A young boy stood in front of a tree, he face was away from his friend, his hands were hanging down at his sides. His age was eight-ish, and his eyes were filled with tears, of which they usually were when things happened to make him worry. Never taking a moment to show his fear from the girl, he stared at the tree in silence. Stillness surrounded him and his friend. But, finally she broke the silence.

"Why did you want to talk to me?" Her voice was so mature sounding and calm.

Unlike the girl, he stuttered and spoke in a childish manner, " 'Cause I wanted to."

"Well…"

"Fine," he interrupted. "I'll tell you. You're my friend, right?"

"Uh huh."

"So, you'd know what the answer to my question is. Right?"

"Probably."

"And you know how your mommy and your daddy always hug each other? Right?"

"Uh huh."

"What is that called?"

"Hugging."

"I know that-" His eyes shifted, "But Yamato said something about lo-lo…"

"Love." She finished. "Is that what you're trying to say."

"Y-yeah."

"That's your question?"

"No," he turned towards her, "I wanted to know… Why people "fall" in love. And why?"

She pondered for a while. "I don't know."

"Do you love me?" He choked out.

Both of them didn't know what love was. They heard the girl's parents say it before and they exchanged a kiss. So they figured that it was an excuse to kiss someone. She sat and looked up at her friend.

"Love?"

"Uh huh," he said, his child voice squeaking a little.

"Of course I do, Takeru." She smiled.

He smiled broadly, just like his older half-brother Yamato. "I love you, too, Hikari."

~ Eighteen years later (They're 16 now...) ~

"Wake up, Sleepy Head."

"Go away." Takeru rolled over in his bed.

"C'mon, already!" The girl's voice urged.

"N…nyo." He grumbled and shoved his head under the pillow.

Hikari jumped onto the side of the bed. Then jumped again. And again. And again. And again.

"Knock it off!" He warned.

"Geez, somebody's a li'l grumpy." She giggled. "Please, Takeru?"

"For what purpose must you wake me up at…" He raised his head and glanced at the clock, then he plopped back down, "Half past noon!"

"You just said my point… It's noon!"

"So?"

"Oh, please, Takeru… Please?"

Finally, the young blond sat up with his elbows keeping him from falling back down. He reached up and rubbed his eyes with one hand, then fell back down.

"I'm too tired." He muttered.

Hikari leaned forward and looked at him. She sighed and snatched the glass of water that just happened to be with her. (Hint: She brought it in with her.) And dipped her fingers into it. She then flicked the water on his face.

"Quit that."

She did it again.

"I said to stoppit."

Once more, with a little more water.

"Hikari…"

More flicking, more water.

He opened his eyes and reached up to snatch the cup. He succeeded and snapped his wrist, making the water fly onto Hikari.

"Ack!!" She screamed loudly and stood up. "Takeru!"

"Yes?" He chuckled.

"Hmph," the girl then walked out of the room.

"Aww," Takeru got out of his bed, wearing his pajamas; shorts and no shirt. "C'mon, Hikari. Don't get mad with me."

He opened the door and looked around. No sign of Hikari. He stepped out and started to head to the living room. "Hikari?" He called out. "Hi--"

"Got'cha." Hikari leaped towards Takeru and hung off his back.

The blond stood there with a confused look on his face while Hikari still hung from his shoulders.

"Were you to tackle me?" He remarked sarcastically.

She laughed, "Would you mind?"

"Ah," he smirked, "not at all." Takeru fell to the ground, just like he did almost every other time Hikari tried to tackle him. Laughter escaped from both of them as they stood up.

"Y'know what?" Takeru asked, trapping his girl against the wall.

"What?" She asked back, her eyes gazing into his pure, innocent eyes.

He smirked, leaned closer to her and whispered, "I love you."

"With all your heart and soul?"

"Without any doubt."

"Stand with me forever?"

"I will."

"As will I."

"Be with me forever?"

"I will."

"And I'll wait for you."

"Because I love you, Takeru."

"And I love you, Hikari."

They smiled at their own non-rhyming poem and Takeru kissed her gently on the lips. Following the lead, Hikari wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer. Most likely, they would've gone deeper into the kiss, but the telephone interrupted their lovable moment.

Hikari and Takeru took their winter vacation to the mountains. Where all the snow was located. They didn't go alone; Miyako, Daisuke, Willis, Koushiro, Jyou, Mimi, and Taichi and Yamato went, too. Iori and Sora couldn't make it, considering their parents refused to let them go. Actually, they just had other plans. Indoor pools, hot tubs, spas, etc were all around in this lodge. And, if they wished, there was a skiing resort. Many possibilities were in their deck of cards. It was just their luck that they were snowed in. Takeru and Hikari didn't mind, they were planning to spend the day inside anyway. To swim.

"Hello?" Takeru's deep voice answered the phone.

"Hey," Daisuke replied.

"What's up?"

"Nothing."

"What're we going to do today?"

"Willis wanted to know if you, Kari, Ken, and Koushiro wanted to go swimmin'."

"We were already planning to go."

Daisuke grinned over the phone, "Can we meet you there?"

"Sure," he said, "what time?"

"One? One thirty?"

"Sounds good t'me."

"See ya'round."

"Bye." He hung up the phone.

Hikari looked at Takeru and waited.

"We are to report to the swimming area around one to one thirty-ish." Takeru said in a German accent.

