Author's note: Welcome to my angst. This starts with the beginning of the picnic.
____________
Title: Break the cycle-Fade
//So where were you
When all this I was going through//
Davis shut the door to his rental car, making sure that it was locked. With a resolve he had spent the plane trip and car ride building, he started toward the picnic table where a blonde was still setting out food.
As he drew nearer, he recognized the fluidity of the movements, the lines of the body. Takeru. There was no uncertainty that it was he, standing there waiting.
He closed his eyes, pausing in his step. The memories were crystal clear. High school had drawn them closer together, made them best friends. It was in their first year of college that they got together.
He had approached Ken, and been shot down. Naturally, he turned to his next best friend. They were close through high school, but Takeru waited until they were on-campus before asking him out.
They moved in together, and, at first, it had been wonderful. They slept together, and woke up together. Takeru cooked breakfast, and did most of the chores. He only ever asked that Daisuke be happy.
That lasted four months. Then Takeru began to nitpick about the little things. He complained about having to do everything, he demanded that Daisuke start holding up his end of things.
Daisuke dreaded coming home. He didn't want to fight and argue. He would stay later at work, or at a study meeting. By the time he had decided to leave, he had been crawling into bed at midnight. That last night, Takeru had moved to the couch, not wanting anything to do with him.
It had been the last straw. Not only did Takeru refuse to talk to him during the day until he had done all his 'chores', but they had fallen back to apologizing at night. His form on the couch that night had indicated his desire to leave things be.
In anger, Daisuke had written a rather nasty note, hoping that it would give Takeru something to think about. He had been offered the chance to study abroad, and so he left, hoping that things would be better when he got back.
He just never seemed to find the chance to return.
He started forward again.
//You never took the time to ask me
Just what you could do//
"Hi." Those lips curved in to that familiar gentle smile, and he felt his heart twist. He looked away, then gathered his resolutions back.
"Hi." They approached each other, stopping barely a meter away. He squared his shoulders. "I'm sorry."
That seemed the easiest way to start it off. Takeru's smile warmed, and Daisuke tried to join him. "It's past." He felt a tear slip down his cheek, and inwardly swore at his weakness.
Their eyes connected, and the stepped forward, embracing each other tightly. "I'm so fucking sorry! I just...gods, I don't know. I just couldn't seem to finish a letter, and then, you wrote the last one, and I thought 'I'll just let him get on with his life'.' When the invite came, I almost cried. I thought you'd forgotten me by now."
"Never!" The pale arms around him pulled him closer. "I shouldn't have given up so soon. But it hurt, really hurt, when five years went by with only one postcard. I was hoping that you'd answer the last one, but when noting came, I just put it away from me."
They stayed like that, together, until a voice behind them told them that they weren't alone. "Good." Yolei smiled at them. Ken was behind her with a wheeled cooler. She took it from him, and walked away. "I'll let the three of you catch up, while I check out what we have to eat."
They talked for a moment, the three of them. Then the others began to arrive, each one as he remembered them. Except Tai, who seemed on edge, and Izzy, who was without his laptop.
They all moved to the picnic table to eat, Daisuke leading them excitably.
"Welcome home, Davis. It's good to see you again." The blue-haired doctor sat across the table from him, next to Takeru.
"Same here, Joe. Thanks for the card." He caught the look that Takeru sent them, but ignored it.
"Not a problem." He turned to Matt, leaving Daisuke to either stuff his mouth full of food, or talk to the blonde eyeing him from across the table. He chose food.
His cheeks puffed out with food, his attention was drawn by the teasing note in Takeru's voice. "When was the last time you ate?"
He held up a finger, meaning to give him a moment. With a swig of the soda that had made it's way in front of him, he grinned. "Before I left. I don't trust plane food." Not that he ate much anyway. Takeru just smiled, and looked around the table, before eating his food.
//I only know that I can change
Everything else just stays the same
So now I step out of the darkness
That my life became 'cause//
When everyone was done eating, they split up into little groups. He found himself talking to Tai and Ken. They were discussing their lives. Ken had decided to become a detective, which Daisuke thought was interesting, and Tai was going into politics, which surprised him.
