Little Spinner Be Mine

Author's Note: "Choina" is the series' equivalent for China; however, "Chinatown" predates this designation in episode 38 of EXE, hence why it is referred to as such here. Shout-out to the Master Rice Roll restaurant, where I was the day I wrote this. Enjoy the story and R&R.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of the Rockman EXE series.

Pairing: Pre-slash Chisao x Kosuke.

Summary:

A stroll through Chinatown raises big trouble for Oyama Chisao, who becomes the victim of bullying. Will no one come to his rescue?


"Leave me alone, chu!" Chisao sobbed.

A gang of middle schoolers in green uniforms had the chickpea surrounded, and were playing keep away with his knapsack. Despite the lad's learned, vehement refusal to talk to strangers, they'd lured his trusting self off the main road with recommendations of the best shops in the area. Since the purpose of his pilgrimage to Densan City's Chinatown district was to search for Papa's birthday present, their phony endorsements outweighed common sense.

"You after this, runt? You can have it! Just grab it and it's yours!" The lead bully, a scurrilous rogue, dangled his stolen property beyond the peewee's reach.

"Ha! Look at the itty-bitty loser squirm!"

Their insults weren't without rancorous credit. Oyama Chisao was, for lack of a better word, small. But what he was missing in stature, he made up for in book smarts. He was the only student in his fourth-grade class to have skipped three grades. The curriculum was a far cry from the advanced syllabus educators used at the academy for kid eggheads he attended, prior to transferring from Amerope to Japan in order to be closer to his brother.

Chisao jumped, his hands undershooting their target by a wide margin.

"Hey, why don't you pick on someone your own size?" a high-pitched voice pierced the din.

A plucky boy with stubby limbs, taller than Chisao, but still a gerbil, intercepted further harassment upon his BFF, and stared them down.

"What is this?" the eldest brute mocked. "Shorty's got backup!"

"If you lay another finger on Chisao-kun, I'll bite it off!"

"Hooh! Is this your boyfriend, poindexter? You gonna kiss or sumthin'?"

Kosuke swallowed his fear. These roughnecks hadn't the faintest clue the lengths he would go to protect the almond-eyed croquette.

"Outta the way, twerp!"

He was lifted a staggering vertical distance, crinkles balled in his blue shirt.

"This'll teach you to sniff around where that nose of yours doesn't belong!"

"Watch out, Kosuke-kun!" Chisao yowled.

Kosuke shut his eyes, anticipating he'd be pounded into the sidewalk.

It didn't matter. So long as Chisao escaped safely.

A loud thud pealed.

Their solidly trounced aggressor was dumped on the curb. Over him bulked the husky physique of Chisao's older bro, Dekao. Hanging in Dekao's fist by the collar of his tee as though he were a coat on a rack: Kosuke.

The provocateurs dared not rouse the ire of the man-mountain about to squash and make rice crackers of the lot of them. They collected their boss and effected a speedy retreat.

"Are you hurt, Chisao?" Dekao plunked Kosuke down in front of his sibling, checking the children for injuries. "Don't wander off by yourself!"

"I know, chu. Sorry, Nii-chama."

Reobtaining what the caitiffs dropped, Kosuke consigned the bag to its rightful owner.

Chisao happily slung the pack over his shoulder, indebted. "Thank you, chu."

Dekao conducted his charges onto the plein air market's busiest street, where the risk of unlawful encounters diminished. Kosuke and Chisao frolicked several paces ahead, browsing vendibles.

And then his brother did something entirely unexpected. Persuading Kosuke to crouch, Chisao pressed in as if whispering a secret, borrowed the youngling's cap, held it out to block the view of sightseers, and pecked the little spinner's cheek.

"Be mine, Kosuke-kun?"