A/N: And she updated!
So without further ado I present you the long awaited chapter 18!
Disclaimer: Still don't own…
Chapter 18 About Time.
(Normal PoV)
"How do you even know she's gonna be there?" Natsume asks as he walks faster trying to keep up with Hotaru's pace.
"I've known Mikan for a long time, and I know she's going to be there. Where else would she go?"
"I don't know, back home maybe?" he throws a suggestion.
"Not a chance. She wants to see him again, and that's the only place she knows she's certain to find him." Hotaru suddenly stops abruptly as they reach the end of a street leading to a small park and starts looking around.
"C'mon it's not like she'll stalk his house until he-." He closes his mouth the moment he sees Mikan sitting on the swings staring at a big white house.
"You were saying?"
Natsume scoffs and starts walking up to Mikan only to be immediately stopped by Hotaru. "What are you doing? I'll just go fetch her and take her back home so-."
"Shush!" she whispers pointing at Kaname approaching her from the behind and pulling him back.
"Kaname-senpai!" Mikan shouts jumping off the swing and smiling. "I was waiting for you."
He smiles back "Is that so? Then sorry to make you wait."
"It's nothing; if it's for Kaname-senpai then I'd wait forever." She walks up to him.
Natsume scowls at the scene playing in front of him and then at Hotaru who is still holding him down. "Let go off me, if this goes on like this then he'll-."
"I can't let you interrupt."She answers coldly.
"But I thought you said-."
"As long as Mikan is happy and smiling I don't' care."
"Even at the cost of your own happiness?"He asks trying to convince her to let him stop this madness, or at least that what he thought this whole thing was, madness.
"If that's what it takes."She answers flatly, even though she realizes that this isn't bothering her half as much as it's bothering Natsume. 'Even so if Mikan's is happier this way I guess it can't be helped.'She thinks.
"I was thinking we could go somewhere and maybe talk, I have so many things I want to tell you!" Mikan chirps happily. "Ever since Kaname-senpai left so many things happened!"
"Well it's a pity but I have some things to do before school and…" Kaname looks at her smiling face and can't help but feel like he can't say no. "I promise that we'll definitely go tomorrow. What do you say?"
Mikan nods. "It's a date then." He says before kissing her on the forehead and walking into the big white house.
Natsume clenches his fists and growls softly.
Why was this getting to him so much? This Kaname person, why did he piss him off to such a degree? It's like the sole mention of his name repulsed him for some reason. And to think that for a second there he thought he was a decent guy.
"I forbid you to get in the way." Hotaru whispers before he can even start forming a plot inside his head to break those two apart.
"I thought you said you were in love with him and couldn't stand the thought of Mikan being with him because of what he did to her."
"I never said such a thing, and if he's the one that can make Mikan happy then I will not let you get in the way."
"What about you then? If she-."
"Haven't you thought that maybe you're not doing this for me but for YOU?" she finally releases his hand and walks away leaving him to ponder on her words.
'What does this have to do with me?' he thinks confused. (A/N: Talk about dense…)
He starts walking down the road heading home and unconsciously ends up at the gates of the Hyuuga mansion. 'Force of habit…' he sighs and stares at the huge golden "H" for a moment too long.
This wasn't his home anymore. How could he have forgotten about that? He'd decided to give up his life in that house for… what was the reason again?
Oh right, Hotaru that was it… wait no it wasn't. But if it wasn't her then what was?
Was it that he was really so against the idea of marrying Luna that he'd willingly give everything up just because of that?
No, that wasn't it either. If that was the reason he would have left years ago.
What was it then? Oh that's right! He'd done it to stay at Alice Gakuen! Now that he thought about it wasn't that pretty stupid of him? Ever since he entered that high school he'd complained about hating it and every student in it. So why give everything up to stay in such a place? No, that couldn't be the reason.
And yet the more he thought about it the more he realized it was. Whatever possessed him at the time he left the house after being given that last chance to go back kept making him think that he had to stay at Alice Gakuen, no matter what .
Why had he thought such a thing! Give up everything for some brats who were his "friends" just because Mikan had said so! What the hell was he thinking! Since when did he care so much for those people?
Since when did he care about Miss. Popularity! The same person who'd ridiculed him countless times and suddenly became his friend just for the sakes of passing math! WHAT!
It had all happened so fast he didn't even notice when he'd actually come to regard her as a friend and not the enemy.
