chrysanthemum | hanako x reader

spook thirteen ;; ☾

you poked at its round body, and it let out a high pitched peep. it was smooth and cold, like a stone. it rubbed against your finger with a weird trilling noise, shoving another gem in its mouth before hopping in your palm.

"cute..."

"refrain from touching things you don't have to." tsuchigomori groaned, glaring over his shoulder at me. you jumped in fright with a squeak, glancing at the white haired man with apologetic eyes.

"s-sorry!"

"ugh..." he walked away, dragging his limbs behind him, and after putting the little creature down you padded after him awkwardly.

"...i'm sorry, if all the times i stayed after to put away books was bothering you. i wish you'd have told me." you finally said after a couple heartbeats of silence. tsuchigomori looked over his shoulder at you again, but his eyes were kinder.

"...you don't bother me, kid. never have." he raised his cigarette to his mouth, and you could only sigh in relief. "i quite enjoy having you around, if i'm completely honest. you're helpful."

you smiled at that, warmth filling your chest. the two of you continued on through the dark cavern, the occasional dripping of water from the stalactites filling the comfortable silence.

"...how is he?" tsuchigomori asked, almost hesitantly. you furrowed your brows.

"huh?"

"no. 7. i guess what i'm wondering is... are things working out with him?"

'ohhh- he's probably wondering how we get along.'

"well... he's mean to me sometimes, and he's misleading... he made me cry in public, and he gets into fights with minamoto kun, and he calls my best friend a radish..." you crossed your arms with a huff. "honestly, sometimes i just want to strangle him. but..."

you stopped walking for a moment, reaching in your pocket to fish out the lucky rabbit's foot you always kept on you.

"...he protects me. he's surprisingly nice, and he looks out for me when i need him. plus, whenever i lose this, either to the mokke or just from me misplacing it-" you dangled the rabbit's foot by its chain. "he's always sure to get it back to me."

you laughed a little at that, embarrassed of your words. you sped up so you were at tsuchigomori's side, bumping against his elbow.

"so i consider him a good friend of mine!"

tsuchigomori stared at you for a couple seconds, quiet. the corners of his lips quirked up ever so slightly.

"...i see." he turned away, scratching at the back of his head. "well, that's good then."

'was he... worried about him?' you thought, raising a finger to your chin. 'he acted scary earlier, but i know that he's nicer than that-'

"oh, yeah, sensei... i have a question."

"what is it?"

"er... the things written in the four p.m. bookstacks volumes... can they be changed?" you looked down, sweating nervously. "i, uh... read my own book earlier. i kinda saw something that... i didn't really like very much."