Me: I don't own Digimon or N'Sync's "God must have spent (A little more time on you). If I did, Tai and Sora would be married and not Sora and Matt! (under breath) Those Toei people…Fox going along with them…traitors!
Tai: You said it!
Me: This fic starts out as Sorato but ends as a Taiora! Yay!
Tai: Whew! I thought I'd have to kill you.
Sora: And I'd have to kill Matt.
Me: You'll both have to take a number, or be faster than I am.
Digimon
God must have spent (A little more time on you)
Taichi "Tai" Kamiya was nearly in tears. His best friend Sora Takenouchi had just announced that she was officially going out with Yamato "Matt" Ishida. They hadn't had their first date, but would later that week.
"I knew she had some feelings for him, ever since Christmas Eve, but I never thought she'd act on them!"
Tai let his mind wander back to that fateful day…Flashback
"So, are you doing anything after the concert? Not that it matters to me or anything…"
The next words that came out of Sora's mouth shattered Tai's world-and heart-to pieces.
" Actually I was kind of hoping that Matt would be free afterward."
"Oh…Matt, huh?"
Holding back tears of regret, Tai placed a protective hand on Sora's shoulder.
"You're not mad at me, Tai?"
"Mad? No, I'm not mad. Now get in there and say 'hi' to Matt for me!"
Sora's smile seemed genuine. "Thank you, Tai."
"The least you could do is leave us the cookies!" objected Agumon irritably.
The smile was actually directed at Tai as Sora turned back around. "Tell you what. I'll make a special batch just for you."
A second later, Sora walked into the door and possibly, out of Tai's life.
Allowing a tear to fall, Tai said out loud, "I'll be waiting…Thanks."
End Flashback
Tai walked home, more depressed than he'd ever been. He didn't even notice his successor Davis kicking a soccer ball near the field until his kick went a little bit off.
"Whoa! Sorry about that, Tai. Guess I wasn't watching where I was aiming."
Smiling, Davis sent the ball spiraling toward Tai. In other words, his "Let's play" challenge. Tai usually kicked the ball back, accepting the challenge. This time, he didn't.
"What gives? We almost always play after school."
Tai sighed sadly. "Davis…I know I shouldn't be asking you this because this hasn't happened to you, but…have you ever felt like your heart's been shattered into a million pieces and the only person who can help you mend it together caused it to shatter in the first place?"
Davis' smile faded instantly. "Everytime T.S. walks Kari home, everytime I see them talking to each other, everytime she agrees with him on every subject…"
Tai gave a half-smile. "I take it back; this stuff has happened to you. According to you, it happens every day! Anyway, Sora and Matt are going out. Their first date is this Friday and I can't do a thing about it!"
"Who says you can't do a thing about it? I have a proposition for you, my friend. I'll help you botch up their date so badly, that on Monday morning, Sora will be running into your arms!" Davis smiled evilly. Tai didn't like that smile. The only time he'd ever used that smile was when he was Davis' age. He allowed himself to remember what had happened…
Flashback
A younger Tai Kamiya observed the sidewalk from behind the tree on a cold wintry day. Sora was walking down it with a bag stacked with tons of stuff. He smiled to himself.
"If I'm gonna pull this trick on Sora, I'll have to be quick about it!" He piled some snow as fast as possible into a load of snowballs. He hadn't meant any harm to her in the first place. He just figured that they should enjoy their time as kids while it was there. The second Tai saw her shadow, he knew the time had come.
"SORA! Heads up!" WHAP! Tai nailed Sora repeatedly with the snowballs. She started laughing until she accidentally slipped on an icy part of the sidewalk. Down she went, and down went her bag. Tai winced as they both heard a shattering sound from inside the bag. Sora looked inside. When she looked back at Tai, her face was all but covered in tears.
"YOU JERK! Look what you made me do!" Tai looked inside the bag. Pieces of glass were next to some other stuff. He had a feeling that those shattered pieces used to be something important.
"That was a rose made out of pure glass! It cost me almost everything I had, Tai! Now it's broken and I can't replace it! I WAS GOING TO GIVE IT TO MAMA FOR CHRISTMAS!" Sora had started crying. Tai felt bad. He hadn't known about it.
