For the sake of cakes.
Faggot, that was the nickname she had given him since they were five, oblivious of what kind of life her friend would have in the future. Ask her why she called him that way - well, he got pink hair. Gumi believed that pink was for girls, so more or less she assumed that Yuuma was trying to be a girl. She was only five back then, and nobody scolded her that name calling was bad.
Faggot -he was never one. Looking at how fit he was right now, with those toned muscles all over his body, he would never be the nickname she had given him. He worked out on a regular basis, he tried dating girls, he tried...what any other normal guys would do just to prove Gumi that he was a man. However, old habits were sometimes hard to outgrow, so Gumi was still calling him the same. It was vexing, really, for he had done almost anything to show her he was straight, but until today that name had not subsided. It was all thanks to his pink hair.
Still, Yuuma was kind of lucky for he was not bullied during his middle school years with Gumi, because having her around was like playing a broken player reiterating 'faggot' all day. Some of his classmates wondered if he was really one, but of course guys could smell stuffs like that. It didn't take him so long to clarify this misunderstanding. And yet, his misfortune was like a cycle - it never ended. Gumi continued ruining his social life later on, for even in high school he was stuck with her. They were good friends, yet somehow he tried getting rid of her one time. 'Getting rid' in a sense that she would not mess his life - that was what he meant. Well, you see, he would never forget how Gumi managed to turn off his ultimate crush in ninth grade, by just greeting him, "Hey, faggot! You courtin' a girl again? If you wanna braid her hair, I can grow mine long this year so you won't trouble 'em. See you around!"
And so, admitting to himself that this was an alarming crisis, he faced the fact that he had to show Gumi that he was not a faggot, so just she would stop calling him one. Unfortunately, they were freaking college students now but nothing changed. At all.
"Faggot, the heck's wrong with your computer? The screen's freezing every time I'll check my document. Have you downloaded some porn video along with a virus or whatnot?" Gumi asked him one morning, slumping herself down on his bed while carrying his laptop. Intentionally crashing herself to his side, she tried pushing her back to him more so he would get up and fix his laptop. She needed to check her file now, her class would start later ten in the morning. "Wake up, lazy ass. Come on, I need this!"
No need to explain that they were roommates in the flat, right? It was Yuuma's curse actually, because this girl was like a shadow he couldn't pry away from his life. If most of his memories with her was kind of messed up, so be it. That is reality. Their parents were best buddies in college so yeah, this setup was not his choice at all. If he could pick his own stuff, he would study somewhere far, somewhere he wouldn't hear this woman call him faggot. Like going to Oxford or somehwere farther in the English lands, as long as he was one Atlantic Ocean away from her.
Groaning, he rolled over and tried to push Gumi away from him. Sadly, she wouldn't stop pushing her back to him until he was pressed hard against the wall itself. "Geez, Gumi! Won't you let me sleep for at least another minute!"
"No," was her quick reply. "Fix this crappy gadget, will you?" Gumi turned around and began nudging her elbow to the small of his back, while holding his laptop at the level of her face. She had gotten up some hour ago but her hair was still a mess, and she wouldn't tidy herself unless her file was properly viewed in his laptop. When the guy did not react, the girl just behaved herself on his side, scowling as she forced shut down the gadget. It would malfunction once she viewed the file again, and she would never be able to recheck wbat she typed out last night.
"Hey, asshole," she called quietly this time, lips pouting as she casted a languid gaze at the dozing man beside her. "Get up, Yuuma. I need this now. My partner is looking for this part of the paper. Come on, I'll treat you with a cake later."
"Cake my butt, Gumi. You never spent a single cent to treat me before. Go back to sleep," Yuuma responded, his voice sounded muffled for he had his face buried on a pillow.
"I swear, it's true this time. The shop will open later noon, I will take you there. You have my word, faggot. Come on, fix this stuff."
"Will you stop calling me faggot if I do your favor?" he rolled over to face her, only to witness the disastrous bed hair Gumi had every single morning. "Please comb your hair. You're not attractive with that mess."
"Why? Are you born to be a beautician?" she snickered, placing his laptop in between them. She watched Yuuma as he propped himself up and pulled the laptop so it was facing him. "Well, it depends. I'll think about the faggot thingy. If I stop calling you that way, I will look like a rude friend. Good friends call their friends with special names, you know."
