Author: I'm back! And quickly, too, I hope. This came about a lot quicker than I thought it would. I just decided not to drag it out. I've ideas I want to run with. Are songfics still popular?
Disclaimer: Don't own it.
Warning: Takedai goodness. This is the last chap, peoples! Thanks for reading it. The reviews were great! Hopefully, noone finds this lacking. I'm up for ideas, if you want to let me know what you think. *Points at review board.* Hint, hint.
____________________
Author: Rae (penname)
Title: Weekend Rain
Content: Takedai. Finally!
Takeru waited patiently for him to go on. Of the nine crests, courage was the most personal to Daisuke. That, he could understand. But his hestitation over the crest of love could only mean one thing. That he knew Takeru loved him, and he didn't feel the same way, and he didn't want to hurt him.
Whatever he came up with, no matter what he signifigance he attached to the final two crests, Takeru would always carry a warm memory of this conversation with him. To have been so close, to have heard such praise from Dai's lips. It was almost enough, somehow, to know that the redhead cared that much for him. He'd hold that thought with him, even as his friend broke his heart.
Daisuke opened his mouth, and he held his breath, waiting for the inevitable. "For Courage and Love, I can't really say." A teasing grin curved his lips, drawing Takeru's gaze to their moistness. In his last moments before his heart was broken, he was determined to memorize everything. He didn't want the tears and pain that would come later to mess with the affection he was recieving at that moment. "Except, that where you're concerned, I seem unable to witness the one for lack of the other."
That stopped his melancholy daydreaming. "What?" Totally confused, oblivious to half of those last few lines, he blinked.
Daisuke rolled his eyes, his grin widening. "Takeru, man. You said it earlier. Loving someone, a person who should know that you love them. Had I ever felt that way? It's so obvious. If you love someone, you should just tell them. People are dense, Takeru. Just because its the most glaringly obvious thing in the world to you, doesn't mean that everyone in the whole wide world will see it to. You have to remember, there are dense people like me out there."
"When I asked you earlier, if you'd ever been in that situation, you said Kari. Were you refering to when we were eleven, or a more current event?"
"The past, of course. I stopped liking Kari shortly before Big-n-Ugly showed up." He tried to lighten the mood that had dampened when Takeru had asked about Kari. No answering smile showed on the other's face, and he looked around the room, his gaze coming to rest once again on the desk. That picture, the one with the two of them, kept attracting his gaze.
Takeru was studying the wall, as if trying to memorize the chips of paint, and the holes from nails that had fallen. Daisuke looked at him, then back at the picture. He knew the answer. It was right in front of his face. He knew it, but he didn't know what it was. And that bugged him. Obvious? Ha!
His mind went back over the day, trying to come up with the reason behind the weird feeling he was getting. *I walk in the rain. Takeru saves me. Takes me home. Tells me his first name. Feeds me. Tells me he missed me. Has picture of me on desk. Tai and Matt come. We solve problem temporarily. Kari and Cody come. We solve problem, again. We leave. Matt and Tai fight, we fix them up. Takeru gets wistful. We argue.*
"Takeru? Why did you get so mad when I said that thing earlier, about you being angelic, and stuff?"
"I don't know. I guess, I just thought that a friend should know better. I have my problems, the same as everyone. A true friend digs beneath generalizations, and..."
"And I wasn't diggging very deep. I'm sorry about that. I know your life isn't as perfect as some would think. I was just teasing, really. I didn't mean to offend you."
"I know that, Dai." He smiled reassuringly. Daisuke turned back to the picture.
*We argued, and I hurt him. He freaks. Then he asks a really deep question. I screw up that. He changes subject. I offend him again. Then I spill my gut. Mostly. And now? Now I'm screwed in the middle without a clue.*
"Your brother's gay." *Test the waters.*
"So?" *Offended, but not in denial.*
"You're really cool with that?" Takeru glared at him.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Feeling as if he'd just fell in over his head, Daisuke shrugged nervously. "Do you have a problem with it?" If looks could kill, Daisuke would have been a corpse.
"No." He didn't say it forcefully. He just let the word slip past his lips. Not in hot denial, not defensively. Just a simple statement of truth. He followed it with a casual shrug.
