Chapter Text
Kiyotaka Ishimaru and Mondo Oowada were best friends. No, they were more than that. They were bros, and they would only ever be bros, right?
Well, in the case of Mondo Oowada, things weren't so simple.
He knew he was gay long before meeting Taka, but he didn't wanna admit it before. But he was in a situation now that he had to face that part of himself that he'd repressed for so long. All because of Kiyotaka fucking Ishimaru, who he'd despised up until two weeks ago. Kiyotaka fucking Ishimaru, the goddamn fucking rule abiding hall monitor. And Mondo, the leader of an infamous motorcycle gang, been to jail multiple times, brother killer Oowada, was in love with his best bro.
What a fucking joke.
As if Taka could ever feel anything remotely close to what Mondo felt for him.
Mondo smacked his hands to his face and yelled out. "RaaAAGGHH! THIS IS SUCH FUCKING BULLSHIT!" He sat up in his bed, running his hands through his hair. He grabbed his phone and hissed as the bright light momentarily blinded him. He opened his eyes again and read the time. 12:05 AM. He's been trying to sleep for two hours now, but he couldn't because of that goddamn cute ass hall monitor! How fucking ironic.
He went through his contacts and dialed up one of his best friends because he knew he'd be awake at this time. And sure enough, he was right.
"What the fuck are you calling me so late for?" Mondo noted that Leon sounded tired, but he didn't really care right now. He had to rant to someone or this fucking torture would never end!
But he found it was much harder than he thought to express his feelings to someone else. Especially since these feelings are so new. What if he was just making this up? What if he really didn't like Taka like that? What if something happens? What if Leon judges him?
If Daiya were here, he'd tell Mondo to grow some balls and just do it.
But he was always the charismatic one, not Mondo, so he could do whatever he wanted and still get girls.
"Dude?" Leon sounded more concerned, and he heard shuffling as if he was sitting up in his bed now. "You alright man?"
"I... I think I got a crush."
"... That's all you called me for?"
"I-it's not that simple!"
"Oh shit, you stuttered." Leon laughed. "You must got it bad for whoever it is."
"Sh-shut up ya fucking asshole!"
"Okay, okay, chill out. I was just messing around." Leon paused before continuing. "Who is it?"
That. Now that's the hard part.
"... Promise ya won't judge me?"
"Dude, I dated Junko. I have no fucking right to judge you for anything."
Mondo laughed a little bit. "Ya make a fair point." The biker took a deep breath in and exhaled loudly out from his mouth. "It's... It's Taka. I... I like Taka." It felt surprisingly relieving to admit that out loud to someone. Like a weight was lifted off his chest.
Leon didn't reply at first, and Mondo started to get worried. He felt his heart rate spike, and his throat started to close up and tears formed in his eyes. Don't cry, don't cry! Be a man for God's sake!
Fuck, fuck, fuck, hang up. Hang up right now.
"Shit, fuck, 'm sorry. 'M sorry, I'll go now-"
"What? No dude!"
Mondo gripped his phone a little harder and scratched his collarbone anxiously, but he didn't say anything, and he didn't hang up.
"I was just shocked is all. Dude it's okay. It's okay that you like him, I don't mind at all. Fuck man, I'm bi."
Mondo recognized that term from when he once, in a frenzied panic, took hundreds upon thousands of "Am I Gay?" quizzes online and read hundreds upon thousands of articles and comment threads about the LGBTQ+ community. He knew quite a few terms as well as some more obscure ones like aromantic and polysexual, but he was most familiar with terms like homosexual and bisexual because he struggled with whether or not he was either of those for the longest time.
And now his best friend of two years just admitted that he was bisexual.
"Why the fuck didn't you tell me about this?!" He barked, and for once he was thankful that he was the only one in the house.
"You never asked!" Leon exclaimed.
"Shit, how'd you find out?"
"I've had some thoughts about guy friends before. Man, all the way back in elementary school I knew! What about you? Is this your first time crushing on a guy friend before?"
