The Morning After
Disclaimer: Digimon doesn't belong to me, it belongs to Akiyoshi Hongo, Toei Animation, and BanDai. I'm just borrowing the characters, and I am not receiving and profit for writing this piece of fiction.
Notes: Thanks again for your reviews of the last part. *jumps up and down* I got Liz to like a Sorato! I got Liz to like a Sorato! Okay, I'm calm. BTW, this part is dedicated, once again, to Digital Master, and also this time to MoongChi&Tai. Why? 'Cause I'm nice, and she always reviews every part, so...
Started:
February 13, 2001
Completed: February 22, 2001
Part 5: Decisions
Sora stood beside Matt, gesturing for her mother to take a seat.
"What it is, Sora?"
"Well, you see, I..." Sora started. Ms. Takenouchi sensed a certain air of doubt in her daughter's voice, so she moved to sit down as Sora had asked her to. Matt and Sora did the same, and sat beside one another, across from Sora's mom.
"Sora, is it serious?" Her mother asked. Sora looked at Matt, and he smirked back, remembering what she had said to him about it being serious. Sora decided it had to be different with her mother.
"Well...yeah, mom. It is."
"Well, tell me. I'm your mother, I'll understand." Sora highly doubted what her mother said, but had to tell her none-the-less.
"Well," Sora began. "As you know, Matt is my boyfriend..."
"I know that?" Ms. Takenouchi interrupted.
"Not literally mom. Well, anyway, I just..." Sora bought her hands to her head and massaged at her temples. "Okay, how can I say this?" Matt placed a hand reassuringly on Sora's back.
"Mom, do you remember how I went to that party a few weeks back?"
"Yeah."
"Well, um, there was a bit of a...well, it was an accident. Not so much anymore, but..."
"Sora, what are you getting at?"
"Okay," Sora let out a breath of air. "Let's see. Mom, this is probably the hardest thing I've ever had to tell you...no, I *know* it is the hardest. And to be honest, you're not going to like it. But, to put it in Laymen's Terms, you're going to be a grandmother."
"I'm sorry, repeat that please?"
"You're going to be a grandmother. I'm...pregnant."
Ms. Takenouchi stared at Sora. At first, she thought that Sora had been joking, but then she saw that Sora's face told the truth. She blinked.
"And so...what? You think I'm just going to accept this?"
"No. I said you wouldn't like it."
"Wouldn't like it? WOULDN'T LIKE IT? God, Sora, this is horrible! You're only 15!" Ms. Takenouchi wasn't happy at all.
"16," Sora corrected.
"Whatever. That's still too young!"
"Mama, I know, but I didn't ask for this..."
"Who's the father?" Her mother interrupted.
"It's...it's me, Ms. Takenouchi," Matt spoke up softly.
"You? Sora, him?"
"Yeah, mama. It's Matt."
"I can't believe you," Ms. Takenouchi said, bringing a hand to her forehead.
"What? Mama, you're acting like I purposely did this! Why would I go and get myself pregnant when I'm 16? That seems a little...crazy, to say the least!" Sora started. Matt decided to cut in.
"With all due respect, Ms. Takenouchi, it wasn't..."
"Oh, don't get me started. You stay out of this, Matt!"
"Mama! Don't yell at Matt like that! What did he ever do to you? He's just trying to..." Sora said defensively.
"Oh, shut up Sora! Stop trying to defend him!"
"But Mama!"
"Oh, don't 'But, Mama' me!"
"Mama, I love Matt and there's nothing you can do about it!"
Matt's eyes got soft. Sora was yelling...for him? He was happy she did love him, and he couldn't imagine not loving her back, but he felt very sorry for her. He was mentally kicking himself for not having been more careful. Oh, but this is all my fault. She is just trying to help me. But now she is fighting with her mother, of all people. I wonder what the final verdict will be?
"Alright. Whatever, you can love whoever you want, it's up to you. But there's one decision that isn't entirely up to you," she paused. "I want you to give away that baby when it comes," her mother gave.
"What? Mama, no!" Sora went wide-eyed.
"Sora, you're 15 years old!"
"16."
"You won't be able to take care of a baby at this age," Ms. Takenouchi ignored her daughter this time. "Do you know what kind of work this involves?"
"Mama, I've babysat before."
"Oh, Sora, don't be so naive. You know it's not the same thing."
"Okay, fine. Well, you know how you said the decision isn't entirely up to me? Well, you were right about that. But, it isn't at all up to you!" Sora raised her voice a bit. "It's up to Matt and I only. No one else. We're the parents."
"Oh, sure. Yeah, this guy is really responsible enough to..." Matt gave her a sour look, but it was Sora who interrupted. She stood up angrily.
