Love Twirl by Einsteinette
The more a thing is forbidden, the more it is sought-after. Like my idiotic sister. Tch. (Does not contain incest)
***
Before anything else, I want to thank those who reviewed. And by the way, I'll gradually add other characters later on.^^
And… Err. I'm sorry for the late update. Some things kept me really busy. I didn't expect them. And it's hard to get inspired lately. Sigh…
Now back to the story. If Natsume says Hyuuga mansion is the same tedious home, I won't agree. In fact, there's a lot to expect in his arrival. Will Natsume survive living in the mansion with a pestering sister? And why the hell did Mikan collapse? Any guess?
This is a brand-new way of torture. Let's torture Natsume the sisterly way. Lol.
Love Twirl
by Einsteinette
***
The set of cards begin to unfurl.
***
CHAPTER IV:
Sisterly Love
A chocolate haired girl found herself lying on the grassy ground and this pretty shocked and puzzled her. To think she didn't have the habit of sleeping outside, more importantly on the dirty ground, why was she there?
The brunette yanked her head upwards that earned her an unanticipated pain at the back of the neck. It felt like it was bruised, like something hard hit her there. She tried to fuel her dormant neurons in attempt to remember anything. But to no avail. She didn't know where to start remembering in the first place.
sigh...
Her mind was as blank as the sky that eve.
She got to her feet and straightened her spine (and she heard some cracking of bones) and it took her a few minutes to walk. Man, she was lightheaded for god-knows-why. The confusion subsided while walking, or rather dragging of feet, and the biting coldness of the night was soon realized. She tried to add speed to her lousy phase to quickly get back to the mansion, to satisfy the need of warmth. It was damn cold. No, it was icy cold.
Her body needed warmth.
Maybe the warmth of Usagi-chan will do for now. Oh, and snuggling into a blanket too, of course.
-
A quick flashback: Kitchen counter, table, utensils, dishes, herself, another eight-year-old body against hers and the warmth at the contact.
Natsume!
Oh crap!
Oh yes. Didn't she feel that warmth just awhile ago?
Oh Natsume...
The last thing she knew, she had her brother in her arms. And cold as ice, he told her to let go. Next thing? It was blank.
Her face turned to gaze over her shoulder at the spot where she gained consciousness. It was the same spot where she hugged him, she noticed.
Oh yes. She had to see him. As in NOW.
This wasn't so hard to realize. She had to confirm if the masked guy was Natsume - even if she felt sure as hell it was him.
She narrowed her eyes at the sudden shot of light of an open room that increased the pain in her head. She grumbled. Too many emotions were falling in at the same time: pain, edginess, confusion and panic. It was too much to bear.
A servant who happened to pass by came to help the struggling brunette into the nearest room.
***
The news spread like fire within the Hyuuga mansion. And the people of the household had different reactions at the young master's arrival.
Definitely, Fujihara was besieged with happiness upon seeing his son after eight, long years. And he was planning to host a special banquet to welcome him. (It was dramatic when he saw Natsume. He was quite carried away that he embraced him a couple of times in front of everyone. Good thing he missed the scowl on his son's face or he'd be so depressed.)
The elders were so full of themselves; they were broadcasting they were the reason that Natsume had become an unmatched alice-caster and strong fighter. (They were out in the open and very formal with Natsume the way they never treated his father. They knew Natsume could murder them without any sweat.)
The servants were happy too. Not to mention, females were very excited to see his current appearance. (And the moment he took his mask off, half of the female population stopped breathing. The other half? They most probably fainted. Except Chii-ba-san. Was she even female?)
And it was quite inevitable that some were circulating nasty rumors about Mikan again. (Poor thing. She decided to shut herself in her room since she couldn't get near Natsume. Almost everyone was hovering near him.)
"That's a true Hyuuga! Not like the other. She's a weakling."
-
-
It was confirmed – Natsume was back.
Fujihara scheduled the banquet the other day, hoping to hear a lot from his son at a peaceful dinner. To his dismay, his son was dead quiet that night. (That's peaceful for you, Fujihara.) And still dead quiet in the succeeding days. It was frustrating. Fujihara couldn't help but wonder if this was Natsume's way of rebelling, like teenagers of his age did. And talking to Natsume was quite unnerving. The creepy mask was all over his face. At times he didn't respond to his father, Fujihara looked like an idiot talking to an empty mask.
It was crazy.
And to give good taste for the word crazy,
WWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
Mikan mentally screeched.
It was crazy.
She was utterly ignored by Natsume that night. (a jab in the heart)
Not a single glance. (another jab)
Nothing. (another)
Zero. (some more)
sniff, sniff...
It was driving her mad (Oh come on, that was an understatement. Right? Right?).
She missed him.
