Day 2 for Takari week! A quick reminder if you haven't read the first chapter. All stories will be told in first person, from both Takeru and Hikari's POVs in the same story. It will be separated to make it easier, though.

I hope you enjoy! Check back the next days for other stories.

Day 2: The Date
I was freaking out, which was something new for me when it comes to dating. It didn't take me much to realize why I was so panicky: all the other girls I went out with weren't my best female friend. If one thing went wrong, I could say goodbye to our friendship. But honestly, things were already different whether we liked it or not, because of our kiss a couple of weeks ago. We both agreed to keep it a secret, but I was sure some of our friends had picked up something in the air. At least, I knew Sora did, from the way she started looking at us and smiling. I also knew our secret was safe with her. She wouldn't tell Yamato - or even worse, Taichi - about it. So that was a relief.

I spent the following days after we came back from our anniversary trip looking for ideas on what to do for first dates and places to go. It was quite easy for me to choose places in a general way, but it was different with Hikari. She was a special person to me and I didn't want to start with the wrong foot and mess up whatever comes next for us. And no, I'm not exactly looking for a relationship. But that doesn't mean I will take her to an awful first date and have her first experience be a bad one. She deserves to have one she will never forget, and that's why it was so difficult for me to decide where to go.

In the end, I went for probably the most cliché choice, the one you see in some American movies: an amusement park. But not the ones like at Disney, the ones where you have these booths where you need to shoot a can to get a stuffed animal and things like that. I guess you can't deny my taste for romantic comedies, right? I wanted to avoid clichés like going to the movies because that's everyone's - or most people's - first choice and I wanted to be creative. At this point, you can assume I failed miserably at it.

I didn't tell Hikari at all where we were going, despite her countless attempts to find out. I wanted it to be a surprise for her and hoped with everything I had that she wouldn't be disappointed with my choice. I know for a fact she would hide it and have a large smile on her face, saying she didn't mind it all and everything was okay. But I know better.

So here I am, in front of the mirror in the bathroom. There's a pot of gel over the sink and its cover lying on the vase. I honestly have no idea why I even bothered buying it in the first place. Gel is more Yamato's thing, and I absolutely don't know how to use it. I frown at my own image in the mirror. I don't really need to put gel on my hair to look good. I'm sure Hikari won't mind whether I'm using it or not. I put its cover back and put it away inside the cabinet.

I was pretty much ready to go and it was twenty to seven. I thought to myself it was enough time to walk to Hikari's apartment and pick her up, so I picked up my keys on my study table and shoved them into my pocket before heading out of my room.
"Mom, I'm leaving. I'll be back around ten."
"Okay." My mom's head popped out from her office. "Do you have a date?"
"Yes, with a girl from school. I'm going to pick her up."
"Alright. Have fun."
"Thanks."
"And take care."
"I will." I smiled at her. "You too."
She rolled her eyes - something she always does everytime our roles are reversed - and went back to work.

.

My hands were sweating and I couldn't stop feeling nervous, no matter how many times I breathed deeply. I frowned when I looked at the mirror, thinking that nothing I put on my face as make-up or did as a hairstyle wasn't enough. Not that I thought of myself as not pretty, but I really wanted to make a good first impression for Takeru. It seems ironic, considering we've known each other for years now. But I wanted him to really see me as a girl for once. I wonder if I would feel like that every time I'd have a first date.

My heart began pounding so fast and loud on my chest when the doorbell rang. It was when it hit me: Taichi was in the apartment and there was no way I could stop him from seeing Takeru outside, since he was much closer to the door than me. Oh God, he was going to tell Yamato about us going out and complain about it. I had to do something, but the panic didn't let me react or think at all. It was like I was glued down to my chair and couldn't move.

"Mom, can you get that, please?" I yelled from my bedroom, praying she was faster than Taichi.
"It's okay, I'll answer it." His voice echoed around the apartment and I began to panic even more.
"That's okay, it's a friend of mine. Mom can answer it."
"I'm already on it."
I took a deep breath, finally being able to stand up from my chair and walking out of my bedroom.
"Takeru? What are you doing here?" My brother asked with surprise after he opened the door.
"He offered to go with me to a friend's house to pick up a book I need."
"Right now? You made him come all the way here just for that?"
"He was at his father's apartment. We'll be right back."
"I could have taken you."
"Too late now." I bent a little backwards. "Mom, I'm going."
"Have fun, darling. Don't come back too late."
"Have fun? Don't come back too late? What's she talking about?"
"Bye, Taichi." I held the doorknob and shut it behind me; my face completely flustered. Then I turned to Takeru with a smile.
"Hikari, come back here!"
"I'm sorry about that. I didn't want him to answer the door."
"That's okay. I assume he doesn't know we have a date."
"No, I didn't have the courage to tell him yet." I confessed. "So, are you going to tell me where we're going now?"
"Nope." He shook his head and smiled. "It's still a surprise."
"Oh please. I need to know."
"You will once we get there."
"That's not fair." I looked up at his hair and noticed it was slightly different, though I couldn't see much of it because of his white hat. "Did you do something with your hair?"
"What?" He took his hat out and touched his hair. "I tried to put on some gel, but it didn't exactly work."
"That explains it."
"Can you really tell the difference?"
"Your hat really helps hiding it. But I don't think other people will notice it, so you're safe."
But I did notice it. I smiled to myself, realizing I wasn't the only one trying to make a good first impression.

