Chapter Eight- The Sudden Reversal





Dear TK,

Why haven't you been in school lately TK? I miss you. I hope you're feeling alright. I don't think your brother is doing too well. You probably already know he's been staying with us.

The other day, Tai and Matt went to your dad's apartment to pick up a few of Matt's things, but the place was a total disaster area. It looked like someone had taken a jackhammer to the room and destroyed everything in sight. Tai told me it didn't look like anyone had been living there for a while either. I guess your dad is staying somewhere else for now, I hope he's ok.

TK, did you and Matt have a fight? I haven't heard anything from you since you came back from your trip, and Matt has been so depressed lately. He barely eats or says anything, he won't play his guitar or sing at all. Please tell me what happened between you to. You told me you care for me TK, and I care for you too. I want to make sure you're alright.

Please write back soon.

Love,

Hikari-chan





"TK? Are you in there?"

"Yeah mom."

Nancy Takaishi slowly pushed open the door to TK's room. In the past weeks, TK had refused to go to school or make any contact with anyone but her. He seemed especially hesitant to speak to his brother, whom he usually called or visited once or twice a week.

Nancy tried to talk about what was bothering him, but he always changed the subject. Now she was even more worried, when she had found a crumpled up letter addressed to TK lying in the wastebasket.

"TK, why did you throw this letter from Kari away? Did you two get in an argument? Is that why you won't go to school?"

TK had been playing something on his Gameboy, but now stopped, and glanced up at his mother.

"No."

"TK," she sat down on the bed next to him. "Why won't you tell me what's troubling you, I love you and Matt so much and I'm really worried about you." Her blue eyes stared into his and she ran her hand over his hair.

"Just...forget about it. I have some homework to make up anyway." TK got up and then sat down at his desk, leaving his mother sitting on the bed.

She sighed, knowing very well how distant her sons could be sometimes.

"If you need to talk about anything, I'm here, ok TK?"

TK nodded and Nancy quietly walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her.



When Tai arrived home from school, Matt was sitting on the couch wearing slacks and a black sweater. He looked like he had been crying, although he usually did. He hadn't been to school in weeks, all he did was sit in Tai's apartment. Tai hadn't a clue what he could possibly be doing all day while everyone else was gone.

"Hey Yama, how are you feeling?"

Matt shrugged and stared out the window at the new fallen snow. It was now March, but snow was still falling due to the unusual cold. He had his elbows resting on his legs and his hands were folded in front of his mouth, almost in a position of prayer.

Tai sighed and tried to think up some casual conversation.

"It seems really cold these days, like maybe spring isn't coming this year or something."

Matt didn't say anything in response.

"Doesn't it seem extra cold to you?" Tai asked, trying to get this stone statue of Matt to say something.

Matt only took a deep breath and continued staring ahead. It seemed like he was staring at something far off that Tai couldn't see, as if his mind was in a different place.

Tai sort of twitched his nose and watched Matt stare for a few minutes.

"I'm not wearing any underwear..."

Matt's hands stayed in the same position but his head slowly turned to face Tai. His eyes were open a bit wider then they had been, he was definitely interested.

"Well that got your attention."

"Are you really not wearing any underwear?"

"I lied, I am." Tai stopped for a second. "Wanna see?"

Tai wasn't sure but he thought he heard a light chuckle escape from Matt's throat.

"Whatever you want, beautiful."

"Now that's my Matt!" Tai giggled.

Tai allowed Matt to slip his hands down the pants of his school uniform and touch him all over. Matt actually began to feel comfortable again, he had missed playing with Tai like this. He had been so lost for the past few weeks, maybe he was actually finding himself again. He pushed all thoughts of TK and his father from his mind and concentrated on the feel of Tai's soft skin and underwear under his hands.

Matt pushed Tai gently forward until he was lying down on the couch. Tai twirled Matt's silky hair around his fingers and smiled up at him. Matt pushed Tai's green jacket out of the way and began unbuttoning his shirt.

And now, Matt made a mistake. By unbuttoning Tai's shirt, he had invited Tai to take off his own. Matt had momentarily forgotten what his sweater had been hiding, and didn't realize what was happening until the sweater was already pulled off over his head.

"Matt!"

Matt sat up quickly, allowing Tai to sit up as well. Tai's playful mood suddenly vanished and he grabbed Matt's wrist. He yanked Matt's arm towards him and stared at him.

