…Love the One You're With
TK sat in the park once again, this time with all four of his composition books sitting next to him. He sat, legs spread apart and bent over, his elbows on his knees. He looked over at the stack of books, laughed briefly, and shook his head.
"Four books' worth of writing, and nothing even remotely worthy of being read in front of an audience." He said to himself. "What am I gonna do? Anything I come up with right now is going to be so horribly rushed it'll be awful. Maybe I could just change some words around and…no, no, no! Stupid idea! Man, this sucks!"
TK grabbed his newest book, opening it up to the only thing in it currently, which was the poem he'd written after his first date with Yolei. As much as he liked it, it just didn't do any justice to how things were now.
'I need something for tonight, and at the same time I need to sort out what I've been feeling these days. I just hope Yolei won't mind.' He thought as he chewed on his lower lip a bit.
TK took up his pen and began to write, almost as if he were possessed. The words flew from his mind to his hand, his writing could hardly keep up with his thoughts as he wrote. After a half hour of straight writing he looked over what he had, edited a couple of things, and nodded in approval.
"Did I really write all of this? Is this what's been swimming through my mind all this time?" he said to himself in a tone of quiet amazement. "If so, what about Kari? How do I feel about her now? I honestly don't know anymore. Maybe once I see her again I'll know. But that's neither here nor there right now."
TK packed up his books and slung his backpack onto his back, starting on his way back to his apartment. Once home, he sorted out all the books that he didn't need, keeping with him the book he'd just written in. He double- checked it to make sure that he did have the right one and then tossed his CD player, a few CDs, and a couple of pens into the backpack as well. As he exited his home again, he turned to see that Cody was standing right behind him. TK almost jumped through the ceiling at the surprise, but calmed down when he recognized his friend.
"You're awfully jumpy today, TK." Cody said, snickering.
"Maybe Yolei is right after all. Are you sure you're not in ninja training?" TK asked as he adjusted his backpack a bit on his back.
"People just seem to have a way of not noticing me until I'm right in front of them." Cody shrugged, shaking his head. "It's understandable, I'm not the most visible of people after all."
"We'll have to work on that when you're a little older."
"Anyhow, I was just coming to see you and see if anything was going on today. Are you up to anything?"
"Well, I'm going to an open poetry reading session later on with Yolei, but nothing right now." TK replied after locking his door.
"You want to get some ice cream? My treat!"
"Since when do you have money?"
"Since I set a new record at kendo practice. I cleaned the entire dojo faster than anyone else ever had, and grandpa rewarded me for it."
TK considered Cody's offer briefly. Truth be told, he'd been planning on hanging out at the store with Yolei for a while before the reading, but it was a truly hot day and ice cream did sound good.
"Well, since you're buying." He finally said. Cody smiled and led the way to the ice cream parlor, which was about a block away from Yolei's store actually. Once there, Cody ordered a Rocky Road cone while TK went with straight vanilla.
"Why do you always get something so plain, TK? Cody asked between bites of his cone.
"I don't know, it's an old habit. I've never gotten tired of Vanilla anyway." TK replied.
"Speak for yourself. My goal is to try every flavor here before the end of summer!"
"Knowing you, Cody, you'll make that goal in no time." TK laughed at his friend's comment.
"Hey, everyone has their goals. Just like yours seems to be trying to get a new girlfriend before school starts."
"Come on Cody. I've never had a girlfriend before, and for that matter I still don't."
"That's sure not how the rest of us see it."
"Us?"
"The rest of the DigiDestined. You've had everyone talking since you started dating Yolei."
"I had no idea. I mean, Matt and Sora have talked to me a bit about it, but I sure haven't heard anything from anyone else."
"Everyone's just mostly surprised that you didn't end up dating Kari really."
"And what do you think?"
"Me?" Cody finished his ice ream cone and wiped his hands with the napkin he'd been holding the cone in, tossing it out. "I say no one knows you and your heart better than you TK. No matter what any of us thinks, you're the best judge of what you want."
"Thanks Cody. I'm glad to know there's more than one person supporting me."
Cody smiled back, nodding in agreement. TK then noticed that his expression darkened quickly as he looked back at his ice cream.
"Although a word of advice, I'd stay away from Davis if I were you." Cody said, taking another bite of his cone.
"Davis? Why?"
"I caught up with him the other day, and he seemed pretty angry: partly at himself, partly at Kari which was surprising to me, and then also partly at you. He said something about how you 'ruined Kari for him' or something like that. It didn't make a lot of sense to me at the time."
"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, but thanks for the heads up anyway. And thanks for the ice cream, too."
"Anything for my best friend, TK. Well, I'm going to go check out the library for a new book. I hear Ken's been spending a lot of time there recently, maybe he can recommend something to me."
"Have fun, Cody. I'll catch you later!"
The two DigiDestined partners parted ways after that, with TK resuming his original path to Yolei's store. As he neared it he noticed someone standing outside who looked up at him. It was Davis, standing with his arms folded as he leaned near the entrance. He looked up and saw TK and pushed off of where he was leaning, beginning to walk towards him. TK kept his cool and continued to approach, already starting to formulate a conversation with the junior DigiDestined leader in his head.
He never saw the first punch coming.
_ _ _ _ _
A commotion just outside the shop caught Yolei's attention as she was restocking the magazine racks. She set down the stack of magazines she held and walked over to the door to see Davis assaulting TK like a madman. She saw TK go down after another punch and Davis started to move to pummel him where he lay. She quickly ran over, grabbed Davis by his shoulders and pulled him back, pushing him off to the side. She then knelt down next to TK, inspecting his injuries.
