Disclaimer: The muse once again wishes to inform anyone who doesn't know this yet, that Angel Spirit does not own Digimon...

Author's Notes: I am on such a roll with this fic! These chapters are just flying out... winks mischievously

Actually, to tell you guys the truth, some parts of this fic I had written up in advance...so whether you want to call it advanced planning, or cheating... shrugs ...either way it works, right? Right! And besides, that just means that the updates will be quicker for this fic now that I'm finally on the downhill slope for it. Though the one thing I still couldn't tell you guys, is how many more chapters are left...because I'm still not quite sure of that. So, I do believe I'll stop my rambling AN now and just allow you guys to read the fic... author out, muses in

Oh! And one QUICK thing!!! receives a glare from muses but chooses to ignore it Thanks to those of you who replied to my question in Confessions about the names of the parents of the season 04 DD's...that was MOST helpful...you guys rock! (gives reviewers a big hug ) Okay muses, take it away now...

Rating: PG13

Warning: This fic contains slash/yaoi, yuri...whatever you want to call it, it's there...I suggest that if you don't like this kind of stuff, than you'd leave now or forever hold your peace. You've been for warned. ;P

Pairings: Takuya/Kouji, Koichi/Izumi, Taichi/Yamato, hints of Ruki/Juri and Rei/Katsume

Time Setting: Five years after Eternity-the first fic

Forevermore

Author: Angel Spirit

Chapter 12: Schemes

It was all like some kind of horrible nightmare.

There was nothing but the steady hum of the heart monitor in the corner of the room next to the bed. The only reason that the heart beat was steady, was because the person was sitting up in the bed, awake...and trying to piece together the frantic thoughts that kept on running through her head.

Nineteen-year old Rei Ashia really felt like she was on the verge of crying her heart out. So many things were happening that weren't fair.

Like what had happened the other night...

She took in a deep breath that sounded more like a sob, as she tried to steady her shaking hands when she thought about what had happened-and she really didn't want to think about what had happened. How Yamato had pushed her out of the way of that swerving car...whoever had been driving that car was a complete and total maniac-who didn't deserve to have the privilege of driving. She had already been told that the cops were investigating the accident-that they were going to catch whoever it was that did this-or at least try their hardest.

But Rei knew that if she was an emotional mess at the moment, she knew that Taichi was probably far worse then she was.

She just couldn't believe that Yamato had done such a courageous, such a idiotic thing as to sacrifice himself for her. Personally she really didn't think that it would've caused so many people so much pain if she had been the one to be hit by that car instead of Yamato.

Sure there would be a few people who cared about her...but not as many as those from the University-and from home in Odaiba. There were several people who had come by already to see how Yamato was doing, to give Taichi their condolences...and the accident had only happened just the other night.

Rei knew that Yamato's father and his mother-as well as his younger brother Takeru and Takeru's girlfriend Hikari (also Taichi's younger sister) had arrived early that morning...they had left as soon as the hospital had called and told them what had happened. Taichi's mother and father were also reported to be on the way as well, according to Hikari-she had only arrived earlier then they had because she had been at Takeru's when the call had been made and had immediately wanted to leave with them.

So far the only person who had come to check on Rei while she was awake, had been Katsume...and that had been about two hours ago. Not like Rei was jealous or anything...

Okay, so maybe she was. She had been led to think that she finally had close friends-people who truly cared for her, just the way she was and didn't try to change her into something better...and yet no one had come to see how she was handling this.

Yamato had risked his god damned life to save her own.

And as Rei finally broke down, allowing the tears to fall as she brought her knees up to her chest, and hugged her arms around them she wished that Yamato really hadn't...that he had allowed the car to hit her so she wouldn't be here feeling as miserable and alone as she was now.

Rei hadn't heard anyone come into her room, so lost and wrapped up in her thoughts, but when someone gently touched her shoulder she nearly jumped a mile in the air; not recognizing the person who had so quietly come in. She only knew that it wasn't Katsume...

So when she finally managed to blink the tears that hadn't fallen yet out of her eyes, she found herself staring into Kouji's own deep dark blue gray orbs.

"Hey...hey...shhhhhhhhh...Rei, everything's going to be okay, alright?" He murmured as he sat on the edge of the bed next to her. Before Rei knew what she was doing, she threw herself at Kouji, wrapping her bandaged arms around him as he pulled her close and rubbed gentle, soothing patterns on her back as he tried to calm her down.

