A Clear Mother's Instinct

A/N: This one's technically my 9th RukaRu, but just like most of my other creations, this one slept in my cabinet for almost a year now. lol. Maybe if my stories can talk, they'd be yelling at me now for me to encode and upload them already! haha.

So anyway, the idea of this one's quite awkward and new to me when I first thought of it. But when the story progressed, this one has become one of my favorites. And take it from me, I don't like all of my fanfics so I carefully pick my favorites. lol. Nah. I still thank my God for giving me imagination and a brain, and also two hands and complete senses, so maybe I should learn to love my works more. lol.

Here it is.! I hope you'll like it, though; if not, then please let me know.. Please leave a review, alright?! :D

P.S.

and, yeah. This one's narrated by someone even I wasn't able to note that could really narrate their love story. GO! :]

The sun shone incredibly brighter this day. Or maybe a little too normal; and I just noticed it more than usual. Nonetheless, I knew it would be a great and exciting day. I didn't know why and how I could conclude this, but something from my instincts tells me that I would be definitely right.

'Groceries.' A fine day outside would be nice. I was right then; and a lot of people thought just the same for the streets were crowded, even much more people pushed through one another inside the Supermarket. 'A fine day.' I reminded myself — optimism is my forte, though my daughter always call it 'confidence'.

I smiled , unconsciously streaming through the happiest days of my life — which, 72 hours ago was the one on top of the list — and I couldn't help but raise it up to a grin. I felt smug, and somewhat a little too sunny — contradicting the irritable and impatient aura of the shoppers around me. I wouldn't get affected by anyone — one thing I was sure about myself as inhaling air — only until my eyes flickered to an unfamiliar figure ten long strides away from me across the Meat section aisle of the Supermarket.

I felt surprised how I got to notice, because I was sure this was someone I never met before. Yet, I was suddenly preoccupied for he was rather beautiful. He stands out of the thick crowd, curious eyes flickering to him once in a while. I smiled upon recognizing, though still so unsure. His eyes met mine, and I was quite sure he was me the way I saw him.

I didn't move, but stared at the guy who now started to walk towards me, making the ten strides a little too longer that it should be. His eyes were blue, a great contrast with his cream white skin and blonde hair. He was even too model-like to fit in. And again, memories of the last 72 hours hovered, and I smiled.

Then he suddenly stopped, reluctant to take another step now, upon recognizing who I was. Or not. His eyes widened in surprise, and a tinge of disappointment was hidden, yet too obvious.

"Ruka Nogi."

He twitched, puzzled. I could read his expression as if I could read his thoughts: 'It can't be...She's not here!'

I smiled again before he would hyperventilate in confusion. "You must be Ruka Nogi."

"Uhm..", he stammered before clearing his throat and look away for a second. "Yes ma'am."

He was now staring at me as we stood frozen in the middle of the aisle, pissing off most of the shoppers. I stared at him for a few seconds as if to check and to confirm. No doubt. He was Ruka Nogi. The way he had been described to me 72 hours ago — the blonde hair, the deep, blue eyes, the model-like stature yet with too humble and bashful aura — it was him.

"Uhmm..." He started,but let it drop. I assumed he still hadn't made up his mind who I really was. Close to being right, I guess, but too shy to ask.

My smile was still on, and as politely as I could, I asked him to accompany me. He was stunned for a half second, and then managed to relax as he carried the basket for me. We didn't talk, and I was surprised as how comfortable he was without exchange of words. We were done in less than an hour, and I was surprised how gentle he managed to offer a treat. I smiled again, and it caught him off-guard as if a smile drawn from this familiar face was rather too shocking for him to bear.

I felt a shrill of excitement. Questions flooded my mind and patiently waited to spew out of my mouthed until he was finally relaxed already. A few minutes passed before he turned to me and met my eyes. He sighed and shook his head once,as if in disbelief, and finally smiled. "Sorry..You really look a lot like her."

