Author's Notes: I can't express how truly sorry I am for how long it took to publish this chapter. RL has been insane. This is unbetaed and has been rewritten numerous times that I can't look at it anymore. Thanks to all of you who have commented or subscribed. Knowing people were still looking forward to the next chapter really pushed me to get this out. I hope you all enjoy it!

Chapter Three

An anxiety attack. Also known as a panic attack. Cause: Stress.

Taichi would never have guessed he'd have one; it seemed more like Jyou's forte.

Taichi flexes his fingers idly around his Agumon plush, back resting against his bedroom wall and legs stretched out in front of him. His mom left his room only a short while ago. Prior to that, she fluttered about his room restlessly, muttering to herself that she should have never let him go to school today. Any attempt on Tai's part to assuage her only made her more upset, which in turn caused an unsettling pressure to build upon his chest. Somehow sensing this, his mom shuffled him onto his bed and told him under no uncertain terms was he to do anything else but rest.

Taichi frowns, fingers tightening around Agumon's middle as his thoughts circle back to what happened at school.

It was embarrassing. Freaking out in the hallway like that and over a test of all things. He wonders when he started losing a grip on everything. He's Yagami Taichi after all. Past leader of the Digidestined; holder of the Crest of Courage; football player extraordinaire. He lives a carefree life, never lets things get him down, and never ever gives up without a fight.

His mouth twist into a bitter smile.

That was him all right. Sure.

He wonders if it was odd to get tired of being yourself.

There's a hesitant knock on his door before the doorknob slowly turns. Hikari sneaks a peek into his room and starts a bit at seeing him awake. "I wasn't sure if you were awake," she says, pushing his door open fully before closing it behind her back. "Mom told me what happened." Her voice is tentative, one hand still holding on to the doorknob. "How are you feeling?"

Taichi gives a brief shrug not meeting her eyes. "Fine. A bit embarrassed." He can admit it to her, knows she won't hold it against him.

"For what?" she exclaims, and it almost makes him smile. "There's no reason to be," this she says as she makes her way across the room and settles herself beside him. She nudges her shoulder against his. "You shouldn't push yourself so hard, Onii-chan." Her words aren't reproachful, but spoken as if they are simple fact.

He inclines his head slightly in acknowledgment, still playing with the plush he held. He wishes it really is that simple.

Hikari makes an exasperated sound and slides her body away from her brother. She picks up his pillow and lays it across her lap before dragging his head down on to it.

His arms propel outward with the sudden movement and Agumon is tossed into the air and onto the floor as a result. "Gack! Kari! What are you—?"

"Shush," she says, patting his head once. "Now straighten out your legs or your back is going to kill you later."

Taichi huffs in protest, but hearing that tone in her voice, he does as he's instructed.

Hikari smiles and then pats his head again. "Better. Goo~d doggy." She giggles as he struggles to sit up again and she holds his head down. "Stop, stop. I was only kidding."

Taichi blows out a frustrated breath, shifts his head and tries to catch a glimpse of his sister's face. "What exactly are you doing, Kari?" he asks plainly.

Hikari doesn't answer right away, taking a moment to really scrutinize her brother. She notes the dark circles beneath his eyes and how even his hair looks limp and tired. She's actually rather upset at herself for not noticing something was out of sorts with her big brother. Tai always tried so hard to be there for her whenever she needed him. He always looked out for her and never let her down. She can't help but feel like she's failed him somehow.

"Hey, stop thinking so hard."

Hikari blinks back to herself when Taichi taps her once on the nose with his forefinger. She shakes her head ruefully. Even now, he's worrying about her when it really should be the other way around.

"Just lean on me for a while, Onii-chan," she finally says. "I guess that's all I wanted to say."

The expression on Hikari's face is grim but determined as she delivers this message, and the gesture warms Taichi's heart. He allows his body to relax and his eyes to fall away from her face. There's still a million thoughts racing through his head, but his sister always had a knack for saying the right thing to make him feel even a little bit better.

