Yamato's house was very quiet that night. Taichi barely said a word.
He merely stared straight ahead and hugged his legs to his chest. The
only time he said a word was when Yamato had called Takeru to make sure
Kari was still there.
"Uh. . ." Takeru replied sounding confused, "Yeah, she is, why?"
"Thank God," Yamato replied sighing in relief, "TK make sure Kari stays at your house for the night. . .do not let her go home."
"But it's a school night Yamato. You know how Mom gets about school nights these days, wouldn't it be better if she stay- " Takeru started.
"Please TK, just do it," Yamato said quickly.
There was a brief, heavy pause on the other end. "What's going on Onii- chan?" Takeu asked in concern, after the brief pause.
"Just trust me TK, don't let Kari go home," Yamato insisted.
"But like I was saying Yamato, why doesn't she stay with Miyako, you know how mom feels now that-"
"No, TK, Kari needs to stay with you," Yamato insisted again.
"But what-" Takeru began to argue.
"DON'T ARGUE WITH ME TAKERU!!!!" Yamato finally snapped. The other end of the line was silent for a moment and Yamato felt a sudden pang of guilt for yelling at his younger sibling. Yamato took a deep breath and continued. "Look T.K. I would feel better if Kari was with you tonig-- hang on." Yamato paused as Taichi reached for the phone. Yamato smiled at Taichi and handed the reaching boy the phone.
"TK?" Taichi said softly into the phone.
"Yeah?" TK answered sounding more and more nervous with each passing moment.
"Hi. I would only feel okay with Kari staying with you tonight buddy," Taichi said softly.
There was a nervous shifting on the other end of the conversation. "Taichi. . .what's going on? Did something happen? You guys are starting to scare me," Takeru said barely above a whisper.
Taichi sighed. "look Takeru I'm gonna be straight with you. . .Our house was broken into tonight, and because of the people who did it, I'm in a lot of trouble. I have people after me; and they even somehow found out where I live. They must know about Kari, and will do anything to keep me from saying anything about an incident earlier. Our parents can't be reached, and-" Yamato's hand on his shoulder stopped Taichi from continuing on his tirade. Instead, Taichi drew a great breath, closed his eyes and said more gently, "NOW do you want Kari to stay with Miyako? Put both of them in danger?"
". . .no," Takeru replied quietly, "she'll stay here with me. . .I'll protect her with my life Taichi I promise."
Taichi smiled. "Thank you Takeru," he replied to the younger blonde then handed the phone back to Yamato. Yamato talked for a couple more minutes to calm the younger blonde down, before hanging up. Yamato turned and looked at Taichi with some worry.
"Taichi are you alright?" Yamato asked. Taichi began to nod his head then stopped and smacked his forehead.
"My wallet," Taichi said in realization.
"I'm sorry?"
"My wallet. . .it was in my sports bag. . .I uhm, dropped it when they grabbed me," Taichi muttered uncomfortably.
"Did you leave it in the alley then?"
"Well, yeah," Taichi replied.
"Okay we'll go look for it tomorrow."
"Okay," Taichi agreed with a yawn.
"Okay now answer my earlier question," Yamato ordered.
"Huh?" Taichi asked from faraway.
"Are you alright?" Yamato repeated.
"Yeah Yama," Taichi insisted almost monotonous, "sure."
Yamato sighed and stood up. "Hungry Taichi?"
"Yeah," Taichi repeated, "sure."
"Are hamburgers okay?"
"Yeah, sure."
"We might not have anything for a salad. . . is that okay?"
"yeah sure."
"Or you know we could just fry up my neighbor's cat and have that for dinner too."
"Yeah. . .er. . .Huh?"
Yamato laughed. "Space cadet come on!"
"Sorry, Hamburgers are fine."
The boys ate their dinner, then spent the rest of the night watching T.V. in silence. Not even the funniest comedy could make either one of them laugh right now. Both were too preoccupied.
