So I was working with my personal statement, then this idea came to my mind and I just had to write it down. This is completed within a day, which is rare for me nowadays. The story is inspired by one picture of a Hong Kong actor, Leslie Cheung, and his boyfriend holding hands on street. 'Happy Together' is the name of a Hong Kong film by Wong Kar-wai, starring Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung as a gay couple staying in Argentina. The film won the 'Best Director' at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival. It's a beautiful film with wonderful directing and brilliant acting, and I encourage everyone to go watch it.

I have to thank AmiraStarr for always tempting me to write a Taito fic. I don't have a strong opinion on the Taichi-Sora-Yamato triangle and usually lean more towards Taiora, but after much discussion with her Taito seems to be my favourite of the three now. Well, Yagami and Ishida/Takaishi do go well together, heh?

Plot: 'Let them,' Yamato calmly stated. He took a quick glance at the paparazzi, who looked like they had found the long lost treasure, and turned to face Taichi. 'Let them do their job, and let me do mine.'

Genre: Romance, Friendship, Family

Starring: Yamato, Taichi, Takeru, Hikari; mention of Sora, Ken, Miyako

Pairings: Taito, Takari

As usual, I recommend reading in ½ page size to get the feeling of reading a book.

'So tell me again why we're eating in a secluded area in the restaurant?'

Ishida Yamato groaned and threw his napkin at his younger brother, earning a light-hearted chuckle from the younger blond.

'Stop teasing your brother, Takeru,' Hikari warned despite hiding a grin herself. She had been so used to these two's verbal fight that she did not bother interjecting anymore.

'Listen to your fiancée, otouto,' Yamato sneered and positioned himself on his seat. 'Rule number one in dating: the woman is always right. Never doubt that.'

'Never doubt that,' Takeru echoed thoughtfully. Hikari complimented his realization by elbowing him in the stomach.

'Where's your brother, Hikari?' Yamato asked when the two young adults in front of him finally decided to stop flirting with each other, after an exchange of affectionate kisses and saccharine dialogues that Yamato wondered if they thought he was not present in the room. The idea of his younger brother, despite being a successful twenty-five-year-old bestselling author, acting in such way still gave him goosebumps. To him, Takeru would forever be the childish, innocent one who carried a big, wide grin when he first met Tokomon in the world unknown to them at that time.

Still, he was very glad that the one sitting next to Takeru was the ever-faithful Yagami Hikari. Taichi and he had often joked about the two youngest Chosen Children getting together in the future when they were still trapped in the Digital World, and it did not surprise both older brothers by one bit when their younger siblings shyly announced their relationship to them after their junior high graduation ceremony. They had been best friends since their first adventure together, and considering that Takeru had literally jumped off a cliff and somehow defied time and space to rescue her from an unknown world, Yamato was only surprised that it had taken him so long to ask her out.

Still, ten years forward and they were still growing strong. Like any other relationships there had been ups and downs, but somehow they would resolve all problems together. The twenty-eight-year-old sometimes couldn't help but feel jealous over their magnificent bond. From junior high to senior high, then college, and to the present when both had a decent job, the two were basically inseparable. Takeru started publishing about their adventures in the Digital World when he was in college, and now he was a well-known figure among the public sphere. Hikari had wanted to work as a kindergarten teacher after she graduated, but the job market never provided her the opportunity to prove herself. Instead, she picked up her camera again and had attained quite a reputation in the industry. As a freelance photographer, she had received critical acclaim and now her blog on photography was one of the most popular websites among bloggers.

'He should be here soon,' Hikari replied as she checked her phone to find Taichi's message. 'He said that he had to stay at the office for a bit longer. His boss is giving everyone a hard time.'

'More like he screwed up and didn't know why he screwed up, and claimed that we screwed up and screwed us up by making us work overtime again.'

The newcomer of the room grabbed everyone's attention by taking Yamato's glass of wine, pouring the whole content into his mouth, and jumping onto the seat next to the older blond.

'Hello to you too, Taichi,' Yamato kept a calm voice while Takeru watched in amusement. 'Do I have to remind you again drinking before eating is not an appropriate act?'

'Save the lecture for later, Yama-chan. I'm hungry,' Taichi announced, and the younger companions of the table just laughed at Yamato's helpless expression as Taichi grabbed a loaf of bread and practically shoved it down his throat within seconds.

