Daniel walked through the hallway with his back straight, counting all the left turns anxiously until he finally reached the turn he was hoping for. He turned left and was faced with another hallway. It was a straight hallway with only one room at the end so one would immediately know which room they were looking for, especially for the giant sign on top of the door saying, "Nurse."
There was a space on both sides of the door with chairs lined up side-by-side which acted as a waiting room. Many students get injured in this school because of excessively physical extracurricular activities. But on this particular day when the sun was shining horribly and the wind blew ridiculously, no students were injured or sick, as if the universe was making way for one student to meet one person.
He placed his hand on the door handle and turned it until he heard a 'click'. The door made a quiet high-pitched squeak when it opened.
The rays of the sun were violent and merciless. It was in the middle of summer. There, on the bed, beside the window, lay an unconscious child. His chest lifted and dropped with every breath he took. The sweat on his forehead glistened as it rolled down his face. His eyebrows were furrowed and it seemed as if he was having a dream. Daniel stepped closer to the sleeping person and put his hand on his forehead.
"It's hot," Daniel whispered.
He hurriedly closed the curtain to stop the hot sun from passing through and took a towel, wet it and laid it on Raziel's forehead. Perhaps the cold stunned Raziel as he opened his eyes with effort. Daniel smiled and placed his hand over Raziel's eyes, "Don't wake up yet." he said as quietly as he can.
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...
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There were but two people in the nurse's office. Both seemed to be absorbed in their memories yet one remained unconscious and the other stayed awake. The younger, who slept on the damp bed, tossed and turned as he dreamt of his past. The older one, who sat on a chair beside the young one, watched closely and kept recalling all his memories of the person in front of him. Though for him, they met more than once but for the younger, they only crossed paths once.
Daniel looked at the hand he touched Raziel with and sighed. His face darkened. He forcibly rubbed his face with his hands to brush off any thoughts.
The person on the bed moaned with pain as he turned away from Daniel. Even with only this gesture, Daniel didn't feel so good. He knew the person was sleeping but he'd rather him face him. Raziel tried to shuffle out of bed but realised he wasn't at home. He lifted his upper body and used his elbow for support. Daniel stood up from his seat and held Raziel's waist and gently laid him back down. He was also surprised by his actions. Raziel, wide-eyed, lay on the bed as stiff as a piece of wood, wondering who grabbed him like that.
Daniel laughed within himself when he saw Raziel's reaction. He said with stifled laughter, "Rest some more. I'll be right here."
...
Now, the boy and the man were face to face. Daniel looked at Ziel's hopeful gaze. Daniel was shocked though he managed to calm down without showing his emotions after a few moments. He took the student's hand and shook it, "It's nice to meet you, Student Raziel Ivy. My name is Daniel Meade. I will be your art teacher and, if your parents permit it, your personal counsellor." he said without skipping a beat.
Though inside, Daniel's heart was ready to burst due to nervousness, outside, he remained calm and collected. He knew the consequences of being with a student yet he still took the risk of being the student's teacher. The moment of silence was broken by Raziel's aggressive coughs. Daniel's heart ached to see him like this. He stood up and went to the water dispenser to get water. The water poured down to the plastic cup, causing a dripping sound. Daniel handed the cup to Raziel. He hesitated for a split second, wanting to just hold the cup for the person on the bed but he held back. The student murmured a raspy thanks. His voice was haggard and hoarse due to the fever.
Daniel made an upset expression as if he was the one in pain. He only chuckled lightly in response. He saw Raziel's eyes looking down at his reflection in the water in the plastic cup with empty eyes and a cold smile. "I... I'm sorry. I must have mistaken you for someone else." The hand holding the cup was shaking, causing ripples to appear on the clear, steady water. Daniel took the cup from Ziel's hands and placed it on the table by the bed.
It has been too long since Daniel experienced such strong emotions over such trivial things. He was used to ignoring these types of emotions. But the person in front of him, making such a hurt face, made it hard for him to not acknowledge his emotions. "It's alright," he murmured, his lips drawn back into a smile, "If it's ok, can you tell me who this person is? Are you looking for them?"
Daniel didn't expect an answer from Raziel. He was probably only a past memory for Raziel. A vague figure from back then. Though he didn't want to admit it, it hurt to know that he wasn't there during Raziel's childhood. He scoffed at himself for thinking in such a pathetic way.
Raziel started fiddling with the cup, "He... he's just someone that I..."
Daniel snapped out of his thoughts and suddenly looked at Raziel.
"he's someone that I like."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YukqaHtk2
Their gazes met.
Raziel looked into Daniel's eyes with a hopeful gaze.
Daniel looked at Raziel. His expression unreadable.
Until now, Daniel was doing a great job a t keeping his emotions at bay but now the student looked at his teacher with pure thoughts while the other glared at him with impure intentions. "He must be someone special then," Daniel smiled.
"Yes..." Raziel beamed, "Yes, he is."
His smile seems to have penetrated Daniel's heart. It was far too dangerous for him to stay with Raziel in a closed room. He immediatly got up from his chair, and cleared his throat. "I'm glad you have someone special." he said while rummaging through his bag on the desk. After finding an envelope, he handed it to Raziel, "Once you get home, do me a favour and give this to your parents, is that ok?"
After hesitating for a second, he took Raziel's hands and placed the letter on it. His hands were rough and calloused after years of fighting to survive. His uneven skin felt Daniel's smooth hands; clear and unblemished. It was only a slight brush skin-to-skin yet it felt like an eternity. And both of them hoped it would be. Daniel put both his arms behind his back and carressed the skin which touched Raziel. Though it may be uncomfortable for others, the warmest he ever felt was in Raziel's touch.
"Ok..."
"Thank you."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4UzzK7lMb
Daniel thought at how chafed Raziel's hands were. His eyes wandered to Raziel's collar bone. The skin was different from his hands; whiter and more eleghant. Like a young lady's skin. Daniel let his unrestrained thoughts go wild from seeing Raziel's white skin. "If his neck could be this beautiful..." he thought, "then what of the other parts?"
He felt his face burn along with his desire. He fought hard to restrain himself. His voice was already hoarse and saying anything more would get him in trouble. He lifted his eyes.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXW8MeDIHU
The youth had caught him staring. He blurted out the first thought in his mind. "Thank you..." he repeated.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0VQrBPpXUO