"Get away from him, Yolei. This is none of your business!" Davis told her, sneering at her, his face looking almost feral. Yolei could hear the malice in his voice, and it genuinely scared her.
"Leave him alone, Davis! What did he ever do to you?" she shot back, staying right where she was to protect TK.
"That bastard ruined Kari for me!" he shouted, glaring at both of them. "As long as I can remember I've liked her and done everything I could think of to get her to like me back. I've done nothing but worship the ground she walks on for years, and only recently do I find out that she never cared about me to begin with because she's always had eyes for him!
"He's the only one she has eyes for! I've done nothing but tried to win her affections, where he does nothing and he ends up being the one she falls all over! How fucking fair is that?! Everything I've ever felt and done to try and get her to like me back has been for absolutely nothing…and it's ALL HIS FAULT!"
"So you're going to beat him to a pulp and that'll get Kari to like you? Think again, Davis! This is stupid!"
"I don't know, and for that matter I couldn't care less at this point Yolei! Maybe she won't like me any more, but I don't care. For all I know she never even liked me as a friend to begin with! So forget about this being an attempt to win her over. Right now I…I just want him to pay for my pain!"
Yolei stood up, positioning herself between Davis and TK, her eyes meeting Davis' gaze sternly.
"You've said and done some stupid things in the past, Davis, but this takes the cake!" she told him angrily. "I won't let you do this! I refuse to let you torture him just to satisfy some twisted sense of justice you think you'll reap from this!"
"Don't make me do this, Yolei! I'm serious here!" Davis said, stepping towards her.
"Do whatever you want, it's clear that's all you have in mind." Yolei said, beginning to brace herself. "But I won't let you hurt him! I won't let you hurt Takeru!"
"STOP IT!" TK shouted from where he lay. Yolei looked back at him, seeing that he was slowly struggling back to his feet, coughing a bit. "That's enough!"
TK slowly pulled himself up to his feet, spitting out some blood as he did. His head felt dizzy and his midsection hurt badly from a couple of shots to the gut that Davis had gotten in. He stepped around Yolei and stared Davis down. His left cheek was beginning to swell, his lip cut and a small trickle of blood was falling from his nose as well, but he stood his ground, his eyes piercing into Davis'.
"If you're hell bent on beating the crap out of me then get it over with, Davis." He said, letting his hands rest at his sides.
"But…" Yolei said, reaching for him.
"No, Yolei! I should've seen this coming for a long while." TK said, stepping away from her. He returned his attention to Davis. "I'm sorry about what happened with Kari and you, I never wanted to hurt you. I never knew how she felt about me, nor did I ever know how deeply you felt for her either. But what's done is done, and none of us can change it. I can't imagine what it must be like for you finding all of that out in such a way, but I think you need to have that conversation with Kari, not me.
"Regardless of all of this, if you feel like you have to beat me up then you're welcome to it." TK spread his arms wide open for Davis. "I probably don't deserve any less. Hell, I won't even fight back. It's pointless for me to do so, after all."
Davis paced back and forth, continuing to fume for a few minutes. He stopped and stared at TK for several minutes, his fists tensing and clenching as he tried to find the will to continue his assault. Eventually, his arms went limp, and his hands opened up as he hung his head, tears falling from his eyes once again. Finally, he screamed in anguish and ran off, leaving TK and Yolei worrying for him.
TK wavered a bit, feeling a dizzy spell washing over him suddenly. Yolei moved quickly and caught him, helping him walk slowly inside. Her father met her at the counter and saw the shape TK was in.
"What the hell happened to him?" he said, looking him over.
"Dad, get the first aid kit. I'll take him upstairs, okay?" Yolei said. Her father nodded and headed into the back for the kit. A few minutes later, Yolei finished carrying TK up to her room where she helped him lay down on her bed. Her father showed up moments later with the first aid kit and a damp, cold washcloth. She thanked him and ushered him out of her room, closing the door before turning her attention to TK, tending to his injuries.
"He really hurt you bad. Don't worry, I'll take care of you." She told him quietly.
"Yolei…" TK said in a half daze.
"Shhh, just relax." She said, brushing some of his blond hair away from his face. "It's my turn to help you out."
After a few minutes of work, Yolei cleaned off the washcloth which was now dotted with TK's blood, then re-soaked it in cold water, folded it and returned to see TK had dozed off. She closed her door again and pulled up a chair beside the bed. She leaned over, kissing his forehead gently and then setting the washcloth over his forehead gently.
"Rest up, Takeru, you've been brave enough for one day." She whispered to him. She stayed by his side for a while, watching over him while he slept.
_ _ _ _ _
TK woke up slowly, finding himself to be in a much more comfortable position than he'd been in before. He felt something damp on his head and picked up the washcloth, which was now luke warm. He also noticed there was a piece of cotton lodged into one of his nostrils, probably to soak up any other blood. He removed it and began to look around, first noticing Yolei who was napping a bit where she sat next to the bed he was laying on.
'She must've brought me up here…this must be her room, then.' He thought. He took a moment to inspect it. It was a bit plain, as far as a girl's room went, the major features being her computer and a bookshelf full of technical books and manuals. He went to sit up, but ended up nudging Yolei, who snapped awake quickly.
"Oh, you're awake! Good, I was worried for a bit there." She said, stretching a little.
