More Digimon! I'm like really excited over this story, but I am excited over all my new Digimon stories. It's been a while since I wrote for the fandom, but god, do I love the characters. And exploring new pairings is always fun!
I tried a bit of a different writing style, and I hope it fits, and that I can maintain it through the rest of the chapters... But please enjoy this one for now!
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One could start a story with a description of a beautiful summer's day, talking about how the sunrays softly touched the greenest grass one had ever seen. A weeping willow sitting by the water side, a soft brush rustling through its leaves. Sketching a beautiful scene as a starter, introducing a character who loved being there. An almost poetic moment. TK didn't like poetry much, nor did he like creating scenes that would never happen in real life.
The sound of the cap being lifted off another bottle of beer, the stains on the carpet that he would have to hide, the tiny apartment cramped with too many people. That was real life. The heaviness of the air around, the warmth clinging to his skin, that was real. The couple that was making out in the corner of the room, trying to hide away in the shadows of a large houseplant. That happened all the time. Especially with the two people involved. Denial was strong, Davis still claiming he was very much into Kari, but it was a certain best friend who received all the intimate attention.
"Why so glum?"
The scene TK was trying to sketch was the party he was throwing, organised more by Matt than by TK, but that was beside the point. And at parties you needed the partygoers. There was no particular theme to this one, except it was for Digi-destined only. It was Kari who had joined him on the balcony, a breath of fresh air needed. Kari was also the one just a bit too in tune with TK's emotions, seeing exactly when he was feeling off.
Turning to look at her TK put up a smile to assure her he was doing fine. "My beer is empty, and without it I just feel a little empty," he joked.
A chuckle left her lips as Kari rolled her eyes, not buying the excuse, but not pushing either. "I'll get you another one." She grabbed the empty bottle and retreated from the balcony, stepping back into the steamy living room. The windows had even fogged up.
Eyeing the group inside TK contemplated on returning. Good thing his mother would still be gone for a few days, because he had a lot to clean up after the party was over. Most wouldn't leave until the sun had risen again, sleeping in various rooms of the apartment. Last time he had found someone in the bath tub the next day, a pillow made from the little guest handtowels. Yes, it was Davis.
As soon as he slid open the balcony door he was hit by the warmth from inside, it feeling almost wet against his skin. Unfortunately he couldn't leave it open, the noise everyone made a disturbance to the neighbours, and then he would be in a lot of trouble. Still it had reached tropical temperatures, and if people were drunk enough, he knew some shirts would start flying through the room. They really were far too comfortable around each other.
"Here you got your beer," Kari said with a sweet smile, dropping the bottle in TK's hand. "Your brother is getting quite wasted by the way."
That was nothing new. TK followed Kari's line of side to the kitchen, where most of the older ones of the group had gathered in a cluster. Matt was standing by the counter, one hand tightly gripping the edge as to not tumble forward. The smile he wore was almost creepy, if he had not been staring at his girlfriend. "Whose fault do you think it is this time?" TK asked. A game they played every time they had these sorts of get-togethers.
"Don't think it's my brother," Kari mused, cocking her head to the side as she eyed the group.
TK felt his heartbeat rise a little as he followed her gaze towards Tai. Just for a second, he granted himself a look at the brown-haired boy, though he should say man. Tai had really filled out in the recent years. He was still athletic, but his focus hadn't remained just on soccer. It made him attractive. Tai had probably always been attractive, at least to TK's standards. TK had simply never looked at his brother's best friend that way. Had possibly avoided it on purpose. Tai was the very reason TK had learned he was not just attracted to girls. Sweet tans with confident smiles were just a bit of a weakness of his.
"It could be Sora. I heard her say she was going to drag Matt home with her. Feeding him drunk might make that easier, but I don't think it's beneficial in the end."
Right, they were still playing a game.
"If Sora said that, then I think Matt is feeding himself drunk," TK replied. "You know how he is when it comes to sex."
Another chuckle rose up from Kari, putting TK a bit more at ease. He really wished he could tell Kari about his feelings. But how do you explain to your best friend that you are in love with their brother? At some point he'd have to. Kari wouldn't keep waiting, and eventually she would pull the words out of him. It was what she was good at. It was what he loved most about her.
"Do you think Davis and Ken will go home together today?" Diverting their attention to the next pair, TK was now staring at the interlocked couple, dangerously dangling over the houseplant. Hopefully that would survive. How was he going to explain to his mother that the plant had perished in the week that she was away?
"Have they ever gone home together?" TK questioned. He tried to think back on all the previous parties they've had, but he couldn't quite remember how they had all ended.
Lifting her forefinger Kari waved it from left to right, a mischievous look on her face. "A little birdy told me that they are spending every weekend together, and hardly ever leave the house."
"Yolei is the bird, isn't she?"
As Kari let out a genuine laugh, TK had to laugh along, shaking his head at this whole ordeal. "Yeah, she is," Kari admitted unnecessarily. "But don't ask me how she knows. I think I rather not know."
"I second that," TK muttered, eyeing the couple one last time as he washed one of the thick leaves break off his mother's beloved plant. Why could they not have chosen the hallway to kiss like any other sane person?
"TK!"
And with that his attention was back to the kitchen, his eyes accidentally landing on Tai again, though he had not been the one to call TK. It didn't matter though. TK couldn't help but let his eyes wander over Tai's form, take in the way his eyes lit up when he found something funny. Or the way his lips curved whenever he teased his friends. Right now he was slouched back against the kitchen island, a beer in one hand, and Mimi's waist in the other. She didn't mind the hand there. Mimi would never respond to Tai's advances, having no interest in the guy whatsoever. And Tai didn't really have these ulterior motives either. There was nothing intimate about it, and yet TK was bothered by it. Mostly because TK wanted to be in Mimi's position.
