Adult-FanFiction.org : Anime

All Hallow's Eve	By : libek Category: Digimon > Threesomes/Moresomes Views: 8443 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon: Digital Monsters, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
DISCLAIMER: See previous parts.

A/N: The second part of what was supposed to be a one-shot...la-de-da...I really must break my habits of writing stories so long that AFF.Net can't take the whole thing at once. And I'd turn that into a crude sex metaphor, but...it's not nearly late enough at night for it to be funny. XD
Issai na Konjou no Ibu

(All Hallows' Eve)
Part Two

by Libek

"There now. Is this so bad?"

Koushirou drained a mouthful of fizzy caramel-flavored liquid from his paper cup, then stirred the straw around and shrugged noncommittally. They were sitting in a small booth in the back corner of a fast food restaurant, some unidentifiable piece of plastic pop droning on in the background. It certainly wasn't the most unpleasant experience he'd ever had, but it wasn't the least, either.

Across from him, Jyou looked crestfallen. Then he brightened. "I suppose that's as much as can be expected from you. Where do we go now?"

The redhead laughed. "I wouldn't know, Jyou-san. I'm afraid I'm a bit out of touch with the nightlife."

"There's a shock," the older boy deadpanned. "Well, how about we drop by the school's Halloween dance?"

Koushirou made a sour face. "Anything but that."

"What's the matter now?"

"Well, first of all, I don't have a costume. Second of all, I don't have a date. Without either of those things, it seems kind of pointless."

Jyou couched his head in his palm and sighed. He dipped a fried bit of shrimp into the provided tartar sauce and chewed thoughtfully. There had to be something else they could do. While an improvement over the past, this wasn't where he wanted to spend the rest of the evening. "Why don't we rent a movie?"

Jet-black eyes narrowed, the suggestion being visibly weighed, and then their owner took another long pull on his Coke. "I would rather go to the dance than watch a movie. As I said, there hasn't been anything recently that I wanted to see."

"What, nothing in the last fifteen years has sounded the least bit appealing to you?"

"Why do you say the last fifteen years?"

"I'm assuming you've never been to a movie before in your life."

This earned him a deep frown from his companion. "It's unwise to make assumptions. My parents used to take me to movies all the time."

"Okay. So, how many years out of date are you?"

Koushirou thought for a moment. "Five, approximately."

"Five entire years?"

"Approximately."

Jyou sighed. "Koushirou, that's an awfully long time. Come on. We're going to rent a movie."

The younger boy stayed rooted to his spot. "I have no intention of sitting quietly in the dark for over an hour. It's unproductive."

Feeling a headache coming on, Jyou removed his glasses and gestured with them pointedly. "Not everything in life has to be productive, Koushirou. What about breathing? Is that really productive? What good does it do anyone but you? And yet, it's a necessity. Fun is like that; without it, you wither up and die."

"And you think that this movie thing of yours will be fun?"

"That would be the general idea, yes."

Koushirou sighed deeply and then got to his feet, somehow giving off the impression that it took a great deal of both physical and mental strength. "All right. You win. We'll go see what they have. But I promise that I won't enjoy this."

The blue-haired young man grinned triumphantly. "We'll see about that."

*   *   *

"Wanna dance?"

Yamato looked up in surprise. A boy he didn't recognize with slate-blue hair looked back at him. At first he was just confused -- well, confused and embarrassed -- but then he remembered what he was wearing and blushingly proceeded to study his shoes. He was alone for the moment; the girls had decided to enjoy their date, perhaps satisfied with the element of chaos they had introduced, and Taichi was freshening his drink. He hadn't expected to be interrupted.

"Is that a yes, or a no?" the young man asked, voice thick with amusement. "C'mon, Doll-Face. It won't kill you."

He opened his mouth to explain his reluctance, but then shrugged it off. He had promised Taichi that he would try to have fun, and he intended to keep that promise. Nodding assent, the blond stood and smoothed his skirt out before taking the other boy's hand and allowing himself to be led onto the dance floor.

"You know," the stranger whispered into his ear after they'd gotten into something of a rhythm, "there are a lot of good-looking girls here tonight, but I think you're probably the prettiest. Know why?"

Regretting his charade, Yamato slowly shook his head. The little hairs on the back of his neck quivered a nonverbal warning, and he was disgusted but not altogether surprised when he felt the boy's hands sliding down over his back, tickling his bare skin, and stopping abruptly on his ass.

"Because you've got the nicest -- uhn!" the bastard finished, clutching his stomach in pain.

The Keeper of Friendship was startled, because although it was certainly what he'd intended to do, he hadn't had time to react. Taichi growled in satisfaction, dusting off his hands and glaring at the creep, who suddenly seemed to remembered a dark, dank pit he had to crawl into somewhere else. "Keep your hands to yourself, pal."

Yamato smirked. "Thanks. But I didn't really need the help."

"Ha! It was a pleasure. Why'd you agree to dance with a prick like that, anyway?"

"Honestly?"

Taichi quirked an eyebrow at the question. "Honestly."

"Because you told me to have fun. I was trying." He smiled, self-deprecatingly. "Guess I'm not very good at it, huh?"

The brunet turned on him fiercely. "Never stop trying, Yama. It isn't your fault that most of the guys in the world are jerks --"

A couple bumped into them and swore. "Hey, watch where you're going, nimrod! Dance or get off the floor!" the girl advised snappishly while the boy dragged her away, muttering under his breath.

The Children were left standing and contemplating. Brown met blue and Yamato laughed uneasily. "Why not?" he asked, though more of himself than his potential partner. As self had no compelling answers, he didn't object when a hand settled at his waist.

They danced for a while in silence.

*   *   *

"Well? What do you think?" Mimi asked casually of her lover. They were leaning against the far opposite wall, watching the interaction of two very close friends and trying to determine whether they were getting any closer.

Sora took a long pull of her drink before responding. "I think they're cute together. Why?"

"No, silly! I mean, do you think it worked?"

"Well..."

"Yes?"

Smirking, her companion glanced at her out of the corner of one pretty crimson eye. "I think we made him more uncomfortable than was strictly necessary."

"But did it work?!" the pink-haired girl very nearly shrieked.

