Flash backs normal.
I don't own the lyrics. I don't own digimon.
It's been awhile
It was a heady dose for me to handle. I might have seemed so cool to others and girls might have wanted me but no one ever wanted to get to know me. Suddenly I had more friends then I thought possible. I was constantly surrounded with no one to tell me I was going the wrong way.
Well there was you. I guess surrounded by all those admiring people I was alone except for you. I couldn't see it. I couldn't see they only wanted a bit of my stardom to rub off on them. You knew, I know you did. You'd show up at my door all smiles and wild hair. You stuck by me and offered the only bit of real friendship I had. Crest of friendship my ass. I couldn't even tell the difference between a glory hog and a true friend. But I knew you where, I always knew you would be there.
Since I could hold my head up high
"Okay Yamato just another ten steps, you can do it." Taichi said softly as he supported a very drunk Yamato up the steps of his apartment building.
"Geez Yama how do you do this all the time." He said as he led Yamato into the living room and onto the couch.
Yamato collapsed bonelessly at his shove with a giggle. Taichi was starting to think high. He sat down next to him with a sigh. This was the third time in two weeks that Yamato had phoned him from a party wanting to go home. At least he was smart enough not to try and drive home himself but Taichi worried. He knew Yamato had been to more parties then just three.
"Yama you have to stop doing this to yourself. There's more to life then just partying." He said turning to his friend who'd flipped onto his back.
"You need to loosen up Taichi. Your only young once." he said with a silly grin.
"Whatever." Taichi said standing up again.
He walked to the door and left before Yamato's drug fogged mind could compute the fact he'd left. He didn't want to hang around and listen to Yamato promote his new found life style. Not when he wasn't able to listen.
*Tomorrow. I'll talk to him at school tomorrow.*
"Geez Yamato not again. We're supposed to go see Jurassic Park three. How can we if you've got a hangover?" Taichi sighed exasperated as Yamato emptied to contents of his stomach into the toilet bowel.
"We don't." Yamato groaned as his stomach clenched painfully.
Taichi sighed then walked from the door way to kneel down beside his friend. He pushed back Yamato's hair and let him lean on him instead of clinging to the toilet.
"So I guess I'm playing nurse maid again. Ah well it's not like I do much else these days." There was a note of bitterness in his voice next to the friendly sarcasism but Yamato was too busy trying not to throw up he didn't hear it.
Finally his stomach calmed enough that Taichi was able to half carry him, half lead him to bed. He collapsed with a soft moan and Taichi pulled down the black out curtain so the light wouldn't hurt his eyes. He sat on the edge of the bed and curled his legs up with a sigh. Yamato had all ready curled up into a fetal position and looked fairly ridiculous. Taichi would have laughed but he'd seen enough of Yamato drunk, hi or hung over.
"Thanks Taichi." Yamato muttered after a while.
"Hey, your my friend what else am I supposed to do?" Taichi smiled bitterly while reaching out and brushing back Yamato's bangs from his forehead.
This time Yamato caught the tone and sat up. He winced as a jab of pain echoed through his temple but blinked blood shot eyes at his friend.
"Taichi?" he asked unable to think of a question for the note of bitterness and loneliness he'd heard.
"Don't ask Yamato all right. It's not something you can help with. At least not really." Taichi said quietly, almost a whisper.
He turned away but not before Yamato saw the tears gathering about his eyes. He didn't understand why Taichi would be crying but he knew he didn't want him to. Yamato reached out a put a hand on Taichi's shoulder.
"Taichi what... ?" he didn't get to finish as Taichi flinched and stood up quickly.
He grabbed Taichi's hand before he could run out the door and pulled him back. He didn't say anything as Taichi glared at him before ripping his hand away and running out the door. He sat there in shock as what he'd seen in Taichi's eyes sunk in.
And it's been awhile
"Taichi, hey it's me again. You mind picking me up again? Everyones drunk off their ass and I need a lift... No I don't have any change for the bus. Come on Taichi please? All right thanks!!!"
He picked Yamato up a while later, ignoring the loud music coming from the building and the people Yamato had been standing with. Yamato stumbled into the car barely able to walk and collapsed into the back seat. He passed out emediatly. Taichi sat there looking back at him for a while before starting the car up again.
"Your welcome... "
It didn't take long for him to reach Yamato's apartment building. He got out and opened the back door. The blonde was still sprawled across the back seat oblivious to the world. Taichi sighed and reached in pulling Yamato up by his shirt. He pulled at the dead weight until the drunk teenager slumped forward leaning all his weight against Taichi.
"Shimata... "Taichi cursed as he tried not to fall backwards.
