"Uhm ... it's not ..." Taiga wasn't a good liar, he knew that himself, but could he really tell his dad that he somehow, out of nowhere, fell for a guy? 'What should I do?' He just didn't know.
                          
Meanwhile, his father observed him closely. He saw all the different kinds of embarrassment and worry on his son's face and grew a bit worried himself. This seemed to be something big but he would have never guessed at just how big of a deal it really was until Taiga mustered up his courage and spoke again. 
                          
He had made up his mind and would rather take the consequences than hide it. They always had a good father-son-relationship and maybe if he openly said for whom he discovered those feelings, his old man would rethink the issue of him becoming the chieftain in the future. "Dad, I ... the one I met is ..." Taiga watched and fiddled with his hands, almost made a knot into them, until he eventually took a deep breath and got it out. "... not a girl." 
                          
Raion, chieftain of the Kagami tribe, froze. His smile faded and hardness seeped into his eye. His voice however remained calm. "I see, that is how it is. I don't care who it is! You will not see him again! I haven't raised you on my own to lose the opportunity to see you carrying on my bloodline. That's all! You may leave now!" He didn't look at Taiga who sat there shell-shocked and stared into the fire in the middle of the tent. 
                          
The redhead couldn't proceed with the cold and harsh words his father just said. He had changed too suddenly from joy to anger. It hit him completely unprepared. The only thing that circled in his head was that he really wasn't allowed to see the tanned, tall male of the Aomine clan ever again and it broke his heart.
                          
He didn't know how long it took him to finally stand up and walk out of the tent to get to his own. His father remained silent and didn't call him back. He hadn't even looked at him once after he said those dreadful words.
                          


                          
꧁✿.｡.:* ☆:**:..:**:.☆*.:｡.✿꧂

                          


                          
Taiga felt cold inside. It was as if someone put out the light in his heart and soul. He did his everyday deeds like always. He searched for firewood and helped cook the meals because he was good at it. But he had no fun. It didn't felt like always. Some huge part of his soul was missing. Though he was still smiling like always but it didn't reach his eyes anymore. They were dead. Bloodshot, because he couldn't sleep well. Every night he would dream about the tall male and curl up into a ball of despair and hurt, trying to hold back his tears over his first lost love which hadn't even really begun. Though he still wouldn't admit that he really had feelings of love for the impudent bluenette. And now after the fall out with his father, he anyway needed to bury those feelings deep inside him and never let them rise again. But that was simpler said than done.
                          
His friends also noticed how Taiga had changed after the talk with his father. Worry clouded their eyes every time they watched him show that non-smile. They didn't ask though, knowing that it would hurt their friend, even more, to talk about what had happened and what had been said. They knew Taiga well enough to know that the redhead was a bad liar and also his father's reaction was so obvious, that they just knew that the redhead had confessed. Raion didn't look at his son anymore. It didn't go as far as ignoring him but he punished him with resentment and only barked out commands into his direction whenever the red-haired male was near. Everyone in the tribe felt uncomfortable about it since they were used to barked out laughter when father and son bantered around with each other.
                          
"It can't go on like that?" Teppei said matter of factly as he sat with his friends around the fire in his tent and watched how the flames licked up at the dry logs of wood. 

"Teppei is right. This whole thing got out of hand and really most of us don't even know what happened anyway. Could you please tell us some details? Otherwise, we can't help a thing." Riko crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot on the floor. She was too upset to sit down and watched the boys with angry eyes.
                          
"Well, it isn't that easy to talk about. But I guess with those present it's fine." Kazunari looked at Riko and Junpei. As they nodded, he confirmed one last time that Ryouta and Teppei approved and began to explain what occurred when they found Taiga. 
                          
He ended with a sigh and waited on their reactions. Junpei sat flabbergasted and only stared at him but Riko recovered faster, somehow not really surprised. "So that is what happened. Well, I guess that makes sense now that I think back." She put her index finger to her chin and tapped on it, a thoughtful expression in her eyes. 

"Wha ... what do you mean 'makes sense'? He is in love with another male of our rival clan! Where is 'sense' in that?" Junpei spluttered and clutched at his hair. 
                          
"If you count how many girls came on to him and he didn't show a reaction to them, each and every single time it happened, I think that is enough to make it clear that he bats for the other team. And really, could you get over the issue about his partner being male! It is a problem if it comes to continuing the bloodline but that is all there is to it. The bigger problem is indeed the fact that he is from the Aomine clan." 
                          
"Riko, it's honorable that you have no problem with them both being male but you got it wrong. The real issue is that his partner is male. Knowing Raion he doesn't want his line to die out." Teppei looked with sad eyes into his circle of friends. They all were silent until Junpei slammed his fist to the ground. "That's stupid! What bloodline? What about Taiga's happiness then? I never thought that his father was that heartless." Annoyance was oozing off of him in heavy waves but soon subsided when Riko laid a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
                          
"So, what are we going to do? Is there even anything we can do to help?" Ryouta asked and swept his blond bangs back. "How about we go and talk to the Aomine clan? Maybe they have an idea?" The blonde mused out and a confident smile rose on his face. 
                          
"Don't be stupid!" Annoyed glances were directed at him. "Do you think we can march in there and just ask?" Riko swatted the back of his head. "Eh~ but they are also involved in this. I thought it would be a good idea to get more people who aren't against their relationshipssu~.", Ryouta wailed and caressed the back of his head.
                          
"Actually, the idea isn't so bad. From what I got from the other two guys we met there they were not against it. The little one seemed extremely pleased about the situation somehow." Kazunari spoke his thoughts aloud and raised one eyebrow. "Maybe we should really try that but how do we contact them? If we stay too long away, Raion might catch on that we plan something."
                          
"Hm... how about we ask my father when he goes training the younger kids for hunting? He sometimes goes that far away and he is also not pleased with this situation." Riko suggested.
                          
"If he is willing to help us out that might actually work. It will be dangerous but he needs to find the light-blue haired one. I think talking goes best with him." The others nodded to Teppei's idea and as soon as their little group broke up for the night, Riko got to her father and told him their plan.