Hello again, all! I know I should have probably updated "From a Host to a Quarterback", but I think I prefer writing one-shots nowadays. I will update the story soon, but once a one-shot idea forms in my head, I find it easier to churn out! So, here it is. I hope you guys like it. Please review! If you do, you'll get a special, virtual Ouran-related prize. ;) Thank you in advance!
Tamaki lay on my bed, contentedly and absentmindedly playing with a paddle ball while I sat at my desk, hunched over homework, as per usual. I felt Tamaki look over to me for a moment and I heard a breathy sigh exit his mouth. "Are you almost done with that project, Kyoya? You've been working on it for three hours now…"
"It's worth 25% of our chemistry grade, Tamaki," I explained, eyeing Tamaki out of the corner of my eye without ever slowing down the rapid rhythm of my pencil as it glided across a blank sheet of paper. "The more pressing question is: why aren't you working on it?"
"I finished it a couple days ago," Tamaki replied casually, eyes focused on the mysterious and graceful movement of the paddle ball.
I then stopped writing and put my pencil down, turning fully to Tamaki, eyes wide. "You conducted an entire experiment and wrote a 20-page report on it…two days before I did?"
Tamaki grinned and scoffed. "I'm not the idiot you think I am, Kyoya."
"I know you're not an idiot, Tamaki. Quite the opposite," I admitted. "You lack common sense, yes, but you're the only person at school that can even come close to my academic prowess. It just…" I hesitated. "You can't actually be a better student than me. That's not the way this works."
"What do you mean?"
"I have to be the valedictorian when we graduate. You must know how hard it is to get into Princeton as an international student."
Sitting up on the bed, Tamaki quickly put the paddle ball down. "Oh, you want to go to America for college? I didn't know that, Kyoya! Why didn't you ever tell me before?"
"Well, to be honest, I didn't want you to get any ideas about it. If you and I both aim for Princeton or Yale or Harvard or whatever the case may be, you'd be even more motivated to work hard and surpass me in class rank, and I can't have that."
"Kyoya, I'd never try to take your dream away from you! If you want to go to Princeton, I want to help you get there!"
I blinked dumbly as I stared at the beautiful blonde across from me. "Really? You…you don't want to usurp me?"
"Not at all. I don't even know anything about Princeton, really. Although it would be cool to be able to say, 'I'm not only a Prince type; I'm a Princeton type!" Tamaki replied, laughing. He then stopped and became a bit more serious. "But really, I don't care which university I attend, as long as I'm happy there. I don't have my heart set on one school or anything."
I smiled and chuckled slightly. "I should have known that would be your philosophy on the matter." And then my smile faded. "But it can't be mine. I have to graduate from Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Cambridge, or Oxford if I ever want to surpass my brothers. They graduated from the University of Tokyo. A top-notch school, as you know. The best in Japan. But I must do even better if I want any chance of impressing my father."
"Wow, that's a lot of pressure," Tamaki said, looking down, a bit sad and possibly even intimidated. "Well, maybe I could help you with chemistry. How far along are you on your experiment?"
"I haven't been able to even think of one," I replied honestly.
Tamaki's jaw dropped. "What? You? Not able to think of one? What have you been working on this entire time then? Is the pressure getting to you or something?" If anyone else had said these words, they would have likely sounded insulting and even derisive. But coming from Tamaki, I knew they were sincere words of concern.
"It's nothing. I'm not cracking under the pressure; I just…Never mind. Just go back to playing with your paddle ball."
"Are you sure, Kyoya? I want to help…"
"I'm fine. I'll let you know if I need your help, though. I will. I promise."
Still looking unsure, Tamaki picked up the paddle ball again and resumed his playtime, quickly becoming entranced with the toy once again. I then turned back to my work and bit my lip nervously. Say it, Kyoya. Don't do this. Say it. I had invited Tamaki over for this very reason but I had stalled all night, pretending to be working on my project when I really couldn't even get started on it due to the confusion that was currently weighing on my mind.
Just say it. Look, he's already getting ahead of you in school. You can't let it happen. Tell him, and then you'll be able to be focused on academics again. If you don't, you'll continue falling behind, and you'll never get into Princeton. With this tangible profit in mind, it became slightly easier to approach the topic.
I adjusted my glasses a bit and cleared my throat. "Actually, Tamaki, can I talk to you about something?"
Tamaki kept his eyes focused on the toy but replied with a hearty: "Of course! Prattle on!
"Well, it's…I...I've been thinking about some weird stuff lately."
Tamaki smiled excitedly. "Like, momentarily forgetting about this project and the Otori group and just going out on the town with me instead?" Tamaki laughed. "If that ever happened…wow, that would certainly be a day for the record books."
"Heh. No, not like that. Like...like about guys." Okay, you said it. It's out there now. Breathe, breathe…
Tamaki looked confused. Predictable. "What about them?
"Well, do you think you could put the paddle ball down for just a minute? I need you completely focused for this conversation."
