Nostalgia is a seductive liar.
-George W. Ball
"W-what are you doing here?" Tai whispered, immediately ashamed of himself for speaking like that. Matt blinked at him momentarily before stepping further into the room.
"Am I not supposed to be here?" he questioned back, shifting the roses in his hands nervously. Tai crawled back in through the glass door, re-entering his bedroom.
"Well I mean…to my knowledge, you were in New York. Last time I checked, this wasn't New York." Matt rolled his eyes at Tai's logic.
"You act so happy to see me," he said rather dryly, peering up at the brunet through his bangs. Tai blinked at him and suddenly came back to his senses, crossing the room in one giant leap and tackling Matt (and his flowers) to the floor.
"Yay, Yama's home!" he bellowed, entrapping the blond in a bone-crushing hug. However, Matt didn't try to push his boyfriend away; rather, he smiled up at the round tan face fondly and waited patiently. Tai slowly pulled away, sitting up to examine the blue-eyed boy. "You still didn't answer my question," he pointed out.
"What question?" Matt shot back, tilting his head in question.
"What are you doing here? Not that I'm not totally thrilled beyond the point of no return, but…" Tai trailed off, unsure of what else to say. In return, his blond boyfriend raised an aristocratic eyebrow.
"Didn't Kari tell you?" he finally asked.
"Obviously not," Tai muttered, already plotting revenge against his younger sister. Matt laughed quietly and grinned again.
"Well, here's what finally happened. Mom threatened to leave Dad again if he didn't move us back here right away, she still wants her job at the academy, you see. Naturally, Dad was like 'No don't leave me!' and so he busted his butt at work and kissed major ass to get his company to transfer him here. So here we are!" Matt declared cheerfully. It was Tai's turn to raise an eyebrow.
"They let him transfer? Just like that?"
"Well like I said, he kissed major ass. Plus he's been working for them for as long as I can remember so…" Matt stopped his train of thought and blinked. "Actually, I don't understand it either, but I also really don't care. Point is, we're back, I'm not leaving, and we're here to stay."
"Well that's a relief," Tai sighed and allowed his eyes to trail over the form of his boyfriend…or was he his ex? Tai wasn't even sure if they were dating any more due to the lack of any type of agreement.
Then again, he supposed it didn't really matter; he had Matt pinned beneath him and that was all that mattered.
…actually…there was more to it than that. Matt had changed. Instead of his hair being up and spiked like it used to be, the American boy had let it grow out so now it was longer, hanging down slightly. His eyes were more almond-shaped now and his facial features were more well-defined than they had previously been. He seemed to have grown another couple of inches, so now he was about even with Tai height-wise. Matt noticed that he was being checked out and smirked, poking Tai in the nose.
"Like what you see?"
"Of course…but wow you've changed," Tai whistled lowly. "I'm impressed." Matt gave off a light blush and didn't answer. Tai's eyes sparkled happily at the sight and continued looking over the other boy. His vision soon landed on the roses in Matt's hands. Matt followed his gaze and suddenly thrusted the flowers into Tai's hands.
"These are for you," he blurted out, his blush steadily growing darker. Tai stared at him for a moment before taking the roses and holding them gingerly. He raised an eyebrow and looked at the blond expectantly, waiting for some sort of explanation.
"Your sister suggested it, not me," he said hastily. Tai snorted and rolled his eyes.
'Figures.' He thought and shrugged.
"Aww, so you weren't trying to sweep me off my feet?" he asked, pouting ever-so-slightly at his boyfriend. It was Matt's turn to roll his eyes at Tai's cheesy remark.
"Why bother when I've already got you under my thumb?" he returned with a sweet smile. Tai bopped him on the head lightly with the bouquet of roses but laughed anyway.
"You look exhausted…did you just get in?" he asked, studying the bags under his boyfriend's eyes. Matt nodded and attempted to stifle a yawn.
"Yeah, but I had to come see you right away. I didn't want you to…" he trailed off, stopping his sentence completely. Tai tilted his head and rested a hand on Matt's shoulder.
"You didn't want me to what?" he whispered, locking eyes with the other boy. Matt sighed quietly and shivered.
"I didn't want you to forget about me," he whispered back, leaning his head against Tai's shoulder. Tai's jaw fell agape just a bit before shaking his head furiously and pulling Matt closer to him.
"Yeah, because I'm really going to forget someone so special," he replied, albeit sarcastically. "If you recall correctly, you're the one who stopped emailing me."
"Yeah, exactly. That's why I didn't want you to forget about me," Matt retorted instantly, even though his reply was slightly muffled into Tai's shirt. Tai ran a hand through Matt's hair, smiling at how the blond locks were still as silky as he had remembered.
"Well then why'd you stop writing?"
"Computer went boom."
"…what?" Tai blinked in surprise, due to the fact that Matt's computer died and also due to the fact that Matt had just said boom. Matt removed his face from Tai's chest and looked at him again.
"My computer had major issues and spazzed out. Our internet went down for a few weeks and then the computer itself just stopped working all together and by the time it was up and running again, we had to pack it to bring with us here," he said rather calmly.
"Then how did you get a hold of my sister?" Tai questioned.
"Just for the record, long-distance phone calls are covered on a cell phone plan."
"…how'd you get her cell phone number?" Tai was certainly mind-boggled and slowly becoming confused beyond belief.
"Uh, hi? My brother and your sister dated for how long? He was bound to have it. So as soon as we learned we were coming back, TK called Kari." Matt laid his head in Tai's lap, looking up at him from his position.
"Why didn't you call and tell me!" Tai exclaimed, suddenly feeling unhappy about being out of the loop.
"You have to admit, it was a nice surprise," Matt pointed out.
"True…doesn't mean that you guys couldn't have given me a heads-up."
"Tai, if we gave you any clue at all, that would have ruined the entire point." Matt nodded to himself. Tai frowned in thought and continued stroking Matt's hair. Now that he thought about it, it all made sense.
'They'll come back some day, Tai.' Kari's words echoed in his mind and he growled suddenly.
"Why didn't I see it before? Man, I'm such an idiot!" he shouted, causing his boyfriend to jump. Tai settled down and held Matt gently. "Oh well…you're here now…and that's all that matters, right?"
"That's the way I see it." Matt closed his eyes and purred contently. Tai nodded and smiled again.
