Sex Education

Lesson 11 (what does gay even mean?)

Nagisa's relationship with his parents has been a lot better since he stopped living with them.

Honestly, it's hard for anyone to admit that they might have been the root of their parent's problems. Nagisa doesn't think like that exactly, but he knows a lot of their arguments were centred on the best way to raise him. Without him in the picture... they seem to be getting on just fine. Nagisa's mother started going to therapy, shortly after everything happened, and whilst Nagisa doesn't feel like she's made up for everything she did, he can see that she's a much better person.

She's accepted his life choices now, at least.

That being said, he doesn't spend time with them often. A fact that, sadly, leads to the obligatory family celebrations becoming quite an awkward event. They managed to get through the catch up conversation within the first hour, and now nobody has anything to talk about. Nagisa's not surprised, though. New Years has been like this since he moved out. Maybe he should have just sent a post card.

"So," Nagisa's father sits down comfortably. "We heard about-"

"How long have you had a boyfriend?" His mother cut him off.

Nagisa's immediate reaction is one of shock horror. The last thing he'd ever talk to his parents about is personal relationships, so he has no idea how they would have even come up with it. Not that he's had a personal relationship before. Unfortunately, right then, it all comes back to him. If he knows one thing about the friends his mother has, it's that their favourite activity is to gossip.

"I don't have a boyfriend," Nagisa tries to say calmly.

"I've never hated the gays," his mother basically ignores him. "You've met my gay cousin, haven't you?"

Nagisa's not sure what to say, because he hasn't met his mother's gay cousin. "Uh..."

"You know," she waves her hand, "Takeshi. You must have met him at your aunt's wedding."

Honestly, Nagisa has no idea what she's talking about. His aunt got married when he was six years old. He has no memory of meeting this Takeshi, and even if he did he probably wouldn't have questioned his sexual preferences. That... just isn't the kind of thing any kid thinks about, is it? Regardless of that, he's freaked out by this discussion.

"But I'm not gay," he states.

And then Nagisa reconsiders it, because honestly he hadn't been sad about having Karma's dick in his mouth (or his ass), had he? In fact, he'd whole heartedly enjoyed the experience. That doesn't exactly suggest much heterosexuality. But it's not that Nagisa has ever truly sat around and thought about men. He's pretty sure he would have noticed by now. At the same time, though, he's never really thought about girls too hard either. Maybe a little, but it would be hard not to, being exposed to it all the time when he was younger at least.

Of course, his parents' living room probably isn't the best place to delve into such an intense thought process.

His mother looks confused by that. "Oh. That's a shame. Takewa san seemed pretty certain about it."

Isn't this supposed to go the opposite way?! Isn't she supposed to be crying about not having grandkids or something? Not that Nagisa's complaining about that. He doesn't want to set his mother off. She really has been better recently, but he doesn't want to take any chances. Nor does he feel like explaining his own sexuality confusion.

"A-actually," Nagisa says, "I just happened to be with K-karma that day, and she just assumed." He just really hopes she left out the sex toy part of the story.

"Akabane Karma?" Her face darkens.

Thankfully, his father intercepts. "Hiromi."