For the rest of you…LOTS of couples in this one! Taichi x Sora,
Yama x Sora, mild Jyou x Yama…and well…we'll see.
Lost and Found
"Taichi, where are you going?"Taichi screwed up his face in what he thought was a reasonable facsimile of his usually devil-may-care grin, before turning around to face his mother. "Oh, I just thought I'd take a walk."
"At eleven o'clock at night?" She replied, concerned. She almost told him to go back to bed, but heaven knew he wasn't a little child any longer. What do you say to a boy who had braved building-tall monsters in a successful effort to save the world? Watch out for cars? So she sighed and watched as he walked out the door, something inside her aching for the time long ago when her son would crawl up on her lap and tell her whatever was bothering him.
***
Taichi walked along; for some odd reason the sidewalk was especially captivating tonight.
She likes Yamato.
The thought escaped before he could slam his mind down upon it. Yeah, she liked Yamato. Everybody liked Yamato. Hell, even he – liked…Sora. Why wouldn't he like her; they had so much in common. She liked soccer, he liked soccer…she was a girl, he was a guy. That's the way these things worked out, right?
He had known her since pre-school, had been there as she carefully cleaned up her scraped knees all by herself, not crying like most girls would. Proud and independent, she never wanted to take anything from anyone. Never wanted to ask for help, but was always there to give it. He had been there when her mother was too busy to make it to parents' day, or the school festivals. He had run relay races with her, teased her, laughed with her.
He had bought her a Christmas gift.
It was the right thing to do.
He was supposed to be in love with her. She was his friend who happened to be a girl.
She likes Yamato.
His thoughts briefly flew homeward, to his digimon partner, probably snoring away. To his little sister, curled up with her own partner. To his mother and father, probably doing something embarrassing and mushy now that there were no kids there to pass judgment.
He was surprised at the number of couples that were out this late. Christmas is hell when you're all alone. For some odd reason the thought seemed to fit. He was alone after all. The adrenaline from the night's battle had worn off long ago, leaving him in an unusually contemplative mood. But not so contemplative that he actually wanted to disturb the murky underbelly of what his thoughts might mean.
He was supposed to love her.
So shouldn't he be…yelling or screaming? Fighting Yamato? Doing something to win her back?
Anything instead of letting this empty, painful spot stay next to his heart, jabbing at him with every beat. No, he didn't want to think too deeply. Because if he did, he might find that the "losing" part was more painful than the whole of "losing her". And it wasn't something he wanted to explore.
It was easier to just push it away. To say his hurt was from his two best friends ending up together.
He was good at pushing "those" kind of thoughts into a tiny corner of his brain, as if they were alien and not stemming from anything he, personally, was thinking. Sure, he could admire his friends…without being attracted to them, right? Of course. No problem. It wasn't lying to yourself if it was true.
The city lights shimmered on the other side of the harbor, hard and cruel. Sharp like diamonds in the cold air.
Taichi was going to walk to the bridge. He was going to stare out into the harbor, let the diamonds slash at his eyes…if he cried, he could always blame it on that, right? And then he was going to throw it as far as he possibly could.
His fingers closed around the tiny package in his coat pocket. Would it stop the ache if he hurled it with all his might and watched it sink? It was worth a try.
***
When Taichi made it to the bridge, there was another person looking out at the dark water, clutching something to their chest tightly. He blinked once, twice, reconciling the silhouette with one more familiar in the light of day…and decided to take a chance.
"Jyou?" He called. The figure started, nearly losing their grip on the package.
And then, a reply. "Taichi?! What are you doing here?"
"One could ask you the same question." Taichi said, amazed as his voice took on its familiar teasing hue. Jyou was always so easy to tease, and he never really got offended…and his dark serious eyes…no, it's not as if they were as nice as a girl's or anything!
Jyou didn't say anything as Taichi drew closer. He saw the seasonal wrapping covering on the oddly lumpy package and couldn't stop himself from saying, "Oh, are you on your way to deliver that?"
Jyou flushed and turned away. "No…not really." He whispered. Taichi felt like kicking himself, but at the same time could help wondering if…no, it was too strange, but…still…was Jyou here to "drown his sorrows" too?
