Chapter title: Pretty Boys
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
Notes: I have a question; does this need to be rated M due to there being strippers? I wasn't sure, but forgot to ask last time. Credit for TK because she helped me with some words. And when you picture the bartender, picture someone really fit. I did. It made me want to veer away from Taisuke and make Taichi date the bartender instead. But I didn't, so it's ok. Oh and, if anyone's interested, I've just discovered Ouran High School Host Club so you can expect fics from me about that in the near future. Anyway, enjoy.

Taichi lay sprawled sloppily across his sofa, idly flipping through the multitude of channels on the TV. Nothing was really catching his interest, probably because he didn't really want to be watching anything. He stopped on a game show before heaving himself upright to take a swig of his beer.

In all, it had turned out to be a really crap day. He didn't quite understand; he'd always loved birthdays as a child and when he was growing up. It just didn't seem to be the same now that he was older and out living on his own.

This was supposed to have been a special birthday, too – his 21st. He was now allowed to do, within reason, whatever he wanted. He could buy alcohol (which had been the first privilege he had taken advantage of, hence his beer) and he could get into the establishments that only allowed people over a certain age to enter, to name a couple of the advantages. It was the day on which he could finally call himself a proper adult.

If only the rest of the world would see it the same way, he thought. Nobody had seemed particularly bothered that it was his special day. Taichi thought about this with a particular culprit in mind; it had been only yesterday when his gorgeous, blonde boyfriend had turned up at his door and stated that their relationship was simply not working.

It wasn't fair. Taichi really did love Yamato, and he'd thought everything was fine. They'd supported each other when they needed it, like when Taichi's parents told him to move out because they couldn't afford to keep him, and endured the horrors that life had to offer them together. The homophobic abuse, for one.

Obviously, Yamato didn't feel the tight bond that Taichi thought they shared.

The argument that followed the blonde's declaration had been monumental, with stinging remarks from both parties. As neither of them believed in holding back when it came to violence, Taichi's apartment had seen ripped clothes and swollen, cut lips that evening.

Needless to say, Yamato hadn't called in the morning to wish him a happy birthday, nor had he turned up with a gift.

And that was only part of the puzzle. Even though Taichi mostly blamed the blonde for his birthday being rubbish, he couldn't forget the other more minor factors.

One of these was his parents. Not that they had done anything wrong. They, unlike Yamato, had popped round for an hour during the morning to wish him happy returns of the day and give him a few gifts. The gifts hadn't been junk, either; they'd all been things he'd been hinting at for a while.

It was more what they hadn't done which made him irritable; as it was his 21st, he'd been expecting something a bit more special than the usual visit and chat.

And they hadn't brought Hikari with them, which simply dismayed him more. Apparently she was doing a driving test and couldn't be there, but his parents said that she sent her love and best wishes. That was all very well, Taichi thought, but he needed her there. He knew that if anyone was going to be able to cheer him up from the night before, it was going to be his sister. She always knew what to say to make him feel better.

Then there was the day in general. It was well into the evening, and Taichi hadn't left the apartment once, except to buy his beer. He hadn't seen any of his friends; none of them had even called. Nothing special. It was depressing to think that he'd done nothing on such an important birthday but slouch in front of the TV and drink.

Taichi hated to catch himself thinking so selfishly, but he couldn't help but feel that his birthday should have been brilliant instead of mediocre.

After all, it wasn't every day that he turned twenty one.

He went to take another swig of beer, and found the can to be empty. It was tempting to throw the can across the room in frustration, but it was only the first one; he still had five more full ones waiting to be emptied into his mouth. Another one then, he decided, would be the best course of action.

Even with this plan in mind, it took Taichi a few minutes to muster the will to move from his comfortable position on the sofa. He wasn't even glad when he did; he stood up too quickly and pain rushed to his head, making him groan and want to lie back down again. It was with a slightly disorientated sway that he eventually stumbled into his kitchen in search of his beer, and he vaguely registered that it must have been the alcohol beginning to take effect.

He was pathetic. One can of beer and already he was all over the place.