They both sit quietly for a few minutes. The silence is not the least bit uncomfortable, but filled with a mutual understanding attained only through the experience of being in close contact with someone for the length of time as siblings are inclined to be.

"I'm still your big brother, you know." Taichi feels the need to point out, and Hikari huffs out a quiet laugh.

"Of course you are, Onii-chan."

"And you can always come to me; it's what I'm here for."

"I know, Onii-chan."

"And it doesn't mean I can't pick on you anymore. It's a big brother's responsibility."

"Uh huh, but don't think I'll just sit there and let you."

"I wouldn't expect you to."

"As long as you understand that, then everything's peachy."

"Mm."

"Mm."

Silence stretches for a moment.

"...Kari?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks."

Hikari smiles.

"Don't mention it, Onii-chan."

oOo

He dimly hears voices around him, all hushed, but the closer he comes to consciousness, the more distinct they become. The voices finally pulls him out of his slumber and he blinks his eyes open. His vision is blurry at first, and Tai groggily rubs his eyes with his hands until they clear. He notices first that his head is now resting against his pillow and second that the source of the noise is coming from the far corner of his room. His eyes drift in that direction to see his sister and Yamato whispering by his bedroom door.

"He wouldn't mind seeing you."

"I don't want to wake him up though."

"Too late."

They both turn to him in surprise as he lifts his head off his pillow and yawns into his hand. The room becomes utterly silent and it takes a few beats before Taichi notices this and the attention. "What?" he asks a bit irritably. Waking up after naps always puts him in a cranky mood.

Hikari turns away first, stifling giggles behind her hand, while Yamato tries and is utterly failing to keep a straight face.

"What?" he repeats. "Is something on my face?" He begins to wipe his cheek and the motion swings something into his line of vision. A braid to be exact. Actually, multiple braids.

"Kari!" he shouts as he reaches up and grabs his hair, confirming that it is indeed twisted into multiple small plaits. He jumps out of his bed intent on hurting the person who messed with The Hair.

Hikari beats a hasty retreat, laughing all the way, which leaves Yamato with the task of calming his boyfriend down. "Tai—Tai. We'll get her back later, okay?" he reasons, holding him back.

Taichi scowls, but grudgingly agrees. "Just help me get these damn things out of my hair." He stomps back to his bed and sits down, hands already trying to untangle his hair. "And while you're at it, wipe that stupid grin off your face!"

Yamato does so quick smart. He's about to sit down when he notices Agumon on the floor. He picks him up and deposits him onto Taichi's lap before joining his irritated boyfriend on his bed. Yamato brushes the other's hands away as they are doing more harm than good. He then slowly, but carefully begins to take apart the braids. Taichi sits still for once; he always likes it when Yamato touches his hair. It feels nice.

"So...are you feeling better?" Yamato asks after a few minutes. "You didn't say much after..." he trails off, uncertain how to continue. He clears his throat. "I was worried," he finally settles on.

Taichi's cheeks flare at the reminder of what happened earlier today. He fidgets uncomfortably. "Sorry about that," he mumbles.

Yamato's forehead crinkles in response. "What's there to apologize for?"

Taichi shrugs, hugging Agumon to his chest. "For freaking you out I guess."

"Well, there was that," Yamato muses as he untangles a particularly complicated knot. "But you still didn't answer my question."

"Hmm and what's that?"

Yamato momentarily stops fixing Tai's hair and lets his hands fall to his side. "I asked if you were feeling better."

"I feel fine," Tai replies without hesitation. "I got to sleep a while and it seemed to do the trick."

Tai's response is quick and deliberate and Yamato has a hard time believing he's telling the truth. Still, he refrains from calling Tai out on it, not wanting to upset him so soon.

"Don't you have practice?" Tai continues, wanting to steer the conversation away from what happened at school.

"Oh. Yeah...about that..."

The awkwardness that seeps into his boyfriend's voice makes Taichi face the other directly for the first time. Yamato is only ever timid when he's doing something he's uncomfortable with or unused to doing. So, of course this piques Tai's curiosity.

