Taking Back Love

by KarissaEB

I'm BACK! With a full-length fic this time! ^_^ I don't know if this deserves the R rating... some parts probably do, but it's nothing bad, promise. Taiora, with a bit of Takari splashed in for fun ^_~. I don't want to do a full summary, or I'll give

1. Full Of Surprises

Taking Back Love

by Kari

A/N: Hey everybody! I'M BAAAAAAAAACK! Again, and this time with more than a poem! ^_^ This is my newest Taiora, with a bit of Takari splashed in for fun (hehe). I worked hard on this to get it out, and I'm posting all three chapters and the epilogue at once so you have cliffhangers but you don't have to wait. ^_^ Anyway, I hope you guys likes! Uhm... let's see... disclaimer? I don't own Digimon. Just this story. Take it and feel my wrath. ^_^ j/k. Dedications? First to Sora (first known to me as Amber... hey bud!)... this is partly her story. The cute little hose incident (which you'll see right as soon as you start to read ^_^) and the part at the end of chapter three (minus some stuff I added in, hehe) happened to her and her best friend Patrick recently... after her birthday party, to be specific. As I said, the two of them scream Taiora!!! ^_^ Told you I was gonna write a story about ya girl, and here it is!!! Hope you like it! Also... to everyone that stuck with me through this time of... uh, trouble. ^_~ You want to know what happened? Email me and I'll probably fill ya in. Actually, I will fill you in. But you have to email me, b/c if you don't want to know, I'm not going to bore you by posting it on here. I'm probably boring you now, so I'll shut it! Hope you all like! R&R, all that, no flames please... constructive criticism is graciously accepted. ^_^ But flames really tick me off. (Really... read my little message to them that was part of a review I was writing Logan on Faded Scars. It's pretty funny!) Anyway, that's all... there's another author's note at the end, as always, so read on and enjoy! ^_^

Kari :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 1:
Full Of Surprises

~^_^~

"So how exactly am I supposed to do this again?" Taichi Kamiya asked, holding a slowly flowing garden hose in his outstretched hands, looking at it in wonder.

It was a warm spring day... the sun was shining brightly and pleasantly warmed all its rays touched. Birds were singing, tending to their newly hatched babies or eggs about ready to hatch. Wildflowers spring up everywhere you looked, and the grass was a picturesque green. Trees were full with new growth. Tai Kamiya and Sora Takenouchi were working in the garden in Sora's backyard. Her backyard was large now... where once she had lived in a small apartment with her mother and father (when he was home) above their struggling flower shop, she now lived in a home with her family out in the country just outside of Tokyo. She still attended school with Tai and the others, but she had to drive herself. Often she bumped a ride with Tai.

The backyard was a field on a hill... her home was at the top of the hill and as you went towards the small forest behind her house, the ground sloped gently down. Tai was tending to some small shrubs near the top of the hill, and Sora was on bended knee working with one of her flower beds. She looked up from the flowers at Tai's question and grinned, raising an eyebrow.

"It's not that hard Tai, just water the shrubs with the hose..." She turned her head to look at Tai, who was holding the hose over one spot and wasn't moving it at all. "No, not like that!" she said exasperatedly. Sora got up from her knees, brushed them off, and walked over to Tai. She placed her hands on his and guided them back and forth randomly over the shrubs. She concentrated so hard on the poor plants that she didn't notice the large blush appearing on Tai's cheeks. Sora grinned as an idea popped in her head. She was bent over slightly, and Tai was still standing straight up.

"Tai, look down here," she said quietly, bending closer to the flowers. She made it sound like she had seen something amazing. Tai bent down so his face was mere centimeters from Sora's and turned his head to look at hers.

"What is it, Sora?" he asked quietly. She turned her head to look back at him and smiled seductively. As she leaned forward, she discreetly moved her thumb over the opening of the hose. All at once, she pressed her thumb on the opening so the water sprayed full force... straight at Taichi. When the cold water hit him, he drew back in surprise and sputtered a bit. Sora laughe dand releeased the hose. Tai stood a few feet from Sora, his hair, face, and upper torso completely drenched. Tai looked in shock at Sora's grinning face and got a mischievous grin on his face as well.

