Author's note:

Oh dear me, it has definitely been ages since I've updated the last chapter. 7-8 years?

I am really sorry guys, I've been speeding my busy years from college, university, internship and now on my 4th year as an engineer. After being so frustrated with the dumb politics at work, I've decided to continue the fics. It might be short and quite infrequent, but I do hope I could complete, at least, this fic. *crosses fingers*

Thank you all for the reviews all these years, even though the chances of me getting this updated is almost 0%.

Sadly enough, my memory for the stories were quite dusty, so I had to reconstruct the plot. I had to re-read the whole thing from Chapter 1 and… holy… I never have cringed so hard in my life. I feel like smacking my head in a wall and die in embarrassment. I'm sure most of you will have to read back from the start, but sigh. Just bear with me, please.

Soooo, enough chatter and here's the continuation.

Chapter 18: Tsunami of Emotions

The words that came out from his lips cannot be registered in her head. Her panicked behaviour turned to confusion. "Shin, come on..." Mikan pokes his arm, but he simply smiled and gently stared straight in her hazelnut eyes. Her cheeks slowly reddened as her eyes met his but resolved to calm herself down in her mind and spoke, "Shin, stop joking around with me. You know this is not funny to me, right?"

As soon as she said that, he simply replied, "I told you that I'm not Shin, Mikan." He gently touched her reddened cheeks. "I, Natsume, is in love with you." Mikan's head was in the clouds, as he continued, "I had to stop being difficult about my true feelings. Do you want me to repeat back what I've said? You look dazed again..."

As the realisation hits her, she shook her head. "No, not now… I-I h-heard you loud and c-clear… But maybe tomorrow…?" She timidly replied.

He chuckled, seeing his wife blush another shades of pink. "I am sorry that I've put you in difficult situations since we got engaged, but I slowly fell in love with you and your hardened resolve in the confines of this palace." His frankness took her by surprise, but ended with a snarky remark, "-but that doesn't mean I can't tease you now and then." He smirked but droplets of tears fell from the corners of Mikan's eyes.

"W-w-wait, what's wrong? Did I say something insensitive to you?" Seeing Natsume panicking and worrying for her was quite a sight, so Mikan ended up crying while laughing. "Hey, hey... now you're laughing?" He cupped her face in his palms, slowly wiping away her tears. "Crying or laughing, pick one!"

"How can I not cry after all this while…?" Her hands slowly glided on his hands, "How can I not laugh when you finally confessed to me… that you actually have such feelings for me..." She sniffled as she spoke.

As a response, he sighed depressingly and released his hands, and it bewildered her, "Heyyyy, what's with that response? I'm being serious here!"

Natsume reverted back to his usual self, as he pinched her cheeks, "I have been dropping hints to you, here and there, in various occasions! Can't you understand?!"

Now it's Mikan to retort, "A-a-a-ahhh, iiii hurrrs!" She removed his hands from her cheeks. "How do I know that you were dropping hints!? You're always making me angry and you've been so prickly around me!"

"Then that's your problem, slowpoke." He flicked his fingers on her forehead. It didn't hurt that much but Mikan whined and rubbed her temple, "Who wouldn't be angry and prickly if your wife is always being chummy with another man besides himself!" He scoffed.

She couldn't believe what she just heard. "Were you, perhaps… jealous of Ruka?" Natsume flinched a little, but she noticed it and giggled, "Awww, Natsume you're so cute!" She ruffled Natsume's hair like a little boy which turned out tousled..

Natsume thought of something mischievous, so he teased her back along the curve and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her close, "Dear wife, I don't appreciate to be called as 'cute'. But you can be, instead!" He pecked her left cheek and left Mikan dazed in happiness again. "Ah, we're here." Natsume smiled as he looked out of the window. Mikan also glanced to see where they have arrived.

"It's beautiful!" Mikan questioned. She found that they have arrived somewhere outside of the palace's premises, in a rural area.

He bore his eyes into an old inn. "It is, isn't it? We're going to have a holiday together."

It took 1 minute for her to digest what he said. "...Huh?"

"I've thought of arranging a holiday for both of us, after all the mess that has occurred when we were apart from each other. Don't you think we need a rest?" Natsume repeated. "I'm taking one step ahead to mend our broken ties back anew."

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard those words from her husband, "O-of course…!" then she mumbled to herself, "Of course I want to spend some time with you… Jeez."

"Say that again?"

She ignored Natsume and got out of the car, "Wow, this is a beautiful place!"

They stood at the hilltop, overseeing the small traditional town. She joined Natsume, who walked towards the old majestic sakura tree, unbloomed in the cold winter. From their view, they could see small rows of medium sized houses and shops, kids running around with their dogs along the riverside, some are playing baseball, housewives busy gossiping on the benches underneath the gingko trees. Group of teens were walking past the gossipy housewives, eating mitarashi dango while window shopping. They spotted a huge farm on the far right with a large grazing area and an old couple tending their livestocks with their grandchildren.

It's a typical commoner's daily life and her heart ached. "It has been a while since I've seen this… I miss my family so much now. I really am suited to be a commoner..." Mikan confessed. He peeked to see his wife, worriedly and saw her brimming in tears. A pair of gentle hands reached hers, as she smiled. Then she remembered something important. "Natsume! Hold on a second! We're supposed to attend to your birthday ceremony!"

