(A/N: Alright, people, I'm back with Book 2! This is our first chapter
release, with a projection of twelve chapters in total. We're now one year
ahead of where we left off, placing TK and Kari at 15, with Ivan and Maddie
at 16. I know some of you are going to want to see what happened once
everyone returned to the Real World; don't worry! All shall be covered in
due time. The action in this novel is toned down a bit, considering it
takes place in the Real World; where there isn't all too much in the way of
children getting into mass combat. However, I've still packed plenty
excitement into these pages, and hopefully I can get each of the chapters
up and running by the time that they're supposed to be. Anyways, enough of
my pointless explanations, go discover for yourself all the cool stuff in
my book. Read, Review, and if applicable, enjoy the story!)
The Ivani Chronicles : Book 2 - Reminiscence : Chapter 1 - Back in Time
Ivan laid his head back against the grass beneath him. The verdant blades bent to cushion his head, creating a soft pillow. As the rest of his body relaxed, his eyes gazed over the landscape about him. About his lying position stretched a great expanse of the same brilliant green grass. It sloped down gently to each side, placing the boy at the peak of a small hill. To his right, the grass met a sparse wall of brown columns, each topped with a large green array of leaves. The wooded area stretched on for some distance, perhaps a few miles, and slowly faded out along the edge of his range of vision. His eyes then drifted downwards, where the carpet of green blades met another obstacle, this time of a blue hue. Long and narrow, the stream weaved a path through the grass then through the trees off to his right. The grass continued on after the river, stretching on into the horizon, dotted by the occasional tree or shrub. Ivan's eyes then looked above him, into the great azure span above him. Through it passed a few wispy puffs of white and light gray. His view of these was partially obscured by the canopy of leaves coming from the tree behind him. The great brown tower stood majestically above the boy, providing shade from the piercing orange globe that slowly sank on the far side of the tree. Ivan watched the leaves of the tree be tousled by the light breeze, feeling the wind toy with his light brown hair as well. A single leaf was plucked from it's home upon the tree, and slowly sailed down towards the boy. He watched the leaf make the slow, waving journey through the air until it came to rest gently on his left side, causing the brown-haired girl, although it couldn't be called completely brown due to the blond highlights running through it, to stir slightly.
"Mmm." she muttered, her left hand reaching up and gently brushing the leaf from her hair.
"Hey there," Ivan whispered softly to the girl as his left arm tightened a bit about her, letting his fingers continue their gentle stroking motions upon her back. "Are you comfy?"
She sighed in contented affirmation, edging herself closer to the brown- haired boy. She dropped her left hand back down to his chest. She then resumed tracing soft, loving shapes upon his chest as it rose and fell slowly with his breath. At the same time, she moved her right hand up then down as she let her fingers dance about his ear and through his short, soft hair. "Never felt better," she replied at last, gently pressing her lips to his shoulder before resting her head against him once again.
Ivan smiled, leaning his head to her fingers' touch. In return, he let his own right hand reach up and set his fingers to caress the girl's ear and hair that was lying presently in its natural state, free of any restraints. "That makes two of us then," Ivan whispered as he again pulled her a bit closer with his left arm. The girl mirrored his smile as he continued: "It's been so long since we've had some time alone to just relax in." The girl nodded in response.
"I'm surprised it's been a whole year," she agreed.
"But it's nice to have some time to finally spend with you, darling," the boy said, brushing the back of his fingers across her cheek. "I've really missed being with you."
"I've missed you too, Ivan," the girl said softly. She then lifted herself up a bit and pulled her body closer to his, looking down into his eyes; his beautiful azure eyes, the eyes that had captivated her for years. She could look into his angelic pools for an eternity, and never bore of them. She felt him gazing back into her own eyes, of an amber hue, and knew that he had the same feelings for her. The knowledge of such, and the loving smile that graced his lips, made her heart melt as she held him in her arms. She wished she could always keep him there in her grasp. However, she knew it was naïve to think that would be true, even though she was determined to make the most of the time they had. As if in affirmation of such, she cast all her thoughts aside and pressed her lips to his, which she felt returned with equal love and passion.
The two held together for a moment, then slowly parted, with mirroring smiles of love and devotion to one another. The girl then slowly retreated back to her original spot, snuggling up against Ivan's body. His strong arms wrapped about her gave her a sense of protection and safety she had never known before. It made sense, for he was regarded as the 'Guardian' by all who knew him. It was the sense that she was the ward of such, however, that made her feel an even stronger attraction to the boy. Pulling a bit closer Ivan, she gently closed her eyes once again to enjoy the blissful peace of his embrace.
Ivan's eyes fell upon the resting girl, the smile upon his lips growing slightly as he watched her frame rise and fall slowly as she breathed. Unadorned by anything but her casual clothes and merely in her natural state, she held a beauty that transfixed the boy beyond all comprehension. Caressing her cheek and ear softly with his right hand, he reveled in the quiet sighs of joy she gave out and leaned to his touch. Seeing her so happy filled him with joy as well, and their peaceful respite was something they had each been in desperate need of. The past year had been excruciating, with a scant few rests along the way. Now, however, he could feel the fatigue of all that had passed fall from his shoulders, and as Maddie snuggled her thin, agile body closer to his firm and athletic frame, he could sense her pleasure and relaxation as well.
At length, Maddie tilted her head and asked, "You know what this reminds me of?" Ivan looked down, meeting her gaze, thinking back to what she could be referring to.
"I'm not sure, darling," he responded after a moment. "It reminds me of all the times we've spent together; are you referring to a particular instance?"
Maddie nodded slightly. "I think it must've been a full year ago now," she concluded. "That whole reunion of TK and Kari to their families and friends. There was a lot of love emanating there, a lot of closeness." Her voice trailed off and Ivan picked up as his mind went back to the time she spoke of.
"It was a crazy time, love," Ivan said. "After we got them all back home, our troubles only just began. However, those first few minutes are truly some of the most memorable we've ever seen." Ivan rested his head back against the verdant grass, pulling Maddie a bit closer as his eyes slowly slid closed in memory, remembering those first minutes, hours, days back on the Real World, and how they had shaped all to come that year.
Back in time, in his time, all the way back to the time of their passing through the gate to the Real World for the first time in years. His mind raced back through the memories, up and down, almost as if he were flying in his thoughts. The Real World; how long ago it seemed.
"Very well, Ivan," TK replied. "I'll see you over there." Ivan nodded in response, and TK jumped right through the Gate. In the few seconds Ivan had, he looked at Maddie as he jumped through the gate and said "See you on the other side, Madelyn!" In a moment, the light of the Television faded, and the last strains of light from the sun were gone behind the starry, velvet cloak of night.
A rush of wind and energy overcame the boy as he was hurled across dimensions. He sensed Maddie's presence close at hand, but he was unable to clearly distinguish anything about him. He could feel his body accelerate further and further, until at last everything seemed to come to a halt about him. As if cloaked in an energy field, blurs of light whirled past him but no wind broke across his shoulders. Everything seemed to slow down, as if willed by his mind as it cried out for calm in the vortex of the dimension jump. For a moment, a feeling of mastery came to Ivan, as if he had conquered the ways of time and physics. But only a moment, for in the next, his body was thrown violently forward once again, this time back into the material realm.
Ivan yelled out as he felt his body hurled into a wall, sliding down until his legs were up the wall and his back rested on the floor. He groaned, straining to look about but was unable to see much in the darkness of the room, save a glow that came from above his head, the computer screen. Only another instant passed before this too was taken from his sight as a new form came flailing from the gate. With a thud and another groan from the boy, Maddie's delicate frame collapsed into his arms.
Ivan wrapped his arms about the sore girl, ignoring the new bruises that had come to his shins on her impact, and soothingly massaged her back. She whimpered lightly, pressing her head against his chest, then slipped her arms about him. He pressed his lips softly against the top of her head, whispering softly into her ear to calm her. It took her only a moment to recover from her fear, yet Maddie stayed holding onto Ivan regardless.
Ivan smiled down at her, pressing his lips to her head once more, then looked to his surroundings again. The gloom now lost some of it's masking ability, allowing Ivan to make out the shapes of many tables and computers in the room. He also saw the rough image of the two other figures they had traveled back with, leaning against a wall a few feet away. It seemed that Kari was pressed up against TK, and the heads of the two couldn't have been much closer. Ivan finally came to make out the vague outline of a door a few feet to the side of TK and Kari, the shaded window blocking the light of the city outside.
Smiling at the sight of their companions, Ivan turned back to the girl in his arms. However, only a second later, the door burst open. "Who's there?" a voice shouted feverishly into the room. Kari and TK jumped apart, staring in shock at the door that shot open beside them. The backlighting that poured from the city outside made the figure nearly impossible to make out. Make out, that is, until.
"Davis?" TK asked, half shouting as he spoke in his still-shocked state. The boy whirled around on him.
"TR? Kari? You're back!" The brown-haired boy cried, running over to Kari and throwing his arms around her. However, Kari's quick reflexes brought her hands down to block his arms before he could accomplish his goal.
"Yeah, nice to see you too, Davis," Kari said dryly, glaring at him as he retreated. "What're you doing here, anyway?" she asked after he was back in the doorway.
"Me?" he asked, receiving a nod in response. "I've been, uh, coming by here to, um, check up on you guys, make sure you were safe and all." Although neither of them noticed the rush of blood to his cheeks, he did turn crimson as he hinted at what he'd been up to.
"You've been checking to wait for me to come back, then?" Kari asked accusatively, seeing straight through his faltered answer. Davis' shoulders drooped as he nodded slightly. Kari sighed slightly, rubbing her forehead with her hand. "Thanks, Davis," she said with a hint of sarcasm.
"So this is Davis?" a voice said from the darkness of the room. Davis whirled up and around to face whatever opponent laid before him, barking out a challenge to the voice.
"Calm down, Davis, that's just Ivan," TK said, placing a firm hand on the other boy's shoulder.
"Ivan? Who the hell is Ivan?" Davis asked savagely, trying to pull his shoulder from TK's grasp, although to little avail.
"That's Ivan," TK said, pointing with his other hand as a large figure emerged from the shadows. Ivan stepped in front of Davis, straightening his posture to his full height of slightly over six feet. Davis, a good bit shorter, not to mention less built, cowered under the intimidating figure before him. As Ivan's hand came towards him, Davis cowered and covered his eyes.
"Is he really so resilient to meet people?" Ivan asked TK, lowering his offer of a handshake. TK laughed lightly, shaking Davis' shoulder.
"Don't worry, Davis, Ivan won't hurt you," TK said as Davis hesitantly dropped his arms from covering his head. Opening his eyes, Davis saw Ivan smiling down at him, and noticed rustling coming from behind him.
"Behind you!" Davis shouted, jumping to the side and moving to tackle what seemed to be a smaller figure behind the taller boy. He leapt up with a battle cry, only to meet a strong strike to his stomach from what felt like a rock. Davis recoiled back in pain, looking up at the same, tall boy standing in front of him, his smile faded into a serious stare.
"Never, never shall you strike at my beloved," Ivan said firmly, dropping his fist.
"His what?" Davis asked TK, scared and angry emotions running through him as he stood up straight again.
"His beloved," TK replied, half amused at Ivan's chivalrous way of talking. "He's talking about his girlfriend who happens to be standing behind him, Maddie," TK explained. As if on cue, Maddie emerged from the darkness, stretching her arms out before wrapping them gently around Ivan's neck from the side, a gentle smile gracing her lips.
"Hey there," Ivan said as he returned the embrace. As he did so, the stern emotion faded from him and his smile returned to his lips. He pressed them briefly to the lips of the girl in his arms, before Davis broke the moment between the two.
"Ugh, so you two go escape to the Digital World to drag back a couple of lovebirds?" Davis said in disgust, turning back to face TK and Kari. However, his mood quickly switched from anger to shock when he saw Kari's and TK's arms mirroring the motions of Maddie and Ivan's. "What the-" Davis yelled rather loudly, startling the two out of their trance.
"Oh yeah, we didn't tell you about that," TK said, laughing nervously as he ran his hand through his short blond hair. "While we were over in the Digital World, Kari and I-"
"Made a few discoveries?" Davis nearly yelled, shocked, angry and hurt all at once. His eyes flashed back between one and the other. He'd had enough of the strange, tall, intimidating kid and his little girl. Now not only had his long-time crush finally chosen someone else, but also, of all people, it had to be the rival he'd always had. The blond boy had once again bested him, when he knew that his skills were far beyond him. Standing there, Davis cursed TK for his victory, but was also aware, somewhere deep inside him, that TK hadn't really won, but had been chosen by the brown-haired girl who's arms were now about the blond boy's neck. The arms he'd always envisioned around his neck.
