The past few days at the Academy have been… awkward, so to speak. David noticed every time he'd enter class, Katsuo would glance at his direction but then quickly look away when they made eye contact, followed by a blush forming on his cheeks. When class was dismissed, Katsuo would quickly leave, almost speed walking past David who was still barely getting up from his seat.
The feeling was mutual, although David found himself feeling more anxious in class—leg shaking, constant unnerving feeling in the pit of his stomach. It all went away when he was finally in the safe space of his apartment.
Lying down on his bed, he relaxed… or tried to. It was a complicated feeling; falling for his school classmate who not too long ago beat the shit out of him. Not to mention the disrespectful words Katsuo said about his mother, even going as far as to taunt her death to try and teach a lesson.
A groan bubbled in David's throat, and he tossed to the side, clutching a pillow. It was shameful— these feelings—and he wanted them to stop, but the way he looked at Katsuo after that fight—the way he called him 'baby boy' when confronting him… It made his heart flutter.
Katsuo was strangely attractive in his own way. Yes, he thought the hairstyle was ridiculous—a bowl cut mullet, really?—but he had slowly grown fond of it. It was Night City, after all, and the blueness of it made him stand out from a distance. David briefly wondered if it was organic or synthetic hair.
He couldn't ever recall ever seeing Katsuo outside of his school uniform. The choom probably donned formal wear in his free time, or maybe some modern traditional clothing to represent his culture.
And his voice… It held so much authority and posture, David practically melted whenever he heard Katsuo speak in class.
After their fight, David noticed that Katsuo had backed off and maintained a distance. He didn't bother him anymore—and neither did the other two chooms. It was these small acts of respect that made David cherish his classmate more and more.
Opening up his holocall contacts list, he clicked on Katsuo's profile, but stopped. He hovered around the contact feature, pondering if he should call or text him. Anxiety boiled in his gut, and he eventually decided against it, sighing as he closed the page.
He very much wanted to talk to Katsuo, but he also didn't want to be perceived as desperate. The rich boy hadn't said a word to him in days, which was slowly starting to become a week. There were no signals or hints, and David was now beginning to think Katsuo wasn't interested anymore, which worried him.
The looming anxiety in the pit of his stomach wasn't helping either. The last thing David wanted was for Katsuo to completely ignore and avoid him as if he were a freak.
"…a misfit—an anomaly…" The words were like a shadow, a dark reminder of the things said to him.
David planted his face on his pillow. The past few dreams he's had had been anything but normal—all of them involved Katsuo somehow; David kissing him more intently than that surprise peck and Katsuo kissing him back, holding him; David walking into class and past his seat to where Katsuo was, gently holding his face as their lips met, their AI instructor and classmates oblivious to what was happening; David kneeling on the bathroom floor, working his mouth around Katsuo's length as the other gently guided his head with a hand…
It was these types of dreams that made him feel more awkward and aware of Katsuo's presence in class. David couldn't even look at him directly without his lips contorting into a shy smile on their own, his whole face burning bright red.
Whatever was left of his denial has now dissipated, the whole universe telling him a truth that he could no longer deny: David had a crush on Katsuo. Former bully, current classmate, definitely not future partner. Of all the people Night City has coughed up, David's eyes landed on the one person who had brought him nothing but pain recently.
Katsuo was rich, coming from a wealthy family, with a father who is directly linked to Arasaka. They both lived in the City Center of Night City, he assumed, never having to worry about financial struggles. David was none of that; his mother worked tirelessly to pay their rent and his tuition. And now she was gone, leaving only David, just another street kid from Santo Domingo trying to pass by the best he could.
"…Not your fault you were born on the wrong side of society…"
Tears stung his eyes and his vision became blurry. Too many emotions washed over him simultaneously, and he cursed loudly.
Their relationship was incompatible—he knew that from the start. So why did he like the damn choom so much? His stomach felt warm at the thought of spending time with Katsuo outside of class, talking and trying to get to know him better.
Wiping his tears away, he pulled the covers of his bed over, getting ready to go to sleep. Such fantasies have begun to rise more and more recently, and he was sure it wouldn't be long until Katsuo suspected something was up with him. David could only think of two possible scenarios if his feelings were found out: one, Katsuo finds out and rejects him; two, Katsuo finds out but never says anything.
The latter scared David more than anything. He sighed as he closed his eyes… It wasn't his turn to move his chess piece just yet.