Hi everyone! It's me again. Anyway, NikkiSweet's review made me think. How many of you want this to turn out to be a yaoi fic? Warning though, I don't write Taito, I only write Yamachi, so you'd better choose wisely. Tell me in your next review, ne?

Here goes chapter 4!

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/How is my life going?/ Yamato thought as he walked back with Takeru. He still hadn't explained to his brother…it was so odd to think of him that way, after shunning him for so long. Takeru was his brother though. "Takeru…Dad won't be home tonight…you wanna stay over?" Yamato asked, as casually as he could. He never thought that he would ever say those words again

Of course, he was doing a lot of things he never thought he'd do again, mostly reconnecting with the other Digidestined, talking, getting out of the house…yes, this was turning out to be a most interesting year. Interesting good or bad he wasn't sure of yet, but he knew that there were some things he'd have to stop, and soon.

Like his parents. The thought of them getting back together infuriated him and scared him more than anything else in the world ever had. If they got back together, how could he protect Takeru? How could he protect himself? Yamato thrust those thoughts out of his head angrily, not trusting himself to stay in control at a time like this.

Takeru's face lit up with a light that had been missing ever since that day, the day he'd heard about the rumors. The day he'd tried to go to Yamato and had been told to go away and never come back. The day his childhood had ended forever. "Really, Yamato? Of course I'll stay!" excitement flashed in those blue eyes that, even facing the hardship that Yamato had caused him, still shone with innocence.

For a moment, fear ran through Yamato, fear that one day rumors like those that had come before would be true, that the pain that he felt inside of him would be exposed. This fear was followed by the sharp pain of watching the innocence that he would never feel again dance across another's features. He knew that he'd have to tell Takeru sooner or later…but surely that could wait. Yamato wanted, no, needed to revel in that innocence for just a little while longer.

"Itai!" Takeru shouted as he tripped and fell on the hard cement.

"Takeru!" Yamato bent down quickly and helped his little brother up. "Are you all right?" he asked anxiously, checking over Takeru with a worried eye.

"H-hai…sorry…I just tripped…"

Yamato looked at the ground, and saw a small rock with a letter wrapped around it. He frowned and stuffed the rock in his pocket, making a mental note to look at it later.

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The two brothers arrived at the Ishida home moments later. "Thanks for asking me over, Yamato, I think I'll just—" Takeru stopped as he saw that the house wasn't uninhabited at the moment, contrary to what Yamato had thought. /But I thought Yamato said…surely he would've told me if he thought differently…especially after being so worried after I told him about them being back together…/

Yamato stepped in through the door at that moment and froze. "O-otousama…" he murmured, shocked at the sight of his father sitting on the couch. "I thought you were leaving for a business trip tonight." /Kuso! Why now? Goddammit, why now? I can't do anything, I'm losing it again…I can't let him hurt Takeru! Dammit! Why the hell did this have to happen now?/

"It got canceled, Yamato," came the cool reply from his unmoving father. He seemed to be enjoying Yamato's discomfort, but at the same time, he was frowning and obviously disapproved of Takeru's appearance in the doorway.

"Takeru, maybe you should go home," Yamato softly whispered, his voice carefully controlled, not letting the fear he felt for his brother show. "I'll call you later." It wasn't a request. It was an order.

Takeru looked between his brother and his father, trying to understand what was going on. /This has something to do with the fact that Yamato doesn't want Mom and Dad seeing each other…but what?/ Finally, he nodded, going out and closing the door behind him.

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"Mom? I'm home!" Takeru shouted into the still house.

"That's nice, honey. I'm in here!" she called from the kitchen. She came out wearing her evening clothes, and Takeru felt his heart fall.

"You're going out again?" he tried not to sound resentful, but he found it hard to not feel that way. She'd been going out everyday for the past few months, leaving him at home by himself. Normally, he wouldn't have a problem with it, but he worried about her coming back now that he knew about Hikari's parents. And there was the matter of Yamato's strange reaction to the news about them together again.

"Yes. Oh, by the way, there's soup in the microwave. I'll be back late, so go to bed early, all right, sweet heart?" she asked as she flew out the door, not really caring what his response was.

"Fine…" Takeru responded to the door that slammed behind her, emitting a strangely strong bolt of pain in Takeru's heart.

He counted to thirty slowly before he let out the breath he'd been holding as the door had slammed shut.

"CHIKUSHO!!!!!!!!!!" he yelled, slamming his fist into a pillow. He'd had the world turned upside down when something was wrong with Yamato, and he'd finally fixed it. Suddenly, everything was back upside down with the appearance of his parents.

He began to think that maybe Hikari was luckier than she knew. Surely there could be some good things about not having parents, right?

He stormed off to his room to try to concentrate on homework, even though he knew it was impossible. Hopefully, Yamato would call soon and explain what was going on in this world.

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"I didn't realize you'd be home, Otousama…" Yamato tried to explain what had just happened.

"You didn't realize? So, since you thought I wouldn't be home, you thought you'd just bring that bastard in here?" he slapped Yamato across the face with enough force to send Yamato flying into the wall.

"He's not a bastard, Otousama," Yamato whispered as he was dragged to his feet.

"And when did you start talking with him again? I thought I forbade you to have any contact with him. That was something your mother and I agreed on!" he punched Yamato in the stomach as he yelled at him.

Yamato's eyes rose, defiant as always. "And when did you start talking to her again?" he gasped, trying to get away from his father.

"Why the hell is that any of your fucking business?"

Yamato tried to keep from shrinking away as a knife was raised at him. "I'll teach you to talk back to me, you damn bastard!"

"Otousama…" Yamato whispered through his accursed tears as pain shot through him, starting at his upper body, and trailing down his legs.

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Taichi sat up straight in bed. Something was wrong. Horribly wrong. "Hikari?" he called softly, walking down the hallway to her room. She was safe and sound asleep. Taichi shook his head. What was wrong with him tonight?

He glanced at the clock on the way down the hallway. 11:55. On impulse, he picked up the phone and dialed Yamato's number, just to check on everything. Yamato never HAD answered his question after all…

"WHAT?!" came the voice on the other side. Taichi barely recognized Mr. Ishida's voice through the anger and the frustration. But that wasn't what caught his attention. What caught his attention was the soft sobbing he heard from the other side.

Taichi hung up the phone quickly, and dressed. There was no way that he could let Yamato be there alone. He'd promised after all.

He passed the table with the mail on it on his way out, and failed to notice the dark blood beginning to coat the wood.

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Sorry it's kinda short, I'm doing my best though!