Disclaimer: Digimon does not belong to me.

"Kouichi?"

He couldn't be alone. He couldn't even come up with a good reason. He was used to being the only one in his apartment. But right now, all the shadows seemed bigger and every little creak was so loud. And that was why he called Kouji. If there was anybody he wanted to be with at that moment, it was him.

"Kouji. Can you-?"

"Come over? Yeah, sure. Anything. I'll be there as soon as I can."

When they hung up, Kouichi sighed and waited on the couch. He was worried about his mother of course, being that she was in the hospital yet again. But he had learned a long time ago to get used to her presence not being there. He had learned not to be scared of noises. Learned that a scary monster might just be a deformed shadow of some clothing.

He jumped when he heard another creak and then sighed, trying to calm himself down. Kouji was going to be there any moment. And really, there was no reason to get so scared. Especially over silly things like an old apartment building making noises.

Before the Digital World, before Kouji, he'd never been scared so easily. No, he'd always thought rationally but for some odd reason, rationality was just not working with that creepy looking shadow. He looked around, to see what could be making it because monsters just didn't exist.

But then again, they did, didn't they? Monsters existed in the Digital World. He sighed. He had to think sensibly. Digimon were nice monsters. They wouldn't go to the Human World to attack a poor, defenseless boy. Then again, he thought, what about the Lucemon?

He frowned at himself. He was being ridiculous. He wasn't even sure why he was thinking such unreasonable things. He never did before and after facing so many dangers in the Digital World, he should have been much braver, shouldn't he? It didn't make sense.

Knock! Knock!

Kouichi jumped up and screamed before Kouji walked in, looking shocked.

"What was that for?"

Putting a hand to his outrageously fast beating heart, Kouichi smiled. "You just scared me is all. Wait, how did you get in?"

"Key? Our mother made me one so I could just come right in, remember?" He said, holding up the key.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, Kouji. I guess it just slipped my mind."

Kouji walked over to the couch where Kouichi was sitting and frowned as he sat down. "How could it have slipped your mind? It was your idea in the first place."

"Um, I don't know," He answered, looking to the ground. When the wind blew against the window, making a sound, Kouichi didn't jump that time. Yet he knew if Kouji hadn't been there, he probably would have jumped. It was strange how a simple presence could make you feel better.

"You're not the type to get spooked," Kouji said seriously, and when Kouichi looked up, Kouji honestly did look worried. It bothered him. He didn't want to worry Kouji. He probably shouldn't have called him over.

With a sigh, Kouichi tried to muster up a calm and together look for his brother. "I was just being weird before. I'm fine now. I'm sorry for calling you all the way here. You should go ho-"

"You just don't get it, do you?"

"Huh?"

"Kouichi, I told you before in the Digital World, I know when something's bothering you," Kouji said, his serious look never once dropping. "How about you actually tell me instead of just keep everything to yourself?"

He shook his head, still smiling. "Really, it's stupid. I've just been getting scared over nothing."

Kouji seemed to study him for a bit before laying back and looking up at the ceiling. It was a silence and yet, it didn't really bother Kouichi. Silences were usually awkward but somehow, it just didn't apply to them.

"Kouichi, come stay with me."

"What?"

"Just what I said, come stay with me. Dad's fine with it and it was my mom's idea."

The idea of not being alone in the apartment and being around people, knowing nothing could harm you, did sound tempting. But when he looked around at his home, he shook his head.

"I can't, I have to take care of the apartment."

"Just come over once in a while."

"What about Mom?"

"Don't you think she'd be happier knowing her son was with family?" Kouji asked and while his reasoning did make sense, Kouichi just felt it was unnerving to leave the apartment for that long of a time. Also, he was stubborn when he wanted to be.

"Probably, but it seems like a waste of time. You know, using all that bus fare just to check up on the place when I can do that just by staying here. But thanks anyway."

Unfortunately, Kouji was stubborn too and his face just grew more determined.

"It's a waste of time staying here, being scared half to do death when you don't have to," He replied. "You don't have to be alone."

"I guess…it's just…"

"It's just nothing!"

Kouji was right, in a way, Kouichi thought. He looked around the apartment sadly. Actually, Kouji was right. Completely right. He didn't have to be alone and he didn't have to be scared by shadows and weird sounds. It was odd.

When another peculiar sound was heard, Kouichi didn't jump. It was probably because Kouji was there. Yet when he was alone, he guessed he would have been frightened. He wasn't because Kouji wasthere.

Smiling, he looked at Kouji. "I was never afraid of this kind of stuff before. Now I am. Even though I had Mom, I guess I was still alone. Now that I'm not alone anymore, now that I have you and our friends, I guess I am afraid to be alone because I don't have to be alone anymore."

It made sense really and he could tell Kouji understood it too because he'd been lonely before also. It felt nice not to be so alone.

Bang!

They both jumped and hugged each other, fearfully looking around before Kouichi realized he had forgotten to close a window. That had been where the sound had come from and Kouichi laughed in a light-hearted way.

"Sorry, I forgot to close a window," Kouichi explained.

Kouji scowled, unwrapping his arms from his brother and crossing them. "You're rubbing off on me."

The older twin just smiled and closed the window. When he turned back around, Kouji was standing up, smiling. It was nice to see him smile.

"So, you want to go pack a few things and come over?"

And it didn't take long for Kouichi's answer.

"Yeah, I guess I do."

Notes: 'Cause I needed to add something in the Kouichi department.