Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Say the Same ❯ The Primary Apportionment ( Chapter 1 )

----*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*-- --*--*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*----

 

Me: Hullo and well met! I'm Herme, if this is our first meeting, Welcome! Or, if you've graced me with your presence before, Welcome Back! The following fanfic was a personal request from a dear friend of mine who, I s'pose, wanted to read a TaIzzy fanfic. Yes, this fanfic involves Taichi and Koushiro (Izzy) in a more-than-friendly way.

Tommy: Yes, they're *quite* friendly about it.

Me: Ha ha, so be thou forewarned! If ya don't wanna read that, stop here! If it sounds like something you'd like to read today, please continue!

Tommy: *skims over script* Ah, concerns…

Me: Yes, I had some concerns…I've been concerned that the two would be very out of character, and I couldn't seem to find the information I was looking for anywhere on the net…silly me, OF COURSE!, Wikipedia had it! Wikipedia has EVERYTHING. *Throws “rock on” signs in the air* Wikipedia, you rock!

Tommy: Hm, yes. In any case, the boys' ages are roughly 16 and 18, so what follows is what we assume—

Me: Oh just tell them, Tommy!

Tommy: —okay, it's what we'd like to think they'd be like at this age. Furthermore, please prepare yourself for some oddities. Trust me, you'll know when you get to them...

Me: So, without further nonsense from myself or Tommy—

Tommy: Hey!

Me: —This fanfic is hereby officially dedicated to Darius, cuz he asked for it, but especially for the Chibs, cuz he kept the faith! *Cyber-Hug*

Tommy: Sorry it's not longer, sorry it's not better, but the Mistress hopes you don't hate it, Dar.

 

----*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*-- --*--*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*----

 

Say the Same

The Primary Apportionment

 

Koushiro could hear the sounds of the TV behind him. For some reason, it comforted him. It must have been because the tinny sounds coming from the TV signified someone was watching it, which meant someone else was in the room with him.

 

He wasn't alone.

 

Just because Koushiro had accumulated many friends from the Digidestined days, and later through the Computer Club, didn't mean he had any who were particularly close. And it wasn't their fault, Koushiro knew he was largely to blame. Tentomon had tried his best to draw Koushiro out from his small cyberspace world, but hadn't drawn him very much further than Koushiro responding when people spoke to him now. The Digidestined were different, of course. Sometimes, Koushiro would call one of *them* first.

 

The sounds of the TV, along with the occasional comment from its audience and the old familiar, soft clickety-clack of his fingers flying along his keyboard made for a very desirable atmosphere. Koushiro stared at the lines of code he was typing into his computer, which he had lovingly named Acid Reflux Disease, or Ardie, for short.

 

Koushiro shrugged. **It's a techno-geek thing.**

 

Be that as it may, Koushiro's attention was only half on Ardie. His other half was keeping an ear out for anything from the older boy currently parked in front of his television. He was rewarded, in a manner, for his persistence.

 

“Man, that guy is such an idiot! Must run in the family. I mean, remember when his dad barfed on the PM? Is our conditional surrender still in effect or something? We should'a pulled away some time ago. Maybe it's `cause the economy's in a recession or whatever, though I swore it was going away…”

 

**Who are you?** Koushiro thought to himself, but really, he knew (though he could hardly believe it) who that guy was.

 

To hear him talk now, one would hardly be able to recognize the Taichi Yagami of old. Sometime in the past year, Taichi had become extremely interested in foreign affairs, which luckily coincided with his grand senior year's choosing of the college-you-will-be-attending-if-you-pass-the-test. **Cross your fingers,** Koushiro added silently.

 

“Cross your fingers” had become the new period as all seniors were ending their sentences with the phrase these days.

 

Koushiro didn't know how he felt about all this. He had written Tentomon emails about it. Nearly all of the Original Digidestined were graduating this year, except himself.

 

Oh, and Jyou. He had graduated a year earlier.

 

**Almost at the expense of his health,** Koushiro thought.

 

Jyou had survived, however, and was now stressing it out in Med school. It was a wonder Ol' Reliable still had any hair on his head.

 

So Jyou had already gone, and Koushiro had been sad enough about that, but now Taichi, Matt, and Sora were fixing to go. Mimi wasn't graduating, being in Koushiro's same grade and all, but living halfway around the world in America, she might as well have graduated years ago. And when she *did* graduate in the following year, she would be heading off to France to begin culinary school. Still so far away. And for once, Koushiro's computer had let him down: internet could keep you connected, but it really *wasn't* the same.

