Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Tangled Wishes ❯ Chapter 1

A/N: This story really shouldn't be happening yet. It shouldn't, but it is. This is a chapter prequel to Bed of Lies, chronicling the birthday party mentioned in the first chapter of said story, with modifications on what actually happened. I'm changing Bed of Lies to follow suit. It may or may not become more than a realization story centered around Taichi. I've become tempted to turn it into a story that chronciles not only the party, the ensuing realizations, but to also use it as a vehicle to explain why Yamato is no longer a musician at the end of 02. This subplot is hinted at a bit in the first chapter, but isn't really explored, so we'll see.

Bear with me, since I've been lazy with writing as of late, as should be obvious from lack of updates on Bed of Lies itself, hence this story being posted. I will finish Bed of Lies, I just don't when, as it seems my muse has left me there.

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Chapter one // Ensnared

"Brrrr~!"

Yamato let out a loud shiver as he and Taichi stepped out of the studio that his band used for rehearsals. Even though it was April, the temperature was low and the wind was freezing. After zipping his jacket, he slung his guitar case over his left shoulder, and threw his right arm around Taichi.

"Ahh!" Taichi was clearly taken off guard.

"Oh, relax," Yamato scoffed. "Its cold. I'm just having fun."

Taichi gave him a dirty look as Yamato's face split into a cocky grin. He took a deep breath and attempted to let Yamato's good mood in. It had been awhile since they had been alone together and he didn't want to ruin it. Instead, he decided to try starting a conversation.

"Are your band rehearsals always like that?"

"You mean the bickering? Yeah," Yamato looked at him, curious. "Whenever I pitch a new idea to them, I feel like I'm stepping on a landmine. But if I let them come up with the ideas, they just get mad at each other instead. It's enough to make me want to -" Yamato cut himself off, and drew away from Taichi.

"Want to what? Quit?" Taichi asked him trying no to show disappointment as Yamato's arm left his shoulders. "I would hate to see you go through that, but I'm inclined to say what you're going through right now is worse."

"In some ways," Yamato said softly. "But I don't know what I'd do without my music, you know?"

"I do," Taichi told him, his tone hard and sure. Yamato looked at him, surprised but interested. "You'd find something new, another outlet. Maybe a better one."

"Better than music?" Yamato asked doubtfully.

"You've always been able to move on before," Taichi answered, reassuringly. "Even if it took someone leading you by the hand, kicking and screaming."

Yamato smiled, and moved closer to Taichi on the sidewalk. Taichi's breath caught in his throat briefly, more out of shock than nerves. At least, that was what he told himself that afternoon, as he and Yamato slowly made their way to Yamato's apartment.

"You did keep your promise, right?" Taichi asked suddenly, changing the subject.

"Promise? What promise?" Yamato asked innocently. Taichi glowered at him, and Yamato made an appologetic gensture. "I'm kidding. Of course I remembered."

"Good," Taichi said sullenly as they reached the door of Yamato's building. After a few moments of fumbling with the key, Yamato had the door unlocked and the two boys were inside. Neither spoke as they went hastily up the three flights of stairs that loomed between the floor and Yamato's unit. Yamato unlocked the door to his apartment, and the two were greated with silent darkness. Silent, that was, until Yamato turned the light on.

"Surpise!" Several people said cheerfully as they entered. Taichi sent an incdredibly dirty look at Yamato, who attempted to laugh his way out of his predicament.

"Oh, c'mon, Taichi. Lighten up," Yamato said, smiling stupidly. "I know you didn't want me to do this, but- well, it's a small party, and I didn't think that you'd mind celebrating your birthday with us."

"Us? Oh." Taichi understood after glancing around. Only the twelve chosen were there. He realized that Yamato had put some thought into it, at least.

"To be honest Taichi, I expected you to be the last person to say no to a birthday party," Yamato said quietly, as they went into the living room, where most of the party was centered.

"I know," Taichi conceded. "I just- I kind of wanted it to be just- us."

"I know. But I wanted to do something- well, a little more, I guess." Yamato was careful in choosing those words.

"Being with you was already enough," taichi said softly. Before Yamato could question the meaning of that comment, Taichi changed the subject. "Well, I can still get drunk. Where's the booze?"

"Ah-" Yamato looked at Taichi, feeling a little thrown. "Uhm, it's in the kitchen. Help yourself."

"I will. Gladly," Taichi said as he left the living room. The kitchen was empty when he entered it, and the drinks were set up on one of the counters. There was nothing but beer as far as alcohol went, except for a single bottle of sake- which had no doubt been Yamato's idea, something to make a toast with. Taichi smiled absentmindedly, feeling a little less angry at his friend, and perhaps even in the mood to party. Of course, they may have just been the large swig he'd taken from the beer he'd just picked up.

Whatever the reason, he returned to the living looking significatnly brighter. Yamato beamed from his perch on the arm of the couch at seeing Taichi's mood so changed. Taichi gave him a dirty look.

"I'm not in that good of a mood-," he informed Yamato, before taking another large go on his drink. "-Yet."

Yamato chuckled. "I suppose we'll have to fix that, eh?"

"You can try," Taichi said, raising his eyebrows. He sat down on the floor in front of the sofa arm Yamato occupied.

"Why so blue, birthday boy?" Someone asked. Taichi looked up to see who the speaker was, and saw Takeru's blue eyes blinking curiously at him. The younger boy was sitting on the couch, next to Yamato's arm.

"I'm not blue," Taichi replied in a huff.

"Well, you're certainly not happy, either," he heard a different voice- Koushirou's- observe. Looking down the sofa, past Takeru, he eyed Koushirou in annoyance. Koushirou didn't notice, as his laptop was between his own eyes and Taichi's glare.

