A Touch of Resolution
Dinner at Sora's home was a good time for all, even if it was pretty much a repeat of the dinner they'd all had the previous night at Izzy's home. Izzy's parents headed back for home shortly afterwards, but Izzy stayed behind to help with the dishes. As soon as the dishes were done, all three of them sat down to relax and watch some TV. A couple hours later, Mrs. Takenouchi bid the two good night as she headed for bed, leaving the two to themselves. Sora motioned for Izzy to join her on the couch, which he did. She curled up onto the couch, leaning into him.
"So how did things go with Tai?" she asked, not paying much attention to the show on TV.
"It was something of a shouting match, but I think I got through to him. At least it seemed like it." Izzy replied, putting an arm around her. "You might hear from him sometime soon."
"My hero comes through again. Thank you, Izzy."
"My pleasure. And how did your plan go?"
"I think TK will be paying Yolei a visit sometime soon. I hope they give things a shot. They both need someone to talk to right now."
"TK and Yolei...now there's an interesting couple."
"Yeah. Whoever thought that might happen?"
"Whoever thought we might happen for that matter?"
"Point taken. Do you think we'll have any time to ourselves while we're back home on vacation?"
"I'd say we have some right now, so let's enjoy it while it lasts."
Izzy pulled Sora a little closer to him, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. Sora closed her eyes for a moment, simply enjoying the moment with him.
'Matt never wanted to just do things like this. Just relaxing and watch TV or a movie on the couch together...I love this. I really shouldn't keep comparing Izzy to Matt, though. After all, Izzy is a completely different guy from him, and I think I'm beginning to love him for it.' She thought as she snuggled up to him.
"Hey, want to go on a date while we're on vacation?" Izzy asked, looking over at her.
"What did you have in mind?" Sora asked, looking back up at him.
"Well, I thought I'd ask you first if you just want to have fun like always, or maybe something a bit more formal?"
"Hmm...could you give me some time to think about that?"
"Sure, take however much time you need."
"I will make a decision before too long, otherwise we'll run out of vacation!"
Izzy nodded, stifling a chuckle as they decided to just relax for the rest of their time together that night and watch TV. Even if the shows they watched weren't that interesting, at least it was an excuse for them to be together.
_ _ _ _ _
A day later, Tai let Izzy know that Kari didn't have anything planned on Saturday during the day. Since they had all the information they needed, Izzy and Sora decided to just go about things as normal until then, not wanting to push things too much. Finally, Saturday morning rolled around, and Izzy and Sora arrived at the Kamiya home.
"I hope she doesn't suspect anything." Izzy said, ringing the doorbell.
"A little late to be worrying about that." Sora added, trying to swallow her own nerves. Kari answered the door shortly thereafter.
"Izzy! Sora! I heard you guys were in town!" Kari said happily. She stepped out of the apartment, hugging each of them in turn. "Come in! Tai's not around right now."
"I'll catch up with him later." Izzy said, letting Sora step in ahead of him. "How's everyone else doing these days?"
"Oh, you know the group." Kari said, shrugging. "I wish I'd caught with you guys sooner. You must have to go back to college soon."
"Yeah, we've been making our rounds. By the way, how's TK doing?" Sora asked, folding her hands behind her back.
"He's good. I was just talking with him yesterday afternoon."
"Really? That's interesting, considering I saw him hanging out in Yolei's store yesterday when I stopped by at about 3 in the afternoon." Izzy said as he took his shoes off in the genkan, walking around a little.
"Um, guys? Why're we playing twenty questions?" Kari asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "This feels like a bad mystery drama."
"For us, it is a bad mystery drama Kari." Sora said, leaning back against the front door of the apartment. "We came back from college for vacation and find TK feeling completely distraught, Yolei feeling completely alienated, and you and Ken apparently feeling newly infatuated with each other. At least such is the story we've gotten from everyone around. We were kind of hoping you'd fill us in with your story."
"Tai is so dead when he gets back..." Kari muttered to herself.
"Start whenever you want, Kari. We've got all day." Izzy said, sitting on the couch.
"I just...I wanted a break from him was all!" Kari said, getting completely flustered. "Everyone's always said how we seemed to be destined for each other, and it was beginning to feel like it to me. I didn't want to be tied down to someone at age 15. I felt trapped!
"Ken and I have always been good friends, so I started seeing him when I could sneak it in. One thing led to another, and then we started kissing after our dates. It just felt good was all. And then...TK found us one night.
"Everything fell apart after that. I...I never wanted to hurt TK. I just wanted a little freedom was all. I still care about him! Ken and I called everything off after the incident with TK. But TK wouldn't even listen to me. That hurt me more than anything."
"So you laid the blame on Yolei, who ended up getting hurt just because she was protecting you and the lie you were perpetuating just so you could have a little fun?" Sora said, looking at Kari in disbelief. "Kari, when was it going to end? Your little game ended up hurting three other peoples' feelings very deeply!"
