I feel so alone on a Friday night
Can you make it feel like home if I tell you you're mine
It's like I told you honey
Don't make me sad dont make me cry
Sometimes love is not enough
Born To Die~Lana Del Rey
The early morning sun spilled in through the open curtains. Natsume groaned as the light hit his eyes. He knew the space beside him was empty before he even opened his eyes. He peeled open one eye at a time squinting at the bright light. The space beside him although empty was still warm. The corner of his mouth went up in an almost smile as he stood from the beige leather couch. He made his way to the kitchen and stopped at the doorway soaking up the view.
Mikan was preparing breakfast when she noticed she was being watched. She looked up from what she was doing to meet a pair of sleepy crimson eyes, "Oh! You're awake," she said flipping a pancake elegantly.
"Yeah, you too." Natsume mentally kicked himself for saying something so twatish.
"Well I did want to sleep more but your stiffy was making it hard to get comfortable," she said with a straight face, but there was no hiding the amusement in her eyes.
Natsume looked down at his jeans. Was there a better way to make a first impression? He looked back up at Mikan who was suppressing a smirk. He put on his indifferent face, "It happens when pretty girls are with me," he stated in his matter-of-fact tone.
"Talk about weak," she scoffed no longer hiding her amusement.
As Natsume was about to retort with some witty come back, he heard Aoi padding down the stairs. She made her way down the hall rubbing sleep out of her eyes. "Something smells good nee-chan," she mumbled stifling a yawn with her right hand.
"Good morning, Aoi. Did you sleep well?" Mikan asked while filling a pan with batter.
"Yup! Natsume-nii told me a super cool story about a dancer!" Aoi exclaimed with wide eyes. Her smile turned into a pout, "I wish I could dance."
Mikan looked at the young girl and remembered her younger self. Most days were a blur but the ones she could remember were full of dancing and laughter. Dancing was one of those things that brought happiness to everyone and she wanted to share that experience with Aoi. "I actually know a thing or two about dancing and I can teach you if you want," Mikan said with a shrug.
Aoi jumped up clasping her hands, "Really?!"
Mikan nodded her head and Aoi ran to hug her, "That's so cool! Thanks!"
Natsume gave her a questioning look that she shrugged off by asking him to set the table. They sat at the table enjoying the breakfast Mikan had prepared. Aoi hummed happily as she ate and Natsume couldn't keep his eyes to himself. She finally broke, "Stop staring at me," Mikan said bluntly.
"I'm not staring. I'm admiring."
"I know I'm good looking and all but please keep your tongue in you mouth." Aoi laughed at that but was interrupted by a door slamming and giggling coming from outside.
The door opened bringing in a stumbling Kaoru. She lost her footing and used the door to regain her balance and keep herself from falling over. She noticed the teenagers who sat at the table and stared at them blankly, blinking a few times before hollering, "Yuka! I think I walked into the wrong house! I've invaded the privacy of a young couple and their kid. "
Yuka stuck her head into the house peering around the door at the group that was sitting down, "Kaoru you moron! Those are our babies having breakfast together! Aw! I feel a wedding coming on," Yuka exclaimed in an off pitch sing song voice.
"Mum that joke wasn't funny the first time you said it and it's definitely not funny now," Mikan stood from her chair and made her way over to her mum.
Yuka wrapped her arms around her daughter's neck in a tight embrace as Mr. Hyuuga walked in looking just as awful as the rest of them. His blood shot eyes and eye bags terribly noticeable much like the other two's. Natsume also made his way over to his parents telling Aoi to stay where she was.
Mikan and Natsume lead their parents to the living room and cautiously sat them down. Mikan looked over at Natsume, "You get the water I'll get the aspirin."
Mikan walked back into the living room while holding a small glass bottle of aspirin. She was about to say something when the sight in front of her made her go silent and stay in the hallway. Natsume sat on the coffee table across his dad, he held a garbage can up for him while rubbing his back. She never thought of him as the type of person who would care for others. Actually she never thought much of him period.
He just sat there as his dad heaved the continents of his stomach into the waste basket. It was quite a sight to see someone who would usually not give a second glance to someone in need be so gentle and attend to someone's needs.
She shook her head and finally turned into the living room and sat on the coffee table next to Natsume. He put the bin down and took the two pills Mikan offered him. He passed them along to his dad with a glass of water filled halfway. He proceeded to do the same with his mother that had began dozing off. Mikan followed the same steps with her mother trying to imitate his placid movements and gentle attitude. Afterwards they were helping their parents up the stairs to their respective bedrooms.
