Reviews Reviews Reviews! Aren't they just wonderful? Let's answer them
now, shall we Ryamon?
Ryamon: Sure IV
Sillie: Evil cliffy's are the best cliffy's. They make you wanna keep reading don't they?
vialana: Tai's got competition all right. Kei is evil! Even though I made him that way. Matt would choose Tai....if it was his decision. And yes, Tai is way hotter and Kei is an ass.
nEo-cHaN: Kei IS mean, but it has to be done. Tai would win the contest even if he was all battered up.
Aero-Grrl: *joins AG in Kei-Kicking* I hate him so much in this story. Just look what he did to Tai! It'll all be good in the end.
Hannio: Everyone wants Matt. He's too popular and hot for his own good. I love them both too.
madkornfan: No I haven't seen you. But I'm not sure if that's a compliment or just a saying.....oh well! Thanx for reading.
CCPheonix: I'm not mad, just....spontaneous. And I would LOVE to kill Kei, but I needed him for this chapter. And on a side note, you're not a mutant.
Angel Ran: You I've never seen around before either. Thanks for reading. Kei is a sneaky bastard. And it's a relief to know I'm not the only one with short-term memory.
And that's all for reviews. This whole chapter is the longest out of all my chapters from everything I've ever written: 13 pages. Thanks for reading guys, enjoy this chapter.
Ryamon: If you can with Ta-
RYAMON! You'll give everything away! Continue on and forth!
Author's POV
****************************************************************************
Mimi was pacing around the room impatiently.
"Where the hell is he?" she murmured to herself. Sora lifted her head and glanced over to her companion.
"Where the hell is who, Meems?" she inquired as she got up from her chair.
"Tai. I sent him to go get dressed 20 minutes ago and he hasn't come back yet." She replied.
"Where did you send him?" Sora asked as she and Mimi stepped out of the private dressing room.
"I have no idea. But I have a good guess." She said, pointing to the Boys bathroom. They exchanged looks and shook their heads.
"No way." They said at the same time.
"Hey, why don't we just go and find Matt?" Sora suggested.
"Works for me." Mimi replied and the two girls turned around and went to search for Matt.
********************************** Matt's POV *******************************
This is one interesting way to spend a birthday, judging a male model contest. Who would have thought? However, the contest doesn't start for another half an hour, so I get some down time to relax. I was currently chilling out in the judges' lounge room, stretched out on a sofa. I closed my eyes and shut out the world. But of course when you're me, quiet never lasts long.
"You have to let us in there. We need to talk to him!" a female voice said urgently.
"Sorry girls, but you cannot see him. You can get autographs later but right now he's busy." The security guard answered her.
"We don't need autographs, we need to talk to Matt! It's super important!" a second female voice stated. Upon hearing my name, I walked out to where the voices were.
"Is there a problem Mr. Jensen?" I asked the guard.
"There are two young girls here that are insisting to see you." He replied.
"Matt it's us. We need to talk to you." Sora's voice said to me.
"It's ok, let them in." I commanded the guard. He nodded and stepped aside to allow Sora and Mimi in.
"So what's going on girls?" I asked them as I sat back down on my sofa.
"Matt, please tell me that you know where Tai is?" Mimi said. Uh oh. She's pissed.
"Um, actually, I have no idea. You might want to check the food court." I said jokingly. She glared at me, shutting me up in an instant.
"Matt, I'm serious here! We need to find him and fast." She said in a high pitched voice.
"Have any ideas as to where he might have gone?" I asked them as I followed the two outside the lounge.
"The last thing Meems said to him was to go and get changed. And that was 25 minutes ago. So we're thinking he's in the Boys bathroom. Can you go look for us?" Sora asked me.
"Wish I could guys, but I really need to get back to preparing stuff." I told them.
"Please Yama?" Mimi pleaded. Then they both gave me their puppy look. I CAN'T RESIST THE PUPPY LOOK!
"Fine, I'll go and look." I groaned in defeat. They both squealed and threw their arms around my neck and waist.
"Thanks Matt!" They said simultaneously as they hugged me tighter.
"No problem, but can you please lay off a bit? I can't breath!" I said in a raspy voice. They both let go instantly.
"Damn, you two are scary during puberty." I commented.
"MATT!" They cried at the same time and tried to hit me. I started to laugh and dodged their hits. I ran down the halls and found the Boys bathroom. Although, I still don't see why Tai would still be in there after 25 minutes. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and walked inside.
"Tai? Ya in here, dude?" I called as I walked around. I checked all the stalls. No Tai.
"Where the devil could he be?" I wondered aloud as I leaned my hand against a wall. However, the wall wasn't there, causing me to fall over and land hard.
"What the hell....?" I trailed off as I looked at the hidden area. Looks like they built on to the old restroom. I wandered back towards the no longer used area.
"Even still has the sinks." I murmured to myself. Suddenly I slipped and fell again, only this time from a puddle of water. I sat up a tad dazed and looked for the location that the puddle was forming from. I heard a distant dripping sound coming from my left. I got up and walked toward the sound.
"Where on earth is that dripping?" I asked myself, frustrated that my friends sent me in here in the first place. I walked down to the end of the room, following little puddles along the way. Then I found my source, and was petrified. There was a person standing in front of the sink, with their head under a sink full of water. And what more, the person had a large amount of brown hair......just like..wait!
"TAI!" I shouted in surprise as I ran over to my best friend. He was attached to the sink with duct tape over his neck, making him unable to lift his head.
"What the hell happened to you?" I asked him. Then I mentally slapped myself, realizing he couldn't hear me.
"Just hang in there, Tai. I'm working on it." I told him. Why the hell am I being so stupid? I ripped the duct tape off of his neck and pulled him out of the water.
"Tai! Tai, can you hear me?" I asked him. I started to shake him around, trying to get him to wake up. I felt for a pulse and waited. And waited. And waited. No response.
"What the heck? Tai, don't do this to me!" I cried, feeling the panic arising in me. Then I did the only thing I could do. I laid him flat on his back and started doing CPR. Breath into his mouth, push on his chest 3 times. Or was it 5?
