Warning: creepy and crazy Natsume. Reader discretion is advised.

FIXATION

::

We'll do it all

Everything

On our own

We don't need anything

Or anyone

If I lay here

If I just lay here

Would you lie with me

And just forget the world

-Chasing Cars,Snow Patrol

::

Chapter Two

He watches her.

She looks so happy.

She's smiling and laughing…

And she looks so alive.

But he's infuriated,

because she's with that man again.

Yet, he's still mesmerized.

He always finds himself so mesmerized by her…

Over and over again.

He wants her.

He wants her.

He fucking wants her.

And he wants her to look only at him.

He wants her to smile at him,

And laugh with him,

And be happy with him.

Only with him.

::

::

Mikan didn't know when exactly she started feeling slightly paranoid. She'd been feeling uneasy for unknown reasons as of late. Something was making her uncomfortable, especially whenever she finds herself alone in public places. She couldn't point out precisely what was wrong but she knew it was there, whatever it was.

If she didn't know any better, she would say she was being watched.

But she knew that it didn't make sense as everything seemed normal whenever she checked her surroundings. The people around her minded their own business and were not even paying her a bit of their attention.

She tried to brush off the heavy feeling at first, but then it got worse. She was almost positive someone was taking photos of her. 'Almost' because she had no concrete evidence to support her suspicion except that one time at the park. She was sitting leisurely on one of the benches as she watched the sunset when, out of the corner of her eyes, she suddenly caught a glimpse of someone in the crowd pointing a camera at her. When she turned to look, the person was gone. Mikan wasn't even sure if it was a man or a woman.

She sincerely hoped to God she was only imagining things. It was either that or she was going crazy.

"Hey, Mik,"

Mikan almost jumped out of her seat when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Ruka!" She yelped.

Ruka's brows furrowed. He looked at her worriedly, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. You just surprised me, is all." She replied with a tensed smile.

Ruka didn't seem convinced by her answer. He occupied the empty chair beside her as his eyes lingered on her face, "Are you sure? You seem a little jumpy lately. Is something bothering you?"

Mikan heaved a sigh. She moved closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"No, I'm okay, really. This week has just been very stressful to me. What with all the surprise quizzes and papers to write. Jinno was also being such a pain in the ass. He gave me a C on my last report when I know I deserved an A… or at least a B+ for it." She said lamely.

Mikan had never mentioned to Ruka or to anyone else about her recent concerns. She didn't want him to worry about her especially when it was unnecessary. For all she knew, it could be just the stress that was causing her to feel restless.

And besides, what would she tell him? That she felt like someone was stalking her? That sounded ridiculous even inside her head.

"Jinno's a bully. But I know something that can cheer you up." Ruka said as he pulled something out of his back pocket.

"Aoi's play!" Mikan exclaimed when he handed her two rectangular tickets. Her mood effectively lightened up as she took them in her hands. "I can't believe I almost forgot about this. It's tonight!" She said excitedly.

"Yeah. I saw Aoi this morning and got our tickets." Ruka stated as he placed an arm around her shoulders.

"This is great. I really need a break from all of my schoolwork. I'll text Hotaru to come, too."

"Don't bother. I saw her at the library before I went here. I asked her but she said she can't go because she'll be busy preparing for her presentation on Monday."

"That girl… I haven't seen her since yesterday, and now she won't even take a couple of hours off to hang out with us." Mikan said disappointedly.

"Miss Einstein's too busy getting smart. But she also said she'll treat us out if her presentation turns out good, which I'm sure it will be."

"She said that? Then I'll make sure I get a reservation at that expensive Italian restaurant in Central Town." She grinned impishly.

Ruka chuckled and gently poked her forehead, "I doubt Hotaru will let us drag her there. I bet she'll only bring us to the school cafeteria and buy each of us a sandwich and a coke."

"Yeah. That sounds more like her. For a beautiful rich girl, Hotaru is a cheapskate." Mikan giggled, feeling much better than she had earlier now that she had someone she could talk with to help her ease her mind.

