I AM SO SO SO SO SORRY! I DON'T HAVE ANY EXCUSES, I KNOW! Sigh...I had hoped to finish this whole fic before September so that I wouldn't become one of those authors that doesn't update in time and drives everybody crazy. Clearly, that didn't quite happen….(laughs sheepishly).

Although now that I'm done with my first ever term of college, I'm on winter break! One new chapter, coming right up, and hopefully another one or two before second terms starts! I think this one has a bit more fluff, but you guys tell me if you agree or not!

As always, I don't own Gakuen Alice, Kitchen Princess or Yumeiro Patissiere!

And finally, thank you to everybody who continued to monitor this story, favorite/follow it, review it or just even take the time to read the title! It's been so encouraging having notifications sent saying that people are still reading this, and to be perfectly honest, that's why I finally managed to write (and finish) this chapter! It makes me so happy knowing that people actually like my writing hahaha…..

Alright, I'll shut up now! Without further ado, I present to you chapter 10 of Rekindling the Past!

Flashback POV: Natsume

Present POV: Mikan

FREEDOM

"You should just leave." I glared at the girl behind me impatiently, trying to scare her into leaving. I didn't think she was serious when she said she'd come with me back home, and I agreed back in the tree to get her out of my way. Unfortunately, my plan backfired, just like everything else today.

"OH MY DEAR ZESTY CUPCAKES! For the last time, Natsume, I'm not leaving! I promised that I would come with you to face your parents and I'm planning to do just that." I rose an eyebrow at the flustered girl before me who was now glaring. Zesty cupcakes? What the hell? Even when she's mad she thinks about food. I shook my head at the thought and focused back on the issue at hand. Namely getting the girl to leave.

"Look, Polka. There's no point in you coming. In fact, if you think that you can do anything to "fix" the relationship between my parents and me, you're going to leave sorely disappointed." Polka was starting to get extremely annoying. She's the kind of girl that tries to fix everyone's problems, but this was something she couldn't fix. And she just wasn't getting the hint.

"I'm not trying to fix the relationship you have with your parents!"

"..."

"I'm not!"

"..."

"OK FINE! Maybe I am trying to help you get closer to your parents, but what's wrong with that? I truly think if you just talk to them about how you're feeling everything would be better, Natsume!"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but the reason you're actually coming is to force me to talk to my parents? About my feelings? Oh yeah, that'll go over perfectly well! I don't know why I never thought of that idea." I sneered sarcastically in response.

Honestly, what does she expect me to say? 'Hey mom, dad, I hate you because you always make Aoi cry unless I do your every bidding like a good, obedient slave.' The response would probably be more of Aoi's tears and more work to burden. On top of that, a long-ass lecture about how I wouldn't be anywhere without their help and guidance.

Sounds like fun. NOT.

"Yup! Seriously though, I mean, they're still your parents! I just know that if you speak to them about how you feel from the bottom of your heart, about how they're not being fair to you and Aoi, then they've just gotta listen!"

"Talk to them?"

"Yup."

"About how they're not being fair?"

"Mhmm."

"From the bottom of my heart?"

"Exactly right! Now can we go in?" You've gotta be kidding; does she really think I'm willing to do something as stupid as that? I rolled my eyes before turning and facing the girl head on, painting a slight glare on my face.

"Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to open this door and go inside. And you're going to go back to your own house and open your own door and go inside. Cool, now that that's settled, why don't you just head on your way. Hell, I'll even walk you ther—"

"I AM COMING IN WITH YOU NATSUME HYUUGA! EVEN IF I HAVE TO BREAK DOWN THIS FRONT DOOR, OR CRAWL IN THROUGH AN OPEN WINDOW!" I pinched the bridge of my nose in irritation, observing as the pushy girl before me watched me with a defiant look in her eyes. I sighed, knowing that once Mikan Sakura set her mind this firmly on something, it wasn't going to change. It was a waste of time arguing with her outside; since my parents were already going to be furious for involving an outsider in our matters, there was no point in delaying any further. I turned back to the front door and inserted my key into the lock before pushing the door open slightly.

"Oi, Polka. If you're really that keen to meet the people that own this household, then hurry up. I'm not going to keep the door open all day," I threw over my shoulder and crossed the threshold into hell. A quick glance behind me revealed Polka jumping in glee before quickly heading towards the door. I smiled a bit, but it was quickly wiped off when I heard angry voices. I pushed Polka back through the door outside and signaled her to wait there. She must have sensed the tension quickly escalating within me since she didn't put up a fight this time. That or she heard the angry voices herself. I nodded at the girl and walked into the dining area nearby, stopping right at the border of the room in order to process the situation.

"AOI HYUUGA! What are you wearing? And your hair! Go fix your appearance right now, young lady." I stared at Aoi and sighed. Much to my mother's chagrin, Aoi hated wearing the frilly, "lady-like" dresses that inhabited her closet, opting for casual shorts and T-shirts instead.

