So, after having a random moment of inspiration, I had to write this story.
I wanted to try something different, and I wanted to have fun!
Hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it!
And of course... Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon
T.K. stretched his arms above his head before lowering them on to girl laying across the couch, her head resting in his lap. He gently grasped her hand with one of his own while he resumed stroking her short brunette hair with the other. The girl slipped her fingers in between his and shifted slightly, turning her head to look into T.K.'s eyes. T.K. felt his mouth form instinctively into a smile as he lost himself in the light brown eyes that looked into his. It was moments like this that he felt like the luckiest teenager alive.
"Kari, do you know how beautiful you are?" he asked.
"Well you've told me at least six times a day for the past four months, so I'm started to get the idea," she responded.
T.K. laughed as he lowered his head and gently kissed his girlfriend. As the two teenagers prolonged their kiss, they found themselves being overwhelmed as they took in the scent of the other. T.K. had lost count of how many times he breathed in the fresh, flower scent that he had always unconsciously associated with the best days of his childhood. Kari once again felt her heart race as she took in the smell of T.K.'s sports deodorant. Despite it being incredibly generic, when T.K. used it after playing basketball it created an odour that was entirely unique to the boy, and she loved how it made her feel.
The two teenagers separated their lips, and smiled at each other before settling back on the couch. Relaxing on the couch had become their favourite thing to do together. They didn't even like having the television on because they found it too distracting. It also caused a lot of noise which had led to a few situations where they had almost been caught in a compromising position.
T.K. had asked Kari out at the start of March after several months of flirting and trying to figure out what they felt for each other. He hadn't made a big production of doing it. The two of them had been out at a movie with Sora, Mimi and Yolei. Kari hadn't told him that he was being invited to a girl's night, but he just joked that his "girlfriend had dragged him out".
Later when the two friends were walking home Kari started to tease T.K. about he basically was her boyfriend. At that moment, T.K. stopped Kari and embraced her, telling her that nothing would make him happier than the two of them being together. He kissed her before she could respond and when they broke apart, Kari burst into tears of joy told T.K. that being with him was all she ever wanted.
Since then the two had been secretly dating. They had considered telling everyone right away, but they had quickly agreed that with ten meddling friends, they should take their time and be careful with how they told everyone. Kari didn't think she'd be able to handle Tai over-reacting while T.K. didn't want the relentless teasing from Matt, Sora, Mimi, Yolei, Ken, everyone really. Except for Davis who would just freak out.
So Kari and T.K. acted as though they were still just friends. As hard as it was they thought it was important to pick the perfect moment to tell everyone together.
"So how do you think we should do it?" Kari asked after a while.
"What?!" T.K. yelped, "I dunno! I mean if you're ready I guess we could try after the movie on Friday! Or we could-"
"T.K.! I meant tell the others that we're dating!" Kari scolded blushing slightly.
"Oh right, sorry," T.K. said shamefully.
"Jeez I thought you weren't gonna make a big deal about us having sex!"
"I swear I'm not!" T.K. exclaimed, "I'm just, you know, fifteen and I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry Kar…"
Kari smiled and felt her stomach lurch as T.K. used the short little nickname he used for her. She raised her hand and stroked T.K.'s face gently.
"I know T.K.," she told him in a soothing voice, "I know you're willing to wait for it."
T.K. smiled and kissed Kari softly.
"To answer your question, I think doing it on Saturday might be a good idea," T.K. said when he pulled away from Kari.
"When we're all watching the game at my place?" Kari asked.
"Yeah," T.K. replied, "I mean, I don't want to have to deal with any drama of some people being upset that others knew before they did."
"Makes sense," Kari nodded, "And if everyone finds out at once, they'll all be shouting over each other so we don't have to deal with everyone on an individual basis."
They young couple started laughing as they thought about what may happen in a few days time.
"Well, whatever happens, at least we'll be there for each other," T.K. said.
Kari rolled her eyes, "T.K. that may have been the corniest thing I've ever heard."
"That's why you like me so much," T.K. laughed as he kissed her again.
Kari returned the kiss as hard as she could, running her hand through T.K.'s hair as she did so. T.K. swiftly slipped his tongue in between her lips and it started dancing with Kari's. He moved his hands under her shirt, loving the feeling of her skin.
They were so lost in their desire for each other that they didn't hear the door open.
"Hey T- HOLY SHIT!"
T.K. and Kari pulled their bodies apart, trying to distance themselves as much as they could, and spun around to search for the source of the voice.
They were shocked when they looked at the front door and saw Cody standing in the threshold.
"Oh hey Cody!" T.K. said trying to act as though nothing was happening.
"Yeah, hey! What's up?" Kari asked, blushing.
"I could ask you two the same thing! Since when do you guys make out?" Cody asked with his eyebrows raised.
"Make out? What are you talking about?" T.K. said unconvincingly, trying to act like the idea was laughable. He gave a quick glance at Kari, and she started to give a half-hearted laugh.
