Hey! Here's another fic from me! Haha. Welcome to my new fic, It Doesn't Take a Thousand Words!
Unlike Of Universities and Visits, this takes place in Japan, not America. It features two other Digidestined: Matt and Sora!
I think most of you know what this fic is about, and what it leads to. This takes place before Apocalyptic Quest but after they find out about the arrest.
Tai, Matt, and Sora are in their freshman year of college for most of the fic. I hope you like it! Enjoy! :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon!
Please Read and Review! :)
It Doesn't Take a Thousand Words
"Congratulations Seniors!" The Principal announced, grinning.
The seniors jumped up from their seats, removed their graduation caps, and threw them into the air. They cheered as a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction filled the football field of Odaiba High. Some were clapping each other on the backs, congratulating others on a job well done. Some sighed in relief, unable to believe that they had just graduated from high school. Some were beaming proudly. Some were starting to worry about college now that high school was done. The graduation's audience stood up, clapping, giving them a standing ovation. All was well in Odaiba as of now.
Matt Ishida stood smiling as he saw his friends' faces in the audience, cheering loudly. He saw Joe, who had come to watch their graduation with his girlfriend, Momoe. Matt gave him a nod, saying hello, while Joe flashed a smile back, silently congratulating him. He saw Izzy who just laughed and gave him a thumbs up. Davis, Yolei, Cody, and Ken were jumping up and down, all smiling, all clapping, just for them. Matt also saw his father and mother, as they stood side by side, giving him a look of proudness and affection. He was truly happy. It wasn't a sight anyone saw often, but he knew that they were there for him and that they were proud of him. He waved back and was about to go greet them when he felt someone pat him, a little strongly, he may add, more like hitting him on the back.
"Whoo-hoo!" Tai Kamiya yelled, still slapping him on the back pretty hard. "It's finally over! We are officially men, Matt."
Matt rolled his eyes at Tai's behavior. "Yeah, buddy. I still can't believe you finished and graduated high school, least you of all people."
Tai glared at him. "You're not out of the woods, either Matt. You almost failed math."
"While you almost failed every other subject there is," Matt retorted, grinning.
Tai opened his mouth to give him a comeback but was interrupted by a familiar female voice. "Alright! We get it. Let's not get into a fight about this, shall we? I'd like to finish our last day here without any shenanigans," Sora said, interrupting the two of them.
"What can I say?" Tai told them, as he wanted to finish what he was saying. "Soccer is my thing. And for your information, Matt, I didn't fail every subject. I passed all my classes with flying colors!" He beamed proudly, and then continued, "Sora, shenanigans is a funny word, but it's also pretty weird. So I advise you not to say it again."
Sora gave him a stern look. "I was just trying to emphasize my point! Besides, Matt's right."
"And you didn't pass with flying colors," Matt added. "If you did, you would be Valedictorian."
"Oh come on, guys! Have a little fun!" Tai suggested, still cheering.
"He's right, you know," Joe said, walking towards them. "You should have a little fun before you get into college. Party tonight and then start studying tomorrow."
They all gave Joe a weird and strange look. It wasn't like him to suggest something like that.
Izzy and the others walked behind Joe, following him. "Congratulations, guys. You actually graduated."
Tai, Sora, and Matt turned to Izzy and gave him death glares.
Izzy took back what he said. "I'm talking about Tai and Matt. I knew you would graduate Sora."
Sora smirked in satisfaction as Tai and Matt shook their heads.
"Oh my gosh!" Yolei squealed. "I'm going to miss you guys." She sniffed.
"We're not going anywhere yet, Yolei," Sora told her, trying to hold back laughter. Sometimes, Yolei could be emotional when she doesn't even need to be.
"Which college did you guys decide on attending?" Cody asked politely.
Tai had a confused look on his face, as if he was trying to remember which one he picked. His eyebrows scrunched up and his eyes narrowed.
Matt ignored him. "Tokyo University."
"Kyoto University," Sora confessed. "My dad is a professor there, after all."
A light bulb lit in Tai's brain as he remembered. "Oh yeah! Yours truly is going to be attending Shinjuku University."
Izzy gave him a wary look. "That is, if you can still remember that you're going there in a few weeks. You seemed to have a hard time remembering."
Everyone laughed at that as Tai pouted. Just because he didn't graduate with all A's like Joe and Sora did, or like Izzy probably will, he still graduated. And for that, he was proud.
"Shinjuku and Kyoto are in pretty close proximity to each other, you know," Izzy reminded Matt, a few minutes later when they separated from the rest of the group.
Matt sighed. "I know. So what?"
"You mean you're not a little bit jealous that Tai and Sora are probably going to be hanging out more?"
"I trust Sora," Matt replied simply, though right now he didn't seem so sure. He was pretty sure Tai still had feelings for the girl. Though now he wished he chose a college closer to them. Sora and Tai were going to be on the other side of Japan while he was stuck in Tokyo. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of that thought. It didn't matter. He and Sora were still going to keep in touch. At least, that's what he hoped. He waved goodbye to Izzy and went to greet his parents.
Sora and Tai finished talking with their parents and began to walk over to the other Digidestined.
"I'm going to miss this place," Tai commented finally, making the first move to speak on their silent walk.
Sora nodded. "Definitely. But we can still visit."
As they reached the others, Yolei let out a squeal.
"So…." She started slyly, her eyebrows waggling. "Are we going to get to go to that party of yours?"
Sora laughed. "No, I don't think so, Yolei. The party is only for the seniors anyway."
