Oh my God you guys I can't even begin to say how sorry I am for updating this late. I've been receiving a lot of PM's lately asking whether I'm okay or if something happened to me. Well lovelies, I am perfectly all right :) just super busy.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this one! x

"How was the sleepover?"

I froze halfway up my porch steps. Really? Did he always have catch me off guard?

"It was fine," I said, fumbling for the keys. I was already a little flustered because Hotaru and I realized a little too late that we were late for work. Like, beyond late. She told me she'd call and say there was an emergency. I hoped they would buy whatever excuse she could come up with.

I heard Natsume walk up the steps, and I didn't turn around and look at him. From the tone of his voice, it was obvious he knew already. "Ruka told me what happened," he said.

Great. I was not in the mood for him to lecture me. I sighed, and finally turned around to face him. "It's not a big deal, Natsume. We just went out to have some fun."

"It is to me," he said, in a low voice. "You said you weren't going to do anything stupid. You lied."

I suddenly felt furious. Why right did he have getting mad at me? "What does it matter? Yeah, okay so I lied about going out last night. But I don't think I have to tell you every single thing I do. Look, I know you're protective because of Aoi and practically raised her, but I am not your responsibility."

"Did you not learn nothing from last time? Some bastard almost... It was a good thing Ruka was there."

"Ruka was there because Hotaru called. We were too drunk to drive. And nothing happened, okay? So I don't see why you're still fired up about this."

"Mikan," he said. "You're my friend. Of course I care. And what if something bad happened to you? What am I supposed to say to your parents? That I—"

"Oh my God." I was almost shouting now. "I am not your little sister! It's not your job to deal with my parents, it's not your job to worry about me, and it's definitely not your job to save my ass every freaking time!" I dropped my duffel bag angrily on the floor, and stormed away from him. I felt tears pricking my eyes. No. I was not going to cry. Not in front of him. I didn't know why I was so angry. Probably because he thought that he could be a brother figure to me because he pitied me. Since I was the poor little girl who lost her big brother. I can't believe I ever thought about... being with him. It made me sick.

I just ran and ran, not caring where I was supposed to be headed. But no matter how many times I do this, he always ends up running after me.

Natsume touched my shoulder gently, and I backed away from him. "Please, just leave me alone."

He sighed. "Mikan, I'm so sorry. I didn't know that what I said offended you. I just can't help but feel responsible for you since..."

"Tsubasa died?" I finished. Finally, I turned around to face him. "Look, I've seen it before. Right after he died, everyone around me looked at me like I was some kind of orphan. I just don't wanna be that girl, okay? I don't want to be the helpless little girl who lost her brother. And just so we're clear, you are not in any place to feel responsible for me just because you pity me."

He blinked a few times. "You think this is out of pity? Mikan, I care about you. Don't you get that? You are always going to be important to me no matter what."

The sincerity in his voice suddenly erased all the fury inside of me. Maybe I overreacted a little. Or maybe it was something else. He always looked at me like I was his little sister. Just like Aoi. But I knew I wanted something different. Not as as a friend, but something more. The only person I was lying to all this time was myself.

"I'm sorry," I said. "Forget I said anything. I, um, need to go back." I had to get myself out of there before I do anything stupid. Like kiss him. Because the way he was looking at me now, sent electrifying jolts into my body. I tried to walk past him, but of course, he blocked my way.

"Mikan, did I say something wrong?"

I shook my head. "It's me, I'm sorry. Can you just let me through?"

He stared at me for one more moment, and I avoided his gaze. "Okay," he finally said, stepping aside.

I immediately ran back to my house feeling relieved that I got away from him, but at the same time, I wanted to go back.

Hotaru groaned and threw her phone on the bed. She sighed, as she sat down next to me. "He is hopeless. God."

I winced as I put the t.v. on mute. I was at Hotaru's house, this time having a real sleepover, since her mom wasn't home yet. While my mom knew nothing about the other night, I still couldn't look Natsume in the face. He was my neighbor so it was now a difficult task avoiding him, although I have done it before. "This is all my fault," I said.