"Seriously, you could have waited until tomorrow. You're practically falling asleep on me!" he teased the other boy. Matt cracked open one eye and shrugged.
"I figured that you were more important than something stupid like sleep," he replied, sitting up rather sluggishly.
"You're probably still jet-lagged," Tai pointed out and stood up, pulling the blond up with him. "Come on, I'll walk you home." He grabbed Matt's hand and began leading him out the door of his bedroom and down the stairs.
"Do you even know where I live?" Matt laughed to himself, allowing himself to be led down to the first floor and out the front door. The rain had let up to a light drizzle and Tai grabbed an umbrella as an afterthought, popping it open and holding it over their heads.
"Well no, but it can't be that far away from here if you walked, right?"
"Eh, four blocks away. Basically, I live down the street, around the corner, and down that street from here."
Tai nodded and began walking, still holding onto Matt's hand. "I can't believe you're back," he said quietly, looking over at the American boy.
"You know, I can't believe it either. It's almost too good to be true, y'know?" Matt agreed and continued looking forward. "But, if it's not true, then I guess we should enjoy it while we can right?"
"Right. But I think that it is real."
"What makes you say that?"
"I dunno. Just because it's impossible for this not to be real," Tai rationalized. Matt nodded and laughed slightly.
"Do you realize how stupid we sound right now?" he said between giggles. Tai couldn't help but laugh as well.
"Like we're straight out of a cheesy black and white romance," he concurred, turning the corner and slowly let go of Matt's hand, draping an arm around the thin waist of his boyfriend. Matt shook his head amusedly and leaned into Tai's embrace.
"We're just a typical couple taking a typical walk on a typical rainy evening," he sighed softly, snickering under his breath.
"Well, we're not that typical," Tai pointed out.
"How do ya figure?"
"Two penises a typical couple does not make."
"…that doesn't count, Tai."
"Sure it does!" Tai grinned widely. Matt groaned and shook his head again.
"Well, you're definitely typical Tai. You haven't changed a bit."
"But don't you prefer it that way?"
"Yeah, probably," Matt agreed before stopping in front of a large iron gate. Reaching forward, he tried forcing the doors open, but they remained locked. "Oh you're kidding!" he cried, shaking the doors furiously.
"What's the matter?" Tai asked, holding the umbrella over Matt's head as he struggled to open the gate.
"It's locked," he said flatly, staring at Tai blankly. "Basically, I'm locked out of my own house."
"…how?"
"I don't know. The only way in is to unlock the doors with a key or from the inside, neither of which I can do." Matt kicked the gate doors and they rattled loudly, the sound echoing down the empty street. Tai frowned slightly and looked up at the fence, calculating something that only he would know. Suddenly he handed Matt the umbrella.
"Hold that," he instructed and jumped, latching onto the fence. Matt's eyes widened anxiously.
"Tai, what are you doing?" he hissed, watching as the tanned boy scaled the gate with ease, reaching the top in the blink of an eye.
"Just hold on," Tai replied and swung his leg over the top of the gate, squatting on his other foot in a crouching position. He sprang from the top of the gate and fell through the air, causing Matt to yelp in protest. The Japanese boy landed on all fours on the ground, looking around before standing up again.
"Are you insane!" Matt half-yelled, half-whispered. Tai shrugged and began to fiddle with the gate's lock.
"Didn't we already establish that fact?" he answered with a question, unlocking the gate and swinging it open. "C'mon." Matt stepped in through the gate and the two boys walked up to the front door, standing on the porch quietly. Tai then placed his hands on Matt's shoulders, leaving the blond to grab him by the waist to make the position less awkward.
"I really am glad you came to see me tonight," Tai spoke first, leaning his forehead against the blue-eyed boy's. Matt smiled shyly and nodded.
"So am I."
Tai bit his lip and looked off the porch to the grassy lawn. "So…" he started to say, trailing off to a halt. Matt tucked two fingers under Tai's chin and lifted his head, forcing him to look at him.
"So what?" he prodded. Tai batted Matt's hand away and held up his own head. Matt's hand trailed back down to Tai's waist and rested there, waiting for Tai to make the next move.
"Are we gonna try again?" the brunet blurted out. Matt blinked at the outburst and tilted his head to the side.
"Try what again?"
"You…me…us…" Tai's eyes never left Matt's, waiting for the inevitable answer that would make or break him. Matt remained quiet for a few moments, seemingly thinking it over.
Actually, he already had his answer; he just liked watching Tai sweat. The boy in front of him was flashing impressive puppy eyes at him and his bottom lip was threatening to jut out in a pout. Deciding that the sight was just too pathetically cute, Matt grinned and answered.
"Yes," he said before leaning forward, capturing Tai's lips with his own and kissing him like he meant it.
The doorbell to the Yagami-Motomiya house rang early the next morning, sometime around nine. Kari dropped the butter knife in her hand and set down her toast, leaving the kitchen and entering the foyer to answer the door. She opened it and smiled when she saw who was on the other side.
"Hi Sora," she greeted the redhead, stepping aside to let the other girl into the house.
"Hey Kar. Where's your brother at?" Sora asked, walking into the house and shutting the door behind her.
"Probably upstairs sleeping still. After all, it's only nine in the morning," she said with a roll of her eyes. "You can go upstairs and find out though, it's not like you haven't been to this house before."
"Yeah, you've got a point. Guess I'll go up and check then," Sora said and headed for the stairs, waving to Kari over her shoulder.
"Oh hey, Sora? When you wake him up, can you tell him that I left for practice?" Kari called out as an afterthought.
"Yeah sure thing," Sora replied.
"Thanks!" Kari darted back into the kitchen, grabbing her toast and returning to the foyer to snatch her duffel bag and race out the door. Sora finished climbing up the stairs and reached Tai's door, not bothering to knock. Tai was her best friend since forever; so what if he slept naked on occasion? She just hoped that today wasn't one of those occasions. Reaching his bedside, Sora was relieved to see that not only was Tai actually under his covers, he was wearing pajamas. Sitting on the bed down by his feet, she reached out and shook his shoulder.
"Wakey wakey sleepy-head," she called out softly, snickering when Tai groaned and rolled over. She poked at him again curiously, watching as Tai shifted away from her. Face splitting into an evil grin, Sora started poking Tai repetitively, giggling quietly as Tai crawled closer to the wall to avoid her fingers. Suddenly a tanned hand flew out and snatched her fingers, gripping them tightly.
