Study Buddies

Chapter 2: Salamanders

A couple very stressful days went by and Mondo was definitely getting better. Even after the first tutoring session, there were signs of improvement. Exams were only a few days away and the weight of the stress was definitely weighing on Mondo. Even Ishimaru was starting to feel the nervous jitters around the school. Mondo decided a good way to ease the tension was to bring some little snacks for their tutoring session that day.
They decided to meet in the cafeteria since there was something going on in the library. Ishimaru managed to carry most of the books by himself, but he still made Mondo carry some of the other ones.
"So what do you want to focus on today?" Ishimaru glanced at Mondo from behind the pile of books he was carrying
"I suppose science might be a good place to start" Mondo shrugged
"Then we will start with science! Where are you having trouble?" Ishimaru smiled as he opened the textbook
"I don't get the whole salamander limb regeneration thing. How do they do it?? Its fucking magic!" Mondo exclaimed
Ishimaru couldn't help laughing "Actually, it's really simple. They have cells that repair the damage then more cells replicate the limb that was there before" he explained
"Holy shit! That's amazing!" Mondo gasped
"Indeed! It's a skill in their genes!" Ishimaru gleamed happily
"I wish I could do that" Mondo laughed "Then if I got into a fight I would recover in no time!"
"Mondo no, please don't get into fights if you ever become a salamander" Ishimaru joked
"What if I wanna get into salamander fights?" Mondo grinned
"Then as hall montior I have no choice but to stop you!" Ishimaru rebutted
"Oh really?" Mondo leaned over the table really getting into the conversation
"Yes! It is my duty!" Ishimaru copied Mondo and also leaned over the table
"Well maybe you don't have to do your duty all the time!" Mondo yelled getting closer to him
"I do in fact have to do it all the time!" Ishimaru exclaimed, mimicking Mondo's actions. The two kept playfully arguing until their noses were practically touching.
"Maybe you should stop getting into fights all the time!" Ishimaru proclaimed, his face red from how intense this discussion was getting. He finally noticed how close they were. He noticed how brilliantly purple Mondo's eyes were. He finally noticed how tan his face really was compared to the blonde pompadour the biker fashioned. He noticed how pink his lips were, and they looked smoother than velvet. He finally noticed Mondo. And it scared him a bit.
Mondo, on the other hand, was far more scared by the lack of space between them. He stared Ishimaru straight in the eyes, his sparkling ruby eyes. Wait, what was he thinking? That's super gay. He isn't gay, right? Plus Ishimaru probably isn't into guys, Mondo thought to himself. So what if he had the pinkest cheeks he'd ever seen? So what if he had the longest eyelashes he'd ever known a boy to have? So what if they were only inches apart from touching? So what if it would be incredibly easy to close the distance and kiss him? Mondo forced himself back to reality and pulled away nearly at the same time as the boy across the table from him
"We should probably get back to studying-" Mondo finally muttered, feeling his cheeks start to go warm.
"That would be the best thing to do" Ishimaru replied, his face still quite red from the whole ordeal. The two continued their studying, albeit a bit awkward, but they survived. On the bright side, the snacks Mondo brought were delicious.