Taichi was too busy feeling jumpy and listening for the slightest movement, while Yamato was busy thinking about how close he had come to losing Taichi, and trying to make his friend feel safe. .
Finally after a couple of hours, Yamato turned off the T.V. "Bed time," Yamato said firmly.
Taichi rolled his eyes, "Yes mother."
"It's a school night Taichi," Yamato insisted walking towards his bedroom.
"Oh yeah," Taichi laughed.
The two boys walked back into Yamato's room. "I know you usually sleep on the floor Taichi, but considering your head injury, you could have my bed tonight if you'd like."
Taichi managed a smile. "Thanks Yama, but I don't want you to be uncomfortable."
"It's not a problem," Yamato insisted.
"No, the floor is fine," Taichi insisted back.
"Suit yourself."
"Besides," Taichi joked, "the floor is where I belong."
"You're so stupid sometimes," Yamato laughed.
"I try."
The two boys climbed into bed and Yamato turned off the light. "Night Taichi," Yamato yawned.
"Night Yama, and thanks again."
"No problem Taichi, someone's gotta save your sorry butt and I have a feeling I've been volunteered."
Taichi laughed. "My own personal bodyguard."
"But of course!" Yamato laughed back.
Silence. "Yama?"
"Yes?"
"Could we not tell anyone else about this? I don't want to get anyone else involved. . .it's bad enough I put you in danger."
"Of course Taichi, "Yamato replied, "but don't feel bad about me being involved, I would have found out one way or another, and it's better that someone DOES know you're involved. . .just in case something. . .happens."
"You shouldn't be involved," Taichi insisted shaking his head.
"Well I am so trust that I'll be an ever constant bother to you to make sure you're not dead yet."
Taichi smiled in the dark. "That's. . .almost comforting Yama."
"I try," Yamato replied cockily.
"I said almost," Taichi laughed, "Night."
"Night."
~*~*
A/N: wheeeee that took entirely too long! Sorry about that! I just couldn't decide how I wanted this chapter to be. . .thanks to AnimeWriter2 for pointing out my flaw in the story! (( I'm usually more careful!!!!!!)) So it's all fixed now! Read and review the story!
"Uh. . ." Takeru replied sounding confused, "Yeah, she is, why?"
"Thank God," Yamato replied sighing in relief, "TK make sure Kari stays at your house for the night. . .do not let her go home."
"But it's a school night Yamato. You know how Mom gets about school nights these days, wouldn't it be better if she stay- " Takeru started.
"Please TK, just do it," Yamato said quickly.
There was a brief, heavy pause on the other end. "What's going on Onii- chan?" Takeu asked in concern, after the brief pause.
"Just trust me TK, don't let Kari go home," Yamato insisted.
"But like I was saying Yamato, why doesn't she stay with Miyako, you know how mom feels now that-"
"No, TK, Kari needs to stay with you," Yamato insisted again.
"But what-" Takeru began to argue.
"DON'T ARGUE WITH ME TAKERU!!!!" Yamato finally snapped. The other end of the line was silent for a moment and Yamato felt a sudden pang of guilt for yelling at his younger sibling. Yamato took a deep breath and continued. "Look T.K. I would feel better if Kari was with you tonig-- hang on." Yamato paused as Taichi reached for the phone. Yamato smiled at Taichi and handed the reaching boy the phone.
"TK?" Taichi said softly into the phone.
"Yeah?" TK answered sounding more and more nervous with each passing moment.
"Hi. I would only feel okay with Kari staying with you tonight buddy," Taichi said softly.
There was a nervous shifting on the other end of the conversation. "Taichi. . .what's going on? Did something happen? You guys are starting to scare me," Takeru said barely above a whisper.
Taichi sighed. "look Takeru I'm gonna be straight with you. . .Our house was broken into tonight, and because of the people who did it, I'm in a lot of trouble. I have people after me; and they even somehow found out where I live. They must know about Kari, and will do anything to keep me from saying anything about an incident earlier. Our parents can't be reached, and-" Yamato's hand on his shoulder stopped Taichi from continuing on his tirade. Instead, Taichi drew a great breath, closed his eyes and said more gently, "NOW do you want Kari to stay with Miyako? Put both of them in danger?"
