Characters: Yamato, Daisuke, Tai, Sora, some OCs

Summary: *Second in Bonds Series* Plagued by his growing fame and relationship problems, Yamato wonders what he's on if he's asking Daisuke for adivice. *Davis and Yamato Friendship fic feat. Sorato*

Ages:

Tai, Yamato, Sora-20

Daisuke-17

Second in the Bonds series, thought it can stand alone by itself.

Bonds: Friendship

"Have any of you dumbasses seen my pick?" Ishida Yamato hollered as he turned their practice area inside out, his eyes scanning for the dark blue accessory.

"No!" shouted back his band mate Kimura Junichi. The guitarist was attempting to tune his own instrument as he hummed merrily.

"Negative," keyboardist Shinonome Rintaro said from somewhere behind him.

Drummer Kishio Tsukune ignored him completely, which Yamato decided to take for a no. Frustrated, Yamato sat down on the couch and let out a huff of irritation.

"Get up ya pansy, we gotta practice," Tsukune said.

"I can't without my lucky pick."

Tsukune rolled his eyes. "Dude, you are so whipped. You're pathetic."

Yamato decided that such a comment was not worthy of being dignified with a response and so he simply turned around and faced away from Tsukune, knowing the drummer was rolling his eyes.

"Well I think it's cute," Junichi said as wandered over to them.

"Of course you do. You think everything is cute, sugar boy."

Junichi smiled at him and tilted his head slightly to the right as he gazed at the drummer with an intense look.

"Argh, stop doing that 'cute' shit man. Creeps me out," Tsukune said before turning around walking over to his drums.

Junichi let out a light chuckle. "Anyone else would think he has a problem with my sexuality."

"Yeah, and then they'd say something bad about you and we'd have to bail him out of jail for assault," Yamato replied.

"It's how he shows his love and we should appreciate the beatings he dishes out to hooligans who insult my honor and masculinity," Junichi said with a straight face. Yamato couldn't help but be impressed. Masculine would be the last word he'd use to describe Junichi. The long black-haired boy had more feminine features than half the girls he'd met and was flamboyant to the point where their agent had decided that he should feature prominently on covers and posters despite the fact that Yamato was the lead singer. Junichi enjoyed basking in breaking every social norm men were supposed to follow except for cross-dressing and wearing make-up.

The guitarist sat down next to Yamato. "But I was being honest. I think it's adorable that you can't play your bass unless you have the pick Sora-san gave you as a gift."

Yamato blushed. "It's pathetic, but I need it now more than ever. Sora and I...we've been having problems."

Junichi patted Yamato's knee and gave him a sympathetic look. "She's just finding it hard to deal with our new-found success. It's just as hard on her as it is on you. A rock-star's life isn't easy for anyone."

"I know. I just wish everyone else would realize that. They all think I'm living the life but they don't see the other side of it. Thankfully Taichi's there to help smooth things out between Sora and I," Yamato said, silently thanking his best friend.

"How is Taichi-san anyway?" Junichi asked. "I remember you and Sora-san were worried about him a few of weeks ago."

"He's doing fine, actually. He apparently had some sort of eye-opening conversation with Daisuke and now all he talks about is wanting to be an ambassador.*"

Junichi laughed. "It doesn't surprise me. Daisuke-kun understands Taichi-san very well."

"Takes an idiot to understand one."

"And yet you understand them both oh so very well," Koichi teased.

Yamato opened his mouth to retort but was distracted by the sound of Tsukune's loud swearing. Concerned, he and Junichi directed their attention to him and saw that he was rapidly paling and that Rintaro was smirking at him. Now Yamato knew something big had just gone down. Rintaro never smirked but the usually stoic boy was looking highly amused.

"What happened?"

"Tsukune knows the location of your pick," Rintaro said.

Yamato turned expectantly towards Tsukune, whose normally mean features, the prominent nose and narrowed eyes, seemed scared. "I might have, uh, accidentally thrown it away last night when I cleaned up the pizza boxes."

Yamato took a deep breath to calm himself as he finally remembered exactly where he had left it instead of putting it in his case. "Tsukune, the only reason I haven't killed you yet is because this is mostly my fault. I'm going to go out and get some fresh air so I don't kill anyone. I'll see you all later."

Before anyone else could utter a word, Yamato exited the room.

'Leaving the pick in the pizza box? What the hell is wrong with me?'

