A/N: Thanks to all who read "An Unlikely and Improbable Couple." Due to demand I have decided to write a sequel. This isn't the complete thing, I just decided to split it into two parts. I'll get the final part out as soon as I can. Now read on.
Disclaimer: I keep forgetting these things. I don't own Digimon. I don't own anything except a couple of people's souls but that's a long, different story.
I also must apologize for the lateness of this fic. I've been busy with X-mas, New Years, saving the world from the Lord of Terror, and finals.
Finally, this version will be author note free, and ' and ' will indicate thoughts, usually anyway. Sorry bout all this. Now, on to the story and please forgive me for any mistakes I make in this story.
Phone Calls About WHAT?
Or "Matt Strikes Back" as I like to call it. I've decided that the first one could have been called a "New Love."
By Blubglub
Davis was sitting on the couch watching TV with a drink in hand when he heard his sister come in. "What took you?" he asked without turning to look at her.
"Sorry, I was delayed by my new boyfriend. We're going on a date tonight," she replied happily.
"A new one? And you're going on a date? Sure Jun whatever you say," said Davis sarcastically, used to Jun's changing obsessions.
"I mean it. This one's different, he acknowledges my presence and thinks I'm beautiful," she said, before adding matter-of-factly, "he told me so."
"Or maybe you just heard it that way. Just like you thought that Matt had liked you," Davis pointed out.
"I was wrong with Matt, I know that. I was obsessed with him and the thought of him as my boyfriend. I now realize I didn't fall in love with him, but I fell in love with the idea of being in love," she said remorsefully, regretful at how misguided she had been. "But this new guy. I feel something different with him. I feel something greater than what I felt for Matt. And I think that he feels the same about me," she added wistfully.
Davis listened to this intently, his mind considering the emotion he had heard in his sister's voice. 'Might she actually have found someone?' he asked himself. "Ok, who's the guy?" he asked her, deciding that no harm could come from asking.
"Tai Kamiya," she answered, her mouth curving in a small smile.
"What!" shouted Davis, turning to stare at is sister in disbelief.
"It's true," she countered.
"No way," said Davis still not believing.
"Way," she said simply before telling Davis the full story of how Matt snapped at her and how Tai had come and comforted her. "...and then he kissed me on the lips," she finished.
Davis who had been sipping his drink during the story, spit it out in a gesture of his total surprise and disbelief. "He kissed you?" he asked, flabbergasted.
"And it was wonderful," answered Jun. "Then he agreed to go on a date with me tonight and, oh no! The date! Tai will be here around seven and I'm nowhere near being ready!" With that she rushed out of the room and into her bedroom to get ready.
Davis was left alone on the couch just shook his head and muttered, "I wonder if Kari knows yet?"
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"You what!" shouted Kari at her brother, who was frantically looking through the clutter in his room for something.
"I kissed her,' responded Tai as he threw piles of dirty clothes around the room in an attempt to see the floor which they had covered. "And then I agreed to go out on a date with her tonight, and I have to pick her up at seven, and have you seen my good shoes!" he shouted in frustration, looking frantically around the room.
"They're behind the door," replied Kari helpfully. "But Jun Motimoya? Does Matt know about this?" she asked seriously.
"I don't know," said Tai as he grabbed his shoes and then went over to his closet and opened it, something that was hindered by the pile of clothes in front of the door.
"You're really taking this seriously," said Kari as she watched, in what might have been described as awe or barely controlled laughter (you take your pick) Tai take from his closet a dress suit.
"It's a first date; I want to make a good impression," he explained. Then after a moment of thought he asked, "do you think this is a little too much?"
"Where are you going?" asked Kari.
"Some fancy restaurant called Sammy's," he replied.
"Try dressing casual and add a tie or sport's coat," suggested Kari.
"All right," he said putting the suit back in the closet and grabbing some other clothes instead.
"Do mom and dad know about your date?" asked Kari as her brother left his room and stepped into the bathroom.
"Not yet. Just cover for me and I wont tell about the time you skipped school," Tai replied, stopping in the doorway.
"I never skipped school," retorted Kari indignantly.
"But mom and dad don't know that," returned Tai as he closed the door to the bathroom.
'Mom and dad wouldn't believe him if he told them the sky was blue,' Kari thought as she turned from the bathroom and wandered into the kitchen. 'But I might as well do this for Tai. He's done a lot for me and I might need him to cover for me one day,' she reasoned, happy thoughts filling her head as she sat down on the couch to watch TV. As she reached for the remote a sudden idea crossed her mind. Getting up instead she went to the phone. "I gotta tell TK," she said to herself as she dialed his number.
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TK was throwing wadded up balls of paper at the garbage can when the phone rang. Giving a muttered curse as he missed for the umpteenth time, he went and got the phone. "Hello, Takaishi residence," said TK as he picked up the receiver.
"TK, it's me Kari," said the voice on the other end of the phone.
"Oh hi Kari. What's up?" asked TK nonchalantly, trying to hide the hope in his voice.
"Have you heard anything about your brother and Jun lately?" she asked.
"Nothing new, why?" wondered TK, slightly disappointed that Kari had not called to talk about something else.
