TAICHI

Taichi, this is the last time I’m going to say this—stay still.” Sora’s getting that tone again. Last time I heard her use it, someone wound up with a broken arm. It wasn’t Sora.

I collapse back on to my bed pouting. “This is a waste of time. I should be taking care of stuff—”

“Koushiro and I are well capable of taking care of everything. We have before you know. Remember last year when you took a scouting group into the mountains while we minded the base? You were gone a week then and we survived.”

She’s right. “I still don’t like just sitting here.”

Jun laughs, from her mattress on the other side of the room. “It’s a tough job, Taichi, but somebody’s got to do it.”

I’m forced to smile. Jun’s got even longer to wait until Sora lets her up again. It’s still pretty amazing to think she’ll be getting up at all.

“If you want something to do, I’ll send in the kids. That’ll keep you occupied,” Sora pulls together her stuff. “It should take your mind off moping.”

“Who’s moping?” Jun demands immediately.

Sora sticks her tongue out. “Not you, for once. Taichi.”

“I happen to have a lot to think about,” I say in my defense. They both look skeptical.

“Whatever it is, it can wait. You are not getting out of this bed until I say so.”

When Sora says something like that, she means it.

I resign myself to my fate. Actually, this might just be as well—I don’t have a clue what I’m going to say to Yamato. My first instinct is to throw myself at him and beg him not to hate me but given the way he looked at me before—that just might make this worse.

Although it’s hard to know how it could be any worse.

Yamato . . . he either hates me or is scared of me—otherwise he’d be here with me now. Either way, I’ve lost him. I can’t bear the way he looks at me with that distance in his eyes. Being stabbed couldn’t be more painful.

“Man, you are broody. What’s the problem?”

“No problem,” I tell Jun.

“Taichi, you’re almost as bad at lying as Dai. Talk. What’s the matter?”

“He shouldn’t be talking. His throat’s pretty raw because of the large amount of smoke he inhaled—” Sora thwaps me. “Dolt! Did you think you were impervious to it, or something?”

“Ow! I was just doing what needed to be done.” I rub my head.

“Well, be more careful.” Suddenly Sora is giving me a tight hug. “We don’t want to loose you, Taichi.”

Girls. I do not understand them one bit.

A slight movement at the doorway gains our attention. Yamato stands there, looking grim.

“Taichi?”

“He’s resting,” Sora says, firmly making me lie down again. I don’t protest, I don’t really want to face him. It’s much nicer to dwell on my nice little fantasies where he’s not in that suit, and I’m not an abnormality and we can just be happy—

But no, Sora continues. “You can stay as long as you don’t tire him out talking.”

Yamato nods, and with a glance towards Jun takes a seat on the mattress beside me. Note, beside me. Not next to me.

That hurts.

Yamato plays with the frayed edge of the blanket he’s sitting on. He’s got the nicest fingers, long and white, kind of like key’s on the one piano that got brought down to the underground city. He was allowed to play it, I remember.

“You still do music?”

Yamato looks startled by the question then shakes his head. “Nah. After you left . . . I couldn’t play my harmonica without thinking of you and Takeru. Hurt too much. My father saved and saved, bought me a guitar. Luxury good you know, it wasn’t cheap. I played that for a while, until his death. We needed the extra money then so . . .” a graceful shrug dismisses the loss. I know it meant more to him then he’s let on. As did his father.

“I’m sorry about your parents . . .”

“I know.” Yamato looks as though he would like to ruffle his hair but the plastic of the suit gets in his way.

There’s a long silence.

“Man, you two are just the fountain of conversation.”

I smile weakly. “We’re not here to entertain you Jun.”

“Whatever. I’m going to sneak some food. Cover for me.” She gets unsteadily to her feet and hobbles towards the door.

“Fine. But I won’t be responsible for the consequences if Sora finds you out of bed.”

Jun laughs and leaves, taking with her all the lightness in the room. Yamato’s face is distant again . . . this can’t be good.

“So, when were you planning on telling us about these . . . “powers?””

I flinch at the coldness in his tone. “I thought you’d already found out . . . From what Daisuke said, that was the reason he got taken . . .”

“He forgot to mention that part to us.”

“Yeah well . . . I told him to keep it hidden before he left. . . I wasn’t sure if we could trust the underground—”

I stop. I don’t want to sound as if I’m accusing him.

“So,” Yamato says again tersely. “How long?”

I sigh. “It’d be years now. The first summer after we got here . . . the group we were travelling with got attacked by another group, out to claim more territory. We scattered. Takeru, Daisuke, Jun, Sora, Mimi, Izzy and me, we stuck together. We always did. There was no were we could go that was safe . . . Izzy had found this cave we could hide in. It felt funny, like there was magic in it, but we thought it’d be okay, just so long as we didn’t go in to deep. Then the other group came looking for us. They must have seen us because they came right into the cave. We had to go back, even further. We were trapped. They hadn’t seen us—but they were pretty certain someone was in there. But they had also felt the magic and they didn’t want to come in so instead they waited us out. We spent a whole day trapped in that cave until they got bored, and left.”

“And that’s when–?”

“That’s Izzy’s theory anyway. While we were sitting in that cave, I was trying to think of some plan to get us out because it was my fault we were in the cave and Sora turned to me and said, ‘It’s not your fault, Taichi.’ And I said ‘How did you know what I was thinking?” And she said she’d heard me. They all had. And I hadn’t said anything.”