"I was miserable, Sora! You know what that's like! I just wanted to have some fun for a little while!" Kari shot back at her.
"Well fun time is over, Kari. You owe everyone an explanation." Izzy said, looking over at her. "But you probably didn't need to be told that."
"They're all going to hate me, I know it." Kari said, beginning to cry. Sora slipped out of her shoes finally and moved over, putting an arm around Kari.
"They'll be angry at you, Kari, but they won't hate you. It may take some time, but they will all forgive you." She told her, trying to comfort her. "Your friends love you after all, Kari, and no matter what happens that will never change."
"Y-you think so?" Kari asked timidly. Sora just hugged her tightly and smiled at her as she stepped back from her.
"I know so."
Kari regained her composure and nodded at the two of them, and then sat down in a chair as she collected her thoughts. She looked up at Izzy after a couple of minutes.
"What about TK?" she asked. "Do I have a chance to get back with him?"
"I'm sorry to say probably not, Kari." Izzy told her. "Like I said, he was talking with Yolei last time I saw him, and from I also understand that wasn't the first time."
"I guess that's what I get, huh?"
"You never know what might happen, Kari, so don't give up completely." Sora told her. Kari just shook her head as she stood back up.
"No, I've lost him Sora. But at least I can salvage our friendship."
"Well, I think we've rained on your parade enough for one day." Izzy said, moving towards the door. "I'm sorry it had to happen like this Kari."
"Don't apologize, Izzy. I needed the wake-up call. Thank you both." Kari said, standing up and moving over to them. She hugged them both again. "I think I'll head out along with you guys. I suddenly want to talk to everybody and get this straightened up."
No more words were needed between the three. They all left the apartment, and Kari split off from them once they reached the ground floor, going in search of her friends. Izzy and Sora turned to head off on their own when they happened across Tai who was heading back to his home.
"Hi guys! How'd it all go with Kari?" he asked, approaching.
"I think it'll all work out with some time." Izzy told him. "Thanks again for the info."
"Hey, I knew what was going on, but Kari never listens to me anyway. I'm glad someone could get through to her like you got through to me, man."
"Anytime, Tai."
"Speaking of which, think I could borrow Sora from you for a little while? I think we have some catching up to do. About two years worth or so, give or take a few months."
"Far be it from me to get between two friends." Izzy said, looking over at Sora with a smile.
"Give me one second, Tai." Sora told him. Tai nodded, heading over a ways a bit. Sora then turned to face Izzy, a smile on her face. "Something a little nicer than normal, but not totally formal."
"Huh?" Izzy responded.
"That's my decision. I don't like dressing up too much, but I do want to do something nicer with you."
"Oh, right!" Izzy said, picking up on what she meant. "Can I pick you up later today?"
"I'll be waiting, Izzy." She replied sweetly.
Sora stepped up to him and kissed him briefly before heading over to Tai and striking up her conversation with him. Izzy smiled to himself and rejoiced inwardly as he decided to take a stroll over to his old, favorite electronics stores and window shop a bit to kill the time. Already his mind was thinking about ways to make that night a fun and special one for Sora.
_ _ _ _ _
Izzy waited patiently on the couch in Sora's living room for her to finish getting ready. He had on a dark green polo shirt and black pants with a pair of brown leather shoes that he'd taken off at the door. It was nothing too dressy, but it qualified as being casual wear. He noticed Mrs. Takenouchi looking over at him from her chair, and wondered what was on her mind.
"Something wrong, ma'am?" he asked.
"Oh, I'm just remembering when you were both little kids, playing all the time." She said, coming out of her nostalgia for a moment. "You were close even back then. I should've seen that something would happen between the two of you."
"Believe me, I'm as surprised as anyone is."
"I mostly can't get over how happy she seems now. You've really had a profound effect on her, Izzy. Moreso than Matt ever did."
"I just tried to be a good friend to her, and I like seeing her happy. The rest kind of just sprung from that."
Mrs. Takenouchi seemed to smile even more at Izzy's comment. Both of them heard a door close behind them and they both stood up as Sora entered the room. She had on dark blue pants with a pair of black sandals in hand, and a tight red t-shirt. A gold locket hung around her neck, and she had a pair of diamond stud earrings in her ears. Her mother recognized the locket, but said nothing, figuring that Sora would tell Izzy all about it herself.
"Sorry to make you wait. All set?" Sora asked, looking over at Izzy. He was already making his way over to her.
"Absolutely!" he told her. "I'll have her back at a sane time, Mrs. Takenouchi!"
"Oh, neither of you are kids anymore. Have a good time together!" Mrs. Takenouchi told them. Sora and Izzy put their shoes on quickly and headed out after a final set of goodbyes.
"I hope I didn't make us too late, I just had a hard time finding this locket." Sora said, putting her hand to it.
"It's very pretty, but so are you for that matter." Izzy told her, turning a little red as they walked along. "I've always thought so."