And now here he was… he had to admit he felt like the world's biggest moron, being taken by the flow like that…
"I heard from your father that you weren't planning to come back." He hears a girl's voice from behind him. "Do I really repulse you so much that you'd leave your family and home to get rid of me?"
"It's not what you think. This is a war that's been waiting to start for years now; you were just caught in the middle." He says turning around to look at Luna in the eyes.
"Why can't you reconsider it? Your father would gladly forgive you and still you are so stubborn. I can only think it is because you hate me."
"I don't." and it was true, he didn't hate her, but that didn't mean he loved her enough to marry her.
"Then why won't you come back? I'm sure you don't love me now, I can tell… but maybe in time." She grabs one of his hands and stares pleadingly into his eyes. "At least give me a chance…please" she whispers getting closer to him each second.
So what was there to be doubtful about? A girl was right here practically throwing herself at him and accepting her would probably make his whole life a lot easier.
And maybe she wasn't as pretty as Mikan, and maybe she didn't have that way of making him smile for no good reason like Mikan did, and maybe she-.
Wait! Why was he even comparing her to Mikan! What did she have to do with any of this! URGH! He couldn't even get rid of her when she wasn't around! Something was seriously wrong with him.
But looking at Luna right now, she didn't seem all that bad. If he squinted very hard she could even resemble Mi- never mind.
He had to make a choice now. Hold on, choice? What choice? Like he had one! It was Luna or nothing. He'd already given up on Hotaru, and Mikan already had Kaname (not that it mattered to him) so what was there to think about?
Yeah, he'd go back home marry Luna and live happily ever after that wasn't so bad... It all made sense in his head, and yet there was something preventing him from reaching forward and kissing the girl in front of him.
"So…" Luna whispers cracking one eye open to see what he was doing. What was taking him so long? Like he had a lot to think about! Koizumi Luna was standing there in front of him ready to kiss him and he did nothing! What was up with this guy? "Natsume…"
He abruptly backs away making her fall to the ground. What was up with him! Why did everything keep remind him of Mikan right now!
That time at the rooftop when she said his name for the first time, or the time he held her in his arms in his room as she cried, or that time she kissed him when she thought she was drunk, or that time she just flat out kissed him (although it was embarrassing to admit, that was in fact his first kiss.)
He shakes his head furiously trying to get her out of his head. "I need time to think!" he says holding his head with both hands.
"I understand." She answers, even though he didn't mean that for her, he meant it for himself.
He says nothing and runs off to nowhere, just runs.
Luna huffs in annoyance and dials a number in her cell-phone. "Looks like it's gonna be harder than we thought." She says to the receiver.
(Natsume's PoV)
I run all the way back to the park near the mall that I had been at a few days ago and sit at the exact same spot I did that day to try and clear my head.
"Why is it that you have this effect on me? Even though I-…" ARGH WHY DO HER WORDS KEEP REPEATING IN MY HEAD!
"Natsume…" STOP!
"You look better like that…"SHUT UP! "No, I mean when you smile."
"It's just that… your eyes… they are like… like fire."PLEASE STOP TORMENTING ME! "I mean it in a good way."
"Ano ne Natsume… I think I might have accidentally…"LEAVE ME ALONE!
"Fallen for you..."NO! It can't be! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! That's not what she said!
"I say Mikan is the best thing I have in this rotten world no matter what you say!"NO! "Mikan… and I sure as hell love her."THAT'S NOT IT! I was just acting!
"I didn't know you were such a hopeless… actor…"She didn't mean it that way!
"I can't act to save my own life…"I wasn't…
"Me too…"She wasn't trying to…
How long do you intend to remain in denial?
I'm not!
Oh really? Then what do you call the act of denying something even though it is true and you know it?
I said I'm not!
You know… accepting it is the first step for recovery…
I do not need to recover from anything! There's nothing wrong with me!
Sure there's not… that's why you're sitting in a park arguing with yourself…
Oh god, there is something wrong with me! I'm going insane!
Yes you are… and you wanna know the reason?
Don't say it!
Oh? Why not? If it's not true then why does it bother you?
Because it does!
They say truth hurts more than lies. Maybe that's the reason.
IT'S NOT TRUE! I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH SAKURA MIKAN!
Huh? How did you know I was talking about that?
Because you said-.
I never said such a thing, you thought about it on your own…
Stop playing mind games with me! You ARE me!
I'm not playing mind games… I'm just trying to help.
Well you're not helping! Leave me alone!
Not until you admit it…
I will never admit to such a thing.
Coward…
I AM NOT A COWARD!
Oh really, then how about chicken?
I'm not a chicken!
