A ping echoed through the room as the scalpel hit the floor. Takeru's vision had become blurred, and it took him a while to even notice his tool had escaped his hand. Rubbing his eyes to try and regain some sight, he looked towards his clock.

"Wasn't it midnight just a moment ago?" he asked himself.

The clock read five in the morning. The bright red numbers cutting through the darkness of his room. Looking back at the cutting mat below him, illuminated by his desk lamp, he could tell he was almost finished. A Christmas gift for Hikari. He knew they agreed not to get gifts for each other, but this technically didn't count as 'getting' her anything. He was making it. And it took a lot longer than he thought it would.

"You need to get some rest."

Takeru nodded in agreement.

"You're right, Pata-" he stood from his desk, pausing halfway up "-mon..."

Quickly looking throughout the room, he confirmed that he was in fact alone.

"I'm sure that was Patamon's voice," he said to himself. "Is there a gate open?"

He opened his laptop, but the screen was completely blank. No portal. No digimon. Most of all, no Patamon.

"I really do need to get some sleep."

In his blind motivation to finish the gift, he hadn't realized how cold his room became. Winter had hit the city long ago, but for the most part it wasn't too cold. Which was a blessing to Takeru. He was never a big fan of winter.

As he lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind began to wander. For whatever reason, he just couldn't bring himself to sleep. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and the some of the light from the city was managing to find it's wait through his window blinds. It didn't help that a small amount of pink light was emanating from his desk. He reached to his night stand for his phone, but his hand found his digivice.

He held the updated device above him, thumb tracing the blank screen.

"I sure do miss you, buddy."

A part of him hoped that he would hear his partners voice again. But he knew that couldn't happen. Ever since he and Hikari decided to leave saving the digital world to Daisuke and their friends, neither one of them had seen their digimon. A large price to pay for some semblance of a 'normal' life. But they had dedicated a large part of their lives to the digital world. Didn't they deserve some time without the danger? Deep down though, Takeru could tell it wouldn't last. Both he and Hikari missed Patamon and Tailmon so much. And he would do anything for Hikari. Anything.

"I got it real bad don't I?"

His feelings for Hikari were nothing new. They were probably there ever since they were kids. Thinking back, it most likely started when Hikari got sick in the digital world and it came down to him to help protect her.

"I imagine Hikari knows how I feel by now," he says to himself. Still he couldn't fall asleep. "How could she not? I'm not exactly subtle." He set the digivice back down on the desk. "I should tell her today. A proper confession."

"You can do it, Takeru."

Again, Patamon's voice seemed to come out of no where. He didn't look for it this time. With the motivation from his best friend, his eyes finally managed to close and drift to sleep. A sleep so powerful it carried him through all of his alarms.

With a yawn and a stretch, Takeru pulled him out of his bed.

"That's much better," he said to himself. "What time is... What?!"

The clock currently read three in the afternoon. Much later than he wanted to sleep. He rushed to his desk, needing to put the final touches on his present for Hikari. As he grabbed the tools he winced in pain. His sleep deprived mind didn't register how much pain they were in earlier. Small cuts and sores from the long hours of work covered his fingers and hands.

Convincing himself that a couple minutes to tend to the injuries wouldn't be the end of the world, he made his way to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom.

"Is the bathroom free?" A knock asked at the door.

"Just a sec," responded Takeru.

Once his hands were properly bandaged, he opened the door, nearly hitting his older brother Yamato on the way out.

"Careful there, Takeru," he said patting his younger brother's head. "Doors can hurt people too."

Rolling his eyes, he started making his way back to his room. Before Yamato could close the door, Takeru turned on his heel.

"I still have some stuff to work on in my room," he motioned down the hall over his shoulder, "if I don't notice can you let me know when it hits six, big brother."

"Got a hot date or something?" he teased.

"It's nothing like that." Takeru could feel his cheeks grow warm though. And by the smirk on Yamato's face, he was sure he noticed. "Hikari and I are meeting some friends for karaoke."