"Sora, I…"
"Don't even talk to me, Tai! I wish I'd never met you!" Sora ran off, crying the whole way home and leaving Tai in the middle of the sidewalk with a broken heart…
End Flashback
"I don't know, Davis. The last time I did something like that to Sora, she almost never forgave me."
"Don't worry, Tai! She'll never know we were there. Now, there is the matter of payment…"
Tai groaned. "I knew there had to be a catch."
Davis' smile grew wider. "No money or anything like that. Just one date with Kari."
Tai collapsed into the snow. "Kari'll have my head, but…I'm in."
"Great! Tell me exactly where Sora and Matt are going, and we'll rendezvous an hour there before them."
Friday came too quickly for Tai. Sora and Matt were heading out to the Boardwalk restaurant. Tai and Davis rendezvoused there before them about thirty minutes.
"So, what'd you do to tell Kari that she's going out with me?"
Tai smiled evilly at him as he simply said, "I told her the truth."
"WHAT?! How could you? What if she tells Sora?"
Tai shook his head as he and Davis managed to sneak inside. "Kari wouldn't do that. She may look up to Sora like a sister, but she thinks she's making a mistake by dating Matt. Of course she also thinks I'm being an idiot by going along with this plan of yours, but little sisters aren't perfect."
"Phase I is in effect. Now all we do is hide in the bathroom until they come." Davis declared calmly.
Tai groaned as they raced for the bathroom. "Maybe Kari was right about this after all…"
7:00 came within minutes, but to Tai it felt like hours. He couldn't believe Davis' plan required them to masquerade as waiters! "If Kari doesn't kill him on their date, I will! Or maybe I'll just spare her the torture of going out with Davis and kill him later." He thought angrily. Putting on a straight face, he walked to their table.
"Are you ready to order?"
Matt looked up and eyed the waiter with a look. "You look awfully familiar."
Tai started laughing and turned away as Sora looked up. "I have one of those faces. Now, what would you like on your tomb…for dinner?"
"I'll have the sirloin steak."
Tai's eyes widened in shock as both he and Sora looked at Matt. "Are you sure you can handle that?"
"Positive! Of course, it shouldn't have any pepper on it, but other than that, I'll be fine."
He assured her.
Tai turned to Sora, making sure to not look at her directly in the eye. "And you, miss?"
"Just water."
Nodding, Tai calmly took away their menus and left.
Davis had heard the entire conversation between the three friends. He knew exactly what to do. But, he also had to make sure to not put too much on. He really didn't want Matt to be hurt. Tai didn't either. Finding Matt's sirloin steak, Davis grabbed the peppershaker and shook some on it. Then, he picked up the plate and headed off.
Tai had gotten Sora's water a bit earlier for her.
"Here you are, ma'am. If I must say, you have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen."
Sora blushed a bit at Tai's compliment. "Thank you."
Nodding, Tai walked off. He stopped when he saw Davis pass him by with the steak.
"He didn't! He wouldn't!"
"Here you are, sir." Davis placed Matt's steak down in front of him and left.
When Davis walked back inside the kitchen, Tai grabbed him by his shoulders.
"Tell me you didn't put some pepper on Matt's steak!"
"Uh…"
Tai risked a look outside. Matt had started choking on a piece of steak.
"Crap!" Tai ran out and immediately headed over to his friends.
Sora didn't know what had happened. A minute ago, Matt had started choking a piece of steak. Seconds later, the waiter who'd complimented her eyes came out and started the Heimlich maneuver. At first, it didn't look like anything had happened. Then, before they both fell over with the pitcher of water landing on both of them, Matt finally coughed the piece out.
Tai groaned as he rose to his feet. The pitcher of water had soaked him from head to toe!
Of course, that came secondary when he heard the one voice he hadn't wanted to hear recognize him.
"TAI?"
Tai turned to see Sora. Her face was mixed with pain, confusion and anger.
"What are you doing here?"
Tai grimaced with worry. He really hadn't come up with an explanation for why he was here. He figured he wouldn't have to.
"Uh…"
"Let me guess: You just got a job here and it just happened to start today, right? Or, you're just filling in for another friend who's sick? How about the fact that you're jealous and wanted to screw up my date?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND!"
Tai found himself in another embarrassing situation. "Sora, I…"
"Don't, Tai! As of now, our friendship is over!" Then Sora stormed out of the restaurant in tears.