"Why do you have such a high opinion of me, Izzy?"
"Why wouldn't I? You're pretty, smart, you've never been anything but nice to me, and I feel like I could confide anything in you. I trust and respect you more than anyone else I've ever known."
Sora fell silent, looking down slightly at the pavement as they walked. Izzy looked over at her, seeing a strange look in her eyes.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"Don't get me wrong, I've been complimented before." Sora told him, her eyes still fixed on the sidewalk. "It's just...Matt would always tell me how pretty I was, but he never said things like you just did. You know, like how you said you respect me. And how you trust me. No one's ever said that to me."
Sora's hand played with her locket idly as she spoke. Izzy noticed, but decided not to bring it up just yet. It was obvious something was on her mind, and he didn't want to pry too deeply if she wasn't ready to share it.
"You know I'm not in the habit of saying things I don't mean, Sora." He said, smiling over at her. She stopped playing with her locket and looked back over at him, smiling back warmly. She stepped closer to him, lacing her arm through his as they continued on.
'Grandma, could what you told me all those years ago be true?' she thought as she walked with Izzy. 'The first time's already happened. Could tonight be the second time? It would be a first for me. I guess we'll see.'
_ _ _ _ _
Knowing it was her favorite kind of place, Izzy had dinner set at an Italian restaurant that had a very authentic atmosphere. They'd had a table all to themselves, lit only by a few candles on the wall and on their table. A wandering accordion player had even stopped by their table and played for them. It had been a little funny to both of them, but also rather romantic. By the time they emerged from the restaurant, the sun was beginning to set, coloring the sky a hundred different hues.
"Want to walk through the park?" Sora asked, looking across the street at the expansive park.
"That's just what I had in mind." Izzy said, looking at her curiously. "Are you reading my mind again?"
"Well I am a woman after all, it's kind of an inborn gift." She joked back. "Besides, I don't know about you, but I could stand to walk off dinner a bit. That was a lot of food."
"Agreed. You know, we seem to do this sort of thing a lot together, don't we?"
"There's no better way to be alone." Sora said, hugging his arm a bit.
"I couldn't agree more." Izzy said with a smile
The couple quickly jogged across the street, hand in hand, and entered the park. Autumn was indeed in full swing, and the park showed it. The myriad of trees had changed their colors from green to a mixture of yellow, orange, and red. Fallen leaves littered both the grass and the paths, and in the crisp, evening air there was that familiar scent that let everyone know it was indeed autumn.
"I always loved this time of year." Izzy said, breathing in deeply the scent in the air.
"More of an excuse to stay in and play away on your computer?" Sora joked.
"Nah, that's what winter is for." Izzy replied, smirking at her. "I just like the colors, and the fact that it's not so hot anymore. Most of all, because when I was younger it was a sure sign that Halloween was just around the corner."
"I remember you used to always get so excited about Halloween, too. Remember that one year you, me and Tai all went as Galaxy Rangers?"
"Yeah, that was a great year. We even rehearsed the poses!"
Izzy quickly jumped in front of Sora, striking an exaggerated martial arts pose as he crouched a little. Sora quickly joined in, striking the pose she remembered from so long ago. Both of them looked at each other after a moment and quickly lost their composure, laughing out loud as they continued walking along.
"Though I do remember we got extra candy that year thanks to our act." Sora said, after managing to catch her breath. "Even with as silly as it was."
"But the candy wasn't why I liked Halloween so much." Izzy added. Sora stopped and looked at him strangely.
"So why did you?"
Izzy stopped walking as well, facing her as he summoned the will to tell her one of his more closely guarded secrets.
"Halloween was the one time of year that it didn't matter who you were, what you looked like, or how you acted. Everyone would just cut loose and be whoever they wanted to be, and nobody thought twice about it. I could be the person I really wanted to be for one whole night, and for those few hours that I roamed around with you and Tai and got candy and played with other kids, nothing else mattered. It didn't matter that I was a nerdy computer geek who talked funny and thought of weird things. I was a part of things. It was almost better than Christmas for me."
"Izzy, why didn't you ever tell anyone all of this?" Sora asked, stepping up to him.
"Historically I've been terrible at expressing my thoughts and ideas. I mean really, Sora, you remember how I used to be. I had to go into a ten- minute dissertation just to explain what I thought was a simple concept. How could I possibly say how I felt when anytime I talked people just stared at me blankly?"
"It wasn't for lack of understanding, Izzy. We were all just amazed that you were able to figure out things that none of us had even a clue about! You're a brilliant man, Izzy. Don't ever downplay that."
"Thanks Sora. It means a lot to hear all that, especially from you."
"And thank you, Izzy. You really must trust me if you're willing to share secrets like that with me."
"Sora I'd...I mean if I just knew..."
Izzy searched for the courage to say what was on his mind and in his heart, but was coming up short. Finally, seeing his quandary, Sora took his hands in hers and looked him squarely in the eyes.