After a thoughtful pause, Sora nodded. "I think it did. He's been staring at the floor with his head in his hands ever since Taichi went over to the refreshments' table. And...what's that?"

Mimi blinked and then pushed away from the wall, getting on her tip-toes in an attempt to surpass her girlfriend's height and see what she had seen. Hand over her eyes in a parody of some great explorer intent on raping the New World, she looked almost comical. But then she saw it. "Oh! Someone's asking him for a dance!"

Fixing a bit of rebellious hair behind her ear, the redhead laughed. "Well, maybe it'll loosen him up!" A glance at her lover's face, however, and the amusement faded. "What's the matter?"

"I know that boy," Mimi explained, scowling. "He's a real jerk."

"He looks nice enough," Sora argued doubtfully.

"Not that kind of jerk," the younger girl clarified. "A jerk with women. Real fast-mover." She jumped up onto the balls of her feet. "Is Yamato-san accepting?"

"No...wait. Yes. Shit."

Mimi bit her lip nervously. "Maybe we should intervene. I mean, I'm sure this won't help his mood."

Sora started to agree, and then reached out to catch the other girl's arm, a slow smile curbing her lips. "That won't be necessary."

"Sora-chan?"

"Look, Mimi-chan."

The pink-haired girl did as instructed, following Sora's guiding finger over the heads of the crowd to the refreshments' table. And then she giggled. "Okay, maybe you have a point. Go, Taichi-san!"

They waited patiently, doggedly keeping their eyes on the familiar hair silhouette which his cap had entirely failed to contain, until it reached the pair. Some justified violence followed.

"Yes!" Sora cheered, but was, to her girlfriend's great relief, again drowned out effectively by the music. "That was so...eh?"

"What?" Mimi demanded shrilly, and when she wasn't immediately enlightened, grabbed the other girl's hand and started to bounce. "What? What what what what what? Sora-chan! What happened?!"

"Something good," the redhead told her, sweatdropping at little at her antics. "Something very good."

"What?! WHAT IS IT?!?"

"They're dancing."

"Together?!"

Sora laughed. "Of course together!" She clapped her hands together with a positively evil expression on her face and hurried over to the DJ, an exuberant Mimi hot on her heels. The older girl fumbled through stacks of CDs and then pointed out a particular song. When she finally turned away, she was glowing, obviously very proud of herself. Mimi had learned to be wary of these moments, and asked cautiously:

"Sora-chan? What did you do?"

A smile was her only answer.

"Sora-chan?"

"You'll see, Mimi-chan. You'll see."

*   *   *

The music changed to something much slower. Slightly flustered, Yamato went to take his leave but Taichi would have none of it, catching his wrist and pulling him back. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

He hated himself for it, but couldn't keep the color out of his cheeks. "Taichi?"

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering...how did you know what that guy was doing?"

"Would you believe a psychic premonition?"

"From you? Not really."

"Well then, uh...I was kind of watching you two."

"What? Why?"

Taichi shrugged evasively and wouldn't look at him.

"Why, Taichi?"

"I..."

"Yes?"

"I was jealous, okay?! Are you happy now?"

The words veritably exploded from his mouth, and Yamato took an instinctive step back before they had even registered. Pain took a glancing blow at the other's face, and he regretted his actions, but...

"Yama --"

But this was too much. The blond shook his head vehemently and then he was running, taking advantage of the crowd and weaving his way hastily to the entrance. He hesitated, and Taichi's hand found purchase on his shoulder.

"Yamato?"

"They told me, but I didn't want to believe it."

"Told you what? Who did?"

"Mimi and Sora. They said you...liked me."

"Well, that's not such a big surprise, is it? Of course I like you!"

"No...Taichi, not like. Like."

The Keeper of Courage gazed at him unwaveringly. "Of course I like you," he repeated softly.

Yamato's head jerked up in surprise. "Come again?"

"You're beautiful, Yama." He took the other boy's hands and led him gently to the nearest chair, ignoring the obvious discomfort his best friend radiated. "And smart, too. Not like Koushirou or Miyako-chan, either. Useful-type smart. The kind of smart that I wanted to be someday. God, Yamato -- from the first moment I met you, I admired you." Taichi laughed. "You were a jerk sometimes, but man! The way your eyes flashed... And I grew up, Yama, and things changed. I didn't want to be you anymore so much as be with you. Yeah, I like you. A lot."

The blond was blushing darkly now and looking at the floor instead of his companion. "You know...that isn't all that Sora and Mimi had to say."

"Oh?"

"They said that I liked you back."

Taichi reclined comfortably in his chair, thoughtful now. "Did they."

"Yes."

"And are they right?"

Yamato sighed, and reluctantly met his eyes. "That's what I'm trying to figure out."

The brunet shot him a lopsided grin. "Care if I help you make up your mind?"

"What are you talking ab --?" he asked, before Taichi kissed him.

'Surprised' was not an adequate descriptive term for his feelings right at that moment. They needed something grander, something impossible to spell like 'flabbergasted', and something punchier, like 'shell-shocked'. Yamato couldn't think of a word that met these requirements, but that was all right. He didn't really need it anymore, having moved out of that phase and into mild irritation.

What on Earth did Taichi think he was doing?! For that matter, what did he think he was doing, letting it go on like this?

It feels kind of good, self answered lamely. Which was true. Oh, damnation.

Slowly, they parted, Taichi tonguing his lips flirtatiously. He blushed and ducked his head.

"Well?"

Yamato made a valiant effort at indifference. "Not bad."

"And...?"

"And...I think...I think I might consider liking you."

"Liking me or liking me?"

"Liking you."

"Oh." A broad, cheeky smile crossed the brunet's face. "Cool."

*   *   *

"Uh-oh," Sora murmured dispiritedly.

"Why's he running away?" Mimi asked of no one, her own expression troubled.

"I don't know," the other girl replied unnecessarily, sighing. "The idiot. What'd he do to ruin it this time?"

"Taichi-san or Yamato-san?"

"Both of them!" Sora growled, folding her arms over her chest. "Well, they're getting together, even if they have to be surgically attached at the hip! I swear, if Taichi lectures me one more time about how fucking blue Yamato-kun's eyes are, I'm going to be sick."

