Disclaimer: Digimon does not belong to me

Disclaimer: Digimon does not belong to me.

Author's Note: My first digimon fic! If you don't like Daikari fics where Davis lives, don't read it. This is also for Digigirl's contest. It's early, but I wanted to put it up before I saw the next episode so I wouldn't have anything to add. It's not too romantic. Warning to TK fans, he doesn't come off too good. But he'll redeem himself in the epilogue from his point of view. And now, finally,

Love is Strange

Kari, Davis, Cody, and Yolei had just gotten back from the DigiWorld when TK rushed in.

"Hey guys! Did you go to the DigiWorld yet?"

"We just came back." Kari replied.

"Maybe you could've come with us if you'd been here on time, TJ." Davis said.

"TK." Cody reminded him.

"Whatever."

"Where were you?" Yolei asked.

"Basketball. I just found out I made the team."

"Congratulations," said Kari.

"Thanks. I'd better get home and change. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Bye," said Yolei and Cody.

"I'll talk to you later." Kari added. Davis scowled.

"You're coming over for dinner, right?"
"Right, Cody." Yolei replied.

"We'd better hurry. My mom's making a casserole for dinner tonight."
"Yum. What are we waiting for? Let's go."

"See you tomorrow." Kari said. "Don't you have soccer practice?" She asked Davis.

"What? Oh, right. Yeah."

"I'll see you tomorrow then."
"You never come and watch anymore."
Kari shrugged. "I never liked soccer that much."
"You used to come all the time."

"Things change."

"I guess. I'll see you then."

"She's probably going to start watching TL's basketball practices though." He muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing." He left feeling depressed.

* * * * * *

Kari was watching TV when Tai came home that night.

"Hey, Kari." He greeted her.

She shut off the television. "Hi. Can I talk to you?"
"Sure, what's up?" He took a soda out of the fridge.

"It's about Davis."

"What about him?"
"He's just been acting really weird lately. He used to be so nice and friendly. Now, he's being kind of annoying. He never leaves me alone. And he's always so mean to TK."
"Well, jealousy brings out the worst in people. Davis is a good guy." Tai said.

"So what does that have to do with anything?"
"Why do you think he dislikes him so much. Because you spend so much time with him."

"Of course. He's my best friend."
"Well, jealousy brings out the worst in people."

"Yes, I know. You said that already." Kari said annoyed. "It's not helping."
"What I'm trying to say is, Davis was jealous of TK from the beginning. Now you're spending a lot of time with him and are always taking his side when they argue. Even if TK is right. You're making him think you hate him and like TK. That's why he's getting so weird. You're just giving him more reason to worry. Now he's freaking out about the littlest things, like when he heard about Angemon and Angewomon. Can I give you some advice?"

"You could. I don't think it'll help, but go ahead."
"Be nicer to him... Don't look so disgusted. It's not like I'm telling you to marry him. I'm not even saying to date him. Just be nice."
Kari sighed. "All right. I can do that. Are you sure about that?"
"Positive. Trust me. And try to do more stuff with him, without the others."
"I hope you're right."
"I thought TK was the one who hopes." Tai teased.

Kari grinned. "Not in this case. Though he may be able to shed some light on the subject." They laughed.

* * * * * *

After school the next day, Kari went back to the computer room where Davis, Yolei, and Cody, were waiting.

"Hi, Kari!" Davis said.

"Hi Davis." She smiled at him. "Hey, guys."
"Hi," Cody and Yolei replied. "Do you know where TK is?" Yolei asked.

"No, I figured he'd be here already."

"Should we wait for him?" asked Cody.

"No!" Davis replied.

"Let's just wait five minutes." Kari suggested. "Then we'll go."
"Fine." Davis pouted.

Five minutes passed and no TK.

"Let's go."

"Okay, I guess he can meet up with us later."
Yolei opened the gate and they went to the DigiWorld.

* * * * * *

They came back an hour or so later. TK still wasn't with them.

"I wonder where he is." Yolei said.

"I don't know. I'm surprised he didn't tell us that he wasn't coming. It's not like him. I hope he's okay." Kari said.

"What a jerk!" Davis fumed. "Making Kari worry like that. Who does that TK think he is?"

"T… never mind," said Cody.

"Do you here someone coming?" asked Yolei.

"Quick! Hide!" The digimon scattered around. Gatomon hid under the table, Poromon and Upamon went into a box and Chibimon went into Davis' bookbag.

