Sora took a big deep breath in as she sat on a park bench facing the bay. She knew she was about a half an hour early for their meeting, but she couldn't take being home any longer. Closing her eyes, she listened to the sounds of water crashing lightly against the shore. The sound was peaceful. Sora smiled slightly to herself. If she wasn't about to have a very emotional conversation, she could relax out here maybe with a good book or something. But right now, as she watched the water, she thought of herself as the shore and love as the waves, crashing into her… knocking her off balance.

Suddenly, the sounds of footsteps alerted her that she was no longer alone. Turning around, she saw him. Yamato's piercing blue eyes and blond hair shone in the sunlight. His light features were offset by his black jeans and black shirt. Sora smiled to herself. He was truly a walking enigma. As she watched the beautiful man approach her, her smile slowly faded. She would miss staring at him like this, admiring his beautiful features and ombre persona. Friends could admire each other's beauty, she thought. But, she knew that was a different kind of admiration. The kind that's meant to compliment. The kind you don't act on.

"Black on black again I see," Sora called out to him.

Yamato smiled as he lowered his head and made his way to the bench Sora was sitting on. "You're here early," he said as he sat down.

"Yeah…," Sora turned her gaze away from him and looked out at the water, "Thought I'd… try and relax a bit."

Yamato looked at Sora. He looked into her tired eyes and felt her kind and caring presence. Here in front of him was a woman who cared for him. A woman who accepted him and had dealt with his nonsense. A woman who he wanted to be happy. But, a woman who he didn't love. A woman he knew he couldn't. He took a deep breath in as he readied himself to face one of his greatest fears. The fear of losing a friend.

"Sora," He began, "I've been a bad boyfriend to you."

She looked up at him a bit startled, "Yamato, you haven't…"

"No, Sora," he sighed, "I really have."

Sora opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it. She then nodded with sad eyes, signaling him to continue.

"You've been nothing but good to me, and I feel like I haven't been that way to you. We were best friends before all of this and I haven't even been a good friend…." Yamato paused as he looked down. "I hope you can forgive me. I would really like… to get our friendship back."

Sora nodded and began fidgeting with her hands in her lap. "Is that... all you want, Yamato?" Sora asked shyly, "to just… be friends?"

Yamato nodded as he fought to keep back tears. "I'm sorry, Sora. Really, I am. I... I really did think I wanted this."

"But you don't anymore," she said, filling in the blanks. Sora took a deep breath in as she too fought to hold back her tears. "Did you ever... want it? Us, I mean."

"Yeah," Yamato answered softly. "At one time, I really did."

A few tears rolled down Sora's cheek. "What changed, Yamato?"

Yamato looked into her eyes and saw the tears welling up in them. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. In this moment, he couldn't feel worse about himself. He was making her cry. What could he possibly say to make any of this better? He shook his head as he looked at the wonderful woman in front of him.

"In the beginning," Sora continued, "everything was fine... but, then after a few weeks you started acting differently. You grew distant and cold. It seemed like you no longer cared or wanted this and I guess I just want to know why. What happened? Was it something… that I did?"

"No." Yamato shook his head vigorously. "It was nothing you did, Sora. This is all on me."

"What is on you, Yamato?" She asked, the frustration growing inside her, "What happened. Why didn't you…" Sora took another deep breath, "Why didn't you want to come over?"

"What?" Yamato responded, looking confused.

"When my mom was out of town," Sora took another deep breath and looked as if she was choosing her next words very carefully, "I invited you over and you… you didn't come. I want to know why."

Yamato closed his eyes. So, she did know. She had felt the distance too and she knew something was up. How would she react if she knew the truth? Would she hate him and never wish to speak to him again?

All he could say was, "I'm sorry, Sora," he looked down at his lap, unable to look her in the face, "You don't deserve this."

"Is there somebody else?" She pressed.

"Sora, I…"

"What are you not telling me, Yamato!?" Sora snapped. She was now in full on tears. "Come on!" She shouted and then lowered her voice. "I can handle it... please just… tell me."

This was it. Tears rolled down Yamato's cheek. Sora was fed up. He needed to tell her. What did it matter if she ended up hating him or not speaking to him again? She deserved to know. If he couldn't be honest then having her in his life would be a lie. Yamato took a deep breath in as he opened his eyes to look at her.

"Sora, I think… I'm gay."

Sora's eyes widened as she looked at him. She stared for a few minutes, not saying anything. Turning her head, she looked back towards the waves. They were crashing harder now into the shore. This metaphor was becoming a little too perfect, she thought. Sora sighed. If Yamato was gay, there was nothing she could do about it. She closed her eyes as she tried to collect her thoughts. At least if he was gay, she reasoned, then none of this really was her fault like she originally thought.

Sora began to feel bad as she wondered how Yamato must've felt trying to figure out his own heart. No wonder he had been so distant… he was all mixed up and probably felt too bad or too ashamed to talk to anyone about it. Sora thought of their friendship and their time together in the Digital world. Had there been signs all along that this was how Yamato felt? Suddenly, a light bulb went off in her mind. She thought of the bond she had been jealous of growing up. She remembered her and Mimi snickering about it. Mimi had been right. The more she thought about it, the more it really did make sense.

"Yamato," Sora began, "When I asked you if there was somebody else… you didn't answer." She looked up to face him, "…Is there?"

Yamato closed his eyes as he nodded slightly in Sora's direction.

"Do I know him?" She asked nervously.

Yamato took another deep breath in and let it out slowly. "Yes," he answered. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok." She replied as she watched Yamato perk up. "We can't blame our hearts for what they want, right?" She paused to breathe, "If I'm not in yours. Then we shouldn't be together, no matter what I might want."

