Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice

Chapter 12

The office was quiet as usual. Natsume scanned his eyes on the document he was holding. After a moment he would sign the papers. With one final review of each of the documents on the table Natsume called in his secretary to collect the papers. When the doors closed, Natsume withdrew a tired breath and massaged his temples. It was an exhausting day. He leaned back on his black leather chair turned to look at the panoramic city view behind him.

Then his mind drifted of to Mikan Sakura. He smiled to himself. He couldn't wait to see her again.

It was still raining. He closed his eyes for a while. Then Natsume started to think about last night. Mikan's smile, the touch of her skin and that kiss. He opened his eyes. There was a soft ring from his cell phone. Natsume quickly sat up and turned around to his table.

Mikan Sakura calling…

Natsume hastily grabbed his phone and answered the call. "Mikan, you called." He found his smile spread wider when he said her name. He felt out of character a second after he realized his action.

"I'm sorry Natsume. Did I disturb you?" Mikan asked from the other line sounding worried and unsure. Shaking his head Natsume answered back. "No, you didn't I just finished doing paperworks" he heard Mikan hum an answer.

Mindlessly taking his pen, Natsume started to tap the table and continued. "Did you call about later?" he asked her.

"Honestly, I'm excited for it" Came Mikan's shy reply then a short pause before she continued. "But, will it be okay if I cancel it?" Natsume stopped tapping the table. He frowned. "Why?"

There was static and Natsume didn't hear her clearly. "What was that again?" he asked rather roughly. He heard Mikan sigh, "I'm planning to fetch Youichi from school"

Oh. Right. Youichi. He thought to himself. Pushing his disappointment aside Natsume thought of another way to still spend time with her. "May be I could come with you in fetching Youichi from school? I haven't seen him in a while" he suggested rather hopeful.

There was another pause. "Maybe next time, I think it would be better if I fetch him alone," Natsume leaned back on his chair, defeated. "Thank you though. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you" Natsume just nodded his head forgetting she was in the room. So much for seeing her today.

…

Natsume's chauffeur drove the car down the street rain drenched street. At the back of the car, Natsume rested his chin on his palm while looking out the car window, not mind anything as he lazily watched the strong pitter patter of the rain on the glass.

Then in a sudden moment, Natsume caught a glimpse of a sliver colored blur on the side walk. Natsume furrowed his brows. When the car stopped at a red light, Natsume took the advantage to look back.

There was a boy walking under the rain, alone. Focusing his eyes, the image of the boy registered in his mind. Quickly, Natsume got out of the car and ran towards the boy under the rain. "Mr. Hyuuga! –" his chauffeur called out.

Natsume pushed past the crowds of people blocking the side walk. There five steps away was Mikan Sakura's son, Youichi Sakura. Once Natsume got close enough to the young boy, he grabbed his shoulder and the boy looked back surprised.

"Wha—" Youichi started but when he saw Natsume behind him, he swallowed what ever he was gonna say and just stared at him with wide eyes.

"Mr. Hyuuga, what are you doing here?" Youichi asked trying to hide his surprise. Natsume asked him back too. "I thought you were supposed to be with Mikan?" Youichilooked away and didn't answer him back. The rain poured harder and Natsume invited Youichi back to the car.

When the car started to drive, "I thought Mikan was gonna pick you up?" Natsume asked as he and Youichi both settled on back sit of the car.

Shrugging his shoulders, Youichi looked outside the window to his left. Natsume stared at the boy. "Did you have an argument with her?" Natsume questioned further although he already knew the answer.

Sighing, Youichi turned to Natsume "I called mom on her cell phone, 15 times, and she didn't answer. Not once!" he pouted and crossed his arms. "She was just supposed to attend a dinner for grandpa" he added lowly. "She went home late last night too" he grumbled as he looked down on his shoes.

Natsume smirked. This kid really loves his mother, to the point of acting like an overly protective parent. He leaned back on his seat as he waited for Youichi's further exclamation, which came pretty quickly when he noticed that Natsume wasn't saying anything "I got worried! Okay? Mom doesn't usually do that!"

