Kyaaaaaa! Last chapter!!! ^_^;; I hope you like it...
Chapter 9 - Evening Rain
There was no dust. After examining the curtains, she was shocked to find that they had been ironed. Her videos were now in alphabetical order. Her kitchen had been totally re-organized. There were fresh flowers in every room. Stunned, Mimi stood in the middle of the darkened room, staring at the cleanliness. There was a noise coming from the den. She spun around and slowly made her way across the floor, stepping lightly, trying not to make a sound.
Slowly, she peeked around the corner, trying to see if he was there. He was. She yanked her head back around the corner, hoping she hadn't been noticed. This man was not in his right mind. Who knew what he was going to do next? Her breathing shallow, she felt her pulse quicken. There was a madman in her home.
"Mimi?" Yamato was standing next to her, looking confused.
"AAAAAH!" Mimi jumped about three feet into the air. "You scared me!" "Sorry... something wrong?" Yamato blinked at her.
Sweatdrop firmly in place, Mimi backed away slowly. "Oh! No, of course not! Nothing is wrong! Nothing is wrong at all! Hahahahahaha!" Her voice got higher with every word.
"...okay..."
"Um, I have to go now!" Mimi ran down the hall into her bedroom. Locking the door behind her, she ran to the phone and dialed Sora's number.
"Hello?" A voice answered.
"Sora!" Mimi almost yelled. "HELP!"
"What's wrong, Mimi?!" Sora asked, frightened.
"Yamato is INSANE!" Mimi lowered her voice. "He's cleaned every inch of my house! I don't know what to do! I put a cup down, and it's gone a second later! I can't finish a meal because he tries to do the dishes while I'm still eating! He's driving me crazy!"
Laughing, Sora responded, "Having trouble?"
"It's not funny! He's really scaring me!"
"Oh, calm down, Mimi! He's just a bit neurotic, that's all." Sora giggled.
"I can't stand having him stay here any longer, Sora! Could you talk to him? Please?"
There was a pause. "I don't think it'll do any good..." Sora muttered.
"Please?! I'm getting desperate!" There was a knock on the door. "Agh! Um... yes, I'll be right out!" Mimi called. Turning back to the phone, she whispered into the line, "That's him! He's looking for me! Please hurry over, Sora! I don't know how long I can stand this!" She hung up the phone and opened the door, smiling nervously.
***
Sora came up the driveway slowly, pulling her car around, and parked in front of the elaborate fountain Mimi had erected in honor of Lilimon. She walked up the front steps and rang the doorbell. Inside, she could hear footsteps coming towards the door. She couldn't help but feel that she was stepping into the mouth of hell. When Yamato was depressed, his neurotic cleanliness was enough to drive a person mad. She knew this very well.
"Hello, Sora." Yamato said. "Mimi said you were coming over."
"Hi, Yamato-kun!" Sora smiled.
"Come on in." Yamato moved out of the way and allowed Sora to enter the mansion. The two walked down the long hallway into the living room, where Mimi sat, waiting. "Sora is here," Yamato mumbled.
"Hi, Sora! So, uh, what is it you wanted to talk about?" Mimi asked, hoping Sora would play along.
"Huh? OH! Oh, of course! What I... wanted to talk about... um..." Sora looked over to see Yamato half-glaring at her. "Um, I talked to Taichi today..."
Yamato's expression changed to one of interest. "Is he okay?"
"Well... he's upset," Sora stated. "He really wants to know why you haven't gone home yet."
"I called him and told him Yamato had decided to stay with me for a while," Mimi said slowly. "But I'm sure he misses you, Yamato! You know, you really should just-"
"Just what?!" Yamato snapped at them. "I don't know what to do." He sighed.
Mimi looked over desperately at Sora, hoping her friend could come up with something to get Yamato out of her house. Sora sighed and took a long sip of the tea Mimi had sitting on the coffee table. Finally, the silence was broken.
"Give it up, Yamato-kun. You love him," Sora stated calmly. "You always have." "What?!" Yamato looked as if he was about to storm out of the room.
