The moment of realisation of who this boy – man, even – before her made Mikan cry.

Such statement is perhaps redundant, after all, who would not cry after realising that her memories had been taken from her, and the boy she loved so much as a child, who was so important in her lost memories, was now standing before her? She did not remember his name, his eyes, his hair, his touch for four years, while, he on other hand, pined for her eyes, her hair, her touch and her smile every night for four years.

She could not possibly forgive herself for all the pain she made Natsume go through; it wasn't her fault, of course, he reminded her, yet the tears would not stop as she held his hands tighter.

His hands were so big now, yet they were still warm like innocence. He was so tall now, yet his height did not frighten her. His face was so much more defined, harder, now, yet she could only see his kindness.

But she had forgotten him for four years.

How could she? When he was so caring, when he loved her so?

Yet this story is not about Mikan crying. This story is about how Mikan and Natsume reconnected after she finished apologising and crying (which, of course, took hours and hours).

Where to begin? What to say?

Natsume had waited for four years, thus unsurprisingly he had four-years worth of stories to tell her, yet with four years, 1460 days, where could he possibly start?

With Hotaru? Luca? Yuu? Sumire? Koko? Kitsume-me? The twins? The teachers? Her uncle? Tsubasa and Misaki? You-chan?

Himself?

They were in Mikan's house, located in the suburbs of Kyoto. It really was so a beautiful place, and as Natsume looked around the living room again, he tried to imagine a younger Mikan in its confines: playing, drawing, laughing or just talking.

He glanced at Mikan in the kitchen. She was with Bear, talking to him about tea and ricecrackers.

Talk to me instead.

But where would he start, he asked himself again.

He never imagined talking to Mikan would be this hard for him.

Granted, she had just cried. And that's always awkward for boys. Granted she had just remembered him. Granted that they were both not used to their different, older appearances. And granted, her grandfather was sitting right across him, looking at him with a knowing look.

A look that plainly said: I know you like my granddaughter. A lot.

He couldn't possibly say or even try anything that he wanted to, with Mikan, with this seemingly-omniscient grandfather on his back.

Mikan had always spoken about her grandfather (he was practically celebrity in Class 2B) yet here he really was, in person, in form.

"So, you want to spend the night here with Mikan?"

Naru, that dipshit.

Natsume cleared his throat; "It's not like that—the Academy thinks it's best for me to stay here before I have to return; that's all. What Mr. Narumi said is most likely to be fantasy." As he said this, Mikan had walked back into the living room, holding a tray of tea, with Bear toddling behind her, carrying the ricecrackers. She seemed oblivious to what her grandfather and Natsume had just discussed, and instead focused on steadily placing the tray onto the table.

She was very, very, very pretty now.

She passed first her grandfather his cup of green tea, and then with a blush she passed a cup to Natsume. Their fingertips briefly touched.

"After tea," grandfather announced, pulling both Mikan and Natsume's attention away from each other. Natsume noted his eyes were narrowed slightly, "Mikan will make you a futon in the spare room and then you can be off to bed. It's getting quite late."

It was seven o'clock.

Well, he obviously didn't miss Natsume's hesitation at the beginning of his answer. Narumi was the one who told Mikan's grandfather about the situation, yet instead of informing him that Natsume was going to stay a night to be on guard, and because it was most convenient for Natsume to stay in the heavily Barrier-ed Sakura household (as the Academy decided) Narumi informed him that Natsume Hyuuga was Mikan's love. Grandfather thought this was quite sweet, until he actually met the rugged, tall Natsume Hyuuga, who looked as if he was already 20 and part of a gang.

And Natsume's hesitation to answering his question really highlighted that he did indeed want to spend the night with Mikan. And let's be realistic; Mikan was the only person who could melt Natsume's poker-face; he was bound to have shown his happiness at being beside her at some point or another in the presence of her grandfather, unintentionally, of course.

Natsume did want to spend the night with her.

He was sixteen, no longer twelve.