"So it's with Hikari? Sure thing. I'll get you."

"Thanks."

With that, Takeru went back to his room. Determined to put the final touches on Hikari's gift. It took longer than expected, but the results couldn't have been better. As he admired the final product, he pulled out a small pink bag and ribbon to wrap it with. When all was said and done, he was amazing at how quickly it went by and looked towards the clock.

"And it's only six thirty," he said with a smile. "Wait. Oh no!"

He rushed to get everything together so he wouldn't be late.

"Why didn't you get me?" he asked as he ran past his family.

It wasn't often that his mom, dad, and brother would all be together for a holiday, but this was an exception since there wouldn't be much more opportunities in the future when Yamato finally graduates. It was their dads idea. But it wasn't Christmas yet, and New Years was the most important one for family.

"I did," Yamato called out as Takeru got his coat on. "You were totally focused on that thing and didn't respond."

"Couldn't you have tried harder?"

"I'll do that next time."

Takeru just rolled his eyes with a huff as he closed the door. Normally something like this wouldn't get to him. But it was an important day. He didn't want to make Hikari wait and leave a bad impression. Soon he would be telling her his feelings. Which made his stomach sink even more when he discovered that the trains weren't running.

"Oh you've gotta be kidding me!" he yelled out to the world. There was no time to waste though. "Running it is then."

Thankfully there wasn't as much traffic out either. So the run to their meeting spot only ended up delaying him thirty minutes late. Rather lucky actually. But had he left at the right time it probably wouldn't have been a problem at all. As he got closer he eventually saw her, standing by herself looking at her watch. Once she was fully in sight, he was sure his cheeks were read from more than just the cold and run. As always she looked incredibly cute.

"Sorry I'm late," he said as he doubled over to catch his breath.

"Wow, Takeru," Hikari giggled. "Looks like you really need to get back into shape."

"Ha. Ha." He faked laughed, looking up at her with on eye. Trying to get his heart back to a normal pace. "You have Yamato to blame for me taking so long. I ran all the way here, trains aren't running tonight."

"Worried about the snow? It hasn't even started yet."

"Guess so. If it was up to me they'd still be running. It's not like a little snow will hurt them."

With his breath and heart back to a normal rhythm he finally got a good look at her. She wasn't much shorter than him, but he knew that bugged her. And he found it really cute. She had a pastel pink winter coat that went down to her knees, with matching gloves and scarf.. But he was more transfixed by the way her face was just slightly reddened. And then noticed that she was staring at him intently.

"Everything okay?" he asked suddenly. "Something on my face?"

"Huh? No, everything's fine."

"You sure? It's just that you're staring."

"A-am I? Sorry," she said while she quickly turned. For a moment Takeru thought her face had quickly grown redder, but figured it was just his imagination. "I think I'm just tired is all."

"We don't have to go then. I can walk you back," he said.

As much as he was looking forward to this evening, it wouldn't be as much fun if she wasn't feeling well. And if he was being honest with himself, the idea that they could walk together as the snow slowly began to fall was actually rather enticing. Maybe even better than having fun with their classmates. It'd be like an impromptu date. And then maybe he could actually confess to her in a even more romantic setting.

"No," she said. To his disappointment. "I'm okay. We should probably get going. Or else we'll both have to say Yamato made us late."

The karaoke bar wasn't far from where they were. But Takeru was more than happy to have them take their time. A little small talk to get caught up on things was nice. Both of them had been a little busy lately, so it was a while since he last really got to see how she was doing. And it was in moments like these that really made him miss their old adventures. Always being by each other's side. A secret only they knew about. Saving the world. It made them a lot closer than they probably would have been otherwise. And was partly the catalyst for the feelings he cherished deep in his heart. But that's also why he was able to notice the slight bags under her eyes.

"So you haven't been sleeping well?" he asked with concern in his voice while also trying not to look at her. She didn't like when he was over protective.