"Sorry to make you worry. Did you take care of me?" TK asked.
"Well someone had to, you were a mess! How are you feeling?"
"Still a little sore, but nothing unbearable. Thanks for looking after me, Yolei."
"Just returning the favor you did for me after all."
"Yeah…so, this is your room?"
"Huh? Oh yeah! You've never been here before, have you?"
"Actually, I've never been in a girl's room ever."
"Heh heh, well it's not much to look at I know, but it's mine."
"No, it's nice. Say, what time is it?"
"3:00. You were out for an hour or so."
"The reading is at 4:30, isn't it? We'd better get going then."
"Are you sure you still want to do this today? There'll be other readings, after all."
"No, I want to do this. I don't want to spend all day dwelling on getting beaten up by Davis."
TK stood up slowly, wincing as he felt a bruise around his midsection. Davis had gotten him once real good in the gut, and it hurt to stand up. Once he was upright, though, it was better. He looked over and saw the worried look on Yolei's face and managed to smile at her.
"I'm fine, Yolei. Really." He said, walking slowly to her door. Yolei moved quickly, opening it for him and following him down and out of the store, saying goodbye to her parents as they left. As they started to walk towards the coffee house where the reading was, she laced her arm around his, holding it close to her.
"For support, in case you stumble or something." She told him with a smile. 'And because I like being close to him, but I can't go saying that, now can I?' she added in thought.
The coffee house was a bit of a modern style establishment, and had a small stage off to one side where they had local performers and sometimes readings of literary works and poetry. Tonight it was set up for such an event, with a microphone and stool situated centrally on it. TK and Yolei took a table in the middle of the café, as college students from around the area had already taken all of the front tables. They ordered some tea, and were served along with a couple of cookies a few minutes later.
"Well, at least now you know for certain about how Kari feels." Yolei said, sipping her tea.
"Huh? Oh. Yeah, I guess." TK said, staring at his own tea cup.
"What's wrong? I thought you'd be happy to know now."
"I…I don't know anymore really." He said, sounding as uncertain as his statement was. "So much has happened recently that I'm really kind of unsure about my feelings anymore."
"I'm not following you. The point of this all was to get you and Kari together, and now you know she cares about you just as much as you care about her! I mean, what's not to know?" Yolei asked, leaning across the table a little.
TK fell silent, unsure of how to say what was on his mind, but was saved as they heard things getting underway for the reading. They settled back and listened in to poetry of all sorts, speaking about a range of things from nature to society to politics to darker topics like death and depression. It was a rather dour event, though both of them were fascinated with how well the ideas were voiced in each of the works. Finally, the stage was open for a long moment and TK seized the opportunity. He picked up his bag and stood up, beginning to head for the stage. He looked back at Yolei for a moment before he headed up.
"You asked me before why I wasn't happy about knowing that Kari liked me…well, maybe this will help you understand." He told her. Yolei just blinked at him, completely confused by what he meant.
TK approached the stage and set his backpack down on the stood, pulling his composition book from it. He stood up to the microphone nervously.
"Um, hi everyone. My name is TK, and I know I'm kinda young to be doing this, but I have something I'd like to share. I know it's not as serious as some of the other topics we've heard tonight, but I'd like to read it for you anyway." He said. "So here goes."
TK cleared his throat and opened his composition book to what he'd written earlier, and began to read.
~/ 'Funny, isn't it? How fate seems to have its way of changing things up?
I never thought that I would see myself liking anyone but her.
But change is constant. An ever-flowing stream that sweeps us all through life.
At first my eyes were still only focused on her, until recently.
Then I found something in a person that I had never considered.
It started as just two friends laughing and playing, innocent and sweet.
And now I don't know how to tell her that now I feel differently.
I've seen her hurting, and it tears at part of me to see her like that.
I hear her soft voice and can't help but think maybe I've come to like her.
Pretty, smart, funny, she listens to all my thoughts and gives me support.
Can anyone blame me for thinking that she's special, all a guy could want?
So now I wonder just who am I supposed to end up with in life?
The angel I've known, brown-eyed and always vivacious, a dynamic girl?
Or the girl I see, indigo-eyed and gorgeous, the one I kinda like.' /~
A round of applause struck up in the room, with a few nods of approval from some of the onlookers. TK bowed sheepishly, thanking them for the praise. He returned to his table where Yolei was completely red in the face, looking down at the table.
"Did you like it?" he asked as he sat back down slowly.
"It was a…a very nice poem." Yolei responded. "But TK…did-did you…"
TK leaned over a little, listening to her intently as she stammered.
"Did you…mean all of that?" she finally asked, meeting his gaze. She set her right hand on the table unconsciously, awaiting his answer.
"I did, Yolei. I can't kid myself about it anymore. Even if you don't feel the same way, I had to get it out of me somehow." TK said. He could feel his pulse in the back of his throat as he reached out, putting his hand on top of hers. "I do like you, Yolei…you've become very special to me recently."
"I don't know what to say…" she said, her voice a bit hushed. She smiles slowly, blushing all the while. "Except…I think I feel the same…about you."
"You do?" TK looked at her, amazed.
"Yes…I can't believe this is happening, but it's true. You've been there for me, shown me kindness, compassion, and you've helped prop me up when I could've just collapsed with sorrow."
Yolei smiled softly at him as she saw his face turning red as well. 'And he's so…oh why bother thinking it, just say it Yolei!'