She giggled, "Yes…Okay."

"What?" He warned playfully, "I did nyot here ya."

"Yessir!" She giggled again, "Heil Hitler!"

He chuckled.

Ken walked out with his hands in his pockets. He blinked lightly and added, "Shall I even try to ask?"

"He's Hitler."

"I am not."

"Are to." She snickered, starting the adolescent game of "Yes you are, no I'm not" game.

Ken grinned a little, shook his head at the two and walked away saying, "You two have lost it. Maybe the altitude of this mountain has finally reached to your minds."

A half-hour later, they were all at the pool, the whole gang.

Daisuke and Takeru read off the rules aloud:

"Do not run around the pool."

"Do not splash without warnings."

"Do not call for help if you do not need help."

"Do not yell."

"Do not treat other unless you want them to treat you the way you did to them."

"Do not take out the equipment unless you're told to."

"Do not make the lifeguards angry."

"Do not remove your bathing suits--Under any circumstances."

The two guys chuckled. Hikari rolled her eyes.

"Do not expect to expect the guards to know what you're doing." Takeru read, "What?"

"Must mean that that's the end." Daisuke blinked.

"No," Takeru read the last one: "Remember, a safe swimming area is a happy swimming area."

"Did you have to read that?" Daisuke asked.

"No," he admitted, "but it's for them kiddies who don't know what we're talking about."

They chuckled again.

Hikari turned to see her brother breaking the first rule; he was running around the edges of the pool, trying to get away from Yamato. Both were yelling things between each other; breaking the fourth rule. Finally, Yamato caught up with Taichi and he tackled him into the water, creating a huge splash. The second rule was broken. And possibly the one about treating others kindly… Was it nice to tackle someone into the water? Hikari giggled to herself.

Takeru wrapped his arms around Hikari's waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. By now, everyone was in the water but them.

"C'mon," he urged, "let's go swimming."

"After you." She offered, holding out her hand to point to the water.

"No-no, I insist… You go." Takeru twirled the thin girl into his arms and lifted her up.

"Both of us?" She grinned. Before Takeru could answer, they both fell into the water with an uncalled splash.

The two surfaced and laughed, still splashing each other, engaging in a splash war. Ken and Willis joined in, Willis and Hikari against Takeru and Ken. Soon after, Taichi and Yamato linked into the game and Mimi and Jyou as well. The game went on until a whistle blew sharply.

"You GUYS!" A lifeguard screamed out, "NO SPLASHING."

Laughter burst within the group and the settled down. Hikari swam over to Takeru and automatically, he held her in her arms. They whispered secretively to each other.

Mimi looked at them, "They've certainly grew on each other."

"Yeah," Jyou nodded, running his hand through his damp hair, "I think they were meant for each other."

"Naturally," Mimi agreed. She then looked at her guy friend. "Do you think we could be that way?"

Jyou looked at her curiously.

She blushed and turned away, "N-never mind, Jyou. Never mind."

Yamato turned to Taichi, "You're sister looks pretty snug."

"You gotta problem widdit?" Taichi asked, looking at his younger sibling and her boyfriend.

"Not at all."

Taichi nodded blankly.

"Funny how the Yagami's chose the used-to-be Ishida brothers." Yamato joked.

Ken sat on the edge of the pool, Willis was still in the water, but was near him. And Koushiro was on his opposite side.

"Think she's happy?" He asked the two.

"Most definitely," Koushiro answered.

"Probably." Willis replied.

Ken leaned back a little, "Yeah, well… If the little twerp hurt her, I'll…"

"No need to be jealous," Willis assured him.

"Who said I was?"

"It shows, man." He replied, "It really shows."

Ken looked down, "Stupidity. Utter stupidity…"

Miyako styled Daisuke's hair in every which way but the right way.

"Will you knock that off?" Daisuke slapped her hands away.

"I can't help it," she whined, "I mean, you like have the perfect hair to style. And what do you do with it? You… you…"

"Spike it."

"Yeah!"

"What's wrong with that?"

"It just gets old." She whined again.

Daisuke looked at Takeru who was romantically swinging Hikari in the shallow end to the gentle music coming from the radio.

"Daisuke, you'll find someone." Miyako said cheerfully.

"No one like her though."

Miyako grinned, "Things are just meant to be. You'll get your chance."

"I'll take your word for it…"

"One…" Takeru sang lightly to the song, "You're like a dream come true…

Two, just wanna be with you.

Three, girl, it's plain to see, that you're the only one for me…"

"Four, repeat steps one through three…" She whispered. The singing stopped when the two kissed each other, Takeru's arms were wrapped around her and her arms were around his.

"I love you," Takeru said with another kiss on the cheek.

"With all your heart and soul?" She quietly started.

"Without any doubt."

"Stand with me forever?"

"I will."

"As will I."

"Be with me forever?"

"I will."

"And I'll wait for you."

"Because I love you, Takeru."

"And I love you, Hikari."

She giggled silently. The song continued, drifting to an end, but the two lovers never ceased their flame. It grew, even though the many jealousies of others. Nothing stood in their way. It was true love. From the beginning… to the end.

(Oh, yeah. Tell me if I should write a sequel. I have ideas. But I didn't know if this one would even catch the eye of anyone. All my other stories aren't getting reviewed… So I had to slap somethin' t'gether. Please review. Show me the love. ^_^;;; ) -Hikari Takaishi…Z