Chaptered and presented :D

Now, as for Natsume's family, I decided that I wanted him to have both parents, and as very little is known about them both I more or less took a free rein with 'em. Aoi I'm going to try to keep IC, but she's 12 here so there's a bit of little-sister malice for funsies.

Natsume's mom is going to be my biggest liberty, but I think it's important for N's character to have parents of a certain kind. Plus it's important for further plot.

Less of me ranting, more of you reading. Have fun.

(It's been a while since I did this: I own nothing. The characters and many of the plot themes are property of the mangaka.)

Mikan thought that this night would be fun. Meeting Natsume's family; she was curious and excited.

Being invited to 'be introduced' gave her a confidence boost as well, because it meant that Natsume was taking her seriously as a girlfriend. If he was bringing her home to his family, perhaps he wasn't going to abandon her as soon as he'd slept with her. She wasn't a total idiot, she had realized ( especially in the time she spent thinking about 'them' when they weren't speaking) that the whole relationship could be an overblown plan to get her into bed, which was why she was being even more cautious.

However, this was a good sign, right? Although, he also acted like he really didn't want to be 'introducing' her, and that wasn't the best sign. So it was kind of at an even.

They paused outside the door of his – fairly comfortable and large – house, and he surprised her with a kiss.

"What was that for?" she asked suspiciously, as she wiped her mouth dry with the back of her hand.

"Uh, I'dunno," he mumbled; really, he had been stealing a last-minute piece of affection from her – he needed to remind himself that no matter what his parents made of Mikan, he liked her, and that was all that really mattered. He was less than optimistic about his parents' opinions of her.

Mikan began to realize why Natsume when they opened the door to a jaded cry of, "About time, Natsume. You best not be alone." and she swore she saw him wince.

To make things worse Natsume mother, father (or so she could assume) and his younger sister were already sitting down to eat, and made it clear they had been waiting for the two of them.

"Ah, you must be Mikan-chan," Natsume's father, an artistic-looking man with a warm smile, said kindly. "It's good to meet you."

"At last," his mother added slyly, and gave Natsume a 'you know what I mean' look.

Deciding to play the oblivious 'rising above it' card, Mikan pulled Natsume towards the table by his forearm and sat down.

"It is an honor to meet you all," she recited formally, and she heard a little giggle from the direction of Natsume's sister.

"Oh please, Mikan-chan," his father said. "There is no need to be so formal. We are not going to eat you."

"...yet," hissed Aoi, and when Mikan glanced at her in peril she promptly burst out laughing.

"You are Aoi-chan, perhaps?" Mikan asked the girl – about twelve, dark hair like her parents and sibling – and she nodded.

"How did you know that?" she inquired with a look of intrigue.

"Natsume's talked about you," she replied, and Aoi looked surprised.

"You did, Oni-chan?" she said to Natsume playfully, and he shrugged.

"I had to ask him, though," Mikan remarked with a smile. "He never talks about his family."

"Typical," Aoi giggled, and Mikan shared another smile with her. Aoi seemed quite nice, and Mikan felt a lot more confidant that she'd be able to get on with the Hyuuga family.

"Ashamed of us, perhaps?" his mother stated icily, and Mikan felt the moment die. Before Natsume could argue, not that he looked in a mind to, she continued. "You are at... school with my son?" she asked, and Mikan gave a nervous nod. Knowing what Natsume had said about his mother's attitude toward his Alice, she had the sensation that she didn't even want to say the name 'Alice Academy'.

"Yes, I am," she mumbled quietly, her eyes sinking downward fast.

"I expect it's nothing big," his father said jovially, but Mikan couldn't help but notice he too didn't use the word 'Alice'. "You seem perfectly normal, right Mikan-chan." Either the seat was getting bigger or Mikan was getting smaller.

"Uh... well," she said awkwardly, wondering how to answer without screwing things up for herself.

"Yes. Perfectly normal," Natsume interrupted, stunning Mikan. He was protecting her?

"Exellent," his mother said just a little too keenly. "Well, do you do well?"

"Um?" Mikan sounded confused.

