Narumi's Sticky Situation:

Narumi’s Sticky Situation:

The darkness of night settled over Gakuen Alice. The moon was at the dark phase of its cycle. The surrounding blackness provided excellent coverage for stealthy movements through the grounds of the campus.  

Narumi Anjo, more commonly known as Narumi-sensei to the students of the academy, took advantage of the New Moon and moved quietly through the night, keeping hidden among the darkened trees. He was heading towards the greenhouse to replenish his supply of bean whips, having had to use his last one that morning in order to break apart a fight between Natsume and Tsubasa-kun.
It seemed that Tsubasa-kun had been acting too close to Mikan-chan, causing Natsume to become jealous.  Tsubasa went too far in Natsume’s eyes by kissing Mikan on the forehead -- in a brotherly manner -- to calm her.  Tsubasa had been missing after a mission gone wrong.  Mikan was so relieved to see him alive that she flung herself into his arms and cried hysterically with relief.  

Earlier that evening Narumi peeked into Misaki’s documents in order to learn the location of the alarm that he had set up in the greenhouse.  Misaki, more commonly known as Misaki-sensei to the students of the academy, was the Biology teacher and caretaker of the campus’ greenhouse.  Though they hardly appeared to be, in the eyes of the faculty and the students, Narumi and Misaki were actually close “friends.”  Though Misaki often yelled at Narumi for stealing his bean whips.  

Now standing outside of the greenhouse, Narumi surveyed the ground to be sure no one was around, not that he could see far with only the dim lights of the stars, before he carefully opened the door.  Before stepping inside he set four small mirrors in place around the frame of the door to reflect the trip beam up and around the entrance to ensure that he could enter without setting off the alarm.  

Once inside, Narumi marked off the location of half a dozen other trip beams and carefully tread through the rows of plants until he came to where the beam whips should be.  He found, however, that they had been moved and replaced with Belladonna.  

Narumi hadn’t been expecting this; nothing was noted in Misaki’s documents about the change.  This would make it much more difficult to locate the bean whips.  The greenhouse was as dark as the night.  He might have no other choice but to give up for the night.  On the other hand, he might not get the chance to come back for another month.  Darn that Misaki, Narumi thought to himself.  He needed to come up with Plan B.  

After pulling a small credit card-shaped object out of his pocket, Narumi hit the button in the center to illuminate a few centimeters in front of him with a small beam of light.  Narumi held the light low against the thigh of his leg with the hope of being as inconspicuous as possible.  The light was enough to make out what plants surrounded him.  

Continuing down the row of vegetation, Narumi was concentrating on the quick location of the bean whips and was too late to notice that he had stepped on a springy floor mat, causing a sudden uncomfortable tingling sensation to flow through his legs and lower abdomen, and making him to jump back.  Narumi shook his legs in the attempt to rid himself of the pins and needles sensation and made a mental note of the location of the trap.  This wasn’t included in Misaki’s documents either.

After carefully stepping around the trap, Narumi paid closer attention to where he stepped as he walked further past the various plants.  His search was slowed as he continued to search for the bean whips.  

At long last, after avoiding what may have been a dozen of traps similar to the one before, he located the bean whips towards the end of the row near the back of the greenhouse. Narumi let out a sigh of relief and moved to quickly collect his prize.  When his fingers enclosed over one of the pea pod like objects Narumi heard a loud ZOT sound and felt himself being thrown back against the wall by the force of current set to ward off anyone unauthorized to touch the plant.  

After the muscles throughout his body ceased to spasm Narumi found himself in another awkward situation. He was stuck to the wall in a position similar to that of being spread eagle. His struggle came with no avail to free himself. Narumi stared off into the darkness, unable to see even the tip of his nose. He had dropped his mini flashlight upon contact with the electric current.

From the corner of his eye, a small distance to the side of the wall upon which he was stuck, Narumi heard the sound of a match being lit and saw the glow of the fire as it was brought to the wick of a candle.  After a second candle was lit, Narumi was able to see within the small radius of light given off by the two candles.

“Who's there?” Narumi asked, unable to turn his head to make out the figure that sat at a table to his side, in the back corner of the greenhouse.

“You’ve done something bad again, Narumi,” a familiar voice scolded.  

Narumi let out a chuckle of amusement, as if this was all a game. “I’ve been caught,” Narumi spoke with an innocent tone. “Now why don’t you let me down from here, Misaki?”  He suggested with the help of his alice, human pheromone inclination.

“Why would I do that, Narumi?” Misaki asked as he stood from his seat to walk around until he stood in front of Narumi. “I have caught you, don’t you think that you should be punished?”

Narumi met Misaki’s eyes with a brief look of confusion and wondered why his alice didn’t take affect on his captor.  “Don’t you believe that being shocked twice by your traps is punishment enough?”  Narumi asked, once again attempting to use his alice.

“I don’t think so, Narumi,” Misaki answered and held up a package of anti-pheromone medicine for Narumi to see.  “You never seem to learn, and what a shame that you can’t move to adjust your restraining earring,” Misaki taunted, reminding Narumi of the time during which it was discovered that it didn’t matter how much anti-pheromone medicine one took if the restraining earring was taken off.  