"It's just a fact. I wish you would stop whining and admit it to yourself!" Pausing, Sora took another sip of tea. "You told me that you had a crush on him in middle school!" Mimi stared at Yamato in shock. "Wow! I didn't know you were gay back then!"
"I'm not! I mean, I wasn't!" Yamato scowled. "I was just confused!"
"No, you weren't! You are now, though. Stop worrying about the fact that Taichi is a boy, and worry about how you feel!" Sora smiled gently. "We're not going to criticize you, Yamato-kun."
Mimi spoke up, "Well, who is the last person you think about before you go to sleep? Who's the first person you think about when you wake up?" She smiled widely. "More importantly, who are you thinking of when you write those love songs for the Wolves?"
Yamato stuttered. "I-I-That's different!"
"No, Yamato-kun. It's not. Think about it," Sora said.
Yamato sighed and remembered sitting on the beach writing songs for his band. Remembering how thinking of Taichi had helped him relax, helped him concentrate. He had never been able to write a love song for Sora. "Well..."
"Who did you see when you looked into the Lake of Truth?" Sora asked, gently.
"What?! How-how did you know about that?!" Yamato jumped up. "I didn't tell anyone about that!"
"Gabumon told Piyomon, who told me." Sora said, a slight smirk on her face.
"What?" Mimi asked, blinking audibly.
"When Yamato-kun looked into the Lake of Truth he was supposed to see what was in his heart." Sora looked straight at Yamato. "He saw Taichi."
"Ohhhhhhhhhh how romantic!" Mimi squealed.
"That was supposed to be private..." Yamato muttered.
"But the point is still the same," Mimi smiled. "You love Taichi!"
"But-" Yamato started.
"Shut up, Yamato-kun! Anyway, Mimi may be a very tolerant person, but I'm sure she's sick of having you mope around the house!"
"Mimi... I'm sorry..." Yamato said quietly, hanging his head. "I didn't mean to be in the way."
"Oh... oh it's okay! I just want you to be happy, Yamato!" Mimi said nervously. She was worried he was about to cry.
"Taichi... deserves someone better than me." Yamato said softly.
"No, he deserves to have someone that he loves!" Mimi said happily. "And he loves you!"
"Just because your ego is tiny doesn't mean that Taichi doesn't love you, Yamato."
"You think I could make him happy?" Yamato asked slowly, blushing.
"I think that if anyone can tolerate someone that genki and disorganized it's got to be you, Yamato-kun." Sora smiled. "Now get over there and tell him you love him before he decides to give up on you!"
***
Crickets were chirping. The breeze chilled him. He only stared into the water. Children ran past him, trying to get to their homes before it began to rain. Businessmen walked by with their umbrellas open, knowing that at any moment, it would begin to pour. The blonde sat still, under the large oak tree, staring into the pond. Rain wouldn't bother him today. Yamato had found his way to the park halfway between the bus stop and Taichi's apartment and stopped to work up his courage.
His icy blue eyes watched as a leaf slowly fell into the water, causing ripples to trace their way through the still depths. His only response was to frown. A group of schoolgirls ran by, giggling as they dodged the few drops of rain that had begun to fall. Yamato stretched an arm out, catching a few drops in his hand.
Staring at the small puddle in his palm, he felt the drops become larger, hitting his back and moistening his hair. The rain was cold, making him shiver. Slowly putting his arm back down, he sighed.
"I'm going to get sick, sitting out here," he whispered, watching the drops of rain fall into the pond, disturbing the still waters. "Go inside, Yamato. Last thing you need is to get a flu." He didn't move. "I'm so stupid."
Images of Taichi were racing through his mind. Remembering when they were children, the way he kept them all together in the digital world, he was the leader. Remembering how he and Taichi would fight, although he didn't really remember why. Remembering how they would always stand a little too close, how Taichi would always make excuses to touch him, to hold his hands. How Yamato had always felt comfortable with that, although he never had with anyone else. The look on Taichi's face when Yamato began dating Sora. The argument that had happened right after Sora brought him those cookies.
Taichi had been almost to the point of tears, something Yamato had only seen a few times before. Standing in the school yard, Taichi had attacked him. After pummeling each other for a few minutes, they lay in the grass, panting. Sitting up, Taichi had said the words Yamato had never understood. "I hope you're happy together."