He put the toy down immediately and stared into my eyes very seriously. "Okay, I'm 100% focused now!"
I cleared my throat again. "Well, like I said, I've been thinking weird stuff about guys lately." Tamaki tilted his head, still seemingly perplexed. I sighed. "Don't play dumb. You know what I mean."
Finally, Tamaki's face looked a bit surprised. "Wait, are you saying you might be bi? Gay?"
"Well, I do have a bit of a crush on Renge…so, I'm not gay. But I don't know about the 'bi' one..."
"You have a crush on Renge? Seriously?" Tamaki asked, fascinated.
"Out of everything I just confessed, that's what you find the juiciest?"
Tamaki shrugged. "Well, I don't think you being bi is so surprising. I kind of already knew."
I gulped. "What? How? Is it that obvious?"
"Probably not to most people, but you forget whom you're talking to: I'm Tamaki, the human mind reader! The one with intuitive insight into everyone I meet!" So he knows he's insightful. Bastard. "Not to mention, I have bi-dar."
"Bi-dar? What?"
"It's when bi people can tell when other people are bi. It's a gift!"
Wait, what? My heart almost stopped. Was Tamaki…coming out to me? "Are…are you saying that you…?"
Tamaki blinked a few times. "What? You didn't know? Wow, Kyoya, and you call me a moron."
I began to feel dizzy. "You never told me."
"I thought it was obvious."
"How is it obvious? You've never dated a guy, never mentioned it…"
"I've flirted with plenty of guys at school, Kyoya," Tamaki explained.
"I thought that was just part of your charming prince act to get everyone in the student body to fall in love with you so you could have your ego boosted all the more."
Tamaki shook his head, smiling. "Nope. It was real. You should know, I'm never fake with anyone, Kyoya. I mean everything I say!"
I leaned back in my chair, dazed, eyes staring blankly ahead of me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Well, then…did you ever…do anything?"
"Sexually?"
I felt my cheeks grow hot. Damn it. I can't let him see me blush. But I can't turn the other way. It'd be too obvious. Damn. "Um…yes. Sexually."
If he noticed my blush, he kindly didn't comment on it. "No, I haven't. Have you?"
"No! No, of course not. I don't even know if I'm truly bi or not, Tamaki."
"Well, a lot of people would say that gives you even more incentive to do something…to see if you like it or not. There are people like me who just know. They feel the attraction and that's enough. But then there are others who benefit from experimentation to know for sure."
"Are you…offering?"
"What? ...Oh! Kyoya!"
"I'm sorry, I just thought..."
And so we sat there in silence for a moment. Damn it; why did you have to go and say such a ridiculous thing? It was going so well, and now…
My self-deprecating thoughts were then interrupted by Tamaki's silky voice, sounding a bit shy. "Well...I guess I'll do it if you want..."
"What?"
"Well, you're my best friend, and I love you. If you need help in any way, even in this way, I want to help."
I shook my head quickly. "Tamaki, I appreciate that, but I don't want to make you do anything you don't want to do just because you happen to be a very…generous friend."
"Kyoya, it's okay. It's not really generosity. It's not like I would mind kissing you...I wouldn't mind at all, in fact." Speechless, all I could do was blush madly and hope that it wasn't all a dream. Tamaki then continued, "But let's make sure we're on the same page: we'll stick to close-mouthed kissing, hand-holding, and maaaaaybe a little cuddling, and that's it."
I nodded eagerly.
…
The next morning, Tamaki and I lay in bed next to each other, naked. My head was resting safely on his chest, and the sound of his increasing heartbeat woke me up. I slowly opened my eyes, my eyelashes fluttering against his shoulder. He was already awake, looking down at me affectionately. We stayed like that for a little while, just holding each other and collecting our thoughts. But we both knew that eventually, we would have to talk.
"So…that was quite an experiment," Tamaki said.
"Yes. Yes, I know…"
He smiled. "So, what is the conclusion? Are you bi?"
I laughed a bit. "No, sorry, but I think I'm straight. Thanks for the mind-blowing sex, though; I'll tell my friends about you!"
We shared a laugh but then grew more serious and stared into each other's eyes awkwardly.
"But seriously, Kyoya...how did it come to this? How did some innocent kissing turn into us losing our virginity to each other?"
I pondered the notion. "I don't know. You did say you'd help me with my chemistry experiment and…there was certainly plenty of chemistry to work with in this little experiment." I grinned. "Perhaps you really are becoming an overachiever like me."
~The end! Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review and pick up your prize! ^_^
Oh, two more things: My Tamaki/Kyoya music video that I made last summer has finally uploaded properly to you tube! If you're interested, check it out and leave me a comment. :D The link won't appear on this website, but just look up "Teardrops On My Guitar Kyoya" and it should be the first one. :)
And the last thing: While I obviously love writing Tamaki/Kyoya, I'd also like to try my hand at a different pairing--friendship or romance. Suggestions/requests in your reviews would be great! :)
