I'm BACK! And this time, it's an ALL fluff chapter and quite a bit longer too...completely Kozumi for the reviewers who kept wondering where it was :)

Disclaimer (darn, I keep forgetting one): I DON'T own Digimon!

Chapter 4

The crashing waves were the only sounds heard in the silent night. The moon shone brightly, decorating the beach with dancing images.

I ran to the edge of the shore and smiled when I felt the water tickle my feet.

"Something told me I'd find you out here."

My smile widened. I'd know that voice anywhere.

"Why are you up?" I asked, looking straight ahead at the full moon.

"Oh, the usual," Koji started, sitting down on the sand next to me. "I couldn't fall asleep because Takuya sounds like a truck rolling over a steel iron when he sleeps."

"I thought he was sleeping in Tommy's room today, to make sure he's completely fine."

"Those poor walls don't stand a chance against Takuya."

I laughed quietly. "What brought you out here?" he asked, lazily drawing figures with his toe.

"The moon and the waves. And the quiet, I guess."

We sat there in silence for a while, just feeling the water and sand between our toes.

"Isn't it beautiful?" I suddenly asked, watching the moon.

"Yeah," Koji replied. "Absolutely beautiful." I blushed when I felt his eyes on me.

"I was talking about the moon."

I didn't have to look at him to know he was smirking. "So was I."

I finally looked over at him and smiled at how soft his eyes looked. Even since we came back from the Digital World seven years ago, Koji had kept getting better and better when it came to people. Yet, I always knew that, besides for Kouichi, his eyes softened only for me. It's something I picked up on over the years. He laughed and joked with everybody, but with them, his eyes still had that bit of mystery and coldness that he was so known for. With me, it seemed to disappear. His eyes were always friendly…just for me.

"Want to take a walk?" I asked, not noticing that I was still staring into his eyes.

He gave me a funny look, before breaking into a smirk. "With you? Well, princess, I'd be honored."

I playfully punched him on the arm as he got up and put a hand out to help me up. As I was about to take it, he closed it into a fist and stuck his pinky out instead. "Only if you promise to play nice."

I laughed at how childish he was being but linked pinkies with him anyways. "Pinky promise."

"Good," he said helping me up. "'Cause you're IT!" With that he took off running down the beach. This was the Koji that I loved: childish, carefree, and happy, but I only saw this Koji when we were alone. He managed to keep this side of him hidden from the rest of the world. Secretly, I hoped I'd be able to see this side of him for the rest of my life.

After a moment spent shaking my head and rolling my eyes, I took off after him. "Koji Minamoto! You can't run forever!"

"I don't have to," he screamed back, his voice carried by the wind. "You'll never catch me."

"I'm surprised you can still run with that big head on your shoulders. Doesn't it weigh you down?" I teased, hoping to slow him down with my witty retorts.

"Oh, you're hilarious," he scoffed. "But you still can't catch me!" And that's a fact I knew. Koji could run miles faster than me; there was no way I'd ever catch him. So I'd have to play dirty.

Suddenly I stopped and waited for him to turn around before falling to the ground with a dramatic thud, the sand squishy beneath by bare feet and palms. In seconds, he was by my side. "Zoe, are you okay? Hold on, something might be broken. We need to get you inside. I'll carry you. Or maybe I shouldn't move you. I should probably get Takuya. No, the idiot can't even fix a light bulb. I'll get Kouichi. But I don't want to..."

I stood up, and wiped off the back of my jeans, effectively silencing his rant. "Oh Koji..."

He looked at me dumbstruck, as if he'd seen a ghost. "But you were just– I thought you were –"

I shrugged and poked him in the side. "I lied. Now, you're IT!" And with that I took off running as fast as my feet could carry me.

Seconds later, I heard footsteps behind me getting closer and closer. I looked over my shoulder and saw Koji running towards me with a determined look on his face. He wasn't the star of the track team for nothing.

"I've got you now," he screamed in a macho voice, and I shrieked as I felt my feet fly off the ground. He had grabbed me around the waist and was now turning me in the air. After a few turns, we both collapsed, me on the ground and him right on top.