“How did you know?”  Narumi asked, curious to know how Misaki expected him there tonight.  

“Isn’t it obvious?”  Misaki asked and reached inside of his pocket.  “You used a bean whip earlier today to restrain Natsume.  I happen to have been keeping track of how many bean whips you have and know for a fact that you only had one left in your possession.  Of course you would come to steal more; especially on the night which it is the darkest night of the month.”

Narumi gave a half grin over Misaki’s observations.  He struggled to free himself from the wall, but he is stuck to it as if to fly paper.

“You wont be getting down from there without my help,” Misaki told him and pulled his hand out of his pocket to reveal a bean whip that he cracked against the side of the wall, extending it to it’s full length.  “You know, since your alice is of no use to you at the moment, I am tempted to return the favor.”

Narumi stared at Misaki with wide eyes.  The bean whip had cracked only a couple of centimeters away from his ear.  Narumi wasn’t sure of what to expect.  What exactly did Misaki mean by ‘return the favor?’  “Oi, Misaki, be careful with that thing, will you?”  Narumi stammered uncertainly.  

Misaki’s expression turned serious.  He finally had Narumi right where he wanted him.  Somewhere that Narumi couldn’t run away.  Misaki took a couple of steps closer to Narumi, holding the length of the bean whip between both of his hands.  

“Nani, What?”  Narumi questioned when Misaki locked their gazes.  Narumi’s heart jumped against his chest.  It was something that he hadn’t felt since SHE left the Academy.

“How does it feel?”  Misaki asked calmly.  Narumi stared into his gaze, unsure of what Misaki was expecting him to say.  Taking advantage of the situation, Misaki ran a hand up Narumi’s body, pausing briefly at the result of the electric shock caused from the trap set on the bean whips.  He watched as Narumi struggled uncomfortably due to the surge of hormones jolting through his own body.  

Narumi’s heart was pounding in anticipation for something that Narumi hadn’t wanted in over 10 years.  His alice had always been like a joke to him.  He used it to his advantage.  Sure, he may have had a flirtatious nature, but he didn’t have any desire to love again.  Misaki’s face was now just centimeters away from his own.

“Misaki, stop, you don’t know what you’re doing.  The pheromone medication must not be working after all.”

“The medicine is working fine, Narumi, which is why I am able to do this.  I don’t have your pheromones influencing my feelings and I can finally act on my own,” Misaki replied and brought his lips to Narumi’s.

Every muscle in Narumi’s body stiffened.  Which wasn’t a difficult task considering that most were still stiff from the zolt of electric current from earlier. Narumi’s eyes widened in shock as he stared into Misaki’s open eyes.  Narumi attempted, to no avail, to pull his arms free from the wall, to move his head, to do anything that would stop the feelings that stirred within his being.  Feelings that he hadn’t had since Yuka-senpai had rejected him.  The feelings that he had buried and forgotten years ago.

Misaki pulled away to watch Narumi struggle for control over his body and his emotions.  “Since you are currently stuck, with no place to go, hear me out,” Misaki told him. Narumi couldn’t see where he had any other choice.  He closed his eyes and concentrated on gaining some control over his breathing.

“We have been close friends for as far back as I can remember.  Through these past ten years I have watched you.  First was the struggle to rid yourself of the feeling of love.  Second was your denial to ever love again.  More recently I have watched you struggle against the return of the feelings that you have worked so hard to banish. Have you never noticed that I am here for you?"

Narumi listened while his eyes remained closed as if to shut out the sound.  However, that was impossible.  

“I constantly am left to worry about you while you push me aside to handle everything on your own,” Misaki added.

“Stop!” Narumi demanded, opening his eyes to glare at him, as if that alone would end Misaki’s one-sided conversation.

“I won't,” Misaki demanded sternly.  “If I don’t say this now how am I to know that the next chance I get wont be affected by your pheromonal inclination, or that you wont just run away from me again?"

The two men stared at one another for a few moments, neither showing any signs of backing down. Eventually there came a drawl, where Misaki fetched the solution needed to dissolve the sticky solution that held Narumi to the wall.  

“If you want a bean whip so badly, all you have to do is ask rather they try to sneak in here to steal it,” Misaki stated once Narumi was freed from his sticky hold.  “In fact, I have started a section of bean whip vines that is specifically for your use.”

Narumi stared at Misaki in surprise. “Really?” Narumi found himself asking for confirmation.

Misaki nodded, “Really,” and began to lead Narumi to the other side of the greenhouse where the bean whips vines specifically meant for his use were being stored.

“Um…” Narumi began to say, raising an arm to scratch the back of his head as he spoke. “I will consider your words, and try harder not to make you worry so much,” he spoke awkwardly.

Misaki nodded and laid a hand on Narumi’s shoulder to lead him out of the green house.  “You should wash your clothes of that glue quickly, or else they will be ruined,” Misaki explained, and together the two men headed back to their living quarters.