Chapter Two: A Night at the Movies
(A/N: Before I start this chapter, I feel an explanation of what I'm basing this story off of is necessary. I know that in the Japanese version of Digimon, the finale does state that Matt and Sora got married. But for some reason, the English version does not, even though Ken and Yolei/Miyako are said to be married. Also, if you look at their positioning, Matt and Sora do not stand together, Matt is usually near to Tai while Sora is actually surprisingly close to Joe. Thus, I have decided that, while they do share children, I do not think Matt and Sora are together in the finale. And thus I'm hoping to explain how that happened with this fic. If you disagree with my interpretation, fine, just know that if you're reading this fic that this is what's going to happen. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the second chapter
Also, special thanks goes out to Katie for the beta.).
Sora scanned the crowd for what seemed to be the millionth time. He was late. She couldn't believe this. What if he wasn't coming at all? How would she ever be able to face the others?
"Okay Sora," she said softly to herself, "you're acting crazy. He's only ten minutes late, there's still lots of time. Just breathe and relax." She sat down on a nearby bench, right in front of the theatre where she and Matt had planned to go for their first date.
Their first date. It was supposed to have been last week, after the concert, but the battle had ruined any chance of that happening. In the immediate aftermath of scrambling, it had been impossible to have until now. Every day that passed had made Sora even more anxious about everything. She couldn't help it, she had never been on a date before. She still sometimes had trouble believing that what she remembered was true, that she really had asked him out. That he had said yes. It seemed too good to be anything but a dream.
Yet at the same time, it was terrifying. Now she had to go out and actually do it, making asking seem like the easy part. She didn't know how long it had taken her to choose an outfit and she wasn't one to worry about clothes. But today she had acted like Mimi, trying on a million things and finding faults with all of them, until finally choosing the skirt and blouse she wore now. She had even put on a touch of makeup. Not too much, she didn't want to seem like she was trying too hard…but she also wanted to show that she had put some effort into it. And it gave her something to do, in a failed attempt to take her mind off all her anxiety about what would happen next.
This wait was doing nothing to alleviate those fears, especially the worst: that she had imagined it all. That it really had been a dream. If only he would get here now, if only she could look up to see him smiling at her.
Quickly, she looked up, hoping to see him. In every romance story, this would be the moment the hero appeared to sweep her off her feet. He wasn't there. Of course he wasn't. This was real life, not some fantasy churned out by Harlequin 1.
Fifteen minutes now. Maybe he really wasn't coming. Maybe she should just leave.
"Sora!"
Suddenly out of the crowd, there he was. Sora stood up quickly, hurrying over to him, fears suddenly washing away, replaced with relief. And the great desire to not show how worried she had been. Or any of the slight anger she now felt towards him for being so late.
"Matt! Where have you been? I expected you fifteen minutes ago!"
"I know, I know, I'm sorry. We had some technical problems at band rehearsal today and we have the big concert coming up, so I wasn't able to leave as early as I planned. I rushed here as fast I as could, once I did get out. I'm so sorry, I hope you weren't too worried."
Sora had to admit the explanation sounded logical, she knew how important the band was to Matt, and he had managed to get here eventually. She was upset about it all, of course, but arguing about it now wouldn't solve anything. He was here now, that was what's important. She didn't want to ruin things now that they were just getting going.
"I…no, I wasn't worried. I just…was concerned, that something might have happened to you."
"Well, I am sorry, it will never happen again. I'm not too late though, we can still catch the movie, right?"
She didn't even have to look at her watch to answer, "Yeah, you got here just in time. Let's go."
Quickly the got in line for tickets. As Matt went up to the booth to get their tickets, Sora searched her purse for the money to pay for hers. Her mind was still racing over everything that had happened, but she tried to push that aside and concentrate on the moment. She would have lots of time later to dwell over the particulars.
"Sora, what are you doing?"
She looked up to see Matt looking at her, the tickets in hand.
"I'm giving you the money to pay for mine."
"Sora, this is a date. I'm supposed to buy it for you," he smiled at her, obviously amused by this all.
"Oh, right…of course you are."
They stood in silence for a few moments, eyeing their feet, before finally entering the theatre. On the way towards their theatre, they passed a poster advertising the new big blockbuster, one of those movies about a bad sports team that suddenly becomes good. The sport in question for this one was soccer.
"You used to play a lot of soccer, right?" Matt asked as they stood in front of the poster.
"Yeah, I was really into it for a long time, before I started playing tennis. I loved it a lot, though I was never as obsessive as Tai…"
Matt froze at that name, while Sora bit her lip. She hadn't thought before mentioning Tai. Though he had seemed okay with the idea of her and Matt, she was still concerned about how he would take all this. She had suspected for awhile that his feelings might go beyond friendship. It had been very uncomfortable knowledge to have, though she had done her best to not let it affect things. But now it had to.
"I feel bad about things with him," Matt said after a few minutes had passed. "I think all of us knew about his feelings."
"Yeah, I know. I talked to him before the concert, did I tell you that?"
"No, you didn't. What did he say?"
"He took it surprisingly well. But I'm still worried about him."
"Of course you are, you're a very caring person. That's why you have the crest of love…it's perfect for you."
Sora smiled. "And, despite what has happened, the crest of friendship suits you too. But that only makes things even worse."
"You're right. I don't want to do anything to jeopardize my friendship with him. But I also don't want to give this up."
"Neither do I."
"So, we have to take him at his word. He said he's fine with it."
"Yes, yes he did."
Matt grinned at her then began walking away. "I'm sure we'll have to deal with it more in the future, but for now, that will have to do. So, we should hurry or the movie will start without us."
She smiled back and followed him.
While Matt went in to get them seats, Sora got refreshments, insisting that she pay for them herself. She joined him afterwards, sitting in the back row, thankful that no one tall was in front of them. As the movie started, she tried to keep her attention focused forward, but found that was next to impossible. She kept glancing over, the uncertainty she had felt earlier coming back to haunt her. Should they be doing something other than just watching? There had been next to no physical contact, only the occasional meeting of fingers seeking food, but that was brief and awkward. It wasn't supposed to be that way, was it? Shouldn't Matt have his arm around her or something, use that old yawn trick you always saw? At least they might want to hold hands, but how do you start that? She had no idea. So once again she tried to turn her mind to other things, trying to relax in what she had rather than worrying about what she didn't. And once again, she failed.
He walked her home afterwards, still no physical contact though there was now pleasant conversation about the movie they had just seen. Eventually they returned to the earlier topic of the crests, just as they reached Sora's house.
"It's interesting," Matt said as they approached the door, "how some of the crests seem to go together."
"It is," Sora agreed. "Like hope and light. We all know that TK and Kari have a, well, it's hard to describe, but a special friendship. Perhaps it will become more."
"Yes, maybe…a long time from now," Matt said with a wry grin. "After all, he's still my baby brother, too young for romance."
After they had both had a laugh over that, he continued, "But I wasn't talking about them. I was talking about us. Don't you think friendship and love go together?"
"Well, yes, I suppose they do. After all, I love my friends."
"Yes. And friendship can sometimes lead to something more."
Sora looked up at Matt, finding that he was standing a lot closer than she had previously thought. He leaned in, she tilted her face up and somehow they actually managed to meet, though it was not the most orderly of fits. Noses knocked each other, moments later they had to break away in order to breath. But despite the imperfections of the kiss, it seemed just perfect to them both.
1 Despite my beta's misgivings, Harlequin does publish books in Japanese.