"Well, apparently your brother snapped at Jun and yelled at her that he hated her and didn't want to see her again," explained Kari.
"Oh boy, what happened then?" asked TK, listening intently.
"Jun ran off and then Matt met up with my brother and they had a little talk that ended with my brother punching yours," she continued quickly.
"Why'd he do that?" inquired TK.
"Because your brother was mean to Jun," said Kari, almost accusingly, before continuing. "After my brother punched Matt, they argued and my brother ended up leaving, and..." she paused, letting TK hang.
"And?" asked TK impatiently.
"He headed home," she finished. Then, as if an afterthought she added, "oh, and he kissed Jun."
"What!" exclaimed TK in astonishment at what he had heard.
"That was my very reaction," Kari replied.
"But how? Why?" asked TK, dumbfounded and confused as he tried to come to terms with what he had been told.
"Apparently he found her sitting on a bench crying in the park and he went to comfort her. One thing led to another and they ended up kissing and setting up a date for tonight," she explained, slightly amused at TK's reaction.
"Man, what your brother will do out of pity," commented TK.
"You see that's the thing. I don't think he's doing it out of pity, said Kari, her voice sounding a little confused. Then she added, in an almost conspiratorial tone, "I think he actually likes Jun."
"I would have never thought of that," said TK. 'I wonder what Matt would think of that,' he pondered to himself. 'Probably flip that his friend was dating his enemy, but be happy that Jun would no longer bug him,' TK reasoned. 'But you don't know that for sure,' his doubts pointed out. "Hey Kari, does Matt know about it?" he asked, deciding to make it so that he did know for sure.
"I don't know. That's why I called you," she replied.
"Well then maybe I should call and tell him. Just give me a couple of minutes, ok?" he said.
"Sure. Just make sure you call me back," she replied before hanging up the phone with a hurried "bye." TK then dialed Matt's number, preparing to break the shocking bit of news too him.
"Hello, the famous Matt Ishida speaking," said the voice that picked up on the other end of the line.
"Really!" said TK in a false girl voice, adding a fake little squeal for effect. Then returning to his normal voice he continued, "It's me, TK, the brother to the famous Matt Ishida."
"Oh, hey little bro, what's up?" asked Matt in a sort of laid back voice.
"Nothing much just that your stalker has a boyfriend," replied TK casually.
"So fast? Well at least I'm safe," said Matt, relief flooding his voice.
"Don't you want to know who the lucky guy is?" asked TK, baiting his brother.
Matt gave a little snort at that comment, but took the bait nonetheless. "Who?"
"Tai," was all TK said, but it was enough.
"What!" said Matt, giving the same response as everyone else who heard the news. Then he gave a brief laugh and said "Good one TK, you had me there. Now really, who is it?"
"I told you, it's Tai. And I am not joking," said TK seriously.
"But how?" asked Matt, realizing with a god amount of dread that TK had told the truth.
"Well after you snapped at her she ended up in the park crying. Tai found her there sitting on a bench and he went to comfort her. They ended up sharing a kiss and setting up plans for a date tonight," explained TK, smiling a little at the discomfort he was causing his brother.
"He kissed her!" shouted Matt into the phone. "That goddamn traitor! And Jun! That slut! She asked me out tonight! But, no she goes and asks Tai! Betrayed by my best friend! Crest of Courage, pah! Crest of Betrayal is more like it!"
Matt continued to rant on for a bit longer but it was lost to TK who had pulled the phone away from his ear and was holding it at arm's length. Every now and then he could make out a shouted obscenity or curse directed toward Tai and Jun. 'I never knew he'd get this mad,' thought TK, alarmed at his brother's rage. 'I've known him a long time and I don't remember him ever getting this mad. Not even the time I wrecked his harmonica.' TK then realized that the phone had quieted down and tentatively he brought it back to his ear. "Matt?" he asked carefully, slightly scared by his brother's temper.
"Yeah TK," came back his brother's voice, breathless from his bout of rage.
"You alright?" asked TK worried for his brother. 'I never should have told him. But he would have had to hear about it anyway and if he had heard it from Tai who knows what he might have done.
"Yeah, I'm alright now TK. I was just a little surprised that's all," replied Matt's voice, back to its normal laid back tone, though a strained one.
"You alright with it?" asked TK, still a little concerned.
"Yeah, just shocked I guess," answered Matt. "If Tai wants Jun he can have her, I never wanted her. If it makes Tai happy then that's an added bonus. You know how depressed he's been since his break up with Sora," said Matt, his voice seeming to get a little bit more strained.
"Yeah," admitted TK, remembering that trying time.
