A/N: Warnings for shounen-ai, too much angst, too little plot exposition, random Joni Mitchell and various other hazards. Beware. This fic is a minefield. You have been warned.
However, if you make it through unscathed, please leave a review!
The third fic in the trilogy will no doubt be appearing relatively soon. Stick around, people!
Disclaimers: Don't own Digimon. If I did, I would definitely write myself into the show as the guy who gets to screw Matt senseless every five minutes. Also don't own the rights to Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi - used without permission but with massive thanks. Joni rocks, people. Bow before her.
On with the fic. Angst-hats, on, people.






"Come in."
His voice is very, very tired. There are dark rings around his bloodshot eyes, and he looks in general as if he hasn't slept in a week. Even his hair, normally so immaculate, falls in disarray over his face. I feel suddenly very sorry for him - all the anger just drains out of me. How could I yell at him, when he looks like this?
He motions to a chair and I sit down, while he slumps lifelessly in another.
"So..." I begin, but he breaks in.
"Let's get this over quickly, shall we? I slept with your boyfriend. I'm a bastard. You hate me." He leans forward, a sudden intensity in his eyes. "And I am more sorry than you could ever know." Then he leans back, the light dying from his dull blue eyes.
I don't know what to say. "I know."
"No you don't." He looks out of the window, his eyes going distant. "I was an idiot. I led him on, seduced him. I can't believe I did it, but I did."
I lean forward, willing him to look back at me. "That's not how Dai tells it."
He does look back, at that, and smiles somewhat lopsidedly at me. "You're something, you know that? I thought you were going to come over and punch my lights out, but instead you're taking my side. Even against your own boyfriend. There's not many people who'd do that."
I shrug. "I'm not 'many people'. And neither are you. You've been my best friend since god only knows when. I know you, just as much as I know Dai, and I know it was a mistake." I manage a mirthless chuckle. "A really big mistake, but still a mistake. It's not your fault, either," I warn him as he starts to open his mouth.
He gives me a you've-gone-mental look. "So whose is it, then?"
"Mine. At least in part. If I hadn't had that stupid row with Dai, none of this would have ever happened. D'you know what it was about?" He shakes his head. "Dai thought I was sleeping with someone else. Ironic, ne?"
He gives me an incredulous look. "What?"
"It's true. He'd heard some rumour that I'd been flirting with one of his schoolfriends one day when I came to pick him up."
"And had you?"
I shake my head vehemently. "No. Not a chance. The kid was cute, and yes, he hit on me, but I stopped him dead. Dai somehow got the wrong story, and accused me of seeing this lad behind his back. I...kinda blew up at him. I hated that he didn't trust me." I suck in a deep breath. "If I'd just said 'no' straight off, we wouldn't be here now."
He sits back in his chair, one finger twisting unconsciously in his hair. "Still..."
I hold up a hand. "No. I'm not going to sit here and listen to you keep trying to blame yourself." I reach forward and take his hand between both of mine. "You're my best friend, Dai's my boyfriend - I don't want to lose either of you if I don't have to. I forgive you."
"You shouldn't have to." His words match Dai's exactly. "I shouldn't have been so damn stupid in the first place."
I lean forward and pull him into my arms, cradling his head against my shoulder. He sniffles slightly, and I stroke his hair soothingly.
"You remember three years ago, when I first got together with Dai?" I murmur, and he nods. "You remember I told you if I found a really nice guy, we'd all go out on a double date?"
"Mmhm."
"Well...I found you one."

* * * * *

God, if I'd known it'd be this awkward, maybe I'd never have bothered...
This table started off with four chairs arranged at regular intervals around the table. Naturally, Dai and I dragged two of them close together and are practically sharing them, but Ken and Matt are sat as far apart as possible, barely even making eye contact.
What's wrong with them? Ken likes Matt, I know he does, and Matt...
Maybe he's the problem. He's never had a boyfriend before (the thought except mine sneaks its way into my head, but I squish it as being unworthy and unfair. A mistake, that's all). How to get the ball rolling is the question...
Dai shifts in my arms and makes a little noise of contentment. I look down at him, nestled tightly against me, and smile. I'm so happy we made it up - I couldn't imagine life without him...

"Why did you do it?" I'm not yelling at him - it's just a simple question.
"I don't know." He looks down at the floor, chewing nervously on his bottom lip. "When...after we fought, I was completely lost. I really thought I'd lost you." A tear slips unheeded from his eye, and I want to lean forward and wipe it away. "I couldn't think of anywhere else to go, so I went to Matt. He was..." He looks up at me, his eyes pleading with me to understand. "He was Matt. Understanding, caring..." He flicks his eyes back down to the floor. "I...I don't know why it happened, but afterwards...all I could do was cry, even more. I thought I'd finally screwed up my one last chance..."
He chokes up, and I lean forward and gather him into my arms. "Ssh, ssh. I forgive you, really I do."
He twists in my arms, looking up at me with eyes shimmering with unspilt tears. "You...you can't..."
I stroke his hair, trying to soothe away his fears. "I can, I promise. I love you." I lean down and plant a gentle kiss on my cinnamon-eyed koibito's cheek. "Always have, always will."
"But - "
"No buts," I say firmly, pressing a silencing finger against his lips. It's over, done with, forgotten about. Matt's still my best friend, and I still love you."
He wraps his arms around me and squeezes me until I think I'm going to crack a rib, pressing his face into my chest and sobbing fiercely. I encircle him with my arms, resting my cheek against his hair and just letting him cry it all out. "Ssh..."