Cody just stood in the doorway with a skeptical look on his face.
"You know T.K., I came here to tell you that Yolei and I needed some help up at her apartment. I'm glad that you told me you often leave your door open when you're home because otherwise I wouldn't have learned this useful bit of information," He smirked.
T.K. and Kari blushed and looked down in shame.
"You're not mad about this are you," Kari asked after a moment.
"Mad?" Cody asked incredulously, "Why would I be mad? This is great! I mean sure, I'm surprised, but it's awesome!"
He laughed and approached his friends, hugging them both. Kari and T.K. stood stunned for a moment before laughing and returning the hug.
"Cody, please just don't say anything until we tell everyone," Kari pleaded once they separated.
"Why not?" Cody asked stunned, "I mean, this is something that's going to get out eventually."
"We know. We'd just really appreciate it if you could keep it quiet about it," T.K. told him, "And don't worry, we're going to tell everyone on Saturday."
"Okay if you say so," Cody responded, "I just can't believe you guys are dating!"
"OH MY GOD YOU GUYS ARE DATING?!"
Cody felt himself pushed out of the way as Yolei flew into the apartment and threw herself into her two friends. As soon as she released Kari and T.K. from her stranglehold she began talking at a mile a minute.
"I can't believe you guys are together! How long has this been going on? Is it serious? Where was your first date? When was your first kiss? Have you gone all the way yet? Do your parents know? Do your BROTHERS know?! DOES DAVIS KNOW?!"
Cody burst out laughing as he watched T.K. and Kari attempt to calm Yolei. It took them nearly ten minutes for them to finally get her to lower her voice, and another five to convince Yolei to talk about it later with Kari privately.
"But you have to at least tell me how you got together! And I'm sure Cody wants to hear too! Right Cody you totally want to hear about it?" Yolei asked.
"Jeez Yolei, can't it wait 'til tomorrow? Or Saturday when we tell everyone?" T.K. sighed with exasperation.
"Nope! I want you two to tell me all about it right now!"
Not wanting to deal with Yolei in her hysterical state, T.K. looked around the apartment for an excuse to get away from her. His eyes fell on Cody and T.K. gave the younger boy a pleading look. Cody quickly caught on to what T.K. meant and was ready to assist him.
"Hey T.K. would you mind coming to my apartment for a second? I just remembered I have some forms from the school for you."
"Yeah sure! Not a problem," the blonde replied, as he leapt off the couch in haste.
He reached the door of the apartment and turned around to see that despite Yolei's questions, Kari was giving him a look that would freeze a volcano. He tried his best to apologise with his eyes, but the corners of his mouth were twitching into a smile, and he quickly closed the door once he and Cody were outside.
"Forms from the school? It's July!" T.K. laughed.
"Hey it was the first thing I thought of," Cody defended himself.
"Fair enough. If got me out of there. Thanks for that."
"No problem. But oh boy you are going to pay for that later," Cody snickered.
"Yeah, not really my best moment as a boyfriend," T.K. said sheepishly, "I'll make it up to her later. I just had to get out of there!"
"I don't blame you T.K.," Cody replied seriously, "I haven't seen Yolei get that excited about something in ages! I can understand why you and Kari want to keep this quiet until you tell everyone."
"Thanks," T.K. smiled, "Hopefully Yolei will calm down enough to the point where she can keep quiet for a few days. As long as we can keep the information contained, then I'm sure everything will be fine."
That evening, T.K. was laying on his bed listening to music. He had his hands behind his head, with one leg resting on the raised knee of the other. His eyes were closed, and he had a small grin on his lips as he waved his elevated foot to the beat of the music, thinking about the events earlier in the day.
Once he had finally been able to get Yolei to leave with Cody, both of whom had forgotten why they had gone to T.K.'s in the first place, Kari had proceeded to chase T.K. around the apartment for twenty minutes, throwing pillows at him the whole time. He eventually let her catch him, and she tackled him to the ground. She punched his chest lightly a few times, berating him for leaving her alone with Yolei. After a few minutes he gave her a small smile and a wink, and she relented. She laid down on top of him and they quickly resumed where they had left off when Cody had walked in on them.
T.K. still couldn't believe the luck he had. Every day for the past four months he had wondered how he was able to charm Kari. He had always thought the crush he had on her was simply due to the fact that they had been the youngest members of the original DigiDestined, and she was the first girl his age he bonded with. But as they grew up, T.K. realised his feelings for Kari were so much stronger than that. The fact that she was so caring and considerate of others, her ability to make difficult decisions when it mattered, the little quirks of hers, like leaving notes for her friends, all of these traits made T.K. appreciate how beautiful her spirit was.
Kari had teased him about how cheesy he sounded when T.K. told her this, but he knew that she had been incredibly flattered. The day after he talked to her, Kari had surprised him with an incredibly romantic evening, including a home cooked meal. They had only been dating for five days at that point in time.