“Telepathy?” Yamato sounds faint. “So you can read minds too?” There’s a slight edge of fear in his voice.

“Those of us who were in the cave can share thoughts,” I told him. “It’s a little bit harder than talking, trying to think loudly—and some of the others who’ve been with us a while or who have their own powers can to. Like Iori.”

“Can you read my thoughts?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t tried.”

“Try.”

I look up at him. His face is set . . . I’m suddenly reminded of the telling off I got from his father when I broke their valuable surface vase. “Yamato, I don’t want to—I don’t think this is such a good idea—”

“Try it, Taichi.”

Pushing my misgivings aside, I sit up slowly and concentrate my attention on him. It’s hard to do when his eyes are set so intensely against mine. I don’t think I’d have been able to deny him worse than this . . .

It’s not bad at first, just hard. Like trying to roller blade up hill . . . I have to strain really hard just to get anywhere. His thoughts are faint. I can get slight hints, but its like trying to claw my way through a brick wall—and just as productive. The only thing I’ve produced so far is a headache—

Wait—there, just there—a glimpse of gold and ice blue. I push a little harder, and am rewarded with the cool clear feel of Yamato’s thoughts. I reach out to him gently, trying to embue my thoughts with as much of my feelings as I can— don’t want to scare him–**Yama-chan?**

I feel shock and then panic thrown back at me, followed by a deep rooted fear. I’m thrown abruptly and painfully back into my own thoughts.

“Oh God, Taichi,” Yamato says, drawing a long, shaky breath.

“Go away,” I tell him dully. I’ve seen what he thinks of me . . . and its worse than what I was afraid of . . .

“But—”

“Just leave me alone!”

He stands slowly, I think he’s reluctant to go. I bury my face in the blankets, resolutely not looking at him. I hear the door shut.

Yamato . . . I moan, gathering the blankets to me. Why’d you have to hurt me this much?

I’m glad that Jun’s gone—I can sob out my pain in the blankets without fear of anyone hearing.

A slight touch at my shoulder. I freeze.

“Taichi—”

He tricked me—”I thought you left—” I can’t meet his eyes—I refuse to look at him.

“Shush—it’s all right—” the plastic of the suit is cool against my skin, as his fingers wrap around my shoulders. “It’s okay, Taichi—”

I don’t know if this is pity or guilt but at his point I don’t care. I let myself be taken into his arms and cry.

I wake, with nothing but a dull ache in my head remaining from all the excitement of yesterday. A dull ache and a hand at a funny angle under me.

A few minutes later I realize that’s not my hand.

I’m very careful not to disturb whoever’s next to me, as I sit up, carefully untangling myself from the blankets. I can’t believe the sight that greets me though—

Yamato.

“I was surprised too, when I got back last night and found the two of you asleep like that,” Jun says. “Is there something you haven’t told us?”

“I don’t know,” I sigh, brushing his cheek with care. He looks so peaceful, lost in dreams—I don’t want to be the one who brings him back to this reality. “Last night I thought he hated me. Now—”

“Morning Taichi! Morning Jun!”

The door is shoved open and three of the younger kids carry in food.

“Sora says you’re not to think of getting up till she’s had a chance to look you over.”

“But you can have something to eat. Hey, Taichi, you want to know a secret bout TK?”

“No fair! I was going to tell Taichi—”

“But I’m older—”

“Hey,” I interrupt. “Why don’t we let Lissa tell me?”

The smallest one grins, climbing into my lap. “S’about Hikari. He made some flowers for her.”

“Mimi says they’re in love, and it’s very cute and that they’re going to be very happy together.”

“I think that’s silly. I wouldn’t do that. Not in a million years.”

“In that case,” Jun says joining the discussion. “You’ll have a very lonely life.”

“So?”

We tease him, as Jun and I eat our breakfasts, trying to keep our voices low to let Yamato sleep. We’re only partly successful—when I turn around next I discover he has woken up and is watching us thoughtfully.

I gulp. So many questions I want to ask . . . so many questions I fear to have answered.

Jun spots the look. “Come on, Taichi needs some time to talk to Yamato.”

The kids grumble but go with her.

“But Jun, you’re not even sposed to be out of bed!”

“Sora’s gonna be really mad!”

“That’s Sora’s problem,” Jun turns back for a moment on the edge of leaving. **Good luck.**

“So,” I say into the silence.

“So,” he repeats, watching me. This gaze of his has changed somehow from last night. It’s still guarded, still troubled yes, but its less tense somehow.

And man, he’s beautiful even with his hair ruffled and even with the little blotchy marks on his face where the suit has stuck to him. If only things had been a little bit different—

I tear myself away from thoughts of what I can’t have. “I’m sorry, Yamato,” I say, turning away so I can’t torture myself by getting lost in his hair or his eyes or his smoother than silk skin.

“For what?”

“For not being what you wanted.”

There’s a silence, then, when he speaks again, his tone seems warmer somehow. “Taichi—”

“No,” I cut him off. “I don’t want to hear it—I don’t you to pity me! Maybe I didn’t choose to end up like this but I happen to like it now. And if that scares you, fine! But I won’t mope around after you like Dai does to Ken—either accept me now or—” I swallow, having to suddenly fight back tears. “Or we’ll take you someplace else. Back to the underground, or to one of the other groups of kids. Not all of them are effected by the magic—”

“Taichi.” His gentle use of my name stops me. I wait in misery for the rest of his sentence . . . But it doesn’t come. Instead he steps closer to me, placing his hands on my shoulders and bending down so that I can feel his breath on my neck as he repeats my name. “Taichi—”

Wait.

