Hi guys!

I'm back! Hihi. I was happy since you guys reviewed! And I'm sorry for not replying. But…most of them were just about how you liked the humor of the previous chapter so I was really happy since I thought I was such a lame humored person. Hahaha.

And some even asked for a fast review so here it is! ^^

Seriously, thank you guys! 3 So as a reward,

Dozo~

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

The Kiss of Misunderstanding

"Oh, you're awake now," a familiar voice made its way to Ruka's groggy consciousness. "That's good, that's good," it muttered more to itself.

Ruka's hand flew to his head which was now throbbing painfully. Where is he?

"Lie down," the voice bubbled again. "Lie down, young man. Rest first before taking off."

Complying, Ruka swept his gaze around the place, trying to identify where he currently is – white tiles, white ceiling, blue curtains and over there is the photo of Misaki.

Oh, Ruka thought, finally understanding where he's deposited. I'm in Dr. Harada's clinic. Wait, but what happened? Why am I here?

"Here," the old man thrust a steaming cup in Ruka's hand as he helped him sit up. "How are you feeling, Ruka?" he asked while smiling that warm smile of his.

The last time he saw the old man was months ago, when he was looking for a disinfectant for one of his pet's wounds. The old man doesn't seem to age at all. He still has that same long gray hair tied in a pony tail and those eyes that never seem to open. Well, actually, Ruka never saw the doctor's smile leave his face either.

Ruka sipped before answering. "My head hurts a bit," his voice cracked. "But I'm fine."

Smile. Silence.

But then, there's also that permanent awkwardness around him. Ruka sighed inwardly. Although Misaki's father seems so cordial and all – and he is, okay? – one always finds nothing to talk about with him. He just smiles at you as if that would instantly cure whatever pain you're feeling.

Well, sometimes it does but more often than not it just drives you in a terrible awkwardness.

"That's alright, that's alright," Dr. Harada said. "At least you look better than yesterday."

Yesterday? Ruka blinked. What happened yesterday?

Panic bubbled inside him. He can't remember anything from yesterday! Wait, he can. But just two words – mosquito and gay. What does that even mean?

"Uh," the blond lad started. "What happened yesterday?"

The older man just stared at him, but eventually answered. "You don't remember?"

Ruka shook his blond mane.

"Well, that young lass – Yukihira-san, was it? – dragged you here, saying something like you've been traumatized by what the young prince did. Well, honestly she was muttering a lot of obscenities against the lad but she made it clear that you were unwell," the doctor answered. "And indeed you were. You looked like a rotten vegetable, lad!"

Ruka frowned. 'I looked like a rotten vegetable? Ungh, I can't remember anything!' What could have happened to him that would render him as a useless cabbage?

"That princess," Dr. Harada started again. "She's quite bubbly, isn't she? Reminds me of Kaoru when she was your age." He chuckled.

Ruka choked. What? Mikan as the empress – that deceitful, malevolent and evil-plan hatching empress! Poor Ruka felt like he swallowed poison. Oh god, he's dizzy.

How could Mikan-chan morph into Aunt within the next ten years? Ungh, I feel sick.

"U-uh," Ruka muttered, the sides of his mouth twitching.

Dr. Harada's eyebrows shot up. "Oh my, are you okay?"

"F-fine," the young boy answered. "I'm fine." He stood up, ready to leave. "Uncle, do you know where the others are?"

"Wouldn't they be at school?" he asked. "Ah, but it seems like the PRESS are ambushing the young prince today so maybe they're inside the Parlor?"

"Right, thanks!" the animal-lover muttered as he dashed out of the clinic, refusing to jam more insanity into his brain every second he stays inside that room.

…Mosquito...gay…

What could have rendered him traumatized that has something to do with a mosquito and a gay? He tried to think.

A mosquito that bit a gay? But mosquitoes bite anyone!

A gay that bit a mosquito? That's traumatizing except that mosquitoes are difficult to catch – let alone bite. Ruka shuddered at the thought.

What about a gay mosquito? Now that's revolting! But no – he's against animal discrimination okay? He wouldn't be traumatized by a friend that's simply different from the others.

Then what? Something tells him that he'd know the instant he opens the double grand doors in front of him.