"All that, and you're cute to boot. I mean, how could I not come to like someone like you in a special way?"
TK smiled back and sighed in a bit of relief. They had both admitted feelings for each other now, and it felt a lot better; however, it also complicated things even more.
"But what about Kari? She was in your poem too." Yolei asked, continuing.
"I don't know yet." TK said, his spirits falling a bit. "I wish I could say how I felt for her right now. I still care deeply for her as well, but…it's all so muddled right now. Even hearing all of that from Davis, I can't help but be skeptical. Until I get the straight story from her I can't say for sure."
TK saw that Yolei was a bit saddened by his words and squeezed her hand gently, trying to raise her spirits again.
"I know it's not fair to you at all, but can you be patient with me until then?" he asked.
"Maybe I'm being a bit foolish or naïve about this all, but after hearing all of what you said and think about me, I think I can manage." she said, managing a small smile at him. She brought her other hand to the table, holding his hand between hers. "I guess this means…we're dating for real, now?"
"I guess so. I know this isn't what you intended, Yolei. You don't mind being with me, do you?"
"Not at all! Not one bit…I like you, after all. Very much."
"Me too."
The two stayed at the table for a while, just looking at each other and holding hands. Eventually they started to get back to normal, finishing off their tea and cookies and heading out from the coffee shop.
"Take…I mean, TK?" Yolei said as they walked out. "Sorry, I know you don't like that. I kinda slipped earlier on."
"It's okay, you can call me by my full name, Yolei. I don't mind at all." TK told her with a smile.
"Okay. That's what I was going to ask you." She said, laughing a bit. "I'm still trying to convince myself that this is all real. I mean…me having a boyfriend now and all."
"And me having a girlfriend now, too. But I like the idea of calling you that, my girlfriend that is."
"I can't describe how it feels to know that someone thinks that much of me, especially when it's someone as special as you Takeru."
They continued to talk and laugh a bit nervously all the way back to Yolei's home. Neither of them was used to actually having a relationship, and it made the entire evening take on a surreal, yet completely romantic feeling. They reached her front door and faced each other, holding each other's hands.
"Well, I'll see you again soon, right?" Yolei said at her door.
"Absolutely. I'll be around, and remember we also have that date on Friday too." TK reminded her.
"Of course! Everyone else will be there too, won't they? I bet we won't hear the end of it."
"Probably not, but I don't care. You're my girlfriend, Yolei, and that's all that matters to me."
"Likewise for me of course. Though naturally you're my boyfriend, not my girlfriend I mean. You know?"
"No need to get all flustered, Yolei. I understand." TK let himself laugh a bit at how tied up the both of them were getting over it all.
"Right, right. Well, good night." Yolei turned to enter her home.
"Hey hold on! Our date's not over just yet." TK said, walking up behind her. Yolei turned around slowly to face him.
"Oh. Right." She said, her eyes locking with his as she leaned towards him. "How could I…forget something so…important?"
The two of them had shared three kisses before this one, but this one took on a whole different meaning to the both of them. In addition to being pleasing physically, this kiss was also emotionally satisfying to the both of them. They slipped their arms around each other as they continued to kiss each other.
'This feels so right now. It felt good before, but now I know it feels right as well. Yolei…'
'I couldn't have dreamed this to be any better than it is! Takeru is…my Takeru is kissing me, not for an act, but because he likes me! But I want a little more. Mimi told me about this once. Let's see what happens…'
Yolei opened her mouth slightly as they kissed, and to her surprise found TK's tongue quickly meeting her own. They both let out a small moan at the new sensation as they continued to kiss like that from there on out.
'Kami-sama, this is what I wanted! Oh, I almost don't care if I lose him to Kari now, this is just so perfect! Takeru…'
Yolei tightened her embrace on TK, pressing him right up against her. TK wasn't about to pull away from her, as he was completely focused on the moment.
'Does she know what this is doing to me? You're too good to me, Yolei. What did I do to deserve having you in my life?' he thought.
After several minutes of kissing, TK could sense that Yolei was slowing down her kisses and did likewise. They lingered on one last kiss before their lips finally parted. Their eyes were fixated on each other, both left breathless and speechless.
"Wow…" TK finally said between taking breaths.
"Double that, with a twist of lemon and sprinkles on top here." Yolei added. "How do you know how to kiss like that?"
"Matt likes to go into too much detail about when he makes out with Sora. I've made some mental notes here and there, when I wasn't being bored to death or disgusted with him."
"Glad I don't have to hear any of that from my siblings. Of course, none of them are dating age yet for that matter."
"Well, I'll see you around Yolei."
"You certainly will if you don't let go of me."
TK then realized that they were still holding each other as closely as they had been before.
"Oh, right. Sorry. I didn't realize that. Oh, and don't forget about Friday night."
"I won't. Well, g'night Takeru."
"Good night, Yolei."
TK kissed her one more time, hesitating after he did in case Yolei wanted to pick up where they left off.
"Right. I'm off then!"
"Um, Takeru? You still haven't let go of me."
"Huh? Oh yeah! Sorry!"
TK finally let go of Yolei as he laughed a bit nervously. Yolei giggled in response, finding his awkwardness too cute for words. TK said goodbye a couple of more times before finally heading back home. Yolei made her way into her home, passing by her parents as they watched TV.
"So how were things today, dear?" her mother asked, seeing the look of happiness on her daughter's face. Yolei just smiled over at her mother before she disappeared into her room.
