Tarantula

I am scared of spiders. Completely and utterly terrified. My worst nightmare is that a big, fat, furry tarantula crawls on my tongue and lays eggs under it. Just the thought of it is super frightening.

Since I share a room with Len, I feel I don't have to worry about the horrible arachnid creeping up on me while I sleep, not because Len would kill it, I know he wouldn't, but because Len is my friend and I know he'd protect me. Which is exactly why when I woke up screaming about spiders, he said this:

"UGH! Oliver, would you shut up!" he yelled. I turned to look at him as a pillow hit my shoulder. "One night. I'd like to go ONE NIGHT without getting woken up by your spider fears. Go. To. Bed!" With that, he rolled over facing away from me and covered himself with the blankets.

"I'm sorry…" I said softly.

Len sighed. "You shouldn't be, it's not your fault."

"Yes it is," I whined. "If I wasn't so afraid of spiders, I wouldn't have these nightmares… Len?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I…sleep in your bed?"

Len groaned then sat back up. "Sure, come here." I got up and walked the short distance to Len's bed. He gave me a concerned look as I sat next to him on the bed. Len grabbed my arm and pulled me closer, then hugged me gently.

Len and I have a close relationship. We may as well be brothers. We do everything together, share everything. We fight and bicker, but we're still close. We just fight like siblings. I know that if I'm in trouble, I can count on Len to be there, and Len knows it's the same for him. I'll always be there for him. He's my best friend.

"You know, Oliver," Len started, "you should go talk to Kamui about your fear. He helped me with mine. Remember when Kaito told me…that thing, and I didn't even want to go near bananas?"

"Yeah…but you still don't eat bananas," I chuckled. That earned me a smack on the arm.

"Shut uuup! Anyway, I'm at least not afraid to be near them. Kamui helped me. If you ask him, I'm sure he'll help you too."

I looked at my lap and thought for a while. "…Yeah, okay. I'll talk to him tomorrow."

"Good. Now go to sleep." Len lie back down and faced the wall. I turned away from him and closed my eyes.

Yup, talk to Gakupo…that should work.

I woke up in the morning and took a shower, of course, I was sweating all night. Not just because my spider dreams, but Len emits heat like crazy! I swear most of the heat he has is shielded on the outside of him. Every time I stand too close to him, I feel like I just stepped near lava. And yet, he's always cold.

Anyway, I got myself dried off and dressed then went downstairs for breakfast. Len was already sitting at the table with his sister, Rin, and Yuuma. Everyone except Rin was in their pajamas still, which gave me the chance to embarrass myself. Because I'm so weird, as soon as I realized Yuuma was their without his hat on, I jumped across the table as quickly as possible, sliding across the table in front of Yuuma, and immediately brushed my fingers through his pale pink hair. Yuuma looked mad and sighed.

Instead of pulling away from me, however, he reached his hand up and started petting my still damp hair.

"Whoa, hairfest!" Rin giggled.

"What are you even doing?" Len asked.

"Yuuma's hair is so soft," I said.

"…and Yuuma?" Len asked.

"I don't know, playing along," Yuuma answered.

I laughed and jumped off the table. "Admit it, Yuuma, you just have a hair fetish."

Yuuma tensed and blushed. "No I don't! Shut up, Oliver." I laughed again, and so did Yuuma. He knew I was kidding.

"So," I started, "is Gakupo awake yet?"

"Yeah, but he just left with Kio," Len answered. "They'll be back later, they just went out for breakfast."

"Oh. Okay then," I said. I reached over and stole a piece of fruit from Yuuma's plate. I didn't get to eat it, though, it fell on the floor thanks to Yuuma. I went and got my own breakfast instead.

I came back inside with Len, sweating and out of breath. I was good at soccer, but so was he, and that made it a challenge. Gakupo was sitting in the living room. I walked in and sat on the floor in front of him, catching my breath.

"Hey Gakupo, Len said you might be able to help me with my fear of spiders," I said.

Gakupo looked down at me for a moment. "Arachnophobia is very common. Also easy to overcome, but you have to be ready for anything. I must warn you, my techniques for conquering fears aren't exactly…gentle."

"Okay," I said, shifting to get more comfortable.

"Just making sure you're prepared. But!" I jumped slightly. "You will not scream, you will not beg me to stop, and you absolutely MUST NOT ask anyone for help. You have to overcome your fears yourself. Alright?" Gakupo held his hand out to me. I hesitantly took it and shook down lightly.

I didn't like the look Gakupo gave me before he left. His smile made me shiver. What did I just do?

I unleashed a brutal monster…

I stood with Len in the bathroom and waited for him to finish brushing his teeth. I was a little afraid of Gakupo now. I didn't want to be alone. I couldn't even admire his perfect and graceful stride and his flowing lavender hair that shined and moved as he walked away after smiling at me like that. I usually would.