Ruka stuck his left ear on the surface of the mahogany doors, checking if there're people inside.

There were. In fact, he could hear snippets of their conversation.

"…still couldn't believe..."

"Me either,"

What were they talking about?

Ruka tried to hear more.

"…Natsume's gay!"

Ruka froze, clutching the handle of the door, unconsciously opening it so that when it swung open, Ruka crashed limply on the floor – feeling like, as how Dr. Harada had put it, a rotten vegetable.

"Ruka?"

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

Natsume was in his room.

Wait no, Natsume was in his room, sulking.

He couldn't believe that people weren't still over that big misunderstanding that he was a gay. He's not, okay? And who listened to him? No one - exactly why he's now in his room, refusing to meet anyone.

Why would he? They'd just annoyingly express their utter disbelief of the sizzling news. Disbelief, Natsume repeated the word. Ironic word to use since as far as he can tell, they do believe in the stupid felony.

He stood up from where he lied, and then raked his hand over his coal tresses.

Seriously, he was the person mainly involved, was he not? Yes? Yes. Now why won't anyone take his opinion? Why?

Simple, his brain automatically answered. Because no one in this palace is in their right minds. So, duh, no one thinks naturally. Besides, they were all smitten by that sweet little princess.

Natsume grunted at the mention of the brunette.

Mikan. The source of his misery. The source of this stupid nonsense which is driving him mad. The reason why everyone's questioning his sexuality – which is as straight as that beeping line when you're dead.

But that girl – that brunette claims otherwise.

He's gay, she said. He's in love with his best friend, she said.

And they believed her. Over him.

Great. Now Natsume wants to bang his head against a wall again. But he can't. He has to clear this misunderstanding once and for all – for the love of everything good and sane.

But how?

Imai is an evil witch. She wouldn't bat an eyelash for her male raven-haired cousin, especially if the ruckus that news is making involves the PRESS which is the main source of her green papers.

Mikan. Well, Mikan's convinced that he belongs to the tertiary gender. She's of no use.

Ruka. Ruka's the only person who could help him clear this huge stupidity, except that he's still in the middle of his own unconsciousness and royal vegebility. If there's even such a word.

Which brings the young prince back to square one.

Natsume sighed. He's hopeless.

Let's face it – he has to live the rest of his life being called a homosexual, being avoided by the male population and oh! Being disowned by his father. Great. Just great.

Not.

"Stupid gay prince," he heard. Natsume's head perked up at the voice coming from outside his window.

He cracked a grin, an idea popping out of his mind.

Maybe there's a way out of this mess, after all – one that doesn't involve his Royal Vegetables.

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

Misaki entered the room, grumbling. Obviously, her morning didn't start as well as she had expected thanks to the army of journalists outside the Palace, waiting for some Royal rumors to devour. Thanks to that as well, she couldn't go out of the stupid Palace – to think that she has a report to deliver today!

She sighed. Great, now she's stuck inside the bricked structure.

"Give it up, Misaki," Tsubasa was saying as he sipped his damn tea. "You can't get out of this building. At least, not if you wish to be attacked by that terrible horde of reporters."

Misaki threw up her hands in exasperation. "Easy for you to say, Tsubasa. You don't have a report to deliver in front of Jinno-sensei. You know how dreadful that frog man is,"

The latter just shrugged.

"Where's aunt anyway? Isn't she supposed to be handling these things, or something?"

"No…well, that," Tsubasa grinned. "Aunt's deteriorated, refuses to talk to anyone. So, yeah," he scratched his nape.

The strawberry haired lass just rolled her eyes.

"I still couldn't believe it," Aoi muttered from her seat, clutching a cookie.

Youichi looked up from his game console. "Me either," he muttered.

"Well, who could anyway?" Misaki sighed. "Who would believe that that brat – Natsume's gay?"

Thud. Everyone looked up as Ruka stumbled – well, more like crashed onto the floor in the most unmoving manner. It's as if a statue was left leaning on the door then when it swung open, the statue readily welcomed the floor to its embrace.

Ungh, nasty sight.

Anyway, they helped the poor lad to the couch, offered him some tea which fortunately restored his humanity back to his self.

