Author's Note: I literally hadn't planned for this chapter, but I figured I would sprinkle in some detail besides the smut.
For the evening, Natsume and Mikan managed to untangle themselves to properly prepare for the farewell feast. Since most houses brought their court to witness the Matching Ceremony, the king hosted one immense feast for all invited. Wine and food flowed freely, bawdy singing at each table.
It was Mikan's last chance to say goodbye to her parents, and it was the first chance that the House Yukihara and the House Hyuuga were able to mingle.
Lady Yuka and Lady Kaoru hit it off stupendously, cackling like old friends and sharing childhood stories of Mikan and Natsume. Sitting close by, Mikan listened, entranced by how the quiet, brooding boy described by Lady Kaoru could become the man sitting across from her.
"To the Matches!" toasted the king, and cheers exploded from every corner of the hall.
The party continued for several hours, but the House Yukihara liked to retire early.
"Take care, my daughter." Her parents would leave early the next morning, parting ways in the hall. Mikan kissed each parent on each cheek.
Natsume escorted her to her room, which was right next to his. Within the king's enormous castle, each Matched couple was granted rooms to enjoy their seven-week stay. Mikan had heard rumors that some privately consummated on the first night, even before they were married.
"The night is still young," remarked Natsume, arriving at her door.
"It is."
Natsume trailed a finger down her arm. "We could pass some time… In your room."
Rolling her eyes good-naturedly, she said firmly, "Good night, Natsume." She entered and shut the door before he could do anything else or suggest anything else.
"Call me when you get lonely," he shouted through the closed door.
For the most part, Natsume and Mikan filled their early days with long walks and a lot of kissing. Besides the heavy innuendos, Natsume was a good conversationalist, and Mikan admired his perspective on the world. Mikan didn't know what the other Matches were up to (probably snogging just as hard), except for the occasional invitation to join in a group activity, such as games.
Mikan considered herself a champion at charades and had eagerly accepted the group invitation to play with Lord Koko, Lady Sumire, Lord Kitsu, and Lord Yuu. The only downside was they were expected to play as betrothed pairs, and Mikan wasn't sure how well they could work together.
After dinner, they made their way to a chamber in the wing of Lord Yuu and Lord Kitsu.
Each teammate chose a paper at random, and on the sheet were written 10 random words, with the last word usually being the most difficult. There was an hourglass to mark one minute, the time limit they had to guess.
With Lord Yuu first, Lord Kitsu managed to guess six; Lord Sumire and Lord Koko, only four.
"You ready?" Mikan asked, patting his hand before rising.
He smirked. "Always."
Mikan withdrew a sheet and unfolded it.
Duck. Spring. Temple. Picnic. Disgust. Moon. Statue. Library. Dragon. Reincarnation.
Mikan did not know what force in heaven or on earth would compel Natsume to guess "reincarnation," but she was fairly confident she could act out the first nine.
"Ready? Set. Start!" Lord Yuu flipped the hourglass.
Mikan shaped her body in a poor imitation of a duck, bill and wings and feathers.
Relishing the opportunity to rile her up, Natsume leaned back and tilted his head in false confusion.
"The duality of nature," he guessed.
She shook her head.
"The folly of man."
She shook her head more vigorously.
"Trysts. Oh, lovers' quarrel. No? Perhaps then… Marriage?"
Mikan let out a frustrated shriek before arranging her body parts in an even worse impression of a duck, miming the life cycle from egg to maturity.
"The art of war. Oh, battlefields. No, generals."
Mikan took a deep breath and looked upwards, as though a god might take pity and send help.
Seeing half the time already have slipped by, Natsume decided to play nice.
"Duck."
Mikan blinked once before exclaiming, "Yes!"
Reinvigorated, Mikan began a lightning round of poses, and Natsume of guesses.
"Spring. Temple. Picnic. Oh, we should go for a picnic."
Amped with competition, Mikan snapped, "Focus, Natsume!"
"Sorry. Uh… Disgust. Moon. Statue. Library. Dragon."
Mikan chanced a glance at the time and felt heartened by the fact that they had caught up more than enough. One last word.
Natsume leaned forward, invested, examining her closely. Giving her best effort, Mikan acted out death and rebirth, but Natsume remained silent, seconds ticking by.
Just as the last few grains of sand dropped, Natsume said, "Reincarnation."
"Yes!" Mikan pumped her arms in victory and leapt at Natsume, who caught her.
"Wow, Mikan and Natsume unexpectedly taking first place," said Lord Yuu, marking the points, "but can they maintain their lead?"
Lord Yuu and Lord Kitsu earned five more points, and Lord Sumire and Lord Koko seven. They were tied at 11 points each.
"Okay, Mikan and Natsume only need to guess two correctly to win, one to tie."
"You ready?" he asked, drawing a paper.
Mikan nodded and took a deep breath.
Faster than she expected, Natsume began miming, and Mikan's mind whirred with possibilities.
At the end of one minute, she had correctly guessed three. They had won, but as Natsume walked her back to their rooms, he sensed her unease, much different than her earlier delight.
"What's wrong?"