She and Ruka spent the remaining few hours before the play starts finishing Mikan's homework and then strolling around the campus. At around six pm, they arrived at the auditorium where the play was being held. The place was already filled with people. They settled on their assigned seating without any hassle; and Mikan was quite pleased that their seats were near the stage. Not a moment longer, the play had finally commenced and Mikan soon found herself too engrossed in the performance to care about anything else.

::

::

"Aoi! You were so great up there. I was so carried away by your Juliet." Mikan hugged her kouhai in congratulatory after she found the raven haired girl backstage along with the other actors.

The show was a success. It was a modern take on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and the Drama Club had executed it very well. The audience clearly loved the presentation and gave it a standing ovation.

"Thanks, Mikan! I'm so glad you came." Aoi, still in her costume, said with a wide grin on her face.

"Of course! I wouldn't want to miss your first lead role." Mikan said happily and then added, "Too bad Hotaru didn't come. The play was great and you were amazing!"

Aoi laughed, her face blushing slightly from the compliment, "I wasn't that amazing. I almost forgot a line at one of my scenes."

"Really? It wasn't obvious." Mikan and Aoi talked for a little longer. Ruka, who was standing not far from them, also seemed to have been caught up in an animated conversation with Hayate.

"Did your family come to watch, too?" Mikan asked.

"Just my dad. He's probably still outside waiting for me. Natsume didn't want to come; this kind of thing bores him." Aoi shrugged.

Mikan suddenly remembered her last encounter with Aoi's brother and then nodded her head pensively, "Ah, yeah. He said he didn't like fiction."

"Huh? You mean my brother? He said that to you? When?" Aoi straightened up, a mixture of surprise and confusion apparent in her tone.

"Hm… It was a few weeks ago, I think. I saw him at the coffee shop across the school. We talked for a bit." Mikan replied, not quite getting the odd look that crossed the raven-haired girl's face.

"Anyway, you were really great, and I'm not just saying that because you're my friend."

Aoi then smiled and gave her a hug. After a while, she excused herself and went to disappear into the dressing room.

Mikan and Ruka eventually left the auditorium together. They were walking in silence to the school parking lot when Mikan heard something moved behind them. She ignored it as first since Ruka didn't seem to notice anything. But when they passed by the big tree at the centre of the parking area, she heard another sound of movement.

She glanced behind them but saw nothing. There were still a few people around aside from her and Ruka but they were heading at the opposite direction. Mikan continued to walk beside her boyfriend quietly. She was somehow relieved that several cars were still parked in the lot; that meant they weren't completely isolated.

They were already near Ruka's sedan when Mikan heard another noise from behind them again. She didn't know why her ears were so sensitive to that faint sound while Ruka didn't seem to hear anything at all.

Unable to ignore the chill that crept through her body, she frantically tugged Ruka's hand, "R-Ruka…"

Mikan didn't need a mirror to know that her face had paled in fear. She refused to look behind her again, afraid that she might see something supernatural. Like a ghost… or a psycho person holding an axe, maybe.

Ruka stopped on his tracks and looked to her. His brows knitted together when he saw her rigid form, "What's wrong?"

"I think someone's following us!" Mikan hissed as she pulled him closer.

Ruka frowned. Mikan fixed her eyes on her boyfriend's face as he turned to look behind them. The serious expression on his face suddenly turned into an amused one, and then he began to laugh, "Something's following us, alright. And it's really big and scary… and furry."

Mikan slowly turned around. She didn't notice it at first because she was looking straight ahead but when she let her gaze drop on the ground, she saw a small black cat standing just a couple of feet from them. Mikan felt her shoulders relaxed. She exhaled loudly in relief.

"We're being stalked by a kitty cat." She chuckled as she stared at the small animal, who was also eyeing her and Ruka intently.

Mikan dropped on her knees. She had always been fond of cats. But when she was about to reach out a hand to pat the cat's head, it hissed at her and then ran off.

"Rude cat," she grumbled. Somehow, the feline reminded her of a certain someone.

Ruka laughed as he pulled her up, "Come on, Mik. I'm hungry. Let's get dinner before I drop you home."

When they reached the car, instead of opening the door for her, Ruka pulled her body against his and claimed her lips.