.

The carnival - which is the correct name of the place we were going, as I found out later - was quite crowded. It wouldn't be any different though. It was summer and the weather was amazing.
"Here we are."
"A carnival?" Hikari asked surprised as she looked up at me. "I didn't see that coming."
"Are you disappointed at it?"
"Not at all." She shook her head with a smile. "It was a surprise, actually. I was sort of expecting you to pick movies or something like that. You know, things most people would choose. I hope you don't take it personally. This isn't a complaint or anything like that."
"Don't worry about it." I assured her with a warm smile. "I didn't take it personally. In fact, I think my mission here was accomplished. I wanted to go for something unusual, though I know a lot of people have their first dates at a carnival."
"That's true. So where do you want to go first?"
"I'll leave that to you. Since I kept it a surprise, you'll get to pick where we are going first."
"Alright then." She reached down for my hand and started making our way through people. "We're going to the Ferris wheel first!"

I couldn't help but smile seeing Hikari's reaction as she placed her hand on the window of the cabin and looked down with a large smile on her face. She looked like a child who just went on a Ferris wheel for the first time, though I know she had been on the one next to her apartment a lot of times. In some of them, I was even with her.
"Are you going to be sitting there the whole time?" She looked over her shoulder in my direction. "You should see this view!"
"I'm good here, thanks."
"Are you serious?" She finally came to sit on the bench across mine. "You love watching the view from a Ferris wheel."
"I do. I just don't feel like doing it tonight."
"Okay." She placed her hands over the her thighs and looked around. "So what do you want to do?"
"I should be the one asking that." I offered her a smile. "What do you want to do?"
"I wouldn't mind walking around for a while after this ride stops." She stood up and sat beside me. "I owe you an apology."
"For what?" I looked at her surprised.
"For… you know… our kiss… a few couple of weeks ago."
"Why are you apologizing for it?"
"Why wouldn't I?" She was the one surprised now. "It wasn't a nice thing to do. I act in on an impulse, so I'm sorry."
"You shouldn't apologize for that. Sometimes acting on an impulse is good. It depends on what it is."
"That's true." She bit her lower lip and intertwined her fingers nervously. "I'm sorry."
"That's alright." I looked outside. "It's indeed a beautiful view."
"I told you. You know… there is something I would like to do now."
"What is it?"
"Don't laugh at me, okay?" She was blushing heavily. "But I've seen movie couples kiss in this these kinds of attractions and always wanted to try it once."
"Really? So you want us…"
"Yeah…"
"Okay, we can do it."
"What?!"
"Just relax and trust me everything will go great." I placed my hand in the back of her neck and leaned towards her.

.