Yamato stared at himself in the rear-view mirror as he drove through the city, berating himself for his carelessness. That pick was very precious to him so the fact he had forgotten to pack it away as he always did made him extremely uncomfortable. To some it might be silly, but with the problems he and Sora had been facing, the fact that he had forgotten the pick furthered fed his fears that he and his girlfriend were truly falling apart. Sighing, Yamato finally arrived home and pulled up on a parking spot.

Exiting the car, Yamato glanced at a charm Sora had given him which he had hung on his mirror before shaking his head and making his way towards home. As he slid the door open, Yamato noticed that only one pair of shoes was at the entrance and he easily recognized Yagami Taichi's favorite sneakers. Yamato took off his own shoes and proceeded into the living room, where Taichi was sprawled on the couch watching a soccer game.

"Yo!" Taichi said as a way of greeting, not even glancing up at Yamato. Yamato walked over and nudged Taichi with his arm.

"Make space, you slob."

Taichi grinned at him and sat up, making room for the blond who collapsed on the couch and gave off another sigh.

"Uh oh, what's the problem?"

Yamato glanced at his best friend. "What makes you think there's a problem?"

Taichi shook his head and gave Yamato a look. "Come on, Yamato. I've known you for how many years now? Besides, we all know you artistic types like to be dramatic and that sigh just now? Drama at its finest."

Yamato responded by throwing a cushion to his face. "Idiot. But yeah, there's a problem."

Taichi sat up straight and focused on his fellow Chosen. "I'll all ears buddy."

"Last night I was eating pizza with the band and left the pick Sora gave me in the pizza box. Tsukune tossed it out and the garbage has already been taken away. I'm an idiot," Yamato grumbled, glaring at the TV.

"Ah, rookie mistake," Taichi grinned. "And Sora's really sensitive about cute tiny things like that. Like that time I got her a hairpin. Man, that was a handful!"

Yamato shifted his glare from the TV to the Chosen of Courage. "I'm aware."

"Just kiss her a bit and it'll help her get over it," Taichi said with a shrug. "Or buy another one that looks just like it and she'll never know." When Yamato's response was silence, Taichi's grin grew to gigantic proportions. "Don't tell me you're actually attached to the thing? Aw, Yama-chan, that's so cute!"

Yamato's eye twitched and when Taichi tried to pinch his cheek Yamato slapped his hand away. "You're so useless."

"That hurts," Taichi whimpered, holding a hand over his heart. "However, as the best friend anyone could ever ask for, I'll forgive you."

"Good for you."

"But hey, I have some good news on my end! I'm going back to school!"

Yamato stared at Taichi in shock. "Seriously?"

"Yup!" Taichi replied. "My 'rents agreed to cover it! Granted I'll have to pay them back when I can but it's a done deal. Ambassador Yagami is well on his way!"

Yamato continued to stare at him. "Are you actually serious about this ambassador deal?"

"Of course I am. Did you think I was joking?"

"Yes," Yamato deadpanned. Taichi huffed. "So, what are your plans?"

"I know it's a bit high but I'm aiming for Todai."

"Todai?" Yamato let out a low whistle. "You are aiming high. You think you can get in?"

At this, Taichi's grin seemed to falter and his eyes clouded over with worry. The Chosen leaned back on the couch and ran a hand through his spiky hair. "I honestly don't know. Todai's the best there is. I've already started studying for the entrance exam but I don't know if I'll make it. I don't wanna spend years as a ronin."

Yamato studied his friend carefully. "Do you want to make it?"

Taichi frowned. "What kind of a question is that? Of course I do!"

"Then you will."

Taichi blinked. Then, as Yamato's words sunk in, his grin returned in full force and he wrapped Yamato in a one-arm hug. "You big softie! Your words of encouragement have given me hope!"
Yamato growled and tried to push himself away from Taichi's death grip. "Get off!"

"But Yama-chan!"

The two wrestled on the couch for about a minute until they heard the door of their home open and close, signifying that the last member of their trio had arrived.

"Sora! You're back already?" Taichi yelled as he applied more pressure to his headlock on Yamato.

"Yeah!" Takenouchi Sora's voice came from somewhere near the entrance. "I'm gonna take a shower, alright?"

"Alright!" Taichi hollered back as he looked down at Yamato. When the sound of the bathroom door closing reached their ears, Taichi let go of the blond. "So, Sora' here. What's your plan?"
"I don't know," Yamato hissed in frustration.

"Just get into a little argument and have some make-up sex, jeez. You guys haven't gone at it in a while."

"And how exactly would you know that?" Yamato growled, flushing.

Taichi gave him a look. "Because until about a month ago you two kept me up all night with the sound of your clandestine escapades."