Mimi hesitated to broach this subject with her lover, but felt it needed to be said. "Sora-chan, what if Yamato-san really doesn't feel the same way?"

"Bullshit!" the redhead answered with conviction. "If he were flaming any more, the whole condominium would go down!"

"Well," her girlfriend offered, "just because he's gay doesn't mean he likes Taichi-san."

Sora thought about this for a moment, and reluctantly had to agree. "No, but there are other...hang on. Isn't that them over there?"

"Where?!" Mimi again got onto her tiptoes, then looked around and grabbed a folding chair on which to stand. "I hate being short!" she whined, eyes roaming over the crowd. "When we were younger, I was almost the tallest member of the group! It isn't fair!"

Her companion grinned. "And Taichi was almost the shortest. Things change. Do you see them, or do you need to be suspended from the ceiling?"

"Haha, very funny. I see them. I don't see what the big...whoa!"

The redhead blinked. "Whoa what? What's whoa? Mimi-chan?"

"It's over now," her beloved replied, unhelpfully. "But he's blushing!"

"Who's blushing?" Sora wanted to join her on the chair, but felt that there wasn't quite enough room. "Taichi? Yamato-kun? Who?"

"Both, but Yamato-san in particular."

"What happened?"

"How should I know? I can't hear what they're saying!"

As anime women are wont to do when nearing rage, Sora began to glow faintly. "Mimi-chan. What. Did they. Do?"

"What did they do when?" Mimi asked back happily, glad to turn the tables.

"When you said 'whoa'!! TELL ME!"

The Keeper of Purity climbed down again and made like her crest, eyes fluttering disarmingly. "It's not for me to say. They shouldn't have done that in public."

In response, the redhead examined her brass knuckles, popping the joints one after another until she had made a fist. "I love you, Mimi-chan, love you to death. You know that?"

Mimi laughed nervously. "All right! They kissed. I just wanted to annoy you."

"They kissed?!"

"Yep!"

"Both of them?"

The pink-haired girl gave her an odd look. "How else would you kiss?"

"You know what I mean. Was Yamato-kun kissing back, or did Taichi do something really stupid?"

"Well..." Mimi paused. "It's hard to tell from this distance, but I don't think it was being forced on him. Otherwise he would've run out, right?"

"That makes sense," Sora conceded thoughtfully. "What are they doing now?"

"Just...sitting there."

*   *   *

There had been an awful lot of silence between them tonight, from Taichi because he was doing a passable job of not leering hungrily and from Yamato because he felt so damned awkward. This silence was different. Companionable, maybe.

And yet, it was exactly the same. The brunet shifted uncomfortably, and if eyes were capable of boring holes through solid objects with the intensity of their gaze, he would have killed several people and completely ruined the gym floor by now. He couldn't help it; his fingers were twitching restlessly for a little of his companion's pale flesh. In an effort to restrain himself, Taichi clutched the cold metal of his folding chair and stared even more fiercely at the refreshments table.

He wished desperately that Yamato would start up some kind of conversation. Give him something to focus on. He'd been memorizing lyrics for a little while, but the current music was instrumental. He risked just the briefest of brief glances over at his former best friend and whimpered, hopefully not loud enough to carry over the speakers. Yamato didn't have any idea what he was doing to him. Dammit!

The blond crossed his legs casually and started to play uncomfortably with the fringe of his shirt. Taichi tried not to analyze the breathy little noise of silk brushing against silk, tried not to wonder what color the boy's panties were, and more importantly, what cut. Ordinarily, he would figure something simple and plain, but Mimi was this outfit's coordinator, and he honestly didn't know what to think about her these days. One thing he felt he could say safely was that, whatever color or style the panties may have been, they were absolutely adorable. And sexy as hell. Maybe bikini-cut, so that little golden curls peeked around the edges --?

Bad thoughts, bad thoughts! Taichi shook himself violently from head to toe and crossed his arms over his chest. You're trying not to think about this stuff, remember? Man, I've got no willpower whatsoever.

"So...what's Hikari-chan doing tonight?"

Conversation. Thank god. "She had a date."

"Oh, really?" He looked a little surprised. That was odd. Was this truly the same boy who'd kept such close tabs on Takeru in the Digital World, bordering on obsessive? "Who with?"

No, this wasn't the same boy. He'd been eleven then, and not nearly so...diverting. "Your brother, for one. Daisuke for another."

"What?" Yamato's eyes glittered with amusement. "Really. I wouldn't 've thought he had it in him."

"Do you approve?"

"As much as can be expected. You?"

"The same."

For a time, the blond said nothing. Dreaded silence. Then he smiled a little. "That could work, you think?"

"Not at all. But then, I felt the same way about you and me, so... Shows what I know."

"I suppose it does, at that." Yamato's cheeks were stained an omnipresent red, and Taichi couldn't help thinking that it made him at least three times more attractive. Which was bringing the arousal he felt to painful levels. He wanted to reach out and stroke the other boy's hot face, but thought that, at this point, any physical contact would drive him over the edge. What the edge was exactly, he didn't know, but he feared it all the same and so took several deep, shaky breaths, trying to cool off.

"Are you all right?" Yamato asked suddenly, tilting his head towards the dance floor and scowling.

Suddenly unable to control himself, Taichi darted forward across the gap, mouth groping around the blond's upper lip. "Can I kiss you again...?" he asked, but the needy tone in his own voice frightened him and he made contact before it had a chance to frighten Yamato.

"Wait," the other boy objected, catching him by the shoulders. "Isn't that your mom over there?"

"What?!" He pulled back sharply, scanning in the direction of Yamato's pointing finger and cursing explicitly. "You've got to be kidding. No way! That isn't fair!!"

"Well," his semi-quasi date straightened out a few imaginary wrinkles in his skirt and was not quite able to hide the relief in his voice, "fair it might not be, but hell, the world's been operating on this system for a long damn time and I hardly think it's going to change now. I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay?"

Taichi's mind was racing, much too quickly. He tried to crawl out of the backseat and get his hands on the wheel, but only succeeded in careening off the road. "I don't think so."