Yolei sighed and shot a defeated look towards Sora. Tai chuckled.
"You'll get to have your own in like what, two years?"
Yolei grumbled and muttered something that sounded like, "It isn't fair, they're not even that special anyway."
Ken stepped forward and shook their hands. "Congratulations anyway, guys. Have fun at the party."
Tai's eyes danced with mirth. "You bet we will. There's no doubt about that."
Sora smiled as she observed the scene unfolding before her. Everything was perfect. Everyone—almost everyone was here. Her grin transformed into a frown. She then thought of someone with blonde hair and blue eyes like Matt's. His hat would be rested on the top of his head as his tall frame would've shook with laughter. A young, brunette haired girl would be standing right beside him; her delicate, gorgeous brown eyes would be giggling with laughter as she teased her brother. Sora's eyes, who usually presented themselves with love and care, hardened. They should be here. Instead, they don't have the chance to live out their life as they're rotting in that jail of the Digital World. It wasn't fair, to say the least.
Matt growled in frustration as he made his way through bunches of people, partying like there was no tomorrow. It started to get really hot in here. He lost Tai a few hours back and he thought Sora was close behind him, but when he turned around, she was gone. Now instead of having fun, he wanted to find one of them, especially Sora. To be honest, Matt didn't really want to run into Tai, for fear of what his bushy-haired friend was up to. It was then that he heard a familiar voice.
"Hey babe, wanna have a drink?"
He tuned to the owner of the voice, who, he guessed correctly, was indeed Tai. Tai was laughing drunkenly as he dragged the girl over to where he was sitting. Matt rolled his eyes at his attempt to get down (and possibly dirty) with a girl.
"Sure," The girl giggled.
Tai gave her his infamous goofy grin as he spoke to the bartender. "Hey you! Can we have a drink for the little lady here?"
The bartender went over to Tai and asked him a question. "What kind?"
"Doesn't matter," Tai replied, his attention shifting to the ditzy blonde beside him.
The two then continued to flirt and once she had her drink, she scooted up onto his lap and started making out with him. Matt turned to look another direction, but he needed to ask Tai something. He then peered over at Tai, who was sucking off the face of the girl like the whole world was about to end.
Matt strode over and pulled the two away from each other, who were totally out of breath, but grinning all the same.
"Excuse me, sorry," Matt apologized to the blonde before she left with a wave of her hand.
Tai cast an annoyed glare over to Matt who smiled apologetically—not really—at him.
"What the heck do you want, Ishida?"
Matt screamed over the blaring music, in order for Tai to hear him. He cupped his hands around his mouth to make his scream louder and more pronounced. "Have you seen Sora?"
Tai burped from all the shots he drunk tonight. He then gave Matt a drunken stare. "How would I know? Sh-she's you're gi-girlfriend. And I was having a fun time without you. Now you scared that what's-her-face away."
"Dude. I need to know. Where the heck is Sora?" Matt yelled again, grabbing his collar and pulling him up so he can look the drunken Tai in the eye.
Tai rolled his eyes and sighed. "I don't know, man. Probably somewhere."
Matt released Tai by the collar, jerking him back down into his seat. He shook his head and walked out to the balcony to get some fresh air, leaving Tai in his drunken, wasted state. It was so freaking hot in there anyway, he couldn't stand it. It was disgusting to say the least, the young adults' sweat dripping off of them and onto the floor and them eating each other's faces off, going all out, and not thinking of the consequences.
As he opened the doors that lead to the balcony, he breathed in, smiling at his intake of fresh air. He looked over Odaiba, which actually seemed peaceful tonight. Lights emitting from cars and buildings and from the stars that hung above them. It was a pretty sight to see, he supposed. He felt the door open, but he didn't turn around. Someone was approaching him, but he already knew who it was without even having to spare a glance at the person. His heart started to beat faster when his ears heard the familiar, soft, motherly voice speak.
"You were looking for me?" Sora questioned her eyes soft and caring.
Matt hummed, agreeing. "How did you know?"
"Tai," Sora laughed.
Matt rolled his gorgeous azure eyes at the name. "He's so wasted; I'm surprised he can even talk straight."
Sora came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck and shoulders, hugging him from behind.
Matt smiled and turned around in order to be face to face with her. "You look beautiful tonight."
"What?" Sora teased, mocking him a little. "I'm only wearing jeans and a blouse, Matt. It's not all that stunning."
"It's enough for me," Matt replied, pulling her in for another hug, resting his head on the top of hers.
Sora breathed in his cologne, reveling in his scent and presence. "I'm glad, then."
They stayed in that position for awhile, neither one moved or spoke. They just reveled in the other's presence, being there.
"Hard to believe we—Tai—graduated," Matt commented, coughing to add in Tai's name.
Sora pulled away and smacked him playfully on the shoulder. "Be nice. He's worked hard."
"Or it's just a miracle," Matt snorted, grinning.
"You guys are so mean to each other," Sora protested. "Sometimes, I can't even believe the lengths you would go just to be mean to the other."
Matt shrugged. "It wouldn't be us if that wasn't the case."
Sora giggled. "Too true."
Matt thought for a moment, his thoughts running deep in his mind. He opened his mouth to speak. "I love you, Sora."
Sora took his hand and put some of her weight on him, leaning against his shoulder. "I love you, Matt."
Matt took her chin and pulled her face up to his so he can meet her eyes. He then leaned in, preparing to kiss her. Sora got the hint that her boyfriend was signaling to her and leaned in as well. Their lips met in a loving and chaste kiss. As seconds ticked by the clock, the kiss became more passionate, more loving. After what seemed like hours but it was only a few minutes, they pulled away from each other, staring into each other's eyes with love.
