back to the story, sorry for the break
-_-_-_-
Yamato had found Hikari and Daisuke 'enjoying' each other's company a little too intimately on the park so being the
annoying brother's best friend, he walked Hikari home, ignoring her seething remarks. He looked nonchalant but he was
really wondering what was wrong with Takeru. "You're a jerk Yamato! Its none of your business! Do you hear me! None! I
ought to-" Yamato tuned her out again, smirking to piss her off; she noticed and screamed out, "ITS NOT FAIR!" and
pouted the rest of the way home, oblivious to the people staring. Yamato grinned and grapped her shoulders, leading her
towards her front door, "Yeah yeah, but I figure, since I'm older and I know better, who's Tai going to believe?" Hikari just
glared at Yamato; if looks could kill Yamato would have been pushing up daisies. Hikari stormed into the house in a high
rage. Yamato silently shook with laughter as he followed her in."She was doing WHAT with WHO!!" Tai's surprised voice
rang clear through their house. Yamato eyed Hikari mischieviously and let Tai continue, "That's it Hikari, you tell that
boyfriend of yours that I want my goggles back!"
"So Tai, are you just gonna leave me hanging or are you gonna tell me who this mystery girl is?" Taichi grinned
sheepishly, "Its no mystery, you know her very" he leaned forward, "well." Yamato's eyebrows shut up and his mind raced
through possibilites, from "Sora?" to "Jun?" until he finally said, "Mimi?" Tai's blush gave him away before his answer and
Matt stared then said, "Mimi? Really? I thought that you said she was a snot?" Tai ran his fingers through his wild hair,
"Well, I thought she was before I took the time to get to know her, and now I see that she's a sweet, caring, sincere girl."
Yamato grinned and said, "Fluff, pure fluff." Tai leaned forward conspiratorily, "I'm actually thinking about asking her the
question..." Yamato's eyebrows knit in confusion before saying, "What, you're gonna ask her to have sex?" Tai sweat
dropped and hit Yamato upside the head and answered, "NO! You hentai! I'm going to ask her to marry me you baka!"
Yamato held his hands up in a guilty way, "What can I say, Tai? I'm just a pimp at heart!" Tai rolled his eyes and sighed,
"I'm never letting *you* near my little sister again..." They talked for a while longer before Yamato noticed the time and
excused himself for dinner, "Sorry Tai, but if I'm late I think Takeru might slaughter me." Tai showed him out and called out
to Yama's retreating back, "So we're on for that air hockey tournament tomorrow night, right?" Yamato shouted back, "You
got it!" Tai's competitve cry of, "You're going down Ishida!" hung in the air as the sun set and Yamato chuckled as he
walked home.
"AAAuuuuuughhhhh! My pizza! Its ruined! There's an air bubble in the cheese!" Takeru ran around the apartment in search
of the phone, hoping against hope he would have time to order one that would be perfect for Yamato's return. Suddenly a
key sounded in the door, and Takeru tensed slightly hoping that it wasn't his father, and if it was that he was sober. Instead
of Masaharu Ishida, his son Yamato walked in. "Hey, T.K., I'm ho-oww!" Takeru had bowled him over in his enthusiatic hug.
Yamato smiled fondly, and said "Hey T.K.! Chill out, don't kill me when I've just come home!" Takeru got off and helped
him up, before glaring and saying, "How many times do I have to tell you, my name's Takeru!" Yamato rolled his eyes and
laughed out, "Whatever, "Takeru", you'll always be T.K. to me!" Adding insult to injury Yamato pulled off Takeru's hat and
ruffled his hair. "You'll pay for that Yama!"
The boys immediately engaged in an impromptu wrestling match, where Yamato was surprised to find that Takeru had the
upper hand for once, when the door to the apartment opened again. Yamato noticed the slight tensing in Takeru's muscles
but looked up to see his father, "Hey Dad! I'm home for a little while, ten days or so and I came back for a visit."
Their dad smiled and said, "That's great! And I can tell that Takeru made some of his pizza in honor of the occasion!"