"What?" Yamato barked dubiously, turning to regard him with narrowed eyes. "What do you mean, 'I don't think so'?"

He hadn't really meant to say that, but Taichi was a man who followed his impulses. "I mean, 'no fucking way', Yama. I mean, you don't really think you can prance around in a skimpy little fuku all night and then send me home to cold sheets! It's not happening, Ishida. You're coming with me."

The blond was not impressed. A little wary, but not impressed. "Wait a minute..."

But ballots were no longer being taken on the matter. Clamping one hand firmly onto the other boy's wrist, Taichi stood up and dragged him forcefully over to where his mother stood, looking mildly discombobulated by the large number of young men her son's age and height. She seemed immensely relieved to see him at first, but then it trickled off into puzzlement.

"Taichi, who's this?"

"Yamato. Don't you recognize him?" Taichi asked, somewhat surprised. And then wished he hadn't put it quite like that because his mother proceeded to squint and frown a lot. "He wants to spend the night."

"Taichi, let me go!" the blond interjected angrily, which made his best friend grin and pull him closer.

Mrs. Yagami scowled thoughtfully. "I don't know. Hikari's friends from school are already staying over, and they're using the guest room. Where would he sleep?"

Exalting, the brunet retorted, "In my room, of course!"

"On the floor?"

"In the bed."

"It's not really big enough for that..."

"We'll manage, Mom."

She gazed at him levelly for a moment before finally saying, in a defeated sort of way, "In the future, I'd prefer it if you just told me he was sleeping on the floor."

Taichi grinned. "So noted. It's okay, then?"

"Well..."

"Come on! I'll do extra chores!"

"You don't do any chores right now."

"Well, then I'll start! What do you want me to do?"

Taking advantage of the blank check, Mrs. Yagami mused. "Well, I have been meaning to scrub the ceiling in the bathroom..."

Taichi wrinkled his nose instinctively. "Aw, man!"

"Are you going to do it, or aren't you?"

He hesitated, ran speculative eyes over his potential lover, and was cemented by the ire blue eyes returned. "I'll do it."

"Then we've got a deal. Come on, your father is expecting something vaguely resembling dinner in twenty minutes."

Yamato gazed from one of them to the other and screwed his face up disagreeably. "Don't I get any say in this?"

"We don't need your opinion when we know what you're going to say," Taichi told him impudently.

"I could file charges."

"Go ahead. Waste of time and money. Besides, I'd be done before the police arrived."

The Keeper of Friendship stared at him, wide-eyed. "You're very blunt."

"Thank you. I like to think of it as one of my more charming qualities."

"Are you boys coming?" Mrs. Yagami asked politely.

Taichi nodded sharply. He was extremely pleased. Yamato started to voice some complaint that he'd thought of, but stopped short when he received a warning pinch on the ass. Blue eyes turned to study the shiny gym floor. If Mrs. Yagami suspected any tampering, she gave no sign, and soon they had gone through the gym's entrance to the parking lot outside.

Yamato shivered involuntarily at the sudden temperature change, and Taichi was all too happy to wrap an arm around him for warmth. He got a very hostile look for his efforts but didn't ease up at all. Touching the blond now was like being on fire. Damn insensitive bastard, showing up in something like that. He slipped his hand under the boy's shirt and caressed one of his nipples encouragingly.

"Taichi..." Yamato whispered thickly, but never got any further. He let his head fall momentarily into the crook of his former best friend's shoulder. Momentarily because he suddenly remembered that Takeru was watching, from the backseat of the Yagami car, and pulled away in embarrassment.

Mildly disappointed, Taichi shrugged it off and piled in behind his chilled companion, closing the car door with a hollow thud.

"Oniichan?" Takeru vocalized, sounding a little surprised.

"Yamato-san?" Hikari interpreted, jerking about to see into the backseat.

"What are you doing dressed like that?" Daisuke asked for all three of them.

"Mimi," the object of all their attention replied, and that was the end of the matter. He didn't say much of anything, in fact, the whole ride home, though his brother and his brother's friend kept giving him great opportunities for Yamato-style sarcasm.

At first, this just surprised Taichi. Then it worried him. He tried to snap the other boy out of it by frisking him, but Yamato's only response was an odd reverberating noise that must have come directly from his diaphragm. Taichi blinked and took a couple of deep breaths, trying for what like the hundredth time that night to calm his hormones. Luckily, Yamato's noise hadn't been terribly quiet and sparked a nicely distracting conversation.

Takeru raised a questioning eyebrow. "What was that?"

Daisuke frowned slightly. "Is something wrong with the car?"

Hikari snorted. "I doubt it. I think that was Yamato-san."

"I didn't know human beings could make that kind of sound."

"Was it really you, Oniichan?"

Yamato declined to comment one way or the other and pressed himself back into the backseat's imitation leather, but his reddened cheeks said more than enough and Takeru let out a bark of incredulous laughter. He jerked his head at Daisuke and said in a mock-confidential tone, "Dad's gonna kill him when he finds out about this."

"If he finds out," Taichi put in with unnecessary frost.

Yamato smirked at the unexpected line of defense, and let himself settle ever so slightly against the brunet's body. Elated, Taichi grinned at him.

"So," Hikari began thoughtfully, "I take it you're spending the night."

"Yeah," the blond agreed with forced casualty. He elbowed Taichi in the gut.
"Certain parties appreciate it."

"I'm a party now? Cool!"

Takeru chuckled wryly. "You're a party...or going to have a party...whichever comes first. Right, Oniichan?"

If it were possible, Taichi would have thought Yamato went a little redder at that half-accusation. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

Daisuke made a strange, incredulous reply that involved choking, snorting, and laughing all at the same time. "Oh, SURE!"

Yamato frowned darkly at him, but said nothing more. Hikari made the mistake of giggling, and Taichi kicked her seat. Then they all lapsed into silence again, and he looked out the window, pressing his face against the cold glass for what little relief it provided.

*   *   *

The microwave exploded.

"Kyaa!" Miyako exclaimed, and leapt back from it, clutching at her heart.

In an instant, Iori was at the door, looking at first alarmed, then bemused, and finally settling on annoyed. "Miyako-san...what did you do to my microwave?"

