A/n: Lots of love for all the awesome folks who reviewed the last chapter: *drumroll* JAyesque, Autumn Win-Dow, day, adrienna22, I-am-always-me-24, Kuroichibineko, 24kk, Devilish Dream, KaiHyuuga, komaeda, kiki, laughtillyourstomachhurts, CrimsonQueen24, Atheana D, 2ndTimeReviewer, vna, Yuuto Tamano, Pretty Aurora Dream, hina-chan, aurora0914 & last but not the least all the awesome Guest reviewers who prefer to be mysterious and nameless XD!

I really value your feedback. Will try to make updates happen faster~ Thanks for waiting for this!

PREVIOUSLY…

The smile on my face fell as I realized.

Natsume was really sick.

"Sometimes, the best way to help someone is just to be near them." ― Veronica Roth

Day Five

Natsume

Fire.

I felt as if my whole body was on fire. A raging, consuming fire. When I opened my eyes, I could barely see past the hot water blurring my vision. It trickled down my cheek, my breath was heavy and my body felt like I'd have to drag my limbs around.

I felt a tissue dab gently at my eyes and I could see a bit more clearly – though not without a heavy lidded, feverish vision. Mikan's face was looming inches away from mine. Her long, straight hair fell neatly on either side of her head like a curtain, she was bending over. Her eyes were soft and clear lines of worry were visible on her forehead.

She had wandered into my darkness but she was not afraid.

"N-natsume-kun?" She called out my name. It caused chaos inside me once again, her sweet, sweet voice filling me up, making me feel whole – these illusions… the illusions she made me see.

I breathed heavily, my mind couldn't make any sense. I tried to get up on my own but it was impossible. Mikan put my arm around her shoulder, pushing me up in a sitting position with a herculean amount of strength. She put a pillow behind my head to make me comfortable, pulling the sheets over my quaking body.

"W-why are you..." I stuttered, drawing quick breaths, "doing this?"

She didn't seem to have understood my question. Instead, she just sat there on her knees, hands folded neatly in her lap, hair falling down to her hips in a beautiful, beautiful mess and those eyes – those innocent, big dough pools of honey.

"I left you. You could've been raped… dead," I struggled to get the words out my mouth. My throat had gone completely dry.

Quickly she picked up a glass of water from the side table and offered it to me, helping me drink it with her dainty hands. After I had gulped down a decent amount of water, she smiled a little, looking up at me.

"Because I knew you'd come back for me," she said honestly. I pierced her soul with my scrutinizing gaze. Raised by Uncle Reii in a world which was completely devoid of good, I couldn't understand people like Mikan. I studied her carefully for any signs of deception. But she continued to look back at me, her eyes like windows to her soul.

"Hn…" I grunted, speechless and a bit moved. Masking it with cold indifference, I lay back in bed.

"You're so hot…" she touched my forehead gently, her eyes widening. I chuckled darkly, snaking my arms around her tiny, petite waist and pulling her on top of me.

"You get to the point quickly, don't you little girl?" I breathed into her ear, putting on my most seductive voice. I loved toying with Mikan.

As expected, her cheeks flushed and she turned her face away in embarrassment.

"I- I didn't mean it like that!" She quickly corrected herself, but I could feel her chest's rise and fall. I only smirked.

"You're not so bad either, Polka," I whispered once again in her ear, enjoying her shiver – my voice coaxing her into my spell.

Mikan

All traces of vulnerability disappeared from Natsume's face. His heavy, husky voice sent tremors down my whole body, the mystery returning once again to lull me into his trap.

I followed into the lion's den like the stupid lamb that I was, my heart thumping so loud inside my chest I was embarrassed that he might be able to hear it.

One of his hands rested on my waist, the other in my hair, pulling me to his lips. I shut my eyes tightly and readied myself for the thunderous impact of our lips colliding and there it was.

Electricity.

His fire burned me, his lips relentless, demanding, out of control. He was wild but not without mystery, intrigue. I couldn't predict what he would do next and the sounds-

The sounds he was extracting from me made me flustered and speechless, begging for more.

The sound of my own moans made my mind go numb. His hot, feverish breath grazed my lips, two rubies under heavily lidded eyes glistening in the morning light through the blinds on the window.

Unconsciously, my hand reached to grab his soft hair, his unbelievably soft hair. After what seemed like centuries, we parted. Crimson stared into honey-brown and my lips parted slightly, our reflections in each other's eyes.

"Natsume-kun," I breathed, I couldn't recognize who spoke from within me. I didn't feel like Mikan Yukihara raised by Karou-sama, but Mikan, just Mikan. Hi eyes were so gentle in that moment that I couldn't even recognize the shadow of my own securities in his crystal clear crimson.

"Little girl," he replied, making me heart throb madly once more before collapsing under me.

My eyes widened and I checked his temperature and he kept burning, his fever significantly higher. "Natsume-kun!" I shook him slightly, but he didn't respond.

Quickly, I made a run for the bathroom, filling up a bowl with cold water and running back inside the bedroom, setting it on the side table. I drenched a white cloth inside the bowl, folded like a head band and placed it over Natsume's burning head in attempts to cool down his fever.

