DISCLAIMER: I do not own Digimon or any of its characters. I just like to torture them. Please don't sue.
Authoress's Notes: It's the V-Day after the defeat of MaloMyotismon. Please do not flame my couples (I have to say it again, especially since they're not quite as mainstream in this chapter as in the first one). Jun's in here, but don't run when you see her--just be aware that valentines are not always accepted as given. On with the fluffiness! Bask in it! Pig out on it! Enjoy it while it lasts...
SEASON TWO:
Daisuke Motomiya, Takeru Takaishi, and Hikari Kamiya were walking to school together that February morning, per usual.
"So, what do you think of V-Day?" Daisuke asked Takeru.
"V-Day?"
"Valentine's. I like to think of it as V-Day because I think of Veemon."
Hikari chuckled. "Good one."
Takeru frowned. "I don't know...it's okay, but I think the chocolate would be better if I actually knew the names of the girls who tried to give it to me."
"So many chicks, so little time, eh, T.K.?" Hikari teased.
"Hey, don't joke, Hikari. I heard a couple of guys in the locker room talking about you..."
"It better have been nice."
Takeru grinned mischievously. "Oh, it was nice...it wasn't all exactly *repeatable*, but it was nice..."
Hikari smacked him on the arm, and then smacked Daisuke's arm, too, for good measure. She wasn't sure if he was smiling at Takeru's remark or at her smacking Takeru.
No one brought up the subject of who the other two wanted Valentines to or from. Both guys had seen the white-wrapped present poking out of Hikari's backpack. Hikari didn't want to say who it was for, for fear of upsetting either of the guys by its being for the other. Takeru didn't want to know, because he didn't want it, but didn't want to hurt her or Daisuke if it was for him. Daisuke didn't want to know, because he was sure it was for Takeru, and it was killing him. He wished it was for him, but he knew that there was simply no way Hikari could ever like him that way.
It was going to be a very frustrating day...
Iori Hida walked to school alone. He hadn't wanted to hear another word about Miyako's Valentine. He knew exactly what her lucky guy was getting, the color of the paper it was wrapped in, how she planned to give it to him, where, when. He knew everything except who she was giving it to. He suspected it was Ken, but he never let on. Miyako would get upset.
So, Iori had a peaceful walk to reflect on Valentine's Day. The whole concept of the holiday was over his head. If someone really loved someone else, why should they wait until February fourteenth? They should say something as soon as they realized it. He supposed it was okay for people who were already in love, a day to remember and celebrate their love, but new confessions just because of a holiday? It seemed kind of silly, in his mind.
And then, there was Miyako. She seemed to view it as the most important holiday of the year besides Christmas. She'd had crushes before, and celebrated before, but she'd never gone to such trouble in giving a valentine. This guy--Ken--was really special.
Iori sighed. School was in sight, and he saw some of his friends. On to meet the day. Hopefully the kids in his grade weren't as obsessed as Miyako...
Sora stood, leaning against a tree, waiting for Taichi. She had chocolate and an action figure--which he really was too old for--for him, just like the past three years. It was their tradition.
Finally, he arrived on the scene. Sora loved the way he looked in his crisp, green uniform, although she found her own very irritating to wear all the time. Taichi had assured her several times that the feeling was mutual.
"Tai!"
He spotted her and greeted her with a kiss, just like every morning. "Good morning, Sora."
"Happy Valentine's, love," she said, handing him his present. She hadn't bothered to wrap it.
He smiled. "Thanks." He kissed her again. "And, this year, I'm giving you something in return."
"What?"
"You're free tonight, right?"
"Uh...right..."
"Then after school, go home and put on a nice outfit and I'll pick you up as soon as I can."
She blinked. "Um...okay..."
The bell rang, startling the curiosity out of the moment. "I'll see you around, in class, Sora. Thanks again!"
Miyako sat in her third class, already thinking the school day would never end.
Normally, she would have given her Valentine already, but this year, she'd fallen for someone. Someone who just happened to go to a different school.
At the start of the last school year, they hadn't exactly gotten off to a good start. Miyako had made some new friends (human and otherwise) and gotten herself thrown into a brand-new world where she had to fight and protect everything, almost before she knew whose side she was on.
And he had been her main enemy.
Her heart had been broken, learning that he was one and the same as her all-time crush.
And then, everything had changed. They defeated him. They won. It was their first major victory, but there had been little joy in it for Miyako. By that time she understood that he hadn't planned to become a supervillain. It had happened, with little or nothing he could have done to stop it.
And also by that time, she had fallen hopelessly in love--this was not just a crush. It had deeply hurt her to see him in agony over what he had done unwittingly.
But she put it out of her mind. He went into the shadows for a while, to recover from the shock of it, and she tried to focus with her friends on cleaning his work out of the Digital World. The trouble with that was whenever she saw his handiwork, his brainchild, she couldn't help but think of him, and what he had been. She tried to convince herself that he had changed, but it was a very difficult task.
Then things happened. He joined their group, and was always trying to prove he was sorry for what he had done. It took him a while, but eventually he did realize that he had done more than enough to atone. Miyako, and the rest of the group, had all long since forgiven him.
What he still hadn't realized was that Miyako had grown to love him even more. Once she saw firsthand how he had changed, she realized that there was nothing wrong with the way she felt about him, and she shouldn't hide it. So she had quit trying to, but he was oblivious. Even though his guilt and drive to make amends were gone, the feeling of inferiority was something that would always be there. He refused to believe that good things could happen to one who had done so much bad--even if he wasn't in control of his own mind at the time, it was still his hand that had done the work.
So Miyako had decided to show him. She was going to march right over to Odaiba's finest private school and give her valentine to their finest student.
She could hardly wait to see him!
Daisuke sat eating his lunch, quite alone. Takeru and Hikari were nowhere to be found. He'd been right, she had meant the present for Takeru after all.
Why couldn't Hikari see that he cared about her? Why?
Just because his ways of showing it were unconventional (at best), it didn't mean that he should be scorned.
True, Takeru had known her longer, since they were, like, four, but that shouldn't make any difference. If people had to end up with whoever they'd known the longest, most people would be married to immediate family members.
