Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice. All rights and privileges to this brilliant and wonderful Manga belong to Tachibana Higuchi-sensei. So please don't sue me…

Chapter Two: Little boy Meets Cripple

"Hey, do you live in this hospital by any chance?" Mikan asks, doubtful.

Natsume raised a brow. "Hn? Why do you ask such weird questions every time we meet?"

"Well, every time I visit the hospital you're always here, so are you perhaps a patient here? Or something?" Mikan frowned; she wasn't really convinced that he was just there by chance.

"Like I said, I'm just here by chance, why is it a crime to be in a hospital?" Natsume smirked

"Urgh, just how many times will you use that kind of lame excuse? Why don't you answer my question so I would stop bugging you?" Mikan's patience began to run-out.

He sighs, "Well you're the one to talk. Just how many times do you think I have answered those useless questions of yours until you're satisfied?"

Mikan pouted, "Sorry for asking you useless questions." She blurted with sarcasm, "– I mean it's not like we could talk everyday you know." She said, playing with her fingers. Natsume only stared at his with amused expression plastered on his face.

"You're kidding right?" He said with disbelief plastered on his face.

"Do I look like kidding to you?" she blurted, pointing to herself waiting for his response.

He stared for a while and let out a loud sighed, facepalm. "Didn't you just say it yourself few minutes ago that you always see me here every time you visit?"

Mikan pause, thinking deeply and she flash a clumsy smile mouthing, "Oh, right I did."

"You're an oddball you know that." He lightly chuckled.

"Oh, shut up." She frowned, playfully punching him on the shoulder.

"Oh my what a cute scene we have here." A female voice interrupted, giggling.

Mikan shuddered, recognizing the owner of the voice; she turned around and faced the person, "Mom." She scowled.

Yuka flashed a clumsy grin on her face, "I'm sorry for interrupting but Mikan there is someone who would like to meet you." Yuka said, gently patting the little boy's head who was hiding behind her, he was around six years old, Mikan instantly recognized him, he was the boy that she save three weeks ago, it was shown on his face that he was feeling guilty about that incident.

"Oh, hi there, how are you? Mind telling Onee-chan your name?" Mikan asks with such gentle tone so that the little boy won't be afraid to approach her.

Seeing Mikan, the boy suddenly cried, Mikan panicked for a bit but she had somehow managed to calm him down. "Are you crying because I'm sitting on this wheelchair?"

He nodded looking at her, still letting out few tears. Mikan smile, she reached her hand toward him and he gladly accepted her offer. "There, there, it no use crying over slipped milk and you don't need to be guilty because it was not your fault." She hugged him tight letting him feel that there was nothing to worry about.

"His, name is Youichi Hijiri her mother drop him by at the clinic since he was being pushy to visit you." Yuka said, amazed at what she just saw, she didn't know that Mikan knew how to handle kids. "– and I told his mother not worry we will take good care of him for the rest of the month until he will calm down."

"Oh, he is going to live with us? Starting today?" Mikan asks, catching up with the situation. "Sweet." She flashed a delighted smile, poking Youichi's soft cheeks.

"Would you like to visit our home too?" Yuka smiled, asking Natsume; while Mikan was too busy playing with Youichi, she didn't notice that Yuka offered Natsume something that she wouldn't be pleased and Natsume being Natsume he took the opportunity while Mikan was still distracted.

"Thank you I would like to agree with that." Natsume gave a polite smile while Yuka fidgeted with delight.

"Oh and don't tell her that you're the doctor's son yet she might misunderstand the situation." Yuka whispered not too obvious enough to make Mikan doubt, that they were in fact hiding something from her.

Natsume nodded, he knew what Yuka meant – if Mikan knows that he was the doctor's son she would go hysteric and misunderstand but he also knew that keeping that as a secret it would also be not good. Sooner or later he will have to explain everything to her.

"Onee-chan, you are not lonely?" Youichi asks, very worried.

Mikan smiled, patting him on the head, "As long as Youichi is with me then I won't be lonely at all." She blurted happily.

Youichi's expression lightens up, "Okay." He cutely nodded. "Onee-chan don't worry Youichi will marry Onee-chan." He innocently exclaimed.

"Wow, how sweet." She giggles cuddling with him.

