A/N: I have this new amazing fic idea, and here it is! Now, mind you, it's kinda different from what I normally do, but hey. *shrugs* It's gonna be good! Also, the group is in senior year when this starts. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Lovers, Forever & Always

Chapter 1

X*X(Yamato)X*X

"Hey guys! Wait up!" I yelled, running to join my friends and boyfriend. I had just gotten out of class, and was trying desperately to hurry and finish packing up my things. Curse my neat-freak tendencies…

"Hang on, Yama's coming," I heard Taichi say to our friends. I finally managed to catch up to them, and hoisted my messenger bag a bit higher on my shoulder. I grabbed Taichi and kissed him lightly on the lips, and then we resumed walking. "What took ya so long, Yama?"

"I was trying to kind of organize my shit in my bag. Unlike your backpack, my messenger bag can't hold too much," I replied, shrugging. "And besides, you hardly ever organize your shit, so I'm surprised you can even fit all the junk in your backpack in there."

"Hey!" Taichi protested. "I try! Sometimes…"

"That's what I thought," I smirked, kissing his cheek.

"Come on, guys, let's hurry to the field before someone steals our spot," Mimi urged, and we hurried outside to the shadiest spot on the field at our high school.

"Thank gods it wasn't taken," Sora, the only redhead in our group, sighed in relief.

"I highly doubt anyone would take our spot," Koushiro, our resident genius, assured us.

"Koushiro's right," Jyou agreed, wrapping his arm around Koushiro's shoulders and making the shorter teen blush slightly. Even after dating since freshman year, he's still so shy. "We've sat here whenever the weather is nice all through high school since freshman year, after all."

"And besides, we'd kick ass if someone tried to," I laughed. Taichi nodded in agreement, and then we sat down to eat our packed lunches.

"What did you pack today, Yama?" Taichi asked, pulling out a sandwich with peanut butter and…something white in it. I wasn't sure what it was.

"Just a roast beef and cheddar sandwich, some potato chips, a soda, and some chocolate chip cookies I've been saving," I told him, and eyed his sandwich. "But I gotta ask, Chi, what's that white shit in your sandwich?" He blinked in surprise, and then answered.

"Oh, this? It's just peanut butter and marshmallow cream," he smiled. "I call it a 'Flutter Nutter'. Wanna bite? It's really good, I promise!"

"Are you sure you're not trying to trick me like you did with your mom's tuna sandwich back in eighth grade?" I asked suspiciously.

"No, of course not! I learned my lesson," he replied. He tore off half of his sandwich and handed it to me, and I took a hesitant bite. He was right, it was surprisingly good! I tore off half of mine and handed it to him, answering his unasked question. He grinned brightly and accepted the sandwich half, and then began to eat his own lunch. Sora and Mimi were sharing a salad they'd packed together, and they drank their lemonades happily. Koushiro and Jyou, however, were eating some chilled leftover chicken from their home, along with some tomato soup from a thermos.

We all lived with our significant others, considering we'd all been kicked out when our parents found out we were gay and dating each other during freshman year. For some reason, our parents were highly intolerant of gays, but a lot of other people didn't mind. Especially the staff at our favorite restaurant, who had actually encouraged us to tell our parents and had promised to help us if they kicked us out. We were, of course, kicked out, so they helped set us up in apartments and provided us with jobs there at the restaurant. I ended up leaving the place to do band gigs, seeing as I found I was pretty damn good at playing guitar and singing. But they didn't mind, and always welcomed us to come by and say hi or eat. We knew we were always welcome there.

It just sucked, though, because we had no one for us at graduation, which was coming in one week, now that finals were over. I could feel my appetite starting to fade at the thought as I ate the sandwich halves I had, so when I was done eating them I passed my chips to my boyfriend.

"What's wrong, Yama?" the brunette asked, giving me a curious look. The others stopped eating and looked at me as well, and I sighed heavily.

"I just realized that there's no one that will be at our graduation ceremony for us in a week," I mumbled, and I could feel the surprised looks on me as I lowered my gaze to the bright green grass of the field. My blonde locks covered my sapphire eyes, and then I felt Taichi's hand take mine.

