Taichi managed to avoid Koushiro for two whole weeks. Oh, they were hell, certainly. But it sure as anything beat the alternative. He couldn't face him after everything that had happened. The look on Koushiro's face as he'd finally put two and two together was one which would haunt him for a long time.

He could have handled embarrassment. He could even have dealt with general awkwardness or discomfort. It wasn't as though he'd particularly expected his feelings to be returned. But he hadn't at any point expected that level of shock and surprise. Koushiro had looked... he'd actually flinched. And the whole "no attraction to anyone" thing - it made sense, sure. It still came off like a convenient excuse. An attempt to lessen the blow.

Taichi knew he was being unfair. Koushiro wasn't the sort of person to lie, and what was the point in lying about that, anyway? But in the depths of his self-pity he didn't really care. It was easier to blame someone else than accept it as one of those things.

The worst part was the fact Koushiro probably knew exactly what Taichi was doing. What he was telling himself. It had been Koushiro who had helped him through all of this with Sora, after all. Who'd sat there and damn well rationalised it for him. Told him he was justified for every bit of guilt-laced jealousy and irritation, that it was only normal.

And now he was just a few feet away from Taichi, talking to Jou and doing a passable imitation of someone without any worries at all. He'd put on that carefully neutral face and everyone else had bought it. No one seemed to notice that Koushiro was acting quieter than was usual during one of their get-togethers.

Of course, that was probably because he himself had gained the spotlight for "acting kinda off". And the fact that none of the others knew Koushiro as well as he did. If he wanted to, the redhead could deflect attention better than anyone else he'd ever met. Taichi had joked, years ago before his sometime crush had gotten more serious, that the reason they got on so well was down to the fact that he was only too happy to soak up all the attention Koushiro didn't want in social situations. They'd even made a pact to stay good friends so that the convenient arrangement could continue. Memories like that stuck like lumps in his throat now.

"Taichi. Taichi!"

He jumped, and shook his head quickly to clear his thoughts.

"Sorry Yamato, what was that? Kinda tuned out there."

Yamato raised an eyebrow. His expression was a little too knowing for Taichi's liking. "I noticed."

Taichi ran a hand through his mane of brown hair – still wet from the rain falling outside – and shrugged.

"Yeah. Guess I'm not over that bug yet. Still kinda wiped out," he said. It was a dreadful lie, but at least Yamato had the decency to pretend otherwise.

"Well, as I was saying, Mimi suggested grabbing a few drinks and heading back to her place later. There's just Jou and Koushiro left to talk into it. My dad can drop Hikari back at your apartment."

Taichi winced, looking away. "Uhh, might have to give that one a miss. I should probably head off in a bit anyway. What with, you know, that bug and all." He forced himself to smile, and added: "Another time, yeah?"

Yamato folded his arms and looked at Taichi with that smug expression he always wore when he saw straight through him.

"You're a terrible liar, you know that? If something's wrong you could always try telling me what it is."

Taichi shrugged. "Well, if something was wrong I would, but I'm just tired, so..."

Yamato snorted. "Something happened with Koushiro, didn't it."

"What?"

"Taichi. We were all at that party. You were so drunk he had to help you stay upright. You're just lucky you didn't throw up in Mimi's apartment. So, what, he's mad at you because you did something stupid again?"

Taichi supposed he ought to just be grateful Yamato was that far off the mark. There were times when the guy was too damn observant for his own good. He gritted his teeth.

"Nothing happened," he said, when he was sure he had his voice under control. "Look, I should go. I've, uh, got a paper to write, anyway."

Yamato stared at him as though he'd just grown an extra head. This was too much. It was time to leave.

"But Taichi, we were going to head back together, remember? My dad offered us a lift. Besides, you- What the hell, Taichi? It's pouring with rain and you don't even have a coat!"

Taichi had reached the door to the restaurant, not particularly caring that the others were all most likely staring at him by now thanks to Yamato's outburst.

"It's just water," he said shortly, not looking back. "I'm hardly gonna melt." Without waiting for a reply, he stalked out into the evening.

The rain was good. Freezing cold and thoroughly miserable by normal standards, but at least finding the most sheltered path through it gave him something to think about. A way to distract from the fact that he had pretty much lost one of his best friends.

He'd half expected Yamato to follow him. He would have at one time, if only to punch some sense into him. Taichi wasn't sure if he felt relieved or disappointed that so far there was no Yamato, no fist connecting with his face.

