Unrequited (Blue Flag Fanfic)

Flower in Full Bloom

A/N: I loved writing this chapter. I hope you all enjoy reading it just as much! Enjoy! I decided to add a picture just for fun as well. :))

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"I think I'm ready to get back into the dating game after Futaba."

Taichi said it suddenly. Out of the blue, really. It must've taken Touma by surprise, because his eyes were wide and his brows were raised.

"Alright," Touma said, moments after what looked like collecting his thoughts. "I support that. Do you have anyone in mind you want to see?"

"Well," Taichi began, "there are some beautiful women at my new workplace. But, I mean, I don't think I'm really interested in any of them. I just mean that if, you know, someone were to come around, I wouldn't reject the idea of it anymore like I used to."

"That's great, Tai. I'm happy for you."

Touma smiled, and it hit Taichi how glad he was to be here, sitting beside Touma in his apartment, eating cup noodles. It was one of those unforgettable memories, the kinds that surprise you with how important they become in the future.

"Thanks, Touma." Taichi tilted his head, sighing. He stared at Touma for a moment.

He wanted to ask.

He didn't know why he wanted to ask, but he did.

But was now the time to ask, he wondered?

"Touma," he said, and then it just came flying out. "Are you seeing anyone?"

Taichi could hear Touma's breath hitch in the back of his throat.

Touma had trouble making eye contact. "Well, I was. I was seeing a few guys, actually, at different points in time. None of them really worked out, though."

So Touma had seen guys.

Oh.

"Why not?" Taichi asked.

He condemned himself. He was prying now.

"I never really liked any of them. A lot of them were hesitant about seeing me, and it seemed they were definitely not out yet, not even to their friends."

Taichi nodded along. "I'm sure you'd want someone who's proud to be with you, Touma."

Touma bit the inside of his cheek. "Definitely."

"Touma," Taichi began.

"Yes, Tai?"

Are you over me? was what he almost accidentally asked.

But instead what came out was, "You deserve someone who can be proud of you."

You deserve someone who can be proud of you.

He wondered if those words would resonate with Touma. He hoped so.

He hoped Touma would find the one for him. The one who'd make him happy, who could be proud of him, who could fulfill all of his lifelong dreams. He was curious as to who that could be.

He wondered what type of guy would potentially steal Touma away from him, take him away from his best friend.

Taichi's eyes widened.

Why was he thinking like that?

"Tai. Taichi."

Taichi was brought back to the present by the reverberating sound of Touma's voice. It took a second, but all of a sudden there was no echoing anymore, and everything was crystal clear.

"Touma?" he asked.

"Tai. You were totally spacing out."

"Sorry," Taichi said. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to take a train with me to get ice cream and sing karaoke. It's completely up to you."

Taichi nearly laughed. "Well, that's random. What gave you that idea?"

"For old time's sake," Touma said. "So we can be reminded of our high school days."

Taichi's eyes lit up. "Sure!" he shouted, and Touma smiled, and Taichi wondered what it was about his words that made Touma smile, not that he minded. "Let's go."

And so the two of them headed onto the train and then off of it, and then they were in their own private karaoke room, singing songs and dancing and having what Taichi thought could have been the time of their lives, but maybe he was misjudging. He didn't know.

Taichi's cheeks glowed warm. He looked up at Touma, who was performing his heart out. Suddenly, he wondered it again. Touma, he thought, are you over me?

Recently, he'd had small moments where he'd spend forever just pondering that one stupid question.

They were five years out of high school. Taichi had just landed himself a job and moved out of his home. It'd been forever since Touma confessed. Why the hell did it matter so much?

Taichi tried to sing, but his voice cracked.

He was weirdly shaken up by this.

Taichi's eyebrows furrowed. Touma was dating other men. He must've been over it by now.

And that strangely hurt Taichi to know.

Taichi sighed. He'd been trying to sing, but he struggled.

Taichi dragged Touma out of that karaoke room the moment their time was up.

The two of them got ice cream, and then they headed back on the train. Before stepping onto the platform, Taichi could see how packed the car was. People were crashing into each other, and some even looked uncomfortable. Taichi was nervous because of his height.

He'd only grown a centimeter since he'd graduated high school. It was embarrassing.

Taichi rolled his eyes, more at himself than anybody else. He and Touma scooched their way onto the car.

Touma held on to a hook. Taichi was squished against his chest.

Touma looked down at him. "You can grab on to me, you know."

And Taichi did, then, without hesitation, holding tightly on to his button-up.

Immediately, Taichi's eyes widened.

He remembered.

In high school, something so similar to this had happened. They were on a packed train, and Taichi grabbed on to Touma, and he could feel Touma's heart beating against his ear, and he ignored it, then, because it was stupid.

But now, today, he couldn't ignore it.

He couldn't ignore his hands on Touma's waist, the sound of Touma's heartbeat, his body heat and his defined muscles. Taichi couldn't just put it to the back of his mind.

Taichi couldn't just forget.

And then it hit him.

Those sleepless nights—that tossing and turning, that wondering.

So that was really why, then.

Taichi looked up at his best friend, who'd coincidentally been looking down at him.

"Tai," Touma said, "your cheeks—they're red. Are you alright?"

Taichi grabbed on to Touma harder. He looked down at the ground, his shoes and other people's shoes surrounding them. "Yeah. Sorry. I'm fine."

Taichi couldn't glance up even if he tried.

That night, when he got home, Taichi let a teardrop fall into his milk pudding.