She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but when she pulled away, she sniffed a few times as she wiped the rest of her tears away with the back of her hands, grateful when Kouji passed her a few tissues from the Kleenex box next to her bed.

"How you holding up?" Kouji asked softly, as he noticed that Rei looked absolutely miserable. He had felt bad for not coming and checking on her as quickly as he should've...but all the attention the media was giving to what had just happened, was becoming annoying real fast. Kouji had to be quick if he left the room where Yamato was in with Taichi, and at one point, he, Takuya, Koichi, Izumi, Hikari, and Takeru had all been stuck in that room because the reporters wouldn't let them leave...they ended up having to close the sliding door to the room and ignore them, as the nurse within the room at that point in time had given Kouji permission to lock it. They'd been in that room for quite some time, until the police had finally managed to arrive and had 'politely' escorted the media away-well, most of the media.

As Koichi and Izumi had found out when they'd gone to get coffee for everyone, that some of the reporters were rather sneaky...one had actually dressed up as a nurse...and had almost gotten an interview that she had wanted, if another nurse hadn't realized what was going on, that the reporter's name wasn't even on the panel of nurse's names where they checked in for their shift.

And the real nurse on duty had quickly taken Koichi and Izumi back to the room where Yamato was in.

It had been a leap of a chance when Kouji realized that none of them-save for Katsume (and Kouji didn't know how in the hell that she could be wandering around the hospital without getting reporters all over her, trying to pry information out of her) had gone to check on Rei, and that Rei was probably as miserable as Taichi was...so with all the distraction that Koichi and Izumi had caused, Kouji had quietly slipped out.

And now that Kouji remembered, according to Taichi the car had been going for Rei the other night.

"Feeling a little better?" Kouji murmured as he held Rei at arms length, and she nodded and sighed.

"I heard it's a madhouse out there." She said, putting on a small smile as Kouji let out a loose laugh and shook his head.

"Oh you've got no idea...we've all been trapped in Yamato's room because the damned reporters won't let us leave! Now there's a police officer on duty-security duty actually, right outside Yamato's room. He's to make sure that no reporters are in this hallway once so ever." And Rei knew why they'd put her in the room that the hospital had decided to put her in-she was closer to Yamato then she would've originally been. And she had the feeling that the nurse's...and the doctor currently in charge of her, knew she would've wanted to go and see him.

And she did.

Managing to sit up fully, she sighed as she gave a quick look around her and realized that her clothes hadn't been returned from the other night...and she was wearing one of those stupid hospital gowns. That, and she still had the damned IV stuck in her wrist...and she really wanted it out. It wasn't like she didn't need it...but really she knew all it was, was the medication that the doctor said she'd need for the pain...

They had had to completely clean out the scratches on her arms from the gravel and other debris on the street that had gotten into them when she'd skidded hard on the pavement. A few of the cuts were deep enough to be stitched up...not to mention the cut on her forehead.

"Hey...ready to get out of here?" Katsume's voice from the doorway caused both Kouji and Rei to turn, and Rei sighed in relief when she saw that Katsume had a small bag with her that she tossed gently in Rei's direction-however, the toss was a bit off, but Kouji managed to catch it before it hit the floor and he passed it to her. It seemed as though the fight that they'd had recently, had completely vanished.

And for Katsume, it actually had-the moment she'd heard what had happened, she'd dropped everything that she'd been doing and had raced to the hospital.

When Rei opened the bag, her smile grew a bit more when she saw that it was a fresh change of clothes, as well as a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a hairbrush as well.

"Thank god." Rei murmured, before glancing wearily up at Katsume.

"You're not trying to pull a prank on me right? They're seriously releasing me from this dreaded confinement tonight?" Katsume nodded.

"Yes...since you're nineteen, you don't need your parents to come and sign you out. As soon as the doc comes by-which should be anytime soon now-and removes that IV and gives you one last check up you're pretty much free to go." Rei nodded.

"I want to go see Yamato." Both Katsume and Kouji shared a look before Katsume slowly nodded her head.

"Alright hon...we'll let you go and see Yamato. I'm going to go and let the nurse in charge of the station in the hallway know that we'll be bringing you out...and heighten the damned security around this place, okay? No more reporters." Katsume finished the sentence off with a low growl, as Kouji had the audacity to chuckle softly at this.

