A/N: okay, guys, this chapter's a bit shorter than the others. I just wanted to thank you all for reading and clarify a few things! :D Sorry I use some of the Japanese names and some of the American names. Most of my friends are Digimon fans, but some are only familiar with American canon and such so I kept some names American for that reason. I'm sorry I didn't cover all the ships, though! There are some I'd like to touch on at a later date (promise) but for now, I hope you enjoy this Takari/Daikari/Sorato/Taiora fic! Also, Sorry this ones a bit shorter than the past few chapters! Hope it goes over well with you all! Thanks again!


Chapter Three

It was like lightening when Takeru flew down the court. Hikari was cheering for him on the sidelines and he smiled at her, giving her a quick wave. The ball was passed to him and he refocused himself.

"Play B!" he yelled across the court.

Jamal, his forward, nodded. The ball was faked to him, then passed back to Takeru just in time for him to do a lay-up. They high-fived and began to run the opposite way, bracing themselves for the rebound.

And rebound they did. With only three seconds left, Takeru took a chance and shot from half court. Either way, Odaiba High would win, but he needed to know if he could make this shot.

"Unbelievable!" exclaimed the announcer. "Rookie-Sophomore Takeru Takaishi made a three pointer! This will be a day of reckoning for our opposing team!"

The whole team cheered for him. They all tackled him and formed a dog pile. They had made it to the playoffs! They won the game by thirteen points! Takeru had scored nearly twenty-seven points throughout the whole game. He was a hero!

Once all the boys had cleared off of him, Takeru was tackled again by a much more petite figure. "Congratulations, Takeru! I knew you could do it!"

He rubbed her back as he hugged her. "Thanks, Hikari. It means a lot." A warmth spread through him again.

"You're all sweaty," she commented.

Takeru blushed. "Yeah, I should probably hit the showers."

Hikari began to walk with him towards the lockers. He high fived and grinned several more times. Many people seemed to be impressed, but there was only one person whose attention he craved.

"I suppose you won't be going to the movies with me and Davis tonight?" she asked sweetly.

It was amazing how easily she could lure him into doing anything, but alas he had to refuse. It was a Thursday night, and Takeru always ate dinner with his mother on Thursdays. Tradition was hard to break. Still, something tugged inside him. Hikari would be hanging out with Davis again.

"I'm sorry I can't come. I'd love to go… but."

"You and your mother. I get it, Takeru."

They both smiled, Hikari's a little bit smaller.

"It's just that it might feel like a date. And I guess going out with Davis wouldn't be so bad, but I just wanted to have a close friend near by…"

Takeru had no idea what to say to that. They had reached the double doors and sweat could be smelled even with them shut. Hikari made a face and they laughed together. She gave him another brief hug.

"Rush home and tell your mother the news, then," she said.

Takeru pat her hair. "Of course I will. Try not to have too much fun without me, okay?"

"I'll try! But Davis is actually a riot," Hikari said as she danced away.

It was strange of her to say that. Honestly, Takeru could not tell if that was sarcasm or not. She really had been cozy with Davis in the last week or so. Yet it would be childish to feel that he was being replaced…

"Nice shot, Sophomore," said Jamal, ruffling Takeru's sweaty hair.

Takeru smiled. "Thanks."

"Was that your girlfriend out there? I don't mean to rob the cradle or anything, but she's pretty cute," Jamal added casually. He was drying himself off with a towel.

The younger boy blushed. "Er, no. She's my best friend though."

"You should make her your girlfriend!" added Mike, another one of the older players.

"You can't make someone your girlfriend," said Takeru, slightly offended on Hikari's behalf. "Besides, she's going to the movies with one of the soccer boys: Davis Motomiya?" He wasn't sure if the other boys knew about Davis.

"Ooohhhh," the whole locker room replied. There were some chuckles, making Takeru turn even redder.

Jamal walked over to Takeru and clapped at his shoulder with a pale hand. "Hey, my man can take it! Do you all think that other dudes any sort of competition against our star player?"

The compliment was taken humbly. The whole team changed their jeers to whistles of appreciation.

Coach came in a few minutes later. He turned on the showers and left the locker room, allowing the boys to wash up. Takeru made his shower quick… He needed to talk with his mom.


Tai was home alone tonight. His mother and father were at a dinner party for Mr. Kamiya's company and would be staying at the hotel that night. Hikari was out with Davis again. Distantly he wondered how her relationship with Takeru still was…

Cooking was something very familiar to Tai now. Though, in truth, his specialty was breakfast. For dinner, he prepared himself a warm plate of spinach omelette and pancakes. The sausages were canned, and though non-perishable foods were not as good, the smell still made Tai's mouth water. He had been home for four days and he was still trying very hard to eat his mother's cooking.

