You're Just Mad I Can Wear A Skirt Better Than You

by RandomFavoriteCouples

AU where Arata and Takumi are best friends. Arata suffers another round of his mom's drunk rage, he leaves his mother place for the night. Takumi is doing a terrible job of trying to make him smile, until another red head who looks like a female Takumi starts to playfully insult him. There's something about her that draws Arata in, but can he escape her grasp before it is to late?

Title: You're Just Mad That I Can Wear A Skirt Better Than You

Category: Digimon

Pairing: None

Rating: T

Summary: AU where Arata and Takumi are best friends. Arata suffers another round of his mom's drunk rage, he leaves his mother place for the night. Takumi is doing a terrible job of trying to make him smile, until another red head who looks like a female Takumi starts to playfully insult him. There's something about her that draws Arata in, but can he escape her grasp before it is to late?

Author's Note: I am not going to lie. This was supposed to be a crack story but it turned angst. It was also going to be another Ami x Arata story but that disappeared too as I wrote this story.

Disclaimer: I do not owe any rights to the Digimon franchise.

~~Story Begins~~

"So...do you want to talk about it?" Takumi asked as he walked beside Arata through the park one night. Arata just called him up asking to meet up somewhere and now he's not even talking.

"My mom. You know the drill," Arata said narrowing his eyes. "So, why are you still asking about it?"

"Talking usually helps, not keeping it bottled up inside like you are doing, Mr. Sourpuss," Takumi said with a roll of his eyes.

Arata pushed him with his elbow a little bit, "I am not a sourpuss! I'm just grumpy."

"Grump butt," Takumi murmured. "Seriously, what happened this time with your mother?"

"She was drunk when I came home. You know the drill. I don't want to talk about it."

"Your hands have been in your pockets this whole time - "

"Takumi!"

"Did she hurt you again? What did she do?"

"Drop it!" Arata said growling as Takumi stood in front of him, facing him.

"No! I will not drop it! What did she do?"

"Drop it now!"

"No."

Arata had opened his mouth to tell Takumi to drop it, but a female laugh stopped him. A female that looked and dressed almost like a mirror image of Takumi stepped next to Takumi. Her arms were behind her back as she looked at the other red hair person with bright blue eyes.

"You are actually given permission to drop something and you aren't dropping it?" she asked with a smile. "Is the world ending?"

"What are you doing out so late? I thought you was with your mom?" Takumi asked looking at the newly arrived female.

"Change of plans, mom cancelled. I just got done working on a case but why are you asking me? I have a job unlike a certain slacker that I know of," she said before getting distracted at Arata who was just standing there. "Hello there!"

"Hello," Arata said as he waited for an introduction.

She smiled at him. "You must trust Takumi a lot to tell him to drop something. He was born with butterfingers."

"Yes, I do trust him. He's my best friend," Arata said as he raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I trust him?"

The female moved one of her hands to her mouth and started to giggle behind it as Takumi huffed at her. It was that moment that Arata knew Takumi has been spending too much time with Nokia. "It was ONE time."

"Glass bell...glass swan...ice sculpture…" the lady said as she made a list placing the hand back behind her back. "Remember that one vase that came from the Shang Dynasty -"

"Shut up! Shut up!" Takumi said. "I've gotten better," Takumi said as he crossed his arms. "Why must you always embarass me?"

Arata noticed that the lady's eyes softened and showed a lot of sadness for just the briefest of moments before it went back to normal. "It's not always internal," she said. "I guess, if I must, I should go home and sleep. I have an early morning tomorrow."

"Yes, now shoo," Takumi said as the female started to walk past them.

"Sheesh, I'm going, don't get so pushy," she said. Arata was still waiting for an introduction when she walked past him and said. "You don't have to be such a bully just because you are jealous that I wear skirts better than you, Takumi."

Arata choked back a laugh as he asked, "What?"

