Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice.

10

He grumbled and grumbled and wouldn't stop grumbling because he hated everything about -

"Natsume!" his mother scolded, eyeing her eldest child with a scornful glare. "I told you stop pulling your bowtie out!" She scurried over and reknotted it, giving it an extra tight pull when she finished.

"There! My handsome little Nattie!" she proclaimed loudly.

"Mom!" he hissed, looking around to make sure nobody else heard or at least nobody cool heard. But all he saw were grown-ups in that stifling formal attire, long dresses and penguin suits. Things Natsume hated. And he especially hated his own penguin suit that his mother forced him to wear.

"Come on, Nattie, stop sulking. Just because Ruka's in France and not here doesn't mean you still can't have fun."

At the mention of his best friend's name - that traitor - Natsume's mood worsened. Or, in my his mother's eyes, he pouted even more.

"Look, there's your cousin at the kids' table. Go say hi and join her!"

"I'm not a little kid," he snapped, arms crossed, glaring off into the distance. Kaoru chuckled at his behavior. She knew he was just upset because she made him actually dress up and didn't let him bring his manga.

"Bring your sister, too!" Kaoru pushed Natsume's eight year-old sister, Aoi, after him. Still grumbling, he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward their cousin, who was currently greedily forking down as much crab roe as she could.

"Imai," he greeted coldly when they were close enough.

Hotaru Imai paused in her consumption and looked him up and down.

"Hyuuga," she smirked. "Nice costume."

"Shut up," he snarled.

She turned toward Aoi and gave her a small smile, one she would never grace Natsume with. "Aoi, you look very pretty."

In her bright green dress with a red sash and candy cane striped tights, Aoi did look adorable.

"Thank you, Hotaru!" she beamed. "You look beautiful!"

Since she wore a plain navy blue dress and white tights, Natsume disagreed, and he said so, which earned him a glare.

"Like you look any better."

He scowled as he remembered his penguin suit and choking bowtie. He loosened it and claimed the seat next to his cousin, his sister sitting down on his other side.

"Leave some food for us, why don't you?"

"There's plenty more over there." Hotaru waved her hand dismissively toward the buffet line.

As Natsume lined up for food, he couldn't help wishing his best friend were there. At least he would have someone to talk to, someone who would listen as he grumbled more about the annoying decorations, the annoying suit he had to wear, his annoying cousin he had to sit next to (because to be honest, he was a little shy and didn't know anyone else), and the annoying food! Why did adults have to eat such weird things?! Why couldn't they serve normal food instead of "delicacies?"

"Ugh," he muttered in disgust as he filled up his plate with weird looking fish. Meanwhile, Aoi happily loaded anything that had the color pink onto her plate. What a glutton, just like their cousin.

Grabbing his utensils, Natsume attempted to balance his plate, his drink, his napkin, and his fork and spoon and was doing so quite successfully…

...until some idiot ran straight into him.

It wasn't a gentle bump, an accidental graze.

No, it was a full-on, body-slamming collision.

One that forced his plate to upchuck all its contents over him, his drink spilling wherever, and a body to land straight onto him.

Moreso, it was one that forced a pair of pink lips right onto his.

Of course, the brute force of the collision forced him to close his eyes by instinct, and when he opened them, he was lying on the ground with some pig-tailed idiot wearing a red dress smashing her lips against his, her body smearing the spilled food all over his stupid penguin suit.

The girl hadn't seemed to realize what was happening until he pushed her off and swiped at his lips.

"What happened?"

"Awww, how cute, they were kissing!"

"Isn't that Kaoru's little boy?"

Natsume ignored all the whispering adults and focused his attention on the idiot in front of him who was suddenly jabbing her finger into his face angrily.

"You - you pervert!"

He looked at her in disbelief. "Excuse you?" he growled.

"You stole my first kiss!" As though she hadn't meant to say that, she clamped her hands over her mouth, as though to pull her first kiss back in.

"Listen here, you idiot - you ran into me! And now, I have all this gross food all over me!" To emphasize his point, he flicked his hands at him, causing little specks of food to fall onto her dress.

She shrieked, her eyes wide as she pulled her dress out for him to see. He grimaced at she shoved her dress into his face.

"Look at my dress! It's ruined!" She let out an anguished cry and ran off somewhere, probably to tattle to her mom.