"Perfect time to forget things Yamato." I scolded myself. I tried again. Breath into his mouth, push on his chest. Still no response from him.
"Damn it Tai, wake up!" I said desperately. Once more, Yamato. Calm yourself. Breath into his mouth. Press on his chest. Breath into his mouth. Press on his chest. Breath into his mouth. I placed my lips over his, breathing into him. Suddenly he started kissing me back. Surprised, and a bit horrified, I jerked away from Tai and stood up. He opened his eyes and sat up slowly. He stared at me for a bit and then stood up.
"I'm so sorry Matt." He apologized, eyes glistening with tears, and ran out of the bathroom. All I could do was stand there dumbfounded.
"My best friend just kissed me." I said to myself. Just the thought scared me.
"What's even scarier, I liked it." I whispered to no one in particular.
*********************************** Tai's POV ***********************
Oh god. Oh god oh god oh god!!! What the hell did I just do? I just kissed my best friend while he was performing CPR! I feel like such an idiot now. A very cold and wet idiot at that. Surpressing tears for the 2nd time that day, I burst into the dressing room where the two girls were.
"Tai!" they cried out at the same time and jumped up from the table. I glanced at them and then just collapsed.
"Tai! What's going on?" Sora asked as she lifted me up and set me on the couch.
"Where have you been? And why are you soaking wet?" Mimi questioned as she got out her blow dryer and a towel.
"I just ruined everything there could have been." I said quietly. Damn emotions, I started crying again anyway.
"What happened?" Sora asked kindly as she dried my hair. I told them everything, from my conversation with Kei to his attempt to drown me and ended with my account of taking advantage of Matt.
"What exactly does Kei want?" Mimi asked me.
"The same thing I want." I replied with a bitter edge in my voice.
"Kei wants Matt?" Sora asked, quite surprised. I nodded, causing more tears to fall freely.
"He said *hic* he'd do anything to get rid *hic* of me. And that by the *hic* end of the day, Matt would be *hic* his." I said between hiccups. Mimi looked sympathetic, while Sora looked ready to kill.
"What a low down sleazy piece of-" she stopped herself. Mimi just shook her head.
"Well, looks like we're just gonna have to fight fire with water." She said.
"Isn't the saying fight fire with fire?" I asked her. She nodded and plugged in the blow dryer.
"Yea. But water puts out fire. And we need all the water we can get to put this guy out of the competition." She said grimly and turned on the blow dryer.
********************************* Matt's POV **********************************
I'm not sure how I made it back to the judge room after that, but I guess I did because I was greeted with Mr. Balcom, one of the judges.
"There you are! We're about to start." He said to me as he grabbed my arm. I started to protest, but he didn't seem to care. Accursed adults.
"Matt! Wait up!" a female voice shouted from behind me. I whirled around just in time to see Mimi crash into me.
"Meems, I don't have time for this. I need to get going." I explained to her.
"Wait a sec, Matt. Oh, I know it's in here somewhere." She said as she searched through her pockets.
"Aha! Found you, you little sneak." She said as she produced a piece of paper from her pocket.
"Take this and read it." She told me as she shoved the note in my hand.
"Ok, I will." I promised her. She smiled in triumph.
"Good. Now get you beautiful butt out there to judge." She commanded me and.....slapped my ass? I turned around and stared at her.
"Sorry. Old habit?" she shrugged. I shook my head and headed out of the room. I looked around and saw Balcom waving his hands around. I jogged over there and sat down.
"We're starting in about 2 minutes." He told me. I nodded and looked over the score sheets. Same old stuff as usual. Then I remembered the note Mimi gave me. And everyone knows curiosity is my weakness. I opened the note up and started to read it.
Hey Matt,
Listen. I'm not as ditzy as people take me for. But it's a good cover-up. That way I can hide people's secrets that they don't even know. Like you for example. I know that you are in love with Tai. You can't deny it Yamato. But don't worry about it. Your secret is safe with the ditz. It's so cute actually. My best advice is just tell him. I know he feels the same, trust me. Just don't break his heart.
Mimi
Ps: watch him today.
What the hell? I have no feelings for Tai whatsoever. What does Mimi think she's trying to do? And how would she know what Tai feels? I do not like Tai that way!
'Then why did you enjoy kissing him?' a little voice in my head asked me. That's a very good question. Why DID I like it? I mean, Tai's my best friend. My MALE best friend.
'Maybe because you've fantasized about it before.' The annoying voice said. Now that I think about it, that is kind of true. I guess I've always been attracted to Tai. It's just sort of weird, thinking of your best friend like that. Your best friend of the same sex. This is just so confusing. Do I like Tai, or don't I? I'll figure it out later, I don't have time for this love teenage emotions crap. The contest is about to start.
********************************** Author's POV *****************************
A young man with brown hair jumped up onto the stage.
"Hello everybody and welcome to the 5th annual Odaiba High Male Model contest. My name is Sean McGuy and I'm your host for the afternoon. Today we have many handsome high school guys here waiting to show our judges what they are made of. So now without further adieu, here are our contestants." Sean announced as the curtains drew away revealing the 13 contestants.
"You know, this is being run more like a beauty pageant then a model contest." Matt whispered to Mr. Balcom. Mr. Balcom hushed him into silence and pointed onto the stage, stating to pay attention to the contest. Matt slouched down in his chair and looked back up at the stage.
"This is going to be a loooooooong day." Matt murmured to himself. He sat back trying to remember why he decided to stick with this job.
'Because you found out that Tai was in the contest.' That little voice returned inside his head. He had to agree though, that was partially true. He had confirmed his suspicions now. Mimi was right, he had fallen for Tai. He glanced at the contestants but he didn't see the one he was looking for.
"How does she expect me to watch him if he's not even up there to begin with?" he muttered to himself.
"Hey Ishida, quit talking to yourself. Not a very good image for yourself." A judge named Draco told him. (A/N: Just because I believe the Draco from Harry Potter is a pain in the ass doesn't mean I can't love his name. Sounds like dragon. =D) Draco seemed like a decent guy. Just graduated from high school himself in London, he was really the only other guy on the judge panel he could relate to.
"Sorry, Draco. Just stuff on my mind ya know?" he said casually as he continued to search for Tai.
