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Chapter 17: Explanations and Invitations

I could feel the nerves rolling off Kazuki but I was too pissed to react rationally.

"Start explaining, Kazuki!"

Kazuki raised his hands in a show of surrender and started speaking rapidly, "I was getting changed and I accidently stubbed my toe. I was trying to get my balance back and when I landed on your bed, my hand fell onto your keyboard! I swear, I didn't mean to pry!"

I breathed in deeply before asking my next question, "What did you hear?"

Kazuki shook his head in denial, "Nothing, I swear!"

I looked at the laptop's screen, Yuki had started singing by now.

"Liar." I said simply, my eyes remaining on the Yuki on the screen to remind me who I was doing this for.

Kazuki stayed silent for a bit longer before he said his next words in a whisper, "I won't say anything."

I snorted and looked down at him with a cold smile, "Anything about what?"

"About the video."

"What about it? It's just what it is. A simple, harmless, stupid video."

"From your nezumi." Kazuki stated softly and my hands clenched into fists.

"Sorry?"

Kazuki's eyes dropped to the floor, "I'm not an idiot, Kyo. I've walked in on too many conversations where you addressed the person on the other end as 'nezumi'. Judging by your cold reaction now I'd say my guess was right and that you're 'neko' to the same person... but I always assumed it was Mimi-chan. You were cheating on your ex-girlfriend with her brother and Kagura-chan?"

"I didn't cheat on anybody!"

Kazuki turned confused eyes on me, "I don't understand... they sai-"

"The rumours are bullshit." I groaned and dragged a hand through my hair in frustration. This could not be happening, not to me. Not now.

"I don't understand."

"It was never supposed to get this out of hand, dammit!"

"What was never supposed to get out of hand?"

I glared at Kazuki, "If you ever tell anyone what I'm about to tell you... anyone at all. I'll cut your balls off and sew them to your head. Understand?"

Kazuki paled, and I felt mildly guilty for threatening him, and nodded his head.

I sighed and walked over to his bed, sitting down on the edge of it so that Kazuki and I were facing each other.

"I was never going out with Mimi. From the start she was covering for me and Yuki."

"So, all those times on the phone you were talking to the Pres?"

I lowered my gaze to the floor and nodded as a brief silence filled the room before Kazuki spoke up again, "So the Pres is gay, huh?"

"What? You got a problem with it?" I yelled at Kazuki.

"No! I'm just getting my facts straight, well not straight, I'm not implying anything, I didn't say it cause you're ga- I'm going to shut up now." Kazuki was silent for a few more moments before he couldn't control himself and asked another question, "What about Kagura-chan?"

I tensed at the mention of her name, not willing to sabotage everything I had done for Yuki by telling Kazuki the truth, "Nothing. It wasn't working out between me and Yuki so I left him for her."

Kazuki's eyebrows furrowed, "Then why were you watching a video of him?"

"I found it... I never knew what it was until it started playing."

Kazuki nodded and I could sense mischief in his eyes, "Right. But you watched it right to the end, am I wrong?"

"So what?"

"Oh, nothing. When did you decide that you liked Kagura-chan instead?"

"A few days ago. She called me and when we met up I realised that I liked her much more." I said, almost grinding my teeth as the lies continued to flow out of my mouth.

"What did you guys do?"

"Nothing much, just talked. She messaged for me to come to this place when I was at Yuki's house... he was helping me do my homework." I said, unknowingly smiling, and laughed slightly as I said the next part, "He said he would 'reward' me if I finished it all."

"Kyo, it seems to me like you're not really over the Pres."

My smile fell and I shook my head, "No, there's nothing that can be done now. I have to stay away from him."

"Did something else happen?"

I shook my head immediately in response, "No, nothing. Why would there be anything else?"

"Do you always get this jittery when you're trying to cover up something?"

I stood up, terrified that Kazuki may find out what was really going out. "I'm going to head to dinner. You coming?"

Just as I reached the room's door Kazuki spoke up again, "Did it have something to do with Kagura-chan?"

