Chapter 6

The boy grasped his chest, desperately searching for warmth. His eyes were blurry with overflowing tears. Tears of sadness? Happiness? Anger? He didn't know. All he knew was that his best friend just left him without so much as a word. How could someone walk off like that? Is that even possible? He also had no answer to that, either.

Several minutes earlier, the two had been talking peacefully amidst each other's company. They'd been enjoying each other, their warmth, their souls, their light. All of that came crashing down, however, at a few simple, innocent words.

'How'd you get your scar?'

That's all it took for his friend to snap.

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The coffee shop was less busy now, with everyone going home to their families after a long day of work. Tamaki longed for a day when he, too, would be able to call someone his. Ever since he was little, he'd dreamed of meeting a lovely girl, getting married, and raising children. Although, that was his parent's wish, he'd always wanted to fulfil it. He wanted to make them happy, to see their faces when they were introduced to their grandchildren, but that dream seemed to become more distant as he grew older.

Once he reached the age of 15, he knew he had let down his entire family. He knew he'd screwed up in life. There was nothing left for him after he realized that his body never reacted to girls the way it was supposed to. His mind never went to perverted fantasies about all the cute girls at his school. It was becoming a hassle, all of his friends kept interrogating him about which girl he wanted to date. He just couldn't give them an answer. He didn't know, there was no attraction to them in his mind. They were just girls, that's all.

He thought he'd moved past everything after he reached high school, but his body still never reacted. At 16, he hadn't even done half of the things his friends had done with girls at his school. He never really seemed to care anyway. He was more focused on his studies. Becoming a hero was the only important thing in his life. It was what drove him forward and compelled him to do better.

His afternoons at school were normally quite peaceful. He would sit under the cherry blossom tree in front of the library, read his books, and finish any homework he needed to do. He didn't think those peaceful moments would ever end, but he was sorely mistaken.

It all began when he was walking out of the school, ready to go home. His eyes were focused on the gate when a sudden tug on his shirt caught his attention. He turned around to see a boy from one of his classes. The boy was slightly taller than him, he had black hair, green eyes, and a piece of paper clutched in his left hand. His gaze slid to the paper, then back to his classmate's face. The boy was shaking. His hands fidgeting with the slip of paper he was grasping.

"Do you need something?" He asked, smiling gently at the dark-haired boy.

"O-oh! Um...well...I was wondering if you...uh...h-here..." The boy stuttered out as he handed Tamaki the paper he was previously holding. After that, the boy ran off, leaving Amajiki in a confused daze.

He looked at the paper and carefully read the cursive that was written on it. His heart quickened ever so slightly as he read through the beautifully chosen words. To him, the note seemed more like a poem.

Amajiki,

I've been pondering my feelings lately, and I believe I've come to a conclusion. I feel as though you'll never even think of glancing in my direction. If that's the case, so be it. I'm not asking you to look at me. I would never make you do something you didn't wish to do. I'm sorry if this seems strange, but I think I might be...falling for your beauty. Your eyes are a rich indigo color, just like the velvet ribbon you wear on your wrist. With your hair, it's all the same. I feel my emotions overflowing with thoughts of you like a river in a storm, they're raging. My only desire is to be able to call you my love, but you may reject me if that pleases you.

Sincerely, Haru

Tamaki loved how the words rolled off of each other with an unmatched grace that he'd never experienced before. This wasn't just a note, no, not in the slightest. It was a letter. A love letter. And not just that, it was a love letter from a male. A guy in his class liked him? The very thought made his heart flutter.

The next day, Amajiki responded to the boy's letter. His mind attempted to compose a worthy letter for his classmate. That left him wondering, 'Where did he learn to write so beautifully?' The words were in cursive: a writing that not many students knew now. Luckily, Tamaki knew how to write in cursive. At least he won't look like an utter fool when his classmate reads his letter. His eyes glanced over his work, scanning for any errors or misinterpretations.