I was quite puzzled by the apology, but I had a lot more to ask and talk about with him than that, so I set it aside. "Of course," I almost grinned in amusement. "I'm Hotaru's mother."

He almost chuckled,but kept the smile up. It was as if I was some picture of Hotaru carved from was and placed in front of him. "I just couldn't believe it." He muttered politely and stared as we both smiled at some inside joke.

Neither could I, when my long lost jewel — my daughter — finally came knocking on my door 72 hours ago. Finally, they graduated from the Academy. It was the day I longed for how many years. I counted each day like counting hay, hoping in the same way to finally see the lost needle somewhere buried in it.

She was taken from me at a very young age — deprived of a mother's touch and care as I was deprived of her in almost the same way. She grew up without a mother, and I had no idea how she cried, and how she fell in love.

I was relieved, quite, when Mikan, too, entered the Academy. At least there would be someone to take care of her; to make her feel some glimpse of home. Only, I didn't realize, that there might be someone else so involved.

"So..", I started. "You're Hotaru's boyfriend."

He flushed and looked down to his hands. Something a normal guy wouldn't do. Having my daughter as a girlfriend sure is something to brag about based on Mikan's stories, but this blonde surprised me by acting the opposite way round.

"S-she told you that?" — barely a question.

I nodded and took a sip of my tea. He sighed and nodded as well, then tried for a nervous smile. "Your'e bashful, " I continued. "..as what she'd said."

Again, he twitched, but maintained his gaze. "She talked about me?"

"Of course."

His eyes widened for a moment, and all of a sudden he sounded formal. "uhmm...I-I'm sorry if I hadn't been able to come with her when she went home.."

Well, he was polite, even more than I'd expected. "That's okay. She'd already explained. " I said. "Not that she had to."

He smiled. Like any graduate from a school far away from home, he would of course visit family first at hand. I knew he had a mom; and somehow i felt happy that my daughter had chosen the guy with the good heart , and — not to mention — good looks.

"It still surprised me.." He said and tried to get distracted. "..how clearly you saw me through the crowd. It's as if you knew me."

I chuckled. "Well, let's just say that Hotaru perfectly knows how to describe you with great justice. She hadn't missed a detail!" He smiled, almost a grin, but he could not conceal his amusing flush. "Besides, " I added. "It was as if you knew me too. You were the one who approached, remember?"

Again, he blushed. "..I-I was...", he sighed and shrugged in defeat. "I just thought you were Hotaru."

I stifled a chuckle. He sounded like some lovestruck who hadn't seen his special someone in decades! lol. But it had only been a few days— 72 hours to be exact — since they'd seen each other, as a matter of fact.

"So...uhm.." He suddenly cut in the silence that lasted for a few minutes. "..what did s-she tell you...about me?"

"She said you were a shy person. And.." I paused and tilted my head to one side slightly as if to check. "..I don't need to mark your appearance, do I?" He smiled bashfully and shook his head. He didn't like it much to point out his beauty. Too humble for such a beautiful . "She also said you loved animals, as for your Alice. And..." I trailed off and eyed him curiously as he eagerly waited. " — and that you were rather, the person she'd considered, as her opposite." He twitched at the last word, but didn't flinch in pain. It was as if he'd figured it out already, but chose not to tell her before. "She didn't elaborate. " I said, upon realizing his curiosity about the matter.

I remember Hotaru's calmness and unnecessary coldness as she spoke of this. I knew as I listened, that she became the type of person who keeps emotions second, and logical thinking always first. The person who rarely speaks of her thoughts, much more her emotions. And I was happy as I later on realized, that she'd missed me so much to have chosen me to tell all those things. As if she'd waited all those years for an open outlet.

"Oh." He cut in my thoughts.

"So, I suppose you would, then?" I grinned at him playfully. He raised his eyebrows and stared at me blankly. "She didn't tell me why she thought of you as her opposite. And when I asked, she didn't want me to hear your love story, knowing the answer would be there."

