Natsume

How the girl gets me to do this stuff with her, I have no idea.

Well, I have an idea.

Lemme restart;

How the girl gets me to do this stuff with her, I have no idea that I'm willing to accept.

There.

The sun shone on the morning dew, several birds passing by and a cheerful fawn casually strolling amongst the early risers (Who were mostly just the kids who had to do extra work anyways.) which I guessed was due to Ruka's constant presence in this general area. Luckily, he was sleeping his life away.

I held my hand out to catch one of the yellow-orange rays, grinning slightly, as the sun reminds me of her for some reason.

Of course she still hasn't shown up. I brushed my black hair from my face and walked up the steps into the dorms, pushing open her door without even knocking first. She was sleeping soundly, sprawled over the top of her sheets rather than under them. I walked over and noticed her hair in braids, carefully taking the ties out so as to not wake her up.

Unfortunately I did anyways.

"WHA!" She cried, pulling the sheets up to her (nonexistent) chest and blushing. "You don't spy on girls while they're sleeping!" I shrugged, dropping the hairtie on the floor and sitting on a stool with my legs spread and elbows on my knees. "Well, get ready, you sleepyhead. You're late." she looked at her clock and gasped, scrambling for her dresser and pulling out her school uniform. I gave her my best Are you stupid? look and narrowed my eyes. "You do realize it's the break."

"Yeah…"

"So you don't have to wear a uniform."

She stared at me.

"Ohhhhhhhh." I rolled my eyes.

She instead pulled out a tanktop with a silver butterfly pattern, a light blue skirt, and boots reaching the bottom of her knees. She whirled around and glared at me suspiciously. "Turn around, pervert." I threw my hands in the air and turned around, laughing silently. "It's not like there's much to see," I teased, crying out when an orange hit my head. "Shut up, jerk!"

After a few minutes of her grumbling, she said I could turn around. I hadn't seen her in much but the costumes she wore for events, so I nodded curtly and shuffled from the room before any admiration I had for her became obvious.

We eventually sat down on a bench in the park, Mikan shivering from the low temperature there tended to be at this early of an hour. I huffed, stripping my jacket off and throwing it clumsily over her shoulders. She gawked at me, I simply turned the other direction. "Why did you make me come out here at an early hour on break?" I grumbled, fingering her alice stone in my pocket. "Well, I do this with lots of my friends! I've come with Hotaru, Class Rep, Ruka-pyon-" I noticed my free hand catch fire for a moment, much to her dismay. "H-hey! Keep that thing under control!" I snorted. "So I'm your last choice, hmm?" she fidgeted in her seat. "Um… Best for last?" she attempted, the unease on her face speaking louder than words. I didn't say anything, just looked out in front of me. I wondered if I'd maybe had too much coffee this morning. My heart was pounding like nuts. "Ah…" I mumbled stupidly, looking at the ground. She turned to me. I could tell she'd been nervous ever since I kissed her at the dance, but her arguing about the accidental kiss had been pissing me off.

Or something.

Anyways, I was being an idiot.

"So, you and Ruka an item yet?" I asked, crossing my legs and leaning back onto my hands. She blushed wildly. "N-no! I don't like him that way!" I shrugged, looking at the sky. "Well, almost everyone but you at least is in love with someone. Do you play the hard-to-get card or something?" I teased, ignoring the fact I'd pretty much played that card all my life. Mikan crossed her arms. "Well, what about you?"

I shrugged, shifting my gaze to match hers. "I have my eyes on someone, don't worry. You're ignoring my question. Who do you like?" I grinned at the flustered look on her face. "Wh-wha… I…" She narrowed her eyes. "You think I like you, don't you!" she accused, pointing at me. I bit the tip of her finger and shrugged. She cried out and embraced her finger. "As if I'd like a pervert like you! I'd rather go out with Ruka-pyon!"

"Fine!" I snapped, throwing her alice stone on the bench and stomping away, turning around. "Like I'd ever be in love with you, stupid girl," I spat, trying to ignore the feeling that I'd been stabbed in the chest and the tears pricking my eyes. She probably noticed my forlorn look regardless, as I saw her eyes soften but harden once more quickly.

If we ever crossed paths the rest of the day, we'd just turn away from the other nervously. Ruka kept asking me what was wrong, but I ignored him and changed the subject.

It was when she passed me later that evening that I grabbed her arm. "Mikan," I said gently, the use of her name causing her to slowly turn around. "What, Natsume," she said harshly, and I cringed. "Look, I don't know why we got so mad this morning, but…" I faltered, looking at the ground. She shifted her weight. " … Follow me." she said abruptly, grabbing my wrist and leading me to her room. She sat her sack down on the floor and flopped on her sofa, letting out a deep sigh. She pulled her hair from her ties and allowed the brown locks to fall over her shoulders, something I'd never known the girl to think of doing in front of nearly anyone in her life. I raised an eyebrow as she turned to me.

"Well, stop gawking, you idiot! I'm putting my hair up in braids, I'll have you know," she muttered, grabbing a tie and holding it between her fingers. I leaned on her dresser, watching her delicate hand movements as she twisted and twirled her hair into a perfect braid. "Well, you girls are good for something. I've never seen someone work so intricately before," I admitted, studying my fingernails nonchalantly. She blushed. "Thanks. I taught myself, since Hotaru-chan's hair is impossible to braid, of course." I snorted at the thought of braiding Hotaru's hair. "So, you're not mad at me anymore?" Mikan ventured, looking at me nervously as she tied the last bow into her hair. I shrugged. "You're still an idiot, but I suppose I forgive you. So, I-" I faltered, swearing I saw the wild-haired figure of Persona through the window. I stumbled backward, flopping onto the sofa in exhaustion and covering my scarred face with my hands. Mikan sat down gently next to me, stroking my back gently. I didn't jerk away, for once, and I'll admit it felt alright.

Well, I didn't admit it. I thought it.

Different things.

I leaned against her heart, letting out a breath I'd been holding since the day she'd saved me from killing myself just for some damn mission the Academy sent me on.

"Natsume?" she asked, letting go. I wrapped my arms around her waist and sighed. "Just hold me, you idiot. Can you do something as simple as that or do I need to always explain myself?" I heard her lips part to retort, but she apparently thought better of it.

The next thing I remembered, daylight was peeking through the windows. I slipped from her embrace and kissed her softly on the lips, exiting her room with a triumphant air, as she would never know. Someone tapped me on the shoulder.

Hotaru-chan.

With a camera.

Crud.

Let's just say the elementary division learned a few new curse words that day.