The news was buzzing about the latest act of vandalism in the Digital World. The newscaster was still very ignorant to most things Digital, but at least he knew the basics now. Tai laughed at the thought of the news a few years ago when the television stations thought there were ghosts roaming about, not digimon.

With his eyes still glued to the TV, Tai tried to set himself up a picnic in the living room. It was a night in by his lonesome. He was too timid to ask Sora to come over after she rushed out of the flower shop with Matt, so he decided it best to just enjoy some alone time at home. Initially, he was to hang out with his baby sister, but as noted earlier, Hikari was out with Davis.

An ad for some new kind of laptop flashed across the screen and Tai smiled, thinking of Izzy. He was about to call and invite the boy over before realizing that this was one of the many nights that Izzy was at collegiate night course.

Tai groaned. As much as he tried to convince himself he was happy, he was not one to enjoy alone time. Just as he was admitting this to himself, the doorbell rang. Tai called for the guest to wait while he moved his trays to the side and headed over to the door.

It was slightly surprising to find Matt Ishida at the door. Tai smiled, regardless of the tension, and gave Matt a loose hug. His friend returned the gesture. Once the pleasantries were exchanged, it was awkward once more. Motioning for Matt to follow, Tai headed back to the living room.

"Make yourself at home," he said lightly.

"It is my second home, isn't it?" Matt said with a laugh.

"Third. Dorm rooms."

"I took a year off of schooling. Rock band, you know?"

Damn him and his fabulous rock band, Tai thought bitterly, I'm in school, political sciences, and that's when Sora decides she doesn't want brainy boys.

Matt laughed awkwardly when Tai didn't respond. Apologetically, Tai gave him a shifty smile.

The fork raked across the plate as Tai took bites from his food. He padded at his mouth with a napkin before turning to look at Matt. "Why you here?" Tai asked in mouthfuls.

"Er, just wanted to talk. I haven't spoken to you in a while."

"Well, where do you have the time?" Tai asked, grinning. "Music, touring…girls."

Both boys gulped. Lucky for Tai, it just looked as if he was swallowing.

"Yeah, girls," Matt muttered.

"How is your girl? Lunch good?"

"Yeah! Yeah, it was good. Sora said you helped out at the store. Thanks for that. She's been trying to get me to help for ages, but things always come up…"

I rode my bike nearly a million miles. What possibly came up when you have a fancy car?

"Yeah, I'd imagine you're busy."

"Dad wants to make a documentary of my band, so we've been filming non-stop for the last three weeks."

"Sounds cool, but do you really need another thing to boost your fame?"

"Probably not," Matt said, chuckling.

"Yeah, probably not…"

Both boys turned back to the television, watching in a strained silence. Was that really the only reason Matt was here? Tai had mixed emotions and his thoughts had not ceased whirring. It was great to see his best friend, but with the events that had turned in the last few weeks seemed to have dampened his visit.

Tai snuck a second-long glance at his friend before turning back to his food. Apparently, Matt was thinking the same thing. Tai finished the last few bites of his food and wordlessly headed towards the kitchen.

Matt followed. He leaned against the counter in this cool, casual way. Tai had never been able to achieve that. He was always too wired.

"So," Matt began as Tai ran the water for his dishes, "What were you doing at the Shoppe?"

"Helping Sora out with her stuff," replied Tai, shrugging. He shifted his eyes to take a sneaky glance at Matt. He seemed tense.

"That's it? She thinks you went there for something else. Then I heard she tricked you into helping."

"So I helped her. Like you said, you never have time to. Big deal," Tai retorted again, a bit too gruffly.

Matt snorted, but other than that said nothing. He crossed his arms, adding to his mystique.

"Snorting isn't very attractive, Matt," Tai slighted.

He heard Matt exhale. It sounded like a tense breath. Immediately, Tai regretted his little jibe.

"Hey, I'm sorry 'bout that—"

"What's your problem?" exploded Matt.

Tai could already feel a fight coming on; a huge one. The last time they had argued like this, they were children. But despite the ominous atmosphere, he could not hold his tongue.

Dishes clashed as Tai ditched his chore. He rounded on Matt. "What's my problem? Are you joking, Matt?"

"I don't see the joke in this at all, actually," Matt countered.

After wiping his hands on the dishtowel, Tai threw it down angrily and stormed from the room. It hurt to find out how out of touch he and his best friend really were now. It felt terrible to realize that a girl, both of their best friends, was tearing them apart.

Angry steps told Taichi that Matt was right behind him.

"You're just going to walk away from this? That's not like you, Tai!"

"Well, maybe going to school taught me a few new things!"

