I know, I know...it took me forever to update. Sorry! I went on vacation and came back with a blank brain. Forgive me!
Disclaimer: I own nothing of this story. Sorry, bored Japanese lawyers who probe this site for fun.
Mikan opened her eyes tentatively behind her glasses. Natsume was still there, the familiar calculating look in his eyes, unblinking. She flinched as if he had raised a hand to strike her.
Then she jumped back as Luna tackled him with a flying hug. Mikan sighed. Luna was the worst headcase she had ever worked with. She was too theatrical to get the job done right. But she was still necessary to their mission, and Mikan's own personal mission. So she could put up with her.
"Natsume-kun!" Luna squealed gleefully, clinging to him tightly. "It's been so long! How have you been?"
"Get off me." he said coolly, prying her from his waist. He cast Mikan a sideways look that said, You two make a weird pair.
She felt her cheeks heat up, and she quickly looked away, remembering not to make eye contact, even through the glasses. Keep it together, Sakura. You can do better than this. She had rained so hard and so long not to screw up this moment, but she could feel her grip on the moment slipping away.
Natsume had finally escaped Luna's death grip by setting her designer jacket on fire. Mikan smirked as she jumped around, trying to beat it out, yelping. "Easy, Lulu." she murmured softly, throatily. "He's still a fire hazard." Luna looked up at the assigned nickname and winked at Mikan.
Good work.
Natsume looked between the two of them emotionlessly, and Mikan nearly broke down. He's only a boy, Sakura. He's not worth it. Remember?
She remembered.
Finally, Natsume turned to Luna. "I need to talk to Mikan privately." he said. He wasn't asking permission.
Luna flashed Mikan a triumphant smile, which Mikan returned. Mikan tapped the jeweled edge of her sunglasses, meaning, Beat it, Kazoumi. It's my job.
Luna nodded, almost imperceptibly, kissed Natsume on the cheek before he could blast her again, and skipped away, calling after her, "See you, Michan!" She sent a quick look along with her parting line: Don't blow this, Sakura. Remember last time?
Mikan did remember last time.
She winced, and almost thoughtlessly, crossed her arms over her chest tightly, in a closed position.
Once Luna had pranced out of sight, Mikan pushed her glasses higher up her nose and observed him cautiously. "Hello, Natsume. Are you-"
Before she could finish, Natsume had taken her wrists and shaken her. Her eyes widened.
"What's wrong with you?" he hissed. "Have you totally lost your mind? Kazoumi's tried to kill you- both of us- a bunch of times! Are you seriously stupid enough to believe she means well now?"
He shook her again, and her sunglasses slipped off the bridge of her nose and clattered noisily to the floor. Their eyes met solidly, without Mikan's physical wall.
She looked absolutely terrified.
But not of him. Of something she had just lost.
Natsume stopped shaking her and leaned in closer. Her eyes widened like a deer caught in headlights, and she let out an almost inaudible whimper. She could feel his hot breath on her cheek. "Mikan...?"
She snapped her gaze away from his. FAILED! FAILED! You're a failure! You know what this means! She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her face away from him, as if she was a child and he was a horrible, nasty thing she didn't want to look at. She was shivering violently, and Natsume tightened his grip on her. You've failed, Mikan.
"Mikan. You've already lost faith in us?"
Mikan cracked open one eye to peek at him. His face was very close to hers now. He took her chin in his hand and turned it so they were almost exactly eye-to-eye, their noses touching. She could feel herself shaking. Don't do this, Natsume.
"We can still help you, Mikan." Natsume said quietly. "Whether you think so or don't."
No, Natsume, please...
As if ensuring my own death wasn't heartbreaking enough...
You must focus, Mikan.
Mikan closed her eyes, took a shallow breath, and slapped Natsume's hand away. She bent and picked up her sunglasses, slipping them back into her hair. She glanced at him coldly. "If I remember correctly, Natsume," she said slowly, articulating every word, "it was you, not me, who made it very clear our partnership was over, am I wrong?"
She pushed past him, purposely bumping shoulders. She was almost entirely down the hallway when he called after her. "And I suppose you're going to go report to whatever ringleader you two are working for, Mikan?"
Mikan didn't stop, as instructed, though she did smile blandly. "I certainly am." she said brightly. "I'll be sure to tell him you said hello!"
Sorry, Natsume...
But even you aren't ready for this one.