Davis' eyes dropped to the ground as the realization washed over him. He had hoped desperately that one of the two would correct him in his accusation, but in the full minute that passed, neither of them had said a word, merely sighed lightly, confirming Davis' fears. "I see," he managed at last, doing his best to hold back his emotions.
"I'm sorry, Davis," Kari said softly. She may never have had the love that Davis wished for her to return, but she nonetheless cared about the boy. Seeing him hurt like this made her nearly regret her decision. "I'm sorry," she repeated, "But this is just the way things have turned out. TK and I have found something together, and even though it's different, you and I have our own special something." She dropped her arms from TK and walked over to Davis, only to meet his outstretched palm.
"It's not the same," the brown haired boy said firmly. He dropped his hand, letting it fall limply to his side as he turned away from the couples. The pangs of regret and loss shot through him as he stood there. He stood only a moment longer, as his legs became weaker and weaker, until he finally collapsed down to his knees. Kari stood behind Davis, unsure of what to do as her own heart felt a surge of pain. She felt a hand rest gently on her shoulder, TK's hand, and brought her hand to rest on top of his.
"Help him, Kari," he whispered I her ear softly, "it'll hurt him for a while, but he will come around in time. But he needs our help to do that. At the moment, I think it's your turn to help him." Kari felt his firm hand gently squeeze her shoulder and his lips softly brush across her hand. "I'm right here beside you, Kari, now and forever more." His final words warmed Kari's heart, giving her a sensation she only experienced when TK was with her. It was that very surge of energy and passion that told her the blond haired boy was the one for her.
"And I'm with you, TK," she whispered for only the boy beside her to hear, squeezing his hand in her own. After spending another instant with his hand in hers, she dropped down and knelt beside the goggle-adorned boy who had finally succumbed to the sadness within him as the tears trailed down his cheeks to the tiled floor.
Davis' body was wracked with the pain wrought by what he had discovered, and as he felt the water finally fall from his eyes, he also felt a pair of arms cling firmly around his waist. He was shocked for a moment then tried to move away. His attempts were in vain, as the girl's arms held him fast. He then felt a chin press down against his shoulder, and the sweet voice he adored so much whisper softly in his ear.
"I love you, Davis," the girl said softly, her words intended solely for the boy she held. "I love you and truly value everything that we have. You've always been there and been a great follower of my brother's footsteps. I know you wish I could feel more for you than that, but I can't. I know it'll hurt a lot, and again I'm sorry for it, but that's the way it will have to be. I love you, but I'm in love with TK. I won't let it compromise what we have, though, Davis. You mean too much to me for me to do such a thing." Kari then adjusted her position, placing a light kiss upon the brunette's cheek before gently dropping her arms from about him and rising back to her feet. TK's arm slipped silently about her waist, pulling the girl close as her arm mirrored the motion to the blond.
Davis knelt there for a while more as he tried to process all that had happened. All his emotions conflicted within him, both wanting to have Kari for himself, and to have the girl be happy. Which desire was stronger, he didn't know, but as he slowly rose to his feet, he accepted the fact that fate had chosen one path for him to follow. "I." He started to say, his back still turned upon the two. "I. I'm happy for the two of you." was all he could manage to say before the pain grew to great in his chest. Not wishing to break down once again in front of the others, Davis bolted from the room and down the corridor of the school.
"Davis!" TK yelled, reaching his hand out after the boy as he left the room. TK slowly dropped his hand, as well as his head. "I wish it didn't have to hurt him like this," he said softly. The girl whom he held with his other arm placed a gentle kiss upon his cheek.
"You've done all you can, TK," she said back to him. "Like you said, all we can do is be here for him and help him." She liked the idea no more than TK, but his nod of affirmation let her know it was the way things were to be. Her other arm slipped slowly to join the first around his waist, as his moved to do the same. Kari gently rested her head on TK's chest as he held her close, comforting the two of them as they dealt with their choice and how it hurt their friend.
TK and Kari held together in the embrace until the blond finally remembered their surroundings. Kari's mind ran along with TK's, and they simultaneously turned to the other couple. "Sorry about that," TK said to the other two, scratching at the back of his neck.
"Don't worry about it," Ivan told him knowingly, "It was something that needed to take place, and I think that it's best it happened quickly. Keeping him unsure longer would only hurt him more in the end." TK nodded in response, dropping his hand back down and gently clasping it in Kari's. "Besides," The older boy continued, "I think we've got other things to take care of first. For instance, get you two home before it gets too late." TK nodded again, turning around as he did so.
"I'll go give my mom a call on the pay phone in the main lobby," TK said as he opened the door. His other hand felt resistance as he tried to move forward. TK lowered his head, chuckling. "You can come, too, Kari," he said, squeezing her hand softly. "In fact, why don't we all head down to the lobby? It's probably best to stay together."
"Sounds like a plan," Maddie said happily, dropping her hands from Ivan's neck. She then took one of his hands in hers, interlocking their fingers. Ivan smiled down at her, lightly squeezing her hand, then walked after the other couple that had already gone out the door.
Strolling briskly down the dark corridor, the only light coming from the street lamps glaring through the windows, TK and Kari led the elder children down to the main lobby at the opposite end of the building. Down a flight of stairs, along another corridor at a perpendicular angle, then down another floor of stairs brought them to the front foyer. Four large glass doors stood to one side, allowing entry to the great structure. On the opposing wall, a glass display case was embossed into the wall, portraying all of the honors and awards the school had earned in various activities. One of the most dazzling collections was the trio of basketball emblems, each awarding the school first place in the Japanese Regional Middle School Tournament. On each of the JRMST trophies, the full team of the Odaiba basketball team was engraved.
As TK and Kari set out to the two phones that were hanging on the wall next to the main entrance doors, Ivan led Maddie over to look closer at the display case. Looking closely at the trophies from the JRMST, Ivan noted that on each, TK's name was listed. Moreover, on the most recent medal, TK's name came in the fifth slot, indicating the Starting Center position. Ivan smiled, noting that his skill in the sport was probably a good support for his impressive skill in combat with such a relatively low amount of training. After gazing at some of the other medals awards for a moment, he turned and walked over to the phones, Maddie following right behind.
"Hey Mom," TK said when he heard the familiar voice ring out over the other end of the phone.
"TK?" His mother shouted in disbelief. "You're back! Oh, thank heavens."
"Yeah, Kari and I are back safe and sound," he confirmed. "We're in the front lobby of the school, and w-"
"Don't move, I'll be right there," She said, cutting him off. TK tried to finish his sentence, but the line went dead as his mother had already hung up the phone. Sighing, he hung the phone back up and looked over at Kari, who had already replaced the phone in its cradle.
"Mom decided not to listen; she's on her way over now," he said to the brown-haired girl, his hands rejoining hers once again.
"Yeah, my brother picked up, but I could barely get two words out to him before he declared he was leaving," Kari told the blond. She sighed lightly, leaning towards TK as she whispered, "Silly Tai."
TK smirked, dropping his hands from hers to pull her into an embrace. "I guess they'll just have to find out about our guests when they get here," he said, gently resting his head on top of hers. Looking over, he saw Maddie and Ivan coming across the room towards them.
"Any luck?" Ivan asked as he came to stand next to the blond boy. TK let Kari stand back up, placing his hands at his sides as he turned to face the older boy.
"Sort of," he said, dropping his eyes a bit. "My mom and Tai are both on their way over, but we hardly told them where we were before they hung up and took off. Therefore, they have no idea that you two are here."
"Well, they're coming," Ivan said positively. "We'll introduce ourselves when they show up, I guess." As he spoke, the sound of a car engine came quietly through the doors. Kari ran over and looked out the window.
"Get ready," she said as she turned around, "My brother's here."
Sure enough, only a moment passed before the seventeen-year-old boy jogged up the steps to the school and over to the glass doors. With a sharp knock, Tai made himself known. Kari opened the door for Tai to come in.
"Kari!" he cried, dashing into the building and throwing his arms around his sister. Kari blushed, as she put her arms comfortingly around her brother.
"Jeez, Tai, it's only been a week," she said, trying to calm her brother. "I've been away at camp for longer than this."
The boy sighed, loosening his arms from his sister. "I'm sorry," he said. "You did have us really worried, though. Mom and Dad are the ones you're gonna have to watch out for." He said the last part as a joke, but he had a feeling it was true regardless. His eyes then looked over to TK, and he extended his hand to shake his. "Hey there, TK," he said to the blond boy as they shook hands. "Thanks for getting my sister back safely."
"Oh, don't worry about it," TK said modestly. "Besides," he continued, "Ivan and Maddie are the ones that you should really be thanking." He gestured over his shoulder at the two figures standing a bit behind him.
Ivan stepped forward, extending his hand to the older boy. "Pleased to meet you, Tai," he said graciously as Tai took his hand and shook it. "I'm Ivan, and this is my friend, Maddie," he gestured to himself and then to the shorter girl at his side as he spoke. Maddie extended her hand and Tai took it, kissing it gently. Maddie giggled as Tai gave her hand back.
"You two have my sincere gratitude," Tai said seriously, looking back and forth between the mysterious kids. "Without you, I don't know if my sister and friend would have made it home in one piece." Tai trailed off as his mind thought of all the things that could have gone wrong.
"Hey, don't worry about it," Ivan said cheerily. "It's what we're here for, Maddie and I." Tai nodded, coming back from his upsetting thoughts.
"So, is there anything I can do to repay you?" Ivan asked, looking back up at the other brown-haired boy. "Needless to say I'd be glad to help you out however I can."
"Actually," Ivan started, about to ask for advice on sleeping arrangements when another car engine was heard pulling up outside. Kari walked back over to the glass doors, peering out into the gloomy evening.
"Your mom's here, TK," she said, waiting a moment before opening the door to let Ms. Takaishi into the school. She held back a laugh at the expression on TK's face as his mom hugged him tightly.
"TK!" she exclaimed, just as loudly as she had on the phone. "Oh, TK, you're alright. I was so worried!" TK squirmed in his mom's grasp, trying to get away.
"Mom!" TK pleaded, "Jeez, I'm fine. It was only a week. Basketball camp kept me away for twice as long as this."
TK's mom pulled away after a minute, then rubbed her eyes with her sleeve. "Well, I'm glad you're back home safely," she finalized before turning to Kari. To her she gave another hug, although more brief and less choking. "And welcome back to you, Kari," she said as she released her.
"Thanks, Ms. Takaishi," Kari responded. "But as TK told my brother, the people you should really thank are Ivan and Maddie." She gestured to the two new children, who were watching the reuniting along with Tai. Ms. Takaishi looked over at them, bowing deeply.
"Thank you so much for escorting my children back home," she said to the two. Ivan ran a hand through his hair in nervousness.
"Don't worry about it," he said with a wave of his hand. "Helping people out is what we're here for."
Ms. Takaishi bowed again as she said, "It's nice of you to be so modest." Then, after a short moment of silence, she continued. "So, is there anything that I can do to return the favor? I'd be willing to help however I can."
Ivan looked down at the girl beside him, who nodded to reassure him. Ivan smiled softly at her, although only she could see it in the dim lighting. He then looked back up and made the short speech he had started to Tai: "Actually, Maddie and I are in a bit of a predicament. We've escorted Kari and TK back safely without much trouble, but in the course of such, we made the choice to come back to the Real World. Although we're both native to the US, it's been years since we ever saw home. I mean, we don't have much intention of seeing home, but we've been away from this world in general for a few years. In other words, we've got nowhere to go at the moment, and we could really use somewhere to stay until we can get a more permanent plan in place. I'd be more than willing to pay compensation when I can, but I would have to ask for a short period for us to get everything back in order after being away for so long."
Ms. Takaishi shook her head, raising her hand to stop the boy. "You don't have to say any more. Getting my son and his friend back safely is more than just compensation for me. Now, would you two prefer to stay together, or would one of you like to go with Kari's family?" Ivan looked again at the girl beside him, whose hand then rose and gently held onto his. Ivan nodded as she affirmed what he was thinking, his eyes rising back up to look at the woman across from him.
"If you don't mind, we'd prefer to stay together," he replied, gently squeezing the hand he held. "We're still new to everything around here, and I think it'd be safer to stay together. That is, of course, if you don't mind." He hated the idea of overburdening someone, but he despised the idea of being separated from Maddie even more. Especially after considering the recent events, he knew his heart would go crazy without her by his side.
