Okay, so going to work on this one again cause I need to write more of this genre and it won't take as long to write as Fade Away plus I may need more fluff/romance/drama anyway. But either way guys, wish me luck! There's going to be some T.K./Kari and Tai/Sora moments in this chapter, neither of which are really my pairings but I can do this!
Chapter 03: Two Halves of a Hole
Kari was woken up to the sound of her cell ringing and her heart thudded slightly as she saw T.K. on Caller ID. Pushing those feelings of hesitation aside, she answered the phone. "Hey T.K.! Did you get home alright?"
"Hey Kari," T.K. said softly and he sounded nervous...hesitant? It was sort of hard to make out from his tone but he definitely sounded unsure about something. T.K. could be hard to read sometimes, especially when she couldn't see his face. "Yeah, I got home fine. Listen, I wanted to ask you something."
"Sure, what is it?" Kari said casually, although she had a pretty good idea and it caused her heart to sink just a little. She didn't have an answer yet! She wasn't ready for this. She needed more time to think about what her answer would be.
"Well, I was wondering if you don't already have a date for the prom, would you like to go with me?" T.K. asked softly. Kari didn't know what to say. She didn't have a date, no one else had asked her and T.K. was asking so nicely. Maybe this would help her realise that T.K. could be the one for her. He was her long-time friend who had always held her hand in the darkest of times and she knew she could always count on him no matter what. Here goes nothing.
"Sure, I'd love to," Kari replied softly, hoping she was making the right decision.
"Really? Great, thanks Kari," T.K. said. He sounded so happy and much less nervous than he had minutes ago. Had she really done that? It made her heart lift and her confusion died away momentarily. She was the reason for making her best friend's happiness and in that moment, that meant more to her than anything else. Maybe this was what listening to her heart meant because right now, her heart was telling her making T.K. happy brought a smile to her own face as well.
"Thanks for inviting me," Kari returned softly. "Take care, ok T.K.?"
"Yeah, you too, Kar, see ya," T.K. said hanging up and Kari laid her head back against the pillow. This would be her first real date. Even though many guys at school had tried asking her out, she had always said no. She knew real life was not a fantasy but she wanted to believe there was one person out there for her who was made for her. She would give not only her heart to that person but her entire being. She wasn't sure yet but maybe T.K. could be that person. Stories called them Prince Charming but she called it a soulmate. A being brought into life to make their other half reach their full potential.
"So did following your heart work?" Gatomon asked curiously, climbing to sit onto Kari's stomach. Kari scratched her digimon partner behind the ear.
"I hope so, Gatomon," Kari said softly. "I hope T.K. is the one for me and maybe this was supposed to happen like this."
Gatomon purred at the touch before nodding. "Yeah, go to the prom with T.K. and have a good time. You'll be able to figure it out, Kari even if it's not the answer you want."
"What do you mean?" Kari asked her partner.
Gatomon smiled. "That just because you're going to the prom with T.K. doesn't mean it's the only way it can go. Your friends will understand no matter what your heart decides. That's why they're your friends."
Kari pulled Gatomon closer into her arms, sitting up and hugging her. "Thank you, Gatomon. What would I do without you girl?"
"Not have to get me fish all the time?" Gatomon teased and Kari laughed.
"Well, there's that, those poor fish would get a break," Kari said, teasing back. "I think Gomamon might still be mad at you for trying to swipe some of his fish for lunch."
Gatomon huffed. "It was his fault for using that attack close to lunch! I was hungry after all."
Kari giggled. "I think he knows that. Speaking of that, I think we may have some leftover salmon in the kitchen, should I get some?"
Gatomon purred happily. "You know I can never say no to fish."
Kari rolled her eyes although her eyes twinkled with amusement. "Of course not."
Tai had gone outside to clear his head, not sure what was bothering him more at this point. The fact that Davis and T.K. were crushing on his baby sister or the fact that both he and Matt were head over heels for the same girl. Why couldn't anything ever be simple? Maybe instead of coming here, he should have asked Kari to open him a portal to the digital world and he could ask Agumon for advice. Nah, that wouldn't work. Agumon wouldn't have advice over something like a relationship. Somehow, through walking, he ended up at the old soccer club where he and Sora once played together.
They had always been best friends so surely Sora had grown feelings for him beyond that too? She did seem to get offended back then when he had unknowingly made a comment on how she looked. Maybe he had nothing to worry about because if Sora liked him too, he had no reason to hold back. Matt could get anyone, after all.
"You know, if you think that much, you'll get a brain cramp," said a sweet, familiar voice causing Tai to freeze. She was the last person he had expected for to be here, especially this late at night. Most girls would complain it was too cold and run back under covers. Then again, Sora had never been most girls and there she stood in the light of the moon in a casual dark blue tank top and white shorts. Had she come to play soccer? From the way she was dressed, it appeared to be so. Her clothes were slightly tight on her, smoothing out the curves as it went down.
Tai felt his cheeks flush at his own thoughts, quickly grinning at her to cover it up. "Maybe you're a bad influence on me."
Sora huffed playfully. "If that was true, your plans would be less dangerous when we were in the digital world."
Tai laughed. "I knew you'd have my back if I fell down."
"Oh is that what my role is reduced to now?" Sora teased and Tai slowly walked closer to her until there was little distance between. He reached out, gently taking her hand in his own, brushing his thumb against her fingers.
"I knew you would be there," Tai said, voice soft as he peered into her beautiful chocolate brown eyes. "No matter how many times I screwed up, you'd always my back, even if the others didn't."
"Tai," Sora breathed, looking down at their intertwined hands. "I'll always be there."
"I know," Tai replied, just as soft. "Sora...I really like you. A lot more than a best friend. I like like you. Will you..." He exhaled. This was it. It was now or never. "Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?" Silence. All he could hear was the thumping of his own heart and his hands beginning to sweat. Why wasn't she saying anything? Maybe he was wrong in thinking she liked him too. His heart felt as if it would come out and his gut feeling was proven right when Sora pulled her hand away, stepping back. "Sora..." She didn't even give him a chance to say anything, she just stepped even further back, turning tail and running.
Tai felt his heart crack as if someone had taken a knife, plunging it into his heart. His legs quivered slightly as he sunk to his knees. I'm so sorry Sora...