Haru,

Your letter was beautiful. It nearly took my breath away. What caused you to write something that amazing just for me? I appreciate your words, but I don't fully understand why you wrote them. I do have a proposition for you, if you're up to it. If you truly meant what you said, I may consider talking to you. Although, I'm not completely sure a relationship between us would work. I'm not sure if I'm attracted to men, but your letter did make my heart flutter.

With love, Amajiki

He stood up from his desk in English class, walked over to Haru, and placed the letter in front of him. The black-haired boy gazed at him, his eyes wavering. Then, he slowly opened the paper, revealing a display of cursive. His eyes read the words with such care and hopefulness. Amajiki was still standing at his desk, unable to think. He didn't know if those were the right things to say, or if the letter was any good at all.

"A-Amajiki..."

"Yes?"

"This is...beautiful. I'm sorry if you think I'm weird now."

"Why would I think that?"

Haru nervously shifted in his chair, his eyes fixed on Amajiki's letter.

"Well...because I'm..."

"Gay? I don't see a problem with it," Tamaki looked over at a couple of the girls sitting in the corner of the room. His heart clenched at the sight of them. "I honestly have no understanding of my sexuality right now, so I'm open to being with you."

The boy looked up at him, his green irises glimmering in the morning sunlight. Tamaki thought they were gorgeous. He loved how the green blended with the slightest trace of blue within his eyes.

"You...you would actually consider being with me?" He questioned.

"Mhm. I've been trying to figure everything out about me, especially who I'm attracted to. I've always been drawn to guys more than girls, but I thought it was just because I have a brother, so I'm used to being around guys. I don't think that's the case anymore, though."

"You mean...you're...you like guys? But you said you weren't attracted to men in your letter."

"Oh, sorry. I tried to word it differently, but I couldn't seem to find the right way to explain it."

"I... I understand. It's fine."

"Ok."

"Oh, um...my full name is Haru Oiwai."

"Spring celebration?" Tamaki asked as he translated Haru's name.

"Yeah..." He said while he scratched the back of his neck.

"It's pretty, I like it."

"Well, I think your name is beautiful."

Amajiki blushed lightly at his new lover's comment. His mind was racing. Was this a good idea? Would it even last?

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The next couple weeks involved an abnormal amount of questions involving Tamaki and Haru. Everyone wanted to know if they were together. They'd even been asked about their sex life, to which, Haru told them to screw off and leave them alone. You know the saying, 'words travel fast'? Yeah, it sure is the truth. By the time spring break rolled around, everyone in the school knew about the couple. Most were really accepting, but others degraded them for being with the same gender.

Every time Tamaki would get teased for it, Haru would come to his rescue. He would defend him and tell him not to listen to them because they "didn't know what they were talking about." Amajiki never planned on listening to those jerks, it just bothered him. He couldn't get why some people despised homosexuality. It's not their life, they have no right to control someone else's actions and choices of love.

The day before spring break, the two boys were sitting under Tamaki's favorite cherry blossom tree. They were talking about everything from the clouds to Haru's grandma's cooking. Haru kept insisting that he was a good cook, and Amajiki wasn't believing it.

"I'm serious, Tama. I'm a really awesome chef."

"Mhm, sure. You probably burn toast."

"I do not! Don't make me tickle you!"

"Is that a threat?"

"Yes! Now, stop being a meanie."

Amajiki giggled at his boyfriend's childish response.

"Ok, ok. I'll stop."

"Hmph...meanie."

"Yeah, I know. At least I'm not as mean as Mrs. Nikushimi."

"Ugh, don't get me started with her. She's the devil. Her name literally means hatred. That's some scary stuff." Haru visibly shivered as he said her name.

"You're so melodramatic."

The young couple was silent for a few minutes. They sat there, enveloped in their own world, watching the clouds drift and reshape.

Hi! I've posted 2 chapters in one day?! Wow. I hope you guys like this one. I know it's a boring past story, but it's really important! I promise.