They leaned their foreheads against each other, panting, enjoying the moment. Neither spoke for fear of ruining the peaceful moment.
"Matt….," Sora panted.
Matt gulped in a huge breath of air. He gazed into her eyes. "Yeah?"
"I'm going to miss you," Sora admitted softly, her eyes showing pain and sadness.
"Me too," Matt confessed, catching his breath. "Me too."
Sora pulled her forehead away from his and wrapped one of her arms around his waist while Matt did the same. The two just stood there, overlooking the city of Odaiba, trying to enjoy the party and each other, while at the same time, trying to forget the worries that the future held for them. For now, all that mattered was each other.
Summer went by in a breeze, it seemed. It passed by so quickly, she couldn't even believe it was time for school already. Nothing major happened; Matt went on his tour in Europe again for a majority of the summer. Sora went to various tennis camps and started to study and prepare for college. The two barely had time for each other, as it was hard to find time when they were both available. In the last few weeks of summer however, they made sure to spend as much time as they could together. Finally, it was time for Sora to start driving to Kyoto. It was several hours away. She had to go now in order to be able to unpack her things in her dorm and check out the campus.
Sora grunted as she put one of her suitcases in the trunk of her car. She spotted Matt and watched him as he put another one of her bags in the car. He stood up straight and faced her.
"That's it," Matt announced proudly, feeling accomplished.
Sora was surprised. "That's it?"
"That's it," Matt confirmed. "Everything's good and ready to go."
"That's it," Sora murmured, not being able to believe it. She could have sworn she packed many more bags.
Matt realized it was time for her to go. She was already behind schedule and she at least had to make it to Kyoto before dark. He sighed, frowning.
Her voice came as music to his ears. "I've got to get going, Matt."
Matt nodded, enveloping her in his arms, going in for a hug. "I know."
Sora felt tears well up in her eyes. She choked back a sob.
"Hey," She heard Matt's voice call out to her. "Don't cry."
"I-I'm trying n-not to. Look at this. Y-You made me a bl-blubbering mess," Sora joked, trying to lighten up the mood.
Matt only spoke two words that she anticipated he would say. "I know."
Sora rolled her eyes and shook her head. She was certainly going to miss Odaiba. She knew that he still had to finish packing up, but Tokyo wasn't as far from Odaiba as Kyoto was.
"Say hi to Tai for me, will you?" Matt teased as Sora shook her head, laughing.
Matt was starting to crack-up as well, though he didn't know why. It wasn't even that funny.
"And," Matt started to add, pursing his lips. "The douche bag better take care of you, otherwise, I'm coming over there to beat him up myself. Worrying about girls dumping him will be the least of his worries."
"Play nice," Sora warned, hitting him on the arm firmly. "I'll see you at Christmas then."
"Yeah." Matt nodded. "You sure you don't want me to drive over there?"
"I'm sure," Sora replied. "I have to go see my mom anyway, so it'll save you a trip and some gas."
"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Matt inquired warily.
"I'm sure, Matt! Stop being such a wuss," Sora complained, giving Matt a firm, hard glare. "I'm independent and I can take care of myself."
Matt groaned, shaking his head. "Okay, okay, I get it. Tai's there anyway." He interrupted. He did not want to go through that whole 'independent, strong, woman lecture thing' again. He was fine without hearing it another time.
Sora smirked. "Great! So now that that's settled," She paused, then continued. "I have to go. It's going to be a long drive ahead for me."
Before Sora could get in her car, Matt grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. He crushed his lips to hers, giving her a goodbye kiss. Sora almost melted at how passionate the kiss was, but stood her ground. She responded by kissing him back, wrapping her arms around his neck while his arms snaked around her waist. After a few minutes of kissing—ahem, making out—as Tai would say, he would never let them live this down, they retracted from each other, panting heavily.
Sora flashed him a good-natured, motherly, caring, down-to-earth smile as she opened her door and sat in her car. She proceeded to start the car and then rolled down her windows so she could say goodbye to Matt.
"I'll see you around, Takenouchi," Matt smirked, teasing her.
"See you, Ishida," Sora replied, sticking her tongue out at him.
"Hey," Matt said, trying to get her attention. Sora directed her gaze from the road to him, wondering what he wanted to say.
"Please be careful. Have a safe trip, and take care of yourself," Matt cautioned her.
"I will, don't worry. Don't drink or party too much. Good luck. I'll be fine," Sora stated, reassuring Matt.
Matt nodded as the window rolled back up. Sora turned to look at Matt one last time. As she waved goodbye, she willed herself not to cry. They'd see each other again. She knew it. He knew it. Sora then focused her eyes back on the road and drove out of the parking lot.
Matt watched as her car drove away. Only until it was completely out of sight, did he start to walk to his car.
The next time that they actually saw each other was New Year's Eve. For Thanksgiving, Sora couldn't make it to Tokyo or Odaiba and for Christmas, Matt was in America, touring with his band. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas and Christmas and New Year's, things got hectic for the two of them. They had to finish midterms and testing. Not to mention, Matt and Sora were swamped with their music career and tennis matches respectively.
The snow lightly fell on the city of Tokyo, covering the streets, buildings, houses, and trees with a white, sparkling blanket of snow. Tokyo Mall was decorated with bright, shining lights, with New Year's decorations, for the celebration of the New Year. Sora's teeth chattered a bit in the cold. Her white pea coat and red scarf wasn't doing any wonders for her warmth. Then, a voice called out her name. She searched around, for owner of the familiar voice it belonged to. She waved frantically when she saw him, her face filled with smiles.