My hand froze over the door's handle. My jaw clenched and I turned around to see Kazuki staring at me with wide-eyes.

"Something weird happened to me about 2 weeks ago. She came up to me after school one day asking question after question about you and Mimi-chan... I thought she was just being curious because she felt jealous about your relationship. What happened?"

"Nothing happened."

Kazuki shook his head and I could practically see his brain putting together all the pieces and then the sound I was dreading escaped his lips. He gasped.

"She... she found out, didn't she?"

"Sorry?" I asked, playing the I-never-heard-you card.

Kazuki nodded to himself as he looked at me with sad eyes, "I'm right, she found out."

I snorted but couldn't find the words to deny Kazuki's accusations.

"It makes sense. It all makes sense now," Kazuki started muttering to himself whilst still looking straight at me, "You never showed a liking to her at all, you even get a sneer on your face when you start talking about her. But him, the moment you say his name your eyes light up like you just won some sort of prize. Even just now, I've hardly ever seen you smile but talk about him and homework, out of all disgustingly boring things, and you make it sound like it was fun. What on earth happened? I'm sure it's not just some case of 'I liked her more' like you say it is. It's all a bit too sudden for it to be just a coincidence."

"Drop it. Just drop it, Kazuki. It's over."

"Did he dump you after Kagura-chan found out about you guys? Couldn't he handle the pressure of everyone finding out about your relationship with each other?"

"No, he doesn't even know that Kagura knows."

Kazuki shook his head in confusion, "What do you mean he doesn't know?"

"I broke up with him before he got a chance to find out." I said with what I hoped was a casual shrug.

"So you were protecting him?"

My eyes widened, "W-what?" I sputtered, "What could I have been protecting him against?" I said with a shaky laugh.

"Well, weren't you? Protecting him, that is. From finding out and stuff."

I finally realised what Kazuki meant and nodded rapidly, "Ya! Ya, that. I was protecting him from finding out. That's it."

Kazuki let out a laugh, "Kyo, I swear that you're acting as if you're hiding something."

"I'm not hiding anything. Come on, we're going to be late for supper." I laughed shakily and then remembered what our neighbour had told me to tell Kazuki and decided it would be perfect to distract Kazuki with, "Oh yes, Fujiwara wanted me to remind you to send him that email you promised. The one with all those jokes."

Kazuki stood from the bed nodding before his face turned bemused and he started frowning, "Email... Is Kagura-chan blackmailing you?"

My mind froze at the words and I watched as Kazuki's eyes widened with realisation. Fuck.

"She is, isn't she?"

My mind searched over and over for the perfect lie to tell Kazuki but before I knew it I was saying something entirely different. "Don't tell him."

Kazuki gasped for the second time that night, "Oh my gosh. Well, what does she have on you? Was it because of something I said?"

My jaw clenched but I couldn't think of anymore lies to tell him so I settled for the truth.

"She caught Yuki and me kissing. She took photos and said that if I didn't start going out with her then she'd spread them around the school."

"Then, why don't you let her? I mean the girl may be hot, she may not be my type but I can tell you that much, but I've heard she can drive a man nuts."

I snorted, "What an understatement."

Kazuki sunk back down onto my bed and shook his head, "So she's actually a conniving little bitch like all the girls say she is?"

I sighed and nodded.

"You still haven't answered my other question?"

"What question?"

"Why don't you just let her send the pictures? I mean... from what I can tell, you like him and if that birthday video is anything to judge by, he likes you just as much, so why should it matter?"

"It matters. When we just started going out, Yuki said that he wanted to keep our relationship a secret from other people besides friends and family. He's not ready to come out to the entire school just yet."

"And you? Have you always known?"

I shook my head with a small smile, "I've tried but I just don't find other guys attractive. Yuki's the only one."

"So you're doing it for him?"

I shrugged, "He's worth it."

"How did he take it when you broke up with him?"

"I couldn't."

"What? You're two-timing him? I think he deserves more than that, Kyo."