Meanwhile, Natsume grunted and stood up, several waiters coming to help clean up the mess.

"Young sir, do you want me to find your mother so you can change your clothes?" asked a friendly-looking old man.

Natsume mustered a, "No" before heading to the restroom.

He tried his best to get all the clumpy food off, but he knew his shirt would be stained.

"Mom's going to kill me," he muttered as he made his way back to his seat. And halfway there, when he saw and heard who else was at the table, he nearly stopped and turned the other way, but he remembered what had happened and he was angry.

"And then he flung more food on me, and now my pretty dress that Jii-chan gave me is ruined! And he is the worst, worst, worst person I've ever met!" the pig-tailed brunette wailed, clutching the arm of Hotaru Imai, who impassively ate more crab roe.

"It wouldn't have happened if you weren't such an idiot and watched were you were going," was she said in response without an ounce of sympathy in her tone.

"But Hotaru, you're my best friend! You're supposed to defend me against that pervert!" she cried.

"Yeah, Imai, you're my cousin," Natsume said scathingly as he approached the two girls, "defend me against this idiot!" He scowled at the blubbering brunette.

Realizing who he was, she straightened up, her tears all gone as her face grew splotchy red. "You!"

"Stop jabbing your finger in my face!" He slapped her hand away.

A wince of pain came across her face before she suddenly burst into tears again and buried her face into her best friend's shoulder. "Hotaru! Protect me!"

"Natsume, are you okay?" asked his sister gently.

Slightly glad that someone had finally asked, he gave her a terse, "Yeah."

Then he scowled, and Aoi didn't even flinch, so used to her brother's harsh facial expressions. "But I'd be better if I hadn't met Polka dots over there."

"Polka dots?" repeated Aoi, confused. "You mean, Mikan?"

"Yeah," he turned toward Mikan, "Polka dots."

He watched the idiot's face, also registering his cousin's raised eyebrow in the back of his mind. He could see the brunette's mind work as she stared, not quite focusing on him, trying to figure out what he meant by -

"Polka dots! You really are a pervert!" she shouted, pointing at him again. "I can't believe you! I can never get married now!"

"What are you blathering about again?" Hotaru asked drolly.

"He peeked! He saw my - my - my underwear!" The girl started to bawl, and Natsume wondered if she knew how to do anything else besides cry.

"Crybaby, I didn't peek. You practically shoved your panties in my face."

Aghast, she protested, "I would never!"

"Yeah, you did," he paused dramatically before he drawled, "Polka dots."

Suddenly, she lunged toward Natsume, her little hands wrapping around his throat.

"Take that back! Never call me that again!" Her face contorted in anger and he almost choked on his laughter at her weak attempt to hurt him.

"Mikan Sakura!" called out an authoritative voice.

Since she had pushed her face so close to him, Natsume could literally see her expression change from anger to fear, her eyes wide as she temporarily forgot about why she was so upset with him.

"Uh-oh," she whispered to him as though he were her friend.

"Mikan Sakura, what did I say about acting nice?" An older version of Mikan came, her face as angry as Mikan's had been. Judging by the similarities in their face and their long brown hair, Natsume knew this woman was Mikan's mother.

"Mom, you don't understand! This pervert here - " Before she could launch into the whole story, Natsume's own mother interrupted.

"Natsume! I'm so glad you met little Mikan-chan here!" his mother laughed, her body a little tipsy. "Come here, meet my best friend."

"Aunty Kaoru!" shouted the little girl who ran up to his mother. What the heck? Natsume couldn't believe what he was seeing. No! He couldn't let Polka dots tell her version of the story! He couldn't let his mother believe her lies!

"Aunty Kaoru, do you know that disgusting little boy? Because you would never believe what he did!"

Kaoru scooped the little girl into her arms and laughed. "Yes, Mikan-chan, I do know that 'disgusting little boy' over there. That's my son!"

"Well, he - "

"Mikan!" exclaimed her mother, "What happened to your dress?"

"Mommy! You wouldn't believe - "

"Mom," he interrupted, tugging on Kaoru's dress, "that little idiot over there ran into me while I was getting food, spilled it all over me, and then shoved her panties into my face and now she's calling me names."

He turned toward Mikan's mother and gave his best hurt look. "She's calling me really hurtful names."

Mikan gasped.

"Mikan!" said her mother fiercely.