It was the moments like that which made T.K. smile the way he was smiling right now. As happy as anyone possibly could be, and impervious to any kind of torment.
Or so he thought.
Through his state of bliss, T.K. heard the door to the apartment open and someone entered. After a couple moments, the visitor spoke.
"T.K., you here? Mom wanted me to check up on you!"
T.K. sighed and stood up, turning off the music as he did so. He left his bedroom and walked into the kitchen. He saw his brother putting a jug of water in the fridge. He picked up a glass he had filled when he closed the fridge door and turned to T.K..
"Hey little bro! What's goin' on?" Matt asked casually, leaning on the counter.
"Nothing really. Just checking out your new album," T.K. replied.
"Oh yeah? Like it?"
"Definitely. Glad I get to gloat that I'll have been listening for a week before everyone else!"
The brothers laughed for a moment before T.K. continued.
"So mom asked you to spy on me? Even though she's only gone for one night?" he asked his brother in an annoyed tone.
"No not really," Matt chuckled, "I knew she was gonna be gone, but I just wanted to stop by and chat. It's been a few days since we've talked."
"And you just couldn't wait until Saturday? What a sweet, kind brother you are," T.K. said sarcastically.
Matt raised his eyebrows and pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket.
"You know, I was going to ask you about this. But I think now I might just show it to Tai."
"Uhh, what is it?" T.K. asked, genuinely confused.
"It's a note I found that had been slipped under the door. Very interesting. Would you like to know what it says?" Matt taunted.
Before T.K. could respond, Matt cleared his throat and began to read the note in a high pitched voice.
"Hey sweetie! Just thought that we should go to the DigiWorld tomorrow, get some alone time! Cody and Yolei finding out about us made me realise we should play it safe until Saturday when we tell everyone! Hope you sleep well, and I'll see you tomorrow! xoxo Kari"
Matt finished reading the note and looked up at his younger brother, who was blushing so much Matt couldn't help but laugh. T.K. suddenly looked like a tomato with a blonde wig on it.
"It-It's not what you think it is," T.K. stammered.
"Oh, so Kari just meant to slip this next door for the elderly couple to read?" Matt teased.
T.K. sighed in frustration and collapsed in a chair burying his face in his hands. Matt stopped laughing and sat down next to his brother, grabbing T.K.'s shoulder and giving it a squeeze.
"Hey, I'm sorry buddy. Just couldn't resist poking fun at you a bit," he said gently.
"It's okay," T.K. mumbled into his hands, "I was expecting it from you. Well everyone really. But I wanted to be ready for it. Just wanted to deal with it when Kari and I told everyone."
"Well I think the main thing to deal with is the fact that Tai is going to try to kill you," Matt joked.
T.K. swore and Matt instantly felt guilty. He didn't want his little brother to think he wasn't taking this seriously, or that this wasn't good news.
"Hey how about this buddy, I'll keep quiet about this until we make sure Tai's cool with it all. If he wants your head, he's going to have to go through me first."
T.K. smiled and nodded his head.
"But as soon as you're in the clear, I'm going to be relentless. You're going to wish I had never found out you were dating Kari," Matt told him with an evil grin.
"Fair enough," T.K. sighed, "At least reminding myself I'm with her makes it all worthwhile."
"Okay if you're going to talk like that then I'll have no choice than to redact my promise and give you all kinds of crap."
The brothers laughed and settled in to start talking about everything else going on in life. T.K. laughed as Matt complained about all the girls chasing after him so often that he couldn't ever get to band practise on time. Just as they were discussing if they should go on an outing with their dad later in the summer, Matt's phone chimed, reminding him he needed to get home.
"Well, good chatting bro. If I don't get to talk to you before, see you on Saturday," Matt said as he opened the door to leave.
"Definitely! Looking forward to it," T.K. replied, waving at Matt, while he closed the door behind him. Just as T.K. turned away from the door, he heard Matt yell at him through the door.
"Say hi to Kari for me tomorrow!"
T.K. slapped his forehead and collapsed against the wall. He trusted Matt to keep quiet about his relationship with Kari but he still didn't like that his brother found out on his own.
However he knew couldn't do anything, so he walked over to the table, and picked up the note Kari wrote. He smiled, kissed her name, and slipped the note into his pocket. As T.K. made his way back to his room, he thought about what he had said to Matt.
She really does make it all worthwhile.
"WHAT?!"
Kari leapt to her feat, knocking T.K. from his seated position to his back.
"Matt knows about us too? T.K. how could you let this happen?" Kari scolded her boyfriend.
"It's not my fault!" T.K. shot back defensively, "You were the one who left the note!"
"You were supposed to check before anyone could see it!"
"Matt showed up out of nowhere! My mom isn't getting back until tonight, so there was no reason for me to check! Just calm down Kar, please! Matt won't say anything so there's no reason to let this ruin our day!"
Kari sighed and sat down again, leaning against her boyfriend.