"Just for that, Sora Takenouchi," he began. Sora raised a haughty eyebrow at Tai as he edged towards her.

"What're you gonna do?" she taunted. Tai winked at her, the cute lopsided grin still plastered on his face.

"This!" he yelled, lunging for her. She screamed playfully and tried to dodge him, but he grabbed her around the waist and spun her off her feet. They laughed heartily as Tai held Sora to him, getting her wet as well.

"No, Tai!" Sora laughed as Tai hugged her tightly, spraying her with water from his short brown hair. Tai pulled away a bit and looked at her... her shirt was a bit damp in places, and her hair clung together in damp tendrils... but that was it.

"Hmm... not quite wet enough," he said with a twinkle in his eye. Sora's smile immediately disappeared.

"Don't you dare, Tai!" she warned, trying to twist out of Tai's arms. His hold on her was firm, so she couldn't get away. Sora laughed as she struggled against his grip.

"Come on Sor, it's just a little water!" Tai laughed, bending down with Sora in his arms. He picked up the hose, which was still on as it had been before, and pulled it towards Sora. "Let's see if I water the flower right this time," Tai joked, holding the squirming Sora around the waist with one arm and the hose with the other. He ignored Sora's playful screams for mercy and held the hose above her head. He waved it back and forth above her as she had shown him with the shrubs, making sure he got every bit of her soaked.

"Tai, stop!" Sora laughed. She finally managed to squirm out of Tai's grasp and stood before him, dripping wet. She glared at him as she tried to wring her clothes dry. Tai just laughed at her.

"Did I water the flower right?"

Sora grinned. "That's how you'd do it, but I'm no flower," she said with mock annoyance. Tai smiled at her.

"Sure you're a flower. You're a beautiful white rose, just begging me for water..." he said, exaggerating the tone of his voice. Sora giggled.

"I guess I'll take that as a compliment," she laughed.

"You should, it was meant that way."

Sora smiled at Tai and he grinned back. She went to go turn off the hose and Tai followed her, rolling up the hose as he went. He put the hose on its hook above the spigot once he had wrapped the entire thing. He then turned to go back to the shrubs, but Sora suddenly tackled him. "You're mine, Taichi Kamiya!!" she shouted, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind and knocking him down.

"Sora!" Tai laughed, twisting around in Sora's arms so that he faced her and she was on top of him. He rolled so that they were both on their sides, wrapped his arms around Sora, and held her close.

"Now you're as wet as I am," Sora laughed through gasps for breath, a triumphant grin on her face.

"Whatever," Tai laughed. They laid there together for several moments on the grass on the hill, waiting for the warm spring sun to dry them. Sora sighed in complete content.

"I could stay like this all day," she said happily as she stretched within Tai's arms.

"Mmhmm," Tai mumbled lazily in agreement. He put one hand behind his head and the other around Sora. She laid her head on his shoulder and gazed up at the clouds.

"Remember when we were kids and we'd try to see the shapes the clouds made?" she asked him absentmindedly.

"Dog," Tai replied.

"Huh?"

"That's a dog," Tai repeated, pointing at a passing cloud. Sora smiled and chuckled a bit, squinting at the cloud Tai had just pointed out.

"It looks more like that mop you used to call hair, Tai," Sora muttered with a grin. Tai laughed.

"Whatever you say, Ai-chan." They remained silent for several minutes. It was a comfortable, lazy silence... both were content in listening to the songs of the birds ringing in the distance, the wind blowing softly through the trees, every breath of the other... Sora snuggled closer to Tai and he tenderly stroked her drying red hair. She purred in content and closed her eyes.

"Tai, just to let you know... I'm gonna take a little nap now." Tai laughed quietly.

"Go ahead Sora, I don't plan on going anywhere for awhile."