"But Mom! What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Call me mother, Aoi, not 'mom.' It doesn't look refined, dear. Actually, your outfit resembles men's' clothing, and while that does seem to be a trend nowadays it's not acceptable in this household."

"Mom, why does it—"

"Mother."

"—Mother, why does it matter? There is nobody home right now except for you and father, so why do I have to wear one of the disgusting dresses?"

"Why, you're a young lady! What kind of question is that?"

"Mother, I don't want to—"

"YOU UNGRATEFUL CHILD! I SPENT ALL THAT MONEY BUYING YOU SOME NICE CLOTHES SO YOU WOULDN'T LOOK LIKE SOMETHING THAT CRAWLED OFF THE STREETS! AND HOW DO YOU REPAY ME? BY ABANDONING YOUR MANNERS AND TALKING BACK? YOU WILL GO AND CHANGE RIGHT NOW, DO YOU UNDERSTAND AOI HYUUGA!?" I frowned at the scared look that overcame my sister's face.

"Y...Yes mother," Aoi meekly replied, turning around and scurrying up to her room. I swept my glance across the room, noting the scowl etched on my father's face as he furiously typed away at his computer. He was sitting in one of the uncomfortable wooden chairs and grabbed his phone, no doubt to yell at and fire some incompetent employee. My mother let out a sigh of frustration and pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly a habit that was passed onto me. Aoi bounded down the stairs in a new outfit and I internally cringed. It had a tulle skirt made of paper-like lace, with a completely jeweled bodice. I felt bad for Aoi, especially considering this was one of the mildest dresses in my sister's closet. It was just like my parents to force their stupid customs and desires onto their children, all the way down to who we hung out with, how we talked and even what clothes we wore. My mother surveyed Aoi, who plopped onto the couch in a very unladylike fashion, with disdain and I decided to make my entrance before my sister got scolded again. I stepped into the dining area slowly, hoping to make my entrance casual. The entire effort blew up in my face when both my mother and father simultaneously noticed me and I winced, expecting the cruel tirade and lecture on my failure as a Hyuuga. One, two three… seconds passed and after a couple of minutes I looked up in confusion. Where were the angry threats, the unjust words? To my surprise, my father completely ignored me and turned back to his work. My mother met my confused gaze with a sneer and turned her face. She turned back to Aoi and I felt a frown come on to my face. Aoi wasn't even looking at me, finding the floor more interesting, and it was obvious that she had noticed me enter the room. What poison had my parents spewed to my sister that would garner such a reaction? I headed over to the couch and decided to sit next to Aoi. I turned towards my sister and my frown grew when she got up in response and sat in the recliner across the room. She met my disappointed gaze for a moment and immediately turned back to the floor.

Is that really all I mean to her? I immediately dismissed the thought, realizing by the smug grin on my mother's face and the nonchalant tone of challenge in my father's eyes that they had somehow forced my sister to become this stranger before me.

I immediately glared at my father. He stopped working and met my glare head-on with one of his own.

"Why are you in this house?" My father acerbically questioned.

"I happen to live here." I brazenly retorted, throwing all caution to the wind. These were the people who turned the only family member I cared for against me. There was no point reigning in my anger this time, as it simply wasn't possible to reign it in. My fury grew tenfold when Aoi looked up meekly at my father's tone and glanced back at me before returning to the oh-so-interesting tiles adorning our floor.

"I'm afraid not. You see, this house is for members of the prestigious Hyuuga family."

"Right, and that's why I live here."

"You've lost all rights to the surname Hyuuga today. My wife has packed your bags, they're by the table." I glared fiercely at my father, attempting to comprehend the situation. I knew that my parents were going to be jerks about the results of the Company Fest, but I didn't think they'd go so far as to disown me and kick me out of the house.

This is flippin' ridiculous!

I turned towards my mother, who gazed at me coldly. She pursed her lips and ran her gaze over my disheveled appearance before turning so her back faced me.

"I can't be the mother of a son who purposefully loses a competition. That too, to our greatest rivals. You knew how important this was Natsume, yet you still lost. Did it please you, embarrassing our family like that? And now you have the gall to come back late, looking like you crawled out of a tree or something. Disgraceful." Is that what they think? That I threw the competition intentionally?

"What are you both talking about? It's not like I threw the competition intentionally! I didn't sleep for many of the nights before in order to prepare for it, and as a result, fainted during the Fest! It's not my fault!" My father slammed his laptop screen down and angrily stood up.

"YOU DISGUSTING LIAR! GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE RIGHT NOW, YOU CHEAT! WE KNOW YOU THREW THIS COMPETITION TO GET BACK AT US FOR NOT GOING TO AOI'S PICNIC!" My fury boiled further at this new revelation. I sent a sharp look at my sister who shrunk further into the couch. Why didn't she tell me our parents bailed? They promised they would go if I finished all those blasted account books!

