Hey, it's me again. This is another lighthearted chapter that I wanted to toss your way, because the next chapter, or at least the chapter after that, is going to be really dark. Like dark dark. Like, maybe the darkest I've written? It will also feature another familiar face from the Digiverse. I really want to use Mimi soon, but this won't be her.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon.

For the first time in a long time that he could remember, Yamato had woken up alone. Usually Taichi was the one still in bed by the time that everyone else was awake, Yamato almost always leaving him there by himself since most of the time he was already awake for a few hours by the time that Taichi got up, and it was a bit strange for Yamato to be the one to wake up last.

"Taichi?"

His eyes were still a bit heavy, the new bed comforter that Sora had bought them seeming to be more attractive by the second, but regardless, he forced himself to stand up and get out of bed. Putting on a pair of shorts that were randomly lying on the floor, at the same time deciding to remain shirtless, he made his way out of his room, and began walking towards the more open area of their apartment.

However, as he left the hallway of his apartment to enter the kitchen and living room section of their home, his morning only became all the more odd. Not only did Yamato see Taichi sitting at their dining room table drinking what he assumed was coffee, probably spiked with something, he also saw that Jou was there as well, in his underwear.

"Morning, Yama-chan," Taichi greeted, raising his mug to Yamato as if there was nothing at all abnormal about the current scene.

Ignoring Taichi and the annoying nickname he had been referred to as, Yamato couldn't take his eyes off of Jou. He had grown fond of the doctor in training in the time that he had decided to offer a hand of friendship towards him, just as he had grown fond of Koushiro as well, but there was something awkward about waking up in the morning only to find a mostly naked Jou sitting in what was usually his chair.

"Jou?"

"Good morning, Ishida-san."

Jou, as would have been expected, bowed his head and greeted Yamato respectfully, but that didn't negate the fact that Jou, as polite as he was, was almost completely nude.

Yamato was silent for a moment, still quite not sure what exactly to say considering what he was looking at. So instead of immediately saying anything, he walked over to join Taichi and Jou at the dining table. Taichi and Jou were having what was probably spiked coffee, and when Yamato sat down next to Taichi, he fished out a nearly empty pack of cigarettes that he had in his shorts, and grabbed one of the many lighters that were resting on the table, hoping that at least one of them wasn't empty.

"Can I ask what you're doing in our apartment this early," Yamato asked, as he grunted in annoyance when the lighter he had picked up didn't work. "in your underwear?"

"I thought that everyone would be at work right now."

Well, it wasn't quite what he expected to hear. Narrowing his eyes at Jou, Yamato didn't say anything else for a moment as he tried to get a few of the different lighters to work. On his sixth one he found a lighter that still had a bit of juice in it, and with it he lit his cigarette.

He wasn't supposed to be smoking inside the apartment as Sora and Taichi had agreed to when they had first signed the apartment lease, but he had never really been much of a stickler when it came to rules anyways. Taking a deep breath of the tobacco that Yamato was sure would kill him some day, he finally answered Jou.

"Taichi doesn't have a job, and I live off an inheritance. And that still doesn't explain why you're in your underwear right now."

Unable to contain the amusement he had been holding in anymore, Taichi burst out into laughter. He thought it was funny to see how serious Yamato was acting, and even more seeing how uncomfortable he was, and Taichi was loving it all the way. Putting an arm around Yamato and pulling him in close, Taichi dramatically pointed at Jou with his other hand.

"Isn't it obvious, Yamato? Jou here got laid."

Taking into account what he just heard, and looking over Jou once more, Yamato consented that that would actually explain the current predicament quite well. Jou was in his underwear in their apartment and Jun was never really particular about the men she had sex with, so he figured that Jou getting laid would make the most sense, all things considered. Still, as he looked at the embarrassed Jou whom Yamato had barely just realized was covered in scratch marks, hair still a mess, he couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Koushiro since he knew how their other friend felt about Jun.

"Damn it, Koushiro," he couldn't but mutter, angry at Koushiro for not having the courage to express his emotions earlier.

"Huh?"

It was then that he realized that both Taichi and Jou had no idea what he was talking about. He considered something in his mind for a moment, and he felt Taichi take his arm off of him. Taking a drag of his cigarette, Yamato figured that there wasn't any harm in revealing Koushiro's secret anymore, especially now of all times.

"I wasn't going to say anything since I wanted to let the guy do things at his own pace, but he's in love with Jun."

Unexpectedly, Taichi burst into another bout of laughter, but Yamato's attention became focused on Jou when he heard the doctor in training respond, sounding confused as ever.

"What does Jun have to do with anything?"

"I thought you had sex?" Yamato asked, not really understanding Jou's words.

"He did," Taichi offered as his laughter calmed, taking that moment to get a sip of his coffee.

Putting the pieces together, he eyed up Jou, looked in the direction of the hallway where everyone's rooms were, and then looked back at Jou once more. Scratching his head, Yamato was sure that he had the wrong idea.

"Sora?"

"Sora," Taichi confirmed, Jou being too embarrassed to say anything himself.

"Damn."

"I know, right?"

Taking a moment to think about what he just learned, Yamato simply smiled and reached over the table to offer a cigarette to Jou.

"Welcome to the family."

So, there you go. I had fun with this. I liked it.

Anyways, that spin-off I've been talking about? I've been working on it seriously. I've begun some trial and error stuff concerning the opening chapter to see what I like or want to use. One thing that has particularly been on my mind is whether or not it's going to be all told from Daisuke's point of view, as this story does with Yamato, or if the points of view are going to rotate between Daisuke, Takeru, and Hikari. Honestly, I'm leaning to the rotation approach.

Fun fact: originally, I was going to go the rotation route with this story, but as you all know, it's all from Yamato's perspective. Let me know what you think? If not pure rotation, then something that is mainly from Daisuke's POV. Or all the way. Still haven't made up my mind.

P.S. I've begun to rewrite this story. I feel like my writing has improved from when I began this story two years ago (Yeah, it's been that long), and I want to go back and fix some things up. Nothing major like plot points or anything, just certain things I want to clean up. Like grammar and phrasing wise.

I've been inspired from other writers on this site who are much more talented than myself, and I feel that all of us should work to inspire more people. Think of a pyramid scheme, except with inspiration and creativity rather than cold hard cash.

Stay safe.