Because I can foresee people asking: yes, the next chapter of Pandora's Box is in the works. Promise! In fact, I'm probably about ¾ of the way done, and with vacation coming up in a few weeks' time, I should be able to have it ready for posting right around then.

Part of the idea for this little drabble came from excerpts of an old Season 02 Semi!AU I'd once outline. (This seems to be a recurring pattern for me.) It was going to be set during episode 13 and focus on what might have happened if Takeru hadn't walked away from Hikari during that scene. Then Tri happened. Oh, boy, did Tri happen. (How much am I loving Tri? SO MUCH.) My imagination once more ran wild, I borrowed a few elements from that old story, reversed the roles, added in a few movie references...and this was the result.

As one final note, while I am well aware the Frank Sinatra song I titled this after is meant to be romantic in nature, my intention was to leave the relationship between Hikari and Takeru as semi-ambiguous, with strong hints and undertones and maybe more than a touch of subtext. You know, kind of like how it's being written in the movies. So, really, feel free to interpret their relationship however you choose. I know I certainly do~

BEYOND THE SEA

o o o

"Goodbye...Takeru."

o o o

The fourteen-year-old boy awoke in a cold sweat. Slowly, he sat up, only to find his whole body violently trembling. It took several deep breaths to fully calm himself down, and even then, they came out shallow and uneven. His head ached. His eyes stung. Like he'd just run a marathon in his sleep.

Swallowing twice, he rose a hand to wipe at his forehead. Across the room, numbers on the electric clock blinked an hour both too late and too early to be conscious. Worse yet, the rapid beating of his heart told him that any more sleep that night would be a lost cause. There was too much on his mind. Too many nightmares awaiting him if he risked closing his eyes again.

Glancing down, he could just barely make out the silhouette of the little orange digimon still blissfully snoring away at his side. The presence was a small comfort. But not enough. More than once, he debated whether it would be worth it to shake Patamon awake. Only...no, it wouldn't be fair. They both had a busy day ahead of them. Bad enough Takeru would be functioning at less than 100%; he wouldn't willingly inflict the same fate on his poor partner.

So, instead, he tossed aside his covers and got up.

Patamon stirred, muttered something vaguely related to food, then rolled over onto his other side.

...it's a wonder he ever wakes up in time for a battle.

With that wry thought in mind, Takeru stumbled in the dark for the nearest clean change of clothes. Fortunately, there was a shirt and pair of pants draped over the room's chair. He hastily switched out of his pajamas, grabbing the jacket by the door as he slipped out of the room as quietly as possible. Disturbing Patamon was one thing, but the absolute last thing he needed that night was to risk waking his father or brother on one of the rare nights he had a chance to stay over. Much as he loved them both, he knew their concerned looks and inevitable attempts at downplaying his fears wouldn't help matters any.

Hopefully, a walk in the fresh air might.

o o o

The Ocean.

Or, rather, the beach.

The irony was certainly not lost on him as he stepped off the sidewalk and down the steps. Feet sinking into the soft sand even before his surroundings fully registered. Water threatening to lap at the soles of his shoes with each incoming wave. It never reached. Above, the partial moon shone down just enough to illuminate his way. The air was brisk and cool and occasionally stung whenever it blew against his cheeks. He barely felt it.

Silence. No one else was around. Not a single car drove by on the hillside road above. Not even a cicada. It was just him and the cold, shimmering ocean. Again. One more memory he could never shake, no matter how hard he'd tried. All that was missing was-

"...Takeru-kun?"

A voice far too familiar for him not to recognize in an instant. At first, he froze. Wondering if it was his mind playing tricks. Only, when he turned back, he saw Hikari standing a few feet back, staring up at him.

Even from that distance, he could hear her breathing slightly heavily and see the increased rate at which her chest rose and fall. Like she'd run part of the way. Her hair was unpinned, bangs left to partially fall over her eyes. Like she'd left in such a hurry that she hadn't allowed herself time to grab one of her hair clips. But what struck him most was the look on her face. How unsurprised she seemed.

