Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice. All credits to the maker of GA.
- The Last Dance -
By: 13itt3rsw33t
"Natsume-nii,
have you ever experienced to have your last dance?" a 5 year old silver
haired boy sat beside a 12 year old raven haired guy, who was leaning his back
against his favorite Sakura Tree trying to close his eyes.
Hearing
this question, he opened his crimson eyes and met those teal eyes of his kouhai
as he shifted his sitting position.
He
stared at him for a while before answering; the young boy's face shows that he
was curious to know.
"Hate
those, why'd you ask Youichi?"
"Because
there are a lot of girls who asked you to dance with them ever since yet you
declined." Youichi said.
"Don't
want to. And besides, they're all ugly." He just answered nonchalantly and
went back to his original position and started to close his eyes again.
Youichi
was silent for a while and Natsume thought that he would no longer ask for more
and continued to nap.
"Including
Mikan nee-san?"
That
sudden question made him open his eyes once again and looked at Youichi.
He
wasn't able to give him an immediate answer as the boy continued.
"Haven't
Mikan-nee asked you to dance with her even if it was or wasn't the last
dance?"
He
still wasn't even able to give an answer.
'Of
course she had. I just don't want to dance around a lot of people.'
Youichi
just looked at Natsume.
But
still Natsume could not find the answer that would not give him away.
"Ruka-nii
is going to participate this year?" Youichi said, changing the topic after
hearing nothing from Natsume.
This
diverted his attention, "With who?" he asked.
"I
can't think of anybody else except for Mikan-nee or Hotaru-nee." Youichi
innocently said.
After
dinner, at Hotaru's room.
"Mikan,
I want you to be my last dance again, understand?" an emotionless raven
haired girl said as she fixed the hair of the brunette in front if the mirror.
"Hotaru!
You really love me – " she started remembering their first Alice festival
together, when the 10 year old Hotaru announced Mikan to be her last dance, as
she turned to look at the girl behind her.
"It's
just to keep those old men away." She bluntly said.
Mikan
pouted at her remark but then smiled.
"Ok.
Hotaru, let me brush your hair."
Hotaru
willingly obliged as she sat herself as Mikan held her raven locks at the back,
brushing it. Two years had passed and miraculously, Hotaru grew her hair
longer, though she kept it 4 inches longer right after her shoulders.
As
Mikan enjoyed brushing Hotaru's hair, they heard a series of soft knocks at the
door.
"I'll
get it." Mikan placed the brush down the table.
"Who
is it?" she asked as she went to open the door, with Hotaru following her.
"Ah!
Ruka-pyon!" Mikan exclaimed when the door opened.
At the
other side of the door, there stood a handsome blond haired lad with gentle
ocean blue eyes, clad in a white tux and a matching dark blue pants with a blue
ribbon which accentuated his eyes.
"Uhm,
good evening Sakura, Imai." He greeted as the girls came into view.
Hotaru
went back to the seat where she was sitting as she saw who the caller is and
MIkan motioned Ruka inside.
"So,
Ruka-pyon, what are you doing here?" Mikan asked as she picked up the
brush once again and continued to attend to Hotaru's hair.
Ruka,
being the shy type of person, blushed at the question, unsure if he is doing a
good thing or not.
"Uhm,
I want to ask Imai…" he paused and looked at the reflection of Hotaru by
the mirror as he saw her looking at him at his statement with her still
emotionless face.
"…Will
you pair up with me, during the last dance?" he continued.
"Huh?"
Hotaru said, still with the face.
"Wow!
Ruka-pyon's asking Hotaru to be his last dance, that's great!" Mikan said excitedly,
"Will you Hotaru?" she turned to her best friend.
"I
already asked Mikan." She looked away and looked at one of her invention
at hand.
"Tsk
tsk tsk. Hotaru, we've dancing ever since when we know when. You must dance
with another people you know." Mikan said, pulling her from her seat.
"Come
on, Ruka-pyon's asking, why not give him the opportunity to dance with
you." She said, a big smile forming in her obvious face.
'Hehe,
Hotaru's gonna have her first REAL last dance. I mean REAL with a REAL partner,
a GUY, and it's RUKA-PYON! Yey!'
"Mikan
– " Hotaru was about to say but she was stopped when Mikan stopped and
pushed her a little to Ruka, smiling.
Hotaru
looked at the guy she landed to and then to Mikan, "150 rabbits."
"Hotaru,
you meanie! That's a week's allowance for me!"
"And
you," she turned to Ruka and CLICK!