Yamato had the decency to look slightly ashamed of himself. "Oh."

"Yeah," Taichi said, slapping Yamato in the back. "So whatever problems you two are having should be solved with some fuckie fuckie, right? I'm leaving anyway, so go ahead and knock yourself out."

Taichi got up from the couch and stretched. "I might or might not be back tonight. If I got out with Koushiro I might just crash at his place. Hold down the house, alright?"

As Taichi made his way towards the front door, Yamato couldn't help but voice out a final though. "Taichi." Pause. "Will you move out if you make it to Todai?"

Taichi stopped and turned around, facing Yamato and looking thoughtful. "Well, from a convenience standpoint it might be easier to move there. It'll probably come out cheaper than the train fare every day. Not to mention that Todai's like an hour by train anyway." There was a brief silence.

"I see," Yamato said neutrally, squashing down the disappointment at the fact his friend was actually considering moving out.

"But I might not. I really don't know. I'm taking it one step at a time. I'll decide when I actually make it to Todai," Taichi finished with a wave of his hand. "Besides, I shudder at the thought of me leaving and you guys turning this place into your personal love shack. This place is important to me."

Yamato smirked. "What makes you think we haven't already started?"

"I hate you. Please, just don't let me walk in on it. Seriously. Never."

"Weren't you leaving?"

"Yes," Taichi said. "See ya."

Yamato leaned back on the couch as he heard Taichi close the front door, allowing anxiousness to fill him once again. He was alone with Sora. Some time ago this would have been a blessing but now the thought filled him with dread.

'When did I become a coward? And why am I making such a big deal out of this?'

Yamato got up and began making his way towards his room, but stopped in his tracks when the bathroom door opened and Sora came out wrapped in nothing but a towel, her hair wet and a relaxed expression on her face. Her eyes met his and he felt his breath leave him. He'd never get over how beautiful she was.

Sora smiled softly. "Hey."

"Hey." Yamato croaked out.

"Yamato," Sora said, "I have the day off tomorrow. Why don't we go somewhere? I heard the fair is back in town."

Suddenly the mood was shattered as Yamato felt his heart plummet. "I can't. Our agent scheduled a meeting with one of the local magazines."

"Oh," Sora said and Yamato flinched when he heard the disappointment in her voice.

"I'm sorry, Sora. I'll make it up to you, I promise," he said desperately. When she nodded, still not looking at him, Yamato reached over to kiss her. At the last moment, Sora turned her head and his lips landed on her cheek instead. Fury and anguish mingled and must have shown on his expression, because Sora seemed to regret it at once.

"I'm really tired," she said in a small voice. "I'm going to take a nap. I'll cook something later." Sora turned around and headed to her room, not once glancing at him. When he heard her door shut, he slowly sank against the wall, defeated.

'We weren't like this. Why is this happening?'

The house suddenly felt suffocating and Yamato felt an unexplainable urge to leave. His body moved of its own accord as he got up, made it back to the living room to pick up his keys, and exited the house. With no destination in mind, Yamato turned the ignition even as a voice that sounded suspiciously like Taichi jeered at him inside his mind.

'Coward. Coward! You didn't even tell her about the damn pick.'

The sun was beginning to set by the time Yamato decided to return to his vehicle. He hand spent the afternoon standing on an overpass overlooking the Sumida River. He had attempted to gather his thoughts but had ended up writing lyrics to a song. A part of him was absolutely disgusted because he knew that his actions had only further supported the issue that was ruining his relationship with Sora. Yamato took a long drag of the lit cigarette in his hand and let the smoke billow out slowly. He had always given his father a hard time for smoking but only after he had begun to face real-life problems had he understood Ishida Hiroaki's addiction to the seemingly harmless buds. Not that he was addicted. For one, he disliked cigarettes in general and smoked a single cigarette once a month. The second reason was that Sora disliked it and had flat-out told him she'd stop kissing him if he made it a habit.

'Not that it stopped her in the end,' he thought bitterly.

The sun was beginning to set and Yamato was treated to the breathtaking sight of the Sumida River being bathed in gold. It was a beautiful sight, one that he and Sora had often gone out of their way to see. He sighed as he flicked the cigarette to the ground and crushed it underneath his foot. No matter where he went, he seemed to be drawn back to Sora.

Deciding fighting it was pointless, Yamato got in his car and began to make his way home. He had no idea what he'd do or say, but it was impossible to stay away from Sora. He felt drawn to her and it terrified him as much as it amazed him. He knew, had known for a long time, that Sora was the one.

It made the prospect of her leaving him all the more terrifying.