Matt snorted again, causing Tai to raise an eyebrow challengingly. "Poli-sci, right? You aren't too good at keeping your cool. If you ask me, you don't have a real career in it at all."

"At least I'm trying for a real career! And nobody did ask you!"

Matt glared coolly. Tai mimicked him. Neither boy said anything.

After a few minutes of intense staring, Matt let out a low chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief. This angered Tai.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just that I always knew you were the jealous type."

Tai bit his lip, his eyes trying their hardest not to reflect his hurt. He was the jealous type. Matt was right. It just wasn't like best pals to point things like that out.

"It's hilarious, because whenever Izzy would ask about it I would just shake him off. No big deal, like you said, right? You're my best friend. She's my girlfriend. There's no problem there. No harm. No Foul."

There was a problem, thought Tai quietly to himself. Plenty of hurt done.

"But apparently, best friends isn't enough for you. You want to be the same person, Tai? Want to have what I have?"

"Just because you live large, no school, lots of money, girls… that doesn't mean I want that! That doesn't mean I'm jealous!"

"I don't need girls, Tai. I have Sora, if you recall."

Tai felt his back stiffen. The truth was that Tai envied all of Matt's fortune for one purpose: because Sora liked that. If Sora wanted a rock star, Tai would pray he'd wake up a rock star the next morning. It hardly seemed fair.

When they were younger, Sora would always tease Tai about the fact that their then-soccer-teammate Izzy was smarter than him, even though he was a year younger. In the Digital World, she always told him he was getting smarter, more logical.

But she didn't want that anymore. She wanted a college-ditching, no-time-to-help, blondie like Matt. Though everyone deferred to him as the leader, Tai felt like things never went his way.

"You can have her, Matt," he said quietly.

"I do have her, Tai. Stop questioning that!"

"I'm not trying to undermine you or anything, okay?" Tai said, trying to keep his cool in an effort to prove Matt wrong. "I went to the Shoppe to find out what was going on between you two. It would've been nice if you told me off the bat, but hey… I had to get the information somehow, right?"

"It feels like shit to think that your best friend isn't even happy for you."

"It feels like shit to realize that the girl you've been in love with for seven years is going out with your best friend. But you know what, Matt? I'm still trying to be happy for you."

Matt bit his lip, trying to hold out from saying anything too rude. "Tai, you know you can't have her."

"I know," Tai said in a small voice. Why did he have to keep reminding him of that?

"Accept that. Then we'll talk."

Tai nodded, having nothing else to say. He shoved his hands in his pocket, his fists clenching and unclenching.

"I'm out. Tell Hikari I say hi. And your parents, too."

"Be sure to greet Sora for me," Tai replied.

Matt's fist flexed and within a second it connected with Tai's jaw. Tai's fingers brushed gingerly over the skin before averting his cold eyes to Matt's.

"What was that for?"

"You're so damn bitter, Tai! Be happy for us! If you had Sora, I'd try and move on. Be happy for you because I owe you that much! Don't think I love her any less than you do!"

"Stop acting like I'm some sort of bad guy! You don't think I'm trying to be happy for you? I want the best for the two of you! I love you both."

"You love her a little too much."

"Now who's jealous?" Tai said exasperatedly.

"It's natural for me to be jealous—"

"As it is for me."

"—Just try and lay off. I know that we're both hurting you. And I'm sorry it's so hard. But this whole thing is tearing all three of us apart! We were the best of friends, Tai. The best."

"I know. I'm sorry it's been like this, but right now I can't deal with it. Maybe you're right. I should move on." The pain was terrible as those words emitted from his throat.

Matt blinked, staring over at his best friend one last time before he left. "Sora's mine, and I promise you I really am sorry. If we can still be friends, great. But if you need your space, fine."

Tai nodded. The front door closed with Matt on the other side.

He finished his chores in silence, deciding not to wait up for Hikari. She'd get home on time. She was a good girl.

A debate raged on in his head about calling someone just to talk. He was a little unnerved after speaking with Matt. The only person he could think of calling was Sora, but she was off limits for the time being.

Heading to his room, Tai tried to cheer up. He wasn't one to throw a pity party. Still, the rain cloud was ominous over his head.

Sighing, Tai flopped onto his bed. There was nothing better to do now than to sit with the company of his thoughts. But at the moment, his thoughts weren't very good companions.


a/n: Sorry for all the author's notes. This is my first story here and I'm just really flattered that anyone even bothered to read it! All 4 reviews really did mean a lot. hehehe :3 Thanks so much! I really appreciate it! Again, I'm sorry I limited the fic to only a few ships. . .It's just that these are some of my favorite characters. I am rewatching the series lately so I promise I'll try and do some one shots of other couples I ship! :D I really do appreciate you all reading!

Xo,

Bottled fish