"Uh," he muttered. "What do you mean Natsume's gay?" he asked, receiving four pairs of raised eyebrows and one Hotaru who couldn't care less.

"W-what,"

"Oi, oi," Tsubasa laughed. "Don't tell me you don't remember? Well, of course it's traumatizing but something like that – it's not something I could ever forget if it happened to me,"

Youichi smirked. "Tsubasa-nii, I know that you and Misaki-nee are rarely into those lovey-dovey stuff but I would never have imagined that you were so desperate as to imagine yourself being molested by men,"

Misaki reddened then smacked the silver-haired lad. "How rude!"

"A-anyway," Aoi decided to interfere seeing as how a catfight's about to erupt between the three. She sighed. Seriously, this household's hopeless. "Ruka-nii, don't you remember?"

Ruka shook his head for the nth time.

"Well, don't be shocked, okay?" Tsubasa interjected. "This is going to be the most shocking revelation in your life,"

"Ever," Youichi supplied, earning a glare from Misaki.

Ruka nodded eagerly.

Tsubasa inhaled dramatically. Everyone waited, anticipating. "I am your father,"

Thwack!

"Stupid!" Misaki muttered as she brandished her huge paper fan. "Sigh, what this idiot here is trying to say Ruka, is that…y-you…were…uh," she reddened even before actually saying the words. Her eyes twitching, she faced Hotaru instead, seeming to be the best choice there is to reveal what happened yesterday. "Hotaru, why don't you tell Ruka instead?"

Ruka looked expectantly at the raven-haired girl who looked at him icily. He shivered, more like she was looking at him evilly.

"Come on, sis," Tsubasa grinned. "Say it,"

Hotaru stood up from where she was formerly occupied with her work then sighed. They were seriously annoying her.

"Well?" Ruka urged on. All this beating around the bush's gnawing on his long thread of patience.

Hotaru scowled. "I'm going to say this only once so you better listen carefully," she said. "You were molested by Natsume who as it turned out is a gay,"

Silence.

More silence.

More and more silence.

Everyone looked at Ruka who didn't move. Or rather, who can't move.

Wait, he isn't breathing!

Youichi thwacked Ruka's back. Still nothing.

"Ruka-nii, breathe!" Aoi muttered nervously, shaking her older cousin.

Oh god, he's turning blue.

"Ruka!" Misaki shrieked.

He's now purple!

"Listen here, Ruka," Tsubasa said, his eye twitching. "Breathe now or I'll have no choice but to perform CPR on you. Yes, that means kissing you, so breathe, animal boy!"

Ruka gasped, filling his lungs with air once more. "Natsume's gay?" he choked out.

The other four were about to nod when Hotaru continued. Who would have thought that she wasn't done with her little dialogue yet?

"Or so they say," Hotaru sighed.

"What do you mean, 'Or so they say?' sis?" Tsubasa asked, suddenly confused. "Wasn't the photo from you?"

"What photo?" Ruka asked.

"This photo," Hotaru handed him.

Ruka raised his eyebrow. "Oh, this,"

"What do you mean 'Oh, this,' Ruka?" Misaki asked. "Wasn't it supposed to be, 'Ohmyeffingawd, I never thought he was acting gay to me during this time!' or something?"

Ruka stifled a laugh, yesterday's happenings coming back to him fully now. "Uh, no,"

"Sigh," Hotaru muttered. "I never thought that you'd really fall into that dummy's stupid misconception but then again, maybe I gave you people too much credit. Sometimes I really need to wake up to reality and realize that my family has the brain size of an ant."

"Okay, okay!" Youichi said. "Would you please stop insulting us and get this over with? Is Natsume-nii really gay or not?"

Hotaru looked at him as if he asked if the Moon is green.

"Ask that human vegetable," she pointed and went back to work.

All heads turned to Ruka.

"He's not," he answered.

"But then, how come we saw him on t-top…of…y-you…yesterday?" Aoi asked, stuttering, her words only more than whispers and her face beet red like a fat tomato.

Ruka cocked his head. "He killed a mosquito,"

He killed a mosquito, he said! Ha! What is that even supposed to mean? It's like saying, 'The sky is blue' then all your problems would have had gone abra-cadabra-goodbye! If only.