"If you keep poking me, I might have to bite off your entire hand," Tai's voice came out low and he sat up, glaring at his best female friend.
"God knows that you could fit the entire thing in your mouth. You've managed to fit everything else in there," Sora shot back, wrenching her fingers out of Tai's. A small blush loomed on the boy's cheeks for a moment and he buried his face into his pillow.
"What do you want?" he sniffed and refused to move, lying on his stomach on the bed.
"I wanted to see if you had any plans for today, only I came here and you were still sleeping. So Kari gave me permission to get your lazy ass out of bed. Oh by the way, she left for practice. Which brings up this: practice for what? Kari's never really been one for sports," Sora brought up. Tai yawned and sniffed again.
"Cheerleading. All of the sports start this next term, so they're making cuts for the new squad. Her and Mimi and Jun and a few of the other ones are trying out," he explained, his voice still muffled by the pillow. Sniffing a third time, he curled up under his blanket further. Sora gave the back of his head a concerned stare and scooted closer to him. She stared at his stilled form to see if he was going to pull a fast one; however, Tai still didn't move a muscle.
"Are you crying?" she finally asked, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"Huh? No!" Tai protested and sneezed. Sora flipped him over so that he was now on his back, her staring down at him.
"Then what's your deal?" she questioned. Tai sniffed and wiped at his nose.
"I think I caught a cold from last night," he said, his mind slowly waking up and becoming less fuzzy. Suddenly a smile spread over his entire face and he sat upright.
"…uh…what happened last night?" Sora was suddenly more worried about Tai's mental health rather than his physical health. Tai's grin grew wider (if that was even possible) and without warning he pounced on Sora, pinning her to the bed instead.
"Matt's back!" he shouted with glee, snuggling up to Sora. Sora blinked a few times to make sure she had heard him correctly.
"He's back? When'd he get back?"
"Last night! He came here and I walked him home and I guess I forgot to grab a jacket, haha! Point is, Yama's here and that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside," Tai concluded with a lazy smile. Sora raised an eyebrow at him.
"Are you drunk?" she questioned. Tai blinked and snapped out of his trance.
"Huh? No! Why the hell would you ask me that?" he snapped, pulling away from Sora.
"Because you're suddenly really happy. Granted, I like seeing you this happy, but honestly, it's all because of Matt?"
"Oh, you don't even know." Tai smiled knowingly and flipped onto his stomach again, propping his body up with his elbows.
"Care to share, Taichi dear?" the teenaged girl asked, rolling over onto her own stomach to face the brunet. Tai's smile turned shy suddenly and he looked down at his comforter, picking at a stray piece of string.
"I already told you," he mumbled, picking at random pieces of fuzz on his bedding. Sora shook her head and watched him.
"No…enlighten me."
"Why?"
"Because as your best friend since we were what, five?" Sora stopped her speech to think about what she was saying.
"Yes, since we were five," Tai confirmed. Sora nodded and continued.
"Because as your best friend since we were five, I do believe I have the right to know what my best Taichi is thinking, don't you?" she prodded, poking him in the arm.
"Didn't you learn your lesson about poking me already?"
"Tai! You're changing the subject!" Sora exclaimed. Tai rolled his eyes and laid flat on the bed.
"Well what do you want me to say, Sor?" he asked her, slowly becoming frustrated with the redhead.
"I want you to tell me why you're so happy. Plain and simple," she stated. Tai sighed deeply and rested his chin on his folded arms.
"Matt. Plain and simple," he mocked the brown-eyed girl.
"What about Matt?" Sora urged him to continue. Tai growled and slammed his hand down on the bed.
"Damn, Sora, I don't know! He just…damn," Tai sputtered over his words before quieting down and glaring at his best friend's elbow.
"You realize I'm not leaving until you figure out what you're trying to say, right?" Sora patted Tai's thatch of brown hair gently. His eyebrows furrowed together and he nodded.
"Yeah, I know. Thanks," he replied.
"Anytime." The two teens sat in silence, one waiting patiently and the other struggling for words. Tai closed his eyes slightly and gnawed on his lip in concentration.
'What makes me so happy about Matt other than the obvious? I mean, I love him and stuff…but there's something more. I just can't figure it out. It's weird though, I thought I had an idea; I think I lost it. Oh…oh! There it went. It's gone. Shit. Okay well, how about we do this. First thing that comes to mind comes out of mouth. Okay, one, two, three.'
"It's fun to suck him off!" he exclaimed before he realized what he was saying. Sora's eyes widened and she stared at the brunet.
"What did you just say?" She stared at him long and hard. Tai felt his face grow hot under the intense gaze and laughed nervously.
"Uh, nothing?" he replied, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Sora's jaw dropped.
"Taichi you didn't!" she yelled, grabbing him by the shoulders suddenly.
"What?" he shouted in surprise, placing his own hands on Sora's shoulders to try and push her away.
"You corrupted him already?" she hissed, giving him an accusing glare.
"Wha-no!" Tai denied. Sora sent him another suspicious glance and waited. "...okay, so maybe. But it's not really corruption if he wanted it, right?" Tai rambled on, cowering under Sora's stare.
"...what exactly did you do to him?" Sora leaned against the wall behind the bed, letting go of her best friend's shoulders. Tai shrugged and looked at his hands that were resting in his lap.
"Just a blowjob, that's it! I swear on it!" he insisted. Sora folded her arms over her chest and watched as Tai tried to bury himself in his sheets.
"And how do you feel about that?" she asked him, biting at her pinky nail.
"Feel about what?" Two brown eyes peered out from under the covers.
"Everything that you just told me. What does that make you think?" Sora clarified, obviously wanting an answer right away. Tai remained silent and stayed under his bedding, thinking about what Sora was really asking. He didn't really have an answer, but he figured he could give it a shot.
"It makes me think…that Yama's not Haru," he said slowly.
"Tai…"
"No, seriously," Tai insisted, sitting up and pulling his covers off of his head. "I know I've been saying that for the longest time, but still! It finally clicks!"
"What clicks?" Sora tilted her head in question.
"Everything…" he said in awe. He shifted his position to lean his back against the wall and sat next to Sora. "When I'm with him, I feel something more than a physical attraction like I did with Haru. There's always been something else there; I just couldn't figure it out."
