Soo, hi. =))) Sorry for the late upload. :) I don't have internet so yeah. :) Hope you enjoy this.

He embraced me tight and I rested my head on his chest. And at that moment, I knew I belonged here. Right in his arms.

We both fell asleep, in the arms of the person we were sure we loved.

Chapter Seventeen

Natsume did not want to open his eyes. He was afraid of waking up from his glorious dream. He dreamt that he spent the night with his true love and slept under her embrace. He was scared that if he opened his eyes, everything would go away.

Poof.

Something stirred in his arms. Strange. Natsume thought to himself. Everything should be still this time of the morning.

Slowly, Natsume opened one of his eyes to see that he was in a room, quite similar to his own. It had the same size, but not really the same furniture. And the thing that was unlike that of his room, was a sleeping brunette with her arms wrapped around his. He had his arms on her waist, holding her as if she would slip away in an instant.

He smiled. So it wasn't a dream. He really did spend the night in Mikan's room. They really did kiss. Not just a kiss, they made out.

While remembering everything about the previous night, Mikan moved again. Natsume focused his eyes on her and watched as a pair of brown eyes stared at him. A look of shock was seen at first, and it sluggishly turned into delight.

"Good morning, beautiful." The man greeted as he lowered his lips to hers. It was a gentle, soft kiss that made both of them smile. Both had their eyes closed to savor the moment.

When they broke apart, they stared into each others' eyes.

A distant bell rang from outside Mikan's room. This seemed to have awaked Mikan more. "What time is it?" She asked as she suddenly sat up, causing blood rush fill her head. Mikan held her head and tried to ease the rush.

Natsume noticed what she felt from her face and did the same with her head. "Time for us to show ourselves to the public, that is."

She chuckled. Mikan didn't want to go just yet. She wanted to just lie in her bed, with Natsume just beside her, with a look of so much love. She shook her head, signaling that she didn't want to get up. Natsume sat up beside her and wrapped his arms around hers.

"Don't worry, we`ll have all night later to spend with each other."

That simple sentence made Mikan get up and hurry to go.

~.~

The two were just in time for breakfast. There wasn't a single person left in the cafeteria as they both ate side-by-side. Natsume kept sneaking glances at Mikan which made her conscious, therefore not finishing her food. From her peripheral vision, she could see his stare that looked like a cheetah, focused on a little gazelle.

When they rushed to their classroom, they walked hand-in-hand. Both were wary of their surroundings.

"If anybody gets near, let go." Mikan dangerously stated. Natsume just smirked. "What are you smiling about?"

A scoff. "Oh nothing, what's so wrong about holding your hand? After what our steamy make-out session last night, this seems like such a minor thing, doesn't it?"

"I`m trying to keep my reputation here." She proudly announced.

"Trying hard to get, huh?" Natsume let go of her hand. Mikan was reluctant at allowing him to do so, but did anyway. She didn't want to seem too attached and desperate.

"Yes, yes I am." She snickered.

They reached the front of their classroom and looked at each other. "Well, this is goodbye. For now." Natsume told her as he placed his normal look of composed special star, once again. That was the look Mikan did not see the whole night they were together. It warmed her heart.

~.~

In class, the two didn't really talk to each other. Both did what they usually do with friends, not really acknowledging the presence of the other.

"So, how are things with Mikan?" Ruka suddenly asked Natsume when he caught the raven-haired boy staring at no other than the girl in question.

"Huh?" Natsume looked to his side. He had his arms behind his head, reclining on his chair as if the teacher wasn't in front of them.

"I asked you. How are you and Mikan?" He questioned his best friend again, nodding his head slightly in her direction to make a point.

"Mhm. Fine." He answered, a smile creeping up his mouth. Natsume recalled what had just happened and can't wait for it to occur again.

"Oh really? You haven't spoken about where you were last night." Ruka turned into a nagging friend so sudden. "Were you in a mission again?"

A mission to catch her heart. He thought to himself as his smile grew bigger. Ruka looked at him with a repelled look on his face. His best friend was turning crazy.

Something smells fishy around here. The blonde weighed the different situations.

Once the class was over, the students gathered together and talked about the most boring class they may just have had. Two of them thought otherwise, as their minds were diverted to something else.

Hotaru noticed the same thing as Ruka did. Natsume kept snatching glances at Mikan while she did the same. She wanted to do some hardcore investigating. But a simple question might just do.

"So, are you two together?"

Everybody's eyes turned to Hotaru and then went to the two in question, almost immediately. They were both contemplating on what they say.

"No." They said in unison.

In the corner of his eye, Natsume saw Koko about to open his mouth. If you ever tell them, you're dead. Natsume shouted in his mind, hoping the mind reader would catch on. Almost instantaneously, his mouth closed. He just kept his thought to himself, then.