"I'm the cheat? You're the ones who promised you would go if I finished all the account books, which I did! We had a deal, father! Besides, I didn't throw this competition! IF I was going to throw it, why would I waste my precious sleep time preparing for it?" I forced out through gritted teeth, attempting to reign in the volcano that was on the hinge of exploding. Some part of my rationale was still functioning, and I realized that exploding would only exacerbate the situation. It's a shame my father didn't share that viewpoint.

"HOW DARE YOU TALK BACK TO ME! YOU BASTARD!" I warily took a step back when my father briskly walked towards me. He grabbed my collar and dragged me close. I flinched at the rage in his eyes and closed my own, bracing myself for the blow that was seconds from coming.

"FATHER STOP! PLEASE!" My eyes whipped open towards my sister. Aoi had her hands clenched tight towards her chest and had a determined look in her eyes. I could still see her fear palpitate through her trembling legs and I felt a surge of happiness at the fact that my sister was back to normal. My father let go of my collar and began stalking towards Aoi. I grabbed his shirt, determined not to let the vile man near her.

"Aoi Hyuuga! Apologize this instant and go to your room! We will discuss your punishment for talking back after this failure is out of the house," My mother smoothly interjected holding a hand up towards my father as a warning. He heeded her and stopped moving towards Aoi.

"I will do no such thing. I'm sick and tired of you always telling me what to do. Sick and tired of these disgusting dresses, being told exactly what to say and do to the point that I can't even make any friends. Sick and tired of this stupid family and this stupid house!" Aoi burst out, tears spiraling down her eyes. All three of us stared in shock, for this was the first time she had ever yelled back at either of my parents. I threw my gaze at my mother and furrowed my brows as the look of shock on her face was quickly being replaced with one of rage.

"HOW DARE YOU? IF YOU REALLY LOVE THIS FAILURE SO MUCH, THEN YOU CAN LEAVE WITH HIM!" My mother stormed upstairs and returned a couple minutes later, shoving some of Aoi's things into a shoddy duffle bag and throwing it on the floor before her feet. I glanced at Aoi and noted her devastated expression.

"Mother, I…" Aoi began quietly.

"It's alright, Aoi. Don't worry about me." I whispered softly, knowing she would hear me.

"Exactly what he said, Aoi. Even he doesn't want you to care about him. Do you know why? Because he doesn't care about you at all. Do you really want to leave the house and your parents for somebody like that?" My father crooned, slyly turning my words against me. Anger boiled inside of me, but I suppressed it, knowing that I might be able to survive on the streets but there was no way Aoi could. Aoi looked at me with tears in her eyes and I felt a pang at the heartbroken look in her eyes. Neither she nor I knew what to do, but as the older brother, it was my job to protect Aoi.

And that's exactly what I plan to do. I gave my sister a reassuring smile and scooped up the bags my mother had packed. Maybe if I just left it would be easier for my sister. She wouldn't have to choose between me and our parents, for one thing.

"Anii! Wait! Please...Please don't leave me." I stopped, surprised at my sister's plea. She walked over and grabbed the hem of my shirt.

"So, Aoi. If that's how it's going to be, then you can get out of this house as well. I want both of you to be out of my sight within the next minute."

"But father, I—"

"You chose this, Aoi. Instead of choosing the people that have cared for you since before you were even born, you chose that pathetic boy. You have now betrayed this family, and there is no place for you here anymore. Now leave, let's see how long you survive depending on that worthless failure."

"NATSUME IS NOT WORTHLESS! NOR IS HE A FAILURE!" My eyes widened in shock at the sound of a familiar, screechy voice.

SHIT! I totally forgot Polka-dots followed me home. I turned towards the voice and observed the brunette before me, standing in an angry posture with clenched fists. Her brows were furrowed and she looked like she was trying not to cry.

"Sakura-chan?" My mother questioned, confused at the sudden appearance of the girl. She quickly suspected that I was responsible for Mikan being here, however, and sent me a dirty look. Way past the point of caring, I rolled my eyes in response to piss my mother off further and smirked when her glare grew deeper.

"Oh! I'm so sorry for barging in like that! Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Hyuuga." My mother's glare immediately morphed into a megawatt smile directed at Polka. The one thing my mother appreciated above anything else was good manners, more specifically good manners from the child of a high-class family.

"Oh, no, you are always welcome in this house, my dear. How can we help you? Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Urr, no, Mrs. Hyuuga. I've already eaten, although I do appreciate the offer. I came here to make sure that Natsume was fine after what happened at the Company Fest this morning," Polka fibbed, hiding the fact that she came with me. Although I'd never admit it, I was definitely feeling very grateful that Pigtails had the sense to not reveal she had come back with me and therefore overheard the entirety of the previous conversation. Especially after noting the film of irritation that blinked over my parents' face at the mention of my name and the Company Fest.

