A/N: Prompt for this chapter is stem

Dripping Water
Chapter 10 - black and white and grey (Akari)

Akari woke up the next morning to find that Taiki had been calling her in the night.

'Well, more like three in the morning,' her father amended, as he passed on the message. 'Really, you kids are too young to be pulling all-nighters like that. Still being as reckless as ever?'

'You could say that,' Akari sighed. 'It's a little different now though, I guess. Remember when he used to put his heart and soul into everything?'

'He does cause less trouble now, doesn't he?'

Akari snorted at that. 'Less trouble for who?' she asked. 'If we don't keep an eye on him, he'll pass out in the middle of the road from overworking himself and be run over by a truck.'

'Now, that's not nice Akari,' her mother scolded, setting a plate in front of her. 'You don't really want such a thing happening.'

'Of course not!' she exclaimed. 'But yesterday he ran until he couldn't even walk straight, and that was after Shoutmon ordered him to do something for himself after Kiriha upset him –'

'Shoutmon?' her parents echoed.

'Uhh… new friend.' Well, that wasn't a lie.

'And Kiriha? New friend too?'

Akari shook her head. 'He's… complicated. Kiriha is… well, he's kind of a gang leader.' At her parents' looks, she waved her hands. 'Not a real gang. But you know, a following of sorts. And he wants Taiki as his second in command or something, because Taiki's pretty good at strategizing, except he doesn't respect Taiki's way of doing things at all and Taiki can't accept the way he does things either.'

'Hmm,' her father said thoughtfully. 'I'm guessing this Kiriha is the sort that doesn't see the value of individuals, then.'

'Yeah, that's it exactly!' Akari sighed again. 'Truthfully though, I think Taiki is a little jealous of Kiriha who just charges ahead with his dream, regardless of what or who he sacrifices or hurts along the way. But he can't forgive himself for having done the same thing with Tatsuya-kun.'

'Ah, but what sort of dream is it if you can give it up?' asked her father. 'Granted, things are never as black and white as that, but didn't you say Taiki-kun always fluttered from one thing to another, to whatever interested him?'

'Yeah…' She had said that. So had Taiki. And, often, she'd flutter right along with him. Well, both those things had lasted. He still dashed between multiple things and she ran along after him. But the intent behind that was different, now. Before, she'd chase him because she wanted to see what he saw. Now she chased him because she didn't want to let him wear himself to the bone. 'But he stopped looking for his dream. Most people don't have it fall into their lap.'

'You did,' her mother commented, and Akari went red. 'Well, you have been chasing after that boy for a long time.'

'It's not like that,' she protested – but truthfully, it didn't matter whether it was or wasn't, or whether that would change in the future. 'Well, Taiki is that kind of person and that's not really going to change if he puts himself first or others. Even if he does try to push us away…' She sighed again at that. Zenjirou had only mentioned it quickly and it hadn't looked like he was considering it at all – but wasn't it because of her that they'd chased a way out of the Digital World, in the beginning. But the digimon had become her friends, as well. And she wasn't useless. She wasn't holding them back. If she were, she would have swallowed her pride and stayed… but even the Digital World and its singular purpose didn't stop Taiki from trying to burn himself out. And yes, she'd run into her fair share of traps (particularly Nene) but Taiki, at the forefront of things, had run into more.

And she'd worry, so far from him. And Zenjirou, too. And Kiriha and Nene as well, even if they weren't friends and might never be. Taiki believed in Nene, though, and Akari too thought she could see something beyond the shadows that shuttered her expression – and in Kiriha, too.

Actually, she thought she understood Kiriha pretty well. Kiriha who'd stopped believing in other people. Kiriha who charged ahead at full speed, not looking at the destruction that was left behind because he'd been abandoned at the beginning of the road and so thought nobody would carry him through.

Or maybe she was just assuming that much. But still. And Taiki and Kiriha, as they were now, would never meet on the same path. And they needed to, with what they faced. The Generals. Amano Nene. And the digimon behind them all, pulling the strings.

