umm...just so you know, the songs I choose won't always match... but some lines will so I'll use them...yeah...
Closing Time
by Moonlit Eyes
Chapter Two
The Worst Day Since Yesterday by Flogging Molly
"It's been the Worst Day Since Yesterday
Fallin' down to you sweet ground
Where the flowers they bloom
It's there I'll be found"
Taichi frowned at the date on the television screen. Tuesday already. Those two days off can go by so fast, even though nothing happens usually. At least he woke up early today. He'd never admit it to Sora, but she was right every time she told him that waking up early meant enjoying more of the day before going to work. Currently he was enjoying this day by watching some made for TV movie that wasn't great but interesting enough to keep him from reaching for the remote.
"Is that all you're going to do today?" Sora sat next to him on the couch.
"Pretty much." Taichi watched the guy on the TV make a startling revelation he himself made fifteen minutes ago. Really it wasn't all that surprising.
"You don't want to go out? Maybe visit your sister or something?" Sora said with a slight shrug. Taichi snorted.
"You sound like you want to get rid of me or something." When she just stuttered out an excuse Taichi started to get suspicious. "You do want to get rid of me! Is someone coming over or something? A boyfriend?" He teased with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
"What? No, of course not. Well, I did date him in high school but that was so long ago. We're just good friends now is all and haven't really seen each other lately." Sora did her best not to make eye contact and was feeling rather nervous, but Taichi didn't notice.
"Oh? Who is it? Yuichi? Or maybe Fujitaka?" He began to feel anxious. Maybe this guy could be a potential boyfriend again? Sora hadn't dated in a while and Taichi wanted her to go out and meet someone for a while now.
"No, it's no one that you really knew about but... I don't think you'll get along very well so maybe it's best if you--"
Taichi suddenly got a bad feeling in his stomach. "Not get along with? I like everyone! Besides you're like a second sister to me, it's by obligation to know potential boyfriends."
"It's because I'm like a second sister I didn't want to tell you." Sora said softly.
"What?" He sighed and got himself comfortable on the couch again. "Well even if you don't tell me I'll find out anyway. I'm not going anywhere." He went back to watching his movie before he heard Sora say something.
"I'm sorry. Didn't quite catch you."
"I said," she took a deep breath, "Yamato Ishida."
Taichi sat in shock for a second before her words cut through. "Whoa, sorry, I don't think I really heard you right 'cause I thought I heard you say Yamato Ishida."
"You heard right." She said stubbornly. "I dated Yamato when we were Juniors and have been friends with him since we broke up."
"WHAT? How could you not tell me about this? I mean, did you really think I wouldn't find out?" He sat up as tall as he could and turned to face her better.
"I don't see why you're so mad anyway!" Sora yelled just as Koushiro and Mimi walked in the door. They looked at each other before going to Mimi's room to hide out. The two knew better than to interfere.
"How could you not see why? It's Yamato Ishida! The biggest jerk I've ever come across!" He moaned and held his head. He could just feel a headache coming on.
"Why are you getting so mad about this?" She sounded angered now.
"Because I'm your best friend! Well, I thought I was. Obviously that thought didn't go both ways since you didn't tell me. Me! The person you tell things like this to." Taichi felt betrayed and hurt, especially since what he said was true.
"We are best friends, Taichi! But this is my life and it doesn't matter what you think because it's involves me and not you!" She practically yelled this as they both stood up.
"If you really felt that way you would have told me and wouldn't have been afraid to do so." Taichi felt a little guilty as she visibly deflated but didn't do anything about it. Instead he walked off to the hallway that lead to his and Koushiro's rooms.
--
"Hey, Yamato! Going out?" Takeru asked while he and Daisuke played cards at the dinner table.
"Um, yeah, I'm meeting..."He paused as a thought hit him, "aren't you supposed to be in school?" Yamato raised an eyebrow and leaned against the wall. They just shrugged. "Mom won't be happy to hear about this."
"That's why she won't hear about this brilliant escape, will she?" Daisuke said sweetly. Figures he'd be the one behind this.
"Right, anyway I'm off." Yamato pushed himself off the wall.
"Where you going?" Takeru asked while putting some cards on the table and making Daisuke look worried.
"I'm meeting Sora at her place to hang out." Yamato was suddenly suspicious as both boys went still and looked at each other.
"Oh? She lives near the shopping district, right?" Takeru asked suddenly, turning around to see his brother better.
"Yeah, with some friends from high school." Daisuke started laughing suddenly, making the older blond nervous.