"No." Mondo admitted shamefully, rubbing the back of his neck. "I had a crush on one o' my gang members before, but I see 'im as more of an older brother now. 'N I've looked at other guys before, but I wouldn't say I had crushes on any o' 'em. I kinda always knew, just. Never admitted it until now, I guess."
"Well, whaddya wanna do about it now?"
"Fuck, I dunno, ignore it? Taka ain't gonna fall in love with someone like me, so 'm not even gonna bother tryin'."
"Hey! You listen here! You're fucking great, and you're one of my best friends! Give yourself more credit, dude! Who says Taka isn't in love with you already? Maybe he's repressing his feelings too, like you! He'd say some dorky shit about never giving up on something you really want. And don't you really want him?"
"I-I do! But it's not that easy!"
"Here, look, I'll be your wingman! Alright? I'll hype you up and tell him about all the things I like about you!" Mondo thought about it for a moment while Leon awaited his response. "No homo, by the way." The baseball star added quickly.
"I dunno if I'll regret this or not, but I guess I accept yer offer."
"Hell yeah! Don't worry dude, I won't disappoint!"
"Ya better not or I'll get my entire gang on yer ass, and this is a threat and a promise!"
Leon laughed. "Shit, then I better do my fucking best! Don't worry dude, I've played the role of the wingman a bunch of times before! I'm experienced."
Mondo let a small smile break on his face, and he laid back down. Now that he got all of that off his chest, he was fucking exhausted. He let out a soft sigh and felt a warmness in his chest he couldn't quite describe.
"Thanks man. I'm countin' on ya."
Mondo wouldn't know about the genuine smile that graced Leon's lips at the biker's words.
"No problem dude. I'm gonna head to bed now, see ya tomorrow?"
"'Course man, night."
"Goodnight."
Mondo fell asleep almost immediately after that and no dreams plagued his mind. He was only woken up by the smell of food cooking and the light from the rising sun matching up directly with his eyes and, upon opening them, was promptly blinded.
"Fuck!" He yelled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes as if it'd make them feel better. "Why does this always fuckin' happen to me!"
"Quit yellin'! Or I'll spit in yer rice!"
"Ah, shuddup!" Mondo ran a hand through his hair before getting out of bed and trudging down the hallway and into the kitchen. He saw his best friend and bodyguard, Takemichi, cooking breakfast like he always had since Daiya's death. Mondo grumbled a bunch of nonsense and yawned.
"Nice to see ya so energized this morning." Takemichi joked casually.
Mondo watched him cook for a few minutes before yawning again. "I'm not a kid anymore, ya know? Ya don't gotta take care o' me."
"'Course I do, ya won't eat if I don't."
"I'll eat!"
"Yeah, microwaved ramen."
"Shut up!" Mondo took a seat at the table and laid his head down.
Takemichi side-eyed him with a quirked brow but didn't say anything and just went back to cooking. Mondo started drifting off to sleep as the blonde finished up breakfast and set it on the table. He sat at the opposite end of the table, and Mondo lifted his head up slowly and started eating. His eyes felt so heavy.
"So, what's up?"
"Huh? Whaddya mean by that?" Mondo shoveled rice in his face so he could maybe avoid any questions that Takemichi might ask. It did not work.
"Yer actin' funny. What time did you go to sleep at?"
"None o' yer business."
"I'll pry the truth outta ya if I hafta."
Mondo just rolled his eyes and started on the next dish, which happened to be Taka's favorite breakfast meal.
Fuck, why does he know that?
His face reddened, and he looked away from Takemichi as he started downing the miso soup like he was drinking water.
"Mondo-"
"I had a gay awakening okay!" Mondo shouted, slamming the bowl down and wiping his mouth of the remnants. "I realized I'm gay for my fuckin' best bro, and I dunno what to fuckin' do about it! Alright? There! I said it!"
Takemichi was stunned into silence, and Mondo immediately started regretting everything he just said. He wanted to crawl into a hole and stay there for eternity. Now Takemichi knew, and he didn't look happy.
"Man, are ya serious? That's it?"
"Why does everybody react like that?!" Mondo screamed, throwing his hands up dramatically and letting his head fall back.
