Author's Notes:

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon.

Nothing else to say, so enjoy.


Silver Lining

They always fought. Always bickered. But they never meant to hurt their best friends. Or go that one step too far. But at least they found their silver lining...a resolution.

Kouji M & Takuya K

Genre: Drama/Friendship

Rating: T


Chapter 2

It was a long, awkward walk, till we eventually arrived at Kouji's house. I say eventually mainly because the time seemed to drag in the ill comforted atmosphere, and it was beyond me how Kouji remained oblivious to it, especially as he is normally observant, unless it involved confliction between him and Takuya.

After all, that was only part of my discomfort. The other part, the larger one I think, was that his parents...well, our parents, were at home. And while Satomi and I get along all right, Otou-san is another matter. I never felt comfortable around him, and I think the whole Duskmon issue had a major role to play in all that. I mean, how do you face someone you unjustly hated enough to kill for? How do you tell someone you wanted them dead?

Even with Kouji and I, there's still that barrier, but we've pushed it back far enough so that it doesn't interfere with anything. As long as neither of us bring it up, it's fine.

But that's all beside the point. All it really meant was things were rather awkward at Kouji's when I slept over.

And this particular weekend was no different.

After all, we didn't take the first step to dissolve that barrier till awhile later.

It's funny; even when I'm trying to give an objective recount, I wind up being biased. But I suppose that just human nature, to be prejudiced based on past experiences and beliefs.

...not to mention I wind up daydreaming as usual.

'Hey, Kouichi?' my brother asks me once my mind had wandered off again.

'Yeah?'

'Are you going to just stand there or come inside?'

I blinked, before I felt my cheeks heat up slightly. We had been standing at the gate for about five minutes, staring, or rather I was staring, at the metal plate where the family name was engraved.

'Sorry,' I muttered, and we headed inside.


Later, as we were upstairs before bed, we eventually managed to get back onto the topic of Kouji and Takuya's relationship.

It all started with Kouji playing his music on full blast and working on something while I simply sat on his bed with my head in his hands. Personally, I didn't like it, but I kept my silence. It wasn't worth arguing over.

Now it's true that twins, monozygotic twins, are made up of the same DNA, but that similarity only stretches as far as physical appearance, and even then, noticeable differences can be observed. Like the tone of our hear, his being a shade darker than mine, or even our eyes, even though being the same colour, telling different stories.

Our personalities on the other hand are pretty much polar opposites. Maybe because of the different environments we were brought up in. Or perhaps because we're light and darkness. Polar opposites.

Our likes and dislikes differed greatly too; he likes music, I prefer drawing, he likes TV, especially action, I rather curl up in a quiet corner (emphasis on the word quiet) with some books, normally those of mystery or science fiction genre, He prefers science, I prefer humanities...sometimes unintentionally switching in the middle of a sentence and confusing people. It happens when the languages are polar opposites, or not in any way related.

Despite that, we tolerate it...normally. Which is why I never really understood why Kouji and Takuya could not tolerate their differences, which, while compared to the two of us, wasn't too much at all. After all, for the most part, they shared their hobbies, and the differences in terms of decision making could easily be compromised with a collaborated effort.

But stubbornness was unfortunately one trait they shared.

The music suddenly switched off, rather unexpectedly, so that the sudden silence was ringing in my ears till they adjusted and the ringing faded away. I raised my head slightly, only to find myself being stared down by Kouji. Which is definitely not a comfortable position to find oneself in, despite who was on either end.

'You should have said something.' Kouji's voice rang with a slightly accusing tone.

'Gomen,' I muttered, flinching slightly at his tone.

I supposed he noticed, as his voice immediately softened at his next words as he took a seat beside me.

'You keep too much inside Ni-san,' he said quietly, putting an arm around my shoulders. 'Would it hurt to speak out once in a while?'

'It could,' I responded, just as softly. 'When two people are stubborn, someone always gets hurt in the end.'

We both knew what I was talking about.

I turned slightly in his grip to face him. 'Would it hurt to compromise?' I asked, looking at him straight in the eyes.

He removed his arm and stood up, going back to his desk and packing up. 'Let's go to bed now.'

I could tell he didn't really know how to answer that, so I let it go. For the time being.

'Hai.'

I lifted the covers and snuggled into the sheets, resting my head on one pillow and leaving enough bed space and the other pillow for my brother.

I could still hear him bustling around as I closed my eyes and settled down to sleep. 'Onami-wa,' I murmured.

If he replied, it was too soft for me to hear.


Do you ever get that feeling that while all your senses are shut off, you can't fall asleep? That even when you are unable to move in any way, your heart beat pounds in your ears while your conscience makes its presence blaringly obvious?

Well, that was what I was feeling now.

It always takes me awhile to fall asleep, probably because I'm the warrior of darkness, even when I'm too exhausted to stay awake. And since the digital world, it's worse because of the demons that plague my sleep.

But that wasn't what was keeping me awake this time. It's like, I don't know, a sense of restlessness, that something was going to happen, though I was so sure I was being irrational.

Tomorrow was the first year anniversary of our trip to the Digital World. Or their trip really; I had never truly been there. I supposed it was just the fall and near death experience which kept me from rest that night, the possibility of history repeating itself...

