I hope you dont think this sucks. I'm trying to make it good. It's hard to write for a character like Matt who spends most of the show fighting with Tai and whining about T.K., and even harder to write for Izzy, who speaks in computer terminology and says "prodigious!" a lot. Well, they're going through changes, and maybe that's why they don't sound like you might expect them to. Once again, I don't own Digimon but enjoy watching the show and writing Digimon fanfics.
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Izzy and Matt left the air conditioned apartment and stepped out into the humid street. Neither of them had any money, which was ok with Matt, since he preferred walking right now rather than taking a bus. Besides, he was in no real hurry to get there. As they walked they talked about school, their friends and even their families. They didn't talk about the Digiworld though, because there wasn't really anything to say about it right now. Eventually they returned to what they were discussing in Izzy's room, and a strange transformation seemed to take place with every step they took. Matt had never heard Izzy speak so honestly, and although it was a bit awkward at first, the two friends were becoming more comfortable being open with each other. Well, at least Izzy was, and Matt was becoming used to the "new" Izzy, and he hoped that when the time came, that he could be the same way. Again, he thought to himself, "Is today the day?" Izzy kept talking, pretty much rambling, but Matt hung on every word he said.

"It's like everyone thinks that just because I dont speak up in class a lot and spend too much time on my computer that I don't have anything to say."

"That's not true, you've got a lot to say. You're a fun person to be around." Matt wasn't sure if "fun" was the right word, but it worked for a compliment.

"I don't want to change the way that I used to act around people, but I just want to be more outgoing, you know?"

"I don't really want you to change Izz, you're cool the way that you are." Matt replied.

"You wouldn't be saying that if I hadn't saved your life a million times." Izzy said sarcastically with a good-natured smile.

"Not as many times as I saved yours." Matt shot back, playfully punching him in the shoulder.

"Doubtful." Izzy said, rubbing his arm. They had been walking about a half an hour, and they were almost to the school. Matt was looking forward to seeing Sora again. Hopefully they would have time to talk. Maybe they could do something after the game. Maybe it would be better if they didn't though. The thought of telling Izzy the truth was now up front in his mind. It was going to take a few hours to build up the courage, but Matt figured he would have it by the evening, and no one else could be with them then. He could think about that later though. Now he was just walking and talking with his friend, who he felt closer to than ever.

"Well don't change for me, you don't have to you know."

"Sure Matt. I know I don't have to change for you or Tai or Sora or Joe or any of us. Technically it was only a few hours, but when you spend weeks fighting for your life alongside someone, you get to know someone pretty well. I'm only trying to say that I want to be a better friend, that's all."

Matt thought about what Izzy said. "You think you know me pretty well, huh?" Once he had said that he wished he hadn't. Izzy had just finished declaring his intentions to be a better friend, and Matt replied with an accusation. It only sounded that way though, and he said it as a way to try to open Izzy's mind to the idea...the idea that his friend was...Matt wasn't totally sure of it himself, but he couldn't keep it to himself much longer.

"Well, I guess so. I'm sure there's a lot that I don't know." Izzy replied. You have no idea, Matt thought to himself. They had reached the school and were heading to the soccer field. Someone was running towards them. As he got closer, Matt could see who it was.

"Hey Tai! Got a game today?" Matt shouted. Tai was wearing his soccer uniform.

"Yeah, we play after the girl's game." Tai gave Matt a high-five. "Hey Izzy, what's up."

"We just came to watch the game." Izzy and Tai also exchanged a hand slap.

"Cool man. I was hoping you guys would come."

"Well I promised Sora I would watch her at least once this year." Matt said.

"Oooooooooooooh! I know you're trying to score points with her! Yeah, I'll tell her you missed your brother's birthday party for it!" Tai laughed. He'd heard Matt's silly conversations with Sora and noticed the way that he stared at her when she wasn't looking. He kidded Matt about it too. Matt put up with it, mainly because there wasn't any truth to it at all. It was better that Tai thought that about him anyway. What the heck did that even mean, it wasn't T.K.'s birthday.

"Whatever dude. Watch it or your team's gonna be one player short today." Matt replied with his evil stare, the one he gave Tai when he and Wargarurumon attacked Tai and Agumon when they were fighting the dark masters. They had made amends many times and put it behind them though, enough so that they could joke about it, as they were now.