"I wanted to...apologize about ignoring you these past few weeks. I was too caught up with that concert and didn't think much about anything else besides that. But those are just excuses and you don't deserve that." Yamato takes in a deep breath, expelling the air slowly. He lifts his eyes to meet Tai's. "I'm sorry. I was being an ass."

"Yeah," Taichi agrees after a beat, voice deadpanned. "You were. A huge one," he adds, gesturing his hands in wide arcs.

Yamato winces. "Yeah. I'm sorry."

"You should be."

"I am."

"Well, good." Having nothing else to say Taichi turns away, looking down at Agumon again before setting him aside along the wall.

"So..." Yamato looks expectantly at his Tai's back. "Are you going to forgive me?"

"No," is Tai's immediate answer, his attention still fixed away from him.

Yamato visibly deflates. Well, he supposes it is wishful thinking on his part to think Tai will forgive him so easily. "Oh. Well, yeah, I guess you wouldn't—well, not that you wouldn't, though I'm not saying you're a grudge holder—no wait, I meant you probably wouldn't forgive me immediately, but..." Yamato trails off when he notices how Taichi's back is trembling every so often.

Yamato's eyes narrow. "Are you laughing?"

Taichi's snort is all the confirmation he needs, though Tai doesn't seem to think so because he falls back on his bed and begins laughing out loud. "You-You—" is all Taichi can manage as he rolls on his bed, hands held to his stomach.

Although he feels a spark of annoyance at the other, the relief he feels at seeing Tai regain some sense of normalcy outweighs everything else at the moment. He mildly shakes his head, his lips quirked up in a half smile. "Thanks, Tai. See if I ever apologize to you again, you jerk."

"Hair freak."

"Overgrown bush."

"Hey!" Tai grins. "Tone deaf."

"Football for brains."

The mirth that previously graced Tai's face smooths out almost instantly. Yamato regrets the words just as quickly. "Tai..."

Taichi shrugs off the hand that reaches out to him, a ghost of a smile on his face. "Nah, it's cool." He reaches for his pillow, covers his face, and screams into it.

"Argh!" he moans, pulling the pillow away and rolling over so he's facing the wall. "I can't believe this happened! Couldn't she have stopped me after the season was over?" he huffs out in frustration.

"Well, that would defeat the purpose of the rule—sorry, sorry! Not helping," Yamato backpedals immediately upon catching the glare Taichi throws at him. He runs a tired hand across his eyes before he begins to massage his temples. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I thought that's what we were doing."

Yamato sighs. "Tai, what's really bothering you?"

Taichi twists around, clearly annoyed. "This is bothering me."

"Fine, fine," Yamato relents. "I only meant...I know there's more going on here. Come on. Talk to me," he pleads. Because there is something more—Yamato knows it. Tai hasn't been acting like himself lately. He grew quiet frequently and zoned out more often than usual. Whenever he called him out on it, Tai would literally shake himself out of it, stretching a wide smile across his face that wasn't always a hundred percent sincere and tried to act as if everything was okay. Yamato never questioned him further, leaving it up to Tai to speak up when he wanted to. In retrospect, he should have pushed because maybe they wouldn't be here right now if he did.

For some time, it doesn't seem like Tai is going to say anything, but then his shoulders slump and he rolls away to face the wall again. Yamato pulls his socked feet onto the bed and waits for him to speak.

Taichi's presses his lips together in a thin line, not really knowing where to begin. Yet, when he opens his mouth, words start pouring out without him having to think too much about them.

"Dad's been hounding me lately about school and football and college and my future; about how I can't be focusing so much attention on football anymore. I need to study more. What am I going to do...all the practices we've been putting in for this game, how important this game is..." Tai presses the heels of his hands into his eyes, his back now lying flat on his bed. "And then this whole test thing and failing calculus and...and..."

"Me?" Yamato asks, and Taichi peers through his fingers to look at him before nodding once.