-Flashback-
Matt was sitting with Tai in his apartment when there was a knock on the door. Tai had gone to answer the door only to find a small envelope on the doorstep with his name. Opening it, he read the note inside:
Dear Tai,
I am writing this because I cannot do this in person, I guess I just don't have your courage. I am writing to tell you that things just don't seem to be working out. I had thought I loved you at first, but I guess I was wrong. Sometime during our relationship I guess I realized that you and I weren't meant to be together. I felt that you knew this as well because whenever you looked at me the sparkle in your eye was gone, replaced instead by what might have been sadness, maybe regret. So, I have decided to end our relationship in the hope that we might each find what we are looking for because you and I both knew we would not find it in each other. Please don't judge me to harshly or hate me; I do this for both our sakes. This I must believe, for if I do not I may lose my resolve and not have the strength to say this- well, write it in this case. I hope I can rely on you to survive through this and go on to find others- trust me you will, this I am quite certain of. Should I be wrong, then I sincerely apologize for everything. Well I must end this for if I continue I probably lose my resolve. We will always be friends and you will always be in my heart.
Sincerely ,Sora
P.S. Let your friends be your light in this dark time, let them guide you through this. Don't give up, you have the courage to endure this.
The letter seemed to have runny spots at parts where tears had fallen on the page and at the end where it said sincerely the word "love" had been crossed out. Tai had read through the whole thing, with his face passive, hiding the pain he felt inside as each word had ripped through his heart like a knife. Though he wanted to believe it wasn't true, that Sora was wrong and that they were meant to be together, he knew deep in his heart that what she had wrote was true.
Matt had watched Tai's reading of the letter from the couch. He had seen the conflicting emotions moving across his face and the final look of sadness when Tai finished the letter and slowly crumpled it and stuffed it in his pocket. Despite the fact that he had not read the letter, Matt could guess what it was about.
"Listen Tai," he began, but Tai just held up a hand and asked to be alone. Matt wanted to help his friend but he realized that this was one of those things Tai had to handle on his own. So he simply left. As he closed the door he could hear the sounds of Tai beginning to weep.
-End Flashback-
TK had heard about it from Matt and during the next couple weeks all the Digidestined had done their best to help. Things had ended up well in the end. Tai and Sora remained friends and life moved on, but there still remained a little bit of pain and remorse.
"So you're all right with it then?" asked TK.
"Yeah, I'm perfectly fine," said Matt.
TK didn't believe him for a minute. "So what are you going to do?"
"What do you mean 'what am I going to do?'" asked Matt indignantly. "I'm going to do nothing and let them have their little date, that's what. Tai can find out how annoying Jun is himself. Maybe I'll go along and watch their evening," he added.
"What? I thought you said you were going to let them have their date," said a surprised TK.
"I'm not going because I want to ruin their date. I think that it would be amusing to see how it goes," explained Matt.
"But what if they see you?" asked TK.
"I'll burn that bridge when I cross it," answered Matt before hanging up the phone, ending the conversation. TK just stood there for a moment with the phone next to his ear before dialing a new number.
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"He's going to do what?" demanded Kari into the phone, jumping off her stool in her excitement.
"He's going to follow them," explained TK, who had just spent the last five or so minutes telling Kari about his call with Matt.
"But why?" asked Kari. 'Could he be jealous?'
"Because he thinks it will be amusing," answered TK. Kari didn't respond right away, taking a moment to think it over.
"What if they see him? It could ruin the evening," pointed out Kari, sitting back down on the stool she had vacated in her excitement.
Just then one of the multitude of inspiration particles zooming around the universe hit TK's mind dead center. "We could follow along too and stop my brother from ruining their date." suggested TK.
"Are you saying we should follow our brothers to a romantic restaurant?" she asked, somewhat suspicious.
"They'd do the same to us," said TK, before realizing his slip and hurriedly adding, "if we were to go out that is."
'That's his plan. He wants to use this as an excuse for a date,' realized Kari. Smiling she slyly asked "Mr. Takaishi are you asking me out on a date?"
"No fooling you," he said, then tentatively, "so will you?"
"Yes, but only so long as we remember that we're there to watch our brothers," she said sternly. 'Come on girl, who are you fooling? You want this as much as him,' her conscience muttered in the back of her head.
"Yes ma'am," he replied, his voice falsely downtrodden. "When should I pick you up?"
"Tai's picking Jun up around seven so I guess you should pick me up around then too," she answered. "And dress nice, it's a fancy restaurant," she added.
"Alright, see you then. Bye," said TK.
"Same to you," replied Kari as she hung up the phone.
"Who was that?" asked Tai as he came out of the bathroom.
"Oh, just person from SACTV," she said, deciding that it would be best if Tai didn't know about Matt's response and his subsequent plan to follow Tai on his date. Then to change the subject she added, "you look sharp." And he did. He was dressed in simple gray pants and a blue shirt with a white stripe. His hair was neatly combed, Kari was quite sure it was the first time, and he smelled faintly of aftershave.
"Thanks," said Tai as he stopped to admire himself in their hallway mirror.
"So now you're all ready?" asked Kari, sitting back down in the couch and preparing to return to her earlier plan of channel surfing, for a little while anyway, then she would get ready for her " date watching duties" with TK.
"I hope so," said Tai, checking his breath against his hand. "I've got good breath, I've got good hair, and I've got money," he said checking his pockets.
"Do you have flowers?" asked Kari as her channel surfing passed an ad for some allergy medication. Judging by the muttered curse from Tai, he had not bought any flowers.