...funnily enough, it turned out I hadn't been too far off.

Even if I got barely a wink of sleep that night.

My body was frozen in a state of inactiveness, but my mind was hyped up.

And so with nothing else to do as sleep refused to grant me a reprieve, I wound up thinking once more about the bond between Kouji and Takuya.

Light and flame, they pushed each other past their natural limitations. Together, they could transgress bounds which most would not expect, though we had hoped, and maintained faith that they could. They, who in combining their strengths, led while the others followed willingly. They, who helped each other grow.

That's not to say no-one else played any part in all of that, but if Kouji hadn't gotten hurt, by my own hand, Takuya may never have learned the responsibility that came with power, and if Takuya hadn't been so adamant in reaching out, Kouji may never have defrosted his rather frosty attitude.

The others say it was only when I joined the group did Kouji really open up, and that may be true; after all, I'm not exactly in a position to be arguing about that. However, it was Takuya who had kick-started the first step, who made him begin opening up which I in the end simply sped up, like a catalyst.

Anyway, they help each other grow, but in the same time, due to their stubbornness and certain explicit differences, they hindered each other. I guess it's natural for them to fight, I mean we've all had our differences at one point or another, but those two just had a habit of going over the top.

Everybody was so uptight too, save those two. And with the anniversary tomorrow...I just hoped nothing ruined it.

Though I guess I should have known that hope would be in vain.

I mean, those two couldn't go without at least one fight a day then, could they?


I wasn't exactly the easiest person to wake in the morning, even when I wasn't properly asleep, probably coupled with my restlessness before sleep. Kouji was the other way around, quick to sleep, quick to awaken.

Which is why it took so long before my foggy brain managed to interpret the fact that someone was shaking me.

'Nnrgh,' I groaned, blearily opening my eyes, seeing the fuzzy image of my brother hovering over me. 'What is it?'

'Izumi's on the phone for you.' Kouji, on the other hand, was wearing a rather odd expression, which I could tell even with my senses attempting to realign themselves into some sort of functional order.

'Couldn't you have told her I was asleep?'

'She would have killed me if I said anything.'

I raised an eyebrow at that, in the process of rubbing sleep from my eyes and maintaining enough consciousness to carry on a decent conversation and stifled a giggle behind a hand. It was rather funny though, my fearless twin brother scared of a girl's wrath. Though admittedly Izumi is pretty scary when she's mad.

'True 'touto-san.'

He groaned at that. Initially, I had thought he was groaning because of the 'little brother' nickname, though his next question nullified that.

'Are you ever going to knock off the suffix?'

'Eventually.'

He simply rolled his eyes and passed me the phone (cordless by the way).

'Ohayou Izumi-san,' I said into the receiver, pushing the covers of my body and sitting up as Kouji left.

'Ohayou,' she replied, sounding rather normal all things considered. I assumed it was Kouji (and Takuya) whom she was mad at. 'And are you ever going to stop attaching suffixes to our names?'

'Eventually,' I sighed, having just answered that question literally less than a minute ago. 'Habitual.'

'I guess that would be the case.' Out of the others, Izumi understood that best, having had her own hard time adapting to Japanese customs when she had moved back to Japan from Italy. 'You could call me Izumi-chan,' she added as an afterthought.

'And get mauled by school's boy population? No thanks.' Funnily enough, I was far more talkative on the phone, or on paper for that matter, than I was talking to someone directly.

'So true,' she laughed.

'So...'

'So...'

'...any particular reason you want to kill my brother?' I asked suddenly.

'The latest drama,' she sighed. Then very fast, 'Takuyaaskedmeoutonadate.'

'Slower?' I asked eventually, after failing to decipher that.

I could hear her take a deep breath on the other end. 'Takuya asked me out on a date.'

'Oh? That doesn't explain why you want to kill my brother.'

'Because-'

'Because he by no means has any feelings for you besides friendship.'

'Huh? He doesn't?' She sounded genuinely surprised, but I couldn't blame her.

'No,' I affirmed.

'Then why does he-'

'So he can drive Takuya-kun up the wall.'

A pause as she processed that.

'Takuya's going to be telling you any second now to knock off the suffix.'

The doorbell rang downstairs before I could answer.

'You had to say that, didn't you?'

'Why?'

'Because I think Takuya's at the door.' I leaned against the wall, sitting cross-legged on the bed, as it didn't look as though this conversation would be letting up soon.

'What made you say that?'

'Who else comes over at eleven on a Sunday?'

'Point.'

There was a comfortable silence for awhile, in which I heard Kouji answer the front door, and Takuya's voice soon reply, proving my assumption correct.

'Hang on a sec,' Izumi said suddenly. 'If you knew, why did you ask?'

'Knew what?'

'Knew Takuya asked me out.' She said that in a funny away, as if she was still in partial disbelief.

'I didn't,' I replied honestly. 'Though I did know he had a crush on you.'

'You could have warned me.'

'It wasn't my place to tell. By the way, what did you say?'

'...uhh...no?' She made it sound more like a question than an answer.

'Would you?'