 

It wasn't enough.

 

Tentomon had suggested Seki-Han in honor of Koushiro's major coming-of-age epiphany. Koushiro failed to see the relevance of the two and Tentomon swore to work on Koushiro's sense of humor next.

 

Still, Koushiro couldn't exactly say he was being completely abandoned: the younger kids were still here. In fact, Takeru, Hikari, Daisuke, Ken and Miyako were all new first years at his high school. Iori was still kicking it at middle school, but he kept in touch with the others, especially Takeru. But this was to be expected seeing as they had been partners when their two Digimon had DNA-digivolved together.

 

However, Takeru and Iori were nowhere near as close as Daisuke and Ken seemed to be these days. To hear Hikari and Takeru talk about it, Koushiro surmised that a major life changing event had taken place between them. But he still couldn't figure out how a card game factored into the occasion…

 

Regardless, while he enjoyed the company of the younger kids (especially Yolei who was just as big on computers as Koushiro, himself), Koushiro was dreading the upcoming graduation.

 

He knew he'd especially miss this…

 

Koushiro turned to look at the TV when Taichi made another exclamation.

 

“Why would he go and say something like that?” Taichi was saying as he gestured wildly at the television screen. One would think he was watching the FIFA World Cup.

 

Koushiro looked over at the screen but didn't understand what there was to be upset about watching old men in suits discuss…whatever it was they were discussing.

 

“Aren't you going to be late for work?” Koushiro asked as soon as Taichi's mutterings subsided.

 

“Nah, I don't have to be there until five.”

 

Koushiro glanced at his watch. 4:47.

 

“You're going to be late, which completely defeats the purpose of keeping your uniform here at my house.”

 

Taichi looked over his shoulder (and through his wild hair) at Koushiro. “Well, if you want me out *that* badly…”

 

The panic rose in Koushiro and half-formed into words. Those words, however, never made it to his lips and he merely made a forward movement. It was enough, it seemed.

 

“Ha ha,” Taichi laughed. “I'm gonna go change.”

 

Koushiro watched as Tai picked his clothes up from the bed beside him and walked outside of his room. He knew Tai was joking. He was *always* joking, but still, Koushiro couldn't stop feeling afraid that maybe Taichi *wasn't* joking around this time. And the fear of loss was only enhanced by the knowledge of their impending separation.

 

Just then the door to his room opened again. Koushiro turned to look only to find Taichi walking back in. He had changed his pants, but was still wearing his school uniform shirt.

 

“Forgot my undershirt,” Tai said by way of explanation as he closed the door behind him. “Don't know why they make us wear two…”

 

Koushiro didn't reply but he hastily turned back towards his computer when Taichi began unbuttoning his shirt. Koushiro couldn't explain it, but he found himself becoming prudish whenever Taichi undressed around him, which seemed more and more often these days.

 

The Koushiro jumped when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind. Hands crept about and fingers found hidden places.

 

“What'cha blushin' for, huh?” Taichi asked as he began tickling. “What'cha blushin' for?”

 

It was Koushiro's most heavily guarded secret. Had it been something he could've kept on Ardie, it would have been a program guarded by several of the most cryptic shields he could make up. As it were, Taichi had found out by accident, and though he swore to secrecy, he most definitely abused the knowledge.

 

Koushiro collapsed, bother physically and into a fit of giggles, as Taichi's fingers did a dance up his ribs. “Gah—ah! Tai!” More laughter. “Stop! St—stop, you'll be late if you—” Koushiro couldn't even finish his damn sentence and he began to struggle against Taichi's grip.

 

It was, of course, of little to no use. Taichi had always been at least half a foot taller than he was, and the passing years hadn't done as much for Koushiro as they had for Taichi. Standing at five-foot-seven with a body built by years of soccer, Taichi outmatched Koushiro in every dimension of physicality, and unfortunately, at an even five feet, not even Koushiro's superior mentality could do much about it. Koushiro pushed against the floor, sliding his computer desk chair away, hoping he'd have a better chance on his feet.

 

It made no difference. Even with both his arms and legs flailing about, he was stuck in Taichi's clutches. And indeed, his flailing only made Taichi laugh louder and hold him tighter. Soon, Koushiro's attempts at liberation subsided, but not because he had given up.

