A/n : I FINISHED IT! I just had to add Tama in at the last part! Gosh, this is so cute! I can't even-I tried to make it as cute as possible!
PLEASE ENJOY.
Hiroshi woke up to the ruffling of the futon, as well as Seishuu's sounds of desperation as he tried to get up.
"Eh? Sensei?" Hiroshi blinked awake. "What's wrong?"
Seishuu was struggling to push himself up, his arms and legs weak. His face was still red, but at least it looked better after he woke up.
Woke up sweating like a pig, that is.
"Sensei! Wait, let me help you!" Hiroshi scrambled to his feet, feeling more awake than ever.
"But I'm... I'm so sticky and sweaty..." Seishuu protested weakly as his body went slump and he collapsed onto the futon again. "I wanna take a bath..."
"Here, I'll help you there," Hiroshi took Seishuu by his arm and circled it around his shoulders as his other hand grabbed hold of his waist to pull him up. "Hold tight, sensei."
"Ugh... Thanks, Hiro," Seishuu leaned against Hiroshi as he stood up with the help of the other man.
Together, they sort of limped to the bathroom, with Hiroshi going strong but Seishuu dragging his feet.
"Here..." Hiroshi opened the door to the bathroom, and took the other man's arm off of him. "Are you able to do it yourself?" However, as soon as he let go, Seishuu had to clutch at the edge of the concrete bathtub. "Uwah, get a hold of yourself!"
In the end, Hiroshi had to sit Seishuu at the edge of the bathtub and set the water running.
"Sorry, Hiro... My legs feel like jelly..." Seishuu apologized.
"Then..." Seishuu did not wait for Hiroshi to finish his sentence before he cut in.
"Can you... Help me take my clothes off?" The way Seishuu looked at Hiroshi nearly make everything look inappropriate, if not for the fact that Seishuu was ill.
Oh god, how the heck did it even come to this? But I have to admit... Why does sensei look so cute here?
"P-Please don't look at me like that, sensei!" Sighing, Hiroshi agreed. "Alright, alright. Are you able to take the top off?"
"Mhmm... I think I can," Seishuu said as he started to take off his top, while he left his bottom to Hiroshi.
Okay, here goes. I have to pull his pants off... For him.
Hiroshi positioned his hands at his waist and pulled his pants down rather awkwardly and quickly. Then he swiftly stepped away and made sure he was a safe distance away from Seishuu.
Even though it's because sensei's ill, why do I feel like my hands have been violated?! Hiroshi screamed at himself.
His face was starting to burn up too, at the sight of Seishuu struggling to pull off his top. Hiroshi covered his eyes and looked away.
"Ah... Finally got it off," Seishuu smiled a little to himself, proud of his achievement as he dropped his top onto the floor.
Upon hearing that, Hiroshi could not help but take a little peek. I mean, it wasn't like he particularly wanted to see Seishuu's topless, or rather almost naked body, but he was probably just curious about how it looked like.
Peeking from in between his fingers, he saw a magnificent sight. Magnificent to him, that is.
Seishuu wasn't as muscular as Hiroshi, but his smaller muscles made everything cuter. He also had abs which were poking out of his torso, a little less than visible.
Hiroshi's eyes were glued to his body.
"Ah, my underwear..." Seishuu peered down and attempted to take it off. Just as Seishuu pulled it down just a little, revealing a tad more of his skin, Hiroshi quickly turned around, refusing to look on.
"I don't really mind you looking, Hiro. We're both guys anyway..." Seishuu said, matter-of-factly as he let his underwear slide down his thighs and onto the floor.
"But I mind!" Hiroshi exclaimed, his back still facing the other man.
"I'm going in now..." After a while of silence, Hiroshi heard a small cry for help and he whipped around.
"Do you need help?" He asked before his eyes fell upon a butt naked Seishuu, whose back was facing him now, trying to get into the bath. Before Seishuu could reply, Hiroshi's gaze inadvertently glided down from the top of Seishuu's spine down to his ass. "Woah!" Hiroshi covered his face again, as he told himself off. Don't get carried away, dammit!
"Hiro, I need a little push here..." Seishuu said.
"A push?"
"My legs... They can't move."
"F-Fine. I'm coming over now," Hiroshi said as he quickly went over and nudged Seishuu hard enough so he smoothly settled into the tub. Why does sensei have to be so weak when he's down with a fever?
"Waaah... Feels great..." Seishuu let out a long and exhausted sigh as the cold water wrapped itself around his warm body.
Whew... It's all over now... Hiroshi heaved a sigh of relief. How can something trivial like this be so tiring?
"Well then, sensei, I'll leave you to yourself now. I'll be outside, so just give me a shout if you need me," Hiroshi assured, picking up his dirty clothes.
Just as he turned to leave, Seishuu grabbed hold of his hand.
"Eh, sensei? What's wrong?" Hiroshi looked at him questioningly.
He saw Seishuu mumble something almost inaudible, "I need you." But he pretended he didn't hear anything, as Seishuu quickly covered it up. "Thank you, Hiro. For taking care of me. I owe you one..."
Hiroshi couldn't find the words and just had to stare at Seishuu in silence.
Before Seishuu let go, he gave his hand a little squeeze.
The door to the bathroom creaked open.
"Ah, sensei! Are you feeling better now?" Hiroshi asked.