For eight, long, lonesome years, he was faraway. (And she pretty feared that word more than an epidemic.) And now he was finally back, he was good as gone. It seemed he had forgotten everything. How she feared that this day would come!
Oh kami!
Strands of hair curtained her face as she waited for the first tear to roll down her cheek. With her face held low, she was sniffing at an audible volume (it was late at night) inside her dark room as she clutched the ever motionless Usagi-chan. (That was so emo, Mikan.)
To him, her one and only brother, she must be nothing now.
Nothing. The word echoed in her mind.
She sure feared the word nothing now just as she feared faraway.
As if he was-
sniff, sniff
- someone else in the same body.
We used to be close- (Used was in past tense, dummy.)
Maybe he was adjusting?
Maybe he was too tired to speak?
No matter what, Mikan was Mikan. Don't forget that.
All the same.
She never ran out of hope, that's for sure. Proof? Hopeful maybes were colliding in her skull now.
Maybe he needs a bit of going over the past?
-
She would iron things out. The sooner, the better.
***
Setting: At Gakuen Alice
"So that's why you've been spacing out, huh?" The strawberry-head asked.
sniff, sniff.
A nod.
"Come on, Mikan. That's not you."
A pat on the shoulder courtesy of the other named Nonoko.
"Mikan, being a crybaby again?" butted another who recieved a nudge on the ribcage.
"Go away." mouthed Anna, the strawberry-haired.
"Yeah, right." the intruder hissed and left for good.
"Mikan, why don't we make a plan?"
"A what?" eyebrows arched.
"A plan to win his friendship back! That's it!"
"Y-you'll do that for me?"
"Yes." The two said in unison.
-
"T-thank you!"
The brunette caught Anna and Nonoko in a big, bear hug.
***
Plan A
The late afternoon after school was perfect timing to start executing their schemes. She was fidgetting in her seat while waiting for dismissal. And now she was home, there was no delaying it. Her friends didn't eat lunch just to sketch the plan and she promised she wouldn't fail them. And at last, the moment had come. She. Would. Make friends. With. Natsume. Again.
Even if Mikan wasn't much of an observer, she easily spotted him at the courtyard.
With his mask on, Natsume put on some weights on his hands and ankles. He donned in black sleeveless shirt with thin fabric - and Mikan didn't miss the toned muscles of his arms - and jogging pants that gave extra comfort for training. He had been there since morning to condition and work his muscles out. First, it was to maintain the strength he had gained the hard way from Persona. But to more than this, he wanted to train to keep himself busy - to distract himself from his thoughts, to evade the menacing dreams and to avoid seeing his sister, Mikan.
He did a bit more stretching to cool his body down, which was the finishing touch, but soon he detected her presence and he knew better. He pretended to do some more push-ups, hoping the brunette would leave soon.
Hazel eyes were watching behind the tree. And they belong to no other than Hyuuga Mikan. She wasn't completely hidden, you just need a closer look to tell she was there. It dawned to her that Natsume must be busy. But no, she wasn't giving up. She was determined to wait till he finish.
He seemed to notice it already, that she wasn't leaving anytime soon. And he had no intentions of acknowledging her presence right now. He was lucky the other night; he was able to save his face and escape from her through a simple fighting technique. He sure want to thank Persona for that. The spine at the neck was sensitive that a bit of force did the trick – she fainted in a second. And he was saved.
-
He's not even looking this way.
Natsume's too absorbed in his training...
A nervous glance.
I have to take the initiative now.
That's it!
I can do this.
She forced a lump in her throat before she left the shade of the tree.
"Ahem..."
Natsume...?
Her hand reached for a towel in her pocket.
"H-here. Wipe your sweat. You can get sick if it dries on your skin."
He grunted.
The masked guy (who stopped doing push-ups) was standing a few feet from her now. And his eyes never landed on her.
Please look at me...
- brother.
He had no more option. He had to face her and talk - and pretend there's nothing wrong. He just had to, err, avoid the slightest skin contact.
He reached for the towel without facing her, taking it quickly to make sure his hand never touched her.
Her eyes brightened that instant.
And he didn't expect that after doing her a favor, just so she wouldn't pester him, things would start to be more annoying. (It was actually Mikan who did the favor of giving the towel. But this is Natsume. To accept that crap was the favor to him.)
"Hey…"
Ignore.
He held the soft fabric in his hand and walked on.
"I know a cool manga."
He cocked a brow under the mask.
She what?
He knew she never knew a tiny bit about manga. Had she tried reading them? We never know.
"Y-you're not interested?" She flashed a disbelieving face.
Ignore.
They continued to walk and they were closer to the mansion.
Could it be that... He had stopped reading manga?
Mikan was thinking really hard at the moment.