As Ms. Takaishi responded positively, Ivan let out a silent sigh of relief. "I'll take you two home with me tonight, and you can stay with TK and I as long as you like. If Kari's family wants to help, maybe the two of you can go over there for some of the time." Tai nodded in confirmation, then walked over to the door.
"Well, if we've all got arrangements on where to go," Tai said, opening the door, "Let's get out of here before someone finds out we're in the school. After all, it's Friday night." Everyone agreed, moving quickly out through the door as Tai held it open. Down the steps and out to the sidewalk, the group came upon Tai's parents' sedan and Ms. Takaishi's station wagon. TK and Kari hugged one another good-bye then shocked both the drivers as they pressed their lips together in a kiss.
"'Night, TK," Kari whispered in her boyfriend's ear.
"Goodnight, Kari," TK responded in equal tone in her ear. Then, kissing the girl once more, he dropped his arms from about her as she let go of him. Walking to their respective cars, they waved to one another briefly.
Kari then hopped in the front passenger seat of her family's car, while her brother got in the other side and gave her an amazed look.
"Do you mind telling me what that was?" he asked, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. Kari blushed, giggling.
"I'll tell ya on the way home," she said, relaxing as she leaned back into the cushioned seat. Tai shook his head, still shocked, and started the car.
Ivan opened the back seat door for Maddie, letting her in then sitting in beside her. TK opened the front door, sliding into the car as his mom sat in the driver's seat. "Care to explain?" she asked, doing her best to hide her surprise at seeing her son kiss a girl.
TK blushed, grinning, "It's a funny story," he said jokingly. "I'll tell you about it sometime." Then, before Ms. Takaishi could inquire further, he leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes as he said, "I'm sure our guests are both very tired, and we ought to get them home so they can rest up. It's been a long trip, after all." Ivan and Maddie laughed silently at TK's defense and Ms Takaishi couldn't help but smile at her son's childishness.
"Alright," she said with a laugh in her voice. "But don't think you're leaving the house again until you tell me everything." She then started the car without a word, smiling inwardly as she heard TK swallow audibly.
"Oh, the wonders of family," Ivan whispered in Maddie's ear humorously, leaning up against the side of the car as it started forward. She smiled up at him, then snuggled closer to the brown-haired boy, settling in for the ride.
"Tell me about it," she said softly back in the same joking manner, closing her eyes as their arms slipped around one another in the comfort of being together. Despising the restriction of the seat belts, Ivan's eyes slid closed as well, his arms pulling the girl he adored as close as possible. The darkness outside and Maddie's warmth against him brought great relaxation to the boy, and it was only a moment before he lost all power of thought to peaceful sleep.
"Are you sure you're comfortable, darling?" Maddie whispered over the edge of the couch, peeking her eyes over at the brown-haired boy lying on the floor. His hand reached up to her, gently brushing her hair back as it fell over her face.
"For the sixteenth time, I'm fine, Maddie," he whispered back through the gloom, resting his palm gently upon her cheek. She leaned against his hand, loving the feel of his skin on her own. She then brought her own hand to wrap around his, squeezing it gently.
In the gloom of TK's apartment's living room, the two lay. With only the couch to offer to the two, Ivan had volunteered Maddie to take it and said he would manage on the floor beside her. They had already eaten dinner, so they only required a couple pillows and blankets. Thus an hour had passed since they had entered the house and their hosts had retreated to their respective beds, leaving the two to get some rest as well.
"You're so sweet," the girl whispered down, her thumb gently stroking his hand.
Ivan smiled back up at her, replying, "Anything for you, Maddie. Now then, as long as you're comfortable, let's get some sleep. He let his arms go limp, but Maddie's grip on his hand wouldn't let him retract his arm. He looked up at her questioningly.
"I'm not comfortable," she whispered to him, holding his hand a bit tighter.
"You're not?" Ivan asked, confused. "Isn't the couch soft?"
"It is," she said slowly. She then moved her legs over the edge of the couch and slowly rested them on he floor. Her torso followed suit, as did the rest of her body until she had slid completely off of the couch. Lying on the ground next to her boyfriend, she curled up next to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, continuing. "But I'm much more comfortable in your arms." as she finished, she pressed her lips to the cheek of her beloved then snuggled up closer to him, resting her head lovingly upon his chest.
Ivan smiled, his arms sliding tightly about the girl. "Thanks, darling," he whispered in her ear, returning the kiss. Turning his body to face hers slightly and offer her a better position upon his chest, he nuzzled his cheek up against the brown, blond highlighted, hair that fell from her head to her shoulders freely. Resting their bodies against one another, the tow smiled inwardly as sleep came to visit them once again. The only motion was the occasional strokes of Ivan's hand, lightly massaging the girl's back in their peaceful, united slumber.
In what felt like only a short while, Maddie felt the glare of the sun seeping through the windows of the balcony door. She winced, trying to block the light from her eyes for a moment until finally succumbing to the light. Opening her eyes, she looked up at Ivan's face, still placid in his sleep, as the light had not yet risen up into his eyes. She smiled, loving the calm, adorable expression upon his face. Then, with a deft motion, she moved her body to his other side, effectively putting her back to the sunlight. Ivan's body, as if trained, adjusted with her movements and gently rested her against him once again. In return, the girl squeezed her arms tighter about him in a loving gesture then nuzzled her head up against his chest to rest once more. Regaining sleep had become a lost cause, but relaxing in the brown-haired boy's warm and comforting embrace, snuggled tightly up against his muscular body, was something that she found infinite pleasure in.
It was not long before the boy awoke as well, the sunlight finally flooding into the room and streaming across his eyes. In vain, Ivan tried to evade the rays. After a short struggle, the sun won out and Ivan reluctantly opened his eyes to the day. However, his sorrow lasted a mere instant as he realized the perfect angel resting peacefully against his chest. She had moved, he noticed, but his arms still rested about her as if by some subconscious gesture. He revived his lame fingers along her back, lightly brushing against her back in an attempt to alert her to his being awake.
Maddie's eyes rose to look at him, a gentle smile gracing her lips. Ivan mirrored the smile while he let his hands drop down slightly. Using his arms about her waist to pull her closer, she leaned down above him and joined their lips together. Pulling back after a moment, she looked down into his sparkling azure eyes with the same adoring smile resting upon her lips. It may have been her imagination, but Maddie could not remember a time that she had ever found the boy to be more handsome and attractive to her with his unkempt hair, loose shirt, and a smile that made her heart melt in love and desire.
As the girl pulled away from his lips, he opened his eyes once again, gazing up into her glimmering copper eyes, although to him they made any diamond seem valueless. The thought, as well as the adorable smile upon her face, made Ivan smile up at her as a minor expression of the intense joy he felt at that moment. As the morning light cascaded through the windows and across her hair, it brought out the subtle yet brilliant highlights of her hair that was now sliding gently down towards the boy. Never could the boy remember a time when he had found Maddie to be more beautiful and adorable, as her smile grew slowly wider.
Raising his hand slowly along her back, about her neck, and finally to her cheek, he brushed her hair gently out of her eyes. As his fingers brushed across her cheek, she leaned to their touch. Noting this, Ivan rested his hand gently against her cheek rather than returning it to about her waist. His thumb brushed gently against her cheek, making the girl sigh in pleasure as she closed her eyes and rested her head against his palm.
"Buenos dias, mi amor," Ivan said with a slight grin. Maddie giggled softly.
"Good morning to you too, love," She replied, slowly lowering her head back down to his chest.
"Did you sleep well?" Ivan asked.
"Of course, silly," she replied, giggling again. Her words then became more serious as she continued: "You're the world's best natural pillow. As long as I've got you, I could sleep anywhere and be perfectly comfortable."
"Thank you, darling," Ivan said, brushing his thumb lovingly across her cheek again. "You make a pretty incredible blanket and comforter, Maddie. I don't think the floor's ever felt as nice as it did with you against me." Maddie made a soft 'aww' sound before snuggling up against him further and laughing lightly.
"Finally awake, I see?" TK said out of the blue, his head resting atop the couch. Maddie gasped silently as she looked up in shock with the boy in her arms. She relaxed when she saw it was TK, though she was blushing as she pulled away and rose to a sitting position.
"Yeah," Maddie responded with a yawn, stretching her arms out. Ivan yawned as well, the contagious action spreading to him, as he lifted himself to his feet in a single fluid motion.
"Sleep well?" TK asked, chuckling in the knowledge of how they had ended up spending the night.
"You could say that," Ivan said slowly, blushing lightly as he laughed nervously. With a quick stretch, Ivan continued, "So what's the plan?"
"Well, my mom's left for work already," TK replied, turning from the two to the kitchen. "We've got some cereal if you guys are interested." Ivan and Maddie looked at one another in slight surprise. TK turned back around when he received no response. "What?" He asked when he saw the two surprised expressions worn by his guests.
"Wow," Ivan said softly, looking back over at the other boy. "We haven't had cereal in years. Come to think of it, all Real World food in general has been out of our diets for years."
"Well, would you care for some?" TK asked again.
Ivan and Maddie nodded simultaneously. "Sure," the girl vocalized their decision.
"Just a moment," TK said, turning back and walking into the kitchen. "Feel free to get settled over at the dining table," he added before crossing the threshold into the other room. Ivan took Maddie's hand gently in his own, and as she slipped her fingers between his he led her over to the table on the other side of the room. As he walked, he looked out the window to the balcony and noticed a small glass table and a pair of chairs sitting outside. His mind quickly formulated an idea.
"Hey, TK," he called over to the kitchen. TK called back a response, and Ivan continued, "If you don't mind, I think we'd enjoy to eat out on the balcony. It's a beautiful day out, and with what I have to do today, I'm not sure I'll get much else of a chance to see it." TK again called back, giving consent, and Ivan led the girl by his side over to the sliding door, which he pulled back. Then directing Maddie out onto the deck with his hand, he followed her over to the table and plopped down into a chair as she did the same in the opposing seat.
"Cute idea, darling," Maddie said playfully, gazing over at him with a grin. Ivan grinned back at her, then took a glance through the table. Maddie followed his eyes and she watched as he held out his hand then gently rested it atop hers, which had been placed upon her knee. She blushed lightly, looking back up at him with her grin receding into a loving smile.
"I do my best to be cute," Ivan replied as he mirrored her smile. Maddie giggled softly, unable to help herself. Even if it was just holding her hand, Ivan could be so adorable in her eyes. She rested her gaze upon him, adoring him. Everything was just so perfect about him, even with his hair askew and his shirt utterly wrinkled after sleeping with her on the floor. She preferred his arms around her rather than merely holding her hand, but she knew that realistically they had to live their lives, too.
TK soon appeared at the door, pushing it open with his back as he carried a tray out to the couple. "Breakfast is served," TK said in a mock- formal voice, graciously laying the tray on the table. Ivan smirked, looking at him.
"Thanks, TK," Ivan said with a grin. TK merely nodded before turning back to the door. As he opened it, he said, as if an afterthought, "You two are making me feel lonely. I think I'm gonna give Kari a call." With that, the blond boy entered the house, leaving the elder two to their sunrise breakfast together.
"OK, you two, hang tight here. I'll be back in a few hours, so keep the house in one piece please. Lunch is in the fridge. Have a good day!" As TK finished his small speech, he waved to the two as they stood a few feet back. The Ivan and Maddie would have most likely gone along with TK, who was heading out to meet Kari, on a double date of sorts, were it not for Ivan's urgent request to use his computer.
"Have fun, TK," Ivan said to the younger boy as he returned the wave. TK nodded, then turned and headed out the door with a quick goodbye. As the door closed, Ivan walked over to TK's bedroom that doubled as a study. Maddie followed quickly behind him, sitting on the foot of TK's bed as Ivan sat in the chair a couple feet in front of her, facing the computer. With a few quick strokes, the computer was running and Ivan had accessed the Internet.
"What're you looking for?" Maddie asked over the typing that came as Ivan entered in an address then started filling out fields.
"Just hunting up some old files I left here with my old life," the light brown-haired boy replied, now navigating through the site with the mouse. After a few moments, the boy cried out in shock.
"What is it?" Maddie asked apprehensively, looking over at the screen to see what was the matter. Ivan hit his chest a few times, as if to reinitiate his breathing.
"Jeez," he said after a moment, panting. "I never would've expected that much growth on three years' dormancy." The boy then spun around in the wheeled computer chair, his eyes sparkling. "Maddie," he said softly grinning widely, "We're rich!"