She paused. 'I don't know,' she replied eventually. 'I don't want to compromise our friendship any more than it has already been, but-'

'You like him.'

'Yeah-I mean maybe, or-wait a sec!' I laughed at her indecision, trying rather unsuccessfully to stifle it. 'Kouichi!'

'Gomen.' I coughed once, getting the laughter out of my system.

We talked a bit more after that, mostly Izumi recounting every recalled instant where Takuya and Kouji had fought and their reasons, most of which could have easily been avoided, with me simply affirming my attention or adding little titbits here and there when the need arose. For a moment I wondered what had brought on the conversation, as although we were close, it was rather unlike us to have such a lengthy conversation.

Something about the way Izumi talked made me think I wasn't the only one concerned about today. She talked slightly faster then she normally did, and while she wasn't exactly uncomfortable, she still sounded slightly nervous, especially as we were about to hang up as the two downstairs yelled at me to hurry up.

'We're meeting in the basement of Shibuya Station at twelve?' she checked.

I affirmed, causing her to ask another question. 'You going with Takuya and Kouji?'

'Yeah...' I sighed.

'It's too much, the fighting.'

'Yeah, it is.'

'I'm just afraid someone's going to get hurt soon. For real.'

I was too. Only I hadn't realised that person was going to be me.


'Naruto's way better!'

'No, Sasuke is!'

Three guesses what was going on, and the first two don't count.

Unfortunately, the two arguing were just as much rivals as the two they were arguing about.

The three of us were walking through the train station, weaving through the crowd of people while trying to make our way to the elevator, while Kouji and Takuya continued their 'discussion' as to which character was better.

'Um...guys?'

The two looked at me. 'Yeah?' they asked at the same time, instantly forgetting their little disagreement. Well, temporarily anyway.

'The elevator's out of order,' I said, pointing to the notice attached to the doors.

Two simultaneous groans, then Takuya banged his head against the control panel. 'Well, damn,' he muttered.

'Try to save what brain cells you have google-head,' Kouji muttered in reply, rolling his eyes and weaving through the crowd towards the stairs. The same ones I had fallen down last year, not that I could see that with the sheer number of people separating us.

Takuya followed, shooting some reply which I failed to hear as I slipped between people in an attempt to follow them. Unfortunately, with the crowd, I wound up losing them, only finding them again once another argument was well underway.

In fact, the only reason I had found them again was because of Takuya's rather indignant shout, though I had not been able to make out what he had said.

My brother obviously had, and seeing the resulting expression on his face, I immediately wondered exactly what Takuya had said to invite a deeper anger than the usual on the surface taunts they normally exchanged.

Another trait the two shared, they were both quick to anger, and after exhausting physical taunts, they were rather in the habit of resorting to physical assertion.

And they were both good at it too. After, Kouji practiced Kendo, Judo and a few other martial arts whose names I can't remember off the top of my head, while Takuya plays for the district's soccer team, with basketball being a close second favourite for him. So naturally, they wound up being quite even in strength, even with all the practice they obtained in the digital world, though they had never actually resorted to hitting one another for all the disagreements they had gotten into.

And I wasn't too sure about Takuya, but I knew that one of Kouji's punches packed enough force behind it to break someone's nose, and perhaps a few other bones as well.

Which is why I found myself moving even before I realised it as soon as I saw him raise a clenched fist.

For a precious moment, the crowd parted, and I could see the stairs, the same ones I had fallen down the previous year...where I had almost died.

For a moment, those memories flashed in my head. The blinding pain in my skill, my brother's name falling from my lips, then the darkness of the digital world, and Cherubimon, Duskmon, then Lucemon...

But then I saw the fist lunge as in slow motion, and I was moving again. However, the brief pause had thrown me off balance, and having been forced to dive slightly to cover the distance between us, I managed to slip in front of Takuya just enough so that the punch didn't hit him.

I suppose seeing them so close to the stairs had made me panic; had Kouji's punch hit, and had Takuya stumbled even the slightest bit to the side, he would have fallen as I had the previous year.

Experiencing something once leaves a partially irrational fear in a person, and this case was no different. I had already fallen once, and the thought of seeing someone fall the same way was terrifying. However, when I had intercepted the punch, I had failed to consider the consequence of falling again myself.

Or at least until I felt my foot slip off the top stair as the punch hit, even as Kouji tried to pull back at the last minute. I looked up, and for a moment, I met his eyes, blue and widened in fear greater than what I myself felt at that moment...

...and the next second, the solid ground vanished and I was falling.

Pain flashed through me then, too much so for me to be able to pinpoint its origin, and my vision blurred even as I felt hands seize me and stop my downward descent. I could hear voices, melding like a ferocious storm, though not nearly as dangerous; more than two that I recognised, which meant the others were here too, though the sound grew gradually indistinct, as did the pain.

I saw a pair of blue eyes hovering over me, accompanied by a pair of brown. For a moment, all I could see was the expressions they held, so identical yet so rarely seen on them, that I could have sworn I was seeing only one pair, a colour between the two.

But it was a sight so welcoming that I felt the corners of my mouth twitch into a small smile before my vision faded into darkness.