Maybe all Kiriha needed was somebody else: somebody to believe in him, to worry about him, to chase after him when he marched forward and pull him back when he tethered on the edge. And that was who she wanted to be to Taiki: the person Taiki needed, as well. And maybe everybody needed someone like that. And maybe one person wasn't all it took, because Taiki had his mother, and Zenjirou, and Shoutmon and the other digimon too.

This time, though, he needed someone else. He needed Tatsuya. If only the two of them would talk…

'Guess I'll call Taiki and see if he's left for school yet.' Though he probably had, with that paper run and all.

.

'You want to talk to Tatsuya?' Akari repeated.

'Kind of,' Taiki admitted. 'I'm not sure I can, especially about this – but Cutemon's healing powers…'

Ah, she understood now. 'Taiki, this has been happening practically since he was born. Cutemon can't fix curses. He probably can't fix genetic problems either.'

When the silence from the other end echoed in her ears, she wondered if she should have been so direct.

'I just mean,' she tried, 'it'd be good to try, but don't get your or his hopes too high. Some things just… well, are. The digimon aren't miracle workers.'

'I know, it's just…' Taiki drifted off. 'I just can't believe I didn't think of that earlier.'

She huffed a laugh. 'Yeah, sometimes it's funny what does or doesn't occur to us. You know, Zenjirou is surprised you still haven't talked to Tatsuya. This is a good reason, if you're looking for one.'

'Actually,' he admitted, 'I initially rang to ask if you would, but that was just cowardly of me.'

Well, if Taiki was saying that himself… 'Kind of was,' Akari agreed, 'but we can't say when you're ready, or what he's thinking, or how it'll all turn out. That's up to the two of you.' What she could say though… 'What were you even doing up at three in the morning?' Even now was too early, but they still had school so it couldn't be helped. 'Did you get any sleep last night?'

'Not really,' Taiki admitted. 'I didn't get much done, either.' He sighed. 'Really, I wasted a whole afternoon and night.'

'Nothing we do is a waste,' Akari said. 'Either that, or we waste ninety percent of our lives.'

'…where'd you get that number from?'

Truthfully, she'd made it up. 'Forget that. You don't want to be late for school, right? We've only got a few more days before exams.'

But when she hung up, she realised she'd forgotten to ask two things: why Cutemon's powers had come up last night of all times, and why he hadn't been on that paper run.

.

She couldn't find Taiki at school. That was more than unusual: that simply never happened unless something was wrong. Like the time Taiki jumped on that raft of his and sailed into Tokyo Bay. He'd been missing for two days, including a full day of school. And he certainly hadn't mentioned anything on the phone…

Unless he'd gone to visit Tatsuya-kun? That seemed rather abrupt considering how long he'd been avoiding it… but he'd also run her at three in the morning when inspirations struck so she wouldn't put it past him.

He hadn't called in sick either though, if the teacher questioning his absence in first period was any indication. Did he forget about school entirely? She tethered between being worried and being not as she collected last minute information from the teachers to pass on to him at a later time.

When Zenjirou popped by, she shrugged. She didn't know where Taiki was. When Kiriha showed up again, she shrugged again. Zenjirou took it in good enough graces, though he was worried too, but Kiriha scowled. 'He's skipping school now too? What the hell is he doing?'

Akari didn't explain it. She was sure that if she shared what Taiki had confined in her this morning, and the rest of the background, that Kiriha wouldn't offer any pity or understanding at all. He'd think it cowardly. He already thought it cowardly: the reason Taiki had devoted himself to helping others. Something he thought admirable was so easily coloured by the background tale.

Maybe Taiki's perception of Kiriha too would change, if he learnt what was driving the other boy. Or maybe he already suspected it, and that was why there was that grudging respect and jealousy… Two things that were usually aimed at Taiki, instead of coming for him.

Those two could be really great for each other…

But the way they were both going… not so much right now.

And besides, where was Taiki right now?

Because when she dropped by the Kudou residence after school, his mother, with a similar look of worry, said that though later than the rest of this week, he'd left for school after all.