"So who ya looking for?" Draco said abruptly. Matt was caught off-guard.
"Who says I was looking for someone?" Matt said defensively.
"Duh, you just said something about watching someone. So who is it?" Draco asked as he leaned back in his chair. He started to place his feet on the table but was sent a scowl by Balcom. Draco sent his own back at him and looked over to Matt.
"Oh, just someone I know. My best friend actually." Matt said, again attempting to sound casual. However, he was getting nervous now. Draco had a reputation of prying into other people's lives without them realizing it.
"The same best friend that you supposedly have a crush on?" Draco said with a smirk on his face. Matt felt his face grow hot.
"Where on earth did you get that idea?" he said with a nervous laugh. Draco kept the smirk on his face as he placed his hand in front of Matt's face. Nestled between his index and middle finger was a piece of paper. Matt's eyes widened in horror. 'Not only does Draco have a reputation for prying, he has a reputation for pick-pocketing.' Matt remembered sullenly.
"Hey Matt. Listen. I'm not as ditzy as people take me for. But it's a good cover-up. That way I can hide people's secrets that they don't even know. Like you for example. I know that you are in love with Tai. You can't deny it Yamato. But don't worry about it. Your secret is safe with the ditz. It's so cute actually." Draco read off the paper in a ridiculously high-pitched voice.
"Keep it down will you?" Matt whispered frantically. Draco laughed and shoved the note back into Matt's hand.
"So, you have a crush on this Tai fellow?" Draco asked, obviously amused by this situation.
"No." Matt automatically responded. Draco raised a blonde eyebrow.
"Well, maybe. I dunno." He replied truthfully.
"How can you not know your own feelings smart ass?" Draco asked with a grin.
"It's hard to explain. I'm totally confused." Matt answered him, the contest now totally forgotten at the moment.
"Well, how do you feel whenever you're around him?" Draco asked as he grabbed a notepad and a pair of black glasses without frames.
"Oh drop the psychiatrist act would you?" Matt said, trying not to snicker.
"All right I get your point. Anyway, what are your feelings like? Honestly." Draco added.
"Well, most of the time we're cool, you know? Like we always are, just two best guy friends enjoying each other's company. Then there'll be times where things are really strange. I'm totally uncomfortable around him and more sensitive to him I suppose." Matt explained. Draco rolled his eyes and snorted.
"Yea, like I'll believe that bullshit, Ishida." He said with his British accent. Matt looked at him curiously, wondering whether he was always like this, or if he had just gone mad.
"More along the lines of.....feel nervous yet sort of giddy around the bloke?" Draco said. Matt gaped at him, appearing not to understand.
"So I'm right?" Draco said. Matt nodded and signed.
"Does he love you?" Draco asked curiously. Matt shrugged and watched the contest. He looked at the contestants and searched through them. Finally he saw Tai. The brunette beauty had dried off and was out with the other models, but Matt saw that he was slightly limping. 'Must have tried to put up a struggle with his attacker.' He thought as he continued staring at him.
"So, which one's Tai?" Draco's voice said out of nowhere, startling Matt out of his musing.
"The only one with gravity-defying hair." Matt replied as he continued to follow his every move.
"The brunette in the middle, with the green tanktop?" Draco asked, pointing him out. Matt nodded, not really paying much attention to Draco's babbling. Draco also watched Tai with interest.
"He's pretty cute." Draco said casually. Matt started to agree, but then Draco's words sunk in.
"What?" Matt asked as he glanced over to his friend.
"I said he's cute. What's so bad about that?" Draco said, grinning at Matt. Matt stared at him for a bit, trying to figure out why the hell a straight guy would say another guy is cute. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks.
"You're gay aren't you?" Matt asked as he turned to face Draco. He just smirked and opened his eyes.
"Actually I'm bi, but it's the same to me." He said. Matt stared some more and then smacked Draco behind the head.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked in a whiny voice.
"Because I love watching you squirm." Draco answered arrogantly.
"You are an ass you know that?" Matt sighed as he turned around to judge the last round.
"No I didn't. But your friend has a nice one." Draco said slyly. Matt let out a low growl and glared at him. Draco laughed and marked his scores.
"Just pullin' your leg mate. I wouldn't steal him." Draco said with a wink. Matt shook his head and handed in his score sheet for the first round.
"So you going to tell him?" he asked Matt as they waited for the next round to start.
"Maybe. Depends on how the rest of today goes I guess." Matt replied as they got out the next scoresheets and prepared for round two.
"You should. Chances are he loves you." Draco said logically.
"Yea, but what if he doesn't? Then I look like an idiot and lose my best friend." Matt explained as he chewed on the end of the pen in his hand. Draco sighed and took the pen out of his hand.
"Quit being a prat and just go for it. If you two really are best friends, a little thing like this won't come between you." Draco said as he wiped Matt's drool from his pen.
"How do you know for sure, Drac? What if you're wrong?" Matt said, feeling a bit frustrated by this point.
"I just do mate. Trust me, it's happened to the best of us." Draco reassured him.
"What do you mean by that?" Matt asked, eager for answers while he had the chance.
"Look. When I first realized I was bi, it was because I was crushing on my best friend. So I told him that. He didn't feel the same way though." Draco told Matt. Matt looked slightly alarmed.
"But, he accepted me for it and said he was sorry. So we're still best friends even today. And this was about 2 years ago." Draco added quickly.
"So the worst that could happen is that he could say no." Matt repeated to himself. Draco nodded.
"You got that right kid. It'll all turn out in the end." He said confidently. Matt merely nodded and went back into his own fantasies.
Meanwhile, Tai was back in his dressing room changing into his tux. He was thinking about Matt again, and how he screwed everything up.
"I can't believe I did that. I wouldn't be surprised if he's totally repulsed about me by now. Stupid egotistical dumbass!" Tai scolded himself. He was interrupted by a knock on the door however. Mimi walked in.
"Hey. How's it going so far?" she asked him as she sat down.
"It's ok. It hurts to walk though. I think Kei might have banged up my leg before he attempted to drown me." He replied as he gingerly knelt on the floor in front of her.