"Thanks for reminding me," he shouted as he rushed out the door. Kari glanced up from her channel surfing to look at the clock. 'It's almost seven. Where will he get flowers? There aren't any flower shops in the area except for... oh no.'
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Sora was in the back room when the bell on the door rang. Walking out front she was greeted at the sight of Tai all dressed up and out of breath. "Where's the fire?" she asked casually, her voice not betraying her inner thoughts. 'Why is he all dressed up? Is he here to try and ask me out, or has he found someone else?'
"I need some flowers," panted out Tai in between breaths.
"Well you came to the right place," returned Sora glibly. "What kind do you need?"
"The kind that you give to a girl on a first date," answered Tai, finally catching his breath.
"Who's the girl?" asked Sora, somewhat dreading the answer.
"Jun Motimoya," replied Tai, looking around the shop.
Had Sora been holding anything she would have dropped it, but she wasn't so she just stared at Tai in disbelief. "Jun Motimoya? Davis' sister?" she managed to finally get out after a several unsuccessful attempts to grasp what had just been said.
"Why is it so hard for people to believe that?" responded Tai indignantly after seeing the look of surprise on Sora's face.
"It's just that we'd always thought you didn't like the Motimoyas," answered Sora, regaining her composure.
"I just didn't like Davis' moving in on my sister," explained Tai.
"Well how did it happen?" asked Sora, somewhat relieved that Tai wasn't there to ask her out, but also somewhat hurt. Tai related the entire story to Sora, paying attention to her responses, especially at the part where he kissed Jun. Sora remained emotionless through the whole story, revealing nothing of her inner feelings. 'I don't know whether to be angry with him, or to be happy for him. I told him it was over and it was, but I guess I had always hoped that he still loved me, like I loved him.'
As if sensing her inner turmoil Tai reached across the counter and put his hand on Sora's shoulder. "I still care for you, but not as much as I once did. It's the longing for what might have been, and for what there once was," he said, giving her shoulder a little squeeze when he was done. This was enough to quell Sora's distress for the time being.
Smiling Sora asked him, "do you know what type of flowers she likes?"
"No, I was sort of hoping you could help me with that one," said Tai.
"We have a first date special," suggested Sora, before giving a short sales pitch. "It's a bouquet with a good mix of flowers that have been chosen to make the perfect first impression."
"Which is?" asked Tai, arching one eyebrow.
"That the date is smart enough to seek help when getting flowers," answered Sora lightly. Tai gave a little chuckle at this.
"I'll take one," he said reaching for his wallet. "Could you give me a Digidestined discount?" he asked, giving Sora a crooked grin.
"Sorry, but we don't give discounts," replied Sora, giving a smile as she wrapped up the flowers. Tai paid for the flowers and left. When he was out the door Sora's smile dropped. She knew he cared for her, but she still felt a little betrayed. At this thought of betrayal she remembered someone who would have felt a much stronger betrayal. Grabbing the phone she dialed a number. After three rings a male voice answered.
"Ishida residence," said the voice.
"Hi Matt, it's me Sora. Have you heard about Tai?" she asked the voice.
"Yeah," replied Matt's voice sourly.
"How do you feel?" asked Sora, concerned for how Matt might have taken the news.
"Betrayed and bitter," came his response.
"Is there anything I could do to help?" Sora inquired. "Do you want to talk, or maybe I could come over tonight?" she suggested.
"No, that's okay. I'm going to follow Tai and Jun on their date and see how it turns out," he replied. "It should make for some interesting viewing."
"If it hadn't been Jun I'd say you were jealous of Tai for getting Jun," said Sora, then jokingly she asked, "You're not jealous at Jun for getting Tai?"
"No," responded Matt quickly, his voice panicked and horrified. "It's just that this date should be 'interesting' to say the least. You've gone on dates with Tai, you know how he is." As soon as Matt said it, he regretted it. "Oh Sora I'm sorry. I forgot about you and Tai for a minute..."
"It's alright," said Sora, cutting off his apology.
"How are you taking this?" asked Matt, this time the one who was concerned.
"I'm alright," she replied. Matt didn't believe her for a second.
"Listen, why don't you come with me," suggested Matt. "We can keep each other company and you can keep me out of trouble."
"I don't know..." started Sora, but Matt cut her off.
"Pleeease," he pleaded in a little kid voice.
"Alright,' agreed Sora with a slight chuckle. "What time will you pick me up?"
"Around seven is when Tai plans to pick up Jun, so I guess I'll pick you up a little earlier, say 6:45, so we don't miss the opening act," answered Matt.
"It's a date then," said Sora. Then after exchanging good-bye's with Matt, she hung up. Only then did she realize what she had said. 'A date with Matt? Was that his plan? If it was, would it be a bad thing?' With these questions in her mind she closed the shop and went to get ready.
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A/N: First off. Dinner dates, dressing fancy, and flowers are completely foreign to me. Originally I meant to put the actual date in this one but it just was running long and I wanted to post something so I decided to split it into two parts. I'll have the rest out as soon as I can. I also think I may have ruined it by getting Sora involved in the story. What do you think.
F.Y.I: SACTV stands for Society Against Cruelty to Villains.
Guy: Hey we didn't show up at all. What gives?
