"...Not a 'she'?" Ms. Tenma repeated meekly, clearly flabbergasted. "She's a... boy? Is she—he transgender?"
"No," Tsukasa rubbed his forehead with his hand, still looking down at the ground. "He's an actual boy."
Please tell me you don't mind...
"...Why didn't you tell me sooner?" She said in a low tone.
"It's not... It doesn't bother you that I like another guy...?" Tsukasa raised his head, his eyes finally meeting those of his mother, allowing her to see the tears building up in them. "I... I thought... I mean, we only just started talking after years of tension... Doesn't it seem too sudden for me to just... come out like this, especially after not saying anything for a really, really long time?"
"Of course it doesn't bother me, Tsukasa..." Ms. Tenma reached her hand up and began to caress her son's cheek softly as his tears began to roll down. "I'll accept you and love you, no matter who you love... I know it's something we can't control, and I know it well. Trust me." She smiled.
I know you do, Mom.
Tsukasa smiled back and began to tremble, roughly shoving the palms of his hands into his eyes to wipe away the beads of liquid streaming out of them. The arms of a loving mother enveloped her crying son.
"I'm glad you came out to me, Tsukasa," She said, rubbing the back of Tsukasa's head. "If you don't mind, could I maybe... Meet the boy you like?"
"Huh? Really?" Tsukasa sounded utterly dumbfounded. "You... Want to meet him?"
"Yes," Ms. Tenma hugged him closer. "He sounds amazing."
"He is," Tsukasa laughed softly. "Thank you, Mother."
Then came a phrase that the mother hadn't heard in years:
"I love you."
--------------------
"Your boyfriend left?" Ms. Kamishiro frowned. "Why so soon?"
Rui rubbed his forehead exasperatedly.
"Mom, he's not my boyfriend," He said.
"Oh, he isn't?" The boy's mother mused. "Okay, then. Future boyfriend."
Rui groaned, covering his face with both of his hands. "Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I have a crush on every single one of my male friends!"
"But I can see the chemistry!!" She insisted.
What does that even mean?!
"Believe what you want, we're just friends!" Rui argued futilely.
"Alright, you're 'just friends', but you do like him, I can see it!" Ms. Kamishiro said.
"Fine!" Rui crossed his arms, turning his head away from his mother to hide the colour rising to his cheeks. "Yeah, I do like him."
"I knew it!" His mother slid her hands into Rui's, interlocking her fingers with his and pressing their palms together. "How cute! Plus, I got to meet him!! Yay~!"
Rui frowned.
"But... He's..." Rui looked at his mother. "What if I confess, and he says he's straight? Won't it be awkward? He'll probably stop wanting to talk to me, too!"
"Ah, Rui," She sighed. "He's a nice boy, not at all the type to do that. Shouldn't you know this already?
"Still, you don't know the outcome until you take the chance! Remember, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take~!"
Rui suppressed a smile.
She planted a small kiss onto Rui's forehead. "I'm certain he likes you, too."
There's no convincing you otherwise, is there?
Rui finally set free the smile he had been struggling to hold back. "Like I said, believe what you want," He said as his hands fell out of his mother's grasp. "but Tsukasa-kun most likely doesn't like me back, and I have homework to do."
"Most likely!?" Ms. Kamishiro repeated incredulously. "You can't possibly be saying that seriously, can you?"
Rui sighed and he turned and left to go up to his room. The first thing he did was flop onto his bed so that he was laying on his stomach, his face buried in the softness of the mattress.
Should I confess to Tsukasa-kun?
He raked through his memories, trying to remember the way he felt in each of his interactions with Tsukasa. The purple-haired boy rolled over, flipping onto his back. He placed the back of his hand onto his forehead and was greeted with a very warm temperature. Concerned yet curious, Rui brought both of his hands to either of his cheeks and felt the same heat there. His previous concern vanished within an instant.
Woah, I really am blushing!
Then he considered the feeling in his stomach whenever he was with Tsukasa, the way he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him, the way he wanted to kiss him. Rui even got himself shocked with that last one.
...I totally am down bad for him, aren't I...