Miyako darted in front of it as quickly as she had moved away. "Do?" she asked, and laughed uneasily. "What...what makes you think I did anything to it, Iori? Aheheheheheheheheheh..."

The younger Chosen stared at her flatly until she was forced to stop her somewhat hysterical tittering. "It's billowing smoke," he replied simply, "and it wasn't before you came over."

"Oh! Is it?" She turned around, pretending shock and surprise. "How on Earth did that happen?"

Iori just looked tired. "Perhaps Archnemon came back from the dead and attacked it for no very good reason?" he suggested.

"Yeah! Yeah, that's it!" Miyako agreed happily.

Her charge sweatdropped. "Should I tell Grandfather that when he comes home?"

"Um...no! Tell him that...that...that...a bear! Yes, a bear! A bear came in and...that won't work, either, will it?"

"It hardly matters. I received the Digimental of Faith for a reason, Miyako-san, and I am not going to frivolously betray it." He walked over to the microwave, and inspected what was left of it. He frowned slightly. "Did you put raw eggs in here, or am I imaging things?"

"M -- more than just the eggs, really," Miyako sweated out.

After sparing her a pointed glance, Iori sighed heavily. He muttered something indistinct about what fine judges of character his guardians were and then fetched a dishrag to mop up the runny, unidentifiable substance that now coated the inside of the microwave and a good deal of the countertop.

Miyako stood behind him awkwardly and apologetically, wringing her hands every now and then. She didn't know what else to do, or what she could possibly say that would make this any better. So far she hadn't displayed any real incompetence as his ward, and felt terrible about this whole incident. "I could fix it," she offered quietly. "I know quite a bit about mechanics, you know."

"And yet, you made the thing explode."

"Hey! I said I know a lot about mechanics, not about food!"

"I can see that," Iori responded, wrinkling his noise at the odor of the supposed food substances. "What in the world were you trying to make?"

She studied her shoes. "Does it really matter at this stage?"

Another sigh. "No, I suppose not, so long as you never try to make it again."

"Don't worry," Miyako mumbled, "I won't."

*   *   *

They were pulling into familiar territory. It had never been such a welcome sight. Taichi often reflected that commercial neighborhoods looked as fake as the demonstration ice cream on the counter of a small restaurant. He thought the trees were sparse and ugly, that the dogs were all slobbering mouths of bad-tempered sharp teeth, and that all the other residents spent far too much time naked in front of their windows. Naked... He ran a hand subtly down the flesh of Yamato's leg and let out a slow, shaky breath. The blond didn't seem to notice either gesture, too involved in gazing sullenly at the back of Hikari's seat.

In a mixture of relief and disappointment, Taichi withdrew. Every time he thought he was being good, another dirty filament would squeeze its way through. He tried pulling his arm out from behind Yamato's neck, and was perturbed when the blond didn't move obligingly, merely turned a little and smiled at him in contentment. Barely able to match it with a smile of his own, Taichi darted his eyes away once more.

Yamato was somewhat startled. He told himself he was overanalyzing, but still couldn't imagine why that strange expression had crossed his former leader's face. He'd looked...well, frightened. And fear was such an alien emotion to his Taichi. Yes, he'd started thinking of him in terms of possession already. It felt uncomfortable, cold, but somehow absolutely perfect -- like a new pair of shoes that just need to be broken in. He smirked at the rather unflattering comparison and took one of Taichi's hands in both of his own, firmly injecting his usually darkened features with everything warm and companionable. He needed Taichi to know that he was okay with this, that despite his protests on the dance floor, he really did, genuinely, care for him.

The expression reassured, exactly as it was supposed to, but Taichi did not relax. Indeed, that look made the urge to kiss its owner almost unbearable. He knew Yamato wouldn't appreciate that, not in front of his brother -- although, from what the younger boy had said, he wouldn't be too upset... No, no, don't even think about it. A simple, fierce mantra. And one that wasn't doing him the least bit of good.

So beautiful. He was so beautiful. And to look at him now, without the angry little voice in the back of his head screaming at him that he was only torturing himself, longing for something he could never have -- to look at him and think: Mine...it was positively overwhelming. Every piece of him, his eyelids, the tip of his nose, the subtle curve of his waist -- all of it was Taichi's too, now. He had but to run the flesh of his palms over, to squeeze, to fondle...to claim.

"Taichi," his mouth whispered, "are you okay?"

It wasn't the first time he'd heard that question tonight. Taichi ignored it as redundant and examined the lips which had shaped the words. They didn't agree with his memory. Yamato's lips were soft, colorless, almost the same gleaming white as the rest of him. And yet right now, he was sure that in proper light they'd be red. Was he bleeding? Who'd had the gall to cause that? The brunet reached out as though through black molasses and stroked with his thumb the worrisome bits of swollen flesh. They had a foreign texture to match the unusual color, and twitched helplessly under his touch. Lipstick? he wondered in a sudden burst of lucidity. Of course!

"T -- Taichi, what are you doing?"

"Are you wearing makeup, Yama-chan?" Taichi returned, glancing up briefly to note his once again blushing countenance and then focusing back on his mouth.

"Y -- yeah...Mimi," he added, and it was no more open to discussion than it had been the first time he said her name.

"Jeez, I have got to get a picture of this," Hikari murmured, making eye contact by way of the rearview mirror. "Will you pose for me?"

"No!" the blond answered fiercely. "I'd rather wear nothing at all!"

Taichi froze. Why did he have to say that? Distressing images were passing through his mind. Well, not really distressing. Not distressing at all, in fact. And again he was glad of the loose fitting jeans. He looked out the window and almost moaned when the car pulled to a gentle stop. Nearly wrenching the door off in his exuberance, Taichi dove out into the night air.

"Oniichan!" His sister sounded taken aback. Then she laughed softly, opening her own door. "We're going to need to get the car repaired if we have any more people making a frantic escape."

It took him a minute to remember what she was talking about. God, dropping her off seemed like it had happened years ago rather than a few scant hours.