It was then that he was struck with a revolutionary idea. All day he'd been waiting for people to come to him, but why couldn't he just go out somewhere instead? That way, he was guaranteed conversation, however meaningless or short. And he did like conversation; he'd never been the kind of person who liked to do nothing.

Besides, now that he thought about it, he quite fancied the idea of going to one of the aforementioned establishments just because he could. It'd be a great new experience, even if he went on his own. Maybe he'd even meet some people while he was there who could help him get over Yamato.

This was an even better plan than the second can of beer had been. Taichi wasted no time in first steadying himself so that no one would suspect him of drinking, and then making his way surely towards his apartment door. He was so focused on going out that he did nothing to alter his dishevelled appearance and almost forgot to take his keys.

When he got into his car, however, he was faced with yet another problem. Not that he was under the influence (he didn't really care about that since he'd only had one can and he didn't think it was going to make much difference to his driving) or that he looked as if he hadn't showered (which, for the record, he had), but that there were so many 'over 21s' places to choose from. How was he supposed to decide which one to go to?

A brief moment of stupidity made him think that he should just go to all of them. It was obviously the beer thinking for him, as he knew that there was no way he'd be able to have a decent time anywhere if he went to all of them. He wouldn't be there long enough, and he knew he wouldn't be able to resist having a drink or two at each stop. Maybe one can of beer wasn't enough to affect his driving, but any more than that and he'd probably start swerving about a bit. Then he'd be caught by the police and get points on his license.

No, that was a really stupid idea.

The stupidity fought back for a split second when Taichi wondered whether the police would let him off for drink-driving because it was his birthday. He shook his head and made a mental note not to try it if they caught him.

But that still didn't solve the problem of where he should go. He counted on his fingers the possibilities as he thought of them. There was that bar with the neon lights which he'd driven past a few times; he'd always thought that looked interesting. A strip club on the other side of the city was always an option, and then there was a regular club somewhere which his older friends often talked highly of…

It was difficult to decide.

He finally used 'eeny-meeny-miney-mo' to choose, and it came through with the strip club. That was as good a choice as any. He wouldn't look like such a loser if he went there on his own, and he'd be more likely to meet people; it was hard to imagine customers at a gay strip club being homophobic. He'd been looking forward to being able to go there for quite some time too, and now that he could he saw no reason not to. Especially since it was his birthday, and all.

Parking there was a nightmare; not because there was a lack of spaces, but because Taichi could not get his coordination right. He'd decided to reverse into a space so it would be easy to get out later, however it was proving to be more hassle than it was worth. On his first attempt, he reversed straight into the lamppost next to his space, and on the second he ended up right in the middle of two spaces.

The third time he was a little wonky, but saw no need to sort it out. Nobody was going to be checking that people had parked neatly.

After flashing his ID at the bouncer (which he'd only remembered to bring with him because it had already been in his pocket from where he'd proudly shown it to the girl who worked at the off-licence) Taichi waltzed through the door and glanced around. It was a strange-looking place; the walls were painted a deep red which, along with the tinted lighting, seemed to complement the nature of the club. Tables were arranged around three long platforms, each of which was adorned with bright lights and had a shiny metal pole connecting it to the ceiling.

This was all he took in before the illuminated bar area caught his attention, and he made his way in that direction. It was his first time at a strip club, after all; he couldn't not drink.

He seated himself and before long one of the few bartenders came over. Taichi observed that he was rather young himself; he couldn't have been older than twenty five. He had quite a thin build, styled black hair and a friendly smile, and it didn't take Taichi very long to decide that he was really rather attractive.

And the way he eyed Taichi up and down on his way over didn't go unnoticed.

"What'll it be, then?" the man asked, flashing a grin which Taichi didn't hesitate to return.

"Got any tequila?"

"Certainly do." The man turned around to prepare Taichi's drink, and the brunette didn't even try to stop himself ogling him. "I've not seen you here before," the bartender continued. "You new to this area?"

Taichi shook his head. "No. I just wasn't old enough to come here before. Today's my 21st."