". . .no," Takeru replied quietly, "she'll stay here with me. . .I'll protect her with my life Taichi I promise."
Taichi smiled. "Thank you Takeru," he replied to the younger blonde then handed the phone back to Yamato. Yamato talked for a couple more minutes to calm the younger blonde down, before hanging up. Yamato turned and looked at Taichi with some worry.
"Taichi are you alright?" Yamato asked. Taichi began to nod his head then stopped and smacked his forehead.
"My wallet," Taichi said in realization.
"I'm sorry?"
"My wallet. . .it was in my sports bag. . .I uhm, dropped it when they grabbed me," Taichi muttered uncomfortably.
"Did you leave it in the alley then?"
"Well, yeah," Taichi replied.
"Okay we'll go look for it tomorrow."
"Okay," Taichi agreed with a yawn.
"Okay now answer my earlier question," Yamato ordered.
"Huh?" Taichi asked from faraway.
"Are you alright?" Yamato repeated.
"Yeah Yama," Taichi insisted almost monotonous, "sure."
Yamato sighed and stood up. "Hungry Taichi?"
"Yeah," Taichi repeated, "sure."
"Are hamburgers okay?"
"Yeah, sure."
"We might not have anything for a salad. . . is that okay?"
"yeah sure."
"Or you know we could just fry up my neighbor's cat and have that for dinner too."
"Yeah. . .er. . .Huh?"
Yamato laughed. "Space cadet come on!"
"Sorry, Hamburgers are fine."
The boys ate their dinner, then spent the rest of the night watching T.V. in silence. Not even the funniest comedy could make either one of them laugh right now. Both were too preoccupied.
Taichi was too busy feeling jumpy and listening for the slightest movement, while Yamato was busy thinking about how close he had come to losing Taichi, and trying to make his friend feel safe. .
Finally after a couple of hours, Yamato turned off the T.V. "Bed time," Yamato said firmly.
Taichi rolled his eyes, "Yes mother."
"It's a school night Taichi," Yamato insisted walking towards his bedroom.
"Oh yeah," Taichi laughed.
The two boys walked back into Yamato's room. "I know you usually sleep on the floor Taichi, but considering your head injury, you could have my bed tonight if you'd like."
Taichi managed a smile. "Thanks Yama, but I don't want you to be uncomfortable."
"It's not a problem," Yamato insisted.
"No, the floor is fine," Taichi insisted back.
"Suit yourself."
"Besides," Taichi joked, "the floor is where I belong."
"You're so stupid sometimes," Yamato laughed.
"I try."
The two boys climbed into bed and Yamato turned off the light. "Night Taichi," Yamato yawned.
"Night Yama, and thanks again."
"No problem Taichi, someone's gotta save your sorry butt and I have a feeling I've been volunteered."
Taichi laughed. "My own personal bodyguard."
"But of course!" Yamato laughed back.
Silence. "Yama?"
"Yes?"
"Could we not tell anyone else about this? I don't want to get anyone else involved. . .it's bad enough I put you in danger."
"Of course Taichi, "Yamato replied, "but don't feel bad about me being involved, I would have found out one way or another, and it's better that someone DOES know you're involved. . .just in case something. . .happens."
"You shouldn't be involved," Taichi insisted shaking his head.
"Well I am so trust that I'll be an ever constant bother to you to make sure you're not dead yet."
Taichi smiled in the dark. "That's. . .almost comforting Yama."
"I try," Yamato replied cockily.
"I said almost," Taichi laughed, "Night."
"Night."
~*~*
A/N: wheeeee that took entirely too long! Sorry about that! I just couldn't decide how I wanted this chapter to be. . .thanks to AnimeWriter2 for pointing out my flaw in the story! (( I'm usually more careful!!!!!!)) So it's all fixed now! Read and review the story!