"He was really hurt..." Yamato mumbled to himself. "Now I know why. But he didn't say anything. Why didn't he tell me sooner?" Frowning, Yamato remembered the distance that had grown between them after that. "He avoided me. I missed him, but I figured we were just growing apart like kids do."
Sighing, Yamato stood and brushed the grass off his pants. "Instead of telling me like a normal person, you just kissed me out of nowhere." A small grin appeared on Yamato's face. "Then again, you've always been dramatic about these sort of things." Raising his hand to his mouth, he traced a finger over his lips. "You kissed me..." He began to walk away.
***
Sitting on the couch, surrounded by dirty dishes, clothes, and a general mess, Taichi was drowning his sorrows in a bowl of cereal. Yamato had been gone three days, and Taichi had already succeeded in destroying the neatness the blonde had worked so hard to create. "I've got to stop feeling so sorry for myself..." Taichi sighed. "I should never have done anything!" Taking a few more bites of the sugar coated cereal he was eating, he blinked. "Then again, he did sort of kiss back... I mean, it's not like he shoved me away or anything!" Shaking his head, Taichi chuckled. "I've got to stop getting my hopes up. He's not gay, he's not interested in me. Hell, even if he was gay I doubt that he'd like me. I'm not exactly his type..." Taichi thought darkly of Sora.
There was a knock on the door. Taichi stared at it, then went back to his cereal. "I'm not getting up. I don't want to deal with anyone," he growled. However, whoever it was on the other side of the door was not very patient. "I'm not home!" Taichi yelled, then sighed. "Fine, fine. I'm coming." He stood slowly, and walked across the room towards the door.
"Your rent is late, Taichi-kun!" The scary old lady standing there said angrily. "Oh. Hi, Kanrinin-san." Taichi turned away and began sorting through a pile of papers on the table. "Here it is." He handed the envelope to the manager. "It's been a weird day. I forgot."
"Well just don't let it happen again!" The woman said, as Taichi closed the door in her face.
"That's it, I'm really not answering that stupid door again." Taichi went back to the couch and picked his bowl back up. There was another knock on the door. Twitching involuntarily, Taichi sat down and glared at the door. "I'm NOT getting back up."
The knock persisted. "FINE! I GIVE UP!" Taichi yelled as he crossed the room. "This had BETTER be important!" Yanking the door open, Taichi glared at the person standing there.
"...Sorry... I... left my keys here..." Yamato looked a bit shocked, and began to back up.
Staring, Taichi felt himself freeze in place. The blonde was standing there, soaked. He looked as if he was about to cry. "...No, it's okay. I didn't know it was you..." Taichi mumbled.
Breathing in deeply, Yamato stared at Taichi and stepped forward again. "I need to talk to you."
"...okay..." Still frozen in place, Taichi couldn't move aside to let Yamato in. "What?"
"I really... was confused, Taichi. Really confused." Yamato forced himself to make eye contact with the boy in front of him. "I had to think about it a lot." He pushed Taichi into the apartment and closed the door behind them. Feeling himself blush, he forced himself to talk. "I can't promise anything, Taichi."
Confused, Taichi nodded. "yeah..."
"I care about you, Taichi." Yamato forced the words out. "I care about you... a lot." Yamato breathed in deeply again, bracing himself. "Even though I've only been away from you for a few days, I missed you. At first I was really angry. I wanted to prove I wasn't gay. I was ready to go out with any girl. I was ready to call Sora and beg for her back, just so I could prove it. But... I couldn't do it. I didn't want... to kiss anyone else." Yamato felt himself blush again. "I care for you, Taichi. I think I always have. I'm sorry for reacting the way I did. I'm sorry for ever ignoring you, for being with Sora. I was just scared." He tried to read Taichi's expression, but the other boy was just staring at him, smiling.
"Are you done yet?" Taichi asked.
"...yeah... sorry." Yamato blushed, embarrassed that he had gone on for so long.
Taichi wrapped his arms around the blonde and held him close. "Good. Because it's hard to kiss and talk at the same time."
-----------------------------------
Translation Note: Kanrinin-san - Manager. In this case, the manager of the apartment building that Taichi lives in.
