Heats
Disclaimer - SLASH (eventually anyway). Adult-ish content, contains casual sex. Don't like, don't read! I do not own Digimon, I make no money from this, don't sue.
TK was walking down the road to his apartment building, lost in his own thoughts, when he saw Matt's face staring at him from the window of the corner shop. He stopped dead and stared at the picture. Matt stared broodingly back above the words "Yamato Ishida Lookalike Competition" TK read the poster in disbelief, then hurried home to phone Matt.
Matt had just lowered himself into a hot bath when the phone rang. Muttering obscenities he clambered out and wrapped himself hastily in a towel before hurrying to answer it.
"Ishida Yamato," he said briskly. "Can I help you?"
"Matt, I've just seen a poster of you in the corner shop window," said TK.
"Oh, it's you," said Matt grumpily. He began to extend the phone wire as far as it would go, trying to get it to stretch far enough for him to get back into the bath.
"Matt, it was advertising a lookalike competition!" said TK, sounding stunned.
"Akemi's latest publicity stunt," said Matt, looking at the phoneline with an experienced eye, judging that it would just about be long enough.
"You can't be serious!" gasped TK. "You aren't famous yet, how can you have a lookalike competition?" Matt dropped the towel onto the floor (right into a puddle he noticed irritably) and climbed back into the bath, wincing as the hot water stung the scratches on his back.
"Like I said, it was Akemi's idea," he said, tiredness making him shorter with his brother than he might otherwise have been.
"Couldn't you stop him?" asked TK in despair.
"I think it's a good idea. It'll certainly get us publicity." said Matt, wondering idly whether he'd get a fatal electric shock if he accidentally dropped the phone into the bath. He shuddered and sat up a bit higher.
"Matt, are you crazy?"
"No more so than usual." said Matt. "Look TK, it's not that bad an idea. Lots of people will see the posters and know our name, and more will come to the gigs to see what we're like and prepare for their auditions. We'll rake it in, and maybe we'll even get signed! What's a little short-term humiliation compared to everlasting fame as a rock star? If we get signed it'll all be worth it."
"And while you're not signed you'll just look stupid." said TK bluntly. "Is there absolutely no way you can stop this?"
For a moment Matt was tempted to tell TK the real reason for the lookalike competition, but he stopped himself. He would tell TK and swear him to secrecy, but TK would tell Kari and she would be unable to resist dropping slight hints to Tai, and Tai knowing that this was a calculated attempt on Matt's part to split him and his girlfriend up would destroy his chances.
"No." he said. "The posters are up, Gendo and Toshiki are making all the arrangements. This has to go on."
"I wonder if I could get Mum to move away." said TK thoughtfully. "Or at least take me on holiday until this is over."
"Sorry TK. I think you're out of luck. But don't worry, you don't have to come."
"That's what you think." said TK with a groan. "Bye Matt."
"Bye TK." said Matt, throwing the phone expertly back onto the hook. He vaguely wondered what TK had meant by that, then shrugged and slid down into the bath. He closed his eyes, luxuriating in the warm water, then fell fast asleep.
Matt was woken up by the shrilling of the phone. He sat up quickly, sending a tidal wave of cold water slopping about the bath, and dived for it.
"Where the hell are you?" Akemi demanded, sounding very pissed off. "How are we supposed to practice without the lead singer?"
"I fell asleep," said Matt apologetically, shivering slightly in the cold water. "I'll be right over, OK?"
"You best had be." snapped Akemi. "We're doing this for you, you know."
"Sorry," said Matt, hanging up before Akemi could snap at him again. He quickly dressed and raced over to Akemi's. True to form, Akemi seemed to have forgotten that he was pissed off. Or perhaps he had just drunk enough not to care.
"Guess what?" he asked excitedly as Matt came in. Without giving him time to answer, he went on: "Two people have already phoned to enter the competition! Gendo's getting the money from them tomorrow."
"Really?" asked Matt eagerly, ignoring TK's doubts.
"Really." confirmed Toshiki. "So we'd best get some practice done. We want to be the best we can for when we hit the big time!"
School the next day was frantic. Matt spent the whole day being asked about the lookalike competition. By the end of the day, he was exhausted from all the attention, but feeling really excited about the whole project. Several people had said they knew people who were going to enter, and Gendo had been taking a lot of money, all of which he had dutifully passed to Tai. Matt had pushed all his doubts away.