"C'mon!" Taichi motioned to a nearby vending machine after noticing the bewildered expression on Jyou's face. "It'll be my treat." He deposited the right amount of money and pressed the button for oolong tea.
"What do you want?"
"No…really, you don't have to…"
"What do you want?"
"Really! I don't mind!"
"What do you want?"
"Um…lemon tea?"
A low exasperated sigh and a quick push of a button later, and the two of them were reclining on a nearby bench, toasting their hands with the warm tea containers.
"So why are you here, then?" Taichi finally asked.
"One could ask you the same question." Jyou slyly mimicked, laughing at Taichi's groan. If the laughter and the groan were both a bit forced, neither of them really felt like mentioning it.
"Don't start that again! One of us is going to have to give a straight answer one of these days!"
"So why don't you start? Aren't straight answers your forte?" Jyou relied, something like a ghost of a smile flitting across his lips.
"No, straight answers are Koushirou's forte…just nobody can ever understand them!" Taichi answered. They both shared a real chuckle over that.
Finally. "I guess I just came here to throw something away."
"You came all the way out here just to do that?" Jyou's voice was deceptively simple and innocent. Taichi felt the package beneath his fingers again, but somehow, the look on Jyou's face was more engaging.
He's my friend…I'm just worried about him, that's all.
It wasn't lying to yourself if it was true, right?
"Yeah…I guess so." Taichi finally said, taking a sip of his tea. "What about you?"
"The same thing." Jyou said quietly, clutching the awkward package closer.
"What? That?" Taichi motioned. "What is it?"
"Just a piece of junk."
"No, really what is it?" Taichi insisted.
"A Christmas present I couldn't give to…the person I wanted to."
Taichi thought long and hard, allowing the silence to spread between them in the cold winter air.
"Mimi?" Jyou shook his head. "Sora?" Again, a quick shake of the head.
And an answer. "Yamato…" Jyou waited for an answer, a reaction, anything from his usually outgoing friend; instead all he got was a long probing stare as chocolate brown met black.
He…said it. Jyou said it. He's…
Taichi sat back and stared upwards at the stars, for once words not coming to him quickly. Jyou said it…said he was attracted to another guy. And…nothing happened. The sky hadn't caved in, he hadn't been struck by lightning…but Jyou was Jyou. And Taichi was Taichi…and he was just making excuses. Anything to push it to the back of his head, right? It wasn't something a guy like him would think about, right?
Jyou was looking at him silently. And Taichi had to wonder if he could see more than the brash, former leader…if he could understand…
And suddenly the Christmas night seemed not lonely, but magical. Thoughts streaming between the two of them that needed no clumsy words…
"Do you ever wish you could hate them?" The words were sharp in the crisp air.
"Yeah…" Taichi sighed. "But I can't…they deserve to be happy."
"They do." Came the agreement. "It'd be easier if I hated them, though…"
Jyou was standing up, reaching out his hand to help Taichi up, a smile—a real smile—stretching across his attractive face.
And it was an attractive face.
And Taichi wanted nothing more in that moment than to be able to kiss it. To capture those lips and make Jyou's glasses fog up.
But not yet. It was too soon. Too much, too soon.
So Taichi just smiled back and grasped Jyou's hand to pull himself up.
"Hey, Taichi?" Jyou asked. "Do you need a sweater?"
"Sure." Jyou handed him the bulky present, and he opened it right there under the streetlights. It was obviously handmade, with delicate craftsmanship and love…with a few mistakes added in for character. Taichi hugged it to his chest; he'd be willing to be money it was nice and warm. Yamato didn't know what he was missing.
"Jyou!" Jyou turned around and nearly dropped the small package in surprise when Taichi tossed it to him. He too opened it under the dim lights of the street.
"Oh, a girl's necklace!" He teased, laughter smooth in the cold air. "Just what I've always wanted!"
"It's a locket!" Taichi replied, pretending he was hurt. "And beggars can't be choosers!"
"And who said I was begging from you, Yagami Taichi?"
"C'mon, let's go home."
"Yeah, it's too cold out here, anyway."
"Hey Jyou?"
"Yeah?"
"Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Taichi."
It wasn't a promise, but it was a beginning.
owari