"It should be a challenge, and Agumon is going to be by my side every step of the way." He had his back to the table. Ken was looking over his shoulder oddly, and Dai barely caught the frustrated glance that Matt was sending at Tai's back.
The urge to grin faded when he realized that Takeru was completely focused on his brother. He probably hadn't spared him a second thought. They sat down, facing each other, and he had a perfect view of Takeru's face.
Takeru said something, his smile replaced by a frown. Then he smiled again. Two seconds later, he jumped up and hugged Matt. Daisuke glared at them. It wasnt' right for two grown men to hug each other in the middle of the park, especially if it involved Takeru, and not him.
The moment was broken as Matt caught Sora's eye, and she interrupted them. Takeru took his leave, and joined their conversation.
"And how about you, Daisuke?" Ken's indigo gaze was penetrating. He could feel the anxiety that simmered underneath his calm exterior. In fact, he was getting weird feelings from several members of the group.
Blue met brown, and he shrugged. Ken may have asked the question, but he wanted to make sure that Takeru heard the answer. "Everything's perfect in my world." He'd ignore the fact that that was a lie, for now. He was miserable, but he didn't want his ex-boyfriend to know that. Yet.
"Really?" Blue eyes hardened, losing any sign of their earlier welcome. "I'm surprised you managed to find the time to make it, what with your life going so smoothly. Nobody at home to ask you to stay?"
Tai rolled his eyes, and Daisuke figured he just wanted to stay out of the whole arguement. Few people knew what had actually happened between them, and the older brunette wasn't one of them. "I'd rather not have my life dictated by the whims of an irrational psychopath."
"I'm sorry to hear that you're not happy with one of your own." Score. He kept his reaction to a minimum, just a raising of his eyebrows. Tai had turned away, and was staring at Matt, who was stalking towards them.
"Tai?" Ken looked at him in worry as the older blonde reached them. Takeru looked at his brother expectantly.
"Yagami."
//I just needed someone to talk to
You were just too busy with yourself//
He sounded pissed, and his voice drew everyone else's attention. They watched in amazement as Tai started to say he was sorry. Matt's reaction was shock and pain. Within minutes, they were yelling at each other. Or, at least, Matt was yelling at Tai.
With little provocation, the blonde lunged, knocking them both to the ground. "About damn time." Takeru crossed his arms in satisfaction.
"You think it's a good thing for them to be trying to kill each other?" Daisuke asked stoically.
"Of course. It's the only way they ever resolve anything. Did you expect them to talk this out?" The two men stopped fighting, Tai holding Matt down and crying.
"Gods, Yamato, why couldn't you just let it go?" He rolled off the slender musician, and sat beside him, his arms wrapped around his knees.
"Tai?" Blue eyes looked up, and Daisuke made a holding gesture. Matt put his arms around Tai and pulled him close.
"I'm so sorry, Yama. It wasn't supposed to be like this."
"Shh. I know." Tai hugged him back.
"I couldn't bring myself to write that letter. Just one letter, Yama, and it would have been over. But I couldn't do that. I couldn't let go of the hope that someday, somehow, it would all work out. I knew it was stupid, and i should have realized that so long ago, but the hope was always there. That, just maybe..."
Takeru reached over and touched Daisuke's hair, making him jerk away. Matt smoothed Tai's wild brown mane in understanding. Looking at Takeru, Daisuke felt that he could finish that last sentence. That, just maybe, they could have found a way to be happy together.
____________
A/n: Time jump. I'm skipping to after Matt and Tai work things out. Post-soccer game.
____________
//You were never there for me to
Express how I felt//
Why the hell had Takeru brought up that damn letter? It really wasn't fair. He had tried so hard to put himself in a good mood by the time he got to the picnic, but five minutes with Takeru made him want to kill the blonde.
The picnic had barely lasted three hours, but he'd already managed to fill in for five years worth of insults, and barbs. It was hard to believe that he'd come expecting reconciliation. His mouth and pride had already screwed up any hope of that.
Ken stood up, and pulled Yolei with him. "We have to go, too. Come and visit us soon, Dai." The two men shook hands, and Yolei hugged him tightly.