Chapter 9 - Evening Rain
There was no dust. After examining the curtains, she was shocked to find that they had been ironed. Her videos were now in alphabetical order. Her kitchen had been totally re-organized. There were fresh flowers in every room. Stunned, Mimi stood in the middle of the darkened room, staring at the cleanliness. There was a noise coming from the den. She spun around and slowly made her way across the floor, stepping lightly, trying not to make a sound.
Slowly, she peeked around the corner, trying to see if he was there. He was. She yanked her head back around the corner, hoping she hadn't been noticed. This man was not in his right mind. Who knew what he was going to do next? Her breathing shallow, she felt her pulse quicken. There was a madman in her home.
"Mimi?" Yamato was standing next to her, looking confused.
"AAAAAH!" Mimi jumped about three feet into the air. "You scared me!" "Sorry... something wrong?" Yamato blinked at her.
Sweatdrop firmly in place, Mimi backed away slowly. "Oh! No, of course not! Nothing is wrong! Nothing is wrong at all! Hahahahahaha!" Her voice got higher with every word.
"...okay..."
"Um, I have to go now!" Mimi ran down the hall into her bedroom. Locking the door behind her, she ran to the phone and dialed Sora's number.
"Hello?" A voice answered.
"Sora!" Mimi almost yelled. "HELP!"
"What's wrong, Mimi?!" Sora asked, frightened.
"Yamato is INSANE!" Mimi lowered her voice. "He's cleaned every inch of my house! I don't know what to do! I put a cup down, and it's gone a second later! I can't finish a meal because he tries to do the dishes while I'm still eating! He's driving me crazy!"
Laughing, Sora responded, "Having trouble?"
"It's not funny! He's really scaring me!"
"Oh, calm down, Mimi! He's just a bit neurotic, that's all." Sora giggled.
"I can't stand having him stay here any longer, Sora! Could you talk to him? Please?"
There was a pause. "I don't think it'll do any good..." Sora muttered.
"Please?! I'm getting desperate!" There was a knock on the door. "Agh! Um... yes, I'll be right out!" Mimi called. Turning back to the phone, she whispered into the line, "That's him! He's looking for me! Please hurry over, Sora! I don't know how long I can stand this!" She hung up the phone and opened the door, smiling nervously.
***
Sora came up the driveway slowly, pulling her car around, and parked in front of the elaborate fountain Mimi had erected in honor of Lilimon. She walked up the front steps and rang the doorbell. Inside, she could hear footsteps coming towards the door. She couldn't help but feel that she was stepping into the mouth of hell. When Yamato was depressed, his neurotic cleanliness was enough to drive a person mad. She knew this very well.
"Hello, Sora." Yamato said. "Mimi said you were coming over."
"Hi, Yamato-kun!" Sora smiled.
"Come on in." Yamato moved out of the way and allowed Sora to enter the mansion. The two walked down the long hallway into the living room, where Mimi sat, waiting. "Sora is here," Yamato mumbled.
"Hi, Sora! So, uh, what is it you wanted to talk about?" Mimi asked, hoping Sora would play along.
"Huh? OH! Oh, of course! What I... wanted to talk about... um..." Sora looked over to see Yamato half-glaring at her. "Um, I talked to Taichi today..."
Yamato's expression changed to one of interest. "Is he okay?"
"Well... he's upset," Sora stated. "He really wants to know why you haven't gone home yet."
"I called him and told him Yamato had decided to stay with me for a while," Mimi said slowly. "But I'm sure he misses you, Yamato! You know, you really should just-"
"Just what?!" Yamato snapped at them. "I don't know what to do." He sighed.
Mimi looked over desperately at Sora, hoping her friend could come up with something to get Yamato out of her house. Sora sighed and took a long sip of the tea Mimi had sitting on the coffee table. Finally, the silence was broken.
"Give it up, Yamato-kun. You love him," Sora stated calmly. "You always have." "What?!" Yamato looked as if he was about to storm out of the room.
"It's just a fact. I wish you would stop whining and admit it to yourself!" Pausing, Sora took another sip of tea. "You told me that you had a crush on him in middle school!" Mimi stared at Yamato in shock. "Wow! I didn't know you were gay back then!"