"Wake me up in ten minutes, okay?" Sora said with a yawn, and with that she dozed off. Tai smiled at her.

"I will if I don't fall asleep too," he whispered. Tai gently kissed her forehead and she smiled in her sleep. Tai loved when she did that. Ever since the two were three they had known each other inside and out. However, despite what everyone said and thought, the two weren't dating. Tai and Sora shared the deepest of connections... for years they had finished each other's sentences, and finally the time came where all they had to do was look deep into each other's eyes to tell what the other was going to say. They had had several long conversations that way... no verbal words were exchanged, but every single word was heard.

Tai and Sora were never hesitant in being intimate with each other. During the "cootie" stage of their lives, the only person of the opposite sex Tai or Sora would even associate with was each other. They hugged and held hands, and Tai was known to surprise Sora often with a small peck on the cheek. When they were beginning to come out of the "cootie" stage, they experimented with kissing on each other. Every time they heard of new things, they'd try it out on each other to see if they "liked it or not". Once they had heard that babies didn't come from some cabbage patch or a big ugly bird, they immediately decided not to try out sex on each other... their religious upbringings had given them such morals that they both wanted to wait until they were married. They had even promised each other that they would wait.

The fact that the two were so intimate with each other often kept them both single. When they were thirteen or so, Yamato, or Matt, Ishida had taken a strong liking to Sora, and dated her for a few months. He didn't understand Tai and Sora's relationship... Sora always chose Tai over him. She was still as intimate with Tai as she had been before, and it infuriated Matt to the point of violence. As soon as Matt confronted Tai about his relationship with Sora, she broke it off. She had told Matt (or rather, yelled at him) that Tai was like the twin brother she never had and she wasn't about to give him up for Matt or put Matt before him. A mumbled comment about incest from Matt's lips bought him a nice black eye from Sora for about a week and a half.

The incident with Matt made both Tai and Sora realize that their relationship was stronger than anything and would last forever, so neither really bothered with boyfriends or girlfriends.

Now Tai was 18 and Sora was 17, both were seniors in high school, and were graduating very soon. Tai gazed at Sora sleeping in his arms and thought about what they would do for college. Both of them wanted to stay in the country, and both even considered the university that Sora's father taught at. That was their best bet for going to the same place. After college...

Tai had always wanted to marry Sora. That was his only real secret kept from her. They had brought it up before, but not seriously. Tai had even gone as far to save up enough money to buy a very beautiful engagement ring for her their previous school year.

******************** "So why are we here again?" Sora asked Tai as they walked into the uptown jewelry store.

"Well, I wanted to look for a tennis bracelet for my mom for Christmas."

"It's only April, Tai," Sora grinned. Tai laughed a bit.

"With the money I make, it'll take me that long to save up the money for it."

"......Good point."

"And since we'll be seniors next year, I wanted to see about class rings," Tai added. He first browsed through the display of tennis bracelets, with Sora occasionally commenting on ones she thought Tai's mother might like. After several minutes of bracelets, they both decided to look at class rings. On the way, they passed a display of wedding and engagement rings. One of the engagement rings caught Sora's eye.

"God Tai, look at that one!" she breathed, pointing at the one she liked. Her reaction to the ring surprised Tai... being more of a tomboy, Sora never really had that kind of reaction towards jewelry... or anything else, for that matter. However, when he laid eyes on the ring, Tai had to remind his jaw to stay in place. The ring was made of pure silver with a simple yet beautifully cut diamond in the center. On each side of the diamond was two small oval-shaped rubies, which Tai thought were the exact color of Sora's crimson eyes. The ring wasn't as delicate or intricate and definitely not as large as some of the others, but to Tai and Sora, it was definitely the most beautiful.

"I don't think that'll pass for a class ring, Ai-chan," Tai joked quietly. It didn't take long for a playful punch to hit Tai's shoulder. As Sora gazed longingly at the ring, Tai watched her expression. Her whole face was lit up with delight... she was beautiful.

