Summary: This starts in cute, chibi fluffiness. It continues past the chibi fluff, but it was only the first chapter for a while. And the first chapter is definitely my favorite.

That aside, this is a Taishirou, all the way. Maybe some yummy yaoi-ness in later chapters. Who knows what will happen? It starts with a sullen, ill genius the tender age of four…

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. Nor the Chosen Children. I do own this plot and my love of the Taishirou. Yay!

Chocolate Covered

Chapter One

Chocolate Covered Kiss

His dark eyes were sullen and maybe even angry. Something he never associated with his loving, caring parents. Too caring, too loving, the tiny red-head thought with a black-eyed glance their way. His "too loving, too caring" parents were busy at the moment. His home was packed in boxes and covered in sheets, winding its way down the flight of stairs into the slowly filling, hungry van below. His home, reduced to so much giant-sized mail! He gave the van that was currently swallowing his living room's couch an angry glare. Yes, angry.

"Koushirou, please, why don't you go into the living room, now? The movers won't be going in there anymore and I won't have to keep such a close eye on you. You know Haha-chan is busy, ne?" His mother plaintively suggested. She knew how much he didn't want to go away from home. Away from his Koushirou-sized bed in his Koushirou-sized room, with its bright happy window where he could watch his favorite park.

He frowned at her as he remembered the window he would be leaving behind. He gripped the metal rails of the stairway's railing and shook his head. His small legs were stuck through the rails and his little feet clad in violet-colored shoes with lightning bolts on the sides were swinging over the floors below. His small form was wearing a pair of dark brown shorts and his elbow-sleeved shirt was the same brown with a fat, horizontal purple stripe across his chest. His mother pushed back her light brown hair and reached forward to give him a hug.

"I know how much you don't want to go, dovey. I know you must be so angry at me and your Chichi." Koushirou's dark eyes gave her a startled glance.

"I'm never angry, Haha-chan." Koushirou protested. How could she know?

A small smile graced her face.

"I know, love. Haha-chans know everything and this Haha-chan knows you're angry. You love it here, even though you're always so sick." She kissed his forehead. "But you are ill and that's why we have to leave. In the south you may get better, honey. We all want you to get better so you can go to the park one day."

His eyes looked away again, flat and carefully empty. Such a smart little boy. His mother thought sadly and fondly.

"I know, Haha-chan." He continued to sit on the stairway.

She kissed his vivid red hair -so like her sister's- and rose.

"Just stay put, ne? We'll be done soon."

Koushirou winced at her words. He didn't want them to be done soon. He didn't want them done at all! His mother was right, he always was ill. Always sick. Ever since he could remember, all he could do was stare out his special window to the world outside. Sometimes, when he was well enough, his parents would let him walk with them to the grocery store or go to day camp with other little boys and girls his age. He was a sick boy, though, and they were all scared of him there, and the way he could read books their day camp-sitter didn't read and use words that confused their day camp-sitter, too.

What he wanted to do the most, however, was go to the park that he could see through his window. To that world where children his age laughed and wrestled with their parents. To that world where they all kicked a big black and white ball and ran around without clutching their chests in pain and almost forgetting how to breathe. He wanted to play.

He turned a little bit and watched his anxious father hover around the bulky moving men carrying the wooden hutch with pretty glass windows. His mother was telling the driver how to get to their other house far, far away. The anger, so unfamiliar and strange, swelled up in him once again. He didn't care that he was a sick little boy anymore.

He shimmied away from the stairway railing and got to his feet. His mouth was a little dry, so he swallowed and wet his mouth with saliva. He'd never disobeyed before. He loved his parents and they loved him, too. It wasn't their fault he was too sick to go play. They get wanted him to be well. They were good parents. He was a good boy, too, until now. He turned and ran for the other staircase. His parents were busy and he was a good boy- they never saw his awkward run down the stairs and towards the world in his window.

He stopped running when he reached the green park. Other children were in there. Adults and animals and babies that couldn't even walk were scattered throughout the large park. Everywhere was green, dark green from the shadows of trees, or bright green from the sunlight filling the air and covering the ground. He took a step onto the thick green grass and smiled.

Finally! He thought triumphantly. He looked around and saw two other children that looked the same height as him and walked forward. He was normally a shy, introverted young boy. If he wasn't going to be a good boy today, though, he shouldn't be shy or introverted, either. They look nice, and that boy is holding a big black and white ball! I've seen him here before!