We were both breathing hard, and suddenly his handsome face was covered with a devilish smirk. His face started getting closer and closer, and I started breathing harder and harder. His nose was almost touching mine when he whispered, "Want to know a secret?"

I could feel his minty breath cooling my warm cheeks. I didn't trust myself to speak so I nodded instead. I was shaking all over and I knew he could feel it.

He smirked again and whispered, his mouth now right next to my ear. "You're it."

I let out an indignant breath as he let his head fall back and laughed. "You should have seen the look on your face."

"Hilarious," I replied dryly, trying to ignore the fact that his body was still pressed down on mine. "Tell me something. Do you get some sick pleasure knowing you can get under my skin?"

"Hmm, let me think," he said, tapping his finger against his lips as he pretended to ponder. "Yes," he said finally with a satisfied nod. "Yes, I believe I do."

I tried to push him off but his hold on me was so tight that all I succeeded in doing was pushing him underneath me as I fell down on him. Now, he was on the bottom and I was on top.

I let out a long-drawn sigh, as he laughed again. His hold on me tightened and I could feel his heart beating beneath mine. At one point, I actually thought both our hearts were beating as one, but I dismissed it as just some cheesy, romantic thought my brain had managed to brew up.

"Come on, you can't be too mad at me," he smirked.

"Oh yeah," I answered, propping my chin on his chest. "And why is that?"

"Because, you and I both know that deep down you can't resist my charm." "He winked at me and kissed the tip of my nose. "You know you love me."

I didn't say anything at first but finally answered. "Yes. Yes, I do. Unfortunately."

"Exactly. Now do you mind getting off me? Certain parts of my body are going numb."

I blushed and got off, helping him up after. "Hungry?"

I shook my head. "Not really. I could stay out here forever." Just then, my stomach rumbled, and I blushed bright red. Now that I think about it, maybe only a salad for dinner wasn't such a good idea.

Koji smirked. "If your stomach complaining is any indication, you haven't eaten much. Let's go get you something to eat."

"It's fine. I can grab an apple." He already had my heart beating faster than I would have liked it, what more could he do?

"But where's the fun in that?" He whined. "C'mon, how often do you get an intelligent, sexy, brave-"

"And modest."

"man cook for you. See? Even you think so, if your lack of eye-rolls and snorting mean anything."

"And how are things on planet 'you wish'?" I replied with my eyebrows raised.

"You don't know how much that wounds me, princess," he retorted, drawing out the syllables of the nickname I hated so much. Well, actually, I didn't mind it as much when he called me that, but I'd never admit it. Koji's head was big enough without my help.

"It's midnight, Koji," I finally sighed.

"So." Reasoning with him is like reasoning with a three-year-old. "Your stomach doesn't know that. Besides, I owe you a brownie chocolate sundae with whipped cream, remember?"

Darn, he knows me too well. "Alright fine, you win," I finally conceded. "But nothing but the sundae. I'm really not that hungry."

He rolled his eyes and draped an arm around my shoulder as we started heading towards the house. "You're stubborn, you know that?"

I laughed and pulled his arm tighter around me, tucking my head into his shoulder. "So I've heard."

--

"Did you pick a movie yet?" Koji asked as he walked out of the kitchen holding two amazing chocolate sundaes heaped high with whipped cream.

"Not yet. Those look delicious."

"Only the best for my princess."

I grinned as I took the sundae and the offered spoon from his hand. "Well, if this is what I get for being your princess, I think I'll keep my post forever."

He turned and looked at me seriously, all remnants of his previous teasing gone from his face. "Really?"

I nodded slowly and smiled. "Yep. But only if you promise to be my Prince charming."

He smiled and turned to look me straight in the eye. "Forever."

--

We had been sitting in front of Takuya's immense, and when I say immense I mean immense, collection of DVDs for the past ten minutes trying to pick something to watch.

"Comedy?" he asked.

"No."

"Action?"

"No."

"Romance?"

"Well..."

"Actually, forget I mentioned that." I stifled a laugh.