But grandfather was not particularly happy with such happenings. No longer was this cute. This was dangerous; his beautiful little granddaughter's chastity and innocence was concerned!

"It's getting late for you, Grandpa." Mikan affectionately corrected. "You can go to bed. I want to talk to Natsume. After all, I've only got tonight."

Indeed, Natsume was scheduled to leave very early in the morning.

Yet Natsume was incredibly happy hearing that.

Grandfather had tried to stay up with Natsume and Mikan, yet by 9 o'clock, it was getting too late for him, and by 9:15, he retreated (with the help of Bear) to his room. Of course, he did not leave so smoothly; he lectured Mikan about not staying up too late and to make sure they slept (in the REM sense, of course) at some point, in, different rooms.

It was Summer. The nights were warm, and when Mikan double-checked her grandfather was asleep, she turned to Natsume and suggested they talk outside.

He agreed. (He did feel like Big Brother was watching him in the house.)

They sat down on the grass outside.

They spoke, and spoke and spoke. Mostly about the Academy. Mikan wanted to know everything that had happened, and Natsume provided her with rich details of the four-years she was not a part of.

No longer was there that silence between them. They spoke, and spoke and spoke.

And as they spoke, and spoke, and spoke, slowly but surely the distance between them was getting smaller, and smaller, and smaller. They came closer to one another, with the excuse, 'I can't hear you; the crickets are too loud' or 'I'm cold' (when it was perfectly warm). They both knew each other were only employing fake excuses, yet they continued to do so, until Mikan was in Natsume's arms.

It was eleven thirty in the evening.

It felt so right.

Maybe Mikan always knew that this existed, and that could explain why she turned down that boy earlier today when he asked her out. She knew she already belonged to someone. To Natsume.

"Natsume," Mikan quietly asked, as she tightened her grip on Natsume's forearms, "when am I going to see you next?"

Natsume did not answer immediately. "You'll see us all in two years time, when we graduate."

"Won't I see you before that?"

"I don't know." Natsume placed his jaw onto her shoulder. "I don't know."

The answer was no.

Silence followed, yet it was filled by the sweet songs of the night-time crickets. His answer had obviously made her upset, he thought, yet he would rather tell her truthfully, rather than give her false hope.

Yet her mind was set, after hearing his answer.

"Natsume," she turned her lips to his cheek, and brushed her lips against his cheek as she quite breathily asked, "do you want to sleep with me tonight?" Her tone and manner of saying 'sleep' clearly meant sleep not in the REM-sense, but in the other sense.

Natsume was the pervert of the relationship. That much was established upon their first meeting. Yet this time, Natsume was the one to feel very hot, and nervous. He felt parched all of a sudden; nobody in the Academy but his friends would know that a girl could reduce him to this. But this was Mikan. And, as established, he was sixteen. He had obviously had a lot of dreams about Mikan . . . some very unholy dreams.

But was it truly like Mikan to suggest such a thing? Never in reality would have thought that Mikan would be the one to initiate sex; that he always thought, was reserved for his dreams.

Panic seized him: had she done it before?

She was sixteen. And it is such a stupid stereotype to assume that only boys think about sex. She didn't know he existed until earlier today. She could have met a boy between from when she twelve and now. She was very, very pretty after all. It was plausible.

He had already considered this thought (how could he not, when Class 2B had a bet running whether this would be the case or not) and had decided before he came, that he would not act bitterly if she did indeed have somebody (even if he would be insanely jealous), as she did not know about their promise. It would not be her fault. So he kept such thoughts to himself, and instead, soothed and shushed his mind, focusing himself on Mikan and Mikan only.

Natsume slid his lips across to Mikan's ear to softly answer, "Yes. Yes I do."

He could feel Mikan's blush reach the tip of her ear; her ears, cheeks and neck suddenly blazed red.

