Boiling Point
Several days passed, and TK and Yolei saw as much of each other as they could when TK wasn't writing or Yolei wasn't tending to the store. TK even attended Yolei's sister's birthday party, and had dinner with her family that night.
The feelings between the two had only continued to strengthen since Matt's concert, and the more that happened between them the more it troubled TK to think that soon enough he would have to face Kari as well as the feelings that he still had for her.
It was Wednesday again, and TK had let Yolei know that the basketball game he'd told her about before was going to happen that day. Yolei had taken the necessary steps to prepare for the day, and everything was set for the refreshment cart she was going to provide to the players and a few of the spectators. Just one hurdle remained for her, though.
"But mom…!" Yolei said in protest.
"But nothing young lady, I will not have you prancing around outside in something that's practically your underwear!" her mother replied sternly.
"It's a swimsuit, mom, for crying out loud! Do you have any idea how hot it is out there? I'll roast!"
Yolei looked down at herself, seeing nothing wrong with how she was dressed. She wore her swimsuit top, which was red and purple striped and hugged her chest as any swimsuit was meant to, along with a pair of white shorts that came to her mid-thigh. She had a baseball cap in one hand, her sandals in the other and wore her sunglasses again, opting for her contacts over her glasses yet again.
"At least put something more on over your upper body, Yolei. That top is just too much."
"Fine, whatever." Yolei headed back to her room, sighing in disgust. She re-emerged a moment later, a loose, light pink tank top thrown over herself. "How's this?"
"That'll do, I guess." Her mother said begrudgingly. "Be careful out there, dear, it is rather hot out and I don't want you getting over exhausted."
'Then why are you making me wear a shirt?!' Yolei thought. "I'll be fine, mom. Is dad done with the cooler?"
"I think so. He set it on the wagon for you, as it turned out to be a bit heavy."
"Excellent. I'm outta here!"
Yolei danced around her mother and bounded down the stairs before her mother could say anything more about her appearance. She slipped into her sandals at the bottom of the stairs and headed into the shop, where the wagon with the cooler awaited.
"Looks like we've got everything. Water, sports drinks, some power bars and other assorted snacks." Her father said, closing the cooler up again.
"I really appreciate this, dad. The guys will too, I'm sure." Yolei said, hugging her father. "I'll make sure to bring back what they chip in for all of this."
"No worries, dear. Go have fun!"
Yolei nodded and took hold of the wagon, heading out. A wave of heat blasted her as she exited the store. She pulled the baseball cap onto her head, pushed her sunglasses up on her face, and headed in the direction of the playground.
'Damn, it's hotter out here than I thought it'd be! I hope the guys put on some sunscreen, this could be bad otherwise.' She thought as she walked, pulling the wagon along.
A short while later, the playground came into view and Yolei spotted everyone at the basketball court. TK, Davis and Cody were with three other neighborhood guys, exchanging handshakes and talking. All were wearing light sports clothing for the day's activities. Yolei pulled her wagon up to the bleachers nearby and sat next to it.
"The refreshments have arrived!" she announced with a flourish.
The group of guys looked over and, after a bit more talking, TK, Davis and Cody headed over to Yolei who smiled brightly at them as they approached.
"Thanks a lot Yolei, this'll help more than you know." Cody said, handing her a few hundred yen.
"Hey, I'm out here too Cody. It's freaking blistering hot out here!" she replied, pocketing the change.
"Well, it's only gonna get hotter as we get closer to noon." Davis added, handing Yolei a few coins as well. "Believe me, I might just dunk my head in that cooler when the time comes."
"Do it and I'll make you wash the thing fifty times! I have no idea where your head's been, Davis, and I sure don't want to know for that matter." She replied, half-jokingly.
"Okay, okay! Thanks all the same, Yolei." He said, heading back to the court with Cody.
"This should cover the rest of it." TK handed Yolei a couple thousand yen in bills.
"Takeru, where did you get cash like this?!"
"One of the guys over there owed me from a game of Horse we played a few weeks back, and I collected."
"You play for money?"
"Only from time to time. I've won far more than I've lost. I guess people underestimate me."
"Now there's an understatement." Yolei smiled as she pocketed the cash. "Anyone else going to show up?"
"We usually get a bit of a crowd to watch, but nothing big. Still, should be good business for you."
"Okay, then. Good luck out there."
She stood up, kissing TK for a long moment before sitting back down, smiling at him. She pulled her shades down a little, giving him a bit of a sexy look.
"I'll be watching, Takeru." She said in a softer tone. TK shook his head for a moment, smiled at her and headed back onto the court.
"Aw, damn it!" Davis yelled out. "Hey, PK! We lost the toss! You know what that means."