His breath was coming in painful little gasps and gulps, and his hand clutched his shirt over his chest tightly. His lungs were straining from his recent run, unused to so much exercise. Sweat ran down his temples and the boy with big brown hair and the checkered ball began to get fuzzy. He bit his lip to keep from crying. I just want to play! I don't want to be sick!

His legs buckled and he fell down.

"OI!" The ground echoed with the thuds of feet beneath Koushirou's ear. "Daijoubou desu ka?" asked an anxious voice.

Koushirou's black eyes fluttered open and met big, dark brown eyes. Grass was stuck up his nose, his neck was bent in a funny way, and his breath was still coming out in little puffs.

"Daijoubou desu," Koushirou lied. He realized he just lied and tried to push himself up. "I'm sorry, I lied. I am not all right."

"Oi! Don't do that! Stop it!" The other little boy reached forward and stopped Koushirou's weak attempts at rising. He pulled Koushirou up himself and held him up in a sitting position.

"Thank you very much." Koushirou smiled.

"No problem!" The other boy grinned a big, wide smile with lots of white teeth. Everything about the boy seemed larger than life; his hair, his brown eyes, and his infectious grin. His skin was a warm brown and he wore a large blue shirt with a yellow triangle on each sleeve and on its chest. His shorts were blue, too, and his white sneakers were beat-up and dirty.

"Tai-kun?" called a girl's voice. The two boys turned to see another child walk towards them. Her hair was ginger-colored and her eyes brown with strange reddish cast to them. Her skin was brown, like the boy's, but her shirt was all pink, and she wore a white skirt. Her feet were bare, however, and just as dirty as "Tai-kun's" shoes.

"Sora-chan, I found somebody. What's your name? My name's Tai."

"My name is Izumi, Koushirou." Koushirou answered his breathing finally deeper, slower.

"That's too long…" Tai frowned.

"Tai-kun, your okaasan's calling us for lunch!"

"Lunch? All right!" Tai threw the arm not holding Koushirou up into the air and grinned again. "Oi, you wanna come, Izzy-kun?"

"Izzy?"

"For Izumi! Come on, my kaasan makes funny-tasting food, but there's always candy at the end of lunch."

"Candy?"

"Yeah! Come on!" He rose, tugging Koushirou-now-called-Izzy up.

"Can we play with the ball, too?" Koushirou-Izzy asked eagerly.

"You mean my soccer ball?" Tai asked picking up the ball he had dropped to help out Koushirou-Izzy.

"Hai!"

"Cool! Sure, Izzy-kun."

"All right, I'll come for lunch."

Tai led him excitedly to the picnic area where a young mother and a girl smaller than even Koushirou-Izzy sat.

"Kaasan, can my new friend eat with us?" Tai asked animatedly. The young woman with Tai's coloring gave Koushirou-Izzy a startled glance. Koushirou-Izzy grabbed Tai's hand.

"Hello, what's your name?" The petite redhead met the young brunette's happy eyes.

"Izzy, my name is Izzy." Kourshirou told the older woman. Tai beamed.

"It's nice to meet you, Izzy-kun. But…where are your parents?" Tai's mother glanced around the park with a slight frown on her face.

"They are allowing a famished vehicle to devour my furniture." The woman gave him a blank look.

"How old are you?"

"Four."

"Really?" Yet another adult's face filled with disbelief at Koushirou's answer. He nodded mutely.

"Kaasan, I'm hungry!" Tai whined, thankfully entering them. Koushirou smiled up at the taller boy in relief.

"Well, you're not eating. You ran off without playing with Kari, and that wasn't very nice of you." His mother admonished. She looked as if she was about to start in on him, her confusion and concern set aside for the moment.

"I'll play with her now." Tai interrupted. "Izzy-kun is sick like Kari-immouto, so we can all play together. He wanted to play with the soccer ball, too. Come on, immouto, let's go play." His free hand reached for his sister, whom smiled happily.

Izzy looked at her closely and saw that her own tanned skinned was significantly lighter then her mother's and her brother's. Her eyes were a lighter brown, almost amber in color, and her movements were about as sluggish as his own. She wore a pink corduroy jumpsuit and a white T-shirt.

"Since you and Izzy-kun aren't really up for real soccer, we'll just kick the ball back and forth."

"Tai-kun, since when were you so happy about that?" asked Sora, confused.

"I don't mind. I want lunch and Izzy-kun's never played ball before." Tai met Izzy's gaze and smiled. "You're gonna havta let go, Izzy-kun." Their hands separated and Tai directed everyone into a rather large square.

