A/N: I no own.
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Both Takeru and Yamato heard Hikari's soft sobs, but neither knew what to do or say. Yamato forced himself to take one hand off the steering wheel, wipe it dry on his pants, then do the same with the other. He glanced at Takeru to make sure he wasn't watching, then rubbed hard at his eyes. Crying was bad, especially now.
He could NOT cry in front of Takeru, or Hikari. There are just some people you don't cry in front of. In Yamato's case, he oath to never cry ever again in his life.
They drove in relative silence after that. So much time passed. He forced himself to focus on the road, not his brother, or Hikari. He wanted more than anything to give Hikari a hug, and apologize.
When he finally got up the courage to move again, he checked his watch. They'd be there in fifteen or twenty minutes, if traffic was good. Then they'd have an entire hour to find and talk to Taichi before the Tournament started.
"Well," Yamato said at last. The thickness in his voice caused Hikari to look up, face tear-strained, and Takeru to jump slightly, jerking from where he had been staring out his window. "We'll be there soon."
Hikari quickly began wiping hard at her face. It was okay if Takeru hated her, because she didn't need him anyway!
A moment later she hid her face and fought tears valiantly. If Taichi saw she had been crying, he'd immediately blame it on Takeru or Yamato.
Takeru blinked slowly. "Too young," he said at last, more to himself. Suddenly, he looked over at Yamato.
"Matt," he said firmly.
Yamato glanced at him, but only quickly. His lips were in a tight line. 'please, Takeru, understand...'
"Hikari," Takeru continued, in a somewhat gentler tone. She forced herself to look up. She wiped hard at her eyes and nose. Found an old tissue box and used it.
Takeru didn't look too sure, then; like he knew what he wanted to say, but didn't know how to say it. to distract himself, Yamato took a quick drink of his orange juice, finishing it.
"Do you guys love each other?"
Yamato choked, almost crashed into a tree, and everybody jumped as he struggled to regain control of the vehicle. Once he did, he covered his mouth, trying not to admit that he'd just given himself the hiccups.
Hikari looked up, then shifted her gaze from Yamato, to Takeru, then to Yamato again. Did she love him?
Yamato was thinking the same thing. Reflections spread through their minds, and thoughts, too.
"Takeru, do you love Hikari?" Yamato asked after a moment.
"Of course, just like Taichi and Miyako and the others."
This time it was Hikari who choked. Yamato passed her a water bottle.
"I asked if you guys loved each other, not like I love Hikari, but like a married couple would love each other."
"You don't hate me?" Hikari blurted. Takeru looked back at her, and offered a smile. "I couldn't hate you if my life depended on it."
"But, I thought..."
Takeru sat back, frowning slightly out his window. "I thought that too. I mean, that I loved Hikari like a lover would. But now that I know... I'm not really hurting, you know? Shouldn't I be, like, in tears or something? But all I'm concerned about is if you two are happy, and if you're in love."
He paused.
"So, do you two love each other?"
Again, silence. Except this time, with a large amount lifted off their shoulders, Yamato and Hikari could actually think about the question straight.
Love like a brother? Or love like a lover?
Hikari looked out the window. Yamato missed the turn-off, swore, and once they were back on the right road he lapsed into thoughts again.
Takeru waited patiently.
"That's... a difficult question, TK," Yamato said at last, turning into a gravel parking lot (that was UGE).
Hikari breathed out slowly. "Can we have more time?"
Takeru shrugged. "You have... what was it, a month ago that this all started? Okay, then, you have eight months."
Yamato and Hikari both smiled a little.
Yamato parked the car, then sighed slowly.
"See, Hikari? Told you it would take a bunch of weight off your chest." Yamato said.
"I bet it took more off of yours," Hikari commented, dryly. All three of them laughed.
They got out of the car, and headed towards a big field, with a LARGE stadium around it. there were figures out running around and shouting and stuff.
.
.
.
Both Takeru and Yamato heard Hikari's soft sobs, but neither knew what to do or say. Yamato forced himself to take one hand off the steering wheel, wipe it dry on his pants, then do the same with the other. He glanced at Takeru to make sure he wasn't watching, then rubbed hard at his eyes. Crying was bad, especially now.
He could NOT cry in front of Takeru, or Hikari. There are just some people you don't cry in front of. In Yamato's case, he oath to never cry ever again in his life.
They drove in relative silence after that. So much time passed. He forced himself to focus on the road, not his brother, or Hikari. He wanted more than anything to give Hikari a hug, and apologize.
When he finally got up the courage to move again, he checked his watch. They'd be there in fifteen or twenty minutes, if traffic was good. Then they'd have an entire hour to find and talk to Taichi before the Tournament started.
"Well," Yamato said at last. The thickness in his voice caused Hikari to look up, face tear-strained, and Takeru to jump slightly, jerking from where he had been staring out his window. "We'll be there soon."
Hikari quickly began wiping hard at her face. It was okay if Takeru hated her, because she didn't need him anyway!
A moment later she hid her face and fought tears valiantly. If Taichi saw she had been crying, he'd immediately blame it on Takeru or Yamato.
Takeru blinked slowly. "Too young," he said at last, more to himself. Suddenly, he looked over at Yamato.
"Matt," he said firmly.
Yamato glanced at him, but only quickly. His lips were in a tight line. 'please, Takeru, understand...'
"Hikari," Takeru continued, in a somewhat gentler tone. She forced herself to look up. She wiped hard at her eyes and nose. Found an old tissue box and used it.
Takeru didn't look too sure, then; like he knew what he wanted to say, but didn't know how to say it. to distract himself, Yamato took a quick drink of his orange juice, finishing it.
"Do you guys love each other?"
Yamato choked, almost crashed into a tree, and everybody jumped as he struggled to regain control of the vehicle. Once he did, he covered his mouth, trying not to admit that he'd just given himself the hiccups.
Hikari looked up, then shifted her gaze from Yamato, to Takeru, then to Yamato again. Did she love him?
Yamato was thinking the same thing. Reflections spread through their minds, and thoughts, too.
"Takeru, do you love Hikari?" Yamato asked after a moment.
"Of course, just like Taichi and Miyako and the others."
This time it was Hikari who choked. Yamato passed her a water bottle.
"I asked if you guys loved each other, not like I love Hikari, but like a married couple would love each other."
"You don't hate me?" Hikari blurted. Takeru looked back at her, and offered a smile. "I couldn't hate you if my life depended on it."
"But, I thought..."
Takeru sat back, frowning slightly out his window. "I thought that too. I mean, that I loved Hikari like a lover would. But now that I know... I'm not really hurting, you know? Shouldn't I be, like, in tears or something? But all I'm concerned about is if you two are happy, and if you're in love."
He paused.
"So, do you two love each other?"
Again, silence. Except this time, with a large amount lifted off their shoulders, Yamato and Hikari could actually think about the question straight.
Love like a brother? Or love like a lover?
Hikari looked out the window. Yamato missed the turn-off, swore, and once they were back on the right road he lapsed into thoughts again.
Takeru waited patiently.
"That's... a difficult question, TK," Yamato said at last, turning into a gravel parking lot (that was UGE).
Hikari breathed out slowly. "Can we have more time?"
Takeru shrugged. "You have... what was it, a month ago that this all started? Okay, then, you have eight months."
Yamato and Hikari both smiled a little.
Yamato parked the car, then sighed slowly.
"See, Hikari? Told you it would take a bunch of weight off your chest." Yamato said.
"I bet it took more off of yours," Hikari commented, dryly. All three of them laughed.
They got out of the car, and headed towards a big field, with a LARGE stadium around it. there were figures out running around and shouting and stuff.
