Growing Together
Summary:A tasty treat for TaiYama Week 2018. The blossoming of a new relationship; the development from friends to lovers. Blissful moments and the hardships faced.
D-Angel: This is an interesting prompt. Had a few ideas for this one, but here's the final result! Enjoy :3
Chapter 9- Rejection
Sucking in the air between his teeth, Taichi opened the envelope and unfolded the piece of paper within. His eyes scanned over the text. Then again. Then once more. His jaw dropped open.
"Well?" His mum asked, analysing his facial expression. Taichi's eyes lit up, telling her all she needed to know.
"I got in!" He affirmed, grinning brightly.
Yuuko clapped her hands together and a wide grin spread across her face.
"See! All that studying paid off."
He had studied so, so hard, desperate to get a place at The University of Tokyo to do a degree in Economics. It had been tough on his relationship with Yamato, but they had both dealt with it, mutually understanding the importance of their futures.
Moments later, Hikari rushed out from her room, her brown eyes mirroring the same joy as her brother.
"I knew it, I knew it!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around Taichi. "Well done, nii-san."
"You should let Yamato know," Yuuko chirped as she headed back into the kitchen.
"Oh! Right. I'll be right back!" Taichi exclaimed as he headed to the front door. He quickly yanked on his tattered black Converse. "Well, maybe not right away."
Still clutching the letter, Taichi raced down the apartment block stairs until he reached the right floor, and then rushed down to the right door. He eagerly slammed his finger against the doorbell and waited, shifting from foot to foot, barely able to contain himself.
Several seconds later, Yamato answered the door wearing his usual stoic expression. For a moment, Taichi's mind went blank. Dressed in a tight white t-shirt and a snug pair of light blue denim jeans, the blond somehow looked more attractive than usual. Taichi was definitely going to ravish him if Hiroaki was not around.
Stepping aside, he allowed Taichi to come inside.
"Guess who's joining you at The University of Tokyo?" Taichi eagerly asked, waving his approval letter in front of Yamato's face.
For a moment, Yamato's blue eyes widened, but then his lips curled into a small smile, the sort that always made Taichi's heart melt.
"I knew you'd get in," Yamato said, ruffling his hand through Taichi's messy brown hair. Not quite the hug and wild kiss he had expected, but perhaps Yamato was building up to it slowly.
Still grinning, Taichi followed Yamato into the living room. Glancing over Yamato's shoulder, he could see there was no activity in the kitchen, so it was safe to assume Yamato's dad was not around, or that he was still in bed.
"I'm so excited!" The brunet chirped. "We can meet up between lectures, get an apartment together, have sex all the time. It'll be great!"
Yamato was being awfully silent. More silent than usual. Taichi could read the air; something was definitely amiss, but before he could question it, Yamato had already addressed the issue.
"I didn't get a letter from The University of Tokyo," Yamato explained, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck.
"Oh. Maybe it'll arrive later," Taichi said breezily as he strolled into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he pulled out a carton of orange juice and then grabbed a glass from the kitchen cabinet as Yamato gazed at him from the doorway, a forlorn expression on his face.
"It won't," Yamato said, deadpan.
His eyes watched as Taichi poured himself out a glass. His hands were visibly shaking. The juice started to splash up onto his hand, and dripped down the side of the glass. Placing the carton down onto the work surface, Taichi peered over at Yamato as he scratched the crown of his head, trying hard to grasp the meaning behind the blond's words.
"They offered me a place at my interview," Yamato sighed as he leant against the doorway. "But I turned it down."
Taichi tilted his head to the side, still puzzled.
"I'm going to Osaka University of Arts," the blond revealed, gazing over at his guitar propped up against the sofa, before looking back over at Taichi. "A music and sound design course."
"But-" The brunet's hand curled around his sticky glass. "-Weren't you planning to study Science?"
Yamato pursed his lips together as a hot wave crept across his skin.
"Plus, Osaka's miles away from Tokyo." The brunet's voice was low and filled with bewilderment. "Why keep it a secret from me?"
Taichi could not comprehend the situation. Yamato was so clever- much brighter than he was- yet he had chosen to throw away an opportunity to study at a prestige University to follow his creative dreams, absolutely miles away from him. It sounded more like something he would do.
"I-I didn't want to tell you, until now," Yamato said, eyes breaking away from Taichi. "I knew it would discourage you."
The brunet bit down on the inside of his mouth. It was all he could do to stop himself from saying something regretful as Yamato continued to talk.
"The more I thought about staying in Tokyo, the more suffocating it sounded. I didn't want you to follow me either since you had your heart set on staying here."
A heavy silence washed over them. Yamato looked up from his feet, eyes on Taichi, desperate for him to say something, anything.
"Right. So, what about us?" Taichi finally asked, his other hand now resting against the edge of the kitchen worktop.
"What do you mean?" Yamato's heart was thumping violently against his chest.
"We'll be miles apart."
"Long distance relationships aren't uncommon, Chi," Yamato said, eyes staring intently at his partner. "If we want to make it work, I'm sure we can."
A heavy sigh eased its way out of Taichi's nose. Leaving his glass of orange juice on the side, he walked straight past Yamato back out into the living room, making his way to the front door.
"Taichi."
The brunet kept on walking.
"Taichi! Oi!"
He grabbed hold of Taichi's t-shirt. The brunet stopped in mid-stride. Yamato spun Taichi around to face him, his eyes softening the instance he saw the tears in his companion's hazel eyes.
Yamato removed his hand from Taichi's shoulder. The brunet remained rooted to the spot, chest heaving heavy sobs.
"Idiot," Yamato growled, pulling the brunet against his body, wrapping his arms around him protectively. "We'll make it work."
For a moment, Taichi's arms remained limp at his sides, but then, as the words sunk in, they slipped around Yamato's waist and squeezed him back just as hard. After almost two years of dating, he was not willing to throw away the relationship they had built together. Not yet.
Being apart for a few years, it would be a minor setback, but all they could do was try and make it work.
D-Angel: Sorry about the lack of fluffiness, but, with a prompt such as Rejection, it's kind of hard to avoid a bit of angst xD
Honestly, I can imagine Taichi would have always gone off to study economics or politics (maybe even Law), regardless of the influencial factors that shape his educational choices in Digimon Tri. Yamato, and his parents, would have always given him the push to do something more open ended over persuring a sports related career.
Yamato is the more likely one to deviate and follow a more creative path, despite his apparent passion for science / space. His dad is a reporter, so it makes sense he would aspire to follow his creative instincts over the academic norms.
Anyways, enough of my ramblings xD
See ya'll tomorrow.
D-Angel
22/05/18
