Wake up, Princess

Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any of its characters. I do not own Love Rerun. I own nothing.

Author's Note: So, this chapter is devoted to Taichi and a few side characters. I had planned to include Yamato's POV as well, but decided to split it up so I could include a few more couples.

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'…..' = thoughts

"..." = speech

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Taichi groaned, tossing another rejected outfit onto the growing pile on his bed. He was having a difficult time choosing the right clothes for his upcoming date with Mimi and lamented over the fact that everything he owned seemed too outdated or unfashionable. His crush was a woman who valued a good sense of style and he didn't feel like disappointing her on their first romantic outing together.

But a firefighter-in-training didn't have the income to buy high-end clothing and it wasn't a priority when he came home smelling like soot and feeling exhausted. Still, he was passionate about his job.

Taichi had joked with his friends that he wanted to grow up to be a hero, so it wasn't surprising when the determined young man decided to enter a profession that involved heroic deeds and rescuing people from dangerous situations.

The Digidestined leader was inspired after watching news coverage that described the brave men and women who had saved countless lives during the aftermath of the digital invasion several years back, and admired their heroism during times of crisis. Taichi saw them as the real leaders and super heroes.

At first, Taichi had considered becoming a politician, but chose to pursue a career in firefighting after meeting a college classmate who had been trapped under rubble during a dark digimon attack that had destroyed the building she was in. A young firefighter had saved her life and she never forgot him; extolling his virtues ever since.

Fire was also an element that Taichi was accustomed to dealing with due to his digimon partner Agumon, and he had registered as a trainee after receiving his degree in fire science from Odaiba University.

Taichi's athleticism and physical stamina from years of playing soccer had served him well during the initial training and he quickly realized how suited he was for the role. It was intense, required teamwork, and most importantly, one needed a great deal of courage to do the dangerous work.

An everyday hero.

Taichi was happy with his profession and content with the decisions he had made in life. The only aspect that needed improvement was his love life. Relationships never seemed to last very long and he found it difficult to commit to any of his past girlfriends. They had loved him much more than he had cared for them. Taichi wasn't adverse to commitment, but he never fell in love with any of them.

It was shortly after he enrolled in the National Fire Academy that Taichi began to feel something more for his childhood friend Mimi. It was a crush that was never meant to happen and his feelings had caught him by surprise. The bearer of the Crest of Purity had always been a beautiful girl, with a kind and cheerful personality, but their shared history made him avoid seeing her as a potential romantic partner.

If you asked him why, it would always go back to his failed love connection with Sora. Taichi had already experienced heartache from pining over a fellow Digidestined and didn't feel like repeating his teenage angst. He had let go of his feelings for the red head in high school, but it had been a lengthy and difficult process. Since it was two of his closest friends that were the root of his pain, it took him longer than expected to get over it and forgive himself for running away from the situation.

Taichi was not angry at his friends for falling in love. He was a good person, and truly wished them well when they were together. However, he also hadn't fully gotten over his cowardice and inability to tell his first love his feelings when he had the chance. Taichi was the Digidestined of Courage, but he wasn't brave when he turned a blind eye to the many hints that Sora had longingly thrown at him.

He knew that Sora loved him first, long before she had ever noticed Yamato. But Taichi had been a coward. Too afraid to lose the friendship they had built up over the years, he ignored her feelings, and acted as if they were just best of friends.

Forever.

Taichi thought he could keep Sora with him always if he never reciprocated her romantic affections, not knowing that she would eventually drift away from him. He was afraid to lose the girl that he had grown to need, so Taichi chose to never act on his feelings of love.

When she finally gave up on him, he didn't chase her or confess his endless devotion. Instead, he closed his eyes once again, and pretended that everything was okay. Her friendship was enough.

Agumon told him that he had matured, but Taichi knew better. Deep down, in the darkest corner of his heart, he knew it was all out of fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of heartbreak. Fear of losing the one he treasured the most. Taichi had been terrified that dating and breaking up would mean the end of their cherished friendship, but he never realized how painful it would be to lose her to another man.

The memory of his own cowardice made it hard for Taichi to completely move on from the experience and their friendships had suffered as result. It was unnoticeable by outsiders, but he had distanced himself from Sora and Yamato.

