Author: Rae

Title: Indulging the Heart

Rating/summary/notes in the first part

-----~~~~~-----

February 13th,

I'm feeling good today. I have a couple of hours before I have to be at Sora's for the get-together. I'm dressed, showered, and ready to go. I'd arrive early like I have every year, but I have a feeling that Tai's probably there already, and…I really don't need to interrupt them.

Takeru is coming over in a little bit, once again with Daisuke in tow. Now that Takeru's decided to get together with Ken, they're hanging out more and more, probably planning the genius's downfall. Why Takeru simply doesn't ask him out is beyond me. Daisuke is known for going overboard, but I would have thought my brother was more logical than that.

Daisuke takes after Taichi in that respect. When no one else has a clue, they'll come up with something, anything, to keep from being idle. And more often than not, something will go wrong before it turns out right, but it always, -always- seems to work out. The gift of natural born leaders?

Heh. More like the luck of the devil.

-----~~~~~-----

"Okay, what are you guys planning for tonight?" Yamato asked as soon as he had shut the door behind his expected guests. Takeru and Daisuke turned to look at him, each one with a grin wide enough to make a normal person run in fear.

"I thought about what you said yesterday," Takeru started. "And you're right. Following along with one of Daisuke's plans will only get someone hurt." Daisuke snorted, crossing his arms over his chest and assuming a pouting expression. The blond continued. "So, I wanted to know if you had any ideas."

"Be yourself?" Yamato suggested questioningly. He shrugged. "You can always go with Daisuke's idea. What's a little pain if it gets you the guy you want, right?"

"It wasn't that bad of an idea!" Daisuke said abruptly, glaring at them both. He sighed and looked at Takeru. "If you don't like that idea, then I'll just give you a chance to get him alone, okay? And then you just have to tell him you like him, and he'll admit his feelings of everlasting adoration. Easy as pie, right?" Daisuke said with a smile. Both blonds looked at him, their faces set in matching expressions of doubt. "Trust me, guys."

-----~~~~~-----

I fail to see how Daisuke's newest plan can go wrong, and that scares me. It scares me very much. It seems too easy, somehow, that his plan is to do nothing more than to get them alone together. He left shortly after giving Takeru his promise that once they were alone, everything would go okay.

I gave Takeru some advice on how to tell Ken that he liked him, and we went through several variations of the same speech before he had memorized one that he seemed happy with. It doesn't seem to matter that Daisuke has said that Ken returns his feelings; there is still an underlying fear of rejection. I am not going to revisit how wrong that situation feels.

My brother stayed for a bit longer, and then went to meet up with Iori. They're going to walk together to the party. I'm a little disappointed. I had thought that we would go in a group, and instead, I've been abandoned. I must now go 'stag', which is due to be as boring as it sounds.

-----~~~~~-----

"I am a sexy beast!" Daisuke hollered, posing inside the doorway. The effect was ruined when no one bothered to acknowledge him or his entrance.. Ken offered a small smile to everyone that was there as he ducked under Daisuke's arm, and they smiled and waved back. Daisuke rolled his eyes and muttered about 'rudeness' as he took Ken's coat and threw it on the back of a chair with his own.

Ken's gaze settled on Takeru, and the blond stared back, smiling slightly. Seeing that his friends were occupied with each other, Daisuke headed towards the kitchen. "So, where's the rest of the gang?" he asked of Sora and Tai, who were finishing the last of the preparations and arguing over the contents of the punch bowl.

Their argument turned into a quick kiss as Tai finally conceded. Daisuke grinned at them, assuming a sentimental expression as he clasped his hands to his chest. In a false, high voice, he said, "Oh, aren't you two the sweetest!"

"Yes, they are," Yamato agreed loudly, his voice coming directly behind the auburn-haired boy causing Daisuke to whip around, eyes widening in surprise as the blond smiled back at him. "You're on top of things, as usual. I was right behind you guys in the hallway, but you missed seeing me with your posing inside the doorway." He paused, as if considering something, before leaning forward and continuing in an a soft, low tone. "You sexy beast, you."

Daisuke flushed slightly, feeling a thrill pass through him at Yamato's tone and words. His grinned widened in proportion to his excitement, and he boasted, "I was too busy admiring my own entrance." His smile softened the words into a form self-mockery.

The blond debated the consequences of responding before deciding that the conversation could only get worse from there. He shook his head and reached out to ruffle Daisuke's hair, or at least, that was his intention. His hand seemed to have a mind of its own, and it slid through Daisuke's bangs and then moved down to brush a gentle caress against his cheek. Yamato smiled lopsidedly and tilted his head. "Hi."

"Hi," Daisuke greeted in return, his voice shaking slightly.

Yamato turned in time to miss the blush and grin that took over Daisuke's face. Takeru and Iori were sitting on the sofa in the living room, and both gave him odd looks as he unbuttoned his coat, hung it up, and then joined them on the couch.. He smiled at them, his heart beating rapidly in his chest despite all outward appearances of calm.

Hikari and Miyako were standing by the wall, quietly discussing something, their heads bent together. Behind them, on the wall, was a lit imitation of the Crest of Love.