Ruka was a good kisser. He was always gentle every time he touched her and Mikan enjoyed their make-out sessions, but tonight, she didn't feel like making the kiss last long. She still couldn't completely ignore that nagging feeling that someone was watching her, no matter how crazy that idea was.

She pulled away from Ruka and tried to mask her uneasiness with a cheeky grin, "I'm also hungry, Mr. Nogi; and as much as I enjoy your kisses, they don't fill my empty stomach. Come on now."

Ruka chuckled and opened the door for her.

::

::

Fuck him!

Fuck him to hell.

How dare that bastard touch her like that!

How dare he kiss her so freely!

That bastard's going to pay.

Natsume will make sure of that.

Mikan is his.

His.

And no one else's.

He's furious.

He wants to hit something… anything.

His clenched fists whiten in rage.

He lets out a deep breath.

He needs to control himself… at least, for now.

Watching her simply is not enough anymore.

He has to make a move,

…Sooner better than later.

Or else, she will be completely taken away by another man.

And Natsume will die first before he let that happen.

::

::

Ruka was tired.

His last class for the day just ended and all he wanted to do right now was to go straight home, take a hot shower, and then drop dead on his bed. Now that all of his classes were major subjects, it required so much of his time and energy. He hardly even went to the gym nowadays; he used to work out regularly but since free time had become a scarcity, he would rather spend his with Mikan.

He then scowled at the thought of his girlfriend. He barely saw her today and their encounter didn't even last for more than five minutes since she was also busy with her classes.

After they went to see Aoi's play, they were once again piled up with schoolwork and weren't able to meet up as often as they used to. Midterm exams were just around the corner so the busy atmosphere in the campus was inevitable.

His musing was swiftly interrupted when his cell phone started ringing.

He grabbed the small device and checked the caller. It was one of his friends.

Ruka thought about ignoring the call but he knew Mochu would just continue ringing him until he picked up.

He exhaled and pressed the answer key, "What's up, Mochu?"

"Hey, man, where you at right now?" The voice asked from the other line.

"Driving home, why?" Ruka answered, his eyes focused on the road while only one hand was gripping the steering wheel.

"Lame. Go straight here at Kitsu's. We're having a house party!" Mochu shouted enthusiastically over the phone.

Ruka groaned. How his friends still find the time to party despite all the exams and deadlines to meet, Ruka had yet to know.

"Sorry, I can't. I'm already beat." He declined blatantly.

"No! C'mon…! There will be unlimited booze and chicks! You know you want it!"

Ruka sighed, "Should you really be partying right now? You just failed the last quiz in our Economics class. You might wanna rethink your decisions in life."

Mochu only laughed, seemingly unaffected by his remark, "My decisions in life involve getting laid as much as possible. Life is short, you know. You should try getting some, too; so come over here now and let's score some chicks."

"You seem to forget that I have a girlfriend." He deadpanned as he turned his car to the right at the end of the street.

"Oh, don't worry. We won't tell Mikan."

"Ass." Ruka said curtly; as if he would ever cheat on his girlfriend. The thought never even crossed his mind.

"Fine, forget the chicks. Think of the booze. Let's get wasted!"

"Sorry, man. I'm in front of my apartment now. Maybe next time." Ruka said defiantly as he pulled the car over to the driveway. Mochu complained and tried to convince him further but had given up eventually when the blonde remained adamant.

After the phone call ended, Ruka got out of his car.

He fiddled with his keys until he reached the front door of his unit. Automatically, his hand searched for the light switch on the wall once he had entered the room. When the place lit up, the sight that welcomed him left him frozen on his feet. The inside of his apartment had been thrashed. Everything was ransacked. The furniture and appliances were thrown all over the room.

Soon after Ruka recovered from his shock, he acted on instinct and grabbed the golf club he found lying on the floor and made it his weapon of choice in case the intruder was still inside. He took his phone out and quickly dialled the police hotline as he cautiously walked into the kitchen area.

After the brief call with the police, he dialled his landlord's number and also told him what happened while simultaneously trying his best to stay as calm as possible. While he waited for them to arrive, he searched the place for other damages, cursing under his breath all the while. It seemed that the intruder had already left long before he came home.