No sooner then Katsume had left, did the doctor come in...with another woman who seemed all to familiar to Rei, though she'd never met her before. However, Kouji on the other hand seemed to know exactly who he was as his eyes suddenly lit up and he gracefully leapt off the side of the bed where he had been sitting next to Rei, and went over and wrapped his arms around the older woman.

"MOM! What are you doing here?" Kouji's mother chuckled softly as she hugged her son close to him.

"Koichi called me...told me what had happened. I figured my twin boys could need all the support that could be offered...so here I am, and here I stay until this mess gets itself situated." She replied, and Kouji shook his head.

"Mom...you don't have to stay here...we have no idea how long it'll take for this 'mess' to get situated...and you know you can't afford to stay in a hotel that long!" However, the dark haired woman only shook her head.

"And that's where I'm one up on you Kouji. I'm a nurse, remember? I work in a hospital? Therefore, I know other nurses from various classes I've taken...I actually know Rena, the nurse who's working at the desk in this hall? She was a friend of mine when I was in college and she said that if I needed a place to stay for awhile so I could be closer to my two boys, then I could stay with her...she's got plenty of space now that her children are all grown and on their own." Kouji sighed as he shook his head.

"Leave it to you to work out something like that." He said playfully as his mother gently smacked him alongside the arm, and Kouji turned to see that Rei was shaking out the arm that had had the IV into it.

"Oh, mom...this is Rei by the way...our dorm room captain. Rei, this is my mom, Tomoko Kinmura." As Rei took the outstretched hand that was offered by Kouji's mother (no wonder why she had looked so familiar to her when she had first entered the room-she was Kouji's mother...and both of her sons really did look a lot like her) and was surprised when she was pulled into a hug instead.

"Kouji-and Koichi both-have told me so much about you-Izumi as well. I'm glad that we finally get a chance to meet." Rei fought the blush that threatened to appear when Kouji's mother said this. Just how much did Ms. Kinmura know about her?

"Why don't you get dressed Rei, and we'll go see Yamato?" Katsume had reappeared at the doorway and politely nodded at Kouji's mother. She'd met her before she had gone into see Kouji.

"Sounds good...actual clothes." Even Tomoko had to laugh as Rei said this and she left with Kouji so that she could dress. As she pulled on the comfortable blue jeans and the three quarter length white shirt that Katsume had brought her, she was relieved to find her favorite dark gray zip up the front sweatshirt in there as well.

"Ready?" Katsume asked a few seconds later, after Rei had ran a brush through her hair and had tied it up in a quick ponytail, grimacing as she did so...it needed to be washed...badly.

"Yeah, I am...let's go." She followed Katsume down the hallway, really relieved to see that there were no reporters about and that she and Katsume were able to quietly sneak into Yamato's room without a problem.

However, the moment she saw Yamato-lying lifeless on the bed, the color of his face and arms matching that of the white sterile sheets covering him Rei feel herself waver.

But she managed to overcome that feeling as she quietly walked over to where Taichi was still sitting next to Yamato's bed-he hadn't moved since the other night...and many of his friends and family too, knew that he wasn't going to until Yamato woke up. To Taichi it wasn't an if...he wasn't going to think like that. And Rei knew that she'd be the same way.

Yamato was a fighter...he was one of the most rebellious people that Rei actually knew...but it was rebellious in a good sort of way. And according to the stories that she had heard from Taichi in the past, it seemed like Yamato had been even more rebellious when he was younger then he was now.

So she knew that in her heart, that Yamato would pull through with this. He loved Taichi way to much to leave him.

When she put a gentle hand on Taichi's shoulder, he stiffened for a moment, and then as he turned his eyes toward her, he relaxed when he saw who it was.

Rei almost started to cry again, when she saw the distraught look on Taichi's face. She knew that for him at the moment, this was as close to the end of the world as he would ever get...

"Taichi...I...I don't know what to say...I-I'm sorry, this...this is my fault...it should...it should be me there...not Yamato. Yamato didn't deserve this...you don't deserve this..." She whispered, and when she didn't get any response from Taichi, she nearly felt her heart break into two.

She'd been friends much longer with Taichi and Yamato then she had been with Koichi, Kouji, and their friends...if she were to loose that strong friendship that she knew she had with them now...

"You're right...it is your fault." Taichi started to say, and Rei closed her eyes, feeling faint. She didn't see the small glare that Katsume sent in Taichi's direction, as she put an arm around Rei's shoulder's to steady her as she had started to sway a bit.