"Tai, I hate to interrupt you, but have you ever had a girlfriend?" Sora cut in. Tai stopped talking and raised an eyebrow.
"Where did that come from?" he questioned her, folding his arms over his abdomen and pulling the covers closer to him.
"Well, I mean, you claim yourself as bisexual," Sora said, playing with her fingers. "But have you ever had a girlfriend?"
"Actually, yeah."
"Who?" Sora's eyebrows raised in a surprised manner.
"Uh, you?" Tai rolled his eyes at Sora's lack of memory.
"That doesn't count!"
"Yeah it does!"
"Why?" she sighed. Tai sighed as well and looked at her closely.
"Despite popular belief, I really did like you at one point," he explained to her.
"Tai, we were kids. We weren't really old enough to know what we were getting ourselves into. We were what, 13?"
"Something like that," Tai mumbled to himself. "Point being, you were my first and last girlfriend. Be proud."
"Who was after me? Haru?"
"…I think so?" Tai shrugged. Sora bit her lip and snapped her fingers.
"Oh I remember now! It was Haru because you dumped me for him!" she exclaimed. Tai shrank back from her.
"Ugh, please don't remind me of that horrible, horrible experience," he groaned, leaning his head on Sora's shoulder.
"Hey, be lucky I was so easy-going about it. Most girls would have freaked out on you." Sora grinned down at him and pet his hair.
"Yeah, I know. Did I ever thank you for that?"
"Of course."
"Good. I still don't know why I even did it."
"Because Haru made you feel different. Love with a man is different than love with a woman. That's what makes it exciting. However, it's still love. Just remember that," Sora said pointedly, poking Tai in the nose. Wrinkling his nose, Tai nodded in reply.
"And while Haru made me feel different, now Yama makes me feel way different. I just don't understand it sometimes."
"What do you not understand about that?"
"Everything!" He rolled his head up and looked at Sora. "What's so different about Yama, Sor?" Sora smiled at Tai's sense of naïveté and giggled quietly.
"Think about this, Tai. Did you feel anything for any of the boys you've kissed or the girls you've eaten out?"
"…just Haru. Everybody else was just-"
"There to fill the empty void after Haru dumped you?"
"…well you could have said it nicer," Tai grumbled mostly to himself, sulking slightly.
"Sorry. Point being, isn't that what it was?" Sora questioned again. Tai nodded and dropped his head into Sora's lap, waiting for her to continue. "Well then, think about it. If they were just a distraction, is Matt just a distraction as well?"
"No way!" Tai denied instantly.
"Why?" Sora pressed on, knowing very well that Tai was going to lead himself to the right answer.
"Because I actually loved him before I touched him!"
"And? Didn't you love Haru before you touched him?"
"Sora, you already know the story."
"Remind me," Sora insisted, twirling a lock of Tai's hair around her finger. Tai sighed heavily and looked at the ceiling, keeping his head in Sora's lap.
"Well, I was already at the academy by then, remember? He was in the other science class that went on that stupid trip to the science museum. I had managed to get myself lost…and…things just happened…" he trailed off, letting the memories come to mind.
"Stupid museum. Stupid science. Stupid school," Tai muttered to himself, scuffing his toe against the ground as he waited for the elevator. As a 13-year-old boy, he didn't find himself all that interested in the museum he was currently visiting. At some point, he had wandered away from his group and found himself at an entirely opposite end of the museum. The elevator doors opened and he stepped in, pressing a button and sitting in the corner. The elevator rose up and Tai waited. After all, it was a large museum.
The doors opened again on another floor, allowing more people to enter and more buttons to be pressed. The lift continued shifting from floor to floor and Tai sat still in his corner, watching all of the people. Ten minutes passed and no one noticed. 20 minutes passed and no one noticed. 30 minutes were approaching fast and Tai was beginning to grow bored. He was once again by himself on the elevator and it was going down. It stopped on the fourth floor and a boy stepped in. He instantly recognized him as a boy from his group of people from the academy. Aquamarine eyes locked onto him and the older boy leaned against the opposite side of the elevator.
"You're Yagami Taichi, aren't you?" he asked, giving Tai a quick once-over.
"Uh, yeah," Tai replied, cringing at the squeak in his voice that had seemingly appeared from nowhere. The other boy tucked a lock of silver and black hair behind his ear and stared down at him.
"Do you realize that everybody's looking for you? We're ready to leave and head back to the school," he informed the younger boy. Tai nodded and slowly stood up.
"Right…I just kind of…" he trailed off, unsure of what else to say. The older boy folded his arms over his chest and shook his head.
"Yeah, I got bored too," he filled in, flashing Tai a smile. Tai felt something twitch in his stomach at that moment but chose to ignore it.
'Blame the cafeteria food.' He thought to himself.
"Glad to hear I'm not the only one…" he said. Suddenly the other boy stuck out a hand.
"Call me Haru," he introduced himself. Tai reached out slowly and shook Haru's hand tentatively. Without warning, Haru jerked him forward, causing Tai to stumble into his arms. Tai looked up at him questioning and took notice of their position: his arms on Haru's shoulders and Haru's on his waist. A small blush fought its way to the top layer of Tai's skin and he grinned nervously.
"Um…" was all he got to say before he felt an unfamiliar pair of lips cover his own. All train of thought stopped at that moment and Tai stayed frozen, numb to Haru's spontaneous kiss. Slowly, he found himself kissing back, scolding himself all the while.
'This is bad. Think about Sora! What would she say if she knew you were pretty much cheating on her, with another boy no less! Then again, it's not really my fault; this guy started kissing me first.' He reassured himself, biting back a groan as Haru bit Tai's lower lip. The elevator came to a stop and Haru pulled away, smirking back at the tanned boy.
"Well, Taichi, it was nice meeting you," he said airily and disappeared through the elevator doors. Tai stood still for a moment, letting it all sink in. In a trance-like state, he moved out of the elevator after him, ignoring the lecture that came from his science teacher about wandering off. The only thing he took notice of was the back of Haru's head as the older boy walked away from him, leaving behind a mystery.
"And then after that, you obsessed over him for a good part of the summer and we broke up. Yeah, I remember the rest of the story," Sora said to him.
"I did not obsess," Tai argued back.