"No. But it's not that bad." She took a deep breath. "I was able to take the extra time this morning to back cookies."

The mention of baked treats perked him up instantly. Playfully bumping into her while asking, "really? Did you bring me any? I'd love to have some."

While it wasn't her biggest talent. She was actually pretty good at it. And she's made some stuff he'd take on a whole army of bad digimon just to try. Maybe he's just being biased on that. But he'd still do it in a heart beat. Which made it all the more difficult when she gave him her answer.

"Sorry..." she said, trailing off.

"No worries." He did his best to sound happy despite the disappointment. After all, they did promise each other no gifts. Even if he broke that promise, he couldn't exactly expect her to do the same. "Maybe I'll get to try some another time. I wouldn't mind helping you bake them."

At that she froze up. It was so unlike her self and quite adorable. She'd never really responded to his flirtful teasing before. And maybe it was just the cold and lack of a good sleep, but he found himself laughing. Quickly covering his mouth to be polite though. That was a mistake however, forgetting the bandages he sported.

"Are you okay?" Hikari quickly asked, grabbing his hand to check them over. "What happened?"

"Nothing," he said as he pulled his hand away and shoved it into his jacked pocket. "Just got banged up last night. Took a small fall." A lie. But it was better than her worrying or asking further questions that would lead to getting her gift early.

"That's not really like you."

"Well, Patamon's voice shocked me a little."

He said it before he even realized the words were coming out of his mouth.

"You heard Patamon?"

"No," he double back. "I thought I did for a moment. It was really clear. But he wasn't there. I checked frantically, but nothing. Maybe I need some sleep myself." He laughed a little, knowing how true that is.

"It's kind of strange we both did."

"You heard Patamon?" Takeru asked, mimicking her a bit.

"No, Tailmon. Or at least I thought I did."

Hikari explained her own experience from the morning. He wasn't sure how closely timed they both heard their partners was. He couldn't even fully remember what time it was when he heard Patamon. Perhaps there was a slight break in the barriers between the worlds. It was a little too convenient to just be a coincidence. The new topic very quickly dominated the conversation all the way to the Karaoke Club. And made Takeru wonder if there was maybe more going on than either of them knew about.

Karaoke was more fun that Takeru had thought it was going to be. It was his first time really hanging out with a lot of his classmates. And it was a good change of pace. Even surprising himself with how good of a singer he could be. It felt like time was just melting away. Having had enough sugary drinks to keep him awake for hours. And it wasn't until the first set of food arrived that he realized how hungry he was. After the first few bites though it was almost worth sleeping and working through every meal today. Or maybe it was just that he was so hungry that it made it all seem that much better.

He was even happy that it seemed like Hikari was enjoying herself. He was worried that maybe they were being too loud for her. And maybe it was a bit. Even he was having some trouble with the sheer amount of noise a group could make. But every time that he stole a glance at Hikari she had been smiling. So he was happy for her.

"C'mon, Takeru," someone said while pulling him up. "It's your turn."

"Again?" he asked as the microphone was shoved into his hands. "Didn't I just go?"

"Yeah but you're a fan favourite," the boy from his class said. "And the girls are enjoying it."

Takeru was glad the room was dark and neon lit. He wasn't trying to impress anyone, but the thought of catching the eyes of the girls definitely made him blush.

"Shut up, dude."

The only one he wanted to impress was Hikari. So with some more courage, and a quick downing of his drink, he started singing again. And did he ever sing.

Perhaps with more passion than he knew he had.

Mimi would have even been impressed.

His classmates certainly were.

Was Hikari as well? That's all he cared about.

When the song was over he turned to look. But she wasn't there anymore. Like she had just vanished. He could see her coat was gone and realized that it was maybe a bit too much for her after all. Mentally kicking himself for not paying attention more, he shoved the microphone into someone's hand and grabbed his coat and one of the bottles of water.

Thankfully she didn't go too far. Takeru found her standing outside, just looking out into the winter night. Illuminated by the lights all around. If he hadn't come out for a reason he might have found himself stuck standing there. Staring at her for hours.