The female stopped and stared at the two men. Takumi's face fell and was white while Arata was holding back his laughter and she could see that he wanted to know the story behind it. "He's totally jealous that I can pull off skirts better than him," she said with a little chuckle. "It's all because I have pretty legs than him."

Arata didn't mean too, but he is a man, his eyes looked down at the legs that was revealed to him by her skirt and yellow knee high socks. He could agree that yes, she did have prettier legs than Takumi. However, it didn't take much to beat Takumi's legs in a beauty contest in the first place. One of the little known facts that Arata knows about Takumi from being childhood best friends.

"I am not jealous!" Takumi yelled as she ran away laughing.

Arata couldn't hold his laughter in anymore. He grabbed his sides as he started to laugh. "Dude, what the hell? Who is she? What was that all about? Why the hell wasn't I informed about you wearing a skirt?"

Takumi grabbed Arata's exposed hands and looked at them, they were a bright red color and warm to the touch. "I'll answer yours if you answer mine."

Arata sighed, "Fine. She poured scalding water on them."

"That's it, you are moving in with me. My apartment is always open for you to come in and be my permanent roommate."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Arata said making a mental note about never going to Takumi when he wanted to get away. "Your turn."

"She's a … relative and I hate her so much," Takumi said. "She always knows when I need her, but I never know when she needs me." Arata raised an eyebrow but didn't question it anymore.

The next time Arata met the lady, he was walking around Nakano Broadway at night, grumbling and kicking random objects. His knuckles were bleeding from punching the wall when he got tired of kicking random things in the alley, he punched the wall again.

"Do you have any idea -" Arata heard and was expecting the person to continue with 'what time it is' but that isn't what followed, " - on how hard it is to concentrate on my reading assignment without coffee?"

Arata looked over at the owner of the voice and stared at her, "What?"

She walked over to him and gently placed her hands on his outreached wrist. "You need those wrapping things around your hands if you want to be a braver and something softer to punch, but you don't look like a boxer."

"Who are you?" Arata asked.

"Ami..just Ami," she said. She looked up at him, "Would you like to come inside?"

"Not really?"

"Good. I still need coffee," she said. "It wouldn't be very gentlemen like to not accomply me." Her voice lowered a little, "I'm not like Takumi. I won't pressure you into talking." She than brightened up as an idea came to her. "I'll buy you a cup of coffee too!"

She didn't let go of his wrist and started to pull him along. "You are almost like Takumi," he said.

She looked over at him and winked, "But we both know I'm prettier than him." Arata laughed at her answer and she smiled. "That's what I'm looking for. Laughter seems to help most people, it seemed to help you last time."

Arata looked at her. "I thought laughter was the best medicine."

"In some cases, no. However, Takumi usually fixes it."

"How do you know Takumi?" Arata asked. Ami looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "He's been my friend since we were children and he's never mentioned having someone who could be his twin."

"What did he tell you?"

"That you're a family member."

"Than...that's what I am, a family member," she said. "It's complicated."

"How can it be complicated?"

"Ever watched a soap opera and find out that everyone is related to everyone in someway? To the point where you need to take notes just to make heads and tails over who is the real heir to the family business?" Arata nodded. "It's almost that complicated. I'm sure you'll find out someday, Arata." They stopped in front of the apartment building. "Well, here we are. I'm sure Takumi won't mind you spending the night."

"How did you know my name?" Arata asked looking at her.

Ami giggled as Arata just stared at her with a glare. She stood on her toes and placed her hands on his shoulders so she could whisper into his ear, "You have your secrects and I'll have mine."

She pushed herself away from him and started to walk away. "Make sure Takumi bandages your hands. It would be a shame if those hacker hands got scars," she said to him as a farewell before she started to jog across the street.

Arata watched as she went out of sight, "Am I the only normal person that Takumi knows?"

When Arata was having lunch with Takumi and asked him about her, all Takumi said was, "Don't get too close to her, Arata. Ami is dangerous and she might hurt you. Just pay her no attention, okay?"