TK stopped in his tracks, looked back at Yolei for a moment, smiled to himself, and then continued on over towards Davis and Cody.
"Gotcha Davis." He said, heading over to one side. Davis and Cody joined him. Yolei watched on, curious as to what was going on. She just about fell off of her seat on the bleachers when suddenly all three boys pulled off their shirts, setting them aside. She knew that sometimes for games, when people didn't have jerseys, they'd play shirts vs. skins, but she'd never expected that to happen today.
Cody and Davis had good enough physiques, but the center of Yolei's attention was, of course, TK. For being just 15, his torso was fairly well muscled without being grotesquely so, like she remembered seeing in the bodybuilding magazines that were in her family's store. His arms were a bit lanky, which she already knew, but his biceps were well defined, and his back looked fairly solid as well. Yolei was appreciating every glimpse of him she was getting.
'Touché, Takeru…but I might just match you there in a bit.' She thought to herself.
As the game went on several more spectators stopped by to watch for a bit. Yolei sold some of the goods she had in her cooler to them, though making sure to keep some for Cody, Davis and TK who had already paid. The game went very well, the score went back and forth several times.
'Cody's not bad out there, though he's trying to hard to emulate Takeru it's almost funny.' Yolei thought as she watched. 'Davis isn't terrible, but you can tell this isn't his sport. And Takeru…he seems so graceful out there, almost like he just flows across the court. It's almost like another form of poetry, I guess. Now listen to me, I'm beginning to sound like him too! Oh the effect you've had on me, Takeru.'
At one point TK's team was up by several points. This was the opportunity Yolei had been waiting for. She waited until TK made his next shot and then stood up…
_ _ _ _ _
Another shot went through the hoop for TK. He didn't let himself celebrate, though, as he quickly turned and began jogging back up the court to play defense. As he did, he noticed Yolei standing up. She stretched for a moment, and then took hold of her tank top, pulling it over her head, revealing the swimsuit top she wore underneath. Suddenly TK's mind was elsewhere.
'Holy…am I seeing things? Is it that hot out here, or did she just…' he thought, in a half daze. Suddenly he felt a rush of air as his man ran past him with the ball. He dashed to try and catch up with him, but his shot had already gone off and through the hoop. TK cursed at himself a little as he turned to look back at Yolei, who was sitting back down now, cross-legged on the bleachers. She waved over to him, and he waved back, rolling his eyes as he did.
'A little payback, eh? Guess I asked for that. Even so, I had no idea she could look like that…' he thought.
"Hey TG! Stop leering at girls and let's win this game!" he heard Davis shout at him. TK shook his head again and signaled for Davis to pass him the ball.
"Game point, folks!" Cody called out. He ran an interference pattern in front of TK, who darted around to Cody's left. TK passed off to Davis, who caught the ball and too it up the right side of the court. He faked another step and rolled around, heading in towards the basket. He went up for a shot and, seeing two defenders go up with him to block, passed off to TK who was wide open. TK went to the hoop unguarded and layed the ball up and in for the winning points.
The three shirtless boys high fived each other in celebration, and then shook hands with their opponents. They grabbed their shirts from the pile and made their way over to the bleachers, each taking a seat around the cooler. Davis grabbed a sports drink and power bar, Cody likewise got a sports drink, and TK just took a bottle of water. All three concentrated on gulping down their fluids first.
"Hoo man, that hit the spot." TK said, finishing half of his water.
"I'll bet." Yolei said, leaning over towards him a bit. "Hey, something seemed to distract you out there. I wonder what it was?"
"Um…well, I thought it was a mirage at first, but…" TK tried his hardest not to look down at Yolei's outfit, but found himself glancing a couple of times. He swallowed hard, laughing briefly. "…I guess not."
"I assure you, it's no mirage." She told him with a half-smile on her face. She sat back up after a moment and handed TK a sandwich she'd kept aside for him.
"Hey, no fair! Who does he get a sandwich?" Davis said.
"Two reasons: first, he paid more than you. Second, and I'm sure this one will be the real news flash to you Davis, he's my boyfriend!" Yolei told him. TK just gave Davis a silly grin and unwrapped the sandwich, munching on it and washing the bites down with some water.
"Yeah thanks for reminding me Yolei." Davis said sarcastically. He stood back up, finishing his drink. "It's way too hot out here for anything else. I'm heading back home to cool off."
"I have to agree with Davis for once." Cody added. "I wouldn't even dare to get an ice cream cone today, it'd melt before I could even take one bite!"
"How many flavors have you gone through so far?" TK asked him.
"16 down, 15 to go. I'll have to make sure to have one tomorrow or I'll fall behind!"