Yamato looked at her in awe and decided to ask the only question on his mind. "Do you hate me?"

"No, Yamato," Sora smiled softly. "I could never hate you. You're one of my best friends."

"Even still? After ending our relationship and telling you there's somebody else, you still want to be friends with me?" Yamato looked at her in awe. How could someone possibly be this understanding?

"Yeah… I do," she answered. "I know it'll be hard at first, but…"

"Sora, why don't you hate me?" Yamato rose his voice, his fists clenched, "You should hate me!"

"Is that what you want?" She answered matching his tone, "what good will that do?"

"it'll at least make me feel better! For messing all of this up!" He yelled back.

"Yamato, cut it out!" Sora stood up from the bench.

"I can't, Sora! There's no way you can be this OK with everything!" He stood up too. They were both now standing in front of the bench facing the bay.

"You're one of my best friends, Yamato! And you want to throw that away just because our relationship didn't work out? Is that what you're saying?"

"No, of course not! I just… I…" Yamato let out more tears as he struggled to speak.

"Yamato…" Sora lowered her voice as she grabbed his hand. "I forgive you, so you should forgive you."

"I don't think I can," he said as he wiped his tears on his sleeve. "I hurt you."

"Oh, Yamato." Sora smiled as tears welled up in her eyes. "Everything will be ok, I promise."

"You're one of my best friends, Sora. I don't want to lose you. And I never want to hurt you or be the reason… that you cry."

"Hey," Sora brought her hand to Yamato's cheek, "I know. And don't worry, you can't get rid of me that easy."

Yamato tried to smile as he wiped his eyes again. He sat back down on the bench and Sora joined him. They sat in silence for a few moments. Yamato collecting himself and Sora figuring out what to say next. The conversation was truly very emotional.

"So," Sora spoke, "You and Taichi."

Yamato opened his eyes wide and then closed them, lowering his head as he nodded. He didn't bother questioning how she knew. It was the truth and right now, the truth is all that mattered.

"When did you know…" Sora continued, "that you liked him... like that?"

Yamato took a deep breath as he thought that over. "I don't know," he responded, "If I'm being honest with myself it was probably when we… almost lost him. I think then I started thinking of him differently and it wasn't until recently that I… finally knew why."

"Do you…" Sora paused as she spoke softer, "do you love him?"

"Yeah," Yamato answered matching the softness, "I do."

"Then I'm happy," Sora wiped her eyes. "I am, really. You deserve that."

Yamato shook his head as he looked at her. "No one deserves love more than you, Sora. I wish... I wish it could've been different… for us."

"I don't," she answered quickly. "Because then it wouldn't be right. It wouldn't be real."

Yamato lowered his head, nodding in response.

"You and Taichi..." she continued. "That's a bond I've always admired. It's a bond I've always wanted."

"You'll find it, Sora. I'm sure of it," Yamato said as he grabbed her hand.

"Thanks, Yamato." She answered, squeezing it back.

The two friends stayed like that for a little while. Holding hands while watching and listening to the sounds of the waves crashing into the shore. Their hands felt comfortable in one another's. It was the sort of comfort friends gave each other letting them know that everything would be alright. That despite what they were facing, they would still be there for each other. They each knew they still cared for each other. Love, after all, isn't always romantic. Neither one let go.

"Sora," Yamato spoke, "if there's anything I can do… anything that will make this easier or less weird, please tell me."

Sora shook her head again. She knew time was the only thing that would make all of this better. Time healed all wounds. She wiped the last of her tears away and looked up at her beautiful friend. "Maybe just… don't make out in front of me?"

Yamato laughed as he began to feel back to normal. "I would never."

"Well I know you wouldn't," Sora laughed back, "but Taichi's another story."

Yamato smiled as he thought back to the impromptu couch makeout session and Taichi climbing on top of him. "Guess you're right about that," He responded.

Sora smiled. Suddenly, she felt better. Significantly better. She cared about these two guys deeply. Seeing them get together after all this time… the more she thought about it… the more it seemed right. And beautiful even. Yamato was never hers. Even back in the Digital World, he and Taichi had always been drawn to each other. They were each other's special person. She had to find her own.

"Do you regret it… us, I mean?" Yamato asked.

Sora looked again at the bay's waves. Before she had thought the water to be love crashing into her, but she was wrong. The way the water came up to the shore and then gently left only to return again. The water hadn't been crashing into anything. The water had been reminding the shore that it was always there. No matter what. The water came, left, and returned again. That was love. Love never left you. Even when you think it's gone, even when the water recedes… before you know it, you can see it again. She could see it in Mimi's eyes, she could hear it in her mom's voice, and she could feel it from Yamato even now. Love was all around her.

"No," Sora answered, and she knew she meant it.

She looked up at Yamato. She could feel her tears begin to well up again, but she wasn't sad. Her two best friends had fallen in love and that was a happy thing. She knew she would support them and be there for them the way they had always been there for her. She was happy. For at this moment, she had finally figured out why she had been given the crest of love in the first place. If your love for someone doesn't work out, it doesn't mean that love was wasted. Love breeds connection, joy, and harmony. For that, for those wonderful feelings and moments, she could never regret her relationship with Yamato. Her true love was out there somewhere, and for the first time, Sora was certain she would find it. Even if she had to experience breakup after breakup, she'd enjoy the process of getting to know someone and all these silly little things that falling in love came with.

"It was worth it," Sora spoke from the heart, "love is always worth it."

A/N: I love you guys. Thanks so much for the reviews and for following along :)