"Tai, you remember this ring... tell whoever wants to propose to me someday to get me this one," Sora told him, jokingly, but Tai could hear the excitement in her voice.

Note to self, Tai thought, taking one last look at the ring before moving on, Self, get that ring for Sora... no matter what the cost.****************************

Now he laid on the grass with her, running his fingers through her soft, now dry hair. He wondered when he'd be able to give the ring to Sora... soon, he hoped. Sora suddenly stirred in her sleep and adjusted so that she held to Tai as a child clutches to his or her teddy bear during the night. Tai snapped out of his thoughts and gazed lovingly at Sora. He suddenly remembered that she had asked him to wake her up in 10 minutes. He glanced at his watch... it had been 15. Tai started to sit up to wake her, but he saw how peaceful and happy she looked in his arms...

"I'll let you sleep a little longer," he whispered to her. He kissed the top of her head and she sighted, unconsciously tightening her hold on Tai. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, kissed her once more, and dozed off.

~^_^~

4 hours later, Sora was the first to awaken. The sun was behind her now, and glowing an evening reddish-orange. She looked at Tai, who was still sleeping, his strong, handsome features illuminated and further bronzed by the setting sun. She smiled, propping herself up on one elbow. She bent down close to Tai's face and kissed the tip of his nose. It scrunched up a bit, but Tai didn't wake up. She stifled a giggle and kissed his eyelid. Tai had the same reaction to this kiss as the last one. Sora grinned devilishly as she reached for his upper thigh - the only place he was ticklish. She ran her fingernail lightly across it, then grabbed it and started to tickle him. Tai immediately woke up, laughing and grabbing for Sora's hand.

"No Sora... hahaha! Stop, stop!" Tai laughed as he tried to stop Sora from tickling him. He finally grabbed her hand, but she resumed tickling with the other. Tai and Sora laughed hysterically as he tried to stop her. He finally grabbed Sora's other hand and held tightly to the both of them. "What was that for?" Tai asked, still chuckling.

"For not waking me up like I asked you to," Sora laughed. Tai propped himself up on his elbows and got an innocent look on his face.

"But you looked so cute when you were asleep," he protested childishly. Sora drew dangerously close to Tai's face.

"So you're saying I'm not cute when I'm awake?" she asked in mock anger. Tai grinned and leaned forward a little.

"Yes."

Sora dropped her jaw indignantly and opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, Tai continued. "You're beautiful when you're awake." Sora smiled sweetly at Tai and leaned even closer to him.

"Good save."

Tai grinned and winked at Sora. "I know. I saw it in a movie once." Sora laughed and stood up, pushing Tai away. Tai shrugged as he got up and followed Sora into her house. "What? What did I say?" he questioned. Sora turned to face Tai and waited for him to catch up with her. He rushed up to her and swept her off her feet, cradling her in his arms. Sora laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck to keep from falling.

"Tai, what are you doing!?" she laughed as he bounced her up and down as he walked. Tai grinned as he carried her inside her house. A waft of delicious smells filled his nose as soon as he had stepped inside the door. Sora's mother was fixing dinner in the kitchen, which was separated from the living room by a wall with a large opening in it so that you could see in the other room.

"I'm carrying you over the threshold," he told her overdramatically. Sora giggled.

"We're not married yet, Taichi."

Yet...!

"Yet, huh," he repeated with a smile as he set her down on the living room couch.

"I'm home!" a voice called from the front door. Sora's face lit up with delight.

"Dad!" She bolted up from the couch and rushed to the front door. Tai followed at a slower pace. As he reached the door, Mr. Takenouchi had already embraced Sora's mother and now had Sora in a tight, cheerful hug. He soon released her and turned to Tai.

"So how's my future son-in-law?"

"Daddy," Sora giggled. Tai blushed as he heartily shook Mr. Takenouchi's hand.

"I'm doing great sir," he replied with a grin. Mr. Takenouchi suddenly pulled Tai into a fatherly embrace.

