I have written this as a part of the Digimon Big Bang on Tumblr. I was being ambitious when I started this story, knowing it would take far more than 5000 words to finish, but I was probably a bit too optimistic. The first few chapters will be posted during the Bang and then I will likely finish the rest in my own time (don't worry, I have plotted the whole thing out, so there's little chance of it being abandoned).
Chapter 1
Koushiro was working late. The light from the computer was the only thing illuminating the room, while his typing broke the otherwise silent space. Most students found the middle school a bit creepy at night, but Koushiro was used to being the last one out of the building.
He was so absorbed in his work that he didn't hear the approaching footsteps from down the corridor. Slowly, a shadowy figure blocked the moonlight from streaming through the door's glass window. The door slid open almost silently as Koushiro continued to concentrate on the screen. Too late, he noticed the intruder.
In his haste to get away, Koushiro fell off the side of his chair with a shout. Standing over him with one of her hands resting on her hip, Miyako looked down with an eyebrow raised.
"Everything all right?"
Koushiro took a few deep breaths to calm his rapid heartbeat as he pulled himself up onto his feet. He brushed himself off and cleared his throat.
"When did you get here?"
Miyako sighed and walked back to the classroom entrance to turn on the light switch. Koushiro blinked as his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness.
"Just now. I asked if you wanted the light turned on, but you didn't seem to hear me."
"Oh, sorry about that."
"It's OK," she said as she sat down in the seat next to him.
Miyako looked a little morose as she stared at the computer screen. Koushiro wasn't quite sure what to do.
"Where's Poromon?"
"I left him at home. There's nothing for him to do at school on his own."
"I suppose it must be lonely not being with the other digimon."
Miyako made a noise of agreement, but didn't say anything further.
"How are you finding middle school?"
She smiled at him brightly in a way that seemed a little too well practiced.
"I love it! I've made a few new friends and kept in contact with my old ones from elementary school – at least, the ones I want to keep in contact with. I don't like the uniform colour, but I'm slowly getting used to it…
"I miss being able to hang out with the others easily, though. Iori and I walked together to school every day. It's weird knowing I won't ever be in the same school as him."
"It can be tough, being in a school different from all your friends."
Miyako nodded, knowing that he understood. It had been strange going to a different school from Taichi, Sora and Yamato. He wasn't looking forward to the end of this year when he would have to go through the same experience again.
"I guess I can sympathise with Ken more. Although, he still has to travel further than I do."
"When did you last visit the Digital World?"
"On Saturday afternoon. Mr Ishida was kind enough to take us in his van even though he was busy with work. We managed to find a digital gate not too far outside the city limits."
"Mr Ishida has always helped us from the start. I don't know if we could have managed without the support of our families."
They both fell silent for a time. Miyako took off her glasses and cleaned them on her blouse.
"Do you think the Digital World will become peaceful again?"
She peered carefully through each lens before putting them back onto her face just in time to catch Koushiro's hesitation.
"We've managed it before. The Digital World will recover eventually."
"Un," she agreed, although it wasn't with her usual enthusiasm.
She switched on the computer in front of her and brought out her D-Terminal to read through her messages. Koushiro turned back to his work. They both worked in silence for a while, the only sound filling the room was the tapping of keys and the computer fans blowing out hot air.
Suddenly, an alert sounded from Koushiro's computer. Miyako glanced over as Koushiro brought up the program the sound was coming from.
"What is it?"
"It's a prototype of a digimon detection program. It has only reacted like this a small number of times since BlackWarGreymon sealed the gate."
"How does it work?"
"You know how digimon affect electronics in this world?" Miyako nodded to his question. "And the stronger the digimon, the greater the effect on our technology.
"This map locates any blackouts or power surges. It only tends to catch the large ones, because otherwise every time a household blew a fuse it would be detected as a potential digimon. So far, I've managed to detect known Perfect and Ultimate level digimon using this program, however lower level digimon are still lost in the background noise."
"You think that's a digimon?"
Koushiro sighed. "Ever since BlackWarGreymon sealed the gate, the only things I've detected are power fluctuations in the national grid. It's still a prototype for a reason."
Miyako looked from Koushiro back to the red circle flashing on the page, wondering what could have caused such a large surge.
Yamato played the last note of their song, just in time with the drumbeat. There had been one of two shaky notes, but overall it had been one of their best performances. He glanced over towards the rest of the band. They all looked similarly satisfied with their finish, with Akira sending him a subtle thumbs-up. Taking a moment to steady his breathing, Yamato slowly released his bass and grabbed hold of the microphone.
"Thank you for your support tonight. You've been a great audience!"
The deafening sound of cheers filled the room, but somehow one scream was still louder than the rest. Yamato couldn't quite keep the grin from his face when he recognised Jun's voice.
"But I'm sure you're all eager for the main event: The Night Claws!"
Any lull in volume disappeared instantly when he named the headline band. Sayo had been kind enough to invite The Teenage Wolves to start for their first performance.
"There'll be a few minutes to stretch your legs while they set up, but make sure you're back in time. Once again, thank you and enjoy the rest of the night!"