"Don't fucking start that again! Leave Matt the hell out of our fight!" Sora yelled, quite loudly. Matt cringed hearing Sora be so harsh with her mother. "And, at least my baby is going to have a father, unlike some people I know!" Sora finished with a low voice, quite blatantly referencing herself. The woman across from Sora stood up, furious at her daughter.
"Sora Takenouchi, you watch your mouth! And you are *never* to use that language in my home again!" she screamed. Sora and her mother glared at each other. Matt just shrunk into the corner of the couch.
"Yeah, well then your home SUCKS! I can say whatever I want. It's my life! And I am keeping this baby whether you like it or not!"
"That's it. Get out; I'm sick of your attitude and your stupid decisions!" Ms. Takenouchi shouted, and pointed to the door.
"Good! I don't want to be here if I'm not respected!"
Sora's mother didn't say a word. She turned her back to Sora, and headed for her bedroom. After she opened the door, she turned back to Sora and looked right into her eyes. She spoke in a harsh tone.
"I'm glad you feel that was. Now leave. I don't want to see you here anymore."
With that, she slammed her bedroom door. Matt watched helplessly as the family fell apart. He looked sadly at Sora. She was still staring at the door her mother had walked through. She tried to retain her angry expression, but it lasted no longer than a few second. Quicker than Matt could think, Sora's face changed from anger to an expression of disappointment and failure. Her hands flew to her face and she began to bawl, at the same time falling into the couch and Matt's arms. Matt said nothing, but held her and allowed her to cry into his shoulder.
Sora felt numb. Kicked out of her apartment? Her *home*? Where would she go? She hadn't meant to react the way she did. It just...happened. But she did mean what she said. She had every intention of keeping her baby. She loved it, which was for sure, but it was almost as if she wanted to punish herself. She would be living with the consequences of her night of foolishness for a long time.
Sora continued to cry into Matt, but it slowly died down. She pulled herself away from Matt's shoulder, and looked at his face. Their eyes met for a quick second, but then Sora completely stood up. She marched off to her bedroom. Matt instinctively followed her. He could tell she was angry by the way she walk walking, so he didn't say anything. But when she pulled out a brown suitcase and threw it on the bed, then he started to ask questions.
"Sora, what's going on?" Matt asked. Sora stopped what she was doing and looked at him.
"You mean you didn't hear what she said? I have to leave."
"Sora, I'm sure she didn't mean it..." Matt offered.
"Oh, yes she did," Sora interrupted. "Mama has always meant what she says. Sp, I have to leave." Sora pulled clothes out of her drawers and shoved them in the large brown bag. Matt watched her furiously move around the room, dropping some clothes as she worked.
"But Sora, where will you go?"
"Oh, I don't know, I can...I can go..." she said, flustered, still moving around.
"Hm? Where can you go, Sora?" Matt grabbed Sora, and tried to stop her so she could talk to him. She took both her arms, and she began to pull away.
"No, Matt, let go...stop...let me do this...I have to..." she squirmed around, but Matt's firm grip stopped her. In a final effort to stop her, he brought his face down and planted a kiss on her lips. Sora immediately gave in and kissed back. Matt pulled away.
"Oh. You listening to me now?" Sora nodded. "Where are you going to stay, Sora?"
"With...Tai," she suggested. Sora watched Matt move his eyes upwards. Matt thought quickly, then came up with an answer.
"Um...no," he said, shaking his head.
"Why not?"
"Well, because I want you to stay with me."
"Matt, isn't it a little early in our relationship to be moving in together?" Sora said, with mock humour. Matt smirked.
"I'm just trying to help. Please say yes, Sora. Anyway, I want to help you. I kinda *need* to help you. It's my responsibility, after all." Sora smiled back at Matt's valiance.
"Arigatou, Yama-chan."
"Doo itashimashite, kawaii," Matt said sweetly. "How about you pack normally, now, Sora." he suggested.
"Okay. Sorry about that before. I'm just really upset," Sora said, her face downcast. Matt let Sora go.
"Well, I'd like to say I know how you feel, but I really don't. Sorry," he apologized.
"Hey, nothing you can do, right?"
"Um, right..." Matt said hesitantly. Sora continued to move around him, filling up the suitcase with clothes. Once she had finished, she grabbed the suitcase the walked toward the door of her bedroom. Again, Matt followed.
"Is that all you're taking?" He wondered, referring to the solitary bag she carried.
"Oh," she looked down at the bag. "Yeah. Anyway, I still have my key, so I can come back for more stuff if I need it later," she said sadly. She left her bedroom, and walked toward the door. She grabbed a coat from the front closet, and Matt opened the door for her.
"Oh, hey, I'm hungry. Wait," Sora said, going to the kitchen. She couldn't find anything, so she settled on an apple. "Oh, oops. You want anything?"