"Even if it doesn't work, it'll still be fun!" he said to Gendo in a quiet moment.
"True." said Gendo, shutting his locker door. "But I've thought of a problem."
"What?" said Matt.
"Judges. Who's deciding who looks most like you? We can't, since playing with us is part of the prize. Tai can't since he's involved in the competition. Also, how do we judge their drinking ability against you?"
"TK'll have to be a judge," said Matt. "He didn't want to be involved, but it has to be TK. TK, Sora and, erm, Joe? They all know me well and are reasonably impartial judges. We can scrap the drinking bit, it was a silly idea anyway."
"And everyone thinks Sora is your girlfriend. That could be bad, but might work in our favour. If they convince your brother and your girl, they must be good. We'll check it with the others, but if they agree then I think they're it. Shall you tell them or shall I?"
"I'd best do it. TK's going to hate me!"
Gendo laughed. "Never mind! There's a price for fame after all."
"I'm sure it was me that was supposed to pay it!" Matt shrugged, then laughed. "They'll agree, I know they will. Catch you later!"
Matt was quite right in that they all agreed to be judges. Sora agreed quite eagerly, saying it would be the funniest thing that had happened for ages. Joe was more reluctant, trying to plead pressures of work. TK, not surprisingly, was the hardest to convince, pointing out that it was a stupid idea, bound to be a disaster and totally humiliating.
"Then you'd best come and keep an eye on things!" wheedled Matt. "Come on TK, this means a lot to me, and there's no one else!" He turned his most pleading look on TK, and watched his brother's resolve shatter.
"I suppose so. God, Matt, I hope you know what you're doing."
"Of course I do!" said Matt confidently. "Don't worry, this is going to be fine."
***
"This is a disaster!" muttered Matt to Akemi. "That guy is waaaaaay too fat to be me! It wouldn't be too bad, but he can't even sing! Ugh, get rid of him!"
"This is so funny!" said Akemi. "Look at the next one, now he's fine!"
"There is something scary about you trying to get off with my lookalikes." said Matt, looking at the next one. His name badge announced that he was called Kabuo. At last the last one finished singing, and the Wolves went up for their next set.
"You'll find out who wins at tomorrow's gig!" announced Matt. "Make sure you stay for the party afterwards!" The set went well, and the band, as always, set out to celebrate their greatness by getting good and drunk. Matt danced his way over to Tai, who was sitting at a table by the stage where he and Mari had been collecting in the money.
"What are you drinking Tai?" he asked genially.
"Just coke." said Tai, looking at Matt with amusement.
"Oh, come on! Have a drink, celebrate with me! Do you know how much money we've made? There are going to be some really happy whales!"
"Oh, go on, you can get me one. Just one mind!" said Tai, finding his friends happiness convincing. Matt was looking devastating in a lovely pair of leather trousers and a black T-shirt, an outfit designed to show off his slim frame.
"Great!" said Matt, and shimmied off to the bar.
"Treble vodka please," he said. He looked at Tai speculatively. "And chuck a bit of coke in there too," he added. He carefully carried the drink back to Tai.
"There you go! One vodka and coke." he said smugly, placing the drink in front of Tai. "I'll see you later, OK? I want to go dance!"
"No problem. Mari should be back in a minute anyway." said Tai. Matt grinned before vanishing into the crowd. Tai shrugged and sipped his drink.
"Yuck!" he said, looking at it in disgust. "I never know how people can drink that stuff!" He tossed the drink back quickly and went to buy himself a beer. Mari didn't appear, and Tai (who was feeling a bit more giggly than one vodka and a beer should have made him) decided to dance. The dancing made him thirsty, and he decided to have another beer, and then another. Suddenly Matt was there in front of him, and he swayed towards him.
"Matt!" he grinned, almost falling over. The other boy stepped forward quickly, catching him and trying to steady him.
"Careful!" he said. Even in his fuddled state, Tai could hear something different about this boy.
"This was a great idea of yours Matt," he said, trying to work out what was strange about this. "I'm having so much fun!"
"I noticed," said the boy wryly. Tai frowned, then gave up trying to work out what was odd. "Shall we go and get you some air?"
