DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GAKUEN ALICE.
Rent a Girl
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"It's just she doesn't seem the type to be an artist. I mean look at her figure...on the second thought, don't look. Maybe you'd better not..."
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"What about her?" Natsume asked with his eyebrows creased in a tight concentration. He was studying a picture of a girl in his hand. Natsume and Mikan had spent the afternoon visiting from every theatrical agency they knew off, looking for the right woman to take his role in the awarding ceremony.
"I don't think so," Mikan said, surveying the picture, "Her coloring is all wrong. And besides she looks sophisticated, you'd probably thought she's a model rather than a manga artist."
She smiled to herself, that seemed to be a logical explanation but one look on Natsume told her otherwise.
"Polka," Natsume smirked. "We've been to every theatrical agency we knew in the city. This is our last hope. You've been finding faults with every actress available. Now, we don't have much time—less than three weeks for the awarding ceremony," he told her, "We're going to have to choose someone."
Natsume was absolutely right. They have to choose someone to take the role. But not this one, that was what Mikan decided, looking at the picture in Natsume's hands again. Well, she got to admit that Natsume had been correct. She had found every fault available with every single actress available.
Mikan couldn't help it. The thought of another girl being involved with Natsume and Youichi was unbearable to her. All she knew was that she felt very protective and possessive about those two who had suddenly came barging in her life. And despite all of this, she doesn't want to share them to any other woman for any reason.
"Polka look," Natsume grabbed her elbow and she looked up. A girl with a drop-mouthing figure had entered the office and was now talking with the secretary.
"What about her?" Natsume muttered in her ear.
Mikan's eyes widened. The girl was not a manga artist material, definitely not. She took a look on her outfit, tight miniskirt and a tunic top. She looked more of a prostitute than an artist.
"Polka," Natsume was watching the said girl. "She's about the right age and her coloring is right. What do you think?"
Mikan chewed her bottom lip, knowing she had to come up with a good reason to convince Natsume that the woman is all wrong.
"H-Hyuuga-kun," she stuttered, looking at the woman. "I don't think she's quite right."
"How will we know if we don't talk to her?" Natsume said, grabbing her hand and pulled her toward the other girl.
"Excuse me," Natsume uttered and the girl turned to face them. She looked at Natsume from up to down and smirked.
"Hello," she purred. Her voice was so seductive and Mikan had to roll her eyes.
"Miss," Natsume said, "I'm looking for an actress."
"Well honey, I'm an actress." The girl flicked an unconcerned glance at Mikan then turned her attention back at Natsume.
"My name is Luna. And I'm absolutely available." Her eyes roamed at Natsume, and she smirked with approval. She leaned close, draping one hand in Natsume's arm.
Mikan pursed her lips in irritation. It's so obvious that the bitchy Luna had more interest in Natsume than the work he's going to offer. The girl was so obvious and she was clinging to Natsume like lint.
"Would you excuse us for a moment?" Mikan asked. She forced a smile, slowly peeling Luna's hand from Natsume's arm, pulling him in the corner.
"Hyuuga-kun, you can't possibly be serious about Luna," she growled.
"Why not, Polka?" Natsume asked, "She's about the right age and seemed pleasant enough."
He looked at Luna's direction and Mikan yanked her arm to regain his attention.
"No!" Mikan told him, looking up to find Luna watching them intently. "She's just not right."
The girl smiled and wriggled her fingers at Natsume. Mikan steered him so he would face her with his back. She had to discourage Natsume about the girl.
"We can't be too picky Polka," Natsume said. "We don't really have much time. She really seemed perfect, don't you think?"
Mikan looked at the girl again and her spirit took a nosedive. That was the problem. Bitchy Luna was perfect.
"Her..." Mikan closed her eyes and blurted, "Her nose is all wrong."
"Her nose, you say?" Natsume repeated, frowning. Then he looked really hard not to laugh at her. "You're not jealous, are you Polka?" he asked, bending down with a mouth-splitting grin.
"I'm not jealous! Absolutely not!" she retorted heatedly, knowing it was a lie. She was so jealous. She wouldn't be surprised if her skin turned green.
"It's just she doesn't seem the type to be an artist. I mean look at her figure," she mumbled, turning to look at Luna. Natsume's eyes was about to follow hers when she wrestled his head and made him look at her instead.
"On the second thought, don't look. Maybe you'd better not," she tried another tactic, "Do you honestly someone would believe she's an artist?"
Deep down, she believed she was being totally illogical.
"Well the least we could do is talk to her," Natsume said, grabbing her hand and dragged her back to Luna. It was a do-or-die situation, Mikan realized glumly.
Before Natsume could speak, Mikan decided to jump in the interrogation.
"Tell me Luna, what do you feel about a Manga?" Mikan asked her.
"Manga?" Luna whispered.
"Yes, manga," Mikan repeated, "The one who someone made to entertain other people, that manga. Do you know anything about it?"
"Polka," Natsume hissed.
"Ah...honestly...I don't read those stuffs...or anything connected to it," Luna took a step back, shaking her head.
Mikan smiled triumphantly at Natsume's direction. Luna spun her heels and walked away hastily.
"See what I mean?" Mikan smirked.
Natsume crossed his arms over his chest, grinning at her, "That was some performance, Polka."
"I don't know what you're talking about," she looked at him blankly, "She's not really an artist type, Hyuuga-kun."
"I guess you're right," he admitted, grinning at her wickedly, "I guess your vast information about my art had nothing to do it with, right?"
"Of course not," she flushed momentarily and jerked her head away from him, squeezing her lips together. Natsume chuckled a bit.
