Nekomaru Eiji?
By Hikaruchi

Oishi twiddled the pen in his fingers around nervously. He couldn't help it, no matter what anyone said he was still worried about Kikumaru. He scowled to himself at how useless he was being, then at the fact Inui was also absent from school today - he needed to take his vented up anger on himself out on someone, and Inui seemed to be a prime target. He couldn't forget the spiky haired boy's reaction to seeing Kikumaru faint, and how he just stood there calmly taking notes down for his 'precious data'.

The spinning of his pen increased as he stared intently at a small nick in his wooden desk. Dammit. Blinking to bring himself back to reality, he scanned the paper in front of him blankly. He couldn't concentrate on his Math problems like this. He needed to wash his face or something, clear his mind. Of course, he would have preferred the chance to run to wherever Kikumaru was, but that was out of the question.

Raising a hand to be excused for a toilet break, he made for the nearest bathroom still emerged deep in thought. His mind straying away from Inui and back to his energetic double's partner, Oishi wondered if he would be as worried as he was now if the same scenario was playing out with, say, Ryoma as the one in Kikumaru's place. He doubted it, and for some reason that thought caused a light blush to stain his cheeks.

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"Schuuu~! So thirsty!"

Having devoured the sushi left by Kaidoh, Kikumaru now felt the sudden need for a drink. Arching his back in a stretch, he jumped up from where he was laying on the ground in search of a suitable water source.

His search led him inside the school (the taps outside were too difficult for him to turn on) and inside the nearest male toilets. Leaping up onto a sink he proceeded to try turning this tap instead.

No use.

Hopping across to the adjacent sink, he repeated his attempt to twist the tap on in vain. After struggling for a minute or so balanced on the edge of the small sink, he decided to climb inside to see if things would be any easier from that position, now that both his front paws were free. It was. With a sudden burst of energy he managed to force the tap open, but failed in noticing the small stone jammed in the tap's entrance. About to let a mew of triumph from his mouth, he was suddenly hit in the face with a powerful jet of water.

"Unyaaa~!"

Kikumaru spluttered and tried to clamber out of the sink, but to no avail. He'd managed to twist around in the small space so he was facing away from the spraying tap, but the water level was slowly rising and he was now in a panic to escape. The sides of the basin were too slippery for him to get a grip on, and he knew it was useless for him to even attempt to turn the tap off again. Was Kikumaru going to drown here? Now? He still had so much to do, his whole life ahead of him... Clenching his eyes shut, the face of one person flashed before him.

"Oishi..."

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The tennis club's vice-captain paused in front of the bathroom door and sighed. He was acting stupid, Kikumaru would think he was crazy if he saw him now. He went through the events in his mind again, trying to reassure himself that Kikumaru really was alright. All that happened was that the redhead had drunken one of Inui's new juice prototypes, fainted (but recovered again within a minute), then not turn up at school today. Thinking about it like that, it really did seem stupid of him to be worrying like he was - what exactly was it that was bugging him so much anyway? Allowing himself a weak smile, Oishi finally pushed the door open.

The first thing to greet him as he entered were the sounds of splashing water and spluttering that sounded strangely to him like a cat drowning. Upon using his eyes, a shocked Oishi confirmed his thoughts on the noises and rushed forward to help the poor creature.

Scooping the ginger tabby into his arms with one hand and turning off the tap with the other, Oishi stood stricken at the situation he was now in. Breathing deeply so as to not lose his composure, his mind automatically went through his possible options and which would be the most efficient ones for him to use. Glancing down at the ginger bundle, he was relieved the cat was still obviously alive - he could feel the erratic rise and fall of its body against his own as it tried to regain its breath. Oishi decided the first thing he needed to do was to get the animal warm and dry again.

Hugging the cat close to him, he glanced around himself for something suitable. His gakuran? No, it'd look suspicious if he went back to the classroom with a wet uniform, or dressed only in his shirt. Toilet roll? No, it was too thin - he'd only end up getting soggy paper caught in the cat's fur. He scanned the room once more. The hand dryer maybe? Perfect! Warm and dry at the same time!

