A Bed Full of Memories

Summary: Letting go is never easy. Taichi thought he had moved on from his first love, Yamato. However, all memories come attached with feelings, and they can't lay dormant forever.

D-Angel: So here it is, the final chapter. Madness, I know. I kept it short and simple; I don't like writing last chapters :( Read on my lovelies!

Rating: M

Chapter 21

Peering over at the clock, I willed the hands to freeze for just a few extra minutes as Yamato's hand swept underneath my t-shirt, his sweet lips sweeping across my jaw-line, up towards my earlobe. The fruity scent of his aftershave, combined with his soft kisses, somehow always drove me to the brink of insanity

"Do you think we have time to..." The doorbell chimed. Yamato sighed against my ear and released me from his embrace. We straightened our clothing out before Yamato opened the front door.

Sora and Timmy remarked how lovely our flat was as we led them into the living room. Tottering beside them was a small toddler with a tidy mop of red hair and bright blue eyes.

"Sammy, say hi to Uncle Tai and Uncle Yama," Sora instructed. Sammy craned his head up, his curious eyes darting between me and Yamato before his face stretched into a huge grin.

"Hi!"

We gave them all a quick tour of our humble abode. As we guided them down the hallway, back towards the living room, my framed undergraduate law degree certificate, hanging off the wall, briefly stole my attention. Although I never returned to University to complete my masters degree, I'd managed to find work at a local law firm as a trainee personal injury lawyer.

A lawyer living with a former drug addict, it was something you couldn't make up. I trusted Yamato enough not jeopardise my career, but it would have been a lie to say we hadn't experienced a few setbacks.

It stung the first time I walked into our flat and caught him holding a needle up to his arm. He'd shown no signs of relapse, maybe that was why he was just as surprised as me when the realisation of his actions sunk in. I feared him being hospitalised again, or worse, which is why I chose to stand by him and work through each little bump we encountered.

By the time we reached thirty, Yamato had been clean for just over two years and had forged a successful career as a guitar tutor. To celebrate, we decided it was time to start our own little family. Most the old gang had started ones of their own after all, including Jyou, who's wife had recently given birth to a little baby girl.

The adoption process was easier than we anticipated. In just a few weeks we welcomed a gorgeous ragamuffin cat into our flat, who we named Alec Travelyan. Yamato wasn't particularly thrilled that I named him after a James Bond villain, but he soon enough softened to the fluffy goofball, and admittedly I was jealous whenever Alec would stroll past me in favour of receiving attention from Yamato.

"I swear you love that cat more than me," I said as Yamato scooped the spoilt feline up from the sofa into his arms, tickling him under the chin.

"He's definitely easier to look after," Yamato replied. Sora and Timmy chuckled as I jutted out my bottom lip. I would have told Yamato I was banning all forms of sex for the next fortnight if Sammy hadn't been in the room.

"Are we going to the park?" Sammy asked, bouncing up and down on the spot. Sora rolled her eyes.

"Yes, yes."

Sammy ran off with Timmy and Yamato to the play area. As much as I wanted to join them, I felt it was only right to keep Sora company on a nearby bench; being four months pregnant, she was in no condition to dash around after a hyperactive toddler. We sat in silence for a few minutes watching as Sammy zipped around in circles, not quite deciding if he wanted to play on the swings or the slide.

"Do you think you and Yama will ever have any kids?" Sora asked, watching as Timmy lifted Sammy up under his armpits and spun him round and round, their manic giggling drifting through the park.

"I dunno, I'm kind of happy with it just being us two," I admitted as Yamato's eyes caught mine. "And the cat."

Sora laughed then rested a hand on her stomach. I smiled. There was no rush for us to adopt any children. I knew it would be stressful process, particularly with Yamato's drug-related past. I figured that perhaps if we could convince them that we can look after a cat, they would allow us to raise a child. We were pretty much surrounded by them it seemed anyway. Sora had promised she would introduce Sammy to us once Yamato had been sober for long enough. I hoped Mimi and Koushiro would let us meet their little boy one day too.

I anticipated that Hikari would also provide us with nieces or nephews in the future. The heart she'd been donated had been going strong for the past few years; of course she had to take medication every day to ensure her body wouldn't reject it, but it was a small price to pay. Her doctor saw no reason why she couldn't have children, although she had warned her that there would always be the risk of complications occurring during pregnancy, and it would be unlikely she'd be able to carry it to full term, or go through a natural birth.

"I met up with Naomi and her adoptive parents last week at her thirteenth birthday party," Sora said, lacing her fingers together. "She's really beautiful."

"Just like her mother," I teased. Sora had never been one for compliments, but this time a shy smile stretched across her youthful face. She placed her hand against her bump once again.

Soon, Sammy grew tired of the apparatus and he came galloping back over to us with Timmy and Yamato.

"Ice-cream?" Yamato asked.

"Yes!" I shouted out, hopping onto my feet, squinting as the sun peered out from the clouds.

"You're too old for ice-cream," Sammy said, his little arms folded against his chest.

"Nu-uh!" I protested, before scooping him up under my arm, making a mad dash towards the concession stand. The others laughter sung out as they followed.

"You'd make a great father." A snort escaped from the back of my throat as I crashed down on the sofa next to him. Alec peered up from his curled up position on Yamato's lap; noticing it was only me, he yawned then nuzzled his head against Yamato's lap and closed his eyes. I frowned, until Yamato brushed the tips of his fingers against my hand.

"We're never adopting a toddler," I said, recalling earlier when Sammy had shoved his melon flavoured ice-cream in my face after I had requested a taste. "Can we skip the child stage too and adopt a teen?"

"Teenagers are worse," Yamato replied, lacing my fingers with his. That was true, I'd been a right moody sod at thirteen, but I'd also felt somewhat invincible. I'd never believed my mum when she had warned me to make the most of my youth as it would fly by quickly.

Gazing over at Yamato as he concentrated on the television, he still looked the same to me as he did back when we were eight, except for maybe the faint wrinkles on his brow, which would deepen as time continued on. Things had changed, and they would keep on changing. The scars we carried, mentally and physically, would fade within in time, but they would always linger as a reminder of what we went through; what we had survived.

Yamato placed an arm around me as I leaned against him. Alec glanced up again, unimpressed. At least he didn't hiss at me this time. I could live with that. Sometimes, you have to take the bad with the good in order to truly subsist.

Yamato Ishida, my lover, my soul mate. Forever.

D-Angel: Amagawd, it's done! It's actually finished! -Does a little jig- This one only took six years, haha. It's been an interesting journey, and I'm saddened it's come to an end. Originally I had plans to write another story after this, but figured it'd best to compress everything I had planned into this story as I had a feeling the whole fandom would be dead by the time I finished xD I also need to focus on writing original stories and what not ;)

I suppose the ending was rather cheerful... I couldn't go through with it being all miserable! Yama and Tai had to end up together, although they will always carry their scars and what not. Also, the very last line, anyone recognise that? (Hint: Go back and have a look at Nothing is Forever).

Maybe I'll write a one-shot from Yamato's POV so you guys can gain some insight from his side of events (particularly during the weeks / days leading up to Tai's stroke, which Tai couldn't recall properly). We'll see :) If there's any other loose ends you feel I should tie up, please let me know! I'm likely to make edits to this final chapter at some stage anyways.

Thanks to you wonderful lot for spurring me on; I wouldn't have finished this story without your support. I'm now going to skip over to A Cup of Lust and work on that! (Feel free to check it out if you haven't already, it's very dramalicious!)

Byeeeee for now!

D-Angel

Story started: August 2008
Story completed: May 2014