Yamato made a more dignified exit, while his brother opted to follow Daisuke out, and then Mrs. Yagami had the keys and was leading them all up the stairs. Taichi hopped impatiently from one foot to the next, watching her struggle with an enormous key chain, shoving one key in and withdrawing, repeating the process over and over and over again... His cheeks flushed crimson, and he looked out over the balcony instead. Shivering, Yamato blinked at that, but the door opened before he could really think about it and a wave of manmade heat rolled out to meet them.

"We're home!" Hikari called into the apartment, and her costume ruffled in a sudden wake. She blinked, catching her skirts, and looking up could only see the briefest glimpse of brown hair at about her brother's height.

"Welcome back," Mr. Yagami responded in kind, frowning thoughtfully after his son. "Taichi? Where are you going in such a hurry? We haven't had dinner yet!"

"Oh! Um, I...well..." the young man stuttered unconvincingly. "I'm really tired! And so is Yamato!"

The blond was clearly taken aback by this statement, so Mr. Yagami regarded them both firmly. "I don't want you raiding the refrigerator in the middle of the night, Taichi. We're having dinner, and you are both sitting down to join us."

"But Dad --!"

"Is that clear?"

"...Yes." Taichi let out a long, exasperated sigh, and then went into the bathroom to do the only thing he could do. He filled a cup with cold water, locked the door, unzipped and stepped out of his pants, then closed his eyes and emptied the water over his aching erection.

Biting back an exclamation of pain at the temperature, he realized too late that they could all probably hear the splash. He dropped the cup and said, "Oops," loudly enough to deter any questions, then got dressed again and toweled off the floor. He sighed, looking down at himself for an instant. Certainly not the solution he'd had in mind for this particular problem, but it worked well enough.

When he rejoined his family and friends, his mother was already laying out the food. Well, at least he wouldn't have to wait for too long, Taichi reflected unhappily, taking the only available seat. It just happened to be across from Yamato, which, at first, he was thankful for. Then the blond started eating, and he figured that he should as well, only he didn't quite, because he couldn't seem to stop staring at Yamato's mouth.

"Oniichan?" Hikari asked gently. She was on Yamato's left and frowning lightly.

Taichi shook himself out of it and attempted a smile. "Yeah, Hikari?"

"I asked you to pass the spaghetti. Can't you reach it?"

"What? Oh, of course," he mumbled, looking at the table and fumbling for the dish.

"Taichi," Mr. Yagami admonished disapprovingly, "your mother worked very hard on this dinner. The least you can do is keep your hands out of it."

"Ack," was his response as Taichi realized that he'd sunken his fingers into the food he was meant to be handing to his little sister. "Sorry. Here, Hikari."

"Thank you," she said listlessly, evidently a little disgusted by having to eat something he'd touched. "Did you wash your hands while you were in the bathroom?"

"Of course," he lied hastily, feeling guilty. "I really am sorry."

"S'okay," Yamato told him kindly, running the heel of his foot along the other's calve in what was meant to be a reassuring gesture.

Taichi squeaked instead of answering and pulled his leg back sharply. He was rewarded with an odd look and turned his attention futilely to his empty plate.

"Why aren't you eating?" Mrs. Yagami asked, sounding upset. "I know I'm not the best cook, Taichi, but I do try --"

"I'm just not hungry," he interrupted hastily, pasting another fake smile on his face.

"Taichi, what's wrong?" The question came in a very Yamatoish way -- flat and devoid of any inordinate concern. Look in the eyes, though, and you could read everything that it was meant to hide; pain which the reaction to his physical touch had caused, and generous amounts of worry.

My Yama-chan...you never could get that mask to cover your eyes.

"I'm sorry," Taichi said, with the distinct feeling that he was repeating himself. Why didn't Yamato understand? Self-deprecatingly, Taichi supposed that he wasn't really all that attractive, but the slender boy across the table had claimed to like him. And he'd known it was meant in that way. So, how come...?

Eyes narrowed. Lips pursed. But no objection came. Distractedly, Yamato stirred a forkful of spaghetti in little circles round his plate. After a moment of that, he shrugged a little and started nibbling on his fingers, apparently having decided that he wasn't really hungry either.

Taichi tried and completely failed to tear his eyes from the other's self-ministrations. I'm such a horny little pervert. "So, how was your evening?" he asked of Hikari -- a trifle too loudly, from the way everyone else stopped eating and stared at him.

"Oh...great," she said, latex smile molding her features. "And yours?"

"We had fun," he admitted. "Didn't we, Yama?"

When there wasn't an immediate response, he turned and found Yamato looking very much like a caged animal. He didn't know how to answer.

"We had fun," Taichi repeated firmly.

"Right." Yamato's relief was obvious. "We sure did. I wonder where Mimi and Sora disappeared to, though?"

This struck the young brunet as a perfect means of testing his father. While generally understanding, it had been said time and time again that you simply couldn't tell how people were going to...react. He smiled brightly and replied, with great emphasis, "Oh, you know those two! Can't keep their hands off each other for a minute."

He waited patiently for his father's reaction, but his mother, either trying to help or really being obtuse -- it was impossible to tell -- broke in cheerfully. "Weren't those your female friends? From your little group?"

'Your little group' was her euphemism for the Chosen, so Taichi nodded, still tensed. Now, revealing that her perception wasn't quite that limited, Mrs. Yagami's eyes slid to her husband.

Upon realizing that he was the focus of the entire table, Taichi's father looked up and blinked. "What?" he demanded. "Do I have food on my face or something?"

Taichi felt blissfully happy.

Of course, his little sister just had to ruin it. That was what siblings were put on this Earth for. "Oh, you are so smooth," she heckled, rolling her eyes dramatically.

"Shut up, Hikari."

She stuck out her tongue at him, so he did the mature thing and stuck his back at her, but further, crossing his eyes at the same time. She pulled the sides of her mouth out and rolled her own eyes back into her head. He balanced a spoon on the end of his nose, fluttered his eyelids while following her example because he couldn't do that as well as she could, and wiggled his ears. She stuck her spoon into her mouth and hummed, causing it to vibrate slightly, while sticking her fingers into her ears and waving her hands back and forth. Yamato kicked Taichi in the shins and said with great emphasis, "That's enough of that."

