It had struck me sometime while writing this story that "Honey" is actually spelled "Hunny" and I was making a serious mistake. However, "Hunny" sounds a bit strange to me (a bit too much like Winnie the Pooh? That doesn't even make sense. Nevermind me.) So "Honey" it is! Anyone who disagrees with my word choice can complain in the Reviews. That being said, anyone who has any comments whatsoever, please leave your reviews!
In case anyone wonders, this is still a love story...or at least I think so.
Honey's eyes watered with delight as his best friend -- or whoever it was -- handed him a big fat piece of cake. Sobbing out his sincerest thank you and beaming his biggest smile, he dug in, savoring the taste of sweet sugar on his tongue. With each successive bite, his appetite grew, and grew, and he had to eat a bit quicker after each mouthful to compensate. Within seconds, the plate was empty and Honey was listless once again.
"Honey-kun, you eat so quickly!" one of the girls gushed.
"Cake-uuuu," he murmured softly, his chin resting lightly on the edge of his empty plate. His eyes stared aimlessly into space.
"You shouldn't eat so many sweets," Mori said, quietly, as always.
"Takashiiii, you're no fun," Honey replied. "Is there any more cake left? I want another piece!"
Mori was determined to not let Honey eat any more cake. He was certain, no, he had a gut feeling that Honey would become sick again if he had just one more piece. Then it would only be like before... Unfortunately, Honey had quickly discovered the half-eaten cake. It was sitting on a platter just in front of his nose. He pleasantly cut himself half of it and settled back down on his chair, happy once again.
This time, he let Usagi-kun have a taste, too. Some cake stuck to its little mouth and gave it a cute little food-beard.
The entire scene seemed to amuse the girls greatly. Some offered to wipe Usagi-kun's chin with their napkins, while others simply squealed in ecstacy.
Mori sighed, and moved the cake to a farther table in hopes of preventing Honey from eating any more.
"Takashi," Honey cried out, "where's the cake? I want to finish it!" He had already finished his last portion.
"Ah. I think you've had enough," he replied, concerned.
"Mori-sempai, one more piece is alright? Honey can eat one more piece, right?"
"Takashiiii,..."
"Mitsukuni. I don't want you to get sick again," Mori said, wiping some icing off of Honey's round, childlike chin with his thumb. He hoped that Honey would finally understand.
"Takashiiii,..."
The boy was becoming teary-eyed again, sad tears this time. Mori's heart broke, but his mind knew better than to give in. It was already Honey's eighth cake (eighth full cake!) and Mori was afraid that he would get a new stomach ache, or, worse, a new toothache. He knew Honey never brushed his teeth unless he was in his own washroom at home.
In the end, a girl on the verge of crying gave Honey her piece of cake. Then others followed. Honey's tears of misery changed to tears of bliss once again, thanking each girl with his sincerest thank-you and biggest smile. Mori sighed unhappily.
Mori, out of concern for Honey's health, decided to bring him home earlier than usual to get him to brush his teeth thoroughly. But, poor Haruhi! Honey had apologized to Haruhi, with tears in his eyes, that they wouldn't help fold up the kimonos they both wore that day, and Haruhi had said it was easy enough for her to do. Of course, Honey didn't really want to fold clothes. He had happily heaped his and Mori's into Haruhi's arms before running out the door. Mori then had to apologize to Haruhi again before running out in order to not be left behind.
"Takashi, see? I didn't get sick," Honey proclaimed proudly, once Mori was finally next to him.
"I'm worried," he said. "I don't want you to become sick again."
"Takashiiii, you're no fun. There was more cake, so why didn't you let my finish it? Now it will all go to waste! Pretty cake,..." Honey drifted into a trance. It was such a pretty cake, he thought. He certainly missed it, and what a waste! not being able to eat it. He suddenly felt very frustrated. Why wouldn't Mori ever let him do what he wanted? With downcast eyes and a haunting air around him, he stopped and turned to Mori.
"Takashi, I feel like going home by myself today. I'll see you tomorrow."
Mori's blood ran cold. "Yes, Mitsukuni." He forced himself to stop following Honey. His eyes followed Honey's light, angelic hair, bobbing slightly as he walked towards the school's exit.
Honey was angry, angry, angry! How could he not give him that cake when he asked for it? It wouldn't hurt, it was just a bit more, and now there was wasted cake in the garbage...the Garbage! Children in Africa don't get to eat cake every day,...
His anger soon faded. He thought about Usagi-kun, how Mori had wiped those bits of icing from his face, and he couldn't remain angry any longer.
"Takashiiii!" he cried, running back to his friend. "I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I'm not mad at you, really! I'm just mad that I couldn't eat any more cake! Please, forget what I said! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"Ah," Mori said, relieved. He sighed as he gently wiped the tears from Honey's face. He never understood how the boy could cry so much, at any little thing. "Let's go home, then."
They walked for a bit. Some afternoon sunbeams came in from the wide hallway windows and played gently on their foreheads, making their eyes squint. Mori saw them, playing there, and smiled a little, in one of those rare moments when Honey, too, was quiet. But, soon, Honey thought of something else to say.
"Takashi, do I still need to brush my teeth?"
"Yes, Mitsukuni."
"Takashiiii, you're no fun!"