"I'm not! I mean, I wasn't!" Yamato scowled. "I was just confused!"
"No, you weren't! You are now, though. Stop worrying about the fact that Taichi is a boy, and worry about how you feel!" Sora smiled gently. "We're not going to criticize you, Yamato-kun."
Mimi spoke up, "Well, who is the last person you think about before you go to sleep? Who's the first person you think about when you wake up?" She smiled widely. "More importantly, who are you thinking of when you write those love songs for the Wolves?"
Yamato stuttered. "I-I-That's different!"
"No, Yamato-kun. It's not. Think about it," Sora said.
Yamato sighed and remembered sitting on the beach writing songs for his band. Remembering how thinking of Taichi had helped him relax, helped him concentrate. He had never been able to write a love song for Sora. "Well..."
"Who did you see when you looked into the Lake of Truth?" Sora asked, gently.
"What?! How-how did you know about that?!" Yamato jumped up. "I didn't tell anyone about that!"
"Gabumon told Piyomon, who told me." Sora said, a slight smirk on her face.
"What?" Mimi asked, blinking audibly.
"When Yamato-kun looked into the Lake of Truth he was supposed to see what was in his heart." Sora looked straight at Yamato. "He saw Taichi."
"Ohhhhhhhhhh how romantic!" Mimi squealed.
"That was supposed to be private..." Yamato muttered.
"But the point is still the same," Mimi smiled. "You love Taichi!"
"But-" Yamato started.
"Shut up, Yamato-kun! Anyway, Mimi may be a very tolerant person, but I'm sure she's sick of having you mope around the house!"
"Mimi... I'm sorry..." Yamato said quietly, hanging his head. "I didn't mean to be in the way."
"Oh... oh it's okay! I just want you to be happy, Yamato!" Mimi said nervously. She was worried he was about to cry.
"Taichi... deserves someone better than me." Yamato said softly.
"No, he deserves to have someone that he loves!" Mimi said happily. "And he loves you!"
"Just because your ego is tiny doesn't mean that Taichi doesn't love you, Yamato."
"You think I could make him happy?" Yamato asked slowly, blushing.
"I think that if anyone can tolerate someone that genki and disorganized it's got to be you, Yamato-kun." Sora smiled. "Now get over there and tell him you love him before he decides to give up on you!"
***
Crickets were chirping. The breeze chilled him. He only stared into the water. Children ran past him, trying to get to their homes before it began to rain. Businessmen walked by with their umbrellas open, knowing that at any moment, it would begin to pour. The blonde sat still, under the large oak tree, staring into the pond. Rain wouldn't bother him today. Yamato had found his way to the park halfway between the bus stop and Taichi's apartment and stopped to work up his courage.
His icy blue eyes watched as a leaf slowly fell into the water, causing ripples to trace their way through the still depths. His only response was to frown. A group of schoolgirls ran by, giggling as they dodged the few drops of rain that had begun to fall. Yamato stretched an arm out, catching a few drops in his hand.
Staring at the small puddle in his palm, he felt the drops become larger, hitting his back and moistening his hair. The rain was cold, making him shiver. Slowly putting his arm back down, he sighed.
"I'm going to get sick, sitting out here," he whispered, watching the drops of rain fall into the pond, disturbing the still waters. "Go inside, Yamato. Last thing you need is to get a flu." He didn't move. "I'm so stupid."
Images of Taichi were racing through his mind. Remembering when they were children, the way he kept them all together in the digital world, he was the leader. Remembering how he and Taichi would fight, although he didn't really remember why. Remembering how they would always stand a little too close, how Taichi would always make excuses to touch him, to hold his hands. How Yamato had always felt comfortable with that, although he never had with anyone else. The look on Taichi's face when Yamato began dating Sora. The argument that had happened right after Sora brought him those cookies.
Taichi had been almost to the point of tears, something Yamato had only seen a few times before. Standing in the school yard, Taichi had attacked him. After pummeling each other for a few minutes, they lay in the grass, panting. Sitting up, Taichi had said the words Yamato had never understood. "I hope you're happy together."