"Perfecto."
TK sat in the park once again, this time with all four of his composition books sitting next to him. He sat, legs spread apart and bent over, his elbows on his knees. He looked over at the stack of books, laughed briefly, and shook his head.
"Four books' worth of writing, and nothing even remotely worthy of being read in front of an audience." He said to himself. "What am I gonna do? Anything I come up with right now is going to be so horribly rushed it'll be awful. Maybe I could just change some words around and…no, no, no! Stupid idea! Man, this sucks!"
TK grabbed his newest book, opening it up to the only thing in it currently, which was the poem he'd written after his first date with Yolei. As much as he liked it, it just didn't do any justice to how things were now.
'I need something for tonight, and at the same time I need to sort out what I've been feeling these days. I just hope Yolei won't mind.' He thought as he chewed on his lower lip a bit.
TK took up his pen and began to write, almost as if he were possessed. The words flew from his mind to his hand, his writing could hardly keep up with his thoughts as he wrote. After a half hour of straight writing he looked over what he had, edited a couple of things, and nodded in approval.
"Did I really write all of this? Is this what's been swimming through my mind all this time?" he said to himself in a tone of quiet amazement. "If so, what about Kari? How do I feel about her now? I honestly don't know anymore. Maybe once I see her again I'll know. But that's neither here nor there right now."
TK packed up his books and slung his backpack onto his back, starting on his way back to his apartment. Once home, he sorted out all the books that he didn't need, keeping with him the book he'd just written in. He double- checked it to make sure that he did have the right one and then tossed his CD player, a few CDs, and a couple of pens into the backpack as well. As he exited his home again, he turned to see that Cody was standing right behind him. TK almost jumped through the ceiling at the surprise, but calmed down when he recognized his friend.
"You're awfully jumpy today, TK." Cody said, snickering.
"Maybe Yolei is right after all. Are you sure you're not in ninja training?" TK asked as he adjusted his backpack a bit on his back.
"People just seem to have a way of not noticing me until I'm right in front of them." Cody shrugged, shaking his head. "It's understandable, I'm not the most visible of people after all."
"We'll have to work on that when you're a little older."
"Anyhow, I was just coming to see you and see if anything was going on today. Are you up to anything?"
"Well, I'm going to an open poetry reading session later on with Yolei, but nothing right now." TK replied after locking his door.
"You want to get some ice cream? My treat!"
"Since when do you have money?"
"Since I set a new record at kendo practice. I cleaned the entire dojo faster than anyone else ever had, and grandpa rewarded me for it."
TK considered Cody's offer briefly. Truth be told, he'd been planning on hanging out at the store with Yolei for a while before the reading, but it was a truly hot day and ice cream did sound good.
"Well, since you're buying." He finally said. Cody smiled and led the way to the ice cream parlor, which was about a block away from Yolei's store actually. Once there, Cody ordered a Rocky Road cone while TK went with straight vanilla.
"Why do you always get something so plain, TK? Cody asked between bites of his cone.
"I don't know, it's an old habit. I've never gotten tired of Vanilla anyway." TK replied.
"Speak for yourself. My goal is to try every flavor here before the end of summer!"
"Knowing you, Cody, you'll make that goal in no time." TK laughed at his friend's comment.
"Hey, everyone has their goals. Just like yours seems to be trying to get a new girlfriend before school starts."
"Come on Cody. I've never had a girlfriend before, and for that matter I still don't."
"That's sure not how the rest of us see it."
"Us?"
"The rest of the DigiDestined. You've had everyone talking since you started dating Yolei."
"I had no idea. I mean, Matt and Sora have talked to me a bit about it, but I sure haven't heard anything from anyone else."
"Everyone's just mostly surprised that you didn't end up dating Kari really."
"And what do you think?"
"Me?" Cody finished his ice ream cone and wiped his hands with the napkin he'd been holding the cone in, tossing it out. "I say no one knows you and your heart better than you TK. No matter what any of us thinks, you're the best judge of what you want."
"Thanks Cody. I'm glad to know there's more than one person supporting me."
Cody smiled back, nodding in agreement. TK then noticed that his expression darkened quickly as he looked back at his ice cream.
"Although a word of advice, I'd stay away from Davis if I were you." Cody said, taking another bite of his cone.
"Davis? Why?"
"I caught up with him the other day, and he seemed pretty angry: partly at himself, partly at Kari which was surprising to me, and then also partly at you. He said something about how you 'ruined Kari for him' or something like that. It didn't make a lot of sense to me at the time."
"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, but thanks for the heads up anyway. And thanks for the ice cream, too."
"Anything for my best friend, TK. Well, I'm going to go check out the library for a new book. I hear Ken's been spending a lot of time there recently, maybe he can recommend something to me."
"Have fun, Cody. I'll catch you later!"
The two DigiDestined partners parted ways after that, with TK resuming his original path to Yolei's store. As he neared it he noticed someone standing outside who looked up at him. It was Davis, standing with his arms folded as he leaned near the entrance. He looked up and saw TK and pushed off of where he was leaning, beginning to walk towards him. TK kept his cool and continued to approach, already starting to formulate a conversation with the junior DigiDestined leader in his head.
He never saw the first punch coming.
_ _ _ _ _
A commotion just outside the shop caught Yolei's attention as she was restocking the magazine racks. She set down the stack of magazines she held and walked over to the door to see Davis assaulting TK like a madman. She saw TK go down after another punch and Davis started to move to pummel him where he lay. She quickly ran over, grabbed Davis by his shoulders and pulled him back, pushing him off to the side. She then knelt down next to TK, inspecting his injuries.