"Do you get good grades in 'school'," she questioned irately, as if it should have been clear earlier.

"I'm..."

"She's..." Natsume interjected, but Mikan cut him off. She wasn't going to have him save her from every awkward question, or lie about who she was to please them. They should be able to judge her for whatever she was and if they had a problem with it she'd deal with it face to face.

"I'm not very smart," she said confidantly. Natsume's mother's eyebrows creased together.

"Is that so?" she said incredulously. "Do you not want to get into a good university?"

"If I could," Mikan replied. "But I can't. I study and see tutors just to keep my grades average. I have to work a job as well," she finished, as if it was an excuse, which she knew it wasn't really.

"Oh," his mother said knowingly, and looked at her husband.

"What do your parents do?" he inquired, changing the topic. He was a lot less scary than his wife, but Mikan felt no less like she was being tried for some kind of son-defiling crime.

"My mother..." Ran part time jobs varying from shop attendant to hostess, but never entered a real profession. "...is a housewife." There was a sound that could have been approval or dismissal from Natsume's own career-driven mother.

"Your father then?" Natsume's own father probed.

"He's... dead," she answered. "He has been for a long time." Natsume's mother raised her eyebrows in a movement that was surprisingly like what Natsume did, and Mikan had to resist a grin.

"How are you supported?" his mother demanded, both of them knowing the Academy had fees and that a family needed income.

"My mother's... second husband," Mikan blurted uncomfortably, feeling the 'she's from that kind of family' vibe hanging low around the room. It was almost as if there was no food there, so insignificant it was to the real purpose of the evening.

"I like your top, Mikan-chan," Aoi piped up suddenly, bright and lifting the mood a little. "It's so cute."

"Thank you, Aoi-chan," Mikan said cheerfully, reflecting Aoi's good intentions perfectly. "I got it from..." She realized all too late that this particular item was bought on a five-finger discount; namely, shoplifted.

"Where?" Aoi probed. "You broke off suddenly."

"From a market," Mikan rushed, trying not to let her face flush.

Then, as she took the narrowest hit yet, she felt a light and warm pressure on her knee. Natsume's hand. He was applying just enough for her to know he wasn't being completely soppy and comforting, but it wasn't lewd enough not to offer some small 'it's okay' message to her; calming her down immensely.

"Well, Mikan-chan," Natsume's father said after a while finally spent eating. "What are your hobbies?"

"Hobbies?"

"What do you like to do? Your 'specialist subjects'," he explained. "I'm sure there are some things you are good at."

"I..." she fumbled. What was she good at? "Well... I..."

"I bet Mikan-chan's hobby is fashion," Aoi suggested, with just a tiny hint there of dropping in to save her embarrassment. "Do you have a lot of clothes?"

"Yes," Mikan told Aoi, an apparent ally in what was quickly dividing teams. "My mom gave me lots of her old clothes, and I have a lot of my own things." She thought for a second. "Yes, I do like fashion; I really enjoy putting together outfits and customising clothes and things."

"So you are looking for a career in fashion design?" Natsume's mother swooped in like a hawk.

"Well... not really," Mikan confessed. "I'm not really... creative enough for something like that." If Natsume's mother had hit her, it probably wouldn't feel any worse than Mikan felt now, and the hand on her knee clenched tight, as if he were holding back on something.

"You said you wanted to be introduced," Natsume snapped suddenly, apparently failing to keep from what he'd been trying to not say. "Not to interrogate her." He glared across the table, particularly at his mother.

"I wanted to know what kind of girl that dress in the back of your wardrobe was for," she retorted acidly. "So I am liable to ask your girlfriend anything I want to, Natsume," she added, but Mikan's mind was already thinking of something else.

"A dress?" she echoed curiously, and Aoi's face – which had been thoughtful – suddenly broke out in a big grin.

"You mean that stripy one he has hidden right at the back?" she teased. "Normally boys have naughty pictures, oni-chan. I wonder what you get up to." Natsume glared at his sister, but it was a friendly glare – if there was such a thing. Mikan got the feeling that although Natsume and Aoi bickered and teased each other, they didn't really have all that bad a relationship.

