My Tropetember 2023 contribution for the prompt : Love Confession.

I'm sorry for the mistakes, English is not my native language. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer : Blue Flag belongs to KAITO.

Things Are Different Now

It's hard to be friends with the person you've rejected. Lately, this sentence that Touma had said three years ago had been playing over and over in Taichi's head. However, all these years they had spent together had proven to them that they would always be friends. Even if at that time Taichi did not feel the same as Touma.

At the time, Taichi thought, because now things were different. It had happened without him realizing it. One day he had simply realized that he was in love with Touma. Thinking about it, Futaba must have realized his feelings for Touma before him and that was why she broke up with him. Knowing her, she had wanted to see him happy with the one he loved. He had been sad during the breakup. He cared about her. She had been his first love, but he had come to realize that she was not his true love.

Touma had stayed by his side. He was there to drink with him when he wanted to drown his sorrows or to comfort him when he needed it. Touma had always been there for him and he could not imagine his life without him. He was his friend, the one he cared the most, the one he was in love with. And today, he was going to confess his feelings to him. He had waited far too long.

Taichi was sitting on a bench in the park. It was always their meeting place when Touma payed him a visit. After a moment, he saw him arrive. Taichi could not help smiling. Touma had always been a head taller than the others, it was easy to spot him from afar. Seeing him, Touma waved and approached. A huge smile lit up his face.

"I have tickets to the next league game. Do you fancy coming ?"

Taichi did not answer. He stood up. It was now or never.

"Is everything alright ?" Touma asked.

Taichi nodded.

"We need to talk."

"It seems serious," Touma teased.

He lost his smile when he saw Taichi's serious eyes.

"What do you want to talk about ?"

Taichi took a deep breath.

"Three years ago you told me you loved me."

"Tai…"

"No wait. Let me finish. "

Taichi stopped talking for a few seconds. Touma watched him, giving him all the time he needed.

"Three years ago," he said once again, "you told me you loved me. At that time, I loved you too, but not in the same way. Yet, even if it made you suffer, you stayed with me. You never abandoned me. And I don't know when things got different, but..."

He nervously ran his hand through his hair, ruffling it.

"It's not easy," Taichi mumbled.

Touma smiled slightly. He understood what Taichi wanted to say. He felt hope rising within him. But he said nothing, he had to let him finish. He wanted to be sure what Taichi was trying to tell him.

"What I wanted to tell you… I love you Touma."

Touma felt his heart race. As far back as he could remember, he had always loved Taichi. Even in the past three years, his feelings for him had not changed. Quite the opposite. They were stronger every day. He approached him and kissed him. At first surprised, Taichi kissed him back. They expressed all the feelings, all the love they could have for each other. Touma moved away slightly.

"I love you Tai," he whispered.

Taichi kissed him again, enjoying everything Touma could make him feel. He loved him and Touma loved him. He never thought he would be so happy one day.

The end