"No problem. I planned on being around for a while, actually." Takeru's head jerked at that, and he caught the expression of hope and surprise in his blue eyes. "There are things I want to clear up before I return to the mainland." And he would return. Even if it was only to pick up his stuff, and clear out the apartment he held there. He wanted to come back to Japan so badly, it was eating him away on the inside.
"We're glad to hear that." This time, the hug from Yolei was unexpected, and crushing. There was no doubting her sincerity. "It's past due." She knew. About the breakup, and the reasons behind it. All the sordid details and the heartbreak it had caused to both men when it occured.
"You two should have dinner with me tomorrow. We can meet at that one restaurant, the one where you two first started going out." They smiled at each other, passing the memory between them as couples do. The love between the two was a beautiful and tangible thing. He pushed the envy away, not wanting to mar their happiness.
"Call us tomorrow, and we'll see what we can work out." They walked away, Ken's arm around her shoulders, and her arm around his waist. "Bye, Takeru. See ya later." They waved, leaving the two men alone.
There was silence, the lack of conversation like a weight on both their shoulders. The table was cleared, everything packed away. They stood looking in opposite directions, refusing to make eye contact.
He heard Takeru inhale deeply, and felt when his eyes glanced over him. Nothing was said, the only sound was the distant roar of traffic, the wind in the trees, and their breathing. Summoning all his strength, he turned to face him, meeting his gaze. "We should leave."
Takeru nodded, looking away. "Yeah. Can the coolers go in your car? Tai and Matt are...borrowing mine." Daisuke regretted the pain in those eyes, and the defeat in the lines of his body. He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. The breakup wasn't entirely his fault. Things had just gotten too out of hand to fix easily.
//I just stuffed it down
Now I'm older and I feel like
I could let some of this anger fade//
And now, here they were, talking like two barely acquainted strangers with the common link of plastic, rolling containers of food. "Whatever."
His voice was cold. He was mentally going through the reasons why them as a couple hadn't worked. It wasn't that hard, considering their most recent conversation.
Daisuke had worked long hours, and spent what little free time he had studying. After they moved in together, he tried to cut back time at work, but only managed to gain a couple of hours for the two of them a week.
At first, that had been fine. Takeru had spent his spare moments at his computer, working on his 'masterpiece.' Things went smoothly, and both were content with just seeing each other at night. Then Takeru had sold his first book, and he suddenly was able to quit his job, and stay home to do homework. And wait for Dai.
That had eventually become the problem. Daisuke spent all day working and at school. Takeru was home by noon, and had half a day to spend alone. Naturally, he volunteered to do all the chores. Daisuke still helped when he found the time, but he was often tired from his long days.
For three nights in a row, Daisuke worked a double shift, pulling off seventy-two hours with no sleep, as well as class time. He called, but never made it home. Sometime during the third day, a woman had called, asking for Daisuke. When told that he was out, she said 'I can't make it tonight. My boyfriend's getting suspicious that something's going on. I really can't do anything to ruin our relationship. I'm sorry, I know he was counting on me."
Takeru had hung up, and stayed in the same spot on the couch by the phone until Daisuke came in. He had yelled at him for cheating, accused him of lying, and then slammed the bedroom door in his face. In exhaustion, unable to defend himself, he had fallen asleep on the couch.
The next day had seen apologies from both sides, and assurances from Daisuke that it was all innocent, that he hadn't cheated on him, that she was only his study partner, etc. Things went back to normal.
Till the next month, when Daisuke came back from a party with lipstick on his collar. He had been trying to work his way out from the throng of people when a woman he didn't know attacked him. It took him five upleasant minutes to pry her off, and had taken five days of apologies and fighting for things to settle down.
He would admit that the next time was completely his fault, though not quite in the manner that Takeru took it. He had befriended a guy in his class, and had taken to telling him about Takeru's 'little fits of jealousy'. That was his mistake.
Four weeks after the party incident, he returned home late to find Takeru waiting up for him. It seemed that his 'friend' had decided to tell Daisuke's live-in that they were having an affair. He told Daisuke it was because Takeru didn't deserve him, and that he wanted the chance to make him happy. Despite Daisuke's threats and pleadings, he refused to tell Takeru the truth, insisting that they were seeing each other.