"What?" Maddie said in disbelief. Ivan then took her hands in his, pulling her gently so she rose to her feet. He then pointed to the screen.
"That number there," he said, indicating one field, "is the figure my parents left me in the will my mom made up while she was in the hospital for those two days." The boy winced inside, yet felt the comforting squeeze of Maddie's hand on his. He then moved his finger down and continued: "I invested the money in a few different stocks, and the growth over the course of our three years in the Digital World has left me with this figure." Maddie started at the number on the screen for a long time. She wasn't sure if she had ever even imagined such an amount of money before.
"That's all yours?" she asked, still in disbelief.
"Ours," Ivan corrected, softly squeezing her hand. Maddie felt her body suddenly go weak.
"What does this mean?" she asked softly.
"Well, it means that we've got financial independence in this world for some time yet," Ivan told her, turning to face her as she sat back down on the bed. "I'll probably sell about half of this, which we can use to get an apartment. I think that if Ms. Takaishi helps us out there, we'll be able to get an apartment like this one easily. Since we're minors, we can have her pay the rent, and we'll pay her back in full, with a little extra for her trouble, of course. Then, we get some furnishings and such and voila, we'll have a place to stay for our duration of being here. Then, I'd say we get some part-time jobs to support ourselves, trying to save as much of this as we can for possible future needs, and then we live our lives here for a while.
"While we're here, we ought to get enrolled in the school," The boy continued as the thoughts flowed through him. "This school year's nearly over, so we can take the placement tests and see how much we retain from years ago. We'll be left with the summer to get our jobs underway and get settled in. Then, come fall, we'll have birthdays to celebrate and we'll go to school." Ivan kissed her hand softly as he brought his explanation to a conclusion. "This means, Maddie, that we can live here together without taking advantage of any hosts. We'll be independent, we'll be together, and we'll have fun."
Ivan kissed Maddie's hand again then released it as she wrapped her arms about his neck. His hands quickly followed her lead, slipping deftly around her waist and moving the chair over to the edge of the bed. She brought her lips to his, kissing him tenderly as her hands caressed his neck. Ivan pressed back against her, matching her passion as his hands gently stroked up and down her back. The girl pulled away after a moment so to speak with Ivan. "Sounds like you've had this all worked out, darling," she said softly, her eyes sparkling.
"I never would've guessed that we'd have so much to work with," Ivan replied. "Before, I wasn't sure if we'd be able to pull it off. But now that we can, I think it would be good for us to spend some time here in the Real World for a change. There's a lot we need to catch up on, even if we feel truly at home in the Digital World."
"Well, it sounds fantastic," Maddie assured him, kissing his lips once again. "An entire year, here, with you, together, in our own apartment." She trailed off as her eyes closed in a daydream. Ivan smirked, pulling her closer to sit in his lap, rather than teeter on the edge of the bed. She kissed softly at his neck then rested her head up against it. Ivan leaned his head slightly on hers, holding her tightly in his arms.
"We'll see how it works," The boy replied, doing his best to keep their situation in perspective. "I'd say we give it a shot for a year. Afterwards, we can decide if it's truly worth living here, or in the Digital World. Then again, we don't have a whole lot of choice." The boy stopped, remembering that the two had vowed to stay as the protectorate of the Digital World. Though they could take this break from the line of duty after three years, there had never been a clear time allotted to them. Ivan sighed, suddenly unsure of what to do. He then felt Maddie's lips against his neck again, and her loving voice drifted to his ear.
"Don't worry about it," She told him softly. "We put Jason into mental shock, so it will be a while before any reverberations occur. Besides, so long as we stay true to them and return when we're needed, I think we'll be fine to stay here as long as we like. We can go check up with them every now and then, even, thanks to TK and Kari. But I do think a one-year test run would be a good idea. Don't want to judge too quickly, but we don't want to drag on either. One year," she repeated, tightening her arms around him. "One year, to be free of all those battles and dangers; one year to let the stress fall from our shoulders. Let's make the most of our vacation, okay?" Maddie opened her eyes, looking up into Ivan's own.
"As long as I'm with you," the light brunette male replied, bringing his lips to meet hers in confirmation of their plan. Maddie kissed back to Ivan, snuggling her body closer to his in the moment. After a few minutes, they broke apart, and the girl returned to resting her head on his shoulder.
Ivan held the girl close to him as he slowly spun the chair back around to the computer. Using one hand to hold Maddie steady as she rested against him, the boy moved back to the console, typing with one hand when necessary, then sliding it to the mouse to click on the proper links. He spent a good half hour more working at the screen, checking various factors and finally making the sale of roughly half of the initial figure. The slight commission was not something entirely pleasing, but Ivan had little patience and decided the commissioner could get something out of the ludicrous stock interest the boy had earned.
After another few minutes, the money was transited to the old bank account Ivan owned. Reactivating it, Ivan found another sum of money, although not nearly as shocking, resulted from three years of steady interest on his account. "A little extra to get something special for my darling," he said silently, brushing his fingers lightly along her back. He smiled as he confirmed the transaction of money. The next step was finding a suitable apartment or condo.
"Wow, Ms. Takaishi," Ivan said as he looked at the ads the woman had handed him. With her connections at the newspaper company, she had gotten the latest information on openings in Odaiba condos and apartments. Looking through them, Ivan was able to filter out ones that were too expensive, inconvenient, or undesirable due to their location or design.
In the end, Ivan sorted out the few options that he found to be of equal validity. He concluded to see if Ms. Takaishi had any suggestions on his selection, from what she knew about the city.
"Well, let's see," she said, sitting down at the table with Ivan. She left TK in charge of finishing the preparation of dinner, which Maddie had eagerly offered to assist with.
"What're we making?" Maddie asked brightly, joining TK in the kitchen.
"Not quite sure," the blond teen replied, looking around at the ingredients still left on the counter, as well as the boiling pot on the stove. "Something with that, that, and that in it," he concluded, pointing at the different containers on the table. Maddie giggled.
"Alright, then let's get to it," she told him, walking over to the table. The source of her sudden energy and excitement, she knew not. However, she loved the feeling. With her endorphins flowing, dreams of Ivan and she with their own place together, and a song running through her head, she danced around the kitchen with deft movements in her preparation of the meal.
TK watched, half in amazement and half in amusement, at the girl making dinner. He had seen many styles of cooking, but her dance was one unique to itself. After a moment, he moved in to help, setting himself at the stove to monitor the cooking ingredients.
"One of the most unique cooks I know," he told her when she finally came to a halt, everything prepared and now on the stove cooking. The shorter girl grinned up at him graciously.
"Why, thank you," She said, spinning in a circle. "I pride myself on unique talents." The blond boy chuckled.
"You're certainly brimming with individuality, Maddie," he said before turning back to the stove and consequently not seeing Maddie flush. The boy then turned back around to her. "If you don't mind resuming your assistance, we could use some more onions in here," he told her as he indicated one untouched onion on the counter, a cutting board, and a knife, all conveniently resting together among the other selection of foodstuffs.
"Certainly," Maddie said, happy to go back into her food preparation trance. It took her almost as soon as the knife entered her hand, flowing through her body as she began to chop the onion for the pot.
Meanwhile, as she was looking through the ads, Ms. Takaishi pulled out one and showed it to Ivan. "This company," she said as she indicated the real estate agent across the top of the condo ad, "is notorious for lying and cheating their customers. I'd suggest avoiding them." Ivan nodded in consent, and she placed the ad in the pile with the other discards. Her eyes then widened slightly as she came across another ad.
"What is it, Ms. Takaishi?" Ivan asked in a concerned tone upon seeing her expression. She relaxed after a moment, then looked up and handed him the ad.
"I never knew our complex had an opening in it," she said, pointing to the address. "That condo must be a few floors above this one. It's a condo similar enough to this one." She then gestured around the room, saying, "All of the condos here have identical, although some are inverted, designs. If you care for a tour, feel free to look around."
Ivan felt a slight rush as he realized the possibilities of the condo. This place was nice enough, and he had loved the feeling of being out on the balcony. With a place so close to TK, he would be able to easily contact the younger boy as well. That would make finding their way around and getting advice on something far easier. It would also make Ms. Takaishi's life easier in the payment. A condo was a single payment, rather than monthly payments, and it was a very local location. She no doubt knew the people in charge here. Thus she could easily handle buying a second spot in the building.
"Well, that sounds like a perfect place to me, then," Ivan said cheerily. "So long as it's not a problem for you to get it for us, we'll pay you back 110%."
The woman laughed lightly. "Oh, don't worry about it, Ivan," she replied. "I'd be more than happy to help you two out. You needn't pay me back more than the cost. I'll go down there first thing tomorrow morning, alright?" Ivan nodded quickly, smiling.
"Thank you, Ms. Takaishi," the boy said earnestly, rising from the table.
"You're welcome, Ivan," she answered him, standing as well. "Oh, and call me Nancy," she asked him. "You and Maddie are both welcome to. Ms. Takaishi reminds me too much of my boss." Ivan chuckled at her small joke, then continued to smile.
"I'd be happy to, Nancy," Ivan told her. He then peeked into the kitchen and called in, "Maddie, guess what!"
The brown and blond-haired girl looked over her shoulder after resting the knife on the side of the cutting board. She then asked eagerly, "What?"
"We've got ourselves a home!" Ivan had only a second to stand up in the doorframe before an insanely excited girl whose grin could carry on around the world and continue on afterwards tackled him back to the carpeted floor. He laughed as she did so, his arms wrapping back about her. "Glad to see you're so excited," He said, still laughing as she rolled off of him and onto the floor beside him. He then gave her the details of their new home with a gesture about him as he spoke.
"That's awesome," she said, getting up from the floor and gently dusting herself off. Ivan stood up next to her, mirroring her elation in the fact that they would now have a place to call home in the Real World. Their eyes locked on one another, and they slowly edged closer to one another in the middle of the room. Maddie's grin mellowed into a gentle smile as her lips neared his. As her eyelids slid closed, she felt his lips brush against his. For an instant, she felt the incredible surge the boy gave her whenever he was close. However, it was only an instant, as in the next a voice called out to them.
"Dinner!"
"What an incredible day," Maddie said softly, snuggling up against the boy she lay next to. Ivan's fingers traced along Maddie's back lovingly as he relaxed with his girlfriend.
"It was," he agreed, pulling the sheet a bit tighter about himself and Maddie. In the next twenty-four hours, they would be out of the Takaishi household and moving into their own new condo. General furnishings were provided, so they would be able to move in immediately. Ivan had suggested that they go to the bank and then run a few errands before going to their new home, however. While Ms. Takaishi took care of the paperwork, he wanted to get her repayment ready (which had ended up being much less than he had estimated), along with a gift to show their appreciation, since she wouldn't accept any additional money. Ivan also figured getting some groceries from the corner store would be advisable, along with anything else that they felt they needed. After discerning just exactly what was provided in their new living quarters, they would be able to pick out any other furnishings they wanted to complete the setting.
The excitement was nearly too much to bear for the two teens, along with the apprehension of trying to reside on their own in a new country where the primary language was not their own. Regardless, they were prepared for the adventure ahead, confident in their own strength as well as that of one another. After all, together, they had conquered three years of combat against the powers of Evil in the Digital World and vanquished one of the prime generals of the enemy forces. To them, a year in the Real World should seem like a break.
"Let's get some sleep, love," Ivan whispered after a long, but incredibly comfortable silence. "We've had a fantastic day, but tomorrow's gonna be very busy. We've got to get everything in order so we don't have to obligate the Takaishis any longer than we have to." Maddie nodded her head against his chest slightly, making a soft mumble as verbal confirmation. Ivan chuckled, kissing her forehead before leaning back against the pillow fully. "Seems you've beaten me to the punch, Maddie," he continued. "Sleep well, my darling. I love you."
"I love you, too, Ivan," came a faint reply from Maddie's mouth before closing into a blissful smile. Ivan closed his eyes, letting his arms loosen around her body as a small smile graced his lips.
Consciousness was only present in the two for a moment more. As it slowly slipped from their grasp, the placid looks stayed upon their faces. However, if they had stayed in such a serene moment for the duration of their living in the Real World, their respite upon the green grass of the Digital World the following year never would have held the intense importance that it did for the couple.