Rui sat up, a new feeling of freshness that wasn't present prior to his acknowledging his feelings for his best friend. Then he began to wonder how he hadn't asked the blonde for his number yet. As if on cue, Rui's phone began to vibrate.
Nene <3
<rui>
<ruiiii>
<RUI YOU BOY KISSER>
<GET YOUR SKINNY ASS ONLINE RIGHT NOW BEFORE I KICK IT>
Rui
<What is it??>
<Also, 'boy kisser'? Really?>
Nene <3
<yeah gayass>
<tsukasas asking for your number>
Rui
<Tsukasa-kun wants my number?>
<Also, Tsukasa-kun's with you?>
Nene <3
<NO DUMBASS>
<HES AAKING OVER TEXT>
Rui
<You have his number??>
Nene <3
<are you getting jealous>
Rui disliked a message
<HEY DONT UOU DARE DISLIKE MY MESSAGES>
Rui disliked a message
<you are evil.>
<anyway no he asked emu who asked me>
Rui
<OK.>
<You didn't give it to him?>
Nene <3
<well thats why i spammed you>
Rui
<😒>
Nene <3
<DONT YOU GIVE ME THAT SHIT>
<I WAS GOING TO BE NICE AND ASK YOU IF YOU WANTESD ME TO FIVE IT TO HIM BUT NOOO>
Rui
<Nene, calm down!>
Nene <3
<do i give it to him or not>
Rui
<Of course!!>
Nene <3
<you DO like him, dont you.>
Rui
<Maaaaybe...>
<Was it really that obvious?>
Nene <3
<yes idiot>
<can your gay ass NOT fall in love with every man you meet>
Rui
<Oh, yes, because I'm in love with Aoyagi-kun and Shinonome-san as well!>
<Can't forget Len-kun and KAITO-san!!>
Nene <3
<ha ha.>
Rui
<You started it!>
Nene <3
<you are such a child...>
<i cant beliebe youre older than me>
Rui
< :/ >
Nene <3
<ok i just semt emu your number>
Rui
<You got Emu-kun's number before I got Tsukasa-kun's? ☺️>
Nene <3 disliked a message
Nene <3
<shut up i dont like emu>
<good luck>
Rui
<Good luck??
<With what?>
~~~~~
Unknown Caller
<RUI!!!!!!>
<IT'S ME, TSUKASA!!!1!!1!!!!>
< o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o >
Rui
<Hello, Tsukasa-kun!>
<I was actually just going to ask Nene for your number!>
Unknown Caller
<I MADE A CONTACT FOR YOU!!>
Rui
<I'm going to make a contact for you too, I'll be a moment>
Rui created a contact for his friend and began to think hard about what to name it.
Maybe keeping it simple, like just 'Tsukasa-kun'? Or maybe a nickname?
Indecisive, Rui wrote 'Tsukasa-kun☆'. The name didn't feel right, so he stared at the contact name for a little while, but that didn't change anything. He felt like he wanted to add something more, but he wasn't sure what it was he wanted to add so badly.
Rui
<Tsukasa-kun! I finished your contact>
Tsukasa-kun☆
<What did you name it?>
<I named yours 'Purple Weirdo 💕'>
<AH NO>
Rui
<You put hearts at the end?>
There they were again. Those butterflies only Tsukasa managed to wake up. Rui stared at the two hearts and felt his face heating up. Was that what Rui needed to add to Tsukasa's contact name to make it feel right? It sure seemed like that's what was missing...
Tsukasa-kun❤️
<YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO SEE THAT PART BUT I COPY PASTED IT AND I FORGOT TO DELETE IT BEFORE SENDING IT>
Rui
<You're just making things worse for yourself!>
Tsukasa-kun❤️
<I AM???>
Rui
<Yes, you are!>
<I named you 'Tsukasa-kun❤️'>
Tsukasa didn't answer after that, but Nene started messaging Rui instead.
Nene <3
<RUI WHAT DID YOU DO>
<YOU BROKE TSUKASA>
<DID YOU TRY TO RIZZ HIM OR SOMETHING????>
Rui
<What?>
——————————
lol i just realized i forgot to make them add each others numbers 😋
i got my sketxhbook back so updatws might not be as frequent as they have been for the past few days
Word count: 1407