NOTES: I have opened a- they won't let me say it - the site where you might support someone each month for their art? Start's with a P? . If you are interested in supporting me, voting for future stories, and seeing stories there quicker than they will be posted, check it out! My user name is the same there as it is here. I still write NSFW but I don't post it there, but some stories will sill be clean, funny or sweet.

"Is everyone here?" Izzy asked, curiously.

They were at the Cheesecake Factory. They got together once a month at least. The group was older and busier now. Smaller groups hung out more frequently, and then there were couples like Tai and Izzy, but it was a bigger event to get them all together.

"Everyone except Cody." Tai said, shrugging.

A throat was being cleared.

"I'm right here..." Cody said, trying not to be annoyed.

"Sorry!" Tai exclaimed. "I just heard someone say there were 11 of us, and if one was missing, it would usually be you, with a Kendo lesson or something."

Cody nodded slightly. "I guess that makes sense. Who is missing then?"

"Davis." Ken spoke up, sadly.

Tai didn't like the tone in Ken's voice. "Is Davis okay?"

Ken gave a half nod, before looking a little more unsure. "I don't know. I hope so."

"What's going on?" Sora asked, concerned.

"Davis just hasn't been himself lately." Ken responded. "He seems really depressed. I went to visit him yesterday, and he was just so... lethargic. It makes me really worried about him."

"Yeah..." TK added, also looking sad. "I went to see him 3 hours ago to tell him about our dinner, and he said he just wasn't in the mood. He said he hoped we had a good time, but he just wasn't feeling up to it."

Tai sat in silence, playing with his fork, as he worried about his friend.

"Could he be sick?" Izzy wondered out loud, but Joe shook his head.

"I don't think so. He was just in for his checkup a few days ago. I noticed him being down and depressed, but all his tests came back normal. I think he's just depressed."

"Maybe you should talk to him, Tai." Matt said, looking over top his menu. "He looks up to you, anyway."

With that, Tai stood up from his seat, clenched his fist in the air, and declared to everyone:

"All right! I'm going to go talk to him!", as he instantly turned around and ran out of the restaurant.

Izzy blinked. "He couldn't have waited until after the dinner?"

Sora shrugged. "Typical Tai. One of his friends is in trouble, and that's all he cares about."

Cody looked around at who was left. "So... what are we going to talk about without Tai or Davis here?"

Izzy smirked. "NOT Soccer?"

XxXxXxXxX

Tai knocked on Davis' apartment door.

"Who is it?" Tai heard Davis' voice, faintly.

"It's Tai."

"Oh? Shouldn't you be at the dinner?" Davis asked, as his voice got closer to the door.

"I could ask you the same thing." Tai said, sounding concerned.

The door opened to show Davis with a frown, his usually messy hair, even more so, and his shirt was even on inside out!

"...Davis?" Tai asked, suddenly way more concerned than before. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Tai. I'm fine." Davis said, with a shrug.

Tai just stared at him, not believing him.

"Can I come in?"

Davis shrugged. "Whatever." He then opened the door, and Tai walked into Davis' apartment, which opened to the living room.

Davis went and plopped down in the middle of his brown futon, stretching out his arms and legs. Tai sat in a chair, beside it.

"So, what's wrong, Davis?"

Davis just shrugged and looked away. "I told you, everything's fine."

"Davis?" Tai said, as he leaned over and put his hand on Davis' arm. "You can talk to me about anything. I won't judge you."

Davis' shook his head. "It's not even something I think you will judge me for..."

Tai smirked. "So you admit there is something wrong?"

Davis opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Finally he pulled his arm away from Tai, and crossed his arms. "Fine, yeah there is."

"What is it?" Tai asked, curiously.

"I have a crush on someone. A guy."

"Oh?" Tai said, curiously. "I'm a little surprised you like guys, but you know there's no judgment here. After all, I do too."

Davis nodded. "Yeah, so it's not that..."

"Actually, when you have had a crush on someone before... like my little sister back in the day... you were really outgoing and loud about it, so I'm surprised you're down."

"Yeah, and look where that got me." Davis said, with a huff. "I mean, it worked out for the best, obviously, but I realize now that that kind of behavior isn't the way to attract someone. Especially when he's..." Davis trailed off, blushing.

"Who is it, Davis?" Tai asked curiously.

Davis shook his head. "You don't know him. He goes to my college. He's way out of my league."

Tai blinked. "How can you say that? You are a soccer star! Almost as good as me!"

Davis wanted to remind him that the one time their college teams played against each other, Davis' team won, but he didn't have the heart to bring it up.

