Returning a Favor-Chapter 1
Well, well, well. Here I am, finally finishing this little fan fiction. I started writing it the school year before last, and I don't think there was a section for Ghost! (Eerie Queerie!) at the time. But now, after finding a whopping twenty-three fan-written stories about those lovely males, I've decided to finish what I started. I've been read the whole series, and I've set this between volumes two and three. So I suppose this could be a spoiler for the first two volumes, but it mainly refers to things that happened in the second volume. I'm currently planning for this to be only two-chapters long, but we'll see how it works out. I'm not going to declare a coupling because…well…just read.
-Nion Kokesu
Ichi squirms uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes glued to the clock, his pencil gripped tightly in his hand. He glances over empty desk shared by Mitsuo and Hasunuma for the thousandth time.
"Where could they be?" he wonders to himself. "They never came to school today and the day is almost over! What could they be doing!"
Ichi's eyes widen with anger, worry, and jealousy as the possibilities reel through his mind. A flame of fury flares up in him at the thought of Hasunuma taking advantage of a helpless Mitsuo. He fails to notice his grip tightening around his pencil, and the wooden writing tool snaps in half.
"Ichi, dude, you okay?" the former soccer player's desk mate whispers to him. "You've been tense all day."
The sound of his classmate's voice brings Ichi back to reality and he looks down at the broken pencil on his desk and sighs. Just then, like an answer to his prayers, the dismissal bell rings. Ichi jumps to his feet and shoves his things into his bag, proceeding to race out the door, the eyes classmates looking after him in confusion.
"I wonder what's up with him," Ichi's desk mate wonders as he stares at the wide open doors. He picks up the bottom half of the snapped pencil. "Ichi…"
Ichi runs down the hall and exits the school grounds, racing for the bus stop as fast as his legs will carry him. He shifts impatiently upon arriving, and the bus arrives less than a minute later. He boards, thankful to have been to Mitsuo's enough times to know which route to take. Once on the bus, he stands at the front, staring out the window, his grip firm around the overhead handrail and his expression stern. His concentration is broken by the sound of giggling in the back of the bus. He glances back and groans at the group of girls blushing at him.
"Oh my god, he just looked over here!" one squeals, sending her friends into a frenzy and giddy whispers.
"Ah! This is the stop," Ichi murmurs to himself as the bus slows to a halt. "Thank goodness."
He leaps down the stairs of the bus and makes a mad dash for Mitsuo's house. Upon reaching the front door and finding it unlocked, Ichi swings it open and kicks his shoes off before running to Mitsuo's room, prepared to tackle Hasunuma if necessary. Much to his surprise, when he busts through the half-open door of his friends room, he only finds a flush-faced Mitsuo, alone in futon.
"M-Mitsuo?" Ichi finds himself filled with worry as he drops his books and makes his way toward Mitsuo's futon. No sooner than he takes a step, someone tackles him to the floor from behind, knocking the wind out of him.
"Ichi!" the attacker voices from atop, not moving.
"Hasunuma! Get off me!" Ichi demands, struggling to get from beneath him. Hasunuma holds him down, a smirk spreading across his handsome face.
"It's rude to enter a house without knocking," Hasunuma states. He leans down close and whispers into Ichi's ear. "Perhaps I should teach you a lesson in manners."
"You perv! Get off me!" Ichi orders, jabbing Hasunuma in the stomach with his elbow. Hasunuma rolls off of Ichi with a groan, giving him a quick glare before slipping into "trick Mitsuo" mode. He painfully gets to his feet, his eyes a glimmer with crocodile tears. "Mitsuooooooo," the man charmer whines. "Ichi hit me."
"Oh come on, Hasunuma! Mitsuo's ill and sleeping," Ichi declares, rolling his eyes. "He's not going to-"
Before Ichi can finish, the feverish blonde sits up, his eyes diamonding with anger. A shocked Ichi feels a wave of fear shoot through him as Mitsuo's eyes burn into him.
"WHAT WERE YOU TRYING TO DO TO HASU-" Mitsuo stops mid-sentence and, dizzied, falls back onto his pillow with a slight moan.
"Mitsuo!" Mitsuo's concerned friends exclaim.
"Are you alright?" a still faking Hasunuma sniffles.
"Don't worry about me, Hasunuma," Mitsuo insists. "Did Ichi hurt you too bad?"
"I suppose I'll be alright," Hasunuma blubbers.
"Cut the crap, you deserved it!" Ichi insists. "He attacked me!" Ichi exclaims to Mitsuo. "I was only trying to shove him off of me."
"Don't lie, Ichi," Mitsuo glares deliriously, petting Hasunuma. Ichi grinds his teeth, but with a sigh decides not to let it get to him.
"I brought you guys the assignments from today," Ichi announces, digging through his school things to retrieve said papers. "There wasn't a lot."