And he was friends with Takeru. Daisuke had decided that his relationship with Hikari (or lack thereof) shouldn't get between him and other people, so he and Takeru had quit arguing and become friends. And they'd talked about it, there had been no getting around it. Takeru knew that Daisuke truly loved Hikari, and Daisuke knew that Takeru didn't want a romantic relationship with her.
So, maybe nothing would come of her valentine.
But then, she'd be hurt...
This day stunk...and it wasn't even over, yet...
Ken Ichijouji banged his head against his locker door. "I swear, if one more girl asks if I have someone special in mind today, I am going to scream."
A boy at the next locker snickered. "I'm a guy. Can I ask?"
"Go ahead."
"Do you have someone in mind?"
"Yes. I am completely, totally, madly in love with her, and she doesn't even like me, and furthermore, she doesn't even go to this school." Ken sighed. "Hey, spread the word, would you? If it keeps one girl from approaching me, your effort will be worth it."
The guy shrugged. "Whatever you say, Ichijouji."
Ken had never had a problem with all the attention that girls gave him on Valentine's Day until this year, now that he actually liked a girl. Miyako Inoue had stolen his heart, and he really wished that the rest of the girls in the world would just leave him alone.
"Hey, Ichijouji," a female voice said, accompanied by a tap on his shoulder.
Ken groaned. This was becoming a very long day.
Takeru and Hikari were together, eating lunch outside.
"Well, I'm finished," Takeru announced.
"Me too. Time for dessert."
"Huh?"
Hikari started fishing through her backpack. "T.K., do you remember the year after we defeated Myotismon, I gave you chocolate on Valentine's Day and we promised to always be friends?"
"Uh, yeah..."
She pulled a thin box wrapped in white paper out of her backpack. "Well, in the spirit of that, I want to give you this. But, Takeru--" this was serious business-- "This is not my valentine."
He opened the package, revealing a box of chocolates. "Thanks, Kari...but if this isn't your valentine..."
"I, uh, have another present..."
Takeru nodded. "You can tell me all about it after you give it to...whoever. It's okay...Kari?"
Hikari was crying.
"Are you okay?"
"Are you upset?"
Takeru smiled. So that's what this was about. She didn't want him to feel like her choice of another guy was shutting him out. "No, no, Hikari, I'm not. I'm not." He pulled her into a hug. "I care about you, Hikari, but not that way. I...I want you to find someone else."
She pulled away from him just a little, but his arm was still over her shoulders. "Really?"
"Yeah. I do. I feel like you're the sister I never had, you know? And dating my sister is not...well, I think you get the picture."
"Yeah. I feel the same way about you. I mean, I have a brother, but sometimes I think you know me better than Tai does...I...I'm glad you don't like me that way."
Takeru offered her one of his chocolates, and this time, she took it without hesitation.
"To best friendship!" Takeru said.
She tapped her bit of candy against his. "Friends forever!"
They ate their chocolates and smiled. A bell rang in the distance, closer to the school building.
Takeru pressed a kiss to Hikari's cheek. "That's for good luck, when you give him your valentine. Now, if we don't hurry, we'll be late to class..."
Hikari smiled. "You promise not to be upset?"
"I promise."
"No matter who he is?"
"So long as you like him and he likes you, it's fine by me."
"Oh, I know he likes me. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, first."
Next-to-last-period. Study hall.
Jun Motomiya smiled. Study hall was the only period she had with Yamato all day.
She had decided that sneaking up on him and making an idiot of herself would get her nowhere. She was just going to sit next to him, quietly, and not make a big scene, and, hopefully, she wouldn't run him off.
She entered the study hall and spotted him. She did like she'd planned, quietly took a seat in the chair next to him.
"Hi, Matt."
He looked up. He hadn't noticed her walking in. "Oh...um...hi, Jun..." He was too polite to run from her when she could see him.
Things were definitely working in her favor today.
"I, uh...have something for you." She blushed. She unzipped an outer pocket on her backpack and pulled out a box of chocolates. "Happy Valentine's Day!"
Yamato stared quietly for a moment. "For...for me?"
She smiled, blushing to beat the band, and giggled slightly as she nodded.
"Um...Jun...we need to talk."
She tilted her head. "What about?" He smile faded, just a little.
"Look, Jun...I'm not trying to hurt your feelings...but, I...I don't like you that way."
She blinked. "But, Matt..."
"Wait. I'm not finished. It's not that I hate you. I don't hate you, Jun, I don't hate anybody save for evil Digimon--you have heard about them, right?"
"They're popping up all over the world now. How could I not hear about them?"
"Right. Good. Anyway, like I was saying, it's just that I don't like you in *that* way. There's no special girl in my life right now, and I'm using the time to focus on other things, like my music, and bringing my grades up this year so I can get into a decent college. Now, if you want to set aside this crush--don't tell yourself it's more than just a crush--we can get to know each other and be friends. Just friends."
Jun sighed. "I--I feel--kind of disappointed, Matt..."
"If you need a few days--to--to think about it--"
"Yeah...I think I do." She started to get up and move to another part of the table.
"Hey, Jun?"
"Yeah?"
"Before you go...just, just be aware that there aren't many girls who get up the nerve to even try and give me a valentine. You've got pluck, and I admire that."
She smiled again.
"And, out of the ten or so that have tried to get me to take their chocolate, I've only accepted one box."
Jun blinked. Her box. It was sitting on the table in front of him.
"It doesn't mean that I like you that way. It just means that you stand out above the crowd and I wouldn't mind being friends."
She nodded. "Oh...okay. I--I'll see you around...in a day or two..."
He smiled. "Great."
Miyako stood, waiting, at the gate of the high fence that surrounded Ken's school. Floods of teenagers were pouring out, and she was surprised that she didn't get trampled. There were a few students who remarked that she shouldn't have been there, suggesting that she wasn't good enough for anyone in their school because she didn't go there.
Well, she'd show them. She was good enough for the most popular boy in their school, and furthermore, he didn't consider himself good enough for anyone!
But all that aside, she just wanted her quiet moment with Ken to confess her love.
He was one of the last students to trail out. "Yolei-san?"
A couple of the other students still in the vicinity stared at this outsider called "san" by the Great Ichijouji. She must be someone really special, especially if he knew her by name. She laughed mentally at what they might think if they knew it was as personal as a nickname.
