Title: Gay Boyfriend
Summary: RyoSaku: She dreaded to question his masculinity but his actions provoked her to do so. "Are you stupid?" His flat and blunt reply was the least she expected, "I-I'm stupid?"
A/N: Since exams were over, I decided to reward myself by writing a one-shot. The idea of this story was with me for quite a while so I decided to do something about it. This story was originally crap but thanks to Kemi-chan's ideas, I was able to finish it. So yeah, please do enjoy reading!
By the way, just to let you know, I don't have anything against gay people. I apologize in advance if the story wouldn't suit your taste.
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She never wanted to consider it. Not once did she think of him less than a prince.
Ryuuzaki Sakuno sighed inwardly as she continued to stare at her boyfriend who was silently munching the food that she had prepared for him. The man whom she adored for the last five years of her life and the man whom she gave her heart since her eyes set upon him. Her man, Echizen Ryoma.
But much to her dismay, said man was currently being labeled as homosexual. Gay. Steve.
She couldn't really believe it at first. It was beyond her how people could come to such conclusions when they knew that Ryoma already had a girlfriend. And if there were any indications that he was one, she probably would have noticed it. But no matter how she looked at him right now, he couldn't just be someone who would prefer men over women. And it wasn't definitely because she was his girlfriend. She was sure that even if someone asked her three years earlier, she would say the very same thing.
"You're staring," his voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts. "Too much."
Of course she was. In fact, her food was untouched as it had been before lunch. But she couldn't help it. It really bothered her as soon as she heard the notion from one of her classmates this morning.
"D-Don't mind me," was her answer, forcing herself to stop scrutinizing him.
It was worse than the most puzzling English exams and even a lot more torturing than stage frights. Knowing that a lot of people were thinking that your boyfriend is gay and not having the courage to confront him about it was not an easy thing.
She was afraid to hurt his feelings by asking him, but she was more than afraid that he might admit that it was true.
So for a week, she settled to silence with the hope that the issue would soon go.
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"Sakuno-chan!" one of her classmates exclaimed as she scurried her way to Sakuno's whereabouts. "Ryoma-sama's fan club is starting to lose its members! We have to do something about this."
Her hopes, in the end, were vain. After a week, the issue got bigger to the point that Ryoma's fan club was starting to lose its members. Not that she was dearly concerned, but it troubled her that Ryoma wasn't doing anything about it. Sure, the news had already reached him for the senpai-tachi were constantly interrogating him about it. But he still couldn't care less although he was aware that if the matter got out of hand, he sure would be the one to suffer.
But Ryuuzaki Sakuno wouldn't lose faith to her boyfriend, she decided. She loves him after all. Understanding him and the way he dealt with his situation was the best thing she knew she could do. So unless there would be a solid proof that would point her that Ryoma was indeed a homosexual, she would not believe any of the gossips.
That was before one of their fateful Sunday dates.
"Let's go Ryoma-kun!" she cheerfully suggested after they finished their lunch to one of their favorite restaurants.
"Hn," he said casually as he leaned closer, his left palm propping his chin. "You should redo your lipstick after eating."
Her jaw almost dropped at his statement. It sounded so wrong coming from him. Not to mention the fact that she never wore any make-up since they started dating. It was just plain weird that he suddenly proposed the idea of her redoing lipstick after she finished eating.
Then there came the boy's tennis team's practice.
"Sakuno-chan! Let's go to Ryoma-sama," Tomoka said and tugged her towards Ryoma.
Coincidentally, they came to him at exactly the same time Momoshiro and Horio did.
"Ryoma-kun!"
"Echizen!"
Momoshiro and Sakuno both called at the same time.
Ryoma, who just finished packing his things up spun around and replied, "Yo, Momo-senpai."
"Don't tell us you forgot?" Momoshiro asked, raising a brow when Ryoma seemed oblivious of the subject.
"We're going to play street tennis!" Horio exclaimed irritatingly.
Ryoma who knew that it was best not to argue simply replied, "Aa."
