Archive of Our Own

Today has been an awful day.

It didn't start out that way. In fact, the morning had came and went without a hitch. Hanako had been on a roll; eliminating at least ten low-level apparitions by the time students arrived for their morning classes.

He was perched on his windowsill, polishing his knife with a stolen rag. There was a surge of pride in him as he scrubbed at the blood and guts of slain apparitions staining the blade; a sure sign of a job well done. 

Weirdly, though, he was feeling squeamish about it this time. The pride and satisfaction seemed to fade away as his stomach twisted in the worst way possible. He brushed it off, as his knife was still far from clean. 

And then bile rose in his throat, no doubtedly burning it raw, causing him to swallow harshly.

He couldn't look at it anymore, the morbidity getting to him. He threw it as far as he could, not missing the nauseating squelch of drying blood and guts hitting the floor. He tried his best to ignore it. 

The sick feeling was soon fading to a more tolerable level, but Hanako didn't feel like cleaning his knife anymore, so he paid the mokke with some candy to do it for him. For as cute as they look, those little things could be ruthless; so some supernatural gore didn't phase them. Especially since they have caused far worse and been nothing but sadistically cheery over the whole ordeal.

Don't tease mokke with candy- A lesson Hanako had learned one afternoon when he found a dead spirit (or what was left of it) turned inside out with mokke all around, stuffing candy wrappers into its corpse.

Hanako shuddered at the memory. Why did he have eyes again? 

The ghost boy shakily rose to his feet, making his way out of the bathroom. He had things to do, and he wasn't going to let a little nausea spell get in his way.

By the time school was over, Hanako felt like hell, far worse then he had this morning.

His fatigue had caught up with him and kicked him in the face for good measure. God, he was tired. So so tired. And this was coming from an apparition who hasn't gotten hardly any shuteye in over fifty years and still held all the energy of a kid on a sugar rush.

There was also this massive pounding in his head that managed to blur and disrupt his balance. He had the grace of a bull in a china shop, and Tsuchigomori noticed. How could he not, when the ghost boy had barreled into bookcases in the man's boundary multiple times?

"Are you alright, Honorable Number 7? You don't seem well." The man had inquired with furrowed brows. He was clearly worried, which he shouldn't be, because Hanako was fine. So he told him that.

"Me?" He gestured to himself dramatically in fake shock. "I'm doing great! Splendid, even." 

"Hmm.."

Tsuchigomori narrowed his eyes as Hanako tried to muster a convincing smile; and whether his skepticism bore no fruits or he just simply gave up, Hanako didn't know.

"...Alright. And don't talk like that, it makes you sound like an old man." The fifth wonder turned and took his leave as smoke rings followed behind him.

The ghost pouted. Who was he calling old? Wasn't he, like, a bajillion years older?

Hanako didn't get the answer to his question, because out of no where he came tumbling down to the ground when he should be floating. He braced himself on a bookshelf as he let out a gasp, the room spinning for a moment. 

Tsuchigomori was already out of sight, therefore he most likely missed Hanako's commotion. Good. He didn't need Tsuchigomori to go rushing to his aid. He was fine.

Besides the fact that he clutched at his rolling stomach as the spinning picked up again, he was fine.

When he felt ready, he pushed off the bookshelf and vacated the boundary. Before, it was some nausea and spinning. Now? Now his supernatural powers were acting up. Maybe he was sick?

To test that theory, he decided to use his own forearm against his forehead and winced at the heat he felt.

So he was running a fever. That made sense why he was so clumsy, even explained his weak stomach earlier. He most likely caught the uncommon cold again or something, and just needed to find some mokke to pass it off to.

Usually he'd be jumping for joy, as this was the second time he's ever been sick as a supernatural! But he had far more important things to focus on, like Yashiro's lifespan. He had his fun last time. Now he needs to be responsible and not let a little bug get him down. Yashiro doesn't need to be stressing about him of all things; she was depending on him to save her life, after all.

As he made his way through the halls, he snagged as many unsuspecting mokke as he could, gathering a dozen in his arms and five more in his jacket. 

He needed to get rid of this bug, and fast. 

So no matter how stupid it may look to anyone who could see him, Hanako rubbed mokke all over himself, trying to recreate the scenario of them curing him last time.

He looked up at the clock, and realized he would be expecting Yashiro any minute. 

Shit.