"OK," said Tai. The two made their unsteady way across the bar and outside. Tai looked up at the sky. The whole world seemed to be spinning, and he grabbed at Matt.
"Easy now, I've got you," said the other boy calmly. Tai snuggled into him easily, reassured by his assurance. He looked trustingly at the other boy, could see his lips in the moonlight. Tai wondered for a second what it would be like to kiss them, and then he was kissing them, and Matt was kissing back, and they were moving out of the light into the shadows by the wall, and Matt was asking "Are you sure?" and he was saying yes, because he didn't want this to ever end, because this just felt right, because this was how it was meant to be, and reality was slipping away and there was nothing else but this.
***
Matt didn't know what happened. One minute he was dancing with the band, laughing at Istu being rejected by one of his lookalikes, and the next Mari was pulling on his arm, moving him to a quieter area by the bar.
"Have you seen Tai?" she asked.
"Not for ages. I bought him a drink a while ago, left him sitting at your table waiting for you. Why, can't you find him?"
"I went to give the money to my dad to look after, then I went to the toilets on the way back. There was a huge queue, and when I finally got back here, Tai was gone. I thought he'd just gone to the toilet, but he's been a while if he has."
"I'll go check. You stay here, keep your eyes open." On his way to the toilet, Matt checked his watch. He was stunned to discover that it was nearly half twelve, well over two hours since he'd bought Tai that drink. He headed for the toilets, asking anyone he could think of if they'd seen Tai. He wasn't in the toilets, and no one seemed to have seen him. Matt hurried back to Mari, beginning to feel uneasy. The guilt of the triple vodka weighed heavily on his mind, and he tried to keep the guilt out of his voice as he said to Mari,
"No one's seen him, and he's not in the toilets."
"Maybe he went outside. It is hot in here." Mari said logically. Matt looked at her suspiciously, wondering whether she was trying to lure him outside, then dismissing the possibility as not worth worrying about.
"We should check," he said instead, beginning to head towards the back door. He stepped outside, followed closely by Mari, and let the door swing shut behind them.
"Tai?" he called uncertainly. It was dark out here. There were no streetlamps, and the moon was behind a cloud. He could hear someone, two people he thought with a dirty grin, moving about in the shadows.
"It doesn't look like he's here," he said to Mari.
"Tai?" she called hopefully.
They heard a stumbling sound, and one of Matt's lookalikes stepped into view, the one Akemi had liked. He looked dishevelled and satisfied, and was leading Tai, who looked enraptured yet slightly confused.
"Tai!" exclaimed Mari and Matt together. Mari dived towards him, sliding her arm round him and asking him if he was OK and what had happened. Matt didn't have to ask - he knew what had happened, and the knowledge weighed heavily in his stomach. He caught the eyes of the lookalike, and he raised his eyebrow in the time-honoured way. The lookalike (Matt seemed to remember that his name was Kabuo) made his hand into a discreet thumbs up.
"Is he OK?" asked Mari.
"Believe me, he's great." said the lookalike, exchanging glances with Matt. Matt felt like the world was ending. Tai was obviously drunk out of his mind. He didn't seem to have recognised Mari, he was squinting at her in a confused way. Suddenly he looked horrified.
"Mari!" he said, guilt plainly obvious in his voice. Kabuo shrugged, opened the door and went back inside.
"I wasn't with Matt!" said Tai desperately. "Honestly, I wasn't." Mari looked puzzled, and suspicious.
"I know that silly!" she said lightly, though she cast a curious glance at Matt. "Matt's right here."
"I know he is, but we weren't together!" said Tai. He swayed violently, and Matt was forced to help Mari hold him upright. He wished he was somewhere else. He wished he'd never bought Tai the triple vodka, but most of all he wished Akemi had never thought up this stupid scheme of a lookalike competition.
"Really, you have to believe me!" said Tai, looking into Mari's face and breathing beer fumes at her. "I swear, Matt and I weren't having sex!"
And that seems like a good place for a break. You may have noticed that I'm not the most regular of updaters *ducks the hail of rotten vegetables and collapses under the weight of the 'understatement of the year' awards* but it does get done - and reviews make me write quicker! Let me know what you think please, and the next part should be here soon!
