"I love you, Sora..." He said, his fingers ruffling through her red-orange hair in their embrace. She replied, "I love you too," I think...

Taichi ran along the soccer field, kicking the ball back and forth between his feet. His goal? Kick Daisuke's ass at soccer. Again. He kicked the ball across the mostly empty field, watching as it shot to the left of the maroon-haired boy, who kicked it back expertly, but cursed as it sailed by him rapidly after Taichi intercepted and kicked the ball. "I win again, Daisuke, face it." He said, jogging up to the boy who was still muttering swear words under his breath.

"How do you always do this?" Daisuke yelled, stomping on the grass.

"Hmm... I'll have to think about that," Taichi joked, ruffling Daisuke's hair playfully.

"Grrrrrr..." The younger boy growled as they walked toward the sidewalk, where they would turn their separate ways.

"Shall I beat you again same time Thursday?" Taichi asked.

"Yeah, sure." Daisuke passed it off, though they could both tell he was looking forward to it. He was gonna win next time; he knew it.

Taichi had it made, at least in his own teenage world. He was popular, he had girls fawning over him everywhere he went, and the only person he couldn't own at soccer was currently a freshman in a High School in America. Sure, he wasn't the best in his class, but he rarely ever failed a test, and he had his heart set on a girl who was taken.

Wait. What? Where did that come from? How did that emerge in his thoughts? What dared to disturb his mental gloating? And on his way back home at that! The nerve...

It was true, though; his heart's desire was currently in a relationship with Ishida Yamato. He couldn't say he hated the guy, but he didn't really like him, especially when he found out Sora was dating him. It created a bit of a problem in the department of trying to earn her affections. It also made fan-girls like Jun Motomiya want to stab her to death, which would hinder him even further.

He'd decided a while ago to tell her, but figured he should at least have the decency to tell Yamato first. He told himself he'd find Yamato this very day and inform him of these...feelings. He was going home to grab something to eat, and then go to Yamato's house. Taichi knew where he lived because they'd been friends a long time ago, and he'd certainly have heard if he had moved; every fan girl in the school would be weeping in agony.

After stopping in and grabbing that aforementioned something to eat, he hopped on his bike and pedaled the ten-block distance to Yamato's house. He locked his bike on the street-lamp nearby, and walked up to the door. Well then, uh... Here we go! Wow. He even sounded awkward thinking. This couldn't end well. "Just a minute!" A female voice, probably Yamato's step-mom, called after he rang the bell. "Yes?" The woman said, opening the door. This was definitely Yamato's step-mom. She had chestnut-colored hair and deep blue eyes. She looked tired, like she hadn't slept since the previous day, but she didn't act it. "Hi," he said, already sounding awkward. He cleared his throat and continued, "Is Yamato there?" There we go, that's better. He congratulated himself mentally. "He is, he's with his girlfriend in his room. -" Gulp, he's with Sora. "- Do you want me to go get him?"

"That'd be great." He said.

"Mattie, someone's at the door for you!" She called to Yamato as she walked up towards his room. Heheh, Mattie. He grinned. Yamato appeared at the top of the stairs, whispering something to his step-mom. He ran down and stopped about five feet from me. "Tai?" He asked, surprised. "I haven't seen you in years, how've you been?"

"I've, uh, I've been okay. You?" Taichi responded, quickly slipping into his awkward speech again.

"I've been okay. Batting away annoying fan girls and the like," Yamato said, rolling his eyes.

"Look, uh... I kinda got something to tell you, could we uh, go outside?" Yamato looked confused, but agreed.

"So what is it?" He asked when they were a safe distance from the house. Taichi could see Sora through the window, leaning against Yamato's bed-frame, messing with his guitar. "Um... Great weather today, huh?" He asked nervously.

"Tai, you did not seriously come to my house and bring me outside to ask me about the weather. What did you want to say?"

There goes stalling...Wait, oh my God, what is it I just said? "You what?" Yamato yelled. "I... like Sora." Taichi whispered.

"Tai, we're dating. You know that, right?"

"I know!" Tai yelled, "That's why I'm telling you!" Matt looked confused again. "Why on Earth would you tell her boyfriend and not her?"

"Cause we were friends a long time ago and it would be somewhat mean to go hitting on your girlfriend without even telling you first."

"Wait, so you plan to be hitting on Sora?"

"No, that's not what I meant!" He massaged his forehead, thinking of how best to say this. "I just... I'm at least gonna tell her. I can't hide my feelings from her any longer."

"And you expect me to just go along with that?" Yamato asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It'd be nice if you did, yeah." Greeeeat move, Taichi, really. Bravo!

"Well...Whatever. I'm not gonna hurt you or anything, since you've at least had the decency to tell me before you TRY TO STEAL HER AWAY!" He yelled, turning into an angry chibi-Yamato for a second. Taichi always wondered how he did that.

"Woah, woah, hey! I never said I'd try to steal anybody away from anyone!"

"But it would be nice for you if it worked out that way, right?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Aha!" Yamato yelled, "I knew it! You are trying to steal her away!" Sora was now looking out the window at them. Tai hoped she couldn't really hear what Yamato just yelled. However, she gasped and turned away as soon as she registered that Taichi was looking at her. Odd. "And why, exactly, are you looking through my window at her?"

"I was kinda hoping she hadn't heard what you were screaming in my face!" Taichi yelled, getting frustrated. Sora looked out the window again at that. He threw his hands in the air, and walked away.

The next day was Sunday, meaning he had no school. Today he'd tell Sora. Conveniently, or not so, he ran into Sora on the way to her house. He'd been friends with Sora for years; Ever since they'd met back when he was fourteen.