Then Natsume laughed. The chauffeur was surprised and glanced up at the rear view mirror. The usual stoic, emotionless and indifferent Natsume Hyuuga of the Hyuuga Empire, a person who usually gives him a word or two of where to go and what to do, was laughing at the back seat of the car he was driving. He tried hard to focus back on the road as he tried to process what was happening at the back seat.

Youichi seemed to take Natsume's laughed the wrong way. So he gave him a pissed looked and turned his back on him. After a while, Natsume stopped laughing and patted Youichi's shoulder. "I'm sorry for that," He started trying to swallow the remaining laughter. Youichi still ignored him.

Faking a cough, Natsume regained his composure and tried to maintain a straight face. "Youichi, didn't your mom tell you who she was with last night?" The shook his head but didn't look back at him. "Do you want to know who your mom was with last night?"

With that question lingering in the air, Youichi slowly turned to look at Natsume. "Yes, so I could skin that person alive" he mumbled under his breath.

Natsume smirked. "You'd really skin that person alive?" he challenged as he watched the kid look at him questioningly. Youichi dropped his arms as he asked Natsume "Who was my mom with last night?"

Still with that smirk on his face Natsume asked "Would you still skin that person alive if I tell you…" He looked at Youichi "That your mother was with was me?"

After a beat, Youichi's eyes widened. Natsume watched Youichi as he continued. "I asked your mother, Mikan, on a date last night" Natsume noticed Youichi brighten up. "That's the reason why she didn't answer your calls and why she was late last night"

Then, a clear smile appeared on Youichi's face.

…

Mikan looked distressed and panic-stricken as she paced the streets of the city, frantically scanning the side walk for a sign of a sliver haired boy. To her utter worry and disappointment Youichi wasn't anywhere. After work, Mikan hurriedly rode a bus to Youichi's school only to find locked doors and a deserted school entrance.

Close to tears, Mikan shakily opened her bag to find her phone ringing. Taking a deep breath, Mikan answered the phone call. With her hands still shaking and heart still pounding, she couldn't stop her voice from shaking "H-h-hello?"

Quickly, there was an answer on the other line "Mikan? Mikan are you okay?" It was Natsume. Taking a deep breath, Mikan tried to sound okay "I-I'm f-fine" taking another deep breath, Mikan broke down and her sobs came after as she thought about Youichi. "Mikan? What happened? Why are you crying?"

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Mikan sobbed as she told Natsume what happened. "A-and now I-I can't f-find him a-anywhere" she sobbed again "Oh my g-gosh Na-Natsume w-where c-could Y-You-chan be?" she was so worried about Youichi. She could feel her heart giving out from worry and panic.

After telling Natsume where she was, he had quickly arrived to come and pick her up. When he saw Mikan leaning on a brick wall; drenched, cold and sobbing, he quickly ran to her side. When Mikan saw him, she immediately wrapped her arms around him as she cried harder. "I-I lost Youichi, I-I lost my s-son, Natsume" she cried on his chest.

Hugging Mikan back, Natsume tried to calm her down. People passing by the streets were looking at them and some even stopped to watch what was happening. As he secured his coat around Mikan and led her back to his car, Natsume heard some people comment back.

"Oh my goodness what happened to that poor woman?"

"Why is that woman making a commotion?"

"The poor woman just lost her son"

"OMG! I think that guy is Natsume Hyuuga!"

Inside the car, Natsume hugged Mikan tighter as he calmed her down. Mikan gripped his shirt tightly as she tried to subdue her emotions. Natsume pulled Mikan's head to rest on his shoulder as he comfortingly caressed her hair.

After a while, the car stopped and Natsume carried Mikan out of the car and into a building. Mikan didn't bother looking up and just rested her head on Natsume's shoulder as he carried her. Once they got out of an elevator, Natsume went straight to settle her down on a couch in front of a lit fireplace.