"Yeah, some friends like Koushiro, Mimi, and--OW!" The goggled teen pulled his feet onto the chair. "Whadya do that for, TM?"
"Shut up!" Takeru hissed.
"What's going on here?" Yamato narrowed his eyes at Takeru.
"Nothing, have fun!" Takeru sang out a little too innocently. Yamato just watched them warily as he walked to the door.
"Yeah, I will. See you." He couldn't help but feel that he and his brother were going to have a nice chat about secrets later.
--
Two hours after his argument with Sora found Taichi sitting at the kitchen table eating his lunch. It was ten minutes till 1PM when Sora said that Yamato would be over by. He sighed. After he had spent a good twenty minutes complaining on the phone with his sister during her free period, Taichi came back into the living room and argued some more with Sora. He didn't understand why they couldn't meet somewhere else. Sora wouldn't have it though saying that they were old enough to get past childhood rivalries. Taichi said that it was more than childhood rivalries but she wasn't listening. He then decided to forbid Yamato from coming over, saying that he helped pay rent and therefore had a say. Sora pointed out that he only paid 1/4 of the living expenses and so only had 1/4 of the vote. He asked Koushiro to vote in his favor but the shorter male decided to keep neutral. He didn't even consider asking Mimi since she was a girl and would therefore take Sora's side.
"Why don't you just sit in your room if you're going to be that way?" Sora asked moodily.
"What? Just because that guy is coming I have to hide in my room? No thanks. Besides I like sitting out here and eating lunch with my true friends." Taichi stuck his nose in the air before nodding at Koushiro. Koushiro just stuck his newspaper up in the air higher.
"Neutral party, remember?" The red head said before taking a bite of the ramen he brought back for everyone.
"Didn't your mother tell you it's rude to read at the table?" Taichi pouted.
"Whatever, you just better not start anything or--" The sound of the buzzer cut her off. A second later you could hear her saying something before pressing the button to let Yamato into the building. Then a couple minutes after that Sora could be heard talking to him at the door.
"Great, his royal pain in the ass is here," the bartender grumbled.
"Are you saying you're royalty?" Mimi teased from her spot next to him. Taichi just stuck her tongue at her.
"What are you doing here?" Yamato exclaimed when he came around the corner hiding the front door. Suddenly the blond remember his brother's comment when he left. 'Have fun indeed.'
"I live here. What's your excuse?" Taichi snapped, before looking down in thought. "Didn't this happen before?"
"Taichi play nice." Sora chastised.
"You too, Yamato." Mimi added seeing the blonde's smirk.
"Fine, fine." Taichi glared at the guest. "Why don't you sit down, our other roommate got you a ramen bowl too." He shoved the take out container across the table.
"Are you going to refer to me as the 'other roommate' now just because I have good survival instincts?" Koushiro put down his newspaper.
"Good survival instincts? I'm your friend, Koushiro! Best buds, right? You should be taking my side for once." Taichi noticed Yamato staring at his ramen a little too hard. "I didn't poison it, y'know!"
"Yeah, really. Taichi wasting food?" Sora laughed and played with her chopsticks. "That'd be the day."
"Only makes sense that someone with a mouth as big as yours wouldn't want to waste something to stuff it with." Yamato said in his usual cool voice. He suddenly looked confused as Taichi tried to hide a blush. Mimi noticed this too and laughed.
"Really, Taichi. You shouldn't listen to Daisuke's dirty jokes if they bother you that bad." Mimi giggled.
"It's not that." Taichi mumbled.
"Remind you of your boyfriend's dirty mouth?" Sora teased. "He's a real pervert, Taichi. I don't know how you put up with him."
"I don't." He shrugged.
"What?" Sora looked at him surprised, out of the corner of her eye though she could see Yamato trying to discretely listen in while looking like he was just eating.
"Taichi broke up with him two weeks ago," Koushiro handed Mimi the want ads. "He told all of us at dinner the very same day."
"She wasn't there, remember?" Taichi added.
"Oh yeah."
"Wait. I wasn't there so you just decided not to tell me at all." Sora asked incredulously.
"Well, well, it seems like you're not the only one who keeps things like that to themselves." Taichi smirked.
"Fine, I get it. I'm the bad guy, you're the good guy. Whatever." She put her hands up in surrender. "At least tell me why."
"Like you said, he was a perv. I mean, honestly, I'm only one man. I don't have that much stamina." Taichi grinned at Yamato who choked on a noodle before looking at Sora again. "Besides, there should be so much more to a relationship than sex."