Disclaimer - SLASH (eventually anyway). Adult-ish content, contains casual sex. Don't like, don't read! I do not own Digimon, I make no money from this, don't sue.
TK was walking down the road to his apartment building, lost in his own thoughts, when he saw Matt's face staring at him from the window of the corner shop. He stopped dead and stared at the picture. Matt stared broodingly back above the words "Yamato Ishida Lookalike Competition" TK read the poster in disbelief, then hurried home to phone Matt.
Matt had just lowered himself into a hot bath when the phone rang. Muttering obscenities he clambered out and wrapped himself hastily in a towel before hurrying to answer it.
"Ishida Yamato," he said briskly. "Can I help you?"
"Matt, I've just seen a poster of you in the corner shop window," said TK.
"Oh, it's you," said Matt grumpily. He began to extend the phone wire as far as it would go, trying to get it to stretch far enough for him to get back into the bath.
"Matt, it was advertising a lookalike competition!" said TK, sounding stunned.
"Akemi's latest publicity stunt," said Matt, looking at the phoneline with an experienced eye, judging that it would just about be long enough.
"You can't be serious!" gasped TK. "You aren't famous yet, how can you have a lookalike competition?" Matt dropped the towel onto the floor (right into a puddle he noticed irritably) and climbed back into the bath, wincing as the hot water stung the scratches on his back.
"Like I said, it was Akemi's idea," he said, tiredness making him shorter with his brother than he might otherwise have been.
"Couldn't you stop him?" asked TK in despair.
"I think it's a good idea. It'll certainly get us publicity." said Matt, wondering idly whether he'd get a fatal electric shock if he accidentally dropped the phone into the bath. He shuddered and sat up a bit higher.
"Matt, are you crazy?"
"No more so than usual." said Matt. "Look TK, it's not that bad an idea. Lots of people will see the posters and know our name, and more will come to the gigs to see what we're like and prepare for their auditions. We'll rake it in, and maybe we'll even get signed! What's a little short-term humiliation compared to everlasting fame as a rock star? If we get signed it'll all be worth it."
"And while you're not signed you'll just look stupid." said TK bluntly. "Is there absolutely no way you can stop this?"
For a moment Matt was tempted to tell TK the real reason for the lookalike competition, but he stopped himself. He would tell TK and swear him to secrecy, but TK would tell Kari and she would be unable to resist dropping slight hints to Tai, and Tai knowing that this was a calculated attempt on Matt's part to split him and his girlfriend up would destroy his chances.
"No." he said. "The posters are up, Gendo and Toshiki are making all the arrangements. This has to go on."
"I wonder if I could get Mum to move away." said TK thoughtfully. "Or at least take me on holiday until this is over."
"Sorry TK. I think you're out of luck. But don't worry, you don't have to come."
"That's what you think." said TK with a groan. "Bye Matt."
"Bye TK." said Matt, throwing the phone expertly back onto the hook. He vaguely wondered what TK had meant by that, then shrugged and slid down into the bath. He closed his eyes, luxuriating in the warm water, then fell fast asleep.
Matt was woken up by the shrilling of the phone. He sat up quickly, sending a tidal wave of cold water slopping about the bath, and dived for it.
"Where the hell are you?" Akemi demanded, sounding very pissed off. "How are we supposed to practice without the lead singer?"
"I fell asleep," said Matt apologetically, shivering slightly in the cold water. "I'll be right over, OK?"
"You best had be." snapped Akemi. "We're doing this for you, you know."
"Sorry," said Matt, hanging up before Akemi could snap at him again. He quickly dressed and raced over to Akemi's. True to form, Akemi seemed to have forgotten that he was pissed off. Or perhaps he had just drunk enough not to care.
"Guess what?" he asked excitedly as Matt came in. Without giving him time to answer, he went on: "Two people have already phoned to enter the competition! Gendo's getting the money from them tomorrow."
"Really?" asked Matt eagerly, ignoring TK's doubts.
"Really." confirmed Toshiki. "So we'd best get some practice done. We want to be the best we can for when we hit the big time!"
School the next day was frantic. Matt spent the whole day being asked about the lookalike competition. By the end of the day, he was exhausted from all the attention, but feeling really excited about the whole project. Several people had said they knew people who were going to enter, and Gendo had been taking a lot of money, all of which he had dutifully passed to Tai. Matt had pushed all his doubts away.