As Yamato continued to drive, his eyes were inadvertently drawn to the shopping area to the left of him. Before the thought had fully been processed, he had already turned the wheel and entered the area where the music store resided. The same music store that Sora had gotten the pick from. He parked and stared at the store. It seemed intimidating somehow, though he'd been there countless times. Taking a deep breath, he looked through the window, which was conveniently placed by the display of picks.

There were no picks that matched the one Sora had given him.

'Good. It can't be replaced.'

Yamato turned away and his body seemed to move of its own accord, gravitating towards the pet store located three stores down. He knew why he was going there. Once again, it came back to Sora.

"For the last time, we are not getting a pet. We have no space for it."

"Come on, Yama-chan!"

"Shut up Tai."

"Yamato, please?"

"Sora, a pet is a lot of responsibility. Do you think either of us has the time to properly take care of one?"

"No..."

"And Tai's not suited for it."

"Hey, I owned a cat you know!"

He chuckled ruefully at the memory and after a quick glance through the window, he decided to go back to his car. However, something caught the corner of his eye. Bewildered, he stared open-mouthed at the assistant sitting on the desk and felt his mouth drop open as he recognized the face, burgundy hair, and goggles. Unable to believe it, Yamato entered the store.

"Daisuke?"

Motomiya Daisuke was startled out of his daze as his name was called. He gazed up at the customer who had called his time and Yamato saw the eyes widening for a second.

"Yamato-senpai? I didn't know you had any pets!"

"I don't," Yamato said as he continued to stare at the younger Chosen. "You work here?"

"Part-timer," Daisuke responded with a smile, "I like playing with the animals. Here, take a seat!" He pointed to a flimsy green chair and Yamato obliged him, setting himself down and letting his eyes roam the store.

"It's pretty quiet in here," he noted.

"Must be your overwhelming rock-star aura that has silenced all of the little bastards," Daisuke teased.

Yamato forced a smile. "Yeah."

"My shift ends in 10 minutes. Why don't we grab a bite? It's been ages."

Yamato was about to deny the invitation. After all, he had been on his way to talk to Sora. But then again, he had nothing planned to say and knew he had to set things straight tonight. It would be unfair to Daisuke to spend his time with the younger Chosen while distracted but he needed more time to think of what to say to Sora.

He eyed Daisuke speculatively. Taichi always said that Daisuke was more perceptive than he was given credit for and Yamato did not feel comfortable talking about his relationship issues with anyone other than Taichi and Takeru, but the former was of no use and the latter had his own issues to deal with at the moment. Besides, Yamato reasoned, Daisuke was loyal and would keep whatever Yamato told him to himself. And they both had the Crest of Friendship. That had to count for something, right?

"Sure."
"Awesome!" Daisuke cheered. "This new place opened up down the street and they apparently sell incredible dango. I was planning on checking it out. Why don't you explore the store while I wait out my shift?"

Having nothing better to do, Yamato walked away and wondered what the hell he was on if he was planning on asking Motomiya Daisuke for relationship advice.

The dango place was small and cozy and certainly impressive, Yamato had to admit as he and Daisuke sat in their booth. The service appeared to be top-notch for their order was placed on their table a mere 10 minutes after arrival. Yamato eyed the excited Chosen sitting across from him as his eyes lit up when the dango was delivered.

"Try this, Yamato-senpai, it's great!" Daisuke said, waving a stick of dango in front of the blond's face. Yamato rolled his eyes and obliged him.

"Wow!" Yamato exclaimed after his first bite. That had been much more delicious than he had expected.

"I know, right?" Daisuke grinned.

Deciding to kick off the conversation, Yamato swallowed a second bite and addressed his companion. "So, Daisuke, what's going on in your life?"

Daisuke swallowed. "Not much, really. I mean, my grades are up to par and Miyako's been hounding Ken that he join her at Todai, but for some reason Ken really likes Kyoto University so he's conflicted and I have to hear him complain every night."

Yamato kept a neutral expression as he listened to lesser problem of the Chosen's second famous couple. "I never took Ken for the complaining type."

"Oh, he turns into a right chump whenever Miyako's involved," Daisuke said with a wave of his hand. "I mean, I'm not like that with Kimiko-chan, so I don't see why he turns to mush."

"Kimiko?" Yamato asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, my new girlfriend. Didn't Takeru tell you? We've been dating for 3 months now and Takeru was totally heartbroken when she got together with me. He apparently also had a crush on her but hey, I didn't know," Daisuke explained as he took another bite.