(And we are out. Chapter one ends thusly. Hopefully, the writing elements I'm trying to use worked well here. The next chapter shall come soon, don't worry. A note about the design of this book: although the chapters are each linked somewhat, and do tell a whole story, I'm going to work to develop each into it's own miniature adventure. I'm not sure how well that will work, and if it falters, it will probably be scrapped. However, I've seen a lot of those shorter stories, and they seemed fairly popular, so I'm gonna try to double up here. It will not only be another novel in my collection, but a selection of individual works if you don't care to have to endure the full length of the book. I know the length can be intimidating. Anyways, we'll see how it unfolds. Otherwise, go give that little button some company and send me some much-appreciated feedback! Thanks!)
The Ivani Chronicles : Book 2 - Reminiscence : Chapter 1 - Back in Time
Ivan laid his head back against the grass beneath him. The verdant blades bent to cushion his head, creating a soft pillow. As the rest of his body relaxed, his eyes gazed over the landscape about him. About his lying position stretched a great expanse of the same brilliant green grass. It sloped down gently to each side, placing the boy at the peak of a small hill. To his right, the grass met a sparse wall of brown columns, each topped with a large green array of leaves. The wooded area stretched on for some distance, perhaps a few miles, and slowly faded out along the edge of his range of vision. His eyes then drifted downwards, where the carpet of green blades met another obstacle, this time of a blue hue. Long and narrow, the stream weaved a path through the grass then through the trees off to his right. The grass continued on after the river, stretching on into the horizon, dotted by the occasional tree or shrub. Ivan's eyes then looked above him, into the great azure span above him. Through it passed a few wispy puffs of white and light gray. His view of these was partially obscured by the canopy of leaves coming from the tree behind him. The great brown tower stood majestically above the boy, providing shade from the piercing orange globe that slowly sank on the far side of the tree. Ivan watched the leaves of the tree be tousled by the light breeze, feeling the wind toy with his light brown hair as well. A single leaf was plucked from it's home upon the tree, and slowly sailed down towards the boy. He watched the leaf make the slow, waving journey through the air until it came to rest gently on his left side, causing the brown-haired girl, although it couldn't be called completely brown due to the blond highlights running through it, to stir slightly.
"Mmm." she muttered, her left hand reaching up and gently brushing the leaf from her hair.
"Hey there," Ivan whispered softly to the girl as his left arm tightened a bit about her, letting his fingers continue their gentle stroking motions upon her back. "Are you comfy?"
She sighed in contented affirmation, edging herself closer to the brown- haired boy. She dropped her left hand back down to his chest. She then resumed tracing soft, loving shapes upon his chest as it rose and fell slowly with his breath. At the same time, she moved her right hand up then down as she let her fingers dance about his ear and through his short, soft hair. "Never felt better," she replied at last, gently pressing her lips to his shoulder before resting her head against him once again.
Ivan smiled, leaning his head to her fingers' touch. In return, he let his own right hand reach up and set his fingers to caress the girl's ear and hair that was lying presently in its natural state, free of any restraints. "That makes two of us then," Ivan whispered as he again pulled her a bit closer with his left arm. The girl mirrored his smile as he continued: "It's been so long since we've had some time alone to just relax in." The girl nodded in response.
"I'm surprised it's been a whole year," she agreed.
"But it's nice to have some time to finally spend with you, darling," the boy said, brushing the back of his fingers across her cheek. "I've really missed being with you."
"I've missed you too, Ivan," the girl said softly. She then lifted herself up a bit and pulled her body closer to his, looking down into his eyes; his beautiful azure eyes, the eyes that had captivated her for years. She could look into his angelic pools for an eternity, and never bore of them. She felt him gazing back into her own eyes, of an amber hue, and knew that he had the same feelings for her. The knowledge of such, and the loving smile that graced his lips, made her heart melt as she held him in her arms. She wished she could always keep him there in her grasp. However, she knew it was naïve to think that would be true, even though she was determined to make the most of the time they had. As if in affirmation of such, she cast all her thoughts aside and pressed her lips to his, which she felt returned with equal love and passion.
The two held together for a moment, then slowly parted, with mirroring smiles of love and devotion to one another. The girl then slowly retreated back to her original spot, snuggling up against Ivan's body. His strong arms wrapped about her gave her a sense of protection and safety she had never known before. It made sense, for he was regarded as the 'Guardian' by all who knew him. It was the sense that she was the ward of such, however, that made her feel an even stronger attraction to the boy. Pulling a bit closer Ivan, she gently closed her eyes once again to enjoy the blissful peace of his embrace.
Ivan's eyes fell upon the resting girl, the smile upon his lips growing slightly as he watched her frame rise and fall slowly as she breathed. Unadorned by anything but her casual clothes and merely in her natural state, she held a beauty that transfixed the boy beyond all comprehension. Caressing her cheek and ear softly with his right hand, he reveled in the quiet sighs of joy she gave out and leaned to his touch. Seeing her so happy filled him with joy as well, and their peaceful respite was something they had each been in desperate need of. The past year had been excruciating, with a scant few rests along the way. Now, however, he could feel the fatigue of all that had passed fall from his shoulders, and as Maddie snuggled her thin, agile body closer to his firm and athletic frame, he could sense her pleasure and relaxation as well.
At length, Maddie tilted her head and asked, "You know what this reminds me of?" Ivan looked down, meeting her gaze, thinking back to what she could be referring to.
"I'm not sure, darling," he responded after a moment. "It reminds me of all the times we've spent together; are you referring to a particular instance?"
Maddie nodded slightly. "I think it must've been a full year ago now," she concluded. "That whole reunion of TK and Kari to their families and friends. There was a lot of love emanating there, a lot of closeness." Her voice trailed off and Ivan picked up as his mind went back to the time she spoke of.
"It was a crazy time, love," Ivan said. "After we got them all back home, our troubles only just began. However, those first few minutes are truly some of the most memorable we've ever seen." Ivan rested his head back against the verdant grass, pulling Maddie a bit closer as his eyes slowly slid closed in memory, remembering those first minutes, hours, days back on the Real World, and how they had shaped all to come that year.
Back in time, in his time, all the way back to the time of their passing through the gate to the Real World for the first time in years. His mind raced back through the memories, up and down, almost as if he were flying in his thoughts. The Real World; how long ago it seemed.
"Very well, Ivan," TK replied. "I'll see you over there." Ivan nodded in response, and TK jumped right through the Gate. In the few seconds Ivan had, he looked at Maddie as he jumped through the gate and said "See you on the other side, Madelyn!" In a moment, the light of the Television faded, and the last strains of light from the sun were gone behind the starry, velvet cloak of night.
A rush of wind and energy overcame the boy as he was hurled across dimensions. He sensed Maddie's presence close at hand, but he was unable to clearly distinguish anything about him. He could feel his body accelerate further and further, until at last everything seemed to come to a halt about him. As if cloaked in an energy field, blurs of light whirled past him but no wind broke across his shoulders. Everything seemed to slow down, as if willed by his mind as it cried out for calm in the vortex of the dimension jump. For a moment, a feeling of mastery came to Ivan, as if he had conquered the ways of time and physics. But only a moment, for in the next, his body was thrown violently forward once again, this time back into the material realm.
Ivan yelled out as he felt his body hurled into a wall, sliding down until his legs were up the wall and his back rested on the floor. He groaned, straining to look about but was unable to see much in the darkness of the room, save a glow that came from above his head, the computer screen. Only another instant passed before this too was taken from his sight as a new form came flailing from the gate. With a thud and another groan from the boy, Maddie's delicate frame collapsed into his arms.
Ivan wrapped his arms about the sore girl, ignoring the new bruises that had come to his shins on her impact, and soothingly massaged her back. She whimpered lightly, pressing her head against his chest, then slipped her arms about him. He pressed his lips softly against the top of her head, whispering softly into her ear to calm her. It took her only a moment to recover from her fear, yet Maddie stayed holding onto Ivan regardless.
Ivan smiled down at her, pressing his lips to her head once more, then looked to his surroundings again. The gloom now lost some of it's masking ability, allowing Ivan to make out the shapes of many tables and computers in the room. He also saw the rough image of the two other figures they had traveled back with, leaning against a wall a few feet away. It seemed that Kari was pressed up against TK, and the heads of the two couldn't have been much closer. Ivan finally came to make out the vague outline of a door a few feet to the side of TK and Kari, the shaded window blocking the light of the city outside.
Smiling at the sight of their companions, Ivan turned back to the girl in his arms. However, only a second later, the door burst open. "Who's there?" a voice shouted feverishly into the room. Kari and TK jumped apart, staring in shock at the door that shot open beside them. The backlighting that poured from the city outside made the figure nearly impossible to make out. Make out, that is, until.
"Davis?" TK asked, half shouting as he spoke in his still-shocked state. The boy whirled around on him.
"TR? Kari? You're back!" The brown-haired boy cried, running over to Kari and throwing his arms around her. However, Kari's quick reflexes brought her hands down to block his arms before he could accomplish his goal.
"Yeah, nice to see you too, Davis," Kari said dryly, glaring at him as he retreated. "What're you doing here, anyway?" she asked after he was back in the doorway.
"Me?" he asked, receiving a nod in response. "I've been, uh, coming by here to, um, check up on you guys, make sure you were safe and all." Although neither of them noticed the rush of blood to his cheeks, he did turn crimson as he hinted at what he'd been up to.
"You've been checking to wait for me to come back, then?" Kari asked accusatively, seeing straight through his faltered answer. Davis' shoulders drooped as he nodded slightly. Kari sighed slightly, rubbing her forehead with her hand. "Thanks, Davis," she said with a hint of sarcasm.
"So this is Davis?" a voice said from the darkness of the room. Davis whirled up and around to face whatever opponent laid before him, barking out a challenge to the voice.
"Calm down, Davis, that's just Ivan," TK said, placing a firm hand on the other boy's shoulder.
"Ivan? Who the hell is Ivan?" Davis asked savagely, trying to pull his shoulder from TK's grasp, although to little avail.
"That's Ivan," TK said, pointing with his other hand as a large figure emerged from the shadows. Ivan stepped in front of Davis, straightening his posture to his full height of slightly over six feet. Davis, a good bit shorter, not to mention less built, cowered under the intimidating figure before him. As Ivan's hand came towards him, Davis cowered and covered his eyes.
"Is he really so resilient to meet people?" Ivan asked TK, lowering his offer of a handshake. TK laughed lightly, shaking Davis' shoulder.
"Don't worry, Davis, Ivan won't hurt you," TK said as Davis hesitantly dropped his arms from covering his head. Opening his eyes, Davis saw Ivan smiling down at him, and noticed rustling coming from behind him.
"Behind you!" Davis shouted, jumping to the side and moving to tackle what seemed to be a smaller figure behind the taller boy. He leapt up with a battle cry, only to meet a strong strike to his stomach from what felt like a rock. Davis recoiled back in pain, looking up at the same, tall boy standing in front of him, his smile faded into a serious stare.
"Never, never shall you strike at my beloved," Ivan said firmly, dropping his fist.
"His what?" Davis asked TK, scared and angry emotions running through him as he stood up straight again.
"His beloved," TK replied, half amused at Ivan's chivalrous way of talking. "He's talking about his girlfriend who happens to be standing behind him, Maddie," TK explained. As if on cue, Maddie emerged from the darkness, stretching her arms out before wrapping them gently around Ivan's neck from the side, a gentle smile gracing her lips.
"Hey there," Ivan said as he returned the embrace. As he did so, the stern emotion faded from him and his smile returned to his lips. He pressed them briefly to the lips of the girl in his arms, before Davis broke the moment between the two.
"Ugh, so you two go escape to the Digital World to drag back a couple of lovebirds?" Davis said in disgust, turning back to face TK and Kari. However, his mood quickly switched from anger to shock when he saw Kari's and TK's arms mirroring the motions of Maddie and Ivan's. "What the-" Davis yelled rather loudly, startling the two out of their trance.
"Oh yeah, we didn't tell you about that," TK said, laughing nervously as he ran his hand through his short blond hair. "While we were over in the Digital World, Kari and I-"
"Made a few discoveries?" Davis nearly yelled, shocked, angry and hurt all at once. His eyes flashed back between one and the other. He'd had enough of the strange, tall, intimidating kid and his little girl. Now not only had his long-time crush finally chosen someone else, but also, of all people, it had to be the rival he'd always had. The blond boy had once again bested him, when he knew that his skills were far beyond him. Standing there, Davis cursed TK for his victory, but was also aware, somewhere deep inside him, that TK hadn't really won, but had been chosen by the brown-haired girl who's arms were now about the blond boy's neck. The arms he'd always envisioned around his neck.
Davis' eyes dropped to the ground as the realization washed over him. He had hoped desperately that one of the two would correct him in his accusation, but in the full minute that passed, neither of them had said a word, merely sighed lightly, confirming Davis' fears. "I see," he managed at last, doing his best to hold back his emotions.