Their next class was Math. The teacher was busy scribbling some complex equations on the board as the students furiously wrote on their notebooks, trying to keep up. Mikan excused herself to the washroom and went out.

She couldn't focus on anything. Mikan was too caught up with the events of last night, as if it were haunting her. Well, she didn't really call it haunting because she liked the memory. She wanted to relive it again. But it was keeping her from studying. Mikan looked at herself in the mirror of the washroom. She was blushing fifty shades of red. Hoping that with a little water, she washed her face and sighed as the cold water hit her warm cheeks. It didn't really help, though.

When Mikan gave up all the hopes of clearing her face of any evidence of the previous night, she got out and walked back to the classroom. Surprisingly, there was a guy leaning against the wall a bit away from the room she was about to go to. He was staring at his shoes, as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. For now.

When he heard somebody walk towards him, he looked up. The moment he saw who it was, a smile lit up his face. Now Mikan was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Hi." Natsume greeted her, as if they hadn't seen each other in the classroom just minutes ago.

"What are you doing here?" She had a questioning look.

He stepped close to her. "Not really the greeting I wanted." Natsume held her waist and pulled her close to him. The moment she was hauled to him, he crushed her lips with his. His kiss was demanding and hurried. His lips pleaded her to open for him. He nibbled her bottom lip which made her moan and open her lips.

Once their tongues touched, both moaned in each others' mouth. Her hand messed up his hair and his hands slowly traveled their way down her waist. When Natsume's hands went down even more, Mikan broke the kiss and sighed. Mikan gripped his hands and pulled it up.

"Come on, let's get back to class." She smiled and pulled him to the room.

Their entrance to the classroom caught the attention of the whole class. Oh wait, we aren't supposed to be together. Mikan thought to herself and slowly made her way to her seat. She had her head down and tried to hide her blush.

When Natsume went back to his seat, Koko was the only one staring at him. The rest of his friends went back to listening to the teacher, or pretending that is. The mind reader had a smirk. He knew exactly what happened.

~.~

It was time for Dangerous Ability class.

This time, the couple was walking together, seeing as nobody would really be around since they had their own classes to think of. Natsume's right arm snaked around Mikan's waist and pulled her close to him while continuing to walk towards their class. She didn't complain, which made Natsume smile with content.

"You seem very happy nowadays." It wasn't a question. Mikan really did notice his mood lighten up since the very first days she knew him.

"And it's all thanks to you." He gazed at her.

She didn't try to hide her blush any more, this time. They stopped walking as Natsume grazed his thumb on her cheek. He stole a quick smack and went back to walking. This left Mikan at a daze, and blushed even more.

When they reached the gazebo of their class, the other students were already there. They seemed oblivious to the two, as if they were so used to their public display of affection by now.

"About time, don't you think?" Rui turned to Hayate. They were the only ones left looking at them, while the others went back to their normal business.

Hayate stood up from his seat and went to greet Mikan and Natsume. "Well if it isn't the two lovebirds. Enjoyed your honeymoon?" He snickered as he teased the two.

He was laughing until he smelled something burning. When he felt the heat above his head did he realize his hair was on fire. The rest of the class turned to him and laughed at the scene before him. Natsume, with his arm still around Mikan, was secretly laughing too. That was, until he started coughing. Badly.

"Natsume?" Mikan turned to him when she felt the man weaken and cough continuously. "Are you okay?"

He wasn't able to answer as was still coughing. Not long enough, blood started coming out. This worried Mikan, and at the same time scared her. Natsume fell on his knees as his coughing didn't stop.

"Natsume!"

She was leaning toward him, with her arms on his back, trying to make his coughing stop. After what seemed like hours, he gained composure of himself and brushed of what just happened.

"I`m fine." He said, trying to stand up with Mikan's support.

"No, you're not fine! Come on, I'll take you to the hospital."

She was about to bring him outside when the exit was blocked by none other than Persona. The man Mikan was dreading to see, since she was sure he would prevent him from going anywhere besides where his mission is.

"Excuse us." Mikan announced when she was in front of their teacher.

"I`m afraid you cannot take the black cat out." He was talking in an authoritative tone, which made Mikan have Goosebumps. Natsume stiffened as he heard the sentence.

She wasn't one to give up. Looking straight into his eyes, she uttered, "Well, sir, Natsume isn't in the right condition to have a lesson today. Now, if you'll just allow me to take him to the hospital and have him healed."

"I will repeat myself. You cannot take him out."

"It's just a lesson, sir." Mikan tried to keep her composure.

"No, it's not a lesson today for both of you." Persona's voice raised a bit. "You have a mission."

Mikan sighed and gave up. There was no way she nor Natsume can get out of this.

"Kuro no kami and Iwa Sakuya, infiltrate and destroy the Z."

Reviews are greatly appreciated. ;)

xoxo,

Terence