Sora watched as Matt approached her, carefully dodging the different people crowded in Tokyo. He waved back. Sora spoke as he halted to a stop in front of her.
"Nice to see you Matt."
"Likewise, Sora," Matt grinned. "You know it's always a pleasure to see me."
Sora felt her eyes roll at the comment, even though she willed them not to. At least his ego and his sense of self-importance hadn't changed. She came up with her own witty comeback.
"It's a shame to see that your ego hasn't deflated since I saw you last."
Matt gave her a death glare. "Whatever, Sora. How's college?"
"Fine, I guess. I have a lot of homework that's due when we get back. Did you tour with your band somewhere?" Sora questioned, interested.
"No, not for the first part of the school year," Matt replied.
Sora's eyes narrowed a bit, but she calmly got the words out. "What about the second part of the year?"
Matt sighed as if he were defeated. He didn't want to tell Sora this, not at what was supposed to be a happy time. "We're going to America after the Holidays."
Sora felt her heart wrench at the words he fed her. "What about Spring Break? Matt, we discussed this already. We were supposed to spend it together."
Matt nodded frantically, agreeing with her completely. "I know, and I'm pretty sure I'll be back by then, don't worry about it."
Sora gave him a warning glance, not believing him in the slightest. Europe was one thing; America was, however, on the other side of the freaking world! She reassured herself, her mind telling her that he would be back in time to spend Spring Break with her. It was the only other break they had before summer came. And summer was a long ways away. But, in the back of her mind, she knew that he wouldn't be able to make it. It was too far away, and she assumed that he had many stops and gigs for his band to play at.
Matt, not wanting to let this moment slip away from him, tried to change the subject. He, frustrated, ran his hands through his blonde hair. "Let's not talk about this right now, okay?"
"We have to, Matt, its—," Sora started but Matt cut her off.
"It's New Year's Sora. Let's just enjoy this moment, please?"
"But it's the only time we'll have time to talk about it. When do you leave?" Sora inquired.
Matt winced at Sora's persistence. "In the beginning of January, the day after tomorrow."
Sora sighed. There goes the rest of the week with him.
"We have today, Sora," Matt persisted, wanting desperately to drop the subject. "Just drop it for now."
Sora reluctantly agreed but as time flew by, the clock ticking closer to midnight, the start of the New Year, she couldn't help but think of it. She was there, hanging out with Matt, but her mind wasn't. It wasn't until everybody was shouting that she realized what time it actually was.
"10….9….8….7….6….5….4….3….2….1….Happy New Year's!"
The citizens of Japan shouted as the crystal ball dropped and lights flashed everywhere, signifying the New Year. She felt someone grab her by the shoulders, crashing their lips to hers in a passionate kiss. Thanks, Matt. Her mind thought as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He did the same with her waist. They stood there, kissing each other with passion and love. Before it could turn out into a full make-out session, however, Sora pulled away, looking into his beautiful blue eyes. She was about to bring up the tour, when she saw him smile softly at her. It was a smile that she didn't see often. He rarely gave it out to anyone, in fact the only people she's ever seen the same smile directed to were T.K. and her. That was why she decided to drop it for now.
"Happy New Year's Sora," Matt told her.
Sora gave him a caring, big hug as she whispered into his shoulder, "Happy New Year's Matt."
"Call him then," Tai suggested as he started to devour a huge hamburger and his large fries. Along with his meal came a piece of pie, a bucket of chicken, some hotdogs, and bacon. To finish it off, he had a ginormous cup of Coca Cola in front of him. Even after all these years of knowing him, Sora couldn't believe how big his stomach and appetite were. If he tried hard enough, she was pretty sure he could fit a bear in there.
"Wait, what did you say?" Sora asked, caught off guard by the random statement.
"If you miss him, call him. Duh," Tai replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Didn't I just tell you that he's on tour? That's what we've been talking about since we've gotten here!" Sora stated angrily, had he not been listening?
"I know. But, I mean, you've got to consider the facts here. Spring Break is in a month and he's still not back, which means he probably won't be back," Tai explained, satisfied with his logic, and not to mention, his food.
"So you want me to just succumb to my desires and call him?" Sora hissed. She won't do that, heck her pride was too big, that she refused to call him the first month he was away. She was still angry that he decided to tell her at the last minute.
"Sure. Why not?" Tai asked, eyeing her food. He had already sucked in all his food like a vacuum, and he wanted more. He was still a growing boy, he needed this to live.
Sora caught him eyeing her food. She rolled her eyes and pushed what she had left of her burger and fries over to him. Tai's eyes lit up with joy and happiness as he drooled over it.
"It's complicated, Tai. I know what I'll hear from him," Sora replied, mimicking Matt while holding up her hand as a phone to her ear. "Um, sorry Sora, but I can't make it there in time. My stupid band is still touring and we're getting a lot of fame from this. I can't ignore this. Sorry babe, call you later!"
Tai blinked at Sora, and then burst out into laughter. "You….you should never do impressions of Matt. Sorry, but they're horrible."
Sora frowned, not pleased. She shook her head at his immaturity.
"Seriously," Tai started, his face actually becoming serious for the first time since this conversation. "You should at least try to sort it out with him. You guys are in a committed relationship; it's what you're supposed to do."
