La! La Boheme crossover with Digimon! Fuuuunnn…
Daisuke: You sound waaaaay to Farfie-ish right now…
Lucia: *sticks out tongue* Nyah! Point? Anyway, seeing as how this fic is based off of a tragic opera, a character will die. Only fair to warn you. I should also warn you that the couples are Jyoura and Daikari. I will laugh if you flame me and tell me that Takeru and Hikari are meant to be together. TOEI says no. Admittedly they were smoking something for the 2nd half of 02, but that's beside the point.
In any event, the only characters in this fic are Dais, Yama, Tai, Jyou, Sora, and Kari.
Rating is for language.
Guess I'm buying into the Dais-artist thing. But it so works for him! ^_^ Plus he kinda looks like a really good artist that seems to be in most of my art classes. Anyway.

"Damn, it's cold in here," Jyou muttered, rubbing his arms.
"No kidding," Daisuke agreed, holding a brush. "Hard to paint when you're shaking so hard. Guess we all really fill the starving artist genre, don't we?"
Jyou considered. "Well…between four starving roommates, we have a poet, a painter, a musician, and a philosopher. I'd say we probably do." He groaned to himself. "Shoulda listened to Dad and become a doctor."
Daisuke patted Jyou's shoulder comfortingly. "You woulda hated it. Don't worry too much about it."
"I guess so," Jyou agreed, going back to his computer. "And writing for the newspaper pays the rent, I suppose. It could be worse."
"Exactly!" Daisuke said companionably, throwing his arm across Jyou's shoulder.
"But right now I have to get this article done." His hands shook on the keyboard. "But it's damned hard to type with my hands frozen solid.
"I've got an idea!" Daisuke said, ever cheerful. "A sacrifice! I'll put a painting I haven't sold on the fire. Acrylic burns well, I think." He tossed one of his paintings into the fireplace in the corner.
"Daisuke!" Jyou scolded. "I liked that one! Well, I can't let you make all the sacrifices." He grabbed a notebook full of writing and added it to the fire. Both men huddled in front of it, rubbing their hands.
"Too short…" Daisuke sighed, as the fire died down again.
"Like all good things in life," Jyou agreed.
"Oi!" Tai yelled, bursting through the door, Yamato close behind. "Look what we've got!" He brandished a bag full of food, and Yamato held up two wine bottles.
Jyou gaped. "How on earth did you guys…?"
Yamato grinned and pushed Taichi through the doorway. "Move it, lunkhead," he said affectionately. "Look what I've got!" He pulled a wad of money from behind his back. "I was hangin' down by the marketplace playing this morning when some yuppie lady came along. I guess her neighbor's yappy dog was keepin' her husband up all night, and he was gettin' pretty grumpy. [1] So anyway, she said that if I played long enough, the damn mutt would probably have a heart attack from yappin' so hard. She was right! Got paid a thousand for the job!"
Daisuke's eyes lit up. "Cool!" he exclaimed, grabbing Yamato in a bear hug. "Now we can celebrate Christmas properly."
"Yup!" Taichi agreed, pouring wine for everyone.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door. "Come in," Daisuke said, flinging the door open.
"I've come for the rent," Takatori, the landlord, said, holding out his hand.
The four Bohemians looked at each other.
"Sure, sure! Come in and sit down! Have some wine!" Taichi said, already pouring a fifth glass.
"How are you doing?" Jyou said, putting on the polite routine.
"Wonderful, wonderful, thank you," Takatori said, accepting the glass from Taichi.
"So," Daisuke said conspiratorially, "I've heard rumors about you and a cute girl from Kyoto..."
"Oh...yes..." Takatori said, almost giggling. He really couldn't hold his alcohol well. "Real cute thing, she is." He had forgotten all about the rent at this point.
"Really?" Yamato said, raising an eyebrow. "Good for you!"
"More?" Taichi offered, not waiting for a reply to fill Takatori's glass.
The landlord quickly downed the second glass, before seeming to notice the clock on the wall. "Oh, shoot, I'd better be getting home. My wife will be mad. If I could have the-"
"His wife!" Daisuke interrupted, seemingly scandalized. "This man has a wife, yet he sees a woman in Kyoto? And we invited him into our apartment, shared our food..."
