Disclaimer - I don't own anything.

A/N: Okay, here's probably the worst chapter I've written. And, I know some of you are going to be upset with me. I'm thinking like one or two chapters after this one, then it's all over. I may do an epilogue, if you guys want me to. Princess Lightina, feel free to archive my story. ^^ I don't mind. Thank you everyone for the reviews! I love all of you! ^^ Enjoy the chapter!

Crossing Paths - Chapter Twelve

"Fine." I say, giving in. I think I should have just hung up. There's a click. Hmph, he didn't even say good-bye. I look at the clock in the kitchen, and do a double take. It can't be nine o'clock, it just can't be. What could Taichi possibly want at nine o'clock at night? What could be so important? In a few minutes there's a knock at the door. I get up and answer it. Taichi smiles at me, standing in the doorway. I give him a skeptical look.

"I called from the pay phone outside." He answers my unspoken question. I nod and step to the side to let him in. "Thanks." He says. I hear him sit on the couch as I close the door. I turn to him.

"So, why did you call me at nine at night, and beg me to let you come over? And, why did you call from a pay phone?" I sit down next to him. I hope I look a little bit concerned. I don't usually worry myself about other people, but he sounded upset, so I should at least look like I give a shit.

He shrugs. "I was in the neighborhood."

I arch my eyebrow. "At nine o'clock at night." He nods. "Calling me from a pay phone." He nods again. "What's the real reason?"

"That was the real reason." He says in response. There's a short silence, and then he sighs. "Okay, so I wasn't 'just in the neighborhood'."

"I know that. Tell me why you called me at nine at night from a pay phone." He mumbles something under his breath. "What?" I ask.

"I don't know. I had someone drop me off... I didn't think you'd come get me." He rambles on. Okay, something really must be wrong. I arch my eyebrow.

"Come get you? From where?" I question. He's really starting to worry me now. What the hell is he talking about? Why did he chose to come over here? He only lives ten minutes away. Why couldn't he have just went home?

"From the party."

"When the hell did you go to a party? Why the hell did you go to a party?" He gives me a pleading look, as the questions fly out of my mouth. Okay, so maybe I'm overreacting about the party, but it's the fact that he wouldn't call me and have me go pick him up. He should know better, shouldn't he? Plus, what could have happened to make him come to me?

He sighs. "After you dropped me off, a friend came and got me." I open my mouth to say something else, but he continues before I can. "I got a ride home with some creep, and ten minutes more was too long to sit in the car with him. So, I told him I lived here." For some reason, I don't fully believe him, but what else can I do? Not much.

"Am I taking you home then?" I ask, massaging my forehead with my hand.

He shakes his head. "My mom thinks I'm with you."

I shake my head as well. "Fine." I get up off the couch, and go get a blanket from the closet. I walk back to Taichi and hand it to him. "You get the couch." He smirks at me, and I laugh. "You're sleeping on the couch, so don't even ask." He laughs.

"What? I wasn't gonna ask anything!" He defends himself, crossing his arms across his chest.

I nod. "Right, Tai." For some odd reason him sleeping with me became an inside joke. Scary thing is, I would probably tell him he could if it wasn't. Good thing it is then.

I walk into my room, and strip down to my boxers, then get in bed. I don't go to sleep right away, instead I stare at the ceiling for over an hour. I close my eyes, and I feel the bed shift. I laugh. "Tai, what the hell are you doing?"

He laughs as well. "Shh, you're supposed to be asleep." He whispers.

I shake my head. "Oh, right. Sorry, I forgot." I whisper back, laughing slightly. There's a short silence, and I would have thought Taichi was asleep except his breathing wasn't even enough. "Did something try to get you out there?" I ask jokingly.

I feel the bed shake slightly when he nods. "Yeah, the monster in your kitchen. He was trying to eat me." He pauses, then asks as if it's surprising, "You're going to let me sleep in here?"

I roll my eyes even though he can't see me. "You're here, aren't you?"

"Yeah," He replies. I feel him shift, then his side is pressed against mine, and I can feel his breath on my cheek. "Hey Yama?" He says after a moment.