"Hang in there Cody, knowing your persistence you'll reach that goal before you know it." Yolei added encouragingly. The four friends shared a laugh at the thought before Cody and Davis headed off. Most of the rest of the crowd had dispersed as well by now.
"Looks like we're on our own again." Yolei said, putting the lid back on the cooler.
"Funny how that works out anymore, these days." TK joked as he tossed his container of water and the sandwich wrapper into a nearby trash can.
"I have to say, though, I like it when it's hot. It gives me a chance to actually turn a few heads."
"I'll say." TK responded, taking a moment to take an appreciative look over her.
"Hey, I was just kidding!" Yolei said, smacking him lightly on the shoulder.
"And I wasn't. I mean, you really look, well…sexy." TK blushed a bit, not being used to calling a girl sexy to her face.
"Okay, now I know the heat's affecting your brain Takeru." Yolei began pulling the wagon with the cooler back towards home. "Pretty I can deal with, but sexy? Give me a break."
"Everyone has multiple sides to them, Yolei, some sides are just a bit more hidden than others are. And some sides never get seen by the public, for some reason or another."
"I can accept that, I suppose. I mean, I remember a couple of the times back in the Digital World that you just about lost it. When we were fighting real evil, you were like another person. You were possessed with vanquishing darkness."
"I…try not to bring that side out that often. It scares me that I can get like that, honestly."
"You're scared that you can act so brave and selflessly, risking life and limb to protect innocent people?"
"I'm scared that I can get that violent."
Yolei stopped in her tracks and looked at TK, a concerned expression crossing her features. TK had his head hung and looking away from her.
"I've heard the fights Matt and Sora have had before…hell, I remember some of the arguments he and I have had. A couple of times it got kinda physical too. I give Sora credit that she's been able to calm Matt down so much, but I know sometimes he's still prone to fly off the hook." He said, his hands clenching into fists. "And knowing that the same hot streak runs in my blood as well…I don't ever want to be like that. I don't ever want to be a threat to anyone, least of all someone I cared about."
"But you're not a threat, Takeru." Yolei said, putting her hands on his shoulders. "You've only ever shown that side when others were hurt or in danger. It was never for a selfish reason before, and I know you wouldn't do it again without good reason."
"You give me too much credit, Yolei. I'm no better than my brother."
"Stop that right now, Takeru." Yolei's voice took on a more stern tone. TK looked up at her again finally. "You are not Matt, okay? You may be of his blood, but you are not the same as him. You're everything he isn't: gentle, compassionate, humble to a fault…I could spend an hour listing the differences between you two. And you are not a violent person. And there's one more major difference between you and your brother."
"What's that?"
Yolei's expression softened a bit as she smiled at him once again, draping her arms around his neck and gazing into his eyes.
"He has Sora. You, on the other hand, have me." She told him. TK finally managed a small laugh as he slid his arms around her bare waist.
"You've got me there." He said.
"You'd better believe it, mister."
The pair shared a kiss for a few moments, though not pulling extremely close to each other. After breaking off the kiss they continued on their way back to Yolei's home. Just around the corner from the store, Yolei pulled on her tank top again.
"If mom knew I'd been walking around in just my swimsuit top she'd freak, trust me."
"I'll take your word for it." TK replied, pulling his shirt onto himself as well, just in case. Sure enough, Yolei's mother was tending to the store, fanning herself behind the counter.
"Oh, welcome back you two. You can leave that behind the counter here with me." Mrs. Inoue told them. "Is it as bad out there as it is in here?"
"Worse, mom, believe me." Yolei said, complying with her mother's directions. "Could we just hang out here, maybe?"
"I'd normally say yes, but the air conditioner is on the fritz again, and your father is fit to be tied about it."
"Terrific." Yolei groaned. She looked back at TK. "What about your place?"
"We have a few fans, but no A/C I'm afraid." TK replied. "And I don't think the answer is to blow more hot air onto ourselves."
"Indeed." Yolei frowned. "Well there has to be some way to beat the heat!"
"Well, we could always try Matt's or Sora's place. It's worth a shot." TK suggested.
"I guess. We'll see you later, mom!" Yolei said, waving to her mother.
"Be careful out there!" her mother called after her. She then heard a crash from upstairs and bit her lower lip, hoping her husband wasn't mauling the air conditioner too terribly.
_ _ _ _ _
"Too…hot…for…words…" TK groaned as he reclined on the stairs of the apartment complex. He had gotten out of his shirt yet again, as it had been too hot for even the light shirt he had with him. Sora and Matt were both out somewhere together, and they had no access to either apartment, so the pair were once again stuck outside. The sky had become a bit overcast, but it was still as hot as ever. If anything, it almost seemed like it was getting even more hot and humid than before.