"Here," he said while raising the water bottle to her. She grabbed it and drank with earnest. "I thought you might need that."

Once she finished she looked to him with a smile and said, "Thanks Takeru." A small gust of wind blew by, making them shiver.

"You should put your coat on before you catch cold." He wrapped her discarded scarf around her neck.

"I'm okay," she said reassuringly as she got her coat on properly. "Just needed to get out of there for a second... Sorry for making you come out here after me. I'll be back in a minute if you want to head inside."

"Don't be sorry. I'm out here because I want to be."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. You're here."

Normally saying something like that would embarrass him. But he felt no trace of it this time. Out here, in the winter night, with barely a soul around them. It felt right. Like this was exactly where he was meant to be in the world in this moment. So there was no shame in saying what he felt. And a part of him felt like Hikari was thinking the same. The way her eyes stayed on him. Her gaze burning a hole through him until he felt a heavy weight in his pocket.

"Um..." he began while fumbling around. "I actually have a confession to make."

"W-what is it?"

Takeru took a deep breath. For a moment the words 'i love you' were stuck on the tip of his tongue. But he managed to pull them back. Instead he pulled out the small bag he had on him. Dangling it in front of her.

"I know we weren't supposed to get anything for each other," he said with a shaky voice. "But this is for you."

"For me?" she asked, clearly stunned. "Are you sure?"

Takeru just nodded and let her take the gift into hand. She soon pulled the ribbon and opened it up. The way her face light up in shock was stunning.

"Takeru! It's the-"

"Crest of Light," he finished for her. "You can loop it on your phone, or camera, or anything you want. It'll be the only one like it. The pain glows in the dark too. So it's light will always be found, no matter how much the darkness tries to take it. Just like you."

It was corny. Super corny. He honestly couldn't believe he was able to say it. But the fact that she was so speechless, utterly captivated by the small charm. He knew he had made the right choice. Staying up all night was the right choice. It was an easy concept to come up with. He knew how much the Crest of Light meant to her. Hope meant a lot to him as well. All of their crests hold a great deal of meaning to their chosen. But Hikari especially put a lot of weight on her light. And to even give a small reminder of that after all this time away from the digital world? He was happy to see her smile at it.

"I should have done something for you," she said.

"Oh no," he replied. He was just happy seeing her hold onto it so tightly before pocketing it. "I'm just really glad you like it. I don't need anything."

"Even so. You went to such trouble... Oh wait!" She started backing up towards the door. "Wait right there. I have something for you."

Before he had a chance to say anything she was already gone. Back inside. He decided it was best to just wait for her. Staring up at the stars, he felt like everything was good in the world. And then he heard the door open again.

"That was fast-" he turned back but saw it wasn't Hikari who had come out "-oh! Sorry. I thought it was someone else."

"No worries," Chiharu said with a smile. "I was wondering if I could tell you something."

"Of course."

Takeru didn't know much about Chiharu. He knew she and Hikari were somewhat friends. But he honestly didn't talk to her too much. Somewhat popular with the boys, someone that people seem to just be drawn to. Nothing could have prepared him for her sudden confession.

"I really like your brother," she blurted out.

"Uh... what?" Takeru asked, stunned.

"He helped me out a while ago and we've run into each other a few times. I haven't been able to get him off of my mind. I found out he has a band and think that's really cool. But he's honestly just so kind." She was rambling. "I was hoping that you could maybe introduce me formally and then I could tell him how I feel? If that's okay."

This came out of no where. And Takeru knew that Yamato had a strict 'no dating fans' policy. But this isn't technically a fan. So there was two outcomes. Maybe they would start dating, which would be a plus for both of them. Or Yamato would be embarrassed or annoyed, which was also preferable after he made him late today. So honestly there was no down side to this.

"Are you doing anything for Christmas tomorrow?" he asked.