"How much time do I have?" he asked Mimi. She checked her watch and then looked at a paper in her hand.
"About ten minutes. Sora went to find Kari and TK." Mimi answered the unasked question.
"Ok. Think this is actually going to work?" Tai asked her suddenly. Mimi blinked in surprise.
"Is what going to work?" she asked curiously.
"The plan to get him to notice me and fall for me." Tai said as he stood up.
"I have no idea if it will or not. Let's hope it does." She said with a cheerful smile and followed him out of the room. She checked her watch again and sighed.
"Looks like you're up next Kamiya. Good luck." She said as she gave him a hug.
"Thanks. See you in a bit." He called behind him as he walked over to the runway.
"Are you Tai?" the assistant asked. He nodded and looked around.
"Get up here. You're on next." She told him as she practically threw him up there.
"Jeez, people need to calm down." Tai murmured to himself.
"And now for our next model, Tai Kamiya." Sean announced as Tai walked out onto the runway. He walked the way Mimi had showed him and looked around the crowd. He could see Sora, Mimi, and Kari towards the back. He grinned and stopped at the end of the runway. He started doing different poses, not really hearing what Sean was saying about him. He just focused on the blonde in front of him.
Only, something wasn't right about this scene. While Tai was trying to make eye contact with Matt, Matt was talking to the guy next to him. He seemed to be having a good conversation going on with him.
'Must be more interesting then me.' Tai thought glumly as his grin began to fade. Then he remembered the last thing Mimi told him.
"Never stop smiling. It's the thing that docks you every time. Besides, you look so cute when you smile." She said inside his head. He replanted the grin on his face. However, it still felt false.
Down in the judges' panel, Matt was talking to Draco again. He had to do anything possible not to look at Tai.
"Matt, he's watching you mate." Draco said as he watched Tai.
"Oh well. I don't care." Matt said childishly.
"Matt quit being a prick. If you give off the wrong impression, you will lose your love. Not to mention your friendship." Draco warned him.
"I thought you said that wouldn't happen!" Matt exclaimed in a whisper.
"Ah, I said if you declared the fact that you fancy him. But if you ignore him, he'll just become pissed." Draco said. Matt took a deep breath and thought about that. In the end, he looked up at him.
"That's better." Draco whispered as Tai posed again. He looked down at Matt and paused. His brown eyes were filled with hurt and confusion. Although he was still grinning, Matt realized that he was already upset.
'Shit what am I suppose to do now?' he thought frantically, desperate not to lose him. 'What do Sora and Mimi do whenever they want to attract someone's attention?' he thought, trying to remember. Then it came back to him. He looked up at Tai and watched him carefully. Once he had made eye contact again, he started his own plan. He winked at him.
Tai stared at him in mid-pose, trying to figure out what the heck Matt just did. Then he figured it out. Slowly, but surly.
"Two can play this game." He said under his breath. His grin grew wider and he posed again. This time however, he took off his coat and threw it aside. Underneath the coat was a white long-sleeve button up shirt. Only it was mostly unbuttoned, revealing a fine portion of his chest to Matt's prying eyes. Matt's eyes widened, not taking his eyes off of Tai now. He saw Tai smirk at him and turn.
'He's playing games is he?' Matt thought. He waited for Tai to turn back to him and caught his eye again. He slowly started rubbing his pen to his lips, licking them after. He started moving his tongue around inside his mouth and sat back to watch Tai's reaction.
Tai could hardly stand it anymore. 'A hard-on is not the best thing to be getting in the middle of a model contest.' He told himself, trying to control himself. Thankfully he was saved as Sean called him off-stage. As he walked off, Sean announced the last contestant.
"Our last contestant today is Kei Hirotami." He said. Kei walked onto the runway and went to exactly the same spot as Tai was. He turned a bit, but didn't really pose. Then he caught Matt's eye and winked at him. Matt shot back his own look of horror and scooted closer to Draco.
"Blimey, who is that git?" Draco asked him.
"That's Kei. He's the biggest prick in Odaiba." Matt said through gritted teeth.
"Why's that?" Draco asked
"Because he always tries to beat the crap out of Tai for no reason." Matt explained as he forced himself to watch Kei. He started twisting his face in odd ways and moving his tongue, at Matt. Implying.........
"What the hell is this guy's problem?" Mimi asked as she watched him in disgust.
"Who knows?" Sora said as she too watched uncomfortably. They had gotten seats too far to really see what was going on up there, but Kari was giving them details from her binoculars.
"Oh my gosh. Guys, he's hitting on Matt!" Kari exclaimed.
"Say what?" Sora and Mimi said together as they stood up. Sora took the binoculars from Kari and looked ahead.
"I'm going to kill that asshole." She growled as she handed the binoculars to Mimi. Mimi looked towards Matt.
"Well, at least Matt's as repulsed by it as we are." She said cheerfully.
"I hope you're right." Sora said as she returned the binoculars to Kari. Kei finally got off stage and was replaced by Sean.
"And there you have it ladies and gentlemen. Our contestants for our 5th annual male model contest! The judges shall give us our winner very shortly. In the meantime......" Sean started jabbering about something else while the judges talked amongst themselves. Tai sat behind the curtain waiting for any sign of what he should be doing.
"Where the devil did you come from Kamiya?" a voice said from behind him. Tai whirled around and looked at Kei.
"Did you honestly think you could keep me out of the competition?" Tai asked him as he stood up.
"Damn you. You're suppose to be locked away!" Kei said outraged. Tai clicked his tongue.
"Such a shame that you lack confidence so much that you had to resort to cheating." He said in a mock-tone voice.
"Whatever." Was all Kei said and he disappeared through the curtain with Tai at his heels. Sean was once again on the runway, but this time he had an envelope in his hand.
"All right ladies and gentlemen, we have our winner right in this very envelope." He said as he held it up. He tore it up and read the name inside.
"And the winner is......Kei Hirotami." **************************************************************************** ** DON"T HURT ME! I did that for a good reason.
Ryamon: But for that good reason to come, you need to review.
I don't care if it's just yelling about Kei, please review. Next chapter will be up soon.
Ryamon: and will be the last, besides an epilogue.
