Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Haunted, Things Never Said ❯ Three ( Chapter 3 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Don't cry on me, all right?

He was on the verge of losing his job.

Matt walked back and forth from the counter to the shoe rack, getting customers their special pair of sweaty, gross bowling shoes and taking their money away.

Hey! What do you expect? Rockstars can lead mundane lives, too!

But anyway, he wasn't doing a very competent job, mind rolling away from the balls and pins to places more important and hidden in the recesses of his thoughts and memories.

He once thought he saw him walk in.

No! He wasn't supposed to be like this! Just a quick release of energy on his childhood crush and that was it!
Matt sighed, leaning on the counter in a break in the crowd. So... why wasn't it? He couldn't stop thinking about him and it disturbed him. Of all the men he'd slept with on a one-time basis... And it bit him hard and wouldn't let go.
"Hey Matt!" He looked up, a 'don't-piss-me-off' look on his face. That sweetly irritating voice-
"Yo, Tai..." This didn't faze the soccer-star-turned-law-major one bit.
"So when do you get off? -Of work? I mean... I just got out of the hospital and need some action." One screw up after another. No wonder his track record was so bad. "A movie, I mean..." Unfazed,
"You were in the hospital? What for?" Tai grinned and lifted up one side of his shirt.
"Appendicitis."
"Ouch. Where were you?"
"Tokyo General." Matt cocked his head to one side, interest piqued.
"Really? I was just there with TK - yes, he's fine - sorry I didn't drop in." Tai smirked.
"That's okay, you didn't know." Tai kept smiling and staring at him funny and Matt cocked one eyebrow quizzically. Tai was weird... unnerving...
"Anyway, a movie? Sure, I'm off at 10:00 - what starts that late?"
"The SHINING!" Tai leaned forward, gripping the Formica counter in excitement. "It's Stanley Kubrick - with an elevator full of blood!" This broke Matt's stony facade and he laughed,
"Oookay, but you know I don't like chick flicks."

He sighed, looking up from his watch. 10:00. It wasn't frustration, it was elation. The moment has passed and Matt hadn't shown yet. The movie had started, tickets stopped selling, and everything was going on plan. But there he was, perfectly on time for Tai, jogging up - out of breath - exquisitely late for the show.
"Tai..." A burst of long pants, "I'm sorry... but I... was running late... and I can't... run that fast..." A sly grin broke across the brunette's face for a host of reasons.
"Would that be because of these?" He skillfully plucked a pack of cigarettes from the pocket on Matt's bowling-shirt uniform as he hunched over, clutching his knees on the verge of passing out.
"No... fair..." Tai held them tauntingly over his head.
"Uhn-uh." You don't get them back until you've sufficiently apologized for making me miss the movie!" He might have been enfeebled and quite red in the face, but he still shot daggers of threatening ice from his eyes to Tai's.
"Taichi..."
"Matt..." It was a warning caught and dealt with by a lighthearted mock. And Matt couldn't stay mad at him for very long.
"-I'm sorry." A bright smile spread across Tai's face at that, and he bowed graciously, tobacco products held outstretched in one hand.
"You're forgiven. We can always rent it sometime anyway, right?"
"Yeah. Thanks." He put them back in his shirt pocket and turned to go. "Walk me home?" Tai was only more than happy to oblige him.