"Hey, Tai!" She called out, running up to him and giving him a hug that seemed to last forever. Everything else happened in a blur. Half his mind was following the conversation; the half he was paying attention to was just focusing on Sora. He heard things like, 'How've you been,' 'Oh, just great,' 'Listen...'

He snapped back into reality when he heard, "Um... What?" Sora turned her head away as she said this. "I, um..." He could guess what he had said, but he didn't want to be wrong and then blurt it out. "Wait, what did I say?" Really smooth. Congrats, Taichi.

She looked at him like he was crazy. "You just, um... Well, you sort of just, er, told me you..." She broke into a whisper, "Love me..." Uh-oh... How would he deal with this?

"Well... I sort of do..." He said awkwardly.

She regained her normal attitude for a while. "Sort of?" She smirked.

"...You know what I mean!" He mock-glared.

"Taichi, um... I'm dating someone."

"I know..." He said, hanging his head slightly. "Matt already knows, I just... I needed to tell you. I've had these feelings since long before you two started dating and I-"

They were walking through the park, his arm over her shoulder. Everyone passing by smiled at them. "I love you, Tai." She said, nuzzling his neck with the top of her head. "I love you too, Sora."

"I've had these feelings since long before you two started dating and I-" He stopped mid-sentence as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a long, passionate kiss. "I've loved you since before Yamato and I started dating, too," She said when their lips finally parted. "I figured you couldn't like me back, with all those girls following you, and I started dating Matt. He told me what you said yesterday, Tai," She giggled as he gasped and glared in the direction of Yamato's house. So she was playing dumb! "I'm not ashamed to say that I broke up with him then and there, and I came to tell you, and I guess you were on your way to do the same thing." He didn't get a chance to smile before she kissed him again.

"I love you too, Sora." They stopped their walk momentarily to embrace. But it was cut short as Sora's eyes widened; "Oh my God! Matt!" They separated as Yamato stepped up to them, tears in his eyes.

"Do you wanna go for a walk?" Tai asked.

Sora smiled, "I'd love to. We have years of pent up feelings to act on, and a walk is as good a start as any." So they set off for a nearby park.

They were walking through the park, his arm over her shoulder. Everyone passing by smiled at them. "I love you, Tai." She said, nuzzling his neck with the top of her head. "I love you too, Sora." They stopped their walk momentarily to embrace. But it was cut short as Sora's eyes widened; "Oh my God! Matt!" They separated as Yamato stepped up to them, tears in his eyes.

"I thought you loved me..."

"I did, Matt, I really did!" She protested.

"Obviously not as much as Taichi!" He spat out Tai's name like a curse, and ran away.

"Matt, wait!" She called, and chased after him. Taichi stood there for a while, confused, before running to catch up with Sora. When they were within sight, he heard them; "Matt, look-"

"No! I won't look! I won't listen! I won't please hear me out! You hear me out, you filthy, cheating, double-crossing excuse for a human-"

"Hey, shut up!" Taichi yelled, running onto the sidewalk they'd stopped at. "Just cause Sora broke up with you does not give you any reason to insult her like that! Don't you love her at all?"

"Oh, and what gives you the right to defend her? Weren't you supposed to be my friend?"

"Matt, we stopped being friends years ago! You just-"

Taichi didn't get to finish his sentence; Yamato grabbed him, pulled him closer and punched him in the face. Tai stumbled at the force of the blow, and fell backwards into the street.

"How did I ever love you? How?"

"Tai!" He looked to his side and scrambled up, trying to get out of the street before the rapidly approaching truck collided with him.

"I am so sorry, Tai..."

He only got out one word; "Matt-" And the truck sped by Sora and Yamato, dragging the lifeless body of Taichi a ways before it fell, mangled and bloody, onto the street.

"Sora, I am so, so sorry." The crowd around Taichi's coffin was dispersing, everyone crying. She didn't pay him any mind. She just stood with the Yagami's, staring at the patch of earth where his coffin was a few minutes ago and crying. It was a sunny day; Daisuke had been waiting out in the field to play soccer with Taichi after school, because he hadn't he hadn't heard the news until the funeral was about to start. No one bothered to tell poor old Daisuke, or anybody. Everyone who knew was grieving.

As the Yagami's walked away, she whispered, "You killed him."

"What?" He asked; She was so quiet he hadn't heard.

"You killed him!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Not even Tai's parents or sister knew that Yamato had pushed him, however accidentally, right into the path of the truck. He started to cry. You did, he thought, you did kill him. It's all your fault. "I'm sorry..."

"Oh, you're sorry? Tell me, does your being sorry bring Tai back?" She continued yelling. "How did I ever love you? How?" And she ran away.

He didn't know. She shouldn't have, that was for sure. He was a horrible person. He'd killed his childhood friend, his love's love. He'd betrayed everyone he knew. "And to think I'm known for being such a great friend..." He whispered. Maybe it was to himself, maybe to Taichi. He walked over to the grave and collapsed onto his knees. And he wept. "I am so sorry, Tai..." He whispered. And he cried, and cried, grieving for his old friend. For the boy he had killed. For the one he'd betrayed.

So... Tell me what you thought! I know there's a lot of separations at the end, that's kind of the point. If you didn't like it, uh... Sorry. Please no flames, as I have a deep-rooted hatred of them. You can tell me what you didn't like, but but do NOT flame. So yeah. Review please! Maybe even subscribe, but I'm not pressuring you there. I was helped greatly by Dr. William Bell with this, so go check out his fics if you liked this at all, or hey, even if you didn't. Thank you all for reading!