Ruka didn't know yet if there were things missing, but he guessed that the motive wasn't just a simple robbery. If it were, his DVD player, the flat screen television, his laptop and other appliances in the living room should've been gone by now; there was also no need for the robber to destroy the furniture and throw the contents of his refrigerator on the floor if he was just going to rob the place, unless that person had a lot of spare time in his hand.

Ruka entered the last room, his bedroom. And just like the others, it was also thoroughly thrashed. The things that were once on the study table were now lying all over the room. His clothes, pillows, books, bed sheets were all scattered around. He picked up the picture frame he found on the floor. It was his picture together with Mikan. The frame was broken and its glasses were shattered into pieces. It looked like it suffered from a serious beating.

The battered picture frame fell right out of his hand when he noticed something lying at the end of the bed.

His heartbeat was racing and his palms sweating as he neared over. He felt the blood drain from his face. With shaky hands, he lifted the unmoving body of his pet rabbit. The large bruise around its neck clearly indicated that it was suffocated to death.

::

::

A long sigh escaped Mikan's lips as she fiddled with the straw of her iced latte. She just couldn't stop worrying about Ruka. Someone had broken into her boyfriend's apartment two days ago and ransacked the whole place. The worst part was that Ruka's pet rabbit, Usagi, was also killed. Of course Ruka was more devastated at the death of his pet. Mikan knew how much he loved Usagi.

She couldn't help but feel hatred for whoever the intruder was. How could a person kill such a small and defenceless animal? It was plain cruel.

Ruka had already filed a police report and his landlord let him transfer to another vacant unit. Actually, if it were up to Mikan, she would want Ruka to find another apartment complex to live in.

The motive of the intruder was still unknown to them. Ruka said he was not missing any of his things, so it was obviously not robbery. The police came to investigate and tried to find any sort of evidence left by the intruder but found nothing. It was also highly possible that the person was wearing hand gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. Tenants from other units were questioned but most of them were college students who were out during the day, so no one heard or saw anyone suspicious entered or left Ruka's unit.

The police asked Ruka if he knew anyone who could possibly hold a grudge against him but Ruka could think of no one. Mikan also thought the same. She couldn't think of anyone who would hate her boyfriend. Ruka was like the best guy around. Everyone found him likeable. So who on earth would hate him enough to destroy his place and kill his rabbit?

Mikan didn't realize that she was once again caught up in her own thoughts until someone called out her name.

"Mikan,"

She looked up and saw a pair of familiar crimson eyes fixed on her.

The brunette was startled but was able to compose herself quickly, "Oh hey, Natsume…" Mikan greeted listlessly to the tall raven haired man standing at the other end of her table while holding a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Mind if I sit here?" He gestured at the empty seat across from her, "There's no more vacant table around."

Mikan looked around and saw the place was indeed full of people and all tables were occupied. She must've been spacing out for quite some time as she didn't notice that the coffee shop had already become crowded.

Not one to turn down a person, Mikan turned again to Natsume and smiled graciously, "Sure, go ahead."

Natsume settled on the chair without another word and proceeded to sip on his cup.

"Waiting for Aoi?" She asked lamely. Mikan couldn't deny that she was feeling quite out of it at the moment and she was not being her usual lively self.

"No. I was just in the area." Natsume answered simply. He fixed his gaze on her for a moment before he asked, "You looked troubled. Are you okay?"

Mikan shrugged, "Yeah… well, no… not really,"

Natsume's forehead slightly creased as he looked at her, "What's wrong?"

The brunette hesitated for a second. She wouldn't usually blurt out her worries to a person she hardly knows but right now she just wanted someone to talk with. So Mikan found herself telling Natsume about the break in at her boyfriend's apartment while he listened to her attentively.

"…and Ruka's rabbit was also killed. It was so cruel." Mikan finished, looking distressed as she slumped on her chair.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Natsume said. Mikan smiled thankfully at him. He didn't speak much but she could sense the sincerity of his words, and that was enough to make her feel a little better.

"So many crooks are lurking around the neighbourhoods lately. It's not safe anymore…" She mused loudly.

Natsume nodded his head once in agreement and said, "Yes, so you should be careful too. Do you live alone?"

