Disclaimer: As always I do not own Digimon or any it's characters or creations.
On a side note, I've watched Digimon since Fox Kids was on television. I was nine years old. It's amazing how it's stuck with me, and the digimon passion was reborn when Tri came out. I was a Takari shipper then as a kid. Wish that ship sailed, but hopefully it will one day. Until then we have our fan fiction. The story digivolves as we go.
Chapter Two: Intervention
A muffled water-flow slowly seeped into Takeru's ears. As his vision opened, the darkness dispelling, it grew louder and louder, gushing out it's noise. A faint hint of antiseptic hung in the air, the white room around him indicative of his location in a hospital. He sat up in bed a little and looked down to see Hikari crying her eyes out, her head soaking his blanket. He said nothing and marveled at her, not quite knowing how to react.
He placed his hand on the back of her head. She immediate stopped sobbing and stared up at him her face a complete mess her eyes red from crying.
"Why are YOU crying?" he said unsure of himself. "I'm the one who got hurt Hikari. I should be the one who is-"
"-You're mean you know that?" she said frustrated trying to dry her eyes.
Takeru froze in motion having no frame of reference of what she was talking about.
"Why, Takeru, why?" She said covering her eyes with her hands. "Why do you make me worry like this and try to pile on my worries on top of your own? You always try to make me feel better by lightening things up and you only make your life harder. It's not fair."
Takeru grimaced a smile and tried to say something but he couldn't.
"And now your smiling, covering up the pain," she said looking at him again. "You may think you know me really well Takeru, but don't think for an instant I can't see through you either."
Takeru found his face turning slightly red.
"You know...we have our digimon that protect us," Hikari's voice sputtered. "When you lay down your life for me like that...I...Oh god I don't know what to think."
Takeru sighed. This wasn't the kind of greeting he thought he would get from her. He just thought she would tell him he would be ok and she's there if he needs anything, but this was nearly too much for him.
"You know Hikari, to be perfectly honest I don't either," he sighed. "Something might be wrong with me after all. I'm just not right. I...I don't understand myself at all right now," he smiled slightly. "I don't know who you are to me. All I know is you've always been there every time since I met you and...I am grateful...for that."
He knew his words might affect her, but if he did not get them out he felt like he would pass out. No, he would probably pass out anyway.
As if on cue Takeru felt an incredible pain in his side and bowled over, the pain overwhelming him.
"Takeru! Takeru!" Hikari screamed.
The next thing Takeru knew he was being assaulted by two women with needles and medicine. He did not have the strength to resist.
Hikari struggled against the immense power of the nurse. She wanted to see Takeru so much;To Console him, To tell him everything would be ok, but she was scared for the worst. The nurse slammed the door and left her to herself outside of the room, where her best friend had been suffering. She clutched her fist over her heart more tears streaming from her eyes .
Yamato and Taichi entered the room, their digimon not with them.
"Hikari..." her brother said his eyes unsure of how to comfort her.
She was glad to see his familiar face. "Oh, brother," she said relieved.
Yamato explained to her in detail of what the doctor's had told him. Aside from the cuts on his body and the bruising he was fine. Their was no internal bleeding or anything life threatening going on; Just a whole lot of pain.
After his explanation the other digidestined showed up, but Hikari found herself slumped in a corner blaming herself. She was ignoring them, lost in her own little world.
How could something like this have happened? She thought. Why does he go so far for me each and every time but he does not ask for anything in return? He's always giving himself, and this time it's cost him so much. I just don't know what to do. And what he said...really really bothers me. How can he not know? That I am... she did not know how to describe the emotions she was feeling. It pained her chest to even think about it.
"Hikari," her brother said, his phone going off as if all the other digidestined were texting they were on their way, "There's something I need tell you. Something really important." His eyes glanced to the side. "Before the others arrive I want you to know..."
Hikari swallowed her heart. She had already been on an emotional roller coaster all day. She could not take much more of this.
"...That, well..."
"What is it?" Hikari asked weakly.
"Well, after the battle with the dark masters and Apocalymon and the world was at peace, both me and Yamato met with Takeru. We...well, we both felt we could trust him with something very important to us."
She looked at Yamato who seemed annoyed. "Quit beating around the bush Mr. Crest of Courage! Stop being a coward!"
"I am not!" Taichi shouted back. "I am just trying to put this gently and be sensitive you clod! I am not the one who spent ten minutes making out with his girlfriend while we were suppose to be investigating the digital world!"