"Wanna bet? Honestly, I swear I spent most of that summer listening to you 'Oh my gosh, what do you think it means?' and 'Is being bi really a bad thing?' Psh, things got even worse when you found out he lived here," Sora teased him, playing with his hair still.
"Oh come on, Sora, what did you expect? I learned something new about myself. And like you said, you're my best friend, so you have the right to know everything I'm thinking. At that moment, that's what I was thinking," Tai pointed out.
"Hmm. Then as soon as you guys started dating, I heard most of the details about that. I mean honestly, Tai, was it necessary to call me and say 'Sora, Haru just sucked me off…it was so crazy!'? I think not."
"Okay, that was different. I was 14, I was retarded! You know that."
"Still are."
"Watch it."
"Hee hee. But you know…there are some things that I'm glad you shared with me," Sora backtracked, looking up at the ceiling of Tai's bedroom.
"Like what?" Tai inquired, not moving from his spot.
"Well, when he dumped you but decided to stay friends with benefits is one thing. And also when he ra-"
"Stop!" Tai suddenly interrupted, sitting up and looking Sora in the eye. "We are not discussing that, all right?" he said, albeit harshly. Sora blinked in surprise at the sudden display of fury.
"All right, all right, we won't discuss it." She held up her hands defensively, just in case Tai decided to pounce on her. Instead, the brunet went limp again and his head resumed its position in Sora's lap.
"Sorry," he mumbled. "I shouldn't be so defensive about it."
"No, it's fine. I'd be a little worried about you if you were nonchalant about it," she admitted. Tai shrugged and looked at his fingernails. "Have you even told Matt yet?"
"He just got back yesterday; of course I didn't tell him." Tai snorted at the mere idea.
"Why not? And I don't mean why not to not saying it yesterday; I mean why didn't you tell him at all?" Sora asked, looking out the window. The sunlight was streaming in through the blinds and the clock on the table under the window read 10am.
"Because I don't want him getting involved with it, that's why."
"Why?"
"Because I love him, okay? I know that's what you've been wanting to hear this entire time, so here it is: I love Yamato Ishida more than he's ever going to imagine and I love him for him, not what he can provide! There, are you happy now!" Tai exploded, panting angrily. Sora sat still briefly before nodding slowly.
"Passion," she said. Tai settled down and blinked.
"What about it?" he asked. Sora removed Tai's head from her lap and crawled off of the bed, standing in front of him patiently.
"That's what you feel for Matt. That's why he's different." She held out a hand. "C'mon, you said you'd come play tennis with me. I need some practice in." Tai nodded thoughtfully and took her hand, allowing himself to be dragged out of bed.
"Can you get out then so I can get dressed?" he asked, gesturing down to his pajama-clad body.
"Sure thing. Meet ya downstairs!" she informed him and bounced out of the room, closing the door behind her. Tai nodded again and opened up his closet, grabbing a clean shirt.
'Maybe Sora's right. Passion…I had to work for Yama…he didn't come to me easily like Haru and the others…and he wasn't always there like Sora was. That made me stop and think if I really liked him. And I really do like him, but still…passion is just a powerful emotion for something isn't it? Maybe that passion's made up of love, admiration, adoration, happiness, and all of the other fuzzy things…hell, I don't know. Maybe I should just take her word for it. Yeah…that sounds good.' He shut down his thought process and got dressed, pulling on his shoes and running out of the room, leaving behind the conversation at hand.
"So what are we gonna do today?" Ken asked his companion as he rinsed his dishes in the kitchen sink. Daisuke shrugged and slurped the milk in his cereal bowl.
"Dunno. It's your turn to pick," he remarked and got up from the table, dropping his bowl in the sink next to Ken's.
"Well that depends; do you feel like going out today or would you rather stay here?" Ken shot back, leaning against the counter and looking at his friend. The front door opened and closed in the front hall. Kari soon appeared in the kitchen with them, immediately opening the freezer and taking out a popsicle.
"Morning, guys. Did you just now wake up?" she greeted them in question, throwing the wrapper in the trash and biting off a piece of the orange treat.
"Mmh, like half an hour ago I think. Somewhere in that timeframe," Daisuke replied, glancing up at the clock on the wall. It now read that it was drawing close to noon. Kari nodded and sucked on her popsicle.
"Where's Tai?"
"He was already gone when we got up," Ken answered this time. "But if I do recall, he was going out with Sora today."
"Yeah, I kind of guessed. She was here earlier today." Kari nodded. Finishing off her popsicle in one large bite, she tossed out the stick and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "What are you two doing for the day?"
"Was that the last popsicle?" Daisuke changed the subject, glaring at his sister accusingly. Opening the freezer again, Kari poked her head inside and looked around.
"Why yes, yes it was," she concluded, shutting the door again. Daisuke whined and looked at Ken.
"I think I know what I want to do now," he said to his dark-haired friend.
"What?"
"Go into town, rent some movies, and buy some more popsicles since my sister ate the last one!" he exclaimed, glaring at Kari again. Kari rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Nu-uh, blame Tai! He goes through two or three a day!"
"Whatever, Kari, whatever."
"Yeah, whatever's right. Anyway, I'm sweaty and disgusting, so I'm going to take a shower and then go to TK's. Matt gave me their new address last night."
"Matt? TK?" Daisuke blinked at her owlishly. "They're back?"
"Didn't you hear the doorbell last night? Matt came over first thing and saw Tai," the brunet explained and let out a dreamy sigh. "Those two are so perfect for each other. Matt's so good to him…"
"So how come TK didn't come over to see you?" Daisuke asked her. Kari's face fell and she gave him a flat stare.
"Oh shut up," she said and turned on her heel, leaving the kitchen and jogging up the stairs. Daisuke shot Ken a wicked grin.
"I knew that'd make her leave. Anyway, do you like that plan?"
"Popsicles and movies?" Ken repeated the earlier suggestion.
"Yep." Daisuke nodded. Ken shrugged and nodded as well.
"You buying?"
"Why me?"
"I don't have any money."
"Why not?"
"…Dai…just stop." Ken placed a hand over his eyes. Daisuke opened his mouth to retort with a witty comeback but the doorbell interrupted him.