"No, mom! I - "

Her mother grabbed her daughter from Kaoru's arms. "Mikan, I specifically reminded you to play nice here! You have to stop acting so rude to other people. Boundaries."

She gazed intently into her daughter's eyes and softened her voice, "Remember, we have to consider other people's feelings, too."

That seemed to click something for Mikan because she calmed down and nodded somewhat seriously.

Her mother smiled. "That's my girl!" She picked up Mikan and twirled and gave her a hug, which made Mikan giggle.

Suddenly, she seemed to forget all that "the disgusting little boy" had done to her and smiled more brightly than Natsume had ever seen someone smile.

"Mikan, you remember Aunty Kaoru, mommy's best friend." Mikan nodded enthusiastically.

"Well," Kaoru said, "this is my son, Natsume. He's a little on the grumpy side so you'll have to excuse his attitude." She winked conspiratorially at Mikan, who responded with a giggle.

Natsume felt his cheeks heat up. "Mom!"

Mikan climbed down from her mother's arms and walked haughtily over to Natsume and gave him a huge smile.

She stuck out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Natsume! We'll be very good friends," she said as he shook her hand warily. Their mothers smiled at the pair before turning back to their own conversation. "As soon as you apologize for looking at my panties and stealing my first kiss!"

Suddenly, her grip turned tight and her voice grew fierce, and Natsume knew instantly it had all been an act for their moms.

"No way, Polka dots! I didn't do anything! It was all you who fell onto me!"

Mikan's cheeks puffed up. She stamped her foot and looked ready to blow up at Natsume before Hotaru intervened.

"Idiot. You said you fell, right?" Hotaru looked coolly at Mikan who somehow managed to restrain her explosion.

"That means it was an accident. A kiss has to be intentional for it to be a kiss. If you just fell, that means your lips just accidentally met his, and we just call it an accident and not a kiss."

Natsume was stupefied. Who the heck would ever believe that explanation? A completely stupid, brainless baby would -

"Hotaru, you're so right!" Mikan's eyes lit up and glittered. She embraced her best friend with fervor.

Then Natsume remembered who he was with.

"So it wasn't a kiss! I'm still safe!"

Years after this moment, future Natsume would wonder what possessed him to do what he did next. Future Natsume, perhaps, was too embarrassed to admit the truth, and the little Natsume, though he was precocious, was still too naive to know.

He grabbed that completely stupid, brainless baby by the collar of her dress and pulled her towards him so he could plant a big, wet kiss on her lips.

And when she pushed him away, she was just as shocked as he was.

"Awww, Mikan! I'm so glad you're making new friends! See, I told you transferring schools wouldn't be so bad. Now you'll have both Hotaru and Natsume to help you around!"

Mikan promptly decided to not consider Natsume's feelings and clobbered him.

It took three adults and a best friend to pull her off of him.

It took one stern lecture and two harsh warnings from her mother to convince her to give Natsume another chance at friendship.

It took Natsume two seconds to decide Mikan would regret that decision.

It took Mikan one glare to decide that when she died, she would come back as a ghost and haunt that stupid, perverted Natsume forever.

12

Halloween night was always delightful for Natsume. He loved scaring people, hearing them scream with horror. That's probably what he liked most about Polka dots; she was easily scared and had the loudest screams.

Of course, Natsume's mother would beg to differ and insist that what Natsume liked the most about Halloween was the chance to prowl through the darkness like the dreary and gloomy creature of the night he was.

She never told him her theory.

But she absolutely loved how much he loved dressing up in his costumes. Unlike every other event she forced him to attend, this one time he was allowed to choose his own costume.

And this year, he had chosen to be a vampire.

Not the glittery, glamorous vampires that had been popular as of late. No, Natsume painted his face stark white, outlining his eyes and cheeks with black, wearing pointy fangs that he was sure could actually pierce skin if he tried hard enough.

He walked restlessly in the living room, clutching his little black Halloween bag and glaring enviously at the screaming kids outside.

"Let's just go!" he yelled for about the fifth time that night. His best friend, Ruka, who wasn't as into the whole scare of Halloween as he was, was dressed as Prince Charming. ("That's so lame, Ruka." "Shut up! It's a good costume.")

"It's barely past seven," Ruka gently reminded, patiently waiting on the couch with his plastic Jack-o-Lantern basket.