He shook Yamato hard once he got his balance and he woke up enough to stand. Though not without leaning heavily on Taichi. The brunette didn't say anything but simply dragged Yamato up to his apartment. Finally they reached the door and Taichi had to go fishing in Yamato's pockets for the key.
"Kuso, you should just give me a spare key. I open this door more then you do." He reproached the barely aware Yamato.
"Taic-i?"
"What is it?" He asked turning around.
"What was with the other day?" Yamato asked looking up with cloudy blue eyes.
Taichi paused looking at Yamato in confusion. He didn't know what to do. Yamato was drunk off his ass and wasn't in any state to talk to. He probably wouldn't remember anything either... That decided it. Taichi knelt down beside the couch with a small smile.
"I'll tell you some other day." he said leaning forward and placing a small quick kiss on his lips.
Yamato blinked in surprise then did something he would regret later. He reached out and placed a hand on the back of Taichi's neck. He pulled the other boy forward and kissed him back, a much deeper kiss then before.
The brunette squeaked in surprise but melted into the embrace ignoring the taste of alcohol on Yamato's breath. Taichi held onto Yamato's shirt with both hands as his mind whirled in shock. He was enjoying this but it felt wrong. Yamato was too drunk to know what he was doing.
Taichi made to move away but Yamato wouldn't let him go. The blonde had one arm now wrapped around Taichi's waist and wasn't letting go. Taichi pushed roughly against Yamato getting just a little frightened. But this only made Yamato flip around and pin Taichi up against the couch. His hand began to undo Taichi's pants as his mouth still remained clamped over the brown eyed boy.
*Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit... *
Suddenly Yamato yelped in pain and rolled off Taichi to kneel on the carpet. Taichi jumped up and quickly backed away from Yamato who was curled up around his crotch. Taichi grabbed his keys from the table where he'd left them when he'd come in and ran out the door. He ignored the tears threatening to spill telling himself that Yamato had been drunk and didn't know what he'd been doing. That he'd probably forget what happened and things would go back to normal.
I stretched myself beyond my means
See I ended up hurting you again. I didn't mean to but I hurt you trying to escape from my own pain and loneliness. Still maybe if I'd seen sooner how much it hurt you I'd have stopped. Or maybe even then it was too late.
"Yamato are you home?" Taichi asked as he opened the door.
The Ishida's had finally gotten him a key considering how many times he came over. He'd forgotten about that time when Yamato had been drunk in the tragedy that had followed. Now he merely tried to make sure Yamato didn't pine away from depression. Everyone knew the accident had effected him greatly. Some, like his father, didn't know how bad things were.
Taichi thought as he entered the living room where Yamato was lying on the couch eyes closed. He had large circles under his eyes and his skin was paler then normal. He was doing something to himself but no one could figure out what. Maybe he wasn't eating or maybe he was just brooding too much. But Taichi wasn't about to let Yamato see how worried he was. He had to be strong and help Yamato through this. He would be strong, hell he didn't have the crest of courage for nothing. Maybe he could give Yamato a bit of his.
Sighing at his own dark thoughts he went over to Yamato. He shook his shoulder to wake him. Blurry, blood shot eyes stared back at him. Ignoring the signs of what Taichi knew was not alcohol he smiled cheerfully.
"Hey Yama you look like shit! Come on lets get you out of this house for a day."
They'd gone to the park for lunch and sat on a small hill enjoying the day. Well Taichi enjoyed the day, Yamato just tried to hide the way his hands shook and ignore the ace that demanded to be stated.
"Yamato? Are you okay?" Taichi had asked placing a hand on his shoulder.
Yamato realised Taichi had been talking to him but he'd been so preoccupied with hiding his condition he hadn't noticed. He shook his head and pulled away.
"It's nothing Taichi. Sorry I wasn't paying attention." He said quickly hoping Taichi would leave it alone.
"Yama... No it's not nothing! I can't sit here a pretend your not doing this to yourself!" Taichi said quietly but intensely.
Taichi was boring holes into him with those dark brown eyes, as if to convince Yamato of his words. That with a look he could convince Yamato to listen. Yamato blinked stupidly unsure of how to respond.
" Yama, please believe me. I wont go away and I'll help you if I can. Please... Just stop doing This to yourself." He said quietly looking down now at Yamato's hand in his.
Yamato didn't remember Taichi taking his hand but it was shaking in his. He couldn't stop it and Taichi knew this. He held it tightly and Yamato realised he was trying to stop the shaking himself. Before Yamato could stop them, tears were blurring his vision. Yamato felt he should say something, thank Taichi for being his friend for caring enough... Yamato opened his mouth but Taichi looked up quickly and shushed him up with a finger on his lips.