"You'll be fine! I promise!" I panicked, tears stinging at the corners of my eyes. I tried calling the others but there were no network signals in the lodge. It was still snowing outside, the landslide blocking the entrance and exit areas near the lodge.

"What should I do…" the tears just kept pouring out like they had a will of their own. "Nastume-kun…"

Natsume

The last thing I remembered was kissing Mikan and being kissed by her. I remembered the paralyzing feeling of Mikan's soft moans, the addictive, substance-like rush in my blood, my mind losing its capacity to comprehend thoughts.

I have always been a great kisser, I have always been in control.

But with Polka, I neither submitted, not dominated. I leaded, yes, but she wandered into my darkness voluntarily and didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave.

My desire to consume her, ravage her, break her into pieces as she moans my name over and over in my ear was intense.

This maddening lust and passion, I had never felt it for a woman before. When I opened my eyes, a sweet, delicious fragrance filled up the room.

Weakly, I grabbed the side table for support and walked into the small mini-kitchen within the room. Mikan had an apron on, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she stirred something in a big pot.

"What are you doing?" I breathed quietly. A little startled, Mikan whipped her head back to look at me. "You scared me!" She pouted cutely and I mentally facepalmed for finding her so adorable.

What the fuck is wrong with me.

"It wasn't my intention," I said nonchalantly, watching her tilt her head curiously.

"What?" I snapped, running a hand through my hair in frustration.

"What you said just now… was very close to apologizing," she pointed out and I felt like an idiot. "You're delusional, little girl," I sneered, weakly stumbling into the kitchen, trying to mask my vulnerabilities.

"Don't they have room service?" I glared at Polka, although I secretly craved food home cooked, Japanese cuisine immensely.

"This isn't a five start restaurant," she retorted, a bead of sweat trickling down her forehead. Arrogantly, I answered "I have been living in a seven-star penthouse in New York all my life, little girl."

I saw her glance at me before returning to her noodles, a little lost.

"What is it?" I raised an eyebrow, watching her trying to discreetly steal glances my way.

"Didn't you feel lonely?"

My eyes widened in surprise. No one, except mom, had asked me that question. Not even Uncle Reii. I tried to hide behind my practiced smirk, throwing her own question back at her.

If I upset her, maybe she'll stop trying to stare into my soul.

She shook her head. "Even though I lost my own home, the Hyuugas have never made me feel like a guest, a burden, anything. That's why this place is my home."

I leaned a little against the counter, withdrawing from this dangerous exchange. Dangerous because I was tempted to answer her honestly.

Yeah, I was always lonely.

I was lonely here while that bastard child was getting all of MY mother's love.

I was so lonely that I wished death.

I wanted to say these things to Mikan. Suddenly she was in front of me, looking up at me with those big dough eyes. A large spoon in her hand with ramen sauce, she held it up to my lips. "Taste!" She commanded and I obeyed instantly.

Delicious.

"It sucks, little girl. Are you trying to kill me?" I lied.

"W-what?" I saw her face fell, the radiance disappearing from it. "Oh, let me make something else…" she turned around quickly but I grabbed her wrist, my own head lowered, gaze on the floor. "Just add…more salt."

She turned around and beamed at me before returning to her cooking. When she was finally done, she brought the pot to the small table on the floor. I fell on the floor in a sitting pose, literally. She poured some ramen in a bowl for me, seasoned with a few spices, vegetables and boiled eggs.

I watched her as she poured out ramen in her own bowl, a smaller serving in comparison to mine. She clapped her hands together loudly, "Ittadakimasu!"

She opened her eyes, a bright smile on her face, looking at me with expecting, flickering honey-brown eyes.

"It-ta-day-ki-mass" I said awkwardly, watching her eyes widen before she burst into laughter.

I was surprised.

Not because my heart fluttered when I heard her laughter – breathing life into each sound, making it immortal as it fell upon my ears.

But because my own face lit up with a smile.

Mikan

I couldn't stop myself from laughing when I heard his Americanized-Japanese. I quickly covered my mouth but the outbursts of giggles kept shaking me as I laughed loudly.

I didn't notice that Natsume was looking at me and smiling until much later. When our eyes met, for that brief second, he quickly withdrew both his gaze and his smile from me.

I smiled as I began to eat, watching him. He was so hesitant, so quiet. "YOU CAN'T USE CHOPSTICKS?!" I screamed, unable to contain my shock.

"Why don't we just alert the media?" He groaned and I blushed in embarrassment. "G-gomen…" I said in a small voice before taking his large hand in mine, blushing harder as I taught him how to use chopsticks.

We ate with a bit of laughter as the snowflakes fell outside, the white sky smiling down at us.

Far away from all the hurt and pain…

Natsume's eyes met mine, a gentle expression, a smile of appreciation and gratitude on his face.

Natsume was…

I put on my biggest, brightest, most genuine smile for the handsome man in front of me.

Surely…

I lost my appetite, because watching Natsume eat with that expression of fulfillment was so beautiful.

A gentle person.

A/n: I know it took a long time to update but the emotions came out just the way I wanted in this chapter! ^^ Hope you guys leave reviews and make my day, I can't stress on it enough. Your words of encouragement keep me going!

Until next time.