Chapter: Murasakibara Atsushi

"It hurts~"

Sakura sighed and stared at the purple haired middle schooler sprawled onto the bed. This was the fifth time in the last ten minutes that he groaned and flailed around like a newborn throwing a hissy fit. Murasakibara Atsushi kicked off the blankets and clutched his stomach in pain as he called out for the attending doctor.

"Saku-chin it huuurts~"

Why won't these students ever call me by my given title? "Atsushi-kun, please call me sensei." She picked up the blankets dangling from the bed and draped his lying form once more. "And of course it hurts; you ate an entire bowl of raw cookie dough!" She frowned when he struggled under the

"I was hungry~" Atsushi pouted and shrugged the blankets off once more. "Sensei wouldn't let me eat my snacks so I did what I had to do~"

She twitched. "Still you shouldn't eat dough!"

"I was hungry~" He repeated and started to fuss like a baby. "And it really hurts Saku-chin~"

Sakura pushed him down when he tried to get up, warning him that it would only make his situation worse. She headed for her medicine cabinet and sent him stern glances as he tried to disobey her warnings and tried to reassure him that everything would be alright. "Atsushi-kun, I already gave you some medicine and it's gonna take awhile to kick in but—"

He glared at the ceiling, his legs flailing. "But it hurts now~"

"But you have to trust in me that the medicine will work, okay?" Sakura returned to his side with a hot water bottle. Atsushi awkwardly accepted the heated material remembering how he hated this thing, but didn't do anything more to make her aware of his dilemma. "In the mean time place this over your tummy to ease the pain okay?"

"…fine"

He lifted up his shirt and gently placed the hot water bottle over his flat stomach, flinching when the warm surface touched his skin. The unpleasant feeling was short lived though, a soothing warmth spread through his person as he relaxed and allowed her to fuss over him once more. Sakura smiled as her tall childish patient finally gave up and hid under the blankets. She laughed and pulled out a chair, asking him if she could get him anything else but only got a grumble in reply. Atsushi poked his head out and stared at the pink haired woman who was sitting by the foot of his bed, fiddling with her phone. A small but genuine smile was plastered on her face and her eyes twinkled with amusement. She read the contents of her phone and laughed softly before typing up what seemed like a reply.

"…Who are you texting Saku-chin?"

Sakura briefly glanced up her phone and smiled at him. "A friend," she said before returning to her text message.

Atsushi, annoyed by her disinterest, sat up and plucked the phone out of her grasp. Ignoring her more surprised than annoyed yell, he read the screen and frowned at what he saw.

I'll see you later?

Maybe, the boys are going to pick me later though.

Are you starting a threesome? Without me?

No you pervert. I was going to ask a favor over drinks, my treat sadly.

Well then, tell me what bar and—

Unfortunately Sakura had plucked the phone from his hands before he could even read more. "Atsushi-kun that was very rude." She scolded, "How many times do I have to tell you that you can't just take things from people?"

He ignored her, his eyes still fixed on the smart phone. "Who's gonna pick you up later Saku-chin~?"

Sakura looked insulted. "You read my messages?"

He nodded, unfazed by her anger. "Ne, who's gonna pick you up~?"

Sakura stared at the purple giant. Seriously, the kid was almost a head taller than her. Before sighing and letting the whole thing slide. This was not the first time Murasakibara Atsushi had gotten in too personal for her liking, but the kid was as harmless as they came. He was clingy and pushy but he could be as sweet as cotton candy when he was in one of his moods. She had learned to accept the snack loving teen for his ways and truthfully, it was endearing how attached he had been to her ever since she helped him out with a paper cut last semester.

"Naruto and Sasuke," She sighed and sat on the bed, pocketing her phone as she did. "You've seen their pictures."

Atsushi glanced at her small desk and the pictures crudely taped on the wall. He remembered the names from her stories when he would drop by occasionally on the afternoon for tea and snack before basketball practice starts. "Whiskers-kun and Grumpy-san~?"

Sakura laughed at the accurate choice for nicknames but nodded, pleased that he actually remembered. "Yeah, I'm sure you've read already but I was hoping to ask them a huge favor once the year ends. I need someone to look after my house and they're the only two I can trust."

Atsushi raised a brow. "Are you leaving on a trip~?"

Sakura nodded and gestured for him to turn around. He did so and presented his growing locks to her expert fingers. This was a regular occurrence for them, her tying his hair. She had often voiced her dislike for his messy long hair, saying that it hid his handsome face but he often countered that it was a pain to get a haircut and he rather liked his hair long. So they compromised, whenever he would visit her—he would allow her to tie his hair just for a peace of mind.

"I am, to the U.S. actually" She explained. "An old friend of mine had some business to attend to and I had planned on visiting some friends there for awhile, we talked it over and agreed to go together just for old time's sake."

He closed his eyes, when she started to run her fingers through his scalp. "…Is this old friend of yours a boy~?"

Sakura fished out a hair-tie from her coat's pocket and laughed. "Yes Atsushi-kun, he and I will be going on a trip together," She pulled his hair up into a low pony-tail, combing his hair with her dainty fingers to even it out. "It's been awhile since we've been together and saw it as an opportunity to reconnect, though we're both going our separate ways when we get to New York, it would be nice to have a travel buddy."

"Do you like this guy~?"

Sakura snorted. "Like that could happen," She sighed. "He doesn't like me that way and probably never will," She secured his pony tail with a hair tie from her pocket and fixed his bangs to frame his face.