"Get away from him, Yolei. This is none of your business!" Davis told her, sneering at her, his face looking almost feral. Yolei could hear the malice in his voice, and it genuinely scared her.
"Leave him alone, Davis! What did he ever do to you?" she shot back, staying right where she was to protect TK.
"That bastard ruined Kari for me!" he shouted, glaring at both of them. "As long as I can remember I've liked her and done everything I could think of to get her to like me back. I've done nothing but worship the ground she walks on for years, and only recently do I find out that she never cared about me to begin with because she's always had eyes for him!
"He's the only one she has eyes for! I've done nothing but tried to win her affections, where he does nothing and he ends up being the one she falls all over! How fucking fair is that?! Everything I've ever felt and done to try and get her to like me back has been for absolutely nothing…and it's ALL HIS FAULT!"
"So you're going to beat him to a pulp and that'll get Kari to like you? Think again, Davis! This is stupid!"
"I don't know, and for that matter I couldn't care less at this point Yolei! Maybe she won't like me any more, but I don't care. For all I know she never even liked me as a friend to begin with! So forget about this being an attempt to win her over. Right now I…I just want him to pay for my pain!"
Yolei stood up, positioning herself between Davis and TK, her eyes meeting Davis' gaze sternly.
"You've said and done some stupid things in the past, Davis, but this takes the cake!" she told him angrily. "I won't let you do this! I refuse to let you torture him just to satisfy some twisted sense of justice you think you'll reap from this!"
"Don't make me do this, Yolei! I'm serious here!" Davis said, stepping towards her.
"Do whatever you want, it's clear that's all you have in mind." Yolei said, beginning to brace herself. "But I won't let you hurt him! I won't let you hurt Takeru!"
"STOP IT!" TK shouted from where he lay. Yolei looked back at him, seeing that he was slowly struggling back to his feet, coughing a bit. "That's enough!"
TK slowly pulled himself up to his feet, spitting out some blood as he did. His head felt dizzy and his midsection hurt badly from a couple of shots to the gut that Davis had gotten in. He stepped around Yolei and stared Davis down. His left cheek was beginning to swell, his lip cut and a small trickle of blood was falling from his nose as well, but he stood his ground, his eyes piercing into Davis'.
"If you're hell bent on beating the crap out of me then get it over with, Davis." He said, letting his hands rest at his sides.
"But…" Yolei said, reaching for him.
"No, Yolei! I should've seen this coming for a long while." TK said, stepping away from her. He returned his attention to Davis. "I'm sorry about what happened with Kari and you, I never wanted to hurt you. I never knew how she felt about me, nor did I ever know how deeply you felt for her either. But what's done is done, and none of us can change it. I can't imagine what it must be like for you finding all of that out in such a way, but I think you need to have that conversation with Kari, not me.
"Regardless of all of this, if you feel like you have to beat me up then you're welcome to it." TK spread his arms wide open for Davis. "I probably don't deserve any less. Hell, I won't even fight back. It's pointless for me to do so, after all."
Davis paced back and forth, continuing to fume for a few minutes. He stopped and stared at TK for several minutes, his fists tensing and clenching as he tried to find the will to continue his assault. Eventually, his arms went limp, and his hands opened up as he hung his head, tears falling from his eyes once again. Finally, he screamed in anguish and ran off, leaving TK and Yolei worrying for him.
TK wavered a bit, feeling a dizzy spell washing over him suddenly. Yolei moved quickly and caught him, helping him walk slowly inside. Her father met her at the counter and saw the shape TK was in.
"What the hell happened to him?" he said, looking him over.
"Dad, get the first aid kit. I'll take him upstairs, okay?" Yolei said. Her father nodded and headed into the back for the kit. A few minutes later, Yolei finished carrying TK up to her room where she helped him lay down on her bed. Her father showed up moments later with the first aid kit and a damp, cold washcloth. She thanked him and ushered him out of her room, closing the door before turning her attention to TK, tending to his injuries.
"He really hurt you bad. Don't worry, I'll take care of you." She told him quietly.
"Yolei…" TK said in a half daze.
"Shhh, just relax." She said, brushing some of his blond hair away from his face. "It's my turn to help you out."
After a few minutes of work, Yolei cleaned off the washcloth which was now dotted with TK's blood, then re-soaked it in cold water, folded it and returned to see TK had dozed off. She closed her door again and pulled up a chair beside the bed. She leaned over, kissing his forehead gently and then setting the washcloth over his forehead gently.
"Rest up, Takeru, you've been brave enough for one day." She whispered to him. She stayed by his side for a while, watching over him while he slept.
_ _ _ _ _
TK woke up slowly, finding himself to be in a much more comfortable position than he'd been in before. He felt something damp on his head and picked up the washcloth, which was now luke warm. He also noticed there was a piece of cotton lodged into one of his nostrils, probably to soak up any other blood. He removed it and began to look around, first noticing Yolei who was napping a bit where she sat next to the bed he was laying on.
'She must've brought me up here…this must be her room, then.' He thought. He took a moment to inspect it. It was a bit plain, as far as a girl's room went, the major features being her computer and a bookshelf full of technical books and manuals. He went to sit up, but ended up nudging Yolei, who snapped awake quickly.
"Oh, you're awake! Good, I was worried for a bit there." She said, stretching a little.