The trio had inevitably become a couple, so Taichi progressively began to spend more time with Koushiro and away from the reminder of his shameful and cowardly behavior.

Even if he was glad that his friends were happy, seeing them together awakened feelings of resentment and bitterness in himself, and the reality that he did not live up to his own expectations. As the bearer of the Crest of Courage, his lack of bravery left a dark mark on Taichi's self-esteem and views on love.

Mimi was the one who had finally helped him put a close on that chapter of his life and understand his feelings in a new light. They had been sharing a meal and talking about mundane matters when the topic of their love lives came up. Mimi didn't say much, but Taichi had a lot to reveal.

Maybe it was because he had drank too much and was feeling more sentimental than usual, but he started to tell her about the past and his feelings about what had happened after that infamous Christmas Eve.

Mimi was a good listener and her compassionate nature made it easy for him to tell her everything, the alcohol fueling his desire to let it all out to someone after guarding the secret in his heart for nearly a decade.

[Flashback]

"I was such a damn coward. I knew she loved me. She gave me so many hints! But I was too afraid to do anything about it. After all of these years, I still feel so ashamed of myself for running away..."

Taichi confessed and slammed his empty mug of beer down on the table, running a hand through his thick, unruly hair. He was a little drunk and feeling emotional, but the woman with him was patient.

"Tai-kun," Mimi said, placing her hand over his shaking one. "I don't think you're a coward. Actually, you're really brave. I always knew the Crest of Courage belonged to you." She let her words sink in.

"None of us expected Sora-chan and Yamato-kun to get together. It was a shock to us all. But your reaction; your feelings; and your regrets. None of them are a sign of cowardice. Tai-kun..." she trailed off, lifting her free hand to cup the side of his cheek in a caring and gentle manner. She empathized with him.

Taichi's could feel his heart begin to thump loudly and his breath hitched in his throat. Mimi's hand felt like a feather caressing his face, and he could see that she cared for him deeply and was being sincere.

"It's very brave to face your vulnerabilities. Knowing yourself and accepting your faults... Tai-kun, you have always been and always will be courageous. It's something about you that will never change."

Taichi placed a hand over hers, and offered Mimi a genuine smile. He felt his heart begin to stir and free itself from the chains it had carried for far too long.

"Did I ever tell you that I adore you, Mi-chan?"

[End Flash]

Mimi helped him see that accepting vulnerability also takes great courage and emotional strength. It was after this moment that Taichi had begun to feel his heart beat quickly whenever he was around the compassionate young woman. A childhood friend had once again become someone that occupied all of his daily thoughts.

Feelings grew over the course of a year, and Taichi would weigh the pros and cons of starting a relationship with Mimi in his head every time he saw her at the monthly Digidestined dinners. It was a similar situation with Sora, where he valued her friendship and didn't want to ruin what they had by dating. But damnit. He wasn't about to make the same mistake twice and was determined to ask her out.

That is, until Mimi and Yamato suddenly declared that they were a couple and floored everyone six months ago. The announcement had come out of nowhere and Taichi was left devastated for the second time.

A mean part of him wondered if it was the blonde's mission to steal every chance at happiness that came Taichi's way if it came in the form of a woman.

Seriously. What was with his friend's repeat actions?

He knew it was unreasonable to think it, but Taichi felt it was absolutely unfair that Yamato had been chosen over him, yet again, for unknown reasons. What was wrong with him? He was handsome, had a good personality, fun, strong, had a good job and could really love someone with all his might.

Why did the two women in his life that he actually felt true feelings of love for choose blonde over brunette? It was unbelievable. The night he found out about them, he had gotten black out drunk and passed out at Daisuke's place, after tipping over a vending machine, and punching a lamp post that appeared eerily similar to his blue eyed friend. When he woke up the next morning, his fist looked like a bloody mess.

Unlike the first time, Taichi did not accept this new couple amongst his friends. He firmly believed that the relationship between Mimi and Yamato would not work out and it was all some sort of failed experiment waiting to implode. He couldn't fathom why or how they had gotten together, but he knew what he had to do.

Taichi wasn't despicable enough to directly steal his friend's girlfriend, so he waited for his chance. He was a patient man and knew that an opportunity would arise eventually; and it did.