"Agreed." Yolei said, looking up at him from where she sat. She had her tank top in one hand, dabbing at her forehead to wipe away her sweat. "This is nuts…why don't we just go to your place and open the freezer door?"
"Waste of electricity. Mom would have my hide when the electric bill came around."
"So you've done it before?"
"I have two groundings and five lectures to show for it."
Yolei just sighed and rolled her head back, looking up through the stairwell. It was almost getting hard to breathe now, it was so hot. And the smell that was now permeating the air wasn't helping any.
'Hey, what is that?' she wondered, sniffing the air a bit. She then noticed TK doing the same. "You smell that too?"
"Yeah, it's almost like I can smell the humidity. Weird, huh?" he said, wrinkling his nose. All of a sudden, there was a loud crash of thunder and the skies seemed to just open up in a matter of minutes, pouring rain down on the parched earth below. TK and Yolei looked out at the deluge in amazement.
"You're thinking what I'm thinking, right?" TK asked.
"Like you had to even waste your time asking!" Yolei replied.
The two overheated DigiDestined ran head on into the pouring rain. The rush of cool water was most welcome, and both welcomed the downpour with open arms. TK laid down on the ground, letting the rain drench him completely on one side before flipping over to his other side. Yolei laughed at the sight of him flopping around on the ground like a fish out of water. She helped him up after a minute.
"That was my 'tuna out of water' impression, ladies and gentlemen!" TK announced as if he were performing for an audience. He bowed in several different direction as well. "Thank you, thank you! I'll be here all week, try the pork chops!" TK then hugged Yolei, going a little limp as he did.
"Oh no, the sun must've fried his brains!" Yolei said melodramatically. "I must try and resuscitate him!"
Yolei pulled TK off of her just enough to kiss him. At first the two laughed through their kiss at how silly they were acting. They stopped kissing for a moment to finish laughing, and looked at each other. Both were completely drenched, water dripping from their hair and faces. They were holding each other very closely, and each could feel the other's skin against their own, slick from the combination of sweat and rain water. It made the moment both awkward and extremely tempting.
"This is…very, um, nice…isn't it?" Yolei said shamefacedly. She tried her hardest to put on a more sheepish face, but the feeling of being held against TK as well as the fact that his eyes now seemed to match the color of the stormy sky kept her completely fixated on him.
"Nicer than I can describe…" TK replied in a likewise fashion.
"You know, a lesser man might try to take advantage of a girl in a situation like this." Yolei smiled at TK, brushing some of his damp hair away from his face. "And that's the big difference between you and Matt, Takeru. You aren't a lesser man, not by a long shot."
"This is pretty tempting all the same Yolei…" TK swallowed a bit as he tried to calm himself down a bit.
"Believe me, the feeling is more than mutual."
"It's not being fair to you, though. I mean, my leading you on like this…"
"Do you hear me complaining yet?"
"Yolei…"
"I know…I just…"
Yolei hugged TK closer, resting her head on his shoulder. TK moved his one hand up to her head, stroking her wet hair gently. They stood there, in the rain, just holding each other in silence for a long while.
'I know what's holding him back, and I curse the fact that we have to wait any longer to have this settled once and for all. Just a few more days, though…' Yolei thought as she held onto her boyfriend. 'I'm so tempted right now to follow this to its end, though…no, I have to wait until he's ready.'
'If I wasn't being fair to her before, I sure as hell am now.' TK thought, trying to concentrate on the moment. 'What's it going to take to sort out my true feelings? This situation doesn't help much, but I have to exercise some restraint. I can't give in to that side of me…I just can't!'
"We should get indoors soon." TK finally said , trying to rein himself in, though not having terribly great luck. Yolei just looked so tempting to him, and that combined with the strengthened feelings and closeness he felt to her was almost too much for him.
"In a few minutes." Yolei said with a nod. She saw the look of longing in his eyes, meeting it with her own. For every bit TK was being tempted, she was being tempted just as much. Finally, she spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper. "I think we owe it to ourselves to at least blow off some of this steam, Takeru. It's not healthy to bottle up your emotions that much, after all."
Yolei suddenly found herself being kissed fiercely by TK, and immediately kissed him back. Her words had been like a green light to both of them, and they made out in the middle of the storm as if they were the only two people for miles around. After several minutes they finally stopped kissing and embraced each other tightly. They headed into the apartment complex shortly thereafter, making their way towards TK's place.
"Whoa. I don't think I've ever felt like that before." TK said, shaking his head vigorously.
"Ack!" Yolei cried as water from TK's head sprayed her. "Just for that…!" She did likewise, spraying him with water from her own hair.