Both children froze, spoons still being used inappropriately, staring at him. Daisuke burst out laughing, and Taichi glared vehemently until he realized that Takeru, and even his parents, were chuckling, too. A glance at Hikari found her face red and the beginning of a nervous giggle, so he shrugged and downed Daisuke's glass of cherry-flavored soda pop.

"Hey!" Daisuke cried, a little too late. "You drank it!"

"Sherlock Holmes has solved another case," Takeru observed coolly.

"Stay out of this, Take-chan!"

"'Take-chan'?" Yamato repeated, and then his face split into a broad smile. "He really does take after you, Taichi!"

All traces of Hikari's mirth evaporated and she returned moodily to her dinner.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Daisuke asked, scowling.

"Nothing," Yamato assured him with a smile. "It'd be useless coming from me anyhow."

Takeru puzzled over the various clues for a time and then flushed. "Oniichan, it's really not like that," he protested.

"Not like what?" Daisuke demanded, not bothering to hide his annoyance now.

"Never mind," Takeru said firmly, still blushing, and resolutely drove his knife into the butter, smearing it all over a section of French bread. "My oniichan's just being an idiot is all."

Daisuke didn't like being left out of a joke, so he decided to crack one of his own. "Don't you mean 'oneechan'?"

Knowing the sort of line that would set Yamato off -- after all, he'd had plenty of experience -- Taichi waited eagerly for the blond's retort. It came, delivered with a sweet serenity that belied the malicious words.

"You aren't trying to hit on me, are you, Daisuke?" Yamato set to chewing on his index finger, eyes doe-like and innocent. "Don't you have your hands full with Hikari-chan and my little brother? I mean, I suppose I could, but from what Jun tells me, I'm a little out of your league."

Taichi grunted. Any reminder of the elder Motomiya was enough to put him off his lunch. Of course, she'd gotten better since setting her sights on Kido Shuu... Unless that was just an illusion caused by her no longer hounding someone he cared about.

At any rate, the insinuation had its desired effect -- that is, Daisuke turning a dark shade of purple and keeping his eyes more appropriately on his meal.

A meal which was finally almost over, Taichi thought happily. He made a show of yawning loudly.

Hikari snorted, Yamato appeared both startled and apprehensive, Mrs. Yagami sighed in resignation, and Mr. Yagami gazed at his son speculatively.

"I suppose you're hoping we'll all take the hint and let you go off to bed now?" he asked thickly.

With a chipper smile and a severe bobbing nod, Taichi affirmed.

"Now?" Yamato asked. His lower eyelids crinkled up thoughtfully, and then he smiled.

A smile which spread to Taichi's face when he felt five little toes curling against the fabric of his jeans. "Yes. Now."

His parents shared an uncomfortable hedge, but then Mrs. Yagami smiled very slowly, in bits and pieces, as though she were putting a lot of energy into it, and told him that he must have had a very trying day and she hoped he would tell her all about it tomorrow. Eyes very clearly adding that really, she didn't want the details.

Pleased beyond measure, Taichi reached across the table and squeezed Yamato's hand. The other boy colored ever-so-slightly, but didn't stop smiling when they stood and left the room.

Watching them, Hikari felt suddenly and excruciatingly hypocritical. How can I be so supportive of them, she mused, but so against Takeru-kun and Daisuke-kun?

The answer was very simple, if not at all what she wanted to hear: she couldn't.

The youngest Yagami coughed to get her dates' attention, and put on her best happy face. "It's okay."

"Huh?" Daisuke squinted at her. "What's okay?"

"You guys," she answered peaceably. "It's okay."

Takeru had gone four shades of white, so Daisuke assumed he knew the hell she was talking about and jogged his elbow. "Take-chan? What's she okay with?"

"Um..." he didn't know how to say this, "...us."

"...I don't understand. What problem did she have with us before?"

"I don't know. It probably disturbed her a little, but she doesn't have anything to worry about, does she, Dai-kun?"

Thoroughly frustrated, Daisuke growled. "What. Are. You. Talking about?!"

With a little head-jerk of surprise, Takeru blinked. "You really don't know?"

"That's right. I really don't know." The Bearer of Courage and Friendship was obviously having a difficult time controlling his temper. "Care to enlighten me on the subject?"

Takeru's only response was to blush, very darkly and very thoroughly. Daisuke wondered if he really wanted to know, and then, quite abruptly, understood.

"Whoa!" he cried, leaping to his feet. He looked over at Hikari, and then back at Takeru. "Whoa!"

"Whoa what?" Hikari asked, clearly a bit annoyed.

"Whoa! You think we like each other?!"

"Why wouldn't I?" she demanded. "You're getting along very nicely, you're calling him 'Take-chan', neither of you are paying any attention to me..." She hadn't meant to let that last bit slip out. Tears were threatening.

And then they were both hugging her tightly. "It's okay, Hikari-chan," Takeru whispered.

"We didn't mean to ignore you," Daisuke added. "It's just weird, hanging out with Takeru and not fighting over you for once. I think...I think we could have been really good friends if it weren't for --" He cut himself off. They all knew what had started to come out, and it hadn't been the right thing to say. "But we love you, Hikari-chan. Both of us do. Nothing's ever gonna change that. Okay?"

She nodded, oddly comforted by his words. "But...but you do realize, Dais...Dai-kun, that I don't love you..."

He withdrew slightly, and gave her a slow, sad smile. "I know, Hikari. I
know."

Takeru was scowling unhappily about something, but when Hikari turned to ask him what the matter was, the expression had vanished, as if it had never been. Suddenly, she wasn't so sure. Not about her own words to Daisuke, and not about their words to her.

...But that was okay. Because they were going to take it one step at a time.

*   *   *

Mimi hopped out of the car, and turned hastily to hold the door open for her girlfriend. Sora arched an eyebrow at the courtesy, but smiled nonetheless and followed her. She turned and waved to her mother, who had been kind enough to drive both ways, even when she knew it was an overnight and that Mimi's condominium was across Odaiba from theirs. The redhead made a note-to-self: Buy extra nice present for Mom's birthday ASAP.
She then waved cheerfully, calling out a thank-you and almost falling over from the force of her lover's unexpected glomp.

"Well? Well? Well? What do we do now?" Mimi exclaimed, a veritable bundle of energy.