Taichi decided that if there was ever an opening, he'd take it, so he wouldn't regret his inaction again. Waiting for the right moment finally paid off when he saw Mimi the night before and he was definitely going to strike while the two were on their "break". Taichi vowed that he would get the girl this time.

"Mi-chan, just wait and see. I'll prove who's the better match for you. His name is Taichi Yagami."

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Mimi smiled, watching her two friends lightly banter with each other over a computer program. Miyako was perched over her boyfriend Koushiro's shoulder, peering curiously at the laptop screen. The red head decided to stop by the cafe on his way home from work to surprise her and show off the new algorithm he had created at his company. A fellow computer nerd, the taller woman had been thrilled.

Miyako and Koushiro made a cute couple with their slight height difference and physically dissimilar characteristics. She was the taller one out of the two and her slim figure was a stark contrast to his short and stockier build. They were both computer whizzes and connected on an intellectual level.

Mimi thought they were adorable together, because the younger woman's out-going personality had helped to bring Koushiro out of his headspace and interact with the rest of the world. He couldn't live inside his computer with Miyako around, and she encouraged him to be adventurous and embrace the unknown. Because of his girlfriend, the tech geek made more of an effort to get out and try new things.

They had been dating for two years and were still going strong. Miyako made sure that Koushiro paid attention to people and activities that didn't involve a computer; he ensured that she remained practical and her thoughts grounded in reality when her fantasies got too big. They balanced each other out well.

The Digidestined of Knowledge was currently a program consultant for a data security company in Tokyo. They had a branch office in Odaiba where he was quickly impressing his superiors and on his way to becoming a team leader by the end of the year. Koushiro was a talented programmer and very dedicated to securing Japan's internet from hacker attacks. He was also a tech-oriented creative genius.

Miyako was still studying and attending the same Tech College he had graduated from; majoring in computer science, with a minor in business marketing. Ken Ichijouji had joined her at the prestigious school and was a year below in the computer engineering department. The two young adults were both intelligent and tech savvy in their own right, and discussed the potential for creating a start-up company together.

Koushiro thought it was a feasible goal and encouraged them to develop a business plan with his guidance. If all went well, the red head would become a board member and put up the starting capitol for their venture.

If nothing else, years of working for her parents had developed Miyako's business acumen and insight into what it took to be an entrepreneur. It didn't hurt that her boyfriend was loaded from his tech job too.

She may seem like a silly and hyper-active girl to some, but Miyako Inoue had a sharp nose for money matters, and both Ken and Koushiro trusted her to handle those aspects well. The three of them met regularly to discuss their project and brainstorm possible avenues to advance technological innovation.

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Mimi wished her friends well, but had absolutely no interest in their professional pursuits. She left Miyako and Koushiro to their own devices and continued to watch the door for incoming customers. It was a slow day, but anything was more interesting to her than listening to technology jargon.

A short while later, another familiar character walked through the door, causing Mimi's face to light up in joy. His short blonde hair glistening under the sunlight, Takeru's lithe and athletic figure strolled into the cafe. He was as tall as Jyou, and had outgrown his older brother in his second year of high school.

The sweet young man held a sentimental place in her heart and Mimi was glad to see him after such a tumultuous two weeks since her memory loss. Takeru had always accepted her for who she was, even when the others had dismissed her as a spoiled cry baby during the early days of their digital adventure.

"Take-kun!" She cooed, ushering him to an open table by the window. The two tech dorks greeted him as well, but soon returned their attention to the computer, leaving Mimi to entertain the bearer of Hope.

"I'm so glad to see you! What brings you here on this lovely Friday afternoon? No practice today?"

"My stomach brings me here. I'm starving, Mimi-chan! Could I have today's special?" He asked, giving her the same deep blue puppy dog eyes that had captured her heart since the first time she had met him.

"Of course. I'll be right back, Take-kun~!" Watching his dear friend head to the back with his order, the blonde young man smiled nostalgically at her retreating form. Mimi had always been special to him. He knew the feeling was mutual and their friendship had remained strong over the years since camp.

