Series: When Blood Crosses||Story: Perils of Boredom
Chapters: 1-1||Words: 1,794
Genre: Romance, Drama||Rated: PG
Prompt: Taichi x Yamato Week 2022, day #4, questions & answers
Notes: Several years post defeat of BelialVamdemon; no epilogue, Tri, Kizuna, or other, breeds AU; Yamato's dark side being a little rough but little actual violence beyond words
Summary: Yamato tries hard not to think about his dark side. Not so hard when your life-partner is a Child of Courage, for whom taking risks, like claiming said dark side is just bored, is a way of life.
Yamato could feel every breath that Taichi took. He kept his arms around his lover to ensure that he kept doing so, even with his eyes closed. He raised one hand to flit through Taichi's hair, smiling at the way Taichi wriggled under his touch.
"Don't do that," the brunet muttered, but he didn't really mean it and Yamato knew that. Whenever he did mean it, Yamato was quick to stop. For now he just dug his fingers in a bit more, caressing the top of Taichi's scalp.
"I was wondering something," he murmured, feeling that awareness in the back of his mind stir. That was one of the penalties of enjoying himself - that risk that Anbumon would strike when his guard was down.
Taichi made a slight noise of curiosity and Yamato stopped his caress long enough to form the question. He didn't want to distract Taichi - not too much, anyway.
"Why do you stay with me? It's dangerous, and you know why." He hated even bringing Anbumon up at times like this. Too many chances that his dark side would strike. Sometimes it was so exhausting being him. If he let his guard down for a single moment then it could spell disaster for so many.
Taichi tilted his head around so he could stare at the blond. "That's a stupid question. And I've heard a lot of stupid questions."
Yamato rolled his eyes. "I mean it. You could be safer with someone else." And that would be one less person that Anbumon might threaten or harm on those rare occasions when he assumed control.
No, it wouldn't. He's mine. I'll always take what's mine. Anbumon grumbled. He didn't seem quite in the mood to make a surge for power today, and Yamato did his best to ignore even those words.
Taichi just snorted. "You think I want safe? You think I can't handle that jerk? He's still you and I handle you just fine."
Yamato's lips twitched a fraction. "He's the absolute worst of me."
And quite proud of it, Anbumon stated. Yamato fought harder to ignore him, though he wasn't sure of how much he could. Anbumon's voice was the one he could never ignore - his own.
Taichi tapped him on the nose. "And I can handle that." He twisted around and curved one hand around the back of Yamato's neck. "You could let me have a try if you doubt it."
Yamato's eyes widened and he started to pull away. "No!" The thought of letting Anbumono have free reign, even if only for a few seconds, made his stomach churn and his heart twist around in terror. Even worse, he could feel his dark side laughing at him. "Taichi, stop that." He wasn't sure if he meant for Taichi to stop touching him on the back of the neck or to stop encouraging him to let Anbumon out. Maybe both?
Taichi's eyes gleamed with mischief. He didn't press the issue, at least not physically. "He's easy to manage when he's going after me. He's got one thing on his mind and -"
"And he doesn't like to take no for an answer," Yamato reminded him. "Push him too far and -"
That got another snort and Taichi's fingers pressed once again, right at the spot that made Yamato want to purr and move in a little closer. He held himself back from that, as much as he could for the moment. Anbumon made a noise only he could hear right now, one that no one else would have believed that the Dark Prince could make. Yamato wasn't going to point that out. That would have required words, even in his own mind.
So instead he tried to focus on what Taichi was doing, and failed to make any significant progress. Mostly because when Taichi did that, his ability to think dropped dramatically. Anbumon mocked him about it more than once, but Yamato had also seen it affect him. They both chose not to speak about it.
"I stay with you because I want to. If I didn't, I wouldn't," Taichi pointed out, taking great care to form each word while staring into Yamato's eyes. "There are other people I could be safer with, but if I wanted to be safe, I'd be with them, not you."
Yamato drew in a ragged breath and carefully pushed Taichi's hand away from his neck. Once again he could feel Anbumon grumbling but nothing stopped him.
"You are an absolute idiot," he declared. He knew Taichi had an aching for thrills and adventure - Daisuke was much the same; it seemed to be something that Children of Courage had in common with one another. But to put himself into danger like this, knowingly - it made him wonder about himself that he loved that about Taichi.
He's an idiot and you love an idiot. Anbumon muttered. Yamato wasn't going to argue that point. Arguing with Anbumon wasn't often successful in the first place, even more so when he was right.