"Yeah." The edges of his lips twitch downward. "You." He draws in a deep breath and expels a loud sigh. "I guess it just got to me, I dunno. It's stupid—I feel stupid." He shakes his head and gnaws at his bottom lip. "I shouldn't have let it go so far; I—it's not like me."

"It's normal, Tai. There's been a lot of pressure on everyone considering this is our second year," Yamato is fast to point out, but it only makes Tai frown.

"So, you're saying unlike everyone else who is dealing with it, I'm obviously the only idiot who can't? Thanks, Yamato. Thanks a lot."

"That is not what I meant," Yamato argues. "All I'm saying is that you're allowed to feel stressed; no one expects you to be invincible. Also, you shouldn't feel stupid about what happened," he adds not liking the way Tai is putting himself down.

"Yeah, well, I can't help feeling this way because this is something I should have been able to handle. It's just...it's school. I can handle being dropped into a friggin' digital world with digital monsters and I can't even pass a math test? A math test, Yamato. What else am I supposed to be other than stupid!" Taichi's voice grows and grows in volume until he's practically shouting at the end. His hands are clenched into fists and his eyes dart to the other daring him to argue.

Yamato doesn't disappoint, and he blurts out the first thought that comes to mind. "Tai, all this self pity crap is ridiculous."

"Yeah, well, considering the many times I've had to sit through the binges you've had over the years, I think I'm allowed," Taichi snaps back.

With the silence that follows, Taichi is sure Yamato will leave and waits for the weight to leave his bed.

Yamato doesn't move though. Instead, he opts to count silently to ten in his head before he speaks again.

"Okay. You're angry. I get that. So I'm not going to take that personally," Yamato says with as much restraint as he can muster. "I just. I don't like seeing you like this, Tai," he admits, voice both sincere and firm.

Taichi scrubs his hand across his eyes, stubbornly looking off to the side.

"I'm sorry," he says after a while, reaching his hand out to grasp his. "I didn't mean that."

Yamato squeezes his hand—his way of accepting the other's apology—and takes a second to really look at his boyfriend.

Tai is still not looking at him directly, eyes fixated to a spot on his blue wall. His mouth appears permanently downturn and his right hand is restlessly clenching and unclenching his bedsheets. Yamato's never seen him look so unhappy before, and he can't help but feel how wrong that is. He doesn't know what he can say to dispel that gloom, but tries anyway.

"Everything will be all right, Tai." He places his hand on top of Tai's shoulder, squeezing it once. "I know it will."

The words make Taichi's throat close up. He presses his face more deeply into his mattress and attempts to ignore the burning sensation behind his eyes. "Yeah," he breathes out shakily. "Sure."

oOo

Yamato stays for a little while after that. He untangles the rest of Tai's hair and prods him to talk more, but Tai is having none of that—too afraid he'll say more than he means to and embarrass or upset himself (or Yamato) further. So, instead, he tugs Yamato's arm until the other takes the hint and lies down beside him and arranges it so he's half lying on top of the other. Yamato takes the manhandling in stride and stays until the last possible moment that would still allow him time to go home and prepare dinner for his father.

It's when Yamato's about to leave that Tai realizes he doesn't want him to actually go. It's unusual for him to feel needy. He doesn't like leaving himself open like that. So, he pushes the foreign feeling down and shoos Yamato out when he hesitates at the door. Yamato frowns before quickly closing the distance between them, kisses him hard and fast, and promises that he'll call him later. The uneasy feeling in his stomach settles, and Tai kisses Yamato one last time before shoving him toward the door. This time Yamato goes willingly, and Tai is once again left on his own.

He's back to lying on his bed, arms stretched out on either side of his body. He has no inclination of moving from his position despite having spent the entire afternoon there.

He thinks he dozes for a bit because when he next opens his eyes, the room is considerably darker. He rubs his eyes to clear the gunk that's built up there before rolling off the edge of his bed. He shuffles his way to the door intending to go to the bathroom, but when he opens the door, he's surprised to see his father standing outside, hand poised to knock on his forehead.

Susumu Yagami lowers his hand and brings it around to the back of his neck, rubbing it nervously. It's apparent where Tai has picked up the habit.

