A/N: I should have posted this sooner, but I got sidetracked and forgot. Sorry, sorry. There should be at least one more chapter for this story, since this chapter is most definitely a cliff-hanger. ; Don't know when I'll have that finished though. I wanted to have it finished before I posted this chapter, but it's obviously going to take awhile for the next chapter be completed, and I feel like I should at least post everything I have.

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After he had left Yamato's apartment, he'd begun running. Not just physically, back to his own home, but he'd unknowingly begun running from Yamato emotionally. He was only beginning to realize how he felt, but he fully understood that he could no longer close his eyes and heart to his feelings, however tangled and wrong they seemed.

His eyes were burning when he walked into his apartment, mostly from the cold air that had lashed at his face while he ran, but also from the tears that he was trying to swallow away.

Upon waking the next morning, he didn't remember falling asleep, but was terribly glad for the two week break between school terms. Sitting up, he heard a familiar sound coming from the jeans he'd apparently taken off before going to bed. His phone was beeping, telling him he had a message.

After he had liberated it from his pants, he found he had not just one, but three messages. Two from Yamato, one from Daisuke. He knew why Yamato had left messages, but was curious about Daisuke's. He checked Yamato's first.

"Taichi? Look, I don't know what wrong, and I know you probably won't tell me, but please, please call me back."

He deleted it, feeling horrible and angry and just a little bit touched at the concern he'd heard in Yamato's voice. He paused before opening the next one, wondering why Yamato had called twice.

"I know I already called once, call me impatient, I guess, but I really, really want to talk to you. If you're still mad at me, I'm sorry, I really am. But if it's something else, something worse-" there was a pause, Yamato's voice seemed to have broken a little. "I'm really worried, okay?"

Taichi stared at his phone. He'd missed the time on the first message, but noticed the time on the second. 4:37 AM, it read. Before he could feel too guilty, he deleted it and moved on to Daisuke's message.

""Those who hate themselves?" What's that supposed to mean? Yamato has no idea, so I thought I'd ask you. I'm guessing it means you're contemplating the idea of doing something really stupid. If you are, can you call me first so someone can have a shot at talking you out of it? Feel better, dude."

Taichi had to chuckle at Daisuke's strange way of conveying concern. He was finding the idea of talking to Daisuke almost inviting, but felt obligated to call Yamato back first. He sighed, falling onto his bed sideways. He lay there for a time, while thoughts and feelings fell into place in his mind. Some of his questions had been answered by his realization the previous night, while still more questions had been raised.

He'd always thought he'd welcome the idea of being in love. Of course, he hadn't been planning on the object of such feelings being Yamato. And at that moment, he believed love to be too nice a word for what he felt towards Yamato. Love, he believe was something one invited, passionate but still controllable. His feelings for Yamato could not be controlled, and passion was not strong enough a word. Every bit of him ached emotionally, and he could not yet put a finger on exactly what his desires were concerning his friend.

He rolled onto his back, and lifted on hand above his face, examining it. He wondered what Yamato's body would feel like under his fingers, what it would be like to touch him in a way that was not related to fighting. It made him sick, this feeling, and yet he did not want to quell it. His curiosity was much stronger than any disgust he might have towards his lust. Absently, he wondered how much of that soft skin Sora had already seen. Just the thought made him feel a little jealous.

As his jealously became a conscious thought, he noticed his phone was ringing. He fumbled for it, and looked at the display. It was Daisuke. He decided to answer it.

"What?"

"Nice way to answer your phone," Daisuke said disapprovingly. His tone softened as he continued. "How are you?"

"Why are you even bothering to ask?" Taichi asked in annoyance. "Nice message, by the way."

"You know, I was serious about wanting to talk you out of whatever stupid thing you're planning to do to yourself," Daisuke said, his voice serious.

"Oh, I didn't doubt that," Taichi said. "I guess I'm just not in the mood to be appreciative."

"I noticed," Daisuke said. Taichi could hear his eyes rolling. "What are you doing today?"

"No idea," Taichi replied. "I just woke up, actually."

"Good. I'm coming over then," Daisuke said cheerfully, before hanging up.

"Hey-!" Taichi called into the phone, even though he knew the other end was dead. He put the phone down and fell into his bed once more, closing his eyes as he felt the sheets envelope him.

When he opened his eyes again, the clock on his bed stand showed the time to be twenty minutes later than it had been when he had first shut them. He decided he must have dozed off, and realized why he awoken. A sharp tapping was sounding on his door.

"What?" He called towards it.

"Daisuke's here." It was Hikari's voice that answered him.

