Disclaimer: I don't own Hana Yori Dango.
AN: Spoiler alert: Based upon manga vol. 19.
Happy B-day to Domyoji Tsukasa/Dao Ming Si/Goo Jun Pyo! :D This is one of the eight fanfics that I will be posting today. :D Hope you enjoy! Also, if you have a chance, please read my updates notes on my profile. :D
The Nine Tenths
A Hana Yori Dango Fanfiction
By Maho-chan
Tsukushi stared, perplexed, at the group of younger classmates that stood panting before her. She tilted her head, as they babbled anxiously.
"Red…RED TAG!" One of them cried.
Another wailed in fear. "And then he threw a chair out the window!"
Tsukushi blinked and turned to the one closest to her who was weeping. "It was really scary! Makino-san, have you ever seen him do that?"
The others pressed forward in unison.
Tsukushi nodded and replied. "What else did he do?"
"He swore that we would all get red tags for singing so loudly! But Makino-san, it was our chorus practice! We were only doing chorus practice!"
"And he hasn't sent out a red tag in many weeks. We thought he had stopped."
"Even our teacher was shaking in fear! Makino-san!"
They all looked at her imploringly.
"Can you do something? As his girlfriend?" One of them asked, as she clasped her fingers together hopefully.
Tsukushi grimly nodded. The girls began cheering and wiping their eyes, as Tsukushi turned and slowly stomped away.
"Stupid Domyoji…." She growled.
Sojiro jumped as Tsukasa shouted "Your computer is too loud!"
Giving Tsukasa an odd look, Sojiro asked "Tsukasa, what is wrong?"
As Tsukasa clutched his head in his hands, Sojiro's expression turned to one of concern. Akira came over as well. As Akira patted Tsukasa's shoulder comfortingly, he had to duck to avoid Tsukasa's fist swinging at him.
They both stepped back as Tsukasa leveled them with an angry look.
"Do you want to be red tagged too?" Tsukasa threatened, as he blinked at them with a pained expression on his face. Sojiro shook his head and went back to his email. Akira sat back down with his magazine.
"Rui better not play that violin today." Tsukasa muttered to himself. He looked at his phone and glanced through the address book. As Tsukushi's phone number came up, he stared at it for a while before closing his phone. Leaning his chin on his arms, he closed his eyes and tried to ignore the pain in his temples.
The lunch room was full but oddly quiet.
Tsukushi moved forward, weaving in between tables towards her destination.
She was definitely having one of those moments again, a moment of wondering how she had gotten into this in the first place.
"I'll be your girlfriend!" Tsukushi had said to Tsukasa only a few weeks ago.
"But I only like you 1/10th of how much you like me." She had also added.
At times like this, that 1/10th was tried to the limit, Tsukushi thought with chagrin. She tried to ignore the little twinge of guilt she suddenly felt alongside that thought.
Her Saturn necklace glittered around her neck as she continued moving towards the separate dining room where the F4 usually ate together.
This morning she had suspected that something was wrong when she hadn't seen Tsukasa's car pull up to school at the usual time. But how could she have known that something had ticked him off today, enough to be sending out red tags?
"Ugh, can't he behave for once?" When she got back to the Domyoji house, she'd have to ask the other maids if they knew anything.
"You idiot, must I always be there to watch you?" She asked under her breath.
As she entered the private dining room, she noticed several odd things at once. The F4 were sitting off to the side at a separate table. All was silent where there was usually some kind of music playing.
In the center of the room, Tsukasa sat at their usual table. Dressed in all black, with sunglasses on, he picked at his food, a dark frown on his face. The remaining space on the table was covered in red tags. As he shouted to the waiter to bring him more coffee, Tsukushi jumped.
What in the world was wrong with him?
She wracked her brain, trying to remember what had happened yesterday. She had studied with Yuki at the library and he had…
What had he done?
Tsukushi sighed. She had no idea, she had been too busy to notice him.
As she stepped into the room, Akira stood and caught her by the door. He said into her ear in a low voice.
"Makino, be careful, this is the first time in a while that I've seen him this angry."
Tsukushi nodded. "But what is wrong with him?" She asked.
Akira shrugged. As Tsukushi opened her mouth to say more, suddenly she was forcibly pulled away from Akira. As her body collided with a warm firm surface, she found herself gazing up at Tsukasa's angry face. He pulled off his sunglasses and shouted at Akira.
"What the hell are you doing? She's MY girlfriend!" Tsukasa clenched his fist. Noticing this, Tsukushi put her hand over his.
Akira backed away, waving his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "Tsukasa, I was just talking to her…"
Tsukasa growled low in his throat. As he made to advance forward, Tsukushi pushed on his chest.