"I don't know why we have to wait for that idiot anyway!"

"Natsume!" shouted his mother from the kitchen. "If you don't stop whining, I won't let Yuka take you out at all!"

"I'm not whining!" he retorted, which earned a scoff from his best friend. Natsume glared at Ruka, who merely smiled innocently.

The doorbell rang, and Natsume eagerly yanked open the door, only to be greeted with a chorus of "Trick or Treat!" from four little kids.

He grabbed a handful of candy from the basket near the door and dumped whatever into each of their bags.

"Now scram," he snarled before slamming the door in their faces.

Ruka watched his best friend with amusement. "You could have been nicer."

"That could be me out there, getting loads of candy, but no! We have to wait for Polka dots and her mom instead!"

"Why do you call her Polka dots anyway?" The first time Ruka had been introduced to Mikan Sakura, it was as Mikan Sakura, but for some reason, his best friend always called the bubbly brunette by "Polka dots" or "Strawberry fields" or even "Teddy bears." Whenever he asked either of them why, he had gotten a flustered Mikan and a smirking Natsume whose mouth would always be covered by Mikan's hands, preventing him from telling Ruka why.

But now that they were alone, Natsume grinned at Ruka. "It's because Polka dots - "

The doorbell rang again and since Natsume hadn't bothered to move from the door, he yanked it open to be greeted by the sight of Mikan and Yuka shouting "Trick or Treat!"

"Finally!" he exclaimed. "Mom, they're here! Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

But instead of going outside in the direction Natsume pushed them toward, Yuka stepped into the house and smiled down at Natsume. She was dressed as a witch in a plain black dress with a plain black hat. Not even a wart in sight.

Not very scary, though Natsume with a scowl.

"Now, Natsume, I want to go talk to your mom for a minute. I'm sorry we're late, but we'll get going really quickly. Okay? You're a handsome vampire tonight." She ruffled his hair and went into the kitchen. Natsume muttered under his breath and fixed his hair that he had carefully combed back, a far cry from his messy bedhead he usually wore.

As he glared at Yuka's back, he swung his gaze back to the other person who had dared entered his house late.

"Hi Natsume! Hi Ruka! Do you like my costume?" Mikan said brightly as she twirled around.

Ruka stood up and walked over to them. "It's very nice. Is it from a show?"

"Nope! It's just a regular genie costume!" She wore harem pants whose lavender color matched her tube top. Her face and hair were covered with a light veil, and in her hand, instead of a bag or a basket, she held a giant foam genie's lamp that she would use to collect candy.

Natsume eyed her costume with disdain.

Seeing his look, Mikan frowned and put her hands on her hips. "What you don't like it?"

"It's not very scary," he said simply.

She rolled her eyes. "Not everything on Halloween has to be scary!"

"It doesn't really fit you."

She pouted. "What do you mean? It's super cute!"

"That's not what I meant," Natsume said as he came closer.

He reached forward and tugged on Mikan's tube top, exposing her chest to him.

"Isn't there supposed to be something here to hold this up?"

Her jaw dropped; Ruka's, too, he was wide eyes reflected nothing but disbelief. As he watched the color drain from her face, he smirked. Her lips moved, trying to form words, trying to find words.

Before she could say anything, he left go of her top and it snapped back to her body with a resounding smack!

Seconds later, Mikan repeated the same sound with her hand and Natsume's left cheek.

"Natsume…" she growled.

"Yeah, flatlands?"

Poor Ruka had to wait an extra 13 minutes to go trick or treating as both Yuka and Kaoru pulled Mikan off Natsume, and Yuka gave her a scolding for wrestling in the house and breaking Kaoru's third favorite vase. Natsume himself received an earful later that night for teasing the poor girl, and when Yuka and Mikan visited three days later, Yuka tried her best to mediate and explain how Mikan was sensitive to some things.

"I don't want to hear you talking about her body like that, Natsume," Yuka admonished. Mikan stuck her tongue out at Natsume, who couldn't do it back since Yuka was looking straight at him. "Mikan's still growing," Mikan screeched in embarrassment, "and soon, you'll be growing, too, and before you know it, you'll - "

"That's okay, Aunt Yuka," Natsume quickly said as he stood up, "Mom already talked to me about this." His face was red, and he couldn't quite look Yuka in the eye anymore.