Although he had never admitted it to anyone, the Digidestined of Purity had been his first crush when they were just children. He had quickly gotten over it after meeting Hikari, but he fondly remembered the older girl as his first love, albeit in a joking sense. During their first adventure, Mimi was the only one who didn't treat him like a baby, and listened to him sincerely when he had thoughts and opinions.

For a young child, to have an older kid pay attention and value your voice? It had meant a great deal to the young Takeru, and he never forgot the girl's kindness and care for him throughout their journey.

She was also one of the few people who knew about his dark side and still accepted him for who he was. Takeru wasn't evil and didn't have any deep dark secrets, but his experiences in the digital world had left some lasting scars.

One didn't go through the trauma and hardships that their group survived without coming out of it with some painful memories. Takeru had developed a cynical and sarcastic side to his personality after their second adventure as teenagers. The dark ocean had stuck with him.

However, except for the rare occasion when he fell into a temporary depression, most days, Takeru was still the cheerful and hopeful person that he had always been. The only ones who knew about his bouts of melancholy were his older brother, Hikari, Mimi and Ken (who occasionally suffered the same way).

To everyone else, Takeru Takaishi was an all-around good guy, who was an excellent student and popular amongst his peers. A sophomore at Odaiba University, he was the lead scorer on the basketball team and belonged to the literature department. He wanted to be a fiction writer and was writing a book about his many adventures in the Digital World; which would also serve as his final graduation project.

Takeru had decided to pay Mimi an unexpected visit after his ex-girlfriend and still close friend had mentioned that her brother seemed to have private Saturday plans with his brother's girlfriend.

It didn't bode well with the young man and he had decided to speak with Mimi before jumping to conclusions.

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Smiling fondly as she passed on his order to the chef, Mimi thought about the Digidestined of Hope and her warm feelings for the endearing boy who had become a charming man right before her eyes.

Throughout their shared adventure, Takeru had unknowingly encouraged her to change for the better; made her a stronger and more resilient person. Mimi felt an immediate kinship with the child and she valued his companionship the most in the digital world because he didn't disregard her like the others.

When the older Digidestined had labeled her as a princess and written her off as a burden, Takeru had never stopped treating Mimi with kindness and gave her hope during the darkest of days. For that, she would always cherish his friendship and cared for him deeply; loved him like a real older sister would.

Mimi wasn't the mothering type, but she also had a protective streak concerning the younger chosen children, in addition to her old digimon partner, Palmon. She was particularly devoted to Takeru and Hikari, and not so secretly rooted for them to be together. Confidentially, she was a little jealous of the destined sort of love that the two youngsters seemed to share and vocally supported their relationship.

During a late night dinner a few years back, Mimi had once directly asked Takeru if he didn't agree with her predication that "Takari" was meant to happen. She wondered out loud why they were not still dating.

The bearers of Hope and Light had dated happily for a year and half during their second and third year of middle school, but broke up before they entered high school. Everyone had been shocked by their breakup and couldn't understand why such a perfect couple would suddenly decide to split up.

It had been an amicable decision and the two remained close friends throughout the transition. It almost seemed like nothing had changed between the two teens. The rest of the Digidestined had been nothing less than dumbfounded, but neither of the two ever explained the reason why they had decided to remain platonic.

Takeru and Hikari continued to be best friends and even supported one another when they dated other people, going as far as to give each other advice and lend a sympathetic ear when things didn't go well. No one could understand their relationship, so eventually the other Digidestined stopped their guessing.

Although their older brothers only wanted their siblings to be happy, since there wasn't anyone to really blame for the break up, there was nothing either of them could do about it. Both had been disappointed that "Takari" didn't last because all of the boyfriends and girlfriends that came afterward did not meet their exceptionally high standards.

Taichi and Yamato secretly agreed that their siblings belonged together.

Even after the others stopped asking, Mimi persisted in her insistence that destiny was something that could not be changed. Takeru would usually give her a silly grin before changing the subject to talk about something other than his love life.

However, one evening the blonde boy finally explained his thoughts and the reasoning behind why Takeru and Hikari had broken up so early in their relationship.

[Flashback]

"We broke up because we both knew that we'd eventually find each other again."

Taking a bite of his sushi, Takeru smiled widely when he saw the perplexed expression on his friend's face. It was obvious that she didn't understand why "Takari" had split if they planned to get together again in the future. Of course, most people would be puzzled, so he decided to enlighten his dear Mimi.

