Part 8
Tai stood uncertainly in front of the mirror, fiddling with his borrowed tie. He had borrowed a dress shirt from Joe, which fit fairly well once the sleeves were rolled up.
He had to admit that he was excited to see Sora and Mimi, it had been a long time since they had seen them, though not nearly half as long as it had been for Koushiro and Jyou.
But try as he might he could not get Matt out of his head. His traitorous deed hung, lurking continuously at the edge of Tai's thought.
Tai pushed the heel of is hands in to his eyes to push back the tears and forced his thoughts onto Sora and Mimi. At one time Sora had been his best friend, they had talked constantly about everything.
They had drifted apart slightly when Sora had started dating Mimi, and then even more when he and Matt had started going out. Sora had been mad at him for not telling her he was in love with Matt.
Of course that had been a mistake, choosing his relationship with Matt over his one with Sora.
Sora would have never done anything to stab him in his back. She spoke her mind and would have been straightforward like she always was. Unlike that secretive jerk who went behind your back rather then discussing his problems.
Tai made a noise in the back of his throat when a few tears were able to slip past his guard and roll down his checks. He scrubbed them away angrily before bending to wash his face. The cool water made him feel slightly better.
Matt wasn't worth his pain, or his tears. Tai was determined to keep him far from mind as he exited the bathroom and joined Koushiro and Jyou in the living room.
*~&~
Jyou stiffened when he spotted his dear friends, or rather who was sitting directly between them. Koushiro bumped into Jyou and peeked over his shoulder to see what Jyou was staring at. His breath hissed in quickly and his eyes bulged.
"My God, I wanted them to meet and have a discussion, but this doesn't seem right," Koushiro said.
"Should we tell him?" Jyou whispered. It was a redundant question because at that exact moment Tai spotted Matt. His fists clenched and he turned pale.
"Tai, please don't cause a scene," Koushiro said laying a hand on Tai's shoulder in a vain attempt to calm him.
"I wont," Tai said shortly. Then reconsidered because he wasn't sure he could promise that. "Why don't you ask them to meet us outside, so I can talk with Matt since it's so obvious you want me to."
"We didn't know they were bringing them Tai," Jyou said. "But we will ask them to go outside, if you promise not to hit anyone."
"No."
"Tai."
"I'm being more then reasonable here. I want to kill him, instead I'm only going to hurt him a little bit."
"Won't you at least see if he has an explanation?"
"What could he possibly say? What? Nothing, nothing can change what he did."
"I'll go get him, but please here him out first," Koushiro said with a sigh. He would have warned Matt to run the other way if he hadn't known Tai would have chased after him in the crowded restaurant. Maybe hurting someone in the process.
*~&~
Mimi saw Koushiro striding towards them and swallowed.
"Show time," she whispered under her breath.
Matt's head jerked up and he stood to meet Koushiro.
"Is he here?" Matt demanded.
"Yes, he wants to talk to you outside. Why did you bring him with you Mimi? Sora, did he tell you why Tai left?"
"Because of Jun, we know." Mimi started to say more but she saw Matt was getting up and moving towards Tai and Jyou.
"Matt," she warned him.
"I know, Mimi, don't worry. But I have to tell him."
"What's he got to tell him?" Koushiro asked slightly puzzled.
"What Jun said was a practical joke. Truth or dare game."
"Oh. I hope Tai doesn't kill him first."
Tai stood uncertainly in front of the mirror, fiddling with his borrowed tie. He had borrowed a dress shirt from Joe, which fit fairly well once the sleeves were rolled up.
He had to admit that he was excited to see Sora and Mimi, it had been a long time since they had seen them, though not nearly half as long as it had been for Koushiro and Jyou.
But try as he might he could not get Matt out of his head. His traitorous deed hung, lurking continuously at the edge of Tai's thought.
Tai pushed the heel of is hands in to his eyes to push back the tears and forced his thoughts onto Sora and Mimi. At one time Sora had been his best friend, they had talked constantly about everything.
They had drifted apart slightly when Sora had started dating Mimi, and then even more when he and Matt had started going out. Sora had been mad at him for not telling her he was in love with Matt.
Of course that had been a mistake, choosing his relationship with Matt over his one with Sora.
Sora would have never done anything to stab him in his back. She spoke her mind and would have been straightforward like she always was. Unlike that secretive jerk who went behind your back rather then discussing his problems.
Tai made a noise in the back of his throat when a few tears were able to slip past his guard and roll down his checks. He scrubbed them away angrily before bending to wash his face. The cool water made him feel slightly better.
Matt wasn't worth his pain, or his tears. Tai was determined to keep him far from mind as he exited the bathroom and joined Koushiro and Jyou in the living room.
*~&~
Jyou stiffened when he spotted his dear friends, or rather who was sitting directly between them. Koushiro bumped into Jyou and peeked over his shoulder to see what Jyou was staring at. His breath hissed in quickly and his eyes bulged.
"My God, I wanted them to meet and have a discussion, but this doesn't seem right," Koushiro said.
"Should we tell him?" Jyou whispered. It was a redundant question because at that exact moment Tai spotted Matt. His fists clenched and he turned pale.
"Tai, please don't cause a scene," Koushiro said laying a hand on Tai's shoulder in a vain attempt to calm him.
"I wont," Tai said shortly. Then reconsidered because he wasn't sure he could promise that. "Why don't you ask them to meet us outside, so I can talk with Matt since it's so obvious you want me to."
"We didn't know they were bringing them Tai," Jyou said. "But we will ask them to go outside, if you promise not to hit anyone."
"No."
"Tai."
"I'm being more then reasonable here. I want to kill him, instead I'm only going to hurt him a little bit."
"Won't you at least see if he has an explanation?"
"What could he possibly say? What? Nothing, nothing can change what he did."
"I'll go get him, but please here him out first," Koushiro said with a sigh. He would have warned Matt to run the other way if he hadn't known Tai would have chased after him in the crowded restaurant. Maybe hurting someone in the process.
*~&~
Mimi saw Koushiro striding towards them and swallowed.
"Show time," she whispered under her breath.
Matt's head jerked up and he stood to meet Koushiro.
"Is he here?" Matt demanded.
"Yes, he wants to talk to you outside. Why did you bring him with you Mimi? Sora, did he tell you why Tai left?"
"Because of Jun, we know." Mimi started to say more but she saw Matt was getting up and moving towards Tai and Jyou.
"Matt," she warned him.
"I know, Mimi, don't worry. But I have to tell him."
"What's he got to tell him?" Koushiro asked slightly puzzled.
"What Jun said was a practical joke. Truth or dare game."
"Oh. I hope Tai doesn't kill him first."