"Takeru mentioned something, now that I remember, but I don't remember your name coming up."

"He was probably trying to forget then," Daisuke shrugged. "Not that I blame him. Kimiko-chan's amazingly pretty and sweet, but she's also got the most amazing wild side and she's into all this great shit and she does the most amazing things with her tongue-"

"I get the point," Yamato interrupted wearily. He did not want explicit details on Daisuke's sex life while he was eating. "So you guys have gone all the way?"

"She's only the second girl I've ever been with," Daisuke admitted. "And she's the first in about a year."

"Really now? Who was the first, if you don't mind me asking? A former girlfriend? That Reiko chick you dated?"

"Ah, no," Daisuke said, looking uneasy. "I don't know if I'm allowed to tell you. I mean, she never said not to tell anyone but..."

"Now you have to tell me," Yamato said leaning forward, "because you make it sound like it's someone we both know."

"It is. You can keep a secret though, Yamato-senpai, can't you? I trust you."

"Of course," Yamato agreed. "Complete man-to-man confidentiality here." It was the perfect situation, since Yamato was planning on asking Daisuke the same thing. It'd be much easier to trust the boy now. "Was it Hikari? I won't tell Taichi."

"Not Hikari-chan," Daisuke shook his head as Yamato picked up his glass. "It was, um, Mimi-chan."

Yamato choked on his drink and Daisuke reached over, patting him on the back. Spluttering, Yamato fixed his gaze on the gogglehead. "You slept with Mimi? When?"

"When I went to visit her and Willis last year. It's not something we talk about, really," Daisuke said.

"So there's nothing between you two?" Daisuke shook his head. "Man, how'd you score a girl like Mimi?"

Daisuke blushed but smiled at him. "That, my friend, shall remain a secret." Then, he leaned forward to take some dango. "How about you, Yamato-senpai? How're things on your end?"

Yamato sighed. "So-so, to be honest. The band's getting more publicity and as a result our record's been flying off the shelves."

"Jun has a copy," Daisuke said.

"I know, she asked me to autograph it. She was very calm about it, actually," Yamato mused.

"She's been calmer since she started dating Shuu-san," Daisuke confided. "But enough about Jun! Your band's getting bigger! That's awesome!"

"Oh yeah," Yamato said with forced enthusiasm, "living the dream." Daisuke, however, had an odd expression on his face after Yamato's last words. Then, his eyes seemed to light up in understanding.

"Finding it hard to balance both the life of the rock-star Ishida Yamato and the person Ishida Yamato?" Daisuked asked.

"Right in one," Yamato said bitterly. "How'd you guess?"

"Fame has its ups and down," Daisuke answered. "I always read about it in soccer magazines. But I'm sure you can handle it, senpai! You were able to juggle being a Chosen, after all."

"I'm not so sure I can," Yamato responded. He wondered if he sounded as tired as he felt. He glanced down at the ice cubes bobbing on his glass and steeled himself. "Daisuke, can I ask your opinion on something?"

"Yeah, of course!"

"What do you think about Sora and I? Together, I mean."

There. He had done it.

"Huh?" Daisuke looked at him in surprise. "What's the deal with that question?"

"Just answer it," Yamato responded, eyes shut.

Daisuke stayed silent for a moment and Yamato knew he was pondering the question. "I think," he finally said, "that you guys are good together."

"I think so too," Yamato said softly.

"Then why ask me?" Confusion was plainly evident on Daisuke's face.

"Because I'm not so sure you and I are right anymore."

"What? No way, man! You and Sora are totally perfect for each other!" Daisuke exclaimed. Yamato glanced up and saw faint traces of anger in the gogglehead's visage, causing Yamato to frown in confusion. Why would Daisuke get mad? "What makes you think so, anyway?"

"We've been having problems," Yamato admitted, forcing his voice to remain calm. "It doesn't seem to be working out."

"But why?" Daisuke insisted.

"You said it yourself," Yamato said. "I'm having trouble balancing my private and social lives."

At Daisuke's confused look, Yamato decided to elaborate. He already was already half-way in anyway. "I've been really busy lately and I'm finding less and less time to spend with Sora, but when I do have time the atmosphere is too tense and neither of us wanna deal with it."

"But Taichi-senpai told me a about a month ago that the two of you were doing well," Daisuke said.

