I've had an itch to write this Takari prequel for a while now. I originally planned for It's Not A Competition to be a standalone, but after a while, I got some ideas about how TK and Kari got together in that story and well... I had to write this.

Not that I want to plug my own work, but I do recommend reading It's Not A Competition as well, just so you get a bit more of the subtle humour that I tried to put in this story. It might even be better to read that first so you get a couple more surprises! But I've talked enough. I'll shut up now.

Enjoy!

A gentle breeze blew in through an opening window, bringing a slight chill into the apartment. A fourteen year old brunette shivered and quickly rubbed her arms, trying to warm herself up.

"TK," she began saying, "Why the hell do you have a window open in the middle of November?"

"Why are you always on my case about stupid shit you could solve yourself?" came the response from a boy with golden blonde hair.

Kari Kamiya pulled the pillow she was leaning on out from behind her and flung it at her best friend. TK didn't even try to stop the projectile as it hit him square in the face.

"Close the window you ass," Kari told him with a smirk.

The boy stood up and flashed her a smile that made her heart pound. She was relieved the window was on the opposite side of the room from her. Kari was sure that if TK got close, he would be able to hear the sound of her yearning heart.

"All better?" TK asked in mock concern as he returned to the couch they were sharing.

"You're so good to me," Kari teased, nudging his leg with an outstretched foot.

"I spoil you," TK said bluntly, trying to act as though he disapproved of his own actions to appease the girl.

"When have you ever spoiled me?" The brunette asked, feigning ignorance.

"Two words: Sequin dress."

"That was a birthday present! It's different," Kari argued, "And since you've never told me how much it cost you-"

"And I never will," TK cut in.

"Then I'm going to assume it didn't cost you that much," Kari told him in a false, haughty tone. "Even though you can obviously afford pretty much anything right now."

She nodded at an unopened envelope on the coffee table near the couch. The two friends both knew what was inside, which was why TK had just tossed it aside once they had arrived from school. The only unknown was the value of the envelope's holdings.

TK rolled his eyes with a slight smile on his face. He reached over and grabbed the envelope. After tearing it open, he pulled out a short letter and a cheque. He smirked slightly and turned to Kari.

"So how much do you think this one is worth?"

"Ninety?" she guessed.

"Way off," TK chuckled, "Two hundred."

"TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND YEN!" Kari yelled in shock, "IN ONE WEEK?"

"Yeah, this is one of the biggest ones yet," TK said happily, "And it's not even about the money."

"It's that people want to read what you've written," Kari finished with a smile.

TK's eyes sparkled as he grinned back at his best friend. "Yeah."

"Oh TK. I'm so proud of you," Kari told him, sliding over on the couch and wrapping her arms around his torso. "In your own way, you've once again made the world a better place."

"I don't know if I'm really doing that much," TK blushed.

"Of course you are!" Kari assured him, "Your book has brought happiness to so many people! It's going to be published into English soon, likely with other languages to follow. And your publisher is being bombarded with fan mail. Everyone wants to know who 'Kinoko Masaomi' really is so they can thank him properly!"

"Well they'll have to wait a while longer," TK said, "I'm not ready to be a full time author yet."

"That's fair. But you'll have to start telling people eventually. No one is going to believe you get all this money from entering competitions forever."

"I know," the boy sighed, "I just want it to remain quiet for as long as possible."

"You told me about it though," Kari smirked.

TK rolled his eyes. "Of course I told you. We've been friends for ages!"

Kari smiled, but felt her heart sink slightly. If she was honest with herself, she was hoping for a better answer.

"But you've been friends with all the DigiDestined for ages. That hardly counts as a good reason."

TK felt a pang of guilt and stupidity hit him. He hadn't meant to downplay his friendship with her. And now that he had, he felt like a complete moron. He took hold of her hand while gently brushing a bit of hair behind her ear.

"That's not what I meant Kari," He assured her softly, "You're my best friend. The only people who really understands me. You're the most important person in my life! I worry about you, I'm happy when you are, and I want to make sure you're always perfect. So of course I told you about my book. NOT telling you would be an insult to you."

Kari couldn't have stopped herself blushing at this if she wanted to. TK could really play on her emotions when he was being completely honest. It was one of the reasons it was so tough having a crush on him.