Kari started the game, kicking the ball with a small, pink sneaker. Sora darted forward to catch it, as Kari was a little too weak to kick it far enough, and then Sora kicked it gently Izzy's way. Izzy quickly brought out a foot and stopped its forward motion. With an ecstatic grin, Izzy pushed it around, aimed mentally, and kicked it. His calculations were a bit off and, by the time it got back around, he corrected them and tried again. Tai smiled proudly as he stopped the perfectly kicked, if weakly, soccer ball.

"Great job, Izzy!"

A while later, when Kari was tired and Sora and Tai bored, they were called back to the picnic blanket and sat down to eat. Izzy was so happy, he didn't even mind lunch wasn't half as good as his Haha-chan's and ate all that was given to him.

At the end, Tai happily tore open a package and took a large bite. Izzy stared at his own wrapped triangle that reminded him vaguely of onigiri.

"Chocolate covered…onigiri?" Izzy read aloud amazed. "They put chocolate on onigiri?"

"Hai! You've never tried it?" Tai replied astounded after a large swallow.

"I've never had chocolate or candy. My Haha-chan only let's me have fruit snacks and fruit yogurts for dessert. She is always very anxious after my health." Izzy explained.

"If your parents don't allow you to have chocolate, I'm afraid I can't let you, either. I do have from red gelatin somewhere, though." Tai's mother took the onigiri away and fished through the basket.

"Izzy-kun." Tai whispered. Izzy turned and blinked as something touched his lips.

Tai held a small piece of chocolate-covered onigiri in his fingers and held it to Izzy's mouth. Tai pressed another finger to his own lips for silence and winked. Izzy opened his mouth and the piece of chocolate-covered rice fell onto his tongue. His mouth closed and he let the taste linger in his mouth. Tai watched as Izzy's black eyes lit up and his mouth curved into a delighted smile. He chewed slowly, his eyes closing as he savored the candy he never tasted before.

"Koushirou! Koushirou, where are you?" A distant voice called worriedly.

"I think my Haha-chan is calling." Izzy murmured lowly.

"Hm?" Tai's mother looked up and then turned to the couple walking quickly through the park, asking people questions and calling out a name.

"Are those your parents?"

Izzy nodded. The woman rose and quickly walked to the Izumis.

"Are you going home now?" Tai asked sadly.

"Hai. Will you come back here tomorrow?"

"Hai. Me'n Sora-chan come almost every day!"

"Then, I'll come back tomorrow at lunch time with my own lunch from home." Izzy promised.

"And I'll come with my soccer ball and," Tai leaned forward and whispered into Izzy's ear, "a chocolate covered onigiri just for you." Tai slipped his half-finished rice ball into Izzy's hands and Izzy stuffed it in his pocket. They smiled at each other and Izzy rose to his feet.

"Thank you very much!" Izzy called, jogging over to his parents.

Izzy glared at his feet, standing in the middle of his empty room. For the second time in two days, Izzy wrestled with the unfamiliar feeling of anger. In his hand, he held the half-melted, half-eaten, squashed rice ball.

They were going away today! He couldn't believe he hadn't realized that! Of course they would leave today; they didn't even have beds anymore! Last night they slept on futons that would easily fit rolled up in the back of their car.

He had promised Tai! He would be breaking his promise if he didn't go to the park at lunchtime and his parents wanted to leave right after lunch! He distantly heard his mother making lunch and his father taking their suitcases down to the car. It wasn't fair! His first friend and Tai was going to think he ditched him! Izzy clenched his fists and sniffed, holding back tears. He didn't want to leave Tai. He liked Tai. Tai didn't think he was weird, or scary for being sick. In fact, he was used to sick little kids like his sister, Kari-chan. Where would he ever find a friend like Tai or another friend at all? He peeled back the cellophane and stuffed the chocolate covered rice into his mouth. Tai promised to give him one of his own. Izzy rubbed at his eyes and walked out of his room.

He looked into the kitchen and saw his mother stirring their soup and tossing vegetables in a pan.

"Okaasan?" His voice came out kind of weak. He tried again. "Okaasan?"

"Koushirou, we're not angry at you anymore, it's okay to call me Haha-chan." She smiled fondly at him over her shoulder. "Just don't run away again."

"Haha-chan…I'm sorry for scaring you. Can I go downstairs and help out Chichi-san?"

"Of course, hurry up, lunch is almost ready."

"Hai."

Izzy walked out onto the stairway and saw his father's retreating back. He turned and ran down the opposite staircase and raced towards the park once again. He would apologize later for lying. Besides, he didn't promise yet. He would promise when he came back.

As he stood, gasping, at the picnic area awhile later, he looked around wildly. Nowhere did he see the big-haired boy and the ginger-haired girl.