Blubglub: I guess we don't fit in this part of the story.
With that said, please review, I enjoy your input. Flames welcome.
Disclaimer: I keep forgetting these things. I don't own Digimon. I don't own anything except a couple of people's souls but that's a long, different story.
I also must apologize for the lateness of this fic. I've been busy with X-mas, New Years, saving the world from the Lord of Terror, and finals.
Finally, this version will be author note free, and ' and ' will indicate thoughts, usually anyway. Sorry bout all this. Now, on to the story and please forgive me for any mistakes I make in this story.
Phone Calls About WHAT?
Or "Matt Strikes Back" as I like to call it. I've decided that the first one could have been called a "New Love."
By Blubglub
Davis was sitting on the couch watching TV with a drink in hand when he heard his sister come in. "What took you?" he asked without turning to look at her.
"Sorry, I was delayed by my new boyfriend. We're going on a date tonight," she replied happily.
"A new one? And you're going on a date? Sure Jun whatever you say," said Davis sarcastically, used to Jun's changing obsessions.
"I mean it. This one's different, he acknowledges my presence and thinks I'm beautiful," she said, before adding matter-of-factly, "he told me so."
"Or maybe you just heard it that way. Just like you thought that Matt had liked you," Davis pointed out.
"I was wrong with Matt, I know that. I was obsessed with him and the thought of him as my boyfriend. I now realize I didn't fall in love with him, but I fell in love with the idea of being in love," she said remorsefully, regretful at how misguided she had been. "But this new guy. I feel something different with him. I feel something greater than what I felt for Matt. And I think that he feels the same about me," she added wistfully.
Davis listened to this intently, his mind considering the emotion he had heard in his sister's voice. 'Might she actually have found someone?' he asked himself. "Ok, who's the guy?" he asked her, deciding that no harm could come from asking.
"Tai Kamiya," she answered, her mouth curving in a small smile.
"What!" shouted Davis, turning to stare at is sister in disbelief.
"It's true," she countered.
"No way," said Davis still not believing.
"Way," she said simply before telling Davis the full story of how Matt snapped at her and how Tai had come and comforted her. "...and then he kissed me on the lips," she finished.
Davis who had been sipping his drink during the story, spit it out in a gesture of his total surprise and disbelief. "He kissed you?" he asked, flabbergasted.
"And it was wonderful," answered Jun. "Then he agreed to go on a date with me tonight and, oh no! The date! Tai will be here around seven and I'm nowhere near being ready!" With that she rushed out of the room and into her bedroom to get ready.
Davis was left alone on the couch just shook his head and muttered, "I wonder if Kari knows yet?"
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"You what!" shouted Kari at her brother, who was frantically looking through the clutter in his room for something.
"I kissed her,' responded Tai as he threw piles of dirty clothes around the room in an attempt to see the floor which they had covered. "And then I agreed to go out on a date with her tonight, and I have to pick her up at seven, and have you seen my good shoes!" he shouted in frustration, looking frantically around the room.
"They're behind the door," replied Kari helpfully. "But Jun Motimoya? Does Matt know about this?" she asked seriously.
"I don't know," said Tai as he grabbed his shoes and then went over to his closet and opened it, something that was hindered by the pile of clothes in front of the door.
"You're really taking this seriously," said Kari as she watched, in what might have been described as awe or barely controlled laughter (you take your pick) Tai take from his closet a dress suit.
"It's a first date; I want to make a good impression," he explained. Then after a moment of thought he asked, "do you think this is a little too much?"
"Where are you going?" asked Kari.
"Some fancy restaurant called Sammy's," he replied.
"Try dressing casual and add a tie or sport's coat," suggested Kari.
"All right," he said putting the suit back in the closet and grabbing some other clothes instead.
"Do mom and dad know about your date?" asked Kari as her brother left his room and stepped into the bathroom.
"Not yet. Just cover for me and I wont tell about the time you skipped school," Tai replied, stopping in the doorway.
"I never skipped school," retorted Kari indignantly.
"But mom and dad don't know that," returned Tai as he closed the door to the bathroom.
'Mom and dad wouldn't believe him if he told them the sky was blue,' Kari thought as she turned from the bathroom and wandered into the kitchen. 'But I might as well do this for Tai. He's done a lot for me and I might need him to cover for me one day,' she reasoned, happy thoughts filling her head as she sat down on the couch to watch TV. As she reached for the remote a sudden idea crossed her mind. Getting up instead she went to the phone. "I gotta tell TK," she said to herself as she dialed his number.
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TK was throwing wadded up balls of paper at the garbage can when the phone rang. Giving a muttered curse as he missed for the umpteenth time, he went and got the phone. "Hello, Takaishi residence," said TK as he picked up the receiver.
"TK, it's me Kari," said the voice on the other end of the phone.
"Oh hi Kari. What's up?" asked TK nonchalantly, trying to hide the hope in his voice.
"Have you heard anything about your brother and Jun lately?" she asked.
"Nothing new, why?" wondered TK, slightly disappointed that Kari had not called to talk about something else.
"Well, apparently your brother snapped at Jun and yelled at her that he hated her and didn't want to see her again," explained Kari.