"L-love story?" He stuttered, flushed, obviously unprepared for my sudden assault.

"Yup." I smiled politely. A smile no son or daughter could ever resist. And well, I proved myself triumphant. lol. He sighed and shrugged. I laughed inwardly, sounding more like a crazy woman obsessed over her daughter's love story. I felt more like Hotaru's opposite!

"So.." He glanced at me shyly. "Where do I start?"

"At the very beginning of course." I said to him. So he started way back in Elementary. I didn't know he would take it too literally, but I realized that it might be the root of whatever that bloomed later on.

I learned how Hotaru had been the promising, intelligent, and brilliant student as she always had been; but he stressed how she made the impression too good and quick for an average girl. He said that she didn't smile then, only until Mikan showed up. I was surprised on how she hits her best friend, but immediately recovered as Ruka said that it was all part of her facade.

"A charade.", he chuckled absently. "—and more like a fortress. " he said, eyes far in thoughts though he was smiling. "..it keeps unwanted people off her."

"Maybe you're not unwanted. " I teased and his cheeks again was painted pinkish. "Because you had always been able to notice."

"Not quite.", he managed to smile weakly. "I had always thought I felt extremely different about her."

"Different?" I raised an eyebrow. Now this started to become more interesting. I crossed my arms and rested them on the table as I listened close. He was resting his back on his chair but hardly looked comfortable.

"I had always thought..I didn't like her."

I fell quiet. He didn't like her? I wasn't able to comment fast, so he continued, not intending to surface from me unwanted disgust for him. So then I understood. Hotaru made his life miserable. I chuckled at that; and every now and then I would stifle a grin as his brow would furrow in reminiscing.

"Who would want to wake up in the morning by fan girls screaming your name, asking you to pose naked?!?!" He cringed at the memory and I laughed.

His eyes would then shift from wary to relief, then to wary again. "The blackmailing was evil..", he considered and glanced at me fro a violent reaction. But I found the fact amusing. And cute. Then later on I learned that all the money-matters from her business was to finance her projects — the amount of money I doubt I would be able to give if she hadn't went to Alice Academy.

"But unconsciously, though..", he smiled curtly, " — and I didn't know how and why, I managed to peek from her mask and see her the way others did not." He looked up to me and continued. "Only a few were able to, and I would say, lucky enough to stare at her eyes."

"And you were lucky." I grinned slyly.

"Barely. She hits me frequently back then."

"Ah." I paused and smiled. 'in love.'

So he continued, and every minute as I listened to him I could picture it in my mind as if I was watching it with my own eyes. I felt thrilled when it came to the part when he developed an infatuation with Mikan. I didn't know it could be this exciting! lol. I smiled when he said how she unconsciously comforted him in her own 'col, rude, bizarre' way.

"Back in the Academy she was the intelligent one. The kind of person who gained much respect and fear from others even without doing much but student duties. Ice Queen, as they christened her." HE paused and seemed to be sorting his thoughts and words so it wouldn't hurt me — somewhat reminding himself that he was talking to his girlfriend's mother.

"Go on." I smiled reassuringly. He smiled back and shrugged.

"She was — uhm — described as harsh, cruel, calculating.." I flinched but remained calm. "..business woman — as she put it — who does nothing less than hitting her best friend and making money from blackmailing Ruka Nogi." There was an awkward silence. "But.." He stammered as if he could feel my daughter's eyes boring down on him. I looked around me as if I felt it too. Funny. lol. "Like I said, " He continued. "She had been more than just that." He looked at me in the eyes, unafraid and not bothered of what I would possibly think of him on the way he just described my only daughter. "Like I said, more than what it meets the eye."

I smiled at his rawness, his awesome politeness and courage that was obviously true and not mere acting to impress me. Finally it hovered to me....So he was the gentle, kind, loved, and amusing one — the one Hotaru had referred to as her opposite.