"Well, let me explain it in my own words because I think it's important to have this discussion with both of you since - "

"Natsume, do you hear that? Aoi's calling for us!"

"Yeah, sorry Aunt Yuka!"

"Wait!"

But nothing could stop the two as they scurried away from another one of those talks.

Yuka sighed, and as she watched the two figures link hands and run away from her, she couldn't help but chuckle.

Don't say she didn't try to warn them about what was about to hit the both of them.

14

"What are we, Natsume?"

They were in his room, lazily sprawled over his bed. No lights on, just pale moonlight from the window illuminating their bodies.

He turned towards her. "I think we're humans. Surely an idiot like you didn't forget that?"

She frowned, which only made him smirk in amusement, and sat up.

"Natsume, I mean it. People keep asking me if we're dating, but I don't know what to tell them." A blush crept up her neck as she looked away. "I mean, you call me by the pattern of my panties, you keep groping me, and you just kiss me whenever you feel -"

As if to prove her point, Natsume leaned over and pecked her on the lips. "Yeah?"

He smirked, but it was really just to hide his nerves. This was the conversation he'd been avoiding for years, the issue he'd been skirting around.

He felt her soft hands cradle his face and forced him to look at her; her, who had the most serious and piercing expression he had ever seen on her. Her lips tight in a grim line, her honey eyes intently focused.

"Natsume, am I your girlfriend?"

His first instinct was to snort and say something snarky like, "You wish" or smirk and say something stupid like, "I don't go for flat-chested idiots."

But the intensity of her gaze knew this was his one chance, the only opportunity he'd ever had to convey his feelings. If he messed this up… He might never get her ever.

She was a sensible person, if not a bit dense and hopelessly romantic. He knew he couldn't keep her waiting on the sides forever, though his heart wished she would, that she would stay by his side no matter what they were.

But he knew this day would come, and in his head, a little scowling Natsume pointed at him with finger guns and fired them. "Pew, pew, it's go time," little Natsume said.

The real, bigger Natsume kissed her on the cheek before getting out of bed and rummaging around his desk. Mikan sat there, watching him curiously.

"I know we're still young," he swallowed thickly as he turned back to her, trying his best not to glaze over at the sight of her, disheveled and messy by his handiwork. He sat down next to her, his fist clenched, hiding something. "But I know by the number of times you mention how you can't get married whenever I see your panties that you're thinking about marriage."

He opened his hand and held it out to her. She gasped and gaped at him as she saw what he had. It wasn't much, but the simple silver band and little jewels still glittered in the moonlight.

"Are - are you proposing to me? Natsume, we're 14! We still live with our parents!" she nearly screamed, almost hysteric.

He rolled his eyes. "No, idiot. It's a promise ring, not an engagement ring." He took a deep breath. "Look, I've known for a while, like years, now that I'd only want to be with you. I know we're not even adults and people say we're hormonal teenagers, but when I look at you," he looked at her, still dazed, "I see my future."

He reached out, his finger tilting her chin up as he looked at her steadily. She tore her gaze away from the ring and looked back at him. He saw her face soften at whatever she saw in his eyes, and she saw nothing but vulnerable, pure, gentle love.

"I didn't want to call you my girlfriend because I feel like… the word girlfriend doesn't even begin to encompass everything you mean to me. You mean so much to me, more than you know," he murmured, his hand falling to entwine his fingers with hers.

At that, she began to cry, the ugly kind of cry.

"You're dripping snot all over my blankets."

She hiccuped a small laugh at his attempt to lighten the situation. She wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hands.

"But even if you look ugly while crying and even if you drip snot all over everything I own, I still want to be with you, now and forever. And I promise to one day marry you."

He picked up her left hand and smoothly slid the little promise ring onto her ring finger.

"So don't go around thinking you're ever going to be with anyone but me," he declared.

Mikan finally snapped out of her daze. "Natsume! I haven't even said yes yet!"

"Well, you're not going to say no, are you?"

Even though he was almost certain of her feelings, that one moment of silence made him tremble as his brain kicked into high-gear, suddenly going through every moment they'd ever spent together, wondering, doubting…

"But then what are we still?" Her eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Because we're not engaged, but we're kinda not dating then."

He laughed, all doubt leaving him.

"You can call me… your lover."

And when she gasped, protesting that she couldn't call him something so - so - so intimate, he laughed again, the kind of laugh he reserved only for her, and kissed her.