TK came in. "Hi guys!"

"Where were you?" Davis said angrily.

"I went out with some guys on the basketball team. And some cheerleaders came, too."
"Cheerleaders?" Kari raised an eyebrow. "The only cheerleader you've ever hung out with was Mimi."

"Isn't saving the DigiWorld more important then cheerleaders?"

"Relax." TK said. "It's no big deal."
"Are you coming with us tomorrow?" Kari asked.

"No, I have practice. I'd better get home. See ya!"

"What are we going to do about him?" said Davis. "He has a responsibility. Cody and I have other activities, but we manage."
"It's not like him." Kari repeated.

"How dare he make Kari worried? Not to mention to choose them over her."
"It's time for us to go home now, too." Cody said.

"Right. Kari, want me to walk you home?"
"Okay," she said, remembering her resolution to be nicer to him.

"You do?" He said, surprised.

"Of course."

"You know, I don't get it." Yolei said after they had left.

"Get what?"
"Davis is so jealous of TK. But instead of being happy that Kari isn't happy with him, he's furious at TK for not being with her."
"He wants her to be happy. And, anyway, my mom always says 'Love is strange.'"

"That's funny." She said thoughtfully. "I always thought it was Davis who was strange."

* * * * * *

Kari and Davis took a shortcut through the park. Gatomon and Chibimon were stuffed in their bookbags.

"So…" Davis attempted to make conversation.

"So…" Kari repeated.

Two 'So.'s came from behind them. They took off their bookbags and unzipped them.

"Quiet you guys!" Kari said.

"We were just kidding around," said Gatomon.

"Do you want someone to hear you?" Davis hissed.

"Davis!" Chibimon whispered excitedly. Davis moved them away from Kari.

"What is it?"
"Are you going to hold her hand?" He asked.

"No!"

"Why not?"

"I'm just not. That's why." Davis said crossly.

"Oh, come on.'
"No! I can't. She'll kill me."

"Try."
"No way!"

"What are those two arguing about?"
"I don't know." Gatomon replied. "But, if I had to guess, I think it's something about you."
"Me? I doubt it."
"I can see it. He likes you a lot. Probably because of your charming purr-sonality."

"Oh, Gatomon." Kari laughed.

"What? I don't see what's so funny."
"Back in my bookbag."
"I still don't see why I can't pretend I'm a cat."
"Most cats don't have purple ears."
"You could say they're earrings."

"Nice try, but no. The sooner you get in, the sooner you get out."

There was no way she could argue with that. Reluctantly, she went back in.

Davis, meanwhile, had won his argument by simply zipping up his bookbag so he didn't have to hear him.

"Ready to go?" He swung his bookbag, not so gently over his shoulder.

"Yep." Kari put her bookbag back on and they walked in silence back to her apartment building.

"I'll see you tomorrow."
"I guess so. Thanks. Bye." She walked in and went up to their apartment.

"Hey." Tai said when she walked in.

"Hi." She went into her bedroom and released Gatomon, who immediately curled up, on her bed. Then she went to join Tai.

"How's it going?" He asked.

"Good. We destroyed another control spire. TK didn't come with us. He went out with some cheerleaders, and guys from the basketball team."
"That doesn't sound like him."

"No, it doesn't." Kari paused. "I let Davis walk me home."

"That's good. Is everything okay between you two?"
I guess. We didn't talk much. One step at a time."
"Right. As long as you try."
"I'm going to do my homework.'
"Okay." Tai turned on the TV.

Kari went back into her room. But instead of sitting at her desk, she sat down on her bed next to Gatomon. She sighed as she stroked the sleeping Digimon.

*Flashback*

"Yea, Tai!" She cheered as her brother scored another goal.

The coach blew his whistle. "Practice is over for today."
Tai came over to her in the stands. "You were great." Kari said admiringly.

Tai shrugged. "Thanks. See that kid over there?"
"The new one?"
He nodded. "Yeah, he's your age. He's really good."

"Almost as good as you."
"Come meet him." Kari followed him to a bench.

"Hey, Davis!"

"Oh, hi Tai." He said nervously.

"This is my sister Kari. She's your age.'
"Hi," Kari said brightly."

"Uh, hi!" He said back. He smiled at her.

Kari blushed. "Did you just move here?" She asked.

"No, I've lived here for a while. We go to the same school."

"Oh, yeah." Kari suddenly remembered.