Takeru let his guard drop. "Good. For a moment, I thought I was going to have to kick your ass for being a homophobe."
"Close-minded, or not, I'd still whoop you, Gilligan." He started laughing. "We're doing it, again. You ever notice, we tend to argue just about the time when things actually get really serious?"
"Yeah. You'd think that one or the other was trying to avoid an actual conversation, except, we both do it."
"Why is it, that, when I'm with you, I resort to the mentality of a prepubescent punk?"
"Because acting -less- mature than you are would strain you?"
"Ha. Funny. Serious, though. We don't talk for, like, ever. And when we do, we spend half the time arguing. Hell, I don't even know if you have a girlfriend!" Oops. He knew it was a stupid thing to say, considering their earlier conversation. Takeru's smile faltered, and his gaze traveled to the desk. "Cancel that. That was just dumb."
"It's okay. We didn't really talk about it earlier. We managed to skip over that part." His smile, still in place, if weak, shifted towards disappointment. "No. I don't have a girlfriend. You?"
Knowing full well exactly how it would come out, Daisuke smiled. "Nope. It's hard to date a girl when you're gay."
The blue eyes widened before they turned to him, the shock evident in the dropped jaw, and dilated pupils. Takeru made several attempts at swallowing, wanting to ask questions that wouldn't come.
He grinned at that stunned look, not missing the hope that flashed through them. "And, yes. I mean gay gay, not happy gay. And you asked me if I still liked Kari." He chuckled under his breath as he teased his friend gently. "Cat got your tongue?"
Takeru just looked at him, unable to form coherent thoughts through the rampant yearning flowing through him.
"You can borrow mine." The blonde's lack of response was starting to worry him. He had expected smoe surprise, but it was starting to get to be a little much. "Takeru?"
His voice wobbled, and his smile faded.
"I misunderstood, didn't I?" He sighed, and walked across the room. Without looking at Takeru, he sat down beside him, not touching him. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I can just imagine what it looks like to you, and I didn't mean to put you on the spot, okay? There were just...hints, you know? And I thought that you...but that's okay. I know you didn't realize. I'm sorry."
The teen beside him didn't respond. If he had looked, he would have seen the joy that was etched on his face, the smile curving speechless lips. He didn't look.
"I can't leave it like this, Takeru. Please, just tell me we're okay, and we can be friends? I realize that it's really sudden, but I don't want you to hate me. You're a really good friend, and now that we've reconnected, I don't want to lose you. Not over this, again."
"Again?" It was the first thing he managaed to say, and he cursed his own weakness. He wanted to comfort him, to return the feeling.
"Yeah. The reason that I distanced myself from all you guys was because I started to realize that I was falling in love with you, and I didn't want you to hate me. I thought that being a close acquaintance would be okay, but I missed you, all of you, but you specifically. You were my light, not Hikari. Did you ever wonder why I went after you during Malomyotismon's attack? Veemon went after the others in all his forms, but I came to you personally."
"I'd never really thought of that. I just assumed that I was closer." Not what he wanted to say!
"Nah. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay, personally. And, remember earlier, when I was commenting on my recessive mentality when I'm around you? It's because the only thoughts left in my brain are to either tell you how I feel, or act like a brat. Guess which one wins?"
"Dai?"
"Yeah?" As long as Takeru was talking to him, and not yelling at him, he had a chance of saving the friendship.
"What did you mean, earlier? When you said that you couldn't define me with courage and love, because you couldn't see one, for lack of the other?"
"Exactly what I said. You admitted to me that you cared for someone. I assumed that you couldn't tell them for fear of what they'd say. So, I couldn't really tell you how you loved, because you didn't have the courage to tell anyone."
"That kind of goes with hope and friendship, doesn't? I mean. I could love someone, and be afraid of telling them, but that means I have no hope that they love me, and I don't believe that they won't hurt me."
After a moment's thought, Daisuke agreed. "Right. It means that you lack faith in that person, and in yourself, to believe that they would hurt you by not returning the feeling."
