Chapter Text
Nyaaani:
Hi
Richard Wellington honestly doesn’t know what type of response he was expecting for such an awful conversation starter, but he spent the last ten minutes trying to think of a good opening line and obsessing over it, so Richard found himself just typing anything to get the conversation started.
Richard gnawed at his bottom lip, waiting for a response. He probably wasn’t going to get one with such a shitty response, but–
Tunatunatuna1:
Hey!! :3 what’s up?
Richard could’ve died right then and there. Why was the Tuna taking time out of his day to respond to him? Tuna was everything, Richard was nothing.
God, that sounds so pathetic.
It’s true, though. Tuna was practically the “princess” of the WhatsApp group chat they were in (Richard joined the group chat because it was advertised as a place for people in California to socialize and make friends. It’s a little funny considering that Richard joined, yet is too scared to even type out a message there). He was friends with nearly everyone. When he typed out a greeting , Richard’s phone would always explode with notifications of people replying to him. He was nice to a fault, even to the creepy incels in the server.
He was cute, too. He once posted a picture of him cosplaying Luffy from One Piece, and he got sent Cashapp offers by at least a dozen guys. It made sense; he was young looking, had a cute smile, and he had those doe eyes that made you want to bow down to him.
Tunatunatuna1:
Um
Hello?
Crap. Richard better type out something quick. Something. Anything. Now isn’t the time to panic!
Nyaaani:
You’re in school, right? Want me to help you with homework?
Richard is barely even passing himself; he just wanted to be seen as useful. His eyesight has been getting worse and worse lately, so he can barely read anything off of the board, but he can’t just go and ask his parents to get him a new prescription for his glasses. God knows they have enough problems to deal with.
Richard’s hands were sweating as he waited for Tuna to reply.
Tunatunatuna1:
oh wow thats realy nice of you to offer! :D but im not in school, so its not needed
thank you tho!
Nyaaani:
You’re not? But aren’t you 17?
They just met, Richard shouldn’t be talking like this, as if he’s prying for details of this stranger’s life. Quickly, he adds:
Nyaaani:
Sorry. Am I being invasive? You don’t need to tell me anything if you don’t want to
Tunatunatuna1:
It’s okay! It’s not a secret that im a dropout ( ` w ` ) most people in the gc know this
I guess your not really active tho so ig you dont know
Richard is actually extremely active in the group chat; he lurks on there every single day, waiting for Tuna to type something or post fanart in the group chat.
His life, in a way, sort of revolves around Tuna. During class, he’s always sneaking his phone out of his bag to see if Tuna was talking about something (he has a full playlist of songs on Spotify that Tuna likes. Richard’s never been interested in Vocaloid before, but he can learn to like what Tuna likes). During lunch, instead of hanging out with any of his classmates or even eating in the cafeteria, he holes himself up in the bathroom scrolling through all the screenshotted conversations he has of Tuna talking to other people.
He has about seven hundred pictures of Tuna’s conversations in his camera roll (His phone’s storage is on its last leg, pleading for him to delete at least a few pictures), so he knows that Tuna never mentioned being a dropout. Maybe he only said that to people in private DMs?
Oh, God, he’s such a stalker.
Nyaaani:
Sorry
Tunatunatuna1:
dont be sorry!! we can be friends nwo
if you want, Nyani
Nyaaani:
YES
Yes, we can be friends. THank you.
:)
Tunatunatuna1:
yw! i gotta go soon, but we can talk more tomorrow if you wwant! its nice finally getting to talk to you
Richard’s heart was beating so fast that he almost thought he was having a heart attack. He’d be fine having a heart attack if the last thing he saw was Tuna’s kind words to him. Tuna wanted to talk to him. Tuna, who was the group chat’s Princess, wanted him. Richard’s never felt so valued before.
Nyaaani:
Don’t worry! We can talk at any time.
He tore off the skin on his lips with his teeth as his shaking thumb hovered over a certain emoji.
Nyaaani:
❤️
That was too soon. He probably looks like such an idiot. He should delete the message before Tuna—
Tunatunatuna1:
💕
Richard screamed into his pillow.
The next morning, Richard eagerly jumped out of bed and unplugged his phone which was charging on his nightstand. He checks WhatsApp, and Richard’s heart thumps when he sees that Tuna sent him a “good morning” text. Ah, no one’s ever done that for him before. Tuna really is a princess. A modern day Jane Austen, what with the way his words can evoke such feelings out of him. No, Tuna is better than Austen. A simple heart emoji and a smiley face conveys more than any paragraph from Pride and Prejudice. Tuna—
“Richard!” Mama called out, banging on his door. “The school bus will be coming soon.”
“A— Ah, yes! Coming!”
Richard trudged onto the school bus with his much too heavy messenger bag (a backpack would be less of an ache on his shoulders, but no it’s just not stylish enough), sitting down in the back of the bus.
His classmates — if he can even call them that. God, they act more like children — screamed and spoke to each other. Nagging laughter filled Richard’s brain, and he suddenly felt sick. Girls with too much makeup giggling with boys with zero brains and bulging muscles. It makes Richard wonder if they’d be fine with a male monkey for a partner.
