Matt couldn't move. He was utterly paralyzed despite the sudden fear coursing through his body, clouding his mind but sharpening his senses, making him painfully aware of what was taking place before him. He opened his mouth to scream as Sora walked away, but nothing came out. His eyes widened and Sora stopped mid-step, turning around.

"Matt?" she asked, an edge to her voice Matt couldn't place.

I'm here, Sora, he wanted to scream. I'm right here, don't go away! But already the dark barrier was coming back up, and he slammed himself against the wall furiously, repeatedly, until he was exhausted. He heard Sora's footsteps as she left, but he couldn't do anything to stop her. Don't block me out, he yelled in his mind. Don't block me out!

Matt woke up sweating, his hands curled in fists around the sheets. He lay there for a few moments before bolting upright. Sora!

Not bothering to get dressed, Matt jumped up instantly, running down the dorm halls barefoot. He threw open the entrance door with a bang, icy wind slapping him in the face as he ran across the campus to the girl's dorm. He reached the door with record speed, tugging it open and dashing through the living room and up the stairs, unaware of the strange stares this earned him from a few girls. Scanning the room numbers with his eyes, he ran up to Sora's and began pounding on the door.

"Sora! Wake up, are you there? Sora!" He pounded on the door a few more times before he heard a muffled curse, and a few seconds later the door was unlocked and a disheveled Sora was standing in front of him. She was still in her pyjamas; a light tank top and baggy pants. He stared at her for a moment before pulling her into an embrace, relieved.

"You're okay, you're okay..."

"Of course I'm okay," came the calm reply. Matt said nothing, simply listening to the feel of her heart beating by his.

"...Matt?" Sora asked his collarbone after a second. "Why aren't you wearing a shirt?" She placed a hand on his bare chest, and the resulting tingle sent shivers up his spine.

Or maybe it was the fact that he just realised -- "I'm freezing!" he yelped, only to have Sora slap a hand over his mouth.

"A little louder, would you? You'll wake up the entire dorm!" Matt shivered, and Sora dragged him inside, shutting the door behind them. She motioned for him to be quiet as they walked into one of the adjoining bedrooms through the living room. Matt could hear the quiet breathing of her roommate, Mimi, obviously still asleep.

"So why are you here so early?" asked Sora as she opened her drawers, searching for a shirt that would fit Matt.

Matt didn't reply at first, suddenly hit with the unpleasant realisation that he had not thought this out. At all. "I...um...there..." Sora threw a large Beatles t-shirt at him, interrupting his stuttering, and he put it on gratefully.

Sora frowned, putting her hands on her hips. "Okay, that is not supposed to look better on you than it does on me." Matt smirked, looking down. It even matched his pyjama bottoms.

"Anyways," Sora continued, "what are you doing here? It's too early for this!"

Matt glanced at the clock on her bedstand. It read 4:47. He sighed. "I...had a dream about you." Sora raised an eyebrow.

"Alright..."

Matt wrapped his arms around her waist, sitting down on the bed and pulling her onto his lap. She squirmed a little, but didn't get off.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sounding a little worried for the first time. Matt fell back onto the bed, and Sora rolled off his lap, lying down next to him.

"It's just...in my dream, you were blocking me out. Pushing me away...and there was nothing I could do." Sora stared at his profile.

"I'd never do that to you, Matt," she said honestly. Matt took his eyes off the ceiling to look at her.

"Never?" He had to be sure.

"Never." replied Sora firmly. "I promise." Neither of them said anything for a few minutes.

"I'm glad," Matt said quietly at long last.

"Yeah..." whispered Sora, her eyes fluttering slowly closed. Matt watched her.

Before he even noticed he'd done it, Matt began stroking her hair gently, his arm wrapped around her. She snuggled closer to him, and together they lay there silently. Matt didn't know how long they stayed like that, but eventually he noticed Sora's deep, rhythmic breaths and realised that she was asleep. Quietly he stood up, taking his arm out from behind her neck and replacing it with a pillow. He kissed her on the forehead before walking out, shutting the door softly behind him.

Rubbing his hands together, Matt walked eagerly back into the boy's dorm. He smelled food cooking and briefly wondered who would be up this early. He walked into the living room to find Tai and Joe chatting amiably, Joe making omelets while Tai watched hungrily from his place at the kitchen counter.

"There you are, Matt," remarked Joe. Tai looked up.

"Where've you been?"

Matt ran a hand through his hair. "Out."

"Nice shirt," Joe commented.

"Nice shoes," added Tai, grinning. Matt blushed slightly, just remembering he was still wearing Sora's light blue flip-flops. She'd refused let him cross the college grounds barefoot, and since he wasn't about to wear high heels and her sneakers didn't fit him flip-flops had been the only option. As girly as they were. "Where'd you get them?"

Matt's brow furrowed slightly. "Sor--they're mine," he said offhandedly. He knew what it looked like and he didn't want Tai getting mad, especially not so early in the day.

"Sora's?" asked Tai, sounding surprised. Apparently he'd caught what Matt had been trying to avoid. "What were you doing with Sora at --" he checked his watch "-- six fifteen in the morning?" He'd been there for over an hour? It hadn't felt like it. Matt thought he'd been there for maybe ten minutes, tops.

Matt sighed. It looked like he had to tell them. "I had a dream about her, and I was worried. That's all."

Tai and Joe looked just as incredulous as Sora had. "What kind of dream?" asked Joe.

Matt felt a little uncomfortable. "Well...she..." He grabbed a chair, sitting down at the counter with Tai. He was going to be here for a while.

Joe stared as Matt explained the dream to him and his roommate. Joe glanced over at Tai a few times, checking his reaction. The tanned boy had his arms folded in front of his chest, eyes flicking back and forth from Matt's face to his shoes. Joe was sure he was jealous.

"...and, I don't know. When I woke up I just felt really scared, and I had to check to make sure she was alright. I don't know, it was stupid," Matt repeated. Telling his friends about his dream made him feel like a kid who couldn't get over a simple nightmare.

"Sounds stupid," said Tai. Matt rubbed his thumbs together.

A sizzling sound suddenly came from behind Joe, followed by a delicious smell. He jumped up. "The eggs, I forgot!"

Matt and Tai didn't move as Joe scooped the big omelet off the frying pan, splitting it neatly into three portions. He placed the plates in front of the two boys, anxiously, wishing one of them would say something already. It was beginning to get awkward.

"Morning, guys!" called Izzy cheerfully, coming down the stairs. Joe sighed, relieved.

"Hey, Izzy!" answered Tai, the tension in the room gone as quickly as it had come.

"Eggs?" offered Matt, pushing a plate towards him.

"Wha -- hey, those are my eggs!" exclaimed Tai, grabbing his plate back. Matt laughed, standing up to get ketchup. His eyes met Tai's briefly, and both boys knew their little argument would be forgotten. That's how it was with them.

"I don't think we have time for breakfast," said Izzy. "It's already 8:30." The three boys' eyes widened.

"School starts in fifteen minutes!" Joe cried.

"Crap!"

"LET'S GO!"

The four digidestined rushed to get ready for class, all eggs and dreams forgotten.