"I could always say that. I could always blame this on you Rei...but...I'm not that kind of a person...I value my friends way to much. No...this isn't your fault Rei, no matter how much you believe in that-and I wish you wouldn't think that. The person's whose fault this is, is whoever in the hell was driving that god damned van. And if they get caught, I would really like to know what in the hell they were thinking...I want them to know the pain I'm feeling right now...I want them to suffer as much as I am...gods...if I loose him...if I loose Yamato...gods...Rei...I can't loose him!" And with that, Taichi clung onto Rei for dear life, as she allowed him to sob into her shoulder just like Kouji had done for her awhile ago, not knowing what to say-she knew whatever she would or could've said wouldn't have helped the situation any.

Rei didn't know when she, too had started to cry. All she knew, was that she and Taichi sat like that for a very long time...clinging desperately to one another as the one they both cared for lay in the hospital next to them, his life hanging in the balance...

The next few days had been hard on everyone. Even the professors had seemed to notice a change in the atmosphere, as tension within the students continued to rise.

Taichi hadn't attended his classes since the night of the accident, as he now spent most of his time at the hospital, waiting for Yamato to wake up. And it had now been two weeks...two, long, miserable weeks. To make things a bit more tougher, the weather hadn't really let up since that horrible night either...in fact, it seemed as though the rain was a never ending torrential downpour. Making everything wet and dreary...it was hard to be cheerful when everything looked so gloomy.

And no one could really say who was having a tougher time of trying to surpass the fact that things just weren't getting better.

Kouji sighed and shook his head as he tried to clear it so that he could focus on his homework. But all he really felt like doing at that moment was burying his head in his arms and letting himself have a good crying session. He felt like his life was so incredibly screwed up at the moment.

His and Takuya's dorm room had been instantly cleaned up and refurbished-it felt like it was a practically brand new room. But Kouji still couldn't keep his gaze from lingering to the wall that his bed was leaned up against, where those painted words-made to look like blood-had been. Just thinking about what that message had said, still gave him the creeps.

End Game

End game to what? That didn't make any sense. He wasn't sure what kind of a sick, twisted game it was that he was stuck in-and it sickened him even more as he realized that he didn't even notice when any kind of game had started.

And then Kouji's mind wondered to everything that had been happening lately-to him and the others...

Firstly there was Sen...the creepy little bugger who just wouldn't leave him the hell alone no matter how many times Kouji had told him to get lost...it was as though Sen was immune to Kouji's icy glares and cold hearted responses to him. If that wasn't the only thing that Kouji had to deal with, there was that night that he and Rei had supposedly 'gone out' and had drunken themselves silly...or so that's what Koichi, Katsume and the rest of their friends believed. But there was something in the back of Kouji's mind, that told him that that wasn't what had happened-he truly believed that he had been meant to forget what had happened that night-and Rei as well, since she couldn't remember either. To Kouji that must've meant that the events of that night that had happened to the both of them, had crossed paths. Kouji didn't remember anything except for walking back to the dorm rooms after registering for his classes-and he'd been grabbed from behind...

Suddenly, his dark blue gray eyes opened wide with realization...he hadn't remembered that part before! But now as the fuzzy images came to him, he knew that he'd been grabbed from behind!

So did that mean that Rei had been grabbed from behind and attacked as well, but at a much later time? Kouji furrowed his brow, knowing that that might not have been the case...he and Rei must've crossed paths at one point sometime later on that night...but how? And why?

He shook his head again, trying to clear the confusion and distorted images that flicked across his mind. Nothing made sense in his life anymore.

Especially now, that the 'accident' had happened...a car that was meant to hit Rei...that had been going to hit Rei...until Yamato had pushed her out of the way...and then that same night that message written on the wall of his and Takuya's destroyed dorm room...

And quite suddenly to Kouji, it seemed like someone wanted him dead...but no...it wasn't that harsh. The harsh thing was, was that whoever the person was behind all these horrible incidents, wanted Kouji to love them. And Kouji knew he could never, ever, do that.

Especially now that he was back with Takuya...

That finally brought a small grin to his face. He and Takuya were closer now then they had ever been before. And Takuya had promised him that he'd stay by his side no matter what happened. And that made Kouji love the brunette all the more.

A knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts, and he instantly knew that it wasn't Takuya-Takuya had said something about helping someone catching up on notes for a class that evening-which, Kouji had been fine with. It meant he'd have some peace and quiet to try and actually do some studying for a change...the one problem with living with your boyfriend...there was always that other something to do besides homework...

Kouji recalled the countless times that he had tried to be studying with Takuya in the room-and vice a versa-and then the looks that they'd been sending each other would drive them both to the brink of insanity until one of them gave into the other one's desires.

Smirking as he recalled the events of the other night, he remembered there was someone at the door when the knocking started up again and he shook his head in mild frustration as he closed his math book-knowing that he probably wouldn't get any studying done for the night. Heading to the door, he mused briefly on who it would be when he opened it to see Rei standing on the other side.

"Hey..." He greeted, and she nodded at him. Looking at his best friend more closely, he saw that she'd been crying recently-and wondered just what was wrong.

"Is everything okay?" When Rei shook her head, Kouji escorted her into the room, shutting it gently behind him.

Rei still hadn't said anything...in fact, it looked like she was ready to cry again as she stood in the center of the room, shoulders hunched and her head bent down low as her hair fell into her eyes and covered her face from Kouji's view. He then realized that she held a clutched piece of paper in her hands.

"Rei...? Rei, tell me what's going on, please?" Having still not said a word, she handed him the piece of paper. When Kouji gently pried it from her fingers and smoothed out the wrinkles, he frowned while he read it...

Rei-

I am so sorry to have to do this to you-really, truly I am. Especially with the way that I am doing this...you don't know how much I hate myself at this moment. As of tonight we can no longer be together-I can't be seen with you, and you can't be seen with me...there are obvious reasons behind this Rei, and I wish that I could explain them all, but I can't. I really, truly can't and it's breaking my heart to have to do what I have to do. I'm writing this imagining what'll be going through your mind, and the pain in your heart while you're reading this and I really wish that all I could do was to hold you in my arms...to tell you that I didn't mean anything...

Unfortunately, that can never be as we can never be. I told myself coming into this that I couldn't fall in love...and I did. And now I feel stupid because I'm breaking my heart as well as yours. I never realized that it was really love we had until it was too late. But believe me Rei when I tell you that there are consequences to me loving you...and I wish I could tell you all of them.

My life is such a mystery Rei, that I feel as though I've done nothing but lie to you since I first met you. And that is not how I want a relationship to be like. I could never tell you the truth though-not with what's going on at the present moment. Maybe not ever.

Rei Ashia...as of tonight I am leaving Shibuya University...when you get this message you will see that my things have been packed, and that there is no trace of me to be found...Rei, please honor my wishes when I tell you that I want it to remain that way. I want you to find someone who will make you happy, who you can be happy with-female or male...and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Because that person can never be me...no matter...no matter how hard either of us wish it.

You will always have been my first love...and my last love.

KATSUME MONROE

"Rei..." Kouji wasn't sure what to say, but when Rei practically collapsed as she started to sob once again, all he could do was hug her and soothe her the best way he could.

Needless to say, he knew exactly how she felt...remembering the way he'd felt when Takuya had left him five years ago. He wasn't sure how long they were sitting on the floor like that, her arms wrapped around his neck as she had her head buried into his shoulder...which was wet with her tears. Her body shook with the sobs that passed through her, and Kouji could do nothing-couldn't think of anything-that he could do to calm her down.

As the door opened a couple of hours later (at least, that's what it felt like to Kouji), he looked up to see Takuya walking in, looking incredibly wet and a bit irritable.

However, the expression on his face changed when he saw what was going on.

"Why are you so wet Takuya? I thought you had an umbrella with you?" Kouji asked with a small smile, as Takuya chuckled as he ditched his bag onto the floor next to his bed.

"I did...the wind was so strong though, that it caused the damned thing to fly back the other way and rip...leaving me with nothing but my raincoat and my incredible athletic skill of running to get me back to the dorms." Kouji chuckled along with him, as Takuya came up and knelt next to them, putting an arm on Rei's shoulder. She tensed at the motion for a moment, but relaxed when Takuya whispered something soothing into her ear.

"What's wrong?" He asked, and Kouji shook his head as he handed Takuya the note.

"Basically to sum that up, Katsume's left...and Rei's an emotional mess." Takuya scanned through the note before crumpling it up and tossing it into the trash can.

