Breaking the Rules

"It's all about breaking the rules. Sometimes you just have to do what feels right.
You have to break free from everything, and just lighten up, and have a bit of fun."
Pride said to Jay, shrugging. His lover only rolled his beautiful brown eyes, and then
getting out of bed, got dressed. "Jay, what's wrong? You have been walking around
here for the past month acting angry, and for the life of me, I can't figure out why."

Jay sighed, and turning to his boyfriend, said, "Ved has been deleted. Amber and I
went looking on the databases on Mega's computers. We found that Tai-san, Ved,
and Bray, were deleted." Jay said sadly. Pride was shocked into silence for a long
time, but he managed to pull Jay in a hug. After several minutes of silence, which
felt like forever, he said, "I'm sorry Jay. I wish things had turned out differently."

Jay only nodded, as Pride continued talking. "I know how much you wanted to get
Ved back, so the two of you could have another chance at being brothers again. I
know you wanted it very badly." Pride said softly. A few moments later, he took a
deep breath, then he asked, "Are you still confused about your feelings?" Jay, who
had just slipped his shirt on, looked at Pride. "No Pride, I'm not confused anymore."

Pride nodded, and then spoke. "Oh, so, what have you decided to do?" He asked,
dreading the worst. Jay sighs softly. "Look Pride, we can get together every now
and then, but we can't be a couple, I'm sorry. I just can't let anyone know that
I'm gay. It's okay for you, with your tree hugger image-" Jay cut himself off, as
the words slipped from his lips. "I.. I'm sorry. That was completely out of line."

Pride nodded. "You're right, that was out of line. So why did you say it?" He asked,
trying not to show how much Jay's words had hurt him. Jay shrugged. "I don't know.
I just thought that because you're such a nature lover-" Pride cut him off. "...That
people would automatically just assume that I'm gay, and not ask me to my face to
find out?" Jay nodded, and then he silently hung his head in shame. Pride was hurt.

Trying to push his pain aside, he tried to get Jay to understand. "Listen Jay, there
are so many people who won't care that you're gay. Amber won't mind, and neither
will the others, just trust me." Jay shook his head. "No, you don't understand Pride.
There's no way you could." Pride rolled his eyes. "I had trouble believing it at first
too. It just took some time to get used to." He explained softly. Jay remains silent.

Then he forced himself to explain why he was acting the way he was. "Look, when
I was in high school, I was a jock, and I'd always made fun of those who were gay,
okay, since I never really understood it, and because I was insecure and needed
someone to take the heat off of myself." Pride was shocked, but managed a simple,
"Go on, I'm listening." Jay sighed softly, and then he began to explain everything.

"When I was in high school, I used to beat guys up, who were considered to be gay,
and those who truly were. It is not something that I am proud of, and I never really
understood why I acted the way I did, but now I do." He said to Pride. Pride nodded,
but he remained silent, waiting for Jay to continue explaining. "I hurt people, Pride. I
hurt them both emotionally and physically." Pride only nodded. "We all make mistakes."

Jay was standing at the door now. "That may be so, but I just can't forgive myself for
the things that I have said to people, and all of the horrible things that I have done to
them, too. I don't see how you can love me, when I'm just a monster." Jay said softly,
and began to cry. Pride stood there feeling helpless, as he watched Jay cry. He didn't
think of Jay as a monster, but as someone who was misunderstood. Pride sighed softly.

As he walked over to his boyfriend, and was about to hug him, Jay quickly pulled away.
"I'm sorry Pride, but we can't be together anymore. I know we have only been together
for 4 months, but I can't take it anymore." Jay said, and then he walked out of the room,
going back to his own, closing the door loudly behind him. "Even though you can't hear
me, and have no idea what I'm saying, I love you, Jay...." Pride said softly, to the empty
room. His heart was breaking, but no one even knew. To everyone else, it was just another
day.

The End.