"You had a lot of faith in me, didn't you?" The pain and regret in his voice was evident.
"I know that I surprised you. Don't worry about it. Of all the people to go comatose on, I'm a good bet. Hardheaded, and stubborn. The world won't get me down." Pure bravado.
"I hurt you." It wasn't a question.
"I'll live." A simple, pained statement. No pretense, no cover.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be."
"I should have said something."
"It's fine, don't worry."
"I love you."
"It's okay, Takeru."
"And I'm sorry."
"Stop apologizing."
"Silence is unforgivable."
"Quite worrying about it."
"Forgive me."
"Already done."
"You are so dense!" Daisuke jerked in surprise.
"Excuse me?" He should have expected anger, but the insult had been almost an endearment.
"I told you that I was sorry."
"Yeah."
"And that I should have said something."
"Right."
"And that I loved you."
"Sure." Daisuke seemed to miss the point. Again. Takeru turned to him, reaching a hand out to his cheek gently. He waited, patiently, while Daisuke thought it out, the realization dawning on his face. "Oh."
"Yeah." Brown eyes scanned his face, a smile blossoming. "Oh."
"Wow." His breath seemed to be getting harder to pull in, the hand on his cheek not helping. He felt warm all over, but in a good way. He swallowed, covering that hand with his own.
"You're both so literate." They broke apart guiltily, blushing. Tai laughed, enjoying their embarrassment. "Your brother is still asleep. I just had to use the bathroom, and saw the light on."
"Thanks, Tai. Ruin the moment." Daisuke crossed his arms, his face petulant.
"No problem. Any time." He grinned at them, before leaving. They were about to lean in to kiss each other, when he poked his head back in the door. "By the way. It stopped raining."
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End note: Yes, I'm leaving it there. Why? Because I can. If I get enough reviews saying it wouldn't be a waste of my time, I might be willing to make a sequel, with other couples. However, to do that, the couple would be either Jyoumi, Sorshiro, Jyoushiro, Mira, or some combination of the four people I didn't pair up. It's already Taito/Takedai/Kenyako/Hikori.
Or, I could do a complete turn about, and go for a Kenori/Hiyako. Hmmm, the possibilities.
Disclaimer: Don't own it.
Warning: Takedai goodness. This is the last chap, peoples! Thanks for reading it. The reviews were great! Hopefully, noone finds this lacking. I'm up for ideas, if you want to let me know what you think. *Points at review board.* Hint, hint.
____________________
Author: Rae (penname)
Title: Weekend Rain
Content: Takedai. Finally!
Takeru waited patiently for him to go on. Of the nine crests, courage was the most personal to Daisuke. That, he could understand. But his hestitation over the crest of love could only mean one thing. That he knew Takeru loved him, and he didn't feel the same way, and he didn't want to hurt him.
Whatever he came up with, no matter what he signifigance he attached to the final two crests, Takeru would always carry a warm memory of this conversation with him. To have been so close, to have heard such praise from Dai's lips. It was almost enough, somehow, to know that the redhead cared that much for him. He'd hold that thought with him, even as his friend broke his heart.
Daisuke opened his mouth, and he held his breath, waiting for the inevitable. "For Courage and Love, I can't really say." A teasing grin curved his lips, drawing Takeru's gaze to their moistness. In his last moments before his heart was broken, he was determined to memorize everything. He didn't want the tears and pain that would come later to mess with the affection he was recieving at that moment. "Except, that where you're concerned, I seem unable to witness the one for lack of the other."
That stopped his melancholy daydreaming. "What?" Totally confused, oblivious to half of those last few lines, he blinked.
Daisuke rolled his eyes, his grin widening. "Takeru, man. You said it earlier. Loving someone, a person who should know that you love them. Had I ever felt that way? It's so obvious. If you love someone, you should just tell them. People are dense, Takeru. Just because its the most glaringly obvious thing in the world to you, doesn't mean that everyone in the whole wide world will see it to. You have to remember, there are dense people like me out there."
"When I asked you earlier, if you'd ever been in that situation, you said Kari. Were you refering to when we were eleven, or a more current event?"