I can feel his breath on my neck—that’s not possible—

He didn’t—

YAMATO

I think, by the way Taichi’s shoulders tense under my hands, that he’s noticed. Oh good. I was starting to think Mr. Fearless Leader was lacking in the area of simple observation.

Despite my sarcastic thoughts, I’m feeling pretty happy with myself right about now. I’m floating on air, my head’s up in the clouds… I’m delirious. This doesn’t feel quite real. It’s like some corny romance novel, that I get to live out.

They’re a lot more interesting when you’re actually in one.

Taichi pulls out of my hold and spins around, eyes so wide they threaten to take up half his face. “Yamato!” My name is a strangled choking noise in his throat. He looks like he’s starting to have trouble breathing.

“Careful, Taichi!” I’m concerned now. He did swallow a lot of smoke earlier… “Maybe you should sit down.” I maneuver him down onto the mattress. “Take it easy.”

“Take it easy?” His voice almost squeaks, and he’s looking at me incredulously. “Yamato… you just… just… just…!” His eyes don’t get any smaller; he makes this weird little squawking noise that doesn’t translate into any kind of words.

“Oh yeah.” I shrug, trying to act like it’s no big deal. I take the time to pull that annoying plastic suit the rest of the way off of me and toss it across the room carelessly. “Guess I won’t be needing that any more, huh?”

“But…” He stares at the discarded suit, then at me. “But now you’ll be…”

“Just like you,” I answer, and smile. “I think I’ll be better off. You’ve got a great life up here. I mean, you’re willing to defend what you’ve got here, no matter what I say. And, Taichi, you know what? I trust you. If you think it’s a good life, then I’ll live it and tell you what I think after.”

His mouth works as if he wants to talk to me, but nothing comes out – like he just can’t find the words.

“Even if it’s not that great,” I continue. “I’ve thought about it a lot, and I think it’d be worth it… because of you.” I lean down and touch his cheek with my plastic-free fingers. His skin is still smudged and dirty, but it feels nice. Just like I thought it would. “I made up my mind – if you want me here, I’m going to stay.”

Taichi blinks rapidly for a few more seconds. Then he starts to rise as if he’s going to stand up. “Taichi?” I watch him, a little puzzled.

“Shut up, Yamato,” he says almost casually, and launches himself out of that low crouch, knocking me back onto the bed and smashing his lips against mine in a most passionate kiss.

Rational thought goes out the window at that point.

I’m in the middle of running my hands over the small of his back and down along his waist as we explore each with lips and tongue when the door creaks open. I’m all for ignoring whoever it is in favor of nibbling Taichi’s lower lip, but he immediately pulls back and looks up.

Jun is standing in the open doorway, looking not a bit surprised and actually rather impressed. “Don’t stop on my account,” she says, a hint of laughter in her voice. “I’ll just sit quietly by the wall – you two go on making out as if I’m not even here, okay?”

My face burns, and Taichi sighs. Then we look at each other. “Okay,” Taichi says with a shrug and leans down to catch my lips with his again. He tastes smoky and exotic, like fire. At first touch, I can’t get enough. He’s delicious.

I forget about Jun.

The door creaks open again. “Oh my…” Sora’s voice.

We pull away – again – and look up. She looks more surprised than Jun did, but there’s a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Now there’s an interesting way to get some rest,” she comments blandly, as if making some kind of clinical observation.

Taichi buries his face in the pillow beneath me, his cheek against mine, and starts to laugh softly. “I don’t think we’re going to get any kind of privacy here,” he tells me quietly.

“You’ll get privacy when you’re well enough to handle more… strenuous… activities,” Sora responds. Her ears are just too sharp, if you ask me. “Go ahead and snuggle all you want, but you’re not doing anything that’s going to come in direct conflict with you getting rest.”

I wrap my arms more securely around his waist. “She’s quite evil, isn’t she?”

“Oh yeah,” Taichi agrees fervently.

“And a spoilsport,” Jun chimes in.

Sora laughs.

“Sora! Did you hear about Takeru and Hi… oh my!” Mimi stops in the doorway, her excited look changing instantly as her eyes went very wide. “Oh wow!” she breathes, then clasps her hands together and squeaks happily. “Your news is even better than mine, Sora! That is just so cute!”

Taichi and I exchange rueful looks. “Thanks,” I say dryly.

“Oh, you’re welcome!” Mimi waves a hand. “But, you know, you might want to get up because – whoops, they’re already here! Well, oh well.” She moves aside so Takeru and Hikari can enter the room.

They’re holding hands.

And Hikari is not wearing her suit.

There’s a moment of silence as the four of us stare at each other.

Taichi breaks the silence first, laughing softly. “It’s a family tradition, I think,” he comments, grinning and snuggling against me. “Yagami and Ishida. We’re made for each other.”

“Couldn’t have said it better,” Hikari agrees.

“And we’re both stuck here now, hmm?” I add. “So I guess we’re just going to have to put up with these two, aren’t we?” I grin at Taichi as he makes a face at me. “I think I can learn to live with it.”

She smiles. “I was going to come and tell you that I was staying. That’s why I took off the suit before I came looking for you. You couldn’t very well forbid me to stay if I was already contaminated.”