She puffed out a breath, not happy that Tai was actually right for once. Just this time, his logic actually outweighed his appetite. As she glanced at him sucking in his food without as much of a swallow, she corrected herself. His appetite would always outweigh his logic. Or anything else for that matter.
"He loves you and you love him," Tai explained as he filled his mouth with food. Kari and Mimi were right, she decided right then and there. His manners were very appalling.
"I'm not so sure, Tai," Sora admitted, biting her lip.
"Sure about what?" Tai asked, interested albeit confused.
"Our relationship," Sora spoke softly, finally confessing what she feared and thought about for the majority of the school year. "I feel like….I feel like we're drifting apart."
Tai gave a defeated sigh. "Don't think like that, Sor. You've been together for a long time, and you've gotten through tough times together. You should be able to make it through this one too."
Sora put her hands in her head, her mind filling with doubts about their relationship. What if they had wasted all this time when they could've dated other people? What if they could have given others a chance? What if it wasn't meant to be? What if it was, as many people say, just an illusion?
Tai reached over the booth and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Please, Sora, just consider it. If not for him, do it for your old, hungry pal over here," He finished, pointing to himself.
She laughed, despite her feelings. "Thanks Tai."
He shrugged. "Anytime."
Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!
Matt grimaced as his phone woke him up. He just went through a grueling concert with many more encores than needed. Without sparing a glance at the caller ID, he pressed talk and held the phone up to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Matt? It's Sora," Sora greeted him through the phone, her voice soft.
Matt sat up straight, quietly tiptoeing to the bathroom, so he wouldn't disturb his band mates. "Hey. What's up?"
"Sorry, did I wake you? I forgot about the time difference between the two countries," Sora apologized.
"No, not at all," Matt lied. He didn't want her to worry about anything. She could call him whenever, wherever she felt like it. It didn't matter to him.
"How's the tour?" Sora questioned, making small talk.
"It's fine. It's a bit tiring though," Matt admitted.
"Ah, sorry about that," Sora said. "Are you having fun?"
"Of course I am, Sor. It's music. It's what I love to do," Matt replied.
Sora nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "That's nice."
"Are you okay? How are you?" Matt wondered, wanting to know how she was doing.
"I'm good," Sora answered. "College is starting to become a pain though."
Matt chuckled a bit. A comfortable silence fell over the two, as they didn't know what to say after that.
Then, Sora asked the question that Matt assumed was the reason why she was calling him.
"Are you coming back for Spring Break?" She asked, cutting to the chase.
He smiled to himself at how well he knew her. His smile however, faded and turned into a frown. When he first checked out their concert schedule, many concerts were scheduled during Spring Break. He didn't want to break the news to her just yet, even though he knew she would be mad when she found out how long he knew about it.
He took a deep breath, preparing himself for her reaction when he gave her the news. "No. No I'm not. I can't. I'm sorry."
He could feel her shallow breathing from the other end of the phone. He sat silently on the toilet seat as he waited for her response. None came, however.
"Sora?" He asked weakly, wondering if she had hung up on him.
"How long have you known about this, Matt?" She inquired, angry, but calm.
"What do you mean?" Matt countered back, trying to play dumb.
"You know what I mean. You have a pending habit of not telling me things until the last minute," Sora replied, her frustration showing a bit.
"I promise I was going to tell you," Matt reassured her.
"Oh yeah? When? When I'm waiting for you at the airport?" Sora shot back angrily.
Matt was starting to get pissed. In his eyes, she had no right to be mad at him. "Of course not!"
"But I'm waiting, Matt," Sora told him. "I had hoped that you would come. We've barely seen each other—."
"Don't you think I know that?" Matt retorted shakily.
"So what? You have your schedule right in front of you. You could've called right when you found out," Sora remarked.
"I was trying to see if I could get out of it," Matt defended, frustrated.
Matt heard Sora sigh heavily into the phone. "You know you can't," She responded.
Matt gritted his teeth in the anger overcoming him. He wasn't going to back down. "It's not like I meant for this to happen!"
"You didn't," Sora replied. "But it doesn't matter; I'll be fine during Spring Break alone."
"Be that way, then. I said I'm sorry," Matt shot back.
"Whatever, Matt," Sora sneered. Their emotions were getting the best of them; their anger was starting to control them, which is why Sora decided to end the conversation and just call him back later when they both calmed down.
"Have fun on your tour, Matt," Sora spat out and hung up.
Matt could hear the click of the phone shut off as she hung up. He was about to chuck his cell phone at the wall, but he refrained. He tried to calm himself as anger seeped through him. As his mind rewound through the whole conversation, he asked himself one question. How did they let themselves transform into this?
They were both too proud to call each other after that to apologize. Their pride got in the way of them making up. Matt then returned to Japan about a month later. He glanced around the airport, and proceeded his way to get his bags. As he got into his car, he decided to call Sora, telling him he arrived in Tokyo. He heard a few rings before she picked up the phone.
"Hello?" She panted.
"Sora," He greeted curtly. He didn't want to get into another argument with her, especially when he just got back home.
"Oh, Matt. Hi," Sora replied. "What is it?"
He winced at her trying to get to the point. "I'm back in Japan."
"That's nice," Sora responded after a moment of silence. "How was the trip?"
"Long," Matt tried to joke, trying to lighten up the mood.
"I bet," Sora replied.
"Um, so, do you want to hang out or something?" Matt suggested warily.
Suddenly, Sora began to shout. She wasn't angry, however. She was just frustrated with how dense he could be sometimes. "I'm like, seven, eight hours away! And I have a tennis tournament coming up. Not to mention, we both probably have classes tomorrow. Are you insane?"