"Horror?"

I ate a spoonful of chocolate brownie as I thought about it. "Okay, why not. It'd be the best thing to watch considering the time of night."

He nodded before stuffing a huge spoonful of whipped cream into his mouth. "Good thinking."

I looked over at him and laughed.

'What?" he asked, confusion written all over his usually composed face. He looked good enough to eat.

"You do realize you have whipped cream on your nose," I said, motioning to the tip of my nose. "Right there."

"Oh here?" he asked innocently, before swiping it off his nose and smearing it on mine. "Oh, I see it, now. Yep, that's embarrassing all right."

I wiped it off and stuck my tongue out at him. "Childish much?"

"Oh please, that's like the pot calling the kettle black, Koji?"

He shrugged and went to put the movie in, flashing me an adorable grin along the way. My heart melted for the third time that night.

Hmph. He's really got to stop doing that.

--

Thirty minutes into the movie and I was already scared. I was stretched out in front of the TV, but it wasn't long before I made Koji come join me.

" Koji get down here," I ordered, sitting up and turning around to face him.

He was leaning back in the leather recliner as comfortable as can be. "Why? Scared?" he teased.

"Yes, terrified. I'm usually not a fan of scary movies."

"And yet you picked it..."

"Oh just shut up and get down here!"

He just chuckled as he got up from his chair and lay next to me. I immediately curled up next to him. God, this movie was freaky!

"So this is why they make scary movies," he said, highly amused. "So guys can get lucky." I didn't reply, but instead pinched him hard in the ribs causing him to flinch. "Ouch!"

After a while, he winced again when I squeezed his arm a little too hard. "Ease up, princess it's only a..."

Right then in the movie something jumped out unexpectedly and I screamed, practically jumping into his lap, and burying my face in his chest.

I could feel him grinning. "Zoe, you've faced horrors much worse than this in the Digital world and this scares you?"

"This makes all those villains seem like regular sweethearts," I muffled into his shirt, opening one eye to peek at the T.V screen. "Oh for crying out loud, don't go into the house you stupid girl! Oh, she is so toast."

Sure enough, the stupid girl that went into the dark empty house got sliced to pieces.

Koji winced. "Must they be so graphic about it...ouch, that looked like it hurt."

As the movie wore on, the scarier it got. And the tighter I held onto to Koji. At one point, I seriously thought he was going to die from lack of oxygen because I was squeezing him so hard.

"Zoe please," he wheezed. "Let up a bit. You're killing me here."

I blushed and released my hold a little bit. Something about being in Koji's arms always made me feel safe. I trusted him more than anyone else. He had protected me from scarier things in the Digital world loads of times; I was sure he'd protect me from a scary movie.

When the movie was finally over, I finally started to relax. "Thank god that's over with. That movie was exhausting."

"I'm going to have nightmares tonight," I later said as I went to take the DVD out.

"Yep," he replied grinning. "We're in the middle of nowhere and for all we know a crazy person with an axe might be out there and..."

"Would you be quiet!" I cried. "I don't want to..."

"I'm kidding," he laughed, enveloping me in a huge bear hug. "Tell you what, since Takuya's in Tommy's room tonight, want to sleep with me? I'll protect you from crazy killing psychopaths."

"What a generous offer, Koji?" I laughed, relaxing into his arms. "Never knew you were such a gentleman."

"What can I say?" he grinned, kissing the top of my head. "It's all part of the charm."

--

After changing into my pajamas, I went into Koji and Takuya's room to find Koji already under the covers, waiting for me to arrive.

"Feeling better?"

"Now I am, knowing that you'll be here protecting me all night," I teased.

He winked at me before turning off the lamp and closing his eyes. "Goodnight Zoe. Oh, and try not to snore."

I laughed softly. "I'll try."

Moments after, I was fast asleep, a smile of contentment still on my face. The day had been absolutely perfect, and I knew it was all because of a certain blue-haired boy.

Hope it was up to the level that everyone thought it would be, seeing as how its the first time I wrote Kozumi in this story :)

If you liked, please review!