"If you say that one more time I am going to hit you with the t.v. remote, I swear."

"Sorry. But it was my idea that we go out last night. What did he say anyway?"

She shrugged, as if she was used to this sort of thing every day. "Nothing much. He just said he couldn't believe how irresponsible I was and what if we drove drunk, yada, yada. He sounds like my mom actually, but that's just how we are. I do something stupid, he gets upset, I give him space, he misses me, he comes over and we make out."

"What if you're upset with him?"

"That rarely happens, but it's the same process. Although, this time, he's being stubborn."

"Do you want me to talk to him?"

"No need," she said. "He'll come around."

For the next hour, Hotaru and I decided to watch Pretty in Pink (for old time's sake since we both loved this movie). Just when Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy were about to passionately make out in the parking lot, we heard a knock on the door.

Hotaru groaned. "Not now, this is my favorite part."

"I'll put in pause, if you want."

"Nah, it's about to end anyway. I'll go get the door."

Even if I've watched this movie a thousand times already, it just never gets old. I'd never really admit this out loud, but romance movies were my weakness.

"Pretty in Pink again?"

A scream came right out of my mouth, and I fell off the bed. The next moment, a pair of arms were around me, helping me up. Wait a minute, this scene was too familiar...

"Natsume?" I said, turning to face him. What the hell was he doing here? "Why on earth are you here?"

"Ruka wanted to come over, so I came along. They're downstairs right now, probably um... making up, and Hotaru told me you were up here. Didn't want to stick around for the scene down there."

"Well, you could have done that by not scaring me to death. For like, the eight billionth time."

He gave me an apologetic look. "Sorry. I'm not so good in greeting with two letter words."

"I can see that," I said, sitting down on Hotaru's bed.

"So, Pretty in Pink, huh? Isn't that your favorite movie of all time?"

I looked at him, shocked. How could he remember that?

"I always see you in your living room before watching that whenever I came over," he explained.

"Right," I said. "I guess it is."

Natsume sat right beside me, and I immediately felt the heat radiating from his body. We didn't say anything for a few moments, and it was either I do something about it, or imagine... things.

"Do you wanna go outside?" I said, standing up.

"Um, right through the back door? Downstairs?"

"No, I meant outside the window." I pointed to Hotaru's window. "There's a rooftop over there, and Hotaru and I used to go out there all the time."

"Would she mind?"

I rolled my eyes. "Well, do you want to ask her right now?"

He stood up. "Nope, I'm game."

It was a bit ironic that I was the one who had to help him out, but I knew this routine better than he did.

"Man," I said, when we were sitting down. "I haven't been here in forever."

Natsume looked at me. "You haven't been here since you two..."

I shook my head. "I don't know. We're fine now. Not like before, but it feels like we both just grewnup. So kudos to you, you're the first person I brought here other than Hotaru, even if this place isn't mine."

"I feel so honored."

We sat there for a few more minutes, looking out the ocean. The moon was full tonight, which made the view breathtaking.

"Mikan?" Natsume said.

"Yeah?"

"What I said yesterday, about you being important to me, it's true."

I swallowed, not wanting to look at him. "I know."

"So no matter what happens, we're always going to be friends right?"

This time I looked at him, but wasn't able to read the expression on his face. I hadn't seen that look on him before. He looked serious, at the same time nervous. "Right," I said, slowly. "What is this about?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. I just... forget it."

Maybe it was the way how he was at a loss for words. Or how he was looking at me in a weird way. But whatever it was, whatever possessed me to do what I did next, I had no idea. All I knew is, I've been dying to do it for a long time.

So I kissed him.

He froze at first, clearly shocked. I didn't blame him, I was just as surprised too. But for a long time I have been letting go of chances that I should have taken, and have been living in those, Shoulda, Coulda moments. This was a breakthrough for me.

Natsume's lips were gentle and warm, when he started kissing me back. But then they became more urgent as if he was afraid that this first kiss, would be our last. He pulled me closer to him, his hands sliding against my waist. At that moment, I wanted to be possibly closer to him, so I wrapped my legs around his waist, and found my hands slowly going down...

