Thanks for all the reviews, ppl! To Ginger: it'll be explained in future
chappies, to make things clear. And to peachesjo: thx! *gives peachesjo a
BIIG hug* ^_^ Yeah, it's gonna switch back and forth, I guess. Some
chappies'll have both, and there might be some chapters that all have the
same POV in a row. I dunno. We'll see how it goes! ^_^
And sorry it took so long! Apparently, I'm 'grounded' from any forms of entertainment, which includes the internet, so my dad disconnected it on my computer. But, I found a way to get onto his! Aha! And I wrote this chapter on it while he was out . . . hehehe . . . It's from Matt's POV. Enjoy!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Oh my God. It can't be him . . . could it?
I ran up to the sleeping figure laying by the stone pillar of the temple and stared. Same gravity-defying hair, same muscular build, same smooth, tan skin . . .
I stopped those thoughts before I started drooling. But it was all too true. My mind had always thought that I would never see him again. That maybe he had died in the digital world, or was laying somewhere sick and weak. But all those thoughts were being erased now.
It was impossible. It's not. There he is, right in front of me.
Taichi Kamiya, goggles and all.
I felt hot tears sting in the back of my eyes but I held them back. A pert of me wanted to stare at him, but another side of me told me to wake him, to talk to him right away. That side won out. I went up to Tai and began to prod him awake. He mumbled something incoherent, turned over, and went back to sleep. I grinned despite myself. Same old Taichi.
I shook him with a little more force this time. "What the fuck . . ." he mumbled. "I'll talk to you in the morning, Centauro . . ." he yawned. ". . . Centauromon." And then he rolled over and went back to sleep, AGAIN.
Desperate now to wake him up and annoyed by the all-too-familiar act, I shook him real hard, accidentally banging his head against the pillar. I stopped immediately.
"OW!" he cried, opening his eyes a little. He looked at me, his eyes still full of sleep. "Who the hell are you?"
I paused. What if he was still angry with me from leaving him here all this time? I wouldn't want that, not at our first meeting after so long. The little voice that Tai had helped get rid of said these things in the back of my mind, but my heart had other ideas.
". . . Tai?" I said, surprised at how small the word came out. Was I really that afraid?
Below me, Taichi blinked and looked at me, hard. I backed away a little, unsure. But then there was that look in his eyes, the one I haven't seen in such a long time. They were full of love, trust, and friendship, but now also a newfound hope and realization.
"Matt?" he said, his eyes widening.
My heart was beating so loudly in my chest that I was sure that it Tai would hear it echoing in the clearing. But, seeing that look on Tai's face, my vision blurred and tears started pouring down my cheeks.
"Yeah. Yeah, it's me"
I was gonna go over and hug him, but he beat me to it. He immediately threw himself at me, locked his arms around my shoulders, and buried his face into my neck, sending shivers up my spine. I felt wetness on my neck and I realized he was crying, too.
"Oh, god, Matt," he sobbed, clutching my shirt. "You came back, you did, you're really here!"
"'Chi, I'm so glad you're okay, I missed you so much! I don't know what I would've done if you were hurt, or gone. Oh my god, oh my god . . ."
I kept repeating that phrase, but less often after a while. We just sat there clutching each other, rocking back and forth in a joyful embrace. I couldn't believe it. I'm touching him, I can smell him, he's really right here. With me. I was beyond ecstatic. Suddenly I thought of something, and I took Tai's face in my hands and made him look at me. I needed him to hear this, no matter the consequences.
"Tai, I saw you that day."
"Huh?" Tai gaped.
I bit my lip. "I saw you being taken away by something, and that you were hurt. But we were already in the air, and . . . and . . ."
"What?" he whispered. Shock and what looked like betrayal flashed across his beautiful face.
"I know, I know!" I let go of his face, and buried mine into my hands, ashamed and hysterical in tears. "I tr-tried to stop the thing, I r-really did, but noth-nothing happened, and m-my instincts told me to jump off and go hel-help you but I was t-too selfish, I just wan-wanted to go h-home so b-badly, and I figured we c-could still save you. Then I remembered that the ga-gate was closing forever, b-but by that time we w-were already across, and oh god, Tai, it's all my f-fault, it is, and I'm sorry, so sorry . . ."