"Hikari and I know that we're endgame. We've known since age eleven that someday, we'd become more than just childhood friends. I guess you could say it was written in the stars and all that sappy stuff," he joked, grabbing a plate of broiled eel from the sushi conveyor belt and taking a sip of tea.

"When we started dating at fourteen, we were still too young to commit to our forever. She and I talked about it a lot. We were happy and things were great, but we just weren't ready to settle down with our one and only in middle school. We wanted to grow as individuals before we became a pair and both of us wanted to gain as many new experiences as possible so we'd be even more amazing adults."

Mimi had listened quietly, amazed by the depth of wisdom and maturity in the young man's words. He had always been a thoughtful boy, but Takeru was proving to be an exceptional young man who knew there was no rush when it came to love. He had found his soulmate, but the two needed time to live their separate lives, and experience the ups and downs of growing up, before joining as one.

"When we're ready, and we no longer need to be apart, that's when Hikari and I will be together. Our love has no deadline, so there's no need to rush into things. But I'm always going to love her. Hikari knows it too. Even if she's dating some other guy right now, I know she's in love with me."

[End Flash]

The certainty in his voice and clear dedication to the bearer of Light had taken Mimi's breath away, and she recalled the memorable conversation as she walked to the front and toward Takeru's table.

"Okay, today's special is on its way! Anything else I can get you Take-kun?" she asked sweetly, and the Digidestined of Hope felt somewhat apologetic about questioning her commitment to his brother.

However, even if he loved Mimi like a sister, his real family members would always come first. After hearing about her suspicious plans with Taichi, the younger blonde wanted to look out for his older brother.

As much as Yamato tried to protect his sibling from all of the bad things in the world, Takeru also looked out for his brother, whether he was aware of it or not. They always had each other's backs.

Always.

"Mimi-chan," Takeru began, his eyes scanning the lovely woman who continued to smile pleasantly at him. "I heard from Hikari that you're hanging out with Taichi-kun this weekend. It's not a date, right?"

Suddenly her smile was gone and her expression changed to one of shock. "O-Of course, not! Take-kun, why are you saying nonsense? Hahaha," Mimi started to laugh awkwardly, avoiding his perceptive gaze. It was deep and penetrating, just like a familiar man who was waiting for her at home.

"Hikari-chan must be mistaken. I'm meeting with Tai-kun as casual friends. It's definitely not a date!" She explained, too insistently for Takeru's liking, but he decided not to press his friend.

Yet.

Even if she seemed like she was hiding something, he decided to trust Mimi. She had never let him down in the past, and Takeru hoped that he would never have a reason to doubt her in the future.

"I see. Well, I guess she was mistaken. Hmm. I'm sooo hungry! I hope the food comes out soon."

"Let me check on your order," Mimi hurriedly responded and rushed to the back, leaving the blonde young man with a frown on his face and a sinking feeling in his stomach. He wasn't hungry anymore.

The ominous sense of foreboding didn't leave Takeru that day and he worried about his loved ones.

'Big brother, I really hope this feeling I have is wrong. Please, please let it be wrong for once...'

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Notes:

Fire Science: Is a degree that many firefighters are required to get if they want to advance their careers.

Miyako: I always thought that she was pretty smart and her family taught her to have good work ethic. I imagined Miyako would grow up to be in tech or a business woman. Being a housewife is respectable too, but I just expected another life for her. In this story, she's more career-oriented.

Kouyako: It's hinted that Miyako briefly fancied Koushiro in Season 02, and they seemed like one of those cute opposites attract couples, but with a lot more in common than koumi. At least Miyako likes computers, and seemed interested in Koushiro's work, while Mimi never really showed any interest in it.

Height: I like how Miyako is tall and lanky, so the image of a taller woman with a shorter and stockier man looked cute in my head. I imagine that even as adults, Miyako is still the taller of the two techies.

Takeru: I definitely think he has a dark side. Other stories like to make him a brat or give him a cheeky personality. I see him as an extroverted and cheerful guy, but when things get hard for him, the darker and more pessimistic side of his personality comes out. He is Yamato's brother after all.

BIG thank you to all my reviewers, and if you like the story please Review.