"Taichi…"

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A young Daisuke ran across the field trying his best to kick the ball. After every few attempts he fell down. Picking himself up he kicked the ground in rage. "I can't do it!" he let out a small sob. "I'll never be able to do it.."

"Hey what's wrong?" he turned around to see an older boy of about eleven or twelve standing there. He wore cool looking goggles around his mass of brown bushy hair and held a soccer ball under his arm.

"I can't do it." whimpered Daisuke sadly. "I can't kick the ball right."

The older boy laughed. "It just takes some practice that's all."

"I don't think it will help." he sighed.

"Don't stay that. Come on stand up." Gently he pulled the younger boy up and turned him around and placed the soccer ball in front of him. "So what's your name kid?"

"Motomiya Daisuke."

"Please to meet ya, I'm Yagami Taichi. Now I want you to lift up your leg and concentrate on kicking the ball. I'm going to count to three and then I want you to kick the ball okay?"

"Hai." Daisuke replied nervously.

"One, two, three!" Daisuke drew his leg back and raised it forward to kick the ball but ended up falling backwards again, only touching the ball slightly. The boy got back up and turned away. "See I told you it wouldn't work."

"C'mon don't get up just yet. Try again." urged Taichi placing the ball in front of him again. Daisuke stared at it uneasily.

"You're putting to much effort in getting to move, what you really have to concentrate on is the positioning of your feet before you kick it."

"Okay I'll try again."

After listening to the older boy's explanation he closed his eyes and thought about what he had told him to do. Opening them he charged towards the ball and kicked it. And for once it finally moved, landing a few meters away from him. "I-I did it?"

Taichi smiled and patted him on the back. "See I told you, you could do it. You're pretty good."

Daisuke's eyes widened. "You really think I'm good?"

"Sure. Not as good as when I was your age, but if you keep on practicing you'll be a great at playing soccer." Smiling Taichi lifted the ball with his foot and balanced it on his knee.

"Wow? Could you teach me how to do that, Yagami-san?" asked Daisuke in amazement.

 "It will be awhile before you're able to do this, but I can teach you a thing or two about soccer." The other boy laughed. "Oh and you can call me Taichi if you want, Daisuke-kun."

"A-arigatou gozaimasu!"

" From now on I shall be your mentor." cried Taichi mightily.

The younger boy cheered happily, despite having no idea what so ever what a mentor was supposed to be.

"All right, I'll show you some of my special moves!"

The younger boy smiled gleefully as he watched the older boy. 

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He smiled as the memory played in his mind. "That was the first time I had ever met Taichi, right here. I had only turned nine at the time." His smile turned to a frown. "I guess I should just forget that memory now."

"I'll always remember it." Came a voice.

Daisuke instantly turned around to see his idol standing. "Ta-Taichi-san? What-what are you doing here? If you're here to punch me or beat me up or whatever I understand." said Daisuke sadly.

"Daisuke I-"

"Okay, go ahead do it." said the younger boy crunching his face up waiting to feel a blow of pain.

Taichi sighed. "Daisuke, I'm not here to punch you or beat you up."

"Then what did you come here for?" he asked nervously.

"To talk. You ran out there so fast that I never even got a chance to say anything."

"How did you know I was here?"

"Well I went over to your apartment to find you and since no one was there this was I second best guess on where you would be. And luckily I was right."

Tears ran down the other boy's cheeks. "I'm so sorry Taichi-san. I-I really don't know what came over me. I don't even know why I said it. I-I'm just so sorry."

"You mean you don't love me then?" Taichi asked, staring into his chocolate brown eyes.

"No. No, I mean yes. I-I do love you!"
"I see."

"I'm sorry but I can't help it Taichi. I love you."

Taichi dropped his eyes and stared at the ground.

"I understand if you still want to take up that of punching me."

"I told you all ready that I don't want to punch you. But I do understand how you're feeling." Daisuke stared in confusion. "To have feelings for someone, and not being able to get rid of them no matter how hard you try. Then comes the day when you tell that person how feel… only to be rejected…"

"I'm sorry about you and Sora." said Daisuke guiltily.

"Don't be." replied Taichi tiredly. "In away I knew I never had a chance with her, everybody else seemed to thing I did though because she was my best friend and we cared for each other, they'd say how cute we'd look cute together. But in the end those feelings for her were nothing more than friendship. All this time she's been in love Yamato and I had no idea. I'm her best friend. I-I thought she would have at least of told me."

Daisuke frowned. "Maybe she just wanted to keep it to herself."

"No. She would have told Mimi, either that or Mimi would have gotten it out of her. At-at least if she had told me earlier, I wouldn't have had to look like such a fool while telling her then get rejected."

"At least you tried." said Daisuke in a small voice.

There was a few moments silence. "Um Daisuke how long have you had feelings for me?" asked Taichi feeling slightly awkward.