"Thanks Keru," she said softly, "You didn't have to say all that. You're too good to me."

"I did have to say it Hika," TK squeezed her hand, "It's the truth. And with all we've been through, you deserve to know the truth about everything. Especially how I feel about you."

"You don't have to prove anything to me. You do so much. I mean, you bought a gorgeous dress for me! You treat me like a princess."

TK gazed deeply into Kari's eyes, smiling.

"You are a princess."

All of a sudden, their lips were pressed together. Neither was really sure who initiated it, but they really didn't care. They didn't want to stop. The two friends both felt a relief at the release of emotions that had been pent up for a long time.

It was simple, but deep. Light, but passionate. Everything they had always wanted, but nothing they had ever expected.

As they both came to their senses, and the realisation of what they were doing dawned on them, they heard a door slam open.

TK and Kari flew apart as though the idea of being close to one another repulsed them. Kari tried to look relaxed on her side of the couch, while TK had abandoned it altogether, leaping into an armchair.

"Hi TK, sorry I'm late," a voice called from the entrance growing louder as it approached. "I just wanted to pick up some groceries. Oh, hello Kari!"

"Hi Ms. Takaishi," Kari replied with a small blush that she hoped TK's mom wouldn't notice.

"Are you doing to be staying for dinner tonight?" Nancy Takaishi asked, "TK told me yesterday that he'd cook."

"No, it's fine thanks," Kari told her, "I should probably get going actually. My folks are expecting me."

She quickly got up and made for the front door, grabbing her backpack on the way. TK followed her, not knowing exactly what to say or do but knowing he didn't want her to just leave.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?" He asked lamely as Kari put her shoes on.

"Yeah, of course," Kari answered. She quickly finished getting ready and raised herself up. The two friends gazed into each other's eyes for a terrifying moment, not sure what to do.

"Well, umm, bye TK," Kari blushed quietly as she opened the door and slipped out.

TK stared ahead for a moment feeling completely lost. When he finally gained some sense of what was going on, he slumped against the wall and sighed.

"I win again! Man you really are on a cold streak little bro."

Matt threw his arms in the air in triumph, dropping the controller he was holding.

"It's like you wanted your Robo to get taken down that time," the teenager continued to gloat at his brother's expense.

"Yeah, whatever," TK sighed, setting his controller down and shutting off the game system.

Matt stared at his brother with a mix of concern and surprise. Normally TK wouldn't take a defeat lying down let alone being taunted. Today however, he hadn't made one remark to anything his older brother had said or done.

"Hey man, what's with you? Since when are you not only losing to me at your favourite game, but not even coming back at me when I mock you?"

"I'm sorry Matt," TK mumbled, "I've just… had a lot on my mind the past couple of days."

Matt examined his brother, trying to figure out if he was just making an excuse or not. He thought there was a chance TK may have just been trying to get out of being teased, but as he looked at his brother's face, Matt knew that TK was being honest. The look of forlorn confusion could only mean one thing for a younger teenager.

"Who's the girl?" Matt asked, barely repressing a smirk.

TK turned to his brother, startled, "Huh? What?"

"TK, I'm smart enough to know when a guy is thinking about a girl."

"Oh. Right." TK responded quietly.

"So, who is it?" Matt asked again with a smile.

TK sighed, knowing it would be easier to capitulate to Matt's inquiry now instead of trying to avoid the topic with his brother.

"It's Kari. I'm pretty sure I'm in love with her."

Matt stared at TK, his eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. He was somewhat surprised by TK. Not only had his little brother admitted to Marr who he liked, but he did it so casually. He and Tai had always expected there may be feelings between their younger siblings but neither thought they would be honest about it.

"Wow, Kari huh?"

"Yeah Kari. Go on, make with the mocking."

"I'm not gonna crack jokes TK," Matt told him sincerely.

"Really?" TK questioned him skeptically.

"Of course not. Why would I do that? Young love is tough enough to begin with. Being honest makes it all the more difficult. So for now, I'm giving you a pass."

"Well… good." TK said, "Any advice for me then?"

"Of course," Matt winked.

TK waited for a minute, then rolled his eyes when Matt didn't say anything else. "What IS the advice?"