'Sometimes I wonder why I stay with you,' Yamato sighed, hoping to avoid looking at his boyfriend's ravenous eating gestures.

'Admit it, Yama-chan. None of the actors in the industry are funnier and more handsome and caring and authentic than I am.'

Yamato stayed silent as Taichi complained about them not ordering food sooner. After getting their server to come and placing their orders, Taichi resumed his complaining mode and went on about how he would have preferred fighting Piedmon with his bare hands than breathing the same air as his boss for one more second. Takeru was the first to notice Yamato's stillness.

'Aniki? Is everything alright?'

Yamato jolted his upper body when Takeru's voice reached him. 'I'm fine,' he whispered. Takeru looked sceptical.

'Are you sure? You just spaced out there for a few minutes.'

'It's just that…' Yamato pondered on his words, then decided that his younger brother needed not to know what he was really thinking. 'Just thinking about the past. That's all.'

What he said was not an entire lie. The whole time that others were talking, Yamato was thinking about Taichi's comparison of himself and the other people in the acting industry. After deciding to pursue a career in acting, Yamato had worried about what Taichi would think about it. The entertainment industry was notorious for the complex relationships between people, and the busy schedule of attending various public events also meant that they would not have time to meet a lot.

Moreover, the paparazzi were not exactly best friends with famous people. Pictures of him attending private gatherings or just walking on streets had been taken, and the rumour of him being a gay actor made his career more difficult than ever. True, there were a lot of gay people in the industry, but most of them kept a low profile over it. They downplayed such rumours by denying it or meeting with actresses often to shift the attention away. His manager, fully aware of his orientation, had warned him that coming out might cause him his career, even though he was already an established actor with a number of acting awards in his cabinet. People close to him had already experienced such impact: pictures and detailed background information of his family and friends had been published in gossip magazines and newspapers, and to say he was infuriated would be an understatement. Still, the reality was that the paparazzi would live on, and he had no choice but to endure their invasion of his privacy quietly.

Yamato adored attention for the purpose of enhancing his career, but he did not want to be the limelight in such way. Once a magazine captured a photo of him 'kissing' another famous actress on streets, and Taichi was not happy about it. They had a big fight that night, with the actor claiming it was a friendly kiss on the cheek and his boyfriend and roommate throwing insults after insults at both of them.

'Just tell me if you find the famous people more appealing and attractive to you, Yamato! If you find someone who is funnier, better looking, and just in every aspect better than me who is just an ordinary salaryman, then just go to him or her! Don't stay with me out of pity!'

He forgot exactly how their fight ended that time, but Yamato made a mental note to himself that his prosperous career might actually hurt others around him. The last thing he needed was for the ones he loved to demean themselves or to consider themselves worthless in his presence. He knew that without their continuous support, he would not be who he was today. Taichi's mad and tearful face was the last thing he wanted to see again in his life.

The meal went by quickly. The restaurant owner was a close friend of Mimi, so they were guaranteed the best service in the house. More importantly, the servers had promised not to say a word about their presence to anyone. They were frequent customers to the place, after all, and they knew enough to give them the privacy they needed and very much treasured.

'Are you sure you don't need a ride home?' Takeru asked again as the Yagamis and Ishida/Takaishi left the restaurant.

'I think a walk will be fine for this now-pregnant idiot,' Yamato pointed his thumb at Taichi, who was holding his stomach with pleasure. Taichi just shrugged.

'Whatever you say, Yama-chan,' he casually replied, and the two of them bid farewell to their younger siblings as Takeru departed with Hikari in his car. The two then started their walk, hand in hand. It would take about thirty minutes to get back to the apartment they shared.

'I'm so full!' Taichi exclaimed, his hand rubbing his full stomach. 'I haven't eaten that much in a while.'

'Don't take advantage of the situation just because my brother is paying,' Yamato snorted, although the corners of his lips were lifted as Taichi just grinned childishly.

'Hey! I let your brother date my sister. He should be paying for my bills for the rest of my life to show his gratitude!'

Not bothering to argue with that, and knowing that Taichi loved his soon-to-be brother-in-law just as much as he did, the twenty-eight-year-old focused his attention on the road. He was taken aback, however, when Taichi suddenly slipped out of his hand. The tense expression on his face made him raise an eyebrow.