The bartender handed him his drink, and after Taichi had paid him he leaned against the counter. "Congratulations. Why are you here alone, if it's your birthday? Shouldn't you be out with friends instead of by your lonesome?"

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?"

Taichi took a large gulp of his drink and winced as it burned his throat. The bartender shifted against the counter to make himself more comfortable, resting his cheek in his hand and taking on a slightly amused but sympathetic look. "Sounds like you haven't had the best of days."

"No, no," Taichi argued, "it's been ok. It just should've been better, that's all."

"Perhaps it'll improve while you're here, eh?"

"Maybe."

Nothing more was said for a while after that; Taichi nursed his tequila while the man just stared at him. It took him a while to notice that there were in fact quite a few people waiting to be served who the bartender was ignoring in favour of looking at him, and in all honesty it made him feel quite pleased with himself. It had been a while since anyone had taken an interest in him so boldly, mostly because he had usually been out and about while hanging off Yamato's arm.

There was that name again. He needed to stop thinking about him, no doubt about that. The blonde had made it quite clear the night before that he wasn't going to change his mind, and even if he did, Taichi wasn't sure he would be able to find it in himself to take him back after some of the things he'd said.

He needed to move on; the sooner the better. And with the pretty bartender checking him out, Taichi began to hope that maybe it wouldn't take as long as he'd originally thought.

It didn't take him too long to finish his drink, but when he did and he asked for another he couldn't stop himself slurring slightly. He was such a lightweight.

"Steady on," the bartender grinned as he took the glass away, "don't want you passing out on me. It'd be difficult to stop myself taking advantage of you."

Taichi laughed. He liked this man. He was funny, nice and really good looking; all of which were good things as far as Taichi was concerned. In fact, he had a good mind to abandon the whole strip club idea and just ask the man to come home with him.

He pondered the idea while the bartender handed him his refill, and he thanked him. Already, he felt better than he had done before he left. He'd have to come to this place more often; there was something about it which gave him the same warm, relaxed, happy feeling that being drunk did.

Although, that could have been because he actually was a bit drunk. He wasn't quite sure anymore.

He had been about to strike up a new line of conversation with the nice man and ask him if he wanted to go for a drink sometime when the main lights dimmed, eliciting a small cheer from many of the other customers. Taichi, with a little struggling, swivelled on his stool so he could see what was going on; this was what he had come for, after all. Vaguely, he noticed the music change to something with a stronger, more dance-like beat, and after a few moments the show started.

Three men emerged, one onto each of the brightly lit platforms, and the customers cheered again. It took a little effort, but Taichi eventually managed to focus enough to see them properly, and had another mouthful of his tequila.

He couldn't see the man on the far platform very well, due to his eyes being a little fuzzy combined with the man being so far away. He could just about make out a head of blonde hair, and immediately switched his gaze. No more reminders of Yamato were going to be welcomed that night.

Instead he looked at the man on the middle platform, who was considerably closer and, more importantly, not blonde. He was wearing a black mesh top, some holes bigger than others, and a pair of shiny hot-pants so tight that nothing was left to the imagination. Not that Taichi really minded. He wasn't, however, as pretty as the bartender, so Taichi turned to the last platform to see how well the third man could compete.

This time though, Taichi felt his mouth drop open, unable to help it, and it was the bartender who didn't measure up. The man was absolutely gorgeous. His hair was burgundy – or was it reddish-brown? – and was almost long enough to reach his shoulders but not quite. It framed his face wonderfully.

He was wearing a tight-fitting but completely unbuttoned shirt, teasing Taichi with the toned and tanned abdomen underneath. The skinny jeans he wore were ripped in many places and fraying quite badly. They were also unbuttoned, and Taichi gulped when he noticed.

He couldn't have been any older than Taichi was, either; he was youthful but had an understanding of what he was doing and he certainly knew how to do it without coming across as immature. In fact, Taichi was having some trouble keeping himself under control; he couldn't decide which part of the man to look at first. Obviously, there was his torso; shining in the light and making Taichi want to do terrible things. And his legs, being hugged tightly by the torn fabric, they were nice too. Or his head and his face, which looked very attractive from where Taichi was sitting, even though he was a bit too far away to see what colour his eyes were. It was so difficult to choose.