However, the 'stripy dress' was another matter. Surely it wasn't that...

"What kind of stripes, Aoi-chan?" Mikan asked her.

"Pinstripes," her mother answered. "The cleaner tells me it has been there for some time."

"You'll have to excuse me for a minute, sorry!" Mikan cried as she backed away from the table (they had all finished eating more or less) and ran in the direction of the stairs.

"Which room is his?" she directly asked Aoi as she passed her.

"Second on the left!" the cute girl replied with a mischievous grin, and before Natsume could jump up himself and give chase Mikan was tearing up the stairs, down the corridors and into the room she hoped was his.

It was bare, and looked un-lived in, but the bed was unmade and she saw a few things of his lying around, so she assumed it must be his. She also heard his footsteps approaching behind hers, and hurriedly ripped open the wardrobe and pushed through right to the back.

She closed her hand around the hanger at the very back, and pulled it out into the light just as Natsume got to the doorway.

It was that dress. The one from the store all that time ago. From their first date.

"When did you buy this?" she asked emptily, knowing he was there to hear her.

"I didn't go back," he stated, and her eyes widened in even more surprise.

"Why did you buy this?" she demanded; her voice still devoid of any emotion as she tried to work out what she was feeling.

"I don't know." She heard him crossing the floor, coming closer to her. "I really don't know."She felt his hand on her hip, and she turned just as he span her, and she caught him mid-whirl; their mouths crashing together manically as he bumped her back against the wardrobe door, making it slam shut.

She didn't even know why she was kissing him so hard – she'd dropped the dress as she did – or why the current of desire, sexual desire, was deciding to run so hot in her veins right now. Why had this suddenly become different, she wondered as he bit her lip worked his hands underneath her top.

She already remember too clearly where the bed was, and when he pulled her off the wall and began to stagger towards it she didn't object. She couldn't object, her body wouldn't let her.

It was fumbled and rushed, but raw and madly compelling; when he pushed her down on the bed and pulled off her top, she only reached her tongue further into his mouth and dragged her (comparatively) cold hands across his own shoulders and back.

When her 'modest' top was thrown aside, leaving her in her bra, she made sure to even the balance by digging her hands underneath his thin jumper and peeling it off. She'd never said that she only liked guys with lots of muscles, but her taste in them was always tailored that way. Tsubasa was certainly very fit, with an impressive body.

But this was not Natsume. He was strong for his build, but that was wiry and thin, so it didn't amount to much: he was not her normal tastes in aesthetics. However, this didn't seem to matter as she ripped off his top and wrapped her arms around bare skin. She was just attracted to him, and she couldn't even work out why: it was just there.

He moaned into her mouth when she moved underneath him, making just a tiny bit of room for him between her legs while she ran her fingers through his hair and pulled his mouth harder onto hers. She thought she'd wanted him before, but compared to this that was nothing. Now every inch of her body screamed for contact; more, and harder, until she was filled to the point of bursting and physically couldn't take anymore.

She remembered, as one of his hands cupped a breast roughly, what she'd told herself would happen if she let this happen. What she knew would happen. He'd leave – lust slaked – just like everyone did. Mikan hated being alone, but she hated being left more. The idea of people leaving not on her terms fed her insecurities, and it was always when she was alone that she became sad.

With Natsume here, now, it was so good, so not alone that she could almost fool herself into just feeling it without thinking, but the idea of it all pissing off to find someone else to do exactly the same things to made her want to cry.

She needed to stop, soon. Before it went too far.

The only problem was that she couldn't. Even if her brain had every reason in the world to stop making out with him and allowing him to pop open the buttons on her jeans, she simply couldn't do it.

Which probably made it lucky, at least from Mikan's point of view, that Aoi ran into the room through the open door and promptly screamed.

"Ahhh!" she screeched, as she clapped eyes on the heaving and tangled pile of her brother and his girlfriend on the bed; both of them evidently without tops. "What the hell, bro!" It took a little longer than it should for Natsume to come to terms with what was happening, and when he did there was a mad scramble for Mikan to cover herself, which ended up in Natsume putting his top on her.