So Arata did that. He didn't see or hear from her for two months, but he did think of her. Quite often he would find his mind wandering away from his homework or his hacking job in questioning how Ami is doing and what exactly is her story. That itself scared him because he just couldn't forget about her.

"It's possibly because of the skirt thing," he said to himself one day as he walked home. He was looking down at the ground trying to figure out why she keeps swimming around in his thoughts.

"What skirt thing?" a voice asked in front of him causing him to look up.

"Ami?" he questioned.

She smiled and nodded. "Good job! Would you like a gold star?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just what I always wanted," he said with a chuckle. "What brings you here?"

"Work, I just got done with it," she said. "So, what's this about a skirt thing? Are you trying to picture Takumi in a skirt?"

Arata glared at her. "I really did not need that image in my mind!"

"The words you are looking for are 'thank you' in which I would respond with 'your welcome,'", she said. "It's just common courtesy."

"You're crazy."

"So I've been told, but never been proven true," Ami said back. "Anyway, I got to go."

"Before you go, I need to ask you something. Takumi avoided answering questions about you, but he said that you was dangerous," Arata said as he towered over her. "You don't seem like a dangerous person."

"Is that so?" Ami asked with a tilted head. "How curious, but you should possibly listen to him."

"I do, but I have been questioning his choices lately since I can't understand his reasonings behind his actions."

"My apartment isn't too far," Ami said. "I would like to get in more comfortable clothes, plus I've been told I make killer spring rolls."

"Is this your way of asking me to come over?"

"It's my way of asking you if you want to talk about Takumi to a neutral party in private."

"You are related to him."

"Doesn't mean I have a good or bad relationship with him." Arata stared at. "You don't have too, it's just a suggestion."

"I think I'll like that," Arata said softly. "I actually wouldn't mind being friends."

"If you wish to be my friend, than it must be kept a secrect," Ami said with a twinkle in her eye. Arata swore that the twinkle showed something like true happiness in her.

The secret of their friendship didn't last long as Takumi came over unexpectedly one night before Arata did. Arata was just standing out in the hallway to Ami's apartment when he heard Ami arguing with Takumi and slowly entered the apartment.

Normally, he wouldn't dare intrude but he was in a predictment and his friends would be the best ones to ask for help. He hopes they can help.

"Why should I?" Ami asked. "Why should I just end a friendship because you are jealous?"

"Maybe because he's my best friend," Takumi said.

"Well," Arata said making his presence known to the two red-heads. "I seemed to have walked in at the most awkward moment." He crosses his arms. "Lucky me that I am used to walking in such awkward moments."

"What are you doing here?" Takumi said.

"Getting answers that I have been wanting to know for a while. You know I can have more than just one friend, right?" Arata asked.

"But why her?" Takumi shouted pointing at Ami. "She's dangerous."

"How?" Ami and Arata asked.

Takumi got flustered, "Well...uhm...let's see.."

Ami's eyes narrowed, "You still believe in HER, don't you?"

"Of course, you should too. She's our mother!" Takumi shouted.

"So, the two of you are siblings?" Arata asked.

Ami took a deep breath and exhaled. "This is where it is going to get complicated, like I warned you."

"Darn, if I would have known I needed to take notes than I would have brought my notebook," Arata commented causing Ami to smile and shake her head a little.

"It really is not that complicated," Takumi said.

"Please, be quiet Takumi," Ami said. "You really aren't helping repair the relationship we had before my life got ruined."

Ami closed her eyes, but Arata saw the way Takumi deflated the anger and adreline losing their strength and causing Takumi to look like a hurt puppy. "Is that why you love bringing up the accident?"

"You mean the one were you was in a skirt?" Ami asked. "I have no choice otherwise you teeter on treating me like a broken glass doll or like the cause of all of your problems and insecurities." She opened her eyes but refused to even look at Takumi. "You ready for the story?"

"Yes," Arata said.

