'Totally a Bromance' (Markedshipping)

Chapter 6: 'Truth Exposed'

Yusei and Crow held hands as they walked around the city, under the golden sky of sunset. They were chatting and laughing as they perused the streets, and as they passed the café their happy time was interrupted by a grumpy blonde.

"Oi, Yusei!" Jack grunted, spitting at the pair.
Crow leapt from Yusei's grasp - they hadn't realised it, but in their jolly talk Yusei had slid his hand over Crow's back, entirely platonic.
"Jack?" Yusei replied, leaning against the café table. 
"So, I did the job. Now you owe me. All day tomorrow, work on my bike."
Yusei inhaled, knowing this was Jack's enquiry. But Crow would not allow this.
"Goddamn it ,Jack, you do one day of work and expect the world to applaud you? You're such a dick!" Crow slammed his fists on the table, gritting his teeth at the blonde.
"We had a deal, birdbrain. Oh and, here is a fifth of my earnings for your food or whatever."
"A-a fifth?!" 
"Yeah, I barely got paid anything... Barely enough for clothes and coffee, I'm not giving more than that."
Crow's eye twitched, teeth grinding, and a vein popped in his head. Yusei could tell he was on the verge of exploding, and intruded.
"Crow, it's OK, we made a deal and honestly it was good to just get out for a day with you, Crow. I loved it."
The redhead trembled, feeling himself flush with Yusei's words. Yusei did not notice Crow's clear reaction, and continued to tease his partner.
"I'm serious, I think I've bonded with you more, Crow. To be alone with you, relaxing in our City, it was dear to me. And you're dear to me - it feels good to finally admit these feelings, Crow."
His partner was now fully crimson in the face, trembling and swooning. Unconsciously, Crow put his hands close to Yusei's, and they entwined. 

"Y-Yusei..." Crow lost himself in Yusei's words. They held hands tightly, and Yusei used his other hand to slide across Crow's cheek. A tall blonde, blinking in what seemed like the distance, watched through a squint. 
"I love you, Yusei..." 
"Crow, I love you too." 
Without thinking, lost in the heat and passion of the moment, Yusei pulled Crow's face to a slight tilt, leaning in, and kissing his lips.
The blonde, eyes now wide and mouth agape, kept his silence. 

It was Crow who first realised the situation, and first remembered who was sitting only inches away from the pair. It was Crow who tugged Yusei's collar, pulling him off of his own lips, and it was Crow who tilted his head to indicate at the frozen Jack.
It was Yusei who first spoke.

"I.... Uh... J-Jack?"
Silence.
"We, we just..."
Silence. No response.
"We didn't-" Crow sparked up.
A single blink from the blonde, the flutter of his eyelashes were the only noise.
"We're just... Friends." Crow concluded.
Jack's eyebrow raised, glancing between both of their faces.
He opened his mouth...

"So, you two lied to me."
Now, it was the pair who remained silent.
"Nothing more to say, ey? Totally shocked that I now know you both are a couple, totally shocked I now know your little secret?"
Nothing but breathing from the pair. Slow, shallow, hesitant breathing.
"Will someone FUCKING ANSWER ME?"
Jack's heightened voice sent shivers down Crow's spine, coercing him - no, forcing him - to speak.
"S-sorry! We wanted to keep it hidden-" Crow quickly glanced at Yusei, and corrected himself. "No, I wanted to keep it hidden, because I know you'd think it's weird for us to be... d-dating."
"So you admit it?" Jack bluntly asked.
"Y-yeah, Jack, we are dating." Yusei jumped in, rather hesitant. Crow fiddled with his hands and bit his lip.
"And... You thought I'd think you both weird for it? You thought I wouldn't accept you now?" 
The pair didn't deny it, which Jack tutted at.
"I can't believe this..." He spat.
"Sorry, we know you're mad because it's weird-" Crow shivered, but Jack quickly cut him off, standing up.

"NO! That is not why I'm mad, you dumbass. I'm pissed off because 1) you kept this a secret from me, your best friend who grew up with both of you, and 2) you thought I'd think you both freaks because of it? You really think I'm like that? You really think me that fucking shallow?"

Yusei and Crow could only stare back, frozen under Jack's volume. The silence played the air for a long, long time.

"I see, so the truth is finally exposed, huh?" Jack smirked, crossing his arms.
"The truth? You mean... Me and Yus-" Crow stuttered, but Jack snapped.
"NO! The truth as in... What you guys TRULY think I'm like."

The blonde stormed off, seething to his core, slamming the door as he left. Crow, Yusei, and the stilled air simply waited. Waited for nothing, and waited for everything. Waiting, waiting for something to change. Waiting for things to resolve.