DISCLAIMER: Where are those papers? Well, until I get them, I don't own Digimon. Or an Easter chick.

How to Hatch an Egg in Three Days : Easter Chicks and Feelings
by: n-chan

"A poor, innocent bird, dead thanks to my mom."

Tai sighed and shook his head. I lay beside him, silent. Officially, the chick had been born on Easter Sunday, since it had been around 1:00am when Tai's mom had called us. She'd been up in the kitchen filing some receipts.

I was still mulling over what had happened earlier. Tai had almost kissed me in the park, he actually had kissed me on the cheek and the neck, and... what the hell was going on?

I guess Tai sensed my frustration, because he turned me to face him.

"What's wrong?"

That was it. I just bursted.

"What's wrong? Tai, you've been acting weird for days! You said I'm cute, you kissed me, you... you... what the hell?"

"Well, you are cute. And I didn't kiss you on the lips, did I?"

"You would've in the park if the rain hadn't come," I accused.

"Yeah, so what? Maybe I would've."

I was stunned. Tai didn't really think that it was okay to just kiss your best friend of the same sex, did he?

"Tai, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong with me!"

I frowned. "I don't get it."

"You wouldn't," Tai said with a snort.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I cried, offended.

"Well, all this time you've ignored how I feel, so why should you notice now?"

This was alarming to me. "What?"

"I haven't been acting weird lately! You just chose to notice it now!"

"What the hell, Tai? You've never done all of this stuff before! You're acting a hell of a lot different!"

Tai rolled away from me, facing the other direction, and refused to answer. And that was that.

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I didn't say a word to Tai for the rest of the night, or even the next morning. As soon as I woke up and gathered my things, I left. I didn't even stay for breakfast; instead I lied to Mrs. Yagami, telling her that I was going out for breakfast with my father.

It turned out that my dad did end up taking me out for breakfast. We went to this nice little restaurant down the street. After we ordered our food, my dad began talking. It started out like one of our regular conversations.

"So, how's TK?"

I shrugged. "He's good, as usual."

"Good, good... how's your mother?"

"She's doing well, too. No problems with work or anything."

"Any new boyfriends of hers?"

I looked at my dad oddly. Why was he asking that? "No."

"Right, right..."

Why was he saying everything twice? He only did that when he was trying to bring something up casually. He probably wanted to ask me something.

"How's Kari?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Good, why?" I asked suspiciously. He was working his way up to the target.

"No reason... what about Tai?"

So he was going to ask about Tai? I hesitated for a split second. "He's fine."

"Ah, I see..." Dad nodded. For a moment, there was silence.

"How's the relationship between you and Tai? Er, you know... being best friends and all. It going alright?"

"Dad, get to the point," I said finally, cutting to the chase.

"Yamato, recently you've been acting a little differently. I'm just curious as to what's going on."

"Tai's the one acting weird! Heck, the other day he nearly kissed me!"

I broke off immediatly, seeing my dad's surprised face. I groaned inwardly. Crap.

Dad cleared his throat. "So... er... he has feelings for you?"

"I don't know," I said plainly.

"Yamato-"

"I honestly don't know! I left as soon as I could this morning because he's been like that for days! Last night he insisted that we share his bed and then he was almost cuddling me, and I don't know what to do!"

"Yamato, I'm going to give you a piece of advice. Find out what Tai's feeling. And while you're at it, make sure of what you're feeling, too. You two have been friends for years, and you both claimed that you'd never be too scared to tell each other anything. I'd hate to see you break a promise."

It was true, we'd always been honest with each other. But if Tai had just came out and told me whatever it was that was making him do all this stuff, it wouldn't be happening in the first place. It wasn't like I had any hidden feelings that I wouldn't tell him.

After breakfast, my dad insisted that I go over to Tai's and talk with him. I refused.

The bad thing about having parents that are friends is that they talk about everything concerning you with each other. My dad called Tai's mom up and told her the whole thing about Tai and I. Of course, Mrs. Yagami wanted us to talk it out, too, so she took Kari to the park and demanded that I talk with Tai.

To ensure that we would, my dad and Tai's mom locked us in Tai's room. For about ten minutes after they left, Tai and I stood at opposite corners of the bedroom, determined not to be the first one to speak or apologize.

Finally I sighed and gave in.

"...Tai?"

Tai turned around, signaling that he was listening.

Then I ruined it.

"Tai, you should be the one apologizing."

Tai's eyes widened.

"Me? You're the one who ran out first thing this morning! I didn't even get to explain!"

"You weren't going to anyway! You didn't yesterday!"

"But I was going to today! I know I was out of line yesterday, and even on Friday!"

"Then why did you continue?"

"Well, let me tell you."

I crossed my arms and waited, noticing that we were a lot closer than before.

"I've been wanting to tell you this for a while, but I didn't know how you'd take it. And I kind of didn't know if it would go away or not. But it hasn't. And I thought you'd figure it out or say something about it if I did this stuff, but you haven't. Not really. But I wanted you to realize on your own so I didn't have to say it."

"Realize what?" I already knew the answer.

Tai sighed, then sat down on his bed.

"Tell me what you think I'm hiding. Go ahead."

I paused. That was all Tai needed. His lips curved into a tiny smile.

"Cause you already know."

Things between me and Tai were suddenly so different.

"You like me?"

Nodding, Tai patted the spot on the bed next to him. I sat down and waited.

"Well, what do you think?" he asked me. "Is it that bad? I mean, why do you think it's so wrong?"

"Because it is!"

"It's not. Give me one reason."

"It's not normal."

"Don't give me that crap. What are you, a preacher?"

"No, but I'm not gay. And I didn't think you were either."

"I'm not. All I said was that I like you."

"Well, that makes you gay!"

"No it doesn't! It's not like I think guys are hot or anything. I just like you."

"Well, I'm not gay."

"No, you're not. But do you like me?"

"I'm not gay."

"Do you like me?"

I frowned. Tai took that as an opportunity to speak.

"Are you mad that I like you?"

"...no."

"Well, do you think the whole idea is gross?"

"...no."

"Do you think you could like me?"

"You're a guy."

"Will you stop thinking of it that way? Don't believe in things just because people tell you to! A boy liking another boy isn't a bad thing, Matt!"

"Well, it's not-"

"Normal? Who cares?"

I was silent.

"Forget about what people have told you. Forget about the fact that guys aren't 'supposed' to like other guys. Forget that we even are guys! Do you like me?"

I hesitated. "I guess..." I was unsure. "How do you know you like me?"

"Because I want to make you happy. I like seeing you happy. Sometimes it doesn't matter to me if I'm upset as long as you're okay. And I wanna be close to you."

"You are close to me."

"Yeah, but, well..." Tai blushed a bit. "Sometimes I feel like kissing you."

I blushed too, then thought about it. Sometimes I did feel the things that Tai was talking about.

"So do you like me?" Tai asked again.

Slowly, I nodded. "Yeah... I think so."

"So do you wanna go out with me?"

"Nope."

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Yeah, I turned Tai down. Things don't always go picture-perfect. But when I know for sure how I feel and what I am- when I'm ready-, I know Tai will be waiting for me.

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