I lean down towards Dai until our lips meet, a quick brush before we pull away. I get a quick taste of coffee and spices and that glass of cider we got him (I know we shouldn't, but those big chocolate eyes are so damn hard to refuse...), before bringing my eyes up to the other two. Ken's mouth quirks up at the corner, a shy little inward smile; Matt's face shows open relief. I wink at him, an everything's-fine signal, and he chuckles, his fears allayed.
I clear my throat pointedly, casting around for a decent topic of conversation - and a way of getting these two to open up. Got it. "So, Ken, how're the guitar lessons coming?"
He barely has time to open his mouth before Matt jumps in. "You're having guitar lessons?!"
Ken blushes a fine shade of pink and murmurs, "Yeah."
"You any good?"
"Well..." The blush intensifies, moving from pale pink to deeper red.
What're the chances... I click my fingers, calling a waiter over, praying we don't get the same one who shot such a disapproving look at Dai and I earlier. Luckily it's a nice girl who answers. I put on my best ingratiating look and apologise inwardly to her for what I'm about to ask her.
"Can I have the bill and an acoustic guitar, please?"
Taken aback, she looks completely confused, and Dai snickers from somewhere deep in my chest.
"I'm sorry?"
"Is there an acoustic guitar somewhere that we can borrow?" Ken's semaphoring frantically at me, mouthing 'No! No!', but already the waitress's expression have gone from confused to bemused but understanding.
"Um...I'll have a look..."
A few minutes pass quietly - partially because Ken's too dumbfounded to speak and the rest of us are too busy sniggering - before she re-emerges from the kitchen, triumphantly carrying a rather battered guitar.
"Here you go - one of the kitchen hands is learning."
"Thanks." I flash her a smile and hand the instrument over to Ken, who shies away from it as though it's a weapon. I push it at him again, and he takes it reluctantly. The waitress is still hovering, obviously wondering what these nutcases are going to ask for next - a grand piano, maybe? A string quartet?
Ken tunes up somewhat hesitantly, and plucks a few chords before apparently deciding on a song. A second later, we're rewarded with a burst of cheerful chords. It takes me a second or two to recognise it, but when I do I grin and start humming along. Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell - a classic song.
Ken's fingering isn't perfect, and the occasional chord falls a little flat, but Matt doesn't seem to mind. He's leant forward in his chair, eyes alight with interest, tapping one foot to the music.
Ken starts into the first verse, clear voice resounding in the sudden stillness of the restaurant - people are staring, but who really cares?...

They paved paradise, put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique and a swinging hot spot
Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot

Matt takes a breath, and then the two of them are singing together, their eyes meeting across the guitar. I feel like punching the air in jubilation as they move into the next verse.

They took all the trees, put 'em in a tree museum
And they charged the people a dollar and a half just to see 'em
Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot

I join in, rusty as my voice is, and even Dai manages a note or two. The waitress obviously thinks we're completely insane, but even she is humming along.

Hey farmer, farmer, put away that D.D.T. now
Give me spots on my apples but leave me the birds and the bees
Please!
Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot

The last verse, and Matt and Ken still haven't broken eye contact! By now several people from the other tables have joined in, and curious heads are popping out of the kitchen door to see what's going on. How Ken's still managing to keep the fingering right without looking at the guitar is a mystery...

Late last night I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi took away my old man
Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot
They paved paradise... Put up a parking lot!

Flushed and breathless, Ken hands the guitar back to the waitress amid a scattered round of applause from the other diners. Dai is clapping and cheering, and there is some definite whistling coming from the direction of the kitchen.
However, I'm more interested in what's happening on the other side of the table. Ken is still blushing, and Matt has reached out and put his hand over Ken's. Ken's head comes up, and their eyes meet again...
I slip the waitress a massive tip at the end of the evening, but she pushes it back at me. "Not a chance...sir. We haven't had that sort of entertainment in here for a long time." She flicks her head at Matt and Ken, now firmly entwined in each other's arms (what a sweet picture!), murmuring softly to each other. "And they make such a wonderful couple...anything I could do to help..."
I flash her one of my 'charming' smiles and push the tip back across the table. "You must be the only server to've been asked for an acoustic guitar. You deserve this."
She blushes and accepts it modestly, then nods over my shoulder. "Your boyfriend's waiting."
I thank her one last time, turn round and surprise Dai by sweeping him into my arms and giving him a big kiss on the cheek. He mock-struggles for a second - he still likes to keep up the tough-guy image in public - then grins at me and kisses the tip of my nose.
I cast a glance over to Ken and Matt. It's incredible how quickly they've got together - it's gone from 'you're a really good guitar player, you know' (translation: I find you really attractive) to 'can I make you breakfast?' in the space of about ten minutes...
I'm so glad. Matt really deserves someone, and Ken's perfect for him. May they last forever.
I squeeze Dai tight, and he wraps his arms around me and does the same. And may we last forever, too!