"Tai-kun! Tai-kun? Tai!" Tears began filling his eyes and his already gasping lungs became more constricted. "He's not here…he didn't come." He fell to his bottom and the tears fell fast and thick to his orange T-shirt. Snot began to run and his sobs became louder. "It's not fair!" He wailed. He rubbed at his eyes and sobbed.

"Izzy-kun? Izzy! Izzy, are you all right? Did you fall down again?" Tai's voice asked. Izzy looked through blurry eyes as Tai crouched next to him.

"I thought I would never see you again, Tai! I thought you weren't here. I couldn't find you." Izzy sobbed.

"Oi, it's all right, I'm here now." The five-year-old immediately wrapped his arms around the smaller boy and squeezed him tightly. "Come on, stop crying, you can't breathe, Izzy."

Izzy took deep gulps of air and wrapped his own arms around Tai's waist.

"Thank you very much."

"What are friends for?" Tai grinned. Koushirou pulled tissue out of his pocket- something his mother insisted on- and blew his nose. "Why'd you think you'd never see me again?"

"I'm going away!" Koushirou wailed. "I'm so sick my parents are moving to the south to help me get better. I might never come back!"

"OI! Why are they doing that? Kari's just as sick!" Tai frowned angrily. "Izzy, don't cry again! Remember you can't breathe."

Izzy nodded, biting his lip and crying to keep more tears at bay.

"I wanted to say thank you, Tai-kun. I ate the chocolate onigiri you gave me yesterday this morning." Izzy told Tai with a blush. "I wanted to save it, but I got angry and sad because my parents told me we were leaving today and I ate it."

"You're leaving today?"

"Hai."

"I almost didn't come today." Tai whispered. "My sister got really sick this morning and my mom told me to stay home. I'm glad I sneaked out, but I have to go back really soon."

"Me, too. After lunch we're leaving."

"All right." Tai pulled Izzy up to his feet and held up an extended pinkie. "Pinkie promise you'll come back."

"What?" Izzy rubbed at his eye with one of his fists, staring up at Tai in confusion.

"Pinkie promise to come back to Odaiba when you're grown up." Tai ordered again, his own eyes kind of shiny. "I want to be friends with you, too, Izzy-kun."

Izzy held out his own pinkie. "Will you promise to remember me and play soccer, real soccer, with me?"

"Hai. I promise."

"Then, I promise to come back." Their pinkies linked and bobbed up and down. Tears fell down both their cheeks. "I don't wanna go. You're my best friend, Tai."

"I don't want you to go, either." Tai sniffed. Suddenly, he smiled. "I almost forgot, but here! I remembered just before I left. It's why I came today even though my mom told me not to." He pulled a chocolate onigiri out of his pocket.

"Th-Thank y-you very much." Izzy stuttered. "Can I kiss you?"

"What? Why?" Tai head tilted to one side.

"Whenever my Haha-chan really likes a present I give her, she kisses me. She says it's because she's so happy. I'm really happy right now. Well, I'm really sad, but I'm really happy that you remembered." Izzy smiled. "I've never had a friend before and I've never had chocolate. And now I have both. A kiss seems like the right thing to do." Izzy rubbed at his eyes quickly.

"My parents do that, too….all right." Tai grinned. "I've never kissed anyone, but my kaasan."

"Me, too. I promise you won't get sick."

"I know that. Okay." Tai leaned forward.

Izzy tilted back his head because Tai was taller and tilted his head a bit to side so their noses wouldn't get in the way. Lips pressed together and their eyes closed, vaguely remembering that's what parents do.

Tai tasted rice and chocolate on Izzy's lips. Izzy could have sworn he tasted happiness, if happiness had a taste, that is.

They moved away, eyes fluttering open. Both were blushing without knowing why.

"Sayonara, Tai." Izzy mumbled his voice thick.

"Sayonara, Izzy." Tai echoed back, confusedly.

Izzy started to go and then ran back.

"I love you, Tai." Izzy forced out. Tai blinked, brown eyes still perplexed.

"Eh?"

"Sayonara!" Izzy ran towards home.

"IZZY!" Tai shouted. The tiny redheaded boy continued to run, tears streaming down his pale cheeks. He didn't think he could go home if he stopped to see his only friend one last time. "IZZY!" Tai screamed again, tears streaming down his own face. "I don't want you to go." Tai whimpered.

Kitty: AWWW! It's so sweet. Do you like it? I tried to be more descriptive and it felt a little slow. Does it seem slow? It's so kawaii!

I edited it up a bit for the contest I entered and took out a lot of the Japanese.