Is that too harsh?
Maybe Richard is only thinking like this because he’s jealous he doesn’t have a partner, himself.
Well, at least he has Tuna. Richard puts his headphones on and shuffles his Spotify playlist of Tuna’s favorite songs, listening to Six Trillion Years and Overnight Story, as he types out his reply to Tuna.
Nyaaani:
Good morning. Did you sleep well?
Tunatunatuna1:
yup :P
are u going to school? its around that time, right?
Nyaaani:
Yeah I’m in the school bus rigjt now
My friends are really loud lol.
Richard doesn’t have any friends.
Tunatunatuna1:
oh that sucks hhaha
im glad that im not in school anymore im really not good with loud noises and stuff (~_~ ;)
Nyaaani:
Me neither. You’re lucky that your parents let you drop out
My parents would kill me!
Tunatunatuna1:
oh i dont live with my parents
Richard wanted to talk more, he wanted to know more about Tuna, but the bus had come to a halt and he’s forced to get off and walk into school. Richard found himself unable to sigh heavily. He’s tired, despite the fact that the day has just begun. He wants to go back home and sleep. Tuna is so lucky that he gets to sleep in all day. He probably has no worries at all.
Richard steps into homeroom, hangs his bag on the hook on his desk, and sits down to finally get to text Tuna again. The day can’t be all that bad if he has someone to talk to, finally. What was it that Tuna said? He doesn’t live with his parents? Isn’t that a little strange?
“Good! Morn! Ing!”
Someone had slapped Richard on the back of the head hard. The sound reverberated in the classroom, and everyone fell silent. Richard kept his gaze fixated on his desk, not daring to look up.
“Hey, Richard, aren’t you going to greet me? Hey?” Hugh barked, placing his hand on Richard’s head. “You’re being such a dick.”
Richard’s eyes glanced over to his classmates. They were just staring at him, some weren’t, though. Shoving their heads in phones or books to ignore what was happening in front of their very faces.
He hates them all.
“Are you crying?”
“I’m not,” Richard protested feebly, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “Leave me alone.”
“You’re such a crybaby. I didn’t even do anything to you—“ Hugh turned to one of their classmates— “—right?”
“Y— Yeah,” the classmate murmured.
Richard hates them.
The teacher came in, and Hugh went back to his seat. No one said anything to the teacher, no one spoke up for him. During class, Richard couldn’t help but replay that sequence in his head over and over again. He should’ve stood up for himself, gave a better comeback, he shouldn’t have cried.
Tuna would’ve helped him, if he was there. Richard was sure of it.
After class, a classmate who Richard never bothered to learn the name of stopped him.
“You shouldn’t let Hugh push you around,” she said. “You’re such an easy target, that’s why he keeps making fun of you.”
“Making fun of someone”. It’s weird how different an outsider would phrase that as opposed to the person that was the one being harassed.
“You don’t know anything,” Richard replied. “Don’t make assumptions about my life.”
At the end of the day, worn out from all the classes, Richard heads outside and into the bus to go home. He wants to eat some of Mama’s food. Maybe get a hug from her. He goes to sit in his usual spot, the back of the bus, and pulls out his phone. Finally, he has the time to message Tuna.
“Ah, Richard!”
He jinxed himself.
Why was Hugh here? He never took the bus before. Richard thought here, along with home, would be of the few places he was safe from that guy. Hugh walked right over to where Richard was sitting, and sat much too close to him, despite the fact that there was more than enough room in the aisle for both of them.
Their shoulders and thighs were up against each other. Richard would try to run away, if it weren’t for the fact that Hugh had him pressed up against the window, and his legs were spread so wide that Richard’s own legs were being smushed together. There was no escape. No one was even looking at him. No one but Hugh and his friends.
Hugh’s arm coiled its way around Richard’s shoulder. “I can’t believe that you go on this bus, Richard! I have to go here now that my bro’s car got totaled, so I’m glad you’ll be here to keep me company.”
“You jerk!” One of Hugh’s friends laughed. Two of Hugh’s friends would frequently ride on the same bus as Richard. They never bothered him or said anything, but now that Hugh’s here, they’re loud like howling monkeys. They sat in the aisle ahead of them, their bodies turned over and looking at Richard and Hugh over the back of the seat. “Did you just forget about us?”
“Shaddup,” Hugh smirked. “Richard’s better than both of you combined. Isn’t that right, Richard?”
He said not a word, staring down at his lap.
Somehow, that made everyone burst into laughter. “See?” Hugh said, grabbing Richard’s head and rubbing it as if he were some sort of pet. “He’s always so quiet, it’s funny!”
Richard wonders if he’s being ‘held’, right now. Hugh had an arm around him, and was patting his head. That’s how it goes in the books he reads. Is he being held by this person? By Hugh? Shouldn’t being held feel good? Richard has fantasized about it constantly, about being held by an attractive man. Someone nice that treated him gently. Hugh was the exact opposite of all of that. Why did Hugh have to be the first person to do this to him? Richard wants to cry, he wants to puke. This wasn’t romance; this was psychological horror.
“Oh, he’s crying again.”