"You are so gay." Mimi muttered while Taichi chose to ignore her just this once.
"Damn it, Yagami. I was eating. I don't need to hear things like that." Yamato glared while Taichi just smirked.
"Are you such a prude that just the mention of sex gets your panties in a twist." Taichi chuckled. "Man, don't tell me you're still a virgin?"
"You--"
"Omigod!" Mimi looked at Taichi with big eyes while clutching a store flyer from the newspaper. "There's a sale, Taichi! Let's go!"
"What? Hell no!" Taichi leaned as far away from her as possible.
"But you're gay, you're supposed to like shopping!" Mimi argued.
"That's called stereotyping and that's bad! Besides I'm working today." Taichi suddenly came up with an idea. "Hey, I know. Why don't you take Sora and Ishida?"
"Taichi!" Sora hissed. Yamato suddenly got the feeling that he was going to hate this.
"Oh come on, Sora! Shopping brings friends together!" Taichi said with mock enthusiasm. Koushiro snorted.
"Yeah, if the friends survive it." The red head ignored Mimi's look.
"Taichi's right!" Mimi stood up, full of energy. "It's the perfect tool for friend-bonding!"
"Yeah, friend-bonding!" Taichi exclaimed with her.
"Hey, Kou-Kou, you should come too!" Mimi bounced over to her prey. Koushiro started to sputtered excuses and while trying to tell her not to call him such ridiculous names. Taichi laughed and decided to take pity by helping his only other male roommate.
"Kou-Kou--" "Don't call me that!" "Is helping me with figuring out the bills for this month. He can't, sorry."
"Oh, that's too bad." Mimi said a little sadly before perking up. "It's okay! Come on, you two! The day is still young and there are lots of stores to go to. Good thing we live near the shopping district, huh?"
"Yeah, great, Mimi." Sora glared at Taichi as she and Yamato were dragged out of the door. Koushiro turned to thank Taichi but caught the odd look on his friend's face.
"You owe me, man."
"I knew it."
--
Yamato was still pissed at Taichi that Saturday. Sure he thought Mimi was cool and all, but that shopping trip nearly killed him before he got a call from his dad and had an excuse to go home. He wanted to rant and rave at the object of his rage before plotting his revenge. However, Mr. Itou's words stuck in his head from last Saturday and he really didn't want to anger the man any further. Maybe after his last night, but for now revenge was off limits.
Which wasn't bad now that he thought about it. Over a half a month to plan. Not bad at all.
Meanwhile, Taichi was avoiding his 'sworn enemy' like the plague. He knew that if was near Yamato he would start laughing since he heard about the other's pain through Sora Wednesday. That would in turn cause Yamato to get pissed, which was a pro, and start a fight, which was a con. The con outweighed the pro in this case as Mr. Itou would surely make him sorry for starting a fight.
Oh well, the glares he was getting from across the room were enough to keep him happy.
--
They didn't know how this fight had started, really. Taichi went into the room behind the stage for a mop while Yamato was in there after his ring slipped off his finger and rolled under the door and into the room. One thing lead to another and the next thing they knew they were have a verbal match while trying not to yell.
"You're such an asshole!" Yamato hissed, mindful of the thin walls.
"You're one to talk! Why the hell did you date Sora anyway?" Taichi was still having a hard time letting that one go.
"Because I liked her, okay? Besides she made a move on me you wash-up jerk!" Yamato felt satisfaction after watching Taichi react badly to his comment. "You heard me, you're a lazy has-been. You didn't quit because of an injury. That was a lame excuse, you really just aren't that good at soccer anymore."
"Shut up," Taichi's voice felt a little choked.
"What? Don't like the truth? Well tough! Your leg is probably just as good as it used to be, you're just too damn scared to play anymore."
"I said shut up." Taichi tried again as he clenched his fist.
"Don't want anyone to know how bad you've gotten so you play up the wound. But you look like you're walking fine to me." Yamato sneered.
"Fine, if I'm a has-been then so are you!" Taichi said in an eerily calm voice. "Trying to be big, bad Yamato Ishida again by singing in a bar. Well guess what? No one else but this bar hears you. You're not on the radio anymore since they're too busy playing newer and better songs. Yamato Ishida, lead singer of The Teenage Wolves, stopped being famous with his band." Yamato charged forward, fully intended to land a punch, but Taichi was faster. Grabbing Yamato's fist with one hand, he used the other to land a strong right hook over a blue eye. Yamato fell back against wall while clutching his left eye. He would have charged again if Taichi hadn't chose that moment to speak up. "The nicest thing anyone has said to me and it comes from you? You're the only one who chooses not to see my limp." And with that he walked towards the door.