"Okay, okay! Uncle! Uncle! Sorry Yolei."
"Don't worry about it. But I agree, that was more intense than anything we've done so far. I'll have to hope it rains more often."
"Yeah, no kidding." TK muttered.
"Hah! I heard that!"
TK stopped short of his front door, turned to face Yolei, who was walking alongside him, and put his arms on either side of her against the wall, backing her up against it.
"Well can you blame me for wanting to kiss a pretty girl like you?" he asked, smirking at her.
"So I'm back to just being pretty now?" Yolei asked in a mock indignant tone.
"My apologies. I meant to say…" he leaned in closer, dropping his voice a bit. "…can you blame me for wanting to kiss a sexy woman like you?"
Yolei felt her heart rate jump up again. TK sounded almost like he was hungry for her, and she had a hard time denying that she didn't feel the same way for him. She managed a coy smile at him, giving him a quick kiss as she ducked under his arms, stepping towards his front door again.
"Much better. You're learning, Takeru." She said playfully.
"Okay, let's get dried off." He said. Just as he went to unlock his door, it opened and the two were facing his mother. Suddenly, the both of them had a lot of explaining to do…
_ _ _ _ _
TK sat on his couch in his bathrobe and a pair of sweatpants, stretching out a bit. He could hear the shower still going. Yolei had accepted his mother's offer of a shower and some replacement clothes so she could get home. Ms. Takaishi sat opposite her son in her chair, waiting for him to say something.
"Mom we were just trying to cool off, and we came back to dry off." TK said, trying to smooth things over.
"Right. My son and his girlfriend come to my doorstep, both half-naked and dripping wet with rain water, and expect me to believe that they just want to dry off." She replied. "I wasn't born yesterday, Takeru."
"We weren't going to do anything, I swear!"
"You certainly were not." She said. "Not without protection you weren't, and I doubt you've had enough foresight yet to have any on hand."
TK sulked back where he sat until his mind wrapped itself around the other half of his mother's statement. He then looked back at her, completely puzzled.
"Um, I missed something there…aren't you supposed to still be yelling at me for acting like a raging hormonal teenager or something like that?" he asked.
"You want me to be angry at you for being attracted to a girl like her? Takeru, you're fifteen years old. I'd be worried if you weren't starting to show interest in someone."
"So…you're not really mad?"
"Well, I was more concerned that you'd track water all over the place and create a big mess. But as far as your intimate life goes, Takeru I know when the time comes that you'll be smart about it and use a bit of discretion as well."
"Unlike Matt and Sora…" TK said off-handedly.
"Frankly, yes." His mother said, standing up as she heard the shower turn off. "Those two just seem to always be looking for an excuse to explore that side of their relationship. I often question whether there's anything more to them than just that."
"I'm sure there is, mom, you just haven't seen it yet."
"Ever the optimist." His mother chided, heading back towards her room. She picked up a blouse a pair of shorts and a pair of panties that she'd picked out and knocked on the bathroom door gently.
"Yolei, I'm passing in some clothing for you. I hope it fits okay." She said, cracking the door slightly. She passed the clothing through, and it was quickly taken from her hand.
"Thanks Ms. Takaishi. I really appreciate this!" she heard Yolei say from inside. Ms. Takaishi smiled and returned to her son, who was flipping channels on TV. She sat down in her chair once again, returning to their prior discussion.
"I'm sure there are parts to your brother's relationship with Sora that I don't see, but when all I ever hear about from your father is about them being intimate with each other it does make me worry a bit." She told him.
"I can understand that I guess. But trust me, that's not how things are between Yolei and I." TK told her.
"He's right, ma'am." Yolei added, joining the conversation as she dried her hair. The clothes fit well enough for now, though she was clearly a little uncomfortable in them. She sat down next to TK. "I care for him a great deal. Sure, I enjoy when we kiss or maybe do a little more than just that, but we spend far more time talking and learning about each other, or just having fun wherever we are."
She looked over at TK, putting her hand on his and smiling at him. He nodded in response, agreeing with her assessment of things.
"While I do appreciate hearing that, Yolei, one thing does bother me." Ms. Takaishi said. Yolei turned back to her, a bit worried now. "Don't call me "ma'am", please. That makes me feel about eighty years old."
"Right! Sorry Ms. Takaishi." Yolei laughed nervously, wondering if TK's mother did this sort of thing to him often.
"That's better. Now then, that rain isn't letting up, and I'm not about to have you two running through that mess again right now, so you're both welcome to stay here and relax for now. We can see to getting you back home tonight after dinner, Yolei. As for me, I'm going to go do the grocery shopping I had been planning on before."