He hoped that what he had done was enough to cure him, or at the very least, take the edge off.

Yashiro had been feeling that something was off all day. She couldn't exactly figure out what, though. Frankly, it was getting on her nerves.

Everything seemed to be in order at school: no apparitions having a murderous rampage, no new rumors, hell, no new drama, either.

She thought maybe she forgot something. That must be it. Maybe her keys? The girl dug through her bag in a panic, hoping to god she didn't just lock herself out for the night. Her parents were going to be home late, and they had already pre-made dinner for her, so she knew they were going to be out well into the night.

Standing outside all night really didn't sound all that appealing.

As she shuffled through her bag, she heard the jingling of her keys; music to her ears.

She was so glad she found them, and everything else. It was relieving, but...

There was just this feeling she couldn't shake. Like a sixth sense alerting her that something wasn't right.

Maybe Hanako would know, and if there was really nothing to worry about, he'd tease her about worrying and somehow bring her ankles into it. 

Besides, hakujoudai would've been going nuts if something was wrong. It was meant to watch over her, Hanako always said. So surely if she was in any danger, hakujoudai would've alerted her and Hanako would be here.

Actually, now that she thought about it, there was no hakujoudai following her today. That was..weird. Maybe Hanako needed it for something?

Was Hanako in trouble?

Did he need it to watch over himself instead of her? 

She really wanted to get to the bathroom now just to make sure everything was okay. That he's okay. 

It was when Hanako almost fully dozed off on the windowsill that Yashiro came bursting into the bathroom at full force. The perfect wake up call that he desperately needed. He didn't care that his body was begging, pleading with him to rest. That didn't matter. All that mattered was Yashiro. 

"Geez Yashiro, you underestimate the strength of those daikon ankles! Could've taken the door off its hinges if you kicked it any harder!"

The girl in question was fuming as she stomped up to him, hands fisted at her sides with her shoulders hunched.

"Listen here mister," She scolded as she grabbed onto his uniform. "I don't want to hear it about my ankles. I've been worried all day! Something has felt off, and I can't put my finger on it. That's why I rushed here! I was worried there was some supernatural I was sensing or something! I- I was worried about you.." Her voice quieted at the end of her rant, embarrased by her confession.

With the way she was gripping his jacket (concerned and frustratated tugs on his collar, yet caring and soft touches at the same time) and coming so close to his face, his head felt like it was going to explode. Or maybe it was the cold he caught messing with him.

He started leaning into her to support himself without realizing, releshing in the warmth and safety she provided. He could fall asleep right there. Yeah...

His head dipped at a bit as he nodded off.

No. No, he needs to get up. 

He jolted awake again, removing himself from Yashiro's grasp and going to sit back on the windowsill.

"Hanako?" She asked, shocked and so confused. Did he almost fall asleep on her? What was that about? He didn't even answer her question!

"Huh..?" He asked in a tired daze. 

"Oh, sorry. No, there hasn't been any worrisome activity that I've seen. I took out some low level ones earlier, but they weren't a huge threat. Maybe my assistant is just sensing how badly she needs to clean the bathroom?" His voice took on its usual teasing lilt towards the end, and Yashiro let it calm her nerves for now. Everything seemed to be fine, although Hanako was acting a bit strange. Then again, has he ever acted normal?

She heavily sighed in disappointment but grabbed the broom she had left there the night before, starting her cleaning. She figured that if there really was something wrong, especially with Hanako, that she would figure it out with her own secret detective work while she cleaned. Maid by day, world class detective by night!

..Maybe she hyped herself up a little too much.

Hanako, for once, wanted her to finish early. He felt like dying (again) and he didn't want to worry her. Plus, he was exhausted and he didn't know how long he could keep this act up, especially now that his stomach started churning again. But if he sent her home early out of the blue, that would raise alarm bells in her head. She probably would refuse to go home and demand an explanation. Besides, she already seemed suspicious. She'd be onto him if he didn't watch it.

So he dealt the cards and started up a hanafuda game to try to distract himself.

It didn't matter that he had to redeal the cards a few times, or when he forgot the rules of the game he's been playing for decades. That was fine, today was just an off day.

•

By the end of the first game that he miserably lost, he felt a little better. The room wasn't spinning, and the pounding in his head was slightly better. Maybe the mokke had taken the edge off after all.