"Hold on," he said and dashed out into the foyer. Curiosity getting the best of him, Ken followed his best friend to the door. Daisuke didn't seem bothered by his additional shadow and flung open the door. On the other side stood Kiseki, hands in the pockets of his cargo jeans and black t-shirt clinging to him like a second skin.
"Hey Dais," he greeted the tanned boy.
"Hey Seki!" Daisuke grinned at him. "What's going on?"
"Nothing. Candy pretty much kicked me out of the house; she's not in a good mood."
"Why?"
"Your sister dragged her to cheerleading practice." Kiseki grimaced at the idea. Daisuke snickered in response.
"I'm going to guess that Candy's not the cheerleading type?"
"Dai, let's put it this way; I'm more of the cheerleading type than Candy is."
"…that's…"
"Shut up," Kiseki said before Daisuke could say anything else. Daisuke laughed and stepped aside.
"Come in then," he insisted, grabbing Kiseki's wrist and pulling him into the house. Kiseki didn't even stumble as he entered the house by force, kicking the door shut behind him. Daisuke turned suddenly and his eyes widened.
"Ooh, you have perfect timing!" he exclaimed. He turned to Ken and smiled. "This is that neighbor I was telling you about who was at the academy with us. Ken, this is Kiseki. Kiseki, this is Ken," Daisuke introduced them to one another. Both older boys looked at one another silently, examining each other calmly yet warily.
"…anyway, Kiseki, me and Ken were just gonna go out to grab some movies and junk. Wanna come?" Daisuke looked at his neighbor.
"Yeah, sure," Kiseki agreed.
"Awesome." Daisuke grinned at him. Just then, a loud scream was heard from upstairs.
"Daisuke Motomiya, get up here!" Kari hollered at the top of her lungs. Daisuke winced and gave his two friends a sheepish grin.
"Just stay here, this shouldn't take long," he told them and darted up the stairs, leaving the two boys to themselves. The two dark-haired pale-skinned boys watched one another still, not even daring to breathe. It was Kiseki who chose to speak first.
"See you haven't changed a bit, Ken," he said, smiling softly at the violet-eyed boy. Ken nodded and placed his hands on his hips.
"I would say the same thing about you, but you seem to have mold growing in your hair," he said, fingering a lock of green hair. Kiseki batted Ken's hand away, resulting in Ken sticking out his tongue.
"That doesn't seem to be a very Ichijouji-ish thing to do," Kiseki commented. "Although, I do remember that tongue quite well." Ken quickly brought his tongue back into his mouth and sent a small, yet friendly, glare Kiseki's way.
"I'm sure you do," he replied, leaning against the wall behind him. Tilting his head slightly, he regarded Kiseki thoughtfully. "So what have you been doing these past few years?"
"They sent me to the academy remember? Right after your parents busted us, the Niwas sent me off. The only reason I know Dai is because of that school, so maybe it's not such a bad thing," he said with a wink.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ken demanded, feeling all defenses rise up.
"What? So Daisuke and I had a little bit of fun. Big whoop, nothing you and I didn't do," the other boy reassured him. Ken raised an eyebrow at this.
"Daisuke…and you?" He stopped and blinked. "I don't believe it."
"And why not, Ken-chan?" Kiseki purred, sidling up to Ken and placing both hands on either side of his head, trapping him in place. He allowed his hands to trail down from the wall onto Ken's hips, stroking them lightly with his thumbs. Ken rolled his eyes and sighed.
"First of all, stop trying to molest me in his own house," he started off, pulling Kiseki's hands off of him.
"Ooh, so maybe you have changed," Kiseki commented but kept his hands to himself. "Okay, so what are your other points?"
"Daisuke's not gay. Duh," Ken replied.
"Bisexuality exists, Ken. He's following in Tai's footsteps whether he likes it or not," Kiseki explained. "He had a girlfriend for a really short period of time before we met. Anyway, we didn't last long, only about two months? If even that; so chill. If you want him, I'll back off." Ken stared at him blankly for a few moments before shaking his head.
"Wait, what?" Kiseki placed a hand on his hip and rolled his eyes.
"Please, Ken. It's so blatantly obvious that you've got a little thing for our favorite Suke-chan. Don't hurt yourself trying to hide it," he said amusedly.
"I don't have a crush on Daisuke, Kiseki…" Ken said slowly, not taking his eyes off of the eccentric boy in front of him.
"I'm serious man, don't lie."
"And I'm serious too, I'm not lying. He didn't even know I was about as straight as a circle until a week or so ago."
"Oh…well, I'm surprised he didn't tell you he was bi."
"Why would he? It's Daisuke; he likes keeping secrets. Trust me, I've known him for the past four or five years and I still don't know everything about him. I'll just let him tell me whenever he wants to."
"Sure, sure," Kiseki brushed it off, looking toward the stairs. "Hey…do you think we should tell him about us?" he asked quietly, looking back at Ken.
"What about us?" Ken asked, watching the stairs as well.
"What we used to be, our relationship, everything." Kiseki frowned and watched Ken's facial expressions. Much to his disappointment, Ken had a poker face that never changed at all. Glancing at Kiseki out of the corner of his eye, Ken shook his head no.
"Probably not…it might kill him a bit, don't you think? I mean, his best friend and his ex used to be a couple; what are the odds?"
"We're going to have to tell him at some point," Kiseki pointed out.
"And we will, at some point. Doesn't mean it has to be right now," Ken argued back. Kiseki opened his mouth to retaliate when Daisuke's voice floated down from the top of the stairs, yelling something back at Kari. Kiseki closed his mouth and leaned in toward Ken, putting his lips to the other boy's ear.
"We'll discuss this later but for now, it's agreed that we stay quiet," he whispered. Ken nodded and the two tried to look natural as Daisuke rejoined them.
"Sorry about that, Kari was throwing a fit because the bathroom was a mess," he apologized, looking back and forward at his two friends. "So, find something interesting to talk about?" he asked, grinning at them slyly as he opened the front door. The two dark-haired boys looked at each other and shook their heads.
"You have no idea," they said simultaneously as they followed Daisuke out of the house, shutting the door behind them.
Yamato stretched out his arms and sighed to himself, glancing around the room he was standing in. It was meant to be his new bedroom, but at the current moment, it just looked to be a disaster area. Clothes were strewn everywhere, unpacked boxes were piled up against the closet, and his bed wasn't even made up yet. With a heavy sigh, he threw himself down on the mattress dramatically.