Ms. Takaishi got up and took her purse and umbrella with her, pausing after slipping her shoes on at the genkan to look back at the pair.
"Now behave you two!" she told them with a smile. Yolei giggled while TK just rolled his eyes, waving to his mother as she left.
"Your mother sure is pretty cool." Yolei said, leaning back against the armrest of the couch. "I'm amazed she didn't freak out about us. I don't even want to imagine what would've happened if we'd tried to go back to my place."
"Your folks just want the best for you is all, Yolei. They just want to make sure you don't get in trouble." TK told her.
"I know, but it gets a bit stifling at times, you know?"
"I guess. When I was younger mom was pretty over protective of me, but as I've gotten older she's certainly given me a lot of free reign, as you've seen."
"She wouldn't do that if she didn't trust you."
"True enough. I'm glad someone does. After earlier on, I know I don't."
"Takeru, don't feel bad about it. We were both swept up in the heat of the moment. I gave in just as much as you, and we still managed to keep our wits mostly about us."
"And what if mom hadn't been here, Yolei?" TK asked, standing up and walking over to the kitchen counter. Yolei could hear frustration edge its way into his voice. "We would've come in here like that and…who knows where things would've led to? I can't…I won't give into that part of myself. Not like Matt did."
"I told you to quit comparing yourself to him!" Yolei said, her tone somewhat aggravated now. She stood up and joined him at the counter. "Dealing with temptation is part of being a human being, Takeru. Everyone deals with it differently, but at some point or another we all give into it to some extent, and that includes you. It's honestly unhealthy to do otherwise, because you end up bottling those feelings up and that's when those feelings can turn into something more dangerous."
Yolei could see TK was staring intently at the counter, but knew he was listening to her by how still he was standing. She took hold of his chin, lifting his face to look at her.
"You're not perfect. I don't want you to be perfect for that matter! And nobody is expecting you to be perfect, so don't think you have to hold yourself to some absurdly high standard all the time. In the end, you're just as human as me or Matt or your mother or anyone else for that matter." She told him.
"I know you're right, Yolei. This isn't the first time I've been told that I'm a perfectionist. But…"
TK paused before he spoke, part of him still holding him back.
'Can I say it? Can I possibly tell her my darkest fears? I just…' he thought. He looked up finally and saw the concern and affection her eyes held for him, and knew his answer immediately. If there was ever a time and a person he could bare his secrets to, that time was now, and that person was Yolei.
"I've spent a long time now in Matt's shadow." He said, somewhat quietly. Yolei listened intently, knowing that this was difficult for him. "All that time I've been thinking and worrying that I would end up following the same paths he was going down. Mom worries that he's going to end up just like our father, and that means…"
"He might end up breaking Sora's heart someday." Yolei said, finishing his thought for him. Her eyes widened as the realization struck her. "That's what this is about, then, isn't it? It's less about Matt and more about the fact that you're worried about becoming just like your father like you think Matt is."
"And that's why all of this is hard for me to do." TK said, walking back into the living room.
"Takeru, you promised…"
"Just give me a few minutes, please Yolei? There's something on my mind that I want to say. I need to get this off of my chest once and for all." TK said pleadingly. Yolei nodded, leaning back against the counter as she listened to him. "I promised myself a long time ago that I'd only ever really fall in love once, and that it'd be forever. I never wanted to hurt someone like I knew my father hurt my mother, after all, and that still holds true. For a long time I was sure it'd be Kari. Everything just seemed to feel right about being with her. But I honestly can't say I'm sure anymore. Do you know why?"
"N-no…why?" Yolei asked, stuttering slightly. 'Kami-sama…is he…does he really…'
"It's because I've developed the exact same feelings for another person." He said, walking slowly over towards her. "She's tall, beautiful, smart, funny, witty…she's been my friend and confidant, she's lifted my spirits when I was down, and she's shown me how to live without worrying from one moment to the next. All of this in just a few short, yet unforgettable weeks."
TK stopped a few steps away from Yolei. Her face was fully red with color, as was his. She looked at him again, almost holding her breath as she waited for him to finish what he wanted to say.
"And to top it all off, she has the most beautiful, indigo colored hair…" he said, reaching out to touch her cheek gently. "It took me until now to realize all these feelings I've had for you were just as strong as those I have for Kari, Yolei. I just…I know someone is going to end up hurting after all of this is over. I want to make sure that down the road I only end up breaking one person's heart, and not two."
Yolei felt her heartbeat pounding inside her chest as she realized what TK was getting around to saying. Her took her hands in his, squeezing them gently as he began to say what had been in his heart for quite some time, now for the very first time out loud.
"Yolei, I…"
"Don't say it." Yolei said quickly, cutting him off.