Natsume gave Mikan a kiss on the forehead as he sat beside her, his arm still holding her close. Weakly, Mikan looked up at him her hand still holding his shirt. "Wh-what about Youichi?" she asked him her eyes starting to water. Holding her hand, Natsume hushed her as he started to caress her hair again.

"Youichi's fine. He's fine Mikan. You don't have to worry" Natsume was whispering softly to Mikan's ear as he felt her relax and in a minute Mikan felt her eyes close slowly as she took in Natsume's assuring words and comforting touch.

…

A musky warm scent entered Mikan's senses as she groggily rubbed her eyes. When her eyes focused, Mikan noticed she was in an unfamiliar dimly-lit bed room. Slowly, she sat up from the bed and she was welcomed by the panoramic night view of the city behind huge glass windows. Caressing the covers and examining the room with a quick and careful eye, Mikan concluded that she was in a luxury bedroom.

Pushing the covers aside, Mikan swung her legs to the side of the bed. Barefooted, Mikan walked on the carpeted floors towards the slightly opened door. Carefully, she opened the door wider and looked outside. It was a corridor.

Taking a step outside the room, Mikan followed the faint sound of voices and television. Every step she took, she grew anxious. Where was she? And who owns this place? Were questions that crossed her mind as she took a step near the voices.

Mikan felt a chill run up her spine, then that's when she realized that she was wearing a white over sized shirt that fell 3 inches above her knees. Instinctively, Mikan wrapped her arms around her body protectively as she continued to follow the voices.

Then she heard it. Youichi's voice as he asked a question about math. Quickly, Mikan paced and stopped as she arrived at the living room. The 42 inch television on the wall was on a sports channel but no one was sitting on the couches. Mikan's eyes scanned the penthouse, noting how huge and airy the space was and how each and every furniture were designer and expensive. Mikan then mentally corrected her previous conclusion; the bed room wasn't the only luxury room but the whole property. She was in a luxury penthouse.

Looking around, Mikan followed Youichi's voice and when she was making a beeline for the dining room, she saw Natsume in the room dressed in nylon pants and plain white t-shirt, much similar to hers, standing by the table looking over and pointing something with a mug in his hand.

As if feeling the weight of her stare, Natsume looked up. Crimson and brown met. Natsume's unfinished explanation hung in the air as he stared back at Mikan looking awestruck.

Curious, Youichi looked up at Natsume and noticed how distracted he is. Turning to look at the reason for the distraction, Youichi's eyes lit up and he jumped out of the chair and ran to Mikan. "Mom! You're awake!" he welcomed her with a hug and the latter hugged him back, breaking the trance she was in.

Natsume blinked three times and sighed; he took a swig from his coffee and gave a fake cough. When he felt clear of the abstraction he was in, he too approached the brunette leaving a 3 feet distance from her.

Youichi let go of Mikan and looked up at both of the adult he was with. "Mom! Daddy Natsume was helping me with homework a while ago. Now he's just double checking my answers" he reported happily as he held Mikan's hand.

Mikan was surprised at how Youichi labeled Natusme as 'Daddy'. She felt her self blush for that and a flash of a possible future played in her mind. Pushing that aside she'll have to apologize to him for that later, she mentally noted.

Kneeling down, Mikan smiled up at Youichi and gave him a kiss on the forehead. She looked at him straight in the eyes, "Don't ever make me worry so much okay?" Mikan asked Youichi as she held both his hands. "I promise not to keep secrets from you, if you promise not to ignore to tell me where you always are. Promise?" Giving Mikan's hand a reassuring squeeze, Youichi nodded his head with a smile and hugged Mikan. "I promise, Mom"

Hugging Youichi back, Mikan smiled and kissed the side of his head. "I love you". She looked up at Natsume with a smile and mouthed a 'thank you'.

In return, Natsume just gave a nod. With a thought running in his mind, how would it feel if he heard Mikan say those three simple words to him?

Lady Monroe: Hello my darlings! Thank You so much for your reviews, it really makes me smile reading them, especially when you let me know how much you like/love this story. You guys really inspire me to do better and better. Thank you so much! :D

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