Matt chuckled a bit; glad he was able to break the ice between them. "What are you doing right now?"
"I'm at tennis practice!" Sora shrieked back. "We're just on a five minute break right now."
Matt glanced at the clock. It was around seven in the morning. If he started driving now, he could arrive around three to four in the afternoon there, he figured.
"Sorry, sorry," He apologized. "I'll let you get back to your tennis thing, your highness."
He could feel Sora's smirk through the phone. "Thank you. Goodbye, Matt." She said and hung up.
He could feel a smirk coming upon his face as well. Boy, would she be in for a surprise tonight.
Sora swung her tennis racket high enough in the air, and then she brought it down with enough force in order for the ball to travel to her opponent at a high speed. Her opponent was good, but not good enough. She tried to swing at the ball to send it back but unfortunately, she missed by an inch. Sora cheered as she scored.
"Nice game, Maggie," Sora said, complementing her friend.
Maggie wiped the sweat from her brow as she panted, trying to catch her breath. "I'll win next time."
"You go and believe that," Sora smirked, her competitive side getting the best of her.
Maggie rolled her eyes but then she stared ahead, seeming to look behind Sora. Sora wondered what it was that her friend was staring at.
"Maggie? Is something wrong?" Sora wondered.
Sora saw her friend turn back to look at her. Maggie smirked. "Nothing, Sora. You worry too much, you mother hen," She joked. "Although, I might turn around and peek behind me if I were you."
Maggie then walked away. Sora, a bit confused, watched Maggie walk away to her other tennis friends. Sora turned around and her eyes widened at the sight that she saw.
A cocky, blonde, blue-eyed, rock star, bumbling idiot sauntered up to her with a taunting grin on his face. She felt her eyebrow twitch. She just wanted to go and slap that grin off of his face.
"Sora! Baby, how are you?" Matt greeted, opening his arms so she could run into him, hugging him.
He couldn't be more wrong, she decided. She watched as he lowered his black aviators at her, grinning, and she knew that he probably thought it looked tempting, sexy. She rolled her eyes and scoffed. It looked like anything but that. She strode up to him, pulled back her hand, and slapped him in the face. She could hear her teammates' reactions with 'Oooohs' and 'Wow, he got burned!'
She smirked as he lifted a hand to his cheek, wincing at the bitter, stinging pain. He glared at her and demanded, "What was that for?"
"For being an idiot!" She countered. "You can't just walk in here, like the Queen of England, acting like you own everything! Especially during my tennis practice!"
"Au contraire, my dear," He retorted, grinning his infamous, charming smile. "F.Y.I., darling, I just did."
She took a deep breath to calm herself while rubbing her fingers on her head to try to stop the headache from approaching. He could just be so infuriating sometimes. She turned back to her friends who were clearly watching them with interest. She could feel Matt shoot a grin towards the girls, making some of them swoon.
"Practice dismissed! We'll continue again tomorrow," Sora announced. She watched some of the girls as their knowing smiles turned into frowns. Some went up to them and winked at Matt, telling him to call them. She rolled her eyes. Some things never change.
Sora spun around on her heel and facing Matt, took off his sunglasses, and looked him directly in the eye. She grunted and stalked off towards her bag on the bench.
Matt was surprised, as he was pretty sure he would get a different reaction. He imagined her running into his arms and kissing the life out of him. Then again, this was Sora, who was unpredictable, and her reaction right now was the one that was supposed to be expected out of her anyway.
She felt his presence as he walked up behind her, surveying her closely. She tried to ignore him as he spoke.
"I expected a different, more caring reaction."
Sora turned around, giving him her famous, known glare, putting her hands on her hips. "What were you going to expect? Did you want me to run into your arms and kiss the life out of you?"
Matt thought about it for a moment, grinned, and nodded. "Sure, why not?"
"You're insufferable," Were the only two words that came out of her mouth.
"And you seem irritable," Matt shot back, smirking.
"You just disrupted my tennis practice!" Sora told him, half amused. "That's one thing I don't want some idiot to mess with!"
Matt now looked apologetic. She knew that he knew how important this was to her. "Sorry. I wanted to surprise you."
Sora's glare softened a little bit. It hardened again. "You should know better." She told him and pouted, half-serious, half jokingly.
He chuckled and pulled her in for a hug, which she accepted only after smacking him playfully on his chest.
"I missed you," Matt said, breathing in the scent of her hair.
She buried her head in his shoulder. "I know."
"Glad to know you felt the same way," Matt teased.
"Oh, you know I missed you as well," Sora remarked, defending herself.
"Hey Sora….," Matt started.
She pulled away from the hug and directed her gaze to him, wondering what he could possibly want now.
"I have to apologize for, you know," Matt continued.
Sora nodded, knowing what he was referring to. She knew very well he wasn't very good at apologies, so she let it go for now.
"That's okay. It was just petty fight after all. I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have overreacted," Sora replied, her memories drifting back to the fight about the tour during Spring Break.
"So we're good?" Matt questioned, unsure. Sora could be unpredictable; he wanted to make sure they were okay.
"Yeah, don't worry about it, Matt," Sora chuckled, laughing at the look on his face. It was a mix between uncertainty and fear, a look that anyone rarely saw on Matt very often.
He sighed in relief, breathing out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding in.
"Great," Matt said, relieved. "So, you want to go somewhere for dinner? I know the perfect place."
They were in the park, their backs lying against a big, tall oak tree that they found. They had finished eating and were for now, silent, gazing up at the stars above them, sharing a moment that had become a rare event for them ever since they had entered college.