The bartender, with a side view of the gaping brunette, chuckled with amusement. "The guy on the right's your type, eh?"

Taichi was unable to do anything more than nod dumbly.

"He's one of my favourites too," the bartender said, aiming it at Taichi but not really bothered if he listened. "Great body, he's got. Likes things rough too, which is always a bonus."

The words made Taichi gulp again. Rough…yes, rough was good. Very good, even. He could probably have pictured it if he were a little less drunk; himself, the stripper guy, a pair of handcuffs, the nearest available flat surface…

It was all too good in Taichi's mind, and it simply made him even more fixed on the man. He watched as, without any sense of hurry, he shrugged off his shirt and exposed even more of the tanned flesh which quite a few of the customers wanted to see more of. Taichi became loosely aware of himself beginning to drool, and after a short delay he wiped it off with the back of his hand.

The man did have a really great body. He was thinner than the other two strippers – not as thin as the bartender, mind you – but he was still fairly built; he must have spent quite a lot of time working out. His tan betrayed the fact that he must also have spent quite a lot of time in the sun. Maybe he worked out in the sun?

It was almost like Taichi's thoughts were being pulled on a leash, and he found himself wondering whether the stripper was that tanned all over. If he was, would that mean that he worked out in the sun naked? That was an interesting thought, and not one that was altogether unpleasant.

Even though the man's movements were languid, Taichi's eyes had difficulty keeping up. The minute they'd managed to focus on the man's uncovered torso, the man's hands had moved down to teasingly dance around the waistband of his jeans, particularly the open clasp, and Taichi had to somehow switch his gaze again. It was difficult, but worth it. He could feel shivers down his spine as he watched the arousing display, spreading a pleasantly warm sensation through his entire body before it settled comfortably in his groin.

When the man's hands left his jeans, Taichi let his eyes travel back over his body up to his face. With a body like that, Taichi had trouble believing that his face would be any less attractive. It was a shame that he was too far away to see him properly, leaving him with a decision to make; should he move closer, or should stay where he was?

Then the stripper looked his way, and their eyes met. At least, Taichi thought their eyes met. It might have just been his own eyes playing alcohol-induced tricks on him; he wouldn't have been too surprised. This, however, didn't seem very likely as the stripper had frozen where he was standing.

They stared at each other for a good few moments before some of the other customers began to shout, wanting him to carry on performing. It seemed to snap him out of whatever stupor he had managed to go into and he glanced around the room quickly, backing up and finally rushing off the platform and behind the curtain he had originally emerged from.

Taichi furrowed his eyebrows while the almost-forgotten bartender laughed. "Must just not be his day. He wasn't in much of a good mood when he got here."

"He was fit," was the only slurry reply that Taichi could manage, still staring at the empty platform and quite confused as to where the man had run off to.

"That he is. Not as fit as you, mind. Here, let me get you another drink."

Taichi turned to look at the bartender for the first time since he'd turned away. He was still as pretty as he had been the first time, but after seeing that amazingly hot stripper he didn't seem like nearly as much of a catch. Still, Taichi gave him a wonky smile and set his empty glass on the counter. "No, no, it's fine. I should go home now anyway."

He moved as if to get off his stool, but the bartender persisted. "You haven't been here that long. Go on, at least stay for one more. Can't do any harm, can it?"

Taichi shook his head and, albeit with difficulty, stood up. "No, I have to go. Things to do and stuff. It was good talking to you."

"Alright, if you insist." The bartender grinned at him one more time. "Come back again some time, you hear? I work Monday to Friday."

Deciding not to reply, Taichi instead concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. It was proving to be a rather complicated task, and more than once he found himself stumbling. It was lucky that the way out was clearly marked, otherwise he'd probably have gone through the wrong door.

Even so, it took a pretty long time and he gained quite a few odd looks from other customers. One of the other bartenders, not nearly as attractive as the first one, asked if he needed a hand, but Taichi stubbornly refused and told him that everything was under control. He kept telling himself the same thing, even when he tripped over his own feet a few moments later.

