Author's Note: Back! I hope you liked the last chapter I uploaded! This is chap 14 and I hope you'll like it, thanks to my best friends again, thanks to them, I was able to write such stories because they were my inspiration! Don't leave your review okay? They're also my inspirations! Love ya!

The Dare

Chapter 14:

Hotaru Meets Ruka

Ruka and Natsume finished talking and he looked back at Mikan, "So… what are you going to do now?"

Mikan cannot say anything, she wanted to thank him but also, she wanted to slap him because of what he told Natsume to do last 5 years. "Ruka?"

Ruka stopped making his coffee and looked at Mikan, "Hmmn?"

"Of all the choices of dares in the world, why did you pick that one for Natsume to do?"

Ruka dropped the spoon he was using and looked at Mikan, "You still remembered that! Well… I think it was fun to do and-"

"Even though.. you know that I love Natsume that time and-"

"That time? You mean you don't love him anymore now? Oh come on, I doubt it!" He teased.

Mikan's heart started to pump fast and he narrowed her eyes on Ruka, "Hmmph!"

"No, I'm serious, do you still love him until now? Because…. He loves you very much.."

"I- I- I still love him but… I don't want to believe that he loves me.. I mean… because of what happened 5 years-"

"Tsk tsk tsk, Mikan! Forget the past and focus on the present! You know, for the past 5 years, he didn't love any other girl except you, at night, when we're in the condominium, when he falls asleep on the couch, the only thing that I can hear from him was your name! When we go to the mall, everytime he'll see a girl having a brunette hair, he'll start crying or he would start to get blind and approach that woman, thinking that it's you!"

Mikan sighed, He- he did that!

"Yup he did!" Shouted a voice from a room behind Mikan.

Mikan jumped in surprise and quickly turned around, her jaw dropped, "KOKOROYOMI?"

"Haha… yup, I also live with Ruka Nogi and Natsume Hyuuga here, we're all business partners! Can't believe it?"

Mikan shook her head hardly, still cannot believe that Kokoroyomi was there, "Kokoroyomi! I thought I'll never meet my classmates before anymore!" He ran to him and hugged him, as a friend of course…

"Yeah yeah alright… don't hug me that much! Natsume might get jealous!"

Mikan flashed shades of red, "Kokoroyomi-kun!"

Both of the boys just giggled.

Ruka asked Mikan to sleep in the visitor's room, after all, there were lots of visitor's room in their house ya know.. When Mikan fell asleep, Ruka decided to go out to the porch, he brought his coffee with him, he looked at the stars and a single tear fell from his eyes..

Kokoroyomi was fixing the table when he noticed that Ruka was still awake, he opened the porch door, "Ruka, I thought you were already sleeping, why are you here?"

Ruka quickly wiped his tears and he smiled at Kokoroyomi, "I was just staring at the stars….. you? Why are you still awake?"

"Duh? I'm assigned to clean the table today! Yesterday was you and tomorrow will be Natsume!"

Ruka didn't even bother to laugh, he continued to look at the starry sky.

"Hey… you seem serioius.."

"Can't you just read my mind? I mean, that's what you usually do!"

"I don't use my alice when I'm serious, I want the answer to come from my friend, not from my mind.."

Still, Ruka didn't answer..

"Hey!"

Ruka shrieked in surprise, "Don't do that!"

"You seemed pretty occupied there, what's the matter!"

"I- I- I just remembered something…"

Kokoroyomi noticed Ruka looking at Mikan's room, his brow raised, "Do you like her..?"

Ruka smirked and shook his head slowly, "Not her… her best friend… I wonder if they are still together… I wonder…"

"You mean Hotaru Imai?"Kokoroyomi asked with very loud voice.

Ruka quickly covered Koko's mouth, "HEY! Don't say that aloud!"

"Mmmph! Hey hey, don't worry, no one can hear us! Mikan's already sleeping!"

"You love her don't cha? I mean.. Hotaru?" Koko added, now in a loud whisper..

Ruka started to cry more, he used his shirt to wipe his tears, he nodded, "H- hai…"

"I knew it!" Kokoroyomi again shouted.

Ruka glared at Koko, "One more time and I'll ask all the birds to attack you"

"Gomen Gomen!"

"Hmmph"

That morning…

"My house is just 2 miles from here!" Exclaimed Mikan to Ruka while looking at Ruka's map.

They were still in the house of Natsume and they were eating breakfast, minutes from now, Ruka will bring Mikan to her house, where Hotaru lives… but of course, Ruka doesn't know that.

Ruka looked at the map, "Yep, our houses are sure near!"

"Ohayo!" Greeted Koko still stretching his arms, he just woke up.. that's obvious in the way he acts.. he was still even yawning..

"Ohayo Koko-chan!" Greeted Mikan back, "Want some?" She asked, handing Koko a plate of pancakes.

"Still have no appetite, I'll watch tv first 'k?" And he proceeded to the tv room…

Ruka and Mikan finished eating and they went to the garage for the car, Ruka started the car and the car set off for the short journey.

They arrived at Mikan's house after about 30 minutes, Ruka rang the doorbell and he froze when he saw the woman who opened the door.

His heart started beating fast and all his blood rose up to his head, "Ho- Hotaru Imai?"

(Mikan was still in the car fixing her bag)

Hotaru's eyes grew wide, her heart too started beating fast, Could this guy b- be-… him? "N- Nogi Ruka..?"

Ruka cannot stop his actions, he walked forward and hugged Hotaru tightly, Hotaru remained dumb-founded at Ruka's actions, "Imai.. I missed you…. So much…"

Hotaru blushed madly, Ruka also did the same, but he continued to hug her, this was heaven, today was heaven, he never thought that he'd meet her again, "I missed you…"

"Huh..?" Hotaru whispered. Ruka went back to his senses and quickly stopped hugging Hotaru, he laughed fakely and his face went pink, "Well- uhmm.. I mean… I missed you! As a friend! I mean.. we haven't seen each other for almost 5 years! Hehe!"

Hotaur's heart sank, she thought that there was something more than friendship between them… but she was wrong… (BUT SHE WASN'T!) "Yeah… I- I … missed you too.."

Ruka looked at her, "I- I mean! As a friend too of course!" Hotaru added…

Mikan giggled, she saw the whole scene, she was looking at them after all, she hid behind the car, her heart was pumping fast because of the scene, it made her smile… It's obvious that they like each other! Teehee!

Then she sprang out from behind the car, "HOTARU-CHAN! DID YOU MISS ME HUH? HUH?"

Mikan jumped and hugged Hotaru, Ruka sweat-dropped, "She still hadn't changed a bit… no, a lot.."

Hotaru brought out her baka gun from her pocket and…

"Ou-ouch…" Mikan rubbed her forehead and continued smiling at Hotaru, "ehh! But I'm sure you still missed me!"

And she proceeded inside the house.. leaving Hotaru and Ruka alone outside.. (smiles evilly)

Ruka went close to Hotaru, he sighed and smiled at her, "Ho- Hotaru.. I want you to know-"

"UNCLE RUKA!"

Ruka turned around and saw Youichi running towards him and behind him was Natsume…. With Kokoroyomi…

End of Chapter

Author's Note: Okay! That was chap 14! I hope you liked it! I'll upload chap 15 as soon as I can if I have time! Please don't forget to review!