"Yeah, I do. But we have tight security in my apartment building, so I think I'll be okay."

"You still can't be sure. You have to double check your locks at night and when you leave your apartment."

Mikan couldn't stop a laugh from escaping her, "You sound like a parent."

He smirked, "I'm sure your parents would tell you the same thing."

"Hmm," Mikan paused for a short moment before she continued with a thoughtful smile on her face, "Yeah, I guess they would if they were still alive."

Natsume stiffened for a quick second and gave her a solemn look, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay. Don't worry about it. It's been a long time." Mikan cut him short, not wanting him to feel uncomfortable. The death of her parents was a gloomy topic for her but Mikan didn't want to be pitied for it. She had also learned long ago how to cope with the loss of her parents, so it didn't devastate her anymore like it used to.

"How about you? Do you still live with your family?" She asked shortly to avoid an awkward silence to transpire.

Natsume leaned back on his chair and smiled slightly, "No. I live alone, too."

Mikan was about to comment when she saw Aoi came in through the door of the coffee shop.

"Hey, your sister's here." She told Natsume before she waved a hand and called her kouhai, "Aoi!"

::

::

Aoi promptly stopped on her tracks when something caught her eyes. Her gaze narrowed as she watched in bewilderment the two people sitting behind the glass windows of the coffee shop across the street.

As she stared longer, she was certain that she had not simply mistaken the man with the same hair colour as her. It was indeed her brother sharing a table with her senpai inside the café. And to say that Aoi was surprised was an absolute understatement.

The two seemed to be chatting quite amicably. Mikan was smiling but that was not an unusual sight for the brunette smiled at everyone she knew. What shocked Aoi mostly was the fact that her brother was actually smiling back and he seemed relaxed as he sat there while holding a cup in his hand. And right there and then, it struck her: her brother liked Mikan.

It was so easy for her to tell because nobody knew Natsume better than her and their father. There was no way for him to linger around a crowded place if there was no need for him to. He was also not the type to enjoy a random chat with the opposite sex. And as far as Aoi knew, her brother didn't like any form of socializing; he would tolerate it once in a while, but only when necessary.

And now, Aoi couldn't help but be worried.

Mikan was already committed to another guy, and that guy was also a friend of Aoi's. She didn't want her brother to cause problems in other people's relationship, and she didn't want him to get hurt in the process, either. When Mikan first mentioned to Aoi about her brief encounter with Natsume, Aoi thought it was odd but she didn't dwell on it much. But now she knew that it was more than a chance encounter between the two. As of the moment, she couldn't tell how serious her brother was about Mikan but obviously, he was getting out of his way—and not to mention, out of his comfort zone— just so he could interact with the girl.

Honestly though, Aoi was not at all sure if Natsume could handle intimate relationships. She knew he was not… stable enough. Well, he had been for quite a long time now; he was actually doing pretty well. But still, there was no saying if or when he would break again. And if he did, it could cause a lot of damage to the people around him.

After a while of deliberating, Aoi decided to interrupt the two. She crossed the street and walked inside the coffee shop. As soon as she came in through the door, she heard her senpai called out her name.

A smile was instantly in place as she waved a hand. She couldn't see Natsume's facial expression since his back was facing hers but she noticed his form turned stiff as she walked to their table.

"Hi, Mikan!" She greeted when she reached them. She then turned to her brother and feigned surprise, "Natsume? What are you doing here? Are you waiting for me?"

Natsume simply threw her a glance before he answered in a stoic voice, "No."

Mikan let out a small giggle and said, "He likes the brewed coffee here."

Aoi's gaze shifted to the half-empty cup of black coffee on the table and then looked at her brother knowingly. Aoi knew Natsume didn't drink coffee. She had lived with him for a long time until he decided to move out of their house but not once did she see him drink coffee.

Natsume remained impassive and didn't contradict Mikan's statement. Instead, he rose from his seat and said to Mikan in his usual monotonous tone, "I'll go ahead now. I still have somewhere else to go."

Mikan nodded and smiled, "Okay. Take care, then. Thanks for listening to me."

