I do not own Gakuen Alice

It all started with that gay pervert teacher announcing the arrival of an exchange student.

The fire Alice crossed his arms across his chest and adjusted the feet that sat propped on top the desk as usual. He heard her scoff at his side, once again as usual, but she didn't say anything, which surprised him a little. However, her sarcastic eye roll could practically be felt, and Natsume smirked lightly, hopefully too lightly for her to notice his amusement. Ruka sat on his other side, who was, once again as usual, petting Usagi and humming to himself.

Narumi pranced across the front of the classroom, a brilliant smile on his face and his violet eyes bright as they met Mikan's amber ones at his side. Natsume felt his own crimson ones narrow in challenge. Natsume had never liked that teacher and recently, those feelings had been intensifying.

"We have a new student today class! Roku Hiiragazawa-kun." He sang, motioning his hands towards the classroom door, "And I would like you all to be nice to him."

"Hmph." Natsume heard Mikan snort, at he looked at her with a slightly startled expression. He figured she would be the first to be all happy-go-lucky and welcome a new student with open arms. When she felt the probing gaze, she met it sheepishly, a small giggle escaping her. "Oh, well, I know there was a reason for it, but every other student who has come into our class has gotten an introduction and a 'let's be nice' speech." She crossed her arms childishly, a pout on her face, "I got shoved in here without knowing my Alice and a scardey-cat substitute teacher to introduce me. Not to mention I didn't make a very good first impression." Natsume felt memories pull back to that day, and he felt slightly torn. Of course, that was the day she had come into his life, but it was also the day he had treated her in a way that would have earned a third degree burn for anyone else if they did that now. Keeping his silence, he turned back to the front, awaiting the appearance of the newest victim for Class B.

The second he strutted in, Natsume knew he would be trouble for him in the near future. Chestnut hair in a messy style flopped across his forehead, nearly covering his bright blue eyes that shone with youth in the lights. He was tall, though not as tall as the boys sitting in the back of the classroom, where his eyes seemed to be drawn at first. However, Natsume and Ruka were not the target of his confident gaze, but the oblivious brunette who merely gave a small wave and then looked over at her friend and frowned when she noticed his threatening scowl and poked him lightly with her pencil.

When he noticed Sumire practically swooning in the row in front of him, his scowl deepened. So, he was that handsome, huh? Well then, he better keep his eyes off of her or he'd skewer them out with a toothpick and burn them to a...

"Natsume!" Whined a voice at his side, and he turned his vision to Mikan once more and noticed a worried expression on her face. "What's wrong Natsume? You had a really scary look on your face."

A casual 'tch' was all she received in return before she was, once again, being ignored. But, very used to his anti-social personality, she turned back to the front of the class and began to listen to Narumi once more, a look of eager enthusiasm etched on her face, as there always was when Narumi-sensei was around.

"...Ah, there is an empty spot in the back there beside Mikan-chan!"

Natsume's fingers gripped the desk, turning white in the process.

"Mikan-chan, raise your hand for Roku-kun please!"

Waving her hand cheerfully, the boy made his way down the middle aisle and moved around the back of the bench before scooting in beside the beaming girl.

Smoke began to twirl through the air playfully, slipping between his fingers and dancing towards the ceiling, but Natsume didn't notice. Something hotter then flame he was creating was raging through his chest as he watched him scoot a little closer to her then was acceptable for strangers. The boy felt a sharp stabbing pain race through the palms of his hands, but he ignored it.

However, Mikan did notice and turned to him after smelling the all too familiar scent of smoke.

"Natsume!" She gasped, reaching for his hands and grasping them in her own, exposing his slightly burned palms. Natsume felt a brow raise. Never before had he actually burned himself that way. Interesting.

"Natsume, what were you doing?" fretted Mikan, rubbing the top of his palm lightly and she burrowed through her pockets with her other hand. "It's not like I can just Ste..." She silenced herself as others began listening in. Not many student knew about her second Alice, and she preferred to keep it that way. Her voice dropped to a whisper, "It's not like I can just Steal the burn away like I did for Persona's Alice on Narumi-sensei! You've never burned yourself before, what happened?"

Finding what she needed in her pocket, she brought out a tube of burn ointment and put some of the cream on her finger before rubbing it into his palm in soothing circles. Natsume felt a chuckle leave him.

