Hello, Stranger.

A/n: I guess, I'm back?

Chapter 6

Blast From The Past

"What—what are you doing here?" she stuttered as her eyes widen in shock and stared in disbelief with the man smirking in front of her. "Why are you here in, Japan?" she asked again.

A throaty laugh was heard from the bald man in front of Mikan, making her look at him in pure disgust and seeing her reaction, a smirk form again on his lips. "Is that the way you greet an old friend, Mikan?" he said, emphasizing the word friend. "When was the last time we saw each other, eh?"

Her shock brown eyes turned in to a glare. "You're not my friend, Mochou." She hissed discreetly. "And whatever your reasons are to go back in Japan, I advise you to leave now." She spat angrily and added, "You're not welcome here."

"Ooh, when did you became so feisty, Mikan?" he asked. "It makes you look hot."

Mikan wanted to look calm to avoid attention but she really want to punch the smirk off this man's face. "You still disgust me." She was about to walk away when she felt her wrist being grab. "What the—". She stop as she felt his lips neared to her ear and her eyes widen when she heard the words whispered in her ear.

"Does your husband know about us?"

She pushed him and immediately ran away from him without caring if she has already pushed some people. Tears were in the tip of her eyes and her heart was beating fast. Why is he here? Why does he need to come back? Questions filled her mind as she tried to find her way in the comfort room. Flashbacks started to haunt her and so the traitor tears fell from her brown eyes as she pushed the comfort room's door and hid herself from the past that is about to haunt her.

And unknown to her, two pair of eyes were eyeing her from the moment she danced with the strange man until she ran towards the comfort room. A pair of purple eyes eyed the crimson one and when their eyes met, they both knew that tonight they were on the same page. Hotaru's eyes looked away and immediately followed her best friend.

A silent sob was heard inside the comfort room as Hotaru silently entered. "Mikan?" she called the brunette's name but there was no answer. She sighed and shook her head. "Mikan, it's me Hotaru." She said again and slowly peeked towards the cubicles, looking for her best friend. "Mikan!" she called again, staring to be impatient but before she could say anything, her emotionless face turned in to a soft one when she saw her best friend, sitting on the floor, crying her heart out.

"Oh, Mikan." She said with a hint of concern on her voice. She reached for her sobbing best friend and hugged her tight. "Shh," she whispered, trying to comfort her. "I saw everything…" she trailed off.

But before she could continue, a pair of hands hugged her and the brunette continued to sob. "Hotaru…" she cried her name making her best friend feel more worried."I'm scared…I'm scared of what Mochou could do, of what he is actually planning." She said between tears and hiccups.

"Shh." She whispered again and hugged her tighter. "I'm here. Ruka's here. Natsume's here. We're going to protect you, okay?" Her voice was trying to give Mikan the assurance that nothing wrong will happen to her but deep inside her, she's too bothered now that Mochou came back from Japan. "That bastard had done enough pain towards you and I won't let him do it, do you understand?"

And in the crying moment, a familiar voice joined the conversation. "Mikan." He called her name.

Mikan and Hotaru stopped hugging and they both looked up. Hotaru was back on her emotionless face while Mikan's eyes widen and immediately stood up. "Natsume," she said in disbelief. Her tiny hands immediately wiped the tears in her eyes. "What are you doing here?" she asked trying to calm herself.

Natsume didn't answered, instead he eyed Hotaru telling her if she could leave them too and the Ice Queen understood his stares to her. She eyed her best friend and said, "I'll be waiting outside with, Ruka." And she took her leave.

When Hotaru left, tension started to fill the place and an awkward silence enveloped the couple. Natsume was staring intensely to Mikan and she tried to avoid the curious stares that the he is giving her. "What happened?" and his stoic face didn't match his worried voice. "Why are you crying?" he asked again.

"N-nothing…" she stuttered and walked past Natsume. She washed her hands in the sink and said, "There's nothing wrong. It was just a best friend moment." She reasoned out, hoping he will buy it but even if she just met him, knowing Natsume, he will not buy it.

"You're lying." He insisted. He neared himself to Mikan and asked again, "What happened?" his voice sounded like he was demanding answers from the brunette.

She turned around and face Natsume but before she could open her mouth, she stopped as she saw the worried look on his face and she couldn't help but laugh making the raven haired guy looked at her in confusion. "I'm sorry." She said between her laughs. "It's just that…" she calmed herself and continued."It's just that you look worried and that's the second expression I saw ever since you barge in our house."