Taichi only grinned and leaned forward to kiss Yamato on the nose. "Anyway, if he's busy coming after me, then he's not going to be going after anyone else. He's like a toddler sometimes - wave me under his nose and he forgets everything else. Not to mention he could use enrichment sometimes."
That wasn't anything that Yamato had ever thought about before. He blinked and shook his head in a vague and vain attempt to clear it. "He what?"
"Enrichment. He's like a wild animal that's been locked up too long." Taichi got himself more comfortable in Yamato's embrace, but this time turned so they looked into each other's eyes. "Have you thought about letting him have a toy?"
Only if it's him.
Again Yamato ignored it, but with a slight mental glower that he hoped conveyed that Anbumon would never be able to 'toy' with Taichi. The other snickered a little before subsiding and Yamato focused back on Taichi.
"You think I should get him a squeaky bone?" He kept his voice as dry as possible and Taichi grinned.
"Not really what I was thinking about but that might be an interesting start. We can talk about it later." Taichi traced a finger over Yamato's chin. "But I'm serious about that. He needs something to do that's not chase me or try to take over the Digital World. Have you thought about letting him out on a limited basis? Kind of like - leash-training?"
Yamato started to open his mouth, but before a word came out, Anbumon surged forward, his will overwhelming Yamato's as he shoved himself into the mental seat of their body. In a heartbeat he had Taichi pinned down, a tiny blade at his throat.
"I am not a pet, Yagami," Anbumon hissed, scarlet eyes fierce and bright and full of rage. "You do not train me. You do not do anything but listen to me."
Taichi didn't so much as turn a hair. He didn't move, which Yamato thought was very smart of him with all the rage from Anbumon he could feel coursing through him. But he did speak.
"You could say hi. Or at least hello." Taichi stared right into those deep eyes without a hint of fear. "And you're right, you're not. But what you are, is bored. You need to do things."
Anbumon growled, that blade moving faintly closer to breaking the skin. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"You're bored. Yamato never lets you do anything and you're like anyone else. You need to do things. And all that you know how to do is hurt people in different ways. So, stop doing that, and you'll get along a lot better."
"With who? You?" Anbumon curled his lip. "There's not much I want from you that involves getting along. Not like you mean it, at least."
Taichi still didn't move. Yamato knew that he'd stand no chance of getting the body back until Anbumon either released it himself or eased up enough on his rage that he had a chance to reverse the situation. As much as it irked him, he had to admit that not only was Taichi an idiot, but that still remained one of the reasons he was attracted to him.
Who else would put up with someone who had someone like Anbumon as a part of them? Only an idiot.
"If I can talk Yamato into giving you time to yourself - time you can do what you want, as long as that doesn't include hurtign other people or Digimon -"
Taichi's words cut off as Anbumon's blade inched closer. "I would shut up if I were you. You are not saying anything I want to hear. So quiet down, right now."
Yamato blinked; he couldn't read every one of Anbumon's thoughts but he could feel there was interest of some kind there regardless. Anbumon was - was scared of finding out he might have goals that weren't becoming the unquestioned monarch of the Digital World?
I'm lucky he's not paying attention to me. He would have to think about this when he could do so without Anbumon being aware of it. That wasn't easy; Anbumon liked to watch no matter what. But if he could find a chance then maybe - just maybe -
Taichi just stared back at him, then quick as a snake, dugs his fingers into the back of Anbumon's neck, right where he'd been touching Yamato before. Anbumon's eyes widened and he hissed out a word that made no more sense than anything Yamato himself would have tried to say before.
But that also gave Yamato the chance he needed; with Anbumon briefly blissed out, he was able to shift the two of them around so that he resumed control of his body. He sank down, flicking away the tiny knife as he did, and breathed in deeply.
"That was probably the stupidest thing I've ever seen you do. And it has a lot of competition," he muttered, before kissing Taichi slowly. "And probably the bravest. Also a lot of competition."
Taichi just kissed back, before he whispered, "But I'm also not wrong. He needs a hobby that isn't me. Or hurting Digimon or people or anyone else."
Yamato sighed. "Can we talk about this later?" Switching back and forth exhausted him and he wanted to rest, just a little. Taichi nodded, getting the two of them comfortable once again. Anbumon was already slipping into a deeper slumber in the hollows of Yamato's mind, and Yamato wondered - what would his dark side's hobby be? What could it be?
Maybe he should think about this more - after he slept.
The End
Notes: Taichi might be on to something. But will Yamato really find out?