Everyone laughed as Richard sobbed in front of them. He’s so pathetic. That’s the only way to describe it. Tuna could never like someone like him.
“Don’t you think he’s kinda cute when he cries?” Hugh asked.
“Cute? What, are you gay for him?”
“It’s not gay! Richard looks like a girl anyways, so it’s straight.”
“You’re such a fa— okay, wait, I see it now. He’s got hips like a girl.”
“And a bob cut.”
“Girly face, too. Like, look at his—“
“Th— This is my stop,” Richard stammered, finally speaking up when the bus screeched to a halt. In reality, his house wasn’t until two more stops, but that didn’t matter. “Let me go.”
Hugh didn’t. He was practically crushing Richard with his legs. He wouldn’t stop smiling. “I’ll let you go, if you give me a kiss.”
Richard couldn’t stop staring at Hugh and his stupid, cocky face. He looked over to Hugh’s friends, and they were silent, as if they were waiting for him to do something. To kiss Hugh. Richard has never kissed anyone before. Is he just supposed to—
Supposed to kiss Hugh? In front of everyone? The other people on the bus weren’t paying attention to him; it was all too loud for anyone to hear them. He just wants to go home. He just wants to talk to Tuna. Is that too much to ask for?
And suddenly, Hugh bursts out laughing.
“Did you actually think I was serious?! Were you actually going to kiss me?”
“N– No, I wasn’t! I–”
“Faggot. I was just joking.”
Richard paused, immediately clamming up when that word was thrown at him. Hugh shuffled over in his seat, finally giving Richard the space to leave. Quickly, he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. His head was bowed as he stepped out of the bus. Long after he had gone home and was safe in his room, he could still hear their laughter trailing behind him.
Wasn’t this bullying?
Is Richard getting bullied?
This went beyond simple teasing, or whatever the Hell it means for boys to be boys. It’s been going on too long. It’s been weeks of this day in and day out. People told Richard to stick it out, to not retaliate so that they’ll get bored of him. That was the advice his classmates gave him, the advice teachers would give during assemblies in the gymnasium.
He’s supposed to endure it.
How long is he supposed to just take it lying down? A month? A year?
A ping came from Richard’s phone. He was excited, until he realized it was from the group chat and not from Tuna directly. Tuna was talking to some people . They, apparently, were going on a group call later on Skype that night to play Monster Hunter together. They were going to be on call with Tuna. They were better friends with Tuna than Richard was. It was petty, childish, and made no sense logically, but with the day he was having, it made him burst into tears. He went into his private DMs and started typing a message out.
Nyaaani:
Hey.
It felt nice seeing Tuna stop typing in the group chat and start texting him.
Tunatunatuna1:
oh hi!!
sorry im a little busy rn i cant really talk
Don’t leave him. Please don’t leave.
Nyaaani:
It’s important
Can we just talk for a few minutes? Please
If Richard knows he’s pathetic, does it make him any less so?
Tunatunatuna1:
um
okay! :) whats wrong?
Richard sucked in a breath, ready to spew out the secrets he’s held close to himself to a person he’s only spoken to for less than twenty four hours.
Nyaaani:
I’m gay.
I mean
I’m a guy that likes guys
Tunatunatuna1:
thank you for telling me!! (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)
im gay too if that makes you feel any better
bi to be more specific
Nyaaani:
You are?
Richard didn’t know about that. He never mentioned that in the group chat. Did Tuna only tell that to people in private? To other people in other DMs? That awful feeling in his heart was coming back again.
Tunatunatuna1:
yup :3
i dont really tell people tho since...
yknow
weirdos
Nyaaani:
Weirdos?
Are you okay? Is anyone in the GC bothering you?
Tunatunatuna1:
youre really sweet, but dont worry about me! :’)
the people in our gc are fine i promise theres just always going to be THOSE people
Nyaaani:
You mean people that try to get you to date them?
Richard would call those people disgusting perverts who are trying to taint their Princess, but it’s not like he’s never thought about it.
Tunatunatuna1:
something like that its mostly about them trying to get in my pants tho
men are gross /s
im a little scared of them tbh
Nyaaani:
I’m a man, though
Do I make you uncomfortable? I’m sorry
Tunatunatuna1:
no no!! youre really really kind! it makes me really happy hehe
you havent even asked me for nudes yet! >:P
Richard felt his face heating up as he quickly responded that he would never ever ever ask for–
For nudes. Just the thought of it made him blush like an idiot.
Tunatunatuna1:
i know you wouldnt :3
youre a good boy after all
He nearly exploded at that message. Richard kicked and kicked under his blanket, excitement coursing through him. He’s eighteen already; he shouldn’t feel so happy at being called a “good boy” by someone younger than him, but it does. He feels so good. He hasn’t felt this happy in such a long time, he almost forgot how good it felt to feel good.
Richard responded with three heart emojis; Tuna responded with four. Richard then texted back five. Tuna sent six. The house was filled with Richard’s poorly stifled giggling.
School was horrible, but within his room, where he’s free to speak to Tuna as much as he wanted, he could forget about everything else. Hugh didn’t matter, his grades didn’t matter, the only people in the world were them.
Nyaaani:
I really like you. :-)