To shut her up, of course.

15

"Natsume!" was the only warning he got before she burst unceremoniously into his room.

"Shit, Mikan!" he hissed as he sat up and glared at her, his hand not stopping.

Her back was still toward him as she dumped her bags onto his desk, effectively cluttering it.

"You would not believe what just happened to me!"

He grunted in response.

She turned around and sighed. Then she finally realized the view she had in front of her, and she almost fainted.

Natsume was sitting on the edge of his bed without a shirt on, face flushed, his eyes hooded and dazed. He was breathing slightly heavier than usual as the air escaped through his wet lips. His hand, though… his hand!

Natsume felt only a little embarrassed about her catching him, but as he saw her skin pale and the ends of her hair stand up, he decided it was worth it to see the horror on her face.

"W-what are you doing?!" She stuttered, aghast, as her eyes focused only on his hand, which moved quite rapidly up and down his...

"Can't you tell? I'm wanking off," Natsume smirked as her face grew paler, "while thinking about you."

Feeling quite brave, he stood up in order to give her the full view, which only caused her to stumble backward and clutch the edge of his desk with white knuckles, her promise ring cutting into her skin.

"Natsume!" she shrieked. Her skin was no longer pale as she heavily blushed, unable to tear her eyes from the healthy male specimen in front of her.

"Oh yeah," Natsume moaned, his eyes fluttering shut. "Keep screaming my name, Polka Dots."

He jerked his hand faster, intentionally to horrify her more.

She screamed again, unintelligible sounds falling from her lips as she scrambled out his door, slamming it shut.

Four minutes later, he came downstairs to find a blank-eyed Mikan curled up in the corner of the couch, watching television with Aoi, who looked at him curiously as he approached Mikan.

He smirked at his sister than flopped down next to Mikan, slinging his arm around her.

She turned to look at the intruder, and her lips tried to form words, but nothing came out.

Her eyes were accusatory as he leaned in, his hot breath tickling her ear.

"At least I was thinking about you," he whispered before he nipped at her earlobe. Mikan shivered.

His hands were stroking her arms, as though to comfort her, and she almost started to relax and ask him what that was all about before she suddenly remembered where his hands had been.

His hands, which were now touching her!

Mikan internally shrieked.

16

"Yuka! Mikan! Welcome!" Kaoru laughed and boisterously greeted the two brunettes with hugs, careful not to upend the large dish Yuka held precariously with one hand.

The two greeted the woman with just as much enthusiasm.

Hearing his mom's warm welcome, Natsume very coolly made his way over to the front door. After all, even if she were his lover, he still didn't want to act too mushy-gushy around his blackmailing cousin or his loudmouth sister. Who knows how long he'd have to endure their tormenting teasing?

But that didn't stop Mikan from squealing "Natsume!" and wrapping her arms around his neck as she gave him a big kiss.

"Mikan," he greeted softly before returning her kiss with a less showy one.

He heard the click of a camera and a, "Aren't you two disgustingly cute?"

"Hotaru!" Mikan shouted with just as much energy and rushed over to give her very best friend a hug as big as Natsume's - only without the kiss.

"Ugh, get your gross germs off me. You just made out with your boyfriend."

"Hey!" Mikan pouted. "We weren't making out!"

That was Natsume's cue to go over to her, take her hands, whisper "But we could be" lowly into her ear, and lead her upstairs - away from his nosy family members and especially from his best friend, who looked at Natsume smugly.

Just a few nights ago, he and a couple of other friends were joshing Natsume about lovey-dovey he acted with Mikan, and the only comeback he'd managed to make was a, "Fuck you," and flipping all of them off. It also didn't help that all of them knew exactly how he acted with Mikan since they both weren't shy about their affection at school.

"Just a little bit, Natsume," said Mikan from the bed as he closed the door behind him and joined her, "because I actually want to spend time with some other people this holiday."

"Sure," he halfheartedly agreed before his hands slid up her thighs and his mouth met hers.

As always, Mikan instantly responded to him with enthusiasm, her hand moving up his jaw to find its place at the back of his neck and the other tangling with his messy, black hair.

His kisses were like the ocean, and she was drowning. He loved to give her short open-mouthed kisses without the tongue, one second so undeniably smothering her with love, and next pulling away only to come back with just as much heat.