"Tell her," the older blonde said simply.

"Really? Just tell her?" TK asked.

"Yeah. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Humiliation, rejection, a lifetime of embarrassment, getting beaten to death by Tai…" TK quickly listed.

Matt couldn't help but laugh. "Clearly you've thought about this already."

"Of course I have. I'm crazy for her. I'm just worried that I've screwed up the possibility of ever being with Kari."

"Because you've waited so long?"

"Uhh yeah. Because I waited." TK lied. "Plus I'm worried about what will happen if she doesn't feel the same about me."

Matt surveyed his brother trying to decide the best way to advise him.

"TK, you have to be honest with her. I know you've probably been sitting on these feelings for a long time. But you owe it to yourself and to Kari. It's not fair to her if she doesn't know how to interpret the friendship that you two have. And it'd hurt her more if she somehow found out from someone other than you."

"What, it's not like you're going to tell her. Are you?" TK asked with a hint of alarm.

"Of course not," Matt chuckled, "I just mean these things get out. Better to do it yourself."

"Right," TK responded absent mindedly. He gently brushed his lips, remembering the feeling of Kari's.

Matt was right. TK had to tell her. She deserved to know his true feelings for her. And he knew exactly how and when to tell her.

Kari had been sitting on the bench for fifteen minutes before TK arrived.

She didn't know why she left her apartment as early as she had. She knew it wouldn't take a long time to arrive at the destination. Maybe it was just her nerves in general. As soon as TK had called her and asked to hangout, she had been extremely excited and extremely nervous.

They hadn't really spoken since they kissed at TK's apartment the other day. Kari knew that both of them felt awkward about what happened and that there was a good chance TK, like herself, wanted to avoid discussing it.

But what Kari didn't know was if TK had enjoyed the kiss or not. That was what was driving her crazy and why she couldn't wait in her room any longer. She had to get away and think. Think about what was happening and what TK might say.

She assumed he was going to apologise and say it was a mistake. Kari was sure TK could get any girl he wanted, so there was to reason for him to choose her. Still, Kari couldn't help but hold on to some hope as she heard his footsteps approach.

She looked up and felt her heart flutter as she saw the smile on his face. A wave of terror and joy swept over her.

"Hey kiddo," TK said as he reached Kari, taking a seat next to her.

"Kiddo?" Kari raised an eyebrow, "You do realise I'm three months older than you, right?"

"What's your point?" Kari asked, a blank expression on his face.

Kari just laughed and playfully shoved TK with her shoulder. TK just smiled and let his weight be pushed aside slightly.

The two friends sat silently for a few minutes, enjoying one another's company. They stole the occasional small glance at the other before turning away with a small smile and blush. Eventually, Kari just couldn't take the silence anymore.

"So you wanted to talk?" She asked.

"Yeah, I do," TK replied calmly.

Kari stared at him expectantly for a few seconds but he said nothing else.

"I guess we haven't talked too much since the other day," she said, trying to provoke TK into talking.

The boy continued just to stare ahead and smile. Kari watched him intently, trying to figure out what he was thinking.

"You probably want to discuss what happened, just before I left, right?" she asked nervously.

Again, TK kept his mouth closed. The excitement Kari had been feeling was quickly being replaced by annoyance silence.

Clearly he thinks it was a bad idea. Kari thought to herself. May as well get it out in the open.

"Look, I'm guessing you think it was a mistake to ki-"

"Do you remember the last time we were here?" TK interrupted, finally breaking his quiet façade.

"Umm… what?" Kari responded in confusion.

"Do you remember the last time you and I were here at this bench?" TK repeated calmly.

After taking a moment to process this random question, Kari started to think back, to see if she could remember. It was hard, considering how much time she and TK spent together.

"Honestly, no I can't TK," she admitted, feeling a little guilty.

"I'm not entirely surprised," TK chuckled, "IT was a day you've often trying to forget ever happened."

"Oh," Kari breathed in comprehension, "The day that I-"

"The day you went over," TK finished her thought.

"Right," Kari mumbled, unsure of what TK was getting at.

"That was the last day I ever lied to you."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Not when we were here at the bench. And it wasn't so much a lie. I just wasn't completely honest," TK corrected himself.

