There is no hope in editing this chapter or stopping the crazy amount of out of character writing. What was wrong with me. God. I was such a sucky writer, I'm not sure if I should continue the fic. Updated 06.26.12


9th Grade = 14 years old.

Natsume

In the four years that passed, I have claimed Polka as the love of my life, I learned to smile more often, and the missions have lessened considerably. I don't know who changed me more, my girlfriend, or my best girl friend. Speaking of which, Hotaru and Ruka have started dating. I found out only because I caught them kissing behind a tree and demanded an explanation. I should have expected that much but it still hurt, why does it hurt though?

Flashback

I watched her walk to the forest where we met, her long black hair blowing sideways. She had grown it since the time when I had first seen her, standing underneath the Sakura tree I rested by. She hadn't noticed me yet, but I was trained to be silent like a black cat and wanted to see what was going on, for she had never told me that she was going out today. Her amethyst eyes looked around and I hid in the shadows, my interested piqued trice-fold.

Like the fool I was, I followed her. Not because I was worried, but merely because I knew she had something to hide which meant it was embarrassing, which meant it was my duty as Ruka's best friend to embarrass her. I hid when she looked back and kept up with her pace though she obviously didn't want to be followed.

Like the fool I was, I was shocked to see her run to meet Ruka. I knew I shouldn't have been there but I stayed out of curiosity.

I didn't want to look at their hands entwined but my eyes wouldn't turn away. I didn't want to hear their laughter but my ears caught on to their every word. I was disgusted with them and with myself for caring so much. I should have expected this. Finally I closed my eyes from them but I could still hear the sound of kisses. When I opened them, she had pulled away but I still want to rip at something.

Anger ran through me. Ruka had fallen for my own girlfriend and now he was going for my best friend. I didn't understand, why had nobody told me? Frustrated, I slammed a fist on the nearest tree, trying my hardest not to burn anything or they would both know. I was acting like a child but I didn't care. They were both my best friends, so why did they hide this from me?

"Hotaru!" I heard Ruka call and I turned to see her running from him. If he had hurt her. I'll kill him.

End Flashback

I shook my head to clear my mind. She had kissed other guys before. We were even each other's first kisses. But this was different. She was changed with Ruka. And I was confused by it all. I searched for my girlfriend to set things straight.

Hotaru ran to meet her bestfriend, allowing a small smile to reach her face as she touched at her lips. Ruka had convinced her to make their relationship public and she wanted to tell Mikan before Ruka told his own best friend, who would undoubtedly tell Mikan. And then the girl would feel bad and cry and expect hugs from her because she was her best friend. She smiled to herself until she found them under a tree. Kissing.

"What the hell?" she said mainly to herself, but it was loud enough to call the attention of one brunette with chocolate eyes.

"Oh! Hotaru-chan, how long have you been there?" Mikan asked. She untaggled herself from Natsume's arms and reached out for a hug from her best friend. Hotaru almost shot at her but kept the gun down.

"I just came now to tell you both something but I'll talk to you later." Hotaru replied, rolling her eyes.

"No, it's fine. I think you can speak to both of us now." Natsume said, standing up and dusting himself off. Mikan struggled to make herself look more presentable.

"Don't bother, Hyuuga," Hotaru said quickly, eyes telling me that she was suddenly quite angry. But she was backing away. "I don't want to disturb your terribly intense make out."

"Hotaru!" Natsume shouted after her but she had disappeared behind the trees.

She ran to the forest where she was earlier and raging to the air, this wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to talk about what happened earlier with Ruka and she wanted to see her bestfriend, who she knew would be happy for her. Hotaru hadn't wanted to see Natsume, who at first sight already seemed to disapprove of her and Ruka.

Droplets of water started raining down on her and she swore. She already had a fever and the rain would only make it worse. Instead of doing anything, Hotaru sat and hugged herself until she was tired of being mad, when she was only mad at herself. She stayed for hours by the lake. Then she lifted her head to meet the rain, feeling the cool on her forehead and ignoring the shivering she felt.

It was a peculiar feeling, being jealous of your own best friend. Ruka had liked Mikan first, that Hotaru knew. It seemed to her that everyone always liked the brunette first, and she was always taking care of the left overs. But she had known both boys first, she was Natsume's best friend. She had been with Ruka for almost a year, hiding their relationship because she wanted to be sure, she wanted to be sure that he felt nothing for Mikan. But watching her two best friends together, she was afraid. A flash of jealousy. Then it was gone as she touched her lips again.

Natsume

I searched for her. I searched for three hours before I realized where she could be. I sprinted to the lake where she had once cared for me and found her. Sitting on the edge of a high rock, her long hair billowed out in the breeze.

"Hotaru!" I called out, and she turned to me, eyes unfocused. She stood and wobbled, fear shot through me as I noticed the rocks below. I froze as an image of Hotaru falling into her death flashed through my mind.

"HOTARU!" I heard another shout and a tall man reached her, pulling her back. She stumbled safely into his arms and I ran after them to make sure that she was okay. She was staring at the guys' eyes, so similar to hers and I saw another wave of tears hit her.