"Don't worry about it," he told me, and I looked up at him. "After all, we've got each other."

"Taichi's right!" Mimi smiled brightly. "And it's not like we'll be too far apart after graduation."

"Yeah. Mimi and I will be in Shibuya, so that's not too bad," Sora nodded.

"And Koushiro and I will be in Tamachi, so we're always free to visit," Jyou agreed.

"And vice versa," Koushiro added. I nodded, feeling a bit better now, and hugged my boyfriend close to me.

"This is one of the many reasons why I love you, Chi," I breathed in his ear, and kissed his cheek. He shivered slightly, but then kissed my lips hesitantly. I knew he was nervous about initiating anything between us, and definitely still nervous about sex, but at least I knew his feelings for me.

"Love you, too, Yama," he murmured, and then, blushing, he pulled back and quickly began to eat again. Smirking at his shyness, I took the chips back, making him pout, but then gave him a handful. The pout quickly vanished, and he grinned at me before accepting and eating them. I decided to share my cookies with him, too, just because he was being so cute today. The others laughed at how happy he was, but he just ignored it and ate.

We finished our lunches and went back into the school, where we went to our lockers to get out our borrowed textbooks and stuff. After all, it was our last day, so we had to return them. Once that was taken care of, we were free to go home before changing and heading to Neku and Joshua's restaurant, where we were planning to celebrate finals being over and getting our passing scores. We were all going to try and work some before going into college, that way we could save up enough money for random shit. As Taichi and I walked to our apartment, we held hands, just feeling content with our own little bit of peace. We finally made it home, where I collapsed on the couch, a sigh of relief leaving me.

"You okay?" Taichi asked.

"I'm fine, Chi, just tired," I assured him. The wild-haired brunette set his backpack down by the door before he snuggled up to me on the couch. "What do you think you're doing?" I smirked.

"Just wanted to be close to you," he replied, cuddling closer. I kissed his temple softly, and we remained like that on the couch for a while before I checked my watch.

"Sorry, love, but we have to start getting ready," I told him, and Taichi sighed before getting up. We both went to our bedroom and got changed out of our school uniforms and into some nice clothes for dinner tonight. When we were ready, I gave a low, appreciative whistle at Taichi's attire. "You look amazing, Chi."

"So do you," he murmured shyly. I chuckled lightly and then wrapped my arms around him and kissed his lips tenderly. He kissed back briefly before pulling away.

"Let's head out before we're late again," he said, laughing lightly with a tiny blush dusting his cheeks, and I nodded. As we walked to the restaurant, which was called The Composer, I noticed Taichi was being really quiet.

"Something on your mind, Chi?" I questioned, looking over at him. He jumped, slightly startled out of his thoughts, and then smiled a bit nervously.

"No, I'm fine," he replied, and took my hand in his.

"You do realize that I'm here to listen to you, right?" I pressed. He nodded, but didn't say anything else until we got close to the restaurant.

"Can we talk about it later?" he whispered. I nodded minutely, and then we joined our friends, who were standing outside the doors waiting for us.

"Hey guys!" Sora called, waving.

"About time! We're starving!" Mimi added.

"Chill out, Mimi, we're coming," I grinned, and, still holding onto Taichi's hand, we went inside, where we got the shock of our lives.

"Happy End of Senior Year, guys!" the restaurant staff cheered in unison, and they all had big smiles on their faces. The restaurant and some of the usual customers were all there, and they had somehow managed to either make or buy a very big sheet cake with a picture of the six of us on it, each of us hugging our significant other. Considering the staff made their desserts homemade, I couldn't tell if it was made here or bought at a bakery. There were balloons matching our high school colors all around the room, streamers of the same colors, and there was a big group table set up for us. Neku and Joshua, the owners of the restaurant, approached us with smiles on their faces.

"I'm glad you guys made it," Neku told us as Joshua wrapped his arm around the ginger's waist.

"Why wouldn't we?" Jyou pointed out. "We come here at the end of every year, and more often than that, of course."

"Still, we weren't sure because of the incoming thunderstorm that's supposed to hit tonight," Joshua explained.