"Tai. I…I was coming to see how you were doing. Your mother called me at the office and explained what happened. I'm sorry I couldn't come home sooner to see you."

Tai scratches his head, not used to being apologized to by his father; it's usually the other way around. "Oh, that's okay, Dad. I feel fine." He slaps a hand across his chest, a smile on his face. "See." He is hoping to crack a smile out of the older man, but doesn't even manage a twitch. If anything, his dad looks more grim.

"Can I talk to you for a minute, Taichi?"

Tai nods uncertainly, warning bells ringing loudly in his head at being addressed by his full name; it always indicates when he's in some sort of trouble. "Sure, Dad."

He steps back and pulls the door open wider to let him in. Once inside, his father takes a seat on the bed and motions for Tai to join him. Tai does so despite his nervousness and keeps his eyes downcast.

"Tai, I wanted to apologize."

His head snaps up at the words to see regret fill his father's features. "Huh?" Didn't he already do that?

"I didn't mean to put so much pressure on you."

Oh. "Oh."

"It's just," his dad pauses, seemingly wrestling with his thoughts, "I just want to make sure you'll be okay, Taichi. I think that's what every parent worries about. And I suppose, to me that means you getting a college education. And even though you may not realize now how important that is—"

"Whoa, whoa, Dad," Tai interrupts, rubbing his forehead before looking at his father. "You can stop right there because I absolutely do realize how important that is. I don't know why you think I don't. And please don't say it's because of football," Tai speaks in a rush when he sees his father about to interrupt. "Because it's not. Really. Just." Tai inhales a fortifying breath to calm his nerves. "Can you just lay off for a while? I'm thinking about it. Really I am. It's kind of hard not to, being my life and all, but." He turns away then, abruptly losing whatever courage he mustered to even say all this to his dad. "I..." his voice peters out again and he's unable to force the next words out.

"What is it, Tai?" his father asks, waiting patiently for his son to continue.

Tai inhales a deep breath and then another, but he still can't say it. God. He feels so stupid.

"You can tell me anything, Son," his father prompts, bumping his shoulder lightly against his. The assurance reminds Tai of when he was younger—when his dad would listen to him ramble on and on about whatever thoughts were running through his head even when half of them didn't make a lick of sense. Conversations then came so much easier and were never so...big. And yet, he thinks maybe he'll be able to admit to his dad what he hasn't been able to admit to anyone else for the better part of a year. His dad wasn't one to sugarcoat things. Although Tai is somewhat afraid to hear the uncensored truth from his dad, he thinks he'd feel even worse if he had to sit through fake platitudes from his friends.

"I guess," he starts again. "I just don't know what I want to do—what I want to be when I..." Here he can't help but laugh a little because really. "...when I grow up. I...there's not much I'm really..." Tai swallows. "...good at, you know?"

There. He said it. He finally voiced it out loud, and Tai sqeezes his eyes shut, feeling as if he's just took the plunge off of Mt. Fuji.

"Tai, that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard you say," Susumu says as he puts a comforting arm around his son's shoulder and pulls him to his side. The action causes Tai to glance up uncertainly at his dad, who quirks up an eyebrow. "And believe me; you've said some pretty outrageous things in your life."

The edges of Tai's lips curl into a hesitant smile and his dad offers a reassuring one in return. "You're good a lot of things, Tai. You're a great leader, for one, if saving the Digital World and our world are any indication."

Tai laughs hollowly with a small shake of his head. "I was an awful leader, Dad. Always charging in without thinking first...and it's not like I saved the Digital World. We all did it together."

"That's exactly my point, Tai. A leader recognizes that it's a team effort, what it takes to get something done and has the drive to motivate everyone to get it done. You do that. I'm not exactly sure what happened when you were in the Digital World, but from what I've heard, you helped organize your friends to beat those evil digimon. Not many people can do that." Susumu glances at his son, who continues to stare at his lap. "You're a terrific captain from what your sister tells me," he adds, a little ashamed that he has to hear this secondhand. Tai looks up at him in surprise. "You helped your teammate get through a rough time too, from what I've heard."

