Snow
The snow crunched underneath Tai's feet as he approached the Takenouchi residence. A fresh layer had fallen from the sky during the previous night, and a few flakes continued to fall here and there as he walked through the city. The morning was brisk, and his breath came from his mouth like small puffs of smoke into the frosty air. Most would have found the conditions bothersome at best, but Tai felt that the cold was refreshing rather than stifling.
Perhaps it was simply his mindset. He was nervous, to be sure, but it was the kind of nervousness that puts a spring into your step. It was the day before Christmas, and he was finally ready. He'd made the decision rather abruptly earlier that morning. That's not to say there was no precedent either. The two of them had danced around this ultimate outcome for years now. And for whatever reason, Tai was ready now.
They'd been friends since as long as he could remember. They'd gone through much together, including a rather fantastic journey in that place of dreams: the Digital World. And it was there, as he lay sobbing in that cave deep within the Digital World that he'd realized it. He remembered that feeling, the feeling that he'd never see her again and the feeling that it was his fault. And lying there, he'd realized he was in love with Sora Takenouchi.
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He tapped lightly on the door. He had not called before coming, having decided he didn't want her to have to wait in awkward anticipation, whether her response was positive or otherwise. The red-headed girl opened the door. She was fully dressed, in jeans and T-shirt, and appeared to have been about to leave herself. She held against her hip a moderately-sized green box.
"Oh, hello Tai," she said, somewhat distractedly.
"Hello, Sora," Tai replied, trying with little success to calm his beating heart, "I need to talk to you this morning. It's pretty important. Do you need to be somewhere?"
"I was on my way out. But if it'll only be for a minute, I certainly have time for my best friend. Nothing's wrong, is it?"
Things will be quite the opposite of wrong if all goes well, Tai thought. "No, nothing's wrong. We can talk about it now for a minute, but it's something we'll definitely need to talk about more later."
"Ok. What's up?"
"I want to talk about us. About our future, and our friendship, and..." against all his force of will he blushed, "...my feelings."
"Tai..."
She appeared taken aback. Suddenly worried, Tai hesitated. He wondered if perhaps he'd made a mistake in coming here today. But, he figured the die had already been cast. He decided to proceed to the heart of the matter.
"I think...I think... I might be in lo--"
Sora cut him off. "I'm bringing this box of cookies to Matt."
Tai blinked. The last thing he would have expected was for her to interrupt him mid-sentence. His confusion was only furthered by the seemingly unrelated and trivial nature of what she had said. Matt was a good friend of theirs, and had shared in their adventures, but to bring him into the conversation now...
"Why?"
Sora didn't say anything, but she stared at him. Her eyes were full of emotion and a message Tai couldn't quite decipher. Was it... "I'm sorry?" Suddenly, Sora's words made much more sense.
"Oh," was all Tai said.
Sora gripped Tai's shoulder. She moved past him, and started down the sidewalk in the direction of Matt's house. Her gait seemed unnatural to Tai. But it didn't matter. He turned and began walking in the other direction.
Tai realized that it was very cold out. It felt stifling.
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Sora turned to look back. Tai was walking away from her doorstep. She could only see that his head bent forward, but she knew that his eyes were staring at the ground. Pangs of guilt flooded through her body, and she quickly ducked around a corner into a small alley. Putting her back against the wall, she slid to the ground and tried to think. The snow was icy, cold, and uncomfortable.
She knew what she had done. She'd known full well about Tai's feelings for her for years now. They shown through clearly in the way he acted around her, and also how he defended her. He would, did, and continued to do the same for his friends, but the simple manner in which he would come to her aid clearly spelled out his feelings for her.
Memories started to drift to the surface of her consciousness. The Digital World had provided numerous opportunities for Tai to come to everyone's aid, but one event stood out above the rest in her mind. That memory, that image of Tai stepping into that room, of him facing both Dataman and Etamon for her sake alone, was burned into her mind by flames as strong as those of his crest. He'd done far more to show his love that day than anyone could have ever asked. And she remembered how as she watched him she realized her feelings mirrored his utterly.
She'd waited. For four years she'd waited. He never followed through. She'd continued to love him, through thick and thin, but he'd never come for her. He'd never tried to kiss her, nor reached for her hand, nor even talked with her about it before today. By her own knowledge of him as being straightforward and non-hesitant, she assumed something beyond simple nervousness had held him back. She had assumed that, as the Chosen of Courage, he'd at least be able to approach the woman that he loved.
But now she was lost and confused. It had only been yesterday that she had decided she could wait no longer. Matt was a good man, as she knew Tai would agree, and had shown some interest in her. And if Tai continued to refuse to admit...
Her thoughts came to a jarring halt. What was she doing? Tai had come to her, and he had admitted his feelings for her. She had waited four years for this day. Why was she rejecting him? It had been very difficult to convince herself that it was time to accept that Tai wasn't coming. She realized that she had needed to force herself with such intensity to move on that when the opportunity presented itself she had refused!
She immediately leapt to her feet. Running from the alleyway, she realized Tai was no longer in sight. Hoping that he'd returned home, she began sprinting in that direction.
Tai, wait for me Tai. I'm coming.
The sunlight reflected in the falling snowflakes shone brightly and beautifully.
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A few notes:
1. I realize that having an incomplete oneshot is a bit of a paradox. However, I'm simply taking my time with this one, and there's not enough substance to warrant multiple chapters.
2. I realize that there was no snow in the original scene, and frankly I have no idea if it ever snows in the area where this story takes place, but snow fit well into the story. So, there's snow.
3. I also realize that the setting isn't exactly right. However, this is a fanfiction, so I feel entitled to at least a little wiggle room.