Naked
Chapter 6

You know that we belong

"I want to be with you."

Tears started to well out of her eyes as she heard Natsume's declaration.

"Natsume..."

Natsume looked straight at Mikan's shimmering eyes.

"I know this sounds strange coming from me but..."

Mikan put a finger down on Natsume's mouth, smiled, a teary smile, and rested her head in Natsume's chest.

"Do you know how much I've wanted to hear that... that you want me to be with you."

Natsume just stared at the dusty wall of the shed.

"That even though you haven't said that to me now, you know I'll always be with you..."

Natsume hugged Mikan as tightly as he could as buried his head in the depths of her hair. How would he ever forget that memory they had shared five years ago.

"I am never going to leave you even if you think I would…" A ten-year old girl shouted, to the boy leaning at the Sakura tree on that cool autumn afternoon. She wiped her watery eyes with the back of her hand as the boy leaning on the tree, stood up.

The ten-year old boy wanted to hug the girl in front of him. He wanted to show that everything the girl had done for him will always be part of his memory and life but a lot was pulling him down back to the darkness he'd never let anyone see. He wanted to hug and comfort the girl and tell her sweet things that would make her smile and make everything alright. He wanted to see that smile that always makes him believe that there was still a tiny spec of hope for him.

He needed her comfort.

He needed her laughter.

He needed her smile.

He needed her.

The boy stood up and faced the girl who was a little bit shorter than he was and pulled the girl's head down onto his chest where the beat of his heart was pulsing.

The girl was surprised. It wasn't everyday that the cold-blooded partner she had would give at least an acknowledgement that she was there and he knows it.

"You look ugly little girl… so stop crying."

The girl whimpered and sniffed. "I was not crying. I only had something on my eye and I'm definitely not ugly!"

The boy had a small smile on his face. It's true that the girl he was holding in arms wasn't at all ugly, she had never been ugly at all, but he can't find the words to express how beautiful she was to him.

"Mikan…could you smile for me?"

"Yes, yes. I remember. All of it."

Mikan shivered as she pressed herself at Natsume's warm heat.

"I didn't think that you would feel the same way for me. You... you always tease me to the point that I want to hate you so badly but I couldn't. Then... you sometimes become so mysterious and you... push me away... and then when... you need something..."

"I was a fool."

"Oh, Natsume."

"Mikan, I'm sorry for everything. I know that I don't have the right to love you and I know that I don't deserve to be loved by you and I know that when the time comes when Persona knows about us, there will be danger but I don't care anymore, I'll protect you no matter what."

Mikan smiled. "I, too, don't care at all."

It kills him knowing that he's always capable of hurting and making Mikan cry.

And it kills him so much that he couldn't protect her the way he wanted to...

To make her sit at his side all time, to chain her to him so that she wouldn't be able to get out of his sight.

To just make her mine...

Natsume bowed his head in despair.

How he longed to feel the love that he has been wishing ever since he was a child.

And now, as he slowly build up and believed that all his childish dreams were foolish, he managed to lock his heart and held shut from everyone trying to get in.

All except for Mikan.

Suddenly, everything he had hoped for and wished for, were becoming his dreams again.

---

Natsume and Mikan slowly made their way towards Natsume's room. Once they were in front, Natsume quickly squeezed Mikan's hands and pulled her away from it.

"Natsume?" Mikan asked as she turned around and looked at him.

Natsume's eyes quickly bore into hers.

Mikan quickly blushed.

"I don't want to stay here." Natsume said as he pulled Mikan into a fierce hug. "Though you have nullification as your Alice, I don't want you to get caught in my problem."

"Natsume, what are you trying to say?"

"I have to finish everything with Persona."

"I'll come with you."

"No. He'll kill you."

Mikan smiled. "Of course, he couldn't do that to me!"

Natsume sighed.

"I won't let him do anything to me, okay? I just need to be with you."

Natsume quickly wrapped his arms around her waist. "I don't want to lose you, Mikan."

"You won't lose me, Natsume. I promise you." Mikan comforted. "You will never ever lose me."

Wow. It took a lot of time to update this short chapter. I'm really sorry if it's short. I can't continue because the continuation should be on the next chapter. If you get what I mean. :(

This is long overdue and though I'm still sick (but getting better already), here's the update. :) peace. I'll be updating You Can in a couple of days, I guess. So please watch out. :D

Lots of love,

khostar