"I'm sorry sweetie. I didn't mean to yell like that. It's just annoying that after four months of being able to be discreet, people are finding out!"
"I know," T.K. said soothingly, "Let's just relax in our little safe haven and forget about everyone else for a couple of hours."
Kari smiled and placed her head in T.K.'s lap, stretching her legs as she did so. It was easy for the young couple to relax in the DigiWorld, the fear of anyone catching them was always fairly negligible.
On their third date, T.K. had prepared a picnic for Kari and taken her to the DigiWorld. They arrived near the Amusement Park where T.K. and Patamon had their encounter with DemiDevimon. T.K. had searched the area and found a small pond with a single cherry tree next to it. He decided that it would be the perfect spot for their date. Kari had instantly fallen in love with it when she saw it, and the pond became their special spot to visit.
Today, they just took comfort in the fact that they were completely alone. Not only because three of their friends now knew about their secret relationship, but also because they had found it rather difficult to spend any time alone over the past few weeks.
T.K.'s mother had made a mess of their apartment, preparing her research and packing for her business conference that she had was about to return from. This meant that the young couple spent most of their time out in public or at Kari's apartment, neither of which were well suited to two young lovers trying to hide their relationship. Being in public exposed them to too many eyes that could belong to anyone. Being at Kari's apartment exposed them to too much Tai.
Kari's older brother had been acting quite odd since the summer started. He normally spent all his time out with some of the older DigiDestined, or playing soccer, or just being outside in general. However this summer he seemed to spend half his time in his bedroom. It sounded like he was always on the phone but no one could tell. All T.K. and Kari knew is that he had almost walked in on them several times. Whether he was rushing from his room to the kitchen and back, or just rushing in from the front door to his room, Tai was able to surprise T.K. and Kari too much for it to be safe anywhere near Tai.
Unfortunately, the young couple should have realised that luck was not on their side this week.
It had been a very peaceful hour or so that Kari and T.K. had enjoyed, until T.K. mentioned that Matt had found out. Even though they had just gotten comfortable again, T.K. realised that he probably should go home. He reluctantly mentioned this to Kari and she smiled, telling him it was okay. They got to their feet and slipped their fingers together. They leant in, and shared a gentle kiss before T.K. turned and began walking back towards the DigiPort in the Amusement Park.
The couple had been so absorbed in one another that they didn't notice that they weren't alone until they walked into a tall, dark haired boy.
"Whoa sor- KEN?!" Kari and T.K. cried out at the same time.
Ken Ichijouji stood in front of them. He had his arms crossed and his eyebrows raised, his lips forming a small smile.
"You have got to be effing kidding me," T.K. mumbled.
"So," Ken smirked, "this is a pleasant surprise."
Kari walked along the river in Odaiba muttering angrily to herself.
What are the bloody odds that Wormmon was going to show Ken the Amusement Park yesterday? And why, WHY did he have to hear me yell at T.K. when he told me about Matt finding out?
She sat on a bench and rested her chin on her hands. It wasn't that she was overly upset that Ken knew. In fact, if anyone had to find out about her relationship with T.K., he was one probably the only person she trusted not to overreact. However the fact remained that their friends were finding out about the relationship, and T.K. and Kari were losing control of the situation.
Kari pulled out her cell phone and started looking through all the pictures she had taken of T.K. in the past few months. Some of them showed her smiling next to him, others had been taken without the blonde's knowledge, which resulted in some rather humorous shots. After a minute of searching, she finally found the one she had been searching for.
It had been taken when the two of them had been over at Davis' house for a party. They had been sitting across the room from each other trying to avoid arousing suspicion. It was the only time she was happy to act distance from T.K., because otherwise she would never have gotten the amazing picture of the boy she adored.
T.K. was looking just off to the side of the camera, he had been joking with Tai who was next to Kari at the time. His right arm was hanging over a raised knee, while he had his left hand running through his messy hair. His head was tilted slightly to his left and he had a wide, carefree grin on his face. You could still see the sparkle in his bright blue eyes, as though you weren't looking at a picture at all.
Kari loved this picture of T.K. because it truly captured who he was. Not just his good looks, but his warm personality as well. You barely had to look for a minute before you knew what type of person T.K. was. Someone who was kind, fun, loving, and able to cheer anyone up, no matter what was causing them grief.
"As long as I've got him in my life, I'll be able to deal with anything,"Kari said to herself.
Just as she was about to reluctantly close the picture, her phone chimed, telling her she had received a text. She quickly went to check it, and smiled as she read it.
Hey Kar! I just parted ways with Ken. He wanted me to tell you again that he's still so happy for us and he won't say anything. Good thing he's a trustworthy guy. Anyway, I still feel bad about Matt finding out so I'm taking you to a movie tomorrow night. 8:00, that romantic comedy you were talking about. You've got no choice in the matter Kamiya. ;) See you tomorrow! 3 T.K.