"...and, and... Cripes, Tai! All he could do was sit there, rubbing his poor head!" The two best friends broke into fits of laughter at Takeru's expense.
"I-I knew he shouldn't have even tried soccer! And with Davis and Ken, no less!"
"Oh," Yamato sighed, wiping a gleeful tear, "I felt so sorry for him, but at the same time..."
"Hey, don't you remember how you were in gym in high school? I'd say it runs in the family!" That jibe took an unexpected turn.
"Oh, Tai. That's not fair. And if I remember clearly, I was as accident prone in gym as you were in the classroom." That stopped the laughter.
"You're right, you're right. I'm sorry, Yama." A pause to change the subject. "Speaking of high school, guess who I saw at the hospital?"
"Who?" Ah, unthinking innocence.
"Jyou."
"Jyou? Really?"
"Yeah. Jyou. He's gone and grown up into a doctor and - Do I sense a bit of panic in your voice?"
"Yeah, yeah- no! No! I mean..."
"It's just that the last time the three of us saw each other, it wasn't on such good terms, if I remember."
"No..." They continued walking, and Yamato stared straight ahead, a bit of wistfulness in his voice. "No, the last time I saw Jyou- ...I don't wanna think about that."
"I do. And I've got - I've got a question for you..."
"What?" There was the panic again.
"RELAX, Yama, relax! If anyone should be panicking, it should be me!" Tai took in a long, shuddering breath. This was going to be fun. Oh, and how it could backfire in a million mind-numbing ways... "I-I was thinking about how everyone kind of inadvertently - found out about you being -"
"Queer?"
"Um... Yeah, if you want to put it so bluntly." Matt's tone of voice only said one thing to Tai. Stop. Do not pass go. Do not make a pass at Yamato. But he wasn't listening - didn't want to. "And I was thinking, that..." Oh, boy. Here it goes- "...that I think I'm in love." This stopped Matt from walking, which, in turn, stopped Tai, who received a 'no way' eyebrow cocked in his direction. Their eyes locked and he couldn't pull away, couldn't stop now. "...with a guy..." The other blonde eyebrow rose sky-high and Taichi, blushing till he thought he would pass out, broke the stare and continued walking.
"Wow." That's all Yamato could offer as he caught up with the brunette who refused to look at him. But- wasn't this all a part of Tai's beautiful plan? Surely, he hadn't planned on feeling trapped like this. He hadn't planned on stage fright and being soundlessly interrogated with those depthless blue eyes. "Tai... Um... Who's the special guy?"
"Ugh. I'm not answering that." But what he meant to say was: 'ask me again'. "C'mon, I'm your best friend. Scratch that - your best queer friend. Tell me - I won't laugh..."
"Not even if my love stretched to not one guy but two?" There went the eyebrows again, but Tai's head was averted, embarrassed, and hardly anything anymore truly shocked Matt.
"...Yeah. Not even if you're in love with two." Taichi brought his head around to look at Matt for reassurance. It was there, presenting itself in a soft, tired smile that he just wished he could reach over and kiss.
"Well, it's just that these feelings have come on so suddenly. Are they real? ...They feel real. More real than anything ever has..." His answer to his own question came through nearly whispered, directed at himself.

But Matt Heard. Thank you Jesus, Matt heard.
"They feel real? Then they are real. I'll say this once, Tai. Whoever got your attention like this, made you worry and ponder you inner psyche like this - your very soul and core - well... They're two lucky bastards whether they realize it or not." His voice was so gentle, he knew one wisecrack would shatter the mood and send Tai back into his too-macho shell.

They stopped walking again, Tai silent in thought, a heavy frown upon his face. "One of them is Jyou." Now. NOW Matt was shocked.
"Our Jyou?" Tai nodded his head. "Wow." Nothing else poured from his brain, just thoughts of his dark encounter bumping into each other and blocking cohesive thought. "Tai... there's something you should know..." Guilt like a brick wall.
"About Jyou? I know." Their eyes met, Yamato's heavily confused, but starting to blend into terror anyway. He was sharp, he could see where this might go. But... how? "The hospital... I know." FUCK. Yamato's brows departed for some unseen planet, his eyes flying open wide and taking a shuffled step backwards.
"You know what?" Just a hoarse whisper.
"No, no, it doesn't matter..." he shook his head to clear it and get him back on track. "What does matter is..." Here goes, he had to finish this before he could realize how nervous he was and vomit everywhere or scare Matt off for good. "-That night I spent at the hospital recovering. I realized, like being hit out of nowhere... who else I'm in love with." Matt calmed a little with the mention of the hospital in a different context and with Tai calming a little as well. -At least to outward appearances. Who was Taichi in love with? Who had captured his best friend's heart so completely? Yamato blinked, in that second, imagining his own name coming out between the lawyer's lips. But it wasn't true, he knew it, and now, how was he supposed to look happy when his last, dearest fantasy was blown away on the winds? Tai was in love, finally. His heart stolen by someone else.