Yup, that's right. Bai y'all!
Ryamon: Sure IV
Sillie: Evil cliffy's are the best cliffy's. They make you wanna keep reading don't they?
vialana: Tai's got competition all right. Kei is evil! Even though I made him that way. Matt would choose Tai....if it was his decision. And yes, Tai is way hotter and Kei is an ass.
nEo-cHaN: Kei IS mean, but it has to be done. Tai would win the contest even if he was all battered up.
Aero-Grrl: *joins AG in Kei-Kicking* I hate him so much in this story. Just look what he did to Tai! It'll all be good in the end.
Hannio: Everyone wants Matt. He's too popular and hot for his own good. I love them both too.
madkornfan: No I haven't seen you. But I'm not sure if that's a compliment or just a saying.....oh well! Thanx for reading.
CCPheonix: I'm not mad, just....spontaneous. And I would LOVE to kill Kei, but I needed him for this chapter. And on a side note, you're not a mutant.
Angel Ran: You I've never seen around before either. Thanks for reading. Kei is a sneaky bastard. And it's a relief to know I'm not the only one with short-term memory.
And that's all for reviews. This whole chapter is the longest out of all my chapters from everything I've ever written: 13 pages. Thanks for reading guys, enjoy this chapter.
Ryamon: If you can with Ta-
RYAMON! You'll give everything away! Continue on and forth!
Author's POV
****************************************************************************
Mimi was pacing around the room impatiently.
"Where the hell is he?" she murmured to herself. Sora lifted her head and glanced over to her companion.
"Where the hell is who, Meems?" she inquired as she got up from her chair.
"Tai. I sent him to go get dressed 20 minutes ago and he hasn't come back yet." She replied.
"Where did you send him?" Sora asked as she and Mimi stepped out of the private dressing room.
"I have no idea. But I have a good guess." She said, pointing to the Boys bathroom. They exchanged looks and shook their heads.
"No way." They said at the same time.
"Hey, why don't we just go and find Matt?" Sora suggested.
"Works for me." Mimi replied and the two girls turned around and went to search for Matt.
********************************** Matt's POV *******************************
This is one interesting way to spend a birthday, judging a male model contest. Who would have thought? However, the contest doesn't start for another half an hour, so I get some down time to relax. I was currently chilling out in the judges' lounge room, stretched out on a sofa. I closed my eyes and shut out the world. But of course when you're me, quiet never lasts long.
"You have to let us in there. We need to talk to him!" a female voice said urgently.
"Sorry girls, but you cannot see him. You can get autographs later but right now he's busy." The security guard answered her.
"We don't need autographs, we need to talk to Matt! It's super important!" a second female voice stated. Upon hearing my name, I walked out to where the voices were.
"Is there a problem Mr. Jensen?" I asked the guard.
"There are two young girls here that are insisting to see you." He replied.
"Matt it's us. We need to talk to you." Sora's voice said to me.
"It's ok, let them in." I commanded the guard. He nodded and stepped aside to allow Sora and Mimi in.
"So what's going on girls?" I asked them as I sat back down on my sofa.
"Matt, please tell me that you know where Tai is?" Mimi said. Uh oh. She's pissed.
"Um, actually, I have no idea. You might want to check the food court." I said jokingly. She glared at me, shutting me up in an instant.
"Matt, I'm serious here! We need to find him and fast." She said in a high pitched voice.
"Have any ideas as to where he might have gone?" I asked them as I followed the two outside the lounge.
"The last thing Meems said to him was to go and get changed. And that was 25 minutes ago. So we're thinking he's in the Boys bathroom. Can you go look for us?" Sora asked me.
"Wish I could guys, but I really need to get back to preparing stuff." I told them.
"Please Yama?" Mimi pleaded. Then they both gave me their puppy look. I CAN'T RESIST THE PUPPY LOOK!
"Fine, I'll go and look." I groaned in defeat. They both squealed and threw their arms around my neck and waist.
"Thanks Matt!" They said simultaneously as they hugged me tighter.
"No problem, but can you please lay off a bit? I can't breath!" I said in a raspy voice. They both let go instantly.
"Damn, you two are scary during puberty." I commented.
"MATT!" They cried at the same time and tried to hit me. I started to laugh and dodged their hits. I ran down the halls and found the Boys bathroom. Although, I still don't see why Tai would still be in there after 25 minutes. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and walked inside.
"Tai? Ya in here, dude?" I called as I walked around. I checked all the stalls. No Tai.
"Where the devil could he be?" I wondered aloud as I leaned my hand against a wall. However, the wall wasn't there, causing me to fall over and land hard.
"What the hell....?" I trailed off as I looked at the hidden area. Looks like they built on to the old restroom. I wandered back towards the no longer used area.
"Even still has the sinks." I murmured to myself. Suddenly I slipped and fell again, only this time from a puddle of water. I sat up a tad dazed and looked for the location that the puddle was forming from. I heard a distant dripping sound coming from my left. I got up and walked toward the sound.
"Where on earth is that dripping?" I asked myself, frustrated that my friends sent me in here in the first place. I walked down to the end of the room, following little puddles along the way. Then I found my source, and was petrified. There was a person standing in front of the sink, with their head under a sink full of water. And what more, the person had a large amount of brown hair......just like..wait!
"TAI!" I shouted in surprise as I ran over to my best friend. He was attached to the sink with duct tape over his neck, making him unable to lift his head.
"What the hell happened to you?" I asked him. Then I mentally slapped myself, realizing he couldn't hear me.
"Just hang in there, Tai. I'm working on it." I told him. Why the hell am I being so stupid? I ripped the duct tape off of his neck and pulled him out of the water.
"Tai! Tai, can you hear me?" I asked him. I started to shake him around, trying to get him to wake up. I felt for a pulse and waited. And waited. And waited. No response.
"What the heck? Tai, don't do this to me!" I cried, feeling the panic arising in me. Then I did the only thing I could do. I laid him flat on his back and started doing CPR. Breath into his mouth, push on his chest 3 times. Or was it 5?
"Perfect time to forget things Yamato." I scolded myself. I tried again. Breath into his mouth, push on his chest. Still no response from him.
