Author's note: You don't need to tell me, I am painfully aware of how long this chapter took me. The worst part is, I'm still not completely happy with it, but I just wanted it up and done so I can move on to the next chapter.
Pt 2 features multiple POV's, all switching around, but my Beautiful Beta assures me that the change overs are clear enough, so I hope nobody gets lost.
Anoneemoose "Stalktographer" is my new favourite word. I'm using it IRL and I've used it in this chapter. Because it was too perfect a word not to use so please and thank you and keep coining those words theyre fantastic and you are fantastic
The Anon who is worried that Miki will be a villain Thank you! and FYI the OgaFuru endgame is not set in stone. I have 2 endings planned, depending on how much of my heart Tamura carves out in the next few weeks, but rest assured in neither of them is Miki tossed aside as a convenient villain. He's not gonna give up without a fight.
And on that note.
Oga had been in a foul mood since Saturday night. Furuichi had come over to his house looking battered and dirty and thoroughly un-Furuichi-ish. Oga's mood was partly due to his friend's roughed state, and partly due to the fact that whoever was responsible still lived.
Despite Oga's earnest enquiries and some gentle head-locking encouragement, Furuichi had refused to tell Oga who had soiled him. Oga might have been able to get the truth from him eventually, but didn't want to risk hurting his friend further due to Reasons. Reasons he was not discussing with anyone. Reasons he was trying very hard to not think about, because Reasons had certainly contributed to his bad mood.
However but it was the things he didn't know that had some of the greatest impact on Oga's mood.
He still didn't know who Furuichi's stalktographer was; "You don't need to know."
He didn't know how Furuichi had figured out who it was; "Well it didn't involve a headlock!"
And he certainly didn't know how Furuichi could agree to pose for them; "Why should you care? He'll stop taking pictures of Baby Beel this way. Isn't that what you wanted?"
The question of What Oga Wanted also came under the categories of Reasons, and Bad Mood Contributors. Oga wanted to go back to before he ever saw the pictures. Oga wanted to play video games without being painfully aware of the way his friend's knee touched his as they played. Oga wanted to punch Furuichi in his stupid face. Then maybe kiss it better. Push his hair behind his ear. Pull Furuichi in close. Kiss him until he was gasping and trembling...
But he couldn't, so Oga settled for projecting the darkest mood he could possibly generate without drawing on demonic powers, and obsessively checking the his phone for new picture uploads. Because that was the thing that had set off his bad mood the most; Furuichi had decided to actually pose for the photographer.
Oga just couldn't process it. Yes, he'd looked at the other web sites, seen the cute babies and the pictures of flowers, but that didn't mean he believed for a single moment that the photographer wasn't obsessed with his friend. But despite Oga's many attempts to convince him otherwise, and even a few attempts to stop him leaving his house, Furuichi had spent Sunday morning with the photographer, doing Oga could only imagine what.
And he had spent absolutely all of Sunday imagining it.
"I keep telling you," Furuichi repeated, yet again, as they walked to school on Monday morning, "he's not obsessed with me."
Oga disagreed.
"He has an entire website full of pictures he took of you. What else can you call it?"
"Dah," Beel added frowning.
"Exactly," Oga nodded in agreement.
Furuichi rolled his eyes. As difficult as it was to argue with that, Furuichi firmly believed Toujou wasn't obsessed with him. Determined to convince Oga, without revealing Toujou's identity, he repeated his reasons.
"He also has a website devoted to toddlers and kittens," Furuichi began, reflecting that Toujou was probably more obsessed with those muses than himself, "and this was the easiest way to stop him taking pictures of Beel."
Furuichi looked up to said demon baby as he finished speaking, and noticed with a start that Beel was glaring down at him from the top of his contractor's head. Furuichi was one of the few people at Ishiyama High who were unbothered by Oga's glare, but the angry baby gave him chills.
"Umm, Oga... I get that you're in a bad mood" Furuichi said edging away slightly, "but what's wrong with Beel?"
"He thinks you're an idiot too," Oga replied without missing a beat.
"What?! Baby Beel, why?"
"Aiieee dah!"
Oga spent the remainder of the trip listening to Furuichi trying to appease Beel, though he seriously doubted it was possible. Beel was grumpy because Oga had been so distracted thinking about what the photographer and Furuichi might be doing, that they had missed the new episode of Gohan-kun.
Oga's mood had continued through until lunchtime. Furuichi found this to be surprisingly convenient, as most of the delinquent students had taken one look at the hostile waves emanating for the school's leader, and found other places to be.
After Oga's face had cleared the area, Furuichi had noticed Kunieda loitering nearby with her own lunch. He had invited her to join them, as he knew Oga would never pick up on the atmosphere. Kunieda was followed by Nene, Chiaki and Hanazawa, who was followed by Kanzaki, who was followed by Shiroyama and Natsume.