Mikan tried to calm herself down at this point. She felt as if she was going to melt, literally, like the Wicked Witch of the West. Okay, okay, okay. He said yes. Oh God, he said yes. What do I do now? Do I—or, perhaps—no, no, I can't get naked here!—no, I should—oh crap, I don't have any contraception!

And the school always highlighted the importance of contraception. If anything, that was the only thing she had learnt in her biology classes.

"We need to go to a convenience store then," Mikan said quickly, her cheeks still ablaze, "I, um, haven't got any condoms or anything." She was avoiding direct eye contact with him; her eyes were fleeting about, and came to rest on Natsume's chin.

Natsume smiled, and leaned down to kiss her softly on the forehead, which effectively made Mikan bite her lips, and breath rather heavily. Natsume knew then and there she was still a virgin. He also knew that they were not supposed to leave the house. Well, more correctly, she was not supposed to leave the house.

"Where's the nearest one?"

Mikan explained. The nearest 24 hour open convenience store was ten minutes away by foot.

"I'll go get some. You wait in your room, okay?"

"No," Mikan quickly said, holding onto him. "Don't leave me."

She had just got him back, after four years. And he was going to leave in less than twelve hours. Even losing him for twenty minutes would be a regret for the next two years.

Natsume hesitated but then he saw the expression in her eyes. "Alright. Fine. But you can't be seen or else your uncle will have my head on a platter."

As Natsume walked hand in hand with Mikan, the newly purchased condoms in his pocket, he couldn't help but think about what was to come (excuse the pun). Mikan was leading the way, effectively leading the way back to somewhere they'd never be able to come back from.

Was it the right time? Were they, alas, a bit too young?

He had to check.

"Are you sure, Mikan?" Natsume asked, when he saw the house in the near distance.

Mikan's cheeks were still red; Natsume could faintly see it in the dark night. "Yes. I want a night to remember with you, to sustain me for the next two years."

The last time they were together alone, they were only kissing. Kissing seemed so innocent now, as they were walking down the path, despite the fact that Mikan felt so hot when it had happened. Was it too much of a leap, worried Natsume, was she only doing this to please him?

"You can't imagine how happy I am to finally see you, Mikan." Natsume softly said. "This has already been one of the best nights of my life. Without sex. So—"

Mikan seized him, and kissed him.

It didn't take much more than that to convince Natsume.

The clock always ticks, ticks, ticks forward.

Natsume knew the alarm on his temporary phone (given to him by the Academy) would ring any minute. Mikan's room was softly being kissed by the rising sun, and Natsume for a moment despised the sun; why must the sun rise? Why today? Couldn't the laws of nature be defied just for another day, so he could spend it with Mikan?

Why did the sun have to call him?

The sun tells the world to wake up – but Natsume didn't want to. He wanted his own world; a world that did not depend on the sun at that very moment. The sun shouldn't be bothering them.

He supposed he could close his eyes, and banish the sun away, but, as he looked to his side, and saw Mikan's naked body closely nestled to his own, he realised he couldn't possibly close his eyes, or else he would lose her sight.

He grinned at his silly logic.

He was right where he belonged, and for all he knew, the sun could never be as happy as he was.

He hugged Mikan tightly. She softly moaned beside him.

She had moaned and cried so much last night, he recalled, and such sounds were sounds he was sure to remember. When he had sucked her breasts; when he had fingered her moist and tight passage; when he had sucked and of course when had made love to her . . . the way she had clenched, the way she had writhed, with her hands clutching onto his shoulders, and then running wildly through his hair, and finally – the last exhale; one of sated satisfaction. He had lasted a bit longer than her, and when he had also reached her state, after a few more sweaty thrusts, he had let out a similar breathy exhale, and let Mikan hold him tightly as they both caught their breath.

"Mikan," Natsume murmured softly, with the memories of last night lingering so closely, "wake up." He parted her long hair away from her neck, and indeed, her pale smooth neck glistened, only for him, so he could kiss it softly. Down, down, his kisses went, down her top of her spine.