"But you d—"

"Done!" Sakura tightened his hair and hopped off the bed with a satisfied sigh. She stretched and Atsushi could only stare at her. "Feel any better?"

He blinked. He looked down at his stomach before giving it a tentative poke. "…Un~"

"Good." She grinned. "Want some tea?"

"With cakes~?"

Sakura laughed and pinched his cheek. "You've had enough sweets for today, Atsushi-kun."

Atsushi swatted her hand away and rubbed the sore spot with a pout. Sakura laughed and disappeared into her little kitchen and began boiling some tea. He voiced out his displeasure when she pulled out the bitter green tea she served for the old principal. She scolded him and told him that it would be good for him, he didn't believe her. Atsushi stood up from the bed and adjusted the blankets, knowing Sakura would just make him do it later before he leaves. He walked over to her little desk and sat on the chair provided for students. "But I'm hungry~"

"No means no Atsushi-kun."

"Boo… Saku-chin you're no fun~"

"I'm not supposed to be fun," She laughed. "And stop calling me Saku-chin, really! I swear, some teachers are gonna reprimand me on how unprofessional my relationship is with the students around here. So for no one has complained, but I know that if those old bags catch wind of this, they're gonna tear me a new one."

"Eh~?" Atsushi tilted his head to the side. "But Saku-chin is Saku-chin."

Sakura shook her head. "I know Atsushi-kun but it's unprofessional, "She sighed. "I still don't understand why you kids just can't call me Sensei…"

Sa-chan-sensei

Sakuracchi

Saku-chin

"…Do I not look like a respectable twenty-year old woman!?" She hadn't meant to say it out loud but her emotions got the better of her.

"Saku-chin looks like Saku-chin." Atsushi assured her, fiddling with a stapler on her table.

"Thanks…" I guess… She sighed. "Maybe I should wear glasses or something…"

Atsushi tilted his head to the side and stared at her. "Saku-chin is already pretty the way she is."

She blinked. I did not expect that. Sakura blushed and couched, trying to hide her reddened face from the younger male. She glanced at him and sighed when she saw that he was already seated on her desk, spinning around her chair like the bored kid he was, completely unfazed by his words earlier.

"Geez kids these days are too loose with their compliments…" She poured the tea. "I'm getting too old for this."

Atsushi came up behind her and stared at the green liquid with distaste. "I am not drinking that."

Sakura turned and flicked his forehead, standing on her toes as she did to reach him. "You will and you will finish it."

"But Saku-chin I don't like bitter stuff~"

"It's good for you, and you're not leaving here until you finish the whole thing."

Atsushi pouted and stared at her and the tea cup she shoved into his hands before glancing at the clock, it was almost time for afternoon practice and Aka-chin wouldn't be happy with him if he arrives late. He glanced at Sakura once more, her arms were crossed over her chest and she was staring at him. "…One sip."

"Finish all of it."

"…"

"…"

His eyebrows scrunched up in annoyance.

Sakura smiled.

He made a sound of disgust before clenching his eyes shut and drinking the warm bitter liquid in one go. Sakura laughed and patted him on the head when he presented her with the empty cup, subtly gagging as he did. She praised him for a job well done and he turned to grab his bag from the chair at the far corner of the room, while she washed the cup in the available sink in her office. Atsushi rummaged through his school bag, trying to find something—anything sweet to rid himself of the after taste of Sakura's special "granny tea". He sighed in defeat when he found none; his cooking teacher must've confiscated his stash when she brought him to the nurse's office. He mentally counted the long grueling hours of training ahead without any sugar in his body. He could try to sneak off into the cafeteria and snag some maibou before heading towards the gym, but he was already running late for announcements. Akashi wouldn't be happy with him forgoing afternoon announcements for snacks…

Maybe Kura-chin has some of those vanilla candies he likes so much…

"Atsushi-kun what's your favorite snack?"

He turned to his favorite sensei to answer. "All—"

Atsushi blinked and stared at the smiling pink haired girl in front of him. Sakura had shoved a piece of lollipop in between his mouth and shoved a few more in his hands. He crunched at the sweet treat and allowed the taste of strawberries to fill his mouth. Sweet

"Don't show Miho-sensei, she was really mad when she found your stash." Sakura laughed. "Let's just keep this a secret, okay?"

Later that afternoon, Aomine Daiki came to her office sporting a bloody nose. Apparently a stray basketball managed to hit him square in the face when he was munching on a piece of lollipop he found on the benches.

Tetsuya stared at the woman in front of him. "I do not agree with this plan."

"Tetsuyaaa…" Sakura groaned and hugged the blue haired male from behind. "You know I would take you with me but you have basketball training and I don't want to leave you all alone when I go! Who will look after you?"

"I can look after myself."

Sakura rested her chin on top of his head. "What will you do for food? You can't even cook for yourself!"

He was about to open his mouth to reply but she beat him to it. "No you can't survive on boiled eggs for a month!"

Tetsuya pouted. "… Uzumaki-san is too loud and Uchiha-san has this weird addiction to tomatoes."

"One month." She promised. "I'll finish work as soon as I can."

"…Can't I stay with Hyuuga-san instead?"

"Hina-chan is busy with a paper and Neji-kun is out of the country for business."

"…One month."

Sakura laughed and hugged him tighter. "Yeah, and I'll bring you some awesome gifts when I get back okay?"

He reached for her hand. "Okay."

Atsu-baby done!

Next Chapter: Akashi Seijurou

I literally have no idea how to make Aka-chin

…

Reviews please!