Takeru pretty much dragged me out of the cabin as soon as it stopped and the he opened the door for us. Once again we were making our way through the crowd and I apologized the best way I could to everyone who we bumped into. He only stopped when we reached the shooting booth at the other side of the carnival.
"Which one do you want?" He asked me after I stopped beside him. I noticed he couldn't stop looking at me.
"Hmmm, let me see." I kept focusing on all the prizes at the back of the booth and trying my best to ignore my blushing cheeks and the fact they started burning up because of it. "The pink cat one."
"Why am I not surprised you'd choose a cat? And pink."
"Hey, they are two of my favorite things combined. I would be surprise if you were."
"How many shots?"
"What?" I raised my eyebrows at his question, not quite understanding what he meant by it.
"How many shots do you think I will need to win that cat for you?"
I pressed my lips together for a while. "I don't know… maybe five?"
"Five it is." He held the gun in his hands and looked into its small display that allowed you to get a better view from where you were going to shoot at and find the best angle possible.
"You look like a professional, from the way you're holding this gun and everything." I know my voice was shaking, though I tried to hide it. I exactly good at it sometimes.
"It's a natural thing, I guess." He shrugged and kept trying to find a good angle to shoot. "This is the second time I touch a gun, to be honest. The first one was when Pinocchimon kidnapped me at the Digital World. That one was loaded with real bullets."
"I remember that." I shivered by the mere thought of picturing what happened inside that house. He could easily get seriously injured by him. "I'm glad you managed to get away from that house safe and sound."
"Me too." He shot for the first time and I automatically protected myself before realizing the sound came from his gun. "But talking about Digimon and the fights against the Dark Masters isn't my ideal subject to talk about during dates."
"I couldn't agree more with you." I smiled briefly. "So, hmmm… have you… you know… with the other girls you went out with?"
"Kissed them, you mean?" He looked at me for one second before firing his gun for the second time.
"Yes." I replied uneasily. "It kind of makes you so… experienced."
"Experienced?" He repeated. "Actually, no. I only kissed one of them. Maybe two. People assume I automatically hook up with every one I went out with because I'm sort of popular at school, but that's not true. Yes!" He stood up and threw his fist in the air. "Three shots it is. The pink cat, please."
"Sort of popular is an understatement. Thank you." I said as I picked up my brand new large stuffed pink cat. "I've seen some girls get into physical fights for you. It's a scary picture, if you ask me."
"It is. I remember that used to happen when Yamato was in high school and was part of the Teenage Wolves. These things scared him to death. You're welcome, by the way."
"I bet. So, do you feel like eating?"
"Sure. What do you want? I'll pay."
"No, really. I can pay for myself."
"Hey, I asked you out. It's on me."
"Okay, then." I smiled at him. "I feel like eating a temaki tonight."
"Great choice. Let's go" He reached for my hand again and we walked towards the food booth.

.

We were on our way home about an hour later. Almost all people walking by the street couldn't not look at the big stuffed pink cat Hikari was holding.
"Did you have fun?" I heard her asking and looked at her. She was stroking the cat's fur as if it was a real one.
"Yes, I did. I got what I intended to, so…" I motioned the cat with my head when she looked at me confused. A smile appeared on my lips. Of course I didn't mean just that. "Did you?"
"I did. Thanks, by the way." Her cheeks got a little pink and she refused to make eye contact. "For the cat, I mean. And also for the night, obviously. You didn't have to walk me home, though. I could have taken a cab or something."
"I wouldn't let you go back home by yourself." I assured her, and our eyes met again. "I told my mother I'd be arriving late, but I doubt she remembers it since she's work a lot and sometimes overnight lately."
"I see. Still I think it's dangerous for you to go to your apartment. I can ask Taichi to take you if you want to."
"It's alright. It wasn't a problem when we were eleven and it's definitely not a problem now."
"Well, I know you can take care of yourself, but it still worries me. We're underage and I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Nothing is going to happen to you, I promise." I said firmly. "But if it makes you feel better, I'll take a cab."
"It does, thank you." She gave me a smile and I could easily say it's one of the most beautiful ones I've ever seen from him. I caught myself wondering why I haven't seen her that way before.
"You're welcome." I looked up at her building. The lights were still on. I'd bet all my savings Taichi was still up waiting for her, true to a big brother fashion. Not that it was late at night, though. We decided not to push our lucks and came back earlier than we said we would. "Here we are."
"Yeah." She looked up for a moment as well and then at me. "Thanks for bringing me home."
"You're welcome." I grinned at her. "Well, it's quite a walk for me, so I should get going."
"I should have known you wouldn't get a taxi." She rolled her eyes and I couldn't help but smile. "Call a taxi."
"Fine." I gave in.
"It's been fun." She said unsure and I could feel an awkward tension growing between us. I didn't even need to ask her to know she was feeling it too, from the way her leg was moving. And then she approached me and kissed me on the cheek. "I really enjoyed going out with you."
"Hikari." I reached down for her hand before I could even process what I was doing. She was looking at me with a mix of apprehension and hope, but everything was still a surprise for me. Still, the words escaped my mouth before I even thought of holding them in. "Would you like to go out with me again sometime?"
"A second date?" She tried her best not to look too excited, but her face still lit up with happiness.
"Sure, unless you don't want to." My foot was playing with a small rock I had found on the sidewalk. I just couldn't look at her in the eye, which was something unusual for me.
"I'd love to." Hearing her voice automatically made me lift my head and automatically smile at her. Was it love?
"Great. We'll talk about it then."
"I'll be waiting." She turned to get inside her building. "Oh and Takeru?"
"Yes?"
"Does that mean we're dating?"
The smile on my face got a little wider. That was never a doubt to me. "We are."