Author's Notes: This has just been the worst week I've had in awhile. To make it worse I completely broke down in one of my classes today. Perfect…at least this is a three day weekend.

Sorry the last chapter wasn't so great. I didn't like it that much either but I couldn't figure out another way to do what I wanted to do with it. So sorry again, this one should be better.

When they say you're
not that strong
Well you're not that weak
It's not your fault
When you climb up to your hill
Up to your place
I hope you're well
There's nothing left to prove
Nothing I won't do
Nothing like the pain
I feel for you
Nothing left to hide
Nothing left to fear
I am always here
-"Not Enough," Our Lady Peace

Not Enough
Chapter Seventeen

Yamato hadn't left the loft in a week.

He had stopped showering so his normally well-tended golden locks were greasy and tangled and stubble had sprouted up on his pale cheeks. The smell was horrible and to make matters worse he hadn't changed out of the clothes he'd been wearing when he had found out the bad news.

He hadn't picked up his guitar, or wrote lyrics, in that time and had spent most of each day watching the Lifetime channel movies and eating chocolate. Taichi figured it could've been worse; he could have been watching VH1 and eating ice cream.

The others had given him a bit of a berth as they had gone through some messy break ups in the past and could sympathize. Taichi, the so-called best friend, had quickly become fed up and thought Yamato was acting like a drama king.

This would be his explanation of him coming home to find that Yamato hadn't moved an inch and the built up frustration inside him welled up and caused him to snap. He growled lowly and before the blonde could do anything, he had dragged his friend off the couch and over to the bathroom.

Yamato had hit him a few times but he proved impervious to the attacks and the next moment the still fully clothed Yamato found himself in the shower with freezing water spraying him full in the face. He howled from the impact and would've killed his best friend if Taichi had still been in the bathroom.

Idiot…

As all of that was happening, Taichi helped himself to some leftover pizza in the refrigerator and tapped his fingers on the table as he waited for it to reheat. Just has he finished his first slice and had put the second in the microwave, Yamato stormed out of the bathroom, furious and soaking, into his own room.

He smirked at the other's sodden form and started on that second slice. Just has he had completely finished dinner; Yamato re-emerged in a fresh pair of clothes and was running a towel through his hair.

"I hate you," muttered the blonde and he laughed. The other's expression darkened and he continued, "You are the devil."

"I prefer the title of Lord Satan thank you."

Yamato grumbled but opted to sit in the chair across from his friend rather than collapsing back on the couch. Taichi took that as a positive sign until the other sighed, "I can't believe she just left…didn't even say goodbye."

"Could you blame her?" he asked without thinking and Yamato narrowed ocean orbs at him. "Well, face it man…you acted like an ass to her."

"…I know."

"…okay. And you're doing all this because?"

"I'm an idiot," was the response and Yamato buried his face in his hands. Taichi calmly waited for him to finish. "I loved her…I knew her for three months and I already loved her…and that was just so fucking scary."

"So you pushed her away?"

"Yeah, and now she's gone. Looks like I got what I wanted."

The chair scraped audibly against the floor as he stood and as he lifted his chin, Taichi noticed there was the thinnest film of tears over his eyes. Feeling partly worried and partly sick at the sight, he called, "It'll all work out! I'm sure…"

Yamato smiled bitterly. "I'm not Takeru, Taichi. I stopped believing in things like this a long time ago."

Sora hadn't arrived at her descion to leave by herself, he was absolutely certain of that. After Yamato had departed from the loft for the first time in seven days, he had found himself musing on the unpleasant turn in events.

Not only had she not reached that point on her own but he knew that Mimi had somehow shoved her in that direction. He wasn't sure how she had accomplished that, as Sora hadn't struck him as being easily manipulated, but she had succeeded.

Sora had so obviously been interested in his best friend, had all of that attraction really been smothered out? He didn't believe that to be the case, so he allowed a faint, nearly nonexistent, hope that she would come to her senses and return.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. At that moment there was nothing he could do for damage control, but there was a possible way for him to help clear this mess up. But it required sacrifice and a great deal of patience.

Something that he did not possess a great quantity of…

But he had to undergo this trial for the greater good. So with the reinforcement of helping two of his friends regain happiness he called his boss and agreed to go on a business trip with Tachikawa Mimi.

He could uncover the proof that Sora still cared about Yamato.

If he and Mimi didn't somehow end up killing each other in the next few days…

Author's Notes: I hope this was a better chapter than the last one. Please read and review.