"This is nice," Sora commented.
Matt, not wanting to ruin the moment, nodded his head, agreeing with her.
"Not just having a picnic and staring at the stars, looking for constellations," Sora added. "Couples do that all the time. I actually wouldn't care where we are right now. Just being together seems like a privilege in itself."
Matt sat up, more alert. He was pretty sure Sora was hinting at something, but he couldn't place it. Instead, he just went with his gut and replied, "Privilege?"
She hummed softly, letting him know that she meant what she had said. Being together was actually a privilege for them nowadays, even though it shouldn't have to be.
"But it's supposed to be this way," Matt stated, confused at what Sora was getting at. "A privilege is like something that's enjoyable and it only comes once in awhile."
"Exactly," Sora murmured, taking her eyes off of the stars to be able to glance at him.
He looked her directly in the eye. In the back of his mind, he knew what she meant; he just didn't want to believe it had come to this so soon.
"We rarely see each other, Matt," Sora explained, voicing out his exact same thoughts that lingered in the back of his mind. "We're always so busy with our activities and school that we don't really get to see each other anymore. It's hard enough as it is to visit during the holidays, this in itself is a miracle." She finished, gesturing her hands between the two of them being together.
No matter how much she didn't want to believe it, this is one thing that she was certain about. Dating him is one thing, but spending time and hanging out with him is another. That alone, whether they were friends or more, was something that now came by only once in awhile. They've grown up, and now they're trying to live their lives to the fullest, trying to be successful, huge achievers. She secretly did wonder if all they ever did was hold each other back.
"Forget about that Sor," Matt pleaded a little, for he just wanted to enjoy his time with her, without arguing. It seemed like arguing was the only thing they had done lately. He cautiously decided to add something else to that. "For once, please forget about everything else."
"For once?" Sora now sat up, frustration growing. "I can't forget about everything else, Matt. It's too important."
"And we're not important?" Matt inquired, raising an eyebrow at her. "I'm not important?"
"You know that's not what I meant," Sora defended. "It's just hard to forget what's going on around you. You can't forget the rest of the things in your life."
"For now you can," Matt countered stubbornly. "Live in the moment for Pete's sake!" Gosh, when did he start to sound like Mimi?
Sora took one look at him and sighed, defeated. "Fine. I'll try."
"That's all I ask," Matt grinned, happy that he had won for once and was able to stop the impending argument.
The two bearers of the crests, Friendship and Love, lay back against the tree, sharing stories of college and jokes. They joked and laughed about the funny, trivial parts of their life, feeling like a couple for the first time in a long time. That is, until Matt brought up something that he himself told her to forget about. Well, not exactly, but what he said caused Sora to remember everything else again.
"So do you want to hang out again tomorrow?"
Sora frowned, sitting up. "I can't. I've got tennis practice. My tournament is coming up."
He shook his head. "What about the rest of this week?"
"I'm actually booked for the rest of the month, Matt. You were just lucky to be able to catch me today," Sora answered. She didn't want to tell him a lie; she decided to be honest with him.
"And you didn't tell me?" Matt asked, growing angry. The least she could've done was let him know ahead of time.
"I didn't think you would be coming here!" Sora told him. "I wasn't expecting you, Matt."
"Still, you could've called then. I could have saved up my time instead of wasting it. I could've also saved up gas and money! They don't grow on trees! It's not cheap nowadays," Matt retorted.
He saw a look of hurt flicker across her face. She then covered it up with a death glare of her own.
"So now I'm wasting your time?"
"I didn't say that."
"You just did."
"I—"
"Save it, Matt. Why does it matter anyways?"
"I wanted to see you! Sorry, it was a mistake," Matt said, trying to apologize.
Sora however, wouldn't back down. "It's always a mistake! It's always a freaking mistake!" She shouted.
"Well, I'm sorry! You're not the only one that has a lot on their plate right now you know," Matt sneered.
"You're the one accusing me of not telling you ahead of time?" She was beyond furious right now. He had no right. "You did the same thing during Spring Break and New Years! You let me hope that we would be able to spend time with each other! Instead, you led me on and then told me at the last possible minute!" She accused.
Matt looked down, somewhat ashamed. His head shot back up, causing pain to flare in his neck. He ignored it. "I thought I could change it! I thought I could make it!"
"Thinking and being sure are two different things!" Sora yelled. "You and I both know you can't. Its way too complicated."
"We're too complicated," Matt whispered, lowering his voice.
"You know what? You're actually right about something for once. I can't deal with this right now," Sora told him, standing up, gathering her things. She didn't say another word as she spared him a glance, then left, walking away.
Matt ran his hand through his golden, blonde locks. He didn't want to argue, but he now realized that they couldn't avoid arguing, now matter how much each tried. Sure he felt angry and frustrated. But the two feelings that he felt washing over him, trying to drown him, were guilt and regret. He regretted ever saying those things. He felt guilty about everything that happened between them lately. How long exactly could they keep this up?
There was no time anymore that was allotted for them to hang out. With college and their activities, they couldn't. There wasn't enough time. Whenever Matt was free, Sora had tennis or a deadline that she had to meet. Whenever Sora was free, Matt had band duties, or projects that were due the next day. They were able to reconcile with each other, but it still didn't feel the same. Both felt the distance grow between them, not just literally, but figuratively too. That fight struck something deep inside them, shaking their nerves. It wasn't until almost the end of their freshman year of college that they saw each other again.