"You carry burn ointment with you?" He questioned mockingly, and Mikan blushed slightly.

"Well, you weren't exactly co-operative when we first met." She snapped, "And it became force of habit." Her blush deepened slightly, "Besides, I'm always afraid you'll..."

She was, however, cut off by a male voice from behind her. And Natsume didn't need to be a genius to notice that it seemed tired of being left out of the conversation. "Mikan-chan, what exactly are you doing anyway?"

Mikan-chan? Suddenly, Natsume felt flames itching to go to his fingertips, but he cooled it, remembering that Mikan was still rubbing his burns, and he wasn't about to chase her off anytime soon.

She barely turned her head to acknowledge him, and Natsume smirked. Perhaps he worried too much.

"Natsume here has a Fire Alice, and he does plenty of stupid things." Natsume felt the smirk slip away, and was replaced by a scalding glare, "So I have to take care of him."

"Watch it, Polka-Dots." He snapped, "No one takes care of me."

Mikan merely rolled her eyes and finished her work. "I really wish you would stop calling me that."

The new student appeared curious. "Why does he call you Polka-Dots?"

The fire Alice did not give Mikan a chance to interrupt. "Because that was the pattern on her panties the first day I met her." He replied coolly, and he saw the boys expression fall, and Natsume felt satisfaction worm into his system. That would put that idiot in his place.

"Natsume, you moron!" Shrieked Mikan, stomping her foot, and yet not even drawing an eye to her. The class was more then used to her constant screams of fury. She snorted like an angry bull, her hands clenching into fists. "You're a pervert, Natsume."

"And yet, oddly, you don't seem to mind that much anymore." He sneered in response, and it was impossible to keep the upward curve of his lips down when he saw Roku's face pale. However, Mikan's fists were clenching so much that they were turning a very pale shade of white and Natsume find himself wondering if he may have overdone it a little.

He decided he most likely had when she growled one last time before turning and hopping over her seat to seat next to Hotaru, who was currently immersed in her new invention. Shrugging slightly, Natsume seated himself in his old position and proceeded to ignore his new 'company', who didn't seem too impressed with the duo's little show. As if he cared. He knew it was only a waiting game until she came right back to annoy him once more. After all, it was their ritual.

Four hours later...

"Damn it, where the hell is that girl?" Snarled the crimson eyed boy, observing the school grounds from his Sakura branch perch, a silent Ruka sitting by his side and currently stroking a sparrow that had landed on his shoulder not moments ago.

"Perhaps you really did make Sakura-san upset." He suggested quietly, glancing over at his hot headed friend. He continued carefully, trying not to test Natsume's temper and attempted to keep his voice the usual calm and soothing tone, "Maybe you should go apologise?"

Natsume immediately dismissed the idea. His pride would not allow this action, especially to her in front of the new moron.

"Ah, there she is!" Stated Ruka, releasing the sparrow and leaping nimbly from the branch, landing in the lush grass and pointing towards the doors of the school. Natsume followed his finger until he reached a sight that made his blood boil. Sliding off the branch to land easily at his best friend's side, he stalked over towards the group silently as they entered the courtyard, unknowing of the dark aura that followed them.

"So, that Hyuuga guy runs the place, hey?" Questioned Roku, grinning at Mikan and seemingly ignoring Hotaru, who didn't seem too interested in the conversation itself, but the interaction that was currently taking place between her best friend and this outsider. She seemed very amused about something but Natsume found himself not caring. Just like Hotaru, he was finding their interaction very interesting at the current time.

"I suppose so..." Murmured Mikan, putting her index finger on her chin thoughtfully and tapping it with the rhythm of her steps, "Or at least he used to. He's kind of become part of our group, and he isn't as lonely and cold as he was before. He's difficult to understand, but I know he's a really good guy."

"He still seemed like a jerk to me." Shot in Roku loudly, interrupting Mikan's train of thought, "I mean, saying something like that to such a kind girl like you."

Natsume felt his urge to kill rise, and he missed the smallest of grins that was coming to the usually stoic face of Hotaru Imai.