His lips made such sweet sounds against her skin.

"Natsume," came Mikan's voice; which was misty from sleep, and raspy from last night, "good morning."

"Don't say that." Natsume moaned, as he kissed her neck once more.

Mikan turned around to face Natsume. She smiled at the sight of his crimson eyes, and pulled her hand to his soft black hair, which had grown so long, so wild, in these past four years. "Why not?" she questioned, as she stroked his head. But she knew the answer; morning meant his leave, and the start of the two years without him.

Natsume hugged Mikan, and he felt her soft breasts press against his hard chest. So soft, so tender.

Natsume boyishly grinned, "I knew we'd consummate our promise before we got to an alter or a shrine."

Mikan hummed amusedly in response.

They were comfortably silence for a few seconds, holding each other.

Mikan sighed contently into his neck. She didn't want him to leave. Last night had been – well, she couldn't really put it into words. Rushed, awkward and even painful at times, but all the same, it had been so hot; she had never thought such feelings existed, and never thought she could go so high. His calloused hands roaming around her body; his long fingers touching her in intimate places; his lips, sucking, licking all over, from neck to her aforementioned intimate place; and then, grande finale: entering, and retreating, entering further, and retreating, until they were one.

Oh, how she will treasure such experience.

He had done so much for her; pleasured her so well.

But her room was getting brighter, and brighter as the seconds passed, she darkly saw from the corner of her eyes, so Mikan focused her attention back onto Natsume.

Don't leave me.

She proceeded by kissing his neck.

But then, not even ten seconds later, the alarm beeped.

They both knew what that meant.

As Natsume slid out of bed to turn the alarm off (Grandfather would not be happy, if he woke up to that, only to find this), he heard a soft cry. He turned to look at Mikan; her face was now pressed to her pillow. Once the alarm was off, and the phone stowed away, Natsume returned to Mikan's side. But he did not get back into bed; he simply sat beside her, on top of the sheets. "I'll be back for you."

"I know." Her reply was muffled, "You came back for me yesterday already."

"And I'll come back again in two years time with everybody else. And after that, I won't leave your side again. I promise."

Mikan nodded, but still did not look up.

Natsume cradled her soft hair. "I love you."

Mikan nodded.

Natsume prodded her back rather pointedly. He was not satisfied with her reply, more, her lack of adequate reply.

Mikan couldn't help giggle, though it was rather watery, into her pillow before she gave him what he wanted: "I love you too." She finally turned around, to face him. "I'll be seeing you soon."

Natsume smiled assuredly, and nodded to confirm.

After, he got dressed. Mikan also told him to stow away remaining condoms – she did not want her grandfather to find them after all, which Natsume did, by placing the packets in his pockets. She too got dressed, but not before he kissed her all over first, once again.

Their goodbye was quick when it came. They hugged, and whispered sweet words and promises, before he left. He was going back to Tokyo, to the Academy, and she was to stay, here, in the safe suburbs of Kyoto.

Two years. You can do it, Mikan.

The End

Epilogue:

Natsume had come back from Kyoto; but he did not delve much into his reunion with Mikan, much to everybody's displeasure, but Koko didn't have to even read his mind before they got the gist of it.

The packet of condoms fell out of Natsume's pockets, unknown to him, as he stood up from his chair in the dining room to get a drink, and when he returned with his Coke, he could do nothing but swear. Koko and Kitsune-me were holding them up like trophies; the girls had all gone pink (Luca too, in this case) and extremely giggly, of course; all but Hotaru Imai, who narrowed her eyes at him, "You pervert."

Author's note: I do not own Alice Gakuen.

After reading the latest chapter, I decided to write my own little cheeky ending. I don't know how the manga is going to end in two chapters, but the ride has been a good one. I know their goodbye in my story is a bit anti-climatic, but I just didn't know how to end it well. I don't really like goodbyes, so.

There are allusions of John Donne's poem, The Sun Rising, in this chapter. I disclaim that too.