Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this fiction.
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"Do you think they will be okay?"
"Sure they will. Takeru and Hikari are with them, they know what to do if danger strikes," Taichi answered, calming peeling a green apple with a small, red pocket knife.
He and Yamato were sitting in the park on the cool bars of the jungle Jim; the sun setting over the busy city, casting hues of yellow, orange and purple over everything the rays reached. Birds were flying away to wherever they go during the night hours; People hurrying to their homes, hoping to catch their TV shows, dinner and the like.
Going home did not seem like a huge deal between the pair. The park would suffice for the moment. It was calm there, and with everyone being busy with their own lives, the park was virtually deserted. No one seems to want to gaze at the ever-growing trees anymore, nor take a stroll through them.
That was okay though.
Taichi sliced a piece of apple and handed it to Yamato.
"Thanks." Yamato looked down at the sliced fruit, his blue eyes clouding over with emotion.
Taichi glanced over at him, "Is something wrong? I know I kind of messed up with cutting it, but-"
"It's not that."
Taichi quieted for a moment, before asking, "Then…What is it?"
"I don't know, exactly. It's just, we were talking about the others and my mind couldn't help drifting over to my brother, wondering if he's okay, ya know? And then it made me think about the past." Yamato glanced over at Taichi. "It's odd, I know, but…"
"C'mon, Yamato, you know you can tell me anything." Taichi said, patting Yamato's shoulder lightly, and then pocketing the small knife into his school blazer before eating an apple piece.
Yamato sighed, pushing a few strands of his blonde hair back away from his left eye, the apple slice long forgotten in his right hand. "Well, when I was younger, around six or seven, my mom became really ill and she had to go to the hospital for it. At first, I did not want to visit her, and I know that sounds really bad, but I was scared.
All those sick people, and knowing my mom was one of them, it freaked me out, I didn't want to be around all that, I mean, who does, right? My dad tried to coax me into going, promising that it won't be that bad, but every time we would reach the front door, I would cry and run back to my room.
That happened for the five of the eight days mom was in the hospital. My dad said, 'You can help mom, Yama. You can help me peel and slice up some apples for her to eat. What do you say?'
When he asked that, I was a little confused, because I didn't think it was that big of a deal. But then, I thought, it was the least I could do, right? So for the last three days mom was checked in, every morning me, dad and Takeru would make her breakfast. Although, Takeru would make more of a mess than anything, since he was only three at the time." Yamato chuckled fondly at the memory before continuing.
"I think that was how mom developed a yin for green apples, because they're her favorite fruit now. And when she came home from the doctor's, the house was scented with green apples and that comforted her more than anything. I was glad."
Taichi looked at Yamato thoughtfully before tackling him with a hug, knocking them both over onto the grey concrete ground.
"Owe! What the hell, Taichi?" Yamato shouted, having to take the full weight of them both from the fall.
"Yama, you softie," Taichi said, ignoring Yamato's outburst as he stood up, holding out his hand, a silly grin on his face all the while.
Yamato took Taichi's out stretched hand, despite having a pain in his side, smiled.
Taichi pulled him up and gave Yamato another hug. "That was really sweet of you."
Yamato let go and shrugged a bit, "It was the least I could do. And it was really sweet of you that you didn't have that knife out when you hugged or else I would be in a world of pain."
Taichi laughed, punching Yamato in his shoulder playfully, "Shut up."
"I guess we should head on home, huh?" Yamato asked, rubbing his shoulder a bit.
"I guess so. Although, I like having these heart-to-heart talks with you," Taichi stated cheekily, grinning.
Yamato laughed, "Right. You're so full of it."
"And apples."
"Green apples, to be exact."