“Well, I don’t plan on forbidding anyone to stay now,” I say, with a shrug. “Since I think that I’m going to be here for quite a while myself.”

“This is so incredibly sweet!” Mimi gushed. “I’m going to go get Izzy! Just wait until he hears about this! He’ll love it!” She dashes out the door at top speed.

“She has a lot of energy to spare, doesn’t she?” I comment.

“Usually,” Sora agrees.

“So, if you four are all in here,” Jun begins, looking around as if she expects to see someone else come jumping out, “where is my brother?”

“With Ken?” Hikari guesses.

Daisuke’s sister makes a face. “Don’t tell me those two are going to come running in here with a confession! That would just be too freaky!” She thinks about that for a moment, then adds, “Cute, though.”

“I doubt it,” I tell her. “Ken’s not what you’d call an impulsive person.”

“He’ll make Daisuke work for every inch of that suit that gets removed,” Hikari puts in. “And then work some more for every time they touch – even the briefest, lightest ones.”

Jun shrugs. “Oh well. Daisuke has enough determination for ten stubborn little brothers. He’ll manage.”

“I’ll manage what?” Daisuke walks through the door, looks around, then does a double take and blinks at Taichi and me. “Dude! What…?” His eyes move to Takeru and Hikari. “What happened to your suits?”

I shrug. “We took them off.”

“Oh.” Daisuke sinks down to a seat on the mattress, looking stunned. “You guys took off your suits…” He looks around again and notices the positions we were in. “And you got together…” The expression on his face gets almost painfully hopeful. “So, is… Ken…?” The sentence is left hanging.

I look away, not wanting to be the one to dash those hopes.

Hikari answers instead. “I don’t think so, Daisuke,” she says gently. “Not unless he did while we weren’t around.”

“Oh.” The red-head sighs, then grins up at us. “But you guys are together! That’s so cool! Congratulations!” He jumps up and enthusiastically hugs both Takeru and Hikari.

The mood is immediately lightened.

“And you two… Wow!” He plunks himself down next to us, and grins with excitement. “I’m so happy for you, it’s almost like it was me who got a cute underground guy!”

Taichi laughs. “Thanks, Dai!”

“And we haven’t had more than two minutes of privacy since,” I grumble – not that seriously, though. “This place has way too many people in it!”

“One of whom is the doctor for the person you plan to fool around with!” Sora adds, crossing her arms over her chest. “No fun while I’m looking after him! You wait until he’s fully healed!”

“Fine, fine. Wouldn’t want to argue with the healer.” It’s great to argue like this, laughing and joking around. It really makes me feel like I belong. Like I’m whole and satisfied. And with a gorgeous and happy Taichi in my arms.

Life is good.

“Come on, Izzy!” Mimi’s voice calls, from outside the door. A few seconds later, she bursts back into the room, her arm tucked securely around the crimson-haired mechanics expert. “Taichi’s got a boyfriend! And Takeru has a girlfriend? Aren’t they cute?”

“Adorable.” Izzy grins at Taichi. “Congratulations are in order, I see. And for you as well, Takeru.”

“I knew you’d agree.” Mimi smiles happily.

“Of course!” He gives her shoulders a squeeze. “I’d be a poor friend if I didn’t.”

“This is just great!” Daisuke says, standing again. “Everyone’s together! There’s so much mushiness around here we could drown in it!” He looks at his sister, who’s sitting next to Sora. “We’re not about to get a confession from you two now, are we?”

Jun sighs. “I apologize to everyone listening for my idiot brother. He doesn’t know any better. He was just dropped on his head as a child.”

“Hey!”

I grinned.

“I’m gonna go get Ken!” Daisuke says, already forgetting about his sister’s insult. “Just wait until he sees this! I bet he’ll be real happy!” He runs out the door.

Taichi and I look at each other again, and sigh. More company…Great.

Oh well. I have him, and that’s all that matters. There could be a hundred people around, and I just wouldn’t care. He’s the only important thing.

KEN

I am not happy.

“Dude, can’t you at least smile?”

“What have I got to be smile about? I’m in the company of lunatics.”

Daisuke lets out a short impatient breath. “But Taichi and Yamato are happy—or at least were happy before Sora booted Yamato out for not letting Taichi rest . . . and Hikari and Takeru haven’t stopped smiling, or holding hands all morning!”

“Good for them,” I growl.

Daisuke stares at me perplexed. “I don’t understand. Aren’t you pleased Yamato and Hikari have found somebody to be with?”

“I think that they’ve let their emotions make what could be a disastrous decision. We still don’t know nearly enough about how the atmosphere of the surface could effect us.” But I don’t sound sure.

“That’s not it,” Daisuke says. “What’s really bothering you Ken?” He scoots closer to me. I don’t order him away . . . I’ve come to accept this contact, even appreciate it. It makes me feel less alone . . .

Wait—I’m lonely?

“I’m afraid,” I tell him softly. “Before everything was so clear cut. I hated Yamato and I hated the surface, and I hated you . . . but things have changed. You, Yamato and Hikari . . . even if I didn’t enjoy it or choose it, that’s the most contact I’ve had with people, except Osamu in my life . . . I didn’t think it would come to an end. Now . . . I don’t want it to end.”

“What makes you think it will end?” Daisuke doesn’t laugh or interrupt with stupid questions. Instead his eyes are sympathetic and he’s frowning, like he’s trying to understand . . . it’s probably a struggle for him. He does everything so easily, impulsively. For a moment I’m jealous . . .