"Am I supposed to be following this train of thought?" Kari asked, starting to feel slightly irked.

"You asked me what I meant when I said I cared for you."

"Right. I remember."

"And I said it was just 'stuff'"

"Then I told you that I care for you too," Kari smiled. She couldn't help but smile when she thought of that moment.

"Exactly," TK sighed, a similar grin appearing on his face.

Another silence once again enveloped TK and Kari. This time however, Kari wasn't annoyed. Instead, she felt oddly warm and comforted.

"I'm not going to make the same mistake I did then," TK said resolutely.

TK what- oh!" Kari exclaimed as the boy grasped her hand and cupped her cheek.

"Kari, when we were at this bench, when I said I cared about you, I meant that I like you. I mean, like you, like you. What we did on Wednesday was something I've wanted to do for years. Ever since we teamed up in the DigiWorld. I knew I liked you as more than a friend."

TK paused to take a breath and saw how much of a blush had crept over Kari's face. He braced himself for what he was about to ask.

"I know this is a lot to take in all of a sudden but… do you want to go out with me?"

The boy felt his heart pound with anticipation. Kari hung her head as her blush grew, making it impossible for TK to get a chance to read her expression. The silence seemed to drag on for days, but TK didn't move a muscle. He sat perfectly still while waiting.

"You know how I said I care for you too?" She asked, looking up at him, a small smirk on her face. TK nodded as Kari placed her hand on top of the on TK had on her cheek.

"I meant the same thing you did."

She pulled herself into a tight embrace with TK, and the boy instantly wrapped his arms around her as well.

"So yes. I do want to go out with you," Kari said into TK's ear.

TK tightened his grip on Kari and kissed her cheek softly.

They stayed like that for a few moment before Kari pulled away. TK was just about to release her until he realised she was just repositioning herself.

She turned her body so she was leaning into his chest with her back. She let her head fall gently onto his shoulder. She could hear the beat of his heart faintly with her ear pressed on his upper torso. She grabbed his hands and guided them to rest just below her navel.

They stayed like that for several minutes, enjoying the sensation of finally having been honest with one another. It was a blissful quiet that encompassed them. Unlike any they had experience that day, or for that matter, any other day.

After nearly half an hour, Kari broke the silence with a small chuckle.

"What is it?" TK asked

"Well, I was just wondering," Kari began, turning to look at TK, "How do you think I should tell Tai?"

"So we need to figure out how to get these two together."

Matt nodded his head in agreement with Tai's statement. The two teenagers were sitting at the kitchen table at Matt's apartment. The only reason they weren't lounging on the couches was an excessive amount of equipment from the TV station Mr. Ishida worked at was being stored in the living room.

Tai and Matt had just finished telling one another about how their younger siblings had feelings for one another. It had been a topic the two had discussed for years. But now there was finally proof that TK and Kari liked one another. At least, Matt was fairly certain there was proof.

"What exactly did Kari say again?" He asked Tai.

"Well, she told me she wanted to talk about TK," Tai began, "She said that she had been having different feelings toward him recently. She told me there had been a change in their relationship, and that things would be different. Then she asked if I would be okay with that."

Matt scratched his chin thoughtfully, "Well there is a small chance Kari meant she doesn't like TK anymore. Theoretically, the change could be that she'll be seeing less of him. BUT, considering this is TK and Kari, I think you're right."

"Thank you," Tai said with a satisfied smile, "So how do we do it?"

Both boys thought for a minute, each dreaming up some wild schemes to get their siblings to start dating. They had pulled of a lot of pranks in their time, but this one needed to be done just right.

"You know what we need to do?" Matt asked after a few minutes.

"Go simple," Tai answered matter-of-factly.

"Exactly."

"So first, we get them to confess to one another," Tai mused slowly.

"Of course. And we'll make them swear to confess to the other the next time they're alone," Matt continued.

"Which will be easy to arrange, when we tell them we want to meet in private before lunch at school," Tai smirked.

"And we don't show up," Matt grinned.

"Then they tell the truth to one another," Tai clapped his hands in excitement.

Matt was about to agree when a thought struck him.