"I never heard anything about that," Koushiro frowned, but then he smiled up at his boyfriend as Jyou took his hand in his own.

"Anyway, enough about that, come on, let's get you guys some food!" Eri, one of the waitresses, interrupted cheerfully.

"Yeah, I'm starving!" Mimi agreed happily, and the staff dispersed, some of them heading to the kitchen, and the waiting staff splitting up to serve the regular customers that were here. Joshua and Neku sat between Taichi and Sora, and then Eri came over to take our orders.

"All right, ladies, what will you have tonight? Or are you going to go for the usual?" the pinkette asked Sora and Mimi.

"We'll do something special tonight," Sora told her. Looking at Mimi, she asked, "Would sharing a pasta dish be okay?"

"Of course!" Mimi chirped, and they ordered a big plate of fettuccine alfredo.

"What about you two, Jyou and Koushiro?" she asked the blunette and his rusty-haired boyfriend.

"Wanna share a salmon dish, Koushiro?" Jyou asked his boyfriend, smiling warmly at him. Koushiro nodded shyly, blushing slightly. "We'll do the smoked salmon with white cheddar mashed potatoes and a Caesar salad to share."

"Sounds good!" Eri giggled, and then turned to Taichi and me. "How about you guys, Yamato and Taichi?"

"Does chicken parmesan sound like something you'd be willing to share, Chi?" I asked the brunette, and he nodded. "Then we'll do chicken parmesan with spaghetti, Eri."

"Okay, perfect! And I already know what Joshua and Neku like, so I'll go put in your guys' order!" she smiled brightly, and then left to the kitchen to put in the orders. We all talked and had fun until the food arrived, and then we tucked into our meals, sharing with our lovers.

"How is it, Chi?" I asked, watching as the brunette slurped up a noodle.

"Awesome as always!" he grinned, and I laughed because he had spaghetti sauce all over his mouth. He pouted until I wiped it away for him with his napkin, and then kissed the corner of his mouth, making him blush.

"Better?" I smirked, and he nodded, blushing harder. We finished eating, and once we had, Eri and Shiki, the latter of which was a small, shy brunette with glasses, came over and dished out cake and sea-salt ice cream for us. The cake was a vanilla one with aqua-colored sea-salt frosting, and we ate it happily. Finally, once we were all stuffed from dinner and dessert, Joshua and Neku smiled slightly and assured us there would be no tab since they had planned this, and then told us they would see us soon. I guess they meant for shifts for the others, considering I don't work there anymore. Taichi and I bid farewell to our friends, and with promises to see each other soon, preferably before graduation, we went to our apartment. Once inside with the door locked, I turned to my boyfriend and saw him standing by the bedroom door, seeming nervous.

"Taichi, what's wrong?" I questioned, taking a step towards him. I don't normally call him by his name unless I'm being serious; otherwise I just call him by my pet name for him. He shook his head, but then I saw the tears shimmering on those dark lashes of his, and I was quick to envelope him in my arms, holding him comfortingly. "Taichi, what's wrong?" I repeated, my voice softer. He didn't reply right away, but then he spoke up.

"I feel like I'm a terrible boyfriend," he mumbled against my chest, his hands fisting in the material of my shirt as he began to sob.

"Why on earth do you think that?" I asked, bewildered. He sniffled and shook as he next spoke.

"Because I haven't let you have sex with me yet," he whimpered. My eyes widened in shock, and I quickly pulled him from my chest by his shoulders.

"Taichi, I have never pushed you into trying to have sex, and I'm not about to anytime soon," I told him firmly. "What brought this on?"

"I heard people in the hallways at school talking about how they're so great to their partners because they've had sex with them, and I thought I was being a bad boyfriend because I'm not ready yet," he muttered, shivering as I kissed his temple.

"Taichi, I don't care about that. What I care about is just being with you," I promised. "Sure, sex would take us to the next level in our relationship, but I'm not going to rush you. I'll be ready when you are."

"You mean that?" he questioned quietly, glancing up at me with watery, chocolate brown eyes.

"Of course, love," I swore. "And until you're ready, I'll be patient and wait for you." He wiggled out of my grip then and wrapped his arms tightly around my waist.