"What is he going to do?" I asked, continuously looking to the door of our bedroom nervously. Len shrugged. I was frightened. "Was it intense for you when you were overcoming your fear?"

Len froze while he was reaching for the faucet. His face went red, and eventually he sighed. "Yeah…"

I wasn't going to ask what happened. He was obviously scarred by it.

"Whatever he does," he started, making me flinch, "it'll work. I guarantee that." He put away his toothbrush and walked toward me. "Come on, let's go to bed." He didn't want to think about this anymore.

We walked into the bedroom. Len flopped onto his bed then wiggled around like a snake until he was under the covers. I giggled and climbed into my own bed and lie down.

"Goodnight Len."

"Mm, goodnight Oliver"

And after that, I fell asleep.

"Holy sh-!" Len cut himself off. I heard a loud thud and opened my eyes to look over at him. Len was glued to the wall, hands held against the wall too. His skin was pale as his sheets.

"What?!" I asked, sitting up quickly. I looked in the direction Len was looking, all colour instantly leaving my body as fast as my eyes widened.

That's what.

It was my worst nightmare. The most terrifying thing ever. The biggest, furriest, most disgusting…

Tarantula, right. By. The door.

It pulled up one fuzzy leg and slowly pushed it forward. I jumped and slammed my back against the wall, about in the same position as Len.

Len isn't terrified of spiders, but anyone would be afraid of the mammoth on the floor now.

"I bet Kamui did this…" Len said. I nodded, never looking away from the spider. I knew he was right. Gakupo expected me to face my fears. But what was I supposed to do now?

Everything started fading. I was going to pass out. I couldn't, not now. Len's dealt with Gakupo, he knows if I faint he can't help me. I can't handle this, what am I supposed to do? If I don't do something, I'm done for. Say goodbye to poor British Oliver. This is it…

"NO!" I yelled, just before I lost my senses. "That is IT!" I reached up and pulled the bandage off my left eye, showing the unnatural mark of evil I carried, my pure red eye. I saw only that furry demon as I jumped to the floor and stormed over to it. "I've had enough, I'm going to end this!"

I reached down without hesitation and picked it up. I brought the creature up, level to my eyes, and glared at it. I was so completely done. I slowly lifted up the eight legged abomination and leaned my head back. I…I opened my mouth wide, sliding my tongue out as much as I could. Almost in slow motion, I lowered the arachnid. I felt the first furry appendage touch my tongue, and I kept dropping it lower. I pushed down more and more until it was almost down the back of my throat… Then I bit down. The insides sprayed out against my teeth and slid down my tongue. I didn't stop, I didn't spit it out, I didn't gag or throw up. And then I swallowed it.

I panted heavily. I could still feel the fur and I knew some of the remains were dripping down my chin. My evil red eye still visible, I looked over at my best friend. I could see it, he was horrified and disgusted.

"Oliver…" he said softly. I just got up and walked back to my bed, wrapping my eye back up, hiding it away. I slept just fine.

I woke up in the morning and brushed my teeth probably six times while Len watched quietly. I felt ashamed. I overcame my fear, but maybe what I did was a little too much.

When Len and I walked downstairs, Luka, Miku, Kaito, Yuuma, Rin and Piko were all in the big kitchen making breakfast. Gakupo was sitting at the table and smiled when I sat in front of him.

"…So?" he questioned. I stayed quiet. His smile disappeared. "Oliver," he said firmly. "I know you know. Did you do it?" Still quiet. By now everyone stopped talking to hear what was happening. "If you're still afraid of spiders you need to tell me, don't just shut me out. I told you my methods we-

"I ate it." Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at me. Yuuma whispered "oh God" and covered his mouth. Miku threw a plastic bowl down on the counter as she turned her head toward me. Gakupo looked at me not even trying to hide his shocked expression. It all made me feel embarrassed and ashamed. Now I was looked down on and thought of as disgusting.

"You know what?!" Len slammed his hands down on the table. "This is stupid. He faced his fears. Most of you wouldn't be able to say the same!" I saw Len glance at the bowl of fruit on the table next to us. He gulped and walked over to it. Everyone watched him. He paused for a moment then snatched a ripe banana from the bowl. He peeled it, hands noticeably shaking and before he backed down slammed his teeth into it and swallowed. Didn't even bother chewing it. I smiled; I knew what he was doing.

Len shuddered and made a disgusted face, but despite his noticeable ill feeling toward the yellow fruit, he finished it. And with that, Gakupo started clapping. Everyone else smiled or laughed and went back to the usual morning routine. Yuuma walked by me and ruffled my hair.

"You both did well," Gakupo said. Len and I looked at him, at first questioningly, then in realization. There's that smile again. I shuddered. "I told you. My methods aren't gentle, nor are they subtle." With that said, he left. His job was done. I loosened my bandage a little and let it fall down my face.

I think I'll have a tarantula for breakfast…preferably purple.

This story was written for my English journal, so no smut here. I hope you still like it though. This is based off the song Tarantula by Oliver.