Yuka chuckled, "Looks like you got yourself a little rival Hyuuga-kun." Winking at him, "– I'll leave her to your care for now. I'll be home late so please accompany her today Dr. Hyuuga have already granted you a permission to stay over. Here's the key to the house and I'll see you guys later." Yuka said, handing the key to Natsume and left after she bid her goodbye to them.

"I didn't know that you own a very luxurious car." Mikan stated with disbelief, looking at Natsume coming out from his Porsche Panamera parked in front of them. "You actually made us wait here so you could proudly present us such lousy car?" she scowled, Youichi was sitting on her lap he wasn't a burned he was just a kid after all he was light I weight.

"Oh, and I did know that you own a tacky wheelchair." He smirked.

She glared at him, "My wheelchair isn't tacky!" she argued.

He smiled a small smile, "– and my car isn't lousy either. Anyway stop arguing, your mom told me to take care of you, so I'm taking you guys home."

"Which home? Ours or yours?" she joked, instead of receiving a retort Natsume only gave her a smirk, she pouted since he was totally not affected by it so she thought of another way to annoy him, "Oh my, this is lovely. I just got myself a handsome nanny." She laughed, trying to act innocent.

"Handsome, yes – Nanny, no." he frowned.

"You're just too full of yourself you know that?" Mikan blurted out, laughing.

"Yes, yes whatever you say Mikan. Now excuse me I'm gonna carry you like a princess aren't you thrilled?" Natsume smirked, looking at her with amusement. "Hello there little guy could you climb down from Mikan's lap for just a brief moment? I'll carry Onee-chan I'll a princess and gently let her sit inside the car over there so we could go home and play some more." Youichi was becoming one of Natsume's accomplices; he willingly followed what Natsume told him, getting down from Mikan's lap so that Natsume could carry her.

Natsume actions to carry her, "Oh no you don't!" she refused to give in but her struggle was futile, Natsume successful carried her and gently place her on the passenger's seat.

"You're a good boy." Natsume smiled, picking Youichi letting him sit beside her.

Mikan was still frowning, "Even though I can climb myself." She mumbled.

"If I let you climb in for yourself it would take god knows for how many hours." He smirked, looking at her from the rare view mirror.

"Oh, shut up." She glared. "What in the world mom is thinking anyway? Suddenly telling you to take care of me? Have she lost her mind?" She stated, glancing at the window. Natsume was just listening to her, didn't bother to answer her whatever-comes-to-her-mind questions, he focused on driving. When they finally arrived at Mikan's house, the same thing happen – the princess's carry and all the argument was nothing new.

"Natsume, what are you doing?" Mikan approached him; he was busy preparing something on the kitchen counter. He completely ignored her presence. "Are you seriously going to ignore me?" she grunted.

"Mikan, can you just stay quiet for a just a moment? And what you do think I'm doing?" he state, raising an eyebrow.

"Urgh, have it your way then mother." She hissed, angrily went away, returning back to Youichi's side who was sitting on the couch watching some random cartoons.

"What a handful princess." Natsume sighed, continued chopping the vegetables.

Few minutes went by and Natsume was finally done cooking their dinner. He went to the living room fetching Mikan and Youichi who was randomly swinging their arms up and down, side by side in front of the big television screen.

"Okay, enough swing your arms like that you guys looks like someone who just lost their mind." Natsume said, turning for the console.

Youichi's face fell, "Dork." He bitterly muttered.

Natsume raised a brow, and turn to look at Mikan who was sheepishly grinning. "Did you just though him to say that?" Mikan furiously wave her hands; she was telling him that she didn't do anything.

Youichi was glaring at Natsume, "Leave Onee-chan only you big meanie." He warned.

"Natsume you've just met your match." Mikan laughed amused that Youichi could talk back.

"So you did teach him." Natsume narrowed his eyes.

She glared, "Like I said I didn't! I was even caught off guard when he said those words. Maybe he's mad at you because you suddenly turned off the Wii console."

"Why are you always bullying Onee-chan?" Youichi interrupted looking up at Natsume with a scowl on his face.

"I'm not bullying your Onee-chan, I letting you guys take a break and eat dinner with me and after that you could play until you drop, you don't want your Onee-chan to get sick right?" Natsume said, smiling at Youichi who eventually beam an innocent smile.

Mikan frown because Natsume could do almost everything in his own pace, "You sure have a way with you words."

"Jealous?" he chuckled.

"Of course not, you idiot!" she blurted, flustered.

To Be Continued...