"Even if it doesn't work, it'll still be fun!" he said to Gendo in a quiet moment.
"True." said Gendo, shutting his locker door. "But I've thought of a problem."
"What?" said Matt.
"Judges. Who's deciding who looks most like you? We can't, since playing with us is part of the prize. Tai can't since he's involved in the competition. Also, how do we judge their drinking ability against you?"
"TK'll have to be a judge," said Matt. "He didn't want to be involved, but it has to be TK. TK, Sora and, erm, Joe? They all know me well and are reasonably impartial judges. We can scrap the drinking bit, it was a silly idea anyway."
"And everyone thinks Sora is your girlfriend. That could be bad, but might work in our favour. If they convince your brother and your girl, they must be good. We'll check it with the others, but if they agree then I think they're it. Shall you tell them or shall I?"
"I'd best do it. TK's going to hate me!"
Gendo laughed. "Never mind! There's a price for fame after all."
"I'm sure it was me that was supposed to pay it!" Matt shrugged, then laughed. "They'll agree, I know they will. Catch you later!"
Matt was quite right in that they all agreed to be judges. Sora agreed quite eagerly, saying it would be the funniest thing that had happened for ages. Joe was more reluctant, trying to plead pressures of work. TK, not surprisingly, was the hardest to convince, pointing out that it was a stupid idea, bound to be a disaster and totally humiliating.
"Then you'd best come and keep an eye on things!" wheedled Matt. "Come on TK, this means a lot to me, and there's no one else!" He turned his most pleading look on TK, and watched his brother's resolve shatter.
"I suppose so. God, Matt, I hope you know what you're doing."
"Of course I do!" said Matt confidently. "Don't worry, this is going to be fine."
***
"This is a disaster!" muttered Matt to Akemi. "That guy is waaaaaay too fat to be me! It wouldn't be too bad, but he can't even sing! Ugh, get rid of him!"
"This is so funny!" said Akemi. "Look at the next one, now he's fine!"
"There is something scary about you trying to get off with my lookalikes." said Matt, looking at the next one. His name badge announced that he was called Kabuo. At last the last one finished singing, and the Wolves went up for their next set.
"You'll find out who wins at tomorrow's gig!" announced Matt. "Make sure you stay for the party afterwards!" The set went well, and the band, as always, set out to celebrate their greatness by getting good and drunk. Matt danced his way over to Tai, who was sitting at a table by the stage where he and Mari had been collecting in the money.
"What are you drinking Tai?" he asked genially.
"Just coke." said Tai, looking at Matt with amusement.
"Oh, come on! Have a drink, celebrate with me! Do you know how much money we've made? There are going to be some really happy whales!"
"Oh, go on, you can get me one. Just one mind!" said Tai, finding his friends happiness convincing. Matt was looking devastating in a lovely pair of leather trousers and a black T-shirt, an outfit designed to show off his slim frame.
"Great!" said Matt, and shimmied off to the bar.
"Treble vodka please," he said. He looked at Tai speculatively. "And chuck a bit of coke in there too," he added. He carefully carried the drink back to Tai.
"There you go! One vodka and coke." he said smugly, placing the drink in front of Tai. "I'll see you later, OK? I want to go dance!"
"No problem. Mari should be back in a minute anyway." said Tai. Matt grinned before vanishing into the crowd. Tai shrugged and sipped his drink.
"Yuck!" he said, looking at it in disgust. "I never know how people can drink that stuff!" He tossed the drink back quickly and went to buy himself a beer. Mari didn't appear, and Tai (who was feeling a bit more giggly than one vodka and a beer should have made him) decided to dance. The dancing made him thirsty, and he decided to have another beer, and then another. Suddenly Matt was there in front of him, and he swayed towards him.
"Matt!" he grinned, almost falling over. The other boy stepped forward quickly, catching him and trying to steady him.
"Careful!" he said. Even in his fuddled state, Tai could hear something different about this boy.
"This was a great idea of yours Matt," he said, trying to work out what was strange about this. "I'm having so much fun!"
"I noticed," said the boy wryly. Tai frowned, then gave up trying to work out what was odd. "Shall we go and get you some air?"