"He probably told you that we were keeping him up right?" Yamato asked with a raised eyebrow. He nodded in satisfaction when Daisuke looked sheepish. "I thought so. He's wrong though. Whenever we had time together we had sex because it meant avoiding any actual conversation. That's not the case anymore. That excuse isn't working." Yamato leaned back on his chair. "It's funny, Sora and I are falling apart because she's such an amazing girlfriend. She should have ditched me by now but she continues to stay by my side even when I have no time for her. She understands that the recent surge in publicity is consuming my time but she just takes it. She'd never ask me to choose between her and my dream. But it's getting to her. I know it is." Yamato looked at Daisuke squarely in the eyes. "Got anything to say?"

"If you have no time for her," Daisuke began slowly, "then how come you're here?"

Yamato blinked.

"Well?"
"Sora didn't want me around."

"And you agreed?" Daisuke asked. "That doesn't sound like you at all, senpai."

Yamato sighed. "Like I said, the atmosphere is tense. We've tried before, trust me, but it ends with neither of us saying anything. It's awful."

Daisuke glanced thoughtfully at his plate before speaking. "I'm not the best person to ask about this, you know. I'm not exactly in tune with the emotions of others most of the time. I march to the beat of my own drum and whatnot. I also don't really understand girls. I've lived with Jun my entire life and have been friends with Miyako and Hikari-chan for years and I still don't understand what makes girls tick."

Yamato gave Daisuke a puzzled look but the gogglehead didn't see it as his gaze was still directed at the plate.

"I can't really help you figure out what's going on," Daisuke continued, "but do you love her?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation in his answer.

Daisuke looked up and Yamato was startled to see that he was grinning. "Then that's all that matters, right?"

Yamato forced down the urge to sigh and directed his eyes at the glass in his hand. The answer was so typical of Daisuke that Yamato knew he shouldn't be disappointed for not getting something else. The boy had tried to help in his own way and Yamato should at least show his gratitude.

"Then again," Daisuke went on, causing Yamato's eyes to snap back to the gogglehead, "love isn't always enough, is it? I was in love with Hikari-chan just like Taichi-senpai was in love with Sora-san. But neither of us got that happy ending. Hikari-chan never returned my interest and Sora-san chose you."

Yamato gripped his glass tightly. It had been a long time since anyone had brought up Taichi's feelings for Sora and the concept always made him feel uncomfortable. "Yeah."

"Which means that this isn't some fairy tail where I'm going to have all the answers for you," Daisuke finished with a shrug. "I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything but you're the only one who can fix this mess since you're the only one who understands what's going on."

"I know that," Yamato said, running a hand through his hair. "I just don't know what to say. I've been rehearsing it over and over again in my head for weeks but nothing seems right, especially when I do see her. My mind goes blank."

Daisuke snickered and Yamato felt a surge of anger. "I'm not laughing at you, senpai," he said quickly. "I just forget how different we are sometimes." Daisuke signaled for the waitress to bring the check. "Stop thinking. I usually have an easier time when I just say what's in my heart. Granted, it ends in disaster more often than not but you're a hell of a lot smarter than me. You're just gonna have to suck it up and talk to her before you lose her."

Yamato remained silent as the check was placed before them. Daisuke quickly snatched it up and scanned it before handing his credit card to the waitress.

"My treat," Daisuke said when Yamato opened his mouth to protest. "It's really up to you senpai. I'm not gonna pretend I understand what you and Sora-san are going through but there's only one way to go and that's forward. It shouldn't be that hard." At this, Daisuke grinned at his friend as he signed the receipt and stood up. "I inherited both Courage and Friendship. I think that goes both ways, don't you? I think you have some Courage in you, senpai. It's in there somewhere." And with a final wave, Daisuke left Yamato sitting there in the dango shop.

Yamato stared in astonishment at Daisuke's abrupt exit before leaning back on his chair. "Courage, huh?" With that, Yamato closed his eyes and thought.

The drive back home was quite possibly the longest ride of his life, Yamato thought as he finally parked in the driveway. He had spent an hour sitting inside his car, going over Daisuke's words. Daisuke had not told Yamato anything new and had addressed points that Yamato had already considered but the gogglehead's statements continued to run around in his head.

As Yamato entered the home, he noticed that Taichi's shoes were missing. Remembering his best friend's claim that he was going to crash at Koushiro's place, Yamato steeled himself. Tonight was the night. He took a deep breath and walked into the living room where, as expected, Sora was sitting on the coach. She glanced up as she heard him approach and an odd expression crossed her face.

"Hey," Yamato said quietly.