"But it's…"
"Just don't say it, Takeru, please!" she pulled away from him, folding her arms to hug herself. "You still…you still have feelings for her too, so how could you say it? You can't, I won't let you! And because if you do say it…I'd hold you to it, and you'd never settle things between you and her completely."
TK was flabbergasted that she was pushing him away like this, but not quite hurt by it either. He realized she was trying to still give him the chance to choose, even though he'd been willing to give up that choice just to be with her. He sighed, managing a small smile at her as he put his hands in the pockets of his robe.
"Alright. I'll save those words for now." He told her.
"By all means, save them Takeru. Save them for the one you truly do want to hear them, whether that's her or…or me." Yolei said, her voice sounding timid, almost scared. "So what happens now?"
"I promise I won't mention Kari for the rest of the time she's away. But when that time comes, I need to see her alone to talk to her as well as to sort out just what my feelings truly are. I can only hope that I figure this all out then." TK replied.
"When will you let me know what you decide?"
"The following Monday, I promise. I won't let you suffer any more beyond that."
"Okay, then." Yolei managed to summon the courage to look him in the eyes again. "It is hard, knowing you can't just fell that way about me, but I understand that she's been a part of your life for longer than I've even known of you. I can wait."
"Thank you Yolei. I'll make it all up to you someday, no matter what."
"I know you will, Takeru."
"Now then, what shall we do the rest of the day?" he asked, taking a deep breath. It seemed to cleanse him a bit, his spirits a lot higher than they were just before. "That rain sure doesn't seem to want to let us back outside anytime soon."
"Let's have a look at that computer of yours, and then maybe we can just watch some TV or a movie or something." Yolei said, rolling up the sleeves of the blouse she wore. "Maybe I can figure something out."
TK nodded in agreement and the two set to going over the computer. It may not have been much, but it was significant to both of them nonetheless. They were together, for the time at least, and that's all that mattered.
Several days passed, and TK and Yolei saw as much of each other as they could when TK wasn't writing or Yolei wasn't tending to the store. TK even attended Yolei's sister's birthday party, and had dinner with her family that night.
The feelings between the two had only continued to strengthen since Matt's concert, and the more that happened between them the more it troubled TK to think that soon enough he would have to face Kari as well as the feelings that he still had for her.
It was Wednesday again, and TK had let Yolei know that the basketball game he'd told her about before was going to happen that day. Yolei had taken the necessary steps to prepare for the day, and everything was set for the refreshment cart she was going to provide to the players and a few of the spectators. Just one hurdle remained for her, though.
"But mom…!" Yolei said in protest.
"But nothing young lady, I will not have you prancing around outside in something that's practically your underwear!" her mother replied sternly.
"It's a swimsuit, mom, for crying out loud! Do you have any idea how hot it is out there? I'll roast!"
Yolei looked down at herself, seeing nothing wrong with how she was dressed. She wore her swimsuit top, which was red and purple striped and hugged her chest as any swimsuit was meant to, along with a pair of white shorts that came to her mid-thigh. She had a baseball cap in one hand, her sandals in the other and wore her sunglasses again, opting for her contacts over her glasses yet again.
"At least put something more on over your upper body, Yolei. That top is just too much."
"Fine, whatever." Yolei headed back to her room, sighing in disgust. She re-emerged a moment later, a loose, light pink tank top thrown over herself. "How's this?"
"That'll do, I guess." Her mother said begrudgingly. "Be careful out there, dear, it is rather hot out and I don't want you getting over exhausted."
'Then why are you making me wear a shirt?!' Yolei thought. "I'll be fine, mom. Is dad done with the cooler?"
"I think so. He set it on the wagon for you, as it turned out to be a bit heavy."
"Excellent. I'm outta here!"
Yolei danced around her mother and bounded down the stairs before her mother could say anything more about her appearance. She slipped into her sandals at the bottom of the stairs and headed into the shop, where the wagon with the cooler awaited.
"Looks like we've got everything. Water, sports drinks, some power bars and other assorted snacks." Her father said, closing the cooler up again.
"I really appreciate this, dad. The guys will too, I'm sure." Yolei said, hugging her father. "I'll make sure to bring back what they chip in for all of this."
"No worries, dear. Go have fun!"
Yolei nodded and took hold of the wagon, heading out. A wave of heat blasted her as she exited the store. She pulled the baseball cap onto her head, pushed her sunglasses up on her face, and headed in the direction of the playground.
'Damn, it's hotter out here than I thought it'd be! I hope the guys put on some sunscreen, this could be bad otherwise.' She thought as she walked, pulling the wagon along.