"Oh." She turned to me, looking but not entirely look. She sounded dreamy and her voice soft and sweet, very much unlike her, worrying me. "I only just noticed you, Natsume."

"Yeah, I just came by now," my eyes flicked all over her face, wondering what was wrong.

"Hyuuga, I would like you to meet my onii-" she began.

"Subaru-sempai, it's a pleasure to see you again." I said cutting her off while noticing the resemblance between the two. He was worrying over her like I was, placing a hand on her forehead.

"You know him?" She asked her brother. He made a clucking noise at her burning skin before answering.

"We're both in the honors society, remember?" Subaru Imai told the girl, his voice gentle and brotherly.

"Right." She spoke softly. He offered to give her a piggy back ride and she seemed all the more childlike as she jumped unto his back. She smiled at me before falling asleep in her brother's arms. He carried her to the hospital where the nurse took her temperature with a cluck. At 107 degrees, nobody argued that she stay.

3 Days Later

"Natsume-kun, I'm worried about Hotaru," I heard my girlfriend say as she clung on to me. I rolled my eyes, she was always worried about Hotaru.

"Don't be Mikan-chan," Ruka comforted her with a tired smile. He had stayed the night watching of his girlfriend and passed by the cafeteria to fortify himself.

"Yeah, I've known her long enough to know that she'll be alright. The Ice Queen can't give up her throne yet, she has too much on us," I smirked at my own joke. Then when her eyes watered and she punched my arm, I added, "I'm going to visit her later."

"You should, she's been asking for you. She's bored out of her mind but they say she can't be out until her fever subsides." Ruka took a bite out of his sandwich.

"Why didn't you tell me she woke up?" I snapped at him and started walking to the hospital. Never realizing that they were watching until I had left the cafeteria.

"Ruka-pyon, I'm also worried about Natsume, he seems so angry most of the time now." Mikan said. She sighed into her bowl of cereal and Ruka placed a hand over hers until she looked up.

"Don't be Mikan-chan, hasn't he always?" He told her with another tired smile.

"Yes, but he hasn't been tripping me lately to check my underwear pattern." She frowned.

"Maybe he's grown out of it." He grinned at that one. "You think you'd be grateful."

"But he also seemed a bit sad. Especially after Hotaru was hospitalized." Mikan looked down again.

"Well, I'm sad too." Ruka finally said, continuing to eat before going to visit his girlfriend again.

They both understood each other in the silence, they knew what was happening but decided against speaking it out loud, it would haunt both of them one day if they did. Only Koko found this interesting, telling his girlfriend what was going on. Sumire rolled her eyes and told Koko that this was old news, but he still better shut up.

Natsume

As I walked in the hospital I quickly burnt the hair of all my slutty looking female stalker-pedo-admirers. Don't they have a life? Even Permy got over me, although I always knew her and Koko would be hitting it off sooner or later. Hotaru, Hotaru….now where was her room again?

"Natsu-niichan!" I heard a voice call. It was my favorite five year old, he had always adored Hotaru because of her coldness ever since 5th grade. "Have you come to visit Hota-neechan?"

"Yes, would you like to come with me?" I asked. My soft spot for the little boy softened the harsh tone in my voice as I kneeled down to his level.

"Of course," he replied in his monotone voice, while holding out his arms for me to carry him. I lifted him up while ignoring the 'Natsume-kun is soooooo hot's from my admirers. As soon as Yoichi got a good grip on my neck I quickly turned to the annoying group of girls and shot fire at them, then a few seconds later heard them shriek even louder at ghost forms that appeared, it seemed like Yo-chan had learned.

As we were about to go inside Hotaru's room I heard voices: one that I loved and one that I purely detested. I told Yoichi to wait and that I would come back to him before practically breaking the door open. Both faces registered shock, but Persona took it better and stood up with a small smile.

"So nice of you to join us Black Cat." I heard him say. I felt my jaw twitch and I was about to speak when her finished the rest of his sentence. "I was just giving your latest mission to my dear Sunflower here."

"Leave." I told him and he chuckled at my anger. He placed a sunflower on her bedside table and traced the line of her jaw before he stepped out the window. She sighed as I made my way to her bed, still angry.

"Natsume, I can explain," she said softly, trying to sit up on the hospital bed.

"Since 5th grade?" I asked her and she nodded. I felt myself freezing up, wondering how I never noticed it all before. How I never realized why she was so breathless all the time. Now I understood why it had become Mikan that came to my room after the missions.

"I didn't want you to suffer any longer so I decided to help." She looked at me then, almost begging for forgiveness. It was something very much unlike her usually cold exterior. And with a sigh, I found that I could not remain angry for so long.

"So what's our latest mission?" I asked her, hearing a knock on the door. I opened the door to an impatient Yoichi. She smiled, relieved.

"We can read it together," she replied, patting a side of her bed. She played with the sunflower while waiting for the little boy to jump on to her bed, followed by Natsume.

If you didn't look closely at their age, they would have looked like a family sharing a laugh at a greeting card that was attached to a sunflower. To them it was when they were allowed to show their real feelings. The father looked down at the mother and they shared a look.

It's like nothing ever happened.


TO BE CONTINUED