He even patted the large bouncer on the shoulder as he passed him, trying to inconspicuously regain some of his balance, earning him yet another peculiar glance. He was about to start reassuring the man that he wasn't going to be driving himself home, but managed to stop himself. That would have sounded way too suspicious, and he'd probably have laughed afterwards at having 'fooled him'. No, that was a very bad idea. So the pat on the shoulder would have to do and he stumbled around the building to the car park.

Briefly, he wondered where he'd parked. There were far more cars there now than there had been when he'd arrived, and he was having difficulty telling them all apart. He squinted at the rows of cars before, distracted by footsteps behind him, he spun round and came face to face with a man.

This man, he noted, didn't look very happy. Then he remembered who he was and, wobbling, shoved his pointed finger in his face. "You're that one…who ran away! The pretty one!"

The man recoiled from the finger and pushed it away from his face, a look of disdain on his face, but didn't say anything.

"You know," Taichi continued, "you're prettier than Yamato. But you're prettier with your shirt off, not that you don't look pretty with it on, of course…"

Raising his eyebrow, the man tried to translate Taichi's drunken slurring into proper words. When he had, he folded his arms across his chest, clearly not flattered by the compliments. "I think you've had too much to drink."

It appeared that this statement went in one of Taichi's ears and out the other. He gasped and covered his mouth with his hands, his eyes widening like a child's. "And you've got a nice voice too! I wish my voice was that nice, I just sound stupid. Yamato always said my voice was annoying, but yours isn't, so if I had yours then I wouldn't have an annoying voice anymore!"

He grinned sloppily at this logic, whereas the man simply frowned. "Why are you here?"

Taichi pondered this for a moment before answering. "I wish I could say I came to see you but I can't, because I didn't. Why did I come? You know, I don't think I can remember…oh wait, yes I can! Because it's my birthday, that's why!"

He expected to be wished a happy birthday, but the man didn't seem to care about it. "You've had too much alcohol to drive, if you're thinking about going home," he said, sidestepping the brunette and walking away toward the cars. "Go back inside and call a cab instead."

Taichi attempted to run after him and catch him up, but failed; he tripped once again and only stopped himself from falling to the ground by grabbing at a fistful of the man's coat. This merely served to make the man even more irate than he already was, and he turned to Taichi with a glare. "What do you think you're doing?"

Returning the glare with one which he hoped was equally frightening, Taichi tried to stand up, not relenting his grip on the man's coat. "I'm not letting you go. You're too pretty and I love you."

The man tried to shake his coat free. "You're out of your mind. You don't even know who I am, do you?"

"I want to know you!" Taichi persisted, wailing and clawing at the man. "Please!"

Then the man laughed a small, low laugh and looked into Taichi's pleading eyes. "You must have had so much to drink. Do you really not recognise me, even a little?"

Taichi furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to think. "Recognise you? No, I've never met you before."

"Really?" The man turned to face him completely. "My name's Motomiya. Motomiya Daisuke. Ringing any bells, yet?"

Taichi's expression remained blank, and he shook his head. Somewhere in the back of his mind, something might have been trying to tell him that he knew that name from somewhere, but if it was it wasn't loud enough for him to take any notice of it.

Daisuke looked away again and stuffed his hands in his pockets, trying to ignore the way Taichi was clinging to him and burying his head under his arm. "Just go home, Yagami."

"No!"

"Go home!" He repeated a little more harshly before feeling the weight at his side get considerably heavier. He peered down, curious, and gingerly placed his hands on Taichi's shoulders.

"Yagami?" The brunette didn't answer; all he did was slip down toward the floor, and Daisuke tightened his hold on his shoulders.

"Yagami?" This time, Daisuke shook Taichi as he addressed him, and still received no answer. He looked up at the sky in despair and sighed; obviously the drink had taken its toll. That meant that Taichi would be out like a light for quite some time, and he couldn't just leave him there.

He glanced down helplessly at the dead weight in his arms as it shifted a little and groaned with discomfort, and he began to wish that he just hadn't gone to work that day.