 

He had just realized that against his back he could feel the heat of Taichi's bare chest, he could feel his heartbeat this way. Taichi, with his arms around Koushiro's chest, was holding Koushiro high enough that his toes barely reached the floor. Still, Taichi's back was curved over Koushiro, his chin resting on (read: “digging into”) the sensitive skin of his neck. Koushiro's senses were flooded with everything about Taichi that made Taichi so…masculine. Hot breath tickled Koushiro's cheek and caused him shiver.

 

Which caused Taichi to laugh again. “Given up?”

 

Koushiro sighed. “What use is it for me to struggle? I only waste energy on a hopeless cause.”

 

To test this statement, Taichi dug his fingers into Koushiro's sides and the flailing started up again. Laughing, Taichi dropped Koushiro to his feet and turned to grab his undershirt. Once that and his jersey that made him look like a referee were on, Taichi stuffed his school uniform into his backpack and slung it over a shoulder.

 

“Wearing your backpack on only one shoulder can cause severe back problems,” Koushiro reminded Taichi for somewhere about the millionth time as he settled back into his chair. He looked over his last line of code, which started out fine but ended in a bunch of Z's, D's and G's.

 

“When I'm old and tilted,” Tai replied, “I'll remember you said that.”

 

“And I'll be there with my `I told you so,'” Koushiro threw back as he began erasing the excess letters.

 

With a laugh and one last poke to Koushiro's side (which resulted in the erasure of two whole lines of code), Taichi left. Koushiro could hear his mom talking with Taichi downstairs as he passed by her to get to the door.

 

The previous year, Koushiro had been horrified to learn that the family was going to move, but the move turned out to be for the best. The new apartment was two stories, and the entire complex was more like a bunch of skinny houses stuck together. Koushiro supposed there was a word for this but it eluded him. Bonuses with the house included Koushiro's new room, which was twice as large as the previous, and not only was the house closer to his school, it was also closer to Taichi's after-school job. When Taichi learned this, he had suggested leaving his work uniforms there at Koushiro's house and just hanging out there until his shift began instead of going all the way home and back again.

 

Koushiro had no complaints, his father had no complaints since he didn't get home `till long after Taichi left, and of course his mother had no complaints as Taichi seemed to love her cooking. Koushiro knitted his eyebrows. He didn't see how. His mother's cooking was tolerable at best, and he tried to get as much non-organic junk food when out of the house as he could. Koushiro even stooped so low as to invite Taichi and Daisuke over whenever his mother was making something extra noxious. The food went quicker that way, and his mother never noticed he wasn't eating.

 

Koushiro shrugged before turning to retype the lost lines of code and add the rest. However, the sounds of his typing seemed lonely now, lacking their back-up companion of television sounds. And Taichi sounds.

 

**“And I'll be there with my `I told you so.'”**

 

But would he really?

 

Koushiro's fingers faltered as he began thinking. Would he seriously still be hanging around Taichi when they were old enough for Taichi to realize his back really was tilted? If left up to Koushiro, they would most certainly still be good friends. For the rest of their lives, like. But it wasn't just up to him. What if Taichi wanted to leave one day? Isn't that natural? Don't people leave after high school? Go on to new places? Meet new people? Forget old people? They weren't like computers, always there when you needed them. And even if a computer crashed, you could always replace it. Sometimes with a newer and better model.

 

Were humans the same way? If you lost one, you could replace it? Also with a newer and better model? Koushiro supposed so. People did it all the time…right? Koushiro tried to remember a time he had done so, but that was stupid. Koushiro had never really had friends before the Digidestined Days, and since then he's had the same group of friends.

 

**Man, I really AM anti-social, aren't I?** Koushiro mused.

 

Now he tried to think of a time when someone else had done it around him. But this, too, was stupid. He really never noticed *anyone* around him…

 

So here it was. He was finally noticing someone…just in time for them to leave him behind. Koushiro stared at his computer screen, but couldn't bring himself to continue typing. Memories of a warm person and of physical contact were clouding his mind, and unconsciously, Koushiro touched a hand to his neck.

 

----*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*-- --*--*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*----

 

A Few Cultural Notes!

 

Seki-Han: is rice with red beans which is used to celebrate “major coming of age” stuff. It took me hours of scouring the `net and many manga to find this term…

FIFA World Cup: is the major Soccer championships…I also had to look this up.

--.--;;

Tommy: Please join us for The Secondary Apportionment!

 

----*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*-- --*--*--*----*--*--*----*--*--*----