Yamato looked at Ken, who had taken a seat on the far end of the sofa when Daisuke abandoned him to seek out the hostess. "Hello, Ken," Yamato greeted him pleasantly, offering the younger teen a small smile.

"Hello," Ken returned the greeting, tone equally polite and smile just as guarded. "I'm surprised that you weren't already here when we arrived, as you have been consistently in the past." It was a probing phrase, designed to inquire without actually asking, and Yamato smiled at Ken's cleverness.

"In years past, I dated the hostess, and it would have been rude to leave her to do everything," Yamato answered with a shrug. "And since Tai now has that singular honor, he also gets that duty."

"Not that he minds," Sora said teasingly, walking into the living room in time to hear Yamato's words. She smiled at him, tilting her head to indicate the brunette that was standing at her elbow, grinning happily as he held a large bowl brimming with punch. "He says he likes following me around like a lost puppy and getting in my way."

"That's not what I said!" Tai argued. "I said that I wanted to come early to help you out, and to be here should you need anything."

She looked over her shoulder, treating him to a gently teasing smile. "Same thing, dear," she responded, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. "Now put that down before you wear it, or spill it on the carpet."

"Yes, dear," Tai said weakly, sounding very much like a devoted, dominated husband. It was all for effect, and their repartee drew laughs from several of the destined.

There was a knock on the door, and Sora went to answer it. Jyou and Koushiro entered. Everyone who would be arriving was present, and Sora announced that the party had officially started.

Despite the fact that there were four people on the couch already, and that it was only supposed to sit three people, four if they were all small children, Daisuke plopped himself on the middle cushion, forcing both Takeru and Yamato to move over in order to save themselves from being sat on. He grinned at them both, then smiled across the room to Hikari and Miyako, who were finally done talking privately and had decided to join the rest of the group.

As conversations started up, Daisuke turned to Takeru and began to whisper in the blond's ear, his voice indiscernible to the people on either side of them. Suddenly, the auburn-haired boy stood up, raising his hands to silence everyone else.

"Hey, guys. Takeru has to run and get something. Any volunteers want to go to make sure he doesn't get lost?" Daisuke asked, grinning at the blond. Brown eyes turned to Ken, and the genius gazed back at his best friend.

"I'll go," Ken volunteered, standing up.

The auburn-haired teen grinned, winking at his best friend before turning back to Takeru and telling him quietly, "I'll pay you back later, okay?"

Takeru nodded, standing up and smiling. "Of course. I'll see you guys in a little while," he said the last to the rest of the group.

Everyone said their assorted goodbyes, and soon the two were on their way, both bundled against the weather. In Takeru's mind, his opportunity to declare himself was coming.

Ken simply smiled in satisfaction.

-----~~~~~-----

"What did you just do?" Yamato asked suspiciously, looking at Daisuke as the boy resumed his seat on the couch. Instead of scooting away and putting room between them, Daisuke had sat in the same exact spot, leaving him pressed against Yamato despite the fact that half of the couch was empty.

"Who, me?" Daisuke questioned innocently, batting his eyelashes. He laughed and grinned before Yamato could reply to the inanity of his question. "I sent him out after a gift," he admitted finally, his grin triumphant.

"A gift for who?" Yamato asked.

Brown eyes gazed at him for a moment, and then Daisuke smiled. "I told him that it was for you," he said. He leaned closer, dropping his voice to a whisper. "But really, it's only for you because I told you I'd get him together with Ken. And since that's what should be happening as soon as they get to the address I sent them to…" he trailed off, grinning smugly. "I am the man."

"I thought you were a sexy beast," Yamato replied. The younger boy froze, his grin dimming as he tried to decide whether to take that as sarcasm or flirting. With a smile, Yamato nudged his arm and smiled at him, settling Daisuke's indecision with a sincere, "Only you could be both." It was said seriously, as Yamato held the boy's gaze with intense blue eyes.

-----~~~~~-----

"I think I should be worried that he got my name right," Takeru said jokingly, peering out the corner of his eye as Ken laughed softly. They were walking down the snow-lined street, hands deep in the pockets of their respective coats.

The blond could feel his heart beating harder with each passing moment. Daisuke had told him that he would give him time alone with the genius, and that he would have to take advantage of it, but faced with such a situation, Takeru didn't know what to do. There were rules and boundaries that he had never learned because he had never thought he would get as far as he had come in the past week.

He sighed, burrowing down into his coat so that the top button was pressed against his lips, and little of his face could be seen. He hadn't realized that Daisuke would be sending them outside on an errand, but it was typical, given Daisuke's logic. They were together, there was no one else around, and it was as he had promised.

"Here," Ken said suddenly, stopping and turning towards the building beside them. Takeru turned as well, and looked at the odd writing on the door. It wasn't in Japanese, or any other language that he recognized off-hand. It looked like it could have been French, but he couldn't decipher the words. The address was correct, however.

"You're sure?" he asked, then winced at how stupid that sounded. He was with Ken, the genius. If Ken said it was the place, it was the place. "So, we just go in?" he asked.

