Vegas Skies (YuuYoi)

12. Reflection

Yoichi's POV

We walked in silence into the hall, the sounds of boys excitedly cheering growing louder. I could never relate to their excitement towards sport, but luckily neither could Yuu so I wasn't considered too much of an outcast. 

I owe a lot of things to Yuu. For instance, when I first started at this school things weren't easy. Being ridiculed for being quiet and liking stereotypically dorky things had an astonishing impact on what little self esteem I already had. Yuu, despite being well known and liked by many students, was not like everyone else. He wasn't like popular males in books or movies who's actions were influenced by whether or not he would keep his following. He was instead genuine, approaching me with respect and making an actual effort to get to know me. 

He's always encouraged my writing and often offered to proof read stories I had created and give his opinion on them. He helped my through the period in time where I was questioning my sexuality and the list goes on. It was inevitable that over time I was to develop feelings for this boy who came from no-where and befriended me without even thinking about personal gain. I don't say this about much, but I can honestly say from the very bottom of my heart that I love Yuichirou. 

And yet, despite all this, we were still walking in a painful silence, words that should be said remaining unspoken. I shouldn't have snapped at him, he was only trying to help. Unluckily for the both of us, help is not possible any more.

~

I knew as soon as I retorted to my parents's comments when we sat in the car outside of Yuu's place, that I was only digging myself a deeper grave. Even before I came out, if I had answered them back, they, my father especially, would not be able to control their anger and would react in a vicious manner. I never told Yuu about this side of them prior to the incident. 

I stepped out of the car, my mind flowing with possibilities of what was going to happen and my body tense, waiting and preparing for impact. 

"Go in then, it should be unlocked." My father's sharp voice felt as though it could cut me, giving me all the more reason to do as he said. "Tomoe, stay in your room." I walked in, the sight of the sickeningly familiar surroundings causing a nauseating feeling to well up inside of me. Only a few seconds passed before the inevitable happened. The sudden blow from my father's hand caused me to fall to the ground, my own hands clasping the stinging area. 

"Don't be too rough," my mother called, sounding almost as if she cared. "He still has to go to school." 

"True." My father crouched down, taking a clump of my hair into his hands and dragging me to become level with him. "Now listen, Yoichi. This isn't just about you being a queer anymore. You're attitude is becoming disgusting, and quite frankly, I want to slap it out of you. However, I'm not a monster. If you don't want to clash with me anymore, you'll pay attention. You'll stop being a cocky shit and lose this attitude you've developed, as well as stay away from Yuichirou." 

"N-No...no!" I shouted through the tears that were trickling down my flesh. "Please don't take him away from me completely...I need him..."

"What? So you can let him stick his nose where it doesn't belong? So you can cry like a little girl to him? So you can tell him about this little experience?" My heart was beating so fast, it felt as though it would burst right out of my chest.

"I need h-him....Dad....I need him..." 

"He doesn't need you." The larger male released his grip, allowing me to fall to the ground. I curled up into a ball on the cold floor, my entire body shaking and aching. Deep down, I knew it wasn't true, but hearing those words be uttered by someone aloud made part of me believe it. He didn't need me. What benefits did he gain from being friends with me? All I did was vent to him, talk about myself and cry like an infant.  

The weekend went on like this- myself accidentally doing something that was not what my parent's considered 'good' and getting hit, before finding a quiet place to cry. 

Eventually, they knew they had to send me back to school, and I knew I'd have to confront Yuu. Not only did I not want anything to happen to me if I got caught talking to him, but I didn't want them to do anything to Yuu. 

For the most part, I had managed to keep my distance, plastering a smile on my face and getting on with my lessons. I knew when it came to PE, I'd have to be cautious and wait for everyone to leave before changing to avoid arousing suspicions. 

This, of course, did not go as planned.

~

I sat on a bench, the other boys shouting at one another adding ambience to the hall. As predicted, I hadn't been picked to be on anyone's team and was left as a reserve. I didn't mind. 

"Yoichi." The familiar voice snapped me out of my reflection. "Can we talk outside?" 

"Um...we can't just leave, Yuu-kun. We'll get in trouble."

"It's not like we're doing anything. We're just sat here, we'll be fine." The raven haired boy extended his hand, smiling that irresistible warm smile. I ignored his gesture and stood up on my own, walking towards the door.