Natsume then turned to Aoi. He didn't meet her gaze and only muttered her name to acknowledge her before he left and walked out of the café.

Aoi took the seat her brother had just vacated before she asked Mikan, "What was my brother doing here?"

Even though Aoi already had an idea of Natsume's motive, she still wanted to hear the reason her brother used to talk to Mikan.

The brunette shrugged, "He said he was just in the area."

Aoi stared curiously at her senpai. She knew Mikan could be dense sometimes, but couldn't this woman tell what her brother was really trying to do? Aoi sighed. She guessed Mikan only thought it was normal for people to approach and talk to her for no particular reason. Aoi also couldn't blame Mikan for being friendly with her brother; Mikan had no idea of Natsume's background. All Mikan knew was he was Aoi's brother and that fact alone was enough for her to trust him.

"Where's Ruka?" Aoi asked after a while.

"He's still in class." Mikan replied, her voice suddenly weary.

Aoi frowned and leaned closer, "Hey, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

Mikan let out a deep breath. As Mikan began relaying to her the recent incident with Ruka, Aoi felt her heartbeat slowing down. She didn't realize she had spaced out until Mikan reached for her hand.

"Aoi, are you okay? You're pale." Mikan asked worriedly.

"Y-Yes. I'm sorry, I was just thinking of something." She stuttered and then continued, "So, um, the police still don't know who did it?"

"Yeah. They said they'd contact Ruka if they find out anything. But I think they'd already given up on the case."

"You said nothing was stolen?" Aoi asked.

"Yes, not even the money Ruka kept inside his drawer. The whole place was just thrashed and Ruka's rabbit was suffocated to death."

Aoi didn't know what to think. Natsume couldn't possibly be the one who broke into Ruka's apartment, could it? He just liked Mikan but it wasn't like he was in love with her or something, right? But she knew her brother. He had violent tendencies. He had done worst things in the past. He was not like any other normal twenty-four-year old male out there. Also, the timing was rather suspicious. Could it really be possible that, out of jealousy, he broke into Ruka's apartment and killed his pet?

But, no. It couldn't be him. Because if it were really him, then that would mean he was obsessed with Mikan and had been stalking her all these time. That sounded ridiculous. Her brother was not that crazy. So, no, there was no way it was Natsume. She should be ashamed of herself for even considering the possibility of it.

::

::

Aoi had been trying to call Natsume but her brother was not answering her calls. So it prompted Aoi to go to his apartment and see him herself. Although she had already told herself countless of times that Natsume had nothing to do with the break-in at Ruka's place, she was still feeling uneasy about it. Maybe it was the gut feeling, she didn't know. She just needed a confirmation from Natsume to ease her mind.

But when she reached his place, no one was answering the door. She turned the doorknob and was surprised to find out that it was unlocked. Maybe her brother just went out for a while to buy something from the store. She helped herself inside and settled on the couch in the living area.

Aoi had only been here a number of times since Natsume moved into this place a few years ago. It was usually her brother who went to their family house to visit her and their dad. The place was mostly neat and organized, save for a few magazines strewn here and there. Aoi then noticed the partly opened door next to Natsume's bedroom. She knew it was the room that served as Natsume's work place. Aoi hadn't been in there before. Out of curiosity, she decided to check out the place.

She scanned the room as she walked inside. There was a desktop computer standing in the corner, a wide table at the centre, different brands of cameras neatly placed on the shelf, and various equipment were lying around.

When she stopped beside the table, she saw photos scattered over it. A deep crease formed on her forehead as she stared at the photos. Her heartbeat began to race when she realized that all of them were pictures of Mikan. They were all candid shots and the subject obviously had no idea that someone was taking pictures of her. Some of the shots were taken from afar while the others were shot up close.

Her hand was slightly shaky as she took one photograph that depicted Mikan laughing with someone who was not included in the shot.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Aoi gasped at the sound of her brother's angry voice. She turned around and saw him standing in the doorway, glowering at her.

Aoi was rendered speechless at first by the intensity of her brother's glare. Before she could utter a word, Natsume had walked up to her and snatched the photo from her hand.

"Get out, Aoi." He hissed as he swiftly gathered all the photographs from the table.