"He isn't as mean as he seems Hiiragazawa-kun." Chided Mikan, shaking her finger at him like a parent who just heard their child say something not nice to another kid. "He is a pervert and a jerk at times, but he isn't that bad. He's helped me out a lot over the years, and we have become really close... Or at least I think we have, he's really confusing. One minute we can be the best of friends, and the next he'll be burning my hair."

"Really?" Questioned the boy, tilting his head as if confused, before shaking it and closing his eyes, and amused expression on his face. "Whatever you say Mikan-chan. And I told you to call me Roku."

Mikan didn't reply, and Natsume took this as a chance to make an appearance, and he had the eerie feeling that Imai had known he was there the entire time. That girl was just freakishly aware of her surroundings.

"Oi, Polka-dots." Said Natsume, pushing his hands into his pockets as she turned to him, that goofy grin on her face.

"Natsume! I didn't see you there!" Giggling, she bounced over before landing directly in front of him, tilting her head to the side. "How are you? Does your hand still hurt?"

"I didn't say it hurt in the first place." He said calmly, ignoring the irritation that flashed in her eyes for a split second before it was replaced by the usual contentment she felt when she was in his presence, "I thought you were mad at me."

She stood for a moment, silent, before it obviously clicked in her mind, and she jumped back away from him, frowning and pointing at him accusingly. "Oh yeah! I am!"

Natsume snorted, attempting the cover a laugh that threatened to escape, but he wasn't able to keep down the brief grin that passed over his face. Honestly, how did this girl even think? Was she seriously this slow?

Unfortunately for him, Mikan didn't miss his amusement, and that same grin, the one that she always reserved for him, came to her face once more. "Hey, Natsume, did you smile just now?"

"Tch, no."

She giggled, almost insanely so, and jumped forward again, closing the little space there was between them, and began prodding him in the cheek. "Natsume, you never smile! Wai~ So cute!"

The amusement left as quickly as it came and was replaced with a trickling of annoyance as she continued to poke him, but he kept it under control when he saw the new boy watching with a trace of frustration. No doubt this idiot would get the idea to stay away from her soon. However, the chuckles and giggling looks he was receiving from his fellow classmates became too much, and he flashed her an angry look through dark crimson eyes.

"Oi, Polka-dots, you better stop of you don't wish to be bald." He threatened, and she took a step back, although she continued beaming, obviously nonplussed about his threat.

Roku cleared his throat, and Natsume's expression darkened once more when Mikan spun around to his direction, still smiling, and addressed him. "Sorry Hiiragazawa-kun, that wasn't very polite of me at all."

"Oh, no, it's alright." Said the boy slowly, glancing at Natsume suspiciously, "I actually just wanted to ask you something, but it can wait, I suppose."

Ask her something? Once again, that hideous green-eyed monster was rearing its head again, thrashing in fury and demanding that Natsume made some sort of claim on her, and fast. If she got to close to this jerk, he might just lose the gradual bond he had been building with her all this time.

So, he did the only thing he could possibly think of.

He touched Mikan's shoulder gently, to which she turned around and gave him a confused look before he closed the space between them and pressed his lips to her own. His eyes shut and he could feel her stiff as a board against him, not responding but he didn't care. She was his and everyone would know it now. He was so god damn tired of dancing around the fact, and he was going to make it known to everyone at the Academy.

It was all to soon that he pulled away though, and he opened his eyes to find her own wide open, obviously still in a state of shock and Natsume put his hands in his pockets, trying to make his unease about her lack of any sort of reaction invisible. Shakily, she raised her hand to her lips as she did after their Christmas Party kiss and seemed to be replaying what happened in her mind, attempting to make sense of it. She finally reached a conclusion, and he could see the raging emotions that flashed through her, and he waited for her usual anger to erupt. However, instead, he was shocked to find her blushing deeply and looking very timid all of a sudden, like a frightened rabbit.

"U-um, Natsume?" She stuttered, gazing at him straight in the eye, "What... What was... Why..."

"I may be able to answer your question if you speak covertly Polka-dots." He threw off nonchalantly, and attempted to keep the tremble out of his tone. What the hell was wrong with her? Shouldn't he be deaf by now from all the screaming? Where was the "Natsume, you idiot!" or "Pervert Natsume!"? This was not normal behaviour, and this was not something he knew how to deal with.