"Hi, Ken."
"What--what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to give you my valentine." She pushed a heart-shaped box of chocolates into his hands. She smiled brightly. "Happy Valentine's Day, Ken-kun."
He took it, blushingly, hands nearly trembling. "Oh, Yolei-san...I...I...I don't deserve this...you didn't have to do this...I was fine, you didn't need to cheer me up..."
"But, Ken, you *do* deserve it! I...I just want you to know...that...that I...I love you."
He looked her straight in the eyes. "Oh, no. You...you couldn't...I don't deserve to be loved..."
"But you do! You're sorry for what you did and it's all said and done. It's part of the past...and besides...I loved you then, too...even when I knew who you were...and especially after we found out Arukenimon was controlling you...it's not your fault, and I care about you, Ken...I do. I really do."
He was taken aback. "Even when I was...? You loved me then?"
"You. Not the things you did, by any standard, but you. I never stopped loving you." She stepped forward impulsively and kissed him, quickly but tenderly, on the lips.
He flinched, more from surprise than anything else, but he didn't step away. The kiss didn't last long, no more than a few seconds, but Ken got the message.
"You...*do*...care about me."
"I love you, Ken."
"I...I love you, too, Yolei...I...I...I just don't deserve you..."
"Oh, forget about that. Some of your schoolmates didn't even think I was good enough to be on a first-name basis with you. If I love you and you love me it doesn't matter what either of us *deserves*, because we both have what we want and neither of us is complaining."
Ken pondered the wisdom in that. "Yolei...that actually makes a lot of sense..."
She held out her hand. "So what do you say? Should you and me give it a go?"
He grasped her hand firmly in his. "Yeah. We should. Definitely." He reached up to her face with his free hand and brushed a tendril of hair out of her face. He then leaned in and kissed her.
Daisuke was leaning against a tree outside of school, sulking. No present from anyone through the whole day.
Which translated to no present from Hikari.
He'd chatted with his sister, who was all gushy over Matt...apparently, he'd said they could be friends. Jun was so weird.
Daisuke was already friends with Hikari, so that was no big deal.
Of course, he hadn't really talked to Hikari or Takeru throughout the whole day...maybe she hadn't given it to Takeru. Maybe it was some other guy. That wouldn't sting nearly so much.
But it would still sting.
Daisuke could have sworn that this holiday was invented by someone who loved to see broken-hearted people. A dating service, maybe.
He watched the kids leaving the school. There went Takeru.
Takeru. Alone.
Daisuke barely had any time to think about what it meant before Hikari leaned over the rail of the steps and tapped his shoulder. "Hey, Davis!"
He looked up at her. She was so beautiful. "Uh, hi..."
"Hey, can you meet me at the park in about half-an-hour?"
He blinked. "Sure!" He tried to sound enthusiastic. He was sure she wanted to talk to him about Takeru, or maybe she was going to introduce him to some other guy, her new boyfriend.
"Great! I'll be waiting!"
Koushirou dumped his backpack on his bed and followed suit, flopping onto his back. "Could there be a worse holiday?" He still didn't like it that much.
He got up and turned on the computer, and logged on to the Internet. While waiting for it to dial, he reflected on his day.
He'd been teased because no one had given him a present. When he said he didn't want one, the jokes really started flying. Then he tried to explain that love was something to be celebrated, not ridiculed or advertised. No one had been mature enough to listen.
Although, he wouldn't mind if a special girl came into his life right then. Things were good, he felt he was ready for a relationship.
Of course, who wanted to be the girlfriend of a computer geek? He sighed.
"You! Have! One! New! Message!" the monotone blared.
It was from an Internet pal of his. The message read, "Galitea6040 has sent you an e-card! Click on the link below to retrieve."
"An e-card?" Izzy raised an eyebrow, but he clicked the link anyway.
He'd been IM-ing Galitea6040 for several months. They'd traded pictures, too. She was a pretty, young computer geek who lived on the northern end of Japan's main island whose real name was Mina--short for Minako. Blond hair, green eyes, rather attractive. She knew as much about computers as Koushirou. She thought Robin Williams was the funniest actor ever and took her Internet name from one of his movies. (A/N: I don't own it. Anyone else know what it is? :) ) He knew she liked the color blue and marmalade on her toast and all kinds of things about her.
The e-card loaded. Corny music played through the speakers. The pink-heart-covered background bore a picture of a laptop and the words "Hey, Iz, from one dateless computer geek to another...Happy Valentine's! --Mina AKA Galitea6040"
Koushirou smiled.
Taichi rang the doorbell of the Takenouchi household.
Mr. Takenouchi answered the door. "Oh, hello, Tai. Sora will be ready in a minute."
"Yes sir, Mr. Takenouchi." Taichi stepped inside the door, not daring to come any further into the apartment above the flower shop, because he'd have to take his shoes off. He didn't have long to wait before Sora stepped into the hall.
"Whoa...Sora..."
"What? Am I overdressed?" she asked. She was wearing a satiny red knee-length skirt and a matching red spaghetti-strap shirt, with a red chenille shawl.
"No...you're just beautiful, that's all."
Sora smiled as Taichi took her arm and led her away. He was just wearing his school uniform, but for a change his shirttail was tucked in, it was buttoned all the way up, he was wearing the coat like a coat instead of with the sleeves tied around his waist, and he was actually wearing the tie.
"You look nice, yourself," Sora commented. "How long did it take you to tie your tie?"
"Kari tied it," he confessed.
Sora laughed.
It was a nice walk, not too long, not too short. He took her to the door of a nice restaurant.
"We're eating here?"
"Made the reservations about a month ago. I was lucky to get in, today of all days."
She smiled graciously. She knew this was going to put a big dent in his allowance.
They got inside, and Taichi smiled at the waiter. "Reservation for Kamiya and Takenouchi..."
Sora was taken aback. She'd never had a dinner anywhere this nice.
Their table was a booth, but it was nice. The glossy mahogany wood built into the wall, and went all the way up so that each booth was a tiny room of its own. The satiny drapes in front of it were drawn back only slightly and added to the effect. There was velvet upholstery, a lace tablecloth, about twenty-seven forks at each of their places, and a vanilla-scented candle burning.