"No, you idiot! I couldn't. I wasn't allowed to. Kagura... She wanted him to just be left high and dry. He confronted me the next day, he never thought anything was wrong, and then when I said I couldn't do it anymore, couldn't carry on with the relationship... well let's just say that he basically told me to get lost."

"This shit is so messed up."

"Please don't tell anyone."

"But Ky-"

"No buts, Kazuki! Yuki's been the best thing to happen to me since forever. I told myself I'd never let him get hurt, I can't let this get out."

Kazuki looked at me sadly, "If he likes you as much as I think he does then the thing that's probably hurting him the most right now is the fact that you're not with him anymore."

I looked at Kazuki weirdly, "When did you become this cool about stuff like this?"

"Who needs school when TV can teach you instead?"

I laughed and held my hand out to him, "Thanks."

Kazuki smiled, his hand shaking mine briefly before he used it to pull himself off the bed. "No problem, roomie."

I tapped my foot nervously and looked down at my watch probably for the 16th time in the past 2 minutes. The school halls were silent, majority of the school having either left for home or involved in some form of after-school activity. I watched from the top of the stairs, the members of the Student Council filing out of the classroom like a hoard of sheep, remaining unseen from my spot. It was the usual spot I would wait for Yuki at when I would walk him home on Friday afternoons.

I listened carefully to Yuki's voice as he told the Vice-President that he was allowed to leave. There was a loud 'Whoop!' from the classroom and I waited a few minutes longer for the Vice-President's energetic farewell before I made my way casually down the stairs.

I walked into the room to see Yuki massaging his temples, his eyes shut tight and his breathing deep and slow.

I resisted the urge to walk up and massage those shoulders, which I knew from experience were probably tense with stress, and opted for leaning against the door instead.

I watched Yuki for a few seconds longer before speaking softly, "Tough day?"

Yuki's head snapped up and I made eye-contact with shocked violet orbs. A few moments passed before Yuki visibly relaxed and he leaned back his chair, his arms folding over in front of his chest. "Same old, same old."

I smiled softly before looking to the ground as the silence become more and more awkward. It was never this way between us, I sadly reminded myself.

"How have you been doing?" I asked hesitantly and I felt Yuki's eyes bore into me.

He breathed out lowly before replying, "I've been better..." There were a few moments of silence before Yuki spoke up again, "Where's your girlfriend? I've heard she keeps you on a tight leash. People haven't seen you apart over these past 3 days."

I bit my lip softly, willing the truth not to come out, before responding, "I convinced her to go home early... on the condition that I'd go out on a date with her tomorrow morning."

I watched as Yuki's jaw clenched, "Why are you here, Kyo?" He asked me softly.

"I found something." I started lamely.

"I may be the President but I don't deal with lost and found." Yuki stated sarcastically. He carried on speaking as he stood up from his seat and started gathering and ordering the copious amounts of paper lying on the desk in front of him into various organised piles. "You're welcome to leave it here and one of the younger years will place it in the appropriate box should anyone come to collect it."

I felt a bit offended at his dismissive attitude, so I picked the CD from my pocket and walked over to him shoving the CD on his chest. I removed my hand and stepped back, Yuki catching the CD just before it had the chance to fall to the ground. Yuki's eyes widened once again before he looked up at me in obvious shock mixed with a little vulnerability.

His eyes left mine once again and he lifted the CD with unexpected care, bringing it to his chest as if it were something incredibly precious to him.

"Where did you find this?" Yuki asked softly and I suddenly became overwhelmed with guilt at having watched something that seemed so private to him regardless of it having been addressed to me.

"I bumped into the cupboard behind the door when I went to fetch my hoodie yesterday."

Yuki blushed when he asked his next question, "Did you watch it?"

"I did."

I noticed Yuki's hands shaking slightly as he placed the CD into his bag carefully and faced me.

"Sorry, I probably sounded awful."

I snorted, "Yeah, right. You know I love it when you sing for me."

You know I love it when you sing for me.

The words rang through my head over and over as Kyo and I both seemed to freeze at what had just been said, a blush overtaking my cheeks.