Tai blinks, momentarily confused. "Who, what—Ryo?" Tai shakes his head. "His game was off and when I asked him, he said his grandmother passed away recently. I just listened, really. It wasn't anything."

"It wassomething, Tai," Susumu insists. "Your mother ran into Ryo's mom the other day and she kept saying what a sweet kid you were taking Ryo out of the house to play football and to the arcade despite him being a freshman and all. She said it was the first time she'd seen her son smile since her mother passed away."

Tai feels uncomfortable being praised for something anyone would have done. He's not sure why helping out a fellow teammate is a big enough deal that his dad has to point it out and says so. His dad just gives him a bewildered look.

"I hate to say this, Son, but some people would have just looked the other way and not even bothered to ask. You, on the otherhand, identified that there was a problem, reached out, and tackled it head on. I bet you would have done so even if you weren't captain of your team.

"What I'm trying to say Tai," his dad continues, "is that you reach out to people and rally them to get things done. It's not a skill many people can even learn and you're a natural at it. Don't sell yourself short."

Tai doesn't know what to say, still confused as to how this is even helpful. "…I'm not sure how that really helps me know what to study in college though. Being able to talk and listen to people? To motivate them? How does that even translate to an actual job?"

Susumu blinks. "A lot more than you think," he exclaims and starts listing each point off his fingers. "Managers, counselors, human resources, project managers, salesman, politicians, diplomats...the list goes on and on."

Tai mulls it over. Only a short while ago he thought he had absolutely no options and now it seems like he could have that many potential career paths? It doesn't seem real, but it's not like his dad would flat out lie to him.

His father smiles. "Now, I promise I'll back off with the whole college thing just so long as you come to me whenever you want to talk about it, all right?"

Tai nods distractedly, his mind still in a whirlwind. "Okay."

"Just don't wait until the end of senior year," Susumu adds wryly.

Tai smiles at that. "Sure. Thanks, Dad."

"You're welcome," Susumu says, giving his son's shoulder one last pat before he moves to stand up. He's surprised when he's met with resistance.

Tai holds onto his dad's sleeve, looking a bit uncertain. "Actually, Dad? How...Did you know what you wanted to do at my age?"

Susumu sits back down, loosens the tie around his neck, and settles in to tell his son how he thought he wanted to be a scientist, but found he liked building things instead. He only allows himself to feel a brief pang of shame for not having this conversation sooner, that in his single-mindedness he forgot how confusing it is at Tai's age. He only allows himself a moment because this isn't about him. This is about Tai. Susumu can reflect on his shortcomings later (and he will), but for now, he speaks with his son, answers his questions, and shares stories of his youth, uncertainties, and confusion.

Later, when Tai gives him a quick hug before he dashes out of the room to use the bathroom, Susumu sighs loudly. "I'm an idiot."

"It happens to the best of us."

Susumu startles to see his wife standing just inside Tai's bedroom door. Yuuko offers him a wry smile before walking across the floor and taking a seat beside him. She rests her head against his shoulder. "Tai will be fine, dear."

Susumu nods, wondering when exactly he began to lose faith in his son. "I know," he says, grasping her hand in his and squeezing it lightly. "I know."

oOo

Taichi shuts his locker and rests his forehead against it. He releases a drawn out sigh.

It's Monday; his first day back at school and it progresses exactly how he imagined it. Ms. Hanada hands back their exams and her expression alone confirms what he already knows. He failed the test and now is disqualified from participating in football. He barely pays attention after that, and thankfully, his teacher leaves him alone. She does hold him after class to ask how he's feeling and to recommend some tutors. There's still time to raise his grades before the semester ends, she says, but he's too distracted to listen. Seeing this, she lets him head to his next class.

It's lunch time now, and he has a meeting with Coach to discuss his status on the team. Fortunately, he hasn't seen any of his teammates yet, but knows it's only a matter of time before one of them seeks him out.