"Oh. Well. As you can see, he's absolutely fine. Well then, dear, if there's nothing else you need, would you excuse us? We have some family business to take care of. Do give your mother a very warm hug from me! TANAKA-SAN! Please show our guest out." My mother cleanly dismissed, heading towards the edge of the living room as a clear indication to Mikan to leave. Mikan narrowed her eyes in response and walked over to me instead.

"I do apologize, Mrs. Hyuuga, but I'd like to verify that Natsume is alright myself first." Mikan turned towards me and gave me a strange look. It was clear she was trying to tell me something, but I couldn't decipher her stupid look.

"So, Natsume. How are you feeling? If you need a friend, you're always welcome to come back to my place with me." Polka drawled slowly. I glanced around and saw my mother giving me a warning look. Looking back towards Polka, it was obvious that she had seen my mother's warning as well. The brunette shook her head slightly at me, and then it clicked what her plan was. I smirked slightly at her and she sent me a grin back.

"Actually, Polka, I'm not feeling so great. You see, my parents are trying to kick me out of the house because of what happened at the Fest." Polka raised an eyebrow at me before rolling her eyes slightly and my smirk widened. I glanced to the side and celebrated the twin looks of shock adorning my parents' faces. Even Aoi looked surprised at my response. What she didn't know was that this ploy was specifically for her sake.

"Is that so, Natsume? Why, that's such a terrible thing for parents to even think of doing to their kids!" I scoffed at the girl's poor acting, ignoring the slight glare she sent in response.

"It is, isn't it Polka? What's even worse, they want to kick my sister out too. Poor, innocent, sweet little Aoi who hasn't even done anything wrong." I glanced at my parents and my smirk grew. From their clenched teeth, it was clear they were pissed. Just a little bit more of a push now…

"Oh my! That's just awful! I'm sure my parents wouldn't be happy to hear that their business partners are treating their kids so terribly! Especially when they haven't even done anything wrong. How disgraceful." Oh, that was the best word she could have possibly used. "Disgraceful," my mother's most hated word.

"DISGRACEFUL? YOUNG LADY, MAY I REMIND YOU THAT YOU ARE A GUEST HERE? HOW DARE YOU INSULT US IN OUR OWN HOUSE?"

"Insult? Oh, no, I think you've completely misunderstood me Mrs. Hyuuga! I wouldn't dream of insulting you, ma'am."

"Don't think I can't detect your sarcasm, young lady. Don't you dare talk to my wife in that manner. Haven't your parents taught you to respect elders?"

"Mr. Hyuuga, my parents have taught me plenty of manners. But they've also taught me there are more important things than manners. Things like family, love, friendship. Things that clearly your parents didn't take the time to teach you." My eyes widened at Mikan's sharp words. I had never heard her use such a crisp tone before, and I wouldn't be lying if I said I was a bit worried as to my father's reaction.

"THAT IS IT! YOUNG LADY, YOU GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE RIGHT NOW!" My father burst out, sheer rage in his tone. I clenched my fists at the brief look of fear his words incurred in Mikan.

"Oh, I'd like nothing more than to get out of this house. But I'm not leaving by myself. Aoi, Natsume, please come with me. Neither of you deserve the treatment your parents are giving you. If they can even be called parents."

"Please. Even if both of you go with the girl now, you'll come running back soon enough. There is nobody in this world who would take in such worthless children for longer than a single night. Nobody except us, yet you brats still aren't grateful to have such kind parents." My father calmly retorted, sitting back down in front of his laptop.

"That's where you're wrong, Mr. Hyuuga. Neither Natsume nor Aoi is worthless. In fact, I pity you for thinking that because there is not a single person in this world who is worthless. You're always looking down on other people, never accepting others for who they are and being proud of it. Tell me, have you ever felt pride when Natsume or Aoi succeeds in something? No, right? It's because you're always looking at what they did wrong, never at what they are flourishing in. And that's where you fail as a parent. While I agree that praising your kids all the time isn't a proper parenting method either, what you're doing isn't right. The real losers here are you and your wife, and I refuse to give back Natsume and Aoi until you realize that and prove that you're worth being called parents." With those final words, Mikan grabbed my hand and Aoi's and walked out the door, determined. I didn't realize it at the time, and this will definitely sound disgustingly cheesy, but this moment was when I finally walked out of the darkness. Strangely enough, all it took was a polka-dot loving, pigtailed, clumsy little girl to lead me out.

Natsume?! WHY IS HE HERE? Wait…. WHY AM I HUGGING HIM?!