"You no longer have the right to say things like that to me." I whispered. It was a miracle that Kyo actually seemed to hear me.

"Why? Because we're not a couple anymore?"

I shook my head, "No..." I breathed in deeply, attempting to calm my nerves as I carried on, keeping eye-contact with him, "Because you broke my heart and I can't hope that things will change anytime soon. If you say nice things to me, I'm just going to misunderstand and allow myself to forgive you for hurting me like every fibre of my being is screaming at me to do just by having you so close to me... but my mind knows that you're going to have to try so much harder if you ever decide to come back to me again."

Kyo's face softened and he frowned a little, "Nezu..."

My breath hitched at the familiar nickname, "Don't call me that." I practically begged as I felt a hand at my waist, my body being slowly pulled towards Kyo's as if he were allowing me the opportunity to walk away but how could I do that when I could feel Kyo's warmth seeping through my clothes, his breath like fire dancing across my ice cold skin melting my resistance away second after second.

"Nezumi." He said once again, his other hand at the side of my neck, his fingers loosely in my hair. His thumb stroked the side of my cheek and the next thing I knew Kyo's lips were on mine, soft and sweet.

It was nothing like the sudden first kiss or all the passionate kisses we shared before. Kyo's mouth moved languidly over mine and I couldn't help but kiss back, moaning at the feel of Kyo's tongue sliding across my lower lip.

We both pulled away when the need for air became urgent and I watched as Kyo's eyes filled with what seemed like the beginning of tears. "The one thing I swore I would never do was allow you to get hurt."

I felt my eyes cloud as well at Kyo's words, "But you did. I'll never understand why you did it... was it me?"

"No! It could never be you. It's just Kagura..." I watched as Kyo practically growled her name, "she's-" Kyo clenched his mouth shut and shook his head before he looked at me again, a sense of control in his aura that didn't seem to be there before. "I'm sorry... I have to go."

Kyo pulled away from me and I felt the cold of Kyo's absence stick to my being. Just as he was about to step out into the hallway I called out to him.

"Kyo, wait!"

Kyo paused at the door, his back still turned, with one arm pressing against the wall.

A faint whisper carried its way to my ears and I froze, not willing to believe it and probably not supposed to have heard it either.

"You're the reason I do everything that I do."

I watched Kyo leave, a single warm tear making its way down my left cheek.

"Fuck!"

I punched the wall next to my room door, welcoming the pain that seared through my fist.

I heard the door open and Kazuki's head came peeping out a few minutes later. "Kyo-kun? What was that sound?"

I walked to the door, brushing past him, and into the room, laying on my bed and placing one of my arms over my eyes.

I heard the front door close and a while later I heard Kazuki sit on his bed.

"What happened?"

"It's nothing, leave me the fuck alone!" I yelled and almost instantly regretted it.

There was a brief pause before Kazuki continued, "I know that I seem like a very loud and energetic guy and possibly not the first person you'd chose to confide in but, I'm gonna try my best to be there for you because if the situation were reversed I'd be happy to have at least one person that I could talk to instead of having no one at all."

I continued to lie on my bed while Kazuki probably waited for any sort of response from me. What seemed like minutes later, I heard Kazuki sigh and the squeaks from his bed told me that he'd stood up.

I let out a shaky breath, "I kissed Yuki."

I removed my arm from my eyes just in time to see Kazuki sit down at the end of my bed, his legs folded beneath him with him facing in my direction.

I mirrored his position before continuing to speak. "I returned the CD to him and one thing led to another and I just... I couldn't help myself."

"So what does this mean? Are you going to tell him about Kagura-chan?"

I thought about it for a second before shaking my head, "It will break him if everyone found out. Not everyone's as accepting as you."

"Why do you think you need to protect him?"

"Don't I?" I asked suddenly, meeting Kazuki's eyes.

"Honestly speaking he could probably kick all of their asses if he wanted to."

I laughed, picturing Yuki with all of his black belts. "I'm sure he could."

