Title: Whips and Chains
Chapter title: Red
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
Notes: Yes, I know I shouldn't start another fic, but I just couldn't help myself.This is entirely Kirstie's fault for 'giving me naughty ideas'. So yeah, my first attempt at Taisuke…well, technically speaking, I think this'll turn out to be Daichi. I do quite like the idea of Dais being the more dominant one in their relationship. And, um…without further ado, enjoy.
It was the semi-final football match, and the score was tied. Left, right and centre there were children running, pulling up clumps of grass with their studded football boots and screaming messages across the turf to their team mates. Proud parents stood at the sidelines, some holding up homemade banners supporting their offspring and others were simply opting to offer encouraging cheers. They watched as their sons and daughters raced each other in pursuit of the ball; the children were really putting their hearts into the game that they obviously loved.
There was nothing quite so exhilarating, at least to Daisuke Motomiya, than chasing a black and white ball around a field.
He was only six years old, but already he had found his passion. Discovering it had been an accident, and after he'd played his first game he had never looked back. His parents had signed him up to this team, ranging in age between six and nine years old, and he was one of the best. He loved it and wanted nothing more than to keep playing forever.
Another boy, of equal ability and enthusiasm, stood at the top end of the age group. At nine years old, Taichi Yagami often found himself leading his team and gaining them one victory after another. He did his coach proud, and it was clear to all that football was his calling; it was like he became a completely different child when he set foot on the field.
However, this passion for the sport was the only thing these two boys had in common, apart from their hatred of each other.
"Taichi!" One of the other boys on their team shouted. "I'm open!"
Taichi ignored him; he was so close to scoring again, he couldn't pass now. He dribbled the ball closer, making the evasion of tackles from the other team look effortless, preparing to shoot. But no sooner had he drawn his foot back than Daisuke's body had collided with his, disrupting his balance and knocking both of them to the floor.
The referee blew a whistle. Roughly and with a face like thunder, the brunette shoved the redhead away from him and stood up, fisting his hands at his sides. "What are you doing? I was gonna score!"
Daisuke stood up also and glared defiantly, unfazed by the other boy's superiority in age. "You weren't passing!"
"I don't have to pass!"
"You never pass though!"
This time it was Taichi who approached, and pushed the younger boy by the shoulders to the ground. The referee wasted no time in rushing over, blowing his whistle again and catching Daisuke before he could return the violent gesture. They had the full attention of the other players as they were led away to sit on the sidelines, but this attention rapidly diminished as game play resumed and the two of them were forced to focus on how much they hated the other for getting them booted off the field. The game soon ended, with their team emerging the victors, and they both brightened up a little at the prospect of being able to compete in the final.
Being as young as they were, neither of them really took notice of the hopeless look on their coach's face as he neared them.
"Boys, listen," he began, folding his arms, "you do this almost every time; one or both of you gets sent off the field in nearly every match. I warned you when you fought last week that you needed to get your differences sorted out before today if you wanted to play in the final, but you haven't done it. Daisuke, you've got to stop starting fights, but Taichi, you're old enough to know better than to fight back. You guys are my star players, but you leave me with no choice. I have to disqualify both of you from this tournament."
Immediately they began to protest, but the coach held his hand up to silence them.
"I warned you both; you have nobody to blame but yourselves. I can't risk you fighting again in the final, I'm sorry."
Taichi opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but stopped when he realised that the coach wasn't going to change his mind. This made him turn instead to Daisuke, fuming. "Now look what you've done!"
The redhead was faring no better at controlling his anger. "It wasn't me! This is your fault!"
Growling, Taichi went to shove Daisuke again, and the smaller boy raised his fists, preparing to defend himself. They appeared to have forgotten that their coach was still standing before them, and he held them apart before any contact was made between them.
"You're doing it again, guys!" They stopped at the adult voice, fists still poised, and turned to him. "You've just proved that I can't trust you to behave in the final. Now, go on home; come back to practice when the tournament's over. Maybe by then you'll have learnt not to fight during matches."
At this Daisuke stood up and stormed away towards his parents, and Taichi quickly followed suit, neither of them happy.
And this was how their days went, tournament or not. There seemed to be no way for them to avoid fighting; it just happened. They rubbed each other the wrong way, and that was all there was to it. Neither of them had actually done anything to spark off the mutual dislike.
When the day of the final eventually rolled around, Daisuke spent it kicking his own football around his garden, imagining that it was Taichi's head. Taichi did the same, only picturing the redhead's face on the ball instead of his own.