Yamato suddenly felt like Taichi hit him again once he noticed that the other did indeed have a rather obvious limp. Had he had that this entire time? Yamato cursed as he realized that he was blinded by the years of putting up with Taichi's constant bullying to notice something like that. Yamato suddenly felt angry at himself. Why was he feeling guilty over a guy that nearly ruined his high school experience?
He didn't realize what he was doing till he had grabbed his guitar case and ran out onto the street after finding out where Taichi went. The other had just grabbed his jacket and left before Yamato could...
...could what? Get the last word? That wasn't it. Rub the salt further in? Not that either. Apologize?
"Idiot must've knocked a few screws loose." He muttered after reaching the top of the steps to the street level. He looked both ways in the rain before seeing Taichi walking down the street to the left. He took off after him. "Hey, Yagami, wait up!"
"Didn't get enough back there?" Taichi yelled out but didn't stop.
"No I want to--" Yamato grabbed at the other's arm but it was wrenched away.
"Leave me alone, Ishida." Taichi snapped and started walking faster.
"No! I want--" The blond grabbed Taichi again, though his time Taichi wasn't as graceful went it came to escaping. Tripping on the slick ground, he went tumbling down onto the ground and landed hard on his bad knee. He clenched his teeth to avoid crying out. "Great," Yamato muttered while saying a little louder, "you okay?"
"What do you care?" Taichi snapped while trying to stand up and not being very victorious.
"I feel bad and I came after you to--stop that." He grew tired of watching Taichi try to get up and fail yet again. Yamato slung Taichi's right arm over his shoulders. "Let's get you home." Taichi started to protest. "And don't say nothing. You obviously can't walk so just shut up and put up."
"Fine, but I'm not going to my place with you like this. Sora would never shut up about it. Let's go to somewhere open and I'll just sit down till it's better." Taichi managed out through his wounded pride. Yamato just rolled his eyes.
"My place then." He ignored Taichi's complaints and lead the other man to his apartment. Taichi eventually gave up and stayed quiet on the way.
What a week this turned out to be.
---
"Ow! Don't touch it!" Taichi cried out. He put his leg up on the couch like Yamato had been trying to do. The blond kneeled next to him for a second to inspect the damage when Taichi rolled up his pant leg to see for himself. Clucking his tongue for second, Yamato shook his head.
"I'll get some ice for that." And with that, he left the room. Taichi watched him go wearily. Something was different. He didn't know what, but something had changed the second Yamato went after him. They weren't two-dimensional enemies anymore, only acknowledging each other as someone to yell at and nothing more. Somehow they had evolved...or maybe this was a step back? He shook his head, not sure if he liked or even wanted know what was going on.
In the kitchen, Yamato was having similar thoughts. He didn't know why he brought the other to his place. Maybe he was still think about Sonya's comment, about how they really didn't know each other all that well. Whatever the reason, he couldn't help but feel the same shift in their...what? Relationship? No, that seemed too personal.
Suddenly Yamato became scared to go back into the living room. Something was going to be said, something was going to confirm this change. He just didn't know if he was ready for it. Would they be worse enemies? Or would they finally find some closure and be able to leave each other completely alone from then on? He snorted at that last one. Yamato seriously doubted a moment could change years of fighting like that.
So what would happen?
Little did he know Taichi was sitting in the couch feeling the same reluctance at having Yamato walk back in. They were comfortable being the same rivals as always. Why did they have to say those things? Why did they have to add such depth to their words without realizing it? Fighting someone while only seeing one side of them was one thing. Fighting while glimpsing into another part, a more real part, was another thing entirely.
Taichi never wanted to let Yamato see just how much his injury cost him.
Yamato never wanted his high school tormentor to be a person beyond the image of 'he's an ass, stay away.'
Finally Taichi realized that Yamato was always going to be the stuck up asshole he knew and hated. So he just braced himself for the attack. Whatever changed, it really couldn't be that drastic and really could just have been his imagination.
Yamato decided that just because Taichi might have let something real slip, it didn't mean that he wasn't the arrogant bully he always was. So, ice in hand, he strolled back into the living room to deal with the problem on his couch.
TBC
oooh..a cliffhanger! Gee, this is really easy to write compared to my last story... and I like it better too. Though the next chapter will take a little longer than this one. Oh well, lataz! (psst, reviews make the world go round!)