"Out!" Jyou agreed, as Taichi and Yamato grabbed the bewildered landlord by both arms, dragging him outside the door. They quickly darted back inside, and Jyou latched the door. "And don't come back!" Jyou yelled, mostly muffled by the door. Taichi and Yamato both had their hands stuffed in their mouths to keep from laughing, and Daisuke was grinning widely. After Takatori's footsteps receded down the hall, all four men gave each other high fives, still laughing.[2]
Their laughter was cut short as the power flickered out. Jyou sighed and pulled out a candle, and Daisuke lit it with his lighter. "Think the old geezer cut off the power cause he was mad at us?"
Taichi opened the window and stuck his head out. "Nah, whole apartment complex is out. Cheap wiring."
"What do you say we go out to eat?" Yamato suggested.
"Sure, I need to go shopping anyway," Daisuke said.
"Lover's token for Kari?" Yamato teased.
"No," Daisuke lied. "She's prancing around with other men...hmph! Why should I waste my time on her?" The other three exchanged a wry grin, which Daisuke missed completely.
"Sure, Dais," Taichi said. "Let's go."
"I need to finish this article," Jyou said, "So I'll pass on the shopping and meet you at the restaurant. The usual?"
"Sounds good," Taichi agreed. "And be glad your laptop is battery powered. Ja!" The other two followed Taichi out, Daisuke shooting Jyou a slightly worried look before exiting.
Jyou stared out the window for a moment. "Inspiration...dammit." He glanced down at the busting city. "Why am I not inspired? My poetry sucks...now I can't even write a newspaper article. Simple facts, for heaven's sake!"
A soft knock at the door broke Jyou out of his reverie. "Excuse me...is anyone there? Do you have some matches or something for a candle?"
Jyou grinned wryly. "No, but my friend Daisuke has a lighter...which he took with him. Just a sec, I'll let you in and you can light your candle from ours."
"Thanks," the voice said again, and Jyou opened the door to reveal a slender redhead. She bobbed a quick curtsey. "I appreciate this."
"No prob," Jyou said, trying not to stare. "Um...on the table. The other candles, I mean."
She smiled and stuck out her hand. "I'm Sora. You?"
"Um, Jyou," he said, gripping her hand. "I write."
She smiled. "I live downstairs- I'm a seamstress." She paused, coughing.
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she managed to get out.
"OK..." Jyou said.
"Well, thank you," Sora said, leaving. Jyou sighed. What a pretty girl...
A knock sounded at his door again. He opened it to find Sora standing there. "I'm sorry, I seem to have dropped my key," she said. "But it's hard to see in the dark. And...oh, crap, my candle went out. Damn draft..." She set the candle down on the table, kneeling to hunt for her key. "Help me look..."
Jyou obediently knelt down and began feeling across the floor. His left hand encountered the cool metal of the key, but his wicked side took over and he slipped it in his pocket.
"Found it yet?" Sora questioned, lighting her candle again and holding it near the floor.
"No..." Jyou lied.
"Oh! Crap, it went out again."
"I'll get it," Jyou said, taking her candle when she offered it to him and going to the other candle.
"Oops, now this one's out," he said, blowing it out when Sora wasn't looking.
"Nuts," Sora said.
"Well, at least we have the moon," Jyou pointed out.
"And the lights from the other apartment buildings in the area," Sora said dryly.
"Well...um..." Jyou wiped his hands on his pants. "You look very pretty in the apartment complex lights."
"Thanks," Sora said. It was hard to tell, but Jyou thought she might be blushing. "You look pretty cute yourself.
"Sora..." Jyou whispered, striding to her and wrapping his arms around her.[3]
"Jyou!" she said back, just leaning against his chest.
"Go out with me?" Jyou half-questioned.
"Mmmhhhmmm," Sora agreed, murmuring against Jyou's chest. "I'd love to."

[1] Parrot, dog, whatever. I think RENT is leaking it's way in here, but I never quite got the parrot scene.
Dais: This parrot is no more!
Lucia: Thank you, Dais.
[2] Yes, I know, I know. The ladies will show up soon, I promise.
[3] Have you noticed they always do this in opera? One minute they're strangers, the next, madly in love.