Kari laughed and quickly typed an affirmative reply. With an extra bounce in her step, she got up and started to walk home again.
She had barely taken twenty steps however, when she saw a familiar looking young man walking towards her. The man raised his arm and waved, and Kari cried out with excitement, breaking into a run. She jumped at the man, throwing her arms around him laughing wildly.
"JOE!" she shrieked, "It's so good to see you! I can't believe it's been almost a year!"
"Whoa calm down Kari!" Joe Kido laughed, "It's good to see you too!"
"I didn't think you were coming home until tomorrow? We were all so excited to see you on Saturday!"
"Well I got in a couple days early," Joe replied, "Turns out Europe is pretty expensive to travel around with your girlfriend, and we ran out of money."
"Ooooh is this the mysterious girl from America who studying at your university?" Kari teasingly asked Joe.
"Haha, yes it's Heather," Joe chuckled while blushing, "but she couldn't come here to visit. She wants to get a few weeks of work in back home before coming back next term."
"Makes sense," Kari said, "As long as we get to meet her soon."
"You will I promise," Joe told her happily, "But how's life back home? I've been so busy with my studying that I haven't had much time to talk to anyone! Anything new with you?"
"Not a lot," Kari smiled carelessly, "I mean, T.K.'s feeling kinda guilty right now so he's taking me out on an apology date tomorrow ni-"
"Wait! Since when are you and T.K. dating? Boy I really am out of touch!"
Kari's eyes widened in horror and she clasped her hands over her mouth. She had been so excited to see Joe and to catch up with him that she had completely forgotten to keep quiet about her relationship!
Damnit now five people know! And it's all my fault this time!
"Oh crap Joe, please don't tell anyone I said anything! Please, please, please, please, pl-"
"Kari it's okay I won't say anything!" Joe said in alarm, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I'm assuming you and T.K. aren't exactly public about your relationship?"
Kari shook her head, "No, we were going to tell everyone on Saturday. I can't believe I messed up!"
"Don't worry Kari," Joe smiled, "I promise I won't say a word. And on Saturday when you guys make your announcement, I'll act completely surprised."
"Thanks Joe," Kari said gratefully, "I should probably get going, before I say anything else I shouldn't."
"Sure thing kiddo," Joe winked, "I'll see you on Saturday."
As Kari walked away from Joe, she shook her head in annoyance. She hoped T.K. was still doing alright because she had officially lost control of the situation.
"Seriously? Joe knows too?"
T.K. looked at his girlfriend, fighting the urge to laugh at how farcical their situation had become.
"Yeah I know. It's all my fault, and I'm an idiot," Kari said sadly.
"Hey! Don't EVER think that!" T.K. scolded her in a very serious tone, "You made a mistake. We all do. If you ever think that something like this makes you an idiot, then I'll just have to break up with you."
Kari laughed and lightly hugged her boyfriend, not wanting to appear too affectionate.
They were in the concession line at the movie theatre, and even though they were both constantly checking for familiar faces, they still didn't want to risk acting like too much of a couple. Once they were in the back of the movie theatre and everything was dark, things would be different. But for a few more minutes, they had to act as though they were just friends.
They reached the front of the line, and T.K. paid for their popcorn and drinks. Kari protested, as she always did, saying that T.K. was spending too much money on her. Especially as they were trying to act like friends, not a couple.
"Just stop your arguing Kar," T.K. told her as they walked into the theatre, "I'd pay for you even if we weren't together. Proves that I'm a good guy to other girls watching. I mean if you can't keep a secret I have to keep my options open."
"Jerk," Kari smiled as she punched his arm.
T.K. just laughed as they began searching for seats where they wouldn't be noticed. They made their way to the back of the theatre, and Kari cursed when they saw there was only a single seat open in the back row. However there were two seats in the second last row against the wall, so Kari and T.K. quickly made their way to those vacant seats. They were still near the back, and as they took their seats, T.K. noticed that the couple behind them were wrapped around each other so intricately they probably wouldn't even notice that a movie was playing.
Kari and T.K. settled into their seats and got comfortable. When the lights went down, T.K. wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she snuggled into him. They took advantage of the trailers playing to fool around a bit before the movie started. However they got a little carried away, and didn't realise the movie had started until it had been playing for five minutes.
It wasn't the worst movie they had ever seen. It was engaging enough that Kari and T.K. both were able to enjoy it, but it was very formulaic in many ways. The young couple wasn't complaining though, as it was this fact that enabled them to fool around every few minutes, and not miss any of the movie.
After two short hours, the on-screen characters finally found happiness in each other's arms, and the movie ended. T.K. and Kari sat for a couple minutes into the credits before finally standing up to leave.
"Well, that wasn't a total waste of time," T.K. said absently.
"Oh come on you had a great time," Kari retorted.
"That wasn't so much the movie, as it was the cute brunette who let me explore her mouth with my tongue," T.K. smirked.