"I'm sorry, Davis," Kari said softly. She may never have had the love that Davis wished for her to return, but she nonetheless cared about the boy. Seeing him hurt like this made her nearly regret her decision. "I'm sorry," she repeated, "But this is just the way things have turned out. TK and I have found something together, and even though it's different, you and I have our own special something." She dropped her arms from TK and walked over to Davis, only to meet his outstretched palm.
"It's not the same," the brown haired boy said firmly. He dropped his hand, letting it fall limply to his side as he turned away from the couples. The pangs of regret and loss shot through him as he stood there. He stood only a moment longer, as his legs became weaker and weaker, until he finally collapsed down to his knees. Kari stood behind Davis, unsure of what to do as her own heart felt a surge of pain. She felt a hand rest gently on her shoulder, TK's hand, and brought her hand to rest on top of his.
"Help him, Kari," he whispered I her ear softly, "it'll hurt him for a while, but he will come around in time. But he needs our help to do that. At the moment, I think it's your turn to help him." Kari felt his firm hand gently squeeze her shoulder and his lips softly brush across her hand. "I'm right here beside you, Kari, now and forever more." His final words warmed Kari's heart, giving her a sensation she only experienced when TK was with her. It was that very surge of energy and passion that told her the blond haired boy was the one for her.
"And I'm with you, TK," she whispered for only the boy beside her to hear, squeezing his hand in her own. After spending another instant with his hand in hers, she dropped down and knelt beside the goggle-adorned boy who had finally succumbed to the sadness within him as the tears trailed down his cheeks to the tiled floor.
Davis' body was wracked with the pain wrought by what he had discovered, and as he felt the water finally fall from his eyes, he also felt a pair of arms cling firmly around his waist. He was shocked for a moment then tried to move away. His attempts were in vain, as the girl's arms held him fast. He then felt a chin press down against his shoulder, and the sweet voice he adored so much whisper softly in his ear.
"I love you, Davis," the girl said softly, her words intended solely for the boy she held. "I love you and truly value everything that we have. You've always been there and been a great follower of my brother's footsteps. I know you wish I could feel more for you than that, but I can't. I know it'll hurt a lot, and again I'm sorry for it, but that's the way it will have to be. I love you, but I'm in love with TK. I won't let it compromise what we have, though, Davis. You mean too much to me for me to do such a thing." Kari then adjusted her position, placing a light kiss upon the brunette's cheek before gently dropping her arms from about him and rising back to her feet. TK's arm slipped silently about her waist, pulling the girl close as her arm mirrored the motion to the blond.
Davis knelt there for a while more as he tried to process all that had happened. All his emotions conflicted within him, both wanting to have Kari for himself, and to have the girl be happy. Which desire was stronger, he didn't know, but as he slowly rose to his feet, he accepted the fact that fate had chosen one path for him to follow. "I." He started to say, his back still turned upon the two. "I. I'm happy for the two of you." was all he could manage to say before the pain grew to great in his chest. Not wishing to break down once again in front of the others, Davis bolted from the room and down the corridor of the school.
"Davis!" TK yelled, reaching his hand out after the boy as he left the room. TK slowly dropped his hand, as well as his head. "I wish it didn't have to hurt him like this," he said softly. The girl whom he held with his other arm placed a gentle kiss upon his cheek.
"You've done all you can, TK," she said back to him. "Like you said, all we can do is be here for him and help him." She liked the idea no more than TK, but his nod of affirmation let her know it was the way things were to be. Her other arm slipped slowly to join the first around his waist, as his moved to do the same. Kari gently rested her head on TK's chest as he held her close, comforting the two of them as they dealt with their choice and how it hurt their friend.
TK and Kari held together in the embrace until the blond finally remembered their surroundings. Kari's mind ran along with TK's, and they simultaneously turned to the other couple. "Sorry about that," TK said to the other two, scratching at the back of his neck.
"Don't worry about it," Ivan told him knowingly, "It was something that needed to take place, and I think that it's best it happened quickly. Keeping him unsure longer would only hurt him more in the end." TK nodded in response, dropping his hand back down and gently clasping it in Kari's. "Besides," The older boy continued, "I think we've got other things to take care of first. For instance, get you two home before it gets too late." TK nodded again, turning around as he did so.
"I'll go give my mom a call on the pay phone in the main lobby," TK said as he opened the door. His other hand felt resistance as he tried to move forward. TK lowered his head, chuckling. "You can come, too, Kari," he said, squeezing her hand softly. "In fact, why don't we all head down to the lobby? It's probably best to stay together."
"Sounds like a plan," Maddie said happily, dropping her hands from Ivan's neck. She then took one of his hands in hers, interlocking their fingers. Ivan smiled down at her, lightly squeezing her hand, then walked after the other couple that had already gone out the door.
Strolling briskly down the dark corridor, the only light coming from the street lamps glaring through the windows, TK and Kari led the elder children down to the main lobby at the opposite end of the building. Down a flight of stairs, along another corridor at a perpendicular angle, then down another floor of stairs brought them to the front foyer. Four large glass doors stood to one side, allowing entry to the great structure. On the opposing wall, a glass display case was embossed into the wall, portraying all of the honors and awards the school had earned in various activities. One of the most dazzling collections was the trio of basketball emblems, each awarding the school first place in the Japanese Regional Middle School Tournament. On each of the JRMST trophies, the full team of the Odaiba basketball team was engraved.
As TK and Kari set out to the two phones that were hanging on the wall next to the main entrance doors, Ivan led Maddie over to look closer at the display case. Looking closely at the trophies from the JRMST, Ivan noted that on each, TK's name was listed. Moreover, on the most recent medal, TK's name came in the fifth slot, indicating the Starting Center position. Ivan smiled, noting that his skill in the sport was probably a good support for his impressive skill in combat with such a relatively low amount of training. After gazing at some of the other medals awards for a moment, he turned and walked over to the phones, Maddie following right behind.
"Hey Mom," TK said when he heard the familiar voice ring out over the other end of the phone.
"TK?" His mother shouted in disbelief. "You're back! Oh, thank heavens."
"Yeah, Kari and I are back safe and sound," he confirmed. "We're in the front lobby of the school, and w-"
"Don't move, I'll be right there," She said, cutting him off. TK tried to finish his sentence, but the line went dead as his mother had already hung up the phone. Sighing, he hung the phone back up and looked over at Kari, who had already replaced the phone in its cradle.
"Mom decided not to listen; she's on her way over now," he said to the brown-haired girl, his hands rejoining hers once again.
"Yeah, my brother picked up, but I could barely get two words out to him before he declared he was leaving," Kari told the blond. She sighed lightly, leaning towards TK as she whispered, "Silly Tai."
TK smirked, dropping his hands from hers to pull her into an embrace. "I guess they'll just have to find out about our guests when they get here," he said, gently resting his head on top of hers. Looking over, he saw Maddie and Ivan coming across the room towards them.
"Any luck?" Ivan asked as he came to stand next to the blond boy. TK let Kari stand back up, placing his hands at his sides as he turned to face the older boy.
"Sort of," he said, dropping his eyes a bit. "My mom and Tai are both on their way over, but we hardly told them where we were before they hung up and took off. Therefore, they have no idea that you two are here."
"Well, they're coming," Ivan said positively. "We'll introduce ourselves when they show up, I guess." As he spoke, the sound of a car engine came quietly through the doors. Kari ran over and looked out the window.
"Get ready," she said as she turned around, "My brother's here."
Sure enough, only a moment passed before the seventeen-year-old boy jogged up the steps to the school and over to the glass doors. With a sharp knock, Tai made himself known. Kari opened the door for Tai to come in.
"Kari!" he cried, dashing into the building and throwing his arms around his sister. Kari blushed, as she put her arms comfortingly around her brother.
"Jeez, Tai, it's only been a week," she said, trying to calm her brother. "I've been away at camp for longer than this."
The boy sighed, loosening his arms from his sister. "I'm sorry," he said. "You did have us really worried, though. Mom and Dad are the ones you're gonna have to watch out for." He said the last part as a joke, but he had a feeling it was true regardless. His eyes then looked over to TK, and he extended his hand to shake his. "Hey there, TK," he said to the blond boy as they shook hands. "Thanks for getting my sister back safely."
"Oh, don't worry about it," TK said modestly. "Besides," he continued, "Ivan and Maddie are the ones that you should really be thanking." He gestured over his shoulder at the two figures standing a bit behind him.
Ivan stepped forward, extending his hand to the older boy. "Pleased to meet you, Tai," he said graciously as Tai took his hand and shook it. "I'm Ivan, and this is my friend, Maddie," he gestured to himself and then to the shorter girl at his side as he spoke. Maddie extended her hand and Tai took it, kissing it gently. Maddie giggled as Tai gave her hand back.
"You two have my sincere gratitude," Tai said seriously, looking back and forth between the mysterious kids. "Without you, I don't know if my sister and friend would have made it home in one piece." Tai trailed off as his mind thought of all the things that could have gone wrong.
"Hey, don't worry about it," Ivan said cheerily. "It's what we're here for, Maddie and I." Tai nodded, coming back from his upsetting thoughts.
"So, is there anything I can do to repay you?" Ivan asked, looking back up at the other brown-haired boy. "Needless to say I'd be glad to help you out however I can."
"Actually," Ivan started, about to ask for advice on sleeping arrangements when another car engine was heard pulling up outside. Kari walked back over to the glass doors, peering out into the gloomy evening.
"Your mom's here, TK," she said, waiting a moment before opening the door to let Ms. Takaishi into the school. She held back a laugh at the expression on TK's face as his mom hugged him tightly.
"TK!" she exclaimed, just as loudly as she had on the phone. "Oh, TK, you're alright. I was so worried!" TK squirmed in his mom's grasp, trying to get away.
"Mom!" TK pleaded, "Jeez, I'm fine. It was only a week. Basketball camp kept me away for twice as long as this."
TK's mom pulled away after a minute, then rubbed her eyes with her sleeve. "Well, I'm glad you're back home safely," she finalized before turning to Kari. To her she gave another hug, although more brief and less choking. "And welcome back to you, Kari," she said as she released her.
"Thanks, Ms. Takaishi," Kari responded. "But as TK told my brother, the people you should really thank are Ivan and Maddie." She gestured to the two new children, who were watching the reuniting along with Tai. Ms. Takaishi looked over at them, bowing deeply.
"Thank you so much for escorting my children back home," she said to the two. Ivan ran a hand through his hair in nervousness.
"Don't worry about it," he said with a wave of his hand. "Helping people out is what we're here for."
Ms. Takaishi bowed again as she said, "It's nice of you to be so modest." Then, after a short moment of silence, she continued. "So, is there anything that I can do to return the favor? I'd be willing to help however I can."
Ivan looked down at the girl beside him, who nodded to reassure him. Ivan smiled softly at her, although only she could see it in the dim lighting. He then looked back up and made the short speech he had started to Tai: "Actually, Maddie and I are in a bit of a predicament. We've escorted Kari and TK back safely without much trouble, but in the course of such, we made the choice to come back to the Real World. Although we're both native to the US, it's been years since we ever saw home. I mean, we don't have much intention of seeing home, but we've been away from this world in general for a few years. In other words, we've got nowhere to go at the moment, and we could really use somewhere to stay until we can get a more permanent plan in place. I'd be more than willing to pay compensation when I can, but I would have to ask for a short period for us to get everything back in order after being away for so long."
Ms. Takaishi shook her head, raising her hand to stop the boy. "You don't have to say any more. Getting my son and his friend back safely is more than just compensation for me. Now, would you two prefer to stay together, or would one of you like to go with Kari's family?" Ivan looked again at the girl beside him, whose hand then rose and gently held onto his. Ivan nodded as she affirmed what he was thinking, his eyes rising back up to look at the woman across from him.
"If you don't mind, we'd prefer to stay together," he replied, gently squeezing the hand he held. "We're still new to everything around here, and I think it'd be safer to stay together. That is, of course, if you don't mind." He hated the idea of overburdening someone, but he despised the idea of being separated from Maddie even more. Especially after considering the recent events, he knew his heart would go crazy without her by his side.
As Ms. Takaishi responded positively, Ivan let out a silent sigh of relief. "I'll take you two home with me tonight, and you can stay with TK and I as long as you like. If Kari's family wants to help, maybe the two of you can go over there for some of the time." Tai nodded in confirmation, then walked over to the door.
