Recollections of Days Gone By
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or any of the associated characters. I also don't own the song Thank You by Dido. Don't sue me…cuz all you'll get is… *breaks open piggy bank* um…fluff…and five cents. There!
A/N: Thank you to my reviewers! You know who you are, but in case you didn't, I'm reviving my tradition of naming reviewers! JLSCORPIO78 – Of course I'll write more! I wouldn't leave my loyal readers hanging! Yama's Bi-atch – Aww…don't ya just love first dates? rickthetamer – I'm glad you don't find it bad. Claire - *blushes* I try, I try…more reviews means more inspiration! Zelgadis's Apprentice – Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't really want to make it too dramatic…I might use it for a later chapter (or fic) though! Silver Eagle – Thanks for the tip! I might use it… (Got that guys? No more chapters until I get at least 10 reviews!) Anyway, I did read a couple of your fics and left my comments as reviews. Mel – I hope you like this chapter as much! Lia – Another random review? You know I love them! Keep them coming!
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Chapter Three: Thank You
~ My tea's gone cold
And I'm wondering why I got out of bed at all
The morning rain clouds up my window
And I can't see at all ~
Sora stared at the test in frustration, none of the questions made any sense. She couldn't believe she had forgotten about the calculus test, the test that was worth ten percent of her final mark. She bit her lip, wanting to cry as she saw all the industrious heads bent low over papers surrounding her. It's not fair! She wanted to wail, but in an ironical way, it was. It really was her fault that she had allowed thoughts of Ishida Yamato to fill her waking hours.
She had meant to study last night, but then, yesterday – had it only been yesterday? – Ishida Yamato had asked her out. Okay, maybe he didn't see it as a date, but she did, and it was making her nervous. After that, all thoughts involving calculus had flown from her head. She had spent the night alternating between writing in her diary, sending Mimi emails and dancing around the room excitedly.
Not for the first time, she wished Mimi hadn't gone to America. Hikari and Miyako were great, but it would be nice to have a close girl friend around her age to confide in. The girls at school were nice, but almost all of them seemed to be obsessed. If it wasn't Yamato, the hot, talented singer, it was Taichi, the cute, lovable jock. She rolled her eyes at the thought, Taichi was like her brother, lovable, yes, but annoying as hell. On the hand…
Yamato.
She could see his blonde head several rows over, scribbling on his paper. And instantly, she felt her heart rate pick up.
"Miss Takenouchi?"
She cursed the heat that flooded her face. This is just great, she told herself with an inward sigh, Not only am I going to flunk this test, I get caught staring at Yamato…
"Are you okay?" her teacher gave her paper a passing glance, "You're looking a little flushed, do you want to go see the nurse?"
Sora shook her head wordlessly.
"Okay, if you're sure. Maybe you should start working on your paper. There's only fifteen minutes left." She nodded, still embarrassingly red. A soft sigh of relief emitted from her lips as the teacher left, she picked up her pen and concentrated on the paper.
Maybe I should have just gone to the nurse…
~ And even if I could it'd all be grey,
But your picture on my wall
It reminds me that it's not so bad,
It's not so bad… ~
"Hey, Sora," Yamato slid his tray on the table, "Taichi," he grinned at his big haired friend, "What'd you guys think of the test?"
"It was okay," Taichi mumbled around a mouthful of food, he swallowed, "I should pass. I've been getting Jyou to tutor me."
Sora's only response was a groan, "Don't ask, please," she said, resting her head in her arms and not looking at either of her friends.
Taichi poked her with a fork, "You found it hard? The math whiz?"
"Quit poking me," she snapped half-heartedly, "Yes, I found it hard. Is there something wrong with that?"
Her friend caught sight of the glare she was giving him and decided to stop this line of questioning. "I, uh…I'm going to go get a drink. Who wants one? Yamato?"
"Sure," the blonde grinned, tossing him some money, "Get one for Sora too."
Taichi saluted and headed for the vending machines.
"So…" he had to smile at the way Sora was avoiding eye contact, "What was so bad about the test?"
She sighed, shrugging slender shoulders, "I don't know…I didn't really study for it."
His eyes widened, "You didn't study for it? I find that hard to believe…"
Sora deliberated throwing her fork at him, then decided against it, "I'll have you know that I had a lot on my mind."
"Oh really?" he slid into the seat next to her, "Like what?"
"Tonight," she flushed and focused on the food on her plate.
The comment shut Yamato up as well, and he was finding his shoes very interesting. I didn't think it was that important to her… But it was, and it was important to him as well.
"Hey you two," Koushiro looked at them, puzzled, "Um…did I miss something?"