Yamato and the others waved to the crowd as they stepped off stage. Soon frantic stagehands and technicians were running around trying to get everything ready and sounding good before The Night Claws were expected onstage. Yamato tried to wipe the sweat from his face, but didn't succeed very well.
"Not bad. You didn't make us look completely incompetent," Sayo said, holding out a small towel for him to take.
"Thanks."
"Wow Sayo, that almost sounded like a compliment," Yutaka teased while grabbing himself a bottle of water.
"Did it? My apologies."
Sayo's words were sharp, but her eyes gave away her amusement. Yamato folded up the towel and put it to the side.
"Yamato!"
All four band members looked over to see Jun rushing in with Sora following close behind, looking more than a little frazzled.
"You guys were amazing! I got a few great shots of you with the crowds."
Akira, Takashi and Yutaka crowded around Jun's camera while Sora exchanged a look of bemusement with Yamato. She quietly slipped her hand into his and leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Tired?" he asked softly.
Sora nodded. "Yes, but I had a fun time. You guys were good."
"We'll be going home soon."
"Hey Yamato, you gonna watch?"
"Just the first song," he glanced over at Sayo apologetically. "We've got school in the morning."
Sayo shrugged her shoulders, clearly not bothered by his decision. However, her drummer wasn't so easily appeased.
"If you want to get anywhere you've got to dedicate everything you have, otherwise you're bound to fail."
Sukekiyo had dropped out of school recently in order to concentrate on the band along with everyone except Sayo. She was finding juggling high school and her blossoming career difficult. Yamato knew it was a matter of time before she gave up school as well.
Nevertheless, he wasn't interested in starting a fight, so just nodded as if he was taking Sukekiyo's advice and wished the band good luck.
Sora tightened her grip on his hand as they made their way through the crowds. A deafening cheer signalled the arrival of The Night Claws. Yamato found himself relaxing to the music even as people jostled into him and Sora. Sora didn't seem bothered by it, instead she leaned closer to Yamato, wrapping her arm around his.
They slipped out quietly after the first song, hand in hand, their ears ringing in the silent night air. Sora shivered with cold and leaned in close. Yamato wrapped his arm around her waist as they made their way towards the nearest station.
The trip home wasn't too long, but it was past midnight by the time they reached Sora's apartment. Sora glanced around nervously and, seeing no one was watching, leaned in quickly to kiss Yamato on the lips. She pulled back and turned to open her door, but not before Yamato noticed the blush on her cheeks.
"Thanks for tonight. I had a lot of fun," she said, turning to face him again. "See you tomorrow?"
"If I don't oversleep. I've still got some homework to finish."
Sora looked at him disapprovingly.
"It's just an essay!" he said, putting up his hands defensively. "I already have it planned out as well."
Sora rolled her eyes, but the small quirk of her lips indicated she wasn't too angry with him. Yamato waited until she had closed the door before he shoved his hands in his pockets and began trudging back to his own apartment.
His father had said he would be home early with dinner, but as Yamato unlocked the door to their apartment, it was obvious that no one was in. Setting down his guitar, Yamato switched on the lights and opened the fridge, grabbing a few items he could turn into a light dinner. Since he was cooking, Yamato decided to make enough for two.
With his chopsticks in one hand, Yamato took out his phone and texted his father. It was hardly unusual for Hiroaki to bury himself in work and lose track of time. Sure enough, Yamato soon received a reply that something had come up and Hiroaki was planning to work late. He put the leftovers in the fridge and left a note on the fridge that his father would see. Even after he showered and finished his essay, Yamato was still the only person in the house when he slipped into bed.
Hiroaki let out a weary sigh as he finally stepped out of the office. It was well past two in the morning and he had promised Yamato he would try to get back early tonight. So much for that.
The moon lit up the sky, even outshining some of the city lights. There wasn't much traffic on the roads and most people had already turned in for the night. Hiroaki took in a deep breath, taking out a packet of cigarettes as the chilly night breeze blew through the street. He flicked his lighter open and put a cigarette in his mouth.
The breeze picked up in intensity, dampening the flame he was using to try and light a smoke. Cursing, he turned his back to the wind, cupping the flame. Hiroaki stopped still when he heard the sound of a twig snap. The sound of a distant train roared in the distance, but that didn't ease the tight feeling in Hiroaki's chest that he'd had since stepping from the office. Something was wrong.
Hiroaki put away his cigarette and lighter, listening carefully to his surroundings. Without delaying further, he started walking at a brisk pace hoping to find another person soon but not even a car passed by. Hiroaki turned a corner, only a few minutes away from home. Suddenly, his vision swam and he heard another sharp crack, causing him to jump. Hiroaki thought he saw movement out of the corner of his eye.
0101010101
Jou jolted awake when he heard a buzzing sound, causing him to roll off the edge of the bed and land with a thud. He rubbed his shoulder, although he was more surprised than hurt. Groping for his glasses, Jou noticed it was still dark outside. He frowned, wondering who on Earth would be calling him now.