Like she'd somehow known where he would be before he did.

Had it been anyone else, Takeru might have chalked it up to coincidence. But, because it was Hikari-

"You had the dream again, didn't you?"

Her tone implied it was more of a statement than a question. He considered denying it for a fleeting moment before realizing it would be pointless to do so. She'd know he was lying.

Slowly, he turned to face her...and nodded.

There were few secrets between them anymore. Not since that awful day, three years ago, when her silence had nearly cost them both so much. The worry he felt now, unsettling as it was, still paled in comparison to the sheer panic that had swept over him when he first saw her disappearing. It was nothing compared to the frustration when he'd tried to confront her about it after school, and she'd weakly confessed to giving up. Because she'd been having dreams for weeks and told no one. Because she didn't think she was strong enough to fight on her own. Because she hadn't trusted him enough to let him save her before she'd needed saving.

But he had saved her. Brought her back. And, from then on, they'd made an unspoken pact to never hold back anything so important.

Which was why he'd told her after the first nightmare. The parallels were a little too eery for his liking, but he knew she would understand. His fears were real and valid enough that she wouldn't dismiss him so easily.

Goodbye, Takeru...

She believed him after the first time.

Then it happened again. And again. The same dream, each and every time. Details were fuzzy at best regarding the before and after—if there even was an after—but that singular moment still echoed in his mind's ear. Patamon bidding him farewell. Leaving. One of the most important people in his life, and Takeru was forced to watch him fly off on his own over and over. Losing anybody he cherished was his greatest fear. It always had been, ever since he was a young boy. His father. Yamato. Patamon. Hikari.

"Do you think..." he began. Hikari tilted her head up and waited patiently for him to finish, no matter how long it took for him to collect his thoughts. "...it could be a vision, maybe?"

"Takeru-kun, we don't get visions." She reminded him gently.

"You did."

She opened her mouth to protest. Then closed it once she realized she couldn't. Not really. "That was different."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I know Patamon. And so do you." Her weight shifted, and she attempted a reassuring smile. The way she looked at him...with that little bit of moonlight reflecting off her hair and eyes... "He loves you. He would never leave you. Not without a good reason."

Takeru sighed inaudible, a hand reaching up to rub at the bridge of his nose. Hikari meant well. She still wasn't dismissing him, either. She was trying to argue against his dreams with facts. And he appreciated it, really. In some ways, it was exactly what he needed to hear.

"It's the reason that bothers me," he murmured. Meant more for himself than her.

She heard him all the same.

Closing the remaining distance between them, Hikari finally came up to his side. Together, they continued down the beach path he'd started. It was familiar enough to them both from their elementary days that there was little risk in getting lost. It was also a little too easy for her to fall into step with him. He'd slowed his pace for her sake. Something he'd been doing for a while. Whether or not he was consciously aware of that fact, she could only guess, but it was a habit of his she'd picked up on some time back.

Waves continued to lap at the shore, gradually coming closer and closer to the pair. Until a particularly forceful wave took them by surprise, nearly getting Hikari—but Takeru grabbed at her hand and pulled her back just in time to watch the cold waters retreat within an inch of her sneakers.

"Thanks," She smiled up at him graciously. A smile that faltered when she realized he wasn't smiling back. He was just...looking at her with a slightly glazed expression. It was then she knew for certain: "There's something else, isn't there? This is about more than just your dreams."

He didn't immediately answer, and that told her enough.

"Takeru-kun..." She urged him softly, shoulder slumping. "Tell me."

He shook his head. "You'll think I'm being ridiculous."

"I always think you're being ridiculous, but I'm still here, aren't I?"

She'd meant it as a joke, but when he lifted his gaze to fully meet with hers...

"Yeah. You are." It was as if he were realizing this fact for the first time. Only then did the corners of his lips finally twitch upward. "And where would I have been without you these last three years?"

"Nowhere near half as lost as I would have been without you."