"Oh, Tai...You didn't have to do this..."
He kissed her cheek. "I know. I did it because I love you." He helped her into her seat and sat across from her.
Sora smiled, looked into the eyes of the love of her life, and settled into her seat for the most romantic day of her life thus far.
Jyou Kido leaned back in his chair. If he typed one more word, he was going to scream. This essay was killing him. As a matter of fact, the entire first year of college was killing him.
It didn't help that it was Valentine's Day and his Valentine was living in New York City.
He missed Mimi so much. Her smile, her laugh, her different perspective. Everything about her contrasted with him so well. The old adage, "opposites attract", was true for things besides magnets.
He sighed. He probably wouldn't get to see her often for two more years, when she came back to Japan for college--which she definitely was going to do. Mimi had never been entirely happy with the fact that her father's company had transferred him so far away. She often joked that she wished he would just commute.
The computer pinged. "You! Are! Receiving! One! New! E-mail!"
Jyou minimized his essay and opened the mail program. The subject line read "valentine for Jyou". Only one person spelled his name that way instead of "Joe". "It's from Mimi!"
Mimi had finally seen the good part of computers when she'd discovered the Internet for herself. She now had many e-mail friends, and kept in touch with the old group via computer.
The message read, "Hi Jyou-kun!! Open the attached file and enjoy! 4ever yours, Mimi-chan".
Jyou noticed it was a large file, and wondered what it could be. He clicked and his video player opened, displaying a screen reading "downloading, please wait...". Finally it loaded to display Mimi, sitting Indian-style on a wooden chair in front of a buttercream yellow wall. Jyou pressed play and Mimi started talking.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Jyou-kun! I'm at Michael's house, and he's taping this for me with his digital camera. This is too cool, my next splurge is going to be getting one of these things. Anyway, I wanted to get you something really special this year, and he helped me think of this. Isn't it the sweetest? Hey, did you know that here in America the guys give the stuff to girls on Valentine's? Isn't that weird? But you probably knew that, you're so smart and all. I can't wait to see you again--and it may be sooner than we thought, because Sora's invited me to visit her for an entire week during spring break. I've got Mom convinced that I'll just absolutely die if I don't get to go--which wasn't hard, because it's true--and we're working on Dad. At this point, I'm willing to give up everything to come see you and Sora and the gang...well, maybe not *everything*--I mean, doing something like becoming a nun might interfere with our plans for the future, right?" She giggled. "How's everything going with you? School killing you yet? Don't work too hard. I don't want to come home to a falling-apart boyfriend. No bags under your eyes, okay? Anyway, I just thought I'd tell you that I love you, and I miss you. I'm not sure which one I feel more. No, wait. I love you more. But I miss you terribly. Does that make sense?" Mimi smiled. "Love you lots! Ignore those college girls, I'm more fun! I love you, Jyou-kun!" She blew kisses to the camera and made V's with her fingers. "V for valentine!" She put her hands up by her face and the video clip ended with the still shot.
Jyou brought up his mail program to write her back and thank her.
He wondered if he should consider getting himself one of those digital cameras...
Daisuke waited in the park, sitting in a swing until Hikari showed up. Most of the benches were taken up by couples involved in romantic moments.
He sighed. Why did everything have to remind him of romance? Romance, of course, only made him think of her. She made him think of lots of things that he'd never think of on his own. A lot of which ended up back at romance.
"Hi, Davis!" she called. He turned his swing around to face her, crossing the chains over his head. His boots ground into the sand, making interesting marks. He finally looked up at her.
She was alone. That was a good sign, at least she wasn't trying to rub her new boyfriend in his face.
She got closer. Her arms were behind her back, like she was hiding something.
"Hi," he said, half-heartedly.
"I was going to do this right after school, but I had to go home real quick first."
He tilted his head. "Do what?"
"Give you this. I forgot it when I packed my backpack this morning." She brought her arms around front, and he realized she was offering him a package wrapped in pink paper.
"For me?" he asked.
"Do you see anyone else here? Yes, silly. Here's my valentine. Happy V-Day, Davis."
He took it from her, stunned. "I...I thought you were giving this to T.K....wait, no, that thing in your backpack was white..."
She blushed. "I did give him chocolate today, for old time's sake. It's a tradition between us, I give it to him just because we're such close friends. I have every year ever since we were ten. But, Davis, I know what you think, and it's not true. I don't like him romantically. I never really have. I gave him a symbol of our friendship and the promise that it'll last. I'm giving *you* my valentine."
Daisuke began to understand. "Does he understand this?"
Hikari was glad to see that he was concerned for his friend. "Yeah, I talked with him over lunch, when I gave him his chocolate. He said he was okay with it...I mean, he doesn't know it's you, he doesn't know who it is, but he said he'd be thrilled for me no matter who it was."
"So...you like me...that way?"
"Davis...Daisuke...I *do* care about you that way. I love you."
His jaw dropped.
"I know I didn't always act like it...but you know, I didn't realize it for the longest time. I used to get annoyed by you always putting pressure on me...and then, with the whole Arukenimon thing, you stopped...and I kind of missed it. And when it was over, it gave us time to really get to know each other...and it slowly kind of dawned on me. I love you."
Daisuke stared. "Really? You love me? Not T.K.?"
"Yes, I do..."
He stood up out of the swing, leaving the chocolates in the seat, forgotten momentarily. He hadn't realized that doing so would place his body right next to Hikari's, but there was no reason for him not to take advantage of his mistake. He put one arm around her back and the other around her waist and kissed her right then and there. Her arms trailed up to encircle his neck and she kissed back with all she had in her.
Finally, they had to break it, but Daisuke didn't let go of her. Hikari didn't mind, he now officially had the right to be *slightly* possessive.
"I feel like I'm dreaming...did I just actually kiss Hikari Kamiya?"
"No, actually, she did about half the kissing..."
Daisuke smiled. "Let's not keep count."
She smiled back. "Yeah, I think that's a really good idea..."
A/N: Yeah, I just *had* to end with the Daikari. I tried ending it with the Jyoumi and the whole piece seemed thrown off. To rearrange anything else would have thrown off the timeline. ^_^** I'm not worried about it. On to season three!