Yamato and his dad looked at Takeru to see his reply, but a strained, "Hai, Ototou-san." came out. Yamato didn't say
anything but saw that an unsmiling mask had replaced his brother's grin from only moments before. Masaharu said, "I'd
love to stay and have dinner with you guys but I have an dinner appointment to get to. I promise we'll all have dinner
tomorrow! I just came to check up on Takeru." Takeru's demeanor darkened noticeably as he mumbled, "yeah..thats
original..dinner appointment with a bottle you mean.." Masaharu said sharply, "What?" Takeru looked up but didn't meet his
father's eyes and instead stared at the clock behind him while he answered, "I said, 'have fun at your dinner appointment!"
Masaharu eyed him a moment before smiling at Yamato and leaving just as suddenly as he came in.
Once the door shut Yamato uneasily noticed the tension that was almost palpable, plus the fact that Takeru's eyes hadn't
left the clock he had been looking at when his father had entered. "Takeru? What's the matter? You and Dad get in a fight
or something?" Takeru looked up at Yamato calculatingly, as though deciding something, "No. I'm just cranky from my
basketball practise." The rest of the night went over smoothly for the brothers, they watched some movies, ate pizza, filled
each other in on things and enjoyed each other's company. They went to bed late and Yamato had said that Takeru could
skip school the next day so they didn't mind. Yamato woke up twice during the night, once when their front door slammed
but proved only to be Masaharu coming in, and the second time when he had to go to the bathroom. As he walked past
Takeru's door he had heard someone softly strumming an acoustic guitar. He peeked in silently to see Takeru sitting in the
corner of his bed, still fully dressed. His head was leaning against the wall and his eyes were closed but he was not
asleep. His skillful fingers were picking out note after note and chord after chord and the sad song he played brought tears
to Yamato's eyes. Yamato shut the door just as quietly as he had opened it and left more worried about his brother than
he had been before.
Masaharu slept fitfully in his bed, worry wrinkles etched deeply on his forehead, once the soft tunes of the guitar had
floated towards his room, his brow relaxed and a more peaceful sleep came over him.
-_-_-_-
-_-_-_-
Yamato had found Hikari and Daisuke 'enjoying' each other's company a little too intimately on the park so being the
annoying brother's best friend, he walked Hikari home, ignoring her seething remarks. He looked nonchalant but he was
really wondering what was wrong with Takeru. "You're a jerk Yamato! Its none of your business! Do you hear me! None! I
ought to-" Yamato tuned her out again, smirking to piss her off; she noticed and screamed out, "ITS NOT FAIR!" and
pouted the rest of the way home, oblivious to the people staring. Yamato grinned and grapped her shoulders, leading her
towards her front door, "Yeah yeah, but I figure, since I'm older and I know better, who's Tai going to believe?" Hikari just
glared at Yamato; if looks could kill Yamato would have been pushing up daisies. Hikari stormed into the house in a high
rage. Yamato silently shook with laughter as he followed her in."She was doing WHAT with WHO!!" Tai's surprised voice
rang clear through their house. Yamato eyed Hikari mischieviously and let Tai continue, "That's it Hikari, you tell that
boyfriend of yours that I want my goggles back!"
"So Tai, are you just gonna leave me hanging or are you gonna tell me who this mystery girl is?" Taichi grinned
sheepishly, "Its no mystery, you know her very" he leaned forward, "well." Yamato's eyebrows shut up and his mind raced
through possibilites, from "Sora?" to "Jun?" until he finally said, "Mimi?" Tai's blush gave him away before his answer and
Matt stared then said, "Mimi? Really? I thought that you said she was a snot?" Tai ran his fingers through his wild hair,
"Well, I thought she was before I took the time to get to know her, and now I see that she's a sweet, caring, sincere girl."
Yamato grinned and said, "Fluff, pure fluff." Tai leaned forward conspiratorily, "I'm actually thinking about asking her the
question..." Yamato's eyebrows knit in confusion before saying, "What, you're gonna ask her to have sex?" Tai sweat
dropped and hit Yamato upside the head and answered, "NO! You hentai! I'm going to ask her to marry me you baka!"
