Hi you guys! *(waves madly)* I'm back, with another RukaxHotaru centered fic. Yes, yes, it has some NxM but not until the very end. Anyways, this fic is dedicated to my bestist fan fiction friend, (and one of my real friends) RandomChibiDemon-chan. HI MOMMY! *(waves more)* As you all know, I don't own Gakuen Alice, or Natsume and Mikan would be going out, and Luna would die in a random fiery explosion.

"Hotaru~chaaaaaannnnnnn!" an annoying sing-song voice chirped.

16-year-old Hotaru Imia growled, and turned around, baka gun at the ready, expecting to see Mikan. What she didn't expect to see was Ruka, bent over so that their faces were only inches apart. Hotaru fought with all her might to keep the blush that threatened to stain both her cheeks and reputation down as an evil smirk curled the blonde's lips. "Who the hell are you to call me 'chan' Bunny Boy?" Hotaru snarled.

"Apparently I'm important enough to have an affectionate little nick name by Miss Stoic herself," he grinned. "Anyway, I need your help," he said popping the "p" in her face before straitening.

"And why exactly should I help you?" Hotaru asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh I just think it would be in your best interest," Ruka answered, rocking back and forth

on his heels far too innocently for Hotaru's liking.

"Spit it out Bunny Boy," she growled.

This was apparently what Ruka was waiting for as his smile widened impossibly, and he took out a handful of pictures from his pocket. "You wouldn't want these floating around campus would you?" he asked innocently fanning himself with the pictures, only showing Hotaru the backs.

"Give those to me Nogi," Hotaru whispered dangerously.

"Oooh, so we're on last name terms are we Imia?" Ruka laughed.

"Give them here!" Hotaru shouted, too frustrated to even speak properly, a fact Ruka was quick to point out.

"Besides, I don't think you really want these pictures," Ruka told her, still fanning himself serenely.

"Give them to me," she said in her most level tone. "Please," she added growling deep in her throat.

"Hmm, let me think," he said, tapping his chin. "How about… no?"

"GIVE THEM TO ME!" Hotaru yelled throwing herself at the blonde, who easily avoided the hasty attack, causing Hotaru to fall on her face.

"Tsk, tsk, Ho~chan," Ruka said shaking his head in disappointment at the furious inventor. "If you wanted them that badly all you had to do was ask."

"I DID ASK!" she yelled, her eye twitching.

"No, you didn't," Ruka told her, stamping his foot like a child. "You demanded I do as

you said, and then you raised your voice."

"Ruka, will you please give me the pictures?" Hotaru asked plastering a fake smile on her face.

Ruka beamed at her apparently pleased by her behavior. "What if I just showed you the pictures?"

"That would be fine," she growled, knowing it was the best offer she was going to get. Ruka, on the other hand, beamed, and turned the pictures around with great flourish for Hotaru to see. Her face quickly paled. Printed in high quality (higher than her own I might add) was a picture of herself sleeping. But that wasn't the problem. The piles of GIANTmicrobes on her bed, and the GIANTmicrobes night~light shining brightly in the corner were. Hotaru opened her mouth to give in, when she remembered something. She was the black mailing queen! No one could black male her into doing anything! "Put those into circulation, and your animal pictures are sure to follow," she threatened darkly.

However, Ruka just laughed. "You mean the pictures you sold for almost nothing when I set Mikan and Natsume up?"

Oh yea, Hotaru thought seething. "The pictures of you dressed as a princess, then."

"Really Imia? I was in front of the whole school on stage. That's old hat."

Hotaru quickly searched her memory banks for anything remotely embarrassing to put out. "How about when you and Natsume were hugging?"

Ruka sighed in irritation. "Okay, number one: Natsume has a girlfriend, so he's not gay, number two: I've had girlfriends since we were twelve, and number three: do you think your best friend would be too happy if you put out pictures that made her boyfriend look gay?" Hotaru was silent. "That's what I thought."

"What do you want me to do, Ruka?" she asked hanging her head in defeat. She looked up again quickly though, remembering her social standing, and glared at Ruka defiantly. "But when I finish, I demand you give me all of those pictures."

"All right," Ruka agreed happily. "I was going to give them to you anyways."

Hotaru took in a deep breath to calm herself. "What do you want me to do?"

"Kiss me."

Hotaru's eyes widened. "What?" she screeched, too shocked to pretend to be cool and collected.

"Kiss me," Ruka repeated slowly. "Geeze for a genius you sure aren't bright."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

Hotaru smirked. "Fine," she said, and brought his lips crashing down on hers. They stayed like that for a moment when a bright flash of light Hotaru knew all too well caused her to pull back, only to see the boy she had just kissed clutching a camera to his chest.

"You can have these," he said, handing Hotaru the pictures he had threatened her with earlier. "And now that I have this, you have to do one more thing for me."

"What?" she asked.

"Now you have to be my girlfriend," Ruka ordered.

"What?" Hotaru asked.

Ruka sighed. "This again? Whatever, I'll just take that as a yes. Just so you know, we have a date in Central Town on Friday, so keep your schedule free, kay?" he said, walking out the door. Just as he was about to leave he paused, and flashed her a smile. "You can have this," he said tossing the camera to the stunned inventor, and walked away.

Hotaru sat there in silence for a moment, before she started giggling. When the bright happy sound left her lips, Hotaru's eyes widened, and her hands flew to cover her mouth. Knowing there was only one person who she could manage to look in the eye right now, she quickly darted up the stairs to Mikan's special star room. "Open up," she ordered,

pounding on her best friend's door.

A long moment passed before Mikan finally came to the door, breathless, and her hair and clothes a mess. "What is it Hotaru?" she gasped.

"Should I be scared to come in?" Hotaru asked coldly. Mikan shook her head. "Then let me in." Mikan obliged, and Hotaru stepped in and saw Natsume in a similar condition as Mikan. Hotaru looked between both teens, and smirked. "Just what were you two doing?"

Mikan flushed crimson at Hotaru's implication, and Natsume just smirked. "We-we-we we were playing Twister!" Mikan said, stumbling over her words in her nervous state.

Hotaru just looked at her and shrugged. "What ever. Hyuuga, out."

Natsume bristled, and opened his mouth to object, but Mikan was already pushing him out the door. "What about our game?" he asked innocently. Mikan blushed again, and slammed the door in his face with a hissed "Later!".

When the lock clicked shut Hotaru's goofy grin returned, and she doubled over in giggles.

This worried Mikan deeply. "Hotaru, what's wrong? Did an experiment go bad? Did you get in one of Nonoko's potions? OH, Hotaru, speak to me!" she wailed.

"I'm in love!" Hotaru crowed, spinning around in a circle in a most un-Hotaru like fashion.

"What?" Mikan asked with much needed confusion.

Hotaru stopped her giggles long enough to say one thing before Mikan was forced to put her in bed.

Ruka just black mailed me into being his girlfriend.

So, what did you think? Before you guys go and review saying "Hotaru was waaaaaaaaayyyy OOC," I just want to say one thing: That was the point. She just seemed so cold all the time that I thought she needed a chance to let go and be free with her emotions. So there. =P ^-^