He picks his bag off the floor and turns around only to immediately step back when he sees he's surrounded by his teammates. It's the upperclassmen and his peers. None of the underclassmen though. His fingers tighten reflexively around the shoulder strap of his bag as he surveys the varying looks aimed in his direction. Shame builds from his gut all the way up to his throat and he inhales a fortifying breath before bowing deeply. "I'm sorry," he blurts out, eyes trained on the ground. He can't bring himself to look at them, stays that way until someone forcibly pushes him upright. It's Takashi and he's frowning, but he doesn't look mad.

"Taichi, man, stop. Breathe."

Taichi doesn't realize he's holding his breath and immediately does as he's told. At once he feels better and after a few beats, only then does Takashi let go of his arms. He doesn't move far though, hovering just to his right.

"I'm sorry," he says again, looking at each and every one of them in turn. "I'm off the team until I can bring up my grades, but it won't be in time for the game next week. I." His gut clenches at what he has to say next, but knows it's the right thing to do. "I'm going to tell Coach that I'm resigning as Captain. You need someone you can rely on, and I'm not that guy."

He lowers his eyes to the ground again and waits for someone to say something. He's hardly surprised when it's Miike who does.

"You know what your problem is, Yagami?" the older teen says, and Taichi braces himself for a good tongue lashing. "You never know when to ask for help."

He snaps his head up in surprise only to see Miike leveling him with his usual cool stare. "If you were having so much trouble," the other continues, "why didn't you come to us?"

"You?" Taichi blurts out in disbelief, and Miike scowls.

"Obviously not me, but anyone else," he says, gesturing to his left and right where everyone is nodding in agreement. "We're a team, right? At least that's what you preach day in and day out as if we're childr—"

"I think what Miike is trying to say," Touma tactfully interjects before the conversation can deteriorate, "is that we're a team on and off the field. You're not in this by yourself, Taichi."

As Tai scans everyone's expressions, he sees no malice behind any and he swallows past a sudden lump in his throat.

"Yeah you knuckle head!" Hiroshi exclaims, throwing an arm around his shoulders and tries to give him a noogie. Taichi squawks, pushing the other away and as a consequence, manages to knock himself into Takashi. The other is having none of that and soon both his friends are trying to grab him into a headlock.

"I give! I give!" he cries out, laughing loudly and is soon set free.

"There you are."

Taichi shoots Hiroshi a questioning look from behind his bangs and the latter just shrugs. "It's just been doom and gloom with you lately. It's good to hear you laugh."

Tai cards his hair with his hand, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "It's uh." He coughs once. "It's been a rough couple of months."

"Understatement," Takashi says, poking him in the chest, and Tai swipes at the offending appendage.

"So..."

"So, Captain, get your grades up and meet us at Nationals," Touma says. Then gestures behind him. "Kei has already volunteered to help you with calculus." Tai looks to the upperclassman in question, who smiles in confirmation. Tai smiles back, expression clearly grateful. This is all too much, really. His eyes suddenly grow hot, and he ducks his head.

"Thanks. Thank you," he says sincerely and with so, so much gratitude. Without preamble, Hiroshi hugs him and it knocks the wind out of Tai's lungs. He reflexively wraps his arms around the other to steady them. "Oomph! Hiro, what—"

"And if you ever feel like that again, come talk, okay?" his friend whispers fiercely, his tone brokering no argument. "Don't let it get so far again, all right?"

Tai stands there shocked before his eyes start to tear up again. He hugs the other back, and the brick he feels in his stomach finally turns to dust. "Yeah," he murmurs. "Yeah, okay. M'Sorry," he adds for good measure and receives a punch in the arm in response.

"Ow."

"Suck it up, you jerk," Takashi demands, eyes suspiciously wet, before he hugs him too, and soon the rest of the team (minus Miike who stands uncomfortably to the side) are crowding him and giving him firm pats on the back. It makes Tai's heart swell, and he chokes out a wet laugh. It's the happiest he's felt in a very long time.

oOo