Buttered Biscuits (Natsume Hyuuga X OC)

Grand Trip to Central Town

Not much going on this chapter, but figured I should put out something. Thank you all for the support!!

        Fire everywhere. 

        Scorching hot blades of fire licked up at the air, sucking up oxygen and allowing the growth of the flames. It felt as if they grew as tall as the sky is high, with how much they encompassed the area. A boy ran through the seemingly endless maze of orange. Everywhere he turned, a pillar of fire appeared until he was completely surrounded. 

        "No." he cautiously backed up when another thorn of fire shot out, burning his skin. He cried out in pain, clutching his burnt arm to his chest.

        "No. This isn't supposed to happen." The boy began to hyperventilate, grabbing desperately at his throat trying to breathe, the smoke running to his lungs. 

        He began to wheeze as his oxygen was cut off and he felt as if he was going to suffocate. Drowning in the flames, drowning in his guilt and regret, drowning in himself, drowning in his Alice--

        Natsume threw himself up from his spot on the pillow, gasping harshly, hands grabbing his throat. It was as if he couldn't breathe, just like in his dream. His raspy breath and panicked motions awoke the sleeping girl beside him, who was cuddled into his side (which occured at some point in the night). 

        "Natsume? Natsume." she sat upright in her bed, hands coming to Natsume's arm in worry, "Natsume, are you okay? Oh my-" 

        His red orbs watched her, she could smell the panic and see the fear in his eyes. He was screaming for help. "I-"

        "Natsume, it's okay. You're gonna be okay." she said soothingly, grabbing his head and putting his forehead to hers. The only thing she could focus on was getting him better, she could care less about being this close to the boy at this point. She activated her Alice, emanating a warm, comforting heat that slowly eased his harsh breathing. 

        Once he got to a point where he could breathe without sounding like a rusty car, Hoshika slightly pulled away from the boy. To her surprise, Natsume leaned back into her warmth, something he did subconsciously. She smoothed out his hair and gave him a hug, doing what her mother used to do when she was younger.

        He allowed himself to indulge in the safety of the girl's arms, but only for a moment. He found safety nestled into her neck, smelling the nice vanilla shampoo fragrance from her hair. Natsume suddenly realized what he was doing and backed far away from the girl, even out of the bed. He raced to the door, luckily finding it unlocked. He turned the knob and left the room. 

        The girl left on the bed was flabbergasted at Natsume and herself. "Why the hell did I hug him? Why the hell did I sleep in the same bed as him? I must've been possessed..." she said, trailing off. I wonder what I did wrong? 

        After the incident with Natsume, Hoshika tried to go off on her merry way to school, but something about the way Natsume reacted to her hugging him didn't sit right with her. Instead of getting to know Natsume better after their forced sleepover, she found herself asking more and more questions about the mysterious boy. 

        Maybe he didn't get much love when he was younger? Maybe he's never been hugged before?... no, he probably has. I wonder what happened to him to make him act this way? Or maybe he thinks I have cooties! 

        "I don't have cooties..." she mumbled to herself, her wrist propping her head up against her desk. 

        "What do you mean, cooties?" Mikan asked the girl sitting next to her. They were currently waiting for the bell to ring for class. Mikan had her tongue sticking out as she scribbled on her homework from three days ago.