Goggles Hide My Self
Author's Note: Set during Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna. Enjoy the story and R&R.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of the Digimon series.
Pairings: Pre-slash Taichi x Koushiro. Referenced past one-sided (canon) Koushiro x Mimi, pre-canon Yamato x Sora.
Summary:
Yagami Taichi feels bad he rejected the goggles Izumi Koushiro made him. When he goes to apologize, he realizes he has to stop taking Koushiro for granted.
Chapter 1
Taichi snapped his goggles down. He never adjusted to goggles being anything other than regular goggles. In high school, Koushiro created a pair to detect distortions, and currently, there was this prototype.
The first test fizzled. Errors. Had Taichi not ducked in time, he would've been bird splatter.
"These glasses are completely useless, Koushiro!" Taichi blew a gasket.
It was an overblown reaction. A stupid reaction. He instantly regretted every word of it.
Especially now, since the Chosen Children were transitioning into adulthood and drifting apart, Taichi couldn't stand further isolation from his friends and Hikari.
Tending pachinko machines and running off to university lectures saddened his heart. He found himself yearning for that summer, the hectic yet uncomplicated beginning of their adventures, when good was good, evil was evil, black was black, and white was white.
As he submitted the goggles to Koushiro's oolong-decked desk after finishing class, Taichi hung his head to apologize. "I'm sorry I exploded on you this morning. I don't say this enough. You're irreplaceable, Koushiro."
"It's no trouble, Taichi-san. I'll send these in for fine-tuning."
Rewind, and the same comment would have flipped Koushiro inside-out. Evidently, managing Izumi Corporation and striking out with Mimi had put to bed the Koushiro who flailed at public speaking.
Taichi missed that spaz. Not a Jo-level spaz, but admitting what he was about to admit to a bashful Koushiro might've taken less balls.
Taichi took a breath.
He'd carried it all these years. Things kept changing, but for him, this ache stuck around, his only constant.
One very Digi Christmas, the Ghost of Taichi Past encouraged Sora to act on her attraction towards Yamato.
Now, the Ghost of Taichi Present wished Sora weren't so focused on her flower arranging, so she could have his back.
"You never told me how it ended with Mimi."
"Turns out we were incompatible romantically. We remain the best of friends."
"Koushiro, I love you!" Taichi blurted suddenly.
The air was sucked out of the office momentarily, no noise save Tentomon doing Koushiro's recycling.
Was he crying? Taichi sensed he should be crying.
Recovering from the silent shock, Koushiro got out of his chair. "Is that true, Taichi-san?"
Hanging his head again, Taichi confirmed it.
"You have work tonight, don't you? Why don't I clock out early, and we can talk it over afterwards?"
"What? Koushiro, you serious?"
"I'd like to learn more. Analyze…if there's room for development."
Analyze.
Analysis.
To Koushiro, there'd been no more incontrovertible a system to verify whether his gut feeling was right.