After which, the two men bid their good-byes and left.
Then that was when he finally noticed her.
"Yo," was his deadpan greeting.
"Uhm…" Sakuno begun. "How about today's English tutorial?"
From his expression, it seemed that he forgot it as well, "Can we cancel it for today?"
If it were any other girl, they would have ripped their hair out of frustration. It was one thing that he acknowledged Momoshiro and Horio before he acknowledged her presence but it was another thing that he would sacrifice their time together for same people.
She wasn't being selfish here, it was just a matter of sympathizing with other girls whose boyfriends would rather play tennis with men than spend English tutorial with them. It wasn't because she wanted to keep Ryoma all to herself, but they already played tennis that afternoon. Not to mention their morning practice and lunch break.
Suffice to say, Sakuno finally decided that it was suspicious. She then began searching information about gay people; she read books and surf the internet. But in the end, she found no clue as to how did she turn Echizen Ryoma to a homosexual.
It was rather insulting that men had more appeal to her boyfriend than her, but it was even more infuriating that Ryoma wasn't doing any efforts to explain things to her. Whenever she would open topics about it, he would make himself look completely clueless and answer her with the most vague and irrelevant replies.
So she gave up.
In desperation, she came to her best friend and tried to make something out of the situation.
"Tomo-chan…" Sakuno trailed, her fingers playing with the hem of her skirt nervously. "I have a friend who has a boyfriend," she started and risked a glance towards Tomoka to make sure she was listening.
Tomoka nodded so she continued, "Her boyfriend is famous among girls. But one day, much to her surprise, they said that he was a gay.
"She was so surprised to hear about it. Knowing her boyfriend for five years, she never saw him as one before. So she decided to prove her boyfriend's masculinity. But to her surprise, it only gave her more reasons to believe that Ryo—I mean, my friend's boyfriend is homosexual."
Tomoka moved closer in anticipation, "So how did this friend of yours found out her boyfriend's true… err, identity?"
"First, they never had any physical intimacy, or at least after they started going out. They don't kiss or hug each other. And the boy never holds her hand whenever they walk home together. Second, he asked her to redo her lipstick after eating lunch. It was odd since my friend never wore make-up before. Third, he notices his senpai first before her and even cancels their tutorial for the sake of playing tennis with them.
"Don't you think it's really odd, Tomo-chan? What should my friend do?" Sakuno lengthily narrated all of apprehensions.
"Isn't that…Ryoma-sama?" Tomoka guessed uncertainly.
"W-Who told you?" Sakuno asked in a defensive tone. "Of course not!"
"Of course he is, Sakuno-chan," the brown-haired girl replied, this time, more confidently though. "Everyone can guess it right with your detailed descriptions. Besides, I won't be the president of his fan club for nothing."
And before Sakuno could have given her retort, Tomoka continued, "It's just two things. First, Ryoma-sama maybe plainly romantically-challenged and needs proper lesson about "physical intimacy" orhe definitely is a gay and is using you to cover it up. If I am his girlfriend, I'll obviously choose the former."
Tomoka's pause was dramatically long before she went on, "But let's face it. We have to clarify. Ask him," she encouraged. "I'm sure he'll give you the answer."
Her friend's voice rung like a broken recorder inside her head. As much as she abhorred the idea, she had to do it. Ryoma obviously had the right to know what she thought about him. That was why no matter how afraid she was of the possible outcome, she was right there on the sidelines of the school's tennis courts, waiting for her prince to finish his tennis practice.
"Practice dismissed!" Kaidoh, the tennis team's captain, finally said.
Immediately, the group of men inside the courts started to disperse with exhausted but relieved sighs that the torturing practice had finally come to an end.
But Sakuno was yet to release the tension that was building up inside her. It was simply the beginning. She neither had a clue of how she would bring up the subject to Ryoma nor did she have the slightest idea on how she would react appropriately to the worst aftermath.
"Just ask him, Sakuno!"
She heard her friend encouraged.
Tomoka had told her that it was for the best. Not only would she clear her suspicions, it would also help Ryoma's fan club regain its name.