I immediately removed my arm from around his waist and gaped at the position we were currently in, both of us lying beside each other with hardly a sliver of space between our bodies. My head rested on his chest, and Natsume had his arms wrapped around me. I blushed at the thought of us so close, and that too for the whole night. The whole...night? SHIT! I quickly glanced down and relaxed upon seeing clothes on both of our bodies. At least… that hadn't transpired. Doubts crept into my mind as Natsume's grip tightened around my body, causing me to blush. He's hugged me before, but to be this physically close to me... I tried to recall what happened last night and how I got into this bed but quickly drew a blank. Let's see: Natsume and I went to Hotaru's for the movie, Hotaru picked a super scary movie, we didn't have snacks so I went to get them, it was snowing pretty heavily, the lights suddenly flickered off in our cabin and... nothing. I bit my lip, frustrated at my inability to remember anything. Clearly, I missed something important, seeing how my supposed enemy and soon-to-be-husband was beside me in bed. Though I would be lying if I said being in his arms didn't make me happy. It was kind of a foreign feeling, being so secure. It's not like I didn't feel safe sleeping by myself, but somehow having a person beside me with his arms around me was different. No, that's wrong. Having Natsume beside me was what mattered; the emotions he incurred were exclusively caused by him.

Natsume still had his eyes closed, and with his tousled hair and calm expression, he almost looked like a little kid. A soft smile graced my face at the thought and I slowly reached my fingers toward his silky hair. I'd always wondered if it was as soft as it looked, and now was the perfect opportunity to check. After all, he can't tease me later on if he doesn't even know! My fingers recoiled at the contact and I hurriedly examined his face again to make sure he was still fast asleep. I let out a soft sigh and rested one finger against his hair.

Don't be scared, stupid! He's fast asleep—besides, even if by some miracle he did wake up, it's not like I'm doing anything scandalous! My mind finally made up, I ran my finger down his hair. It really was as silky as it looked. I let out a soft giggle and reached another finger to touch his hair. It had almost made contact, but I immediately retracted it when I glanced down at his face and saw two crimson pools staring back at me, amused.

"N-N-N-Natsume! How, uh, long have you been awake?" I sheepishly asked, focusing all my attention on the pattern of the comforter, only to scowl when I realized it had polka-dots all over it.

"Like the pattern? It reminds me of something else...but I just can't place my finger on it. Do you remember, Polka?" I let out a growl at the nickname and snapped my gaze to Natsume, who was also staring at the comforter's design, angrily.

"Do you have to be a pervert this early in the morning?" I rolled my eyes at Natsume's innocent look and tried to move out of his embrace. It was a useless effort; every time I slid a bit, Natsume would follow. I met his challenging smirk with a glare and pushed against his arms, giving up in irritation when I realized moving his grip was like trying to move a wall.

Damn him! Why can't I be physically stronger than him for once in my life? I let out a huff and finally relaxed, realizing it was pointless to try and overcome him with brute force.

"I would appreciate it if you would release me," I forced out, my irritation just barely overcoming my secret delight at being in his arms.

"And I would appreciate it if you would stop moving. Some of us are trying to sleep here, Polka." Natsume sent me a slight glare and suddenly turned, caging me directly underneath him and supporting his weight with his two arms which he positioned on either side of me. His signature scent drifted past, awakening the realization that a very attractive man (who I happened to dislike) was on top of me.

Breathe! BREATHE! It's not like he's that attractive! I mean, his hair is super messy. It doesn't matter that when my hair is messy I look like a rat stuck in a bird's nest but when his is messy he looks like he stepped out of an Abercrombie ad. And he might have really nice arms... but so do a lot of other men in this world! And his eyes are….my thoughts completely trailed off when I made the mistake of glancing at his eyes. I watched, enraptured, as they softened slightly. Natsume moved his face closer to mine and I held my breath, unsure of what to do and hardly aware of anything but him. I quickly glanced down, unable to handle what his gaze was doing to me. My eyes skimmed down his perfect, angled nose and paused before his soft lips. I blushed at my thought and skirted my eyes back up to his own, not wanting to comprehend anything to do with lips.

"What are you thinking about?" Natsume muttered in a low tone, his lips whispering against my own. A shiver ran through my body and I blushed harder at the sensation his words gave me.

"Polka?" Natsume growled impatiently.

"N...Nothing!" I squeaked, pushing my head back into the pillow to try and make some distance. Natsume only moved closer to me and I gulped, unsure of what to do, what to say or what to think.

"Somehow," Natsume began, moving his lips towards my right ear. He brushed them against my ear and whispered softly, "I don't believe you." My eyes widened at his words and I immediately turned to meet his amused gaze with my own look of panic. THWACK! I felt a shock of pain on my forehead and let out a slight groan.

"Jeez, Polka. Why is your head so damn hard?" I stared at Natsume again, who had backed up a bit and was rubbing one of his hands on his forehead, and started laughing. He just looked so ridiculous, and the situation...only I could ruin something like this through my clumsiness.

"Let me get this straight. First, you headbutt me, hard I might add, on my own forehead and then you laugh about it? Well if you really want to laugh that badly, I think I can arrange that." My laughter quickly died out at the evil tone Natsume adopted and it dawned on me what he was about to do.

"NO! NO! NO! Don't you come anywhere near me, Hyuuga!"

"So now I'm Hyuuga? Well, I think that I'd much rather you call me Natsume."

