There isn't a line to cross
Tai knocked on the door, and then waited for someone to answer. He had debated whether or not to meet up with Davis before Monday to go over their plan. In the end, he had decided that it might be better to get their stories straight, just in case.
The wood swung open, and the green gaze of Jun Motomiya met him. Her coloring was similar to their parents, leaving Davis as the odd one out. "Hi, Tai. Come on in." She held the door wider, and smiled at him.
"Hello, Jun. Is he in his room?" She nodded, turning to her back to him to go into the living room.
"Our parents our out, so you can skip the formalities. He's playing some video game and grumbling about something." He smiled at her as she sat down on the couch and began to file her nails, giving her attention to some television drama.
"Thanks." She waved at him, and he took his cue to go to Davis' room at the back of the apartment. The door was slightly ajar, allowing the sound effects of the game to filter into the hallway. He entered, shutting the door completely behind him. Normally, the door had to stay open when their parents were home, just in case Davis was up to trouble.
However, the boy in question was lying on his stomach, and pounding the keys of his controller in a vain attempt to win his newest opponent. On the screen, his character missed, resulting in his nemesis to hit him. Death music tolled from the speakers as blood oozed down the screen.
"Damn!" Davis dropped the controller, and hit his head on the floor in frustration. "Bloody hell, man. Four times in a row." He complained against the carpet.
"That's harsh." The redhead flipped onto his back in surprise, hitting his head against the play station that had defeated him yet again. "Hi." Tai grinned, holding his hands up in a sign of peace. "I just came to talk."
Davis gave him a dubious look, then grinned back. "Hey, Tai. Tell you what, you can talk and beat this game while I finish the project I started for tomorrow."
They traded places, Tai sitting on the floor while Davis moved to his desk. The brunette picked up the controller, and restarted the level that Davis had lost. "Project? I don't think I like the sound of that."
"You probably won't appreciate the outcome either, but suffer. It's a brilliant idea that I came up with, and I think it's a good one. We're going to go all out with this thing, right?" Tai nodded. "Then my plan is definitely good, just you wait."
"Okay, Davis. Whatever you say." He played the game while Davis fiddled around with his 'project'. After several moments without communication, he told him what he'd accomplished so far. "I spoke with TK."
The younger teen looked up. "Really? So did I. What did you guys talk about?" He pulled a set of markers out of a drawer and took the cap of the blue.
"Nothing much. I asked him what he thought would be the biggest display of affection in public."
The red replaced the blue. "What did he say?"
"Kissing on the front steps of school." Dark brown eyes glanced at the teen on the floor, but their owner kept silent. "Cody told me that making out in front of the lockers was a bigger thing."
"Really?" He swallowed, glad that his voice didn't sound as breathless as he felt. When Tai didn't respond, he turned back to his desk. "I had a couple of questions to ask him, too. I figured, since we're going all out, and acting as if we're really into each other, it might have to include a kiss." He waited for a moment.
Tai took up the slack. "That makes sense. If we don't touch each other, someone's going to catch on quickly, and muck the whole thing."
"That's what I thought." He felt relieved, grateful that he hadn't overstepped himself. "Anyway, I asked TK what it's like to kiss another guy."
The game was paused, and Tai rolled to his side. "What did he say?"
Davis shrugged. "He said that it's basically like kissing a girl, except that you have to reset your mind. If you don't want to kiss a guy, simply because he's a guy, then you'll probably be disgusted. If you don't' really care who you're kissing, or if you can push the stigma aside, then it's nothing."
"That's cool. That means we can just wing it tomorrow, instead of trying to practice being an item. Here." Davis looked at him in time to catch the small package thrown at him. "It's gum, so we end up chewing the same thing. That way, we don't end up grossing ourselves out by mixing wintergreen with cherry, or something."
"Good thinking." He put the gum to the side, and picked up the orange marker. "Anyway, TK also said that instead of making out in front of the lockers, or kissing in front of the building, a couple could start kissing in the middle of the hall. That way, they'd get the attention of anyone that tried to pass by them."
Tai laughed, eliciting an answering chuckle from Davis. "I wonder if he'll put two and two together. I ask about how to announce a relationship, and you ask what it's like to kiss a guy. If no-one else catches on quickly, at least he'll be there to point it out."
"Yeah." He exchanged the orange for the yellow.
"What are you doing?" He rose to a sitting position, and tried to peer on top of the desk.
"You'll see when I'm done." His smile was secretive, his eyes anticipatory. "I'm almost done. Beat that level and save it, and I'll show you."