Yashiro was busy scrubbing the mirrors and sinks, and after watching her for a bit, he decided to go pester her. The quieter he is, the more suspicious and worried she becomes, so it was better to act as if he was still full of energy. He didn't miss the concerned glances she threw over her shoulder when she thought he wasn't looking.

He decided to pop in over her shoulder, uttering a simple "Boo." 

It wasn't revolutionary by any means, but it got the job done. She jumped high in the air and squealed "Hanako-kun!" , which brought a laugh out of him.

He was grateful she didn't notice how wobbly on his feet he was.

Scratch that, she totally did once she whipped around and shoved him backwards, because instead of floating to catch himself, he lost his balance. He grimaced as the room spun round and round, expecting to land on the cold hard floor.

That wasn't what happened. 

Instead, Yashiro caught him with her lightning fast reflexes, holding onto him as if she just dipped him in a dance.

When the impact Hanako was expecting never came, he opened his eyes to peek at a very concerned, slightly angered Yashiro.

"See! I knew something was wrong!" She started, before lowering her voice when he winced at the volume of it.

"Are you okay Hanako? Are you hurt or sick or something? Did someone do something to you?" Her voice took on that caring tone he swooned over, and he wanted more than anything then to let her take care of him. But that was selfish, so no, that wouldn't be happening. 

As hard as it was, he stood himself back up and left her warm embrace. 

"What are you talking about? I'm fine-" His sentence was cut off by his stomach deciding to somersault in that moment, sending vomit up his throat. He quickly threw a hand over his mouth as he went wide eyed, realizing he couldn't swallow it down this time. 

"Hanako..? What's wrong?"

He slammed a stall door open as he stumbled inside, desperate to make it to the toilet. Throwing up was already embarrassing, but doing it on the floor, or anywhere someone had to clean it up? Yeah, no. That would be the final nail in his already nailed-in coffin.

Tears pricked his eyes as he started heaving, because the fear of vomiting when he was alive stuck with him. It felt like he couldn't breathe, like he was dying, and no one was ever there-

His bangs were brushed out of his eyes and his hat was gently taken off of his head, but he couldn't place who what or why in the moment.

He was sobbing between heaves, the stomach acid he was throwing up gladly leaving his body. His whole body was trembling, and his hair slowly started sticking to his forehead with sweat.

It was probably the most heartbreaking thing Nene had ever seen, and she knew right then and there that she never wanted him to feel sick like this ever again.

This was what she was sensing. It makes sense now. They're bound together, and even if they weren't, their friendship had come a long way, to the point that they could almost read each others minds at times. They were kindred spirits in a way. She still had a long way to go in understanding how Hanako's mind worked, but she'd like to say she could decipher 20% of what he's thinking, which is definitely an achievement for such a mysterious ghost.

When she saw how he trembled and his hands shook, she quickly embraced him from behind, rubbing his back and holding him close.

"It's okay Hanako-kun. I'm here. I've got you."

There was a break in his heaving spells, so he used the mercy his stomach granted him to look over at his assistant with hazy, tired eyes.

When he saw her looking at him with that sweet face, he broke down, tears clouding his already blurry vision. 

"Oh, Hanako." She half-whispered in a sad voice. Hanako kicked himself internally.

" 'M sorry. I- I didn't mean to worry you." It was the only words he could string together in the moment. He wished he could be more reassuring. Instead, all he could do was let the tears fall and try to suppress his sobs so he didn't anger his stomach.

She wiped the tears from his cheeks, ruffled his hair, and left a kiss on his head that earned a flustered squeak from him. Usually she'd be reveling in it, finally flustering the boy that always flusters her, but she was too preoccupied with worrying about his current state. 

"Shhhhh..it's okay. You worry me more by keeping things from me than being honest. But I'm here now, and I'll take care of you, okay?" 

"Okay." He whispered in a raspy voice.

Their moment was quickly interrupted as another bout of nausea hit him. Apparently his stomach decided to retract whatever mercy it offered before. 

He turned away from her, aiming his face over the bowl again. Tears fell from his burning eyes as he pleaded with himself.

"No. No, please." He pleaded to himself, not intending for the blonde to hear him. 

"Hey, I'm here. It's going to be okay, I promise." Nene whispered to him. She didn't like making promises she didn't know she could keep. But it was Hanako, and she'd bend reality to her will if that's what it takes. 

"It- it scares me. Feels like I'm dying, reminds of it." He weeped as he attempted to swallow it back down, but that only got him a scolding from Nene. 