Authoress's Notes: It's the V-Day after the defeat of MaloMyotismon. Please do not flame my couples (I have to say it again, especially since they're not quite as mainstream in this chapter as in the first one). Jun's in here, but don't run when you see her--just be aware that valentines are not always accepted as given. On with the fluffiness! Bask in it! Pig out on it! Enjoy it while it lasts...
SEASON TWO:
Daisuke Motomiya, Takeru Takaishi, and Hikari Kamiya were walking to school together that February morning, per usual.
"So, what do you think of V-Day?" Daisuke asked Takeru.
"V-Day?"
"Valentine's. I like to think of it as V-Day because I think of Veemon."
Hikari chuckled. "Good one."
Takeru frowned. "I don't know...it's okay, but I think the chocolate would be better if I actually knew the names of the girls who tried to give it to me."
"So many chicks, so little time, eh, T.K.?" Hikari teased.
"Hey, don't joke, Hikari. I heard a couple of guys in the locker room talking about you..."
"It better have been nice."
Takeru grinned mischievously. "Oh, it was nice...it wasn't all exactly *repeatable*, but it was nice..."
Hikari smacked him on the arm, and then smacked Daisuke's arm, too, for good measure. She wasn't sure if he was smiling at Takeru's remark or at her smacking Takeru.
No one brought up the subject of who the other two wanted Valentines to or from. Both guys had seen the white-wrapped present poking out of Hikari's backpack. Hikari didn't want to say who it was for, for fear of upsetting either of the guys by its being for the other. Takeru didn't want to know, because he didn't want it, but didn't want to hurt her or Daisuke if it was for him. Daisuke didn't want to know, because he was sure it was for Takeru, and it was killing him. He wished it was for him, but he knew that there was simply no way Hikari could ever like him that way.
It was going to be a very frustrating day...
Iori Hida walked to school alone. He hadn't wanted to hear another word about Miyako's Valentine. He knew exactly what her lucky guy was getting, the color of the paper it was wrapped in, how she planned to give it to him, where, when. He knew everything except who she was giving it to. He suspected it was Ken, but he never let on. Miyako would get upset.
So, Iori had a peaceful walk to reflect on Valentine's Day. The whole concept of the holiday was over his head. If someone really loved someone else, why should they wait until February fourteenth? They should say something as soon as they realized it. He supposed it was okay for people who were already in love, a day to remember and celebrate their love, but new confessions just because of a holiday? It seemed kind of silly, in his mind.
And then, there was Miyako. She seemed to view it as the most important holiday of the year besides Christmas. She'd had crushes before, and celebrated before, but she'd never gone to such trouble in giving a valentine. This guy--Ken--was really special.
Iori sighed. School was in sight, and he saw some of his friends. On to meet the day. Hopefully the kids in his grade weren't as obsessed as Miyako...
Sora stood, leaning against a tree, waiting for Taichi. She had chocolate and an action figure--which he really was too old for--for him, just like the past three years. It was their tradition.
Finally, he arrived on the scene. Sora loved the way he looked in his crisp, green uniform, although she found her own very irritating to wear all the time. Taichi had assured her several times that the feeling was mutual.
"Tai!"
He spotted her and greeted her with a kiss, just like every morning. "Good morning, Sora."
"Happy Valentine's, love," she said, handing him his present. She hadn't bothered to wrap it.
He smiled. "Thanks." He kissed her again. "And, this year, I'm giving you something in return."
"What?"
"You're free tonight, right?"
"Uh...right..."
"Then after school, go home and put on a nice outfit and I'll pick you up as soon as I can."
She blinked. "Um...okay..."
The bell rang, startling the curiosity out of the moment. "I'll see you around, in class, Sora. Thanks again!"
Miyako sat in her third class, already thinking the school day would never end.
Normally, she would have given her Valentine already, but this year, she'd fallen for someone. Someone who just happened to go to a different school.
At the start of the last school year, they hadn't exactly gotten off to a good start. Miyako had made some new friends (human and otherwise) and gotten herself thrown into a brand-new world where she had to fight and protect everything, almost before she knew whose side she was on.
And he had been her main enemy.
Her heart had been broken, learning that he was one and the same as her all-time crush.
And then, everything had changed. They defeated him. They won. It was their first major victory, but there had been little joy in it for Miyako. By that time she understood that he hadn't planned to become a supervillain. It had happened, with little or nothing he could have done to stop it.
And also by that time, she had fallen hopelessly in love--this was not just a crush. It had deeply hurt her to see him in agony over what he had done unwittingly.
But she put it out of her mind. He went into the shadows for a while, to recover from the shock of it, and she tried to focus with her friends on cleaning his work out of the Digital World. The trouble with that was whenever she saw his handiwork, his brainchild, she couldn't help but think of him, and what he had been. She tried to convince herself that he had changed, but it was a very difficult task.
Then things happened. He joined their group, and was always trying to prove he was sorry for what he had done. It took him a while, but eventually he did realize that he had done more than enough to atone. Miyako, and the rest of the group, had all long since forgiven him.
What he still hadn't realized was that Miyako had grown to love him even more. Once she saw firsthand how he had changed, she realized that there was nothing wrong with the way she felt about him, and she shouldn't hide it. So she had quit trying to, but he was oblivious. Even though his guilt and drive to make amends were gone, the feeling of inferiority was something that would always be there. He refused to believe that good things could happen to one who had done so much bad--even if he wasn't in control of his own mind at the time, it was still his hand that had done the work.
So Miyako had decided to show him. She was going to march right over to Odaiba's finest private school and give her valentine to their finest student.
She could hardly wait to see him!
Daisuke sat eating his lunch, quite alone. Takeru and Hikari were nowhere to be found. He'd been right, she had meant the present for Takeru after all.
Why couldn't Hikari see that he cared about her? Why?
Just because his ways of showing it were unconventional (at best), it didn't mean that he should be scorned.
True, Takeru had known her longer, since they were, like, four, but that shouldn't make any difference. If people had to end up with whoever they'd known the longest, most people would be married to immediate family members.