"You'll
pose for my pictures for profit. You in that tux will be profitable, maybe
we'll switch with the dress, me in that tux and you in this dress." She
continued.
"I-Imai!
Stop that!" Ruka opposed as he started to snatch the camera but Hotaru was
quick enough to hide it.
"Hehehe,
that settles it then. Good luck dancing with Hotaru at the last dance."
Mikan said amused looking at her two friends.
At the
big bonfire, most of the students were already there, chatting and drinking
juices around the bonfire as the music is already played to entertain the
students as some started dancing.
Away
from the settling mood around the bonfire, two figures where found not far from
the site, seated in one of the branches of a tree in the forest.
"Youichi
said that you're participating tonight." A guy with crimson eyes said.
The
other guy blushed at the sentence, and thanks to the full moon, it was evident
to the other.
"So
it's true. With who?"
"Sakura
was first to be invited by Imai but then she said that it's about time for her
best friend to dance with another person." He couldn't contain his blush
further.
"Heh,
I didn't know that that Ice princess would allow that idiot to let her decide for
her." The crimson eyed guy said in an interesting tone.
"N-no!
What made you think about it, Natsume? Do you know that Sakura's allowance for
this week will fall to the hands of Imai as an imbursement for what she said
and-and that I – I will become her source of income once again…" he said
in embarrassment.
"Hn."
Was all he replied.
Silence
took over after that and both of them watched as the moon was covered by the
passing clouds, darkening the skies.
After a
while, the silence was broke by the ocean blue-eyed guy.
"What
about you, Natsume? Why won't you dance with Sakura since she doesn't have a
pair now?"
"Don't
wanna."
Back at
by the bonfire, at their table…
"Hotaru,
why do you think that Ruka-pyon asked you for the last dance? Does it mean that
he likes you? Oh my gawd! It must be it!" Mikan continued her blabbering
about Ruka asking Hotaru.
"Shut
it or I'll get your month's allowance." Hotaru, definitely annoyed by her
continuous blabber, if she wasn't allowed to bring her inventions right now,
she would have fired her recently upgraded baka gun to the brunette.
Mikan
stopped at her remark and said, "How am I going to buy for my assignment
materials?"
"Now,
now Mikan-chan, calm down. Imai-san was just kidding you know." Yuu
comforted the brunette.
Noises
from the students and teachers chatting, laughing and dancing were heard as the
activity went on. Then, at their table, two figures were approaching them.
"Ahh!
Ruka-pyon, Natsume! You just came in time. Narumi is finally announcing the
start of the last dance!" she called out.
When
the two was at their table, Natsume just plopped himself down to one of the
spare chairs and eyed the brunette.
"Shut
up strawberries, your voice is much louder than that gay's voice with the
mic."
"Hmp!"
she scoffed at him and didn't snapped back at him.
'Don't
let him ruin your night Mikan, he's just teasing you like the olden times.' She
thought to herself.
Mikan
diverted her attention to Ruka and said elatedly, "Well, Ruka-pyon, what
are you waiting for?"
Ruka
blushed at her statement and looked at Hotaru, who was eating her beloved crabs
and was throwing glares at him which says, 'Do-it-while-I'm-still-eating-or-you'll-die'.
"Ahh,
maybe later Sakura, she's still eating."
After
that, Hotaru finished her crab and was about to reach out to another crab in
her plate, eyeing her mount full of crabs adoringly, as Mikan snatched the
plate away, leaving Hotaru dumbfounded for a split of second and threw a
deathly glare to her.
"Hotaru's
done." She smiled-oh-so-innocently as the gang sweat dropped at her sudden
aggressiveness and the killer aura that the inventor is emitting.
The
raven haired girl just stood up and bent down towards the brunette as she
whispered that left the brunette paled and broke out a cold sweat then walked
to the dancing area, circling the bonfire.
Ruka
stood up, looking worriedly at the brunette who was still stunned even after he
shook her a little then went after the girl.
"Mikan-chan,
hold on, whatever may Hotaru-chan said, she maybe just joking." Anna said.
"Mikan-chan,
don't worry. Imai-san, she'll just let it go." Said the worried Iinchou.
"Mikan-chan,
good luck!" the metallic haired scientist, Nonoko, said.
"Seems
like you've run out of luck, strawberries." Natsume commented mockingly.
"Just
shut up, jerk!" Mikan retorted, "Anyways, whatever she said, I don't
care. Hotaru's dancing with Ruka-pyon!" she was immediately brought back,
eyeing at her two friends as she pulled out a camera and started taking their
pictures.