“It will have to. I’m going back to the underground, remember?”

“You don’t have to . . .” Daisuke looks at me earnestly. “You could stay here with me, Ken. I’d look after you, and you could help Izzy with the machines, and I bet you’d like it—”

I stare at him. I think I finally understand. “The tracker—back at the base. This is why you didn’t tell—not because you wanted something from me, but because you wanted me.”

“Yeah . . .” Daisuke looks hesitant. He wants me to stay—I study his brown eyes thoughtfully. They are so full of hope . . .

“I’m sorry Daisuke . . .”

I try to be as gentle as possible but his face falls. “It’s okay. I understand. I’ll see you round I guess. I’ve got . . . stuff to do.” He disappears out of the carriage.

I feel strangely . . . regretful. As if Daisuke is somehow my responsibility. Although illogical it’s a feeling I can’t quite shake off. I sigh, and turn back to the walls.

Yamato and Hikari don’t come back to our carriage. I’m somehow not surprised. Given what Daisuke told me before he left, they have obvious reasons for being absent. But I miss them. Staring at the walls is rather tedious when you don’t have anyone to ignore.

About an hour later I realize something else.

I miss Daisuke. I’m starting to wish there was someway I could make him feel better. I can’t promise to stay . . . but there has to be something I can do.

I know the perfect thing.

I haven’t gone around this base without someone with me before and I’m slightly nervous. Unlike the last base, the train is just situated in the middle of a big flat open space, surrounded by grass and with a forest bordering one end. The surface dwellers are busy with their day to day tasks, and hardly look up as I pass them, heading towards the forest. I’m a little nervous about this to tell the truth. The sky overhead is so distant . . . it’s better once I’m amongst the trees although there’s still the risk of getting attacked by some sort of animal . . . perhaps I should have acquired a weapon of some sort before leaving the base.

I’m sure I’ll be fine—I just need to stay relatively close to the base. I look around the forest. Although there is vegetation everywhere I can not see any sign of what I need. This task may be harder to accomplish than I thought.

Half an hour later, I’m holding on to a branch with one hand while leaning out, trying to grab another with my other, all the while attempting not to think about the long way down or how easy it would be to fall. Fastening my attention on the object I seek, I stretch out my hand again—Just a little further . . .

A sudden breeze tosses the branches and I loose my handhold and crash to the ground. I impact with the ground then roll, ending up sprawled against something warm—

“For crying our loud—what do you have to do to get some privacy around here?”

“Yamato?”

His scowl turns to a look of utter surprise. “Ken? What are you doing out here?”

“And where’s Dai?” Taichi asks, voice slightly muffled. Well, I suppose it would be hard to talk when you’ve got two people slightly sprawled on top of you.

I scramble away quickly. “I don’t know. I think I upset him.”

“So, why were you in the tree?” Yamato asks, resignedly pulling himself away from Taichi.

“I was trying to get something. For Daisuke. Not that it’s any of your business or anything.”

“Oh we quite understand. Need a hand?”

Taichi gets me to point out the branch I want then climbs up the tree. I stand by Yamato, as we both watch him. He’s a lot better at climbing than I am . . . then again, he doesn’t have to worry about not ripping his suit. I steal a look at Yamato. He doesn’t look adversely affected by the atmosphere. He just looks . . . happy.

“How does it feel?”

“What?”

“Without the suit.”

“Great. It’s hard to explain it . . . but the air out here just tastes better. I think its fresher . . . there are all these other things you miss in the suit. The way things smell, the breezes . . . ” he breathes in deeply. “It’s just wonderful. I feel like I’m alive again.”

I don’t bother pointing out the illogicalities of that sentence, I’m sure he’s aware of them. Instead I concentrate on trying to understand them.

“Heads up!” Taichi has reached the branch I want, but instead of leaning out to try and pick the flower has jumped on to the branch. His weight brings it down, but not low enough that I can reach it. Yamato reaches up, adding his weight to pull the branch down.

“Pick as many as you like, Ken.”

They’re different from the flowers Daisuke brought to me, large and white with pale yellow centres. I concentrate on picking the ones that are freshest, and without marks left by insects. A giggle interrupts me from my task. Looking down the branch I see that Yamato is taking advantage of the fact that Taichi has both hands on the branch and is running his free hand under Taichi’s shirt. Taichi is protesting loudly and trying to kick him but not having much luck.

I shake my head, having got as many flowers as I want. “I’m done.”

Taichi lets go of the branch, falling—accidentally, I’m sure—on top of Yamato. I can’t help but feel kind of wistful as they wrestle laughing, until they end up tied in a lengthy kiss. Nothing more than emotion and hormones and yet . . . I can’t help but feel sorry. Which is stupid. Machines aren’t supposed to feel sorry for themselves . . .

Maybe I can’t go back. Maybe I’ve been changed too much—

“We stay out here any longer, Sora will be sending out a search party,” Taichi says, standing up and pulling Yamato up after him.

“I’m seriously beginning to dislike that girl,” Yamato grumbles although he’s smiling. “If I didn’t know better I’d suspect she had an ulterior motive for keeping such a close eye on you.”

“Jealous, Yama-chan? That’s adorable,” Taichi has his arm around Yamato’s waist like it’s always belonged there.