"What do you want to say, Izzy? Whatever it is, I'll listen." She told him softly. With those words, Izzy found the courage to say what he meant to.
"Sora, I feel like I could share everything with you. I mean, how could I not feel like that about the one that I think...I'm falling for?"
Sora felt her heart rate jump at Izzy's confession. Likewise, Izzy felt nothing but butterflies in his stomach, praying inwardly that he hadn't screwed up completely. As they looked at each other wordlessly, the massive fountain in the middle of the park came to life, its display of water spouts catching and reflecting the setting sunlight.
'No more hesitation, Sora.' Sora thought to herself. 'He's shared a part of himself with you. It's your turn now. Here goes...'
"I searched for this locket for a reason." She said carefully, looking down at it, but not letting go of Izzy's hands. "It's a keepsake from my grandmother who passed away a few years ago. She gave it to me when she said I was on the verge of becoming a young woman. It hasn't opened in many years, something is wrong with the lock, but that's not so important as what she told me.
"She said that...there are only three times you really kiss someone in your life." Sora looked back up, her heart racing as she met his eyes again. "The first time you really kiss someone, it's a sure sign that you care about them. The second time means you're falling in love with them. And the third time is when you know...that you can never let them go.
"So far in my life, as I can remember, I've only ever experienced what the first time feels like, and it's happened twice."
"T-Twice?" Izzy repeated, trying to keep his cool.
"Once with Yamato...and then once with you." She said, smiling at him a bit sheepishly. "I felt it when we kissed during the storm a few weeks back."
"I-I'm honored, Sora...really."
Sora shushed him, similarly to how she had on that same stormy night. She stepped up close to him, their bodies just barely touching.
"But now, I think...well, saying it just won't do." She said, sliding her arms around him. "There's only one way for me to know for sure."
The kiss that followed made both of them feel like their hearts were going to explode. The kiss quickly turned passionate. Sora pressed herself up against Izzy trying to get as close to him as possible while they kissed. Their tongues played with each other's as their hands met at their sides, their fingers intertwining. They lingered on one last kiss before they separated, looking into each other's eyes once again.
"Now I know for sure...that was the second time, and you're the first that I've ever felt like this with, Izzy." Sora said, smiling warmly at him again. "I'm falling in love with you."
"And I with you, Sora." Izzy replied, smiling back at her. "But this still doesn't change the fact that I'm your friend before all else." Sora laughed a bit at his comment.
"I'd be worried if that ever changed. Well, want to keep walking with your girlfriend?"
"I'd like nothing better."
Izzy took her hand in his and began to lead her towards the fountain, only to stop after a little while, looking over a ways and chuckling to himself.
"What's so funny?"
"Looks like we're not the only ones that picked this place for a romantic walk."
Izzy pointed over a ways, and Sora looked in that direction. Over on the other side of the fountain, there were TK and Yolei, in each other's arms and kissing. Sora giggled to herself a bit and tugged on Izzy's arm, getting him to go with her over by them. They stayed out of range until the two finally stopped kissing and then stepped up.
"Woohoo! Hot couple there!" Sora called out at them. Izzy groaned inwardly, rolling his eyes. TK and Yolei looked around a bit, finally spotting them. Both of them went red in the face and separated, standing next to each other as Sora and Izzy approached them.
"Oh please, go back to what you were doing before." Sora teased. Izzy bumped her a bit playfully, and she got the point.
"Thanks for the advice, Sora." TK said after a moment, seeing that they meant well. "We've spent a lot of time talking about stuff. And I think we've found that we have more in common than we ever thought."
"Good for you guys." Sora said, smiling at them.
"And I think we've found that we like each other quite a bit, too." Yolei added. "But I guess you guys figured that much out from before."
"Well we wish you both nothing but the best." Izzy said, shaking TK's hand. Yolei hugged both Izzy and Sora, thanking them both for their help.
"Well, we've got a date to get back to. And I assume you guys do as well." TK said. "Have fun!"
"You guys too!" Sora called out as the two couples continued on their separate paths.
"Too bad we have to head back to school tomorrow. I kinda wanted to know how everything turned out." Izzy said after they were well on their way.
"We'll be off for winter break before too long, I'm sure they'll all want to fill us in then." Sora said. "Besides, I think we've turned things upside down just enough that they'd rather we got out of their hair again for a while."
"Sounds good to me. So, any other ideas of things you'd like to do? The night is young, after all."
"Hmm, a little fun might be in order if you ask me. Go-carts?"
"You got it."
"But let's not go right away, Izzy." Sora took his hand in hers again, bumping into him playfully like he'd done to her earlier. "Right now I'm really just having a good time walking in the park with my boyfriend."
Izzy didn't need to hear any more, and they continued walking about the park for some time, both of them still amazed at how far things had come so far, and wondering just how much farther they were destined to go.