"Is that a threat?" Tai replied, clinching his fists.

"It is if you want it to be." Matt replied. They stared at each other for a few seconds, and then burst out laughing, so much so that they were on the ground a minute later, catching their breath.

"I'm sorry but I don't get it." Izzy said with that perplexed look on his face. Matt and Tai got up and the three walked to the bleachers to watch Sora's game. They talked about more stuff, and Matt found out that Tai and Izzy had been spending a lot of time together since their return from the Digiworld. As a matter of fact, everyone had been hanging out together, just like Matt hoped they would. Why hadn't he been invited? The more he thought about it, he remembered that he had been invited. His mom would come to his room and tell him Izzy or Tai was on the phone, but Matt would just give her excuses to tell them. Had he even bothered to call anyone before today? "Haven't I learned anything?" He thought to himself. He was letting himself become a prisoner of his own depression again, just as he did in the Digiworld. Suddenly someone grabbed him from behind, and he quickly stood up and turned around.

"Hey Matt, didn't mean to startle you!" It was Sora. Being in her soccer uniform she looked different. Being able to see her hair was probably what made the most difference.

"Hey Sora!" Matt jumped down from the bleachers to see her. They hadn't seen each other in a month and he really wanted to give her a hug but he wasn't sure if she would be ready for it. Besides, Tai and Izzy would see him if he screwed up. "I told you I'd come to your game!"

"I knew you would sooner or later." She replied. She was so pretty. Matt quickly looked her over and then looked back into her eyes, hoping she hadn't noticed him. "How've you been? I haven't seen you in a long time."

"I've been ok." He was lying of course, but what else would he say? "How's school going so far?"

"Oh, it's ok. I've just been so busy, especially with soccer and stuff." A girl ran by and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her towards the field. "Oh, I gotta go! I'll see you guys after the game! Hey Izzy!" She waved at Izzy and ran out on to the field.

"Ok, good luck!" Matt called back to her. Was that the right thing to say? It doesn't matter, he thought, you don't like her anyway. He watched her run onto the field as the teams got set for the game. At least she was a friend though, and a good friend. That's really all that matters, he thought as he sat back in the bleachers next to Izzy. Tai said something sarcastic, but Matt didn't hear it. He was thinking of how he was going to do this. He needed to psyche himself up or the moment would come and go, and he'd feel awful about it all night. He had the conversation in his head a dozen times or so by the end of the first half. Suddenly Tai was getting up.

"See you guys, we gotta go start warming up. You're gonna stick around for us, right?" Tai asked.

"Sorry Tai, but we were gonna go see a movie after the game." Izzy replied. They hadn't talked about that, but it sounded like fun.

"Ok, what movie?" Tai asked again.

Izzy thought for a second. "Uh...Pokemon 2000. That's the one."

"Let me tell you guys something. Pokemon sucks!" Tai always got mad about Pokemon. He hated them so much, probably because Kari watched the show all the time. He settled back down. "Whatever, I know you're just kidding. Well, later guys!" He jogged out to the smaller field near the school.

Matt turned to Izzy. "You're not serious are you?"

"Of course I'm not. I just don't want to watch his game, that's all." They laughed together. The second half of the match went by quickly, and by the end Sora's school had won 2-0. Matt was lost in his own thoughts again though, only to be snapped out of his trance by Izzy.

"Hey, let's go talk to Sora." he exclaimed.

They caught her halfway to the bleachers. "Hey, you wanna come with us? We're going to get something to eat." Izzy asked her.

"I'd love to, but coach says we have to stay and watch the guys' game." Sora said looking down. She was obviously tired but wanted to leave with Matt and Izzy. "Where are you two going?"

"We don't know yet. Too bad you can't come with us though." Matt said.

Sora looked back up at Matt. "Yeah. You wanna do something tomorrow?"

Matt was totally surprised by this. He hadn't done much of anything with anyone since school started. He started to think of an excuse, he wasn't ready for this.

"Yeah, we can do that" Izzy interjected. "We don't have any plans."

"Oh that's great! I can't wait! Oh, I guess we all have to go sit together for the game. Have to cheer the boys on I guess. Call me ok?"

"Yeah, I will." Matt said.

"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow then. I gotta go. Bye!"

"Bye Sora!" Izzy shouted.

"Bye..." Matt replied, probably not loud enough for her to hear him, he thought.