He had just fixed his glasses on his face when his phone buzzed again. Switching on the light, Jou peered at his phone with a frown. Who was trying to call him at four in the morning? Yamato's name popped up at the top of the text message. Jou frowned, remembering Yamato had been at a gig the night before. Could he have drunk-called Jou? Jou immediately dismissed the thought. Yamato stayed away from the drink and drugs, plus Sora had gone with him, so it was unlikely she would have let him…
'rainbow hospital'
He urgently read Yamato's text again, taking in the characters. Yamato knew Jou was busy with his studies, so for him to call Jou on a school night… Jou felt his stomach twist. Had something happened?
Jou threw on his school uniform, glad he'd decided to shower the night before. Dumping the books from last night in his bag, Jou grabbed his basic pack he saved for travel to the Digital World and dialled Yamato's mobile just as he opened the door. It barely rang before the call was answered.
"Hello?" Yamato sounded exhausted.
"Yamato, I'll be there in twenty minutes. What happened? Is Sora all right?"
Jou closed the door quietly and began jogging to the elevator. He felt his heart beat faster the longer the silence lasted.
"No, she's fine. Sorry, I should have probably called her instead, but I figured-"
"Don't worry about it," Jou interrupted. "I'm up now. You need me to bring anything?"
The pause was so long that Jou began to think he'd lost signal. However, before he could say anything, Yamato quietly responded that there was nothing he particularly needed.
It took Jou longer than he would have liked to finally reach the hospital. He burst into the oppressively silent entrance and doubled over, trying to catch his breath before he passed out. When he had finally regained a little of his composure, he looked around the room to find Yamato.
Yamato was sitting in the middle of a row of chairs. His shoes were on the ground, placed under the chair and out of people's way, and his feet were up on the chair so that his chin could rest on his knees. He hadn't even noticed his friend's dramatic entrance.
"Yamato?"
Jou approached his friend cautiously, not wanting to startle him. Slowly Yamato looked up. His eyes had large dark circles under them from lack of sleep and he looked to be in a daze. Eventually he focussed on Jou.
"Hi."
Jou sat down next to him.
"What happened?"
Yamato shook his head as if he was still trying to make sense of it.
"I got a call from the hospital saying someone had found Dad unconscious." He turned his head towards the reception desk. "They said that they suspect it was a heart attack, but," he trailed off and looked at the ground, "to be honest, I'm not sure what they were saying." Yamato laughed mirthlessly. "I guess that's why I called you first."
Jou grabbed one of Yamato's hands and squeezed it, hoping to be reassuring.
"I'll go and talk to them and find out what they know, OK?"
Yamato squeezed his hand back and nodded.
"Did you want me to call anyone?"
"I don't want to bother them. It's bad enough I woke you."
Jou frowned. "I hardly think anyone would consider it a bother."
However, Yamato stayed silent, so Jou didn't push the issue further. He resolved to at least message Sora or Taichi in the morning (he figured Yamato would kill him if he called Takeru).
Walking up to the desk, Jou went over to the nurse who seemed the least busy. He was glancing through a file and looked up as Jou approached.
"Sorry to bother you, but do you know anything about Mr Ishida? My friend's having trouble processing the situation."
The nurse looked past him to Yamato, who was sitting on the chair and looking at the floor.
"Kimura, you know a bit about Mr Ishida, correct?"
One of the female nurses looked up from her work and walked over. She glanced between them before facing Jou completely.
"What would you like to know?"
"Could you please tell me what happened?"
The female nurse saw Yamato still in the waiting room and her expression became more melancholy.
"I'm glad he called a friend.
"Mr. Ishida was found collapsed on the street somewhere near his home at around 2:45. He was stabilised and brought to this hospital. Unfortunately, he seems to have sustained a major head injury from his fall. We suspect a heart attack, but currently it's too early to be conclusive."
Jou nodded, indicating he'd understood before he thanked the female nurse. She turned away to resume her work.
"What are the visiting hours?"
"Mr Ishida currently is in an area that doesn't receive visitors, but I can let you know when he's been moved," said the male nurse.
Jou thanked him for his help and walked back over to Yamato.
"Why don't I take you home? We can leave your number with the hospital to call you if there's any change."
Yamato glanced towards the door where patients were located. Slowly, he nodded.
Jou smiled at him and walked over to the reception to give them both Yamato's mobile and home numbers. The nurses said they'd call as soon as there was some new information. Jou thanked them again and gently pulled Yamato away.
It was six thirty by the time they got back to Yamato's apartment. Jou asked if he could use the bathroom to get ready into his school uniform.
"Have you eaten yet?"
"Don't worry–" Jou's stomach interrupted with a loud growl.
He felt his face heat up, so Jou quickly looked at the ground to hide his embarrassment.
"Go get ready; I'll make you something."
"You sure?"
Yamato smiled at him. It wasn't a proper smile, but he seemed to genuinely want to make breakfast. Jou noted the dark circles under Yamato's eyes looked even more prominent than at the hospital.
Jou tried not to take long as he brushed his hair and tidied himself up. His stomach growled again as he opened the door to the main room, the smell of cooking wafting through the house.
Yamato set the food on the table just as Jou hung his bag on the back of his chair. They both sat down and Jou mumbled a 'thank you' before he started. The food was hot and delicious, but Jou barely concentrated on it; instead, sneaking glances at his companion and host. One of the times he looked up, Yamato caught his eye and raised a questioning brow. Embarrassed, Jou hunched back over his food, a blush steadily growing across his cheeks. A few more minutes of silence passed.
