By Amai
Disclaimer- Digimon and all it's characters are not copyright me, but copyright Toei Animation/Bandai (there probably are others, but I can't remember offhand). I wish they were, but sadly, not all wishes come true. The only thing that's copyright me is this fanfic, so no stealing, kiddies.
Author's Notes- (oh, and I'm using NA names in this..yes, yes I know, I know..) Fluffy Taito alert! I couldn't help myself..at first, this was just going to be about the painting, but seeing Cynthia's New Year's Contest, this struck an idea in my head to make it a New Year's story. It's rather cute, and a short little break from all the kensukes I have going ^_^ But don't worry, you'll get more of those. You cannot stop the kensuke obsession in your's truly. ^_^ Well, I hope you likes and please read and review! Amai will be very happy if you do, yes indeed.
Matt walked home almost in a daze. In fact, the whole day had seemed a daze to him as he breezed through his classes, not really caring what was happening at all. He had his reasons. Not very good ones, but reasons nonetheless.
Tai was absent. That was his reason.
He felt so...empty when the boy wasn't around. But that was natural, seeing that he loved him. It really didn't take him that long to discover that, actually. It was just taking him long to muster up the courage to tell the wild brown haired boy how he felt.
So instead, he fought with him when he thought it was necessary and gushed over him in secret. Great solution, right? Matt knew it wasn't so bright, but he couldn't think of anything else. So he decided to torture himself...it wasn't much a change from the usual anyway.
He opened up the door to his house. "Dad, I'm home!", he called, but no one replied. Figured. He made his way to his room and threw down his bag. Lately he was feeling rather...cut off from the world. Maybe it was because of that whole experience that last summer with the digimon...it had changed everyone who was in it. A lot. He didn't know what he was feeling..but Tai wasn't helping.
Every time he began thinking, his mind would always wander back to Tai. It wasn't fair, he didn't like how he couldn't get the boy out of his mind like this.
"I'm never going to get anything done like this..", Matt muttered to himself, digging through his school bag and pulling out his note book. Maybe homework would take his mind off of this all.
He was to write an essay for his visual arts class about a painting they had looked at that was due after Christmas Break. It was a rather abstract piece, and the teacher had let it up to the students minds to figure out what it was to them. But he had no idea where to start at...yes, it was true the painting was beautiful, but what else was there?
The door bell rang. Now who could it be? Matt reluctantly pulled himself off his bed and wandered down to the door glancing at whoever was outside just before opening the door. Great...Tai. What was he doing here? Matt opened up the door,
"Hey Tai.", he said.
"Heya Matt!", Tai cheerfully waved at the blonde boy. He was dressed in his soccer uniform, so Matt guessed he had just finished practice. But then, why wasn't he at school? Matt cleared his thought just to ask that question,
"Why weren't you at school, Tai? Don't tell me you skipped.", this caused the brown haired boy to raise an eyebrow at Matt,
"Hey, didn't you remember? We had an early game t'day. So we got to miss school.", he added with a grin, "..and we won too!", he grinned even wider. Illuminated in the afternoon sun, with that smile of his face..Tai looked nearly perfect, despite how sweaty and tired he looked from soccer. Matt felt the need to just hug him..but that wouldn't work. So instead he tortured himself again by just smirking and saying,
"Well, we're the modest one, aren't we now?", Tai gave a sheepish smile, and shrugged,
"Well, I try."
"So why are you here in the first place? Don't tell me it was just because you wanted to brag about your game.", Tai shook his head,
"Well..I dunno, I just wanted to talk, y'know..have a good time for once. Plus I won't get to see you until the next millennium anyways!", he jokingly said. Matt didn't realize how close it was to the next year until Tai had said that. And that this really was the last day he would see Tai until after the millennium passed. The Kamiya's were going on a vacation through Christmas and New Years, much to Matt's dismay.
"Yeah, and that's another reason why I wasn't at school, I had to pack too.", Tai sighed a bit, thinking a little, " I don't really wanna go on vacation..I mean, it's the millennium of all things! You'd think a fella would wanna be with his pals, right?", Matt could only nod at that. If only Tai knew...
"And I had to hurry up on your Christmas present too.", he smiled and pulled out a box from seemingly no where. Matt's eyes widened a bit as he took it from Tai's hands. The other boy smiled and said,
"You're not allowed to open it until Christmas, okay? And don't try to do it while I'm away, 'cause I'll know if you did. Tai Kamiya's always watching you!", Matt was still staring at the box, compressing his need to hug Tai again out of pure joy. Damn emotions. Just because Tai gave him something didn't mean that he didn't give something to the rest of them...like Sora, or Joe or someone. Matt finally managed to say something, and just on time, Tai was beginning to worry if he had done something wrong.
"Thanks. You're the first person to give me something yet, you know?", Tai looked surprised,
"Really? Wow..I thought I'd be the last.", he grinned again, "Well, are we gonna walk or anything?"
"Sure..but I got some homework I wanted to start on though.."
"C'mon Matt! I'm leaving tomarrow, you can work on it for the rest of your break, but what's now is now!", Tai was right. Matt nodded and walked outside with Tai,
"Okay..fine. You got me there."