"Hey," she replied just as quietly. However, a look of determination suddenly overtook her features and she stood up. "Yamato, about earlier, I'm sor-"

"Don't be," Yamato interrupted. As she opened her mouth to argue, he cut her off again. "We need to talk."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a mix of disappointment and apprehension graced Sora's face and Yamato mentally scolded himself. 'We need to talk' was usually the way a break-up began. He remembered Daisuke's words. 'Stop thinking and speak from the heart. Right.' Yamato gathered himseld, opened his mouth, and...

"I lost the pick."

It took every ounce of willpower he possessed to prevent himself from slamming his head into the nearest wall. What the hell was wrong with him? His throat seemed to tighten as a flash of hurt passed through Sora's eyes. "Oh," was all she said looked away and attempted to walk past him. Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed her arm, preventing her from moving. He met her startled gaze.

"Please, stay." The desperation in his voice must have been apparent for Sora nodded and gestured towards the couch. Yamato quickly understood her meaning and the two of them sat down on it. "Thank you."

"You said you needed to talk?" Sora asked in a polite and detached tone. Yamato felt his heart constrict but suddenly he realized he had been putting it off for too long.

"I love you," he burst out. He took a deep breath and suddenly the words were pouring out his mouth without him even going over them. "I love you so much, Sora. You're amazing and beautiful and I'm a fool for letting things get this far. You've been so patient with me as the band has grown but I've returned your kindness by neglecting you and you deserve better than that. Better than me."

"I-"

"But I want to fix it," he continued rapidly, knowing that if he stopped now his courage might fail him, "because I can't imagine life without you and that's what this is leading to. You're everything to me Sora. You come before everything else, before my band and my band members and myself. I'm yours before everything else. I'm yours tomorrow and the next day and forever if you let me stay by your side. I'll cancel tomorrow's interview and go to the fair with you. I'll do anything you want so please, please, let's go back to the way we were. Please?"

Yamato's eyes never left Sora as he talked and when he was finished he tried to find some sort of emotion, but she remained stoic. Just as Yamato was beginning to lose hope, however, she spoke. "Does that mean I'm above Tai, Takeru and your parents?"
"I-What?" Yamato stammered, caught off-guard by the question, but he noticed with a surge of joy that the corner of her mouth was turned upward in half-smile. "Yeah," he said, "I like you better."

"Liar," Sora said, her smile growing wider. "But I'm fine with that." She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his, pulling back. Her eyes sparkled.

"My speech sucked," Yamato said, his own smile growing with each passing second.

"It's the thought that counts," she replied and leaned forward for another soft kiss. Their eyes locked and suddenly he was overwhelmed by hunger for Sora. She must have felt similarly as she responded to his hungry kisses eagerly. He brushed his tongue against her lower lip and she complied by opening her mouth, and he pressed her closer to him as her hands grasped his air and a small moan escaped her. He broke away for breath and gazed at her. Her eyes were half-lidded and her expression sent a jolt through his groin.

"We still need to talk," he said a hoarse voice.

"I think it can wait," she responded and that was all he needed before he once again captured her lips. She broke away to say "Your room is closer" and then reclaimed his lips, attacking him and making his head spin. He stood up and relished in the way Sora's legs locked around his waist and at the kisses she was leaving on his neck as he carried her toward his room. His legs nearly gave away when she nibbled on his earlobe but he made the journey, closing his door with a kick as he placed Sora on the bed and removed his shirt.

"It's been a while," he commented.

"Shut up and kiss me."
He dove again eagerly, placing his hands under her short and drawing a finger along her waistline before grabbing her shirt and pulling it off with her assistance. He had just begun to fumble with her bra when his cellphone rang. Both of them immediately recognized the ringtone. Yamato groaned but rather than answer he decided to return his attention to Sora. She seemed to have other ideas, however, as she held up a hand.

"It might be important. I can wait."
"Sora," Yamato whined.

"Answer it. I think we can wait."

Grumbling, Yamato pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and flipped it open. "What's up Junichi?"

"A couple of things, actually," Junichi said from the other line. "First of all, we found your pick. It was under the couch."

"Are you serious?" Yamato said and glanced at Sora, who mouthed 'I can hear it' and flashed him a smile.

"Yeah. You need to search better. Poor Tsukune's been torn up about it, you jerk," Junichi replied lightly.

"I'll apologize tomorrow."

"You're on speakerphone so he heard you but he still expects a proper apology."

"Right."

"Also, about tomorrow's interview-"

"I'm not going," Yamato said quickly. "I'm busy. Try to reschedule and if not, well it's only one magazine."

"...That's awfully selfish of you don't you think?" Junichi asked in a conversational tone. "You're lucky Rintaro and Tsukune were dreading it as much you were or we'd have a problem. And you're throwing us under the bus with Kirishima-san."

