Chapter Text
...
He had to give the bastard credit somewhere---at least he had waited a month--almost a month, Hijikata reminded himself.
To be exact, it has been exactly three weeks, two days, and four and a half hours since the confession in the empty classroom. Since her dejected yet steadfast eyes held his gaze, the gently tied bag of chocolate clutched between hopeful hands, and the redness on the apples of her cheeks slowly ebbing away as her labored breath caught up to her in this moment of silence. Since his hands shook with more fear than even staring down the barrel of a gun had ever inspired in him. And he's done that before. Twice.
He grumbled out loud at that, and from his hunched-over position in his chair began shuffling around in his coat pocket for another cigarette, sighing audibly when the one he pulled between his fingers was scorched at the end, half as tall and a bit crushed in the middle. Figures.
Frankly, he should be more grateful. At least now he had more time for said cigarette breaks now that Harada had taken the roster switch of teacher's general office hours--so that he could enjoy some time away from graduation plans and student-teacher conferences and private tutoring lessons and---
The stout cigarette was suddenly crushed between his fingers as his eyes narrowed in thought. Well, that was the whole dilemma he was now facing, wasn't it?
These damn lessons. That damn charm. This damn girl...
And they had agreed. No, she had, in her own way, decreed that she'd wait if he wanted her to wait. She'd finish school first. She'd make sure she was really for him, first. The bare minimum he could do for someone as young as her. This was a delicate thing, after all. He wasn't that far off from her position himself, no matter how far away from her he felt. He could sympathize enough to give her some space. Space, yes. Patience is key, he reminded himself yet again as his eyes slid over to the slouched figure of the redhead propped against a desk. Nonchalant. Easy. Confident.
And it wasn't supposed to be a race.
Patience, yes. Gracious, no.
And screw being grateful.
He patted absently at his breast pockets to ensure that he had indeed brought no spares from his car, and with another long-suffering sigh he stood from desk. Failing to resist a languid and satisfying stretch he bent backward until he could hear the bones in his back crack in contortion. The raven would have to get it from the car, then. Which meant leaving the office room. Which meant...his eyes moved of their own accord.
Oh, it seems his stare was finally noticed. Twinkling golden eyes stared back first in confusion then in curiosity as he moved and shifted his weight; half-sitting on Nagakura's desk-the latter engrossed in a horse racing match via an old walkman radio and complaining loudly.
"I keep telling you the habit's no good for you, Hijikata-sensei," Harada called out, sounding more amused by the second. "You 'ought to quit already."
Hijikata's lips were tight. "Yeah--I plan to. Tomorrow."
And then Harada laughed and nodded sagely, as his eyes and attention slid back over to his shouting, no, crying friend. Hijikata wasted no time shrugging his slightly wrinkled trench coat that held the familiar weight of his keys hanging in the pocket on his left side. He stuck a hand in the pocket and let his fingers brush back and forth on the blunt edges of the keys absently as he slipped out as quickly as possible.
He didn't miss the stare settling on his back like a markseye.
He did miss nearly colliding into a stumbling girl.
She yelped, as usual, but Hijikata was quick enough to grab her by the wrist and prevent her from falling backwards onto the linoleum. Instead, he used the momentum to drag her forward instead, and her tiny head went crashing into his torso instead with a small bump. The short stack of papers she was carrying were now decorating the floor. And Hijikata still had no cigarettes.
She was very warm, he noticed.
Probably because it's that intensely warm weather right before summer break. Probably not because of him. But his hand squeezed around her bird-like wrist anyway. Another touch couldn't hurt, he thought to himself. Patience is key.
"Don't I keep telling you not to run in the hall?" His voice doesn't sound the slightest miffed to his own ears. He doesn't pull away. He doesn't stop glaring. This was probably the closest he could come to concern-he hoped she would still catch it.
And of course, in perfect Chizuru-like fashion she blushed heatedly, honey eyes soft like he had told her a precious secret. What had he done to deserve that?
"A-ah, H-Hijikata-sensei! I didn't - I'm sorry - "
"Don't worry." He grunted back. "Do you--"
The rush of the door opening beside his ear felt like a vacuum. She was immediately lost to him after that--like a spell broken her eyes lightened in delight. "Oh - Yukimura! You're here ear- woah, you OK? You sure? Well, okay...ha, I'm guessing those are today's exams are they…?" Harada's animated tenor echoes from behind him and the door was not closed behind him but the red-head immediately bends down and begins picking up papers anyway. Then, he paused for a moment - looking up at Hijikata as if he had only just noticed him still standing there. Harada offered a small and dismissive nod, but it's not really all that indirect the way Harada probably thought he appeared to be. It's fucking hostile. But it's enough to get him to leave before he said something back.
"Good that Hijikata-sensei caught your fall or I'd feel bad making you come this way in the first place," the redhead continued and scratched his neck, awkwardly. It works, and the girl's face warms immediately. Hijikata can hear the clicking of gums as he stalks off.
Chizuru's voice is pitchy. "Here, let me-"
"Oh - oops, haha."
A perfect example, and now there are two klutzes gathering paper at his feet, noisily. He stared down at his moving feet in contempt, the hand once outstretched now burning at his side.
"Don't worry about it...I'll don't mind helping you out, okay? Chizuru?" Harada's still talking in that good-natured voice, taking pleasure in the vigorous nod of her head as she speed collects papers. He hears a soft giggle and it triggers something in him. It's a feeling he doesn't get often but doesn't miss it when it shows up again. Feeling like he's been dismissed.
He doesn't miss the last scene in the corner of his eye as he passes either. Harada spares the girl a look of pure affection for a brief moment, its fleeing promise through the shadow of his bangs at her--the moment their fingers brush on the same paper, actually.
He doesn't wait to see if she noticed.
I think this is too OOC. I dunno. I'll try to tone that down next time. Please leave a note for me! I need more feedback in general guys :) ~SQ