'What's wrong?' Yamato asked, genuinely curious. Taichi just kept walking as if nothing had happened, and glanced back for a brief second.

'Your eight-o'clock, behind the bushes,' Taichi hissed, and it took Yamato a while to locate Taichi's worry. The reflection of the light pole on the camera's surface exposed the paparazzi's position.

'Not again,' Yamato murmured furiously, shaking his head in frustration. He was used to people following him around even when he was on his own, but just tonight he wanted to spend some quality time with his boyfriend without being disturbed. They had both been working so hard that they barely had time to themselves in the past weeks, and tonight was the rare night when they needed not worry about attending some public charity events or missing a project deadline the next day. Besides, Yamato did not miss the forlorn look on Taichi's face. He knew that the brunet did not like it, not being able to publicly declare his affection for him.

Sure, his career was important, but what about people that he loved? One time he was visiting Sora at her fashion store, and the next day he saw a picture of them laughing on the cover of a magazine, with the words 'RISING STAR ISHIDA SECRETLY DATING PROMINENT FASHION DESIGNER' printed on it. There was also the time when he escorted Hikari home after she was chosen to shoot some pictures for a movie that he starred in, and the paparazzi wrote that he picked the perfect timing in stealing his brother's girlfriend, since Takeru was promoting his book overseas. Or what about that magazine cover of him, drunk after a guys-only digidestined gathering, leaning on Ken's shoulder for support, which resulted in public discussion over his sexuality and even his moral values? Yamato saw no connection between which gender he liked and how moral he was supposed to be, but the public would not shut their mouths.

He was seriously fed up with these people, and he was sick of hiding his true self. His manager had asked him to downplay the whole thing, but could he stand this anymore? Could he tolerate these people trying their best to hunt down whoever he was close to? The last few times had already caused much distress for Sora, Hikari, Takeru, Ken and Miyako, among others. Although they understood and told him not to think too much about it, he simply couldn't.

He could see how tense Taichi looked right now, and he felt his heart sink. His boyfriend had already had a bad day, and now with several cameras capturing each of his movement, they could not even hold hands, a simple gesture that would be perfectly acceptable if either one of them was a woman.

Yamato had had enough.

Taichi jerked his head at the blond when he felt his soft and long fingers intertwining with his. He widened his eyes in horror.

'Yama-chan! What are you doing?'

Yamato did not say a word and just kept walking forward, dragging a stunned Taichi with him. He could hear the fierce sound of camera shutter capturing this moment, and he could already see the headlines on the entertainment section of the newspapers on tomorrow morning. Yet, he did not give a damn. In fact, he felt very relaxed now, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his sore shoulders.

'Yama-chan! Let go!' Taichi probably had heard the same sound, and he was trying frantically to break from his grip. 'They'll see us!'

'Let them,' Yamato calmly stated. He took a quick glance at the paparazzi, who looked like they had found the long lost treasure, and turned to face Taichi. 'Let them do their job, and let me do mine.'

Taichi cocked a doubtful eyebrow, but when Yamato's words sank in he realized the blond was not welcoming any room for discussion on this topic. His determined blue eyes and his firm grip also reminded Taichi that he knew what he was doing, and that he wanted to reassure him everything was alright.

The brunet smiled.

They kept walking with their hands glued together while the paparazzi anxiously followed. Some passersby also whispered among themselves upon the sight of two grown men holding hands affectionately, but Yamato really did not care. He knew his manager would be furious, but he could live with that. He was Ishida Yamato, and he loved Yagami Taichi. He did not have to hide that.

Neither of them spoke a word for the rest of their trip. The world around them faded and the people disappeared from their eyesight. Under the limelight, the couple continued their never-ending journey.

The End

Not sure how my first Taito attempt goes. The main idea is the part where Yamato took Taichi's hand despite knowing the paparazzi were around, which is the picture that I mentioned at the beginning of the Author's Note. You should be able to find that picture by googling 'Leslie Cheung Daffy Tong'. The photo I'm referring to has Leslie Cheung in a black shirt, holding a cigarette in his hand with his back facing the camera, while his boyfriend looked back at the camera oddly.

Reviews will be deeply appreciated. See you all next time!