The nine students and one baby had gained exclusive use of the school's nicest lunch spot; a courtyard and a set of low steps, clean enough to sit on. Completing the dream, there was also a working vending machine, and the stairs caught the warm noontime sun. The scene was oddly friendly and intimate for Ishiyama High; the Red Tails had gathered on the far left of the stairs, loudly discussing Kanzaki's night-time performance; a blushing Kunieda, a still brooding Oga, a sleeping Beel and very interested Furuichi sat in the centre, while Kanzaki and Shiroyama sat on the far right, desperately pretending they couldn't hear, while Natsume sat in quiet hysterics.
It was one of the nicest afternoons Furuichi had spent at Ishiyama, and he was enjoying the chance to relax in the sunshine; after finishing his lunch, he had lain back on the steps trying to soak up every last drop of warmth. With his eyes closed, his jumper and arms pillowed beneath his head, he might have fallen asleep, if he hadn't been attentively listening to the conversation to the left.
According to Hanazawa, Kanzaki preferred it when she was on top. Nene put it down to laziness. Hanazawa thought it might be to see her breasts bounce. Furuichi was trying to not imagine the scene in his head, and failing miserably. Rather than risking an erection and Kanzaki's wrath, he decided to get a drink from the vending machine as a distraction. Extending his arms out over his head he took a deep breath and arched his back into a full stretch.
When he opened his eyes, he found a pair of dark brown eyes burning down into his. Furuichi was transfixed, held by a half recognised emotion in the other eyes; he felt adrenalin surging through his body, both afraid and thrilled by what he thought he saw in the other eyes.
Then he blinked, and Oga had turned away, trying to get an imaginary last few drops out of a drink bottle, while Furuichi stared at the side of his head.
Furuichi felt his muscles twitching as the adrenalin in them urged him to run or fight or fuck or something, so he quickly rolled up to his feet. Muttering something about the vending machine, he scurried ever so casually across the courtyard.
Oga remained seated, staring at the empty bottle in his hands. He had been caught, staring like some stupid love-struck school girl.
He crushed the plastic bottle in his hands. Entrapment, that's what it was. Could he really be blamed for staring at Furuichi's neck when he had been practically purring into the sun? And the way Furuichi's shirt had ridden up and exposed his hip bones had to be illegal. Oga looked around, certain that the rest of the group must have been staring at them too, and was genuinely surprised that it seemed he was the only one who had noticed the naval exposure.
Scowling Oga slumped back against the steps, covering his face with an arm, hoping that maybe Furuichi hadn't noticed him staring at his face. His stupid, beautiful face, that had seemed to be leaning into an invisible caress from the sun.
It was sinful, and it was cruel, and it was unfair, and Oga had just wanted to look for a few minutes, but oh no, Idiot Furuichi had to go and wake up.
And look at him with those eyes.
Oga was so busy cursing his luck, that Natsume was forced to call his name twice.
"Oga-chiiii..."
"Huh?" Oga looked around confused at being spoken to, and at finding Natsume standing in front of him.
"I said, did you want me to get you another?" Natsume said, gesturing to the now obliterated bottle in Oga's hand, "I'm getting Kanzaki another Yogurti."
"Nn," Oga nodded sitting up, "cold water."
Oga's treacherous eyes glanced past Natsume to the vending machine where Furuichi was leaning, a can of something cold pressed against his temples. He looked away quickly, actively not thinking about licking the sweat and condensation off of his friend. Definitely not imagining how Furuichi might taste. Anything but that.
Oga was just contemplating poking Beel awake, weighing the cost of electrocution against any sort of distraction, when an unlikely saviour answered his prayers.
"Oga, heeeey Oga," Hanazawa called across the other Red Tails to him, "Oooooogaaaaaa..."
"Ah, yes?" Oga replied somewhat taken back. He had had hardly any real interaction with the flower toting Red Tail, but at that moment, he would have welcomed any distraction from his thoughts of Furuichi's Face and Being Caught Staring.
Unfortunately for Oga, what Hanazawa had to say was the very last distraction he could have wished for. As far as distracting him from the humiliation of being Seen Staring, it was the most effective speech possible. He would forget all embarrassment completely. However, it would be replaced with a rage so complete and unrivalled that it's after effects would be Ishiyama's hot gossip for weeks to come.
But neither Hanazawa nor Oga could predict these outcomes, so she spoke and he listened, and events were forced to play out.
"You might wanna go help your boy," Hanazawa giggled, pointing towards the vending machine, "Natsume senpai has his flirty face on."
Oga heard her, turned to look where she pointed, and then finally connected the two.
Natsume's flirty face was almost identical to his regular face, but his smile was much wider, and his eyes had a decidedly predatory glint. Currently, the glint and smile were directed towards Furuichi, as Natsume loomed over him.
"Just leave him," Nene said, "let Creepichi get a taste of his own medicine."
Oga never had the chance to hear that statement, as he was already halfway across the courtyard as it was spoken. By the time any of the seated delinquents had realised he had even moved, he had reached the vending machine, and Natsume had been sent flying.