She turned her face towards him and he could see her blotchy cheeks and wet eyes; she was about to cry.
Immediately, in a gesture of comfort, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "Tell me what's wrong."
She shook her head, but still buried her face into his chest. "It's so silly," came her muffled answer.
"Nothing's silly," he assured her.
After a few sobs and tears, soaking into Natsume's tunic, she said miserably, "I only guessed three, and you got all ten. And you weren't even trying that hard!"
Natsume almost laughed, but caught himself in time. He stroked her hair as he let her rant.
"It's like you see me and you understand me and you know exactly what I want to say, but I can't do the same. I couldn't even guess 'castle' and we're in a castle! And that's not fair, I want to be able to do the same to you. You deserve so much better, and I thought you were this terrible, mean, horrible pervert -"
Then Natsume did laugh; he couldn't help it.
Mikan looked up, her face tear-stained but angry. "You're laughing at me."
"I am," he admitted, "but only at how ridiculous you sound. I deserve only the best, and that's you." His thumbs wiped away the tracks of her tears.
"I am?" she asked quietly.
"My first and only choice," he told her as he had before. "It's okay, Mikan. You'll learn. I'll teach you myself."
Mikan nodded, curled up against his chest, and she felt much more relieved. "You want to come inside and read with me?"
Natsume was in the mood to do more than read, but he wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to be alone with her.
"Wait, Natsume, stop," she gasped into his mouth. He pulled away, resting his forehead on hers. They both breathed heavily, their essences mingling in the air between them.
With her own eyes closed, she couldn't tell if he had opened his and was looking at her, but she didn't care. All she could focus on were the intense sensations he had stirred within her; she felt as though her blood had been lit aflame, and she was blissfully dizzy.
His hands, idling restlessly on her hips, resumed their previous exploration and betrayed his renewed excitement. He was always so eager; so… so… insatiable.
His touch made her want to succumb to him, indulge him, and make his words come true.
But if she couldn't even handle kissing him, how could she go further?
"Okay," she whispered, nodding to herself, before she pulled him back.
The birds chirped loudly as they did every morning, but their song did not rouse Mikan. Instead, it was the log she was seemingly lying on and the warm pressure on her stomach. Soon, the memories of the night before returned to her, and she opened her eyes to find her betrothed slumbering next to her, his arm caught underneath her body.
"Natsume," she called, one hand raising to caress his cheek.
"Mmm," he responded, his head moving closer.
"We spent our first night together," whispered Mikan shyly.
With a small smile, Natsume sighed happily, "We did."
She felt him awaken, regain his senses (and pull his numb arm out from beneath her), and with him, she awoke, too, mainly because the hand on her stomach began moving. First, it was a comforting rub, the heat of his palm piercing through the fabric.
But then maybe, just maybe, Mikan's hand might have pushed his hand downwards. His eyes opened to watch her face. She wore no undergarments beneath her nightgown, and they both knew it.
Taking it slow, Natsume's hand went even lower, feeling her bare thighs. Natsume barely resisted the urge to pull off the blankets so he could gaze upon her flesh. As Natsume traced circles on the inside of her thighs, raking his nails every so often, Mikan parted her legs and encouraged him to go higher.
Natsume moved his body closer, intertwining his legs with hers. He watched her face amusedly, and Mikan gazed back, telling him silently what she wanted.
He dragged a single finger from her knee upwards, but when Mikan's breath hitched, he went back down, only to repeat the same movement over and over, going higher and higher each time.
"Will you touch me?" Her voice trembled with nerves and anticipation.
"I am touching you."
"But touch me…"
"Where?" He prompted, his fingers on the divot where leg met hip. His hand was so close…
"Where only betrotheds and husbands are allowed to touch."
"If that's what you want."
Mikan nodded. "I do."
"Then that's what you shall receive," he said, his face breaking out into a devious grin.
Suddenly, Natsume pushed his hand up and away, disappointing Mikan until she felt his hand grope her breasts roughly.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, unaccustomed to having her breasts grabbed, but the unexpected pressure and the fact that it was Natsume made her body heat up.
"You like that?"
"I do," she responded, her voice lower than normal, her body wriggling with excitement.
"Then I think you'll like my mouth better."
With the other hand untying the laces, Natsume shifted the linen nightgown away from her chest, revealing her right breast to the bare air, the soft nipple shrinking to a point.
And just when he was about to lay his mouth on her nipple, there was a knock on the door.
"Lady Mikan!" It was Lady Nadeshiko, known to be pushy and persistent. Her presence could not be ignored. "Lady Chiasa, the other Matches, and I request your presence immediately at the breakfast table. We want to plan a trip to the town for purchases."
As an afterthought, she added, "And tell Lord Natsume as well. He's not answering his door."
"I hear you," called Natsume.
And the stunned silence on the other side made both Mikan and Natsume snicker. Lady Mikan was known for her modesty, and while other Matches engaged in their sexuality openly and publicly, Mikan knew nobody expected her to have her betrothed in her room.
"We'll continue this later," Natsume promised, withdrawing his hands, covering her up and getting out of bed.
Mikan groaned, but followed him anyway, buoyant with his promise of more.
