Hey everyone! It's been awhile since I had a new story so here goes nothing.

Inspired by the movie Burlesque (starring Christina Aguilera and Cher), so I may be using some songs from the movie (DISCLAIMER) and other songs as well which I claim no ownership to unless I make one and include it in this story.

Gakuen Alice is and never will be mine. Credits to the awesome Higuchi Tachibana for our wonderful characters.

OOC is expected as usual..

I like to spice things up a bit.. so this is rated M still ;)

And of course this is a NatsuMikan fic!

Story picture was googled. dont own that either ;)

Hope you enjoy!

Xoxo lexi1989

Secrets

CHAPTER 1: Discovery

I walked along the brightly lit Sunset Strip. It's a far cry from the quiet city in Japan that I've lived my whole life. I am only here for three months to attend that stupid business conference. My father had been adamant I attend or else he would hand the company over to somebody else. Like I could care less. If it wasn't for my mother's begging, I wouldn't do this. Hyuuga Electronics and Tech International could do without me just fine.

I was planning to order room service. The Andaz West Hollywood hotel certainly offered the best in what it had to offer but I received a call from my best friend, Ruka asking to meet up for dinner and drinks. He is the heir to Nogi Pharma International. A leading pharmaceutical company that specialized in products that were proud to declare they never tested on animals. They promised environmental friendly and safe medicines. He was also here for the conference but stayed in the London West Hollywood hotel where the conference was held.

We grabbed dinner at a nearby café and were now walking along the strip when a colorful sign caught my eye. I'm not sure why but it just did. The establishment looked run down, yet the sign was brightly lit. The contrast making it attention seeking.

'SECRETS' It read.

"Divine secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Destiny is waiting for you behind these doors." Ruka read the words posted on the sign tacked to the huge oak door.

It also indicated a steep fine of 20 dollars. In Japan that equaled to 2409.09 Yen. It was mere change to how much I was earning. I looked at Ruka with a raised eyebrow and he just nodded. It looks like curiosity both got the better of us and we opened the oak door to be greeted by a bulky woman in a booth.

"Hi, my name is Destiny. Admission is twenty bucks and you get one free drink." She drawled lazily as we handed over the money.

"Enjoy!" She seemed a bit more enthusiastic after taking a good hard look at us. We were two good looking guys after all.

"So, that was Destiny." Ruka sniggered. I let out a chuckle. I guess this place kept true to their advertisement. Destiny was waiting for us behind the oak doors.

We walked up a small flight of stairs where the aura of the place suddenly changed. There was soft bossa nova music playing from invisible speakers. There was a huge curtain at the front which I assumed is the stage and the place looked like it came from the Victorian era. Several circular tables with lamps and chairs were scattered across the room. Small ornate chandeliers hung from the ceiling providing a dim light for the dark atmosphere. A bar occupied the back displaying rows and rows of different liquors and wines. There were booths to the side for huge groups and around two tiers of balconies, ten in total once I counted them which I was sure would be for a steeper price, so you could see the show better. Since it was still 9 o'clock, the crowd was thin and the performance hasn't started yet. Only a few tables were occupied. We chose one in the middle of the room, behind a couple of tables in front of the stage and ordered drinks from a waitress walking around in a tight black lacy corset, leggings and knee high boots.

She came back with our drinks and advised the show would start in an hour. We spent the time downing our drinks and talked about things except for our inherited damned business. We had had enough of it crammed into our heads during that stupid conference. I looked around and noticed that within almost an hour, the place was jam packed with people. Mostly men. Some with dates, others in mixed groups. I wondered what kind of show this place had to offer. I didn't have to wait long.

The lights went off and a spotlight was trained to the center of the stage where the curtain started rising. All eyes are on the redheaded girl lying provocatively on stage. She was wearing what was looking like lingerie a woman could buy at Victoria's secret. Lacy with garter belts. She sat up and started singing while moving along with the words seductively.