Jou cleared his throat awkwardly. "I was going to message Taichi and Sora. I think they should know what's going on."
They were the people Jou thought Yamato would be least likely to reject, what with Taichi being their leader and Sora his girlfriend. Part of him wanted to skip school and just stay with Yamato to make sure he didn't do anything stupid, but he knew Yamato wouldn't like that.
Yamato shrugged his shoulders – at least that wasn't a 'no.'
Jou glanced at the clock to see how much time he had – he nearly dropped his chopsticks. The chair scraped back and nearly toppled over as Jou jumped up with a yell.
"Is that the time?"
"When's your train?"
Jou checked his watch, barely taking in Yamato's question.
"I should still be able to make it if I run," he whispered to himself.
He grabbed his bag and threw it over his shoulder when Yamato held out something in his path. Curious, he took it.
"Lunch," Yamato responded to the silent question. "I figured you didn't have one."
"Thanks. Sorry I have to go. Will you be OK on your own?"
Yamato responded with a weak smile. "Just get going. You're gonna be late for school otherwise."
Jou took his advice and ran out the door, but not before thanking Yamato again for the food.
He didn't remember to text the others until it was nearly lunchtime.
Sora stood by the school entrance, leaning against one of the stone posts. She had told Yamato to meet her at the gate this morning so they could spend some time together before school, but he had yet to show up. Sora tapped her foot in agitation, her annoyance increasing the longer she waited. She checked her phone for what felt like the one-hundredth time in the last few minutes. He still hadn't replied to her text.
Ten minutes before the start of school, she finally decided to call him. He'd probably stayed up late finishing off his homework and forgot to set an alarm. The phone rung several times before a weary voice picked up.
"Hello?"
"Please don't tell me you're still asleep."
"Sorry, I meant to call you earlier, but I fell asleep."
Sora felt her stomach twist. It was as if he hadn't even heard her.
"Yamato, are you all right?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Dad's in hospital, though; suspected heart attack."
Sora opened her mouth but no sound came out. For a moment, she felt as if everyone was watching her. She turned towards the wall so no one could see her expression as she hunched over her phone.
"Why didn't you call me?"
"I didn't want to wake you," he said feebly, as if he knew that was a terrible reason. "Jou came. He helped explain what was happening. He said he was going to text you, but had to leave for school in a hurry, so he might have forgotten."
"Do you want me to come over?"
"No that's all right. I'm going to get some sleep and wait for the hospital to call me." He paused. "Are you free after school?"
"Of course! I'll bring Taichi along too."
"Thanks."
"Sure. Have you contacted the school, yet?"
Yamato's sigh was all she needed to hear.
"Mind collecting my homework? I'll give them a call after this."
Sora made a noise to indicate she would. She took a deep breath before asking her next question.
"Have you called your mother?"
The silence from the other side spoke volumes. She sighed.
"Don't tell anyone except Taichi. I want Takeru to hear it from me."
Sora took a moment to collect herself before responding. "Fine, but please call your mother sometime today at the very least."
Sora hung up just as the bell rang for class. Cursing, she ran as fast as she could to the classroom.
Sora was never late. Taichi looked up just as she burst into the classroom, apologising profusely to the teacher. He stared at her, trying to catch her attention, but Sora ignored him, staring straight towards the front of the class as she sat down.
"Takenouchi, you will take Aiba's place cleaning the classroom after school."
Sora nodded to indicate she had heard before taking the books out of her bag. Everyone in the class immediately started whispering amongst each other as the teacher moved towards the blackboard. By the time she turned around, the class was silent again.
Taichi scribbled a note and flicked it to Sora when the teacher wasn't looking.
What happened?
Sora carefully wrote a reply between the teacher writing things on the board and picking on other students for answers. She tossed it back just before the teacher turned around to ask another question.
"Takenouchi?"
Sora stood up. "It indicates a…"
Taichi ignored the rest, figuring she'd answer the teacher's question well enough. Instead, he opened up the note below his desk while looking towards Sora to make it look as if he was paying attention.
I'll tell you after class.
Taichi pouted at the vague answer, but immediately snapped to attention when the teacher called his name. He glanced at Sora, hoping she would give him a hint as to what the question was, but she merely smiled back, waiting for him to dig himself out.
The rest of class seemed to drag and Taichi found himself fidgeting more than usual. When it was finally break time, Sora slowly packed away her books and took him to a secluded part of the school grounds.
The light wind rustled the small branches of the tree they stood under; while the sun shone through the leaves, making it look as if they were almost glowing. Sora leaned against the tree trunk. Taichi watched Sora intently, waiting silently for her to say something.
"Yamato's father is in hospital."
Taichi felt himself go cold despite the warm breeze. He waited for Sora to continue, but she remained silent.
"What happened?"
Sora shook her head. "I don't know much. I called Yamato when he didn't turn up this morning – we were supposed to meet before school.