"'Cause that's nothin' to be ashamed of. Who is he?"
Mondo hid his face with his hands, making weird noises out of frustration.
"S'it someone in the gang?"
Mondo shook his head.
"Someone in your school?"
Mondo nodded.
"Someone in your class?"
Mondo nodded again.
"Is it Leon?"
Mondo shook his head.
"Is it Chihiro?"
Mondo shook his head again.
"Shit, who the fuck else are ya hidin' then? Who's yer other best friend that I don't know about?" Takemichi sounded genuinely offended, and Mondo didn't blame him. He tells him everything, mostly.
"Yer gonna laugh at me."
"No 'm not."
"Promise?"
"I promise on the gang's pride."
"Fuck, ya better not laugh then!"
"I won't!"
Mondo took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself for the worst. Takemichi was a bad boy biker like himself, so he'll understand why this attraction is so fucking! Weird! And not right.
"D'ya know Kiyotaka Ishimaru?"
Takemichi quirked a brow. "He's the Ultimate Moral Compass, yeah? What does that nerd have anything to do with this?"
Mondo was offended that he'd call his bro nerd. Like, yeah he was one, but only he could call him that! No one else! ""Cause I got feelings for that nerd, asshole."
Takemichi's eyes widened, and his lips curved upwards into a smile, which he quickly covered with a hand. He closed his eyes and turned away as as few snickers escaped him, and Mondo felt his anger start brewing.
"Ay fuckhead! Ya said ya wouldn't laugh!"
"Oh my God!" Takemichi couldn't hold it in anymore as a burst of laughter came out of him. He held his stomach and keeled over. "Fuck man! Nothin' coulda prepared me for that! I can't believe ya like that fuckin' nerd!"
"ME NEITHER! BUT HERE WE FUCKIN' ARE!" Mondo buried his face in his hands, grumbling swears to himself while Takemichi kept laughing.
Mondo watched through parted fingers as Takemichi laughed. At him. He should've expected this, but goddamn did it make him feel horrible. Eventually, the blonde did stop laughing, but by the end of it, he was wiping tears from his eyes, which just made Mondo feel even worse.
"Jeez, man. Fuck. I haven't laughed that hard in a while."
"Thanks fer makin' me feel worse 'bout this whole fuckin' thing!" Mondo snarled, just barely holding back from punching this fucker in the face.
Takemichi suddenly got very serious. "Oh shit, 'm sorry." Mondo just glared. "I don't mean anythin' bad by it, I was just surprised, ya know? Didn't think ya'd be into guys like that."
"Fuck ya mean by 'guys like that'? Whaddya tryna say?" Mondo clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned paler.
"Didn't think ya'd be inta nerds! Thought you'd be inta guys more like our speed. But I guess I can't really judge ya."
"Fuck ya mean by that? Who the fuck are ya into?" Mondo knew he was being harsh, and he really wanted to calm down, but he just couldn't! Takemichi fucking laughed after promising not to, and he keeps calling his bro a nerd! If this were anyone else, Mondo would have punched their lights out already!
"No one. 'M aro ace."
"Oh shit really? That's awesome!" Mondo grinned but suddenly became angry again. "Why the fuck didn't I know this?! I've known ya for forever! Who the fuck else of my friends is queer 'n I don't know?!"
"Ya know what that means?" Takemichi tilted his head a little, furrowing his brows in confusion.
"O' 'course! It means yer not attracted to any gender romantically or sexually. I've done my research man!"
Takemichi's eyes suddenly lit up and a big grin spread on his face. "Wow, I always hadta explain what it meant, but it's cool that I don't hafta this time. S'nice."
"'Course dude! 'M here for ya!" Mondo banged on the table for seemingly no reason at all. He just had so much energy to support his friend, but he didn't know how to show it! It was infuriating! "'N if anyone's got anythin' to say about it, I'll fuck 'em up!"
Takemichi's grin grew wider, and he looked away, hiding his smile with his hand. "Eat up, before yer food gets cold."
"Oh right, shit."