Tai turned back to the game, leaving Davis to his work. A few minutes later, both the television and play station were off, and he was rising to his feet. "So, what is it?"
Davis held his prize to his chest protectively. "Tomorrow, we're going to be the most sickeningly sweet couple the world has ever seen. Look at this." He held up a white T-shirt, and turned it so Tai could read the front. 'LOVER' was written in blue, red, orange, and yellow in a flame-like pattern.
"That's cute. The point?" In answer, Davis tossed him that shirt, and then held up the second, again, so that Tai could read the front. The word 'BOY' was also on fire. "Matching shirts? 'LOVER BOY?' You are so asking to get our asses kicked."
"Nobody would dare. And, there's more. Read the back." With a resigned sigh, Tai held the shirt away from him. 'Property of Davis'. He looked at it for a moment, and then burst out laughing. "That's what I thought, too. What a fashion statement."
He held out the back of his shirt to Tai. 'Property of Tai'. The sound of laughter increased, until they were both nearly in tears of mirth. "Gods, Davis. If that doesn't let the school know what's up, nothing will. We'll be the topic of every conversation within five minutes of entering the school."
"That was kind of the point, Tai. I figured that this would save us some time and effort." The brunette wiped his eyes. "So, what else have you come up with?"
"Actually, I really wasn't certain if my other plan would work before, but I think it will fit now. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a plastic baggie. It contained two orange tubes. Davis looked at it curiously. "Hair dye. Matching outfits, matching hair. We can kiss on the front steps, and in the hallway on our way to make out in the bathrooms."
"That's the other thing TK said. He said that kissing a guy was like kissing a girl, until you started making out with him. Then the differences became very noticeable." He frowned at his idol.
"Are you scared that you can't pull this off tomorrow? Is that what you're trying to tell me?" Tai's gaze was challenging, causing Davis to pull himself up into a defiant posture.
"The next two days are going to be a piece of cake for me. My only concern was that you'd be weirded out, and we couldn't be friends the way we are now."
"Don't worry, Davis. On Wednesday, nothing will have changed. It will be the same as always." That's what he was afraid of. Tai smiled in reassurance, and Davis answered with a small, forced grin.
Sideshow freaks: the kissing twins
By eight the following morning they could have passed for twins. They looked the same from head to two, except for Davis' darker tan and eyes, and the paint spot on Tai's sneaker.
Brown eyes glanced at the teen sitting next to him, and Tai grinned. "Orange is not your color." He smirked at his friend, laughing when Davis glared at him.
"It's not yours, either, Lover." Tai's grin only widened as he opened the car door and got out. They had arrived early to avoid the morning rush. They had several minutes before most of the students began arriving. "Ready?"
"Of course. This is going to be fun." Davis shut his door, and looked over the top of the car at the older boy. "Sorry, but this is the biggest thing I've done in years. Painting the principal's car lime-green doesn't even begin to compare."
That earned him a grin. "Then by all means, let's have some fun." He popped a piece of gum into his mouth, and pushed away from the car. "Come on. We have a presentation to begin."
Tai put a piece of gum into his mouth and followed the 'Property of Tai' on Davis' back. "Your sister gave you the idea for the shirts, didn't she?"
"Yeah. It's pretty standard for Jun to make a fool of herself over a guy. Each girl in the Ishida Yamato fan club has a 'Property of Matt' shirt." They walked shoulder to shoulder, their strides even.
An onlooker would look at them, and assume them to be brothers, or at the least, the best of friends. The buses pulled up as they passed the drive, and cars started to arrive in the parking lot. "There's going to be quite a crowd in a moment."
Tai's voice was nervous, and he had to swallow hard. "Just think, Tai. Two days, and a normal life. We can come clean, and no-one will remember it as anymore than a joke." Except Davis. In two days, his heart would be torn out, and he'd have to learn to go on without it.
"Two days." A lot could happen in forty-eight hours. Almost anything. The front courtyard began to fill with students as they reached the step. "Ready?"
"When you are." They reached the top of the steps, two young teens with bright orange hair and shirts that read 'LOVER BOY'. Tai grabbed Davis' hand, and pulled him to him, quickly crushing his mouth to the younger boys. There was an instant hush as the people around them saw them. When they were absolutely sure they had everyone's attention, Tai let his death grip on Davis loosen enough to open a door, and disappear into the shadowy depth.
"Oh, my god." Tai froze inside the doorway, as the first person to meet his gaze also happened to be his sister. "Tai?"