"Let's go to Ryoma-sama!" Tomoka exclaimed, tugging Sakuno to the prince's location.
But fatefully, once they reached Ryoma, Momoshiro and Horio were already done talking to him.
"See you later at the street tennis courts, Echizen!" Momoshiro said, waving a casual hand as he went away.
Not again.
Her head bowed low, "No," she whispered silently though it was enough to call Ryoma's attention.
"Yo," he said to let her know that he recognized her presence.
"How about our tutorial?" she asked, her head snapping up, "We have a quiz tomorrow remember?"
"It's just easy, I'll teach you tomorrow morning," he said, slinging his tennis bag on his left shoulder, ready to leave.
"Can't you just cancel tennis for today?" she mumbled dejectedly that it was almost impossible to hear.
Unluckily, Ryoma heard it and stopped to face her. He didn't say a thing but Sakuno knew enough what he wanted to ask.
"I want you to tutor me," she said with conviction. It sounded a little whiny and desperate but it was the best she could give right now.
His shoulders shrugged as he eyed her exasperatingly, "Fine."
She couldn't be sure whether she was really possessive or not. But after he agreed, it made her really happy. She was actually smiling like an idiot when he made a call to Momoshiro that he wouldn't be able to join them on the courts. It might sound really selfish, tennis was Ryoma's happiness after all, but she had the agenda here. She had to confirm something straight from Ryoma's mouth.
"Ryo-Ryoma-kun?" she started, noting to herself how far away they are from each other compared to other normal couples.
"Hn?" he answered, his gaze briefly glancing her way.
"Uhm…" she trailed as she discreetly moved closer towards him. "Can I ask you a question?"
"You already are," he replied.
"Ryoma-kun…" There was no turning back. She had to say it. "Are you gay?"
He stopped walking and stared at her, "Are you stupid?"
Sakuno tried not to fall flat on the sidewalk. His flat and blunt reply was the least she expected, "I-I'm stupid?" she asked, her eyes staring at him incredulously.
"I'm checking," he said mockingly.
Sakuno huffed in annoyance, "I'm not. I can give you a lot of reasons why I think you're… homosexual!"
He raised a brow, "Let's hear it," his voice challenged her.
"You don't k-k-kiss me!" she blurted out.
"That makes me gay?"
The answer was obvious, but she wouldn't falter, "You know that women redo their lipstick after eating," Sakuno said, assured that Ryoma wouldn't have a reason for this one.
"I do?" he asked clueless.
She nodded, "Yes, last Sunday, you told me during our date."
"Hn," he said and looked as if he was trying to recollect his thoughts. "You licked your lips back then."
"An-And what does that suppose to do with this?" she said as her hand instinctively went above her lips.
"My mom does the same after eating and redoes her lipstick afterwards."
She couldn't believe what she was hearing, "How about the fact that you're spending more time with Momo-senpai than…me?"
"You're jealous because of Momo-senpai?" he asked teasingly, his body moving closer to her.
Sakuno could already feel her face burning from embarrassment, "I'm not!"
"You are," he pointed out derisively.
"I'm not!"
"You are."
"So what if I am!" she exclaimed. "People are telling me that you're gay! How do you want me to respond? You're not even doing any effort to stop them from—"
Her sentence was cut sharply when Ryoma suddenly sealed her lips with his. At first, he was gentle and careful but soon grew hungry as he couldn't stop himself from nibbling hers. All she could do was helplessly close her eyes and lean forward, wrapping her arms around his neck as he did to her waist, to take more of his assaults.
When he was contented enough that she wouldn't say anything for a minute, he let her go but settled his forehead above hers.
"Does that somehow lessen your suspicion?" he grinned as his gaze landed on her puffy lips. "Or should I do it again?"
Although it sounded like a good idea, Sakuno decided to refuse the offer. "N-No. It's more than enough," she shook her head. "I mean, not here," she stuttered.
"Should we do it in my room then?"
She blushed, and the rest was history.
The End
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