And he was friends with Takeru. Daisuke had decided that his relationship with Hikari (or lack thereof) shouldn't get between him and other people, so he and Takeru had quit arguing and become friends. And they'd talked about it, there had been no getting around it. Takeru knew that Daisuke truly loved Hikari, and Daisuke knew that Takeru didn't want a romantic relationship with her.
So, maybe nothing would come of her valentine.
But then, she'd be hurt...
This day stunk...and it wasn't even over, yet...
Ken Ichijouji banged his head against his locker door. "I swear, if one more girl asks if I have someone special in mind today, I am going to scream."
A boy at the next locker snickered. "I'm a guy. Can I ask?"
"Go ahead."
"Do you have someone in mind?"
"Yes. I am completely, totally, madly in love with her, and she doesn't even like me, and furthermore, she doesn't even go to this school." Ken sighed. "Hey, spread the word, would you? If it keeps one girl from approaching me, your effort will be worth it."
The guy shrugged. "Whatever you say, Ichijouji."
Ken had never had a problem with all the attention that girls gave him on Valentine's Day until this year, now that he actually liked a girl. Miyako Inoue had stolen his heart, and he really wished that the rest of the girls in the world would just leave him alone.
"Hey, Ichijouji," a female voice said, accompanied by a tap on his shoulder.
Ken groaned. This was becoming a very long day.
Takeru and Hikari were together, eating lunch outside.
"Well, I'm finished," Takeru announced.
"Me too. Time for dessert."
"Huh?"
Hikari started fishing through her backpack. "T.K., do you remember the year after we defeated Myotismon, I gave you chocolate on Valentine's Day and we promised to always be friends?"
"Uh, yeah..."
She pulled a thin box wrapped in white paper out of her backpack. "Well, in the spirit of that, I want to give you this. But, Takeru--" this was serious business-- "This is not my valentine."
He opened the package, revealing a box of chocolates. "Thanks, Kari...but if this isn't your valentine..."
"I, uh, have another present..."
Takeru nodded. "You can tell me all about it after you give it to...whoever. It's okay...Kari?"
Hikari was crying.
"Are you okay?"
"Are you upset?"
Takeru smiled. So that's what this was about. She didn't want him to feel like her choice of another guy was shutting him out. "No, no, Hikari, I'm not. I'm not." He pulled her into a hug. "I care about you, Hikari, but not that way. I...I want you to find someone else."
She pulled away from him just a little, but his arm was still over her shoulders. "Really?"
"Yeah. I do. I feel like you're the sister I never had, you know? And dating my sister is not...well, I think you get the picture."
"Yeah. I feel the same way about you. I mean, I have a brother, but sometimes I think you know me better than Tai does...I...I'm glad you don't like me that way."
Takeru offered her one of his chocolates, and this time, she took it without hesitation.
"To best friendship!" Takeru said.
She tapped her bit of candy against his. "Friends forever!"
They ate their chocolates and smiled. A bell rang in the distance, closer to the school building.
Takeru pressed a kiss to Hikari's cheek. "That's for good luck, when you give him your valentine. Now, if we don't hurry, we'll be late to class..."
Hikari smiled. "You promise not to be upset?"
"I promise."
"No matter who he is?"
"So long as you like him and he likes you, it's fine by me."
"Oh, I know he likes me. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, first."
Next-to-last-period. Study hall.
Jun Motomiya smiled. Study hall was the only period she had with Yamato all day.
She had decided that sneaking up on him and making an idiot of herself would get her nowhere. She was just going to sit next to him, quietly, and not make a big scene, and, hopefully, she wouldn't run him off.
She entered the study hall and spotted him. She did like she'd planned, quietly took a seat in the chair next to him.
"Hi, Matt."
He looked up. He hadn't noticed her walking in. "Oh...um...hi, Jun..." He was too polite to run from her when she could see him.
Things were definitely working in her favor today.
"I, uh...have something for you." She blushed. She unzipped an outer pocket on her backpack and pulled out a box of chocolates. "Happy Valentine's Day!"
Yamato stared quietly for a moment. "For...for me?"
She smiled, blushing to beat the band, and giggled slightly as she nodded.
"Um...Jun...we need to talk."
She tilted her head. "What about?" He smile faded, just a little.
"Look, Jun...I'm not trying to hurt your feelings...but, I...I don't like you that way."
She blinked. "But, Matt..."
"Wait. I'm not finished. It's not that I hate you. I don't hate you, Jun, I don't hate anybody save for evil Digimon--you have heard about them, right?"
"They're popping up all over the world now. How could I not hear about them?"
"Right. Good. Anyway, like I was saying, it's just that I don't like you in *that* way. There's no special girl in my life right now, and I'm using the time to focus on other things, like my music, and bringing my grades up this year so I can get into a decent college. Now, if you want to set aside this crush--don't tell yourself it's more than just a crush--we can get to know each other and be friends. Just friends."
Jun sighed. "I--I feel--kind of disappointed, Matt..."
"If you need a few days--to--to think about it--"
"Yeah...I think I do." She started to get up and move to another part of the table.
"Hey, Jun?"
"Yeah?"
"Before you go...just, just be aware that there aren't many girls who get up the nerve to even try and give me a valentine. You've got pluck, and I admire that."
She smiled again.
"And, out of the ten or so that have tried to get me to take their chocolate, I've only accepted one box."
Jun blinked. Her box. It was sitting on the table in front of him.
"It doesn't mean that I like you that way. It just means that you stand out above the crowd and I wouldn't mind being friends."
She nodded. "Oh...okay. I--I'll see you around...in a day or two..."
He smiled. "Great."
Miyako stood, waiting, at the gate of the high fence that surrounded Ken's school. Floods of teenagers were pouring out, and she was surprised that she didn't get trampled. There were a few students who remarked that she shouldn't have been there, suggesting that she wasn't good enough for anyone in their school because she didn't go there.
Well, she'd show them. She was good enough for the most popular boy in their school, and furthermore, he didn't consider himself good enough for anyone!
But all that aside, she just wanted her quiet moment with Ken to confess her love.
He was one of the last students to trail out. "Yolei-san?"
A couple of the other students still in the vicinity stared at this outsider called "san" by the Great Ichijouji. She must be someone really special, especially if he knew her by name. She laughed mentally at what they might think if they knew it was as personal as a nickname.