"I..I don't know about the word 'opposite' though." He muttered, furrow between his eyebrows. I waited and he continued. "..'cause there were the slightest similarities."

"Like?"

"Like the way she cares for her best friend. " He paused and looked at the abstract formations on the table as if the right words were there. "She hits Mikan very often, but she's the very first one to notice and gets affected when her best friend's hurt. She cares for her the way I care for my own best friend, Natsume. " Then his eyes went back to mine. "That couldn't make us opposites, right?" The love story's just so sweet! A little me jumped up and down inside me. Best friends ending up with best friends. So I was more eager when he went on. "So Mikan ended up with my best friend.." He said it without a tinge of slightest hurt even in past tense. I listened close as I knew their part was coming close.

I knew, as I listened, that though Hotaru had chosen to be rude at him, there was already something beneath that, maybe, she just wasn't able to identify. Something he was clearly pleased about when he suddenly smiled and continued the story.

"And then in Middle School..." His face brightened up. "Two months before it ended, actually.." I nodded and smiled, casually taking another sip of my tea that had almost slipped my mind. "..I just woke up. " He said. " And she was different in my eyes, yet stayed the same."

"Finally." I grinned. "You fell in love with her."

He chuckled as if it was something still new to him. "It's still a mystery to me whenever I look back — how I fell for the number one villain of my life — but it doesn't matter anymore."

"And she fell for you, too. " I concluded, getting back to the story. Enjoying his shy reaction.

He just nodded and smiled. "Who would've thought?" He chuckled again.

"So you disagree with the word 'opposite' then?" I asked, pleased of their story.

His eyes narrowed as he thought, and he tilted his head to one side. "Slight?", he muttered innocently which I found so cute.

"Maybe.." I proposed and smiled wryly. "She considered you her opposite because both of you are to much drawn to each other."

His face went pale then red.

"..like magnets. " I added and grinned.

"Oh." he blinked and recovered as he managed to smile. "Yes. Maybe. Though I never dared to imagine her putting things that way. If I did, I wouldn't dare tell her either. I might earn another shot in the face."

We laughed quietly. As I stared at him staring at somewhere near dreamland daylight-mode, I found myself swallowing my remorse for allowing Hotaru go to the Academy. All those years I concealed my self-hate for doing so; but now, as this conversation made the day exciting and great as I had predicted, I knew I made the right decision.

"Uhm...Can I say something?", he suddenly cut in my thoughts.

I smiled, quite taken off-guard. "Sure."

He smiled before stuttering. "I-erm-I'm just wondering..." He glanced up to me and back down. "..From the very beginning of this conversation, I had been trying to decipher what difference could be there between you and Hotaru.."

"Oh." I blurted out and sighed. "Apparently, the similarity of our looks ironically expresses the disparity between our personalities."

He then smiled, pleased. 'So he figured it out already..' — "Hotaru doesn't talk much. " He said.

"Does that bother you?"

He shook his head and said, "No. Sometimes I enjoy it.."

"I'm not saying that I'm all too loud compared to her. We're similar in one way or another..." I paused when he nodded. "But we're not opposites..." I smiled to myself, and I knew I didn't need to elaborate.

"In any way.." he said and smiled me that smile I learned to like. "I don't think it really matters." My eyebrows raised and he chuckled to himself, as he continued. "Hotaru will always be Hotaru, evil or not — though I know she's not . And she could always be more than anything one can describe. "

His brows suddenly furrowed innocently, as if to realize the loads he had said, and we both laughed at ourselves. He's more than enough, I told myself. 'Too good to be true.' , as what leading ladies of a typical romantic movie says about their leading men. But Hotaru and Ruka's love story wasn't a movie — and neither of them are typical! lol. Above all, my daughter deserves more than enough, and it would be a great mistake not to like this adoring blonde in front of me.

