GA FIC: Last Dance

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...^^,