"He said they suspect it was a heart attack. I was planning to visit him after school, but…"
"Forget cleaning duty," Taichi interrupted firmly. "I'll take your place. If anyone has a problem with it, I'll deal with them."
Sora looked up at him. "Taichi…"
He shrugged. "It's not like I'd be great at comforting him. I'll catch up with you after I've finished."
Suddenly their phones buzzed at the same time. Sharing a glance, they moved to read their messages.
"Is yours from Jou as well?"
"Yeah, he said he forgot to message me sooner."
"Me too."
"...Does Takeru know?"
"Not yet," Sora said with a shake of her head. "Yamato didn't want anyone else knowing in case Takeru found out from them."
"Fine. We'll keep it between us for now," he said after a long sigh.
"Why hasn't he told Takeru?" Taichi asked, feeling he was missing something.
"Because that would mean calling his mother."
"They still don't talk much?"
"Not really. I think Yamato still feels he's betraying his father if he asks her for help even though I doubt Mr Ishida would mind."
"Especially when he's in hospital." Taichi sighed again. "We'll stick to the plan. You go to Yamato's house after school and I'll join you as soon as I'm done. We might have to beat some sense into him, though."
Classes seemed to pass too slowly for Taichi. It wasn't like he paid attention all that much, but everything seemed so much slower today. He found himself glancing at Sora way too often, wondering how she was keeping such a calm outer façade. He knew she was just as worried as – if not more so than – he was.
The final bell rang and Taichi jumped up quickly, helping Sora to gather her things. He walked her down the stairs to the school entrance.
"I'll be along as soon as I'm done. Keep Yamato from doing anything stupid."
"Did something happen to Yamato?"
Taichi and Sora almost jumped to face Yuka Aiba, who watched the two curiously. Yamato was well known throughout the school. Apparently, rumours of his absence had already begun to spread.
"Uh…" Taichi tried to think of some excuse, but not a single idea would come into his head.
Yuka faced Sora. "Is that why you were late to class?"
Sora looked towards the ground, but said nothing. Taichi stepped forward, ready to make excuses so Sora could leave, however, Yuka spoke first.
"You two are close with him, right?" she asked with a smile. "I'll do cleaning duty today."
"But…" Taichi was quickly cut off.
"It was my turn anyway, so it's not like I had made any plans. If our teacher has a problem with it, I'll tell her you felt ill or something."
From seemingly nowhere, Taichi stepped forward and clasped Yuka's hands in his. He had a grin on his face as he shook them.
"You're amazing, Yuka! We'll do your cleaning duties for the rest of the year for this!"
Yuka laughed. "Don't be ridiculous! Just go and help your friend. I'm sure he'll appreciate seeing you both."
Taichi and Sora ran out from the school, thanking Yuka again and flew out the door. Students stared as the two kept side-by-side as they moved quickly down the streets.
Yamato opened his eyes at the sound of pounding on the front door. Before he could process the situation, the doorbell rang. Pushing himself from the kitchen table, Yamato dragged himself to the front door.
He must have looked a state because both Taichi and Sora immediately looked concerned when he opened the door. Before he could say anything, Sora's arms were around his neck, pulling him down into a hug. He hugged her back, his forehead leaning against her shoulder. Her heart was racing in her chest. Yamato soon realised she and Taichi must have run from school.
"Do you want any water?" he asked politely as he straightened again.
Taichi pushed past him without any ceremony – which Yamato was grateful for – and headed straight to the kitchen.
"Water's fine. Do you have any ice? It's pretty warm outside."
Sora, who was still breathing heavily beside him, glanced up with a weary smile. Yamato smiled back and squeezed her hand in his.
"I brought some DVDs we could watch," Taichi shouted from the kitchen.
Sora gently tugged at Yamato's hand and led him towards the kitchen, where Taichi was rummaging around in the fridge before moving on to the cupboards.
"You don't seem to have much in the way of edible food."
Yamato shrugged. "I was supposed to go shopping yesterday, but finished the concert late."
Needless to say, he hadn't stepped out of the house since Jou had left that morning.
"Why don't we get take-out?" Taichi suggested as he closed the fridge door. "We can order now and I'll go to pick it up."
Yamato wanted to cook in order to keep himself distracted, but also knew he probably wasn't in the best state to be over a hot stove. He shrugged his shoulders silently. Sora squeezed his hand.
"How about that place just down the road that we visited a few weeks ago?" she suggested. "It had a good selection of food."
Taichi grinned at the suggestion, remembering the big bowl of noodles he had eaten last time.
"All right, I'll go and get some food. What do you guys want?"
Yamato found himself shrugging again and Sora eyed him with concern. Eventually, she ordered for both of them while Yamato remained silent. She walked over and whispered something to Taichi, who nodded grimly before walking out the door.
Once the door closed, Yamato collapsed back into one of the chairs and covered his face with his hands. He was too tired to try keeping up appearances. Sora rested her hand on his shoulder for a moment as she walked past him on her way to the kitchen.
Dirty dishes were piled high in the sink, but Sora overlooked them for once. Instead, she focused on finding three sets of plates and utensils that were clean. She found them easily enough and began setting the table while Yamato stayed where he was. Only when Sora finished did Yamato look up to see if there was something he could do to help.