"Don't do that. It will only make it worse. I know it feels bad, but I promise once you get it out of your system, it'll feel a lot better. And I'm here to watch over you. Okay, sweetheart?"

She was going out on a limb with that nickname, and she knew it. But he felt so small, so vulnerable, and something inside her told her to use it. When his face turned bright red (and it didn't twist into a look of disgust), she felt a little satisfied with herself.

He was going to muster a reply when the acid shot up in his throat again, and this time he didn't fight it. He let out a pained whimper as he gagged on the vile liquid, and Yashiro went back to rubbing his back, whispering quiet praises to the boy.

Eventually his vomiting spell turned to dry heaves, which turned to hoarse, tired cries. He was about to lay his head on the toilet seat, but of course Nene couldn't allow that. Even if he couldn't catch human germs (that they knew of), it was still gross, and he deserved better.

So she guided him to lean against her as she propped herself up against the stall wall, his head close to her heart while their legs were tangled together. 

"..mm could- um.. gimme-"

Nene tilted her head as he mumbled into her shoulder, only making out a few words.

"Sorry Hanako, I didn't fully catch that. Give you what?"

"Um-" He started, trying to muster the courage to ask. If he weren't so loopy he probably wouldn't even be asking, let alone thinking it. But that was for future him to worry about, he supposed.

"Gimme another kiss? Please?"

As soon as he timidly whispered his request, he buried his face back into her shoulder, scared of her response.

It took her a moment to actually remember how to function for a moment; how to talk, how to breathe, how to think. Her head was stuffed with bright sugary-sweet cotton candy, and she was leaping from cloud to cloud.

Meanwhile, in the real world, her mouth was agape while her face was caught in a red flush. When Hanako spared a glance up at her, he misunderstood, thinking he overstepped.

"Hahadon'tworryaboutititdoesn'tmatteranyways-" He blurted out, common sense returning while his dignity took its leave.

That brought Nene back to reality, and she was quick to reassure him.

"Of course I can! I'd-I'd be happy to!" She shouted out a little too frantically, and not nearly as smooth as she wanted. 

So she turned her head to face the brunette in front of her properly, and peppered the top of his head with kisses. She tilted his chin up, earning a gasp from Hanako, and continued to smother him with kisses. Some for his forhead, a few for his little button nose, plenty for each of his chipmunk cheeks, and one for each of his tired, puffy eyes. There was a deliberate smack sound with each one, as she went over the top in her affection.

She didn't realize how much she wanted to do that until just now. It was an itch she didn't even know she had, now being scratched in the most satisfying way.

Meanwhile, Hanako giggled while she kissed him and well after she finished, tickled pink (literally). It was surely the fever messing with him, as normal him would never giggle like a lovesick school-girl. He'd be totally cool about it, of course. Wouldn't fluster him a bit.

Unfortunately, he couldn't enjoy this lighthearted moment for long. He caught a chill, and started shivering in the blonde's arms. It was weird; as it's not like he ever had any body heat in the first place. Nene noticed his shivering right away.

She placed the back of her hand on his forehead, and gasped when she felt the warmth. No wonder he was acting so loopy and freezing, he had a high fever.

Which meant..this moment they just had..was meaningless. He probably wouldn't even remember it.

That was probably the first and last time she ever got to smother him with affection, to hear his littles giggles and internally squeal at how cute his face looked when he was flustered. Flustered because of her.

But she couldn't let herself wallow in self pity right now, especially when he needed her. Even if after he recovered he pretended none of it ever happened, and that he has no feelings for her.

She could cry about it in the privacy of her room, under her warm fluffy covers.

Nene practically heard his teeth chattering as he heavily shuddered in her arms, as if it was a bitter winter day.

That wouldn't do. No, that wouldn't do at all. Surely there has to be a way to warm him up. The infirmary beds popped up in her mind, but she quickly dismissed the idea. The blankets there were pitiful quite honestly, and that room was even cooler than the bathroom.

Suddenly, she remembered the fireplace in Tsuchigomori sensei's boundary; the flames licking up the bark casting a beautiful honey-colored glow on the cozy couch placed in front of it. 

That should do it. Plus, she needs to get home soon, no matter how much she wants to stay and watch over him. Surely he would take care of him, right?

His little whine as he curled closer to her snapped her attention back to the present. 