The Keeper of Love couldn't resist a very uncharacteristic evil giggle. "Why, we do whatever our little hearts desire," she replied with measured coyness.

The other girl's eyes lit up, and she met the giggle with one of her own. "Yes, that would be only fair...after all, we've averted disaster once again with our matchmaking prowess!" Here, she flashed the victory sign and struck a pose so mahou shoujo that Sora half expected her to begin some sort of transformation sequence. "Mission: Taichi Gets Yamato 100% effective! Wahahahaha!"

Sora stared. Then covered her mouth hastily with one hand to keep the buoying laughter at bay.

Innocent, perhaps, but never an idiot, Mimi scowled. "What? It's not funny!"

"Yes, it is," her girlfriend argued firmly. "It's hilarious! Do it again, Mimi-chan! You were so Sailor Moon!"

The pink-haired girl looked affronted, then somewhat amused, and finally repeated the motions with a bit more flourish. "For love and justice, the pretty sailor-suited soldier Sailor Moon! In place of the moon, I won't forgive you!"

Sora raised a suggestive eyebrow, reaching out and insistently twining her arms around the shorter girl's waist. "Are you going to punish me now, Sailor Moon-san?"

Mimi pretended to consider. "I don't know, Sora-chan... Have you been a bad girl?"

Love's Keeper turned her head away slightly, as though ashamed. "Well...I was awfully mean to
Yamato-kun about Taichi..."

"Ah...I see."

She looked up expectantly, and was hardly disappointed when she felt one of Mimi's delicate white hands sliding under the leather of her jacket, starting on her belly but moving upwards quickly to seize her right-hand breast. Sora shivered faintly, in a way that had nothing to do with the escalating cold, and had to gasp when her beloved squeezed. Not gently, but hard and almost fierce. She felt the other girl's breath on her earlobe, a bit of pink tongue, and then a whispered breath of, "Naughty Sora-chan..."

She had to laugh, couldn't help it, and Mimi took offense, forcing a warm fast kiss on her mouth. Usually the aggressor, Sora had to admit that she enjoyed this turnabout, and so was rather upset when her lover jerked backwards. Crimson eyes locked together, and then the pink-haired girl grabbed her hand and yanked her off the path, into the relative seclusion of some lilac bushes.

Both girls peered through the shrubbery while an older couple passed by, and Sora had opened her mouth to complain about ruined opportunities when she felt that same small hand on her back, under her shirt, this time. The fingers felt as if they had been iced for several minutes, and she jumped involuntarily. More so when, as she lost her balance, Mimi clambered on top of her, grinning.

"Actually," she whispered against the redhead's quickly thawing lips, "I think what you did was wonderful. A trifle mean in places, yes, but overall -- for the greater good."

Before Sora could gather her bearings enough to respond, Mimi was kissing her again and working her hands around to the front, one going up and cupping her
through her sports bra, the other going down and trying to squeeze its way into her jeans. Sora sat up, startled, and caught her lover's roving hands. "Mimi-chan, are you crazy?"

"Not crazy," the pink-haired girl cried defensively. "Just tired of watching other couples go at it all night."

Her girlfriend refused to bend. "Come on -- don't you have any shame?"

"None at all," Mimi replied without a blink. "It's something I learned from Taichi-san and his groping matches -- I mean, fights -- with Yamato-san."

Sora laughed. "This is the same girl who couldn't even say 'S&M'."

"Well, that was different!" the other girl insisted. "First of all, I was talking to Yamato-san, not you. Second of all --"

"I don't really care," Sora interrupted.

Mimi pouted at her.

"That's not going to work."

Mimi pouted further.

"Stop it!"

And still further.

"I'm not going to make out with you in front of your parent's condominium!"

If the pout were any larger, it would have surpassed the physical boundaries of Mimi's face.

Sora hung her head forward in defeat. "All right, you win. Jeez."

No sooner were the words out of her mouth than she found herself again pounced upon. And, somewhere in the back of her mind, Takenouchi Sora had to admit that she didn't mind all that much. The redhead wormed her hands around Mimi, fumbling for the catches to the bodice and plucking them open, one by one, until she could feel the smooth skin of her beloved's lower back and brush her fingers over the lace trim on a pair of panties. She wished momentarily that Mimi hadn't loaned her favorite pair to Yamato, but that thought was lost rather swiftly in a flurry of wet kisses.

Mimi's hand had found her breast again, slipping under the bra's dark blue material and forcing it up, exposing her to the harsh night air and a good long sucking. She moaned, letting her head drop back into the soft grass, and looked up at the sky, where the moon was clouding over. It looked like rain, she thought absently, before letting out a sharp gasp as her beloved bit down.

Rapidly, Sora turned her attention back to the present and worked one of her own hands into her lover's panties, squeezing her firm ass and then sliding down the back of her thigh caressingly. Mimi made a cute little chipmunk noise and pinched her unoccupied nipple in retaliation. Sora could only smile and push against the other girl's shoulders, getting her into a position where she could more easily slide down the costume. Oh, it was very pretty, and suited Mimi like nothing else, but...it was covering her breasts and hiding her sex -- two things which could not be tolerated.

The Keeper of Love had gotten the dress down off her lover's shoulders and was fondling one of her breasts when they both heard it -- the unmistakable note of concern in someone's voice, and the crunch of dry leaves. As quickly as she had gotten the costume off, Sora got it back on again. She almost forgot about her own disarrayed shirt and had to close the jacket on it hastily to prevent a worried-looking young man from catching sight of her assets.

"Are you two all...?" the young man began, before taking in their disheveled state and turning almost as red as they were. "Oh...oh, I'm so sorry...I didn't mean to interrupt," he said hastily, turning on his heel and hurrying away.

It didn't matter how polite he had been. The mood was utterly and completely ruined. Sora sagged in defeat and let her jacket hang open. She jumped when she felt Mimi's arms slide around her bare middle.

"Maybe we should continue this somewhere with a bit more privacy?" her beloved suggested huskily.

Well...perhaps not completely ruined.

TRANSLATIONS


oniichan: Older brother.

To be continued...
- 1
- 2
- 3
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

All Hallow's Eve