"TK!"
This time TK's eyes snapped to the right person. It was his brother, still clinging to the counter, but also in the process of opening several drawers.
Rubbing his temples TK got ready for a very tiring moment, one almost every party occurred. Moving around the couch he stepped towards the kitchen, passing Tai in a hurry. He felt those chocolate coloured eyes follow him, making his heartbeat speed up once more. TK knew it was merely out of curiosity, but it still felt good to receive Tai's attention. No matter in what context.
"What the hell do you want now, Matt?"
TK already sounded annoyed, and he didn't even know what was going on yet. But seeing Sora's apologetic look he knew it must be something dumb.
"Where does mom keep the ashtray?"
The ashtray… Matt had never smoked a cigarette in his life, and most probably didn't even bring cigarettes to begin with. So what would he really be smoking here? Why did big brothers have to be so tiring? And why was it TK who needed to act like a mother every time Matt got drunk.
Pinching the bridge of his nose TK processed what was happening around him, while Matt threw open another drawer. "Matt," he said softly, because he really was about to lose his cool. "Mom doesn't own an ashtray and you don't smoke."
Matt shot TK a confused look, not fully understanding what TK was saying. "But Mimi brought vanilla cigarettes."
Quickly TK turned around, now understanding he needed to focus on someone else. Mimi was still standing beside Tai, mixed in a casual conversation with Yolei and Izzy. With his attention solely on Mimi, TK managed to stand in front of her, practically feeling Tai's warmth radiating off him.
"Mimi, you can't smoke in the house," TK lectured. God, when had he turned into everyone's mother?
Dumbly Mimi blinked at him, the sudden interruption confusing her a little. At least she wasn't drunk, or tipsy for that matter. The girl hardly drank. She once explained she didn't like the feeling of losing control like that, and decided she would only drink when she liked the beverage, and even then she kept it to a minimum. Made this conversation a lot easier to have.
"Oh, well I was not going to," she replied, still looking rather confused.
Right, it was Matt who had wanted to smoke in the house. Feeling Tai's gaze on him now made it very hard for TK to respond to Mimi again. It hardly seemed important anyway. Especially when he felt Tai reach for his hand, instead grabbing the bottle of beer from him. It seemed he had been about to drop it.
"Sorry," TK started, rubbing his temples again. "Matt said you had cigarettes and was whining about an ashtray. I assumed you wanted to smoke."
"Oh!" Mimi exclaimed, a sweet smile back on her lips. The girl was really hard to insult, thankfully. "No, I was just telling them about these new cigarettes I got. I like the vanilla taste they have, but I don't smoke much anyway. I actually left them at home."
"Right," TK said, finding this situation more frustrating by the second. It meant his brother was whining over nothing, as per usual. "Sorry again."
"Don't worry about it," Mimi said, but TK was already moving back to his brother, knowing he'd have to deal with Matt still.
That was until a hand reached out and stopped him from turning the corner. "Leave them be. Sora will take care of it." Those deep brown eyes looked at him almost fondly, shooting him a smile that went straight to TK's heart. The bang of a pot falling out of a cabinet made them both look away for a moment, but with Tai's hand still in front of him, TK didn't feel the need to run over to his brother, and clean the mess. "Damn it, Sora. I think it's time you take him home."
"What do you think I've been trying, Tai?" Sora muttered sarcastically, desperately trying to pull Matt away from the next cabinet. "Maybe instead of telling me what to do, help me!"
"Fuck," Tai breathed out, turning his body fully to the couple now. "I have to take Kari home. I can't help you carry the idiot home."
The girl in question had now joined them as well, curiously eyeing the scene in front of her. More pots were now pulled from cabinets, Matt in search of the ashtray, though TK doubted Matt remembered that. God, Matt was annoying when he was drunk. And how had he gotten so drunk anyway? Tai and Sora both seemed almost sober.
TK would now offer something he rather wouldn't have. It meant Tai could leave right away, and even if TK didn't know how to act around the guy anymore, he rather have Tai around for as long as possible. "Kari can stay over. Then you don't have to walk her home. And I have to admit I rather have Matt puking at dad's place."
"Yay, sleepover!" Kari exclaimed as she threw her arms around TK. Seeing the smile Tai shot them as Kari embraced him, he felt his stomach drop. TK was aware Matt would love it if he started dating Kari, and Tai probably felt the same way. Really just his luck to fall for his best friend's brother.
"Thank you, TK!" Sora called over, and then quickly motioned for Tai to join her in lifting Matt off the floor. With a sigh the brunet joined them, and with his added strength they managed a lot easier. Matt hung between them like a dead weight, spewing insults as reasons to let him go and continue his search. They dragged Matt out of the kitchen and TK followed them to the front door to assist them in actually getting out.
In the door frame they halted for a moment, Tai turning to TK. "Sorry to cut the party short. We'll make sure your brother gets home safe," he started, and then hesitated for a moment, eyeing TK's shoes. "I'd say Matt will come help clean up tomorrow, but he'll be in no position to do so. So I'll be here at noon to help you out. Enjoy the rest of the evening."
And with that the three left after a short goodbye from Sora, and a muttered "I don't feel very good," from Matt.
Beautiful summer's days with sleeping willows and trickling water definitely was not reality. Hoping your drunk brother wouldn't puke all over your crush's shoes, that was.
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Let me know what you thought of this chapter!
For updates on when I am writing, follow me on instagram. I sometimes mention it in my story. At: dana dot eliza
Love, Dana