~It's a cold and crazy world that's raging outside~

~Well baby, me and all my girls are bringing on the fire~

~Show a little leg, got to shimmy your chest~

~It's a life, it's a style, it's a need, it's burlesque~

She was then joined by two more similarly dressed ladies, a beautiful African American with wild curly black hair and a gorgeous Asian brunette with honey gold eyes. They were snapping their fingers to the beat while they walked and sashayed around on the stage. I stared at the Asian woman. She looked Japanese and she looked familiar.

~E-X-P-R-E-S-S-~

~Love, sex, ladies no regrets~

~E-X-P-R-E-S-S-~

~Love, sex, ladies no regrets~

I thought of the girl she looked like. She replaced the redhead at the center where a small table was placed. She was kneeling and hunched over on the table. Her cleavage slightly visible through the space between her arms. She brought her body up slowly and leaned back on her arms on the table, her front blatantly displayed to the crowd with parted knees. What made my jaw drop was when she started singing. There was no trace of an Asian accent as she sang.

~Been holding back for quite some time~

~And finally the moment's right~

~I love to make the people stare~

~They know I got that certain savoir-fare~

She started banging on the table in sync to the beat while wiggling her ass seductively. She tossed her hair and gave a seductive smile to the crowd. The crowd cheered as she continued to dance, her face in a sultry pout and giving sexy winks to the crowd.

~Fasten up, can you imagine what would happen~

~if I let you close enough to touch?~

~Step into the fantasy, you'll never wanna leave~

~Baby it's guaranteed, Why?~

~It's a passion and emotion~

~It's a fashion, burlesque~

~It'll move you, going through you~

~So do what I do, burlesque~

Her lithe and statuesque body moved through the stage without missing a beat. She was running her hands all over her chest in a teasing manner while licking her lips. More girls joined her onstage clad in even skimpier lingerie, dancing and singing, earning more claps and cheers from the mostly male crowd. Kicking their legs up and rubbing against each other onstage. I'm pretty sure the temperature in the room got slightly hotter. Most of the girls were pretty but I only had eyes for her.

~All ladies coming to flaunt it~

~Boys throw it up if you want it~

~Can you feel me, can you feel it?~

~Its burlesque~

~burlesque, burlesque~

So this was one of Sunset Strip's famous burlesque clubs. Not really a strip club, but where performers, mostly women, danced seductively to entrance the crowd. Some, I heard had live singers like this one. Some would lip-synch to famous songs. And so it continued throughout the song, that I was mesmerized by the brunette. Her movements not only screamed sexy, she embodied it. She was a seductress on stage. She also had an amazing set of pipes. As I looked fixedly at her, I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew her. Somewhere, somehow, as crazy as the idea seemed. I had never set foot in this part of the world until this week. But it was surely a coincidence. Serendipity if you will.

The song ended and a couple of performances from other dancers followed. I lost interest and engaged Ruka in mindless conversation. He looked flushed and had a faint tint of red on his cheeks.

"Don't tell me you've never set foot in a club like this before?" I teased him with a slight chuckle.

"You know how different it is back home. It's my first time as much as you." He glared at me.

"Touche." I conceded.

"I wonder about that Asian brunette though. She looked a lot like her, don't you think?" So he noticed it too. I gave him a noncommittal nod and signaled the waitress to order more drinks.

She came over and took my order of scotch for Ruka and I. When she came back I dared to ask her the name of the dancer. She looked at me as if she got that a lot.

"Oh, the Asian kid is Cherry Blossom." She said as she set down our drinks on the table.

"What's her real name?" I asked. I knew it was a stage name.

"You can ask her." She turned and walked away as another customer at a different table caught her attention.

'How the hell would I do that?' I mulled over my drink as another performance started.

I thought of the girl she resembled. It had been fifteen years since I had last seen her. We were both ten years old. She was crying as I held her. She was my best friend. Her parents, my parents' best friends were killed in a plane crash on the way home to Japan from the United States. We were in the front yard of our house. She was leaving the city today with a relative she didn't know.