"And we thought this couldn't get any worse." He murmured, and Kouji sighed as he nodded in agreement, shifting a bit so that he could get some feeling back into his legs.

"Rei...Rei, come on...you're going to make yourself sick...do you want to stay here with Takuya and me tonight? We can sleep on Takuya's bed and you can have mine..." Rei nodded into Kouji's shoulder, finally quieting down a bit as Takuya stood.

"I'm going to get Kita...I think she might be able to help us a bit more here." He helped Kouji first though, so that they could move Rei to his bed, before he left-saying he'd be back in a minute.

"Oh Rei...I wish that there was something that I could do to help you, but I'm not sure that there is anything I can do to help...I'm so sorry..."

"She's such an emotional mess at the moment that I really don't even think that we have to do anything to her...she really cared about Katsume more then I thought I knew." A voice said from the darkest corner of the alleyway, and the figure next to him equally shrouded by the same darkness shrugged as he lit up a cigar, and inhaled deeply.

"Still, keep an eye on that bitch...she might be an emotional mess now...and hopefully it'll stay that way. But if she gets out of hand, or any closer to discovering anything that might put my plan into jeopardy, then she will have to be taken care of." The figure smoking offered a cigarette to the other, and he gratefully accepted it and brought out his own lighter as he lit up.

"So what do we do now? She was next...but since she's so...how do we say...distraught? At the moment, I say that we move on...like you said, we can deal with her later. Besides, she's got Minomoto's full attention now...as well as Kanbara's, those three are going to be a close knit circle for awhile until I can find someway to break them apart." He murmured as he took another puff of the cigarette and exhaled slowly, grinning a bit as he did so.

"Man, it's been so long since I've had one of these...I could definitely get back into the habit."

"I don't know why you even stopped..."

"I've got my reasons...so what do we do next? Remember, this is your deal, not mine!" The figure in complete darkness chuckled.

"Oh how I so very much know that. Hmmmm...let's see here...with Minomoto focusing so much on Ashia and Kanbara at the present time, I say we move onto someone he probably isn't thinking about at this point in time...and then when we strike, he'll realize that he should've been paying more attention...you know the old saying...blood is thicker then water?"

Both males laughed, their deep voices ringing out deep into the rainy night...

When Takuya and Kouji woke up the next morning, Rei was gone.

A note on Kouji's bed was left in her place, and Kouji rubbed his temples.

"I'm thinking I should ban note writing..." He murmured, and Takuya laughed softly as he went over to get it.

Guys-

Thanks for taking care of me last night...you two have no idea how much I appreciate it. I really couldn't sleep last night much, so I was up early this morning...I went down to the hospital to see if maybe I could pry Taichi away from Yamato's room long enough to get him to come back and shower and take care of himself...that, and I also felt like I needed to be away from the University for a bit...and that was my best excuse I suppose (don't tell Taichi that later though if you see him! :P)

Kouji-I DO plan to be in History this morning, so I'll see you there-and Takuya, I'll see you in Photography later on this afternoon.

Thanks again you two-I owe you. Hugs both

REI

Kouji snorted as he read the note over Takuya's shoulders.

"That note sounds so falsely cheerful, that I think I might hurl any minute now!" Takuya playfully elbowed him in the ribs for his comment, and Kouji grunted but still smiled at him none the less as he turned around so that his arms were now wrapped around Kouji's waist, and was holding him close.

"Yeah...but at least she's trying. Speaking of History...that means you've got to get ready, cause that class is going to start in the next hour." Kouji nodded, really not wanting to leave Takuya's arms, and the warmth of his embrace.

"Mmmmhmmm...don't wanna go." He said as childishly as he possibly could, and Takuya gave him a wide grin as he ran a hand through Kouji's long raven blue hair...which was loose from it's ponytail as Takuya at one point during the night, had taken off the band that Kouji used to keep it up.

"You know, I like your hair down much better then up?" Takuya murmured, and Kouji chuckled as he pulled his face away from Takuya's chest, where he had decided to stay snuggled up to.

"Yeah, I know." He said, grinning back at him as he playfully pushed Takuya away, who fell backwards onto his bed with a surprised expression.

"Hey, what was that for?!?" At Takuya's priceless expression, all Kouji could do was laugh as he went to collect the things that he needed for a shower.

"Because my dearest Takuya, you stink...and I mean, you really stink!" The mischievous look that Takuya sent him next, Kouji couldn't decipher as he held his shower bag and towel in the same hand.