Yamato held his hands up in a guilty way, "What can I say, Tai? I'm just a pimp at heart!" Tai rolled his eyes and sighed,
"I'm never letting *you* near my little sister again..." They talked for a while longer before Yamato noticed the time and
excused himself for dinner, "Sorry Tai, but if I'm late I think Takeru might slaughter me." Tai showed him out and called out
to Yama's retreating back, "So we're on for that air hockey tournament tomorrow night, right?" Yamato shouted back, "You
got it!" Tai's competitve cry of, "You're going down Ishida!" hung in the air as the sun set and Yamato chuckled as he
walked home.
"AAAuuuuuughhhhh! My pizza! Its ruined! There's an air bubble in the cheese!" Takeru ran around the apartment in search
of the phone, hoping against hope he would have time to order one that would be perfect for Yamato's return. Suddenly a
key sounded in the door, and Takeru tensed slightly hoping that it wasn't his father, and if it was that he was sober. Instead
of Masaharu Ishida, his son Yamato walked in. "Hey, T.K., I'm ho-oww!" Takeru had bowled him over in his enthusiatic hug.
Yamato smiled fondly, and said "Hey T.K.! Chill out, don't kill me when I've just come home!" Takeru got off and helped
him up, before glaring and saying, "How many times do I have to tell you, my name's Takeru!" Yamato rolled his eyes and
laughed out, "Whatever, "Takeru", you'll always be T.K. to me!" Adding insult to injury Yamato pulled off Takeru's hat and
ruffled his hair. "You'll pay for that Yama!"
The boys immediately engaged in an impromptu wrestling match, where Yamato was surprised to find that Takeru had the
upper hand for once, when the door to the apartment opened again. Yamato noticed the slight tensing in Takeru's muscles
but looked up to see his father, "Hey Dad! I'm home for a little while, ten days or so and I came back for a visit."
Their dad smiled and said, "That's great! And I can tell that Takeru made some of his pizza in honor of the occasion!"
Yamato and his dad looked at Takeru to see his reply, but a strained, "Hai, Ototou-san." came out. Yamato didn't say
anything but saw that an unsmiling mask had replaced his brother's grin from only moments before. Masaharu said, "I'd
love to stay and have dinner with you guys but I have an dinner appointment to get to. I promise we'll all have dinner
tomorrow! I just came to check up on Takeru." Takeru's demeanor darkened noticeably as he mumbled, "yeah..thats
original..dinner appointment with a bottle you mean.." Masaharu said sharply, "What?" Takeru looked up but didn't meet his
father's eyes and instead stared at the clock behind him while he answered, "I said, 'have fun at your dinner appointment!"
Masaharu eyed him a moment before smiling at Yamato and leaving just as suddenly as he came in.
Once the door shut Yamato uneasily noticed the tension that was almost palpable, plus the fact that Takeru's eyes hadn't
left the clock he had been looking at when his father had entered. "Takeru? What's the matter? You and Dad get in a fight
or something?" Takeru looked up at Yamato calculatingly, as though deciding something, "No. I'm just cranky from my
basketball practise." The rest of the night went over smoothly for the brothers, they watched some movies, ate pizza, filled
each other in on things and enjoyed each other's company. They went to bed late and Yamato had said that Takeru could
skip school the next day so they didn't mind. Yamato woke up twice during the night, once when their front door slammed
but proved only to be Masaharu coming in, and the second time when he had to go to the bathroom. As he walked past
Takeru's door he had heard someone softly strumming an acoustic guitar. He peeked in silently to see Takeru sitting in the
corner of his bed, still fully dressed. His head was leaning against the wall and his eyes were closed but he was not
asleep. His skillful fingers were picking out note after note and chord after chord and the sad song he played brought tears
to Yamato's eyes. Yamato shut the door just as quietly as he had opened it and left more worried about his brother than
he had been before.
Masaharu slept fitfully in his bed, worry wrinkles etched deeply on his forehead, once the soft tunes of the guitar had
floated towards his room, his brow relaxed and a more peaceful sleep came over him.
-_-_-_-