"Tai!" The coach called.

"I'd better go see what he wants. I'll be right back."
"Do you play?" Davis asked.

"No."
"Didn't your brother teach you?"

"He tried, a long time ago."
"So, what happened."
"I didn't kick very well. Then I passed out because I had pneumonia."

"Oh," he said, embarrassed. "Well, you don't have it now, right? Maybe I can help."

Kari shrugged. "Okay, I guess."

Davis fetched a ball from a bag under the bench and set it on the ground.

"See, you put your foot like this…" He demonstrated. "That's right. Now pull your foot back and kick."
Kari kicked the ball near the other end of the field.

"Good."

Kari grinned. "That was actually fun. Can I try again?"
"Sure." He went to get the ball. While he was gone, Tai came back.

"Where's Davis?"

"He went to get the ball."

"That's pretty far. We could've used him on the team a long time ago."
She giggled. "I did that."
"What?"

"I kicked that."
"Very funny, Kari."
"No, she did." Davis returned. "Watch."
Kari kicked the ball again, farther then before.

"Wow. So you are my sister after all." They laughed. "We'd better go home for dinner."
"All right." She said reluctantly. "Bye Davis."
"Bye Kari!"

They started to walk home.

"I can't believe you did that. He must've made a really good impression."

"No, he's just not you. He's really nice though."

"Do I detect a crush on him, Kari?" He teased.

She blushed again. "No."

"Kari and Davis…" Tai began to sing.

"Shut up!" She yelled.

"Okay, okay. Don't get so defensive. I'm sorry."
"You're forgiven." She said stiffly. Tai is such a pain. She thought. But, secretly, she liked the idea a lot.

*End Flashback*

Kari went to her bookshelf and took down an old class picture. In it, she and Davis were standing next to eachother. There was a note stuck on the back. It's hard to believe that was two years ago.

*Another Flashback*

Kari walked into her new classroom. She looked around, but saw no one she recognized. She sat down at one of two empty seats next to eachother. Everyone else was whispering and laughing with their friends. But she was all alone.

The teacher stood up and cleared his throat. "Please quiet down so I may take attendance…"

The door burst open.

The teacher looked disapproving at the boy who walked in, but said nothing. The boy slid into the seat next to Kari.

"Hey, Kari!"

She looked up from her notebook, on which she was trying to draw a picture of Gatomon. "Davis!"

"What's up? Nice cat."
"Ahem. I believe that people who come in late should not disrupt the class any further by talking."

"Sorry, sir." He said sheepishly.

Kari smiled at him sympathetically. He smiled back.

Davis scribbled something in his notebook and ripped it out. He handed it to her.

It said:

Are you coming to watch practice again today?

Kari looked at him and nodded. She had been coming ever since she had met him.

The morning dragged on while their teachers droned on about rules and the curriculum. Finally, they were allowed a break for lunch. They ate quickly and then ran outside.

"Some guys are playing soccer over there? Wanna join them?"
Kari shook her head. "No, you go ahead. I'll stay here."
"Nah, I don't feel like playing anyway. I'll hang out here, keep you company."

Kari flushed with both embarrassment and pleasure. Suddenly the year didn't seem like it was going to be lonely anymore.

*End Flashback*

Kari threw the picture on her bed. "I miss the old Davis. Tai was right; jealousy does bring out the worst in people. It's partly my fault. But its not too late to change." With that decided, she went back into the living room.

"Tai, you have soccer practice tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm going, too."

Tai looked a little taken aback. "All right."

She turned to go back into her room. "Tai?"

"Yeah, Kari?"

"You're right about Davis. He is a good guy. And you were right when you had said I liked him."
"Wow, I was right about two things. That must be some kind of record for me."

Kari laughed. "Yeah. They're the only times you were right ever."

Tai threw a pillow at her.

* * * * * *

"That's the last control spire in that area. We'll move on to the next tomorrow." Yolei said.

"Sounds good to me," said Davis. "I'd better get to soccer practice."
Kari followed him. "I'm coming, too."
"You are? Why?"
"To watch you play of course."

Davis grinned. "Great. See you later." Hesitantly, he put his arm around her. To his surprise, she didn't push him away.

Yolei and Cody stared after them.

"What just happened?"

Cody shrugged. "I don't know. You don't think she…"

"Could be." She replied. "I guess you were right."
"About what?"
"Love is very, very strange."

The End.