Always Follow the Rabbit

by Mrpointyhorns

Taichi's has started to settle in his life, and while that can be quite nice, he and Koushiro have never been better, it can also be a bit disappointing, especially his dead-end job. The only thing interesting that ever happens is when he has to babysit his nephew. Until Koushiro detects a disturbance that is about to give Taichi the adventure he craves.

20. Chapter 19

Title: Always Follow the Rabbit

Author: Mrpointyhorns aka Blemery

Rating: R

Status: In Progress

Part: 19

Pairings: Taichi/Koushiro

Warnings: Slash

Spoilers: Season 1 and 2, plus some of the movies (nothing blatantly but there) also characters from season 3

Summary: Taichi's has started to settle in his life, and while that can be quite nice, he and Koushiro have never been better, it can also be a bit disappointing, especially his dead-end job. The only thing interesting that ever happens is when he has to babysit his nephew. Until Koushiro detects a disturbance that is about to give Taichi the adventure he craves.

"Izzy?" Tentomon calls as he flies in from the window, it is still early evening and a bit of light still paints the sky, but the streets died down after the work hours, and Tentomon is careful

Koushiro looks up from his laptop his eyes blurrily from using it for hours every day with little success, and smiles softly. Tentomon lands beside his partner who sits against the wall on the bed. The little boy lies in the bed looking at Tentomon. "Hi."

Tentomon stares for a moment before looking at Koushiro. "That's…he spoke?"

"It's not very polite to ignore him when he greets you." Koushiro sets his laptop to the side sitting up. "He said a few words earlier. He's old enough you know?"

Tentomon flushes and turns back to the boy. "Hi. I'm Tentomon."

The boy's eyes widen larger and he shrinks back into the pillows. "No. No partner." He looks over at Koushiro, his eyes still big. "Sorry. Sorry."

Koushiro moves forward coming to sit at the little boy's side and stroking his forehead. "Hey, sweetheart, shush. It's okay." The boy moves carefully, keeping an eye on Tentomon, into Koushiro's arms and on his lap. "Shh, it's okay. Tentomon is safe."

Hazel eyes blink up at Koushiro and stare. "You don't need to worry about Tentomon, he's my friend. My partner."

"That's bad." The boy whispers pushing his face into the crock of Koushiro's shoulder hiding. He shakes gently. Koushiro hugs him and rubs his back shushes him.

Tentomon flutters off the bed moving away and then back close again and then away. "I didn't mean to."

"It's alright, buddy." Koushiro looks up at him. He pets and hugs the little boy. "He was tested remember. They said he had a partner, but they couldn't find him. I don't really know what the test entails, but I do know that after the test, he was abandoned by his- those people. So far in his little life, the possibility of having a partner has hurt him so much. But, we need to show him that it's not like that." As he speaks the boy peaks out from his shoulder and then looks at him fully. Koushiro turns to look at him too. "Tentomon is my family. And it's okay."

The boy just stares and stares for seconds and then minutes. Koushiro doesn't look away. The boy looks at Koushiro for a long time, but Koushiro out waits him. He turns, looks at Tentomon and holds out his hand. "Tento?"

Tentomon flutters close landing in front of them. The boy holds out his hand and Tentomon takes it after a second. The boy asks, "Brother?"

"No…" Koushiro pets the boy's head. Tentomon is more than a brother, more than friend, or partner, or home. He is so much, but Koushiro doesn't have a unique word for it. "Family."

"Oh," the boy says. He looks up at Koushiro again and doesn't let go of Tentomon. "Daddy," He looks at Tentomon and squeezes his little fingers around Tentomon's paw. "Family."

Tentomon looks up at Koushiro. Though his face really shouldn't be expressive, Koushiro flushes when he sees Tentomon question the word daddy. Koushiro doesn't say anything, but answers Tentomon by hugging the little kid more fiercely.

"Yes, family," Tentomon agrees. "What's your name?"

The boy stares at Tentomon for a long time, and then he looks up at Koushiro. "Daddy?"

Koushiro tilts his head curiously. "What did your…your mom call you?"

"No." The boy shakes his head and takes his hand from Tentomon to hug Koushiro tighter. "You call me."

"Huh?" Koushiro frowns looking down at the child, but not understanding.

Tentomon flutters up so that he was eye level with Koushiro, instead of the boy. "You should name him. He had a family, he knows that, but we're it now. New family. New name."

Koushiro shakes his head. He isn't sure what he is disagreeing with. A name immediately came to mind, and he agrees, in his heart, that the boy's old name doesn't belong to him anymore. He doesn't need to hold onto a name given to him by people who abandoned him. But he still holds it back. Why? He closes his eyes. Taichi. He thinks of Tai. He hugs the boy tighter and feels a strain on his heart. Will he disapprove? How can he make this decision without him? Koushiro doesn't want to.

"Daddy?" He feels a tiny hand on his cheek. He opens his eyes. He sees two at the end of his nose. Beautiful bright eyes see him. "You okay?"

"Oh, you sweet boy." Koushiro leans up and kisses his brow. He smiles softly at him. "Before that let me tell you first about Taichi." Because Taichi isn't here, then at least he can tell this child. He will ask him: is it okay. Does he want two fathers and another family member, Agumon?

He shifts about moving the boy over so he is sitting next to him, his head against his shoulder. Koushiro picks up his computer, and opens up his photo album. He pulls up a picture of him and Taichi, taken a few months ago. They had some of his college friends over for dinner. They sat close and their heads touch. Taichi smiled brightly for the camera, but Koushiro looked up at Taichi. "This is Taichi."

The boy studies the picture. He looks up at Koushiro and down at the picture several times. Then, he asks, "Otousan?"

"Yea." Koushiro smiles putting an arm around the boy's body and hugging him gently. He flicks through a more pictures of the two of them, of them with the digimon. He points out their friends as well, but he tries not to spend too much time on them, for now. "What do you think? Is it okay? This family"

The boy looks up at him with a big bright smile, and nods. "Yes. Daddy and Oto-chan."

"Cute." Tentomon looks happy about the conclusion as well. "So, what are you calling him?"

"Takato," Koushiro looks first at Tentomon who seems pleased with the name. Then he looks at the little boy. "How does that sound?"

"Good!" Takato's smile lights up his eyes and makes him even more adorable. He cannot understand how anyone could abandon him. He pushes the thoughts aside and stands to make dinner.