"Don't worry Hanako, I'll get you warmed up, okay? Just hold onto me."  

"What? Wait a seco-"

Before she could overthink it and Hanako could protest, she scooped him up into her arms, and carried him bridal-style out of the bathroom. She willed her rose-colored cheeks to return to their normal shade, but it was no use. 

Hanako was no better, blushing like a mad man up at her, eyes wide in shock. Perhaps he would've jumped out of her arms if he could've, but right now he could barely keep his eyes open, let alone keep his thoughts together.

"Yashirooo, I'm fine. I don't need to be carried." He tried to fight her, but her grip was strong, stronger than his weakened form at the moment. 

"Uh huh. Sure. Totally believe you after I watched you puke your guts out for over an hour." She fired back sarcastically.

"Oh.." He started, already sounding defeated. "Well, that was just a fluke. I'm fine now, you don't have to worry." 

Nene had had enough. Sometimes the only way to teach something was through experience. So she sighed, and relented to his request.

"Fine. We can just walk to Tsuchigomori's boundary together."

"Wait wait wait, that's where we're going? Whyyyyy?" The ghost boy whined. He was clearly more expressive than his usual closed off self. 

With his complaints and whines, it reminded her that at the core of Honorable Number Seven, Leader of Apparitions, was a kid. Only a year younger than her, technically. A thirteen year-old boy in his last year of middle school.

Perhaps that's the side of Hanako she was seeing right now. It almost brought a smile to her face, but worry prevented it from taking shape.

"So you can rest. Sensei has a nice couch by a fireplace, remember?"

Hanako gasped, as if what she said had offended him. 

"I don't need rest. That's boring. We should go back to the bathroom instead."

"Okay, I'll cut you a deal. If you can walk with me to Tsuchigomori's boundary, then we'll go back to the bathroom. Deal?"

The ghost boy mustered a determined face as best as he could despite how heavy his eyes felt. 

"Deal."

She put him back on his feet as confidently as she could. Deep down, she was so terrified of messing up. How sensitive were ghosts? Was this a stupid decision? Would it wear him out too much? What if-

Her paranoia soaked thoughts came to a hault as Hanako finally attempted to walk.

Did she think he'd manage it in this state? No, probably not. But Hanako needed to see it for himself.

He was a bit wobbly on his feet, but managed to start walking forward. It felt like he was running a marathon, and his legs ached with each movement.

The boy turned back to shoot his assistant a triumphant look of "See, told you I could do it."

She merely sighed and caught up with him, watching carefully for when she'd need to step in.

With every step his ankles and legs threatened to fail. Not only that, but his head began its pounding, causing the room to spin again.

He wouldn't give up. He didn't need to be coddled. He was a leader; top dog, head honcho, whatever you want to call it. Of course he didn't need anyone. He could take care of himself. 

So he took a step.

And another.

And then another.

Then he was falling head first towards the floor with a pained yelp. How did that even happen?

He prepared himself for the pain of slamming into the floor, but it never came. No, he was floating, feet no longer touching the ground.

Wait, that means his powers are back! So he is better!

"Ah-hem." The girl cleared her throat to gain his attention. She clearly wasn't impressed with his coordination right now, glaring down at him.

Unfortunately for him, he wasn't floating on his own. Instead, Yashiro caught him like a damsel in distress and was holding him bridal style again, as if he were a princess.

Hanako looked up at her, offering an apologetic smile that screamed 'Please have mercy.'

"..Maybe going to see Tsuchigomori isn't such a bad idea." He relented.

He fisted his hair when the pounding in his head picked up. He let out a low whimper. 

It thawed Yashiro out, frustration leaving her as quickly as it came. Now she was just worried. She secured the boy in her arms before practically jogging through the school in search of a certain library.

Time seemed to slow for Yashiro as she carried him. Were there always this many hallways? Was the school turning into a maze? For the ghost, though, he started nodding off time to time throughout his assistant carrying him, distorting time into quick little flashes. Floors and ceilings changed without warning and passed him by. Everytime he'd startle awake again, he'd see how his assistant's brows were pinched together and how she chewed her bottom lip raw. It killed him that he stressed her out this much. She didn't deserve that. He didn't deserve all this care and compassion, either. He should have to suffer, like he always did before.

Hanako mumbled his thoughts and worries to Nene, unable to fully articulate his words. He was an open book right now though, so he didn't really care.

