Series: Digimon

Season: 02

Main characters: TK, Davis

Special info: written in celebration of Digimon 02 10th anniversary, 04/02/2010

'happy little bufalo' is a pickup line from Digimon 02 that I love and couldn't help but use ^^

Because it takes two

Davis, TK realized, was not a happy little buffalo. He probably usually was – apart from that TK imagined happy little buffalos to look someway cute, and he could seriously not say that about Davis – but he definitely wasn't now.

Drawing his lips into a genuine pout, Davis stole a side glance at the DigiDestined.

"I was just being mistaken," he stated, agitated. TK was sure he heard an offended sniff as the mahogany haired boy stuck his nose high into the air.

Kari appeared in front of TK's field of vision, startling him briefly. Her usually peaceful features were marked by anger.

"That wasn't being mistaken, that was insulting!" she called out to Davis, her voice filled with rebellion. "It was rude!"

Davis' expression changed into a rueful sorrow.

"Kari, I didn't mean it…" he plighted sheepishly, but he was cut short by the dainty girl before he could finish the sentence.

"You always pick on TK!" Kari remarked. "He always treats you nice. You're so unfair."

Davis slumped visibly and TK couldn't help but take pity on the leader of the second generation of DigiDestined. He found it somewhat funny that out of the whole group of friends, he, the one whom Davis had been mean to, was the only one who was not angry at Davis.

"Calm down," he pleaded, laughing in an attempt of releasing the tension that hung silently between the friends. "It was just a slip of the tongue."

"He said the five of us – and when we reminded him that we're six people, he started listing us and brilliantly ignored you," Kari reminded him. "He simply forgot about you! And we've been fighting side by side for months."

"Right, he forgot about me," TK agreed with sudden sterness. "And can you seriously reproach someone for forgetting something accidently?"

He watched his friends motionlessly. Eventually, they lowered their eyes, obviously feeling embarrassed.

"See?" TK smiled softly, triumphating. "So you shouldn't hit on him."

"Oh my, I'm afraid you're right." A blush spawled over Kari's pale cheeks and she reached over to Davis, gently placing a hand on his arm.

"I'm honestly sorry, Davis," she apologized. "I guess we just got that easily irritated because it was TK we're talking about. You really often are mean to him, so maybe we were a little hypersensitive."

"Ah no, Kari, it was my fault after all," Davis hurried to ease her. "But I swear I didn't mean it. I know TK and I have…" He averted his eyes, clenching his fists. "… differences with each other. I can't stand him, and neither can he stand me. But I would never disown a DigiDestined on purpose."

TK paused, astonished. There was something in Davis' eyes, some fire, a burning loyalty that betrayed him without doubt that Davis' words were true.

"Guys?" TK set Patamon down on his hat. "Could you leave me and Davis alone for a while?"

The girls, Ken and Cody exchanged worried gazes, but eventually gave in with a nod.

" 'kay, just catch up with us once you're done," Cody suggested. Yolei snorted.

"Yeah, and promise we won't have to take either of you two to the hospital when you're finished," she added gloomily.

Davis and TK laughed in unison.

"Nah, sure not," Davis promised, winking cheerfully. Once the others had left, he turned to face TK and rose an eyebrow.

"You're angry?" he asked. A low sigh escaped his mouth. "I swear, TK, I did not mean to forget about you!"

TK could see the concern tormenting him and quickly raised his hands.

"Oh no, I'm not angry," he assured. "Don't you worry."

"So, what's up then?" Davis asked curiously. TK indicated him to slowly walk on, making sure they were still far enough behind the others.

"I just wanted to clarify something, Davis," TK started tranquilly. Mild sunlight tickled his face and he wrinkled his nose before he continued. "You said you can't stand me and neither can I stand you."

Davis tensed, appearing to feel awkward, yet also a little angry.

"Well, that's how things are," he said cooly. "You know that. Stating anything else would be a lie."

TK chuckled in amusement.

"You think so?" He blinked. "Maybe it's true in your terms, it's not in my terms though." He leveled eyes with Davis, all joviality having disappeared from his face. "I do not dislike you Davis. I want to make that clear."

"But… we always argue," Davis contradicted. His shoulders sagged at a sudden. "And I feel bad about that because I know it's wrong. We're supposed to act as a team, after all. Not to work against each other."