"No, no!" Yamato practically pulled his red head friend into a seat, "We were just wondering where you were!" he said, a little too loudly.
Koushiro winced, "I'm right here, Yamato, you don't have to yell."
"Oh, sorry…" he replied, looking a little sheepish.
Sora abruptly pushed back her seat and bussed her tray, "I'm not feeling very hungry," she explained, "I'll catch you guys later," she said giving them a wave.
Somehow, Yamato couldn't help feeling like an idiot.
~ I drank too much last night
Got bills to pay
My head just feels in pain
I missed the bus
And there'll be hell today ~
She was rushed off her feet, there seemed to be too many customers today. Hurriedly, she tied together yet another bouquet of spring blossoms. I guess everyone feels like giving flowers today.
"Thank you for waiting, sir. That will be fourteen-fifty," she said with a weary smile, opening the cash register and handing him his change, "Have a nice day."
Her face felt like it would crack if she pulled another false smile, Where is my mother? She was running the store alone, and there was no way she could manage this many customers. She rang up another sale, and, taking advantage of the fact that there was no one else in line, she dialled her mother's mobile phone.
"Kaa-san? Where are you?" it was all she could do to keep the plaintive whine from her voice.
Her mother's voice was crackling with static, "Sora, honey, I'm really sorry. But you're going to have to manage on your own for awhile. You won't believe the traffic!"
"What?" she panicked, "The place is packed!"
"You'll do fine, sweetie. Oh, I have to go."
There was a click and she was listening to the dial tone. With a sigh, she replaced the phone in it's cradle. I can do this…I can do this… She looked around the crowded store, I hope…
"Need any help?"
A startled squeak was her only response, "Y-yamato…" it took her awhile for her to comprehend what he'd said, "You want to help? What are you doing here, anyway?"
"I stopped by on the way back from band practise," he gestured to the bass strapped to his back, "Actually, I wanted to check up on you," he coloured slightly, "You seemed upset about the test today, so…"
She grinned at him, unable to ignore the fluttering of her pulse, "Well, I'm not really having a good day. But," she added, "It's looking up. If you really want to help, you'll find a spare apron in the back…oh, you can stick your stuff there as well."
"An apron?" he couldn't keep the disgusted look from his face, "Fine," he sighed, "I offered…"
Sora smiled at his retreating back, Oh yes, it's definitely looking up.
~ I'm late for work again
And even if I'm there
They'll all imply that I might not last the day
And then you call me,
And it's not so bad,
It's not so bad… ~
He decided he never wanted to work in a flower shop ever again. One reason was the apron, the other was the fact that a lot of the girls entering the shop, seemed to have come in just to hit on him. He caught sight of Sora, who was patiently showing a customer the different types of roses the store had. A soft smile crept up his face, Then again, working here has it's perks…
Of course, there was the apron. He scowled, the only apron in the back was Sora's mother's apron. He wouldn't have minded wearing an apron if it was a manly apron…but this apron was pink, and frilly. It was an embarrassment to be seen in it. Not that it deterred the girls coming in here. What was the point in wearing an apron if it wasn't useful?
He rang up another purchase, Sora had banished him to the cash register after he had accidentally knocked over a vase of tulips. That, and he'd told a customer that the irises were peonies. He shook his head, he couldn't really see the difference, but the man hadn't been that happy about it – his fiancée's favourite flowers were peonies. There'd been an angry phone call, and Sora had apologised, shooting vengeful glares at Yamato the whole time.
That was when he'd been assigned to the cash register. He was perfectly happy here, but then, he was perfectly happy being anywhere where Sora was. Now that he'd finally had the guts to ask her out, he was a lot happier. He checked his watch, he'd probably panic in a couple of hours, but for now, he was happy.
"Sir? Can I pay now?"
Oops. He snapped out of it in a hurry, it wouldn't do to have anymore annoyed customers. "Sure, that comes to, twenty dollars exactly," he took the money from her, "Have a nice day, ma'am." He gave her his most winning smile, "Come again."
"Yamato!" he turned to see Sora's mother, hurrying towards him, "Did Sora rope you into helping her?"
"Konnichiwa, Takenouchi-san," he said with a smile, "No. I offered to help."
"Oh," she stopped behind the counter, "That was nice of you. Thank you very much, I was caught in traffic and," she surveyed the crowded shop, "I didn't expect it to get this busy."
His smile widened into a mischievous grin, "When I came in, Sora looked like she was ready to throw the flowers at the customers…"
"Oh really?" she gave him a disbelieving look, "Thank you for helping out, Yamato. But I'm sure that a boy like you has plenty of things he needs to be doing," she ruffled his hair, "What about this band of yours?"