Her
friends sweat dropped at her sudden revival and antics while she was smiling
with her eyes sparkling.
"Though
I never anticipated for this to happen. That Hotaru will accept Ruka to be her
last dance." Anna said, smiling.
"Yeah,
me too. What could have made her do that?" Nonoko wondered and then all of
them; aside from the busy Mikan, who was still taking pictures even though
Hotaru was glaring at her madly and Natsume, who was staring at the brunette;
looked at Mikan.
The
gang slowly dispersed to the crowd dancing with whoever they desired to dance
with, leaving Mikan and Natsume at the table.
"Natsume,
how are you feeling? I saw you yesterday bleeding from that stupid mission that
Persona send you to." She said.
"Why
strawberries, wanna nurse me?" he said with a sly smile.
"Ugh,
why would I? I was just asking. And would you stop using names on me, I'm
already 12 years old!" she said back.
"Heh,
make me, little girl."
"Stop
it, will 'ya."
"That's
not gonna do."
"Natsume,
please." She said and did the puppy-dog-eyes.
Natsume
smirked, "Is that all?" he said while in his head was, 'Why does she
have to be so cute?'
Then he
stood up and went to the forest which is just behind their table, where he and
Ruka came from before, leaving Mikan alone scowl at his remark. Afterwards, she
then followed Natsume and saw him by a tree and sat down beside him.
"The
celebration's not yet over Natsume, why did you leave?" Mikan said.
"And
we're not done yet. You have to stop calling me names." She added.
Natsume,
who was closing his eyes the moment Mikan arrived at the tree, opened them and
looked at her hazel orbs.
"Miss
me?" he said with a smirk.
"Why
would I? And we just met." She answered.
Natsume
just smirked at her then he closed his eyes once again.
Mikan
looked at the guy next to her and just smiled. She then looked at the skies and
admired the stars as she stared counting them.
After a
while, with the music from the dances at their back, it seemed that it made her
feel sleepy and so she stood up.
Natsume,
noticed her movement, just continued to close his eyes feeling the strawberry
scent that the girl beside him is emitting.
He was
secretly smirking inside when his eyes shot up as she pulled him to stand.
"Come,
let's dance." She said and smiled.
"No."
"Why?
Come on, we're doing nothing in here and it makes me sleepy." She stated.
"Find
someone else little girl." As he pulled his hand back.
"Hmp.
Natsume kill joy!" she said and started to release her hold on him and
started to walk.
As she
was about to set another foot away, she was stopped and felt his hands wrap
around her petite waist and was turned to face him.
"Give
up already? I thought you said that we aren't done yet?" he said huskily.
"I
– a... Natsume, too close!" she said as she pushed him, noticing their
closeness but he just held on her closer.
"Hmm,
I'm right, strawberries." He muttered to her ear.
Mikan
blushed at his comment and thought of something to throw back at him.
She
then smiled at him as she draped her arms at his neck, making Natsume smirk.
"Oh,
what are you thinking? Trying to seduce me?"
"Hmm
maybe, maybe not, I was joking." She said as she started to dance.
"Anyways,
will you stop calling me names already?" she said.
Natsume
seemed to follow her and looked away.
"Don't
want to." And she smirked.
Mikan
twitched at this and said, "Stubborn."
"Strawberries."
He smirked.
"Pervert!"
"Cobalt
blue."
"Jerk."
"Polka
dots."
"Idiot."
"Little
girl."
"Annoying."
"Mine."
"Self
– what?" she asked.
Natsume
smirked again, "Mine."
"Why?
You haven't called me like that." She said.
"If
you insist me to stop calling you names, then might as well call you 'Mine'.
You can also call me 'Yours'."
"You
know what, you really are full of yourself."
"Can't
see it that way."
"Ugh,
I hate the way you talk to me."
"Don't
worry, I'll never talk to anyone as sweetly as I am talking to you."
"What's
with the talk Natsume? It's giving me goose bumps."
"Say,
will you dance with me again next year Yours?"
"Huh?"
"How
about always?" he said.
"What
about always?" she asked dumbly, not following him.
He
sighed a little and said, "Do you remember what I've said before
that?"
"
'Say, will you dance with me again next year Yours?' " she dully restated.
"Yes."
"Huh–
Whatta! No!"
"Then,
see 'ya again best at next year's last dance." As he was the one now
guiding their dance while Mikan just recalled fully what they've just conversed
at and looked down, blushing.
End...^^,