It was raining so hard now that it was difficult to even see. The only way he could see anything was to raise a hand to shelter his eyes. The deluge had long since drenched him as thoroughly as if he'd jumped into Tokyo bay. Rainwater plastered his hair to his head, and trickled down his neck. His shirt clung to his skin – jeans too, for that matter. Both of his shoes were so saturated that they squelched as he walked. The chill of the water in the evening air started to seep into his skin.

He gave in halfway through the park, having slowed considerably from his initial brisk pace. A tree provided shelter, and he took stock while leaning against the trunk. It was still a long walk back to his apartment and he was already shivering. Perhaps Yamato had been right after all. Not that he'd ever admit as much, of course.

There was no let-up. Having started, the torrent of rain fell on and on without easing in the slightest. Puddles started to connect, out in the green areas of the park. This was ridiculous. He needed to get somewhere warm and dry before he froze or something.

Koushiro's apartment block wasn't far. Not even a month ago, Taichi wouldn't have hesitated to head over and ask the Izumis to let him wait it out and possibly lend him a towel. Now though... He shook his head. This was getting him nowhere.

Rubbing cold arms, he set off once more, determined not to give in and admit there was even a chance Yamato had been right.

Stupid Yamato, with his damn smugness and knowing looks. Stupid Sora, too, arranging their latest get-together so far from his apartment. Stupid weather, for lying to him with its clear blue skies and stinking hot autumn air, only to turn on him with the mother of all rainstorms. And stupid, stupid Koushiro, for making things so damn awkward in the first place. For being so... so... For his face, with those damn eyes which seemed to look right into him. And his mouth, with its stupid smile; the one which had the really annoying habit of making his breath hitch if he wasn't careful. And the rest of him too: everything about him was just too damned-

Taichi was regretting this whole walk-home plan now. Alone in the rain, it turned out - once he was as cold as a person could be - there was actually nothing at all to distract him from his thoughts. And the rain made it impossible to run without risking breaking his neck, even if he'd had the energy to run any more. So the warm comfort of home and of his bed was that much farther off.

He didn't even hear the voice calling his name at first. He just trudged onward through the park, hands in sodden pockets. By the time he caught on and turned around, Koushiro had almost caught up with him, face pale against the dark material of his hooded coat.

"Taichi, what were you thinking? It's almost an hour's walk back to your apartment!"

Koushiro scowled up at him, practically yelling in order to be heard over the downpour. Taichi wasn't sure if the redhead was really that angry, or just trying to keep the water out of his eyes.

He shrugged. "Like I told Yamato, it's just water," he said, trying to sound like nothing was wrong. Like he wasn't shivering from the cold and bitterly regretting everything after the moment he'd left home earlier that evening.

"Yes, but you're soaked through, and it's cold out!" Koushiro reached out and grabbed his forearm, expression changing as warm fingers closed around his skin.

"As I suspected. You're freezing, Taichi. Come on. I'm not letting you make yourself ill like this." He turned in the direction of his apartment and gestured for him to follow.

For a moment, Taichi resisted the gentle tug on his arm, staring at Koushiro as the rain drenched them both. Why the hell had he come after him? This was Yamato territory. It was a classic 'Yamato chases him down, punches him in the face, calls him and idiot and they both laugh' moment. Koushiro was the one who would then call them both stupid. Who sat and watched and waited for things to blow over and rolled his eyes. Koushiro hadn't even been talking to him – although admittedly Taichi had more or less engineered things that way.

"Taichi. Do you want hypothermia?"

He blinked. Koushiro was still staring at him, lips pressed tightly together in an expression Taichi had always interpreted as 'annoyed but worried'. Sighing, he shook his head and followed. It probably was a better option than the alternative.


A.N.: Chapter three! The inspiration for this chapter came from a couple of experiences I've actually had. The first was the time I was stranded at school after the boiler broke down and had to walk home in the freezing cold with (you guessed it) just a shirt on, and the second was a rainstorm I had to run through in order to get to work, which was similarly impossible to see in (I had substantially more than a shirt on for that one though). And I absolutely think that Taichi would be the sort of person to misjudge the weather and go out without a coat.

I do not recommend walking for an hour in the cold with just a shirt on by the way. I wasn't in great shape by the time I made it home. (I was shaking for another hour, wrapped in a warm towel.) Be sensible, kids, and take a coat to school on a cold day!