Disclaimer: Uragiri wa Boku no Namae o Shitteiru is not mine.

Pairing: Hotsuma x Shusei.

Synopsis: Hotsuma had vowed not to eat anything until he was sure that Shusei ate something.

Word count: 2033 words.

Hotsuma stared at the door of his childhood friend. He's early today, and he was very determined to make sure that the idiot would at least take a bite of his breakfast. As much as he tried not to pry on his partner's business, when it comes to his 'healthy' diet, Hotsuma just couldn't turn the other cheek. Not when he's ridiculously skinny and pale almost all of the time.

"Shusei?" he called after a knock.

No answer.

"Oi Shusei, it's me."

When he got no reply, he opened the door and found that the room was empty. It didn't take Einstein to know that Shusei already left. So Hotsuma went down to the dining hall with a faint hope that Shusei would be there. It didn't surprise him to find that his target was nowhere to be found. The only people around were the Murasame siblings who were too busy arguing about snacks to acknowledge him. Then again, to say that Tsukumo couldn't sense him with that God's Ears of his was an underestimation.

It's too weird, he thought. Shusei might purposely left early to school to avoid from being nagged by him. But to be missing this early was impossible.

"Morning, Hotsuma-kun," Yuki greeted as he entered the hall wearing an apron and a pot on both hands. "Please take a seat. I'll—"

"Have you seen Shusei?" he cut Yuki.

Yuki seemed to be thinking, and shook his head, "Have you checked his room?"

"Yea, but it's empty."

"He went out with Takashiro-san earlier this morning. It seems like the police wants his help again," Toko interrupted the two and took a slice of bread from the table.

"That early?" Hotsuma exclaimed. "Can't they wait until the sun rises?"

"It could be that serial killer case. The police might have found something related to the murderer," Tsukumo gave a suggestion.

"I'm sure he'll be back soon, Hotsuma-kun." Yuki tried to cheer things up. "Aren't you going to join us for breakfast?"

"Not today," he simply replied.

To be out that early, he was very sure that Shusei didn't eat anything since yesterday. If Shusei didn't care about his meal, then so did he. He'd vowed not to eat anything until he was sure that Shusei ate something. As he walked out of the Twilight Mansion, Hatsumo growled. Why couldn't the police investigate it on their own? Wasn't it was their job? And that Takashiro! He should know better how Shusei's power would affect him once he's done with such a task. He'd seen many times; how drained his partner would be after each session.

Throughout the day, there was no trace that suggested that his partner came to school. He was agitated, and to his annoyance, his stomach grumbled numerous times that he was sure that a girl from his class kept looking at him with suspicious stare. During break Yuki had try to convince him to eat with them, which he (thought that he) politely declined. He's a man of his words, and he'd stick to his vow not to eat anything until he was sure that his partner ate. How could Shusei do this anyway? Didn't his stomach beg him for food?

Later on, he went on a small mission— or to be more precise, being a bodyguard for Yuki which made him more annoyed. It's not that he didn't want to protect Yuki. It's just that he wanted to go back immediately, checking on his partner. But since the Murasame siblings had other errands to be settled, and Luka sensed a presence of an Opast, he could do nothing but to oblige to his responsibility as a Zweilt. It was already dark by the time they arrived and to both Yuki and Luka, Hotsuma looked like he was literally flying on his way back to Twilight Mansion. He went straight to Shusei's room and opened it without knocking. A sense of relief washed over him when he saw Shusei slept peacefully on the bed. Judging by the position he was in, he'd probably collapsed on the bed right after he arrived.

Sighing, Hotsuma decided to let his partner sleep for another minute and went to the kitchen to find something for Shusei (and hopefully for him) to eat. When he came back to the room, Shusei was still in the same position when he left minutes ago.

"Shusei," Hotsuma called and shook his partner's shoulder softly.

It took some time for him to wake the other up.

"Let me sleep, Hotsuma," Shusei grumbled tiredly with his eyes still closed.

"You can sleep later. I know you didn't eat anything since yesterday," Hotsuma insisted and switched on the lamp table. And if you didn't eat, I couldn't eat, he thought bitterly.

Now that he could have a better look on Shusei, Hotsuma didn't like the way his partner looked. Shusei looked paler and he didn't seem to have the energy even to stay awake.

"Come on, just take a bite, and then you can sleep as long as you want," Hotsuma persuaded and sat beside his partner on the bed.

Shusei took a peek at the food that Hotsuma brought, and looked away. "I don't have appetite."

Hotsuma stared at his partner and sigh. "Was it that bad?"

"What's bad?"

"The investigation."

"As usual."

Hotsuma knew that it's a lie.

"It's bad, wasn't it?"

The brunette sat tiredly without facing his partner, "What's you point, Hotsuma?"

"You refuse to eat because you're reminded about the things that you saw from your vision, isn't it? I saw the way you look at the food. You felt disgusted; you lost your appetite because it reminds you of what you saw today, am I right?"

Shusei couldn't look at the blonde. He knew Hotsuma better than anyone else, so when did this guy was able to read through his mind? Didn't he mask it perfectly?

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hotsuma offered, keeping his temper at bay.

There's nothing to be talked about. People got killed, evidences were found, they sought him for help, he looked at the evidences, and he told them what he saw. End of story. So what's there to be talked about?