"Hush now, Mikan." I softly stroked her auburn hair.

"I don't want to leave Natsume-kun. I don't even know the person who's taking me." She whined.

"You can always write to me. You know my address right?" She looked at me with her brown eyes filled with tears.

"Why can't I stay with you and Auntie Kaoru and Uncle Ioran?" She pouted and began crying softly in my arms.

"Because, the person taking you is your family. Even if you didn't meet him before, you still have to go. They have the right to take you in." I knew my parents had tried to gain custody of Mikan but the court ruled to provide custody to her relative.

"You can always come to visit. And when I'm old enough to drive, I'll visit you, okay?" I promised her. I knew it would be a long time but it was enough for her simple mind to process.

"You promise?"

"I promise Ichigo-Kara." I called her the nickname I teased her with when she accidentally tripped and her skirt had ridden up . She was wearing strawberry printed underwear.

"Natsume-kun you pervert!" She curled her hands into fists and started hitting me lightly on the chest. She wasn't that strong for a girl so it barely hurt.

I hugged her tight as a car pulled up and a scary looking man descended from the car. He had long black hair and was wearing a black trenchcoat. He approached us with a sinister smile on his face. Mikan, hid behind me and I puffed up my chest and tried my best to give him a glare.

"How sweet. Is she your girlfriend, little boy?" He asked me. His tone was laced with malice.

"None of your business. Who are you and what are you doing here?" I kept my voice even not letting the slight fear slip out.

"I am Rei Serio. Izumi's adopted brother. I came here to get Mikan." My parents came out of the house and I noticed his demeanor change immediately.

"Hello Rei. It's been awhile. " Mom looked at him and gave him a hug. I shuddered at the thought.

"Yes, Kaoru, I'm afraid I can't say it's a pleasure seeing you again, given the unfortunate circumstances that had brought us together again." He said in a sad voice.

"Please take care of Mikan-chan for us. And don't be a stranger. You both are welcome here at any time for a visit." Dad handed him a suitcase of Mikan's stuff. He gestured for the other staff to bring out Mikan's boxes full of toys and stuff to the car.

"It may be awhile. I am taking her to America with me. I am managing the business from there. Kazumi will be taking over the Japan branch in place of his brother." He said as he came forward and sat down on his haunches before us. He gripped Mikan's hand tightly and pulled her. I saw Mikan grimace from his touch and did what my instinct told me to do. I pushed him so he fell flat on his ass on the grass.

"I won't let you take her to 'Merica with you. You're a bad person!" I had shouted at him.

"Natsume! That's not very nice of you!" Mom scolded me and pulled me away from Mikan.

"No! He can't take Mikan away! Why can't she just stay with us? Or with her other uncle here in Japan?" I struggled as my dad held me tight. Mikan was crying again as Rei was struggling to get her in the car.

"Natsume-kun, we talked about this." Dad's voice was stern but his eyes betrayed him. He was sad to see Mikan leave too.

"Mikan! Don't forget me okay? I'll come for you one day!" I had shouted as Rei put her in the car and walked to the driver's side. He flashed me an evil smile and soon the car was revving up and driving away.

I slipped from my father's hold and ran after the car until all I could see was the smoke trail it left behind.

"I'll never forget you Mikan. I'll find you one day." I wiped away the lone tear that escaped from my eyes. I was never one to show weakness but I couldn't stop the tears from coming. It was the only day that I had cried. I never did again.

The sound of applause broke me out of my reverie. Ruka was silent, just observing the performance when the host of the club came onstage.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. For our last performance of the night, here is Secrets' star performer, our very own, Cherry Blossom!"

Soooo, tell me how was it?

Song used is 'Express' by Christina Aguilera (performed in the movie) - again no ownerships claimed for the song ;)

If you also have the time, check out my other stories as well ;)

Ja ne!

Read, Follow, Favorite and Leave a Review!

xoxo lexi1989