Warnings: Slash; really minor cursing.

Pairing: Takuya/Koji

Spoilers: Some minor stuff for episode 21 (... I think that's the right episode, at least).

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Curiosity

Koji was looking at him. Takuya had learned that this usually meant that the boy had something on his mind. Specifically, something he wanted to tell or ask Takuya, yet couldn't quite bring himself to. Since everyone else had already fallen asleep - even Tomoki, who'd enthusiastically volunteered to keep watch just under an hour ago - Takuya figured it was as good a time as any to prompt Koji to speak his mind.

"What is it?" Takuya asked, tilting his head to the side.

If Koji was surprised at the sudden appearance of a noise that wasn't the crackling fire they'd started earlier, he didn't show it.

"What are you talking about?" He didn't sound annoyed, per se, which Takuya took as a good sign. He did sound somewhat confused, though, so Takuya decided he'd help clarify his question.

"You look like you're thinking. Well, you're always thinking, but..." Takuya rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. "Er, what I meant to say is, is there anything you want to tell me?"

Koji's eyes widened just for a moment before he schooled them back into a neutral expression.

"I was thinking about the argument we had after we first battled Duskmon."

"... Oh." Takuya was still embarrassed about the way he'd acted, and despite the fact that Koji had blown up at him first he knew he still shouldn't have reacted the way he'd chosen to. "Sorry."

"No, that's... I wasn't looking for an apology, Takuya. I do have a question for you, though - before we walked away from the group, you said you'd be fine even if we ended up doing 'more than talking'. I'm still kind of wondering what you meant, so..."

Koji trailed off, glancing at Takuya expectantly.

Takuya tried hard not to look absolutely mortified, he really did, but some of the emotion still crept onto his face. He was honestly surprised that Koji even remembered him saying that; he'd thought that their argument would have overshadowed the clipped conversation they'd had before it started.

That phrase had just slipped out, and it had taken him a few days to even figure out why he'd said it. Admitting to himself that he had a crush on Koji was an arduous process that he'd found half terrifying and half exhilarating.

But at the same time, there was no way in hell he was prepared to tell Koji about it, so he knew he had to think up an excuse, stat.

"Well," Takuya began slowly, getting himself into full-on bullshit mode, "what I meant was that if we started throwing punches around, then I'd be prepared for that. Jeez, Koji, what'd you think I meant?"

Right after he asked the question, Takuya immediately realized he'd laid it on a bit too thick. Koji was looking very unimpressed with his lying, and Takuya was coming extremely close to panicking.

Koji met his eyes, and Takuya fought the urge to look away.

"I just thought you may have meant something else." Koji was dead serious, and Takuya couldn't help but fidget under the intensity of the other boy's gaze.

He wasn't quite sure how to respond to Koji's statement until it hit him. Koji was giving him an opening. He was waiting for an answer - a truthful one, not a hastily constructed lie.

Koji did not avert his eyes. "I'd probably be fine with anything you told me. As long as it were true."

A blatant invitation. Takuya wasn't sure how Koji could possibly keep a straight face - if it had been him speaking, Takuya was sure he'd be blushing bright red.

"I..." Takuya didn't know how he should answer. His response had the potential to drastically alter their relationship, and he wasn't sure if he was ready for that.

He needed more time.

"Can I tell you later?" Takuya grinned weakly in an attempt to break the heavy mood that had settled over them.

Koji frowned, just slightly, but nodded. "Alright."

As Koji lay down on the ground to sleep, Takuya resumed his watch. The relief he felt mingled with the sharp sting of regret.

A/N: This was originally going to be funny, with Koji backing Takuya into a (figurative) corner and getting Takuya to confess, and then we'd all have some laughs at Takuya's expense and everything would work out for these two. It obviously didn't turn out that way, but the story just seemed to want to veer in a different direction.

Anyway, I can't be the only one who thought that that conversation of theirs was chock full of implications.