"Damn it Tai, wake up!" I said desperately. Once more, Yamato. Calm yourself. Breath into his mouth. Press on his chest. Breath into his mouth. Press on his chest. Breath into his mouth. I placed my lips over his, breathing into him. Suddenly he started kissing me back. Surprised, and a bit horrified, I jerked away from Tai and stood up. He opened his eyes and sat up slowly. He stared at me for a bit and then stood up.
"I'm so sorry Matt." He apologized, eyes glistening with tears, and ran out of the bathroom. All I could do was stand there dumbfounded.
"My best friend just kissed me." I said to myself. Just the thought scared me.
"What's even scarier, I liked it." I whispered to no one in particular.
*********************************** Tai's POV ***********************
Oh god. Oh god oh god oh god!!! What the hell did I just do? I just kissed my best friend while he was performing CPR! I feel like such an idiot now. A very cold and wet idiot at that. Surpressing tears for the 2nd time that day, I burst into the dressing room where the two girls were.
"Tai!" they cried out at the same time and jumped up from the table. I glanced at them and then just collapsed.
"Tai! What's going on?" Sora asked as she lifted me up and set me on the couch.
"Where have you been? And why are you soaking wet?" Mimi questioned as she got out her blow dryer and a towel.
"I just ruined everything there could have been." I said quietly. Damn emotions, I started crying again anyway.
"What happened?" Sora asked kindly as she dried my hair. I told them everything, from my conversation with Kei to his attempt to drown me and ended with my account of taking advantage of Matt.
"What exactly does Kei want?" Mimi asked me.
"The same thing I want." I replied with a bitter edge in my voice.
"Kei wants Matt?" Sora asked, quite surprised. I nodded, causing more tears to fall freely.
"He said *hic* he'd do anything to get rid *hic* of me. And that by the *hic* end of the day, Matt would be *hic* his." I said between hiccups. Mimi looked sympathetic, while Sora looked ready to kill.
"What a low down sleazy piece of-" she stopped herself. Mimi just shook her head.
"Well, looks like we're just gonna have to fight fire with water." She said.
"Isn't the saying fight fire with fire?" I asked her. She nodded and plugged in the blow dryer.
"Yea. But water puts out fire. And we need all the water we can get to put this guy out of the competition." She said grimly and turned on the blow dryer.
********************************* Matt's POV **********************************
I'm not sure how I made it back to the judge room after that, but I guess I did because I was greeted with Mr. Balcom, one of the judges.
"There you are! We're about to start." He said to me as he grabbed my arm. I started to protest, but he didn't seem to care. Accursed adults.
"Matt! Wait up!" a female voice shouted from behind me. I whirled around just in time to see Mimi crash into me.
"Meems, I don't have time for this. I need to get going." I explained to her.
"Wait a sec, Matt. Oh, I know it's in here somewhere." She said as she searched through her pockets.
"Aha! Found you, you little sneak." She said as she produced a piece of paper from her pocket.
"Take this and read it." She told me as she shoved the note in my hand.
"Ok, I will." I promised her. She smiled in triumph.
"Good. Now get you beautiful butt out there to judge." She commanded me and.....slapped my ass? I turned around and stared at her.
"Sorry. Old habit?" she shrugged. I shook my head and headed out of the room. I looked around and saw Balcom waving his hands around. I jogged over there and sat down.
"We're starting in about 2 minutes." He told me. I nodded and looked over the score sheets. Same old stuff as usual. Then I remembered the note Mimi gave me. And everyone knows curiosity is my weakness. I opened the note up and started to read it.
Hey Matt,
Listen. I'm not as ditzy as people take me for. But it's a good cover-up. That way I can hide people's secrets that they don't even know. Like you for example. I know that you are in love with Tai. You can't deny it Yamato. But don't worry about it. Your secret is safe with the ditz. It's so cute actually. My best advice is just tell him. I know he feels the same, trust me. Just don't break his heart.
Mimi
Ps: watch him today.
What the hell? I have no feelings for Tai whatsoever. What does Mimi think she's trying to do? And how would she know what Tai feels? I do not like Tai that way!
'Then why did you enjoy kissing him?' a little voice in my head asked me. That's a very good question. Why DID I like it? I mean, Tai's my best friend. My MALE best friend.
'Maybe because you've fantasized about it before.' The annoying voice said. Now that I think about it, that is kind of true. I guess I've always been attracted to Tai. It's just sort of weird, thinking of your best friend like that. Your best friend of the same sex. This is just so confusing. Do I like Tai, or don't I? I'll figure it out later, I don't have time for this love teenage emotions crap. The contest is about to start.
********************************** Author's POV *****************************
A young man with brown hair jumped up onto the stage.
"Hello everybody and welcome to the 5th annual Odaiba High Male Model contest. My name is Sean McGuy and I'm your host for the afternoon. Today we have many handsome high school guys here waiting to show our judges what they are made of. So now without further adieu, here are our contestants." Sean announced as the curtains drew away revealing the 13 contestants.
"You know, this is being run more like a beauty pageant then a model contest." Matt whispered to Mr. Balcom. Mr. Balcom hushed him into silence and pointed onto the stage, stating to pay attention to the contest. Matt slouched down in his chair and looked back up at the stage.
"This is going to be a loooooooong day." Matt murmured to himself. He sat back trying to remember why he decided to stick with this job.
'Because you found out that Tai was in the contest.' That little voice returned inside his head. He had to agree though, that was partially true. He had confirmed his suspicions now. Mimi was right, he had fallen for Tai. He glanced at the contestants but he didn't see the one he was looking for.
"How does she expect me to watch him if he's not even up there to begin with?" he muttered to himself.
"Hey Ishida, quit talking to yourself. Not a very good image for yourself." A judge named Draco told him. (A/N: Just because I believe the Draco from Harry Potter is a pain in the ass doesn't mean I can't love his name. Sounds like dragon. =D) Draco seemed like a decent guy. Just graduated from high school himself in London, he was really the only other guy on the judge panel he could relate to.
"Sorry, Draco. Just stuff on my mind ya know?" he said casually as he continued to search for Tai.