"Thanks, Ichi," Mitsuo smiles weakly. "I'll get to it as soon as I get better."
"Be sure to rest well, Mitsuo," Ichi insists. "I was wondering why you two weren't at school today."
"I'm alright, Hasunuma stayed with me the whole time," Mitsuo explains. Ichi frowns as Hasunuma shoots a grin his way.
"Well that's another thing," Ichi continues, his eyes ablaze with challenge and locked on Hasunuma's. "I wanted to repay you for taking such good care of me while I was sick. I've decided to stay here tonight so Hasunuma can go take care of his school work and get some rest."
"Wow, that's really nice of you Ichi," Mitsuo smiles. "Don't you think so Hasunuma?"
"No! I'm staying with you!" Hasunuma insists.
"But you've been here all day," Mitsuo points out.
"I don't care!"
"Hasunuma!"
"You know…it's possible for Hasunuma to contract your illness if he remains around you for too long," Ichi intervenes.
"Ichi's right!" Mitsuo agrees. "And I don't want to get you sick, especially after what just happened to you!"
"What about him!" Hasunuma pouts, letting the crocodile tears flow.
"I've already been sick, so I probably won't catch it," Ichi proclaims.
"That settles it, Hasunuma," Mitsuo decides. "Go on home. If I'm not better tomorrow I'll call you."
"Hmph. Fine," Hasunuma growls, getting to his feet. He meets Ichi with evil eyes, snatching up his assignment before leaving the room. "I'll be back."
Ichi listens for Hasunuma to leave the house and scoots up next to Mitsuo's futon, putting a hand to his forehead. "You've got a pretty high fever," he reports.
"Oh, the medicine must've worn off," Mitsuo responds. "Could you get it for me, it's over there," he points. Ichi retrieves the indicated bottle of liquid and frowns as he reads the label.
"This is a fever suppressant," he points out.
"I know, Hasunuma bought it for me," Mitsuo says with a warm smile.
"You shouldn't take this," Ichi explains, shaking his head. "The fever is trying to kill what's making you sick, taking this will most likely make you worse."
"Really?" a worried Mitsuo asks. "What should I do then, Ichi? I can't just stay sick!"
"Calm down," Ichi soothes. "Have you got a thermometer? I'll take your temperature, just to make sure your fever isn't too high."
Mitsuo watches as his friend grabs the thermometer he had seen sitting next to the bottle of medicine, sticking it gently into Mitsuo's waiting mouth after a few moments of preparation. He can't help but feel a bit flustered and looks away; hoping Mitsuo doesn't notice him blush.
"Tho how wath youw day?" Mitsuo asks out of curiosity.
"It sucked. I couldn't stop worrying about you," Ichi responds mindlessly.
"Youw thouldent hab wowwied," Mitsuo assures. "I thold youw, Hathunuma wath wiff me the who thime."
"That's what I was afraid of," the former soccer player voices before he can stop himself. He immediately regrets his words. He glances at a clearly puzzled Mitsuo. "Uh…I mean…I was worried that something had happened…to both of you! Since you were both absent and all," he not so smoothly lies. "That thermometer should be about ready to check!" he suggests, hoping to change the subject. He gingerly pulls the thermometer from between Mitsuo's lips, and the thought of what his tongue would feel like in its place involuntarily crosses his mind. He delivers a mental slap to himself as he reads the numbers on the thermometer. "Thirty-eight point one. That's good. It's not dangerously high. Let me get a cool rag for you, though," Ichi suggests, getting to his feet.
He rushes to the bathroom, taking several deep breaths as he stares himself down in the mirror. "Calm down, Ichi!" he demands mentally. "Calm down, calm down, calm down! This isn't the first time you've been alone with Mitsuo, and you can handle it, just like the last time!" he tells himself. He then remembers just how poorly he had handled it the last time, how close he had come to kissing Mitsuo. Ichi shakes his head. "I can't let Mitsuo think I have a thing for him. Who knows how he might react," his thoughts continue to reel. "Besides…Hasunuma might try to kiss me again," he shudders. After a final self-pepping, he looks around until he finds a small towel and moistens it with cool water, hurrying back to Mitsuo. He enters the bedroom to find Mitsuo sleeping quietly, his forehead glistening with a feverish sweat. Ichi smiles and carefully positions the cool rag on his friend's forehead, smoothing his blonde bangs back out of the way. He can't help but pause that way for a few moments, relishing the feeling of his fingers in Mitsuo's silky hair. He slowly runs them through the shining strands, but quickly pulls away as Mitsuo stirs, his face turning beet red. He sighs, relieved, as Mitsuo falls still again, and stretches himself out beside the futon, propping himself up on one arm. He stares at Mitsuo's sleeping face and smiles dreamily, so mesmerized that he doesn't feel himself drift off into a peaceful slumber.