It had been the last straw. Daisuke gave Takeru a big speech about trust and love, and left for work. The following day, while the blonde was at class, he returned, packed his stuff, and left the letter. That had been the end. He had arrived on the mainland two days later, his stuff following behind on another plane.
//But it seems the surface
I am scratching
Is the bed that I have made//
He wouldn't outright blame Takeru for their split up. He believed that a large part of it was, but he hadn't helped, walking away instead of fighting back. He could have tricked the jerk into admitting the truth, he could have made Takeru believe him. He could have done a thousand things. He chose to run, and that was his own fault. He had let the opportunity slip away.
Takeru turned away, and began carting the largest cooler toward the blue rental at the edge of the park. He let the silence go, and left Daisuke looking after him. Staring after him. He was going to leave Dai, like Dai had left him before.
The redhead pushed that silly thought aside, and grabbed another cooler. It was heavy, but he managed to heft it by both handles. His grunt was ignored, and he narrowed his brown eyes at the blonde's back.
It took them two trips apiece to put everything in the car. Takeru shut the trunk, and turned away. Daisuke watched him suspiciously. "Where are you going?" Again, his voice wasn't as he'd intended. It had been a concerned question, but came out as an angry and accusatory directive.
Without turning around, Takeru stopped. "I'm going to walk. It's not far from here, and it's a beautiful day to get some exercise." Lame excuse, but Daisuke decided to let him have his way.
"I'll meet you back at the apartment, then." He turned around and got in the car. He was halfway down the block when he realized that the blonde was heading in the opposite direction from the apartment. "Did he really think that he could avoid me?"
With a few violent curses, he whipped the car around, nearly causing an accident. He wasn't paying attention, intent on having it out with Takeru then and there. Sometimes, the direct approach is best.
He pulled the car next to the curve, ignoring the fact that it was on the wrong side of the street. "Takeru." The blonde stopped, then turned to him with a resigned expression.
"This would be better done at the apartment. Let's go." The car door shut with finality.
____________
Title: Break the cycle-Fade
//So where were you
When all this I was going through//
Davis shut the door to his rental car, making sure that it was locked. With a resolve he had spent the plane trip and car ride building, he started toward the picnic table where a blonde was still setting out food.
As he drew nearer, he recognized the fluidity of the movements, the lines of the body. Takeru. There was no uncertainty that it was he, standing there waiting.
He closed his eyes, pausing in his step. The memories were crystal clear. High school had drawn them closer together, made them best friends. It was in their first year of college that they got together.
He had approached Ken, and been shot down. Naturally, he turned to his next best friend. They were close through high school, but Takeru waited until they were on-campus before asking him out.
They moved in together, and, at first, it had been wonderful. They slept together, and woke up together. Takeru cooked breakfast, and did most of the chores. He only ever asked that Daisuke be happy.
That lasted four months. Then Takeru began to nitpick about the little things. He complained about having to do everything, he demanded that Daisuke start holding up his end of things.
Daisuke dreaded coming home. He didn't want to fight and argue. He would stay later at work, or at a study meeting. By the time he had decided to leave, he had been crawling into bed at midnight. That last night, Takeru had moved to the couch, not wanting anything to do with him.
It had been the last straw. Not only did Takeru refuse to talk to him during the day until he had done all his 'chores', but they had fallen back to apologizing at night. His form on the couch that night had indicated his desire to leave things be.
In anger, Daisuke had written a rather nasty note, hoping that it would give Takeru something to think about. He had been offered the chance to study abroad, and so he left, hoping that things would be better when he got back.
He just never seemed to find the chance to return.
He started forward again.
//You never took the time to ask me
Just what you could do//
"Hi." Those lips curved in to that familiar gentle smile, and he felt his heart twist. He looked away, then gathered his resolutions back.
"Hi." They approached each other, stopping barely a meter away. He squared his shoulders. "I'm sorry."
That seemed the easiest way to start it off. Takeru's smile warmed, and Daisuke tried to join him. "It's past." He felt a tear slip down his cheek, and inwardly swore at his weakness.