After tucking them in they shut the doors carefully, scared that any little noise would wake them. They looked at each other and began laughing softly Mikan covering her mouth to not let out her piercing sounds of mirth. "My God! She's never come home this drunk! Remind me to never let our parents go out together," Mikan joked.
Natsume smirked as he helped her up from the floor where they had slid down to while laughing. Aoi came from Mikan's room where'd she'd been waiting and stood in front of them with crossed arms and her left foot tapping the carpeted floor. "So are we gonna do this or not?"
Mikan smiled as she went downstairs with Aoi and Natsume following behind her. She lead them down the hallway that Natsume had noticed was aligned with various framed quotes about how life goes on. The hall had three doors. Natsume knew one of them was a guest restroom but what was behind the other two was a mystery to him.
She pushed open an oak door to her left at the end of the hall that seemed heavier than the other two. Natsume immediately saw the change as he went in behind Mikan and Aoi. The floor changed from tile to hard wood and nearly all the walls were lined floor to ceiling with mirrors the width of their lockers at school. The lights flickered on and it was much brighter than any other room in the house. There was a waist high wooden handle on the wall opposite the door. The mirrors were spotless but the floor was full of scratches and scrapes.
Mikan opened one of the mirrors from the wall next to the door and nearly disappeared inside it. She pulled out a small radio and some cassettes. She turned to Aoi and sent her to go change while she prepared. When the younger ebony haired girl came back in a spaghetti strap shirt and shorts Mikan left her doing some stretches while she went to go change as well. She came back in a pair of light pink shorts that showed of a good amount of her well muscled leg with her long hair tied in a loose bun.
Natsume found it pointless to just stand around so he took a seat on the floor near the heavy wooden door leaning back on the only wall without the mirrors. He took out his phone checking for notifications from meaningless people. He answered about three out of the usual 20 messages he'd gotten and texted Ruka on his current situation. His best friend was quick to reply with sudden curiosity. As he was about to reply Mikan began teaching Aoi the basics and the mesmerizing figure before him made him forget all about the reply.
Aoi had wanted to learn ballet which is also what Mikan had started out with and was still especially good at. It was easy to teach someone something you knew absolutely everything about. Mikan had lent her, her old dance shoes that matched the ones shed recently bought. She taught her the five basic positions and Aoi was quick to catch on. Her enthusiasm was refreshing and Mikan could see the growing passion in her bright crimson eyes. With all the excitement she'd soon forgotten there was another pair of darker eyes that watched her absorbed up to the last detail.
By the time the short lesson was over Aoi was sweaty all over and her cheeks had a pink tint to them and Mikan looked like she had barely even broken a sweat. She was quite tired though it didn't show and even after she'd demonstrated at least three different dances her breath was only slightly hitched. "How do you make it seem so easy, Mi-chan?"
"It takes tons of daily practice. The first time I ever tried it I lost my balance so many times that day I lost track but it was really fun!"
" That's it I'm gonna tell my parents I want to join a dance studio. Do you think I could be a good dancer?" Aoi looked up at Mikan with wide eyes fully of hope.
"Of course! You'd be great dancer. I know a really good studio and I think my favorite teacher is still there. If your parents let you I can talk to her about letting you in." Aoi glomped Mikan as she finished speaking no longer holding back any excitement. She bounced around a bit before excusing herself to get a some water.
Mikan sighed content with the events of the day so far. She was interrupted from her thoughts when she heard someone shuffling around behind her. She instantly remembered there had been a third person in the room. She turned to the tall boy who stood only inches away from her.
"You're good at this. Why quit?"
"I already told you. I don't like crowds. It's simple think of it like stage fright."
"But you didn't mind when I watched?" His eyebrow raised questioningly.
"It's a completely different situation. You didn't have any expectations but if you did I am fairly sure i didn't disappoint." Mikan crossed her arms across her chest with her head held high.
"I'll admit you didn't but is this all you can do?" Natsume's mouth went into the trademark almost smile.
Mikan stood up taller, "I can do all types of dancing and I am absolutely brilliant at it."
"If you're so good you can teach me too right?"
"Of course but why would I do that?"
"Alright," Natsume picked up her iPod that laid next to the radio. He put it on shuffle hoping it was a song he knew and to his relief it was.
The opening beats to Million Dollar Man by Lana Del Rey began to play. He was lucky his ex had a sickening obsession with her and he knew exactly how the song went. It had a jazzy rhythm he had no trouble keeping up with. He grabbed her hand and pulled her in. He leaned down to her ear so only she could her his provocative whisper, "Show me what you've got."
The sudden action caught her off guard sending shivers down her spine, She accepted the challenge he placed before her and began to sway to the beat making him follow her lead. It was far too easy song but she went along with it anyway.