"I told them I'm going for a honeymoon with my dear wife." He smirked.

Mikan flushed red and spurted out, "W-w-why are you always saying vague things to them?" She panicked, flailing her arms up and down. He hid a smile and simply shrugged. "Then, what about all the preparations they did in the hall?"

"Oh…" He paused to think before continuing, "Don't worry, Tsubasa is handling it." He winked to assure that everything was taken care by the Circle.

A cool breeze swept by from the mountains behind the town. "I'm so worried… I do hope you will not get any warnings from the King and Queen. But, I'll trust your decisions. Nevertheless, thanks for bringing me here. This is a pretty village, how did you know this place?"

"See there?," Natsume said while pointing to an old building with little kids running around the compound. It looks like an elementary school across the wooden bridge over the large river. "Apparently that school holds precious memories for me."

"The school? So you studied here?" Mikan asked as she saw a group of kids bowing towards their discipline teacher. "What memories do you have here?"

He smiled and pulled her towards the river after giving a command to the bodyguards. They looked worried but simply bowed to adhere to his commands and returned to the car.

"I studied here for a month, to experience studying in a local school- as a commoner." Mikan nodded and followed his lead. "A month was short but it felt so right, it's as if I've been a resident here for so long. Since then, I dropped by whenever I felt lonely because this is the only place where I could feel the strong nostalgic feeling."

"It's my first time seeing you like this." He glanced back and saw Mikan's sweet smile directed to him only "I wish you could smile happily like this with me everyday!"

A blush spread across his face but, the orange hues from the sunset covers it. Mikan felt his hands gripped tightly and understood that he also felt the same.

They briskly walked towards an old inn, Kasumi-ya Ryokan and was greeted by an okami who was in a seiza position in front of the genkan.

"Welcome, Crown Prince Natsume and Princess Mikan. I am Kimigiku, okami of Kasumi-ya. The royal suite is ready, kindly proceed this way." She stood up and led them along the hallway while politely showing the directions.

She tugged his sleeves, "N-Natsume, I didn't bring any change of clothes… Can we go shop later?"

"I had the maids pack yours earlier today. The bodyguards stealthily delivered our luggages yesterday, so don't worry."

She paused to look him in the eye. "You sure had a lot of confidence about coming here with me. What happens if I refuse to tag along with you?"

He grinned, "Hmm, I have options to kidnap, drag or… carry in my arms, princess style!" She pouted and led him to pat her head. "Stop making cute faces with me." He moved closer to her ears and whispered, "Or else I'll attack you tonight."

Her mouth gaped open and stunned, blinking her large amber eyes after she heard his remarks. She whispered, "W-what are you saying, baka!"

"Feeling awkward?" Natsume snickered. He stopped walking as the okami bowed to him and showed the room. "Thank you, Kimigiku-san." Okami bowed politely as she excused herself to leave the newlyweds bickering playfully.

Mikan heaved a sigh of relief the moment she slide the door open. There are two futons laid on the tatami. "Why're you looking so relieved?"

"I don't want to repeat the awkward moments we had before." She replied while reminiscing her first kiss in the set-up the elderly arranged for them.

Natsume raised an eyebrow, "You're quite optimistic, thinking that nothing would happen." She gave him a puzzled look. "ANYTHING can happen, at ANY given circumstances..." He smirked.

Mikan narrowed her eyes while taking a step back. "Y-you're not doing that right?"

"Why not?" He walked inside the room and opened a sliding door that displays a Zen garden with koi pond. "Our feelings managed to get through, so why not?" He grinned sneakily while sitting on the bamboo chair, witnessing Mikan's reddened face. "Oh come on... Seriously, do you think I'm that kind of animal? Don't worry, it won't happen." Natsume silently thought, If you consented then...

Mikan sighed a breath of relief and tip-toed into the room. "Anyhow, don't you think this inn is too quiet? I can't hear anyone staying here."

"I booked the whole inn for us." Natsume coolly responded as he sat down and started unpacking his bag. Mikan gaped at him in surprise. "What's wrong?"

"How long did you book this inn for?" She dropped down.

"A week."

"Are you serious?!"

"Yep, no reason to joke." He grinned, "It's a holiday between ourselves."

Mikan jumped towards Natsume in a hug, "Yay, a trip with only us! This is a first!"

He cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment, "Ahem, glad you like this." He wanted to hug her back but she quickly released him and stood up.

"Come on, Natsume, let's take a brisk walk along the village!" She pulled his arm. "Let's see the sea!"

After feeling a tad unhappy with his failed attempt to hug her back earlier, he quickly pulled her down to his arms, into his embrace. "Calm down, Mikan… We have the whole week to walk around." Her cheeks felt really steamy against his chest, listening and breathing in his cologne. His hands which gripped her shoulders glided towards her back, and she gasped. "Could you just let me hug you for a while? I've wanted to do this for the longest time, ever."

"…!" She immediately returned his embrace. Both hearts beating loudly, to an embrace that was longed by them.

To be continued.