He blushed slightly, "Sora told you about that?" he scratched his head, "Well, I guess we're doing okay, we've got a couple of concerts lined up for the next couple of weeks."
"Wow," she looked sincerely impressed, "That's great. But," she eyed him critically, "You're looking pale. You should get more sun. Go on, I believe you have a date to get ready for tonight," she said, shooing him away from the counter.
His eyes widened, "Does Sora tell you everything?"
Mrs Takenouchi laughed, "Everything that's important. And Yamato?"
He turned, expecting a lecture on taking care of her daughter, "Yes?"
"Can I have my apron back?"
~ I want to thank you
For giving me the best day of my life
Oh just being with you
Is having the best day of my life ~
He rushed around the room, hair and clothes in disarray. "What am I going to wear?" he muttered, rifling through his closet for a clean shirt. Just my luck, I forgot that I was supposed to do the laundry this week.
"Ah hah!" he pulled out a decent shirt and tossed it on the bed.
There was a knock on the door and his dad pushed open the door, his eyes widened at the mess, "Uh, phone," he covered the receiver and gave his son a stern look, "Tell me you're going to clean this up."
Yamato nodded, trying to button up his shirt with one hand, while reaching for the phone, "Hello?"
"Yamato! What are you doing tonight?"
He winced slightly, "I'm going out, Taichi. Why?"
"Oh,' his friend sounded disappointed, "I need someone to give me a hand," he paused, "I'm babysitting Hikari."
There was an indignant shout in the background, and the sound of something being thrown. Yamato had to stifle a laugh.
"Hello, Yamato?" Hikari's voice came over the phone in place of Taichi's, "Taichi can't talk right now. He's…in pain. But I can get him to call you back later if you want."
"Uh, no thanks, Hikari. I'm going out in a couple of minutes anyway. Tell him to get a life," Yamato said, grinning.
Hikari laughed, "I tell him that all the time. Bye, Yamato."
He was glad for the phone call, it helped dispel his nerves…a little. With a sigh, he began attacking his hair with gel. He pushed his hair out of his eyes, only to freak out at the largest pimple he had seen in awhile. Oh, Kami! It had to happed tonight, didn't it? It protruded from his forehead, and it definitely wasn't pretty. Okay, calm down Yamato. Just…get your hair to cover it…or something.
He managed to style his fringe so it obscured the view of his forehead and studied his reflection critically, Well, I guess it'll have to do…
Palms sweaty, he sprayed on some cologne and took a deep breath. There's no need to be nervous, it's just Sora. One of your best friends…whom you're taking on a date… The nerves came back with a vengeance, she wouldn't be plain old Sora after this, if it all went well, she might well be something more than a friend. He wanted her to be something more than a friend, which was why he couldn't afford to screw this up.
He took another deep breath to fortify him and checked his watch. Ten to seven. I'd better get going. He looked at his reflection one last time to make sure that everything was okay.
"I'm going out, tou-san!" he called reaching for the door knob.
His father was busy watching television, "Okay, don't be back too late," the older Ishida gave his son a once over and grinned, "Well, don't you look nice. Who's the girl?"
"Tou-san!" Yamato yelped, his face bright red, "Who said anything about a girl?"
"Okay," his father said, keeping a straight face, "Who's the guy?"
Yamato threw a shoe at his father.
~ Push the door, I'm home at last
And soaking through and through
Then you handed me a towel
And all I see is you ~
She looked in the mirror and wondered if she shouldn't be wearing something so casual. Her denim jeans hugged her slim waist and made her legs look longer, and she was wearing a deep blue shirt that emphasised her hair colour. Sora bit her lip nervously, Maybe I should have worn something nicer…or something a little more girly-
There was a knock at the door and she jumped, "Hai?" she called, blushing even though there had been no one around to see her.
"Yamato's here for you, Sora-chan."
She straightened the hem of her shirt one last time and slid a barrette in her hair, "Coming, oka-san," she took several steadying breaths, then took a few more when she wasn't calm enough.
It's okay, it's just Yamato, she told herself over and over as she walked out of her room, It's just Yama-
"Hey."
She was caught in those brilliant blue eyes again, and forgot to breathe. "Yamato," his name fell from her lips in one fell swoop, more a gasp than a word.
"I was worried that you weren't going to show up," he said lightly, leaning against the doorframe. He took her hand in his and grinned, "Ready to go?"
"Yeah," tentatively, she smiled up at him, "What movie did you want to see?"