"He was really hurt..." Yamato mumbled to himself. "Now I know why. But he didn't say anything. Why didn't he tell me sooner?" Frowning, Yamato remembered the distance that had grown between them after that. "He avoided me. I missed him, but I figured we were just growing apart like kids do."
Sighing, Yamato stood and brushed the grass off his pants. "Instead of telling me like a normal person, you just kissed me out of nowhere." A small grin appeared on Yamato's face. "Then again, you've always been dramatic about these sort of things." Raising his hand to his mouth, he traced a finger over his lips. "You kissed me..." He began to walk away.
***
Sitting on the couch, surrounded by dirty dishes, clothes, and a general mess, Taichi was drowning his sorrows in a bowl of cereal. Yamato had been gone three days, and Taichi had already succeeded in destroying the neatness the blonde had worked so hard to create. "I've got to stop feeling so sorry for myself..." Taichi sighed. "I should never have done anything!" Taking a few more bites of the sugar coated cereal he was eating, he blinked. "Then again, he did sort of kiss back... I mean, it's not like he shoved me away or anything!" Shaking his head, Taichi chuckled. "I've got to stop getting my hopes up. He's not gay, he's not interested in me. Hell, even if he was gay I doubt that he'd like me. I'm not exactly his type..." Taichi thought darkly of Sora.
There was a knock on the door. Taichi stared at it, then went back to his cereal. "I'm not getting up. I don't want to deal with anyone," he growled. However, whoever it was on the other side of the door was not very patient. "I'm not home!" Taichi yelled, then sighed. "Fine, fine. I'm coming." He stood slowly, and walked across the room towards the door.
"Your rent is late, Taichi-kun!" The scary old lady standing there said angrily. "Oh. Hi, Kanrinin-san." Taichi turned away and began sorting through a pile of papers on the table. "Here it is." He handed the envelope to the manager. "It's been a weird day. I forgot."
"Well just don't let it happen again!" The woman said, as Taichi closed the door in her face.
"That's it, I'm really not answering that stupid door again." Taichi went back to the couch and picked his bowl back up. There was another knock on the door. Twitching involuntarily, Taichi sat down and glared at the door. "I'm NOT getting back up."
The knock persisted. "FINE! I GIVE UP!" Taichi yelled as he crossed the room. "This had BETTER be important!" Yanking the door open, Taichi glared at the person standing there.
"...Sorry... I... left my keys here..." Yamato looked a bit shocked, and began to back up.
Staring, Taichi felt himself freeze in place. The blonde was standing there, soaked. He looked as if he was about to cry. "...No, it's okay. I didn't know it was you..." Taichi mumbled.
Breathing in deeply, Yamato stared at Taichi and stepped forward again. "I need to talk to you."
"...okay..." Still frozen in place, Taichi couldn't move aside to let Yamato in. "What?"
"I really... was confused, Taichi. Really confused." Yamato forced himself to make eye contact with the boy in front of him. "I had to think about it a lot." He pushed Taichi into the apartment and closed the door behind them. Feeling himself blush, he forced himself to talk. "I can't promise anything, Taichi."
Confused, Taichi nodded. "yeah..."
"I care about you, Taichi." Yamato forced the words out. "I care about you... a lot." Yamato breathed in deeply again, bracing himself. "Even though I've only been away from you for a few days, I missed you. At first I was really angry. I wanted to prove I wasn't gay. I was ready to go out with any girl. I was ready to call Sora and beg for her back, just so I could prove it. But... I couldn't do it. I didn't want... to kiss anyone else." Yamato felt himself blush again. "I care for you, Taichi. I think I always have. I'm sorry for reacting the way I did. I'm sorry for ever ignoring you, for being with Sora. I was just scared." He tried to read Taichi's expression, but the other boy was just staring at him, smiling.
"Are you done yet?" Taichi asked.
"...yeah... sorry." Yamato blushed, embarrassed that he had gone on for so long.
Taichi wrapped his arms around the blonde and held him close. "Good. Because it's hard to kiss and talk at the same time."
-----------------------------------
Translation Note: Kanrinin-san - Manager. In this case, the manager of the apartment building that Taichi lives in.