"What does it matter?" Taichi asked, a note of anger in his voice. "I'm here, isn't that enough?"

"No," Yamato told him firmly. "I at least won't be satisfied until see you smile for more than two seconds."

"Well too damn bad," Taichi said crossly. Then, reconsidering. "Well, maybe if I get really, really drunk-"

"I want a sober smile, you toad," Yamato said, dropping a fist on the top of Taichi's head.

"Ow- Look, it's your fault I'm mad," Taichi said loudly, standing up and rubbing his head. "So drop it. Either that, or I'll leave."

"Taichi-" Yamato began, no longer sure of how to deal with his friend's mood. "Look, I know that I told you I wouldn't throw some stupid party, but look around you. We haven't had a good reason to get everyone together in a long time."

"Oh, so the party isn't to celebrate my birthday, its just an excuse to get everyone together and get wasted?" Taichi was almost yelling now.

"That isn't what I meant," Yamato said, feeling frustrated. He wanted so badly for Taichi to just enjoy himself, something he hadn't seen his friend do in too long a time.

"Sure sounded like it," Taichi said, walking paste Yamato, past the couch in its entirety, and towards the hallway.

"Hey, where are you going?" Yamato called after him.

"Somewhere I can be alone," Taichi said coldly, looking back at Yamato. Seeing the confusion in Yamato's eyes, he added, "Where I can be away from you."

He felt bad, treating Yamato so coldly, but he wasn't sure what else to do. He couldn't really concentrate on anything; he'd been so flustered that he'd left his beer in the living room. He found himself in Yamato's room, his mind clearing long enough to take in the dark curtains, the twin sized bed and the particular scent that Yamato's room always had. He didn't know why he knew that scent so well, but he did know he liked it. Sometimes he described the feeling it gave him as "neat", but most of the time he simply defined it as "scary".

He stumbled over to the bed, and fell on it; out of habit he inhaled deeply on impact, and then scolded himself after doing so. He wondered why he felt so horrible that day, why on his birthday. He was sixteen, sixteen! Shouldn't he be happy? Shouldn't he at least know why he felt so horrible?

The door opened a little ways, startling Taichi out of his thoughts. Yamato's blonde head appears in the opening.

"Taichi?"

"Go away!" Taichi threw a pillow at the door. Yamato backed away, dodging it.

"I refuse to go away from my own room, Taichi," Yamato said irritatedly. "And I refuse to leave you alone until you tell me what is wrong."

"It doesn't matter," Taichi said quietly.

"Yes, it does," Yamato was in the room now, closing in on the bed. "If you can't talk to me, who will you talk to?"

"No one, if I'm lucky," Taichi grumbled.

Yamato didn't saying anything, just let out a long, bothered sigh. Taichi scowled at him, but was unable to stop him from sitting on the bed next to him. He looked at Yamato, whose expression was near impossible to decipher; Yamato's eyes were hard and shielded from being read. Taichi felt nothing but a knotting sensation in his stomach, and a lightness in his temples.

"Taichi, I know I haven't been paying as much attention to what you want as I should be- throwing this party was selfish, I'll admit-" He paused, looking at Taichi, who said nothing. "-And I'm sorry, I really am. But I also don't think that's the only thing making you upset."

"No one said it was," Taichi replied, uncertain of how much he wanted to tell Yamato. Or how much he could fathom himself. The thought left him entirely, however, when he felt an arm come around him, nervously and anxiously.

"I don't know what else to do, alright? I want you to have fun- loosen up, ya know?" Yamato looked Taichi anxiously, looking for some hint that he was getting through. "Do want me to tell them to leave?"

"No," Taichi said, more clearly and certainly than he'd thought possible. Then, to Yamato's mixed relief, horror, and delight, Taichi began to cry. "I just- just wanted to spend some time with you, you know? I can't remember when the last time was that we just hung out alone.."

"Yeah, I was beginning to realize that myself," Yamato replied rather sheepishly, nodding. "But I can't keep track of anything, you know that. I kind of need your help there."

"You've always needed help there," Taichi replied, the barest hint of a smile forming in the corners of his mouth. He wiped his eyes with a sleeve, and stood up. "But that doesn't change the fact that I'm upset with you. You lied, Yamato. That hurts, a lot."

"Taichi-" Yamato began, reaching out for the other boy when he stood up. Taichi slapped his hand away. "Please be reasonable."

"Maybe I will be in a day or two," Taichi said slowly. "But I just can't right now."

"Why not?"

"You wouldn't understand!" Taichi ran out of the room and down the hall. When he entered the open area where the kitchen began, he felt several pairs of curious eyes on him. He froze. Moments later, Yamato spears behind him, and arm enfolded around Taichi's shoulders. He felt himself go red.

"Get off me!" He shrieked, turning around and shoving Yamato away in the same action.

Yamato let go, looking confused and a little hurt. "Taichi-"

"I'm leaving," Taichi said quietly, walking towards the door. Before picking up his shoes, he looked back, a little expectantly.

"I'm not going to stop you," Yamato said stiffly. "Maybe it would be better for you to leave, since nothing good is going to come of any of this."

"Nothing good ever comes to those who lie and those who hate themselves," Taichi said, stooping to tie his shoes. Upon finishing, he stood up and looked at Yamato again. "Maybe a few days from now I won't even remember feeling this way. I doubt it, though."

After he had closed the door behind him, and after the stupefied feeling had lifted from the atmosphere, Daisuke broke the dazed silence.

"What does he mean, "those who hate themselves"?" He asked, obviously bewildered by what had just happened.

"I don't know," Yamato said softly. "But I didn't like the sound of it."