The way his brows rose, it was clear he hadn't been expecting that. "Hikari-chan..."

Their hands were still clasped. She'd actually nearly forgotten about that until then, and covered up any potential embarrassment that might have come with him making the same discovery by offering his fingers a light squeeze. When she finally pulled away, a small gust of wind blew across her face, giving her the perfect excuse. Her hand came up to brush some of the unclipped hair away from her face, pushing it back behind her ear.

"We both know it's true." Her voice, barely above a whisper, carried to him on that same wind. "You've saved me more times than I can count. Piemon...the digital city...the Dark Ocean..."

"...stray water buckets," he added with a growing smirk.

Her jaw dropped. A full second passed. Then another. Then, she let out a soft groan, covering her eyes in embarassment at the all too recent memory.

"I still can't believe Mimi even talked us into that."

"Neither can I." Takeru's eyes were shining with amusement now. If had been for any other reason—preferably one not at her expense—Hikari might have been more grateful for the abrupt shift in topic. "Imagine my surprise when I heard you scream in the ment's bath, of all place."

"You seemed to handle it pretty well."

Understatement of the year. He'd been a little too cool about the whole situation for her liking. As if it had been nothing at all for him to jump out of that stall, towel wrapped securely around his waist, with such precise timing as to stop her from sliding into the wall with a single, swift movement. They'd been left in a rare awkward position, with his hands on the bucket she'd slipped in, and hers on his (bare) shoulders. Hikari very rarely blushed, but by that point...with the way he'd looked up at her...an unmistakable rush of heat had flooded both her cheeks. She could barely stand to look at him.

Takeru must have been thinking something similar, because in his next breath: "It was worth it, though, to see you like that."

For the second time, Hikari felt her cheeks heat up. Her head dipped ever further downward in hopes he wouldn't notice. She knew what he was trying to do. She absolutely, without a single shred of doubt, knew. She's seen him do it far too many times to the others not to recognize the signs. The only thing worse was that it was working. And she knew that too.

While she was still distracted with her thoughts, a pair of warm, strong arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders. She let out a soft gasp as she felt him pull her back to his chest, considering the context of their previous conversation, and-

"Thank you." He whispered in her ear, and she heard relief in his tone. Relief, mixed with... "For being here."

Here.

Not just on the beach. Not just that night. Thinking back to the reason why she'd found him out here in the first place...her hands slowly rose to rest upon his forearms. Her whole body relaxed, and she even allowed herself to partially lean into his hold. Her eyes closed.

She nodded in response to his thanks. It was all she could do.

The two close friends remained like that for several minutes after. One of them staring out into nothing. The other trying to ignore the slight feel of his breath whenever it tickled the back of her neck. Him holding her. Supporting part of her upper body weight. A near effortless gesture on his part. Her finding an unexpected warmth that shielded her from even the bitter wind. The night air no longer felt quite so chilly to either of them.

"I should...probably take you home." Takeru was the first to break the silence, albeit more than a bit reluctantly. She could hear the sheepish smile in his voice. "Taichi-san will be worried."

He made no indication to move just yet. Neither did she.

"Oniichan rarely wakes up before his alarm. He probably won't even notice I ever left."

o o o

On the hillside above, unbeknownst to either of the two...Yamato pulled away from the railing he'd been leaning on as the phone in his pocket began to ring. He didn't even have to look at the ID to know who it was.

"Hey, Taichi. Yeah. Yeah, I found them." He spared one last glance down at the two youngest Chosen before fully turning back towards the road, nodding his head along the way. "Together. No. No, not that I can tell. Yeah, she's fine. They both are. Just...maybe you should have her explain when she gets home. Yeah. Yeah, I got it. See you later today. Bye."

With that, the Bearer of Friendship let out a melodramatic sigh as he headed back towards his apartment, all the while wondering what would be the most delicate way of breaking it to their father that Takeru only snuck out of his room in the middle of the night to go for a long walk on the beach with a girl.

(Even if that girl was only Hikari.)

o o o

o o o

FIN