"Oh boy, what happened then?" asked TK, listening intently.
"Jun ran off and then Matt met up with my brother and they had a little talk that ended with my brother punching yours," she continued quickly.
"Why'd he do that?" inquired TK.
"Because your brother was mean to Jun," said Kari, almost accusingly, before continuing. "After my brother punched Matt, they argued and my brother ended up leaving, and..." she paused, letting TK hang.
"And?" asked TK impatiently.
"He headed home," she finished. Then, as if an afterthought she added, "oh, and he kissed Jun."
"What!" exclaimed TK in astonishment at what he had heard.
"That was my very reaction," Kari replied.
"But how? Why?" asked TK, dumbfounded and confused as he tried to come to terms with what he had been told.
"Apparently he found her sitting on a bench crying in the park and he went to comfort her. One thing led to another and they ended up kissing and setting up a date for tonight," she explained, slightly amused at TK's reaction.
"Man, what your brother will do out of pity," commented TK.
"You see that's the thing. I don't think he's doing it out of pity, said Kari, her voice sounding a little confused. Then she added, in an almost conspiratorial tone, "I think he actually likes Jun."
"I would have never thought of that," said TK. 'I wonder what Matt would think of that,' he pondered to himself. 'Probably flip that his friend was dating his enemy, but be happy that Jun would no longer bug him,' TK reasoned. 'But you don't know that for sure,' his doubts pointed out. "Hey Kari, does Matt know about it?" he asked, deciding to make it so that he did know for sure.
"I don't know. That's why I called you," she replied.
"Well then maybe I should call and tell him. Just give me a couple of minutes, ok?" he said.
"Sure. Just make sure you call me back," she replied before hanging up the phone with a hurried "bye." TK then dialed Matt's number, preparing to break the shocking bit of news too him.
"Hello, the famous Matt Ishida speaking," said the voice that picked up on the other end of the line.
"Really!" said TK in a false girl voice, adding a fake little squeal for effect. Then returning to his normal voice he continued, "It's me, TK, the brother to the famous Matt Ishida."
"Oh, hey little bro, what's up?" asked Matt in a sort of laid back voice.
"Nothing much just that your stalker has a boyfriend," replied TK casually.
"So fast? Well at least I'm safe," said Matt, relief flooding his voice.
"Don't you want to know who the lucky guy is?" asked TK, baiting his brother.
Matt gave a little snort at that comment, but took the bait nonetheless. "Who?"
"Tai," was all TK said, but it was enough.
"What!" said Matt, giving the same response as everyone else who heard the news. Then he gave a brief laugh and said "Good one TK, you had me there. Now really, who is it?"
"I told you, it's Tai. And I am not joking," said TK seriously.
"But how?" asked Matt, realizing with a god amount of dread that TK had told the truth.
"Well after you snapped at her she ended up in the park crying. Tai found her there sitting on a bench and he went to comfort her. They ended up sharing a kiss and setting up plans for a date tonight," explained TK, smiling a little at the discomfort he was causing his brother.
"He kissed her!" shouted Matt into the phone. "That goddamn traitor! And Jun! That slut! She asked me out tonight! But, no she goes and asks Tai! Betrayed by my best friend! Crest of Courage, pah! Crest of Betrayal is more like it!"
Matt continued to rant on for a bit longer but it was lost to TK who had pulled the phone away from his ear and was holding it at arm's length. Every now and then he could make out a shouted obscenity or curse directed toward Tai and Jun. 'I never knew he'd get this mad,' thought TK, alarmed at his brother's rage. 'I've known him a long time and I don't remember him ever getting this mad. Not even the time I wrecked his harmonica.' TK then realized that the phone had quieted down and tentatively he brought it back to his ear. "Matt?" he asked carefully, slightly scared by his brother's temper.
"Yeah TK," came back his brother's voice, breathless from his bout of rage.
"You alright?" asked TK worried for his brother. 'I never should have told him. But he would have had to hear about it anyway and if he had heard it from Tai who knows what he might have done.
"Yeah, I'm alright now TK. I was just a little surprised that's all," replied Matt's voice, back to its normal laid back tone, though a strained one.
"You alright with it?" asked TK, still a little concerned.
"Yeah, just shocked I guess," answered Matt. "If Tai wants Jun he can have her, I never wanted her. If it makes Tai happy then that's an added bonus. You know how depressed he's been since his break up with Sora," said Matt, his voice seeming to get a little bit more strained.
"Yeah," admitted TK, remembering that trying time.
-Flashback-
Matt was sitting with Tai in his apartment when there was a knock on the door. Tai had gone to answer the door only to find a small envelope on the doorstep with his name. Opening it, he read the note inside:
Dear Tai,
I am writing this because I cannot do this in person, I guess I just don't have your courage. I am writing to tell you that things just don't seem to be working out. I had thought I loved you at first, but I guess I was wrong. Sometime during our relationship I guess I realized that you and I weren't meant to be together. I felt that you knew this as well because whenever you looked at me the sparkle in your eye was gone, replaced instead by what might have been sadness, maybe regret. So, I have decided to end our relationship in the hope that we might each find what we are looking for because you and I both knew we would not find it in each other. Please don't judge me to harshly or hate me; I do this for both our sakes. This I must believe, for if I do not I may lose my resolve and not have the strength to say this- well, write it in this case. I hope I can rely on you to survive through this and go on to find others- trust me you will, this I am quite certain of. Should I be wrong, then I sincerely apologize for everything. Well I must end this for if I continue I probably lose my resolve. We will always be friends and you will always be in my heart.