Dinner at Sora's home was a good time for all, even if it was pretty much a repeat of the dinner they'd all had the previous night at Izzy's home. Izzy's parents headed back for home shortly afterwards, but Izzy stayed behind to help with the dishes. As soon as the dishes were done, all three of them sat down to relax and watch some TV. A couple hours later, Mrs. Takenouchi bid the two good night as she headed for bed, leaving the two to themselves. Sora motioned for Izzy to join her on the couch, which he did. She curled up onto the couch, leaning into him.
"So how did things go with Tai?" she asked, not paying much attention to the show on TV.
"It was something of a shouting match, but I think I got through to him. At least it seemed like it." Izzy replied, putting an arm around her. "You might hear from him sometime soon."
"My hero comes through again. Thank you, Izzy."
"My pleasure. And how did your plan go?"
"I think TK will be paying Yolei a visit sometime soon. I hope they give things a shot. They both need someone to talk to right now."
"TK and Yolei...now there's an interesting couple."
"Yeah. Whoever thought that might happen?"
"Whoever thought we might happen for that matter?"
"Point taken. Do you think we'll have any time to ourselves while we're back home on vacation?"
"I'd say we have some right now, so let's enjoy it while it lasts."
Izzy pulled Sora a little closer to him, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. Sora closed her eyes for a moment, simply enjoying the moment with him.
'Matt never wanted to just do things like this. Just relaxing and watch TV or a movie on the couch together...I love this. I really shouldn't keep comparing Izzy to Matt, though. After all, Izzy is a completely different guy from him, and I think I'm beginning to love him for it.' She thought as she snuggled up to him.
"Hey, want to go on a date while we're on vacation?" Izzy asked, looking over at her.
"What did you have in mind?" Sora asked, looking back up at him.
"Well, I thought I'd ask you first if you just want to have fun like always, or maybe something a bit more formal?"
"Hmm...could you give me some time to think about that?"
"Sure, take however much time you need."
"I will make a decision before too long, otherwise we'll run out of vacation!"
Izzy nodded, stifling a chuckle as they decided to just relax for the rest of their time together that night and watch TV. Even if the shows they watched weren't that interesting, at least it was an excuse for them to be together.
_ _ _ _ _
A day later, Tai let Izzy know that Kari didn't have anything planned on Saturday during the day. Since they had all the information they needed, Izzy and Sora decided to just go about things as normal until then, not wanting to push things too much. Finally, Saturday morning rolled around, and Izzy and Sora arrived at the Kamiya home.
"I hope she doesn't suspect anything." Izzy said, ringing the doorbell.
"A little late to be worrying about that." Sora added, trying to swallow her own nerves. Kari answered the door shortly thereafter.
"Izzy! Sora! I heard you guys were in town!" Kari said happily. She stepped out of the apartment, hugging each of them in turn. "Come in! Tai's not around right now."
"I'll catch up with him later." Izzy said, letting Sora step in ahead of him. "How's everyone else doing these days?"
"Oh, you know the group." Kari said, shrugging. "I wish I'd caught with you guys sooner. You must have to go back to college soon."
"Yeah, we've been making our rounds. By the way, how's TK doing?" Sora asked, folding her hands behind her back.
"He's good. I was just talking with him yesterday afternoon."
"Really? That's interesting, considering I saw him hanging out in Yolei's store yesterday when I stopped by at about 3 in the afternoon." Izzy said as he took his shoes off in the genkan, walking around a little.
"Um, guys? Why're we playing twenty questions?" Kari asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "This feels like a bad mystery drama."
"For us, it is a bad mystery drama Kari." Sora said, leaning back against the front door of the apartment. "We came back from college for vacation and find TK feeling completely distraught, Yolei feeling completely alienated, and you and Ken apparently feeling newly infatuated with each other. At least such is the story we've gotten from everyone around. We were kind of hoping you'd fill us in with your story."
"Tai is so dead when he gets back..." Kari muttered to herself.
"Start whenever you want, Kari. We've got all day." Izzy said, sitting on the couch.
"I just...I wanted a break from him was all!" Kari said, getting completely flustered. "Everyone's always said how we seemed to be destined for each other, and it was beginning to feel like it to me. I didn't want to be tied down to someone at age 15. I felt trapped!
"Ken and I have always been good friends, so I started seeing him when I could sneak it in. One thing led to another, and then we started kissing after our dates. It just felt good was all. And then...TK found us one night.
"Everything fell apart after that. I...I never wanted to hurt TK. I just wanted a little freedom was all. I still care about him! Ken and I called everything off after the incident with TK. But TK wouldn't even listen to me. That hurt me more than anything."
"So you laid the blame on Yolei, who ended up getting hurt just because she was protecting you and the lie you were perpetuating just so you could have a little fun?" Sora said, looking at Kari in disbelief. "Kari, when was it going to end? Your little game ended up hurting three other peoples' feelings very deeply!"