Tai took me in his arms and held me while I sobbed on his shoulder. But why? Wasn't he angry? We were best friends, and I let him down. I did. Some friend I am. Crest of friendship my ass. I kept crying.
Then like I did before, Tai took my face and turned my head so I was looking right in his eyes. I couldn't do it, I couldn't look at his face, so I closed my eyes, a whimper escaping my trembling lips. He was going to hit me. He hates me. He must -
"Matt, look at me," he said gently. His tone surprised me. I cracked open my eyelids and looked to the side. "No, look into my eyes, Yamato. I want you to look at me." I winced and switched my gaze to his deep chocolate orbs, immediately hypnotized.
"Matt," he whispered. "It's not your fault. No, really," he added when I scoffed, "it's not. You would've killed yourself if you had jumped. Or even maybe also captured, I dunno. But now I know at least that you tried. Right?" I hesitated, and then nodded. "It's not your fault, Yama," he said softly.
"So you're not angry?" I asked tentatively. He shook his head, chuckling.
"Do I look angry to you, Yama? You've always been able to read me like an open book."
I grinned a little, and he grinned back even wider as he took me for another hug. "I could never hate you, Yama . . ." I sniffed and buried my face into his neck. "Far from it . . ."
Did he actually say that? Nah, probably just hearing things. Then, I felt Taichi's body shaking a little, and I realized he was crying . . . again.
"Shhh, now," I soothed, rubbing his back in circular motions. "Why are you crying, 'Chi? Shhh, everything's going to be okay now . . ."
"I," choked Taichi, evidently letting go of something he was withholding before. "I, I just - I've been so lon-lonely, Ya- Yama." He suddenly gripped me tightly, as if afraid I was going to disappear. "I missed you so much." That came in barely a whisper.
"Me too, Taichi, me too." I held back a sob and tried to be brave for the one that was always brave for me.
And we sat there for a long time. Eventually one of us lay down, don't remember who, but soon we both fell asleep, basking in each other's warmth and presence.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Well, there you go! Read and review please! C'mon click the button down there . . . You know you want to . . . Go on now . . .
And sorry it took so long! Apparently, I'm 'grounded' from any forms of entertainment, which includes the internet, so my dad disconnected it on my computer. But, I found a way to get onto his! Aha! And I wrote this chapter on it while he was out . . . hehehe . . . It's from Matt's POV. Enjoy!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Oh my God. It can't be him . . . could it?
I ran up to the sleeping figure laying by the stone pillar of the temple and stared. Same gravity-defying hair, same muscular build, same smooth, tan skin . . .
I stopped those thoughts before I started drooling. But it was all too true. My mind had always thought that I would never see him again. That maybe he had died in the digital world, or was laying somewhere sick and weak. But all those thoughts were being erased now.
It was impossible. It's not. There he is, right in front of me.
Taichi Kamiya, goggles and all.
I felt hot tears sting in the back of my eyes but I held them back. A pert of me wanted to stare at him, but another side of me told me to wake him, to talk to him right away. That side won out. I went up to Tai and began to prod him awake. He mumbled something incoherent, turned over, and went back to sleep. I grinned despite myself. Same old Taichi.
I shook him with a little more force this time. "What the fuck . . ." he mumbled. "I'll talk to you in the morning, Centauro . . ." he yawned. ". . . Centauromon." And then he rolled over and went back to sleep, AGAIN.
Desperate now to wake him up and annoyed by the all-too-familiar act, I shook him real hard, accidentally banging his head against the pillar. I stopped immediately.
"OW!" he cried, opening his eyes a little. He looked at me, his eyes still full of sleep. "Who the hell are you?"
I paused. What if he was still angry with me from leaving him here all this time? I wouldn't want that, not at our first meeting after so long. The little voice that Tai had helped get rid of said these things in the back of my mind, but my heart had other ideas.
". . . Tai?" I said, surprised at how small the word came out. Was I really that afraid?