"The past, of course. I stopped liking Kari shortly before Big-n-Ugly showed up." He tried to lighten the mood that had dampened when Takeru had asked about Kari. No answering smile showed on the other's face, and he looked around the room, his gaze coming to rest once again on the desk. That picture, the one with the two of them, kept attracting his gaze.
Takeru was studying the wall, as if trying to memorize the chips of paint, and the holes from nails that had fallen. Daisuke looked at him, then back at the picture. He knew the answer. It was right in front of his face. He knew it, but he didn't know what it was. And that bugged him. Obvious? Ha!
His mind went back over the day, trying to come up with the reason behind the weird feeling he was getting. *I walk in the rain. Takeru saves me. Takes me home. Tells me his first name. Feeds me. Tells me he missed me. Has picture of me on desk. Tai and Matt come. We solve problem temporarily. Kari and Cody come. We solve problem, again. We leave. Matt and Tai fight, we fix them up. Takeru gets wistful. We argue.*
"Takeru? Why did you get so mad when I said that thing earlier, about you being angelic, and stuff?"
"I don't know. I guess, I just thought that a friend should know better. I have my problems, the same as everyone. A true friend digs beneath generalizations, and..."
"And I wasn't diggging very deep. I'm sorry about that. I know your life isn't as perfect as some would think. I was just teasing, really. I didn't mean to offend you."
"I know that, Dai." He smiled reassuringly. Daisuke turned back to the picture.
*We argued, and I hurt him. He freaks. Then he asks a really deep question. I screw up that. He changes subject. I offend him again. Then I spill my gut. Mostly. And now? Now I'm screwed in the middle without a clue.*
"Your brother's gay." *Test the waters.*
"So?" *Offended, but not in denial.*
"You're really cool with that?" Takeru glared at him.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Feeling as if he'd just fell in over his head, Daisuke shrugged nervously. "Do you have a problem with it?" If looks could kill, Daisuke would have been a corpse.
"No." He didn't say it forcefully. He just let the word slip past his lips. Not in hot denial, not defensively. Just a simple statement of truth. He followed it with a casual shrug.
Takeru let his guard drop. "Good. For a moment, I thought I was going to have to kick your ass for being a homophobe."
"Close-minded, or not, I'd still whoop you, Gilligan." He started laughing. "We're doing it, again. You ever notice, we tend to argue just about the time when things actually get really serious?"
"Yeah. You'd think that one or the other was trying to avoid an actual conversation, except, we both do it."
"Why is it, that, when I'm with you, I resort to the mentality of a prepubescent punk?"
"Because acting -less- mature than you are would strain you?"
"Ha. Funny. Serious, though. We don't talk for, like, ever. And when we do, we spend half the time arguing. Hell, I don't even know if you have a girlfriend!" Oops. He knew it was a stupid thing to say, considering their earlier conversation. Takeru's smile faltered, and his gaze traveled to the desk. "Cancel that. That was just dumb."
"It's okay. We didn't really talk about it earlier. We managed to skip over that part." His smile, still in place, if weak, shifted towards disappointment. "No. I don't have a girlfriend. You?"
Knowing full well exactly how it would come out, Daisuke smiled. "Nope. It's hard to date a girl when you're gay."
The blue eyes widened before they turned to him, the shock evident in the dropped jaw, and dilated pupils. Takeru made several attempts at swallowing, wanting to ask questions that wouldn't come.
He grinned at that stunned look, not missing the hope that flashed through them. "And, yes. I mean gay gay, not happy gay. And you asked me if I still liked Kari." He chuckled under his breath as he teased his friend gently. "Cat got your tongue?"
Takeru just looked at him, unable to form coherent thoughts through the rampant yearning flowing through him.
"You can borrow mine." The blonde's lack of response was starting to worry him. He had expected smoe surprise, but it was starting to get to be a little much. "Takeru?"
His voice wobbled, and his smile faded.
"I misunderstood, didn't I?" He sighed, and walked across the room. Without looking at Takeru, he sat down beside him, not touching him. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I can just imagine what it looks like to you, and I didn't mean to put you on the spot, okay? There were just...hints, you know? And I thought that you...but that's okay. I know you didn't realize. I'm sorry."