"Shit," Yamato said, remembering their agent. "Sorry Junichi. I'll-"

"You'll spend some much-needed time with Sora-san," Junichi replied firmly. "And we'll see you in two days to go over our schedule so this doesn't happen again."

"Without a doubt," Yamato said, relieved. "Thanks Junichi, I owe you one."

"No, this one is for our benefit," Junichi teased. "You've been high-strung lately and I'm hoping Sora-san can loosen you up and tire you out."

Yamato spluttered as he heard Tsukune's laughter in the background and imagined the smirk on Rintaro's face. "And I'm the jerk?"

"More or less. Say bye to Sora-san for me!"

With that, the line went dead, leaving Yamato staring dumbfounded at his phone.

"I've always liked Junichi," Sora giggled.

"He's something else," Yamato agreed as he placed his cellphone on the stand next to his bed. "Now where were we?"

Sora smiled coyly at him. "Well-"

'We're on the crossing to choose!'

Yamato growled as his phone came to life once again, Uverworld blasting through the speakers. He glanced down at Sora. "That's Taichi."

"Ignore it," she breathed. "I do believe Junichi left me a mission and I have every intention of carrying it out."

With that, she leaned up to capture his lips and Yamato forgot everything else.

Sometime later, Yamato laid on his bed, nude, tired and sweaty, with Sora snuggled up next to him. His finger lightly traced circles on her hip as she breathed into his neck.

"I've missed this," she whispered.

"I've missed you," Yamato said, bringing her closer. "Remind me to thank Daisuke."

"Daisuke?" she asked, looking at him in confusion.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "I sat down with him before coming here and we talked. He didn't say everything I didn't already know but for some reason his words wouldn't leave me. Tai was righ, the kid's got a way with words."

"First Taichi and now you, huh?" Sora said, her finger tracing her name on Yamato's chest. "I need to thank him for knocking some sense into both of my boys. Although," she bit her lip and Yamato had a sudden urge to kiss her breathless, "I wasn't completely innocent in this scenario. I'm sorry Yamato."

"It's fine, Sora," Yamato said soothingly. "We'll talk about it later."

"Why not now?"

"Because," Yamato said, his eyes darkened with lust, "I don't believe you've completed your mission yet."

"Is that so?" Sora replied, her expression matching his. "Well then, I'll have to fix that won't I?" She rolled over so that she was on top straddling him, allowing the covers to fall off of her. Giving him the sexiest of smirks, Sora began to lower herself down. Yamato braced himself, ready to feel the heat of her.

SLAM!

"Hey Yama-chan, have you seen my-AAAAAH! OH MY GOD! MY EYES!"

"Tai?"
"Tai!"

"Damn it Yamato, we just talked about this!" Taichi stepped out of the room, grabbed the door which had ricocheted off the wall when he had slammed it open, and quickly shut it.

"You should knock you ass! Besides, weren't you spending the night at Koushiro's?"

"When do I ever knock? And I said I might!"

"What are you looking for?"

"...My Kishidan CD."

"It's on the stereo in the living room. Are you done overreacting?"

"Yeah," Taichi's voice came from behind the door, sounding sheepish. "Sorry about that."

"Good."
"This is not happening!" Sora said, her face beet red.

Yamato couldn't help but laugh and Taichi soon joined him, leaving Sora to stare at him like he was insane.

"I'll leave you guys alone. See ya tomorrow."

"Yeah."

When Taichi's footsteps had faded, Sora sighed. "What just happened?"

"We just happened," Yamato said, "you, me and Taichi."

He kissed her and though he did not know what the future would bring, he had a feeling that some things would stay the same. As Daisuke had said, the only way to go was forward and Yamato was ready to see the road to its end.

A/N: I'm actually quite displeased with this piece and I feel the end is particularly weak. I rewrote it various time but could not get what I wanted, so this is the end result. There was a lot less Daisuke than I imagined but I feel like it established enough. Sora and Tai ended up hijacking his page-time but he got his part in the end. He had to after all, since this is about Daisuke making bonds with the other Chosen.

So now Daisuke's helped both Tai and Matt. But don't worry, this series won't consist of Daisuke's wisdom or anything like that. The boy isn't all knowing.

Tai switches between "Yamato," "Yama-chan" and "Matt" to annoy his best friend.

*Bonds: Courage, the first in the series and set a month and a half before this. Can be found in my profile

Drop a review and some constructive criticism if you can. And thanks for reading!

Next in series:

Bonds: Love