"Why couldn't somebody else unpack for me?" he groaned, sitting up again. It was far too stuffy in the room for him. He couldn't work under these conditions! Taking extra care not to step on any of his things, Matt made his way to the window and opened it, smiling as the summery breeze hit his cheeks. He stayed at the window for a few moments, looking down into the street and examining his new neighborhood.
'Typical suburbia.' He thought to himself, taking in all of the fancy houses and perfectly cut lawns. 'Funny, I didn't think there was room to create a suburb in Japan. Shows how much I know.' He shrugged and turned to go back to work. Suddenly a yell caught his attention.
"Matt! Open the gate!" Matt looked out the window again and down at the gate in front of the house. Tai stood on the other side, looking up at him impatiently. "Come on, lemme in," the brunet whined again. Matt grinned down at him and leaned out the window.
"Wait a minute!" he shouted and closed the window, running (or at least trying to) out of his room and shutting the door behind him.
"Mom, Dad, I'm going out with Tai!" he shouted over his shoulder as he thundered down the stairs, slipping on some flipflops and flinging open the front door.
"Matt, did you finish your room?" Natsuko called after him from somewhere in the kitchen.
"I will later, bye!" he replied and slammed the door shut, jogging toward the gate and his boyfriend. Opening the wrought-iron gates, he joined Tai on the sidewalk and shut the gate.
"Just for the record, the gates are unlocked during the day," he said to the mud-eyed boy, grinning cheekily at him. Tai rolled his eyes and pulled Matt closer to him, placing a sloppy kiss on his lips.
"Good morning to you too," he greeted the blond, letting go of him and wiping away a bead of sweat that was traveling down his forehead. Matt looked back at the house nervously and glared at Tai.
"Tai, not in front of the house," he muttered, grabbing the brunet's hand and leading him further down the street.
"Why?" Tai questioned, following Matt's lead without question.
"...you still haven't told your dad?"
"Tai, how can I? What am I going to do, 'Hey Dad, just for the record, I'm gay and dating my best friend'? I think not." Matt scowled and stopped on the corner of the street.
"All right, I get it. Anyway, what were you doing a few minutes ago? You smell all dusty," Tai commented, coughing slightly to prove a point.
"Well you smell all sweaty," Matt retaliated.
"For your information, I was playing tennis with Sora this morning. She wanted a partner and I'm the only one who's home and knows how to play," the Japanese boy defended himself.
"You play tennis?" Matt raised a skeptical eyebrow.
"Yes...anyway, back to my question. What were you doing?" Tai questioned him again.
"Unpacking. It's a pain in the ass, trust me," Matt groaned again just at the thought. Tai nodded and shrugged.
"Well, if you want, I can help you later on today. I don't have anything better to do besides you," he said with a wink. Matt rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Same old Tai. Anyway, what did you drag me out here for?"
"I wanted to see if you wanted to hang out with me for a while."
"Why?"
"Do I really need a reason why, Yama? You're my beautiful beloved boyfriend," Tai proclaimed with a well-defined pout.
"Aww, that's so...wait. You want something, don't you?" Matt narrowed his blue eyes at the tanned boy. Tai grinned and laughed nervously.
"Well, you see, my birthday's in a few weeks," he said casually, sending Matt an innocent grin.
"...right. I get it," the blond sighed. "To the mall then?"
"Yes please." Tai's grin grew wider and he grabbed Matt's hand again, heading in the direction of the mall. Matt followed him closely and looked at the area around him. Odaiba looked so much different in the summer than it had in the winter. All sorts of plants were in bloom and the activity level was much higher. Looking down at their adjoined hands, Matt looked back up at Tai.
"Are you sure this is okay?" he asked uncertainly, gesturing to the hands. Tai shrugged and his vision remained forward.
"I think it's okay, you don't seem to mind, end of story," he stated and looked back at him. "Besides, didn't you learn anything last year?"
"I know I know, screw what everybody else thinks," Matt grumbled under his breath. Tai nodded and gave him a thumbs-up.
"Precisely. Oh hey look, the mall," he changed the subject, pointing to the large familiar building in front of them. "Wow, you live closer than I thought you did."
"That might not be such a bad thing though," Matt pointed out and the two boys headed inside. The mall itself was crowded with people shopping, socializing, and just plain hiding from the sun. The air-conditioners were on full-blast and many people had parked themselves on benches just to enjoy the cool air.
"Hmm, we got here on a good day," Tai noted and began weaving the two of them through the crowd.
"This is a good day?"
"Oh yeah. You should see it when the heat's really high; you can't even move because it's so packed."
"Weird." Matt wrinkled his nose and looked at the stores surrounding them. "Okay, so what were you thinking of for your birthday present?" Tai suddenly stopped and looked at him.
"You're already 16, aren't you?"
"Um...yeah. July, remember? I'm older than you are," Matt joked, but Tai didn't laugh. Instead he shook his head and let go of Matt's hand, patting his pockets for his wallet. "Tai?"
"I should be buying you a present, not the other way around!" the brunet exclaimed, producing his wallet. Frantically, he ripped it open and examined its contents. "Crap, I only have like...um...$25 in your currency. Sorry, Yama, it's gonna have to be a small present I guess." Matt shrugged and stared at him oddly.
"It's okay? Tai weren't we buying you-"
"Hush! I am buying you something okay? Oh hey, just for the record, your guitar and case are at my house," Tai interrupted, putting his wallet back into his pocket.
"Oh yeah, huh? I'll swing by and grab it when my room's more organized and stuff," Matt replied. Tai nodded and began walking through the mall again, eyeing all of the stores curiously.
"So, Yama, what do you even want for a birthday present?" he asked as he continued moving down the mall. Matt shrugged to himself and followed the other boy.
"I don't know. I'm pretty much considering being back in Japan as a birthday present to tell you the truth," he admitted. Tai grinned at him over his shoulder then.
"Aww, you're so adorable. But no really, I want to get you something. So if you don't pick, then I will," he decided.
"Then you pick." Matt shrugged again. Tai nodded and looked around thoughtfully. A wicked grin appeared on his lips and his face lit up.