"Well, if we've all got arrangements on where to go," Tai said, opening the door, "Let's get out of here before someone finds out we're in the school. After all, it's Friday night." Everyone agreed, moving quickly out through the door as Tai held it open. Down the steps and out to the sidewalk, the group came upon Tai's parents' sedan and Ms. Takaishi's station wagon. TK and Kari hugged one another good-bye then shocked both the drivers as they pressed their lips together in a kiss.
"'Night, TK," Kari whispered in her boyfriend's ear.
"Goodnight, Kari," TK responded in equal tone in her ear. Then, kissing the girl once more, he dropped his arms from about her as she let go of him. Walking to their respective cars, they waved to one another briefly.
Kari then hopped in the front passenger seat of her family's car, while her brother got in the other side and gave her an amazed look.
"Do you mind telling me what that was?" he asked, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. Kari blushed, giggling.
"I'll tell ya on the way home," she said, relaxing as she leaned back into the cushioned seat. Tai shook his head, still shocked, and started the car.
Ivan opened the back seat door for Maddie, letting her in then sitting in beside her. TK opened the front door, sliding into the car as his mom sat in the driver's seat. "Care to explain?" she asked, doing her best to hide her surprise at seeing her son kiss a girl.
TK blushed, grinning, "It's a funny story," he said jokingly. "I'll tell you about it sometime." Then, before Ms. Takaishi could inquire further, he leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes as he said, "I'm sure our guests are both very tired, and we ought to get them home so they can rest up. It's been a long trip, after all." Ivan and Maddie laughed silently at TK's defense and Ms Takaishi couldn't help but smile at her son's childishness.
"Alright," she said with a laugh in her voice. "But don't think you're leaving the house again until you tell me everything." She then started the car without a word, smiling inwardly as she heard TK swallow audibly.
"Oh, the wonders of family," Ivan whispered in Maddie's ear humorously, leaning up against the side of the car as it started forward. She smiled up at him, then snuggled closer to the brown-haired boy, settling in for the ride.
"Tell me about it," she said softly back in the same joking manner, closing her eyes as their arms slipped around one another in the comfort of being together. Despising the restriction of the seat belts, Ivan's eyes slid closed as well, his arms pulling the girl he adored as close as possible. The darkness outside and Maddie's warmth against him brought great relaxation to the boy, and it was only a moment before he lost all power of thought to peaceful sleep.
"Are you sure you're comfortable, darling?" Maddie whispered over the edge of the couch, peeking her eyes over at the brown-haired boy lying on the floor. His hand reached up to her, gently brushing her hair back as it fell over her face.
"For the sixteenth time, I'm fine, Maddie," he whispered back through the gloom, resting his palm gently upon her cheek. She leaned against his hand, loving the feel of his skin on her own. She then brought her own hand to wrap around his, squeezing it gently.
In the gloom of TK's apartment's living room, the two lay. With only the couch to offer to the two, Ivan had volunteered Maddie to take it and said he would manage on the floor beside her. They had already eaten dinner, so they only required a couple pillows and blankets. Thus an hour had passed since they had entered the house and their hosts had retreated to their respective beds, leaving the two to get some rest as well.
"You're so sweet," the girl whispered down, her thumb gently stroking his hand.
Ivan smiled back up at her, replying, "Anything for you, Maddie. Now then, as long as you're comfortable, let's get some sleep. He let his arms go limp, but Maddie's grip on his hand wouldn't let him retract his arm. He looked up at her questioningly.
"I'm not comfortable," she whispered to him, holding his hand a bit tighter.
"You're not?" Ivan asked, confused. "Isn't the couch soft?"
"It is," she said slowly. She then moved her legs over the edge of the couch and slowly rested them on he floor. Her torso followed suit, as did the rest of her body until she had slid completely off of the couch. Lying on the ground next to her boyfriend, she curled up next to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, continuing. "But I'm much more comfortable in your arms." as she finished, she pressed her lips to the cheek of her beloved then snuggled up closer to him, resting her head lovingly upon his chest.
Ivan smiled, his arms sliding tightly about the girl. "Thanks, darling," he whispered in her ear, returning the kiss. Turning his body to face hers slightly and offer her a better position upon his chest, he nuzzled his cheek up against the brown, blond highlighted, hair that fell from her head to her shoulders freely. Resting their bodies against one another, the tow smiled inwardly as sleep came to visit them once again. The only motion was the occasional strokes of Ivan's hand, lightly massaging the girl's back in their peaceful, united slumber.
In what felt like only a short while, Maddie felt the glare of the sun seeping through the windows of the balcony door. She winced, trying to block the light from her eyes for a moment until finally succumbing to the light. Opening her eyes, she looked up at Ivan's face, still placid in his sleep, as the light had not yet risen up into his eyes. She smiled, loving the calm, adorable expression upon his face. Then, with a deft motion, she moved her body to his other side, effectively putting her back to the sunlight. Ivan's body, as if trained, adjusted with her movements and gently rested her against him once again. In return, the girl squeezed her arms tighter about him in a loving gesture then nuzzled her head up against his chest to rest once more. Regaining sleep had become a lost cause, but relaxing in the brown-haired boy's warm and comforting embrace, snuggled tightly up against his muscular body, was something that she found infinite pleasure in.
It was not long before the boy awoke as well, the sunlight finally flooding into the room and streaming across his eyes. In vain, Ivan tried to evade the rays. After a short struggle, the sun won out and Ivan reluctantly opened his eyes to the day. However, his sorrow lasted a mere instant as he realized the perfect angel resting peacefully against his chest. She had moved, he noticed, but his arms still rested about her as if by some subconscious gesture. He revived his lame fingers along her back, lightly brushing against her back in an attempt to alert her to his being awake.
Maddie's eyes rose to look at him, a gentle smile gracing her lips. Ivan mirrored the smile while he let his hands drop down slightly. Using his arms about her waist to pull her closer, she leaned down above him and joined their lips together. Pulling back after a moment, she looked down into his sparkling azure eyes with the same adoring smile resting upon her lips. It may have been her imagination, but Maddie could not remember a time that she had ever found the boy to be more handsome and attractive to her with his unkempt hair, loose shirt, and a smile that made her heart melt in love and desire.
As the girl pulled away from his lips, he opened his eyes once again, gazing up into her glimmering copper eyes, although to him they made any diamond seem valueless. The thought, as well as the adorable smile upon her face, made Ivan smile up at her as a minor expression of the intense joy he felt at that moment. As the morning light cascaded through the windows and across her hair, it brought out the subtle yet brilliant highlights of her hair that was now sliding gently down towards the boy. Never could the boy remember a time when he had found Maddie to be more beautiful and adorable, as her smile grew slowly wider.
Raising his hand slowly along her back, about her neck, and finally to her cheek, he brushed her hair gently out of her eyes. As his fingers brushed across her cheek, she leaned to their touch. Noting this, Ivan rested his hand gently against her cheek rather than returning it to about her waist. His thumb brushed gently against her cheek, making the girl sigh in pleasure as she closed her eyes and rested her head against his palm.
"Buenos dias, mi amor," Ivan said with a slight grin. Maddie giggled softly.
"Good morning to you too, love," She replied, slowly lowering her head back down to his chest.
"Did you sleep well?" Ivan asked.
"Of course, silly," she replied, giggling again. Her words then became more serious as she continued: "You're the world's best natural pillow. As long as I've got you, I could sleep anywhere and be perfectly comfortable."
"Thank you, darling," Ivan said, brushing his thumb lovingly across her cheek again. "You make a pretty incredible blanket and comforter, Maddie. I don't think the floor's ever felt as nice as it did with you against me." Maddie made a soft 'aww' sound before snuggling up against him further and laughing lightly.
"Finally awake, I see?" TK said out of the blue, his head resting atop the couch. Maddie gasped silently as she looked up in shock with the boy in her arms. She relaxed when she saw it was TK, though she was blushing as she pulled away and rose to a sitting position.
"Yeah," Maddie responded with a yawn, stretching her arms out. Ivan yawned as well, the contagious action spreading to him, as he lifted himself to his feet in a single fluid motion.
"Sleep well?" TK asked, chuckling in the knowledge of how they had ended up spending the night.
"You could say that," Ivan said slowly, blushing lightly as he laughed nervously. With a quick stretch, Ivan continued, "So what's the plan?"
"Well, my mom's left for work already," TK replied, turning from the two to the kitchen. "We've got some cereal if you guys are interested." Ivan and Maddie looked at one another in slight surprise. TK turned back around when he received no response. "What?" He asked when he saw the two surprised expressions worn by his guests.
"Wow," Ivan said softly, looking back over at the other boy. "We haven't had cereal in years. Come to think of it, all Real World food in general has been out of our diets for years."
"Well, would you care for some?" TK asked again.
Ivan and Maddie nodded simultaneously. "Sure," the girl vocalized their decision.
"Just a moment," TK said, turning back and walking into the kitchen. "Feel free to get settled over at the dining table," he added before crossing the threshold into the other room. Ivan took Maddie's hand gently in his own, and as she slipped her fingers between his he led her over to the table on the other side of the room. As he walked, he looked out the window to the balcony and noticed a small glass table and a pair of chairs sitting outside. His mind quickly formulated an idea.
"Hey, TK," he called over to the kitchen. TK called back a response, and Ivan continued, "If you don't mind, I think we'd enjoy to eat out on the balcony. It's a beautiful day out, and with what I have to do today, I'm not sure I'll get much else of a chance to see it." TK again called back, giving consent, and Ivan led the girl by his side over to the sliding door, which he pulled back. Then directing Maddie out onto the deck with his hand, he followed her over to the table and plopped down into a chair as she did the same in the opposing seat.
"Cute idea, darling," Maddie said playfully, gazing over at him with a grin. Ivan grinned back at her, then took a glance through the table. Maddie followed his eyes and she watched as he held out his hand then gently rested it atop hers, which had been placed upon her knee. She blushed lightly, looking back up at him with her grin receding into a loving smile.
"I do my best to be cute," Ivan replied as he mirrored her smile. Maddie giggled softly, unable to help herself. Even if it was just holding her hand, Ivan could be so adorable in her eyes. She rested her gaze upon him, adoring him. Everything was just so perfect about him, even with his hair askew and his shirt utterly wrinkled after sleeping with her on the floor. She preferred his arms around her rather than merely holding her hand, but she knew that realistically they had to live their lives, too.
TK soon appeared at the door, pushing it open with his back as he carried a tray out to the couple. "Breakfast is served," TK said in a mock- formal voice, graciously laying the tray on the table. Ivan smirked, looking at him.
"Thanks, TK," Ivan said with a grin. TK merely nodded before turning back to the door. As he opened it, he said, as if an afterthought, "You two are making me feel lonely. I think I'm gonna give Kari a call." With that, the blond boy entered the house, leaving the elder two to their sunrise breakfast together.
"OK, you two, hang tight here. I'll be back in a few hours, so keep the house in one piece please. Lunch is in the fridge. Have a good day!" As TK finished his small speech, he waved to the two as they stood a few feet back. The Ivan and Maddie would have most likely gone along with TK, who was heading out to meet Kari, on a double date of sorts, were it not for Ivan's urgent request to use his computer.
"Have fun, TK," Ivan said to the younger boy as he returned the wave. TK nodded, then turned and headed out the door with a quick goodbye. As the door closed, Ivan walked over to TK's bedroom that doubled as a study. Maddie followed quickly behind him, sitting on the foot of TK's bed as Ivan sat in the chair a couple feet in front of her, facing the computer. With a few quick strokes, the computer was running and Ivan had accessed the Internet.
"What're you looking for?" Maddie asked over the typing that came as Ivan entered in an address then started filling out fields.
"Just hunting up some old files I left here with my old life," the light brown-haired boy replied, now navigating through the site with the mouse. After a few moments, the boy cried out in shock.
"What is it?" Maddie asked apprehensively, looking over at the screen to see what was the matter. Ivan hit his chest a few times, as if to reinitiate his breathing.
"Jeez," he said after a moment, panting. "I never would've expected that much growth on three years' dormancy." The boy then spun around in the wheeled computer chair, his eyes sparkling. "Maddie," he said softly grinning widely, "We're rich!"
"What?" Maddie said in disbelief. Ivan then took her hands in his, pulling her gently so she rose to her feet. He then pointed to the screen.
"That number there," he said, indicating one field, "is the figure my parents left me in the will my mom made up while she was in the hospital for those two days." The boy winced inside, yet felt the comforting squeeze of Maddie's hand on his. He then moved his finger down and continued: "I invested the money in a few different stocks, and the growth over the course of our three years in the Digital World has left me with this figure." Maddie started at the number on the screen for a long time. She wasn't sure if she had ever even imagined such an amount of money before.