"I...I will call you that if you promise not to do what I know you want to do."

"And that would be…?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Hyuuga!"

"Back to Hyuuga again, are we? Well, I suppose I have no choice in the matter then."

"YES! YES you do! If you promise not to do that, then I promise to call you Natsume!"

"Ah, but see, why settle for only one option when you can have them both?" My eyes widened and I tried to roll off the bed. Natsume intercepted me and pinned me on the comforter. I groaned, knowing what would follow, and stared at the villain above me with rage.

"Come now, there's no need to be so angry. Hmmm… I know something that should lighten you up a bit." I narrowed my eyes further, vowing not to laugh and immediately breaking my vow when Natsume started tickling me.

"I… haha... please! Stop...hahaha...STOP! I… hahahahah… I can't take this… haha...I'm sorry that...haha...I...hahah...LAUGHED...at….you!"

"Hmmm… I suppose that apology suffices. But I'm afraid you forgot something." Natsume lazily replied, continuing his attack.

UGH! This is so humiliating! And I can't even get revenge on him because he doesn't have any ticklish spots!

"Fi...hahah...Fine! NATSUME! Please...hahahahaha...stop!" Natsume smirked at me and finally removed his hands. I caught my breath and finally pouted at him before turning my head away from him to signify my "anger." Although to be perfectly honest, I just didn't want to let him off the hook that easily.

"Acting upset now, are we? Well, I suppose I could always just contin—"

"NO!" I frantically turned back towards Natsume. Dang, I completely forgot for a second there that I was up against someone who didn't have any qualms about playing unfairly.

Natsume smiled at me and I found myself blushing at his smile. He was always smirking, and sure he looked handsome (not that he'd ever hear it from my lips), but when he smiled it took my breath away. He stroked my cheek softly and leaned closer. My heart rate tripled and from the heat on my face I knew I was blushing.

"Mikan, I—"

SLAM! "Hey guys, are you awake ye—oh." Both Natsume and I whirled our heads towards the door where an amused Hotaru and a flustered Ruka stood watching.

"We're interrupting, aren't we? Well, this is awkward. Uhhhh, we'll just leave, don't mind us. You can get back to whatever it was that you were doing, and we'll just pretend that this never happ—" CLICK! Ruka, soundly interrupted, glanced at the raven-haired beauty beside him and let out a soft chuckle. I followed his gaze, saw the newly printed photo of Natsume and me and let out a gasp of shock.

This is so not good! She's going to blackmail me with that photo forever now! I blushed, embarrassed, and pushed against Natsume so he would get off before my so-called "best friend" could take more scandalous photos. He sent me a slight glare but obliged me and we both sat up on the bed. I stared down at the comforter, refusing to meet anyone's gaze and ignoring the tingling sensation that caused goosebumps due to Natsume's stare. I felt Natsume tense up a bit before letting out a sigh.

"Well, now that you've barged in here—"

"Sorry, Natsume. "

"—what's for breakfast? I hope that Hotaru cooked because we all know how hopeless you are in the kitchen Ruka," Natsume finished, slinking off the bed and heading toward our friends.

"HEY! I am not that bad of a cook! Right, Mikan?" I glanced up at the three of them finally, noting Hotaru's amused look and Natsume's blank stare. Ruka winked at me and I let out a breath of relief before getting out of bed myself.

"Right, Ruka! Burnt toast happens to be one of my favorite breakfast items!" I replied in a chirpy tone, grinning at Ruka's pout as I walked past him.

I sighed, pondering over the events this morning. I pictured Natsume and bit my lip in confusion. Was he...about to kiss me this morning? But that doesn't make any sense! I thought that he...well, I know he hated me when we first met. I don't think he hates me now, but to suddenly be this close to kissing me?

Not to mention my reaction to him, and even worse the disappointment I felt when Ruka and Hotaru interrupted. Almost like...

I wanted to be kissed by him. I immediately shook my head at the thought and glanced back at the task before me with a frown. Natsume Hyuuga sure was distracting, I thought, as I glanced at the puke-colored frosting I made by accident. Well, I'm sure the judges would love a rainbow of this color. Not. I sighed and tossed the frosting in the trash, setting the bowl in the sink to wash later. Even the frosting for this cake wasn't working out, and that was supposed to be the easiest thing! I groaned in frustration as I pictured the cake in my recipe book. Sure, it looked great on the page! Maybe I can even make it look good in real life! But taste? Forget about it. That boy in my flashback, dream, memory—whatever it was—said it himself.