"Wow, how romantic," came a female voice from behind T.K. and Kari. They turned around and felt their hearts fall in horror.
The couple that had been sitting behind them for the past two hours, the couple that T.K. had disregarded because they were making out so much as they entered, were none other than Izzy and Mimi.
"What are you guys doing here?" Kari asked in a high pitched voice.
"Oh we just came for the popcorn," Mimi responded sarcastically, "We're on a date obviously!"
"Just like you two apparently," Izzy smirked.
T.K. and Kari blushed furiously, trying to think of some possible way to get out of the situation they had landed themselves in.
"It's not what it looked like," T.K. told them lamely.
"Nice try T.K.," Izzy laughed, "We saw you guys lock lips at least 5 times throughout the movie. That doesn't just happen."
"No, I guess it doesn't," Kari sighed in defeat.
Mimi smiled in triumph, "I'm surprised by you Kari. I wouldn't have expected you to let someone get so far on a first date."
"She is not that kind of girl," T.K. scolded Mimi, "We only kissed once on our first official date!"
"Wait, how long have you two been together?" Izzy asked in confusion.
T.K. slapped his head, realising the mistake he had just made.
"Smooth move Takaishi," Kari said, before addressing Izzy's question, "Well, to be honest we've been together for just over four months now."
"Seriously?!" Mimi shrieked with delight, "How come you didn't tell anyone?"
Everyone left in the theatre was staring at Mimi with the disturbance she had caused. She blushed, and tried to sink into the shadows.
"I think you just answered your own question honey," Izzy joked, kissing Mimi's forehead, "I'm assuming they didn't want anyone to make a big deal about it. Right?"
"Exactly," Kari said, "So if you wouldn't mind…"
"Keeping quiet about this? No problem," Mimi smiled, her spirits restored by her boyfriend's kiss.
"Don't worry, it's just for a day," T.K. told them, "We're telling everyone tomorrow at Tai and Kari's."
"Alright we won't say anything until then," Izzy assured them.
The four of them left the theatre and parted ways at Izzy's car. As Kari and T.K. watched their two friends drive away, they turned to each other and sighed.
"Well, at least it won't be a bombshell for everyone, right?" T.K. joked with Kari, trying to buoy her spirit.
Kari rolled her eyes at T.K., "You're right. This is obviously a much more enjoyable way to tell everyone about our relationship."
T.K. pulled Kari into a strong, comforting hug.
"Don't worry about it. By this time tomorrow everyone will know. It's not like anything else can go wrong!"
Saturday afternoon was the kind of summer day that everyone imagines when they think about summer. The sun was shining in a cloudless sky, but it wasn't hot enough to be uncomfortable. Kari was glad she had an excuse to go see T.K. before the get together at her house because it gave her a wonderful chance to enjoy the great weather.
Tai had realised that they didn't have enough food for everyone, so Kari had told him she'd go over to T.K.'s place and get some. Tai agreed, and said that he'd drive to the store to pick up some more as well, but Kari hadn't been really paying attention to what he said. She was just glad for an excuse to spend a little bit of extra time with her boyfriend.
So after talking a leisurely stroll over to T.K.'s apartment and pilfering all his junk food that Ms. Takaishi was happy to be rid of, Kari and T.K. carried the food back to her apartment. T.K. attempted to be very gallant and carry everything himself, but after falling down the stairs in his apartment building, he relented and let Kari carry a couple bags herself.
The two felt oddly liberated by carrying the bags. The way they talked and joked around on the walk to Kari's reminded them of how they used to act to each other before they started dating. Not that a lot was different between them, but they were glad to see that despite all the changes in their relationship, their friendship was still strong.
"So do you think Tai will end up getting a lot?" T.K. asked Kari as they reached her apartment building.
"I doubt it," Kari shrugged, "He probably knows that you have enough junk food to feed an army, and that we'll only be able to bring half of it."
"Ha ha," T.K. replied sarcastically.
Kari giggled as they made their way up the stairs to her apartment. She handed her bags to T.K. once they reached the front door and Kari unlocked it. T.K. stumbled into the apartment, banging into the wall and dropping most of the bags on the floor.
"Careful T.K.!" Kari mockingly scolded him, as she picked up a few bags and brought them into the kitchen. T.K. stuck out his tongue at her as he brought the rest of the bags in, then slumped against the door frame to the front hall.
"Aww, is my guy tired?" Kari teased as she wrapped one warm around T.K.'s waist and started brushing his hair.
"Hey be careful," T.K. said quietly, "Tai might be home!"
"Oh relax, his shoes aren't here, so he's probably still out," Kari leaned her mouth close to T.K.'s ear and whispered seductively, "You could do anything you want right now."
T.K. instantly felt his fear evaporate.
"Well in that case," he replied, quickly embracing Kari and kissing her. Just as they were starting to kiss one another with more force, someone started yelling.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO MY SISTER?"