"Sorry to make you worry. Did you take care of me?" TK asked.
"Well someone had to, you were a mess! How are you feeling?"
"Still a little sore, but nothing unbearable. Thanks for looking after me, Yolei."
"Just returning the favor you did for me after all."
"Yeah…so, this is your room?"
"Huh? Oh yeah! You've never been here before, have you?"
"Actually, I've never been in a girl's room ever."
"Heh heh, well it's not much to look at I know, but it's mine."
"No, it's nice. Say, what time is it?"
"3:00. You were out for an hour or so."
"The reading is at 4:30, isn't it? We'd better get going then."
"Are you sure you still want to do this today? There'll be other readings, after all."
"No, I want to do this. I don't want to spend all day dwelling on getting beaten up by Davis."
TK stood up slowly, wincing as he felt a bruise around his midsection. Davis had gotten him once real good in the gut, and it hurt to stand up. Once he was upright, though, it was better. He looked over and saw the worried look on Yolei's face and managed to smile at her.
"I'm fine, Yolei. Really." He said, walking slowly to her door. Yolei moved quickly, opening it for him and following him down and out of the store, saying goodbye to her parents as they left. As they started to walk towards the coffee house where the reading was, she laced her arm around his, holding it close to her.
"For support, in case you stumble or something." She told him with a smile. 'And because I like being close to him, but I can't go saying that, now can I?' she added in thought.
The coffee house was a bit of a modern style establishment, and had a small stage off to one side where they had local performers and sometimes readings of literary works and poetry. Tonight it was set up for such an event, with a microphone and stool situated centrally on it. TK and Yolei took a table in the middle of the café, as college students from around the area had already taken all of the front tables. They ordered some tea, and were served along with a couple of cookies a few minutes later.
"Well, at least now you know for certain about how Kari feels." Yolei said, sipping her tea.
"Huh? Oh. Yeah, I guess." TK said, staring at his own tea cup.
"What's wrong? I thought you'd be happy to know now."
"I…I don't know anymore really." He said, sounding as uncertain as his statement was. "So much has happened recently that I'm really kind of unsure about my feelings anymore."
"I'm not following you. The point of this all was to get you and Kari together, and now you know she cares about you just as much as you care about her! I mean, what's not to know?" Yolei asked, leaning across the table a little.
TK fell silent, unsure of how to say what was on his mind, but was saved as they heard things getting underway for the reading. They settled back and listened in to poetry of all sorts, speaking about a range of things from nature to society to politics to darker topics like death and depression. It was a rather dour event, though both of them were fascinated with how well the ideas were voiced in each of the works. Finally, the stage was open for a long moment and TK seized the opportunity. He picked up his bag and stood up, beginning to head for the stage. He looked back at Yolei for a moment before he headed up.
"You asked me before why I wasn't happy about knowing that Kari liked me…well, maybe this will help you understand." He told her. Yolei just blinked at him, completely confused by what he meant.
TK approached the stage and set his backpack down on the stood, pulling his composition book from it. He stood up to the microphone nervously.
"Um, hi everyone. My name is TK, and I know I'm kinda young to be doing this, but I have something I'd like to share. I know it's not as serious as some of the other topics we've heard tonight, but I'd like to read it for you anyway." He said. "So here goes."
TK cleared his throat and opened his composition book to what he'd written earlier, and began to read.
~/ 'Funny, isn't it? How fate seems to have its way of changing things up?
I never thought that I would see myself liking anyone but her.
But change is constant. An ever-flowing stream that sweeps us all through life.
At first my eyes were still only focused on her, until recently.
Then I found something in a person that I had never considered.
It started as just two friends laughing and playing, innocent and sweet.
And now I don't know how to tell her that now I feel differently.
I've seen her hurting, and it tears at part of me to see her like that.
I hear her soft voice and can't help but think maybe I've come to like her.
Pretty, smart, funny, she listens to all my thoughts and gives me support.
Can anyone blame me for thinking that she's special, all a guy could want?
So now I wonder just who am I supposed to end up with in life?
The angel I've known, brown-eyed and always vivacious, a dynamic girl?
Or the girl I see, indigo-eyed and gorgeous, the one I kinda like.' /~
A round of applause struck up in the room, with a few nods of approval from some of the onlookers. TK bowed sheepishly, thanking them for the praise. He returned to his table where Yolei was completely red in the face, looking down at the table.
"Did you like it?" he asked as he sat back down slowly.
"It was a…a very nice poem." Yolei responded. "But TK…did-did you…"
TK leaned over a little, listening to her intently as she stammered.
"Did you…mean all of that?" she finally asked, meeting his gaze. She set her right hand on the table unconsciously, awaiting his answer.
"I did, Yolei. I can't kid myself about it anymore. Even if you don't feel the same way, I had to get it out of me somehow." TK said. He could feel his pulse in the back of his throat as he reached out, putting his hand on top of hers. "I do like you, Yolei…you've become very special to me recently."
"I don't know what to say…" she said, her voice a bit hushed. She smiles slowly, blushing all the while. "Except…I think I feel the same…about you."
"You do?" TK looked at her, amazed.
"Yes…I can't believe this is happening, but it's true. You've been there for me, shown me kindness, compassion, and you've helped prop me up when I could've just collapsed with sorrow."
Yolei smiled softly at him as she saw his face turning red as well. 'And he's so…oh why bother thinking it, just say it Yolei!'