"Hi, Ken."
"What--what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to give you my valentine." She pushed a heart-shaped box of chocolates into his hands. She smiled brightly. "Happy Valentine's Day, Ken-kun."
He took it, blushingly, hands nearly trembling. "Oh, Yolei-san...I...I...I don't deserve this...you didn't have to do this...I was fine, you didn't need to cheer me up..."
"But, Ken, you *do* deserve it! I...I just want you to know...that...that I...I love you."
He looked her straight in the eyes. "Oh, no. You...you couldn't...I don't deserve to be loved..."
"But you do! You're sorry for what you did and it's all said and done. It's part of the past...and besides...I loved you then, too...even when I knew who you were...and especially after we found out Arukenimon was controlling you...it's not your fault, and I care about you, Ken...I do. I really do."
He was taken aback. "Even when I was...? You loved me then?"
"You. Not the things you did, by any standard, but you. I never stopped loving you." She stepped forward impulsively and kissed him, quickly but tenderly, on the lips.
He flinched, more from surprise than anything else, but he didn't step away. The kiss didn't last long, no more than a few seconds, but Ken got the message.
"You...*do*...care about me."
"I love you, Ken."
"I...I love you, too, Yolei...I...I...I just don't deserve you..."
"Oh, forget about that. Some of your schoolmates didn't even think I was good enough to be on a first-name basis with you. If I love you and you love me it doesn't matter what either of us *deserves*, because we both have what we want and neither of us is complaining."
Ken pondered the wisdom in that. "Yolei...that actually makes a lot of sense..."
She held out her hand. "So what do you say? Should you and me give it a go?"
He grasped her hand firmly in his. "Yeah. We should. Definitely." He reached up to her face with his free hand and brushed a tendril of hair out of her face. He then leaned in and kissed her.
Daisuke was leaning against a tree outside of school, sulking. No present from anyone through the whole day.
Which translated to no present from Hikari.
He'd chatted with his sister, who was all gushy over Matt...apparently, he'd said they could be friends. Jun was so weird.
Daisuke was already friends with Hikari, so that was no big deal.
Of course, he hadn't really talked to Hikari or Takeru throughout the whole day...maybe she hadn't given it to Takeru. Maybe it was some other guy. That wouldn't sting nearly so much.
But it would still sting.
Daisuke could have sworn that this holiday was invented by someone who loved to see broken-hearted people. A dating service, maybe.
He watched the kids leaving the school. There went Takeru.
Takeru. Alone.
Daisuke barely had any time to think about what it meant before Hikari leaned over the rail of the steps and tapped his shoulder. "Hey, Davis!"
He looked up at her. She was so beautiful. "Uh, hi..."
"Hey, can you meet me at the park in about half-an-hour?"
He blinked. "Sure!" He tried to sound enthusiastic. He was sure she wanted to talk to him about Takeru, or maybe she was going to introduce him to some other guy, her new boyfriend.
"Great! I'll be waiting!"
Koushirou dumped his backpack on his bed and followed suit, flopping onto his back. "Could there be a worse holiday?" He still didn't like it that much.
He got up and turned on the computer, and logged on to the Internet. While waiting for it to dial, he reflected on his day.
He'd been teased because no one had given him a present. When he said he didn't want one, the jokes really started flying. Then he tried to explain that love was something to be celebrated, not ridiculed or advertised. No one had been mature enough to listen.
Although, he wouldn't mind if a special girl came into his life right then. Things were good, he felt he was ready for a relationship.
Of course, who wanted to be the girlfriend of a computer geek? He sighed.
"You! Have! One! New! Message!" the monotone blared.
It was from an Internet pal of his. The message read, "Galitea6040 has sent you an e-card! Click on the link below to retrieve."
"An e-card?" Izzy raised an eyebrow, but he clicked the link anyway.
He'd been IM-ing Galitea6040 for several months. They'd traded pictures, too. She was a pretty, young computer geek who lived on the northern end of Japan's main island whose real name was Mina--short for Minako. Blond hair, green eyes, rather attractive. She knew as much about computers as Koushirou. She thought Robin Williams was the funniest actor ever and took her Internet name from one of his movies. (A/N: I don't own it. Anyone else know what it is? :) ) He knew she liked the color blue and marmalade on her toast and all kinds of things about her.
The e-card loaded. Corny music played through the speakers. The pink-heart-covered background bore a picture of a laptop and the words "Hey, Iz, from one dateless computer geek to another...Happy Valentine's! --Mina AKA Galitea6040"
Koushirou smiled.
Taichi rang the doorbell of the Takenouchi household.
Mr. Takenouchi answered the door. "Oh, hello, Tai. Sora will be ready in a minute."
"Yes sir, Mr. Takenouchi." Taichi stepped inside the door, not daring to come any further into the apartment above the flower shop, because he'd have to take his shoes off. He didn't have long to wait before Sora stepped into the hall.
"Whoa...Sora..."
"What? Am I overdressed?" she asked. She was wearing a satiny red knee-length skirt and a matching red spaghetti-strap shirt, with a red chenille shawl.
"No...you're just beautiful, that's all."
Sora smiled as Taichi took her arm and led her away. He was just wearing his school uniform, but for a change his shirttail was tucked in, it was buttoned all the way up, he was wearing the coat like a coat instead of with the sleeves tied around his waist, and he was actually wearing the tie.
"You look nice, yourself," Sora commented. "How long did it take you to tie your tie?"
"Kari tied it," he confessed.
Sora laughed.
It was a nice walk, not too long, not too short. He took her to the door of a nice restaurant.
"We're eating here?"
"Made the reservations about a month ago. I was lucky to get in, today of all days."
She smiled graciously. She knew this was going to put a big dent in his allowance.
They got inside, and Taichi smiled at the waiter. "Reservation for Kamiya and Takenouchi..."
Sora was taken aback. She'd never had a dinner anywhere this nice.
Their table was a booth, but it was nice. The glossy mahogany wood built into the wall, and went all the way up so that each booth was a tiny room of its own. The satiny drapes in front of it were drawn back only slightly and added to the effect. There was velvet upholstery, a lace tablecloth, about twenty-seven forks at each of their places, and a vanilla-scented candle burning.