"C'mere boy, you make me feel like an old geezer when you shake my hand." Tai and Sora laughed.

"You ARE an old geezer, Alan," Mrs. Takenouchi teased as she walked back into the kitchen to resume cooking dinner.

"You're the same age as I am, honey!" Mr. Takenouchi called to her as he hung his jacket on the coat rack near the door.

"Yes, but at least I don't look my age!" Mrs. Takenouchi shot back playfully. Mr. Takenouchi laughed heartily and then turned to Tai.

"You staying for dinner, son?" Mr. Takenouchi asked him. Tai looked to Sora, who smiled and nodded.

"Sure! Lord knows Mrs. Takenouchi cooks WAY better than my mom," Tai grinned. Mr. Takenouchi laughed.

"I know, I know." He started walking towards the kitchen to help his wife finish preparing their meal. "Diana, make enough for four, Tai's staying for dinner!" he said loudly so Mrs. Takenouchi could hear him.

"I figured that when I saw those two sleeping outside," Mrs. Takenouchi replied. Mr. Takenouchi stopped in his tracks and wheeled around to face Tai and Sora. He grinned, raising an eyebrow slyly in their direction. Tai and Sora hadn't heard Mrs. Takenouchi's reply to her husband and looked at him questioningly. Mr. Takenouchi turned back chuckling and went into the kitchen. Tai and Sora sat on the couch together to watch TV after Tai had called his mother to tell her he was staying at Sora's for dinner. Mrs. Kamiya had said that was fine because Kari had invited T.K. over for dinner at their house (not to worry, T.K. and Kari were cooking.)

A few minutes later, Tai and Sora were called into the dining room. They set the small rectangular table and sat across from each other. Sora's parents sat on either end of the table after setting the food on it. After everyone was served and a small blessing was said, Sora asked her father how the classes at the university were that day.

"They were great," Mr. Takenouchi replied after swallowing a mouthful of rice, "and Jim says hi to both of you. He even remembered your birthday, Sor."

"When's that?" Tai asked. Sora's jaw dropped and she gaped at him.

"You actually forgot? After all these years you act..."

"No, I'm kidding Sora, of course I know it's tomorrow." Tai shoveled some fried rice in his mouth. "In fact, I'm taking you out tomorrow." Sora smiled in delight.

"Cool! Where're you taking me?" Tai grinned secretively and bumped his foot against Sora's under the table, causing her to blush a bit.

"It's a secret, but I'll give you a hint..." Tai leaned forward a bit and propped his chin on his hands as Sora looked at him curiously. "Wear a nice dress."

"How nice?"

"Semi-formal."

"Sounds fancy, Taichi," Mrs. Takenouchi said, sounding impressed. Tai nodded.

"I've been saving up for it for five months." Sora looked at Tai in total shock. Sora's parents also looked equally surprised. "Well, actually, I saved up for her present for a year and a half... the five months' worth of savings is for the place I'm taking Sora," Tai added.

"Wow!" Mr. Takenouchi exclaimed. Sora happily looked to Tai.

"I can't wait!" she squealed excitedly. Mr. Takenouchi laughed.

"As long as it's not my money you're using!"

~^_^~

Tai rang the doorbell at 5:30 PM at Sora's front door. He was dressed in a cerulean blue button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a pair of black slacks. He had his black dress jacket in his car just in case it got chilly when the sun went down. He nervously flexed his fingers... Tai had decided to give Sora the ring and propose after dinner that night. So it wouldn't show in his pocket, he had taken the ring out of its box and wrapped it in a small red silk cloth. He just hoped Sora would accept it.

Suddenly, the door opened and Mr. Takenouchi appeared behind it. "Taichi! Come on in son, Sora's almost ready," he greeted. Tai smiled warmly and stepped inside. Mrs. Takenouchi was in the living room watering some of her indoor plants and flowers.

"Tai, you look very handsome," she commented when she saw him. Tai grinned bashfully.

"Thanks, Mrs. Takenouchi," he replied.