Yuuma could only roll his eyes at her. This argument was exactly the quotient if you divide any number by zero. Undefined, some may call it that way - but he preferred the term infinity. Other words, it was pointless to argue for this talk would never meet an end, and Gumi would keep on calling him faggot, anyway. Albeit he really wanted this silly nickname to end, he knew no drastic tactic to force Gumi refrain saying it. He almost did anything but nothing happened. He looked up to her and cringed at that sarcastic smile she was giving him, her thin pink lips were pulled up the most wicked way he had seen.
"Stop it already. You're ruining my morning," he shrugged as he turned back to his laptop - which was already restarting this time. "You owe me a favor, okay? Make sure you'll buy me a cake. Or else I will eat you alive."
Gumi only laughed at him with an evil and hoarse voice. "Oh come on, my little faggot. You don't eat a pussy, do you? I bet you wanna have one," she taunted, stopping herself from bursting out into a laughter.
Annoyed, Yuuma just crinkled his forehead as he pretended that she never said a thing. If there was a thing he hated most about Gumi's assault, it was the fact that her taunts were some sort of a...low blow. She was always generalizing that he was an outright homo - it wasn't bad, but he wasn't one and that made it like a hard slap on his masculinity - and he couldn't tease her back because he could be charged with sexual harassment. Why so? He would kiss her right now and then, so she would melt in his arms and forget that nickname. He would do the things he wanted to do with all of his supposed-to-be-girlfriends to Gumi, so just she would see how much of a man he had become.
"So what now, Yuuma? Tell me, you really downloaded some rated-x movies there, didn't you? Like those yaoi stuffs, right? Right?" she leaned down on him, chin pressing on his right shoulder. Her voice sounded like the irritating conscience murmuring to him, piercing to the deepest abyss of his soul as though it was the cue for him to become a dragon. Yuuma wanted to slap her away.
"Gumi? F*ck off. I'm not what you think I am. Get off me before I decide to format this laptop so you won't see your shitty file." He was getting impatient. A gentleman though he was, sometimes it was better to break that image so just he'd get the respect he deserved. Gumi was taking it too far and he wouldn't let her belittle the man he was. "If you really won't stop, then fix this thing yourself. Or don't use it at all. Buy a replacement for your old laptop so you won't borrow mine, since this is too crappy for you. And for your information, I do not watch those kind of stuffs you're saying - I don't even know what on earth is yaoi. Good morning," he said flatly before abandoning his laptop, rolling over to stuff his pillow back on his face.
It was only six in the morning, the hallways were still quiet and asleep itself. The sun had barely lit the entire sky, hence their room was still trapped in the darkness and coldness from last night. Yuuma grabbed his blanket and tugged it over his head, covering himself fully to return to his peaceful slumber. His laptop remained open a distance from his head, illuminating the crown of his hair. He knew he wouldn't win a single argument with Gumi, so instead of listening to her he would rather resume where he stopped.
Amidst the brief silence, Gumi groaned as her fingers latched around the edge of his blanket. Lifting the sheets, she rolled underneath and laid down next to him, begging him to fix his computer again. Like he would really listen to her this time.
"Come on now, don't leave me hanging! Yuuma, I'm sorry. I won't say it again," her hands shook him, but he never turned around to face her.
The pink-haired sleepy guy just shrugged.
"Alright, I won't call you faggot again. Promise. Just get it fixed," her arms encircled his waist this time, and he felt her hurt her face on his back. "Please, Yuuma. I beg you,"
She pressed herself against him, she even tangled her leg with his. The whole stuff was making him uncomfortable since Gumi was acting too feminine in all of a sudden. He shrugged again, this time he rose with a huff. Yuuma shot the smiling girl a glare as he crawled toward his laptop. Yeah, right. He couldn't resist her when she does that.
Dang it. Women and their odd ways.
12 o'clock has finally arrived. Yuuma entered the flat like a grumpy zombie, eyes heavy lidded while stifling a yawn. He had not gotten a good sleep because of his roommate bugging her earlier than a rooster's crow. It didn't help that he got a good shot of a three-hour lecture earlier this eight, so his body felt stiff all over. And since his next class wouldn't begin until three this afternoon, it was decided that he would take a nap to recharge himself for later.
As he sat himself comfortably on his bed, about to lay down, the door slammed open and came in a panting green-haired walking disaster. Eyes filled with gleeful energy, she rushed to the pink-haired guy seated on his bed. Gumi ignored the sour expression he had, she just grabbed his hand and yanked him out of bed.