Their eyes connected, and the stepped forward, embracing each other tightly. "I'm so fucking sorry! I just...gods, I don't know. I just couldn't seem to finish a letter, and then, you wrote the last one, and I thought 'I'll just let him get on with his life'.' When the invite came, I almost cried. I thought you'd forgotten me by now."
"Never!" The pale arms around him pulled him closer. "I shouldn't have given up so soon. But it hurt, really hurt, when five years went by with only one postcard. I was hoping that you'd answer the last one, but when noting came, I just put it away from me."
They stayed like that, together, until a voice behind them told them that they weren't alone. "Good." Yolei smiled at them. Ken was behind her with a wheeled cooler. She took it from him, and walked away. "I'll let the three of you catch up, while I check out what we have to eat."
They talked for a moment, the three of them. Then the others began to arrive, each one as he remembered them. Except Tai, who seemed on edge, and Izzy, who was without his laptop.
They all moved to the picnic table to eat, Daisuke leading them excitably.
"Welcome home, Davis. It's good to see you again." The blue-haired doctor sat across the table from him, next to Takeru.
"Same here, Joe. Thanks for the card." He caught the look that Takeru sent them, but ignored it.
"Not a problem." He turned to Matt, leaving Daisuke to either stuff his mouth full of food, or talk to the blonde eyeing him from across the table. He chose food.
His cheeks puffed out with food, his attention was drawn by the teasing note in Takeru's voice. "When was the last time you ate?"
He held up a finger, meaning to give him a moment. With a swig of the soda that had made it's way in front of him, he grinned. "Before I left. I don't trust plane food." Not that he ate much anyway. Takeru just smiled, and looked around the table, before eating his food.
//I only know that I can change
Everything else just stays the same
So now I step out of the darkness
That my life became 'cause//
When everyone was done eating, they split up into little groups. He found himself talking to Tai and Ken. They were discussing their lives. Ken had decided to become a detective, which Daisuke thought was interesting, and Tai was going into politics, which surprised him.
"It should be a challenge, and Agumon is going to be by my side every step of the way." He had his back to the table. Ken was looking over his shoulder oddly, and Dai barely caught the frustrated glance that Matt was sending at Tai's back.
The urge to grin faded when he realized that Takeru was completely focused on his brother. He probably hadn't spared him a second thought. They sat down, facing each other, and he had a perfect view of Takeru's face.
Takeru said something, his smile replaced by a frown. Then he smiled again. Two seconds later, he jumped up and hugged Matt. Daisuke glared at them. It wasnt' right for two grown men to hug each other in the middle of the park, especially if it involved Takeru, and not him.
The moment was broken as Matt caught Sora's eye, and she interrupted them. Takeru took his leave, and joined their conversation.
"And how about you, Daisuke?" Ken's indigo gaze was penetrating. He could feel the anxiety that simmered underneath his calm exterior. In fact, he was getting weird feelings from several members of the group.
Blue met brown, and he shrugged. Ken may have asked the question, but he wanted to make sure that Takeru heard the answer. "Everything's perfect in my world." He'd ignore the fact that that was a lie, for now. He was miserable, but he didn't want his ex-boyfriend to know that. Yet.
"Really?" Blue eyes hardened, losing any sign of their earlier welcome. "I'm surprised you managed to find the time to make it, what with your life going so smoothly. Nobody at home to ask you to stay?"
Tai rolled his eyes, and Daisuke figured he just wanted to stay out of the whole arguement. Few people knew what had actually happened between them, and the older brunette wasn't one of them. "I'd rather not have my life dictated by the whims of an irrational psychopath."
"I'm sorry to hear that you're not happy with one of your own." Score. He kept his reaction to a minimum, just a raising of his eyebrows. Tai had turned away, and was staring at Matt, who was stalking towards them.
"Tai?" Ken looked at him in worry as the older blonde reached them. Takeru looked at his brother expectantly.
"Yagami."
//I just needed someone to talk to
You were just too busy with yourself//
He sounded pissed, and his voice drew everyone else's attention. They watched in amazement as Tai started to say he was sorry. Matt's reaction was shock and pain. Within minutes, they were yelling at each other. Or, at least, Matt was yelling at Tai.