"Hi, Kari." He grinned sheepishly at her.
"Hi, Kari." Davis echoed weekly beside him. Tai still held his hand, and students were coming in behind them. "See the show?"
She flicked her eyes from one to the next with a stunned expression. A slow nod was his only reply for a moment, before she threw herself into Tai. "I'm so happy for you, big brother!" She squeezed him tight, cutting off his air supply in her enthusiasm.
As his face turned red, he crushed Davis' hand, causing him to yelp. Kari pulled back quickly, and Tai inhaled sharply. "I can see that you're so happy you're trying to kill him." Davis pulled his hand back and rubbed the circulation back quickly.
"Sorry, Tai. "Her green eyes flicked to Davis. "Treat my brother well, Davis, or I won't let go when I hug you next." His eyes widened at the threat. He looked at Tai for support, and then realized that the students from outside were still staring at him.
"Don't worry, Kari. I'll take good care of him, I promise." He smiled sincerely, and grabbed the older boy's hand. "Let's go, Tai. Class will start soon.
"Course, dear." They both waved to Kari, and headed to their lockers, their shoulders straight and chins up. "Too close."
"You're telling me." They kept up the silly grins, only letting go of the other's hand to get into their separate lockers. "I'll walk you to class, babe, then go on to mine."
They slammed their lockers at the same time, and turned, reaching hands out again. Mark Butress, who smirked at them both, stopped them. "Hi, Tai. Hello, Davis. What's new?"
His question caused a silence as everyone in the vicinity waited for the answer. Davis looked at Tai with a smile, deferring the question to him silently. He managed to keep the trapped look out of his eyes.
For his part, Tai looked relaxed and comfortable, as if he went around holding hands every day with the boy that used to idolize him to the point of obsession. "Davis has finally agreed to go out with me." As if it were an event that had been a long time in coming.
A tug on his hands told Davis to move in closer, and Tai leaned down to kiss him again, this time a gentle peck. There were several sighs from the crowd, and one student even clapped. "Congratulations, you two." They turned to Steve Masters, who held out a hand to them.
"Thanks, Steve." Davis shook his hand first; glad to note that his palms weren't sweaty with anxiety. "Don't listen to him, though, or you'll think it's all his idea. Actually, I was the one to pick Tai to start with, not the other way around. He's the one that's stuck with me."
"I couldn't think of a better fate." Another tug, another kiss, this one more lingering than the last. When they pulled apart, Davis could feel his heart beating quickly, and couldn't stop the flush that invaded his cheeks. Tai grinned and squeezed his hand. "And now he's trying to pretend that he's shy."
Davis raised his eyebrow at that, taking it as a challenge. "Excuse me?" Tai looked at him, confused by his tone, unaware that he had insulted Davis. "I am not shy." Mark and Steve looked at each other with the same lost expressions.
"Sorry. You're not shy." He apologized as if appeasing a spoiled child.
"I am not shy." Davis glared at him, then pulled his away. Before Tai could ask him what was up, Davis had put his hands on either side of his face and drawn his face down, pressing their mouths together. Instead of the closed mouthed kisses of before, he opened his lips slightly, and pressed his tongue against Tai's mouth. The older boy complied, parting his own lips.
Davis' tongue delved in as Tai put his hands on the younger boy's hips, pulling their bodies together. They both had their eyes closed, oblivious to the world around them, completely lost in the onslaught of sensations.
Tan hands moved into Tai's hair, gripping his head for support as his hands wandered around Davis' back.
"Let's see. Kissing in front of the school. Making out in front of the lockers. Matching clothes and hairstyles. Jeez, Cody. I think someone wants the world's attention. Do you think we should tell them that the bell has rang?"
"No. We'll let the new couple get caught by the principal and expelled from school for two days."
"At least their audience is gone, babe." They broke apart, staring at each other in shock as they realized that the hall was now deserted, except for another couple.
"I think that Tai liked your advice, Takeru." Tai and Davis continued to stare at each other in silence. "I don't think they want our company, honey."
Cody hooked his arm through TK's, and the two boys walked away, barely noticed by the orange-haired duo. Davis swallowed, resisting the urge to lick his lips, and sigh in ecstasy. Tai's eyes were wide, the iris' dilated in emotion, but whether from excitement, or shock, Davis couldn't tell.
"See you at lunch, Tai." Davis started to walk away, and realized that he had dropped his books. He walked back to Tai, and knelt down, picking up both set of books. He handed the other teen his, then walked stiffly away, leaving Tai alone in the hall.