Sincerely ,Sora
P.S. Let your friends be your light in this dark time, let them guide you through this. Don't give up, you have the courage to endure this.
The letter seemed to have runny spots at parts where tears had fallen on the page and at the end where it said sincerely the word "love" had been crossed out. Tai had read through the whole thing, with his face passive, hiding the pain he felt inside as each word had ripped through his heart like a knife. Though he wanted to believe it wasn't true, that Sora was wrong and that they were meant to be together, he knew deep in his heart that what she had wrote was true.
Matt had watched Tai's reading of the letter from the couch. He had seen the conflicting emotions moving across his face and the final look of sadness when Tai finished the letter and slowly crumpled it and stuffed it in his pocket. Despite the fact that he had not read the letter, Matt could guess what it was about.
"Listen Tai," he began, but Tai just held up a hand and asked to be alone. Matt wanted to help his friend but he realized that this was one of those things Tai had to handle on his own. So he simply left. As he closed the door he could hear the sounds of Tai beginning to weep.
-End Flashback-
TK had heard about it from Matt and during the next couple weeks all the Digidestined had done their best to help. Things had ended up well in the end. Tai and Sora remained friends and life moved on, but there still remained a little bit of pain and remorse.
"So you're all right with it then?" asked TK.
"Yeah, I'm perfectly fine," said Matt.
TK didn't believe him for a minute. "So what are you going to do?"
"What do you mean 'what am I going to do?'" asked Matt indignantly. "I'm going to do nothing and let them have their little date, that's what. Tai can find out how annoying Jun is himself. Maybe I'll go along and watch their evening," he added.
"What? I thought you said you were going to let them have their date," said a surprised TK.
"I'm not going because I want to ruin their date. I think that it would be amusing to see how it goes," explained Matt.
"But what if they see you?" asked TK.
"I'll burn that bridge when I cross it," answered Matt before hanging up the phone, ending the conversation. TK just stood there for a moment with the phone next to his ear before dialing a new number.
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"He's going to do what?" demanded Kari into the phone, jumping off her stool in her excitement.
"He's going to follow them," explained TK, who had just spent the last five or so minutes telling Kari about his call with Matt.
"But why?" asked Kari. 'Could he be jealous?'
"Because he thinks it will be amusing," answered TK. Kari didn't respond right away, taking a moment to think it over.
"What if they see him? It could ruin the evening," pointed out Kari, sitting back down on the stool she had vacated in her excitement.
Just then one of the multitude of inspiration particles zooming around the universe hit TK's mind dead center. "We could follow along too and stop my brother from ruining their date." suggested TK.
"Are you saying we should follow our brothers to a romantic restaurant?" she asked, somewhat suspicious.
"They'd do the same to us," said TK, before realizing his slip and hurriedly adding, "if we were to go out that is."
'That's his plan. He wants to use this as an excuse for a date,' realized Kari. Smiling she slyly asked "Mr. Takaishi are you asking me out on a date?"
"No fooling you," he said, then tentatively, "so will you?"
"Yes, but only so long as we remember that we're there to watch our brothers," she said sternly. 'Come on girl, who are you fooling? You want this as much as him,' her conscience muttered in the back of her head.
"Yes ma'am," he replied, his voice falsely downtrodden. "When should I pick you up?"
"Tai's picking Jun up around seven so I guess you should pick me up around then too," she answered. "And dress nice, it's a fancy restaurant," she added.
"Alright, see you then. Bye," said TK.
"Same to you," replied Kari as she hung up the phone.
"Who was that?" asked Tai as he came out of the bathroom.
"Oh, just person from SACTV," she said, deciding that it would be best if Tai didn't know about Matt's response and his subsequent plan to follow Tai on his date. Then to change the subject she added, "you look sharp." And he did. He was dressed in simple gray pants and a blue shirt with a white stripe. His hair was neatly combed, Kari was quite sure it was the first time, and he smelled faintly of aftershave.
"Thanks," said Tai as he stopped to admire himself in their hallway mirror.
"So now you're all ready?" asked Kari, sitting back down in the couch and preparing to return to her earlier plan of channel surfing, for a little while anyway, then she would get ready for her " date watching duties" with TK.
"I hope so," said Tai, checking his breath against his hand. "I've got good breath, I've got good hair, and I've got money," he said checking his pockets.
"Do you have flowers?" asked Kari as her channel surfing passed an ad for some allergy medication. Judging by the muttered curse from Tai, he had not bought any flowers.
"Thanks for reminding me," he shouted as he rushed out the door. Kari glanced up from her channel surfing to look at the clock. 'It's almost seven. Where will he get flowers? There aren't any flower shops in the area except for... oh no.'