"Thank you," he said the moment he realised she'd already laid the table. "Sorry, I'm a bit of a mess at the moment."
Yamato hung his head, but could hear Sora walking around his chair. He opened his eyes just to notice as she crouched down in front of him, her hands resting on his knees.
"You're allowed to feel off today," she reassured him, squeezing his knees.
He looked at her and bit his lip to stop the tears from falling.
"I don't know what I'd do without him," he confessed, his voice so quiet that Yamato began to wonder if she'd heard him.
However, Sora had. She stood up and walked around enough so that she could wrap her arms around his neck and he could lean his head on her shoulder. Once he had taken a few calming breaths, Sora placed a kiss on his cheek, then sat back while keeping eye contact with him. Yamato reached up and took her hand, squeezing it in silent thanks for her support.
They remained in comfortable silence until Taichi returned. By the time the doorbell rang, Yamato felt composed enough to answer the door himself. After loading up their plates, the three retreated to Yamato's room and sat on his bed.
The credits rolled on the first movie they watched before Taichi gathered his nerve enough to broach the elephant in the room.
"When're you gonna call your Mom?"
Yamato tensed and Sora turned to face him.
"She doesn't have anything to do with this."
"Yamato…"
Taichi cut off whatever Sora was potentially going to say next, needing to get his thoughts out first.
"She's still your mother and if you could let go of your pride – or whatever your reason is for not calling her – you might see that she can help you. No one's going to think less of you if you ask for help."
Yamato's gaze fell to his hand, which was picking at his bedcover. Sora and Taichi watched him expectantly.
"I'm not sure how."
Yamato sounded so young that the fight quickly left Taichi. Instead, he was left staring as Sora took over, talking Yamato through the steps and suggested things he could say. Finally, Yamato swung his feet over the side of the bed and walked into the main room. Taichi and Sora listened as Yamato picked up the phone.
"Hey Takeru, it's Yamato. Mind putting me through to Mom?"
Takeru couldn't remember his mother being hysterical before. He had seen her furious and melancholy, but watching her yell at his brother made Takeru feel sick. Tears fell down her cheeks freely as she continued to shout and the other visitors averted their eyes in embarrassment. For once, though, Natsuko Takaishi didn't care.
They had received a call that evening from Yamato. Takeru had been all too happy to give the phone to his mother, since the two never talked. That should have been his first clue that something was wrong. He remembered watching his mother become increasingly pale as Yamato talked on the other line and the feeling of dread when she said they would leave immediately before slowly putting the phone down.
It had taken them a long time to get to the hospital. His mother looked grim and Takeru had let his thoughts wander through every possible scenario, each one becoming more and more horrific. As soon as they'd arrived, his mother had gone running over to Yamato, who was sitting with Taichi and Sora on either side, and began grilling him as to what had happened.
"Umm Mrs Ishida?"
Both Yamato and Natsuko turned at once to face the doctor. Natsuko stumbled for a moment before forming her reply.
"My… Hiroaki and I are no longer married. I'd prefer Ms Takaishi."
The doctor looked uncomfortable, but recovered quickly. "Ms Takaishi, could we please speak in private?"
Yamato stood up, fists clenched in anger. "Whatever you have to say to her you can say to me as well."
Sora placed a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. "Yamato…"
Yamato shrugged it off and stepped towards them, fury in his voice. "I'm the one who knows him better than anyone here! And you want to talk to her over me?"
Takeru stood back as his brother looked frantically between his friends and the doctor, hoping for some support. When no one stepped forward, Yamato backed away, sending one last hate-filled look to their mother before storming to the hospital exit. Takeru met his older brother's eyes for a moment, but Yamato made sure not to make any eye contact.
"Yamato!" Sora called after him.
Yamato didn't stop. Sora shared a glance with Taichi, who gave her a nod. She jogged after her boyfriend, sending Takeru a sympathetic glance as she passed by. Nervously, Takeru shuffled towards Taichi and his mother. Taichi smiled at him in a way that was obviously trying to be reassuring, but Takeru just felt hollow inside.
"You said you wished to speak to me in private?"
The doctor coughed nervously. "Umm… yes, right… please come this way."
"Mom?"
"I'm just going to speak to the doctor, but I'll be back shortly, dear."
The smile she gave him was strained and she hurriedly followed the doctor before Takeru could think of a response. Takeru's shoulders sagged.
"Want a drink?" Taichi offered.
Takeru shook his head, not bothering to look up. Slowly he collapsed back onto one of the waiting seats.
"No thanks."
Taichi sat down next to him with a sigh. He pulled out his phone and sent a text message before shoving it back into his pocket.
"I thought they were getting along better. Yamato still wasn't comfortable visiting, but they were civil."
"Yamato's just stressed at the moment. From what I know, he hasn't slept very well since last night."
"You don't need to coddle me, you know."
Taichi snorted. "Since when have I ever coddled you?"
The two sat together in silence. Takeru pulled out his phone and loaded a game to give himself a distraction.
"It's going to be all right, isn't it?"
He glanced at Taichi, who stared back silently. Finally, he sighed.
"Whatever happens, we'll face it together."