Scared-cat?
I am not scared!
Hmm? Then what do you call a person who's too scared to face reality when it hits them on the face? Oh I know! Hyuuga Natsume…
HEY! Enough! I said I'm not scared!
Then why don't you admit it?
Because it's not true!
Yes it is, and you know it. What other reason is there for you to be jealous of Kaname or apprehensive of accepting Luna?
That's because…
"…I'll kiss the next person I see, no matter who it is!"
AH! WHY DID YOU DO THAT!
You still haven't done it… If you don't love her what's the big deal? An oath is an oath. But if you're too scared to fulfill it that means you're afraid you might feel something for her.
Why am I even listening to you?
He's gonna take her away you know? That guy Kaname… if you don't do something quickly…
I…
Are you gonna give up so easily? I mean she's the girl you love right? The reason you gave up your life as a Hyuuga and decided to stay at Alice Gakuen. If you don't do something she'll get taken away…
It can't be… the reason I decided to stay was… Mikan? You're kidding right? I couldn't possibly… I mean could I really be…
…In love with Mikan?
That would certainly explain a lot I guess… Still…
I stand up and walk a couple of blocks before deciding I don't feel like walking anymore so I take a cab to Mikan's place, a.k.a the place I'm currently living at. It doesn't surprise me to see she's not around when I enter the building.
I take a quick shower and head directly for my bed not feeling hungry at all.
Could I really be in love with the same person I've despised for the past year and a half? Just because I spent a week with her and I'm living with her doesn't mean… That sure sounds weird.
I'll just sleep for now; tomorrow will be another day I hope…
-Next morning-
I get out of bed and do my morning routine. I'm surprised when I walk out of the room and Mikan isn't there. I wonder if she even came back at all.
I decide that she probably already left for school and do the same.
It surprises me even more when I enter the classroom and she's sitting at the back far away from my seat, the place where she used to sit before this whole make over thing.
I take my sit regardless and Luna walks up to me smiling and sits next to me. I look at Mikan for a moment but she's staring out of the window paying no mind to my existence. I wonder if she's thinking about him.
Imai catches me staring at her and whispers "So you've finally noticed…" she's still sitting next to me like she's been since Monday. I look at her puzzled and she continues "You like her." is all she says before turning to her notebook.
So it is true then.
I Hyuuga Natsume am in love with Sakura Mikan.
Who would have guessed that? (A/N: *cough* um how about… EVERYONE?)
The rest of the day went like in slow motion. I couldn't talk to her even once, and I couldn't wait for school to finish so that I could.
And before I realize I am following her down the street up to Kaname's house. I watch her as she rings the doorbell and as she throws her arms around his neck when he walks out the door. I see how she links her arm with his and they start walking down the road.
I can feel the same feeling I got yesterday as I watched him kiss her forehead building up inside of me. How could I have not noticed this before? I'm such an idiot! I start walking up to them but I'm suddenly pulled backwards by someone.
"I thought I said not to get in the way." Imai tells me trying to sound menacing.
"Sorry, no can do."
"Don't you think you're being too selfish?"
"Don't you think you're being too selfless?"
"My business with Sonou Kaname is done. I have nothing to do with him anymore."
"What do you mean? So you're handing Mikan to him? Just like that? I thought you hated him because of what he'd done to her!" my voice starts rising with every word.
Imai slaps me across the face but still keeps her composed façade "Don't use my words to your convenience and don't try to use me as an excuse. I have nothing to do with this anymore."
"Then why do you keep getting in my way?"
"Because if what you do hurts Mikan in any way-."
"I thought you said you wanted to make her forget about him and whatnot."
"I did, but that was before you made me realize it was not his fault and maybe he's the one that can actually bring Mikan back, not you."
For some reason those words hurt like a million knives.
"You'll do good to forget about her, I've already forgotten about him." She turns her eyes away from me; I can tell that she's hiding something like her strong emotionless character demands.
"But I can't do the same." I say aloud without realizing. I quickly run off in pursuit of Mikan and that guy and from the background I hear Imai yelling my name.
As soon as I catch up with them I see a scene I wish I'd never have to witness.
There they were, Mikan and Kaname, her arms around his neck…
And her lips on his lips…
(Normal PoV) -Before the kiss-
"And then Natsume passed out and I had to drag him to his house!" Mikan says laughing wholeheartedly "and then we had to make his family believe I was his girlfriend! And his father was so angry."
Kaname walks silently beside her and smiles gently at her listening to her whole tale about Hyuuga Natsume, that's all she'd been talking about since they left his house.