Tai groaned sadly as he slowly left the restaurant. Davis ran out after him.
"Sorry about that. I guess that wasn't a brilliant idea after all, huh?"
"Actually, it would've worked if you hadn't put pepper on Matt's steak! What am I gonna do? Sora's never gonna forgive me for this." Davis smiled.
"I've got another idea. This one's foolproof! What's Sora's favorite song?"
Tai smiled as well as he raced for his house. He remembered what he'd done to beg Sora's forgiveness long ago…
Flashback
The doorbell rang on Christmas morning at the Takenouchi residence.
"Who is it?"
Confused that no one answered, Sora went to the door and cautiously opened it.
She saw Tai Kamiya outside with a glass rose and a glass shaped like the Crest of Love.
"I barely had enough money to get this and to get this made. Can you forgive me for acting like a child so I can get my best friend back?"
Sora's face was streaked with tears as she accepted the presents.
"Thank you, Tai! And of course I forgive you."
Tai was surprised that Sora pulled him into a hug and pulled him inside the house.
"MAMA! Can Tai spend Christmas with us?"
"But Sora, I've gotta get back home before Kari takes all my presents!"
End Flashback
Saturday morning. Sora woke up to a tear-stained pillow and…a red rose? She got up and saw a letter next to it. Opening it, she read:
Please allow me a chance to beg for forgiveness.
Meet me downstairs to learn exactly why I did what I did last night.
Love, Tai
Smiling and blushing slightly, Sora got out of bed, got dressed and came downstairs. The second she did, she heard music coming from a hidden place in the room.
Can this be true?
Tell me can this be real?
How can I put into words what I feel?
My life was complete; I thought I was whole
Why do I feel like I'm losing control?
Tears came to Sora's eyes as she recognized the song. She gasped slightly as she felt a pair of lips connect to hers. Opening her eyes, she saw some happy chocolate brown ones in front of her. Allowing herself to fall deeper into the kiss, Sora observed Tai's attire. He was dressed up in an Armani suit.
I never thought that love could feel like this
Then you changed my world with just one kiss
How can it be? They're right here with me
There's an angel; it's a miracle
Chorus: Your love is like a river, peaceful and deep
Your soul is like a secret that I never could keep
When I look into your eyes I know that it's true
God must have spent (A little more time on you)
Tai slowly broke the kiss and pulled back. Sora moaned softly. She hadn't wanted to let go.
"They had a point there. God did spend a little more time on you."
Sora was about to object, but Tai placed a finger on her lips. "Listen."
In all of creation, all things great and small
You are the one that surpasses them all
More precious than any diamond or pearl
They broke the mold when you came in this world
And I'm trying hard to figure out
Just how I ever did without
The warmth of your smile; the heart of a child
That's deep inside and leaves me purified
"This one song describes you in every way. Your beauty, your grace, and the fact that you're perfect in every way." Tai explained. Sora blushed deeper than she had last night.
Chorus: Your love is like a river, peaceful and deep
Your soul is like a secret that I never could keep
When I look into your eyes I know that it's true
God must have spent (A little more time on you)
"So, why were you there last night?"
Tai sighed. Kari had suggested that he should just tell the truth, so why wouldn't it work?
"It was Davis' idea. If he helped me botch up your date, then I'd get Kari to go out with him. I had no idea about the pepper, though! He must've listened in on us when you guys ordered. I would've never wanted that to happen to Matt. I am so sorry. And a part of me wanted to say that I love you."
Sora smiled as she leaned forward and prepared herself for another kiss. "I love you too, Tai."
Never thought that love could feel like this
Then you changed my world with just one kiss
How can it be? They're right here with me
There's an angel; it's a miracle
Chorus: Your love is like a river, peaceful and deep
Your soul is like a secret that I never could keep
When I look into your eyes I know that it's true
God must have spent (A little more time on you)
God must have spent (A little more time on you)
As Sora pulled away from Tai with extreme reluctance, Tai asked softly, "So, am I forgiven?"
"For that and every other bonehead move you've done or will do in the future."
A little more time on you…
As Tai pulled Sora close for a third kiss, he thought happily to himself, "God did spend a little more time on her!"
I really don't care what Fox or Toei do on TV! TAIORA FOREVER!!!