"No, thanks. I just ate, remember?" Sora chuckled.
"Oh, that's right. Sorry. I'm just really hungry." This time, Matt laughed.
"Well, as long as you don't eat all of our ice cream and pickles, you should be fine."
"Oh, shut up," Sora said playfully, a bite of apple in her mouth. She shallowed, then said, "Okay, we can go now."
"Alright then. Time to go home." Matt said. Sora walked to the door. On her way out, She started to open her mouth to yell goodbye, but stopped herself. What's the point? This bye isn't good. She frowned.
"Cheer up, Sora. Please? I really hate to see you upset," Matt said, just as sadly. Sora gave a small smile, then closed the door behind her. As they made their way downstairs and to Matt's car, Sora started to think.
"Hey, Matt, what about your dad? What will he say?"
"Oh. Yeah, him. Well, he'll be upset, but...I think he'll understand. If not, he'll try. Anyway, he's always liked you, Sora."
"Really? Oh, I didn't know that," Sora said, flattered. "What about your mom and TK?"
"Oh, well, I rarely see mom as it is, so she won't care. Okay, she will care, but you know what I mean. TK...well, just so long as he doesn't blab anything out to anyone, we'll all be fine. If he does, I'll be on good grounds to hate him for a long time."
"Oh, Matt," Sora shook her head.
"What?" Matt said innocently. Sora just smiled in response. They walked down to Matt's car, got in, and drove away.
* * *
When Matt got to the house, he found that his dad wasn't home. Working late at the station again, he guessed. Well, just more time delaying the inevitable explanation for Sora being there.
"Um...about tonight. We don't really have another bed for you to sleep in, sorry. I can get you a sleeping bag or something for tonight, or I guess you could sleep on the couch," Matt proposed. "I'm really sorry. I promise I'll find you something better for tomorrow." Sora gave a smile.
"Alright, Matt. I guess a sleeping bag is fine. I'd feel weird sleeping on your couch. I mean, you're being gracious enough just letting me stay here, and I wouldn't want to impose anything..."
"It's not a problem, Sora. I'm happy to have you here," Matt told her. Sora smiled again. "So, what do you want to do now, hon?"
"Well, I'd like to get some pyjamas on, if it's alright with you," she ventured. Matt smiled.
"Of course. That's not a problem. You can use my room, it's right over there," Matt said, pointing to a small white door. Sora nodded in gratitude, picked up her bag, and walked over to the bedroom. She walked in, and closed the door behind her.
Matt moved to sit on the couch. He grabbed the remote, and turned on the TV. Even though it was Friday night, he found himself channel surfing for something good to watch. After a few minutes of waiting, Sora emerged from Matt's bedroom. She was wearing a small, blue T-shirt, and a pair of light blue pyjama pants which had yellow stars on them. She had brushed her hair back and put it in a small ponytail. In her arms, She held a small, stuffed pink pig. Matt looked at her and grinned. Sora pouted.
"What's the matter? You look great."
"No, I don't. I look fat."
"No, you don't. You look great," Matt corrected.
"Okay, if you say so. Can Mr. Gordo watch some TV, too?" She asked, referring to the animal she held. Matt chuckled.
"Of course he can. He's more than welcome," he said, finishing a laugh. He patted a hand on the couch cushion next to his own, motioning for Sora to sit beside him. She smiled, and plopped down beside him.
"Anything on?"
"Nah, can't find a thing. Just a bunch of lame stand-up comedy, and some wanna-be funny sitcoms."
"Hm. I like stand-up comedy, but...do you have any movies?"
"Yeah, lots," Matt replied. Sora watched Matt get up and walk toward the TV. He opened up a glass cupboard, revealing quite a few videos.
"Um...we have...let's see...oh. X is a good one. Then there's some Gogira stuff, and...ooh, I like this one. Gamera III. That's some good film making. We have a few imports, too. Hm...Run Lola Run is a good one. Then there's..." Matt held up a video for himself. "Ack! What is this? 'Tokyo Love Story?' How did this get in here? Dad...or possibly TK and Kari..."
"Let's watch that!" Sora chirped. Matt rolled his eyes, but out of her view. He reluctantly agreed, but finally decided that if it made Sora happy, he was happy. He popped the tape into the VCR, and they started to watch it.
(Note: You'll have to forgive me for this...I've never actually seen "Tokyo Love Story," so I can't describe what it's about in the story. I only have the theme song. Gomen! Am I safe to say it's really romantic, though?)
About halfway through the movie, Matt looked down at Sora, who had moved so she lay on the couch and her head rested in his lap. Matt noted that she must have fallen asleep, because her eyes were completely shut. Matt smiled as he watched her slumber peacefully. Aw...She looks so cute. But poor girl. She's had such a long, hard day. Better take her into bed.