Yamato put his game face on for the worst of the worst possibilities - his own brother. Takeru
"Who?" It had to be said, and time passed snail-like as he watched the little beads of sweat gather on his friend's head, his eyes closed now, brow furrowed in frustration, his soft throat quivering as he swallowed.
His mouth opened, finally, but no sound came out. His lips formed a word, but without breath, Yamato couldn't tell what he had said.
"Who?" And every fiber in his body was screaming at him to not press the issue, just smile and nod and walk on, wishing him and Jyou and whoever Yu was a very happy and fulfilled life together that didn't include him and his pathetic anxieties and dreams. But no. He had to ask again. (Who?)

Tai lifted his head but slightly, opening his watering eyes to stare at Matt. His lips trembled, the dam of emotions threatening to break. How could a few days' obsession have driven him this nearly mad? Pathetic. But it was years of sweet platonic intimacy that backed it up, that he was guaranteed to scatter to oblivion now. And all for foolishness.
Yamato's eyes drew close, concerned, inspecting. Tai looked lost and forlorn and like at any minute his body would give way and he would die. Yamato wanted to hold him so badly. Comfort him tell him he'd always have his love.

Even if he didn't want it.

"You." And the world between Matt's eyes was blank, pondering over that simple syllable. You? ...As in... me? As in Taichi, courageous and strong and tempting and beautiful and pure loved... him? What?
"What?!" Tears spilled across Yagami's cheeks, mistaking disbelief for repulsion. His world collapsed in on him, killing him and severing his heart, tearing his love from his grasp out into cold reality.
"I'm sorry!" It was sputtered and he shut his eyes, sobbing. Stupid! All your stupid fucking plans! This is what you get when you get greedy! Losing the best relationship you ever had! You never deserved him... "I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry, Matt. I didn't think - I'm sorry, just forget about it, okay..."
"Tai..." He wrapped his thin fingers around his fidgeting arm as he tried to escape. "Tai, look at me." His voice was soft, yet commanding. Through the tears and his swelling eyes, Tai looked back. "I-I'm at a loss for words... I... But please," he reached a hand up to wipe away the tears; he flinched, burned inside. "Please, please don't cry."
"Why!? WHY NOT?! Shit, Yamato, why can't I cry when my heart has been ripped out?"
"No... No, you don't..." His voice was calm and gentle and ever so sorrowful. He moved his hands up from his arms to his wet cheeks, trailing off and catching, without leaving time for either of them to think, his trembling lips in a kiss removed from time. There was nothing else. Just Tai's brain slowly clicking and trying to understand and swing back from one emotional extreme to another. And when he did, when his mind came crashing back to the steady hold that was the blonde's silent and desperate embrace...

A great shuddering revelation poured through him. Delicious. His lips pulled at the other's, euphoric and mindless and... His arms rose from their scared position, stock straight at his side into the blonde locks that were off limits to everyone except - only recently - him; and his heart tightened. They were so soft, too soft, the skin of his face and neck as well and those plump lips with a mind of their own kissing him back. Intently. Devouring his pathetic sighs and moans. Oh, what he could do to him with such a simple gesture.

Matt, on the other hand, was just about to cry. Those long fingers that tingled so were stroking his cheekbones, running up and down the sensitive lines on his neck and playing through the short hair at the back of his head.
Taichi. His most private of obsessions and intimate idols was moaning at- at what? The mere feel of him beneath his fingertips?
So the tears came, pulling him away from the keeper of Courage, muscles tight and strung out.
"Tai?"
"Yes?" His eyes half-lidded on the side of a street, his words ended with a tint of nervousness.
Why he did pull away?
Was this all a lie?
Was this just one of Yama's sick, twisted...

"I love you."

EH: I'm not putting an outro to this chapter.
Jyou: You just did.