"OK," said Tai. The two made their unsteady way across the bar and outside. Tai looked up at the sky. The whole world seemed to be spinning, and he grabbed at Matt.
"Easy now, I've got you," said the other boy calmly. Tai snuggled into him easily, reassured by his assurance. He looked trustingly at the other boy, could see his lips in the moonlight. Tai wondered for a second what it would be like to kiss them, and then he was kissing them, and Matt was kissing back, and they were moving out of the light into the shadows by the wall, and Matt was asking "Are you sure?" and he was saying yes, because he didn't want this to ever end, because this just felt right, because this was how it was meant to be, and reality was slipping away and there was nothing else but this.
***
Matt didn't know what happened. One minute he was dancing with the band, laughing at Istu being rejected by one of his lookalikes, and the next Mari was pulling on his arm, moving him to a quieter area by the bar.
"Have you seen Tai?" she asked.
"Not for ages. I bought him a drink a while ago, left him sitting at your table waiting for you. Why, can't you find him?"
"I went to give the money to my dad to look after, then I went to the toilets on the way back. There was a huge queue, and when I finally got back here, Tai was gone. I thought he'd just gone to the toilet, but he's been a while if he has."
"I'll go check. You stay here, keep your eyes open." On his way to the toilet, Matt checked his watch. He was stunned to discover that it was nearly half twelve, well over two hours since he'd bought Tai that drink. He headed for the toilets, asking anyone he could think of if they'd seen Tai. He wasn't in the toilets, and no one seemed to have seen him. Matt hurried back to Mari, beginning to feel uneasy. The guilt of the triple vodka weighed heavily on his mind, and he tried to keep the guilt out of his voice as he said to Mari,
"No one's seen him, and he's not in the toilets."
"Maybe he went outside. It is hot in here." Mari said logically. Matt looked at her suspiciously, wondering whether she was trying to lure him outside, then dismissing the possibility as not worth worrying about.
"We should check," he said instead, beginning to head towards the back door. He stepped outside, followed closely by Mari, and let the door swing shut behind them.
"Tai?" he called uncertainly. It was dark out here. There were no streetlamps, and the moon was behind a cloud. He could hear someone, two people he thought with a dirty grin, moving about in the shadows.
"It doesn't look like he's here," he said to Mari.
"Tai?" she called hopefully.
They heard a stumbling sound, and one of Matt's lookalikes stepped into view, the one Akemi had liked. He looked dishevelled and satisfied, and was leading Tai, who looked enraptured yet slightly confused.
"Tai!" exclaimed Mari and Matt together. Mari dived towards him, sliding her arm round him and asking him if he was OK and what had happened. Matt didn't have to ask - he knew what had happened, and the knowledge weighed heavily in his stomach. He caught the eyes of the lookalike, and he raised his eyebrow in the time-honoured way. The lookalike (Matt seemed to remember that his name was Kabuo) made his hand into a discreet thumbs up.
"Is he OK?" asked Mari.
"Believe me, he's great." said the lookalike, exchanging glances with Matt. Matt felt like the world was ending. Tai was obviously drunk out of his mind. He didn't seem to have recognised Mari, he was squinting at her in a confused way. Suddenly he looked horrified.
"Mari!" he said, guilt plainly obvious in his voice. Kabuo shrugged, opened the door and went back inside.
"I wasn't with Matt!" said Tai desperately. "Honestly, I wasn't." Mari looked puzzled, and suspicious.
"I know that silly!" she said lightly, though she cast a curious glance at Matt. "Matt's right here."
"I know he is, but we weren't together!" said Tai. He swayed violently, and Matt was forced to help Mari hold him upright. He wished he was somewhere else. He wished he'd never bought Tai the triple vodka, but most of all he wished Akemi had never thought up this stupid scheme of a lookalike competition.
"Really, you have to believe me!" said Tai, looking into Mari's face and breathing beer fumes at her. "I swear, Matt and I weren't having sex!"
And that seems like a good place for a break. You may have noticed that I'm not the most regular of updaters *ducks the hail of rotten vegetables and collapses under the weight of the 'understatement of the year' awards* but it does get done - and reviews make me write quicker! Let me know what you think please, and the next part should be here soon!