Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

TaiYama week 2018

Day 9: Rejection

Warnings: Swearing, drinking

-o-o-o-o-o-

The bar was filled with a dull murmur, much like it had been stuffed with cotton. It wasn't exactly crowded—it never was—it was just full. There was no TV blaring out sports commentary and there were no speakers playing unnecessarily loud music. The bar was just filled with the low voices of people, all murmuring so that their voices blended into one monotonous sound.

"Hey there, gorgeous."

Except that voice stood out.

The cheerful voice of a man that had taken a seat on the stool next to Yamato's at the bar counter. Yamato didn't spare him a glance.

"I'm new here."

No shit.

The man propped an elbow onto the counter, resting his chin on his fist and gazing at Yamato. Yamato didn't reciprocate the gaze.

"You got any recommendations?"

"The bar next door."

"Ouch." The man said with a laugh, signalling to the bartender. "JD and coke, please."

The bartender gave Yamato a questioning look, but Yamato made a miniscule dismissing motion; he wanted to see how far this new guy was willing to go.

The man received his drink and took a swig before turning back to Yamato: "So what's your name?"

"Fuck off."

"Interesting choice from your parents… I'm Taichi." A huge grin.

Yamato actually spared the man a glance at this stage. He had thick, brown hair and kind, youthful eyes. Yamato's own eyes lingered for longer than he would have liked. He turned to face forward again, but not before catching a glimpse of a knowing smirk.

"So, Mr. Off—or can I just call you Fuck?"

Yamato lifted his drink to his lips, assuring himself that the curve his lips made was from the curve of the glass.

"You a regular here?" Taichi continued. "The bartender seems to know you, considering he looks out for you."

Yamato's eyes flicked to Taichi and back to the back of the bar. So Taichi had noticed the small exchange…

"You seem more than capable of taking care of yourself," Taichi continued his solo conversation, "which means the bartender knows you. But which came first: did you start coming here and get to know him, or did you know him from before, which is why you started coming here?"

Of course, Yamato didn't reply.

Taichi leaned back a bit on the stool he was on. "Not that it matters; I was just curious."

A silence followed.

Yamato swirled what was left of his gin and tonic around the glass. He watched the liquid ride up the walls of the glass. Well, Taichi had been entertaining for all of two minutes. Yamato threw back the glass and swallowed the contents. He stood, nodding to the bartender.

"I don't think you should leave just yet." Taichi commented, still seated and staring into his own glass. "I'm not done and I don't want to be a creep and follow you out and stalk you down the street."

Taichi turned to grin at Yamato, who had stopped in his tracks to stare at the brunet.

"Stay?"

-o-

Taichi had been sitting at the bar for almost five hours. The bartender called out for last orders and there were a few patrons leisurely heading for new drinks. No one was that drunk—this wasn't that kind of place.

Taichi glanced at his half-drunk Jack Daniels and coke. He hadn't been interested in drinking since that fist glass. This second was more of a prop. He lifted the glass, inspecting the liquid. He placed it down, right next to a similar, though completely different, half-full glass of clear liquid.

The bartender glanced at the two glasses, side by side. Polar opposites, yet they shared some qualities: both were only half-drunk, both Collins glasses, the ice had long melted into both drinks, and the liquid was turning tepid, if the lack of sweating was any indication—which it was.

"They seem so different at first glance, don't they?" Taichi mumbled to the bartender, chin on the counter, staring at the pair of glasses.

"They do."

"But somehow two completely different things can have a lot in common."

"They can."

"Seems amazing how that can happen."

"It does."

"How they both ended up in the same situation, despite them coming from completely different places."

"That's true."

A sudden weight on Taichi's back interrupted whatever he was about to say next.

"Should I get you out of here, before you get too philosophical?" A deep voice whispered in his ear.

Taichi chuckled, nudging an elbow into the other man's ribs. "Maybe you should."

A pale hand reached over, grabbing the darker glass and tipping the contents into the clear one. "The drinks are ruined, let's go."

With the weight gone from his back, Taichi stood and stretched. He nodded a thanks at the bartender, then called after the other man:

"Wait up, Yamato!"

Yamato turned at the door with a laugh, calling out his own 'thank you' to his friend behind the bar counter.