Peaches & Cream

Authors Notes: Alright! It's finally time for the first chapter! I wanted to get this up sooner, but college does not allow much time for taito obsessions! Hehe, I want this story to move quickly, but without a lack of plot. I will however try to get the lemon up soon. ((grins evilly)) Thanks everyone for reading my prologue and writing encouraging responses. It means a lot to me, and also keeps me motivated! A couple of things I forgot to mention before: (1) Yama and Tai are about 16 in this fic (2 )It's set in an alternate universe and while they DID go to the digital world when they were younger, it has no effect in the story (3) Yamato's parents are divorced, but he and Takeru both live with their mother (4) There is also Daiken in this. (5)Um, Yama and Tai are both in high school in Japan, but I don't know a whole lot about Japanese schools so bear with me...Yeah, I know that they have to wear uniforms, but I changed it for the sake of the story! I'd much rather see the bishies wearing their own clothes. Okay, I think that's it. I hope everyone enjoys this! PLEASE read & respond! Arigatou!

For Ivy-chan

Chapter 1

The first thing Yamato saw as he opened his eyes was the bright, dappled sunlight pouring in through his partially closed window blinds. With a slight groan he buried his face back into his pillow and tried to forget everything that had happened the previous day. After a typically boring and frustrating evening, he had broken up with his girlfriend, Sora. He had been planning to do so for quite some time, but that didn't make it any easier. It wasn't as if he had FEELINGS for her; but the fact of the matter was that he was quite an inactive participant in the relationship. He knew that Sora cared for him, and hurting her had been indeed difficult.

Yamato sat up in bed and ran his fingers through his blonde hair.

It embarrassed him further that he really couldn't give her a reason 'why'. In his heart he supposed that he knew the reason, but it wasn't really something he could speak of, or even honestly confront at the moment. All he felt was just the steady, constant flow of confusion, with indecisive thoughts bubbling up to the surface from time to time.

Throwing back the covers, he reached for a shirt to throw over his bare chest. It was October, and the days were beginning to slowly descend into the cold weather typically present this time of year. Takeru's room was adjacent to his own, and judging by the heavy silence, Yamato figured it was safe to assume his younger brother was still in bed. He chuckled to himself. Takeru hated getting up early, and almost always ended up being late for school, but Yamato cherished the silence that draped over his mornings like a comfy blanket. After getting dressed, he grabbed his book bag and went downstairs.

A sink full of dirty dishes and a cluttered kitchen table awaited him as he flicked on the light switch. /Peh..., he thought to himself/that figures/ He was used to his family being a bunch of slobs, but it was still annoying to have to clean up after everyone all the time. Takeru wasn't too bad, but his mother always left messes around the house. She often informed Yamato that it was his duty to keep the house clean. She told him it was so he could earn his keep. /What a joke/ he thought as he strode out of the house. His mother was always at work; he and Takeru hardly ever saw her. And his father? All he ever saw of him was a check every month for child support. /What kind of man abandons his own family, anyway/ Yamato didn't have a clue as to why his thoughts were on his family that morning. /I have more important things to worry about right now/ He shook his head and looked up at the light blue morning sky. He knew that news of the breakup would be around school by now, and he dreaded the repercussions. He groaned. Sora had lots of friends and Yamato was sure they would be giving him grief for at least a month.

A cold breeze pulled insistently at the blonde's neck. He wrapped his coat closer to his body as he approached school. His house was only a few blocks from the building, so the walk every morning wasn't too much of a big deal. Takeru on the other hand usually bummed a ride off of his girlfriend, Hikari, and her brother Taichi.

/Taichi/

The name clung to him as soon as the image of his best friend crossed his mind. They had been so close for numerous years. Their relationship had started out rocky, with constant arguing and the occasional fight for dominance, but eventually the two had settled in a comfortable state of friendship. Lately however that feeling had started to become more poignant. For reasons the blonde could not express, his best friend was suddenly becoming the focus of all his thoughts. It was...unsettling.