"Tai, what time are you planning on bringing Sora home?" Mr. Takenouchi asked. Tai felt the butterflies in his stomach go crazy. He didn't know why he was so nervous... he never had been before around Sora's family.

"Uh... when would you like her home?" Tai asked. Mr. Takenouchi smiled.

"Well, I trust you both completely, so by 2:30 in the morning would be fine," he answered finally. Tai smiled and nodded in recognition.

"I'm ready to go," Sora finally announced as she walked into the living room. Tai turned to look at her and his jaw dropped. She was wearing a no-sleeved blue dress the exact same color as Tai's shirt that was form fitting in the upper body and flowed loosely to her ankles. There was a slit on one side of the skirt that went up to her mid-thigh. Sora's just-past-shoulder-length hair was piled high on the top of her head and tiny ringlets hung down around her face. She wore a simple yet elegant and beautiful amount of makeup that further accentuated her natural beauty.

"I'm not overdressed, am?" she asked, smiling shyly at Tai. Tai somehow managed to shut his mouth and smiled.

"Of course not, just right for this place." Mr. and Mrs. Takenouchi showed Tai and Sora to the door.

"You guys have a good time now," Sora's father called to them as they got in Tai's car.

"Don't worry Dad, I always have a good time with Tai," Sora called back to him. Tai smiled and waved goodbye to Sora's parents as he got in the car. They waved back as Tai stared the car and drove off with Sora. They looked after their daughter and her best friend and smiled.

"It's so obvious," Mr. Takenouchi commented.

"What, that they're in love?" Mrs. Takenouchi asked.

"No," Mr. Takenouchi said sarcastically. Mrs. Takenouchi laughed at her husband and together they went back into the house.

~^_^~

Tai drove the car into the city of Tokyo and proceeded towards downtown. He remained silent, thinking of how he would propse to Sora... or when... or... well, the whole deal just made him nervous. Sora noticed that he hadn't said but three words to her since they had left and looked at him. "Tai?"

"Yeah Sor?"

"What's wrong?" Tai looked to her and then quickly back to the road.

"Nothing," he lied, "why do you ask?"

"You haven't said a word to me for ten minutes," Sora said in a matter-of-fact tone. Tai smiled nervously.

"Uh, I'm trying to remember exactly how to get to where I'm taking you." Sora smiled excitedly.

"Just where are you taking me?" she asked.

"You'll see," Tai grinned.

"How far is it from here?"

"About 5 minutes."

Sora looked out of the car window at the cars, buildings, and people rushing by. They were now driving through downtown Tokyo, weaving through surprisingly light traffic. "Okay Sora, close your eyes," Tai said suddenly.

"Why?"

"Because we're almost there and I want to see the look on your face when you see where we're going," Tai told her. Sora grinned and covered her eyes with her hands. She soon felt Tai slow and park the car. "Don't open them yet," he told her quickly.

"I'm not!" she laughed. Tai grabbed his jacket from the backseat and got out of the car. He went around to the passenger side of the car and helped Sora out of it, draping his jacket over her shoulders. "Can I look now?" she asked anxiously.

"Not yet," he grinned. They walked a little ways until Sora no longer felt the chilly night air. She heard the clanking of silverware and people laughing and talking. She also heard music playing the background. Delicious smells wafted through the air... Sora sniffed hungrily at them and smiled brightly.

"You took me to a restaurant, Tai!" she squealed happily.

"Reservations for Kamiya," Tai told the hostess. he turned to Sora, whose eyes were still shut. "Yep! But that's not all... keep your eyes closed, Sora." Tai led Sora through the restaurant, faintly blushing under the eyes of curious customers. Tai suddenly stopped and took hold of Sora's wrists. He leaned close to Sora's ear and whispered to her, his lips brushing against her skin, "Happy birthday, Ai-chan." He pulled Sora's hands away from her eyes and she opened them slowly to see a large table beautifully decorated... and all the rest of the Digidestined standing behind it.