And that's when he pulled away.

"Mikan," he breathed. "I can't do this."

As if I wasn't already embarrassed enough. That was my first ever kiss and I totally became one of those girls with uncontrollable hormones.

"It's not that I don't like it," he added. "In fact, I liked it. Very much."

My cheeks flushed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to, um..."

"You didn't do anything wrong," he assured me, smiling softly. "I just need to sort things out."

"Sort what out?"

"I like you, Mikan. More than I think I should. I like you too much and I think that's the problem. I can't stay away from you or stop thinking about you."

"Then don't," I said, softly. I had no idea where all these guts are coming from, but I didn't regret saying them out loud.

He chuckled and rested his hand on my cheek. It felt warm, that I didn't want him to pull back. "Believe me, I do. But it's not that easy."

I frowned. I have thought of that billions of times, but I didn't care anymore. Even if my brother was still here, that wouldn't have stopped me (okay maybe a little). But now I didn't feel like hiding anymore of what I feel. Too much has already been bottled inside. "Explain," I said.

"Well, for starters, what would your parents say?"

I rolled my eyes. "They'd be thrilled, I promise."

He sighed. "I really want to be with you, Mikan. Since that day when I hit you with that Frisbee."

My entire body went into shock (for half-a-second). "What?"

"I'm guessing you don't remember that since you were like, eight? I knew something was wrong with me when I realized you were always crossing my mind and that I wanted to spend time with you. That doesn't sound perverted for an eleven-year old, does it?"

I shook my head slowly, still in shock. So Nastume liked me all this time? And the same day when I realized I liked him. I felt like I was in a movie. These things didn't happen in real life.

"Of course I remember that day," I said. "That was also the day when I realized that I—"

"Liked me?" he finished. "Yeah it was pretty obvious."

Which leads us to shocker number two. God, was I really that transparent? "I know how girls act, Mikan. You acted funnier around me the next day, like you were trying to get my attention all the time, and that's when I knew I had to stay away. But not because it creeped me out. I actually found it adorable. But then Tsubasa was my best friend, and it is the number one rule in guy code that you strictly do not date your best friend's little sisters. You are not even allowed to like them, and once you do, that is already considered as a sin. But you can't avoid it, so you just hide it."

I was unable to form a response after all that he said. So he continued.

"And since I just couldn't stay away from you, I had to act all obnoxious so your brother wouldn't be suspicious. I knew you still liked me that time, but was getting way pissed off at my attitude. I just couldn't bear losing either you or Tsubasa."

"You already lost one of them," I said.

He pulled my face towards his. "And I don't want to lose you."

"You won't," I whispered. "I'm not going anywhere."

"It's a lot more complicated than that. I don't want to end up hurting you, Miikan. I care about you too much for that. But since we're here, can I kiss you one more time?"

"You don't have to ask," I told him, as I pressed my lips against his, once again. This time, his lips were more urgent than before. It was as if he was saying goodbye.

And that thought alone terrified me.

You have to forgive me for my poor kissing scene. Listen, you guys are the only ones I'm telling this to (okay maybe to whole world for all I care but it doesn't really matter), but I have never been kissed! So the only basis I had for kissing was from the novels I read. And trust me, I have high expectations in my first kiss since fictional characters have theirs so perfectly. Okay, maybe I shouldn't be comparing myself to fictional characters but a girl can dream right?

What is Natsume and Mikan's status? Let me answer that. "It's complicated."

I don't know why I am so talkative today. It's probs because I haven't updated in a while and I totally missed you guys. Hashtag: AWWW. And I totally don't blame you if you didn't read this part, but if you are, then thank you for bearing with me.

Anyway, hope you guys liked this chapter bec I know ya'll been waiting for these 2 lovebirds to finally get it going (Lol what). And I hope you could wait patiently for about a week or so for the next update :) I try my very best to update on time for u guys. Love you! Ciao!~ x