Chiharu shook her head and turned away bashfully while saying, "you don't think this confession is too sudden?"

"Not at all," Takeru assured, not realizing he was being overheard. "I couldn't be happier really. You should come over to my apartment tomorrow actually, if you're not too busy."

A stray snowflake fell on his nose and he looked up to the suddenly clouded sky. Usually snow was beautiful, but right now it felt really dark. His gaze fell upon Hikari as he looked back down and he smiled and took a step forward. His heart sinking as she averted her gaze and stepped away.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Nothing's wrong," she said coldly. "It's getting late."

Takeru lifted a hand to reach out for her, but she pulled away again.

"Hikari-"

"Oh my gosh is it that late already?!" Chiharu yelled from behind, but Takeru barely heard her. "Oh no, I'm going to be so dead. My parents expected me back hours ago. I hope the trains are still running."

His eyes stayed set on Hikari, who was determined to not look at him with all her power.

"You should walk her home. It's late and dangerous to be out alone."

"But you?" he asked before she eyed him down, freezing him entirely with a cold gaze.

"Can take care of myself. You should know that by now."

"You can but-"

"No 'buts.' I'm fine. I'll be fine on my way home."

Her voice sounded so pained. It was a long time since he last heard her sound like that. She continued to urge him to go, and as much as it hurt him she clearly wasn't going to back down on it. So he did instead. As he walked away Chiharu continued to talk about Yamato. But it only half reached him. The slowly building snow crunching beneath his feet was becoming deafening. And he had no idea how long he had been walking before Chiharu's voice finally pulled him from his thoughts.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Oh... uh yeah. Sorry," he apologized. "It just seemed like something was really eating at Hikari. But I don't know what. It's just on my mind."

"No it's okay..." She paused. "Is there something going on between you two?"

"What? No!" Takeru said a little too quickly and forcibly. "Well. Not entirely. I do really like her, and was thinking I would tell her tonight..."

Chiharu suddenly stopped, mouth wide open.

"And I interrupted?!" It wasn't really a question. More of a statement. "Oh no. I'm so sorry. That was so rude of me."

"Don't worry about it. I don't even know if she feels the same."

"But it was... the winter night, the illumination, snow slowly beginning to fall," she said. "Such a romantic setting. It would have been perfect!"

"... Yeah..."

"Go after her!"

"What?"

"You heard me," she said while pushing him. "Go after her. She might still be back at the Karaoke place. You never know."

"But I should make sure you get home safe."

"I will," she insisted while continuing to push. "I'm almost there anyway. Go get that moment back."

Takeru thought on it for a second. He had kept going back and forth on these feelings. For a long time. And now he finally was certain of them. And he was just letting her go? Clearly upset? What was wrong with him.

"Right." He nodded before going off in a run.

He hoped she would still be there. It was so silly of him to just walk away. And he would make sure to apologize fully before finally telling him her feelings. He would get back to the karaoke club, she would be there, and they would talk it out and he will confess and hopefully she will feel the same.

Hopefully.

Hope.

But she wasn't there. He didn't know how long he had been walking before. But the lights to the building were already off. Everyone else must have gone their separate ways too. He sent a message to Hikari but she didn't seem to be responding. Even so. He'd wait for a little bit.

A little bit more.

A little bit longer.

But still nothing.

With a sigh he decided to give up for now. Maybe he would see her soon and be able to do it then. He would make sure of it.

When he took a step he heard a crunch. Not the same kind of crunch as the snow, it was different. He looked down and saw a small bag. And something compelled him to pick it up and open it.

"Oh..." he said, pulling out a shattered cookie. "Hikari..."

It was clear she had made them. It was the only reasonable explanation for a bag of home made cookies to be here. Right where they were talking. His heart felt like it was going to stop. Something upset her enough to drop the cookies she was going to give him. And something inside him told him he had really messed up here.

"I'll make it up to you. I promise."

He ate the broken cookie. Wishing he could have been sharing them with the girl he loved.

"Delicious."