"I was miserable, Sora! You know what that's like! I just wanted to have some fun for a little while!" Kari shot back at her.
"Well fun time is over, Kari. You owe everyone an explanation." Izzy said, looking over at her. "But you probably didn't need to be told that."
"They're all going to hate me, I know it." Kari said, beginning to cry. Sora slipped out of her shoes finally and moved over, putting an arm around Kari.
"They'll be angry at you, Kari, but they won't hate you. It may take some time, but they will all forgive you." She told her, trying to comfort her. "Your friends love you after all, Kari, and no matter what happens that will never change."
"Y-you think so?" Kari asked timidly. Sora just hugged her tightly and smiled at her as she stepped back from her.
"I know so."
Kari regained her composure and nodded at the two of them, and then sat down in a chair as she collected her thoughts. She looked up at Izzy after a couple of minutes.
"What about TK?" she asked. "Do I have a chance to get back with him?"
"I'm sorry to say probably not, Kari." Izzy told her. "Like I said, he was talking with Yolei last time I saw him, and from I also understand that wasn't the first time."
"I guess that's what I get, huh?"
"You never know what might happen, Kari, so don't give up completely." Sora told her. Kari just shook her head as she stood back up.
"No, I've lost him Sora. But at least I can salvage our friendship."
"Well, I think we've rained on your parade enough for one day." Izzy said, moving towards the door. "I'm sorry it had to happen like this Kari."
"Don't apologize, Izzy. I needed the wake-up call. Thank you both." Kari said, standing up and moving over to them. She hugged them both again. "I think I'll head out along with you guys. I suddenly want to talk to everybody and get this straightened up."
No more words were needed between the three. They all left the apartment, and Kari split off from them once they reached the ground floor, going in search of her friends. Izzy and Sora turned to head off on their own when they happened across Tai who was heading back to his home.
"Hi guys! How'd it all go with Kari?" he asked, approaching.
"I think it'll all work out with some time." Izzy told him. "Thanks again for the info."
"Hey, I knew what was going on, but Kari never listens to me anyway. I'm glad someone could get through to her like you got through to me, man."
"Anytime, Tai."
"Speaking of which, think I could borrow Sora from you for a little while? I think we have some catching up to do. About two years worth or so, give or take a few months."
"Far be it from me to get between two friends." Izzy said, looking over at Sora with a smile.
"Give me one second, Tai." Sora told him. Tai nodded, heading over a ways a bit. Sora then turned to face Izzy, a smile on her face. "Something a little nicer than normal, but not totally formal."
"Huh?" Izzy responded.
"That's my decision. I don't like dressing up too much, but I do want to do something nicer with you."
"Oh, right!" Izzy said, picking up on what she meant. "Can I pick you up later today?"
"I'll be waiting, Izzy." She replied sweetly.
Sora stepped up to him and kissed him briefly before heading over to Tai and striking up her conversation with him. Izzy smiled to himself and rejoiced inwardly as he decided to take a stroll over to his old, favorite electronics stores and window shop a bit to kill the time. Already his mind was thinking about ways to make that night a fun and special one for Sora.
_ _ _ _ _
Izzy waited patiently on the couch in Sora's living room for her to finish getting ready. He had on a dark green polo shirt and black pants with a pair of brown leather shoes that he'd taken off at the door. It was nothing too dressy, but it qualified as being casual wear. He noticed Mrs. Takenouchi looking over at him from her chair, and wondered what was on her mind.
"Something wrong, ma'am?" he asked.
"Oh, I'm just remembering when you were both little kids, playing all the time." She said, coming out of her nostalgia for a moment. "You were close even back then. I should've seen that something would happen between the two of you."
"Believe me, I'm as surprised as anyone is."
"I mostly can't get over how happy she seems now. You've really had a profound effect on her, Izzy. Moreso than Matt ever did."
"I just tried to be a good friend to her, and I like seeing her happy. The rest kind of just sprung from that."
Mrs. Takenouchi seemed to smile even more at Izzy's comment. Both of them heard a door close behind them and they both stood up as Sora entered the room. She had on dark blue pants with a pair of black sandals in hand, and a tight red t-shirt. A gold locket hung around her neck, and she had a pair of diamond stud earrings in her ears. Her mother recognized the locket, but said nothing, figuring that Sora would tell Izzy all about it herself.
"Sorry to make you wait. All set?" Sora asked, looking over at Izzy. He was already making his way over to her.
"Absolutely!" he told her. "I'll have her back at a sane time, Mrs. Takenouchi!"
"Oh, neither of you are kids anymore. Have a good time together!" Mrs. Takenouchi told them. Sora and Izzy put their shoes on quickly and headed out after a final set of goodbyes.
"I hope I didn't make us too late, I just had a hard time finding this locket." Sora said, putting her hand to it.
"It's very pretty, but so are you for that matter." Izzy told her, turning a little red as they walked along. "I've always thought so."
