(A/N: Sorry for the wait. I wrote most of this chapter out already before a virus on my computer corrupted it. Thankfully the virus was deleted, but the document wasn't fixed. Eh, well.)

friendship.&.light

yamato and hikari

Music didn't seem to help right now. Playing his guitar usually would get him in a better mood, or at least take his mind off of things. Hikari hadn't called today, and he found himself childishly nervous about the idea. Maybe she's mad at me, Yamato always thought the worst. Or maybe Taichi was just being a dope and keeping her tied up, or busy on the phone yapping away to some random no-name girl. Whatever the case was, he found himself worrying. And his fingers wouldn't hit the right chords in any kind of situation that involved worry. Hmph.

Outside his room, the distant murr of a television set came. He figured his father had either left the T.V. on or had fallen asleep. Long days at work tended to do that to him, Yamato didn't really mind. Work was a sucky thing, especially since he was in college. The money he made via admission to concerts was okay, but the new playing-field demanded more moolah. The boy caught himself off-guard when a voice came down the hallway, "Yamato!"

"Hn..huh?" the boy sat up in his bed, setting his guitar aside.

"There's someone here to see you, that Yagami boy," his father called hoarsely from the front of the apartment. The boy sighed and got up, popping his head into the hallway. He told his father to tell Taichi to come back later or just call him. "He says it's important," the man scratched his head, then with urgency. "Quote, really important." Sighing, he dropped his hands to his sides and gave in, trudging to the door. His father gave him a pat on the back and headed off.

"Yes, Taichi?" he asked, rubbing his left eye and leaning against the frame of the door.

"Can we talk?" the chocolate-haired boy was as red as a tomato, and looked like something was obviously bothering him. Yamato didn't take time to think that he could've found out about him and Hikari, and nodded. Stepping outside, he closed the door behind him. The former gogglehead tried to restrain himself, making two tight fists with either hand. "I.." he began, a stutter to his voice. Apparently he chose to finish his sentence with a punch in the face.

Landing back against the door, the lead singer scowled. "What the f-" he was cut off as Taichi dove straight into him. He truthfully had no idea what was going on, and Yamato was still stunned in confusion, anger subsiding. "Tai--" the boy wailed on him, and Ishida defended himself, getting in a few punches before knocking the boy back.

Taichi's left cheek was dark red from a bruising, and his eyes were flaring. "You bastard!" he lunged forward again.

A rhetorical ball of limbs, kicking and fighting, ensued in the hallway. Yamato still wasn't sure what was going on, and he wasn't sure if Taichi quite knew either. Groans and grunts, bruises and scratches. Ahs, ows, grrs. It seemed like this could continue for hours, as some of their fights when they were adolescents had. "Stop it!" screamed a voice. "Stop it right now!" they both realized momentarily that it was Hikari.

Taichi backed off for a moment, taking a deep breath and leaning against the opposite wall. Yamato nursed his bloody nose and looked to his friend with blood-red eyes. "What the hell is up with you?" he asked. Taichi looked from his newly-arrived sister to his ex-best friend, almost fuming.

"You impregnated Hikari, that's what, you son of a--" Taichi was about to lunge forward when Hikari protested, reaching out an arm and grabbing at her brother's shoulder.

Yamato cocked his head back against the wall, "Huh?" He looked at Taichi with even more confusion than when he was punched in the face. He looked down, then back up and eyed Hikari. "Preg--what?" he stumbled foward some, then back to the apartment door. Hikari wasn't sure if it was because of the news, or the utter pounding he had received earlier. Whatever it was, she held her breath. "I.. Hikari?" He seemed out of air, and looked back at her.

"Yamato," Hikari began. "I.. I was going to," she was interrupted.

The Chosen Child of Friendship readjusted himself and scratched his head. "No," he shook his head. "Taichi, don't pull this on me, you've sunk damn low. Hikari and I?" he tried to laugh, but his cracked lip's pain refused him. Reaching for the door, he pulled it open and stumbled back some. "Asshole," he glared at Taichi before pulling himself in and shutting the door.

Hikari looked disoriented, and Taichi was still fuming madly. "Let me," the dark-haired boy began, heading towards the door. His sister halted him.

"S-stop, I.." She couldn't find words anymore. From the drama of her brother going pyscho on her to Yamato actually finding out, and in such an unwanted way. Oh god.. Oh god.. The only thing she could think of was to run. As fast as she could, away. No insight on where she would go, but away from Taichi. Away from Yamato. Away from these worries, and she did. He had laughed, he denied her. Was this the real him?

Run, Hikari. Run.

(A/N: R&R please, I wanna know how this is going and how everyone feels about it. Thanks a bunch.)