"No thanks Yama. There's absolutely nothing I wouldn't do for you." He said letting his fingers glide across Yamato's check in a gentle caress.
There was no embarrassment in the act. No regrets for showing how much he felt about Yamato. The blonde let the tears fall then, the first time he'd cried since the accident. Yamato fell forward into Taichi's arms and he held him as the sobs wracked Yamato's body.
Funny how quickly after that our relationship changed. I never realised how strongly you felt before that. I didn't understand how you could. No one had ever been so close to me. I always knew how important you were to me. How could I when I'd almost lost you before. Strange I promised nothing would ever get in the way of our friendship ever again. Wonder why I couldn't remember saying that now.
*Be strong Taichi. He needs you. He needs your help. He can't get out of this alone.*
Standing up straight he walked to the edge of the bed and sat down beside him. Yamato didn't move an inch. As Taichi gazed at the sleeping form of his lover he couldn't stop the tears that fell from his eyes. He'd become so much closer to Yamato in the past few weeks. He knew everything there was to know about him. He knew about the drugs he took, what he'd had to endure during the crash.
*He's so thin now...*
Yamato still wasn't eating much either. That combined with the things he took when Taichi couldn't be there and his Dad left, he was a pale, sickly shadow of his former self. Reaching out Taichi brushed back limp strands of hair. His eyes ghosted over the hallow cheek bones and pale lips. The dark, puffy circles under sunken eyes.
"Oh Yama what's happened to you..." He sighed lying down next to Yamato.
Not caring wether they were late for school or not he wrapped an arm around Yamato waist pulling him close. He buried his face in the blondes neck letting the tears fall freely.
"I wont leave you. I will not leave you ever. No matter what you do to yourself I wont!"
I heard what you'd said. I heard to pain but I couldn't see past my own. Yet I felt a small degree of happiness knowing I had you. Around you I didn't need the drugs, I didn't need to numb away the pain. Around you I was happy.
"Good Morning Koi." He said feeling not so bad after a night of bingeing.
He felt Taichi's arms tighten around him and heard the whispered hello. Not caring about being late for school, just happy to be lying in Taichi's arms. There in that warm circle of love, he felt safe and sometimes truly happy.
And everything I can't remember
Then they wern't enough. I needed something stronger, I think they call it building up a tolerance. It happens with any drug I suppose. I can't even remember when you left, when you found for the last time what I'd done... When you decided you couldn't live with the pain any longer.
And consequences that are rendered
As he'd done every morning for three months, Taichi sat on the edge of the bed beside him. No response. He didn't expect one either. The drugs Yamato was now taking were far to strong for him break their spell over the blonde.
He no longer cried. He couldn't feel sorrow for Yamato any longer. All he felt was an ace that wasn't getting better. One that grew each time he saw what Yamato had become.
"Goodbye koibito."
Then picking up his school bag he left. He turned his back on the person who he most wanted to help, but was killing him in the process.
"Why did you leave me Taichi?"
Why must I feel this way?
And it's been awhile
The dinner lay forgotten as you wrapped your arms around me. You smiled so gentle then kissed me. I've never been kissed like that before. Gentle, caring then demanding. You felt so good pressed against me... I'll never forget that night. The soft cries, the feel of your skin, the sweet taste of your kisses. I'll never forget.
And everything I can't remember
I know it's me
And it's been awhile
Lyrics different font and bold.
Yamato's thoughts Italics.
It's Been Awhile
By Staind
And it's been awhile
Since I first saw you
Since I could stand on my own two feet again
No answer was given as he pulled Yamato over to the couch and let him fall onto it. He was about to turn and leave him to sleep it off when a slurred voice mumbled through the couch pillows.
Since I could call you
And everything I can't remember
As f*cked up as it all may seem
And consequences that are rendered
And it's been awhile
Since I could say that I wasn't addicted
And it's been awhile
Since I could say I loved my self as well
And it's been awhile
Since I've gone and f*cked things up just like I always do
But all that sh*t seems to disappear when I'm with you
As f*cked up as it all may seem
I've gone and f*cked things up again
Just make this go away
Just one more peaceful day
Since I could look at myself straight
And it's been awhile
Since I've said I'm sorry
And it's been awhile
Since I've seen the way the candles light your face
And it's been awhile
But I can still remember just the way you taste
As f*cked up as it all my seem
I cannot blame this on my father
He did the best he could for me
Since I could hold my head up high
And it's been awhile
Since I've said I'm sorry
Owarii