The teen beside him didn't respond. If he had looked, he would have seen the joy that was etched on his face, the smile curving speechless lips. He didn't look.
"I can't leave it like this, Takeru. Please, just tell me we're okay, and we can be friends? I realize that it's really sudden, but I don't want you to hate me. You're a really good friend, and now that we've reconnected, I don't want to lose you. Not over this, again."
"Again?" It was the first thing he managaed to say, and he cursed his own weakness. He wanted to comfort him, to return the feeling.
"Yeah. The reason that I distanced myself from all you guys was because I started to realize that I was falling in love with you, and I didn't want you to hate me. I thought that being a close acquaintance would be okay, but I missed you, all of you, but you specifically. You were my light, not Hikari. Did you ever wonder why I went after you during Malomyotismon's attack? Veemon went after the others in all his forms, but I came to you personally."
"I'd never really thought of that. I just assumed that I was closer." Not what he wanted to say!
"Nah. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay, personally. And, remember earlier, when I was commenting on my recessive mentality when I'm around you? It's because the only thoughts left in my brain are to either tell you how I feel, or act like a brat. Guess which one wins?"
"Dai?"
"Yeah?" As long as Takeru was talking to him, and not yelling at him, he had a chance of saving the friendship.
"What did you mean, earlier? When you said that you couldn't define me with courage and love, because you couldn't see one, for lack of the other?"
"Exactly what I said. You admitted to me that you cared for someone. I assumed that you couldn't tell them for fear of what they'd say. So, I couldn't really tell you how you loved, because you didn't have the courage to tell anyone."
"That kind of goes with hope and friendship, doesn't? I mean. I could love someone, and be afraid of telling them, but that means I have no hope that they love me, and I don't believe that they won't hurt me."
After a moment's thought, Daisuke agreed. "Right. It means that you lack faith in that person, and in yourself, to believe that they would hurt you by not returning the feeling."
"You had a lot of faith in me, didn't you?" The pain and regret in his voice was evident.
"I know that I surprised you. Don't worry about it. Of all the people to go comatose on, I'm a good bet. Hardheaded, and stubborn. The world won't get me down." Pure bravado.
"I hurt you." It wasn't a question.
"I'll live." A simple, pained statement. No pretense, no cover.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be."
"I should have said something."
"It's fine, don't worry."
"I love you."
"It's okay, Takeru."
"And I'm sorry."
"Stop apologizing."
"Silence is unforgivable."
"Quite worrying about it."
"Forgive me."
"Already done."
"You are so dense!" Daisuke jerked in surprise.
"Excuse me?" He should have expected anger, but the insult had been almost an endearment.
"I told you that I was sorry."
"Yeah."
"And that I should have said something."
"Right."
"And that I loved you."
"Sure." Daisuke seemed to miss the point. Again. Takeru turned to him, reaching a hand out to his cheek gently. He waited, patiently, while Daisuke thought it out, the realization dawning on his face. "Oh."
"Yeah." Brown eyes scanned his face, a smile blossoming. "Oh."
"Wow." His breath seemed to be getting harder to pull in, the hand on his cheek not helping. He felt warm all over, but in a good way. He swallowed, covering that hand with his own.
"You're both so literate." They broke apart guiltily, blushing. Tai laughed, enjoying their embarrassment. "Your brother is still asleep. I just had to use the bathroom, and saw the light on."
"Thanks, Tai. Ruin the moment." Daisuke crossed his arms, his face petulant.
"No problem. Any time." He grinned at them, before leaving. They were about to lean in to kiss each other, when he poked his head back in the door. "By the way. It stopped raining."
________________
End note: Yes, I'm leaving it there. Why? Because I can. If I get enough reviews saying it wouldn't be a waste of my time, I might be willing to make a sequel, with other couples. However, to do that, the couple would be either Jyoumi, Sorshiro, Jyoushiro, Mira, or some combination of the four people I didn't pair up. It's already Taito/Takedai/Kenyako/Hikori.
Or, I could do a complete turn about, and go for a Kenori/Hiyako. Hmmm, the possibilities.