I'M BACK! :)
Thank you to everyone who reviewed the second chapter.
And for those who added this and me in their Favorite/Alert list.
I love you guys to bits! OH YEAH!

SPAM ALERT:I'm terribly sorry if the past Story Alert subscribers have been receiving alert mails. I just wanted to put this fanfic on the first page of the archive without deleting the whole story. Just disregard it. Thank you!

Disclaimer: If unicorns are real, then I'd say Gakuen Alice is mine. :)

A Sickness to Forget

Written by Sitting in the Silence

iii : Judas' Kiss

MIKAN WOKE UP WITH A yelp as she felt a hard thing hit her still sleepy head. She quickly shot up her head and widely stared at the mighty intruder who dared disturb her time of sanctuary. But her amber eyes softened and she felt relieved when she saw it was Hotaru, her best friend, still in her pajamas and was holding a brown paper bag with her left hand and her Baka Gun on the right.

Mikan figured out that she was the one who hit her with the same old device that she has been using on her ever since. She stood up with glee as she ran towards her best friend for a hug. She knew she wouldn't be able to come close because she was anticipating the truth that the one that will hug her back is another Baka Gun ammo.

That's why it shocked her when she got a hold of her. Hotaru staggered a little to the back because of Mikan's weight. She also noticed that Hotaru was panting. She smiled, thinking that Hotaru hurried her way over here because of her.

"Thank you for coming Hotaru! I love yooou…" She screeched as she let go of her best friend.

Hotaru, having managed to release normal breaths, just said, "Idiot."

She felt really stupid, suddenly being awakened by a nurse over the phone and having told her that Mikan needs a few clothes. She reflexively and automatically jumped off her bed and rummaged her wardrobe for clothes. And she didn't forget to bring her Baka Gun with her to punish whoever is responsible for Mikan's trip to the hospital and she made sure that if it's Mikan's fault then she'd still be hit for making her worry so much in the middle of the night.

And now, seeing that she's alright made her calm a bit. Her amethyst eyes travelled from Mikan's bandaged wrist to the sleeping fire-caster on the bed.

"What happened?" she asked Mikan who had just started walking back to the chair beside the bed. Hotaru sat on the couch just near the room's entrance door.

Mikan explained everything; when she was sleeping, her dream, Natsume's sudden disturbance, the knocks that Natsume claimed he was hearing, and her assuring that there were no knocks at all, finally convincing him to go to the hospital, and everything else except for the part where Natsume burned her wrist. She didn't want to mention something so small to her best friend. Besides, she's pretty sure that what Natsume did was an accident and that he didn't mean any harm to be done. She also mentioned that there's definitely something . . . odd about him and his actions.

Hotaru smirked at this. Natsume has always been odd, especially his actions, whether it's his being so secretive or mysterious. But of course, her optimistic best friend wouldn't notice that because she's too naïve and she believes that Natsume is a good person, inside and out. She raised a brow for a nanosecond, "And what's the bandage for?"

Mikan gave of an expression of being off guard, she laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head, "Ohh, this is nothing. Just me! Being clumsy, again." She pointed out as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"You can't fool me Mikan. I'm not stupid." Hotaru said as she reclined her back on the couch.

Mikan's eyes saddened, "I wasn't saying you were." At that, she carried on with the part that she avoided telling Hotaru – that when the whole I-heard-a-knock event was going on, he kinda grabbed a hold of her wrist and he absentmindedly burned it.

Mikan's eyes swore she saw Hotaru's eyes narrowed into a sharp stare as she glared at Natsume's sleeping state.

"B-but I'm fine! See?" Mikan stood up and started punching the air, this time Hotaru's gaze fixed on her, "Totally working fine. Aya-chan already took care of this."

Hotaru blankly stared at her best friend. Of course, why wasn't she still used to this attitude of hers? Mikan has always been so strong; even she admires that trait of hers. At that, Hotaru stood up and started towards the door, "I'll go get us a hot chocolate." And then she was gone.

Mikan sat back again to her chair and watched Natsume's sleeping figure. She turned to face him and she sank her cheeks down to her palms as her elbow rested on the soft texture of Natsume's bed. She noticed everything about him for the first time, like how fine his eyelashes were and his skin. His hair so dark and messy and how he still looks good despite that. It's refreshing to see his crimson eyes hidden for a change. Whenever she looks at them, she would feel like it wasn't red angry but it was more like, red sad. For the first time, Mikan actually thought that a sleeping Natsume is in such peace. She can even feel like he was smiling at her, with his lips curved up a little.

Mikan also smiled at this. Without warning, she realized her hand was reaching for Natsume's face and . . .

"M-Mikan." A voice said. Mikan withdrew her hand as she turned her head to greet the owner of the voice.

"R-Ruka-pyon!" she almost jumped off her chair.

Ruka went in the room, "I went up to check Natsume's room then I found out he wasn't there. He had a . . ." he stopped, not sure if he should continue the statement or not, "He told me had to do an errand for the faculty . . . and when he wasn't in his room, I thought that I . . . I should check in here." He finished.

"Ohh. Well, he's fine now. The nurse said he just needed a rest." Mikan gave off another of her smile to assure Ruka that he doesn't need to worry.

"I hope you don't mind me asking but . . . uhh, what are you doing here in your nightdress Mikan?" Ruka asked, feeling kind of embarrassed for having to point out that fact to her.

Mikan looked down and saw she was still in her nightdress. She smacked her head. She suddenly made a mental note to keep this nightdress that Nonoko had given her as a random-gift-thing in a secured and locked place.

"I'm sorry." She laughed, embarrassed. She then caught a glimpse of the paper bag Hotaru was holding earlier, she took it and walked towards the bathroom door in the same room, "Go ahead and sit beside him. I'm just gonna change clothes." At that, the bathroom door shut tight before Ruka's sight.

A few minutes after, the bathroom door swung open and Mikan stepped out. She was wearing a pink t-shirt with a bunny face printed on the center and a white skirt.

Mikan sat down on the couch and tried folding the nightdress neatly before placing it inside the paper bag. She felt Ruka sit down beside her.

"What happened to this?" Ruka asked as he gently touched Mikan's bandaged wrist.

Mikan stopped moving when she felt Ruka's warm hands touched hers.

"It's Natsume's fault. Everything's his fault." Mikan said followed by a sniffle or two. "Oh Ruka-pyon. Please, take me away from him. Don't let him hurt me again . . ." She said as she sank herself on Ruka's chest.

"Shhh. Don't worry, I won't. I'll take care of you." Ruka said as he lifted Mikan's face, and slowly, he was nearing it.

His lips met hers, and they shared a passionate kiss.

A/N: YES! Hahah. Another update from me! YEAH! :) Hope you guys like it. Bwahaha! I'm soo evil for doing this to the love of my life, Natsume.

Well, THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS: MythicalPrincessYnna (Thanks for reviewing. And Natsume's sick, badly sick.), patty (oo naman, pinay na pinay ata ako!), kittycloud (hahaha. Thank you so much.)

THANKS ALSO TO THOSE WHO ADDED THIS IN THEIR FAVORITE/ALERT LIST.
You guys are loooooveee! *puts heart here*

Please review awesome people of FFN. :) I love you guys.

Click eettt. :D
V