It wasn't the answer Takeru wanted, but somehow Taichi's words were comforting all the same.
There was a pond outside the hospital that Yamato found himself gravitating towards. It was surrounded by tall hedges with the city lights reflecting on the surface and no one else was around. He walked to the edge and sat down, angrily brushing away the first tears that fell.
He tensed when footsteps approached from behind, but quickly realised it was just Sora. She remained silent as she sat down, her leaning against Yamato so that their backs were touching. Her hand reached out to touch his wrist.
"Want to go to the Digital World?"
Yamato laughed mirthlessly. "That would just be running away."
"Maybe," she conceded. "But that isn't always a bad thing."
"I should have called to check up on him. As soon as I finished my essay I should have checked he was still OK."
"You had already texted him. There was no reason to think something was wrong."
"And why are they talking to her first? I'm the one who knows him; his eating habits, how many packets of cigarettes he smokes a day, how much sleep he gets…"
Yamato took a breath to calm himself.
"Ever since the divorce it's been the two of us." He paused, looking up at the dark sky. "What if he dies?"
Sora's arms encircled his waist and he felt her head rest on his shoulder. A fresh breeze made its way through the hedges, rustling the leaves and causing ripples to dance across the water.
"Then we'll face it together."
They sat outside for a little longer, watching the water distort the image of the city lights. Eventually, Yamato brushed himself off and stood up, offering her a hand up.
"Thank you."
"Ready to face them?"
"Not sure, but I can at least try."
Yamato stepped back inside the hospital waiting room with Sora holding onto his arm. Takeru was the first to notice them.
"Yamato!"
"Have they come out yet?"
"Not yet," Taichi replied, standing up.
All four of them looked towards the door Natsuko had disappeared through with the doctor. Barely a moment later, Yamato sucked in a breath as the door opened.
Natsuko face was blank as she stepped out of the room. She thanked the doctor and walked over to the group of children. Yamato waited for her to scold him, ask him if he was done being petulant or whether he was going to start acting like the older brother – she did none of that.
"Your father's going to be in hospital for some time. Why don't you stay with us until he gets better?"
"Is he OK?" Takeru asked.
"The doctor said he'll need plenty of rest, but they're hopeful he'll recover."
Immediately Takeru's expression brightened and Yamato felt his insides twist. She was holding something back, but he wouldn't challenge her in front of Takeru. He nodded silently and hated how hopeful she looked.
"I'll help you move," Takeru offered.
"And who's going to clean up your room and clear some drawer space for your brother?"
"But Mom…"
"How about you let your brother and his friends move his stuff while we clear up the house?"
"Don't worry," Yamato reassured him with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You don't want to go through my stuff."
"We're gonna get Shanghaied into this, aren't we?" Taichi asked Sora, who covered her mouth to hide her giggles.
"True friends would be happy to help," Yamato deadpanned.
The three began walking away, Sora in the middle of the bickering boys. However, before they could get too far, Natsuko called out to them.
"Yamato, take my key, so you can let yourself into the apartment."
Yamato forced himself to walk back over to her and held his hand out. The key felt heavier than he'd expected. He stared at it longer than he should have.
"Thanks," he choked out.
He turned and jogged back to Taichi and Sora before she could say anything else.
Without the lights on, the apartment felt even lonelier than when he'd first arrived. Taichi glanced around the main room, noticing the clothes draped over a chair and the dirty dishes they'd left to get to the hospital on time.
Yamato, ignoring the mess, headed straight for his room. Taichi shared a look with Sora before she quickly followed after Yamato. Taichi was never one for doing house chores, but he picked up the dishes and placed them on the side of the sink. He turned on the hot tap, wanting to make himself useful somehow. As he washed the dishes, getting soapsuds everywhere, he could just make out Yamato and Sora's quiet voices in the other room.
Yamato stood in the middle of his room, at a loss as to what he should take. He took out a large duffle bag and began filling it with the essentials – toiletries, clothes – things that he knew he would need. However, he quickly ran into a problem. Did he need to take a towel or was there a spare one at the house? What about bedding? He wanted to bring his guitar, but Yamato also knew he could only carry so much.
"Is your school bag already packed?"
"Yeah," he replied after glancing over to check it was still where he expected it to be.
Sora walked over to his desk and began looking through things while Yamato continued to open drawers and yank out clothes to find the ones he wanted. By the time he was finished, Yamato had two large duffle bags and his school bag to carry. He would have to leave everything else for another trip, but given that he would be sharing Takeru's room, it was probably a good idea not to bring an excessive amount of stuff. Yamato pocketed his harmonica, which was resting on his desk, then grabbed his bags.
"Aren't you taking your guitar?"
"I don't want to take too much, besides I don't think I can carry any more."
"You're carrying one bag for each of us," Taichi commented while he dried his hands on a kitchen towel.
"It's late. I can't ask you both to come with me."
"Good thing you're not asking, then."
Yamato looked from Taichi to Sora and recognised their similarly stubborn expressions. Fighting with them would be a waste of time, particularly if he wanted to go back to school tomorrow.
"Fine," he said as he set down the two larger bags.