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Sora was in the back room when the bell on the door rang. Walking out front she was greeted at the sight of Tai all dressed up and out of breath. "Where's the fire?" she asked casually, her voice not betraying her inner thoughts. 'Why is he all dressed up? Is he here to try and ask me out, or has he found someone else?'
"I need some flowers," panted out Tai in between breaths.
"Well you came to the right place," returned Sora glibly. "What kind do you need?"
"The kind that you give to a girl on a first date," answered Tai, finally catching his breath.
"Who's the girl?" asked Sora, somewhat dreading the answer.
"Jun Motimoya," replied Tai, looking around the shop.
Had Sora been holding anything she would have dropped it, but she wasn't so she just stared at Tai in disbelief. "Jun Motimoya? Davis' sister?" she managed to finally get out after a several unsuccessful attempts to grasp what had just been said.
"Why is it so hard for people to believe that?" responded Tai indignantly after seeing the look of surprise on Sora's face.
"It's just that we'd always thought you didn't like the Motimoyas," answered Sora, regaining her composure.
"I just didn't like Davis' moving in on my sister," explained Tai.
"Well how did it happen?" asked Sora, somewhat relieved that Tai wasn't there to ask her out, but also somewhat hurt. Tai related the entire story to Sora, paying attention to her responses, especially at the part where he kissed Jun. Sora remained emotionless through the whole story, revealing nothing of her inner feelings. 'I don't know whether to be angry with him, or to be happy for him. I told him it was over and it was, but I guess I had always hoped that he still loved me, like I loved him.'
As if sensing her inner turmoil Tai reached across the counter and put his hand on Sora's shoulder. "I still care for you, but not as much as I once did. It's the longing for what might have been, and for what there once was," he said, giving her shoulder a little squeeze when he was done. This was enough to quell Sora's distress for the time being.
Smiling Sora asked him, "do you know what type of flowers she likes?"
"No, I was sort of hoping you could help me with that one," said Tai.
"We have a first date special," suggested Sora, before giving a short sales pitch. "It's a bouquet with a good mix of flowers that have been chosen to make the perfect first impression."
"Which is?" asked Tai, arching one eyebrow.
"That the date is smart enough to seek help when getting flowers," answered Sora lightly. Tai gave a little chuckle at this.
"I'll take one," he said reaching for his wallet. "Could you give me a Digidestined discount?" he asked, giving Sora a crooked grin.
"Sorry, but we don't give discounts," replied Sora, giving a smile as she wrapped up the flowers. Tai paid for the flowers and left. When he was out the door Sora's smile dropped. She knew he cared for her, but she still felt a little betrayed. At this thought of betrayal she remembered someone who would have felt a much stronger betrayal. Grabbing the phone she dialed a number. After three rings a male voice answered.
"Ishida residence," said the voice.
"Hi Matt, it's me Sora. Have you heard about Tai?" she asked the voice.
"Yeah," replied Matt's voice sourly.
"How do you feel?" asked Sora, concerned for how Matt might have taken the news.
"Betrayed and bitter," came his response.
"Is there anything I could do to help?" Sora inquired. "Do you want to talk, or maybe I could come over tonight?" she suggested.
"No, that's okay. I'm going to follow Tai and Jun on their date and see how it turns out," he replied. "It should make for some interesting viewing."
"If it hadn't been Jun I'd say you were jealous of Tai for getting Jun," said Sora, then jokingly she asked, "You're not jealous at Jun for getting Tai?"
"No," responded Matt quickly, his voice panicked and horrified. "It's just that this date should be 'interesting' to say the least. You've gone on dates with Tai, you know how he is." As soon as Matt said it, he regretted it. "Oh Sora I'm sorry. I forgot about you and Tai for a minute..."
"It's alright," said Sora, cutting off his apology.
"How are you taking this?" asked Matt, this time the one who was concerned.
"I'm alright," she replied. Matt didn't believe her for a second.
"Listen, why don't you come with me," suggested Matt. "We can keep each other company and you can keep me out of trouble."
"I don't know..." started Sora, but Matt cut her off.
"Pleeease," he pleaded in a little kid voice.
"Alright,' agreed Sora with a slight chuckle. "What time will you pick me up?"
"Around seven is when Tai plans to pick up Jun, so I guess I'll pick you up a little earlier, say 6:45, so we don't miss the opening act," answered Matt.
"It's a date then," said Sora. Then after exchanging good-bye's with Matt, she hung up. Only then did she realize what she had said. 'A date with Matt? Was that his plan? If it was, would it be a bad thing?' With these questions in her mind she closed the shop and went to get ready.
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A/N: First off. Dinner dates, dressing fancy, and flowers are completely foreign to me. Originally I meant to put the actual date in this one but it just was running long and I wanted to post something so I decided to split it into two parts. I'll have the rest out as soon as I can. I also think I may have ruined it by getting Sora involved in the story. What do you think.
F.Y.I: SACTV stands for Society Against Cruelty to Villains.
Guy: Hey we didn't show up at all. What gives?
Blubglub: I guess we don't fit in this part of the story.
With that said, please review, I enjoy your input. Flames welcome.