She looked at his slightly droopy eyes lined with thick long eyelashes and short dark eye brows that matched his hair. She'd always been good at telling others emotions and reading between the lines but with him it was hard to tell what he was thinking. His eyes said one thing and his smirk said another. He was nearly impossible to read but she always had a knack for solving mysteries,
Mikan had a final spin before the song was over and as soon as it ended she heard a click and saw a flash. She snapped her head towards the door where Ruka, Hotaru and Aoi all stood together. Hotaru, of course, with the small camera she never left home without that she had caught priceless moments like this on.
Mikan stepped back from Natsume and her cheeks acquired a barely noticeable shade of pink due to the sudden audience that had formed. "Wow nii-chan I didn't think you could dance at all!" Aoi clapped her hands with excitement.
"Mikan, why is it that I have to receive a call from bunny boy to inform me that you have started to dance publicly again?" Hotaru's comment only accomplished to make the situation ten times more awkward.
"It's not like it's going to be a daily thing or anything like that. I was just teaching Aoi a few things." Mikan shrugged avoiding eye contact with the blond boy who stood next to her best friend.
Ruka cleared his throat forcing Mikan to look his way, "Mikan-chan I'm glad I got to see you doing what you love and are best at again," he gave her a warm smile that would melt the clothes of any other girl.
It had been too long since Ruka last saw Mikan dance. He'd never caught her doing what she'd done the previous morning and now she was right in front of him once more and he still couldn't believe all the grace and discipline she had. She could make the most simple moves look so elegant and beautiful. He never did have the right words to describe her or her dancing, it was all just so amazing. He had loved to watch her dance since the moment his mom made him go to that stupid dance school and he'd seen her practicing. She'd been the reason he stayed and grew to like it there. He quit shortly after her but he never forgot the time spent there or all the things the brunette's dancing could make him feel.
Now it was Natsume's turn to clear his throat, "Yo, Ruka let's go," he began walking out of the room with a walk that said 'Alpha male. Do not challenge.'
"See you later Mikan-chan, Hotaru." Ruka said a quick goodbye as he headed down the hall towards the front door behind Natsume.
"Hey, Polka-dots I'll be back to check on my parents later call if anything happens before then." With that he exited with his hands in his pockets and Ruka following behind waving to the girls who stood at the door.
As soon as she saw the boys enter Ruka's home Hotaru pulled Mikan inside giving her a look that asked a million questions at once. Mikan had expected a question about what Natsume Hyuuga was doing at her house or why she was dancing with him but instead she got something completely different. "Since when do you have that dance room?"
Mikan nearly burst out laughing at the simple unexpected question. Even though she's had that room for a long time she hardly ever went in, much less mention it, because of what it used to be. "We got it built a few years after Jii-chan passed. He wanted me to make his room into my own little practice place you know how he never missed a recital." Mikan's eyes got glassy as the usually did when she talked about that time.
"That old man still making you cry even when he's not here." Hotaru gave Mikan one of the rare hugs she had that always seemed to make her feel better.
Mikan remembered Aoi and turned to where she was sitting on the couch flipping through channels in a different set of clothing than before. Hotaru took the liberty to take some of the left over pancakes and bacon preparing a cup of coffee along with it. Mikan shook her head as she went to sit with Aoi and began talking about the things she would need if she did join a dance team.
At the opposite side of the road the boys made their way into Ruka's room. Natsume sat on the bottom bunk with his elbows on his knees and head on his chin. After checking up on his mum, who apparently had also been out with his parents, Ruka walked into the room.
Natsume stood as his best friend sat on his computer chair. He began to pace and Ruka followed him with his eyes. "What are you doing?" he asked finally after growing tired of watching him.
"I'm pacing angrily in your bedroom."
"I can see that but why are you pacing?"
"Why?! Because 'I'm glad I got to see you doing what you love and are best at Mikan-chan' that's why. What the fuck was that?" his nostrils flared slightly.
Ruka's cheeks turned slightly brighter, "What do you mean. I didn't say anything weird or anything."
"But she likes you dude!"
"What are you talking about?
Natsume sat back down resuming his previous position. "The girl likes you. I saw it because she looks at you funny."
"There's nothing to worry about man, Hotaru is giving me a chance so you've got her all to yourself. It's just that I began to like her when I first saw her dancing so when I saw her again I remembered but it all good dude you've got nothing in your way except that other guy." Ruka tried to reassure his friend in the best way he could think of.
Natsume gave him that almost smile before beginning to tell him about the events of last night.
So I know I haven't posted in the longest time and I am so super sorry but here it is and I hope you like it! R&R pls! Till next time!