"What the hell are you doing?" She admonished him. As he ignored her, she grabbed his arm and kicked his leg.
"OW!" Tsukasa roared. He turned to face her, his expression angry. Tsukushi glared back at him. "Domyoji, you moron!" She shouted indignantly. She raised a fist and shook it at him.
At the sound of her loud voice and harsh words, Tsukasa noticeably winced. Tsukushi barely had a moment to register this when he angrily grumbled. "You are too loud, too." He eyed her raised fist with a steely expression then turned on his heel abruptly.
Stopping at the F4's table, he said. "Forget this, I'm going home." before heading out the door.
Standing there, her fist still raised, Tsukushi gaped at his retreating back. Walking up to the table, she took in the barely eaten food, his sunglasses and the red scraps of paper. As she fingered a few of the red tags, she wondered, what in the world had gotten into him today?
The rest of the day passed in a blur, her mind preoccupied with the scene in the dining room. Tsukushi tapped her pencil on her desk absently. As she doodled a falling star in her notebook, she couldn't help but think of him.
Maybe I should have gone back to the Domyoji house to check on him.
She thought to herself. Eyes widening, she shook her head.
No, why should I change my day for him? Even if he is my trial boyfriend, that doesn't give him the right to shout at me!
Feeling indignant, Tsukushi nodded to herself, bringing her attention back to the class at hand.
But that one tenths of love that she had admitted to still had some sway for as the teacher droned on, Tsukushi found herself with her phone in hand, penning drafts of text messages to him.
Hey, are you ok?
Stupid, no more yelling, what is wrong with you today?
Domyoji, you better not red tag anyone!
But just as soon as she finished keying the words in, Tsukushi erased them. She stared at her phone and brought up his number. But try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to call.
This is the weirdest relationship.
I can't even call him! What kind of girlfriend and boyfriend are we?
She didn't even want to know.
Closing her phone, Tsukushi looked up as the bell toned, signaling the end of the class. Gathering her books, she hurried out the door. Stepping down the stairs and out to the street, she hurried towards the bus stop, deciding that ending her suspense was more important than her last class.
Because that was surely what it was, curiosity. And nothing more.
I'll just see what the hell is wrong with that guy, and then give him a little pounding.
Tsukushi thought, as she boarded the bus.
He can't just be a brat like that for no reason!
The Domyoji house was quiet as usual. Tsukushi looked around for Tama but she was no where to be found.
Tama-sempai must be out doing errands.
But never mind, where the hell is he?
The bus ride and walk to his house had brought Tsukushi to one conclusion.
She was mad!
I don't want to see any more red tags! I'm going to tell him, if he red tags anyone, it's over!
Tsukushi pushed her sleeves up and continued stomping down the hall to his bedroom.
I won't go out with someone who acts like that!
She peered through the doorway.
Not finding him there, she turned and began searching other rooms in that wing of the house.
Did he change rooms again? That weirdo…
He was so frustrating! Why couldn't he ever make sense?
She glanced into one room after the next, her frustration growing.
He can't even stay in the same room. How did I ever start going out with this guy?
Looking into one of the darkened sitting rooms, she jumped as she noticed a familiar figure sitting in one of the big arm chairs. Stepping gingerly into the room, she slowly drew closer…
And closer…
Until an arm shot out and grabbed her wrist.
"AH!" Tsukushi screamed, trying to loosen the hold on her wrist.
"MAKINO!" Tsukasa cried out, his voice hoarse with pain. Tsukushi struggled in his grasp, still startled. As she turned to him, she raised another fist.
Only to stop as she beheld his tired gaze.
"What are you doing scaring me like that?" She yelled.
"Makino, stop shouting!" Tsukasa complained. He let go of her hand and pressed a palm against his forehead.
Tsukushi stared at him as his eyes closed.
"Were you just sitting here alone?" Tsukushi asked. Tsukasa winced then responded.
"Stupid, don't speak so loud!"
He rubbed his temples and winced again. Tsukushi drew closer as she inspected his face.
"You look weird." She observed. Unable to stop herself, she reached out to touch him. As her fingers brushed his forehead, he jumped and leaned away. Undeterred, Tsukushi moved forward still, her fingers coming to both sides of his head, covering his own hands.
He stilled under her touch as she said quietly. "You look like you haven't slept."
"Who could sleep when their head aches like this?" he scoffed just as quietly, the muscles in his face relaxing a little. Tsukushi's expression softened.
"Idiot." She murmured as she brushed her fingers over his hair. As she touched his head, he gasped.
"Makino, my head hurts really bad." Tsukasa whimpered.
Tsukushi nodded. As she moved her hands away, Tsukasa felt a little sinking feeling come over him.