He put all his music scribbles into his guitar case and handed it to Sora, along with his school bag. He then packed up his laptop, putting the wires and extra equipment safely in one of the duffle bags. Taichi had already slung the other one over his shoulder.
The three stepped out of the house and Yamato was especially careful to lock the door behind him. Fortunately, Takeru no longer lived on the other side of Tokyo, so they decided to walk to the Takaishi apartment.
The elevator ride felt too long and yet too short. Yamato had only visited their apartment block once or twice, but it was usually to visit Miyako's apartment along with Koushiro and sometimes his other band mates.
Yamato stopped in front of the door abruptly. He focused on the sign reading 'Takaishi,' tracing the second character (which their family names both shared) with his finger. With one final sigh, Yamato pulled out his mother's keys and opened the door, allowing light to stream out onto the terrace.
It was brighter than he would have guessed. However, the shoes neatly lining the front step and immaculate floors were expected. Pictures hung in deliberate places along the walls and everything in view had a purpose. Yamato wanted to walk straight back out, but Taichi seemed to notice his hesitation and clapped Yamato on the shoulder with his free hand, effectively stopping his retreat.
"So which one's Takeru's room?"
I don't know, Yamato thought.
He glanced between the rooms with closed doors, wondering whether he should just pick one. However, before he could embarrass himself, one of the doors opened and Patamon flew to meet them.
"Takeru, they're here!"
Takeru poked his head around the door and smiled at the three visitors.
"You can drop your things in here. Mom's just gone to buy more food, so she won't be much longer."
"Thanks, but we've already…" an elbow to the stomach cut off the rest of Yamato's words. He glared at Taichi, who walked into Takeru's room as if nothing had happened.
Before Yamato could kill his best friend, Sora placed a hand on his arm and gave him a look that dared him to cause trouble. He sighed and put his bags down on one side of the room so they would be a little out of the way.
The room was about as big as his was, with a desk in one corner and a bed along the opposite wall. In the middle of the floor was an unrolled futon with an extra duvet on top.
"I cleared out some cupboard space for your uniform, plus I've emptied out that set of drawers," he said, pointing to a set with three drawers that Yamato thought might just hold all his clothes.
"Want us to help you unpack?" Sora asked.
Yamato shook his head. "It's late. You don't have to stay."
"Hey, Takeru, mind showing me where the toilet is?" Taichi asked as he stepped out of the room.
Takeru raised an eyebrow at his question. "It's the next door along."
"You mean this one?"
Taichi went the opposite way Takeru had said and opened the door to the office. Takeru rolled his eyes and Patamon flew after him. Yamato and Sora watched them with bemused expressions.
"Taichi isn't exactly subtle."
"Fortunately, he doesn't normally need to be."
Yamato watched Sora as she brushed off imaginary dust from his shoulders. She stopped and looked up at him.
"Will you be all right here?"
"I'll manage."
She leaned up and kissed him softly. He smiled at her as she pulled away.
"I'll see you at school tomorrow."
"Are you sure?"
Yamato snorted mirthlessly. "I think I'll drive myself insane if I stay here all day."
Sora smiled at him, but her eyes were filled with worry. "Sleep well, then."
"You too."
"You guys done in there?"
Sora giggled in embarrassment as Yamato huffed with annoyance. Sora walked out of the room first with Yamato following close behind her. They found Takeru standing by the door holding Patamon while Taichi was slipping on his shoes.
"Next time just tell me when you want to be alone," Takeru groused.
Taichi grinned. "Sorry, but our moms are probably worried about us. You coming into school tomorrow?" he asked Yamato.
Sora walked up to the entrance and slipped her shoes on.
"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."
The brothers waved their friends goodbye just before Natsuko arrived back at the apartment.
"You two mind helping me put away the groceries? Yamato, I'm afraid the key cutter was closed already so I'll have to go tomorrow."
The three put away the groceries and Takeru showed Yamato where everything went. Before long, it was close to midnight and Natsuko ushered the boys to bed.
Takeru snuggled under the covers with Patamon curled up near his stomach. He watched Yamato kick the duvet back and sit on his futon.
"Are you really going to make your poor big brother sleep on the floor?"
Takeru grinned at him. "Don't even try it. I know you've slept on worse"
Yamato pouted as he slipped under the covers and brought the duvet to his chest.
"Besides, you always made me sleep on the floor when I visited, so now it's your turn."
"Fine," he grumbled, even though he wasn't mad.
Takeru smiled at him and reached up to switch off the bedside light.
"Goodnight, Yamato."
Yamato stared at the ceiling even when the light was turned off. His eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness and he listened to Patamon and Takeru's light snores.
"Goodnight, Takeru."
Gorou sighed as he pushed through the barriers of his local station and out onto the street. It had been a long day at work, with an international call at two in the morning. He had almost been tempted to sleep at the office, but he'd forgotten to bring an extra shirt, so instead chose to return home to get a hot shower and a clean set of clothes.
As he approached the alley before his house, Gorou noticed that the streetlights weren't working. He clutched his briefcase a little tighter, but stopped in his tracks at the lone, shadowy figure standing in the middle of the street.
Please review. Chapter 2 to be released 13th July.