Natsume looked away and hid the blush in his face, clearing his throat, "I'm not worried." He said stoically. "Stop assuming."

"It's okay to deny." She said proudly then she tried to leave the comfort room but a hand stopped her. She looked at Natsume with annoyed expression and said, "Look Hyuuga, I don't know what kind of trademark this is but stop grabbing my wrist."

He took a step closer to her and said, "I don't know what kind of act this is but I will find everything out." Then he let her hand go and walked away but before he could leave the restroom, he turned around and look at the shock brunette. "And a little reminder, you know I like challenge." He clicked his tongue and went out the restroom leaving a dumbfounded brunette.

xxx

"Have you seen her reaction?" a strawberry-blonde hair said as she had an evil smile plastered on her face. "I should have took a picture of it. It was priceless!" then she started to laugh again.

"There will be more priceless expression to be seen on her gorgeous face," a pink-haired girl bitterly said as she gritted her teeth and tried to control the anger she felt. "I'm just starting, Luna and I will surely end this shit with a bang." And an evil smile also formed on her lips.

"I'm with you girl!" the girl, who was called Luna, agree joyfully.

"Well, I'm not…" a stoic voice said. All evil smiles disappeared and both pink-haired girls turned around. They both looked at her with glares in their eyes but when Anna realized who the woman in front of her is, she nudge Luna and a fake smile formed on her lips.

"Hello, Hotaru!" she said joyfully as she could. "I was trying to look for you since I saw Ruka alone in the party. It was nice seeing you." She tried to give Hotaru a hug but she was pushed away. "Hotaru!" she cutely pouted. "You're still mean."

"Cut that crap, Umenomiya." She angrily spat. "You may trick people with your jolly and cute attitude but not me." Her purple eyes glared intensely to the both girls making Luna shiver in fear. "I don't know what you're planning that you brought Mochou back but I swear to you I will remove the shit out of you if you try to make a move against Mikan and Natsume."

The sweet voice of Ann vanished hearing Hotaru's threat. "Are you threating me oh, great, Ice Queen?" she mockingly said. Her blue eyes glared back at the purple eyes who have been glaring at her with threats behind it.

She smirked, "Oh, you know I don't threat, Anna." Then she walked away. Hotaru have met Anna during Ruka and Natsume's college days and she knew how bitch this pink-haired girl could be and she uses her jolly attitude to plan her evil schemes but if she could trick Mikan, Ruka and everyone else, well Anna couldn't trick her. She might think she's winning but Hotaru's ready to play with whatever Anna's trying to plan.

"What was that about?" Luna asked. "She's one of a heck scary bitch, Anna."

"I know." Her blue eyes followed the Ice Queen as she walked away from them. "But she won't be a problem, I assure you." Anna remembered how Hotaru sabotaged every evil plans she had in the past but this time, she will get even. She promised to herself that once she's back, she will win and not even Imai Hotaru can stop her.

The night went by so fast and the two couples decided to leave once the party was over. Hotaru and Ruka bid their goodbyes and they both said, Ruka has still work tomorrow and Hotaru needs to rest since she needed to finish her invention before the foreign investors will arrive for the debut of the great Hotaru Imai's inventions. While the other so called couple, Mikan and Natsume decided to go home too. They went inside the car without talking to each other and an awkward silence was back again as they went home.

Natsume tried to look Mikan with his peripheral vision and he could see the worried look all over the brunette's face. He saw what happened a while ago. The moment his eyes saw Mikan dancing with another man, he never left a glance to them and then he was shocked to see the different expression that has been seen on Mikan's face when they were both dancing and when she ran away, he knew something is up.

He was about to follow her but she saw Imai's look to him and it was telling him, don't so he stayed and continued dancing with the woman he despise the most but when Mikan and Hotaru haven't come back, he started to be worried and the moment he saw Mikan crying, he couldn't stop wonder, who was that man and what happened.

But knowing how stubborn his wife is, he wouldn't get any answer from her or from Hotaru and so one person can only answer him with the questions running through his mind.

But his deep thoughts were cut off by the brunette's voice. "Stop looking at me." She blankly said as her eyes were busy staring road. "And don't deny, I can feel it."

To ease the tension, Natsume decided to be his old, Natsume. "Wow, polka dots and her supernatural power."

Mikan glared at the man beside him. "Shut up. Don't start with me, Hyuuga."