"And then he had to trick his dad into signing! He was so lucky that I suddenly burst in!" she looks at his face and notices he looks sort of distracted. "Kaname-senpai, are you okay?"
"Eh? Um…" he snaps back to reality "Yeah, he sure sounds like a nice person, Natsume. You seem to be pretty good friends…"
She nods and smiles "But the one I like is Kaname-senpai!" she blushes and looks away. "Um… Kaname-senpai…" she stares at the ground not being able to meet his gaze and not uttering a word.
"Mikan-chan…" he says softly "I'm glad that you feel that way about me but…" here it came, the rejection, after all she really wasn't good enough for him. "But I have to ask, are you sure I'm the one you are really in love with?"
Huh? That wasn't what she expected… "Of course I am! Kaname-senpai has always been kind to me and even when no one else would acknowledge the real me Kaname-senpai did! He's always been the person I like the most!"
"What about Hotaru-chan then? Didn't she also acknowledge you when no one else did? And what about Natsume, didn't you just say he also accepted the real you too?"
"NO! It's not the same… Hotaru is almost like a sister to me, and Kaname-senpai is-."
"Like an older brother?" he provides for her.
Her eyes widen. No, it wasn't that, she really did love him! How could she prove him that she did? And then she thinks of the only way to prove him wrong.
Without any warning she wraps her arms around his neck, closes her eyes and kisses his lips.
Suddenly she opens her eyes and blinks a couple of times before pulling away and staring at him with a shocked expression. He was right, the feeling she got was… like she was kissing a family member, not a lover.
It was totally different from the time she'd kissed "Natsume…" she mumbles.
Far from proving him wrong she'd proved him right, all this time thinking she was in love with him and trying to make him proud was just… like trying to make a brother proud?
But she'd been so sure he was the one… when had that feeling changed? When did she start thinking of Kaname as a brother? Or had she really ever considered him something more?
And before she can say anything, out of nowhere Natsume comes rushing their way and punches Kaname square on the face making him fall to the ground with a loud thud.
"Kaname-senpai!" Mikan kneels down beside him "Are you alright?" she asks helping him up. "What the hell is your problem!" she yells at Natsume angrily.
From behind a tree Hotaru is watching everything and shaking her head slowly "You overdid it you baka…"she mutters under her breath.
Natsume gasps and doesn't know what to do when he comes to his senses and realizes what he just did. "I…" he looks at Mikan's face and feels a pang of guilt hitting his stomach. Without wasting another second he runs off at a loss for anything smarter to do.
"Are you sure it's fine to let him go like that?" Kaname interrupts the million thoughts running through her head. "I think he might have misunderstood that kiss just now that's why he did that. He was probably jealous and didn't know what else to do."
"Natsume jealous… that's impossible. He doesn't think of me that way…" she explains to her senpai sounding rather sad to have to admit it.
"You'll never know if you don't ask him." Hotaru comes out of her hiding place "But if you don't go now it may be too late." She urges Mikan as she starts growing impatient.
"Hotaru when did you-?"
"That's not what matters right now is it?"
Mikan stares at her best friend and the look in her eyes is enough to tell her that Hotaru clearly knows something she doesn't. She nods and mouths a quick "thanks" before rushing to chase Natsume.
(Mikan's PoV)
It's no good; even if I keep running aimlessly I don't know where he went. If I were him where would I go?
The last time something like this happened I found him at that park but… I doubt he'd go back there now… we're not even close by.
The school… no, that's the first place I would go looking for him… If I didn't want someone to find me I'd go to the last place where they would look… Where would be the last place I'd think he'd go?
Ah! I got it!
I turn right on a corner as I start making my way to the Hyuuga mansion and true enough, there I see Natsume standing at the gates starting absentmindedly at them. A smile finds its way to my lips as I start walking up to him and it's replaced with a deep frown as soon as I notice the gate opening up. He's going back!
All of a sudden Hotaru's words make sense to me "It may be too late." I can't wait another second. If I don't do something now he'll go back to his father and to Luna.
I can't let that happen, not before I tell him…
(Normal PoV)
"NATSUME!" Mikan shouts running up to him.
He's quickly woken up from his trance-like state and stares at her dumbfounded. What the hell was she doing here? And why wasn't she with her beloved Kaname. Ugh that name seemed to make his mouth taste like dirt.
When she reaches his side she stops and tries to speak but finds herself unable to, due to the heavy panting and also due to the fact that she didn't know what to say. I mean what was she supposed to tell him? "I'm sorry, I love you?"