"That's all yours?" she asked, still in disbelief.
"Ours," Ivan corrected, softly squeezing her hand. Maddie felt her body suddenly go weak.
"What does this mean?" she asked softly.
"Well, it means that we've got financial independence in this world for some time yet," Ivan told her, turning to face her as she sat back down on the bed. "I'll probably sell about half of this, which we can use to get an apartment. I think that if Ms. Takaishi helps us out there, we'll be able to get an apartment like this one easily. Since we're minors, we can have her pay the rent, and we'll pay her back in full, with a little extra for her trouble, of course. Then, we get some furnishings and such and voila, we'll have a place to stay for our duration of being here. Then, I'd say we get some part-time jobs to support ourselves, trying to save as much of this as we can for possible future needs, and then we live our lives here for a while.
"While we're here, we ought to get enrolled in the school," The boy continued as the thoughts flowed through him. "This school year's nearly over, so we can take the placement tests and see how much we retain from years ago. We'll be left with the summer to get our jobs underway and get settled in. Then, come fall, we'll have birthdays to celebrate and we'll go to school." Ivan kissed her hand softly as he brought his explanation to a conclusion. "This means, Maddie, that we can live here together without taking advantage of any hosts. We'll be independent, we'll be together, and we'll have fun."
Ivan kissed Maddie's hand again then released it as she wrapped her arms about his neck. His hands quickly followed her lead, slipping deftly around her waist and moving the chair over to the edge of the bed. She brought her lips to his, kissing him tenderly as her hands caressed his neck. Ivan pressed back against her, matching her passion as his hands gently stroked up and down her back. The girl pulled away after a moment so to speak with Ivan. "Sounds like you've had this all worked out, darling," she said softly, her eyes sparkling.
"I never would've guessed that we'd have so much to work with," Ivan replied. "Before, I wasn't sure if we'd be able to pull it off. But now that we can, I think it would be good for us to spend some time here in the Real World for a change. There's a lot we need to catch up on, even if we feel truly at home in the Digital World."
"Well, it sounds fantastic," Maddie assured him, kissing his lips once again. "An entire year, here, with you, together, in our own apartment." She trailed off as her eyes closed in a daydream. Ivan smirked, pulling her closer to sit in his lap, rather than teeter on the edge of the bed. She kissed softly at his neck then rested her head up against it. Ivan leaned his head slightly on hers, holding her tightly in his arms.
"We'll see how it works," The boy replied, doing his best to keep their situation in perspective. "I'd say we give it a shot for a year. Afterwards, we can decide if it's truly worth living here, or in the Digital World. Then again, we don't have a whole lot of choice." The boy stopped, remembering that the two had vowed to stay as the protectorate of the Digital World. Though they could take this break from the line of duty after three years, there had never been a clear time allotted to them. Ivan sighed, suddenly unsure of what to do. He then felt Maddie's lips against his neck again, and her loving voice drifted to his ear.
"Don't worry about it," She told him softly. "We put Jason into mental shock, so it will be a while before any reverberations occur. Besides, so long as we stay true to them and return when we're needed, I think we'll be fine to stay here as long as we like. We can go check up with them every now and then, even, thanks to TK and Kari. But I do think a one-year test run would be a good idea. Don't want to judge too quickly, but we don't want to drag on either. One year," she repeated, tightening her arms around him. "One year, to be free of all those battles and dangers; one year to let the stress fall from our shoulders. Let's make the most of our vacation, okay?" Maddie opened her eyes, looking up into Ivan's own.
"As long as I'm with you," the light brunette male replied, bringing his lips to meet hers in confirmation of their plan. Maddie kissed back to Ivan, snuggling her body closer to his in the moment. After a few minutes, they broke apart, and the girl returned to resting her head on his shoulder.
Ivan held the girl close to him as he slowly spun the chair back around to the computer. Using one hand to hold Maddie steady as she rested against him, the boy moved back to the console, typing with one hand when necessary, then sliding it to the mouse to click on the proper links. He spent a good half hour more working at the screen, checking various factors and finally making the sale of roughly half of the initial figure. The slight commission was not something entirely pleasing, but Ivan had little patience and decided the commissioner could get something out of the ludicrous stock interest the boy had earned.
After another few minutes, the money was transited to the old bank account Ivan owned. Reactivating it, Ivan found another sum of money, although not nearly as shocking, resulted from three years of steady interest on his account. "A little extra to get something special for my darling," he said silently, brushing his fingers lightly along her back. He smiled as he confirmed the transaction of money. The next step was finding a suitable apartment or condo.
"Wow, Ms. Takaishi," Ivan said as he looked at the ads the woman had handed him. With her connections at the newspaper company, she had gotten the latest information on openings in Odaiba condos and apartments. Looking through them, Ivan was able to filter out ones that were too expensive, inconvenient, or undesirable due to their location or design.
In the end, Ivan sorted out the few options that he found to be of equal validity. He concluded to see if Ms. Takaishi had any suggestions on his selection, from what she knew about the city.
"Well, let's see," she said, sitting down at the table with Ivan. She left TK in charge of finishing the preparation of dinner, which Maddie had eagerly offered to assist with.
"What're we making?" Maddie asked brightly, joining TK in the kitchen.
"Not quite sure," the blond teen replied, looking around at the ingredients still left on the counter, as well as the boiling pot on the stove. "Something with that, that, and that in it," he concluded, pointing at the different containers on the table. Maddie giggled.
"Alright, then let's get to it," she told him, walking over to the table. The source of her sudden energy and excitement, she knew not. However, she loved the feeling. With her endorphins flowing, dreams of Ivan and she with their own place together, and a song running through her head, she danced around the kitchen with deft movements in her preparation of the meal.
TK watched, half in amazement and half in amusement, at the girl making dinner. He had seen many styles of cooking, but her dance was one unique to itself. After a moment, he moved in to help, setting himself at the stove to monitor the cooking ingredients.
"One of the most unique cooks I know," he told her when she finally came to a halt, everything prepared and now on the stove cooking. The shorter girl grinned up at him graciously.
"Why, thank you," She said, spinning in a circle. "I pride myself on unique talents." The blond boy chuckled.
"You're certainly brimming with individuality, Maddie," he said before turning back to the stove and consequently not seeing Maddie flush. The boy then turned back around to her. "If you don't mind resuming your assistance, we could use some more onions in here," he told her as he indicated one untouched onion on the counter, a cutting board, and a knife, all conveniently resting together among the other selection of foodstuffs.
"Certainly," Maddie said, happy to go back into her food preparation trance. It took her almost as soon as the knife entered her hand, flowing through her body as she began to chop the onion for the pot.
Meanwhile, as she was looking through the ads, Ms. Takaishi pulled out one and showed it to Ivan. "This company," she said as she indicated the real estate agent across the top of the condo ad, "is notorious for lying and cheating their customers. I'd suggest avoiding them." Ivan nodded in consent, and she placed the ad in the pile with the other discards. Her eyes then widened slightly as she came across another ad.
"What is it, Ms. Takaishi?" Ivan asked in a concerned tone upon seeing her expression. She relaxed after a moment, then looked up and handed him the ad.
"I never knew our complex had an opening in it," she said, pointing to the address. "That condo must be a few floors above this one. It's a condo similar enough to this one." She then gestured around the room, saying, "All of the condos here have identical, although some are inverted, designs. If you care for a tour, feel free to look around."
Ivan felt a slight rush as he realized the possibilities of the condo. This place was nice enough, and he had loved the feeling of being out on the balcony. With a place so close to TK, he would be able to easily contact the younger boy as well. That would make finding their way around and getting advice on something far easier. It would also make Ms. Takaishi's life easier in the payment. A condo was a single payment, rather than monthly payments, and it was a very local location. She no doubt knew the people in charge here. Thus she could easily handle buying a second spot in the building.
"Well, that sounds like a perfect place to me, then," Ivan said cheerily. "So long as it's not a problem for you to get it for us, we'll pay you back 110%."
The woman laughed lightly. "Oh, don't worry about it, Ivan," she replied. "I'd be more than happy to help you two out. You needn't pay me back more than the cost. I'll go down there first thing tomorrow morning, alright?" Ivan nodded quickly, smiling.
"Thank you, Ms. Takaishi," the boy said earnestly, rising from the table.
"You're welcome, Ivan," she answered him, standing as well. "Oh, and call me Nancy," she asked him. "You and Maddie are both welcome to. Ms. Takaishi reminds me too much of my boss." Ivan chuckled at her small joke, then continued to smile.
"I'd be happy to, Nancy," Ivan told her. He then peeked into the kitchen and called in, "Maddie, guess what!"
The brown and blond-haired girl looked over her shoulder after resting the knife on the side of the cutting board. She then asked eagerly, "What?"
"We've got ourselves a home!" Ivan had only a second to stand up in the doorframe before an insanely excited girl whose grin could carry on around the world and continue on afterwards tackled him back to the carpeted floor. He laughed as she did so, his arms wrapping back about her. "Glad to see you're so excited," He said, still laughing as she rolled off of him and onto the floor beside him. He then gave her the details of their new home with a gesture about him as he spoke.
"That's awesome," she said, getting up from the floor and gently dusting herself off. Ivan stood up next to her, mirroring her elation in the fact that they would now have a place to call home in the Real World. Their eyes locked on one another, and they slowly edged closer to one another in the middle of the room. Maddie's grin mellowed into a gentle smile as her lips neared his. As her eyelids slid closed, she felt his lips brush against his. For an instant, she felt the incredible surge the boy gave her whenever he was close. However, it was only an instant, as in the next a voice called out to them.
"Dinner!"
"What an incredible day," Maddie said softly, snuggling up against the boy she lay next to. Ivan's fingers traced along Maddie's back lovingly as he relaxed with his girlfriend.
"It was," he agreed, pulling the sheet a bit tighter about himself and Maddie. In the next twenty-four hours, they would be out of the Takaishi household and moving into their own new condo. General furnishings were provided, so they would be able to move in immediately. Ivan had suggested that they go to the bank and then run a few errands before going to their new home, however. While Ms. Takaishi took care of the paperwork, he wanted to get her repayment ready (which had ended up being much less than he had estimated), along with a gift to show their appreciation, since she wouldn't accept any additional money. Ivan also figured getting some groceries from the corner store would be advisable, along with anything else that they felt they needed. After discerning just exactly what was provided in their new living quarters, they would be able to pick out any other furnishings they wanted to complete the setting.
The excitement was nearly too much to bear for the two teens, along with the apprehension of trying to reside on their own in a new country where the primary language was not their own. Regardless, they were prepared for the adventure ahead, confident in their own strength as well as that of one another. After all, together, they had conquered three years of combat against the powers of Evil in the Digital World and vanquished one of the prime generals of the enemy forces. To them, a year in the Real World should seem like a break.
"Let's get some sleep, love," Ivan whispered after a long, but incredibly comfortable silence. "We've had a fantastic day, but tomorrow's gonna be very busy. We've got to get everything in order so we don't have to obligate the Takaishis any longer than we have to." Maddie nodded her head against his chest slightly, making a soft mumble as verbal confirmation. Ivan chuckled, kissing her forehead before leaning back against the pillow fully. "Seems you've beaten me to the punch, Maddie," he continued. "Sleep well, my darling. I love you."
"I love you, too, Ivan," came a faint reply from Maddie's mouth before closing into a blissful smile. Ivan closed his eyes, letting his arms loosen around her body as a small smile graced his lips.
Consciousness was only present in the two for a moment more. As it slowly slipped from their grasp, the placid looks stayed upon their faces. However, if they had stayed in such a serene moment for the duration of their living in the Real World, their respite upon the green grass of the Digital World the following year never would have held the intense importance that it did for the couple.
(And we are out. Chapter one ends thusly. Hopefully, the writing elements I'm trying to use worked well here. The next chapter shall come soon, don't worry. A note about the design of this book: although the chapters are each linked somewhat, and do tell a whole story, I'm going to work to develop each into it's own miniature adventure. I'm not sure how well that will work, and if it falters, it will probably be scrapped. However, I've seen a lot of those shorter stories, and they seemed fairly popular, so I'm gonna try to double up here. It will not only be another novel in my collection, but a selection of individual works if you don't care to have to endure the full length of the book. I know the length can be intimidating. Anyways, we'll see how it unfolds. Otherwise, go give that little button some company and send me some much-appreciated feedback! Thanks!)