"Uhm...Natsume? You're not gonna use the towel?" She pointed her index finger to the white fabric.
"Later."
He sounded uncaring.
Lazy again?
"You're feeling lazy, aren't you?" A wide grin spread across her face.
Very Natsume.
"Really. Give me that, I'll do it for you."
And very typical of Mikan to jump to this idea.
In quick reflexes, he moved his hand away from hers that tried to grab the towel from him.
"No thanks, Polka."
Very Natsume.
How rude.
Mikan pouted. And when she did, her temper was about to slip off.
Had her temper been an unimportant element in their plan, she should have been in an endless row with him by this time. She simply continued to walk with him and chose to remain quiet for now.
sigh...
She was thinking deeply.
And so was he.
He so didn't like the feeling with Mikan around. It was too hard to relax.
Maybe, or so he thought, this was the only feeling he couldn't bear in this world.
It must be guilt for his wet, wild dreams - it was never wrong to have perverted dreams, people said.
But the FACT was...
Mikan, the star of his dreams, was his twin sister; of the same blood, of the same flesh.
And this fact condemned him for every second of his dreams. (And he hated the fact that he never asked for these dreams but they kept coming)
It was immoral.
And he didn't want the world to remember him an immoral man.
-
"Natsume?" She spoke again after an awkward silence. "Remember these?"
His face moved a bit but just enough for him to see the paper cranes she was holding out. Too bad he missed the hopeful look in her unworldly eyes.
"No." Her eyes widened. But she quickly recovered from the shock.
"No?"
"No." Her eyes lost the shine they had seconds before.
She averted her gaze to the colorful origami in her hands. Her eyelashes hung low, casting shadow on the top of her cheeks. Maybe she hadn't noticed but her feet had stopped moving.
And she didn't expect the next words that escaped his lips.
"I hate them."
Her eyes widened in disbelief as they moved towards him. Was he being truthful? Or he was just being rude again? No, that wasn't the issue here. For years, she got used to his cold treatment. He was unquestionably rude but Mikan could see through that. At times he really was getting into her nerves. But because he wasn't just anybody to her and she was there all along for eight years of his life, she knew well that it was his way, believe it or not, of showing intimacy. He looked at her with care for a sibling. Yes, he was rude. But not rude enough to hurt her feelings. It seemed what was eight years ago had gone - for worst.
From that moment, she knew things won't go smoothly.
***
"You just have to remind him of what you do together, Mikan." Said Nonoko.
Right.
The brunette was recapping everything in the plan. After a long yawn, she flipped on her stomach and burried her face in the pillow. In the quiet of the night, the brunette found herself battling for sleep. Her brain was divided at the moment; a part of wanted to sleep, the other half had nothing in it but Natsume. She lay in the softness of the futon bed with Usagi-chan guarding above her head. She got over the habit of sleeping with the cuddly toy in her arms some years ago - but still she couldn't get rid of it.
"Usagi-chan..." She tilted her chin up to look at the stuffed toy.
...
"Don't ignore me like that..." Her voice sounded drunk - just out of sleepiness, of course. (That's so desperate. Poor Mikan, with no one to talk to.)
...
Tears were swelling in her eyes. Looking at Usagi-chan stirred memories in her. It made her feel worst. Natsume used to take the thing away and poor Mikan would follow him everywhere to take it back. Had she known he would change one day, she should have thanked him for that. What now? He won't even bother look at her like she was some sort of an eyesore. He didn't care anymore. And it was painful. The thought made her chest weight a ton.
And she remembered they shared the same room then. And she would wait for him to fall asleep first to have the chance of hugging him all night. (And he would be very annoyed every morning to see her clinging into him.)
And Usagi-chan witnessed all that in the same, old room. (Fujihara had prepared another room for him before he even came back. He claimed they were too old to share the same room. And both needed privacy now. That, she never understood.)
If only we could share the same room again...
I have more time.
It would be easier to make friends again.
sigh...
Hm...
"You know what, Usagi-chan?" She sat on the futon and grabbed the stuffed animal with both hands.
...
"You gave me a brilliant idea."
She wiped the tears in her hazel eyes and smiled warmly at the lifeless toy.
With the fire of determination burning in her eyes, she pumped a fist in the air.
END OF CHAPTER
At last, I finished another chapter. It took me a long time to type this one. God. I'm happy. Well, today's two weeks before classes will formally start. So I'll try to rush - but I don't think I'll finish soon. Still a long way, really.
Thanks for being patient with this story. Yeah, I know. Natsume's so rude in this chapter. It can't be helped, right? Imagine having perverted dreams with a sibling. It won't be easy, right? Haha. Sorry I'm too defensive. No flames, please.
On the coming chapter: Sky Country's famous festivities, a voyage in a VIP boat, all-kinds of people and more.