With little provocation, the blonde lunged, knocking them both to the ground. "About damn time." Takeru crossed his arms in satisfaction.
"You think it's a good thing for them to be trying to kill each other?" Daisuke asked stoically.
"Of course. It's the only way they ever resolve anything. Did you expect them to talk this out?" The two men stopped fighting, Tai holding Matt down and crying.
"Gods, Yamato, why couldn't you just let it go?" He rolled off the slender musician, and sat beside him, his arms wrapped around his knees.
"Tai?" Blue eyes looked up, and Daisuke made a holding gesture. Matt put his arms around Tai and pulled him close.
"I'm so sorry, Yama. It wasn't supposed to be like this."
"Shh. I know." Tai hugged him back.
"I couldn't bring myself to write that letter. Just one letter, Yama, and it would have been over. But I couldn't do that. I couldn't let go of the hope that someday, somehow, it would all work out. I knew it was stupid, and i should have realized that so long ago, but the hope was always there. That, just maybe..."
Takeru reached over and touched Daisuke's hair, making him jerk away. Matt smoothed Tai's wild brown mane in understanding. Looking at Takeru, Daisuke felt that he could finish that last sentence. That, just maybe, they could have found a way to be happy together.
____________
A/n: Time jump. I'm skipping to after Matt and Tai work things out. Post-soccer game.
____________
//You were never there for me to
Express how I felt//
Why the hell had Takeru brought up that damn letter? It really wasn't fair. He had tried so hard to put himself in a good mood by the time he got to the picnic, but five minutes with Takeru made him want to kill the blonde.
The picnic had barely lasted three hours, but he'd already managed to fill in for five years worth of insults, and barbs. It was hard to believe that he'd come expecting reconciliation. His mouth and pride had already screwed up any hope of that.
Ken stood up, and pulled Yolei with him. "We have to go, too. Come and visit us soon, Dai." The two men shook hands, and Yolei hugged him tightly.
"No problem. I planned on being around for a while, actually." Takeru's head jerked at that, and he caught the expression of hope and surprise in his blue eyes. "There are things I want to clear up before I return to the mainland." And he would return. Even if it was only to pick up his stuff, and clear out the apartment he held there. He wanted to come back to Japan so badly, it was eating him away on the inside.
"We're glad to hear that." This time, the hug from Yolei was unexpected, and crushing. There was no doubting her sincerity. "It's past due." She knew. About the breakup, and the reasons behind it. All the sordid details and the heartbreak it had caused to both men when it occured.
"You two should have dinner with me tomorrow. We can meet at that one restaurant, the one where you two first started going out." They smiled at each other, passing the memory between them as couples do. The love between the two was a beautiful and tangible thing. He pushed the envy away, not wanting to mar their happiness.
"Call us tomorrow, and we'll see what we can work out." They walked away, Ken's arm around her shoulders, and her arm around his waist. "Bye, Takeru. See ya later." They waved, leaving the two men alone.
There was silence, the lack of conversation like a weight on both their shoulders. The table was cleared, everything packed away. They stood looking in opposite directions, refusing to make eye contact.
He heard Takeru inhale deeply, and felt when his eyes glanced over him. Nothing was said, the only sound was the distant roar of traffic, the wind in the trees, and their breathing. Summoning all his strength, he turned to face him, meeting his gaze. "We should leave."
Takeru nodded, looking away. "Yeah. Can the coolers go in your car? Tai and Matt are...borrowing mine." Daisuke regretted the pain in those eyes, and the defeat in the lines of his body. He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. The breakup wasn't entirely his fault. Things had just gotten too out of hand to fix easily.
//I just stuffed it down
Now I'm older and I feel like
I could let some of this anger fade//
And now, here they were, talking like two barely acquainted strangers with the common link of plastic, rolling containers of food. "Whatever."
His voice was cold. He was mentally going through the reasons why them as a couple hadn't worked. It wasn't that hard, considering their most recent conversation.