“And you don’t mind?” I ask, thinking that if anyone tried that with me, I’d hurt them.

“Mind what?”

“The pollution.”

Yamato’s face tightens and he steps towards me angrily. Taichi catches him and pulls him back. “I don’t think he meant it like that, Yamato.”

“Meant it like what?”

Yamato studies me a moment. “Those people who put you into the machine never told you about tact, did they?”

“I didn’t mean to insult Taichi, I was just asking!” I flare back at him. “What is wrong with a straightforward question?”

“Well in answer to your question, no I don’t mind.”

“And the fact that we don’t know how this atmosphere could affect us doesn’t bother you at all?”

“Look Ken,” Yamato says. “No, we don’t know the extent of what the surface can do, and yes that is a bit worrying. It might change me, sure—but I happen to think that love is worth taking that risk—”

Taichi and I stare at him. “Love?”

“Love,” Yamato repeats, his gaze locking with Taichi’s.

“Ken, you carry on back to the base. Tell the other’s we’ll be along soon,” Taichi says, not looking away from Yamato as he wraps his arms around Yamato’s neck.

“Sure,” I tell them in tones of heavy skepticism. “Am I also to tell them I’m about to rip off my suit and join the party?”

They don’t reply. To tell the truth I don’t think they noticed—I don’t think they’d have noticed, even if I’d danced around them naked. I return to the camp feeling smug for some unaccountable reason.

Sora is fussing around the camp site, looking furious and muttering something about when she gets her hands on them. “Have you seen Taichi, Ken?”

I decide they did help me to get the flowers. “No.”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m looking for Daisuke.”

Her eyes widen and I think she notices the flowers for the first time. “He’s with his sister. That carriage there.”

I nod and walk off. “Hey!”

“What?” I ask, turning back to her.

“Aren’t you going to say thank-you?”

I try out the words thoughtfully. “Thank-you.” It still feels weird to say them.

“You’re welcome.”

Daisuke and Jun are talking quietly as I enter.

“Daisuke?”

“Ken?” He sounds surprised, spotting the flowers. “Are those for me?”

“Yes.” I hold them out.

He stares at me a moment more before reaching out to take them, a huge grin spreading across his face.

“Hey, thank-you, Ken. This is really special, you know?”

I think Daisuke is struggling for things to say. Which is strange . . . because usually, you can’t make him stop talking. I glance away from him, feeling rather uncomfortable myself to find his sister watching us with an identical grin.

“Honestly . . . you guys are so cute!”

I open my mouth to tell her that cute is not functional but Daisuke grabs my arm and pulls me after him. “Later, Jun!”

“Where are we going?”

“Just somewhere we can talk.”

There is a ladder down the side of one of the train carriages, a lot easier to climb than that tree was. Daisuke and I sit up on top of the carriage and watch the sunset.

“I bet you don’t get anything like that underground.”

“No,” I murmur, “No we don’t.” It intrigues me, the sunset. There is no use for it to be so pretty. It does not affect its job at all, it gains it no benefit and yet . . . there it is.”

Daisuke turns back to me. “Tell me about your machine.”

That question surprises me. “How it operates?”

“Everything about it. I want to understand why you want to go back so much.”

I realize that all today I haven’t once thought about my machine. Not the way I did at first at least . . . what does that mean?

I think for a moment, trying to put it into words that he would understand. “Well, my machine is—”

There’s a flash of light out there in the distance. Then another one. I frown. It looks like the sunset glinting off metal—but there wasn’t anything like that when we walked here yesterday—

The tracker.

They’ve come.

DAISUKE

After we get up on the roof, I immediately start to think about whether Ken would like it if I moved closer and put an arm around his waist. My heart’s still beating hard from when he gave me those flowers… Ken actually came to see me, and he brought me flowers! And after I told him that giving flowers means you like someone a lot… He likes me! He has to! He wouldn’t be up here, he wouldn’t have come to see me, he wouldn’t have given me those flowers… Hikari was right! I’m ecstatic, and there’s a warm feeling all through me – all I want to do is find out more about him and figure out how to get him to stay.

So I ask about his machine.

It takes me just a few seconds to realize that Ken isn’t going to finish his sentence. That isn’t much like him. I look over to see what’s up, and he’s staring out at something in the distance.

“Ken?”

There’s a look on his face like he just ate something that was totally rotten. He tears his eyes from whatever he was looking at and turns toward me again. “I’m sorry. I thought I saw something.”

“Really? What?” I glance out to where he was looking before, and see a brief glint of something from a fair distance away. It’s not like anything I’ve seen before, and I’ve seen a lot, up here. “I see it!” I jump up. “But I don’t know what it is! I’m gonna have to go and tell Taichi – “

“Don’t bother.” Ken’s quiet, emotionless words interrupt me. I look back toward him, and he’s staring out at those little glinting specks. “I know what it is.”

“You do?” I blink. “But you haven’t been on the surface for more than a couple of days! How could you know – ?” I stop, and stare at him as he pulls out a familiar object.

The tracker. But… that means…

I sit down again, with a thump. “Then… those are them. From the underground.”

He doesn’t say anything; doesn’t look at me.

“The ones who are gonna take… you… a…way… from… me…” I falter on the last few words, and find a huge lump rising in my throat. Just when I was getting through to him… just when he got me flowers… just when I thought he was starting to want to stay…

I stand again and move over to the edge of the roof before he can answer. If he’s even going to. I don’t think I can talk without breaking into tears, so I just swing around and climb down the ladder as fast as I can.