"Why do you have such a high opinion of me, Izzy?"
"Why wouldn't I? You're pretty, smart, you've never been anything but nice to me, and I feel like I could confide anything in you. I trust and respect you more than anyone else I've ever known."
Sora fell silent, looking down slightly at the pavement as they walked. Izzy looked over at her, seeing a strange look in her eyes.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"Don't get me wrong, I've been complimented before." Sora told him, her eyes still fixed on the sidewalk. "It's just...Matt would always tell me how pretty I was, but he never said things like you just did. You know, like how you said you respect me. And how you trust me. No one's ever said that to me."
Sora's hand played with her locket idly as she spoke. Izzy noticed, but decided not to bring it up just yet. It was obvious something was on her mind, and he didn't want to pry too deeply if she wasn't ready to share it.
"You know I'm not in the habit of saying things I don't mean, Sora." He said, smiling over at her. She stopped playing with her locket and looked back over at him, smiling back warmly. She stepped closer to him, lacing her arm through his as they continued on.
'Grandma, could what you told me all those years ago be true?' she thought as she walked with Izzy. 'The first time's already happened. Could tonight be the second time? It would be a first for me. I guess we'll see.'
_ _ _ _ _
Knowing it was her favorite kind of place, Izzy had dinner set at an Italian restaurant that had a very authentic atmosphere. They'd had a table all to themselves, lit only by a few candles on the wall and on their table. A wandering accordion player had even stopped by their table and played for them. It had been a little funny to both of them, but also rather romantic. By the time they emerged from the restaurant, the sun was beginning to set, coloring the sky a hundred different hues.
"Want to walk through the park?" Sora asked, looking across the street at the expansive park.
"That's just what I had in mind." Izzy said, looking at her curiously. "Are you reading my mind again?"
"Well I am a woman after all, it's kind of an inborn gift." She joked back. "Besides, I don't know about you, but I could stand to walk off dinner a bit. That was a lot of food."
"Agreed. You know, we seem to do this sort of thing a lot together, don't we?"
"There's no better way to be alone." Sora said, hugging his arm a bit.
"I couldn't agree more." Izzy said with a smile
The couple quickly jogged across the street, hand in hand, and entered the park. Autumn was indeed in full swing, and the park showed it. The myriad of trees had changed their colors from green to a mixture of yellow, orange, and red. Fallen leaves littered both the grass and the paths, and in the crisp, evening air there was that familiar scent that let everyone know it was indeed autumn.
"I always loved this time of year." Izzy said, breathing in deeply the scent in the air.
"More of an excuse to stay in and play away on your computer?" Sora joked.
"Nah, that's what winter is for." Izzy replied, smirking at her. "I just like the colors, and the fact that it's not so hot anymore. Most of all, because when I was younger it was a sure sign that Halloween was just around the corner."
"I remember you used to always get so excited about Halloween, too. Remember that one year you, me and Tai all went as Galaxy Rangers?"
"Yeah, that was a great year. We even rehearsed the poses!"
Izzy quickly jumped in front of Sora, striking an exaggerated martial arts pose as he crouched a little. Sora quickly joined in, striking the pose she remembered from so long ago. Both of them looked at each other after a moment and quickly lost their composure, laughing out loud as they continued walking along.
"Though I do remember we got extra candy that year thanks to our act." Sora said, after managing to catch her breath. "Even with as silly as it was."
"But the candy wasn't why I liked Halloween so much." Izzy added. Sora stopped and looked at him strangely.
"So why did you?"
Izzy stopped walking as well, facing her as he summoned the will to tell her one of his more closely guarded secrets.
"Halloween was the one time of year that it didn't matter who you were, what you looked like, or how you acted. Everyone would just cut loose and be whoever they wanted to be, and nobody thought twice about it. I could be the person I really wanted to be for one whole night, and for those few hours that I roamed around with you and Tai and got candy and played with other kids, nothing else mattered. It didn't matter that I was a nerdy computer geek who talked funny and thought of weird things. I was a part of things. It was almost better than Christmas for me."
"Izzy, why didn't you ever tell anyone all of this?" Sora asked, stepping up to him.
"Historically I've been terrible at expressing my thoughts and ideas. I mean really, Sora, you remember how I used to be. I had to go into a ten- minute dissertation just to explain what I thought was a simple concept. How could I possibly say how I felt when anytime I talked people just stared at me blankly?"
"It wasn't for lack of understanding, Izzy. We were all just amazed that you were able to figure out things that none of us had even a clue about! You're a brilliant man, Izzy. Don't ever downplay that."
"Thanks Sora. It means a lot to hear all that, especially from you."
"And thank you, Izzy. You really must trust me if you're willing to share secrets like that with me."
"Sora I'd...I mean if I just knew..."
Izzy searched for the courage to say what was on his mind and in his heart, but was coming up short. Finally, seeing his quandary, Sora took his hands in hers and looked him squarely in the eyes.
