolate. They're heavenly, I swear. We should go sometime." Anna said to which I beamed, "Absolutely!" I liked this girl...

My eyes twinkle as I take in this little fact. So, he likes his desserts bitter sweet. Ok boss, coffee coming right up!

I smiled as I picked the tongs up again. Setting the black mug down into a tiny tray, I struggled to manipulate my growing smirk as I sauntered upstairs into the lion's den.

"Your coffee captain." I said to which he sighed. "While I acknowledge your efficiency in work, can't you do it without the military touch?!" He asked picking the mug up, bringing it up to his lips. "Aww come on, where's the fun in that, Nat!?" I replied.

He stopped mid way, the border of the mug inches away from his lips. I sucked in a sharp breath wondering if he knew about the coffee. "I'm not going to squander my time arguing with you." He said setting the mug down and I sighed in relief, that he didn't yet know.

"Here," He said flipping the pages of the file he was holding and presented it to me. "I've reviewed it completely and marked parts that need to be rectified. Just deliver it to Tobita." He said, picking the mug up again.

Bringing it up to his thin lips, he took a sip of the burning, sour looking, sickeningly sugary coffee... And choked on it as he spat it out, his already bitter face turned into one of even more tremendous disgust.

I let out a snicker at his immediate reaction, and immediately coughed to cover it as Natsume scrambled for a handkerchief; coffee spilling down his lips to rest on his chin before tracing his flawless grey suit.

"What the Bloody hell?!" He cursed, the classic white handkerchief pressing onto his mouth like an air mask. "Ms. Mikan, I quite discreetly remember asking for coffee! Even honey produced by bees isn't this nauseatingly sweet! Are you trying to kill me?!"

Nah... Maybe... Ok, fine... Yes! Yes, I am. But of course, I can't say that to his face. "I just heard from a few sources, that you possess an enormous fondness, for sweet-tasting delicacies... Was I wrong?" I asked, purposefully emphasizing the enormous and laying it on thick while I batted my eyelashes at him in blamelessness.

"There's a distinction, Ms. Mikan... In having a likeness for something... And being utterly obsessed with it! You, however, clearly don't know how to separate the two! Hence, that absolutely ridiculous coffee!" He said and I swear, I almost laughed.

I pretended to pout as I puffed my cheek out. "Well, I mean I didn't believe it either when everyone said that you cherished sweets, and I thought that 7 cubes was going too far but—"

"7 CUBES?!"

Mikan just blinked in confusion and looked to the side as if guilty. "Um, yes? Why, what's wrong?" Mikan gasped unexpectedly, her hand flying to her lips. "Don't tell me... You take even more than seven?" Mikan exclaimed, faking her surprise even though laughter was bubbling deep inside her and begging to be let free.

Natsume stared at her in uncertainty, before his features twisted into a devastatingly dangerous scowl. "1 cube, plain black with an extra shot of espresso. THAT'S how I want and take my coffee, Ms. Mikan. And next time, instead of relying on your so called 'sources', how about you come ask me yourself?!" He said sharply.

"And here I thought you were shy, Nat." I said with a provocative wink and he spun around to shoot me a glare. "Mikan!" He howled and I nodded, falling silent. "Ok, ok. Sorry... For real." I replied seriously although I felt an earnest ecstasy in teasing him like this. He looked... Oddly cute...

"Just... Get that atrocity out of my office and make me a new one. The way I want it Ms. Mikan." He said to which I nodded. Quietly stepping forward to take the travel mug, I gripped it, ready to take it out of his sight.

But OH... MY... GOD! Recoiling from the sudden sting that shot through my palm from holding the scalding hot mug by its walls and not by its handle, I, of my own free will, let it fall... Onto my beloved boss's pants.

Well, to be exact, I let it drop onto my boss's groin... Right in between his legs. Ok, so I know what you're thinking, that I did that on purpose. I didn't. I mean, OUCH. That's... Gotta hurt. A lot.

"O-Oh my god. I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—" I looked around and picking up the very same file papers he wanted me to give to Tobita, I started rubbing at his...

Well, you get the picture.

I looked up to see his jaw clenched and his eyes blinking in dismay and shock as if he couldn't believe this was happening. His nails gripped hard at his leather chair. I felt his jaw clench even louder as I pressed the papers against him and blushed as if I just realized what I did.

I immediately removed my hand and blushed, fidgeting around not knowing what to do. "I—Should I—?" I asked, waiting for him to ask something. Say anything. But he didn't so much as part his lips. He sat there, blinking again and again, and biting his lower lip and digging his nails even deeper into the leather chair.

Our eyes met when he looked up all of a sudden and I blush seeing as I just touched him... Really, very intimately there too... "I-I-" He blushed too seeing me tongue tied, and well, turned red, all the way up to his ears.

His face was the colour of his eyes. I was pink around my cheeks and he was... Like the human form of a fully grown tomato. I saw him blink; unable to decide whether to focus on the fact that I touched him and blush even harder than he already was or on the fact that I dropped scalding hot coffee on a very sensitive part of his body and focus on the pain that shot up through his legs.

"Pfft..." I couldn't help it. I really didn't intend to laugh. I mean, I was in fact kinda feeling sympathetic here for the whole situation but it was hilarious, literally epic to the point of hell. His confusion, pain and blush and HIM, being torn between the three and unable to decide what to do.

"... Go." He finally let out a guttural like sound in pain, groaning. "...Huh?!" I asked in between my muffled laughs which I hadn't been able to control no matter how hard I tried. Poor Natsume...

"Just... Go!" He finally said somewhat lucidly. "I-I really am sorry, I didn't mean to laugh but... Haha..." I broke off again, forcing myself to stop laughing.

"Go... Just... Get out..." He said, his hand hammering lightly against the chair in pain as he bit his lips, his cheeks bright red now and I, for once, obliged. Outside, I exploded into laughter.

I did feel sorry for him but I didn't feel bad in the slightest that it happened. I didn't plan for it to, so it wasn't really my fault. Okay so maybe, but still. I laughed all the way downstairs.

This was gonna get a whole lot more interesting.