"So who ya looking for?" Draco said abruptly. Matt was caught off-guard.
"Who says I was looking for someone?" Matt said defensively.
"Duh, you just said something about watching someone. So who is it?" Draco asked as he leaned back in his chair. He started to place his feet on the table but was sent a scowl by Balcom. Draco sent his own back at him and looked over to Matt.
"Oh, just someone I know. My best friend actually." Matt said, again attempting to sound casual. However, he was getting nervous now. Draco had a reputation of prying into other people's lives without them realizing it.
"The same best friend that you supposedly have a crush on?" Draco said with a smirk on his face. Matt felt his face grow hot.
"Where on earth did you get that idea?" he said with a nervous laugh. Draco kept the smirk on his face as he placed his hand in front of Matt's face. Nestled between his index and middle finger was a piece of paper. Matt's eyes widened in horror. 'Not only does Draco have a reputation for prying, he has a reputation for pick-pocketing.' Matt remembered sullenly.
"Hey Matt. Listen. I'm not as ditzy as people take me for. But it's a good cover-up. That way I can hide people's secrets that they don't even know. Like you for example. I know that you are in love with Tai. You can't deny it Yamato. But don't worry about it. Your secret is safe with the ditz. It's so cute actually." Draco read off the paper in a ridiculously high-pitched voice.
"Keep it down will you?" Matt whispered frantically. Draco laughed and shoved the note back into Matt's hand.
"So, you have a crush on this Tai fellow?" Draco asked, obviously amused by this situation.
"No." Matt automatically responded. Draco raised a blonde eyebrow.
"Well, maybe. I dunno." He replied truthfully.
"How can you not know your own feelings smart ass?" Draco asked with a grin.
"It's hard to explain. I'm totally confused." Matt answered him, the contest now totally forgotten at the moment.
"Well, how do you feel whenever you're around him?" Draco asked as he grabbed a notepad and a pair of black glasses without frames.
"Oh drop the psychiatrist act would you?" Matt said, trying not to snicker.
"All right I get your point. Anyway, what are your feelings like? Honestly." Draco added.
"Well, most of the time we're cool, you know? Like we always are, just two best guy friends enjoying each other's company. Then there'll be times where things are really strange. I'm totally uncomfortable around him and more sensitive to him I suppose." Matt explained. Draco rolled his eyes and snorted.
"Yea, like I'll believe that bullshit, Ishida." He said with his British accent. Matt looked at him curiously, wondering whether he was always like this, or if he had just gone mad.
"More along the lines of.....feel nervous yet sort of giddy around the bloke?" Draco said. Matt gaped at him, appearing not to understand.
"So I'm right?" Draco said. Matt nodded and signed.
"Does he love you?" Draco asked curiously. Matt shrugged and watched the contest. He looked at the contestants and searched through them. Finally he saw Tai. The brunette beauty had dried off and was out with the other models, but Matt saw that he was slightly limping. 'Must have tried to put up a struggle with his attacker.' He thought as he continued staring at him.
"So, which one's Tai?" Draco's voice said out of nowhere, startling Matt out of his musing.
"The only one with gravity-defying hair." Matt replied as he continued to follow his every move.
"The brunette in the middle, with the green tanktop?" Draco asked, pointing him out. Matt nodded, not really paying much attention to Draco's babbling. Draco also watched Tai with interest.
"He's pretty cute." Draco said casually. Matt started to agree, but then Draco's words sunk in.
"What?" Matt asked as he glanced over to his friend.
"I said he's cute. What's so bad about that?" Draco said, grinning at Matt. Matt stared at him for a bit, trying to figure out why the hell a straight guy would say another guy is cute. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks.
"You're gay aren't you?" Matt asked as he turned to face Draco. He just smirked and opened his eyes.
"Actually I'm bi, but it's the same to me." He said. Matt stared some more and then smacked Draco behind the head.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked in a whiny voice.
"Because I love watching you squirm." Draco answered arrogantly.
"You are an ass you know that?" Matt sighed as he turned around to judge the last round.
"No I didn't. But your friend has a nice one." Draco said slyly. Matt let out a low growl and glared at him. Draco laughed and marked his scores.
"Just pullin' your leg mate. I wouldn't steal him." Draco said with a wink. Matt shook his head and handed in his score sheet for the first round.
"So you going to tell him?" he asked Matt as they waited for the next round to start.
"Maybe. Depends on how the rest of today goes I guess." Matt replied as they got out the next scoresheets and prepared for round two.
"You should. Chances are he loves you." Draco said logically.
"Yea, but what if he doesn't? Then I look like an idiot and lose my best friend." Matt explained as he chewed on the end of the pen in his hand. Draco sighed and took the pen out of his hand.
"Quit being a prat and just go for it. If you two really are best friends, a little thing like this won't come between you." Draco said as he wiped Matt's drool from his pen.
"How do you know for sure, Drac? What if you're wrong?" Matt said, feeling a bit frustrated by this point.
"I just do mate. Trust me, it's happened to the best of us." Draco reassured him.
"What do you mean by that?" Matt asked, eager for answers while he had the chance.
"Look. When I first realized I was bi, it was because I was crushing on my best friend. So I told him that. He didn't feel the same way though." Draco told Matt. Matt looked slightly alarmed.
"But, he accepted me for it and said he was sorry. So we're still best friends even today. And this was about 2 years ago." Draco added quickly.
"So the worst that could happen is that he could say no." Matt repeated to himself. Draco nodded.
"You got that right kid. It'll all turn out in the end." He said confidently. Matt merely nodded and went back into his own fantasies.
Meanwhile, Tai was back in his dressing room changing into his tux. He was thinking about Matt again, and how he screwed everything up.
"I can't believe I did that. I wouldn't be surprised if he's totally repulsed about me by now. Stupid egotistical dumbass!" Tai scolded himself. He was interrupted by a knock on the door however. Mimi walked in.
"Hey. How's it going so far?" she asked him as she sat down.
"It's ok. It hurts to walk though. I think Kei might have banged up my leg before he attempted to drown me." He replied as he gingerly knelt on the floor in front of her.
"How much time do I have?" he asked Mimi. She checked her watch and then looked at a paper in her hand.