"What do you want to say, Izzy? Whatever it is, I'll listen." She told him softly. With those words, Izzy found the courage to say what he meant to.
"Sora, I feel like I could share everything with you. I mean, how could I not feel like that about the one that I think...I'm falling for?"
Sora felt her heart rate jump at Izzy's confession. Likewise, Izzy felt nothing but butterflies in his stomach, praying inwardly that he hadn't screwed up completely. As they looked at each other wordlessly, the massive fountain in the middle of the park came to life, its display of water spouts catching and reflecting the setting sunlight.
'No more hesitation, Sora.' Sora thought to herself. 'He's shared a part of himself with you. It's your turn now. Here goes...'
"I searched for this locket for a reason." She said carefully, looking down at it, but not letting go of Izzy's hands. "It's a keepsake from my grandmother who passed away a few years ago. She gave it to me when she said I was on the verge of becoming a young woman. It hasn't opened in many years, something is wrong with the lock, but that's not so important as what she told me.
"She said that...there are only three times you really kiss someone in your life." Sora looked back up, her heart racing as she met his eyes again. "The first time you really kiss someone, it's a sure sign that you care about them. The second time means you're falling in love with them. And the third time is when you know...that you can never let them go.
"So far in my life, as I can remember, I've only ever experienced what the first time feels like, and it's happened twice."
"T-Twice?" Izzy repeated, trying to keep his cool.
"Once with Yamato...and then once with you." She said, smiling at him a bit sheepishly. "I felt it when we kissed during the storm a few weeks back."
"I-I'm honored, Sora...really."
Sora shushed him, similarly to how she had on that same stormy night. She stepped up close to him, their bodies just barely touching.
"But now, I think...well, saying it just won't do." She said, sliding her arms around him. "There's only one way for me to know for sure."
The kiss that followed made both of them feel like their hearts were going to explode. The kiss quickly turned passionate. Sora pressed herself up against Izzy trying to get as close to him as possible while they kissed. Their tongues played with each other's as their hands met at their sides, their fingers intertwining. They lingered on one last kiss before they separated, looking into each other's eyes once again.
"Now I know for sure...that was the second time, and you're the first that I've ever felt like this with, Izzy." Sora said, smiling warmly at him again. "I'm falling in love with you."
"And I with you, Sora." Izzy replied, smiling back at her. "But this still doesn't change the fact that I'm your friend before all else." Sora laughed a bit at his comment.
"I'd be worried if that ever changed. Well, want to keep walking with your girlfriend?"
"I'd like nothing better."
Izzy took her hand in his and began to lead her towards the fountain, only to stop after a little while, looking over a ways and chuckling to himself.
"What's so funny?"
"Looks like we're not the only ones that picked this place for a romantic walk."
Izzy pointed over a ways, and Sora looked in that direction. Over on the other side of the fountain, there were TK and Yolei, in each other's arms and kissing. Sora giggled to herself a bit and tugged on Izzy's arm, getting him to go with her over by them. They stayed out of range until the two finally stopped kissing and then stepped up.
"Woohoo! Hot couple there!" Sora called out at them. Izzy groaned inwardly, rolling his eyes. TK and Yolei looked around a bit, finally spotting them. Both of them went red in the face and separated, standing next to each other as Sora and Izzy approached them.
"Oh please, go back to what you were doing before." Sora teased. Izzy bumped her a bit playfully, and she got the point.
"Thanks for the advice, Sora." TK said after a moment, seeing that they meant well. "We've spent a lot of time talking about stuff. And I think we've found that we have more in common than we ever thought."
"Good for you guys." Sora said, smiling at them.
"And I think we've found that we like each other quite a bit, too." Yolei added. "But I guess you guys figured that much out from before."
"Well we wish you both nothing but the best." Izzy said, shaking TK's hand. Yolei hugged both Izzy and Sora, thanking them both for their help.
"Well, we've got a date to get back to. And I assume you guys do as well." TK said. "Have fun!"
"You guys too!" Sora called out as the two couples continued on their separate paths.
"Too bad we have to head back to school tomorrow. I kinda wanted to know how everything turned out." Izzy said after they were well on their way.
"We'll be off for winter break before too long, I'm sure they'll all want to fill us in then." Sora said. "Besides, I think we've turned things upside down just enough that they'd rather we got out of their hair again for a while."
"Sounds good to me. So, any other ideas of things you'd like to do? The night is young, after all."
"Hmm, a little fun might be in order if you ask me. Go-carts?"
"You got it."
"But let's not go right away, Izzy." Sora took his hand in hers again, bumping into him playfully like he'd done to her earlier. "Right now I'm really just having a good time walking in the park with my boyfriend."
Izzy didn't need to hear any more, and they continued walking about the park for some time, both of them still amazed at how far things had come so far, and wondering just how much farther they were destined to go.