It was only a short flight, a few meters at the most, but Natsume didn't remember any of it. He had been unconscious since Oga's fist collided with the side of his face, which was fortunate for him, as it meant Natsume never felt the other side of his face hit and penetrate the ground, sleeping right through the broken nose and slightly fractured cheek bone. When he finally regained consciousness, he thought of his previous oblivion with great fondness.
However, before he could come around, Oga had dragged a kicking and screaming Furuichi away from the scene, Beel in quick pursuit. Oga threw Furuichi into the first empty classroom he found, slamming the door behind them before he turned to confront his confused and panicked friend.
"What the fuck was that Oga?" Furuichi demanded, "What. The actual. FUCK? Were you trying to kill him?"
The last two minutes had been a rough and bewildering blur for Furuichi. Natsume had been on a lech, when he had seemed to disappear in front of his eyes, and then he had been dragged inside past the stunned faces of their friends.
Ignoring Furuichi's questions, Oga advanced on his friend with one of his own; "It's him, isn't it?" he said grasping Furuichi's arms. Perched on Oga's head, Beel had begun growling like a cat.
Furuichi leant back from the pair's sudden proximity, but was unable to break out of his friend's grasp.
"Who is what?" he asked, eyes flicking between Beel and Oga, unable to decide which of the two was more of a threat.
"Natsume!" Oga growled. In his mind's eye he could still see the older student leaning down over Furuichi, and Oga's hands were practically shaking with rage at the memory. Furuichi had just noticed the tremors where Oga held his arms when Oga continued.
"He's your stalker, isn't he?!"
"Natsume?"
"Yes!"
"The stalker?"
"YES"
"NO!"
"What?"
"Oga you idiot! Why would you even think that?" Furuichi yelled as he shook free of Oga's grasp, too angry to concern himself with his slight feelings of reluctance at their separation.
"He was all over you, idiot!" Oga yelled back, instantly regretting his word choice after hearing just how jealous he sounded, even with Beel's furious "Dah!" backing him up.
"That's just Natsume being Natsume," Furuichi countered, and grabbing Oga's wrist headed for the door, "he's always flirty! Shit, he's gonna have to go to hospital," he threw over his shoulder as they ran back through the corridor to the courtyard.
Oga allowed himself to be pulled back out into the sunlight, where the Saints had gathered around Natsume. The battered senior had regained consciousness, but wasn't loving it.
Kanzaki spotted Furuichi and Oga as they approached. He quickly ran over and grabbed Oga by the shirt front, breaking Furuichi's hand-hold on him. As much as Oga hated that, he managed to hold his temper, having realised his mistake. Despite this, he still managed to ignore Kanzaki's demands for an explanation, preferring to watch Furuichi slip closer to the still horizontal Natsume.
As Furuichi ran to the group around Natsume, he considered and rejected every excuse and apology he'd ever used to get Oga out of trouble; somehow he didn't think this could be smoothed over. The Red Tail's certainly didn't think so, and before he could even begin to explain, Nene and Hanazawa exploded in a chorus of demands and reprimands.
Chiaki silenced them. "Natsume's trying to say something."
Natsume held up one hand to calm their frantic concern and enquiry.
"I'll be ok, I'd better sit here for a while though," he smiled.
"umm... you're lying down," Nene pointed out, exchanging glances with the others, while Hanazawa got an ETA on the ambulance.
"Ah. Am I really? That is... not good..." Natsume trailed off, woozily determined not to pass out again.
He spotted Furuichi though the eye that wasn't swollen shut, and cracked a grin.
"Don't look so worried, I don't blame you – totally my own fault," he said gesturing weakly with one hand when the onlookers tried to protest.
"Yes it is, all my fault mina-chan – I shouldn't have poked the bear."
Despite the head wound and swollen face, he managed to look Furuichi right in the eye and whisper, "I knew Oga-chi wouldn't like it if I played with his special toy."
Much like Oga had done earlier, Furuichi had to turn and look where directed before he could properly understand what Natsume had meant.
And there it was.
Oga held a thrashing Kazaki in a casual headlock under his right arm, while Kunieda tried to mediate at his left and Shiroyama dithered anxiously behind the three. Oga stood calm and unmoving in the centre of the noise surrounding him, focused straight ahead of him to where Furuichi sat looking back.
Their eyes joined across the courtyard, and Furuichi recognised the same emotion in them that he had seen earlier when lying on the steps, that had caused him to escape to the vending machine in the first place. This time he knew what it was, and the realisation sent electricity dancing through his skin.
Pure and open and burning Want.
Author's footnote: Do people find any of this fic funny? I think I should change the genre from 'humour' to 'angst' or whatever the angsty genre is. Any thoughts? I dont think I write gag very well.
If you read this far I hope its cos you liked it.
As a reward, a hint for chapter 10...
starts with P and ends with ORN and it isnt popcorn... although I could include popcorn, it could work.