T.K. felt himself get ripped apart from Kari and suddenly he was pinned to the wall by someone's arm. Once he regained his senses, he found himself nose to nose with Tai.
"You've got about two seconds to explain why I shouldn't pound you into oblivion T.K.!" Tai threatened menacingly.
"Tai it's okay I promise," Kari pleaded.
"She's right leave him alone," came another voice. T.K. looked over Tai's shoulder to see that Sora was standing next to Kari with a hand on Tai's back.
Tai turned his head and glared at Sora for a second before he lowered his arm. T.K. fell to one knee for a moment before taking a breath and standing up again.
"Listen Tai, I'm really sorry you had to find out this way," T.K. said.
"You're lucky I don't murder you right now," Tai told him, "I never thought you of all people would take advantage of my sister! I thought she was important to you!"
"She is!" T.K. replied angrily.
"Tai I swear he wasn't taking advantage of me," Kari said, her voice quivering.
"It's a good thing Sora and I were just hanging out in my room," Tai continued, ignoring what the other two had said, "Otherwise who knows what would have happened!"
"It's not like that!" T.K. yelled at him.
"Come on Tai, you're being unreasonable," Sora said calmly.
"I'm the unreasonable one?! They're too young to be fooling around like that! They don't know what they're doing!" Tai snapped at her.
"Hey this isn't some childish fling!" T.K. shouted, "It's not like we just do this randomly! We've been together for four months!"
Tai, Sora and Kari all stared in stunned silence at T.K.'s announcement.
"And I don't care if you don't like it Tai," he continued, "Because I'm not dating her for the sake of dating her! I'm dating her because I love her!"
"WHAT?!" the three others yelled in response.
"That's right!" T.K. declared proudly, "I love her! I love Kari Kamiya, and there's nothing you can do to change that Tai!"
"Oh T.K.!" Kari cried, bursting into tears. She flung her arms around her boyfriend and buried her head into his chest.
Tai and Sora continued to stare at them dumbfounded. Sora came around first as she started to squeal with delight.
"Oh you guys that's so great!"
Tai shook his head in disbelief and spoke in an oddly composed tone.
"You love her?"
"Yes I do," T.K. told him.
"Kari?" Tai asked.
"I love him too Tai," she said happily, before turning her face to T.K.'s, "You hear that T.K.? I love you."
Tai watched them for a moment before he slowly began to nod his head.
"Well, I guess I knew this would happen eventually. I just thought I'd have more time before my little sister grew up," he sighed. He faced the blonde and spoke in a serious tone, "T.K. would you mind if I talked to you alone for a little bit."
T.K. swallowed nervously but nodded his head. He pulled himself away from Kari and walked into Tai's room. Tai started to follow him but Kari grabbed her brother's arm.
"Please don't do anything to him," she begged.
Tai smiled and winked at his sister, "Don't worry, I won't harm one hair on his head."
Kari watched apprehensively as Tai followed T.K. and closed the door behind him. She felt an urge to continue after them, worried that Tai was going to overreact. Just as she was about to step forward, she felt Sora place a hand on her shoulder.
"Just relax Kari, I'm sure everything will be fine," the older girl said, "Let's start getting everything set up."
Kari sighed and nodded. She and Sora started unpacking the food from the bags and setting them out.
"So you and T.K. are really together? That's so great!" Sora said with delight.
"You really think so?" Kari asked in surprise.
"Of course! You guys always had a cute friendship, and it's obvious that you care deeply for one another. I can't think of any guy more deserving to be with you," Sora replied.
"Wow thanks. I just hope Tai goes easy on him," Kari told her, her voice filled with concern.
"It'll be fine Kari," Sora assured her, "It's not as though T.K. is just some random guy who might treat you poorly. Tai knows that he'll treat you properly."
"Well he's certainly done a good job so far," Kari laughed, "Anyway, I need to ask what you're doing here already? I didn't think you were coming until the party started."
"Oh, I ran into Tai at the store so I just came back with him," Sora responded casually.
"Okay," Kari said happily, "Boy you guys must have been distracted, because I don't think you guys ended up getting anything! I think all of this is from T.K.'s!"
"Oh, uh yeah well Tai really wanted to show my something on his computer. We rushed back here so quickly that we forgot to take our shoes off," Sora mumbled, blushing slightly.
Kari just laughed as they continued to set up. They finished setting up within twenty minutes, which was lucky. Kari checked her watch and realised that their guests would start arriving in ten minutes.
"Jeez, I guess we better get the boys!" Kari said. She walked over to Tai's door and knocked hard a couple of times, "Tai, T.K., it's everyone's going to be here soon. You should get out here!"
"In a minute!" Tai shouted harshly through the door.
Kari sighed and walked into the living room and collapsed on the couch. Sora sat down in a chair across from her and chuckled.
"I bet you're not going to miss that when he's gone in a few weeks huh?" she asked.
"No not really," Kari replied, "I'm still amazed he's going to university for Political Science! It's almost as much of a surprise as you going for Fashion!"
