Well, guys, it happened again. I tripped into another fandom, and after browsing a few fan-arts on DeviantArt, got hit with inspiration for a drabble. (Don't judge me, it's happened to all of us!)
So, in order to clear my mind while fighting writer's block, here's a new one-shot for you, this time set in the Doraemon universe!
This is based on a three-page fan-comic I found on DA, created by Neko-Kirry, titled 'horrible comic'.
Yes it will include fluff, and some OOC-ness, but I hope you guys enjoy nonetheless.
Disclaimer: I don't own Doraemon nor the comic this fic is based off of.
^O^
Gian stood outside the door of Suneo's room.
It was quiet in the house that afternoon, which the bully wasn't used to. Normally whenever he came over to his friend's house, he would immediately hear about some new comic or toy or whatnot that his wealthy friend had bought, or be scolded by Suneo's mother about not wiping his feet first, or the two boys getting into a verbal argument over what they should do (Gian always winning, normally by intimidating his cowardly friend with his brawn).
But it was different today.
Earlier, there had been yelling. Not from either of the boys, or Suneo's mother, though, but from Suneo's father. Apparently, the older man had a tendency to mistreat his son, verbally, as he kept pointing out what a 'useless weakling' he was. And today…
Well, today he went too far.
Such was why Gian was there now.
He, Sue, Nobi, and Doraemon were visiting Suneo, as their wealthy friend claimed he had a new game to show off. Gian always hated it when he would brag about some new possession, going into detail about how valuable it was and how rare it was to find- though in the end he knew all he had to do was raise a fist and Suneo would hand it over to share.
However, before Suneo could even lead them to the living room, where he planned on unveiling his newest material possession, they heard his father calling for him. Loudly. Angrily. Suneo told them to wait in the living room, claiming he would be back in a minute.
Then came the yelling…
Then the crying…
Suneo never came back, and instead ran up to his room, ignoring the fact that he had guests. His father left out the back door, heading for work.
Normally Gian would storm off to find something better to do, maybe harass Nobi a bit until Suneo came back. But something in his gut told him to stick around. Something was definitely up.
Sue was the most concerned, claiming she had never seen Suneo so upset, and was unnerved at the tone his father used on him. Nobi was worried as well, though wanted to go home, claiming maybe Suneo got on his dad's bad side- bringing up how upset he gets whenever his mother is angry at him. Doraemon suggested they wait a while.
An hour passed, as they watched TV, patiently waiting.
Two hours passed, and Gian was starting to feel on-edge.
Finally Suneo's mother came in and stated they should go home, as Suneo must not be feeling well. Nobi was up for the offer, though Sue suggested they wait outside, just in case, and asked Suneo's mother to pass on the message.
Gian spoke up, claiming he'd go talk to him, much to everyone's initial shock. The bully was never good at delicate matters, they believed, and they imagined he would probably break down the door and drag Suneo out, pummeling him for 'being a crybaby and leaving them hanging'. After promising them (namely Sue) that he wouldn't be rough, his two friends and the gadget-cat walked out, while he went upstairs.
There he stood now, in front of the door. He tried the handle, only to find it locked. He hated being locked out, and thought about busting the lock… but held back this time. The longer he stood in silence, the more he could sense something was seriously wrong with Suneo. Sure, the wealthy kid had his share of fits before, but he had never locked himself in his room for over two hours- especially when he had an opportunity to brag about something!
"Suneo? C'mon, open up, we're all worried about you," the bully stated, a little impatiently, though he was trying to mask his concern.
No response.
Gian shifted, rubbing his arm. "Suneo, please…" He rarely said 'please', only when he was getting desperate- and considering his instinct that something was wrong with his friend kept growing with every passing silence, he was getting pretty desperate! "I get it if you don't wanna come out, but at least let us know you're okay?"
It was a bargain, but he knew Suneo well enough that, if someone gave him enough attention, he would give in. Maybe he would even open up the door with that sly, fox-like grin of his, asking just how 'worried' everyone was about him, and perhaps dragging it out just to get some special attention from Sue.
"Go away…"
That was the response Gian got… but one he never expected. Suneo knew him well enough to know that 'go away' was practically an invitation for the bully to barge in! Telling Gian to do something he didn't want to do was like waving a red-cape in front of a rampaging bull!
He only stood there, though. From the tone Suneo used- a quiet, scared, agonized little voice that only a small child would use in a moment of hurt- he could tell that breaking into the room wasn't an option. Maybe if the tone was cocky, stubborn, or snobbish, like Suneo often was, he would have barged in… but something was off about his friend.
It was almost too much to handle…
And it was all because of all the yelling they had heard from his father. About how 'pathetic' Suneo was… how he wished he wasn't his son… how he'd be better off dead than have a 'spoiled brat' to mooch off their money…
Gian gave his share of insults in the past, but none that harsh.
"Suneo, listen." He said calmly, keeping close to the door. "I know you're hurt. Words like that… 'specially comin' from yer own pa… they cut deep. I know. And I know it's hard, but you can't listen to the people who put you down like that."
Still no response, but the bully continued.
"I want you to know that none of those things he said were true. None of us think of you like that. You're tough and smart as hell, and very talented, and a great friend no matter what your pa says."
