Of Pyros, Polka Dots, and Hidden Love

A Gakuen Alice Fanfic by (The Yakisoba Obsessed) Y.N.T. Maria Blanca

DISCLAIMER: …If I owned Gakuen Alice, I'd make this fic really happen, as well as the fic "Simple Days" coz it's so damn funny.

Author's Notes: At last! Tsubasa-sempai still makes an appearance! This is the last chapter! Awww…this is a first! I finish a chapter fic in ONE DAY. WORLD RECORD! YEAH!

I dedicate this story, once again, to

Hiyono-chin (who called me –sama and made me her "mistress". Arigatou!)

hopelessromantic75 (who complimented my taste on not putting in an element

Alice to make our Natsume-chan jealous…ngehehehe!)

Ayu7 (who likes Tamami-san, my little Trance-alice friend…wooo.)

I LOVE YOU GUYS! (goes all Mikan-ish on ya' butts) I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations!
This last chapter is FOR YOU!

Chapter Five: Tsubasa Wings It, Part 2 – All's Well That Ends Well

Uh oh…Tsubasa thought, this isn't part of the plan. He shrugged. Guess I'll just have to wing it.

Unfortunately, an altercation with the hot-tempered (and hot-bodied) Natsume Hyuuga was not on Misaki and Tsubasa's (GOD! I ALMOST TYPED TAMA-friggin-HOME! WHAT THE…) Match-Mikan-With-Natsume Plan.

At least, not an altercation this big. Sure, they expected a teeny bit of singing, but not what Natsume threatened, which was an all out turkey roast.

Or rather, a Tsubasa roast.

"Get off of her you pervert!" Natsume (who is the pot calling the kettle black, what with his panty-teasing and all that) ordered Tsubasa in a gruff shout. Twin fireballs appeared near Natsume's head, their tiny, flame-y points aimed at Tsubasa's…

Nether region. To put it lightly for the kids.

Well, if any other man was in Tsubasa's position, they'd have run for their lives. But either way, Tsubasa was in trouble. If he went back to Misaki without having matched up Mikan and Natsume, he'd be castrated (a word here which, for you kiddies, means "very, VERY unhappy and in pain."), and if he stayed he'd be cremated (a word here which means "burned to the crispiest of crisps") and castrated. So either way he was screwed.

Oh well…Tsubasa dusted the snow off him. Mikan, seeing the possible danger her sempai was in, was able to get up (finally), and threw herself at Natsume, extinguishing his flames.

When Natsume recovered from the shock, he pushed Mikan off and said, eyes burning, "What the hell did you do that for, little girl!"

Mikan responded with equal fervor, her eyes flashing, her nullifying Alice at the ready. "Why were you trying to hurt Tsubasa-sempai, you…you JERK! All you've been trying to do lately is ruin my life! And when you couldn't do that, you turn on my friends!" Natsume stood there, shocked by the vicious verbal onslaught… obviously he had jumped to conclusions.

And he had ruined everything.

Before he could explain himself, Mikan ran away, in tears. Natsume stood, stunned, until a voice broke through his reverie.

"You really love her, don't you." Tsubasa laid a hand on Natsume's shoulder in a "fatherly" gesture. In an instant, Tsubasa found that hand aflame.

"OW! Sorry…sorry," Tsubasa backed away slightly, "but you have to admit, I was right. You love Mikan, that's why you tried to 'save' her from me."

"How'd you know?" Natsume responded gruffly.

"I knew how we looked."

"Oh." He didn't say more than that. He turned to go.

"Why don't you tell her, you have all the chances to." Tsubasa's words stopped him dead in his tracks.

"I…can't. It'd destroy her." Natsume's face was shadowed. He refused to lift his head.

"How?"

"I'd destroy her. Like I destroyed…them." Them referring to the people he'd burned in a sea of flames. He was only eight. He had done that. Just imagine what he could do to an innocent, too-loud, angel on earth? Woah…that sounds sappy. QUIT IT AUTHOR!

I'll quit it when I like, so there.

"Look Hyuuga-san," Tsubasa, oblivious to the argument going on "telepathically" between Natsume and the all-powerful authoress, even used an honorific, just to appear kindly, "Mikan won't let you destroy her. You couldn't, even if you tried. She's just…not as fragile as you think."

Natsume stared up at the older boy's face. For a moment, he thought to himself. Is this how it feels to have a big brother? He snapped out of it, and broke into a run.

Mikan…I'm sorry…

(Tiny Note From the Author: The following sequence is best read with "When You Say Nothing At All" playing in the background.)

Crap…after searching for hours, Natsume couldn't see head nor ponytail of Mikan Sakura. He'd searched Central Town from top-to-toe, to no avail. Eventually, the flame-wielder gave up and went back to his dorm, dejected.

Unbeknownst (it's like in EVERY CHAPTER that word pops up at least ONCE) to Natsume, Tsubasa was at his aid.

The next morning, Natsume awoke to a hastily penned note on his dresser. Under your tree, there I'll be. 5:00pm. Natsume shrugged off the note, and incinerated it. The experiences of the day before had gotten him too pissed to care. He made an appearance in class, cut it, and went to sit under his tree.

Mikan also received such a note. In a bad mood, the idea of a secret admirer charmed her little semi-romantic heart. She was there at five and, to her disappointment, saw only a boy she had begun to loathe once more. She turned to leave. But at just the right moment, Natsume lowered his ever-present manga, and saw. It was a setup…but thank god for it.

"Wait!" Natsume said gruffly.

"What." Mikan turned heel. She had made herself up to meet her "secret admirer", and she was a vision in her powder-pink turtleneck and black pants. She had even worn a beret and a thick and cute little coat. Natsume couldn't help but stare.

"What!" Mikan repeated, a little louder, making Natsume break his reverie.

"I…I'm sorry. For yesterday." Once again (this also happened in chapter four, if you don't remember) Natsume had his back turned to Mikan, so she would not see his blush. He refused to show any emotion in his voice.

"…And you're not going to call me Mikan again, like the last time?" There was a smile in her voice. Natsume turned to face Mikan. Indeed, she was smiling, her arms outstretched in a gesture of…

That's not…that's…is that…

"Tsubasa-sempai told me everything." Mikan smiled. Natsume's mental jaw fell open.

"So." Natsume said gruffly.

"I didn't…I didn't know."

"I suppose you're going to call me a pervert and run away, you stupid girl." Natsume said even rougher. Mikan shook her head.

"I didn't know…you felt…the same way." She smiled.

Woah…waitaminit…the same way. That means…

Without a word, Natsume crushed Mikan to him, holding her too-tight, his body heat warming her from the winter snows around them. Not a word was spoken between them.

No words were needed.

THE END

End Notes: THE FINAL CHAPTER! Oh dear! I know…weird. It's like this fic was a one shot with chapters huh…I know. I'm so pathetic. Which is why I'm going to cry, right now, on the spot. Heh…I'm so tired.

I am so freaking woozy…going to fall…asleep. gets a coffee

Anyway, I apologize for the HEINOUS crime of Natsume OOC-ness. My "excuse" is that love does that to people. Anyway, this is how it ends, my first Gakuen Alice Fanfic, and my second completed chapterfic…ever. Well, there goes everything…

Paalam mga Kaibigan! Until Next Time!

MB