"Thank you, Yama," he whispered, and I kissed the top of his head softly.

"Anytime, Chi," I murmured. "Now, how about we get changed into some comfortable clothes and get to bed? Because I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted from today." The wild-haired brunette nodded happily, seeming relieved, and then we went to our room, where I changed into my boxers and an old t-shirt and climbed into bed to wait for Taichi. He was quick to join me, dressed in sweatpants and an old t-shirt. He snuggled up to me, his back to my chest, allowing me to spoon him. Sure, I'd probably end up with a bit of a boner in the morning, but it's always worth it to be with my true love.

X*X(5 Days Later)X*X

It was the day of our graduation ceremony, and I was the first to walk along the stage out of our group. As soon as I started to walk across the stage, though, I heard a huge amount of cheering from the audience, and I looked to see The Composer's staff members all there, cheering me on. I had a wide grin as I accepted my diploma, and then I went and got my picture taken with my diploma before returning to my seat. The others went up after me with their turns, and each time one of the group member's names was called, there was that cheering erupting from the audience again, and each of my friends, especially Taichi, was grinning broadly every time.

We were finally graduated, and when the ceremony was over, we returned our gowns and went outside, where Neku, Joshua, Beat, Rhyme, Shiki, and Eri were all waiting for us, among others from the restaurant.

"Congratulations, you guys!" they told us happily. We all went into a group hug from them, and then Joshua and Neku offered for us to have dinner there again.

"Of course, it's not really an offer. You're coming over for dinner, like it or not," Joshua giggled.

"Come on, we'll give you guys a ride," Neku smirked, and then they drove us over to The Composer, where we had the same meals as last time. Again, we got to have cake and sea-salt ice cream, but instead of bidding our friends farewell and heading home like last time, Joshua and Neku went to the back after dessert and wheeled out a cart with wrapped gifts stacked on it. There were three for each of us, and we accepted them gratefully. We thanked them profusely before opening them, and we were amazed. How the hell did they manage to afford all of this stuff?!

We each all got a laptop, a smart phone, and then an extra item unique for each of us. Mimi and Sora got new outfits, Jyou and Koushiro got some books on health and technology, Taichi got a soccer ball, considering he loves to play, and I got a set of blank sheet music for me to write songs on.

"Holy shit! This stuff is amazing!" Taichi yelped.

"How the fuck did you manage to afford all this?" I asked them. "Not that we're ungrateful or anything, but how are you guys not broke by now?"

"We've been saving up for special occasions," Joshua admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "Besides, we can't have kids."

"But I thought even same sex couples could have children," Jyou frowned, confused.

"I guess we just weren't born with that ability, or we're infertile," Neku replied. "It's not a big deal. We've always kind of seen you guys as our kids. We're more of a family to you guys than your own parents were, which is sad, but we all benefit from it."

"True," Koushiro nodded. "My parents never really seemed close to me to begin with, which is why I wasn't as emotional as the others when we were all kicked out."

"Thank you so much for everything, Joshua and Neku," we all said, and they merely smiled and hugged us.

"Let's get you all to your apartments before you fall asleep from eating so much," Joshua suggested, and we nodded in agreement. They dropped us all off at our apartments, and told us that we were free to be off from work for the next week as praise for graduating. I thought I was excluded from that, but then Neku assured me that he had already spoken to my band and let them know that I needed a week to myself. I grinned at that, and then they left. Taichi and I went up to our apartment, and once inside with the door locked, we set our gifts down on the coffee table in the living room. I was quick to grab my boyfriend and hold him close, kissing his lips softly.

"I love you, Chi," I murmured against his lips. His breathing was quick and I could feel his heart thumping rapidly as he replied.

"I love you, too, Yama," he whispered, and I smiled lightly, kissing him again before letting him go and heading to our bedroom.

"Let's get to bed, Chi. We'll have lots of time to hang out and go on dates for the next week," I told him.

"Yeah. Sounds good," he nodded, and we got changed and went to bed with me spooning him again. I was so content in that moment…

A/N: Awesome! I'm pleased with this. R&R, peeps!