Matt slowly moved to get Sora's head off his lap, and he picked her up like a baby. She stirred once on the trip to the bedroom, but never enough to wake up. Matt entered his bedroom, and gently placed her on his bed. She continued to sleep, and Matt covered her with a blanket. Then, he remembered he had almost forgotten Mr. Gordo. Matt went to fetch the small pig from the floor of the living room, and he tucked it in with Sora for the night. He gave her a small goodnight kiss on the forehead, then turned away. As he began to walk, a voice startled him.
"Matt?" It was Sora. Matt turned around.
"Did I wake you up? Gomen, I tried not to."
"Don't worry, Matt. Are you going to bed, too?"
"Well, I have a few things to do first, but I suppose I can if you want me to."
"I'd like some company in the room, if that's alright with you."
"Alright, Sora. I'll be back in a few minutes," Matt finished, exiting the room. He closed the door behind him, and went to clean up the TV room. After a few minutes, he heard a click down the hallway.
"Matt, I'm home!"
"Hi, dad. How was your night? You're home later then usual," Matt said, looking at his watch. 10:07 p.m..
"Yeah, sorry about that. We have a lot of new wanna-be funny sitcoms to go through." Mr. Ishida fell into a chair.
"Oh, and dad, if you wouldn't mind, could you keep your voice down? Sora is trying to sleep."
"Huh?" Mr. Ishida said, confused. "What is Sora doing here?"
"Oh. Well, her mom is...out of town for the night, so I offered to let her stay here. It's not an issue, right dad?" Matt lied. Mr. Ishida raised an eyebrow.
"No, it's not a problem for me. So long as you guys aren't trying anything in there."
"Dad!" Matt said, embarrassed. "We're just friends." Mr. Ishida raised his eyebrow again.
"Oh, I see. Such close friends that you stay at each others' houses now? When did this happen? I thought that's what Tai was for." he pressed, as if trying to get information from Matt. And it worked.
"Oh...okay, fine. She's my girlfriend now," Matt declared.
"Thought so. You know that you don't have to keep *everything* from me, Matt."
"Okay, dad. Hey, do you know if TK is coming over this weekend?" Matt asked.
"I think he might be staying here tomorrow night, but I can't be too sure. I just talked with him quickly the other day."
"Oh, alright. Well, I'm off to bed now. G'night, dad."
"Good night, Matt."
Matt walked away from his dad, and made his way into the bedroom where Sora was. He slowly entered the room, and found Sora still lying in the bed, but She was awake and reading a book. She stopped when She heard him come in. She turned her head, and smiled.
"Hi, Matt. So, your dad's home now?"
"Yeah," Matt said, sighing. "What are you reading?" Sora turned the book around so Matt could see the cover.
"Sophie's World. It's about Philosophy and stuff."
"Wow, Sora. I never knew you were interested in that stuff."
"Yeah, well a girl has to find something to pass the time," She said, laughing. "Oh, hey, I guess you need your bed. Here," She threw the covers off of herself, and started to get up. Matt stopped her.
"No, no. Don't worry about it. You can have the bed." Sora started to protest, but Matt stopped her again. "Sora, take the bed. I'll be fine on the floor."
"Oh," She said, looking down. "Well, uh...you don't have to take the floor, I mean...the bed's pretty big..." Sora suggested. Matt just nodded. "Also, I wouldn't mind some company," She said coyly. Matt smiled and snickered.
"Not very modest, are we?" Matt said. Sora blushed in response. "Okay. As long as it's not a problem for you, Sora," he finished. Sora sat upright in the bed, and Matt moved to sit beside her. He got under the covers, as well, and the two of them layed down. Matt reached his arm up and shut off the light. Sora moved closer, and nuzzled herself beside Matt. He was a bit surprised, but agreed none the less. He put his arm around her body, and he saw her smile in response. Seeing the girl he loved smile so brightly made him happy. Sora kept her eyes closed, but continued to talk to Matt.
"So, I take it you didn't tell your dad yet?"
"No," Matt said. "I didn't want to ruin the night," and he ended their conversation with a sweet kiss on Sora's forehead.
The line, "Doo itashimashite, kawaii." (said by Matt), means "You're welcome (It was nothing; Don't mention it), dear."
Enjoy the obscure, but subtle, reference to "Buffy: the Vampire Slayer?" Meh, I try my best. (In case you're not a fan, Mr. Gordo is the stuffed pig that Buffy used to keep in her bedroom)
Sorry this part took so long. I didn't have the weekend to work on it. Oh, and if you happen to be reading my other ongoing fic, "Can You Keep A Secret?," the second part is coming soon. I'm just swamped with life right now. Well, 'til next time!
Ja ne,
lime_lizard