"Then why have you taken it upon yourself?"

I sighed, "I'm selfish."

"What?"

"If people find out that he's gay they're quickly going to put the pieces together and find me there right next to him..."

"And you don't want to come out either?"

"No, it's not that. I'm not good enough for him. His whole reputation will go down the drain, everything he's worked for. I don't want to be the reason as to why he loses everyone's adoration."

"If he's worked so hard for it why should something like his sexuality change anything? He's earned the respect that people give him. You should give the people of this school more credit, Kyo. Some of us are not that bad."

I smiled softly at the grin on Kazuki's face before it faded and I asked Kazuki the question I didn't fully want to admit even to myself, "What if someone takes him away from me? If he could have anyone in this damn school, why would he give me a second look."

"If I were gay I would totally go for yo—Hey! What's up with that disgusted look on your face!"

"Gross." I said simply.

"Don't be hating on your ally, dude!"

"Pfft, ally?"

"Well what else would you call me?" Kazuki said proudly and seemed to disregard my 'loser' comment as he continued talking with excitement. "Let's get out this weekend, dude!"

I groaned and flopped onto my back with my legs still crossed, "Where could we possibly fucking go?"

"I think I could come up with a few fun ideas."

"That's it, we're going out tonight!"

"Nooo, leave me alone. I just want to sleep!"

"That's all you do lately! Eat and sleep! Oh wait, let me not forget about the occasional toilet break. Come on, it'll be fun!"

"I doubt it would be fun."

I heard Mimi gasp, "Here I am, your adorable, little sister, willing to go to a gay club with you tonight and you're refusing my offer?"

I sat up slowly and gave Mimi a questioning look, "A gay club?"

"Well, not really. More like gay night at a club."

"You want to take me to a club to meet other guys?" I asked her slowly, making sure to understand her fully, I had just woken up it would be perfectly understandable if I had misheard her. It had happened before.

"Is it a crime for me to want you to be able to dance against a guy if you want without the fear of getting beating up for doing so?"

"I don't know."

"You know, you came home in silence yesterday afternoon and then immediately went into your room and hogged the phone to speak for hours with Aki and then you were like a hermit just hiding out in your room all night last night and you've barely come out of it all day today so come on, Yuki-nii!"

"Just let me think about it some more..."

"Which in Yuki-nii's language means you're not even gonna give it another thought!"

"Well why would I even wa-"

"Sou's coming."

I smiled, "He is? What about Seiji and Aki?"

"Totally coming, they were even the first to confirm."

"Confirm? Who else did you invite?"

"No one really... Just the band, Aya-nii and Ha'ri-nii are coming too and Haru."

"And they've all confirmed? Even Haru?"

"Obviously."

"Then count me in!"

"Do I mean nothing to you? To think I had to use Sou and Haru's names to get you to come with. Disgrace."

I jumped out of bed and wrapped my arms around Mimi, showering her with kisses.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best sister ever!"

"I'm your only sister."

I gasped in fake horror, "You're not even gonna acknowledge Aya-nee! Shame on you!"

Mimi burst into a fake laughter and shrugged me off of her, "You're hilarious in the mornings, has anyone ever told you that?" She asked me, a fake smile plastered on her face.

Pulling my tongue out at her I responded with my own sarcastic remark, "I hear it from your boyfriend every morning when he wakes up in my bed."

"Wow, that would almost be funny if I actually had a boyfriend."

I snorted, "I couldn't think of anything else. I guess I'm not a natural born bitch like you."

Mimi snorted and pushed me so hard that I fell onto my bed, "Don't forget about tonight, Hermit." She reminded me as she made her way out of my room, leaving the door wide open.

"Whatever, biatch." I responded, immediately climbing under the covers of my comfy and warm duvet so I could nap before I had to get ready for tonight.

Sorry it took me so long! I was going to write more but I wanted to keep the rest for the next chapter.

Review to let me know what you think, please! (If only I could get 100 reviews before I upload the next chapter... *gives you a pleading look* - I just need one more!)