And with that answer, Natsume knew they are now back with bickering and always fighting husband and wife. "You're the one who's been assuming that my tantalizing eyes were busy looking at you when in fact I'm just driving." He said with a smirk on his face, trying to piss Mikan off.

"Tantalizing?" she scoffed in disgust. "Will you stop proclaiming yourself? You're such a narcissistic." She rolled her eyes. "And I'm obviously not assuming! I'm just stating what I just saw." she said in a as a matter-of-fact tone.

"So if I'm actually staring at you, then you're staring at me too, huh?" he said with a smug smile. He looked at the silent Mikan who was lost with words and he couldn't help but chuckle on the blush that is very visible on the brunette's face.

"I am not looking at you, mister! You're the one who's assuming things between us." She retorted, defending herself and secretly scolding herself for blushing. Stop blushing, you idiot! You're not looking at him and you're making yourself guilty!

"Us?" he mimicked. "So there's us now, polkadots?" one eyebrow raised as he threw her that question.

He heard the brunette hissed under her breath and he couldn't help but let out a throaty laugh. "Don't laugh at me, Hyuuga." she grunted. "Ugh! Will you stop pissing me off?" she exclaimed while glaring at the now smirking raven haired lad beside her. "You think this pissing me whole thing is a joke, eh?" she crossed her hands under her chest and glared more at Natsume. "Well, it's not funny!"

Natsume looked at the road as he entered at the parking lot of the condominium. He ignored the brunette and kept the smirk playing on his gorgeous face. Well, he couldn't deny how he enjoys pissing his lovely wife. He couldn't resist to see the funny expressions Mikan shows whenever Natsume hit a nerve that'll piss her off. And with every glare, with every grunt or yell, it makes him fall in love more with the brunette. He rolled his eyes with the mushy thought he had. You sound so hopelessly in love, Hyuuga, he thought.

"Are you just going sit there? Or are you gonna unlock the doors and go up?" the annoyed brunette said as she started looked impatiently. Well, she had enough bullshit today and she wanted to sleep everything and this spacing out Hyuuga is not making everything easy for her. "Hyuuga!" she exclaimed his name.

Natsume almost startled with the piercing voice of Mikan. He realized he was spacing out and immediately had his always stoic expression and looked at the impatient brunette who was now tapping her fingers annoyingly. "What?" he said.

"Didn't you hear me?!"

"I guess you made sure the whole world heard you, polkadots." He answered earning another glare from his wife. He unlocked the doors, "Stop glaring, it's not scaring me." he mockingly said. He went down the car and was followed by Mikan who was stomping her feet off with anger as she followed Natsume towards the elevator. He silently entered looking emotionless and stared at his hysterical wife who was looking pissed as ever. "And I wonder why I ever married you." he said with a throaty laugh.

"Shut up!" she exclaimed and entered the elevator with him.

The whole ride towards their condominium was silent while Natsume was looking at the sleepy brunette through the corner of his eye. He couldn't help but roll his eyes on how Mikan tries to compose herself even if she's slowly drifting to sleep. A smirk was seen on his face when Mikan loudly yawned and grunted that she was too tired and all she need is a bed and a goodnight rest.

"Baka, sleepyhead." he muttered under his breath.

"I'm too tired to start a fight, Hyuuga so if you don't have anything to do with your life, don't pester me." she said between her consecutive yawns. Her eyes were already half closed then a grunt was heard from her. "Gosh, I'm so tired."

Ding!

"Finally." she was about to stepped outside the elevator and then... "Hyuuga! What the hell!" she shouted as her eyes widen when she felt Natsume carried her in a bridal style. "Let me down!" Mikan exclaimed as she tried to protest so he will put her down.

"Stop moving." was the only response she got.

She did stop moving and looked up at Natsume but she couldn't see his face because of the darkness in the condominium since the lights were turned off. Mikan was feeling awkward since Natsume's carrying her but she decided to stop protesting and just let this man carry her towards the bedroom but then she felt a heat starting in her cheeks as she imagined that the way Natsume's carrying her is like how a husband carry her wife when they are having their honeymoon.

Stop it, Mikan she thought.

Natsume silently opened the bedroom door and carried Mikan towards the bed without uttering a single word. Once Mikan was laid on the bed, she immediately sat up and eyed Natsume. Her brown eyes were lost on Natsume's crimson eyes who were shining brightly through the darkness and she couldn't deny how he was right about having a tantalizing eyes. Mikan was spacing out the whole time but was back on her senses when she heard the door closed without hearing any goodnight from Natsume which was weird for her because ever since they moved from this condominium there was no night were the Hyuuga would forget to greet him a good night.

