A/N: Whee, I wrote a fluffy Taishirou. Oh, gosh, what a silly fic. Right, I think I'm obsessed with Koushirou's rainbow bouncy ball. Oh well, if it helps me write Taishirou fluff, bring on the bouncy balls!

Eskimo Kiss

The bouncing is starting to get annoying to me. It takes a good deal of something bad to annoy me. I'm usually the one doing the annoying, and not anyone else. Well, except for maybe Daisuke, who can be even more annoying than me at times, but that's besides the point.

The point is, if that ball doesn't stop bouncing soon, I'm going to go insane. There it goes, bounce-bounce against the wall. It's the rainbow-colored bouncy ball I got for him when we went to the movies last weekend. I now regret ever playing that stupid game machine. He seems to be perfectly content with it, though.

No, wait, that isn't the point.

The point really is, I'm in love with Koushirou. I haven't really told him before. Oh, I think he has a good idea about it, but I haven't flat out told him. He probably knows, but I haven't confirmed it for him. I don't think I'm quite ready to say the words out loud. I'm still a bit iffy about saying the l-word out loud to anyone. Then again, this is Koushirou I'm talking about.

The bouncing of the ball against the wall he was throwing it against was making me think of how adorable he can be, which was making me think of how much I adore him, which was making me think of the l-word and if I really mean it or do I only think I mean it. See, this is why I can't say it out loud. That small glimmer of doubt.

He turns and smiles at me. "Okay, Tai?"

I smile back at him in that easy, immediate way that I can't help. His eyes sparkle with laughter and he catches the ball as it bounces back to him.

Honestly, he's just like a little kid. You'd never guess he was sixteen.

Hold on, did I just switch personalities with him? I sounded exactly like Koushirou when he talks about me out loud to our friends. I think we may be influencing each other more than we think we are.

Bounce, bounce goes the ball against the wall. I grab it out of mid-air and hold it clenched in my fist. He turns to look at me, his eyes dancing in slight surprise.

"Tai?"

I put the ball down and crawl forward on my hands, so that our noses are touching. He stares at me in wonder, and then, he breaks into the warmest smile I've ever seen him give anyone. He reaches a hand up to caress my cheek.

"Koushirou, I..."

"I know," he says softly.

I frown, feeling as if I have to finish, but not knowing what I need to finish with.

"But, I'm not sure..."

Koushirou shakes his head slightly, making our noses brush against each other in an Eskimo kiss.

"I know, Tai," he says, his voice feather-soft.

I realize what he's trying to tell me and smile lovingly. He's saying that I have all the time in the world to think about it, and not to worry about it. Love isn't something you force yourself to recognize. In fact, I think it actually recognizes you, in a way. You don't go out looking for love; love bum rushes you when you least expect it, and then scrambles away again before you realize it has. Sooner or later, it dawns on you, settles inside your heart, and you don't ever have to question it again. It hasn't settled in my heart quite yet, but I've been bum rushed so damn much my head is dizzy right now.

Koushirou only smiles and kisses my forehead, taking the opportunity to grab the bouncy ball away from my hand, and going back to playing with it.

I get the feeling that he's been bum rushed a few times, too.

Right now, I don't care anymore. All I care about is Koushirou and that stupid, beautiful rainbow bouncy ball.