He wanted her to stay with him, at least for a little while. When she was there…
He felt a little better.
"Makino…" He opened his eyes. "Where are you going? Makino?" He whispered. The room was empty.
Tsukasa looked down in disappointment. As he stared down at his lap, his hands closing into loose fists, suddenly she was there again.
Her fingers pressed against his lips as he looked up in surprise. As the pills passed his lips into his mouth, he opened his mouth to speak, only to find a cup tilted against his mouth. He swallowed out of instinct and then complained.
"Hey, what did you just give me? Did you get my doctor's approval?" He said halfheartedly.
In the dim light, he beheld her concerned expression.
"It was some aspirin. No more complaining. Close your eyes." She ordered softly. Tsukasa blinked then nodded. He felt a firm push on his shoulders, and he followed the pressure and leaned against the back of the arm chair. Her jacket was placed over his lap.
Then all was quiet again.
As the pause in conversation continued, Tsukasa winced, thinking she had left him again. He had made his mind to get up when suddenly Tsukushi's fingers were on his head, brushing his skin gently.
He fidgeted under her grasp, the headache still tormenting him.
"Hey, just rest for a while." Tsukushi said, as her fingers gently moved over his scalp. Tsukasa sighed.
Tsukushi leaned over him, her fingers exploring his curls, pressing into his head here and there. As he relaxed, she noticed his fists unclenching. He leaned towards her touch, breathing deeply. Concentrating on giving him a head massage, Tsukushi moved from the back of the chair towards the front, leaning into him carefully. She massaged his temples and forehead, brushed her fingers down the length of his cheek. As she did, she looked at his face. He looked much calmer but still so exhausted. Tsukushi came to the side of the chair and focused on his neck.
She gasped as he leaned against her shoulder, his breathing soft and even.
"Tsu…Tsukasa…" Tsukushi stammered. She froze as he nuzzled her neck sleepily and then yawned.
This isn't what was supposed to happen!
Tsukushi thought in a panic. She fought the urge to push him back against the couch.
He's hurting.
But even so, that didn't give him license to sleep on her like he was doing now.
As he snored quietly, Tsukushi's eyes widened. She gazed up at the ceiling, trying to calm herself.
Idiot!
She should just wake him and tell him to go to bed. But as his arms came around her waist, she froze even more.
Now she couldn't move! Arms limp by her sides, she blinked at him for a few long moments before resting her palms on his shoulders.
"Hey stupid." She whispered. Tsukasa responded by nuzzling her neck again, causing goose bumps to rise on her skin. Her back tingled all the way to her toes. As he clutched her closer, Tsukasa whispered.
"Makino…you are my girlfriend." He exhaled noisily.
"Remember, I'll supply the 9." He continued. "It will work. Gut feeling."
Tsukushi swallowed nervously. "Domyoji, what are you thinking about now?"
"Hah?" He mumbled sleepily. His eyelids fluttered. "What?" He burrowed into her shoulder.
"Makino, stop bugging me. My head hurts." He complained, his words slightly muffled.
"I couldn't sleep last night."He said blearily. "Thinking about you is hard."
Tsukushi looked down at his curly head in surprise.
"Needed to drink a lot of coffee." He continued.
"Is that what you were doing last night?" Tsukushi asked incredulously. She fought the urge to tug on his hair agitatedly. Why was he always so extreme? No wonder he still had a headache.
"Of course…" Tsukasa murmured. "I waited up for you."
Tsukushi narrowed her eyes at him. "Moron, I came home at 9:30 last night. I went straight to bed because of my test this morning. I thought you knew that!"
"Oh."
"OH?" Tsukushi exclaimed softly. "That is all you can say? Why did you stay up so late?"
"I don't know. Makino, how can I make you have the other 9?" Tsukasa mumbled.
Tsukushi sighed, as her fingers curled into his hair.
"Dumbass, I think you mean 9/10ths."
"It's not so easy." He whispered.
Tsukushi nodded contritely.
"I'm sorry." She replied. "I just…"
He swallowed and nodded. "I know."
"Makino." He held her closer. "I really wish…" His voice trailed off as he fell asleep. Tsukushi pressed her fingers gently against the back of his head and shoulders, as he wheezed against her shoulder, fast asleep.
Standing in that dim room, holding her trial boyfriend, Tsukushi leaned her chin against his head and wrapped her arms around his neck.
It was the least she could do, as least for a few minutes, she told herself.
The 1/10ths that she had confessed to allowed for it.
She guessed.
But as a few minutes unknowingly stretched into half an hour, and Tsukushi's grasp on Tsukasa became a little more sure, perhaps Tsukasa's wish would come true sooner than later, after all.
-Maho-chan (1/31/2010)