This is probably the worst chapter. I should just never try a sex scene. I'll be glad when I can finally finish this story.
11th Grade - 16 Years Old (October 13th)
Walking back to their rooms, Natsume and Hotaru stayed silent. Natsume's arm, put lazily around her waist, now gripped her tighter with every step. By the time they reached the 5th floor and their rooms at the end of the hall, no space was between them and Hotaru was walking lopsidedly.
"Look, if you want to talk about it, just tell me." Hotaru said, annoyed. She pried his hand from her waist with difficulty and pushed him away from her. She tried to pull her hand away but he kept holding it. His eyes narrowed and she looked up at him, even shorter now that she leaned against her door.
"Okay then. Let's talk about it." He said. They stayed silent for a few minutes, just staring at each other. "What do you think you're playing at, Imai?"
"I was tired of running. Misaki and Tsubasa do it.." She stopped, her face pained. "Used to do it all the time. Misaki told me that she and Tsubasa—"
"WERE DATING. THEY WERE A COUPLE." Natsume growled at her. "She was pregnant! Of course it's perfectly normal for a couple to randomly hook up. Except, OH WAIT. We're not a fucking couple."
"I'm sorry. You didn't exactly contest to it." Her eyes flashed. And she looked down to his jeans, right where his zipper was. "I believe you actually enjoyed it, Hyuuga."
"It doesn't matter if I did. I'm a guy." He told her, though he was clearly embarrassed. "What I won't be able to explain to Mikan is why her best friend, kissed me."
"Yes, how will you explain that, Hyuuga? How will you explain that her best friend has been risking her life to protect you?" She countered. "How will you explain that four years later, you're still doing missions? How will you explain to Mikan that you kissed me back. Don't you dare deny it, Natsume Hyuuga! You kissed me and you liked it. And you like me. Because not even my boyfriend knows the exact amount of crab brains I eat in a day—"
"—two jars and a quarter—" Natsume intervened but she continued speaking.
"Not ever my best friend knows my exact bra size—"
"—34B but you wear a 32B." He said, now amused.
"And neither my best friend or my boyfriend know the real reason why I'm a special star!" She finished, staring up at him. He was at a loss for words, he did not know the real reason either. But after a beat, it hit him.
"Me." He said, breathlessly.
"Yeah, you." She poked him in the chest, hard. "I can see right through you, Natsume Hyuuga. So pluck up the courage and stop hiding because I've got a faithful boyfriend waiting on me. The only reason why I don't love him as much as he loves me is because I think I'm in love with you. But I'm not going to wait forever, so do something about it or let me go. Okay? Just. Please, just let me go." Tears flooded her eyes but she defiantly blinked them away. Then without another word, she ripped her hand from his grip, unlocked her door and went inside her room. He stood by the hallway, then walked into his own room, swearing.
Behind her door, Hotaru sank down to her knees, dropping her face into her hands. Fat tears seeped through her fingers. This was not supposed to happen. She was Hotaru Imai, god dammit. But he was Natsume Hyuuga. She laughed despite herself, because he was right: Not even she, Hotaru Imai the Ice Queen, could stay away from his roguish good looks and obvious charm. Smart girl that she was, the best idea she had at the moment was to sleep on it. She strode to her dresser, if she was going to go down without a fight, she would at least sleep while wearing something that made her feel sexy.
A few minutes later, she stared at herself in the mirror, satisfied with what she was wearing. She traced the lace of her corset, reminiscing. Despite the many times she had gone to the lingerie store and bought underwear, it was this very corset that held the most vivid memory. She had gone to town with Natsume a year ago and in a fit of chivalry, he had insisted on buying it for her. It was a pity that he had never seen her in it.
Huffing at herself, Hotaru shook her head. Then she walked out to her glass balcony and looked out into the night not caring that if the person from below looked up, they would see a girl in a red thong.
Through the wall, Natsume raged, kicking at anything close to him. He loved his girlfriend! He loved his girlfriend. Just not as much as he loved Hotaru. But his conscience told him that it didn't matter because he had a girlfriend. Who he loved. He spent a quarter of an hour in this state. And finally decided that he would not tell his girlfriend. Because he loved her. An image of Hotaru smiling popped into his head. Natsume swore and strode to his balcony, thinking that fresh air would clear his mind.
Hotaru was pulled from her silent reverie by the sound of a sliding door. Natsume stopped at the sight of her: bust pushed up and everything red, lacy, see-through.
"What are you still doing up?" Hotaru asked him. She waited until he had looked his fill, then waved her hand around to call his attention. He swallowed, then his eyes darted to hers.
"Can I see you in my room?" He managed to say before clearing his throat again. Her eyes widened, then narrowed.
"Why so you ca—"
"Now." He said, with an air of authority. Her heart fluttered and she shut up. Without another word, he stepped aside and she climbed onto his balcony. They walked into his room.
"I'm sorry, but I'm still confused," she told him. "If this is about my clothes, you weren't supposed to see me."