"Good, good," she said in between her panting. "They opened it! We need to go now and grab a bite,"
Yuuma, still crossed because her appearance was...well, ruining his quiet moment yet again - pulled his hand back and massaged the part she touched. "What's wrong with you? Are you going to pester me forever? I'm going to sleep, shoo."
"What - look, we need to get there now, or else we'll miss their special carrot cake."
"What? Well, then enjoy your meal - " Yuuma was about to hop in on his bed when Gumi dragged him by the collar. The next thing he knew they were out of their room, and Gumi was locking the door. He only gaped in disbelief, watching her as she put on a familiar diamond ring her mother had given her when she graduated in high school. Yuuma was there when Gumi's mom gave it to her, and the girl's intial reaction was nothing but an ungrateful snort. "I don't like any jewelry, mom. Why this?"
"Care to tell me why are you forcing me to eat that cake? You know, I'm so used to your promises that you'll treat me so go out with yourself, and I'll sleep. Gumi," he called her name when she was mesmerized with that small stone cut in whatever cut it was, and once again he witnessed another horrible smile from her. You know, that kind of smile that wasn't up to any good.
"Alright! Let's go!" Gumi faced him, literally hopping at her every step, and looped an arm around him. "You have to come with me, Yuuma. I owe you a lot because of that file...so yeah, just come with me. Pretty sure that their cake isn't poisoned so...hahaha!"
He tried shaking her off, but Gumi's arm around his waist was gripping him tight - it was so...ironic. Boys were supposed to hold girls this way, not the other way 'round - right? But again, if it was Gumi... "No, thank you," he thought.
"Take your fucking arm off me, Gumi!" he tried pushing her away, but like a fly so attracted to a dog shit, she buried her faced to his side. "Gumi! Let go! I'm tired!"
But the green-haired woman wouldn't let him go that easy.
After fifteen minutes of Yuuma trying to untangle Gumi from him, they arrived at a certain pastry shop he never had seen near the university. In all of a sudden, Gumi loosened her arm from his waist, only to lock her fingers with him. Astonished, he tried yanking his hand away from her but the girl dragged him inside the shop.
"Hey, stop this already. This won't make you attractive -"
"Oh! Good day, ma'am! So you came back with your fiancé just in time! We still have that carrot cake you wanted!" the woman from the counter chirped as soon as Yuuma and Gumi entered, clapping her hands together in excitement.
"Yes! Oh, can we try it now?" Gumi dragged him further inside the shop, following the woman from the counter parallel to them. Yuuma, still puzzled, looked around and saw a lot of couples seated on tables while slices of cakes were served to them. All of them were holding cake brochures, pointing out some cake design they preferred.
"Alright, young love birds. You can take your seat there and wait for me!" chirped back the woman, and Gumi pulled Yuuma again. When the two finally had a good seat, with Gumi seated opposite him, the grumpy Yuuma glared at him.
"What on earth is this?" he said, whispering every word like a threat.
Gumi stuck her tongue out before leaning forward and answered, whispering too, "A free wedding cake sample event. You're my fiancé right now - so man up, faggot."
"The fu-fudge! Oh, that looks delicious, ha-ha-ha," Yuuma leaned back on his chair, feigning a laughter when the woman from the counter earlier suddenly appeared before them. As much as he wanted to cuss at Gumi, he couldn't.
"Oh, youthful love! I still remember how my husband and I talk when we're around your age. Too secretive," the woman winked at them, placing two saucers before them, each had a slice of cake with orange frosting. "Enjoy our cake samples! We still have lots of different cakes inside, so you still have lots of different choices!"
When the woman left, Yuuma darted Gumi a glare, gripping a fork reluctantly. "Gumi..." growling, he was ignored. This woman was enjoying herself...a lot.
She took a bite and her face illuminated instantly, fisting in the air out of joy. "Wow! This is so delicious! So delicious! Come on, are you going to eat yours?"
"You planned this well, huh. You only wanted to taste this one yourself, asshole." He rolled his eyes and gracefully ate his share.
"Oh...how sweet, I love you too!" she winked at him and took another bite, squealing again like an electrocuted chipmunk.
because I saw a cute tumblr prompt posted ages ago and I thought, why not publish a ship fic? another shit post.
-ivan.