Author's Note: A friendship one-shot based on the photo shown of Yamato and Sora on a date in the fourth Digimon movie (the cover image for this story). This takes place about a week before the actual movie.

Edit: Revised on 18 September 2013.

Snapshot

"Smile!"

Sora smiled as she kept one hand on Yamato's arm, and held up her free hand in a peace sign. Her boyfriend, however, didn't even bother to hide his displeasure.

The camera flashed.

"Well, at least Sora looked nice," Taichi commented, as he looked at the photo in the camera's display screen. "Yamato, you need to turn your frown upside-down, man."

"Taichi, are you stalking us?" Yamato asked abruptly, tone not at all amused.

"What?" Taichi exclaimed, eyes wide. He was intentionally being dramatic. "No!"

Yamato looked at him accusingly, not at all convinced. "We 'bumped' into you a few days ago at the food court. A week before that you just 'happened' to be shopping for clothes at the same store we were at – when we all know your mother buys all your clothes." He looked at him pointedly. "And now you suddenly show up out of nowhere with Hikari's camera like the paparazzi."

Taichi looked mildly offended. "OK," he said, trying to sound reasonable. "I was at the food court because I was hungry. I was shopping for clothes because I actually do buy my own clothes – not everyone is as naturally stylish and fashionable as you, Yamato." He paused, scratching the back of his neck. "And I'm here because . . ."

Yamato raised one single eyebrow. "Go on."

Taichi rolled his eyes. "OK, tonight I am stalking you two – but those other times I wasn't!"

Yamato gave Sora a look that simply said 'I told you so'. Sora tried to stifle her laughter.

Taichi attempted to defend himself. "It's nice that you two are dating and everything," he began. "But you know how in those love stories and chick flicks there's always that one guy who's the third wheel? Well, I feel like that guy." He paused for dramatic effect. "I'm the third wheel."

"Well, you wouldn't be if you just left us alone . . ." Yamato told him, seemingly completely unsympathetic. It was his brand of dry humour.

Sora hit him in the arm lightly for that remark, though she was smiling. "Taichi," she told her best friend, "if you want to hang out with us, you can just ask."

Taichi saw the almost pitying and amused look Yamato was giving him. No. He was not going to look desperate and in need of attention in front of Yamato. So, instead, he changed the subject. "Why is Sora carrying your bag?" he asked the blond, snorting as he gestured at the bag hanging from Sora's shoulder.

Yamato's eyes narrowed. "Because she has arms."

"Yeah? Last time I checked, so do you. And since it's your bag –"

"Her stuff's in it."

"So? I'm pretty sure you're supposed to carry her stuff anyway, seeing as you're her boyfriend."

"How exactly do you know that it's even my bag?"

"I use Geraid hair gel too, remember? It's obviously your shopping bag since it's got Geraid written across it in big, bold letters."

"Except Sora's using the bag as an actual women's tote bag for her stuff."

". . . Well, how was I supposed to know that?"

"That's the point. You shouldn't have assumed something you didn't know."

"Oh whatever, you really need to stop being so noble all the time –"

"Guys," Sora cut in sternly.

"Sorry," both boys muttered in unison.

Taichi cleared his throat. "Anyway, seeing as Sora obviously wears the pants in your relationship . . ." He happily ignored Yamato's glare and looked imploringly into his best friend's eyes instead. "Sora, can I hang out with you guys tomorrow? What are youse doing?"

"We're going to an art museum," Sora replied with a small smile, a little amused at Taichi's comment.

Taichi scratched his head. Oh. "That . . . sounds really boring, no offense."

Yamato snorted, rolling his eyes. "Only to uncultured people like you, Taichi."

"I'd rather be uncultured than boring," Taichi retorted.

Instead of verbally scolding the boys again, Sora simply placed a hand on Yamato's arm to indicate that he shouldn't continue to bicker with Taichi. Yamato got the message and kept his mouth shut, though he didn't look pleased. "Taichi, you don't want to go to the art museum with us tomorrow," Sora told the brunet gently. "You just said so yourself."

While Taichi knew that was true, he still wanted to hang out with them. "OK, look," he told his friends. "I've been hanging out with Koushiro every weekend since you two hooked up." He looked them hard in the eye. "Every weekend. I love the kid, but to hang out with him every weekend for, like, half a year –"

"We've only been dating for two and a half months," Yamato couldn't help interjecting, with a raised eyebrow.

"– for what feels like half a year," Taichi went on, shooting Yamato a sharp look. "It's not cool. I mean, Koushiro's a cool kid, but . . ." He playfully gave Sora sad puppy dog eyes. "I miss you guys!"

"We miss you, too," Sora returned kindly, meaning it. She had to chuckle at the dubious look her boyfriend was giving her, though. "Yamato's just teasing. He really does miss you as well." She hadn't realised just how much of her time she'd been spending with only Yamato since they got together. She had to admit that she may have neglected to put some time aside for her friends. "But, Taichi, do you actually want to put up with going to an art museum?" she asked sceptically.