"It's not about the.." Natsume broke off, stared pointedly, then looked away. Lowering his voice he said, "It's not about the clothes. It's about us. You. Me."
"Look, I'm sorry—"
"No, I'm sorry!" Natsume interrupted her, pulling her into a hug. She felt his chest beating and didn't hear the rest of his apology. Waiting a few seconds, she cut him off with a kiss.
"Don't deny this, Natsu." She spoke softly.
Natsume lifter her up and by instinct she wrapped her legs around him, holding on to him like she would die without his warmth. He carried her to his bed before laying her down and breaking the kiss. They slowly started unbuttoning buttons, pulling down zippers, ripping each others clothes off and enjoying the sight before them. Natsume put his mouth over Hotaru's neck and sucked lightly. Hotaru moaned quietly, unsure of how soundproof Natsume's room was but showing him how much she yearned for more.
She turned off the bedside lamp but he shook his head and turned it on again. She had never accepted Ruka's silent pleas because she had never been ready to give her whole self to him. With Natsume, it felt right. Their naked bodies pressed together and she felt like her heart was about to explode. They both knew what was going to happen.
He looked at her with eyes that showed tenderness and warmth that she had never seen before. He almost pulled away, scared that he might break her, but she placed her hand over his and smiled reassuringly. Slowly he slid in to meet her. Slowly she arched into him, tears flooding her eyes. They met in a kiss and she melted into him. This was all that they needed.
The Next Day
"Shit!" Hotaru said, loudly. Natsume groaned from being woken up but laughed at her sudden exclamation. She joined his laughter.
Hotaru positioner her body to Natsume's balcony door, putting weight on her right side, allowing the bright sunshine behind the white curtain to blind her. Natsume did the same and draped his left arm over her stomach, bringing her closer to him. He then proceeded to kiss her beautiful shoulder, allowing Hotaru to realize how naked she actually was.
Out of the blue she asked, "Were you drunk?"
"Yes, because a can of root beer is all I need to get intoxicated." Natsume said sarcastically, amused by the alarm in her voice. Seeing her tense muscles relax, he smirked inwardly. He kissed her shoulder once more and Hotaru switched positions, facing her best friend while resting her head on her arm, propping her body up.
"We didn't use protection did we?" She said. He looked beyond her shoulder and a blush tainted his cheeks. Hotaru closed her eyes, regretting asking the question.
"I told Mikan to tell me when she felt that she was ready." Natsume said, sounding apologetic, then he shot her a questioning look which she understood.
"I don't keep any birth control pills with me, Ruka understands that no means no." Hotaru said, thinking about Ruka. Her boyfriend; her faithful boyfriend. And her stomach flipped.
"It was really just a spur of the moment thing, wasn't it?" He half-smiled. Hotaru rolled her eyes and sighed, grabbing the closest article of clothing, his button down, and walking to the small kitchen.
"Do you want grape juice?" She asked from the doorway. She was already walking with a large mug before he answered. He thanked her.
"I'll go to the doctor's to get a pill." She sat down, made an uncomfortable face, then stood up again. She made another pained face and decided to just stand straight.
"Do you hurt?" He asked. She nodded.
"A bit." She replied.
"Do you want to get the pill now?" She nodded again. "Okay, let's go."
They walked into the town hospital thirty minutes later, fresh-faced and wearing new clothes. She laughed at something he said and they entered the doctor's office. She took a seat, and Natsume stood behind her. They explained the situation.
"You didn't take it before hand?" The man asked, worried.
"No, I didn't. Why? I can take it within 24 hours right?" Hotaru said. The man shook his head.
"It's not that simple. We're not normal people. Alices, well, they take time to decide."
"Decide what exactly?"
"You understand that some Alices disappear after a while, right?" She nodded at the doctor. "Well, in a mother's womb, Alices seem to appear after a while."
She looked alarmed and made to stand from her seat, Natsume put a comforting hand on her shoulder and she sank down again.
"You can take this," the doctor said, holding out a vial with a single pill. "But there's a chance that it might not work. So wait two months. After those eight weeks..well, there's still a chance something could happen. But we can always hope!"
Hotaru walked out.
Natsume took the pill from the doctor, gave him a brisk nod, then went to find his bestfriend. He found her, standing stiff and walked quicker. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of Persona.
"I have one request: remember your place. And you make it your mission not to follow that request." Persona spoke softly. "I warned you. I believe it was only yesterday that I warned you. Why do you defy me so?"
Hotaru stayed silent and backed away when Persona moved to touch her cheek. Natsume put an arm around her and Persona smiled.
"Poor Ruka, he'll be heartbroken when he finds out his girlfriend is pregnant." He said. "Of course, that's not the only lie going around this town."
"What do you mean by that?" Hotaru found her voice.
"Hidden lies, you stupid girl. You close your eyes to the obvious," Persona's eyes narrowed. "Take the pill."
With one last look, he was gone. Hotaru sagged against Natsume, closing her eyes once again. They knew what it meant.
Hotaru swallowed the pill and they walked back to the dorms in shame.
TO BE CONTINUED
