"Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction."

- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Takes place after Chapter 180, when Mikan and Natsume are older and stuff. ^^

They hadn't planned on taking this walk, but that didn't stop them from taking it anyways.

They'd bumped into one another on a street corner while holding the other's Alice stone in their hands. His eyes had widened. She'd blushed. He took her hand. She took his.

And so they walked.

With her free hand, she twirled her loose hair. He glanced at her.

"It took you this long to listen to me?" He finally snorted, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. She groaned. "That's the first thing you say? Seriously?" He lifted their grasped hands up to his lips and kissed the top of hers. "I apologize, Princess Polka-Dots," he snickered, feeling particularly mischievous today.

She groaned again. "The least you could do is complement me, doofus," she huffed, her cheeks puffing out as if she were a chipmunk. He flicked her forehead. "Knockit off. You're much prettier without doing that pouting. Better?" she gazed forward. "It's clear that I'm not getting any better out of you at the moment, so yes." A million thoughts swirled in her head, thoughts she'd saved for so long for somebody, but until now she'd had no idea whom.

"So, what would you name your kids?" she asked, oblivious of the sensitive nature of the question, cocking her head to look at him. He raised an eyebrow. "…Polka-dots, Strawberry Fields, and 'That Pervert'." She puffed her cheeks out again. "Well, my kids are going to be named after happy things. Joy, Hope, and Destiny." He grinned slightly. "Nah, we need middle ground. Our kids can't sound like wusses. How about… Natsume-the-Wonderful-" Mikan purposefully stomped on his foot. "Like I'm naming him that! How about.. Fate?" Natsume huffed. "That sounds bad AND cool at the same time."

He spaced out, staring at a cherry blossom tree. "Yeah, okay, Fate. And one can be Joy, like you said. But who's the other kid going to be?" She bit her lip. "We'll name him spontaneously. Whatever pops into mind that day."

They walked in silence for awhile, smiling. "What kind of house will you have?" she continued. "Not too big, not too small. Brick. Lots of fire alarms. Only thing I'm allowing is a Tatami room." Mikan huffed. "That sounds fine, I guess. But there needs to be citrus trees in the yard, sprinklers for the kids, and a balcony overlooking the backyard." Natsume's eyes sparkled. "Is the way up to the balcony climbable? We could re-re-enact Rapunzel." Mikan smiled a bit and raised an eyebrow.

"We'll see. What about jobs?" "Fireman." Natsume snapped, attempting to keep a straight face but breaking out laughing alongside Mikan. He stopped and sat on a park bench, holding up her hand again and playing with her fingers. "I dunno. Didn't really plan on working. He kissed her ring finger gently, blushing slightly at the breathless look on her face. "I'll read that story to my kids, for sure. Would they go to Alice Academy if they had an Alice?" Natsume scowled. "Hell no. Not if I have a say in the matter. I planned more or less on traveling the world, doing everything possible together. Then settling down, maybe."

She nodded, watching couples walk through the park and feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. She stood up abruptly, staring down at him. He raised an eyebrow. "HOW did that conversation suddenly turn to 'WE'?!" He chuckled. "I wasn't aware that wasn't your intention of the conversation," he stated bluntly, staring at her with those crimson red eyes that were both scary and endearing at the same time, yet always soft for her. She blushed. "I mean.. I… Uh…" He stood up, taking her hands in his and raising them to his chest. Looking straight down at her, his hot breath blowing on her cheek, he whispered "You promised." She looked up at him and was met with his piercing gaze. He wasn't as lighthearted anymore, he was staring at her rather seriously. His worried and bashful gaze reminded her of that day so long ago, when she'd planned to go stay with her mom.

She randomly, to Natsume at least, broke out crying, gripping his shirt with all her might and letting her tears soak into it. "Natsume, you know… You know damn well there's nobody else I would rather spend my life with! If you didn't… I… I don't know what I'd do with myself!" He smiled, kissing her nose. "That's right. Now say it."

"Only if you do it too."

"Do it, dammit."

"I love you."

"Me too.

"HEY! SAY IT!"

Natsume laughed, running his hand through her hair and breathing in the citrus scent.

"Love you."

There was a wolf whistle from the bushes nearby, and it was quite literally a wolf whistling. Ruka stepped from behind a tree. "Heehee. Shall I plan the wedding?" Mikan and Natsume looked at each other and nodded. She held his hand, and he held fire in the other. "I'd sure love Roast Ruka with a side dish of wolf at the wedding, wouldn't you, Mikan?"

"As much as I want Destiny."

"Natsume-the-Wonderful."

"Starting to think you don't want this to happen."

"Oh, trust me, I think I'll enjoy every second of it."

Ruka stared at them, snickered, and ran into the woods. Natsume leaned in for a sweet kiss, feeling her heartbeat race against his. After about 10 seconds, he turned to the woods. "He thinks we forgot."

"Let's show him!"

"Together." He grabbed her hand abruptly and ran into the woods, laughing alongside her.

The person he'd do anything for.

The person he loved most.

The person who saved him from the dark.

Mikan.

Thank you SO MUCH for reading! I have a lot of fun making these stories and I hope you have fun reading them. No sad endings here. Maybe I'll write a dramatic fic sometime, but the ending must always be happy.

Optimists cannot write sad-ending stories or our hearts will break! ;-;

Or maybe that's just me. EH.

Love you guys! ^^