"So, killing a mosquito," Youichi drawled on. "Cures you from gayness? Wow, it's like…the next big thing aside from discovering the cure for cancer!"

Misaki frowned. Welcome to another crazy day of her life. Seriously, when you think of the Royal Family, you'd think of refined people. Yes? Yes. That's what she thought too! You know, when she was still innocent and haven't met these crazy people. She thought that Tsubasa was some valiant prince! Ha! How wrong she was.

Look at him now. Okay, so maybe he's handsome. Scratch that – maybe he's drop dead gorgeous but that attribute didn't pay off for the rest of him okay? He's some weird goofy stupid prince.

"Great, great," Tsubasa rubbed his palms. "So tell me more about this greatness of your animals. Say, does killing a bee cure you from stupidity?"

Ruka frowned. Is it just him or this conversation's getting ahead of him? Are they talking about murdering his beloved animals?

Misaki thwacked her fiancé once again with her humongous fan. "You know Tsubasa, if it were so, I would have brought you a whole beehive to kill."

"Hey! What does that mean?"

Hotaru, meanwhile, silently shook her head at the hopeless sight before her. If it were so, she would have bought a whole bee farm for her relatives to murder – or be murdered. Either they kill the bees or they kill them. Either way is fine right?

She sighed. If only.

"Would you please stop murdering these poor animals in your minds?" Ruka sighed.

Everyone stopped, thankfully.

"He killed a mosquito, okay?"

"So?"

"You know, you saying 'He killed a mosquito, okay?' in the most innocent voice as if it's the most sensible thing in the world isn't exactly the most sensible thing in the world, okay?" Tsubasa said.

"That didn't make any sense either,"

"I know!"

Ruka sighed once again. "He killed an animal. You know what happens to me when I see someone kill an animal," he persisted.

Silence

"You don't mean that, do you?" Tsubasa asked, eyes now beginning to twitch thanks to his not so wonderful experience.

"W-what do you mean that, Tsubasa-nii?" Aoi asked.

Misaki breathed. "Once, I accidentally killed a spider,"

"Accidentally,"

"Okay, okay. I killed a spider." Misaki explained. "And Ruka saw me. He began to change into this violent person whose main goal in life is to defend animals. It wouldn't have been so bad if he just doesn't try to strangle you,"

"Or kiss you," Tsubasa had his head in his hands.

Everyone stared at him.

"You know, when I put that cockroach in Natsume's soup?" He explained further. "Ruka was so annoyed. He tried to strangle me but I stopped him so instead he gave me the biggest scar of my life which was kissing me!"

Misaki eyed him.

"It was my first kiss!"

Misaki twitched. "We'll talk later, you jerk. Anyway, Hotaru, you knew, didn't you?"

Hotaru just stared at her brother's fiancée. "Yeah. I had fun watching you." She smirked.

And everyone wrote a mental note not to irritate the black-haired girl.

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

"I'm not gay," Natsume said again.

"'I'm not gay,'" Mikan copied accurately. "How many times do you plan on repeating that, Natsume? Sheesh! I heard you the first time okay?"

Natsume grunted. "Maybe I wouldn't have to repeat it if you'll just believe me."

"And maybe I'll believe you if you weren't just on top of Ruka almost naked!"

Natsume glared at her.

"Cat got your tongue? I was right, wasn't I?" Mikan stuck out her tongue. "You know Natsume, I'm not as stupid as you think,"

"Really," Natsume muttered, dripping with sarcasm.

"I heard that!" Mikan said. "Anyone would notice you're in love with your best friend! You eat with him. You hang out with him. You study with him. You do everything with him! Goodness knows, maybe you even sleep with him!"

Natsume eye twitched. He was about to retort that she was the one who slept with him for two nights now when he thought better of it. "Say, Polka," he smirked. "Are you jealous?"

Mikan reddened. "I'm so not!"

"Really,"

"Really! Sheesh!"

"Then you won't mind if I kiss Ruka in front of you?"

"…"

"You won't right? Because you're not jealous?" He smirked slyly.

Mikan screeched in frustration. "You're so gay!"

"Tch. And you're so jealous,"

"I'm not!"

"So I'm gay?"

"That's right! You're the gay-est man alive!"