Upon entering his homeroom, he discovered he was the first to arrive. Good. Yamato liked being the first one to get to his classroom. Not that he had a teacher's pet complex; it was just peaceful. Laying his bag under his desk, he sat down with his head resting on his arms, and closed his eyes. When had everything changed? He had been content, or at least what he assumed content to be. He went to school, came home, cleaned the house, did his homework, occasionally spent time with friends, and went to bed. The days flew by, passing him in a haze of semi-conscious thoughts. Up until recently, he thought that he was getting along with his life just fine. But then... he started getting the impression that he was empty: that there was an abyss within him that yearned to be filled.

"Hey, Yama! What do you think you're doing sleeping in class before it even starts?"

Yamato jerked his head upright to see a brown-eyed beauty inches away from his face.

Taichi smiled languidly down at his friend, making the blonde boy blush. "Good morning, Tai. What are you doing here so early?"

Taichi plopped down in the seat next to him. "Well, Hikari told me this morning about you and Sora, and I just wanted to get the story before all the gossip-mongers get here."

Yamato grimaced. "It just wasn't working out. I don't have feelings for her."

Tai grinned. "You did always look pissed off when you were with her. I figured it'd happen sooner or later."

At that point, the classroom began filling with people. Yamato sighed as he spotted his friend Mimi, stomping over angrily.

"Yamato!" she started angrily, "Sora called me last night and sounded absolutely distraught." She pushed a few pink strands away from her face before continuing. "She said you dumped her! What the hell is your problem?"

The blonde silently shook his head and sighed. Taichi, laughing now, slung his arm possessively around Yamato's shoulder. "They just weren't right for each other, Mimi. C'mon, stop being such a drama queen, stuff like this happens all the time."

The young girl flushed.. "Yeah, but she told me that you broke up with her for someone else. Is that true, Yama?"

Yamato stiffened angrily. /Sora can be such a vindictive little bitch/, he thought.

Taichi frowned. "Hey now, even if that's true, it's really none of your business, is it?"

The blonde grinned appreciatively. /Good old Tai/

Mimi groaned and took her seat as the teacher came in and started class. Tai winked at Yamato before sitting back down.

Try as he might, Yamato couldn't concentrate on what was going on in class. He found himself glancing periodically over at the brown-haired boy sitting next to him. Taichi had the end of his pencil in his mouth as he gazed blankly at the teacher, his thoughts elsewhere. Yamato couldn't help but feel transfixed as he watched his friend's seemingly soft lips play with the tip of his writing utensil. He quickly looked away.

The day dragged on and on. It wasn't as bad as Yamato thought though, only a few other friends of Sora harassed him. The expected onslaught of girlish violence never came, much to Yama's relief. Finally, it was the end of the school day. As he finished clearing the books out of his locker, he looked up to see Taichi walking towards him. "Hey, are you just about ready?" he asked. Yama looked surprised. "Are you walking home today?" Taichi flashed him a winning smile. "Yeah, I figured you'd want the company. Besides, I think our siblings wanted some time alone."

The blonde chuckled. "How very considerate of you."

Tai looked right into his eyes. "Well it just so happens that I'm a very considerate person."

Yamato swallowed nervously. "Let's get going."

The day had warmed up since he left the house in the morning. With his jacket slung over his shoulder, Yama walked silently beside his best friend. Taichi rambled on about all sorts of mundane things. The amount of homework they had, the soccer game coming up; but the blonde couldn't seem to focus on anything but his racing heart. /What the fuck is wrong with me/ He just couldn't understand it.

"Hey blondie, are you listening?"

Yamato raised his blue eyes to meet Tai's. "Huh?"

The brunette shook his head. "Good job genius. We've been standing in front of your house for about five minutes now."

He looked around. So they had.

Taichi looked concerned. He pressed a hand to his forehead. "Are you sure you're okay, Yama?"

Yamato flushed at the sound of his nickname. Yama, Yama; his name sounded so sweet upon the brunettes lips. "Yeah, Yeah I'm okay. Just a little worn out, that's all."

Taichi smiled. "I'm glad. Give me a call tonight if you need to talk. You know I'm always here for you."

The blonde smiled weakly. "I'm glad. I might just do that, Tai."

Taichi gave his friend a quick wave before he started walking again. Yamato watched him until he was a blur in the distance. With a slight groan, he pressed his forehead against the coolness of his front door, closing his eyes and sighing dejectedly upon the realization that he was very, very, hard...

To Be Continued

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