"Well . . . no," Taichi admitted. He didn't actually want to impose on them for a whole day either. He just wanted to remind them that he was still around and would just like to hang out with them every once in a while. He really hadn't hung out with them for quite a while. "Where are you guys off to now?" he asked, thinking that perhaps he could join them for what was left of the night.

Sora glanced at Yamato uncertainly, because she had an inkling that he might not like her sharing that information. "We were headed back to my place to watch a movie . . ."

"That's perfect!" Taichi grinned widely. A night in with two of his closest friends sounded great to him. "Can I come?"

Though Yamato had to admit that he really did kind of miss hanging out with Taichi, he and Sora had made plans together – and he really hated plans changing. But if he were to be completely honest with himself, he conceded that he wouldn't entirely mind all that much if Taichi joined them – it had been a while since he'd kicked back with the brunet. But Yamato still thought that, when it came to his relationship with Sora, it was the right thing to do to want to stick to the date he'd set with her. Instead of vocalising his thoughts though, he just gave Sora a look. He knew she'd understand what he was thinking.

Sora could tell that Yamato wasn't particularly keen on the idea of Taichi tagging along with them to her apartment, but she really felt as though she owed it to Taichi to let him hang out with them. So she came up with a proposal. "If you let Taichi hang out with us tonight, you can come over my place on Sunday?" she directed at her boyfriend, offering him a make-up date. "I'll make us lunch." Sunday was actually the one day she'd set aside for homework, but she figured it'd be fine if she started on it early. Maybe Yamato could bring his homework over as well and they could help each other out.

Ever since they had started dating, Yamato found it increasingly hard to say 'no' to Sora. "Fine," he gave in with a sigh, although he was more OK with it than he let on. Taichi whooped and Yamato couldn't help but to crack a smile at his friend's excitement – and at the thought of the three of them just hanging out again. He really had missed the male company and just joking around and messing about with Taichi. Funnily enough, his bickering with Taichi tonight just highlighted that fact to him.

Sora smiled at her boyfriend, knowing that he really was glad to include Taichi with them for the night, and turned towards the brunet. "And no, Taichi, you can't come on Sunday," she told him in a teasing tone.

"I wasn't even going to ask!" Taichi told her, mock-defensively. "I've been over your place a bazillion times, Sora – a bazillion and one, by the end of tonight!" He grinned at his two friends, and they mirrored his grin with their own. Taichi's eyes then settled on Yamato and Sora's intertwined hands.

Sometime amongst all their chatter, Yamato had removed one of his hands from his pants pocket, and had found one of Sora's. Taichi suddenly became very aware that two of his closest friends really were in a romantic relationship. The affection they were showing from simply holding hands was a little confronting to him. His friends were a couple. And he found that . . . bittersweet. He loved both of them – but he also missed them, too.

But he also knew that he was really happy for them.

Taichi's smile widened. "Aww, look at you two, holding hands like in those romance movies," he teased them. "Who'd have thought Yamato would actually show affection in public? Sora melted your heart of ice, man."

"Yeah, whatever," Yamato rolled his eyes, but he was grinning. "Man, when you get a girlfriend, I'll be right here to show you the same 'support' you're showing me."

Taichi laughed. "Looking forward to it," he smirked. "By the way, I'm going to e-mail that photo I took of you guys to the others," he told the couple, referring to the other Chosen Children. "You two just looked so cute," he mock-squealed in a voice that sounded almost like Mimi's. "And I'll be sure to emphasise your scowl by circling it in Microsoft Paint, Yamato."

Yamato scowled. Sora laughed.

Taichi grinned. "Hey, we should take a photo of all three of us," he suggested. Yamato and Sora may be a couple now, but the three of them were still friends. And that was never going to change.

"OK," Sora agreed, nodding her head. "But who's going to take the photo?" she asked, seeing as there was no one else around to do so.

"I'm sure Yamato can manage," Taichi said, offering the camera to the blond. "He has the longest arms."

"Yeah, all right," Yamato agreed, taking the camera from Taichi.

"And smile, Yamato," Sora told her boyfriend, as she let go of his hand to link her arms with both boys, to make for a better picture composition. She wanted a really good photo this time.

"Yeah, yeah," Yamato told her automatically, stretching out his arm in front of him to take the photo of all three of them. "OK, ready? One, two, three."

All three smiled as the camera flashed.

"Yeah!" Taichi fist pumped the air. "I'm going to e-mail this photo to all our classmates. Maybe some of the girls will realise what a handsome catch I am and ask me out!"

"You'd have to be handsome in the first place, though," Yamato smirked at him, an eyebrow quirked teasingly. "Which you are not, Yagami."

As Taichi and Yamato started trading friendly blows yet again, Sora simply laughed as she pulled them along towards her apartment, her arms still linked with both boys.

End

I love the friendship between this trio. Having said that, I also think Sorato is totally independent of Taichi . . . so I tried to show that in this one-shot as well. But go Taiorato. ;)