"Biologically, I am Takumi's younger sister by fifteen minutes," Ami said. "However, the woman who gave birth to us only wanted one child, a son. So her sister and her husband adopted me after I was here. The one who gave birth to me didn't even want to name me."

"She's still our mother," Takumi said.

"Not to me. Yukino Aiba, the sister, is who I consider Mom. Your mother is nothing more but a bittersweet aunt to me," Ami said back. "While growing up, Takumi and I were treated as cousins and we became close. That is until a week before I turned twelve. There was an accident that night after my mom's work threw a party for her latest work."

"It was a terrifying crash, my father didn't make it, his head went straight through the door window, my mother was in a coma for two years."

"It wasn't that bad," Takumi said.

"Excuse me?" Ami said snapping her head in Takumi's direction. "Your mother said it was MY fault that the semi driver fell asleep and hit us. You don't have a clue over the full abuse I received from her," Ami said wrapping her arms around her waist. "I'm not going to bother telling you. You'll just sugarcoat it."

"So, siblings believed to be cousins," Arata said. "I can see why that is complicated."

Ami nodded. "So what did you need?" she asked. "You wouldn't have came in unless you needed something from both of us or an emergency."

"I finally got tired of my mom and moved out or as she claims she kicked me out, so I need a place to stay," Arata said. "You two were the first ones I thought of."

"Dude! I told you that my place is open for you! Yes! I finally get you as a roommate!" Takumi said now pumped up, no longer looking like a hurt puppy.

Ami closed her eyes before opening it and smiled. "I'm glad Takumi offered because I can't. I'm moving tomorrow. I have no say in the matter."

"Who does?" Takumi asked.

"Mom. She believes it will be for the best for me," Ami said. "I haven't been able to heal since Dad died and over what my aunt did to me."

"I thought you accepted it?" Takumi said with a frown.

"It is hard to accept the cold truth," Ami said with a small smile. "You'll understand that tomorrow."

Arata frowned. Something was wrong with her and she knows what it is so why was she being so vague? Takumi seemed oblivious to the vague answers and dragged Arata out of Ami's apartment so they could start becoming roommates.

The next morning Arata did hear Takumi's digivice ring and didn't think twice of it. He was not expecting for Takumi to rush out of his bedroom and greet him by shaking his shoulders. "Takumi, what's wrong?" Arata asked seeing the pale expression on his friend.

"Ami...we talked to Ami yesterday, right? We talked with her yesterday? Right?" Takumi asked almost pleading with Arata to give Takumi the answers he was hoping for.

"Yes, we did. Is your memory going bad?" Arata asked.

"I-I don't know. She looks like me, right? Red hair in a side pony? Yellow clothing?"

"Yes, Takumi," Arata said. "Why?"

"Mom...mom never laid a finger on her," Takumi said. "She couldn't have. She did authority over Ami when Aunt Yukino was in a coma. While Aunt Yukino was in a coma, Mom did call her names, blamed her for everything. Mom signed her up for this experiment - oh God- I'm going to be sick."

"Do not make me slap you," Arata said.

"Ami...Ami is dead," Takumi said as he pushed Arata aside to dry heave into the sink. "Aunt Yukino took her off the machines this morning."

Arata's heart fell, but that didn't stop him from pressing the questions, "Took her off the machines?"

"Ami...Ami never woke up from her coma, from the accident that took her father. Mom signed her up for an experiment to connect Ami to cyberspace. The Ami we was talking to was a digital person but it WASN'T Ami."

Silence.

"Arata, buddy, I need -"

"You need to dry heave in the bathroom, Takumi," Arata said leading him to the mentioned room. As soon as Takumi was over the toilet, he started retching up last night's supper. Arata left his friend in there.

Ami was also a friend of his, no matter how short he actually knew her so he needed to accept this as reality as well. So many of her vague answers were making sense now. His eyes glanced at the laptop sitting on the kitchen table. He looked at his hands, he was a hacker. He might be able to restore her program. She might not be gone forever but….

What would be the right choice?

~~The End~~