His mouth moved in waves against hers as they both quickly found the rhythm so natural to them. And like his mouth, his body pushed against hers, effectively making her lie down and with him on top of her.

His hands were busy caressing just about every inch of uncovered skin, moving everywhere… until she realized they were moving steadily underneath her shirt, almost massaging her torso.

Natsume always made sure to stop where he knew she was comfortable, sometimes, rarely, testing her boundaries, trying to tiptoe across the line before she firmly stopped him.

However, this time, she very firmly grasped both of his hands and guided them all the way up until he felt lace and flesh, flesh he could grab.

He tore his lips away from hers and sat up so that he straddled her waist, his hands still stuck underneath her shirt.

"What…?" he looked at her questioningly. Any more desperate, and Mikan could have sworn he was trying to use her puppy-dog look. The thought made her giggle as she took her hands off his and lifted the hem of her shirt to take it all the way off, arching her back and dropping the shirt to the side of his bed.

"I thought you wanted to make this quick," he growled lowly as he could finally appreciate the view he had underneath him, his eyes glued to his hands, which were finally touching a very nice set of very nicely developed breasts.

"Yeah," Mikan hummed amusedly, "but I just wanted you to know."

"Know what?" he managed to get out. He consciously swallowed. "That you've moved on from polka dots to red lace? That I shouldn't call you flatlands anymore?"

"Of course not." Mikan rolled her eyes, and Natsume had to wonder when she had gotten so… bold. This surely wasn't the Mikan Sakura he had met six years ago, the one who had screamed at him because she had made their lips touch for less than a second.

Then again, he mused, she had shoved her panties into my face. Maybe I really am rubbing off on her...

She took his hands off her chest, placing his hands to her sides and revealing the detail of her red lacy bra. "I just wanted you to know what they looked like."

Before Natsume could blink,she had slid the straps off her shoulders and the cups off her breasts, revealing her creamy mounds of flesh and small, pink nipples.

Goddamn. They were perfect, perfect for Natsume.

Mikan smiled coyly up at Natsume, who didn't want to blink, who couldn't even blink because he couldn't believe what she had allowed him to see. Somewhere, in the blank plane of his mind, he vaguely acknowledged Mikan's pinkish cheeks, the only indication he had of her inhibitions.

"Natsume," she said teasingly, running a finger down his cheek and across his lips, which instinctively tried to close around her finger. "Don't you like them?" She picked up one his hands again and brought it back to her breast. "You can enjoy them, but only if you tell me that you like them."

That snapped him out of his trance. "Of course, I love them."

She grinned, and not waiting for another hint, he brought his mouth down to suck one of those perfect nipples of hers, and he feasted.

When they both came down from his room, each looking only a tinge more red than earlier, nobody really said anything except for his annoying best friend, who mentioned (very pompously), as they all sat down at the table, that Natsume couldn't seem to take his eyes off of Mikan.

"As usual," Aoi quipped, and everyone had a hearty laugh, including Mikan and Natsume. Even Hotaru didn't have something to add to that, just the hint of a knowing smirk.

And nobody seemed to really notice anything out of the ordinary, including the fact that all night long, for as long as they were sitting together, Natsume's hand never left Mikan's leg and never stopped stroking her thigh.

Even more out of the ordinary, though nobody really thought too much about it, and Natsume spent several restless nights wondering exactly where she learned this from (before he came up to her one day in school and demanded to know, to which she replied with a giggle and said that she and the girlfriends had recently had a sleepover where they gave her very handy advice), when they sat together on the couch, Mikan's left hand seemed to be holding Natsume's other hand in his lap, which had been conveniently covered by a pillow, despite the fact that his other hand had been constantly drumming its fingers on the pillow...

Oh my God, he realized as he bolted upright in his bed a few weekends later.

"What's wrong?" Mikan sleepily murmured, turning over to face him.

"You talked to Imai about our sex life?" he accused. Mikan simply snickered and rolled back over, taking more than her fair share of his blanket with her.

Knowing he wouldn't get more of a response, he flopped back down, suddenly wide awake and horrified by his revelation.

"My cousin knows how far we've gone?" he whispered in disbelief more to himself, but still as an accusation.

He ran his hands over his face.

"Fuck."

18

They were in his bed again. The rest of the house was empty as Aoi was sleeping over at a friend's while his mom was having a Ladies' Night with her mom.