"Oh, Tai...You didn't have to do this..."
He kissed her cheek. "I know. I did it because I love you." He helped her into her seat and sat across from her.
Sora smiled, looked into the eyes of the love of her life, and settled into her seat for the most romantic day of her life thus far.
Jyou Kido leaned back in his chair. If he typed one more word, he was going to scream. This essay was killing him. As a matter of fact, the entire first year of college was killing him.
It didn't help that it was Valentine's Day and his Valentine was living in New York City.
He missed Mimi so much. Her smile, her laugh, her different perspective. Everything about her contrasted with him so well. The old adage, "opposites attract", was true for things besides magnets.
He sighed. He probably wouldn't get to see her often for two more years, when she came back to Japan for college--which she definitely was going to do. Mimi had never been entirely happy with the fact that her father's company had transferred him so far away. She often joked that she wished he would just commute.
The computer pinged. "You! Are! Receiving! One! New! E-mail!"
Jyou minimized his essay and opened the mail program. The subject line read "valentine for Jyou". Only one person spelled his name that way instead of "Joe". "It's from Mimi!"
Mimi had finally seen the good part of computers when she'd discovered the Internet for herself. She now had many e-mail friends, and kept in touch with the old group via computer.
The message read, "Hi Jyou-kun!! Open the attached file and enjoy! 4ever yours, Mimi-chan".
Jyou noticed it was a large file, and wondered what it could be. He clicked and his video player opened, displaying a screen reading "downloading, please wait...". Finally it loaded to display Mimi, sitting Indian-style on a wooden chair in front of a buttercream yellow wall. Jyou pressed play and Mimi started talking.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Jyou-kun! I'm at Michael's house, and he's taping this for me with his digital camera. This is too cool, my next splurge is going to be getting one of these things. Anyway, I wanted to get you something really special this year, and he helped me think of this. Isn't it the sweetest? Hey, did you know that here in America the guys give the stuff to girls on Valentine's? Isn't that weird? But you probably knew that, you're so smart and all. I can't wait to see you again--and it may be sooner than we thought, because Sora's invited me to visit her for an entire week during spring break. I've got Mom convinced that I'll just absolutely die if I don't get to go--which wasn't hard, because it's true--and we're working on Dad. At this point, I'm willing to give up everything to come see you and Sora and the gang...well, maybe not *everything*--I mean, doing something like becoming a nun might interfere with our plans for the future, right?" She giggled. "How's everything going with you? School killing you yet? Don't work too hard. I don't want to come home to a falling-apart boyfriend. No bags under your eyes, okay? Anyway, I just thought I'd tell you that I love you, and I miss you. I'm not sure which one I feel more. No, wait. I love you more. But I miss you terribly. Does that make sense?" Mimi smiled. "Love you lots! Ignore those college girls, I'm more fun! I love you, Jyou-kun!" She blew kisses to the camera and made V's with her fingers. "V for valentine!" She put her hands up by her face and the video clip ended with the still shot.
Jyou brought up his mail program to write her back and thank her.
He wondered if he should consider getting himself one of those digital cameras...
Daisuke waited in the park, sitting in a swing until Hikari showed up. Most of the benches were taken up by couples involved in romantic moments.
He sighed. Why did everything have to remind him of romance? Romance, of course, only made him think of her. She made him think of lots of things that he'd never think of on his own. A lot of which ended up back at romance.
"Hi, Davis!" she called. He turned his swing around to face her, crossing the chains over his head. His boots ground into the sand, making interesting marks. He finally looked up at her.
She was alone. That was a good sign, at least she wasn't trying to rub her new boyfriend in his face.
She got closer. Her arms were behind her back, like she was hiding something.
"Hi," he said, half-heartedly.
"I was going to do this right after school, but I had to go home real quick first."
He tilted his head. "Do what?"
"Give you this. I forgot it when I packed my backpack this morning." She brought her arms around front, and he realized she was offering him a package wrapped in pink paper.
"For me?" he asked.
"Do you see anyone else here? Yes, silly. Here's my valentine. Happy V-Day, Davis."
He took it from her, stunned. "I...I thought you were giving this to T.K....wait, no, that thing in your backpack was white..."
She blushed. "I did give him chocolate today, for old time's sake. It's a tradition between us, I give it to him just because we're such close friends. I have every year ever since we were ten. But, Davis, I know what you think, and it's not true. I don't like him romantically. I never really have. I gave him a symbol of our friendship and the promise that it'll last. I'm giving *you* my valentine."
Daisuke began to understand. "Does he understand this?"
Hikari was glad to see that he was concerned for his friend. "Yeah, I talked with him over lunch, when I gave him his chocolate. He said he was okay with it...I mean, he doesn't know it's you, he doesn't know who it is, but he said he'd be thrilled for me no matter who it was."
"So...you like me...that way?"
"Davis...Daisuke...I *do* care about you that way. I love you."
His jaw dropped.
"I know I didn't always act like it...but you know, I didn't realize it for the longest time. I used to get annoyed by you always putting pressure on me...and then, with the whole Arukenimon thing, you stopped...and I kind of missed it. And when it was over, it gave us time to really get to know each other...and it slowly kind of dawned on me. I love you."
Daisuke stared. "Really? You love me? Not T.K.?"
"Yes, I do..."
He stood up out of the swing, leaving the chocolates in the seat, forgotten momentarily. He hadn't realized that doing so would place his body right next to Hikari's, but there was no reason for him not to take advantage of his mistake. He put one arm around her back and the other around her waist and kissed her right then and there. Her arms trailed up to encircle his neck and she kissed back with all she had in her.
Finally, they had to break it, but Daisuke didn't let go of her. Hikari didn't mind, he now officially had the right to be *slightly* possessive.
"I feel like I'm dreaming...did I just actually kiss Hikari Kamiya?"
"No, actually, she did about half the kissing..."
Daisuke smiled. "Let's not keep count."
She smiled back. "Yeah, I think that's a really good idea..."
A/N: Yeah, I just *had* to end with the Daikari. I tried ending it with the Jyoumi and the whole piece seemed thrown off. To rearrange anything else would have thrown off the timeline. ^_^** I'm not worried about it. On to season three!