"Yeah but there's one type that sports doesn't impress. Smart people."

"I've got Izzy though!" Tai said, dramatically.

Davis smirked. "And I think we can both agree he is NOT impressed by soccer. As much as he might be worried about me, and miss you right now, I'm sure part of him is relieved to not have the conversation be about Soccer."

Tai smiled a little. "It's good to see you smile."

Davis' frown returned. "Anyway..." He said, getting back on track. "...I just know me being a soccer star wouldn't faze Henry in the slightest."

"Henry?" Tai repeated. "Are you talking about... Henry Wong?"

Davis nodded. "I can't believe you've heard of him."

"Only from Izzy. He said Henry was a freshman when we were seniors in College, just like I was a senior when you were a freshman. Izzy said he was very smart. Almost as smart as him. But instead of it being focused on computers, he was very good with computers- though not Izzy good- and his knowledge is spread around to other things, too."

"So yeah..." Davis said, sounding sad again. "I don't have a shot."

Tai smiled again. "Haven't we established that I have Izzy? You can get Henry!"

Davis shook his head. "You and Izzy bonded in the Digital World. Honestly ask yourself, if you wouldn't have been to the digital world with him, would you have noticed him? Would he have noticed you?"

Tai thought about it, unsure. "I'd like to think he would have. But I don't know. We were already in the soccer club together. And he did tell me, though, that I was one of the only ones nice to him there, me and Sora. But we'll never know. As for you and Henry, you never know. Maybe he already likes you, and doesn't have the nerve to talk to a 'hot soccer star'." Tai said with a wink.

"I doubt it." Davis said, sighing, not even reacting to that possibility. "I'm sure a smart guy like that isn't even interested in soccer."

"Hey!" Tai said, with a scowl. "I like soccer!"

Davis gave a weak smile. It wasn't much, but it was progress. "Exactly. Meanwhile Izzy has no interest in soccer."

Tai would have usually protested more with the jab, but for the moment, he was happy to hear a joke from Davis.

"Okay, you have a point. But still. It I'm sure there are smart people out there that like sports. Or even if he doesn't, he'd have to be blind to not see that you're attractive.

Davis blushed a little. "Y-you think I'm attractive?"

Tai nodded. "Of course! You look like a younger me!"

Davis rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. But Henry would never go for someone like me."

"Then why was Izzy attracted to me, then?"

Davis shrugged with a smirk. "It must be the goggles."

Tai laughed. "Yeah, my goggles have magic powers."

"No but really..." Davis said, sounding serious. "When I see you with the goggles... I don't know. Like rationally thinking, you'd think, 'why is that idiot wearing goggles?' but with you... it's just... somehow confidence just radiates off you."

Tai blinked. "Really? I didn't know you saw me that way."

Davis nodded. "Anyway, thanks for checking of me, but I'll be okay. You should get back to the restaurant."

Tai shook his head. "I'm not leaving you like this."

Davis looked away awkwardly. "Actually, I um... need to uh... use the restroom..."

"OH, I understand!" Tai exclaimed. "I'll see myself out."

"Thanks for everything, Tai." Davis said, as he made his way out of the room.

XxXxXxXxX A while later XxXxXxXxX

Davis sighed as he walked back into his living room. He was just about to plop back down on the couch, when he saw something out of the corner of his eyes. He turned to see Tai's goggles sitting on the counter.

Davis blinked in surprise. "Did... did Tai really leave those for me?"

He walked over slowly, and stared at them for a second, before he slowly picked them up, and put them on. He pulled out his phone, and turned on his camera, to see what he looked like. He couldn't believe how much the goggles complimented him. A smile formed on his face, as confidence just seemed to suddenly flow through him.

XxXxXxXxXxX The Next Day... XxXxXxXxX

Tai took a deep breath as he started running down the sidewalk. He loved nice days like this: Sun shining, birds chirping. It was a nice day to exercise. He had to keep in shape for soccer.

As he ran past an Ice Cream shop, he noticed the car parked in front. It was Davis'.

"Davis left the house? Well that's great!" Davis said to himself, as he stopped, and looked in the window. But to his surprise, Davis wasn't alone.

He saw Davis sitting in a booth, wearing the goggles, facing Tai. The other side of the booth had someone with blue hair and an orange shirt, or something, over top a brown shirt.

Tai blinked. "Is that Henry?" Tai said, to himself.

Just then Davis noticed Tai. He smiled at Tai and motioned for him to come in. Henry turned around to see who Davis was waving at.

Tai shook his head though, waved with a smile, and walked off. Happy that he could help his friend be happy.

The End