She shook the thought and convinced herself that it wasn't really a big deal and decided to bathe and clean herself up. After she dressed up, she looked at the mirror and realized she looked bothered. Then her eyes found its way to the door and she couldn't help but have the urge of peeking at Natsume if he was sleeping or not and after having a battle with her inner self, Mikan sighed and walked towards the door. A sigh was heard again before she silently opened the door hoping she wouldn't be heard by Natsume.

Since the thought of being married with a complete stranger hasn't sink in with Mikan, she asked her mom if Natsume could sleep at the living room which Yuka agreed much to Natsume's dismay and so the poor Hyuuga have been spending nights sleeping in the sofa, unfortunately for him. She tiptoed silently towards the living room and stopped when she saw Natsume sleeping silently on the sofa. Her face softened on how angelic Natsume look like when he was sleeping. She walked towards Natsume and sat at the floor eyeing his face, listening to his peaceful inhales and exhales.

Ever since day 1 of their "marriage" all Mikan and Natsume do is fight and fight. No one has waved the white flag yet since Mikan still has the hatred for the conceited emotionless Hyuuga but now, seeing him sleeping so peacefully, Mikan couldn't remember why she hated this man so much. She couldn't imagine that once this man wakes up, he will be back to his emotionless cold-hearted attitude again. Her hand slowly raised and touched Natsume's face and she couldn't help but smile. His skin feels soft, she thought with a goofy smile playing on her lips. She continued caressing Hyuuga's face with a smile on her face...

"Is my wife falling in love with me already?"

And the whole moment was ruined. Mikan froze. She blushed. And she wish the earth would eat her alive right now. And when there was no respond from the brunette, Natsume said. "I didn't you know you had a thing with caressing an innocent man's face while he was sleeping so peacefully."

She immediately removed her hand, hid her blushing and embarrass face with her brunette hair and stood up, saving herself from further embarrassment. "I-I..." she stuttered. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself down. "There was an insect crawling in your...uh, face..." she trailed off. "Yeah, I just removed it." she couldn't help but scold herself silently for having such a lame reason.

"I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight." she hurriedly walked away but stopped when Natsume called her name. "What?" she coldly said.

Natsume stood up and neared himself to Mikan who was facing her back to him. "Are you okay?" he asked.

With that question, Mikan felt a thug in her heart. Is she okay? Is she really okay? Tears started to build in her eyes, ready to fall anytime. "No." she unconsciously whispered. No, she's not okay. She's not okay with everything happening so fast. She was at the peak of her life where she would graduate and be the Mikan Sakura everyone expected and then she will make her life happy. She was so excited to build her dreams and get herself back but no, Natsume arrived and claimed to be her husband. She found the marriage everyone hid from her even from before. Now, she's trying to live with the life she never imagined that she will spend every day of her life with a complete stranger she doesn't love. Worst, Mochou is back. Her dreadful nightmare is back and with everything that is happening, she knew she's not okay.

And when she felt a pair of hands, hugged her from behind, she started crying. When everything happened, she has been convincing herself that she will be okay and she can handle everything but now she knew she was just lying to herself. She's not strong. She can't handle everything and she couldn't handle more. Then Natsume grabbed her shoulder, made her face him and hugged her tight and she continued crying and sobbing to his chest.

She knew this was wrong. Crying to a stranger, showing how weak she is to a stranger, is not what she usually do but she needs this. She needs someone to hug her and hear her cry because she couldn't keep everything already so this time, even though it feels weird, at this moment everything seems to feel right for her.

But Mikan broke the hug and wipe her tears. "I'm sorry..." she whispered. She step away from Natsume and said, "I should sleep now..." then turned around but before she could enter the room, she stopped in her tracks and said."Do...do you want sleep beside me?" she asked.

Natsume paused when he heard what the brunette just asked him but then a small smile immediately formed on his lips. He didn't answer. He just took Mikan's hand and both silently entered the bedroom. They did sleep together, the kind of sleep where they felt real peace and security. No, there was no sex but deep inside them they knew both of them are now waving the white flag.

And tonight Mikan has finally said, hello, stranger.

I know it's not something great but hope you like it! I hope you could still drop a review xx