These words left TK in surprise. Though he had meant what he had said – he truly did not dislike Davis – he had always thought of him as a somehwat insensitive person. These deep thoughts were not the kind of acting he had expected from their leader.

"First, I rarely remember any times when we argued," TK opposed carefully. "And as for that working together thing…" He fell silent, thinking quietly for a few seconds. "Have you ever asked yourself why it's two?"

"Two?" Davis echoed, puzzled. "What two?"

TK pointed at their friends not far in front of them.

"How many partners does it take to form a Digi team?"

"Huh?" Davis tilted his head in clear confusion.

"You and Veemon, Patamon and me," TK quoted some examples. "How many are those each?"

"Well, two," Davies said while scratching his head.

"Right. How many Digimon does it to take a DNA digitation?"

"Two," Davis answered anewly.

"Exactly," TK confirmed. "How many crests does one DigiEgg combine?"

"Two…" Davis seemed to have caught the point by then. TK nodded, content.

"Did you ever ask yourself why?" he questioned. Davis frowned, reflecting.

"I have no idea," he admitted bluntly. "Why?"

TK stopped, unsure how to explain what he meant to say.

"You and Ken…" he began slowly. "How much do you have in common?"

"Uh…" Davis remained silent for several moments. When he finally spoke, his voice was angry and filled with a secret warning. "Not much, but he's still my best friend!"

"I know that, I know," TK quickly assured, soothing. "That's not what I was trying to say. But think about it for second: Ken and you are nearly complete opposites. If he's depressive and doubts himself all the time, what are you?"

"Uh… happy and self-confident?" Davis shrugged.

"Right," TK agreed. "How about Yolei and Kari, are they similar?"

"They're both girls," Davis said, unsure. "But Yolei's really loud and Kari's quite quiet."

"Right. And it's the same with Cody and me – he's a brain person while I'm a heart person. Do you see what I mean?" TK watched wordlessly as white, fluffy clouds moved over the bright blue sky, drawing a pattern of light and shadows onto his face. "That's what life is about, Davis. Differences. And it's not negative that we have them. Quite the contrary, they're essential!"

Realizing the blank look he received from Davis, TK added, "We need them."

"You mean the everybody-being-the-same-is-boring-thing?" Davis beamed. TK shook his head, serious.

"No, I mean the everybody-being-the-same-is-our-death-thing." He stood still, petting Patamon who had returned into his arms and cuddled up there. "We all need somebody we feel connected to, Davis. Someone we can trust at any time, who will understand us at any time, who will love us at any time. I have Patamon for that – and my brother, on a second note – you have Veemon, Yolei has Hawkmon et cetera. We all are very similar and close. And that's good because that will always give us something to hold on to, that will grant us safety when everything else falls apart. But we also all need somebody to kick your ass if we do something wrong." He stood still, grabbing Davis' shoulders firmly. "That's what teamwork is about – making up for the other's mistakes. Not everyone having the same personality – because then we would do the same mistakes."

Davis stared at him.

"So you mean… When I do something wrong, you're there to do exactly the opposite?"

"Yep. And when I act stupid, you're there to wash my head. That's what I was trying to say. Members of a team have to complement one another, not to think alike. It's no coincidende there are always two partners, Davis. It's because it takes two opposites to form one whole thing." TK rose his hand, poiting at the cloudy sky above them. "Like light and shadow, day and night, summer and winter – we need all of them to survive. You can't just have one of them – because it takes two. It always takes two to keep this world in balance."

Davis kept silent for a few seconds, chewing is lower lip.

"That's unfair," he muttered eventually. TK felt somewhat taken aback. Unfair? He had reckoned with a lot of statements coming from Davis, but not that it was unfair.

"Why that?" he demanded to know. Davis sighed melodramatically.

"Why, you're such a moron, you do way more mistakes than I do, Takaishi!" he exclaimed, tearing at his hair in despair. "So I have way more work making up for your mistakes than you have making up for my few ones!"

TK eyed him darkly, feeling angry for nearly the first time in his life. Until he spotted the well hidden and somewhat evil-looking smirk tugging at Davis' lips.

"You know, I could get upset about that," TK informed Davis, grinning. "But I guess I'll just be glad to see the happy little buffalo back." He chuckled, hurrying to get out of Davis' range before the goggle-boy's laughter turned into a frown when it finally sunk in to him that being called a buffalo was not exactly a compliment.