Daisuke had worked long hours, and spent what little free time he had studying. After they moved in together, he tried to cut back time at work, but only managed to gain a couple of hours for the two of them a week.
At first, that had been fine. Takeru had spent his spare moments at his computer, working on his 'masterpiece.' Things went smoothly, and both were content with just seeing each other at night. Then Takeru had sold his first book, and he suddenly was able to quit his job, and stay home to do homework. And wait for Dai.
That had eventually become the problem. Daisuke spent all day working and at school. Takeru was home by noon, and had half a day to spend alone. Naturally, he volunteered to do all the chores. Daisuke still helped when he found the time, but he was often tired from his long days.
For three nights in a row, Daisuke worked a double shift, pulling off seventy-two hours with no sleep, as well as class time. He called, but never made it home. Sometime during the third day, a woman had called, asking for Daisuke. When told that he was out, she said 'I can't make it tonight. My boyfriend's getting suspicious that something's going on. I really can't do anything to ruin our relationship. I'm sorry, I know he was counting on me."
Takeru had hung up, and stayed in the same spot on the couch by the phone until Daisuke came in. He had yelled at him for cheating, accused him of lying, and then slammed the bedroom door in his face. In exhaustion, unable to defend himself, he had fallen asleep on the couch.
The next day had seen apologies from both sides, and assurances from Daisuke that it was all innocent, that he hadn't cheated on him, that she was only his study partner, etc. Things went back to normal.
Till the next month, when Daisuke came back from a party with lipstick on his collar. He had been trying to work his way out from the throng of people when a woman he didn't know attacked him. It took him five upleasant minutes to pry her off, and had taken five days of apologies and fighting for things to settle down.
He would admit that the next time was completely his fault, though not quite in the manner that Takeru took it. He had befriended a guy in his class, and had taken to telling him about Takeru's 'little fits of jealousy'. That was his mistake.
Four weeks after the party incident, he returned home late to find Takeru waiting up for him. It seemed that his 'friend' had decided to tell Daisuke's live-in that they were having an affair. He told Daisuke it was because Takeru didn't deserve him, and that he wanted the chance to make him happy. Despite Daisuke's threats and pleadings, he refused to tell Takeru the truth, insisting that they were seeing each other.
It had been the last straw. Daisuke gave Takeru a big speech about trust and love, and left for work. The following day, while the blonde was at class, he returned, packed his stuff, and left the letter. That had been the end. He had arrived on the mainland two days later, his stuff following behind on another plane.
//But it seems the surface
I am scratching
Is the bed that I have made//
He wouldn't outright blame Takeru for their split up. He believed that a large part of it was, but he hadn't helped, walking away instead of fighting back. He could have tricked the jerk into admitting the truth, he could have made Takeru believe him. He could have done a thousand things. He chose to run, and that was his own fault. He had let the opportunity slip away.
Takeru turned away, and began carting the largest cooler toward the blue rental at the edge of the park. He let the silence go, and left Daisuke looking after him. Staring after him. He was going to leave Dai, like Dai had left him before.
The redhead pushed that silly thought aside, and grabbed another cooler. It was heavy, but he managed to heft it by both handles. His grunt was ignored, and he narrowed his brown eyes at the blonde's back.
It took them two trips apiece to put everything in the car. Takeru shut the trunk, and turned away. Daisuke watched him suspiciously. "Where are you going?" Again, his voice wasn't as he'd intended. It had been a concerned question, but came out as an angry and accusatory directive.
Without turning around, Takeru stopped. "I'm going to walk. It's not far from here, and it's a beautiful day to get some exercise." Lame excuse, but Daisuke decided to let him have his way.
"I'll meet you back at the apartment, then." He turned around and got in the car. He was halfway down the block when he realized that the blonde was heading in the opposite direction from the apartment. "Did he really think that he could avoid me?"
With a few violent curses, he whipped the car around, nearly causing an accident. He wasn't paying attention, intent on having it out with Takeru then and there. Sometimes, the direct approach is best.
He pulled the car next to the curve, ignoring the fact that it was on the wrong side of the street. "Takeru." The blonde stopped, then turned to him with a resigned expression.
"This would be better done at the apartment. Let's go." The car door shut with finality.