Chapter One: How it started

(Ryo)

It wasn't planed for either of us to actually start dating each other. Both Cye and I were gay, and right from the off we both knew it. Each time we faced and beat a new challenge or surpassed obstacle, we started falling for one another. It wasn't obvious at first, but after a while I started blushing whenever our eyes met.

I still smile every time I recall catching his eye during a battle; seeing that determined look in his eyes making me fight more to prove my worth in them. I sighed as I sat down on the park bench taking in the warm summer's breeze. I watched Sage, Kento, and Cye playing Frisbee, while Rowen read his book under a tree.

The guys were yet another reason Cye and I had had to keep our relationship a secret. We weren't sure how they'd react, as most teenage boys are truly, for lack of a better word, homophobic. However, Sage busted us along the way in our path of secrecy.

Cye and I had walked into the theater and into the back row were we thought we wouldn't be seen. The cinema is a good place for us to be with each other; it's dark enough so no one and us can tell if we're cuddling in the back or if we're even there.

Things were a lot tougher then; hiding was our main goal. We live in a very tight community and couldn't risk being seen by anyone at school. The lights were still on, but since the previews had started playing I thought it would be fine if I kissed him on the cheek; I was terribly wrong. As I lent over I felt someone eyes upon me, stopping I looked up meeting Sage's gaze.

It had felt like a whole bucket of ice had dropped into the pit of my stomach. Ever nerve in me started shaking my eyes not looking away from his. Neither one of us knew what to say. And I couldn't tell what he was thinking by the expression on his face. I straitened back up in my seat as he knelt down in a seat in front of us. "So." He had said. The tone in his voice wasn't mean or disgusted; more of a questioning was in it.

I could feel Cye's fear to match my own, I could hear his breaths as they went into a panicked rhythm and I could even hear my own heart beat echoing in my ears as I felt my face flush red.

"You guys shouldn't keep secrets from us, we're a team, you can count on us to back you up." He had said in a low whisper so he wouldn't be heard by anyone around us. Funny thing, we thought this movie would be a flop and that now one else would be there; leave it to Sage to want to see the boring movies.

I swallowed hard ready to speak, "we, we were afraid, that maybe you guys wouldn't accept this and that, you'd like banish us from the team or something." I had forced myself to admit. Being the some what leader of the group didn't make a difference, you can't lead a group that won't follow.

He only shook his head, "after all the stuff we've been through?" He smiled at us, "Never."

I sighed, again recalling every detail in my mind. I opened my eyes in time to see Rowen get beamed in the forehead with the Frisbee. I laughed as my three friends ran from him as if he was some kind of monster in a bad dream, but then again, they were laughing the whole time too.

When we told the others, we did it very carefully, we knew we had Sage on our side, but would the others side with us as well?

We sat them in the living room of the Koji manner, Mia herself included, however we felt that Yuli was too young to be in on our secret just yet. This was a very delicate situation, so we decided that just coming right out with it would be best.

"Guys, we're… gay." I had said before closing my eyes feeling myself blush.

The silence that took place after lasted a few minutes before one of them cleared their throat; I don't remember who did it. The silence was deafening, and it pained me, but I knew they had to make up their own minds about this. I wouldn't force them to accept us, and I knew they needed time to think this through. After what had seemed like an eternity, Rowen spoke up.

"Anything that's cool with you two is cool with me." He had said looking up at us from his moment of thought.

"Same here." Mia had smiled brightly; one good thing about her knowing was that she stopped hitting on me.

Kento had looked up at us grinning, "Hey what can I say, I'd be insulting mylittlebrother Yun if I didn't except you two."

I smiled at them and looked at Cye who had been smiling at me. This was what we had hoped for; their support was important to us.

Seeming very winded Cye took a seat next to me on the bench leaning backwards taking in deep breaths.

"You're getting out of shape Cye; you used to be able to keep up with them." I teased. "I think maybe even Yuli could beat you up now."

"Ha, ha, very funny." He said punching my right arm softly, well as softly as the Ronin of Torrent hits anyways.

I chuckled lightly, and when he got up to save Sage from Rowen's headlock I rubbed my arm wincing. Perhaps my comment offended him in someway or I'm just a baby when it comes to taking a punch out of armor.

I saw some of the girls from my history class walk past a few of them winking at me, I merely smiled back. Both Cye and myself were experts of deception. We had to be in such an unforgiving and un-excepting world. One slip up and it would all be over, ridicule wasn't the most of our worries, the world was cruel to people like us, especially in our neighborhood and school systems. Teenagers in our area would gang up on us, vandalize our stuff, and beat up anyone who stood with us, non-of it stopping until we were driven out of town. We couldn't let that happen, because it wouldn't just affect us, the Ronin Warriors would either break up, or all of us would have to leave.

"Hi Ryo," my friend Cleo waved to me, she was on the swim team with Cye as well as in my algebra and history classes. She was such a good swimmer in fact that she took first at the regional championships, Cye taking second prize to her by a half a second. Her caramel colored skin tone went well with her deep brown eyes and waist-length black hair. And her small physique was perfectly suited for moving through the water.

"Hi." I said waving back to her as she and a group of the girls she was with went by. With my attention on them I didn't notice the flat, green circular object spinning through the air, I did however notice it when it smacked me in the back of the head. I grabbed the back of my head leaning forward, seeing Sage's Frisbee on the ground beside my foot. Looking over I saw that the one who had thrown it was indeed Sage. Thoughts of the past left my mind as I chased after my friend, my new goal being to give him the mother of all noogies, and mess up that perfect hair of his.