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Nene is once again furious at Hanako.
She stares down at her desk trying to follow her teacher’s lecture on her textbook but it is just not possible. There is a sleeping ghost on the way.
Her friendly ghost had come looking for her during the first few minutes of her extra class, demanding to know why she was late for cleaning duty, spitting promises of fish food and fishtanks at her, leaving her partially alone only after he realized she had a situation and that she wasn’t trying to skip her chores. He then told her that he was going to wait for her -so she wouldn’t leave- and proceeded to fall asleep on her desk, head resting precisely on top of her book.
Nene curses under her breath. He always manages to annoy her, why couldn't he just wait for her there? Or better yet, why couldn't he just let cleaning duty slide today? She didn't choose to have this extra class, after all.
She wants to wake him up and toss him far far away. But she just doesn't have it in her. He looks so peaceful.
Carelessly sleeping, his pretty face totally relaxed, mouth slightly open, bottom lip bigger than the other one, making it seem like he is pouting. His black choppy hair falling directly over his eyes, partially hiding his long luscious beautiful eyelashes. She wishes hers could be as pretty as his. She cant help but blush slightly. He just looks so cute.
She really shouldn't stare, she thinks, embarrassed.
But then again, when is she going to get another opportunity like this? She can never look closely at him without him making a joke or teasing her. She rarely even dares. She knows that if he noticed her staring he would never let it go, he would hold it against her forever, mocking her endlessly.
So she just stares, and in a slip of her mind, mesmerized by the sleeping apparition she holds so dear to her heart, she brings her hand to his head and runs her fingers through his hair. She has never touched it before, and she is sightly surprised by how soft and silky it is.
She brings his messy bangs all the way to the back, revealing his forehead for the first time. Nene is not surprised to see that it is, just as every other part of him, rather cute.
Hanako smiles softly at her touch.
She freezes, just now realizing what she is doing. Should she take her hand away? She wonders if he would be okay with her doing this to him. He does this kind of things to her all the time, he touches her hair, hugs her, holds her hand, clings to her back… The complete disregard for personal space should be a two way street, shouln't it? He can't possibly be not okay with this, right?
She doesn't want to take her hand away, and she cant bring herself to do it, not if he is going to stop smiling like that. She keeps gently petting his hair, playing delicately with it. The incessant voice of her professor reduced to background noise.
Sudenly, Hanako's eyes flutter as he opens them slowly, and when the light shines on his honey colored orbes it seems to Nene that they are made out of sunshine.
He looks at her with blearely eyes, frowning when he finally focuses on her.
“Yashiro?”
“Y-yes?”- she mouths at him as quietly and clearly as she can
“What- what are you doing?”
Her frenetic heart skips a beat.
“Uhmm…just… running my fingers trough your hair," she whispers
“Oh,” and Nene sees his brows frown even more. “Why?”
There is no use of trying to come up with a lie now, she is just not so quick on her feet. “I just felt like doing it”
He blinks, surprised. A quick blush rushing to his face, rising from his very core. He turns his gaze away from her.
Nene stares at him, concerned. Hanako is biting his lip, clearly uncomfortable but he doesn't move away. After a few moments, Nene sees tears forming in his golden eyes, hanging from his lashes, his lip starting to tremble… but even then, he doesn't get away. He just stays there. Fighting a desperate fight to pretend everything is fine.
Nene wants to hold him, wants to ask him what's wrong. But she doesn't want to acknowledge his tears if he doesn't want her to. She just keeps petting his hair.
But when the tears start to flow freely down his face she can't hold herself back anymore.
“What's wrong?” She whispers, mortified.
“Nothing,” he replies, his eyes finally meeting hers. “It's nothing. I'm just… I'm not used to it.” He says, voice craking, flashing her an apologetic smile.
“Are you sure this is ok?”
He just nods, face redder than red. “Please don't stop,” he manages.
“I won't” she whispers
Nene moves her hand over his face and gently brushes his tears away, cupping his cheek lovingly.
“Thank you” he whispers, just as quietly as her, even though nobody but Nene can hear him.
And just like that, Nene realizes why he is always so handsy with her. He is simply touch starved.
She resolves to be just as handsy as him, to fill his need as best as she can. She wordlessly goes back to playing with his hair and he relaxes under her touch.
He even smiles.
His tears eventually dry.
They stay like that for the remainder of the class. They stay like that long after it finished.