They were just hanging out with each other. They went bowling and played laser tag, trying to have fun. It didn't feel the same anymore, however. That last fight was the last straw for the both of them. There was too much pain and angst in their relationship to be fixed right now. But instead about talking about it and facing their challenges and bumps in the road, they did what they did best. They pretended.
"When is the next time that you're free?" Sora questioned. They didn't ask what the other was doing the next day; the question now was when the next time that they will be free is.
Matt bit his lip, his mind racing, trying to go through his schedule. He wondered himself when he was free. He shook his head, signaling he didn't know.
"Well, I'm booked for the next few months," Sora announced, letting him know.
His eyes widened, and then it narrowed again. "For the whole summer?"
She nodded slightly. "I'm going to France for this huge tennis tournament. Then I'll be going to Italy for fashion design."
"Ah. Okay," Matt nodded. He sat down in the bench in the park they came across while walking. His legs needed a break, he decided.
"Sorry Matt," Sora apologized.
"Why? There's nothing to be sorry for. You'll do great," Matt encouraged her. Even if he was acting happy for her, he was feeling anything but. There goes their summer together.
Sora knew that even if Matt didn't remember what his schedule had entailed him for, she felt that Matt had some responsibilities for college and for his band to take care of, so it was okay. At least, that's what she told herself. That's what she's been telling herself this past year, she noted.
Matt himself was thinking of the same thing. They didn't need to fight anymore about spare time, or anything else. All that they had to do was accept it and try to move on until the next time they would see each other. If they went out in a full-blown fight, with many shouts and insults, they would just be wasting their breath. A fight like that wasn't needed, especially in the state their relationship was in right now.
A comfortable, yet awkward silence fell over the two. As time ticked away, both figured out what needed to be done.
"Matt…."
"Sora…."
The two eyed each other, observing one another. As their eyes met, they came to a conclusion that they were going to say the same thing.
"I'm sorry." Were the two words that were blurted out, coming out from the two mouths.
An awkward chuckle escaped both of their lips. She shook her head while his arm went to scratch the back of his neck unconsciously.
The two digidestined stepped towards each other, leaning in. Their lips met in a passionate, loving, yet a hurt and angst-filled kiss. She slowly and cautiously moved her arms around his neck while his hands snaked warily across her waist. They tried to pour every ounce of their love and hearts into that kiss, hoping that the other knew how much they loved them. The kiss lasted for a few minutes, their tongues battling for dominance, their minds and hearts trying to convey a last goodbye message to the other. Their lungs needed air however, so they had to break apart. As the kiss ended, their lips pulled slowly apart from the other, their eyes gazing into the other's with so much love and care.
Sora took a deep breath, willing the tears not to fall. It couldn't fall, not in front of him.
Matt gave her one last heartbreaking grin as they slowly let go of each other, taking a step back.
"Good luck," Sora whispered, her hand reaching up to caress his cheek once more.
He took a hold of her cheek, gripping it tightly. "You too. Beat the heck out of them there in France. Show them who's boss."
She smiled softly, her heart breaking inside. Who knew she would be so susceptible to this feeling? She didn't, and neither did he.
Matt let go of her hand as she retracted it from his cheek. He had grown so attached to her, a feeling that he tried so desperately to prevent.
"Well, goodbye Matt."
"Goodbye Sora."
She gave him a smile, letting him know it was okay and that there wasn't anything to be sorry for. Sora tried to be strong, for her sake and his. She turned away from him, for what would be the last time in a long time, until they saw each other again. Her thoughts lingered in her brain. It had been a great ride with him. She loved him so much, and she knew he knew that. For now, they would have to go their separate ways. If they didn't, they would just be holding the other back. She felt tears leak from her eyes and she didn't try to stop them. She didn't wipe them away. All she could hope for was for them to still be friends, and the possibility of her seeing him again sometime in the future. He hadn't seen the last of her yet.
He choked back sob that threatened to come to the surface. Matt watched her walk away, then he himself turned his back away from the scene. He mentally told his legs to start walking. His legs felt like lead, walking away from her. As much as he didn't want to, he knew that he had to. They were just holding each other back; from school, from activities, from friends, and most importantly, from love. He hoped that she could be happy and even wished that she would, in time, be able to find someone to make everything happen for her. As of right now, it wasn't him. Like her, he too felt his heart break. He knew he would see her again, hopefully as a friend. For the first time in a long time, Matt felt tears roll from his eyes and down his cheeks only to fall to the ground with a splash. He sighed in defeat. She had made him such a sap.
No matter how hard they tried to escape it, their separation was inevitable, for now.
So, yeah pretty depressing, don't you think? But I do hope this explains what happened to them since they're not together in Apocalyptic Quest! :)
What do you think? Did you like it? I hope they weren't OOC, and I also hope that the way that they broke up was good enough for you! I had a lot of ideas and possibilities of how to approach this thing, that I couldn't pick! But, I eventually did and wrote this!
Speaking of Apocalyptic Quest, my next chapter should (hopefully) be up very soon. Keep on the lookout for it! Thanks to all who are sticking with it and who are patient! I'm sorry I haven't gotten it up yet, but I promise I will!
If you liked this, I hope you check out my other stories:
-Of Universities and Visits- a Koumi fic (also a prequel to Apocalyptic Quest)
-Apocalyptic Quest (if you haven't checked it out yet, please do!) this story is a prequel to this story!
And there you have it! I hoped you enjoyed! Thanks for taking the time to read this! Please review and let me know your thoughts! That little button down there is just waiting to be pressed! :) Thanks again!