"So you won't mind if I kiss you right now?"

"…" Mikan staggered back, redder if possible.

"Well?"

"Stay away from me!"

But Natsume only neared her and successfully pinned her against the Sakura Tree. "I'll give you two options, Polka. Either you admit I'm not gay or I kiss you because I'm gay – according to you,"

"…" Mikan wants to scream her head off right now. ARRRGHHHH!

"Hurry, I'm waiting," he said as he closed the gap between them. "Or do you really want me to kiss you that badly?" He whispered sexily, nearing and nearing his lips to hers.

Mikan closed her eyes shut, waiting for his soft lips to crush hers. "S-shut up,"

Wait, that was so wrong! Scratch that. She wasn't waiting for his lips! No way! Has she gone crazy? Why would she wait for him to kiss her? Oh god, she really must be insane. Wait a minute, why is her heart beating so loudly? Is she nervous? Yep, she must be nervous. But why? Why…well…that's because he's taunting her right now right? Because she's scared?

She could feel his lips now, nanometers away from hers. Closer, she involuntarily thought.

But the more rational side of her screamed, ARGHH!

Then she pushed him.

"Fine," she panted. She didn't even realize that she wasn't breathing! "Y-you're not gay,"

Natsume smirked. "Took you long enough," he muttered then snatched her wrist and dragged her.

"W-what are you doing? Where are you taking me?" Mikan tried to struggle – to no avail.

But Natsume just smirked at her.

Part B of Anti-gay Plan, commence, he thought.

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

"Natsume-sama, is that your fiancé?" a reporter asked.

"Why did you pick her? Did you fall in love with her at first sight?"

"Natsume-sama, please answer us!"

"More importantly, we saw the news in your school paper! Is it true that you're gay?"

"That's right! It was an interview from Yukihira-sama. Is that true?"

"Is your relationship not going well?"

And a lot more annoying questions rang inside Mikan's head. Natsume started dragging her with him to who-knows-where and the next thing the brunette knew was that they were in front of a sea of scary reporters, cameras and notepads! As if that wasn't scary enough, he dragged both of them to where these scary people could easily grab them.

So the question is: Is Natsume in his right mind?

Somehow, Mikan isn't that sure. But who was she to say that right? Minutes ago, she found herself wanting him to kiss her so badly. Both of them must be sick. That must be it, right?

Right?

"You're crazy," Mikan muttered to Natsume, not knowing how to face the group of people in front of them.

"Not as crazy as you," he replied.

"Ha! I'm not the one who went outside the Palace gates to be eaten by the PRESS!"

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Who said they're going to eat me?"

"Well, they are if you don't tame them soon!"

He smirked that annoying smirk of his. "Exactly,"

Mikan just frowned at him which deepened more as he draped his arm over her shoulders, bringing her closer to him.

"That's right," Natsume started, silencing everyone in front of him. He looks so gorgeous. Oh crap, Mikan thought. This is being taped right now! How the freakin' hell does she look? She hoped she doesn't look like a dirty rag next to this stupid prince.

"This lovely lady," Natsume was saying. Mikan blushed to no end which luckily looked lovely in front of the curious reporters. "here is my fiancé, Mikan Sakura-Yukihira and yes, I fell in love with her the first time I saw her."

Honestly, right now, Mikan wants to smack some sense into this stupid raven-haired lad's skull. What the hell was he saying? In love? Sure, if it involves grilling each other then maybe they're crazily in love with each other!

"And about the rumour about me being gay," he breathed. "It was a misunderstanding." He smirked.

"Could you please show us any proof of that statement, Natsume-sama?"

Mikan thought she saw Natsume's brow twitch. She looked at him worriedly.

"That's right! Like, maybe a kiss?"

Mikan's eyes nearly left their holes. K-kiss? These people must be crazy!

Oh god, she was sure she looks so red now. Natsume won't kiss her right? She knows he's crazy – but is he crazy enough to kiss her in public?

Now way, Mikan thought. She looked up at him for reassurance.

Then he kissed her.

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

Yes, well. It's long. Haha.

Look, I don't know how I did for this chapter – I really don't. Um, it's long…I know that. But please REVIEW and tell me if you liked it or hated it, yeah?

Please? Thank you!