"Yeah... My energy came back a little," Seishuu replied as he plopped down beside Hiroshi at his tray table where his calligraphy tools were.
Hiroshi grinned, "That's great to hear!" He then took the bag of konomon and handed it to Seishuu. "Here, have some konomon."
"Waaaah, konomon!" Seishuu, elated, quickly dug in and Hiroshi swore he would kill to see Seishuu so happy again.
"Here, let me touch your forehead," Hiroshi reached out and unexpectedly, Seishuu leaned forward with a grin on his face, like a little child, and Hiroshi felt something flutter inside him.
His hand stayed on his forehead a little too long, probably on purpose because he wanted to see Seishuu's smiling face a little longer, as he said, "It's not that hot now... Thank god."
Munching on his precious konomon, Seishuu said, "No, thank you. If it weren't for you, I would probably be dead by now." Before Hiroshi could reply, Seishuu continued. "Thanks, Hiro! I love you."
Silence.
Wait a second.
Hiroshi stared at him in disbelief before it finally clicked in his head.
"Se-"
"Aaaaaaahhh!" Seishuu suddenly shrieked, his bag of konomon nearly toppling over in his hand, as he pounced on Hiroshi to cover his mouth. "D-D-Don't say a-anything! Don't!"
"I didn't!" Hiroshi pushed his hand away and protested.
"You were about to say something!" Seishuu retaliated. "A-Anyway, j-just don't say anything!" He placed his big bag of konomon onto his table, in case anything violent happened and there goes his konomon.
"Why not?" Hiroshi successfully managed to push Seishuu off of him. "I-I wanna know!" It was his turn to pounce on Seishuu, but Seishuu reflexively grabbed hold of his wrists and they started to wrestle back and forth.
"Tell me!" Hiroshi shouted.
"No!"
"Why?!"
Hiroshi exerted a little more strength and the calligrapher, unable to match up to his muscles, hit the floor with a thud. Hiroshi didn't meant for something like that to happen, but he just had to go with the flow and it all ended up in a mess.
Silence fell, the atmosphere became thicker, and both of them stopped wrestling. Seishuu's hands, which were clutching onto Hiroshi a moment ago, let go and fell to his sides. Looking away, he did not budge.
Hiroshi was on all fours, looming over him and he stared at him without muttering a word. Even though it's something so minor... Why? Why, when it is sensei who said it, it felt like the whole world was at stake?
Maybe that's how we ended up like this...
Seishuu's face was gradually growing redder as he tried to avoid eye contact. This time, it wasn't the fever's fault.
"Sensei."
Upon hearing Hiroshi's voice, especially when it was so close to him, Seishuu flinched a little.
"Tell me."
Seishuu still kept quiet.
"Please?"
That was it. That was Seishuu's limit.
"I-It's not like... like I love you or anything..." Still looking away, Seishuu blurted out. "It just... S-Slipped out..."
Seishuu's cheeks were burning red as he tried to cover his face. Hiroshi's eyes widened at the sight.
Sensei... Sensei's...
"An angel..." Hiroshi breathed and Seishuu nearly fainted.
Meanwhile, Tamako was on the way to Seishuu's house with a bigger bag of konomon in her hands.
She groaned upon thinking back to what happened earlier in the day.
"Oh come on, you can do it!" Miwa grinned as she persuaded her. "Go bring it to them for me!"
"But..."
"It's your turn to contribute, since you did not help just now," Miwa interrupted.
"Eeehh?!" Tamako bit her lips and apologized, guilty. "I-I'm sorry! Fine, I'll go!"
"Yaay, go, go, Tamako!" Naru chanted, urging her on.
Tamako sighed.
"I really don't want to interrupt their time with each other..." Tamako smiled a little to herself. "I mean, it's such a nice plot!"
"Sensei," Hiroshi said. "Don't lie to me."
"I-I'm not!" The said man stuttered as he thought. Is it my imagination or is Hiro's voice getting to my head? Was he ever so persuasive?!
"Then look at me," Hiroshi gently placed a hand on Seishuu's cheek and made their eyes meet. "And say it again."
Ahhh... What am I doing? I'm being too harsh on sensei... But I can't seem to stop myself. The way sensei is now... Somehow makes me wanna tease him more. W-Wait, what the hell am I thinking?! Isn't this kinda going too far?! But since we've come this far...
Seishuu started, "I-It's not like... I... Urgh..." Alas, he admitted defeat and covered his face, unwilling to look at the other man any longer. "Don't... Don't tease me anymore..."
"Sensei..." Hiroshi pushed his hands away to reveal a teary-eyed Seishuu. Taken aback, his eyes remain fixed onto his face. "Sensei..." He said, softer this time, as he leaned closer.
Dammit, I hope I won't regret it... Sorry, sensei.
His other hand still cupping Seishuu's cheeks, he leaned in and pecked him on the forehead as gently as he could.
"But it's not like I don't love you, too," Hiroshi whispered huskily, causing Seishuu to break down and tear up to the point where the tears were about to fall off the edges of his eyes.
"Can you..." Seishuu covered his eyes. "Can you repeat that?"
"As many times as you wish."
Tamako witnessed everything.
Sliding the door close silently, she placed the bag of konomon at the doorstep.
She didn't breathe a single word.
She turned around, and sighed heavily.
"Time to start a new manga."