When she still seemed unable of stringing proper words together, Natsume grunted and turned away without a word, headed in the general direction of the dormitory, ignoring the mumblings and whispers that followed him.

What the Hell just happened?

Finally, after what seemed like hours of sulking in his dorm room, Natsume slunk out and wandered the now silent halls, his sharp hearing picking up the sounds of his fellow students in their rooms as well, no doubt making morons of themselves as per usual. He had no destination truly in mind, he was just wandering to work off some of the discomfort that he felt when he found himself right in front of Imai's door, in which a feminine voice that did not belong to Hotaru was speaking in muted tones as if afraid that someone would overhear. He almost didn't recognise it since usually when she spoke it was at the top of her lungs, but it was undoubtedly Mikan, and curiosity was too powerful to bind, so he found himself with his ear pressed to the door, attempted to overhear the girls conversation.

"...Did you know Hotaru?" Whimpered Mikan, "What am I going to do? Should I confront him on it?"

"Mikan, this isn't something I can really help you with." Came the usual flat Imai tone, "You wanted proof of what I said, and you got it. I thought he would do something, but I never thought it would have been so drastic."

"B-but there's no way that he likes me! Let alone loves me!" Shrieked Mikan, returning to her usual noisy tones, and Natsume felt his fists clench, frustrated to see that his palms were unusually sweaty. "There is no way that he cares about me like that! He thinks of me as a friend!"

"Mikan, I told you..."

"But Hotaru! If your wrong about this... You're usually not wrong, I know that, and I trust you with everything I've got, but if your wrong, and I ask him, it could ruin everything."

"Mikan, you have to be willing to risk embarrassment and the possibility of hurt feelings when you talk about this sort of thing. It isn't easy." Hotaru's tone had become unusually gentle, and Mikan was silent for a bit. Natsume was contemplating leaving when Mikan spoke once more.

"But Hotaru, it's just not possible that he would love me the way I love him."

Natsume felt his heart literally stop, his eyes wide and suddenly felt something rise in his chest different from the jealousy that had been there earlier. Could that idiot really...

Not knowing what to do, and hating to admit defeat, Natsume turned and fled back to his dorm room to think of what to do next.

"Natsume!" Called a voice, and Natsume turned his cool stare to the girls that practically pranced to his side, a bright smile on her face as usual. He didn't know how the hell she was so cheerful in the morning. Perhaps his theories of her being from another planet had been correct. But that theory did not help his current situation, and he was ashamed to find himself avoiding eye contact, something that Mikan definitely noticed. From the corner of his eye he noticed her miraculous smile was moulding into a tiny frown, but he continued to find the ground very interesting.

"Look Natsume, I have no idea why I am apologising since you are the one that forced the kiss on me," She said lightly, sticking her tongue out at him as he turned his gaze fully to her, his expression unreadable. "But I'm sorry if it bothered you. It's nothing, alright? So just cheer up because I hate seeing you even more depressed then you usually are." Her voice grew quieter, as if she were telling a secret, "I've been really worried about you, and I know that if you could avoid me, you would. So please accept my apology?"

Her face was set and determined, but her eyes revealed the worry that he might accept, that he might start treating her the same way that he used to. He remained silent, not wanting to mess up the moment with the first words that popped into his mind, but his silence lasted a second too long and he could see the tears beginning to gather in her eyes.

"Oh, alright... I'll leave you alone Natsume, don't worry. I won't bother you anymore, promise, okay?" She pumped her fist to emphasis her words, but it was a half-hearted effort and she turned to walk away, his heart jumped when her saw her shoulder quaver as a sob escaped her.

Without thinking, mimicking his own action yesterday he touched her shoulder lightly and she turned to look at him, tears streaming down her face. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, and he could feel the sobs that she refused to let out, which only made him hold her all the tighter.

"Idiot." He said quietly, clutching her as she cried, "Don't jump to conclusions."

She released a reluctant watery chuckle. "I didn't. Usually you can just answer me, so I figured no answer wasn't a good thing."

"Like I said, don't jump to conclusions." He growled lightly, "I just don't know how to say it, so I'm not going to dance around this god damned subject anymore."

He could feel her stiffen against him and move to pull away, but he held her to him. He knew if he saw her face there was no way he could say it.