"mm..don- don't deserve this." He slurred out.

"don' worry 'bout me, you're-you're what's important. " He whispered to her in a hoarse voice, which quite honestly almost made her tear up. She frowned down at his puppy eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

And then he finally crashed, completely exhausted. Yashiro thought she might lose it, because what if he never woke up-

Luckily, they had finally reached the mystery's boundary, and she couldn't help but feel relieved. She didn't mind caring for Hanako, not one bit, but she felt pretty clueless. She didn't know if he needed some sort of medicine, or how long it would take him to get better. Was this some sort of curse, or was he just sick? Whatever it was, it was getting worse. It genuinely terrified her when he went fully limp in her arms. 

He'd be okay, right? 

It caused her to panic, because she's never seen him so fragile before, so defeated. He hid everything from her, even whatever this was, until he couldn't anymore. Surely only something severe would weaken him so much.

"Tsuchigomori! Hey, Tsuchigomori! Help! I need help!" She started yelling out as Hanako's condition worsened in her arms.

"Please." She finished, voice breaking as tears gathered in her eyes.

She heard a loud a sigh, and then,

"Over here." He answered back, voice echoing towards her from around the corner. Nene wasted no time, turning the corner in a rush as she stumbled a bit on her feet. 

The mystery in question was sitting on the couch she was thinking of, smoking his pipe with a book in hand.

"What is it?" He asked, not turning his head to look at her. There was some annoyance in his tone, which only worsened Yashiro's anxiety.

"It's Hanako! He- he was acting weird all afternoon, and then he started throwing up, and now he's shivering like crazy and can keeps going in and out of consciousness! I don't know what to do-" She sobbed out at the end, her worry overwhelming her. 

Tsuchigomori quickly discarded his book and abandoned his pipe; a rare occurrence. He was at her side in a flash.

"Here, give him to me. He can rest on the couch, and I've got some blankets he can use." He spoke urgently.

For whatever reason, Yashiro hesitated. Of course she knew he was in more capable hands with Tsuchigomori, but she was also very overprotective of him. How could she not be? He was so fragile and so precious, and she'd never live it down if something happened to him. 

And it was also because..

She loved him. He was her shining star, with molten honey eyes, tiny little fangs, and literally everything else.

She loved him, and she never wanted to let him go again.

It didn't exactly help that he was clinging to her like a koala, either.

Tsuchigomori seemed to understand, but kept his arms extended anyway.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of him. I promise."

This time, there was no irritation or hostility in his voice. She paused, thinking it over before reluctantly handing Hanako over. She knew he was in more capable care than he could ever be with her. 

The mystery gently set him on the sofa, placing a pillow under his head and a few blankets on him. Hanako let out a small content sigh before curling into a fetal position, rubbing his cheek on the plush blanket. 

Once he was settled, he turned his attention back on the girl who brought his former student to him. Her face was totally wrecked and her uniform crooked, no doubtedly from the ghost boy who was in her arms moments prior. 

The adrenaline wore off all at once, causing her to fall to her knees. She tried to stifle her cries so she didn't wake the apparition on the couch. Her breathing became erratic, and she startled when a hand was placed on her shoulder.

"Hey. He's going to be okay. Take some deep breaths." The teacher said in an attempt to calm her, trying his best to push past his emotional awkwardness. 

"I-I couldn't help him, and now he's worse and I failed and- and-" 

"Yashiro. Listen to me. You did everything you could. I'm sure you took great care of him. He'll be alright. It seems he caught another supernatural cold, most likely a stomach bug."

She nodded through her tears, swallowing a knot in her throat. But when she looked over to glance at the boy in question, she saw how still he was on the couch. Tsuchigomori observed the boy for a moment as well, satisfied when he saw the boy start to snore.

"He's just sleeping. It's a good thing that he is, it will help him heal faster. Be glad his body forced him to rest."

The mystery watched as the girl in front of him yawned, clearly exhausted as well. Poor kid. 

"You should probably head home. You need rest too, you know." 

Yashiro pouted. He was right, of course. It was the same thing she was so desperately trying to drill into Hanako's head. 

But how was she supposed to leave him like this?!

"I'll watch over him, Tsuchigomori said. "You have my word."

"Can I at least say goodbye? I won't wake him up or anything, I promise!" Yashiro pleaded, though it was really unnecessary. It wasn't like Hanako was in any danger, and it's not like Tsuchigomori would deny her. 