“Daisuke!” Ken cries, finally snapping out of whatever trance he was in.

“I have to go!” I manage to choke out. I don’t want him to get mad at me. I want to be with him again later, but I can’t right now because it’s hard to breathe and my chest and throat hurt and I just wanna run back to my sister and cry like a two-year-old.

He’s leaving me.

It isn’t fair!

“Daisuke!” Jun sounds alarmed. Well, no kidding since I just came running in like I had an army of mutant wolves on my tail. “What’s the matter? I thought you were with Ken.”

“I… I…” That’s all I get out, because I flop down onto the mattress and start sobbing like my best friend just died.

Why can’t he stay? Why does he have to go? Why is he leaving me just when it seems like he’s finally starting to like me? Why can’t anything go right for me? Taichi gets Yamato, and Takeru gets Hikari, and everyone is just deliriously happy and I have to sit here and cry because I fell for a stupid machine and now he doesn’t want to stay and I’m gonna be all alone and why, why, why?

My chest hurts, and my throat hurts. I wish I could die.

Not really, but it feels like it right now. He’s leaving… doesn’t want me… I think I’d make a good boyfriend – why doesn’t he? What’d I do? How come I can’t make him stay? I must’ve done something wrong; Taichi and Takeru got it right…

Jun pats me on the back awkwardly. “Daisuke?” she asks softly. “What happened?”

“Wh-why?” I don’t think she can answer me, but she’s the only one here. “Why doesn’t he like me enough? What’d I do wrong?”

She sighs. “Oh Daisuke,” she says, pulling me up a little so I’m facing her. “It’s not you, baka. You can’t force other people to like you. Besides, he seemed to like you fine – he brought you those flowers, didn’t he?”

“Not enough to stay,” I mumble, glancing up at the flowers that Jun put in a clay water-holder. They’re all blurry and they lump together into a big blob. “H-he’s g-gonna l-leave me!”

Fresh tears flow out of my eyes and it hurts again. Jun reaches up to wipe my face. “What do you mean?” she asks, sounding a bit puzzled. “I thought he was staying.”

I shake my head, knocking away her hands without meaning to. “There’s surface people coming, and they wanna take him away, and he wants to go because he doesn’t like me enough to stay!”

She stares at me in shock for a moment, then hugs me suddenly. “Oh Dai!” she says softly. “I’m so sorry!”

I cry some more, letting her pull me closer. “Why does it hurt so much?” I whisper.

“Because you care about him and he’s a jerk!” she replies, a bit angrily. “How could he do this to you? That is so mean! He knows that you’re in love with him, how – ?”

“What?” I push back and stare at her, tears forgotten for a second. “I don’t love Ken!”

She shakes her head. “Oh Daisuke, come on! You’re smarter than that!”

I’m caught speechless.

“But it’s all right,” she tells me, smoothing my hair and pulling me back into another tight hug. “I’ll go talk to him if you want.” Her voice turns into a tone I wish she would use less often. “I’m sure I could persuade him to stay…”

“No!” I pull back and shake my head violently, upset for Ken. “Then he’d hate me! I don’t want him to hate me! I want him happy! I just don’t make him happy enough, I guess.” I bite my lip and stare down at the mattress, feeling the hurt come back.

Jun hugs me again, but this time pulls back before I can. “I’ll tell Taichi about the people from the surface, since he’s going to need to know,” she says. “But I won’t tell him about Ken. Unless you want me to.”

I shake my head. “He’d hate me.”

“One other thing,” Jun adds, standing up. “Ken was looking for you. I told him to go away, since you were upset, but maybe you should go talk to him. It might make you feel better, little bro.” She ruffles my hair and leaves the room.

Sometimes I think I’m really lucky she’s my sister. Even if she is a pain.

I don’t want Ken to see my crying and all, so I dry off my eyes and concentrate on not letting any more tears out. He’s not gone right now. I can cry later. Instead, I splash some water from the bucket in our room onto my face, hoping it’ll help make it look like I’m fine.

Now I have to make the time between now and when those underground people get here seem like the best fun anyone could ever have. Because if I can make Ken like it here that much, then maybe he’ll stay.

I can hope, right? I don’t want to lose him…

It’s weird, I think, drying my face off on my sleeves. Everything was normal and I was happy before he came along, but now he’s just been here for a few days and I can’t even picture what it’s going to be like without him.

I don’t even want to picture what it’d be like without him.

“Daisuke!” Takeru practically pounces on me when I come out of Jun’s room. Hikari’s with him, not surprisingly. “I heard from Sora that Ken was giving you flowers!” He grins. “Guess that made you pretty happy, huh?”

“Uh, yeah!” I try to act thrilled, but I think the result is pretty pathetic. “I’m really happy! Really! See?” Both of them look confused. Uh-oh… “Want to see them?” I ask quickly, hoping that’ll cover me.

“Sure…” Takeru sounds baffled. I guess he figures I should be running all over showing everyone what Ken got for me. Well, I would… but I don’t feel like it any more.

“Here!” I wave my hand at the clump of white and yellow petals. “Cool, huh? Well, I gotta go, see you guys later!” I take off before they can ask any questions. Hopefully, I won’t meet up with anyone else…

“Hey Dai!”

Darn it!