"About ten minutes. Sora went to find Kari and TK." Mimi answered the unasked question.
"Ok. Think this is actually going to work?" Tai asked her suddenly. Mimi blinked in surprise.
"Is what going to work?" she asked curiously.
"The plan to get him to notice me and fall for me." Tai said as he stood up.
"I have no idea if it will or not. Let's hope it does." She said with a cheerful smile and followed him out of the room. She checked her watch again and sighed.
"Looks like you're up next Kamiya. Good luck." She said as she gave him a hug.
"Thanks. See you in a bit." He called behind him as he walked over to the runway.
"Are you Tai?" the assistant asked. He nodded and looked around.
"Get up here. You're on next." She told him as she practically threw him up there.
"Jeez, people need to calm down." Tai murmured to himself.
"And now for our next model, Tai Kamiya." Sean announced as Tai walked out onto the runway. He walked the way Mimi had showed him and looked around the crowd. He could see Sora, Mimi, and Kari towards the back. He grinned and stopped at the end of the runway. He started doing different poses, not really hearing what Sean was saying about him. He just focused on the blonde in front of him.
Only, something wasn't right about this scene. While Tai was trying to make eye contact with Matt, Matt was talking to the guy next to him. He seemed to be having a good conversation going on with him.
'Must be more interesting then me.' Tai thought glumly as his grin began to fade. Then he remembered the last thing Mimi told him.
"Never stop smiling. It's the thing that docks you every time. Besides, you look so cute when you smile." She said inside his head. He replanted the grin on his face. However, it still felt false.
Down in the judges' panel, Matt was talking to Draco again. He had to do anything possible not to look at Tai.
"Matt, he's watching you mate." Draco said as he watched Tai.
"Oh well. I don't care." Matt said childishly.
"Matt quit being a prick. If you give off the wrong impression, you will lose your love. Not to mention your friendship." Draco warned him.
"I thought you said that wouldn't happen!" Matt exclaimed in a whisper.
"Ah, I said if you declared the fact that you fancy him. But if you ignore him, he'll just become pissed." Draco said. Matt took a deep breath and thought about that. In the end, he looked up at him.
"That's better." Draco whispered as Tai posed again. He looked down at Matt and paused. His brown eyes were filled with hurt and confusion. Although he was still grinning, Matt realized that he was already upset.
'Shit what am I suppose to do now?' he thought frantically, desperate not to lose him. 'What do Sora and Mimi do whenever they want to attract someone's attention?' he thought, trying to remember. Then it came back to him. He looked up at Tai and watched him carefully. Once he had made eye contact again, he started his own plan. He winked at him.
Tai stared at him in mid-pose, trying to figure out what the heck Matt just did. Then he figured it out. Slowly, but surly.
"Two can play this game." He said under his breath. His grin grew wider and he posed again. This time however, he took off his coat and threw it aside. Underneath the coat was a white long-sleeve button up shirt. Only it was mostly unbuttoned, revealing a fine portion of his chest to Matt's prying eyes. Matt's eyes widened, not taking his eyes off of Tai now. He saw Tai smirk at him and turn.
'He's playing games is he?' Matt thought. He waited for Tai to turn back to him and caught his eye again. He slowly started rubbing his pen to his lips, licking them after. He started moving his tongue around inside his mouth and sat back to watch Tai's reaction.
Tai could hardly stand it anymore. 'A hard-on is not the best thing to be getting in the middle of a model contest.' He told himself, trying to control himself. Thankfully he was saved as Sean called him off-stage. As he walked off, Sean announced the last contestant.
"Our last contestant today is Kei Hirotami." He said. Kei walked onto the runway and went to exactly the same spot as Tai was. He turned a bit, but didn't really pose. Then he caught Matt's eye and winked at him. Matt shot back his own look of horror and scooted closer to Draco.
"Blimey, who is that git?" Draco asked him.
"That's Kei. He's the biggest prick in Odaiba." Matt said through gritted teeth.
"Why's that?" Draco asked
"Because he always tries to beat the crap out of Tai for no reason." Matt explained as he forced himself to watch Kei. He started twisting his face in odd ways and moving his tongue, at Matt. Implying.........
"What the hell is this guy's problem?" Mimi asked as she watched him in disgust.
"Who knows?" Sora said as she too watched uncomfortably. They had gotten seats too far to really see what was going on up there, but Kari was giving them details from her binoculars.
"Oh my gosh. Guys, he's hitting on Matt!" Kari exclaimed.
"Say what?" Sora and Mimi said together as they stood up. Sora took the binoculars from Kari and looked ahead.
"I'm going to kill that asshole." She growled as she handed the binoculars to Mimi. Mimi looked towards Matt.
"Well, at least Matt's as repulsed by it as we are." She said cheerfully.
"I hope you're right." Sora said as she returned the binoculars to Kari. Kei finally got off stage and was replaced by Sean.
"And there you have it ladies and gentlemen. Our contestants for our 5th annual male model contest! The judges shall give us our winner very shortly. In the meantime......" Sean started jabbering about something else while the judges talked amongst themselves. Tai sat behind the curtain waiting for any sign of what he should be doing.
"Where the devil did you come from Kamiya?" a voice said from behind him. Tai whirled around and looked at Kei.
"Did you honestly think you could keep me out of the competition?" Tai asked him as he stood up.
"Damn you. You're suppose to be locked away!" Kei said outraged. Tai clicked his tongue.
"Such a shame that you lack confidence so much that you had to resort to cheating." He said in a mock-tone voice.
"Whatever." Was all Kei said and he disappeared through the curtain with Tai at his heels. Sean was once again on the runway, but this time he had an envelope in his hand.
"All right ladies and gentlemen, we have our winner right in this very envelope." He said as he held it up. He tore it up and read the name inside.
"And the winner is......Kei Hirotami." **************************************************************************** ** DON"T HURT ME! I did that for a good reason.
Ryamon: But for that good reason to come, you need to review.
I don't care if it's just yelling about Kei, please review. Next chapter will be up soon.
Ryamon: and will be the last, besides an epilogue.
Yup, that's right. Bai y'all!