"Think about it—each flavor would clash with the next and it would be gross to eat," I mimicked in my mind, the scene still fresh in my memory. That's exactly what the boy had said, and he was indeed correct. Or rather...that boy was Natsume when he was a kid; at least that's what I had deduced after all these experiences. I shuddered, rolling the idea of actually being close to Natsume as a kid, and felt the headache that normally accompanied such thoughts arise. Not in the mood to deal with more problems, I quickly banished all thoughts related to the flashbacks and turned back to the many failed creations before me. At first, I had tried making seven different, concentric rings, each having a distinct flavor, and while it looked like a rainbow, it tasted disgusting. Each flavor mixed with the next and it was overall cacophonous. In the second attempt, I tried using different flavors for the colors, substituting orange with peach, and changing the red velvet to strawberry, but that didn't really help with the flavor fiasco. In my latest attempt, I baked a bundt cake with seven separate blocks, instead of the rings, and while the flavors no longer mixed so horrendously, it was just...drab. It wasn't the cake that I was going for and I gave a disappointed sigh. I glanced back at the sketch in the recipe book and decided to give it one more try.

"Well, well this is quite the sight indeed. Polka-dots, deep in thought. Better be careful, lest you hurt yourself." I groaned, not at all in the mood to endure Natsume's irritable taunts.

"Look, Natsume, I don't have time for this. Would you please, and I mean please, leave me alone?" I calmly requested, knowing that pitching a fit is exactly the kind of response he was probably looking for. I could feel Natsume's gaze on my back and tried to tune him out by staring at my cake, which was...an even worse morale booster. I let out a sigh of exasperation and was about to shut the recipe book beside me when Natsume placed his palm on top of the page with the rainbow cake. I jumped a bit and immediately moved to the side, not expecting Natsume to just appear next to me.

"Are you making the cake for the competition? This is it, right?" Natsume inquired, pointing flippantly at the sketch of the rainbow cake I had made as a kid. He glanced at me and I caught his eye for a moment before hastily looking away when I remembered how close his gaze was this morning. I felt my cheeks getting warm from the memories and immediately turned my head away from Natsume so he wouldn't see. I tried to calm down and bury this morning in a location far away from the present, only to fail miserably when I finally chanced a look at the man next to me and felt the urge to touch his super soft hair.

"Polka?" Natsume questioned, his tone low. Ack, even his voice made me think of this morning! What was wrong with me?! I took my hands and slapped my cheeks a couple of times to force myself to focus on the conversation right now.

"What the hell are you doing?" Natsume asked, an eyebrow raised. I finally looked back at him and let out a sheepish laugh, realizing how stupid I looked to him.

Not like that's anything new to him.

"Ahahah….nothing! I just...uh, well, yes!"

"Yes?" Natsume questioned, looking a little confused. I sighed, before forcing myself to take a deep breath and calm down.

"Yes, I'm working on the cake for the competition. It's not going so well though…" I trailed off, scowling at the mess in the sink.

"I figured that much out," Natsume responded, his gaze swiping across the kitchen. I followed his gaze and shrugged self-consciously.

"I know it's a bit of a mess, but I promise I'll—"

"I know."

"Oh. Uh…" I stopped awkwardly, not sure how to continue this conversation. I turned back to my second try at the cake perched on the counter nearby, the one with the peach and strawberry flavors, and bit my lip.

Not only is my cake a flop, but I can't even talk to Natsume for longer than five seconds without feeling awkward or making a fool of myself.

Natsume stared at me for a few moments before frowning slightly. I shifted on my feet uneasily and turned back to the recipe book.

"Hmmm...The flavors are clashing. Although, I guess it looks nice." I faced Natsume and was shocked to see he had put a piece in his mouth. Even Natsume figured out what my problem with this cake was, and that too from just one bite.

"Yes, that's exactly what I thought. I tried making the cake with a variety of different flavors representing the different colors, but in every case the flavors all clashed and became too overwhelming. I finally tried to make the cake with different sectors of the cake, instead of the rings, representing the rainbow and with each one thus being a different flavor but…"

"Let me guess, the flavors didn't clash but it wasn't the cake you were going for?" I looked up, shocked that Natsume had guessed my sentiments exactly.

"How did you—"

"Oh, come on. It's obvious from the expression of disappointment on your face, Polka."

"Oh." What the hell was I supposed to say now? I frantically searched the depths of my brain for some topic to bring up and turned to Natsume when I finally picked one. The man in question wasn't even looking at me, however, instead staring at the recipe book intently. My words froze on my lips and I watched curiously as Natsume observed the cake he had tasted carefully.

"Natsume?" I asked, stunned when he didn't respond whatsoever. He appeared to be in his own world and I finally opted to lean against the counter and wait for him to come back to our world.

"You know," Natsume started after a few minutes of silence, "I think you're already close to figuring out a solution, Polka."

"What?" I questioned, still a bit surprised that he was finally talking to me again. Natsume rolled his eyes at me before turning back to the cake and smirking.

"Why don't you combine both ideas? When actually flavoring the cake, make it like the one you just made with the sections. You could have seven sections going from the center of the cake all the way out to the edge, with each one being a different flavor."

"But isn't that what I already have?"