It wasn't like him to get in too deep, but something inside him told him Suneo needed to hear it. Sure, the kid was often snobby sometimes, both of them teaming up to pick on Nobi quite a bit, but he still had his share of good qualities- otherwise, none of them would hang around him. Plus, he and Suneo had been friends for years- consoling him would be no different than consoling his little sister, Jaiko, if she was this upset.
Silence lingered in the air, and finally Gian sighed, deciding to let his friend be. "Okay… I'll leave you alone, now." He said, moving away from the door. He paused, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh… I know you need some time to yourself, or whatever… But if you need someone to talk to… you know…"
No response, and he bowed his head, turning away.
"Stay safe, okay? I hope you start feeling better soon, lil' buddy." He winced a little, though his inner-tough guy told him to keep it in. So his friend wouldn't come out… he wouldn't come out either, if he were that hurt… right?
He only took three steps from the door when he heard a *click*.
Pausing, he turned around, seeing the door open slightly, as Suneo slowly stepped into the doorframe, head-bowed. He was shaking a great deal… and when he lifted his head…
Gian tensed, seeing tears trailing out of his friend's eyes. Sure, he had seen him cry before, but only mild wincing, not a complete flood!
His face was red, too, as if he had been crying for a while, or maybe embarrassed to be seen crying by Gian- though the brute remained silent. Even though he was an oaf at times, he knew better than to poke fun at someone crying- especially since he himself was about to let a tear or two loose a moment ago.
"I need someone to talk to," Suneo said rapidly, breathing hard, his voice choked with his sobs.
Gian paused, a bit taken-aback. Despite his comforting words a minute ago, he wasn't too experienced in condoling someone. Looking at Suneo, though… seeing his fists clenched, his tears trailing down his face, and the fact that he was hurting deeply, he couldn't just turn away.
"Okay…" he said, giving a small, reassuring smile as he patted his friend's shoulder. "I'm listening."
Suneo said nothing, only looking up at him with his sparkling, tear-filled eyes…
Within a second, Gian felt something pressing against his stomach, looking down and seeing Suneo gripping onto his shirt, burying his face into its fabric as he sobbed heavily. The bully was taken off-guard… this was SO not like Suneo! He remained still for a moment, worried that one of the others might come up and see…
Suneo's grip on him distracted him from his thoughts, and Gian relaxed, wrapping his arms around his small, fragile friend. He shut his eyes, pulling him close while rubbing his back, his hand trailing up to his head, ruffling his hair a bit as he held him close.
"It's alright, buddy…" Gian whispered, listening as Suneo's sobs began to lighten. "We're here for ya… I'm here…"
"I-I just w-wish he would… stop," Suneo replied quietly, gripping the bully's shirt tighter as he spoke. "It's like… he thinks I'm a mistake… I remember him telling mama one time that he n-never wanted kids… she told him to stop complaining, and… that's all she did." He kept his head rested against Gian's chest. "He hates me… I just know it…"
"Well… that's his problem, ain't it? 'Least you still got me… uh, and the others." He blushed a bit at that last part. What was it about seeing his friend so broken down that made him so sentimental? Perhaps it was just his instinct to protect, to take care of one of his friends if they were in trouble…
But it went deeper than that, he felt, but wouldn't admit even to himself. All he wanted to do was make sure his friend stopped crying.
They stood in their position for a moment longer; Suneo resting his head against the bully's abdomen, while Gian himself held him tight.
Afterwards, Suneo slowly pulled away, wiping the last of his tears off his face. "Thanks, Gian…" he said, sniffling a bit, though his smiled had returned.
Gian smiled back, keeping an arm around him. "Heh, no problem, that's what friends do, right?" he replied… then caught his friend in a choke-hold, though kept a gentle grip on him. "But if you tell anyone I was soft on ya, and you're gonna have a new reason to cry!"
Suneo gasped, flailing his arms a bit. "Ack! Okay! I won't tell! I promise!"
Gian grinned, releasing him, though kept a hand on his shoulder. "So… feel better?"
"Despite your last-minute brutal behavior… yeah, I'm fine," Suneo replied.
"Good. Now lets get back to the others and see this game you've been yakkin' about already, huh?"
Suneo nodded, smiling a bit.
They met up with Nobi, Sue, and Doraemon, still waiting outside, Sue being the most happy to see that Suneo was alright, giving the boy a quick hug, before they returned to his living room, where he unveiled his new Ni No Kuni DS game, going on about how it hasn't been released in the United States yet and how he managed to get a good deal.
As usual, Gian wanted to play the game first, though offered Sue to have a go at it before him, and Nobi was left to only sit and watch as usual- that is, unless he could talk Doraemon into using one of his gadgets to help him get some good gaming-experience himself.
Things were pretty much back to normal, though at the same time, something was different. When Gian looked at Suneo, seeing that fox-like grin, it brought a certain warmth to his heart.
And seeing his friend smile again was better than anything else.
^O^
A/N: I made up the details at the beginning and end, the comic-based part would be where the dialogue begins, and ends when the hug takes place. (total and complete 'awwww!'-ness in my opinion).
Special thanks to Neko-Kirry for giving me permission to write this ^-^ I recommend checking out their page on DA not only to see the comic yourself, but some other awesome work.
Thanks again for reading!