The two boys began walking, not really going anywhere, but just walking for the pure enjoyment of it. It was the first time in a while that Matt and Tai had just had a friendly conversation together and it was completely refreshing to Matt as they talked about things..about life in general.
"This New Year's is gonna be boring...if Christmas wasn't already. I hate going on vacation, but I guess Kari and I deserve it for not having enough "family quality" time with mom and dad. But it just isn't fair!", Tai said with vigor. He really seemed upset about it, almost the same way Matt felt. Tai's frustration caught something in Matt's head as he listened and looked at the goggle headed boy with intrigue.
Vibrant, colorful.
"I hope Kari'll like it at least...even though I'm sure she'll be a bit upset about leaving your brother and all. They play together a lot anyways. But I know for sure it just won't be the same with out you..", he hesitated, much to Matt's surprise, "..guys. I miss bossing everyone around!"
Boisterous, and feeling.
Tai flopped down next to Matt on the grass. "Well...maybe I can call you during New Years. We could do the countdown together, right?", he looked a bit hopeful. Matt couldn't help but smile at that,
"Sure thing, Tai.", with that, Tai gave him another smirk, and looked up to the sky,
"Maybe the countdown to destruction too...I don't think it was during 2000 that apocolyspe might have happened. If it's this year, I at least want to have a good time before I go!"
Innocent, yet mischievous.
Matt finally said something, considering Tai's rambling. He would have kept quiet, but he knew that Tai would suspect something if he did,
"I don't think we should be thinking about that...I mean, we should enjoy the moment while we have each other, right?", He nearly fell over at what he had just said. It was too...suggestive....Tai would certainly find something wrong with that.
But, instead, rather than accusing Matt of anything Tai just smiled. A pure smile of happiness, just like he had just realized something.
"You're right. We should enjoy the moment as it is..because, that's really all he have anyways."
Comfort, and pure beauty.
Somehow Matt knew now what he was going to be writing in his essay. Now he knew what that painting had been about in his eyes.
—
It was finally night when they reached Matt's place again. Matt had be regretting this moment...Tai was going to be gone the next day, and he hated it. The walk back was generally quiet, as the reluctance of both boys flowed through the night air.
"Well, I guess this is it."
"Yeah, but when I get back, you can give me all the presents you were planning to get me!", Tai joked. Matt chuckled at that and punched his arm,
"Yeah, yeah..sure. But I will have a present for you, so be looking for it when you get back, okay?", Tai smiled,
"Okay. Oh, and I won't forget to call you New Year's! We gotta stand the revolution together!", he laughed, as he began to leave for home, "See ya next year!", he waved and carried on. Matt gave a helpless wave back, and sighed, saying to himself lowly so Tai wouldn't be able to hear,
"And when you call, remind me to tell you I love you before the world comes to an end, would you Tai?"
—
Matt waited expectantly at the phone. It was New Year's finally..and nearly time for the countdown. Where was Tai's call like he promised? Matt could feel himself getting ready to cry if the other boy didn't call. He was such a crybaby...but now he really didn't care. All he cared about was that call. He glanced at the clock.
11:59. Dammit! He was being let down...again.
But his fears demolished when he heard the almost frantic ringing of the phone. In a second it was in his hand, his heart beating hard.
"Taichi!", he said before the person on the other side could talk.
"You were waiting?"
"Of course! You promised..I was about to ring your neck if you didn't call!", he said almost angrily. Tai just laughed,
"Well, I did do it..like I said now didn't I? It's time!", he said quickly as the two began counting down.
"10...I have your belated present, Tai."
"9...Oh really? What is it?"
"8...I'm not telling, you'll have to see it!"
The two spoke each second together, not even really thinking about the "destruction" Tai had joked about. They were enjoying themselves...just like they had said before. Finally, the next year had arrived.
"0! Happy New Year!", both of them said in unison, laughing at the pure joy of it. Matt was finally truly happy, after the whole week of Christmas without Tai....
He looked at Tai's present in his hand, a miniature guitar. Tai could see that Matt was slowly getting into the music business..after he had seen him with the harmonica. Matt smiled, looking at it. Tai really knew him. But then...he looked at his present yet to be given to the wild haired boy....a copy of his essay. The thing that would finally tell the boy how he felt. Matt had realized, during their last talk..that Tai was his painting, somehow. Beautiful, vibrant..and abstract.
In a way, Matt felt reluctant to give this to Tai..for fear of many things. But he had made up his mind. It had to be down...and what was a better way to start the year than to tell someone you loved them?
"Oh, and Matt...before I go.."
"Yeah, Tai?"
"Have you checked the inside of your guitar yet?", Matt blinked, there was something else?
"No..I haven't. What is it?", Tai laughed again.
"Just look!"
And Matt did. Well he would be damned....Tai knew a lot more than he came off to know. And this proved it. For inside the guitar was a small note that said:
Happy New Year Matt- I love you too.
Yes...it was ripening up to be a nice New Year, indeed it was, Matt thought, as he added one last part to his essay.
"In essence, this has to be one of the most wonderful paintings I have ever seen. In fact, I think I have fallen in love with it's pure mysterious beauty...but I expect that in this new year I will see more aspects in a painting, much like this that I now know is mine to keep."
-End-