"SURPRISE!!!" they yelled simultaneously. Sora's mouth opened in happy shock.

"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed. She turned to Tai and looked at him with happy tears gathering in her eyes. "You... did this?" she asked him. Tai smiled sweetly and gently kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, I did."

"Surprising, isn't it?" Matt joked. Tai shot him a mock glare before turning back to Sora.

"Do you like it?" he asked her. Sora threw her arms around Tai's neck and kissed his cheek happily.

"I love it, Tai! This is the best birthday I've ever had!" Tai hugged her back in happy satisfaction.

And it can only get better, he thought, his mind drifting back to the ring in his pocket. He released her and she turned back to the other Digidestined. In turn, each told Sora "Happy Birthday" and gave her their gift. After Sora had opened all her gifts (minus one from Tai), they all sat down to a delicious, elegant dinner. After they had finished, the entire staff of the restaurant gathered around Sora.

"Oh good Lord..." she laughed, bringing her hands to her face. Tai put an arm aroun dher shoulder and laughed with her as the waiters sang (off-key...) their own rendition of "Happy Birthday". After they had finished, the entirety of the restaurant cheered and clapped for a few moments, soon returning to their own meals. Dessert arrived, free for the group because of Sora's birthday, and each destinied ate theirs quickly, except for Tai and Sora. Joe was the first to stand after they had all finished.

"Well Sora, we all need to get going, but you two stay here and have a good time... get Tai's money's worth out of this place!" The other Digidestined nodded and stood in agreement. Each said their goodnight's to Sora and Tai.

"Thanks for coming you guys, it was a great surprise!" she told them. They left and Tai and Sora were moved to a table for two at around 9:00.

"Tai?" Sora asked, picking at her piece of cake.

"Yeah?" he replied with a mouthful of his.

"Why didn't I get anything from you?" Tai swallowed before answering.

"You got this dinner and surprise."

"Yeah, but you said you had saved up for a year and a half for my real present."

Tai's heart stopped. He certainly hadn't forgotten about the ring, but he had halfway hoped that Sora had. He took a deep breath and prepared to reach into his pocket. "Well... I-" Tai was interrupted by a young man, looking around 23, coming up to him and Sora.

"Hey babe, wanna dance?" he asked Sora. His speech was slurred... his breath reeked of alcohol. He wasn't bad looking, but Sora was very turned off by men who drank.

"Uh, no thanks," she answered, leaning away from him a bit.

"Oh c'mon babe, you know you want to..."

Tai grew angered and rose from his chair. "Hey, she said no," he told the man firmly. The man looked up to Tai and smirked.

"Just cuz your girlfriend here doesn't know she wants me so bad..." The man took hold of Sora's arm and roughly tried to pull her up from her chair.

"Hey, let go of me!" she said loudly, trying to twist out of the man's grip. The man just laughed in her face. Tai went over to the man and pushed him a bit.

"She said let go, jerk," he growled. The man stumbled a bit from the shove, but recovered, slowly from being drunk.

"What, you wanna make sumthin of it? C'mon, let's take this outside!" The man continued ranting somewhat incoherently in a very moronic-sounding voice. Tai stood before him, his arms crossed casually in front of him, a small grin on his face.

"Shutup, you're making an ass of yourself," he said quietly. The man ceased movement for a moment.

"You callin me an ass?"

Tai chuckled as the man swung widely for Tai's jaw. He easily dodged the swing and punched the man squarely in the jaw. The man fell backwards and the restaurant grew silent. All eyes were on the scene. The man grabbed his jaw and rubbed it. He spit a mixture of saliva and blood on the floor, completely disgusting every person in the restaurant.

"I'll get you later," the man hissed, his speech even more slurred than before, and staggered out of the restaurant. Everyone there looked at Tai for a moment... a few claps arose from the silence, and then eventually everyone returned to their meals. Sora looked down at the table with a scowl on her face as Tai sat down next to her again.