"Hey what?" I reply. I turn my head to look at him through the darkness of the room. He's laying on his stomach, and he's pretty damn close. Hasn't he ever heard of staying out of someone's personal space? Obviously not.

"Thanks for letting me stay. Even though I called at nine at night," His voice gets quieter as he finishes his sentence. "And for not taking me home."

All at once, I feel my lips on his. But, I can't seem to remember who kissed who. I don't know how long the kiss lasts because I don't know when it started. I don't know how it started. Shit, I don't even know why it started. Finally, I pull back first. I'm breathless? That kiss couldn't have been longer than a few seconds, could it? I feel the bed move, and then I hear a loud thud. I lay there staring at the ceiling, and when I don't hear Taichi say anything I ask, "Are you okay?"

I feel his side of the bed shift, and he says, "Yeah."

He doesn't say any more to me, just crawls under the covers and faces away from me... Probably as far away as he possibly can. At least, it seems like it. Ah, must of been me who kissed him. Thoughts flood my mind as I remember what just happened. I have sense some déjà vu. Something flashes in my head, telling me this has happened before. I see images of Taichi laying in bed next to me, but he's younger some how. I'm in the same situation. I shake my head free of the thoughts, and close my eyes. Unconsciousness takes over me after a few seconds.

I wake up in the morning and find the spot next to me empty. My heart sinks as I realize Taichi isn't in the bed anymore. Then all the memories flood my brain like some deadly virus. I remember everything, and I now realize why he's not in bed laying next to me. I remember why I didn't remember knowing Taichi years ago. The same shit happened then, as it's happening now. Except this time, we're in my dad's apartment opposed to my mother's. How can someone that's six years old have feelings for someone else? And know how to show them?

How can Taichi be the same as he was thirteen years ago? Running away like that'll solve everything. My stomach twists as the pain returns. He just freaked out. Yeah, that has to be it. He doesn't know what he should say. Or something. I remember waking up the next day, and on the verge of tears when my mother told me that he'd went home. I couldn't figure out what I'd done. I had spent months trying to figure it out. I'd tried to talk to Taichi, but he wouldn't even look at me. Okay, when we were six, it might have been a little different. But, now being nineteen--Running away isn't the answer.

I sit up, and all the blood rushes from my head, making me dizzy. Or, maybe I'm dizzy from my realization. The pounding in my head almost makes me lay back down, but I push myself up and out of my bed. I stumble out to the main room of the apartment. I look around for a few minutes and realize that Taichi really did leave. I make it back to my room, I glance at the clock and remember that I have school today. I only have about five minutes to get ready, but who says I'm even going to school?

I crawl back into bed, but don't go to sleep. We had been friends since we were babies. At least that's what our parents had told us. And, by six years old I had developed feelings for him? I was six years old for goodness sakes. How can that even be possible? I had been so sure that Taichi felt the same though. All the vibes he gave off told me he did. Just like this time around, but I didn't even realize I had fallen for him. Actually, I didn't even know I was gay. But, one night when he was sleeping over, like he always had, I kissed him. He freaked and never talked to me again. I wonder if he remembers after last night. What if he remembered before that? Why would he mess with me then?

I feel my heart aching as I remember more and more. The exhaustion from all the memories finally takes over my body, and I slip into unconsciousness. I wake up to my mother's face. I stare at her for a few minutes then realize that she looks worried. "What?" I choke out.

"Are you alright, baby?" She asks me, her face masked with so much worry. "Takeru stopped by because you hadn't been in school, and found you sweating and crying in your sleep. He couldn't wake you up though, so he came and got me." She rambles on.

I shake my head. "Well, I'm fine now." I reply with the best masked reassurance I can work up. Truth is, I'm really not okay, but she doesn't have to know that.

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Aero-Grrl: That was it. The confrontation is in the next chapter. That should be fun. Please review! You guys have been the best! ^^ Thanks! I think next chapter is the last chapter. Geez, I never thought I would be saying that. O_o -Ciao