Oh… that didn't sound so bad… Actually it sounded perfect.
"I'M SORRY!" she blurts out loudly not being able to control the volume of her voice "I LOVE YOU" and then she drops on her knees panting not being able to stand up anymore.
Natsume stares at her with an expression of utter shock, happiness, bewilderment, flat out confusion, and… well… I think you get the point.
Somehow this wasn't the outcome either of them was expecting but well, it certainly served its purpose.
For the millionth time in a week this girl had left him speech, reaction and motionless. She certainly knew how to manage the surprise factor I'll give you that.
"Why?" is all he manages to throw out as he slowly walks up to her and kneels to meet her eye level.
"What do you mean why? What kind of an answer is why!"
"I'm not sure what else to say…" he confesses.
"Well you could say 'me too' or 'I hate you crazy hag get out of my property' I don't know…" she says looking away.
'I'll kiss the next person I see, no matter who it is!' he suddenly remembers.
"Mikan, would you mind helping me fulfill an oath?" he asks completely serious.
She looks up at him like he'd just spoken in some extraterrestrial language and before she can even blink he crashes his lips on hers. And then it happens. The feeling she'd been waiting for, like the whole world had just disappeared and it was only her and Natsume in it.
She was right, it was completely different with Kaname, and right now all that mattered to her was him. She felt like she had to hold him for dear life, that if she let go now she would fall down some deep abyss. She couldn't think of anything, she didn't even know when her arms had found their way to his neck but she knew she wasn't about to let go.
It was the same as that first time they'd kissed in her house, only this time it was even better, she guessed it was because of the feelings it represented now… Ah but what did she know?
The moment they break apart they stare into each other's eyes and suddenly burst into laughter for no reason. They both stand up and Natsume is the first to speak.
"Let me say this first, I love you, you crazy hag." He sighs deeply "Now that that's out of the way I gotta ask you something."
"Um, sure…"
"Why didn't you go back home yesterday and why did you ignore me today?"
"I did go back home yesterday but you were sleeping, and I had to leave early because I had morning duty at school." Natsume was feeling pretty stupid at this point.
"And I wasn't ignoring you, you were ignoring me! Staring with that scary expression all day, I thought you were mad at me for something…"
'It wasn't a scary expression; I was trying to figure out why she was pissed…' he sweat-drops. So it had been a misunderstanding…
"What about the date with Kaname and the… kiss…" he couldn't help it, it still made his mouth taste like dirt.
"Oh…" Mikan blushes and looks away "Um I guess you could call it a test…"
He didn't need any more explanation, he kind of got the picture it had been something like what had happened with Luna and himself, only that he didn't like Luna to begin with so he didn't need to try to kiss her, thankfully.
"I don't want to have to destroy this touching moment, but if you'd both please look at the two figures approaching you from the mansion…" Natsume and Mikan both look at the source of the voice.
"Imai?" he asks confused.
"And Kaname-senpai, what are you doing here?"
"Well if you must know, we followed you." Hotaru answers simply. "But more importantly…" she points at Luna and Satoshi (Natsume's dad) walking up to them.
"Do you think we should run?" Natsume asks looking at Mikan.
She nods "We can handle them some other day right?" she winks at him and he smiles.
"My thoughts exactly." He takes her hand in his and they take off to Mikan's house, but not before he sticks his tongue out at his father and shouts "Sorry, as I thought I'm not cut out to be a Hyuuga after all!" and laughs as he sees the priceless expression on his face.
"About time…" Hotaru groans after they are both out of sight earning a weird look from Kaname.
"What do you mean about time?"
Hotaru looks at him with her usual poker face. "It's a long story…"
"Well I have a lot of time…"
Hotaru sighs "I guess it can't be helped, since you helped today it's the least I can do."
"And will you answer the question I asked all that time ago?"
"I don't know what you're talking about…"
"Of course you do." He smiles sweetly at her "That day when I invited you for tea to my house and I gave you that stuffed animal, I told you to name it after the person most important to you. And then when I asked you what name you'd given to it you refused to answer…"
"Oh… if it was about that then…" she thinks about it for a moment "I didn't give it a name." she starts walking towards the same direction Mikan had run off to "…yet." She adds as an afterthought.
"Let me know when you do…" he says catching up to her, she just shrugs in response.
A/N: SO I hope you liked it and that it was at least worth waiting for. Anyhow thanks to all my readers and reviewers and thanks to everyone.
To be continued…