"H-hotaru??" He suddenly blurted out with such panic as his eyes widened in surprise. I blinked and stared at him as the composed Ruka shattered into this nervous, child-like, one.

"Hi mom." Her voice finally reached my ears. I smiled as I realized that it wasn't really just my imagination when I felt her orbs boring down on me and her boyfriend from somewhere.

I turned and looked up over my shoulder and met her eyes. There she was, calm and blank as she had been, staring at me and the blonde seated across me. 'her mask.' — I chuckled at the thought and she raised an eyebrow. "Hi Hotaru."

"W-what're you doing here??" Ruka suddenly cut in, stammering like a talking tomato.

I watched the two for a while and fought the urge to giggle as I enjoyed the short film in front of me, serving as the epilogue of the story I just heard. lol.

"I think I should be the one asking you that. " She replied to him coldly and turned to me. "I was worried. So I decided to check on you." I smiled and held her hand.

"I — " he started but cut himself. "I happened to bump on your mom at the Supermarket."

She raised an eyebrow and threw a skeptic look. "You don't know my mom." I cleared my throat and she turned to me again, her expression relaxing. "And you don't know Ruka.", she cut in before I could even speak.

"You look a lot like her, Hotaru." Ruka cut in again and almost grinned wryly at my daughter who was now slowly turning pink. 'Ah. Blushing??'

"It's just impossible." She shrugged and turned to me.

"You gave me too clear details, Hotaru." I cut her in and she smirked.

"I-I just thought she was you, you know." Ruka said and she met his gaze. "Physically, maybe, she is." We both chuckled as if it was some private joke.

She rolled her eyes and smiled at me as if her beloved boyfriend wasn't there. "Let's go home."

"Sure." I smiled back and allowed her to read my eyes how pleased I was with her and the guy in front of me.

Ruka stood up too, and clutched the grocery bags. "I better walk you guys home.." He smiled at me and reluctantly looked at Hotaru. "Or not?"

"Of course you're coming. " She smirked at him which took him off-guard.

I held her, too, and enjoyed each other's presence; finally closing the great gap that bore into both of us for years. I smiled and enjoyed how they seemed to act like there wasn't a Mother beside them both.

"Oh. I thought you didn't want me walking you to somewhere?" He chuckled, sounding so smug as he walked on our pace on my left — Hotaru on my right.

"Well, I don't. " The smirk went up curtly into a smile. "It's just that you earned enough credit for being such a great storyteller."

'Hmmn...So she was really listening! lol.' I grinned. Everything just couldn't get any better.

"YOU WERE LISTENING?!!!" Ruka managed to control the yell.

I laughed at them as she raised an eyebrow at him. They were casually — unconsciously — leaning toward each other while walking, with myself being squeezed in between them.

"Of course I was listening. " She said, hardly able to contain her smile. "I couldn't help it when I saw the two of you. Besides, " She paused and held something up. "..You're pictures still are the bestsellers."

He blinked and stared at something she was showing him with great smugness. "ARHGH!! Hotaru! "

I laughed amusingly as she clutched my arm close as for defense. A body language depicting : "Your future mom is here. Behave yourself, idiot." — It worked though. Ruka stayed frozen, and defeated.

'Just so sweet...'

I felt happy. All those years I wasn't sure if I was. Remorse ate me all up when Hotaru was sent away. But now as I witnessed the two of them together, I found myself swallowing that feeling of remorse as it did to me years ago. And if she hadn't went to Alice Academy, then there wouldn't be this bizarre chance of a definite happy future I now started to visualize as I watched my daughter and this adoring, gorgeous, blonde on my left.

She deserves more than enough. And he's definitely that. A clear mother's instinct.

-end-

A/N: Whooooh!!!! It's done! If you've reached this part, I'll tell you what's next! post a review! lol. NAh... really. Please. Just let me know, alright?

Thanks people! :D