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Kikumaru made no effort to flinch when hit with the burst of hot air - he didn't want to move from his position curled up in Oishi's arms. Shivering in delight as Oishi ran a warm hand through his matted coat, the redhead let out a small mew of pleasure. But this sure was strange, his double's partner was the last person Kikumaru expected to save him... Not that he was complaining, to tell the truth he was indescribably happy to see him.

Slightly disappointed to be put on the floor now he was dry, Kikumaru moved to nuzzle against Oishi's legs. Smiling gently, the dark haired boy knelt down to pet the ginger tabby.

"Hmmm... I wonder what a cute kitten like you's doing in here anyway..."

Kikumaru just purred in response. Cute hey? Well, he wasn't going to argue with that.

Oishi picked up the cat again; he found there was just something comfortable about holding it in his arms. Stroking it tenderly and occasionally scratching it behind the ears, he spoke to it softly.

"There's something about you though - like you remind me of someone I know."

Kikumaru looked up at him, eyes wide and unblinking, slightly stunned. It was just like Oishi to notice something like this on his own. Preparing himself to be thrown out of Oishi's lap now he knew the truth, Kikumaru began to worry frantically about what the other boy would think about his behaviour of snuggling up to him.

"Eiji."

Kikumaru cringed at hearing his name and scrunched his eyes closed again.

He was surprised to hear a small chuckle come from Oishi's throat.

"You look just like Eiji would if he was a cat!"

Huh? He hadn't noticed? Kikumaru let out a silent sigh of relief and purred again at his partner.

"Since you look like a stray, I might as well give you a name..." Oishi chuckled again, more clearly this time. "How about Nekomaru?!" The vice- captain was grinning uncontrollably at the suggestion, although he seemed pleased with it at the same time. Kikumaru thought it was rather cute himself and attempted to nod and purr louder to show his appreciation. He was kind of enjoying all this attention from Oishi - especially the scratching behind the ears, it felt even better than when Kaidoh was doing it.

Suddenly Oishi jumped up, nearly dropping his ginger bundle.

"Ah! I shouldn't just be sitting here! I forgot I'm meant to be in class!"

He looked down again at the cat, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"But I guess I'd feel bad if I just left you here, with no home to go back to... How about you stay with me at my place until we find you a proper owner, or your real owner turns up looking for you? I have to go back to my lesson now, but I've got tennis practice after school in," he stopped to check his watch, "around an hour so you can stay behind the clubhouse until then..." Oishi grinned at his new companion. "You know, I always wanted a cat when I was younger, but once I got my fish it didn't seem like such a good idea anymore and kinda forgot about it..."

He tickled 'Nekomaru' under the chin affectionately, still smiling.

"You look like a trustworthy cat to me though, if the person you're named after is anything to go by."

Kikumaru beamed inside.

Poking his head around the toilet door and into the hallway, Oishi checked to see if anyone was about.

Empty.

He hurried past the classrooms to the school's exit nearest the tennis courts, hoping the cat would understand the word 'stay'.

"Ahhh... I'm gonna be in so much trouble at being late..." he muttered to himself.

As much as Kikumaru enjoyed being held by his double's partner, he wasn't the kind of person who'd purposely get his best friend into trouble. After all, he knew where the clubhouse was, it'd be quicker if he just went to wait there himself. It wasn't like he was going to decline an invitation to stay together with Oishi at his place.

Feeling the cat struggling in his arms, the dark haired boy was surprised when it leapt free from his embrace and landed neatly in front of him on all fours. He also could have sworn it winked at him before turning and speeding down the corridor and around the corner, but quickly dismissed the thought as his imagination.

"So he ran away..."

Confused and a little upset, Oishi considered chasing after the ginger tabby, but forced himself to decide against it when he remembered where he was meant to be right now. Half running so as to return to his Math class as soon as possible, Oishi couldn't stop himself wondering if he'd be lucky enough to see Nekomaru again.

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Notes: We're getting there, slowly but surely. ^^; Hopefully the Golden Pair weren't too OOC... I always worry too much about that... Thanks for the kind reviews though - they were nice in giving me some confidence in this fic. ^^