Daisuke's started to turn red. "Since the Digital world…"

Taichi let out a fake laugh and scratched the back of his head trying to hide his uneasiness. "All this time and I didn't even realise." He stopped and sighed. "Can I ask you something?"

"Uh, sure..."

"Why do you love me? How can you love someone like me? Sora didn't love me? Why do you love someone like me? I'm a complete idiot. A complete waste of space…"

"What? Don't say that! You're not!" cried Daisuke quickly. "Do you really want to know why I love you?"

Taichi nodded nervously.

"When I was little I always felt so alone. In away I knew my parents didn't care about me. They always yelled at me, and like most kids I hated it. I didn't have many friends so I stayed home all the time, getting yelled at more. I wanted to run away but I knew I was too young, plus I didn't have any money to even get a train ticket out of Odaiba. So I decided to get a hobby or something to get me out of the house. I found a soccer ball lying in my closet that I had gotten the Christmas before. I took it to the park and decided to start practicing, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't hit the ball straight. I was just about to give up trying until you came along and told me to keep on trying. Then you actually spent time with me to try help me become a better player. You always gave me the courage I need to go on. You probably won't believe this, but I get insecure about things easily, that's why sometimes I try to act so tough and come of as hot-headed."

"I never thought you were hot-headed. Sometimes you acted over confident, but not hot-headed." Taichi replied understandingly.

Daisuke smiled a bit then took off his goggles and placed them in Taichi's hands. "You were the first person ever in this world to show me there friendship. You even gave me your goggles that you loved. But I suppose since you probably can't even bare to look at me anymore. I guess you better take these back."

"Daisuke if I couldn't bare to look at you I wouldn't be here right now. Besides you deserve those goggles more than me anyway."

Daisuke blinked in confusion. "Wh-why?"

"Because with all honesty I think you're a better leader than me. Sure I may have got everyone out of tight spots, but a lot of the time I was the one leading them into danger. But you, you always waited to hear what everyone else thought first before carrying a plan out and besides you understand peoples feelings more than I do. You showed them compassion. I used to just charge everyone into action without even considering how they felt about it."

Daisuke felt his face go red. "I-I'm not really-"

"Well I think you are and besides you were the only one that believed that Ken had changed despite the fact that everyone else completely disagreed. You were the only one willing to give him a chance. If it wasn't for you I don't think the others would have accepted him." stated Taichi giving the younger boy an encouraging smile. "Now get your goggles back on"" cried the older boy shoving them back on the younger boy.

"Arigatou, Taichi-san. I'm sorry for having feelings for you but-but in away I'm not…"

"It's okay. I know what it feels like."

"Yeah…"

"Well it's getting late. I better-"

"Yeah, I better be getting home too." said Daisuke standing up.

"Dai-chan."

"Hai?" Just as the young boy turned around he found himself mouth to mouth with his idol. His eyes widened in shock not knowing if Taichi had meant to kiss him or not. But his anxiety was soon rested as Taichi slowly wrapped his arms around him. The kiss deepened as Taichi snuck his tongue into the younger boy's mouth. Daisuke couldn't believe what was happening. The person he would have given his life for was actually kissing him? He had been dreaming of this moment for so long yet couldn't believe it true.

He suddenly felt himself relax wishing this moment would never end. A few moments later the older teen pulled away and Daisuke couldn't help but feel sad. But after realization sunk in he found himself embarrassed. "Ta-Taichi why-why did you do that?" he asked, growing worried that his idol had merely done it out of pity.

But to his surprise Taichi smiled. "I've always believed that your first kiss should be the person you love. And well since you love me, I thought I'd give you your first kiss. Did you like it?"

"Of-of course I liked it!" he cried his whole face turning a deep shade of red. "Was-was this your first kiss?"

"Yep."

Daisuke stared in confusion. "But you just said that your first kiss should be with the one you love."
"I know. And I do love you Daisuke, as a friend at least. Just because I never got my first kiss from my first love doesn't mean that shouldn't."

Daisuke forced a smile as he couldn't help but feel that the kiss had been fake. Well at least he knew that Taichi cared about him. That cheered him up.

"I may not love you like that right now, but you never know what might happen in the future." said Taichi giving the younger boy a sly smile. "And even though Sora doesn't love me like that, I'm really happy that someone cares." He brought the younger boy into a hug. Daisuke smiled and despite the fact that Taichi didn't feel the same way at the moment, he couldn't help but feel that this was the happiest moment in his life.

"Hey do you want to come back to my house? Since no one's home at mines and since no ones at your house, do you want come over for the night?"

A large smile rose on his face. It had been a long time since he had last stayed over at Taichi's. "Do you really mean it?" asked Daisuke happily.

Taichi laughed. "Of course."

"Then sure!"

"Yep and in the morning I'll show you my new soccer moves so next time you'll be able to kick those guy's asses next time you team as to play against them."

Both boy's laughed and walked into the night knowing that no matter what happened in the future, whether Taichi would eventually love him or not, that at least they would always be friends…

Owari