A/N: If you didn't read the description, I turned this into a series of oneshots. Unless otherwise stated, none of these stories are related.
BlackDragon829 and InChristoGaudium: Glad you guys liked it. I tried.
I don't own anything from the Nagatoro franchise.
Today had been...strange...to say the least. Sure, the student had passed every test that day and gotten another few pages of his somewhat-secret manga completed. But one thing bothered him. And, ironically, what bothered him was that something wasn't bothering him.
More accurately, someone.
Naoto had yet to have one of his daily encounters with Nagatoro, his kohai. Every day for the past few months, she had made sure to tag along with him on the way to school, during lunch, and even the rare occasion that they passed each other in the halls. But today, she still had yet to even make an unexpected appearance behind him.
But, as he knew all too well, fate was a fickle thing. When he opened the door to the art room, the very person he was wondering about was laying on the couch.
"Hey Nagatoro," the teen greeted.
"'Sup, Senpai?" she asked, but with a lack of her usual enthusiasm.
"Are-are you okay? You haven't been...well...yourself today."
"It's nothing. Don't worry about it," she replied, then turned around so she was facing the back of the couch.
"If you insist. But, if you want to talk, you know I probably won't be going anywhere for a while," Naoto offered as he set up a still life.
A full half hour went by, and neither of the two said another word. Senpai finished most of his sketch, and Nagatoro had barely shifted on the couch when suddenly, she spoke.
"When I tease you, how does it make you feel? Like, really make you feel?" The question came out of the blue, and took him a few seconds to comprehend.
"What do you...you mean like, every day? Or-"
"Like when we first met, and any other time, really," she clarified. Her voice wasn't necessarily weak, but it wasn't the playful, entertained voice he had grown accustomed to.
"Well, it used to hurt. A lot. The first few interactions we had were some of the worst interactions I've had with anyone," he started. If he didn't know better, he could have sworn she curled up a little upon hearing his response.
"But after a while, it got better. Sure, you know how to make me uncomfortable. And every now and then you may push a few boundaries, like when you stepped all over me at the beach. But, I've sort of gotten used to it. It's not as bad nowadays, and I can tell you've started reining yourself in when it comes to it. But why do you ask?"
For a few seconds, the girl on the couch was silent.
"You remember my sister, right? And how easily she got on my nerves? Well, we got into a big argument this morning, and she made a few personal remarks."
"Is that why you asked how I felt?" Naoto asked as he sat down in front of the couch.
"Yeah. I haven't had a full-blown argument with her in years, so I forgot just how much personal attacks can actually hurt."
"Don't worry about it, I guess. Like I said, you've gotten better recently, and I can't really blame you for the way you are, especially after seeing how you and your sister interact."
"Feeling better?" Senpai asked after a few minutes.
"Yeah. A little." He was leaning with his back against the front of the couch, so he couldn't see her as she turned to face towards him. Without a warning, five fingers wove themselves in his hair, slowly dragging side to side and up and down.
Instinctively, Naoto flinched away and looked back. Nagatoro looked equally surprised, her hand still held in the air.
"Sorry, I just didn't expect that," Naoto offered as he leaned back against the couch.
"Do you mind if I...?"
"I'm okay with it, as long as you don't take it too far," Senpai replied.
"I'm sure you'd love it if I took it a bit far. Wouldn't you, Senpai?"
There it was, the usual Nagatoro treatment. At least things were starting to return to normal.
"Your hair's getting pretty long again. I might have to cut it soon," the girl said as she scrapped her fingers through the locks.
"Well, just make sure Gamo-chan and Yoshi don't try to shave my head again, and I might consider it,"
Having her fingers scratch his head felt pretty good, and he couldn't help but let out a little sigh when they traced over an itchy spot.
"Do you really like this? You really are a pervert," the girl joked.
"Well, it does feel good. So what?" Naoto retorted. "But what about you? Are you really enjoying this?" he asked, doing his best to sound intimidating.
"You're not good enough to play the bully yet. You're too gross to be scary," Nagatoro said with a slap to the back of his head. "But it's not bad, I guess," she added while placing her fingers back in his soft hair. Truthfully, she didn't mind the current position the two were in, but she would much rather keep up her tough, teasing image.
But maybe this wouldn't be so bad, every now and then.
A/N: Kinda short, hope you don't mind. Also, I know that both of them may be slightly OOC in this story, but what can you do about it? I have a few other ideas for quick stories, but suggestions are welcome. Hope you enjoyed!