They both cringed at how loud she was, quick to check the sleeping boy on the couch. Fortunately, he was out like a light.

"I don't see why not. Be quick though, because the sun is starting to set. Walking home in the dark is much too dangerous."

She headed his warning as she tiptoed over to Hanako, wincing at every creak in the floorboards she stepped on.

He was laying on his side, facing the fireplace while snuggling with the blankets that were tucked up to his chin.

When she finally was face to face with him, she saw how relaxed and worry free his expression was; something she'd never seen on him before. She'd always thought Hanako was pretty happy most of the time, and maybe he was, but his shoulders were always tense, teeth always grinding. 

Now, though, now he looked at peace. She couldn't help herself but to brush his hair out of his eyes once more (even if they were going to fall again anyway) and gently kiss his forehead.

"Goodnight, Hanako. I'll see you tomorrow" She whispered to him, breath tickling his face. It was then that the once tranquil waters were now disturbed and rippling all over; the opposite effect she hoped to have. His brows pinched and he let out a distressed grunt as he removed one of his arms from the blanket. He patted everything near him down with his eyes closed, whining when he couldn't find what he was looking for.

"N-nene.." He sleeptalked, flabbergasting the blonde kneeling before him. 

He was looking for her? Really?

She hoped to god she didn't hear him wrong when she reached out and grabbed his hand. Granted, she didn't know what other word he could be saying that sounded like her first name, but still.

As soon as her hand was in his, he let out a content hum, squeezing her hand. He tugged her hand up to his pillow so he could snuggle with her, before softly whispering,

"Mm. You're so warm. Love you."

It was so soft she barely even hear it, yet those five words would be ringing in her ears for hours, days even.

The heat coming off her face rivaled Hanako's fever, and she tried her best to act as if nothing happened. That him telling her he loves her was just a simple thing to say.

"Uh- right, love you too." She whispered, finally letting go. He struggled at the loss of contact, but Yashiro quickly used the extra blanket for him to snuggle into as a distraction. It worked, suprisingly.

As she took her leave, she dared to look up at Tsuchigomori, who was smoking his pipe outside the room with a small smile. 

It was mortifying, and maybe that's why Tsuchigomori was really smiling. Watching Hanako fluster her must be prime entertainment. (a/n: *sips drink awkwardly)

"He'll be fine, don't worry." He reassured her one more time for the road.

"You think so? He seems awful loopy."

"Oh, that? I don't think that's from being sick. I think it's something else entirely."

"Really?! What is it? Does he need medicine or something?"

"Ha, no, I don't think they make any for this type of thing." He stated vaguely, stringing her along. 

"So it's incurable?"

"Afraid so." Tsuchigomori sighed, trying his best to hid his amusement.

"Just give it to me straight, Sensei; I can handle it." She stood up straight, eyes screwed on him in determination.

"If you say so," the mystery said.

Yashiro leaned in close, listening in anticipation as to what this disease could possibly be.

"I think-"

"Yeah?"

"I think that kiss you gave him fried his brain." Tsuchigomori backed off with a proud smirk on his face.

Yashiro turned red as a firetruck, which may be a good thing, because she was so close to burning this school down. It would probably free Hanako, so there really is no reason not to do it.

Except prison.

So instead, she huffed and walked away, leaving to start her walk home.

"I'm going home." She stated, defeated. 

"Be safe out there," Tsuchigomori called. He waited until she was out of sight to finally turn back to the sleeping boy.

It seemed he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. The teacher made sure to put a bowl on the floor next to the couch, in case Hanako needed it.

He decided to flop down into one of the nearby armchairs, cracking open a book to read in the dim firelight. 

The man let out a sigh and began reading, ready to stay up all night to keep watch on the ghost. Besides, there were still plenty of chapters for him to get through before he could start the next book he had planned. 

Even if he managed to finish it, he'd stay by Amane's side for however long it took. No matter if he constantly had to re-adjust the blankets on him, or sit and rub his back as he got sick, he'd always be there.

"Goodnight, sweet boy. Rest well." Tsuchigomori whispered, words floating over to the couch.

"G'night, Tsuchi.." He trailed off, too tired to finish the mystery's long name. 

The man in question chuckled at that, flipping to the next page in his book while Hanako turned away from him, burying himself in the covers.