"What if they back out?" He asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what if they confess, but then don't do anything about it? That would ruin the whole plan!"

"Damn," Tai swore, "Good point. We need to think of something."

"Yeah. We need something good. Something subtle. Something…"

Matt's eyes lit up and he turned to look at the equipment in the living room.

"Something public."

I wonder why Matt wants to talk to me in private. TK thought as he made his way through the hallways of the school. He had received a message from his brother saying to meet him right away. TK was somewhat alarmed at the insistence of Matt's message, as he only asked to talk to his little brother if it was really important.

TK was so alarmed, he hadn't even dropped his books off at his locker.

He turned down another hallway and saw the stairwell that was his destination. He quickened his pace for a few steps before a voice from behind stopped him.

"Hey you!"

TK turned around and felt his face break into a wide smile. A smile that was matched by his new girlfriend as she approached him.

"Hi!" TK exclaimed. He checked to see if anyone else was around. He deemed it was safe as Kari reached him and swiftly grabbed her hand. They continued down the hall, enjoying the intimacy of the moment.

"So did you tell Tai?" TK asked.

"Well, sort of. I wasn't a hundred percent articulate," Kari admitted.

"Oh well, I'm sure he'll figure it out."

"He did pick up on the fact that I like you though," Kari said, "Last night he made me promise to tell you how I feel the next time we're alone."

TK stopped suddenly, causing Kari to jolt back slightly as she tried to continue forward.

"Matt made me promise the same thing…" TK told her slowly.

"Really? Why?"

TK thought for a moment.

"Why were you coming down this way Kari? It's lunch time and your locker is right next to the cafeteria."

"Tai wanted to talk to me in private. I think he has a couple questions about what I told him."

TK gave a short laugh and closed his eyes. He shook his head slightly in amused annoyance.

"TK, what is it?"

"I think we're being set up."

Kari grimaced and started to rub her eyes, "Matt incited you down here, didn't he."

"Yup."

Kari shook her head as well, "They're not going to be there."

The two teenagers rolled their eyes and walked to the end of the hallway. They opened the doors leading to the stairwell and sure enough, it was quite deserted. They released one another's hand and walked around the small area, looking for a sign of their brothers' presence.

It didn't take long for TK to notice an odd wire dangling from the bottom of the stairs. He followed its end and found it connected to one of the school's PA speakers. He took a couple moments to trace the wire in the opposite direction. He quickly found what it was connected to.

A microphone.

He waved Kari over while putting a finger to his lips. The girl rolled her eyes the instant she saw what TK was pointing at. The audacity their older brothers had knew no bounds.

Kari silently raised her arms to ask what they should do.

TK thought for a moment before pulling out a piece of paper and a pen from his binder.

We could lie to them. He wrote, handing her the pad.

Kari thought for a moment before scribbling her response. They'll either figure it out, and/or try something else.

TK nodded as he read her response. He zoned out as he tried to see if they could out smart their brothers. He turned to watch Kari doing the same thing, and was once again struck by her beauty and how much he cared for her.

He quickly wrote his response.

You know what? I don't care. I want the world to know we're dating. I want to be able to smile about having the greatest girlfriend ever without having to hide it. You're too damn important for me to lie. It would be an insult to you. And I never want to do something like that to you. I want everyone to know how much I care for you. So I say we go public.

He handed Kari the note and bit his lip, waiting for her response.

It took a moment before he saw the tears well up in her eyes. She looked at him with more affection than he ever thought possible. She closed the gap between them and placed a silent kiss on his lips.

She pulled away after only a couple of seconds and wrote a reply.

If we're going to do this, let's give them a show!

TK grinned at the note and grasped Kari's hand. Their gazes locked for a moment and they felt a shared thrill. Kari nodded at TK and he winked as he opened his mouth.

"Oh hey Kari! I didn't expect to see you here…"

Hope you enjoyed the read!

I don't normally do notes after my story, but I just felt I should say for reference 200,000 Yen is about $1700. Or $2000 Canadian, which was how I picked the number, because that's where I'm from. So yes it is a lot of money, but considering how rich some authors are, I think it's perfectly reasonable that TK could get a cheque that size if his book was really popular. Which it was. Cause I said so.

Anyway, thanks again!