Instead of answering, the brunette just smiled and rested his head on Hotsuma's shoulder, "Why can't you be this nice to the others?"

A faint blush appeared on the blonde's face, "Shut up."

And the two remained silent. If Shusei didn't want to talk about it, it's fine; that's just the way for him to show that he's not weak and Hotsuma respected that. He just hoped that his friend wouldn't overdo it. That's all. Shusei was about to fall asleep when their comfortable silence was interrupted by the loud sound of stomach grumbling. He was very sure that the sound didn't come from him, so it could only be from his partner. He looked up immediately to find Hotsuma blushed as read as tomatoes. It didn't take long for the brunette to laugh.

Damn this traitorous stomach! Hotsuma cursed. "Stop laughing, you jerk! How do you think my stomach can survive without food for almost twenty four hours? I'm already at my limit!"

"Then why didn't you eat?"

"Because—" Hotsuma was taken aback. Darn it! Shusei wasn't supposed to know about it!

"Because...?"

He's so busted. "Because..."

"Is it because I said that you look like you've gained weight?"

"I'm not on extreme diet, you idiot! I just won't eat until—" Hotsuma bit his lips. There's no way he could take back his words now! Shusei stared at his partner expectantly.

"You're forcing me to eat when you're the one who doesn't want to eat?" Shusei asked and laughed again.

"I won't eat until you do!" There, he said it. It felt like the end of the world and now he wanted to sink himself deep in the Atlantic Ocean.

Shusei was startled. "Why would you do that for?"

"I-I don't know, ok?" Hotsuma barked and looked away. His face remained red. "It's just something I have to do. If my partner won't eat, then I won't either. So if you want me to eat, you have to eat too!"

Shusei laughed harder.

"Hey, it's not funny!"

"How idiot can you be, Hotsuma?"

"Not as idiot as a person who refused to eat."

"I don't have—"

"Appetite. Yea, everyone knows that. Now can you please eat so I can eat?"

Shusei looked at the food, and grimaced. As the sick images from the investigation reappeared in his mind, he buried his face onto Hotsuma's shoulder. His partner was right when he said that today's investigation affected him more than he could normally handled. The pictures themselves didn't bother him. Instead, the things that he saw beyond them were the things that disturbed him most; made him sick to the stomach. And his tired body didn't help either. Yet, to know that Hotsuma didn't want to eat because of him made him felt guilty.

"...will you eat if I eat?" Shusei murmured.

"Of course, you idiot. Why do you think I went through all the troubles?"

When Shusei didn't reply, Hotsuma took his partner by the shoulders and made the brunette faced him.

"Listen," he began. "I can't really say that I know your feelings, but I understand your situation. Nothing's going to change if you refused to eat. If..."—Hotsuma was beginning to uncomfortably blush again— "...if it's so hard for you to look at it, j-just eat with your eyes close."

Shusei was startled before he gave a faint smile, "What are you saying, Hotsuma? That would mean—"

"I'll feed you."

Hotsuma was beginning to lose control, and with the food in front of his eyes, there's no way that he'd leave the room without ravishing it to the last piece. Not when he's extremely hungry. So surrendering to Shusei was never an option. While his partner was still trying to digest the suggestion he just made, Hotsuma put his hand on Shusei's eyes while the other hand reach for the spoon to feed his friend.

"Just think about other things and eat," Hotsuma pleaded.

He almost thought that Shusei would be stubborn and refused him. After agonizing seconds, Shusei smiled.

"I'll be in your care then," Shusei responded.

~oOo~

"Just kiss already!" Isuzu exclaimed excitedly at the other wing; secretly peeping at the childhood friends using a telescope.

"What the heck are you doing, perverted old leech?" Toko asked, standing beside her brother with both hands around her hips. Tsukumo was right when he told her that he sensed someone suspicious loitering around the corridor.

"Toko-chan!" the doctor greeted the girl. "Even though I can be a pervert at times, you should be fully aware that I'm not an old man, nor I'm a leech. This genius before you is what the God has given to me since my birth! Isn't that right, Tsukumo-kun?"

Tsukumo tried to respond when his sister interjected him.

"Stop joking!" She could feel incoming headache if she continued listening to the doctor, "What exactly are you doing, using that telescope to peek into Shusei-kun's room?"

"Nothing suspicious!" –Toko gave a suspicious glare— "I'm just worried about the two, especially Shusei. He didn't look good when he came back. I just want to make sure that he's ok. Guess I can relax now that Hotsuma made him eat."

Isuzu's explanation was acceptable enough for Toko. Yet it didn't mean that she'd stop glaring. "But what's with the kissing that you said just now?"

"Er...it's—"

"And why do you check on Shusei-kun using that telescope? Can't you just ask him directly?"

"W-wait a minute, Toko-chan—"

"Does this mean that you always peeping through our windows without our knowledge?"

"Now that's unfair—"

"Even when I change my clothes?"

"Urm...sometimes—"

Isuzu's words was left unsaid as Toko took out her weapon, making the poor doctor ran for the sake of his dear life. While the two were busy running around Twilight Mansion, Tsukumo took Isuzu's abandoned telescope and used it to look at Shusei's room.

"His dessert looks delicious. I wonder if Katsumi can make another one for me."

~end~

I was pretty sleepy when I last edit this, so do tell me if there's any mistake.

Anyway, please tell me what you think of this fanfic! \(w)/