Aoi frowned and grasped Natsume's arm but he just easily pushed her hand away. "What the hell, Natsume! How long have you been stalking Mikan?"

"This is none of your business. Now, leave." He growled angrily but the younger Hyuuga was undaunted, "You're my brother, she's my friend. Of course it's my business! Stop whatever you're doing! Mikan has a boyfriend, okay? They're both nice people so please leave them alone."

Natsume ignored her as he turned his back and proceeded to place the stack of photos inside the drawer.

"Were you the one who break into Ruka's apartment?" Aoi continued to ask fervently as she followed after her brother around the room. She noticed his shoulders tensed at the question but didn't say anything. Aoi didn't need him to say yes to know the answer.

She felt her face grew hot with anger and disbelief as she went on with her rant, "Do you have any idea what you've done? You could be put in jail! You destroyed Ruka's place and killed his pet. You freaking killed a harmless animal!" Aoi noticed his fists were already clenched tightly but didn't stop yelling at him. Her brother had already crossed the line and had obviously turned into a crazy stalker. He needed to be stopped as soon as possible, and it was her responsibility to do just that.

"My god, Natsume. You need help. I'm begging you. You need to stop or else, I'll tell dad—" Aoi was cut short when Natsume promptly turned to her and grabbed her arm brusquely. She winced at the tight grip of his hand but he didn't seem to care as he spoke to her in a dangerously low voice,

"You will not tell dad about any of this, get it?"

Aoi tried to remove her arm from his grasp but Natsume only tightened his grip, "Natsume, you're hurting—"

"I said do you get it?" He snapped, enunciating every word.

She felt tears starting to well up in her eyes. She tried to contain a sob and murmured, "Y-Yes,"

"Good. Now, leave." He said as he let go of her arm. Aoi shuffled on her feet and hurriedly left the room and out of the apartment. She was panting heavily when she reached the bus stop and didn't realize until then that tears had already rolled down her cheeks. She touched her left arm and grimaced at the pain.

::

::

Aoi was still undecided as to what she should do about her brother. She was anxious about his behaviour. Clearly, Natsume had developed an unhealthy obsession with her friend. He had become so obsessed with Mikan that he was even stalking her, based on the photos she discovered at his apartment. She was still debating if she should tell their father about this. If their dad was informed, he would surely get worried and would ask Natsume to admit himself into rehab once again; maybe even force his son if he had to.

She was still shocked at the way Natsume acted yesterday. He had never hurt her before; yesterday was a first. But even so, she still cared about him immensely. He was her only brother; they were still family no matter what. But she had to do something. She knew she had to do something before Natsume could cause a more serious damage to the people around him.

She was worried about her brother, but Aoi was also worried about Mikan. Natsume had already done something horrible to Ruka just because he was jealous. Who knew what her brother would do next. Aoi couldn't just simply overlook this matter.

Aoi was abruptly pulled out of her trance when a car honked behind her. She turned around and saw a familiar black sedan approaching. The car stopped by her side and the window rolled down and revealed her brother.

"Hop in. I'll drive you home." Natsume said nonchalantly as if nothing happened between them the previous day.

Aoi blinked. She was just about to head home and was on her way to the bus stop. Natsume must have been waiting for her outside the school.

"Come on, Aoi." Her brother sighed when she remained unmoving on her spot. Aoi scrambled on her feet and wordlessly went to the other side of the car. As soon as she had settled herself in the passenger seat, Natsume drove off without further delay.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to hurt you." Natsume began, breaking the silence between them.

"It's okay," Aoi said, a little surprised by his apology. She subtly observed him. To be honest, she was still a little wary of him but he seemed calmer today, and she didn't want to let go of this opportunity. She could take this chance and try to talk to him about the problem at hand. "But, Natsume, what you're doing is not right."

Natsume didn't say anything and his face remained stoic as he drove. "Maybe," Aoi continued carefully, "Maybe you should go see a psychiatrist again…"

"There's no need for that. I'm going to stop." Natsume stated casually without removing his gaze in front of him.

Aoi watched him with uncertainty and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. You don't have to worry about it anymore." Natsume faced her and, to her surprise, gave her a small smile before he turned his eyes back on the road.