"Yes, but your problem with it was the way it looked right? So why don't you make the flavoring in sections, but then make it look like the seven concentric rings of a rainbow? Such as in your first couple tries." I widened my eyes, never considering just combining the ideas. Although now that Natsume mentioned it, I felt really stupid for never considering it. After pondering the idea a bit more, I felt a spark of excitement and immediately an urge to bake the cake.

"You're right! I could definitely make it look like the rings, but then with the flavoring, have each sector be a different flavor! In fact, maybe I could find a complementary frosting flavor made from all the seven sector flavors that could be colored differently to create the seven rings!"

"Yeah, that sounds pretty cool. You know, you could also add a filling or something inside the cake—that's what it's called right, a filling?"

"Yeah, that would a filling," I confirmed.

"Right, well, what if you matched a complementary flavor in the filling? Let's say you were in the section that represented yellow. Maybe lemon flavored, or something like that. You could make the filling the complementary color and flavor, so in this case, since the complement of yellow is purple, maybe make the filling lavender flavored, or something purple that would go with lemon," Natsume advised, his smirk still in place. I let out a light laugh and spun in happiness. The whole complementary flavor thing was a great idea!

"I take it you like my idea then?"

"Oh! I absolutely love it! Thank you so much, Natsume!" I exclaimed, wrapping my arms around him in a hug. I immediately backed away, shocked at my own actions, after realizing what happened. A quick glance at Natsume, who stared at me a bit amused and, dare I say it…. Happy? He smirked at me and my cheeks grew warm.

"Uh, Natsume," I hastily broke the silence, trying to distract him from what I just did. "I think that now I know what to do for this cake, but I don't think I'll be able to make it until we get back to Japan. This kitchen is pretty good, but it doesn't quite have all the tools and flavors I'll need for this cake."

"Hnnnn." I rolled my eyes at his typical-Natsume response.

"I guess I'll clean up and start on dinner then. Especially since we need to start packing tonight, seeing how Ruka and Hotaru told us this morning that Sheila, that scatterbrained flight representative, had called and informed them there's a flight tomorrow back to Japan. It's sort of...strange to finally be going home," I stated, smiling softly at the thought of seeing my family again. My smile quickly faded as I realized that things between Natsume and I would probably change when we went back. For one, I guess I wouldn't see him as often as I do now...and as much as it pained me to admit it, the thought saddens me greatly.

"Right, well I'd better finalize a couple things for this deal before you finish dinner," Natsume responded, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Ok then!" I sent him a grin before turning back to the sink.

"Let me know when dinner is ready... Apples," Natsume waved behind him and I immediately looked up. What was he…my eyes widened as I comprehended what he said.

"NATSUME HYUUGA! YOU BLOODY PERVERT! DON'T YOU JUST LEAVE LIKE THAT! H-HEY!" I shrieked, blushing furiously. I heard Natsume's low chuckle as he left and my rage boiled inside. When the hell did that guy even get the chance to see? Agh! I knew wearing a dress today was a terrible idea!

Yet I still can't get any of our interactions out of my head. I scowled at the thought, because according to every source—the internet, magazines, Hotaru—the reason behind that is, apparently, that I've fallen in love with him. I scoffed at the notion every time Hotaru tried to mention it, but after today I wasn't so sure anymore. Natsume can be hard to get along with, a bit mean and a pervert all the time, but even then he has some good qualities. Like just now: helping me with the cake and all. I frowned and placed a hand on my still-warm cheek. As much as I hated to admit it...I'm starting to believe they were all right.

I think that...I might be... in love with Natsume Hyuuga.

Wooooo! I finally finished this chapter! And Mikan finally realized she's in love with our very favorite black cat! I hope you guys enjoyed the fluff :D

Also, don't hate Natsume's parents too much. To be honest, I never planned for them to be this horrible….I guess I've been watching too many soap operas lately ahaha….They sure came out a lot nastier than I expected. But don't worry, I happen to hate broken families and this story is most certainly NOT a tragedy in any way, shape or form! ;)

Finally, I hope that you all understood my solution for the rainbow cake! In Kitchen Princess, the cake appears to be made with the seven concentric rings, and I assumed each ring was a different flavor. (Plus Seiya Mizuno's awesome flowers on top, which may make an appearance teehee). When I try and imagine mixing all the flavors, I feel like it would be a bit too much in one bite! This way, it still looks like the cake, but the flavor issue is taken care of with just having the cake split into seven separate pieces and each one being a flavor that represents a color in the rainbow.

Ummm...if you guys have ideas for flavors for each color, I totally wouldn't mind (and by this I mean PLEASE HELP) hearing them!

Thanks for reading, and I'll try to update soon this time! Next chapter finally gets out of the cabin setting! It's back to Tokyo (a place which I've never been! That'll be a blast to write about hahah). Let me know what you think (and if you're even enjoying this story ahaha...sweatdrops).

Arigato! (Oh and total random side note, but I'm taking Japanese in college! Yay!)

~Breezylyn