“Hi Sora!” I put on a big grin. “Did you see the flowers Ken got for me? They’re in Jun’s room! TK can show you where they are! Gotta run!” I just catch her startled look, and then I’m off around the corner.

Jeez, that was so stupid! I even called Takeru by his actual nickname! She’s gotta know something’s wrong… At this rate, everyone’s gonna know something happened to me – not like we can keep secrets that long around here anyway…

“Ken!” I burst into the room and find… Yamato. “Oh. Hey.”

“Don’t act so thrilled to see me, Daisuke.” He grins, and raises an eyebrow. He looks different, somehow, without the suit on. Clearer, almost. More real, and less like a fairy person in an old story. Or someone from another world. “Ken’s not here, but he was looking for you earlier.”

“Uh… yeah, he found me.” I don’t think he’d have been looking for me after he knew I was hiding out in Jun’s room, so it had to be before he came over there. “But I left and now I dunno where he is.”

Yamato gives me a strange look. “Didn’t he have something to give you?”

“Huh? Oh, right. The flowers. Uh-huh.” It takes me a few seconds to realize that I’m supposed to be thrilled about it. “That was so great, I’m really happy, Ken’s so nice, he’s the greatest, I just love having… him… around…” I stop talking before I think about that too much.

Concentrate. It’s important now, so I have to do it. I can.

I get another strange look. “Yeah… okay. Sora found us around in the bushes, but I’m meeting Taichi again as soon as he can slip away from her.” He grins. “It’s getting to be a full-time sport, almost.”

“That’s cool.” I manage a grin at that. Sora’s so weird about people she’s supposed to be taking care of. “Well, I’m gonna go find Ken, see ya later!”

I turn to leave, and almost walk into a smirking Taichi. “Whoa! Hey!”

“Sorry, Dai,” he apologizes, then he looks up past me. “Coming, Yama?”

“You bet!”

I laugh. Can’t help it. Being around those two… who can?

“They’re really attracted to trouble, aren’t they?” Ken asks from behind me.

I jump. “Dude, don’t scare me like that!” Then I spin around and grin at him. “I’ve been looking for you,” I say, then before he can say anything, I grab his hand and pull him back into their room. “I’m gonna spend tomorrow and as long as I can making sure that you have the best time of your life! And tonight…” I have to think about that for a while.

“Tonight I sleep,” he finishes dryly. “My instincts tell me that your idea of fun will use every scrap of energy I possess. So I’d better get plenty of rest.”

“Okay,” I agree. “But can I stay and talk to you for a while?”

“If it’s what you want,” he answers, shrugging slightly. He’s looking down into my eyes and I’m almost positive that he’s happy I’m gonna stay with him. Maybe those flowers did mean something… he does like me.

And if he likes me a little, he can like me a lot! Right? So maybe he can like me so much that he won’t leave when they try and take him away! I feel my hopes rising again. I could have a life with him, still. If I want it bad enough, if I’m willing to do anything to have it… I can.

Anything… I wonder…

Ken sits on the mattress, and makes a polite gesture as if to tell me I can sit. He doesn’t have to ask twice. I plunk down next to him and scoot over so that our hips are touching. It doesn’t get me any dirty looks and he doesn’t move away. I smile happily.

“So you never did tell me about your machine,” I prompt him.

“Oh yes,” he says softly, staring forward. Then he looks at me. Those eyes of his… they’re so pretty. I feel like I’m hypnotized, staring at them. Wow… “There isn’t much to say that you’d understand,” he continues, either not noticing my little sort-of trance or just not saying anything about it. “I have programmes for everything – for memory, for thought, for communication… I forward messages and respond to data stimulants. I’m in charge of generating the shield that keeps the underground protected from pollution on the surface. It has to be kept very even. I maintain the city, basically. I doubt that you’d understand further details.”

I nod. I sort of understand what he’s saying – he’s kind like a computer, which Izzy told me about once. It doesn’t make sense to me, but I guess it does explain why he thinks everything is a waste of energy. He’s probably used to saving energy, since it’s so important to what he did and all. “But there weren’t any other people?”

“Only the techs.” He shrugs, as if it isn’t important. I’m not in contact with them very often. They have their tasks, and I have mine. My duties come before all else. Of course, this” – he waves a hand over his suit –”is the result of the last time I chose to contact a tech.”

“It sounds lonely.” I can’t imagine that, being cut off from the whole world and shut away in a big grey box like the rooms underground. I think I’d go crazy; my whole life, I’ve been surrounded by people, sharing laughs and being hugged and having a whole lot of contact. It’d be so weird to live alone… so quiet… so… empty.

That explains Ken, though. I think I understand now.

“I wasn’t concerned with loneliness,” he says flatly. “I had a very important job to handle. Loneliness – or any other emotion – would’ve been a burden. I chose not to saddle myself with such petty concerns.” His voice doesn’t sound as sure as it did when he first came up here.

For some reason, I feel sad for him. And I think I’m making the right move when I slide an arm around his shoulders reassuringly. It feels right, sort of. I always act on instinct, anyway. And he feels nice like that, too, soft and warm… his shoulders don’t feel as delicate as they look.

He looks at me with those pretty blue-violet eyes and gives me a small smile. “I’ve hurt you,” he says, in a tone I don’t really recognize, coming from him. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I say, truthfully. I give him my best cocky grin – the one that Taichi says is gonna get me punched in the face some day. “I can take it.”

And I can… because I won’t have to.

I’m not letting him leave me behind. No matter what.

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