"Well, things change. We're growing up though and that's what matters," Sora smiled.
"True," Kari nodded, "I feel bad for Matt though. He's going to be all by himself at school in Sapporo! At least you and Tai will be together in Kyoto."
"Well it's not like we'll see each other all the time," Sora said quickly.
"You know what I mean," Kari told her, rolling her eyes.
"I guess you're right," Sora said, "But Joe survived all by himself in Osaka! Boy I can't wait to catch up with him!"
On cue, the doorbell rang and Kari rushed to open it. Joe was standing on the threshold, and he entered the apartment, almost being tackled with a hug from Sora. Before Kari could even try to close the door, Yolei and Cody walked in, followed by Davis, Ken, Matt, Mimi and Izzy. There was a period of confusion at the front door while everyone tried to greet one another.
Finally, after everyone had said their "hellos" they all walked into the living room and Davis quickly turned on the TV, switching it to the long awaited first game of the new soccer season.
"Man, it sucks we couldn't get tickets this year," he said while messing up his maroon hair.
"Yeah, that was pretty cool last summer," Ken agreed, "I still can't believe how excited you got when we met the players Tai. Tai?"
Ken looked around for a moment.
"Umm, does anyone know where Tai is?" he asked.
"Or where T.K. is?" Matt added, "Kari?"
"They're uh, they're in Tai's room. Having a little chat right now," she told everyone, avoiding all eye contact.
Everyone except Davis started to snicker when they realised what Kari meant.
"Yeah, it's not really a secret anymore," Kari continued, "You all found out before we could get the chance to tell anyone."
The room erupted with laughter, and Kari couldn't help but smile. As self-conscious as she was, she knew they were laughing with her. Not at her. The only person who wasn't laughing was still confused.
"Umm, what are you talking about Kari? You haven't told me anything," Davis said in an annoyed tone.
Kari blushed, "Well-"
"Alright you guys are here!"
Everyone turned to see Tai emerging from his room. He smiled and dropped himself next to Sora. Before Kari could ask him if everything was alright, he answered her question.
"Don't worry he's fine. He's probably just taking a minute to recover from the threat I gave him," Tai joked menacingly.
"Wow, you can be a real jerk," Sora said as she poked him.
"Why is Tai threatening T.K.?!" Davis shouted, angered that he was being ignored.
"Oh you haven't told everyone yet?" Tai asked.
"Well, everyone found out before today, except for Davis," Kari told her brother. Tai just laughed. Kari opened her mouth to continue but they were interrupted again.
"Hey Tai!" T.K.'s voice reached everyone from the bedroom.
"Yeah what is it?"
"I was just standing up and I noticed something lying at the foot of your bed. Why is there a pair of red panties in your bedroom?"
"WHAT?!" Everyone in the room shouted in surprise as T.K. walked out, holding the item in two fingers.
Tai blushed a deep shade of crimson, and tried to stutter a response. While everyone was staring at him, T.K. and Kari both noticed that Sora was blushing too. They turned to each other as they both realised why Sora was already at the apartment.
"Davis, T.K. and I are dating! We've been together for over four months!" Kari cried out, trying to create a distraction.
Everyone stopped watching Tai, and looked at Davis, who slowly started turn his head back and forth between T.K. and Kari. His mouth hung open and his eyes widened in horror.
"No. No! NONONONONONONONONONONONO!" He started shouting while jamming his fingers in his ears, trying to believe that Kari was lying to him.
Everyone started laughing at the spectacle before them, and T.K. swiftly made his was over to Kari, subtly passing Sora her underwear as he did so. He reached Kari and put his arm around her.
"That better be the only time you ever touch another girls panties," Kari mockingly threatened him. T.K. laughed and kissed Kari's cheek, which send Davis into an even greater fit, causing volume of the laughter to double.
T.K. and Kari laughed along with everyone for a minute, before they looked over at Tai and Sora. The two couples smiled and nodded at each other.
"Looks like we're not the only secret couple," T.K. said to Kari so only she could hear.
After several minutes, everyone was able to calm Davis down. While he still looked incredibly unhappy, he sighed and said as long as Kari was happy then he wouldn't cause a problem.
"But you better treat her right T.J.!" He threatened.
"Oh don't worry about that," T.K. winked, before leaning in to kiss Kari. Everyone wolf-whistled at them until T.K. finally pulled away from his girlfriend.
"Well, now that the big news is out of the way, let's watch the game," Kari told them.
"Not so fast!" Mimi cut in, "It's obvious that you were trying to cover for Tai, so I want to know the answer to T.K.'s original question. Why were there panties in your room Tai?"
The room fell silent as everyone once again directed their attention to Tai, waiting for an answer. Kari and T.K. laughed as Tai and Sora exchanged a look of panic.
"Tai, just tell everyone," Kari said.
"Yeah go on," T.K. added, "These things don't stay secrets forever!"