"Takuya...what are you thinking of-"He wasn't able to finish his sentence as before he was able to, Takuya had stood quite suddenly and maneuvered quickly enough, getting as close to Kouji as he could...

All so that he could throw Kouji over his shoulder. Who yelped in surprise as he fought to get a well enough balance so that Takuya wouldn't drop him.

"TAKUYA! What are you doing?!? I have to go take a shower...I've got class in about an on koi, put me down!" But Takuya only shook his head at Kouji's demand as he grinned madly and quickly collected what he needed to take his own shower, all while still keeping Kouji up on his shoulder.

"Takuya..." Kouji warningly stated his name, and Takuya chuckled as he headed out of their room, closing the door quickly behind him.

"Well, since you said that I stink...then we can shower together!" He murmured so that no one else in the hallway could hear them, though everyone in their residential building knew that Takuya and Kouji were together. And as a couple of girls walked past them, both grinned and as they walked away they giggled to one another and Kouji could swear that he heard a 'how cute!' from one of them as he fought the blush that threatened to emerge, causing him to feel warm in the face as he started to playfully struggle out of Takuya's tight grip-it wasn't tight enough to hurt him, it was just tight enough to keep him up there...so no matter how hard he did struggle, he couldn't wiggle his way out of it.

And he sighed in defeat as he realized this halfway down the stairs, and gave in.

Takuya, feeling Kouji relax almost way to much in his arms, chuckled.

"I win!" He declared cheerfully as he continued to carry Kouji the rest of the way to the showers. Takuya didn't see Kouji sticking his tongue out at him as he chuckled, and afterwards, he knew he held one of the best smiles that he'd let out all week...and in truth, it felt good to smile-knowing that that smile was a true smile.

"Yes, you win...this time." Kouji told his koi in the most threatening tone that he could muster...but when Takuya burst out laughing, Kouji knew that he would not be able to hold onto his 'seriousness' much longer-and sure enough by the time that Takuya got into the shower area both of them were cracking up.

As Takuya gently placed Kouji back down on the floor, they turned to see Koichi coming toward them, fully dressed and towel drying his hair.

"You two sound like you're both in good moods today!" He declared happily as he stopped for a minute to talk with them.

Kouji nodded, and saw that Koichi held a small smile on his face when he saw Kouji reach out and grab Takuya's hand, holding it tightly. He had never thought that in a million years it would feel that being so close to Takuya again would feel this good...if he had known that when he had first found out that Takuya was back, he would've cast all his fears away...

Was that what was really holding me back in the first place though? Was it fear? Kouji thought as he smiled at his twin in return as they bumped fists.

"So you're going to class this morning, right Koichi?" Kouji asked, as Koichi nodded.

"Yeah, I'm hoping that I have time for a cup of coffee with Izumi at that Java place that you and Rei like so much." Takuya chuckled and raised an eyebrow.

"Am I missing something here? Last time I knew Kouji, you didn't drink coffee! At least, not that much anyway." Kouji grinned as he placed a kiss on Takuya's nose.

"Well, five years changes a person a bit...I guess you still need to learn a lot more about me..." With that said, Kouji threw his towel over his shoulder as he headed for one of the further shower stalls, leaving Takuya behind to stare at him with an amused expression on his face.

However, he wasn't left standing behind for long, as Kouji turned his head about halfway toward the shower stall he was aiming for, and motioned for Takuya to follow him, a seductive look in his eyes.

As Koichi watched, he immediately saw Takuya's eyes light up as the brunette winked at him, before quickly catching up to Kouji, and Koichi chuckled and headed out of the shower area, shaking his head. Leave it to Takuya and Kouji to brighten up his day...

"He's just left the shower area...I heard him say something about plans on meeting with Izumi Orionto, his girlfriend."

"I know who she is! Make sure you follow them...and don't let him out of your sight..."

"What else do you wish me to do?"

"You have the tool that I gave you?" A gulp and a nervous nod.

"Good...then do what you have to do to use it..."

TBC

End Note: All the light fluffy Takoujiness that happened in this chapter was so much fun to write!!! A nice little break from the angst, no? winks But no worries! ((watches as author bounces around happily)). The angst will be back in the next chapter! (with more fluffy Takouji moments for everyone as well!) author dashes off to go work on the next chapter...