"It's called a break you gogglehead! If you weren't always trying to yank everyone around you then you could take it easy for once and see that!"
Hikari did not know where the conversation had trailed off, but this ridiculous fighting had to stop.
"Tell me what happened!" she shouted angrily.
Taichi and Yamato both hung their heads.
"Sorry," they said together.
"The truth is Taichi was really impressed with Takeru," Yamato said. "So he asked him something. And my little brother, well, he said yes.
Hikari was confused. "Taichi, just what did you ask him?"
Taichi rubbed the back of his head as if anticipating her anger. "Well, I asked Takeru if he would protect you always and forever even if I am around or not. Takeru said yes, but, then I said in a joking way, good you are a man now Takeru and if you say you are going to protect someone you gotta be able to lay down your life for someone.'"
Yamato stepped in. "But my brother was so excited and proud of himself. He said 'I would lay down my life for Hikari' and then proceeded to play on the monkey bars at the park. He was just a little kid."
"But he certainly has kept his end of the deal," Taichi said. "I just feel bad and responsible for what happened."
Hikari's heart sunk. Her rationale went out the window. Today had been all to much. She let everything pour our in one torrential flood of disappointment:
"So you're telling me Takeru did all of this just because you made him promise you to? That's it?" She smiled tears pouring down her incredibly heart broken face. She couldn't hide it. Now it all made sense. Why Takeru said what he said. He must have been wanting to back out the whole time but felt bound by this bond, this oath to both of their brothers.
"I am such a fool," Hikari sobbed. "I hate you both-especially you Taichi!" she cried as she ran out of the hospital room. "Hikari, wait!" she heard Taichi call, but she was already gone. Nothing would stop her from running home and ruining her pillow with tears that night until she got them all out.
The next day Hikari did not go to school. She lay huddled in her room, not even Tailmon keeping her company. She refused to even touch the digital world.
Around the afternoon she heard a knock on her door. "If that's you Taichi, don't forget I am still very mad at you. Don't you dare come in!" she said throwing a pillow.
"But what if it's just us?" she heard Mimi's voice say.
Hikari certainly did not expect Mimi of all people.
The next thing she knew she was sitting on her bed, both Sora and Mimi sitting in chairs opposite to her as if they were having an intervention.
Hikari felt too embarrassed to even talk to anyone. She could not believe she blew up at both Taichi and Yamato yesterday. It was so unlike her. She merely covered her face with her hands and did not want to face them.
"Hikari, would you at least say something?" Sora said concerned for her.
She reminded Hikari a lot like her mom, giving her the space she needed but knowing when the silence was unbearable.
"We want to help you feel better," Mimi added. "I might just have a solution for you."
Hikari sighed slowly lowering her hands from her face. "My best friend is in the hospital. My brother and I are on bad terms, and I have not spoken to Tailmon or went to school today. I honestly don't know what to think or how to respond. I am kind of paralyzed," she said sniffling. "I don't need to burden you with my problems."
"Hello, crest of sincerity!" Mimi said standing up her hands on her hips slightly annoyed. "If I can't help you it won't do you a lot of good to rely on anyone else."
"She's right," Sora added. "Hikari we are here because we care about you just like Takeru does."
Just hearing Takeru's name gave Hikari a headache.
"He...he does not care about me at all," she sighed. "He only cares about obeying Taichi's and his brother's orders. It was all an obligation," she said sadly as if she was about to huddle in a corner.
"Then why..." Sora said her arm on Hikari's shoulder, "...Why does this upset you? Do you want him to care?"
"It doesn't matter if I want him to care or not. It still will not change anything."
Yes, to her, Takeru was a constant in her life. Whenever she needed an ear Takeru was always there, no matter what. No matter even if he was hurting. Hikari felt bad for him. She never wanted to be a nuisance. And it would destroy her if Takeru truly felt that way about her.
"Well," Mimi said thinking about it, "From what I have heard Takeru has a lot of friends who are girls. He's such a play boy."
Hikari could not let that slide. "No, I know him. He is-"
"-Not!" Mimi interrupted before she could finish. "I was just kidding. But even still don't you find it weird that he has all these friends who are girls but has no girlfriend? He always seems to have them at an arms length even though they pine for him."
"He is a bit of an enigma," Sora added. "You just never know with him. He could really lead a girl on."
"Yeah," Hikari said feeling herself open up a bit more. "He is a bit of a masochist. But," she smiled holding her pillow as if she was cherishing it, "It's how he copes with his pain. I don't blame him."
Sora clapped her hands together. "That's great Hikari."
