Hi! This is my first crack at a Taka/Kai fic! Please don't kill me if it sucks lemons…Anyway onto warnings and disclaimers.
Warnings: Shonen-ai content
Disclaimers: I do not own it.
-
Why is it that I now am forced to feel love?
-
"Takao? Takao! Wake up this instant! If you're getting me to help you with this project then you had better be awake!" A voice droned into Takao's head. He was having such nice dream too… "I said wake up!" It shouted again and then he felt pain on top of his head.
"AH! Hiromi! Why'd you hit me!" Takao shouted.
"You know darn well! I said I'd help you with English and here I am, only to have you fall asleep!" Hiromi shouted back.
"Ah! Gees…give a break." Takao whined, rubbing his now sore head.
"This is the reason you're falling behind in school!" Hiromi said, glaring at him.
"Fine, fine, so what are we doing?" Takao asked.
"A poem." Hiromi answered.
"On what?" Takao asked, now generally interested, he was no poet but he happened to like well-written literature, at least every once in a while; contrary to popular belief that he didn't like anything of the sort and yes he could read too! But that's besides the point.
"On love." Hiromi answered, her eyes going all sparkly. "Love! What a beautiful subject! I want to fall in love one day, and have a family, and a nice white house, and…"
"Wait!" Takao shouted cutting her off. "I don't want to know. Keep your love-sick fantasies to yourself!"
"Pfht, whatever, so what's your vision of love?" She asked.
"Um…I don't really think about that kind of stuff." Takao said.
"Really…no love interest at all, no special someone?" Hiromi prodded.
"I never said that!" Takao growled, a light blush growing over his face. "It's just not something I think about. Too boring and mushy"
"Oh ho, and who is your secret love?" Hiromi asked, face coming to look like a cat's. "Is it someone I know?"
Takao blinked rapidly, trying to get his brain out of its stupor from the question she asked. When he finally re-found his voice he shouted. "Hiromi that's not something us guys just lightly talk about!"
"Oh really." Hiromi said with a smirk. "Say, wanna make a bet?"
"A bet?" Takao asked.
"If I can accurately guess your love interest in three guesses then you have to tell them, but if I can't I'll do your poem for you." Hiromi said with a smirk.
"No deal, I'd rather do it myself." Takao said glaring.
"Well then how about this, I'll do your English homework for the rest of the semester." Hiromi said hoping to get his interest.
"The whole rest of the semester, including that huge project we're going to have to do?" Takao asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Including." Hiromi answered with a nod.
"…All right, but no more than three guesses." Takao agreed.
"Well then, I'll start my guesses, remember you got to tell me if I'm right, and I'll know if you're lying." Hiromi said. "All right first one." She sat back on her heals and thought. Of all the people Takao knew who was he likely to love. Then a question popped into her head. "Hey Takao, are you gay or straight."
"What!" Takao shouted. "Oh my god! Are you crazy!"
"So gay then." Hiromi said with a smirk.
"W-why do you say that?" Takao asked, now blushing lightly.
"You're reaction." Hiromi answered.
"Ah…" Takao looked away, how did she do it? He didn't want her to see that she was right and give her something to gloat about.
"So are you?" Hiromi asked, suddenly excited.
"Am I what?" Takao asked looking confused.
"Gay?" Hiromi asked.
"What!" Takao said choking on his words, "I thought you already confirmed that!"
Hiromi just answered him with a smirk, "So is it Max?" she asked.
"Max? No, he's a good friend but beyond that he's just not my type." Takao answered. "Besides he's already got someone."
"Really who?" Hiromi asked.
Takao shrugged, "I don't know, he won't say."
"I see, okay so is it Yuriy?" Hiromi asked.
"Yuriy!" Takao stared at her, mouth agape. "Why would I like him? He's a friend, and just barely that. We don't exactly get along you know."
"But I thought you two got along well." Hiromi asked confused.
"He respects me, but just begrudgingly so." Takao answered. "Other wise there's really nothing between us."
"Okay…so I'm down to my last man huh." Hiromi said rubbing her chin. Thinking back as far as she could remember knowing Takao, she thought over all the people Takao knew and how he reacted to them. All the sudden her eye lit up. "Oh! I know." She said triumphantly.
"Do you now?" Takao said with a raised eyebrow.
"You love Kai!" Hiromi said quite content with herself. However upon hearing nothing from Takao doubt began to fill her senses. "Ah Takao?" She asked, looking at Takao.
"…And why would you guess him?" Takao said, voice lacking it's usual brashness, eyes averted confirming Hiromi's guess.
"Um…because of the way you look at him, and the way you seem totally lost when he's not here." Hiromi answered, puzzled to Takao's reaction, but understanding it as well. "And the way you reacted to when he almost died in the last tournament."
"Is…is it that obvious?" Takao asked, voice barely above a whisper.
"…Takao? Are you okay?" Hiromi asked, starting to get a little worried about her blue haired friend.
"I…you're right, I guess you don't have to do my homework." Takao laughed, still not looking at Hiromi.
"Takao?" Hiromi tried again, "Takao why are you so upset?"
"Nothing." Takao mumbled. "It's nothing…Hiromi."
"Yes Takao?" Hiromi said.
"Please don't make me tell him." Takao pleaded, finally meeting her eyes, though she was shocked to see unshed tears there. "I…just can't tell him."
"Why?" Hiromi asked softly, placing her arm gently on his shoulder.
"…He wouldn't…he doesn't love me…he never will…" Takao replied eyes averted again.
"Why do you say that Takao?" Hiromi asked, trying to get Takao to meet her eyes.
"Because…he has never once looked at me that way…" Takao answered, head bowed, though she could now see the tears were making their way down his face.
"Takao…" Hiromi said, voicing her sympathy. She moved over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Hey it's okay…"
"I love him, but there's nothing I can do about it." Takao said bitterly.
"How are you so certain?" Hiromi asked. "Did you hear him say this, or one of his old team mates?"
"No…but I can see it in his eyes Hiromi! Every time I look into his eyes I see the disdain he has for me. No…the only positive emotion I've ever gotten from him was respect, and even that was just barely there…" Takao said dejectedly. "How can I act on that?" He asked looking up at her blue eyes filled with sorrow and longing, a longing for an answer to his questions, longing for a sign from Kai to tell him his feelings were returned.
Hiromi was silent, as she wasn't certain how to reply. Laying her head on Takao's while rubbing his back in an attempt to comfort him, she just let him cry till he was done.
"Thank you Hiromi." Takao said, wiping away the last of his tears.
"You really should tell him." She said.
"…Not today." Takao said, getting back to the neglected homework.
"When then?" She asked.
"When his eyes tell me he's ready to be loved." Takao replied.