"I can't believe that jerk did that... ugh..." she growled. Tai stood suddenly and held out his hand to Sora. She looked up at him questioningly. "What?" she asked, still sounding perturbed.

"Dance with me."

Sora's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

"Dance with me, Sora," he repeated. Sora smiled weakly after a moment and laughed a bit. She took Tai's hand and he helped her up from her chair. They walked onto the dance floor, accompanying about 5 other couples. Tai led Sora to the middle of the dance floor as a slow song started. He smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist and Sora wrapped hers around his neck. They swayed slowly together in rhythm with the music. The lights were dimmed and a small disco ball sent millions of tiny specks of light dancing across the room.

"Did you have fun tonight?" Tai whispered in her ear. Sora looked up into his eyes... Tai thought he saw the truest of love in the crimson depths he had lost himself in so many times.

"Other than being harassed by some drunk guy, I had a wonderful time... thank you so much for this, Tai." She rested her head on his shoulder as they danced and Tai smiled upon her.

"Anytime, Ai-chan," he whispered back, and he rested his head on hers. He pulled her as close to his body as she could get and they swayed together in perfect harmony. They didn't notice that they were now the only couple on the floor. Some of the other people eating at the restaurant gazed on the happy pair and smiled, feeling the happiness the two seemed to radiate. The song soon ended and another song replaced it. Tai and Sora never ceased dancing. They laughed and talked together as they danced to help pass the time... they both figured they liked talking while dancing better than when they had laid on the grass the previous day. Hours flew by... soon it was 11:30. The DJ finally stopped playing songs and the restaurant began to clear. The two sat down at their table again and finished their dessert. Close to midnight, their waiter told them the restaurant was closing. Tai smiled and paid the bill, enclosing a generous tip for the waiter, and he and Sora walked together out of the restaurant.

The night had grown very chilly... Tai was more tolerant to the cold than Sora and gave his jacket to her. "Thanks Tai," she said sweetly.

"You're welcome, " he replied with a smile.

The two walked arm in arm until they found themselves at the park. They walked, laughing and talking together, and finally found a bench with the perfect view. The moon was almost full and cast a dim white light over the city of Tokyo. Stars twinkled overhead in their own symphony. Cherry blossom trees lined the sidewalks... when the wind blew, some of the petals fell from their perches and fluttered on the wind around Tai and Sora. Sora sighed and rested her head against Tai's shoulder. He returned her affection by resting his head on hers.

"Tai?"

"Yeah Sora?"

"You never gave me my present." Tai tensed a bit and Sora noticed. She raised her head to look Tai in the eye. "Tai, you've been nervous and distant every time I mention your gift to me," Sora stated firmly, frowning at him. "What is it about your gift that makes you so nervous?" Tai swallowed audibly and smiled nervously at Sora.

"N-nothing," he stammered. Sora put her hands on her hips and stood before Tai.

"Then give it to me."

"W-what?!"

"Give me my present that you saved up so long for."

Tai remained stationary for a moment, then sighed and got up from the bench. He stuck his hands in his pockets and grabbed the ring with one of them. He looked Sora straight in the eye and smiled weakly. "Sora... Ai-chan..." he began softly. Sora looked at him strangely.

"What?"

"Sora, you have been my best friend in the entire world for longer than I can remember. Ever since I can remember, you've been there, no more than a foot away. We both know we have something that's greater than anything else we've ever come across. I know the depth of our relationship can allow us to..."

BANG!!!!!!

~o.O~

A/N: BWAHAHAHA! A cliffhanger! Full of surprises, this chapter was? That's probably why I named it what I named it! ^_~ Does the cliffhanger anger you? Well, today's your lucky day, because I made it so I would post all the chapters and the epilogue in one day, so you don't have to wait! ^_^ I know, I'm such a nice person. j/k! R&R please... and if you do, could you tell me if you expected that little BANG at the end to happen??? I want to know if this was predictable! I don't want it to be... I was going for unpredictable... just wait until you see what happens. On to the next chapter with you! ^_^ Thanks a bunch!

Kari :)