"Yamato, have you been cutting yourself!?"

Matt bit his bottom lip and looked down at the blood stained bandages wrapped around his arms. Now Tai realized what Matt did alone in the house all day. The blood on the bandages was still wet and red.

"What the hell is wrong with you!? What if you bled to death while no one was here to help you, huh!? What were you thinking!?"

"Tai... you're hurting me."

Tai quickly let go of Matt's wrist. He didn't even notice how tightly he had been holding him. There were purple marks on Matt's skin where Tai's hand had been.

"I...I'm sorry."

Next came a moment of tense silence. Matt looked down at his own arm in horror, like it was just as much of surprise to him as it was to Tai.

"Matt, why did you do this to yourself?"

"I...don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know!? You did it, you must know why!" Tai's voice was raising again, he could barely contain his anger.

"I don't know." Matt repeated.

Tai grabbed Matt's shoulders and shook him violently. Matt put up no resistance and Tai began screaming in his face.

"I don't want you to do this to yourself again, ever! Understand me!?"

Matt didn't answer and began crying. Tai pushed his back against the couch and moved closer to him until they were eye to eye.

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME YAMATO!?"

Matt made a tiny whimpering sound and turned his face away from Tai.

Tai grabbed hold of Matt's face and roughly turned it back towards his own.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO YOURSELF YAMATO!? WHAT'S GOING ON WITH YOU!?"

Matt's eyes now overflowed and tears rolled down his cheeks, and ran over Tai's hand, until they reached their resting place on Matt's bare chest.

"I...can't tell you." He seemed to be straining to get every word out.

"Why!? Why can't you tell me!? I love you Yamato! You can tell me anything!"

"No!" Until now, Matt had been putting up no resistance, but he was actually much stronger than Tai and pushed him to the floor. "I can't! I can't tell you!!"

Matt rushed into the bathroom and locked the door behind him before Tai could get there.

He could hear Tai pounding on the door, but his voice sounded far away.

"Let me in there Yamato! Don't you dare do anything to hurt yourself! UNLOCK THE DOOR NOW!"

Matt pulled open the door to the medicine cabinet, spilling half of the contents on the floor. He fumbled through pill bottles and toothbrushes until he finally found a razor.

"What are you doing Yamato!? OPEN THE DOOR!"

Matt wiped tears from his clouded eyes and pulled the blade from the razor head, cutting his thumb in the process. He clenched his teeth together and slowly dragged the blade down his arm, from his elbow all the way to his wrist. A cut slowly opened up and began seeping out blood.

His head was pounding and his heart was beating so loudly he was sure the whole world could hear it. The sound of his own heart drowned out the loud cracking of the door lock breaking through the frame. Tai had slammed into the door until it finally gave way and burst open.

"YAMATO!" Tai grabbed Matt's uncut arm and tore the blade away from him. He threw it on the floor in disgust. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

"Tai..." Matt didn't even seem to know what he was doing, how could he tell Tai?

Matt's blood was dripping off his fingertips onto the floor.

"Oh god Matt, oh my god." Tai turned the faucet on and brought Matt over to the sink. "Oh god...we have to get you cleaned up. What have you done Matt? Oh my god..." he kept repeating himself over and over, he couldn't think of any better descriptive words. He gently caressed Matt's arm and ran the water over his milky white skin. Eventually the blood stopped flowing and Tai dabbed Matt's arm dry with a towel. He wrapped a fresh bandage around the wounds, being careful not to open up the cuts that were already there before. Matt watched silently as Tai tended to his arm.

When he was finished, Tai picked Matt up and carried him into his bedroom. Tai sat him down on the bed and found a clean shirt.

"I don't know how I'm going to explain to mom and dad how the bathroom got trashed." Tai sighed and helped Matt slip the brown shirt over his head. He sat down on the bed next to him and let Matt lean his head on his shoulder. Tai softly kissed Matt's head and rubbed his back.

"I don't know what to do, Yamato. I thought you were supposed to take care of me, not the other way around." Tai sighed once again. "I wish you would tell me what's going on."

"Are you mad at me Tai?"

"No, I'm not mad anymore. I'm just afraid you're going to end up killing yourself."

Matt grabbed into Tai's shirt and rubbed his face against Tai's shoulder. Tai pulled Matt closer to him and held him tight.

"I love you, Yama."

"Take care of me Tai-kun..."

"I will."