If the situation hadn't been what it what he might have remarked that it looked pretty hot on her. Although that could just be because it was his, and making him ego-trip on his girlfriend in his clothes.

"That is not cool! You didn't even close the door!" Aoi accused; more grossed-out pre-teen than hateful sister thankfully.

"Uh," Natsume grunted. He was now bare-chested - he certainly wasn't going to put on Mikan's top, and she was wearing his - which made him look around quickly for something to look less like he'd been about to fuck his girlfriend with his parents downstairs and the doors open.

Which, of course, he had.

He probably would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for that meddling kid.

"What were you two doing?" Aoi said critically, and Mikan inconspicuously retrieved her discarded clothing as she remembered the trigger to it all: that damned dress. When? How? Why?

"Uh... we were just hugging, Aoi-chan," Mikan said a little too assuredly.

"Why did you take off your top, then?" she asked suspiciously. She'd heard about this kind of thing from her friend at school...

"Because...!" Mikan floundered.

"Because she got too warm," Natsume suggested, looking directly at his sister as if to convey something very important. "You know how my, uh, Alice is."

"Ohhh," Aoi gasped wisely, realizing (or at least thinking she was) how things were, and her face relaxing into a fun smile. "He's like a radiator, isn't he Mikan-chan?"

"Um... yes," Mikan mumbled, her face now giving Natsume's body a run for its money in the 'producing heat' function. "He just gave me a wonderful gift, and... I hugged him to say thank you... and..."

"Hey!" Natsume interrupted grumpily – coitus interruptus was not his finest moment. "Who said it was yours?"

"What will you do with it?" she retorted sharply. "You bought it for me, didn't you?"

"I bought it when I was with you," he corrected.

"Because I'd been wearing it! Because it looked good on me! Because I couldn't afford it! It is for me!" Mikan insisted in shrieks and shouts.

"Maybe it is," Natsume retorted darkly. "But you're assuming things before they're even done. I wasn't even going to give it to you yet."

"Well..." she said angrily (at least he was going to give it to her, and not keep it secretly like some kind of stalker), and then she realized – he'd bought the dress she'd (and he'd) loved right on their first date, and it wasn't cheap. That had to mean something didn't it? Why were they even fighting?

"Thank you," she rushed, leaping forwards and throwing her arms around his neck, pressing her lips against his and kissing him with genuine affection.

"Ewwww," Aoi squealed from the doorway, but not without a smile. "Grosssss." Mikan felt Natsume smiling against her mouth, and she knew for sure that he actually liked his little sister - more than he let on.

"You two gross-tards better get downstairs, mom and dad will get annoyed," she warned Mikan and Natsume, and then turned around and skipped away to her own room.

When they had shifted tops – so it appeared as if no one had been about to have sex – and returned downstairs, Natsume's mother was far from content.

"If you're quite done being rude, Mikan-chan, I think it's about time for you to go. Natsume will be speaking to me for some time," she said colder than the Antarctic on a particularly icy day, and Mikan very nealy shivered.

"Go. Save youself," Natsume leant over and whispered in her ear, and oddly enough he sounded amused – like he thought it was a joke.

"I'm very sorry Hyuuga-san," she said apologetically, bowing quickly. "I'd just like to say that... well, I like your son very much, and... goodbye." She bowed again and turned to leave. However Natsume caught her before she could go, craving her after she twisted his emotions so hard with that small confession, and pulled her into a kiss, to hell if it was in front of his parents, it was only lip-to-lip.

"Bye," he murmured, as her cheeks flushed bright red, which coaxed a smile onto his face.

"See you soon," she whispered under her breath, and then louder, and to the whole room, said, "I can see myself out."

With that, she was gone. Outside. Safe.

She was unsure as to whether this classed as a good or bad night, or a success or a failure, or a close escape or a last-minute save.

Whatever the final outcomes were, she sure felt good enough right now. That would do.

Yes... I used a line from scooby-doo in my fic. I'm so five :P

Leave a review please, etc, etc, they got waaaay close to doing it, and that counts for a lot, right?

My adoring thanks to everyone reading and reviewing, you all make me feel like it's worth writing this thing :D