"I'm tired Hyuuga-kun. We had all afternoon searching for a right girl. Why don't we go back home?" she suggested, hustling him towards the door. "It's still early. Why don't we spend the whole afternoon by the pool and have some fun?"
Before he could answer, she wretched the door open and dragged him out.
Rent a Girl
"More dogs?" Youchi said, hugging Mikan's legs as he shoved the remaining piece of hotdog in his mouth.
"No more dogs," Natsume answered for Mikan. He was in a hammock, slouching lazily. He tucked his hands behind his head and smiled contentedly. "You've already have two," he said, closing his eyes.
"Shit," Youichi muttered, pouting cutely. Mikan smiled and reached for him.
"Come here Youichi." She settled the toddler in her lap and checked to make sure Natsume's eyes were still close before reaching for another hotdog in the patio table.
"More dogs, onee-chan?" Youichi asked her hopefully, looking up with his cute teary eyes. She chuckled and held a finger to her lips.
"Shhh," she cautioned him. Smiling widely, Youichi took the hotdog she handed him and stuffed it to his mouth.
"You're going to spoil him," Natsume drawled, and Mikan jumped guiltily. Opening one eye, he smirked at her.
"How did you know?" she asked with a chuckle, unconsciously stroking the toddler's hair.
"Intuition," he answered, meeting her eyes. "You know Polka. You're really good with him."
"Thank you," she smiled. They were engulfed in a silence for a little while when Natsume decided to break it.
"Why did you agree to help me Polka?" he asked finally.
Why indeed? She wondered. Was it only to keep her eye on her mother and keep her out of trouble as she claimed? Or did her reasons go deeper than that? She knew the answer but wasn't ready or willing to admit such a thing.
"For my mother's sake," she answered.
"Is your mother the only reason?" he asked hopefully and Mikan could see the mischievous smile playing on his lips. He was always direct, she thought humorously, smoothing back Youichi's hair. He wanted to know if she had feelings for him.
She tried to change the subject and said, "Hyuuga-kun, what are you and Youichi do after the award ceremony? Are you going back to your hometown?"
"That depends," he smirked, watching her intently with his warm and unhesitant eyes, "On a lot of things."
He steered his body so he could face her. A wave of heat shimmied over her skin. "I don't like to make plans too far advance," he said, "I kind of like to take each day as it comes."
"Hyuuga-kun," she smiled lovingly.
"I think we'd better put Youichi to bed," he said. She started to stand up but Natsume slid off the hammock and crossed over to her lounge chair.
"I'll do it Polka. You've already done so much for him. You just stay put, sit and relax for a few minutes. Later, maybe we could have some fun," he smirked evilly as he scooped Youichi out of her arms and headed toward the house.
She was left with her thoughts. She sighed as she recalled how Natsume and Youichi suddenly came into her life, sweeping her off her feet in everything they do. It was no longer herself and her mom.
She had always been the person who does things systematically and orderly. But for the first time in her life, she didn't know what to do. She still needed to find a woman for Natsume. Her mind knew it but her heart didn't want another woman to get involved with him.
She knew by then that she was heading for heartbreak. Natsume had made her see that life didn't have to be lived only according to rules and regulations. Not every action had to be rational.
"Polka," Natsume's husky voice brought her back to the reality. "Are you ready to have some fun?"
Her eyes followed his every move. He reached her side and offered his hand. She smiled up to him and took the hand he offered. Without any warning, he gave a whoop and then picked her up in his arms.
"Hyuuga-kun put me down!" Mikan shouted, clasping her arms in his neck as he walked towards the pool. He sauntered down the steps at a slow pace until he's waist deep in the water.
"Don't you dare to let me go," she warned, trying to look firm but failed dismally.
He smirked. He bent down and dipped her into the water. She let out a scream when he felt the icy water touched her warm skin.
"You know, screaming wasn't a rational thing to do," he said.
"Neither is drowning a person," she retorted, pounding his chest. Grinning from ear-to-ear, he walked to the deeper side of the pool.
"Polka, this is the fun part," he said.
"No it's not!" she shouted, shivering. "We can't go into the pool. Youichi might need us."
"Nice try, Polka. But your mother was watching him in the house," he laughed, "Playing Sudoku."
"Playing Sudoku," she repeated sceptically, "Must be the wrong mother then. Mine never done anything tame in her life."
"People change," he remarked.
"Are you sure that's my mother?" she asked again.
"Positive," he smirked at her in amusement. "You know what Polka. You're so reliable, sensible and responsible. A person could set his watch to you.
"Don't make me sound like a damned insurance company, idiot!" she hollered. She threw his head back and laughed. He twirled her around, making her arms tightened in his neck.
"Now, do you really think I'll drown you?" he asked playfully.
"Yes," she said bluntly.
"Drowning wasn't what I had in mind for you," he whispered. He looked in her eyes intently and for a moment she couldn't speak. She touched his cheek with her hand and murmured fervently, "Natsume."
His eyes widened. She had never called him with his first name until now. She put her hands on his chest and lifted her lips to his. She closed her eyes and she felt Natsume hauled her closer to his.
They broke the kiss and looked at each other's eyes fixedly.
"Mikan," he whispered. She froze when she heard him say his name like it's the most natural thing in the world. "What would your friends say if you kiss someone just like that?" he asked.
"I don't give a damn in what they're going to say," she admitted, twirling with his hair playfully. He smirked and leaned, capturing her lips once more.
All too soon, he lifted his lips from her and she blinked. "Is this the fun part?" she asked hazily and he grinned wickedly.
"No," he said slowly, "This is." He dunked mightily to the pool with her.
Rent a Girl
Author's Notes: I suddenly had the urge to go to a pool. :) thanks for reading and please leave a review. Let me know your thoughts.