"Oh," he replied flatly. Before he could say more, perhaps tell them to go away, Daisuke was peering into his bedroom.

"Can I come in?"

"I don't care," Taichi said not bothering to move or look up.

"I never thought I'd see you look so apathetic," Daisuke said quietly, closing the door behind him as he entered. "Since when are you the moping type?"

"Since now," Taichi told him coldly. "Why do you care?"

"Because I've taken it upon me to be your friend," Daisuke informed him as he sat down on the side of the bed. "And I know you wouldn't be acting this way unless something was really wrong."

"As much as I appreciate the concern, I doubt there's anything you can do," Taichi sad, sitting up.

"Assume all you want," Daisuke said, glancing at him. "And even if I can't do anything, I can still listen. I might understand, even."

"There is no way you'd understand how I feel right now," Taichi told him curtly. "No way. I barely understand it myself."

Daisuke didn't say anything right away. He looked at Taichi uncertainly, his brow furrowed in thought. Before Taichi could say more, or ask if Daisuke was truly stumped, Daisuke found his voice.

"I know, I know," he began, his voice sounding a bit shaky. "You're the same as everyone else. No one thinks I can understand their problems." He stood up, looking the opposite direction from Taichi.

"That's not what I meant," Taichi told him quickly. He found himself wishing desperately that Daisuke would face him.

"Then what did you mean?" Daisuke didn't move.

"I- I don't know," Taichi said tentatively. Grasping for one of Daisuke's wrists, in an attempt to turn back around, Taichi went on. "I didn't know you felt that way, either."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Daisuke said quietly. Even though his voice had been shaking with his reply, Daisuke turned around. He looked at Taichi critically as he spoke again. "You don't think I would have come here wanting to hear you out if I didn't actually think I had some idea of what was going on, do you?"

"I- what?" Taichi felt himself caught off guard with that. Regaining his composure, he sent Daisuke an equally critical look to what he had received. "I refuse to believe you have any idea what is going through my mind right now."

"I knew you'd say that," Daisuke said, sounding exasperated. He sat back down, putting more of his weight on the bed than he had before. He closed his eyes, then opened them again, looking more relaxed and maybe a bit sheepish at the realization that he had Taichi's attention but not sure of the word to keep it.

"So?" Taichi looked at him expectantly.

"Well- I guess I don't exactly know what's going on-" Taichi raised his eyebrows as Daisuke paused. "-but I know it's got to do with Yamato, and I know it's not just because he pulled a fast one on you by throwing that party-" Daisuke winced as Taichi looked at him shrewdly. "-but I'm not one to just guess at things." Seeing Taichi's disappointed looked he added, "But my intentions in wanting to know what's going on are pure, and I really am worried about you."

Taichi looked at him in annoyance for a few more seconds before his faced broke into a grin. "I believe you, I believe you," he told Daisuke between laughs. Daisuke looked insulted and didn't say anything.

After a few more fits of laughter from Taichi, Daisuke ended his own silence and asked again what was bothering Taichi. Taichi turned pensive again, but his eyes told Daisuke he wasn't as closed to speaking now.

"The idea of saying it out loud makes me feel more foolish than I already do," he murmured. "But I guess I owe it to you somehow-"

Before he could finish his sentence, his phone started going off. Both boys jumped in alarm before Taichi found his phone amongst his tangled bed sheets. Daisuke looked at him, curious to know who was calling. Taichi looked at the display and immediately turned away from the other boy.

He answered it, though he wasn't sure what he was going to say. "Hello?"

"Hi," the voice on the other end said, the cheerfulness it held sounding forced. "Uhm… are you still mad at me?"

"I- no, of course not," Taichi said honestly. He felt like his insides were going to implode.

"That's- that's good," Yamato sounded relieved. "Do you want to get together sometime this week? You know, make up for what I did?"

"Uhm, yeah, sure," Taichi nodded, though he knew Yamato couldn't see him. "When?"

"Anytime you want. Just say the word and I'm yours for the day," there was a chuckle after Yamato spoke.

"Thank you," Taichi replied, though his voice shook horribly. "I- I can't really talk right now- Daisuke's here-"

"Oh? Huh, I guess he beat me to speaking to you today," Yamato said, a note of carelessness in his voice. "Well, I'll let you go. Call me when you want to get together."

"I will. Bye," Taichi said softly. Yamato hung up without another word.

"Let me guess who that was," Daisuke said flatly, looking almost amused. Taichi starred at him in annoyance. "And I think I know what's going on now, in your mind at least."

"Oh? Really?" Taichi challenged him, though he was sincerely worried that Daisuke did, indeed, know.

"You're in love with Yamato," Daisuke declared simply.