Below me, Taichi blinked and looked at me, hard. I backed away a little, unsure. But then there was that look in his eyes, the one I haven't seen in such a long time. They were full of love, trust, and friendship, but now also a newfound hope and realization.
"Matt?" he said, his eyes widening.
My heart was beating so loudly in my chest that I was sure that it Tai would hear it echoing in the clearing. But, seeing that look on Tai's face, my vision blurred and tears started pouring down my cheeks.
"Yeah. Yeah, it's me"
I was gonna go over and hug him, but he beat me to it. He immediately threw himself at me, locked his arms around my shoulders, and buried his face into my neck, sending shivers up my spine. I felt wetness on my neck and I realized he was crying, too.
"Oh, god, Matt," he sobbed, clutching my shirt. "You came back, you did, you're really here!"
"'Chi, I'm so glad you're okay, I missed you so much! I don't know what I would've done if you were hurt, or gone. Oh my god, oh my god . . ."
I kept repeating that phrase, but less often after a while. We just sat there clutching each other, rocking back and forth in a joyful embrace. I couldn't believe it. I'm touching him, I can smell him, he's really right here. With me. I was beyond ecstatic. Suddenly I thought of something, and I took Tai's face in my hands and made him look at me. I needed him to hear this, no matter the consequences.
"Tai, I saw you that day."
"Huh?" Tai gaped.
I bit my lip. "I saw you being taken away by something, and that you were hurt. But we were already in the air, and . . . and . . ."
"What?" he whispered. Shock and what looked like betrayal flashed across his beautiful face.
"I know, I know!" I let go of his face, and buried mine into my hands, ashamed and hysterical in tears. "I tr-tried to stop the thing, I r-really did, but noth-nothing happened, and m-my instincts told me to jump off and go hel-help you but I was t-too selfish, I just wan-wanted to go h-home so b-badly, and I figured we c-could still save you. Then I remembered that the ga-gate was closing forever, b-but by that time we w-were already across, and oh god, Tai, it's all my f-fault, it is, and I'm sorry, so sorry . . ."
Tai took me in his arms and held me while I sobbed on his shoulder. But why? Wasn't he angry? We were best friends, and I let him down. I did. Some friend I am. Crest of friendship my ass. I kept crying.
Then like I did before, Tai took my face and turned my head so I was looking right in his eyes. I couldn't do it, I couldn't look at his face, so I closed my eyes, a whimper escaping my trembling lips. He was going to hit me. He hates me. He must -
"Matt, look at me," he said gently. His tone surprised me. I cracked open my eyelids and looked to the side. "No, look into my eyes, Yamato. I want you to look at me." I winced and switched my gaze to his deep chocolate orbs, immediately hypnotized.
"Matt," he whispered. "It's not your fault. No, really," he added when I scoffed, "it's not. You would've killed yourself if you had jumped. Or even maybe also captured, I dunno. But now I know at least that you tried. Right?" I hesitated, and then nodded. "It's not your fault, Yama," he said softly.
"So you're not angry?" I asked tentatively. He shook his head, chuckling.
"Do I look angry to you, Yama? You've always been able to read me like an open book."
I grinned a little, and he grinned back even wider as he took me for another hug. "I could never hate you, Yama . . ." I sniffed and buried my face into his neck. "Far from it . . ."
Did he actually say that? Nah, probably just hearing things. Then, I felt Taichi's body shaking a little, and I realized he was crying . . . again.
"Shhh, now," I soothed, rubbing his back in circular motions. "Why are you crying, 'Chi? Shhh, everything's going to be okay now . . ."
"I," choked Taichi, evidently letting go of something he was withholding before. "I, I just - I've been so lon-lonely, Ya- Yama." He suddenly gripped me tightly, as if afraid I was going to disappear. "I missed you so much." That came in barely a whisper.
"Me too, Taichi, me too." I held back a sob and tried to be brave for the one that was always brave for me.
And we sat there for a long time. Eventually one of us lay down, don't remember who, but soon we both fell asleep, basking in each other's warmth and presence.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Well, there you go! Read and review please! C'mon click the button down there . . . You know you want to . . . Go on now . . .