Mimi grinned mischievously. "Oh, and while he is on the subject I must say he has become quite the looker. Maybe I should stop seeing Koushiro and see him instead."
Hikari nearly fell off the bed when she heard this. "How could you-"
"-Say that?" Mimi said interrupting her finishing her sentence. "Well you know I am never one to really hold back especially concerning matters of the heart," she said touching her cheek.
"My my my Sora," she said. "Have you noticed Taichi's dear sister's cheek?"
"Oh yes," she replied. "My it's quite rosy. Whatever could this mean?"
Hikari did not know how to react or which one of them was playing mind games with her. She could only listen to their jabbering taunts.
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Hikari asked.
Sora and Mimi looked at each other and giggled.
"Well, I've got to go," Mimi said winking at Hikari.
"Before I go though Hikari, a word of advice," she said closing her eyes.
She put a finger to Hikari's lips. "If you stay silent you will never know not only how you feel...but how he feels. So just have fun!" she added playfully slapping her cheek.
She waved 'bye bye' and went on her way.
Sora smiled looking down at Hikari. "And you know, don't feel pressured at all. Don't even worry about it right now. The moment will come when you will have the clarity for your feelings. Whether it's just a childish fancy or if it's really blossomed into loving tenderness you will know."
Hikari felt herself biting her lip. The two of them Sora and Mimi were equally ferocious when it came to matters of the heart each in their own way!
"Sora," she said swallowing. "What if I am scared to know? I want to, but then I think about what happened with you and my brother before. You were very close as children, but when you got older your heart found refuge somewhere else- With Takeru's older brother. It...it terrifies me to think that one day Takeru could do the same thing."
Sora smiled and put both shoulders on Hikari's shoulders staring down at her. "If that's how you feel Hikari then maybe you have your answer already. I know it's scary and you're afraid, but think of the alternative: A lifetime of regret," she said her hand over her heart as if she was thinking about someone.
"That's how it was with your older brother. There was a time I really did like him, but when he never responded to me or showed me that he cared, I found myself slowly growing to care for Yamato. And before I knew it I was smitten with him," she said placing her hand on her cheek as if recalling her infatuation. "For being such a hard headed guy, he has his sweet side to," she beamed. "I'll never understand it Hikari. Why we both could fall for such ice cold lone wolfers. Then again that's just a part of their charm. Makes them seem, I don't know, strong."
"Yeah..." Hikari replied, Sora's words sinking in. She recalled Takeru's coldness back when he had fought the digimon emperor and laid him out good. Or whenever she saw from the corner of her eye other girls trying to make a move on him, but he would casually shoot them down as friends. He seemed, in a way, indestructible to her.
She snapped out of her thoughts unable to comprehend her realization of what this implied.
"Wait!" she startled herself standing up her cheeks feeling hot and warm. "I never said I fell for Takeru!"
Sora's eyes caught hers as they closed reflecting on them.
"Hikari," she said her eyes happy, nearly tearing. "Don't you see? It's by your words you like someone, but it's by your actions you show that you love someone. Liking someone will pass. As just a fancy. Like you like eating a chocolate Sunday, but loving someone will either etch itself into your heart forever, or leave it scarred until a greater love can heal it." Her hand went down to her heart and she smiled nearly a painful smile. "You know, like a parfait."
Hikari smiled. Ah, comparing affection and sweets. Nothing compares to a parfait to her. And the parfait of her heart..." She couldn't bring herself to say it.
"If you ever want to talk," she said, "you have my number. And tell Taichi Sora says hi." With a wave she exited the room leaving Hikari alone to her thoughts.
She turned off the lights and locked her door. Holding her pillow she kept thinking about everything that happened. Flashes of Takeru's blue eyes and disarming smile danced across her memory. From their first meeting, to him protecting her from Piedmon. From their time reunited and then this closeness she could not describe. Sweet, kind, caring and so protective of her. She honestly could not remember a time where Takeru was not protecting her...except that one time she got lost in the digital world. That was one of the few times Takeru dropped his guard and showed his emotions. But now they were sealed tight as if no one could know his heart.
She placed her hand over her own heart feeling it beat rapidly. She smiled sadly to herself unable to believe it. "Could he really risk his life like that for me if he did not care?" she asked herself, afraid to know the answer. It seemed unbearable waiting for her own response. She sighed, falling down on her bed her energy spent. "Oh Takeru Takaishi...how you torment me so," she said covering her eyes in the dark as if to shield her mind from her heart.