"What did Daisuke tell you?" Ken asked in return, turning violet eyes on Takeru.

"He said to go in and give the person in the front his name," Takeru answered, recalling Daisuke's words. He straightened up and smiled at Ken. "So let's go in," he said merrily, sounding more certain than he felt.

Ken smiled at him, and he felt his heart jump in his chest.

The inside of the building was warm, and a man wearing a white shirt, black pants, and a black apron approached them instantly. "May I take your coats, sirs?" the man asked, bowing to them before holding his hands out for the articles on request.

With a frown, Takeru shrugged out of his coat, watching as Ken did the same.

"Ah, welcome, welcome!" another man said, coming out from behind a podium. "What name, sirs?" he asked. He was dressed the same as the first, minus the apron and with the addition of a red jacket. Takeru looked at Ken, who looked back expectantly.

"Motomiya Daisuke," the blond said uncertainly. Instantly the man in the red coat smiled.

"Of course. If you will follow me to the table," the man said, turning and walking away. After a moment, Takeru followed, throwing a confused glance at Ken. The genius was smiling slightly, his eyes on Takeru, as if he was waiting for his reaction.

They took the seats that the man waved them into, and immediately, another one in an apron arrived.

"This is Marius. He shall be your waiter for this evening. If you should need anything, please do not hesitate to summon him. Enjoy your meal, sirs," with another bow, the man in the red coat disappeared, and Marius placed a menu in front of each of them.

When they were alone again, Takeru looked up, his eyes wide and slightly worried. "What just happened?"

"We were seated for dinner," Ken said unhelpfully, pointing out the obvious with a growing smile.

Takeru blinked at him, his eyes narrowing. Finally, he gave a loud huff, turning his face away from Ken so that the genius couldn't see his face as he said heatedly, "I don't have enough money for this…how is Dai going pay me back later?"

"Actually," Ken said, looking up at Takeru through his lashes. "I was going to treat for this one." His voice was soft and serious. Takeru sucked in a breath, feeling his stomach drop as Ken continued. "If that's okay with you?"

"Yes!" the word was out of his mouth before he could even consider tamping down on the excitement and hope that it contained. He laughed shakily and shook his head before saying it again, gently. "Yes."

-----~~~~~-----

"So, what do you want to find in a guy, Yamato?" Sora asked, turning the conversation back to the blond, who had started that topic soon after his brother and Ken had left. The blond hesitated for a moment, as if truly surprised that it had come back to him.

"I guess I want what everyone wants. A great romance, someone to have dinner with, and to go to the movies with. Someone to spend the holidays with. I want someone that I can buy flowers for, and who will hold my hand during walks on the beach in summer. I want-"

"Oh, you're as bad as a girl," Daisuke said suddenly, breaking into Yamato's reflective response.

Taichi shook his head in warning, knowing that Daisuke was treading on thin ice. "Daisuke, watch what you say. He can beat the crap out of you to prove that he's not female." Sora huffed and smacked him on the arm.

"Whatever," the auburn-haired boy said dismissively. He smirked at Yamato, his hands on his hips. "You're a woman, Yamato. Actually, you're worse than a woman, you're a-" he was cut off by the blond lunging at him, his eyes narrowed dangerously. With a laugh, Daisuke ran for the hallway, his goal to reach the room at the end before Yamato caught and killed him. He was almost there when a hand fisted in his shirt and halted his progress.

He turned around and broke the hold, but found himself trapped in the corner between the wall and the door with an angry blond looming over him. "Give me one reason that I shouldn't make you eat your words," Yamato said in a dangerously soft tone. He wouldn't actually hurt Daisuke, and it was something that they both knew. Daisuke just grinned back unrepentantly.

"Because I wanted to give you this," Daisuke said suddenly, pulling a small box out of seemingly thin air and holding it in front of Yamato's nose. The blond looked at it, his eyes crossing before he remembered to lean back for a better look. It was wrapped in bright blue paper.

"You've already had enough pink this week," Daisuke said quietly, tapping a finger on the box to indicate the color choice for the paper.. "I even wrapped it myself," he said proudly.

Yamato dragged his eyes away from the box and back to Daisuke, watching the play of emotions on the boy's face. There was hope, and fear, and the normal daring that Yamato had come to associate with the younger boy. His eyes were wide, and staring at Yamato expectantly.

"You got me a gift," the blond said, his voice little above a whisper. Daisuke nodded, his lips shifting into a hesitant grin. It made Yamato's chest squeeze as he reached for the box.

Daisuke stopped the blond when he moved to open the present right then. "You have to wait until tomorrow to open it. It's a Valentine's Day present, after all," he laughed slightly, his grin coming out in full-force as he seemed to regain his confidence. He reached out and caught the blond in surprise by tickling his sides. Daisuke ducked under Yamato's arm, laughing as he escaped back to the living room. The blond smiled, shaking his head and chuckling as he followed.

I -will- be posting on V-day, no fear! FF.net will be down, but the latest part is available at my site. http://www.baseofoperation.org

Or, you can visit the page for the story itself: http://www.baseofoperation.org/raegan_indulgingheart.html