"All that, and you're cute to boot. I mean, how could I not come to like someone like you in a special way?"
TK smiled back and sighed in a bit of relief. They had both admitted feelings for each other now, and it felt a lot better; however, it also complicated things even more.
"But what about Kari? She was in your poem too." Yolei asked, continuing.
"I don't know yet." TK said, his spirits falling a bit. "I wish I could say how I felt for her right now. I still care deeply for her as well, but…it's all so muddled right now. Even hearing all of that from Davis, I can't help but be skeptical. Until I get the straight story from her I can't say for sure."
TK saw that Yolei was a bit saddened by his words and squeezed her hand gently, trying to raise her spirits again.
"I know it's not fair to you at all, but can you be patient with me until then?" he asked.
"Maybe I'm being a bit foolish or naïve about this all, but after hearing all of what you said and think about me, I think I can manage." she said, managing a small smile at him. She brought her other hand to the table, holding his hand between hers. "I guess this means…we're dating for real, now?"
"I guess so. I know this isn't what you intended, Yolei. You don't mind being with me, do you?"
"Not at all! Not one bit…I like you, after all. Very much."
"Me too."
The two stayed at the table for a while, just looking at each other and holding hands. Eventually they started to get back to normal, finishing off their tea and cookies and heading out from the coffee shop.
"Take…I mean, TK?" Yolei said as they walked out. "Sorry, I know you don't like that. I kinda slipped earlier on."
"It's okay, you can call me by my full name, Yolei. I don't mind at all." TK told her with a smile.
"Okay. That's what I was going to ask you." She said, laughing a bit. "I'm still trying to convince myself that this is all real. I mean…me having a boyfriend now and all."
"And me having a girlfriend now, too. But I like the idea of calling you that, my girlfriend that is."
"I can't describe how it feels to know that someone thinks that much of me, especially when it's someone as special as you Takeru."
They continued to talk and laugh a bit nervously all the way back to Yolei's home. Neither of them was used to actually having a relationship, and it made the entire evening take on a surreal, yet completely romantic feeling. They reached her front door and faced each other, holding each other's hands.
"Well, I'll see you again soon, right?" Yolei said at her door.
"Absolutely. I'll be around, and remember we also have that date on Friday too." TK reminded her.
"Of course! Everyone else will be there too, won't they? I bet we won't hear the end of it."
"Probably not, but I don't care. You're my girlfriend, Yolei, and that's all that matters to me."
"Likewise for me of course. Though naturally you're my boyfriend, not my girlfriend I mean. You know?"
"No need to get all flustered, Yolei. I understand." TK let himself laugh a bit at how tied up the both of them were getting over it all.
"Right, right. Well, good night." Yolei turned to enter her home.
"Hey hold on! Our date's not over just yet." TK said, walking up behind her. Yolei turned around slowly to face him.
"Oh. Right." She said, her eyes locking with his as she leaned towards him. "How could I…forget something so…important?"
The two of them had shared three kisses before this one, but this one took on a whole different meaning to the both of them. In addition to being pleasing physically, this kiss was also emotionally satisfying to the both of them. They slipped their arms around each other as they continued to kiss each other.
'This feels so right now. It felt good before, but now I know it feels right as well. Yolei…'
'I couldn't have dreamed this to be any better than it is! Takeru is…my Takeru is kissing me, not for an act, but because he likes me! But I want a little more. Mimi told me about this once. Let's see what happens…'
Yolei opened her mouth slightly as they kissed, and to her surprise found TK's tongue quickly meeting her own. They both let out a small moan at the new sensation as they continued to kiss like that from there on out.
'Kami-sama, this is what I wanted! Oh, I almost don't care if I lose him to Kari now, this is just so perfect! Takeru…'
Yolei tightened her embrace on TK, pressing him right up against her. TK wasn't about to pull away from her, as he was completely focused on the moment.
'Does she know what this is doing to me? You're too good to me, Yolei. What did I do to deserve having you in my life?' he thought.
After several minutes of kissing, TK could sense that Yolei was slowing down her kisses and did likewise. They lingered on one last kiss before their lips finally parted. Their eyes were fixated on each other, both left breathless and speechless.
"Wow…" TK finally said between taking breaths.
"Double that, with a twist of lemon and sprinkles on top here." Yolei added. "How do you know how to kiss like that?"
"Matt likes to go into too much detail about when he makes out with Sora. I've made some mental notes here and there, when I wasn't being bored to death or disgusted with him."
"Glad I don't have to hear any of that from my siblings. Of course, none of them are dating age yet for that matter."
"Well, I'll see you around Yolei."
"You certainly will if you don't let go of me."
TK then realized that they were still holding each other as closely as they had been before.
"Oh, right. Sorry. I didn't realize that. Oh, and don't forget about Friday night."
"I won't. Well, g'night Takeru."
"Good night, Yolei."
TK kissed her one more time, hesitating after he did in case Yolei wanted to pick up where they left off.
"Right. I'm off then!"
"Um, Takeru? You still haven't let go of me."
"Huh? Oh yeah! Sorry!"
TK finally let go of Yolei as he laughed a bit nervously. Yolei giggled in response, finding his awkwardness too cute for words. TK said goodbye a couple of more times before finally heading back home. Yolei made her way into her home, passing by her parents as they watched TV.
"So how were things today, dear?" her mother asked, seeing the look of happiness on her daughter's face. Yolei just smiled over at her mother before she disappeared into her room.
"Perfecto."