"Mikan Sakura, even though your the loudest idiot I have ever met, and sometimes I just want to burn your hair right off your head when you won't leave me alone, I have found myself in quite the predicament." He breathed in deeply, begging that she didn't hear only his pounding heart like he did. "I started to like you, for only God knows what reason why. And now, I seem to find that I love you."

She was still and silent for a long time, and Natsume found himself hoping that some sort of hole would come to swallow him up when he heard no sort of reply coming from her. Gulping he pulled away slightly and looked down to find more tears flowing down her face then before.

The sinking feeling in his stomach intensified, and he found himself searching for some sort of an escape route. She didn't love him, who was he kidding? He had been so confident that she would though... He would do anything to rewind what he just said.

"Oi, forget what I just said." He said coolly, "I didn't..."

"Don't say you didn't mean it." She gasped, and he saw her shudder, "Please don't tell me you didn't mean it. Anything but that."

Before Natsume could ever react, she threw herself at him a little more forcefully then necessary and it sent them tumbling in the grass, ending with them in the very awkward position of Mikan being sprawled across his chest, her hands fisting his shirt and still sobbing loudly.

"Don't jump to conclusions." She muttered over and over, "I just don't know how to say it." She lifted her face, and he saw the most dazzling of smiles on her face. "Isn't that what you just said, idiot?" She drew in a deep shuttering breath and appeared to be bringing herself together.

"I love you, too."

Much to his own disappointment, he felt his face beginning to flush red, and he turned away, hoping she wouldn't notice. Of course, as usual, she did and she gave in to the overwhelming need to comment on it.

"You're blushing Natsume!" She giggled, unknowingly crawling across his chest to get a better look at his face, utterly oblivious to their position, "You're really blushing!" She giggled and began poking at his cheek, causing his eyes to narrow.

"Weren't you just crying?" He snapped, and she laughed again.

"Well, yeah, but how could I still be after hearing that from you Natsume!" She clapped her hands together. "I didn't think you were capable of saying something so sweet."

"That your a noisy idiot and that I want to burn your hair off?" He muttered, a small smirk working its way to his face, "I tell you that all the time Polka-Dots."

"You aren't going to ruin my mood Natsume." She sang, "You said you loved me. I never should have second guessed Hotaru's plan."

One eyebrow rose at her words. "Imai's plan?"

Mikan nodded her head rapidly. "Yes. You see, I've... l-liked you for a l-long time now." Despite her recent confession of love, she still seemed to be unable to say it without blushing madly, and she cursed her nervousness despite her energetic appearance at the time, "But I was never able to tell you."

"How long?" He questioned quietly.

"I don't really know." She said, her voice dropping in level, "It took me a long time to figure out my feelings." She seemed to have a faraway look in her eyes before she snapped back, "Oh, yeah, Hotaru's plan. So anyways, we found out about the new student coming when we overhead Narumi-sensei talking to Jinno-sensei, so Hotaru said she would pay him to act interested in me as a test to see if you liked me. I protested but she did it anyways, although I wasn't too happy about it. So Hiiragazawa-kun came, and Hotaru said that if you reacted then you liked me. She didn't know how long it would take, and she was really surprised when it only took a day for you to get jealous enough to act."

"That idiot was way to close to you." Snarled Natsume quietly, and Mikan chuckled again.

"Now your jealous again." Mikan said, poking his cheek and still not realising her current residence on top of him, and leaned forward, her pigtails tickling each cheek. "You really surprised me Natsume."

"Keh." He muttered, and without warning he closed the space between their faces, kissing her gently, and this time she responded, a little shyly, but she did feel him smile against her lips, and she was filled with blissful happiness. This was how it was supposed to be.

"I-Imai, should we really be interrupting?" Question Iinchou, blushing madly at the tender moment between Mikan and Natsume, but Hotaru continued clicking pictures, a small grin on her face. Behind her, Ruka's face was beet red. Sure, he was over his crush on Mikan, but intimacy should not be watched from the bushes.

"Quiet." Snapped Hotaru, "I was the one that made this happen, and now I will rake in the profits from it."

Good job, Mikan. Thought Hotaru to herself, and crept out the opposite direction, following Ruka and Iinchou, leaving the now talking new couple alone.

Well, the ending was definitely the hardest to write, I just couldn't think of one. Anyone, hopefully no one is too out of character!