"Come on," he said and grabbed Matt's hand, leading him into the nearest store on their left. The store was rather dark with low lights and colored lights glowing in various parts of it. The walls were lined with posters and clothing racks were in the middle of the room. Loud rock music blared off the walls as Tai wandered away from Matt, leaving the blond to explore on his own. Matt's eyes landed on the shelve containing various gadgets and games. He strolled over and stooped down, reading over the titles of the game boxes.
"I Never the drinking game? Man…" he said to himself, remembering how bad the marshmallow version got to be. His eyes flickered onto another game and they grew quite large at the title.
"Let's F#ck? The hell?"
"Hey, Matt! Come back here," Tai instructed him, waving to him from the back of the store. Matt scooted away from the trippy games and headed back toward Tai.
"What?" he asked as a box was thrusted into his arms. He looked down at the box and squeaked, dropping the box on the ground. "What the hell, Tai?" he squawked, kicking the veined vibrator away with his foot. Tai grinned innocently and held up another box.
"I could always buy you this one," he said, gesturing toward the ribbed vibrator in his hands.
"…uh…" Matt looked at him warily. Tai grinned and moved onto the next thing in his hand.
"Fuzzy handcuffs?" He held up a pair of pink furry lovecuffs.
"No."
"Pink-lemonade condoms?"
"Tai!"
"Ooh, lookit this!" Tai exclaimed, grabbing a box behind Matt's head. Holding it in front of Matt, he grinned coyly. "Would you consider it?" he asked, showing off the pole dancer's home kit.
"…you just want to get in my pants, don't you?"
"Is that a crime? Ooh, strawberry lube."
"Tai!"
"I can't believe you bought those lemonade condoms," Matt moaned, shaking his head in dismay.
"Pink-lemonade, Yama. Pink. Besides, I bought you your posters did I not?"
"Er, well," Matt stumbled over his words. "Just…don't think you'll be using those condoms any time soon, all right?"
"Got it," Tai snickered and tucked the box back into the bag. "Anyway, where do you wanna go now?"
"Home? I need to finish unpacking anyway." Matt rolled his eyes.
"Fine, that's fair," Tai sighed. "Do you want me to help you?"
"If you want I suppose."
"Okay cool. Let's get going then," Tai suggested. Matt nodded and the two began walking slowly toward the exit. Suddenly a voice called Tai's name.
"Tai!" The brunet turned around and looked behind him. A head of silver hair was coming closer to him and he felt his heart sink slightly.
'Oh god…please no.' He thought silently.
"C'mon Matt, let's hurry. Maybe if we finish soon enough, we can go do something later tonight," Tai said off-handedly, trying not to come off as jumpy.
"It's fine, Tai. There's no rush," Matt assured him.
'Oh, that's where you're wrong, Yama. Oh so wrong.' Tai sighed and continued walking. He jumped slightly as a hand clasped down on his shoulder and an arm wrapped around his waist.
"Hey, didn't you hear me calling you?" Piercing aqua eyes met Tai's own brown ones, staring at him rather impatiently.
"Oh…hey, Haru. No, I guess I must have not noticed," Tai said, inching Haru's arm off of his waist. Matt stood off to the side and glanced at the arm around his boyfriend's waist, saying nothing and just waiting for the outcome.
"Hmm, sure. How have you been, babe?" the oldest boy asked, resting his chin on Tai's shoulder.
"Uh, fine…it's summer, y'know? Things are peachy," Tai replied, trying to plot an escape as he spoke. Haru nodded and tucked a lock of his silver hair behind his ear.
"Glad to hear it." An alarm went off in Haru's pocket and he reached in, looking at his cell phone. With a sigh, he shook his head sadly and tucked it away. "Well, I gotta run. Gimme a call sometime huh? We should do something," he said in a low tone, suggesting something more than just a friendly get-together.
"Ri-right," Tai stammered. Straightening up, he forced a smile onto his face and waved. "See ya, Haru."
"Bye, Beautiful," Haru replied and walked away, disappearing into the crowd in front of him. Tai released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Turning back to Matt, he noticed that his boyfriend was watching the silver-haired boy walk away until he could no longer see him. The American turned toward Tai in question, jerking his thumb in the direction that Haru had gone.
"So…who was that?" he asked, beating around the bush. Tai bit his lip and looked in that direction as well.
'Great…my boyfriend comes back and my ex shows up. I seriously believe that somebody hates me up in the great heavens. What did I do to deserve this? Ooh, I get it! Maybe it's a sign to tell Matt about Haru and everything that happened. Yeah, that's it! Okay, I think I'll do it. Yeah…right now. Okay…ready…speak.'
"…no one important," Tai mumbled, shaking his head slowly. Grabbing his boyfriend's elbow, he began tugging him in the direction they had been heading for in the first place. "Come on, let's go unpack like you wanted to," he said, leading the blue-eyed boy out of the mall and away from the past.
So yeah, about a month or so later, just like old times. Heh, I liked this chapter and I'm sorry it's not longer. Don't expect really long chapter 'til at least chapter six. Anyways, wee! I was amazed with the amount of reviews I got.
So, thanks toooo: neo, Dreamcrafter, Keiran, regretfully-yours-Cassy-chan, Kaiya5, LovelyLadyLooks, Dark-lil-devil, Magical Nurse Pandy, DarkMetalAngel of Destruction, Pikke Wood, Tifa-sama, Demolition Lovers, Taito-san, Selphie1234, Panthino, Darkshipping, The Kaizeress, Sovereign of Silence3, YugiYamiforever, Buddha Love, Clinton, r e d m us h r o o m s, makushi, Devildelivery, Largo-sensi, Rikke Leonhart, Octavo, yoshi-iso-cute, Tyleet27, Tai-an-yama's-boy, SelenaWheeler, JohnneyAntonelli, Megami, Puffgirl117, missa1, cAnDi-SwEeT aS, I LoVe ShInY ThInGz, CircleKV12, jul, TaintedWolf, Dreamer, Moppy, Kaizen, tya, crystal tears of betrayal, and Scorn-Silverstar.
Okay, so I got some questions to answer.
First of all, the song Tai sang at the end of the last chapter is Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional. I like to think he's playing the real acoustic version, not the normal version on an acoustic.
As for the matter of if Ken and Daisuke are getting together…who knows?
Mmh, I think that's all, thanks for reading guys!
OH! And thanks to April for editing (like always) and go read neo's fics Headfirst for Halos and Yesterday's Feelings, the sequel to Kukachi.