Somehow, his words were enough for her to believe him. If he said he would stop, then she should not doubt him. He was still her brother after all, and she would trust him. Aoi felt her body relaxed as though a heavy burden was just lifted from her shoulders.

::

::

Mikan groaned. She mentally scolded herself for forgetting to bring an umbrella with her when she went to the mini grocery store a couple of streets away from her apartment. Now here she was, stranded under a waiting shed while the rain poured hard.

She guessed she just had to wait until the rain stopped or until she could get herself a cab. But she had been standing there for around ten minutes now and all the cabs that passed by her were occupied. She checked her watch and saw it was only seven-thirty in the evening. She sat on the bench with the two plastic bags that contained her groceries. It was still early so she wasn't worried yet, just a bit annoyed.

A few moments later, a black car stopped in front of the shed. Mikan straightened up as the window of the driver's side rolled down and saw the person inside.

It was Natsume.

"Stranded?" He asked as he eyed her.

Mikan smiled sheepishly and answered in a louder voice so he could hear her through the heavy rainfall, "Yeah, you could say that. I forgot to bring my umbrella."

And to her surprise, Natsume got out his car, getting wet in the process as he crossed the distance between her and his vehicle.

"I'll drive you home." He said simply as he took the two plastic bags in his hands. "Wait here," He told her before she could react and then he went to discard her groceries at the back seat of his car.

He had already removed his jacket when he returned to her side.

"Here," He said as he placed the article of clothing over her head.

"Oh, no. You don't have to. You'd get wet—" But the man ignored her and continued to guide her to the car. He opened the door to the passenger side and once she was settled inside, he hurried to the other side and got into the driver's seat.

Mikan bit her lip when she saw that he was drenched. She, on the other hand, was barely wet because she had his jacket to cover her. Although he didn't seem bothered that he had gotten soaked by the rain Mikan still felt guilty.

"Here, Natsume." She handed him her handkerchief and said apologetically, "You got wet, I'm so sorry,"

"Don't worry, I'll survive." He said in a somewhat teasing tone as he took the handkerchief and wiped the water on his face. "So, where do you live?" He asked as he started the engine.

Mikan told him the name of her street. She was thankful that she lived near the area; at least he wouldn't have to drive her very far. She wouldn't want to hassle him any further.

"Are you going somewhere, Natsume? I must be delaying you, sorry." Mikan fiddled with her hands, feeling slightly uncomfortable. They weren't even close friends yet and he was already doing her a favour.

"It's okay. I was just on my way home when I saw you. You're not delaying me." He said without taking his eyes off the road.

The ride didn't take long. Several minutes later, Natsume pulled over his car to the driveway in front of her apartment building. As Natsume reached for the plastic bags from the backseat Mikan still felt bad that he got wet because of her. She worried that he might catch a cold or something similar. His shirt was clinging onto his skin and his hair was damp. He must be feeling cold.

"Do you want to come in and have coffee? I mean, if you're not in a hurry or anything." Mikan asked. It was the least she could do. He could also dry himself to avoid catching a cold. She was sure she could find a shirt that would fit him so he could change his wet shirt. "But it's not brewed and not as good like the one they serve in the café. It's only instant…" She added, suddenly embarrassed.

Natsume stared at her for a second before a tiny smile formed on his lips.

"Instant coffee sounds nice."

::::

Author's Note: Holy cow, this is a long one. I didn't proofread this thoroughly though, so grammar errors and awkward paragraphs are everywhere. This fic was supposed to be a three-shot but when I made the story outline, it got so long and complicated that's why I decided to divide the whole thing into nine chapters (epilogue included).

I don't know when I'll update again but I'll try to put up the next chapter before 2011 ends. I kinda find this story rather difficult to write compared to my other stories. It would help if you guys review, so I'd be motivated to write more. I would love to hear your thoughts about this fic. Lastly, thanks so much for the kind feedbacks on the first chapter. I'm actually quite glad to know that most of you find Natsume creepy, because that's exactly what I'm going for. Haha :)

PS. It's Natsume's birthday! Happy birthday, my love!

11/27/2011