"So you can scream my name as loud as you want," he had promised her while nuzzling into her neck.

At first, she had simply rolled her eyes and ignored his advances and said, "I'm here to study." But then when he started placing wet kisses down her neck and down her body and undid her blouse…

The lights were on this time.

Light on or off, "I don't really give a damn," he had grunted when she had asked before he redirected her attention back to the fact that he was thoroughly devouring her pussy.

But if he had to pick one, if he really thought about it, he preferred it with the lights on, "So I can see every naughty thing you do to me," he confessed as she sucked on the tip of his erection before rubbing her tongue up and down his entire cock.

And after all these times, after all their sleepovers, and after all of their explorations of each others' bodies, Mikan had learned how to shed her shyness and come to terms with the fact that yes, she wanted Natsume as much as he wanted her.

And she wanted him badly, and he had been nothing but loving and understanding as he coaxed her into exploring her sexual limits.

The first time she rode him, the first time she was on top, he had been more vocal with his pleasure than usual, encouraging her and giving her confidence so that next time she didn't even waver as she grabbed his cock and took it all at once, settling down comfortably, one hand on his chest to steady herself as she fucked him.

But this time, she didn't want to be on top. She liked it when he covered her body with his; it made her feel safe and protected as though he were a warm blanket, a nicely muscled and toned blanket.

This time, he was on top of her, one hand roughly groping her breast without thinking, the other on one side of her head, holding him up as he pounded into her, every thrust intentional and hard so that whenever he pulled back, she felt empty and unwhole, and when he entered her again, he filled her so completely. Her legs were spread wide, accepting him at his rightful place in between them. Her hands were making their usual, pleasant journey from his broad shoulders, his sweaty back, and sometimes, if she were feeling cheeky, to his buttocks where she gave them a firm squeeze.

Sometimes, he liked to hover on top of her when he fucked her, their lower bodies meeting and her breasts bouncing up and down against his chest. He liked to look into her eyes and wouldn't accept her looking away or closing her eyes.

Other times, he pressed every part of himself against her, completing an electric circuit, and he would rest his head just above the part where her neck met her shoulder, his favorite place to bite and mark her as his. His heavy breath would always make her nerves tingle.

This time, he was kissing the side of her face, rubbing himself against her soft cheek, breathing against her ear. She was somewhat straining her neck to lightly scrape her teeth against whatever part of him she could reach: his cheek, the shell of his ear, the space behind his ear, his neck.

He let out a groan, right into her ear.

"Mikan, Mikan," he breathed, kissing her cheek again. His thrusts grew more erratic.

"Natsume," she affirmed as she tried to spread her legs wider to accept his new pace.

Without another warning, he lifted himself up on both hands, giving him the leverage to fuck her even harder. She couldn't contain the squeal that escaped when she felt him so hard and so hot and so fast. She was so close.

"You can scream for me," he teased as he looked her straight in the eye.

She looked right back at him, knowing and wanting him to see how much she loved him. And knowing that, he shifted himself just a bit and hit that one spot to make her see stars.

"Natsume!" she moaned, over and over, "Fuck! Natsume!"

Reaching his final thrusts, he began his ramble; sometimes it was breathy and soft, sometimes he screamed it as loud she screamed his name; sometimes, she caught part of it, sometimes she understood none of it.

"Fucking take it, Mikan, take all of me…"

"Natsume!"

"I love you so much, fucking hell, I love…"

She moaned once more, and she was over the edge. Uncontrolled, she rubbed her lower half against his, trying her best to ride out the pleasure for as long as she could. He ground back against her with just as much passion as he spilled his seed inside of her, filling her with his thick, hot fluid.

Sweaty and exerted, he lay on top of her; neither of them bothered to move as they both quite enjoyed their position, him still inside of her.

She wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes, her body still thrumming and electrified but oh so happy.

She felt his hand turn her head, and she opened her eyes to see Natsume staring at her with those wonderful, adoring eyes.

He grinned boyishly.

"I love you."

She smiled back, the one she reserved for their special, intimate moments like these, and kissed him on the tip of his nose.

"I love you, too."

Random Tidbits:

This was supposed to have a lot more dirty talk, but I didn't think it fit.

The 16 part didn't go quite as I planned.

I really do consider some parts of this story to be parody because they are just ridiculous.