He paused for a moment, then grinned, "You know, I forgot to check what was showing," he scratched his head, slightly embarrassed, "Um…how about we skip the movie?"
"Call the whole thing off?" she couldn't keep the disappointment from her voice or her expression and he felt his heart skip a beat.
"No, no," he liked the feel of her hand in his, "Let's do something else. Get something to eat, or just…hang out. Is that okay with you?"
Her fingers tightened around his in an almost possessive manner, "Yeah. That's fine."
~ And even if my house falls down,
I wouldn't have a clue
Because you're near me and… ~
They ended up in the park, eating ice cream. Casually, Yamato rested his arm around her shoulders, unable to resist a smile when she didn't protest. "Want to try some of mine?"
"Mmm…" she looked at his half-eaten cone, "What flavour did you get again?"
"Hazelnut praline," he said, wrinkling up his face in thought, "Or something like that. It's pretty good."
"Okay," she nodded as he held out the cone so she could take a bite, her eyes widened, "You're right. I'll have to get this one next time," she said around the mouthful.
Silence fell on them and Yamato busied himself winding strands of her auburn hair around his free hand. With a sigh, Sora rested her head on his shoulder. She felt his body tense and then relax under her cheek and smiled a little. I don't even remember why I was nervous.
"Yamato?" she asked in a sleepy mumble, "What are you doing?"
He stopped playing with her hair and she chuckled softly, "I'm kidding, go ahead," she yawned, "It feels nice…"
It was impossible to keep a fond smile from creeping up his face, "Your wish is my command," he whispered softly, resuming his 'game'. But he was forced to stop when she turned to face him, the silken strands slipping from his fingers.
"Really?" she asked teasingly, raising an eyebrow, "You mean that?"
"Within reason," he murmured, all too aware of the lack of distance between their faces, and their lips, "Why, what do you want?"
She studied his face intently, flirting with the thought that had entered her mind. If I asked you to kiss me, would that be 'within reason'? Or would you say no? "It's nothing," she said, ducking her head in embarrassment.
Yamato placed a finger under her chin and tipped it up gently, "Really?"
She blushed a little, but then her expression turned serious, "Yamato, why did you ask me to come out with you tonight?"
"Why?" he sighed heavily, looking up at the stars, "I don't really know, Sora," he said honestly, "I like spending time with you." Like today, in the shop. I just like being around you.
"Oh," she said quietly, looking at her hands.
He sneaked a peak at her, the moon was full tonight and the silvery light gave an eerie cast to their surroundings. It lightened Sora's hair to a translucent red-gold and made her look otherworldly. I wonder if she'd mind if I kissed her. He had come this far, he had asked her out, but a barrier still remained, and it was one that he didn't know how to break. He pulled her closer to him and she looked up in surprise,
"Yamato?"
"Gomen nasai," he muttered roughly, gently cupping her face in his hands and kissing her softly. The touch of her lips on his made his heart pound and his head spin.
Her arms rested loosely around his neck, she couldn't ignore the shivers that ran up and down her spine. Yamato…can you read my mind?
They pulled apart, breathing heavily, she could feel his warm breath caressing her cheek softly. His eyes were pleading with her not to be angry, to understand. And she did, she understood all too clearly his feelings, his confusion.
"Sora, I-"
"Shh," she whispered, pulling his face close to hers again, "Don't apologize, Yamato," she said, covering his lips with hers, initiating one of the sweetest kisses she had ever experienced.
~ I want to thank you
For giving me the best day of my life
Oh just being with you
Is having the best day of my life ~
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A/N: I think I'm getting a toothache, but only for the end…lol. I wish I'd put more Sorato into that! I was trying to keep in line with the song. This is one of the longest chapters so far. I hope you guys like it. It has it's moments…Yamato in an apron… *snickers*
Yamato: You have an unholy obsession for me in weird clothes.
Me? Never!
Yamato: First it was the tight leather pants-
The readers wanted that as much as I did!
Yamato: And now it's a pink, frilly apron! Where's the humanity?!
Calm down…it was too good to pass up! *pinches Yamato's cheek* And it was too cute!
Yamato: *mutter mumble*
*pats Yama-chan on the head* There, there. Did you like the chapter?
Yamato: *shrugs* It was okay…I guess.
YOU GUESS? *reverts to evil monster form*
Yamato: *looks scared* IT WAS GREAT!!
*becomes her cute, sweet self again* That's what I like to hear!
R&R please! All criticism is welcome…as long as it's constructive! Oh, and feel free to suggest a song or two if you think it'll be useful! If you're reading on my webpage, please sign the guestbook!
Webpage: Cherry Blossoms & Ki Blasts
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