A short while later, the playground came into view and Yolei spotted everyone at the basketball court. TK, Davis and Cody were with three other neighborhood guys, exchanging handshakes and talking. All were wearing light sports clothing for the day's activities. Yolei pulled her wagon up to the bleachers nearby and sat next to it.
"The refreshments have arrived!" she announced with a flourish.
The group of guys looked over and, after a bit more talking, TK, Davis and Cody headed over to Yolei who smiled brightly at them as they approached.
"Thanks a lot Yolei, this'll help more than you know." Cody said, handing her a few hundred yen.
"Hey, I'm out here too Cody. It's freaking blistering hot out here!" she replied, pocketing the change.
"Well, it's only gonna get hotter as we get closer to noon." Davis added, handing Yolei a few coins as well. "Believe me, I might just dunk my head in that cooler when the time comes."
"Do it and I'll make you wash the thing fifty times! I have no idea where your head's been, Davis, and I sure don't want to know for that matter." She replied, half-jokingly.
"Okay, okay! Thanks all the same, Yolei." He said, heading back to the court with Cody.
"This should cover the rest of it." TK handed Yolei a couple thousand yen in bills.
"Takeru, where did you get cash like this?!"
"One of the guys over there owed me from a game of Horse we played a few weeks back, and I collected."
"You play for money?"
"Only from time to time. I've won far more than I've lost. I guess people underestimate me."
"Now there's an understatement." Yolei smiled as she pocketed the cash. "Anyone else going to show up?"
"We usually get a bit of a crowd to watch, but nothing big. Still, should be good business for you."
"Okay, then. Good luck out there."
She stood up, kissing TK for a long moment before sitting back down, smiling at him. She pulled her shades down a little, giving him a bit of a sexy look.
"I'll be watching, Takeru." She said in a softer tone. TK shook his head for a moment, smiled at her and headed back onto the court.
"Aw, damn it!" Davis yelled out. "Hey, PK! We lost the toss! You know what that means."
TK stopped in his tracks, looked back at Yolei for a moment, smiled to himself, and then continued on over towards Davis and Cody.
"Gotcha Davis." He said, heading over to one side. Davis and Cody joined him. Yolei watched on, curious as to what was going on. She just about fell off of her seat on the bleachers when suddenly all three boys pulled off their shirts, setting them aside. She knew that sometimes for games, when people didn't have jerseys, they'd play shirts vs. skins, but she'd never expected that to happen today.
Cody and Davis had good enough physiques, but the center of Yolei's attention was, of course, TK. For being just 15, his torso was fairly well muscled without being grotesquely so, like she remembered seeing in the bodybuilding magazines that were in her family's store. His arms were a bit lanky, which she already knew, but his biceps were well defined, and his back looked fairly solid as well. Yolei was appreciating every glimpse of him she was getting.
'Touché, Takeru…but I might just match you there in a bit.' She thought to herself.
As the game went on several more spectators stopped by to watch for a bit. Yolei sold some of the goods she had in her cooler to them, though making sure to keep some for Cody, Davis and TK who had already paid. The game went very well, the score went back and forth several times.
'Cody's not bad out there, though he's trying to hard to emulate Takeru it's almost funny.' Yolei thought as she watched. 'Davis isn't terrible, but you can tell this isn't his sport. And Takeru…he seems so graceful out there, almost like he just flows across the court. It's almost like another form of poetry, I guess. Now listen to me, I'm beginning to sound like him too! Oh the effect you've had on me, Takeru.'
At one point TK's team was up by several points. This was the opportunity Yolei had been waiting for. She waited until TK made his next shot and then stood up…
_ _ _ _ _
Another shot went through the hoop for TK. He didn't let himself celebrate, though, as he quickly turned and began jogging back up the court to play defense. As he did, he noticed Yolei standing up. She stretched for a moment, and then took hold of her tank top, pulling it over her head, revealing the swimsuit top she wore underneath. Suddenly TK's mind was elsewhere.
'Holy…am I seeing things? Is it that hot out here, or did she just…' he thought, in a half daze. Suddenly he felt a rush of air as his man ran past him with the ball. He dashed to try and catch up with him, but his shot had already gone off and through the hoop. TK cursed at himself a little as he turned to look back at Yolei, who was sitting back down now, cross-legged on the bleachers. She waved over to him, and he waved back, rolling his eyes as he did.
'A little payback, eh? Guess I asked for that. Even so, I had no idea she could look like that…' he thought.
"Hey TG! Stop leering at girls and let's win this game!" he heard Davis shout at him. TK shook his head again and signaled for Davis to pass him the ball.
"Game point, folks!" Cody called out. He ran an interference pattern in front of TK, who darted around to Cody's left. TK passed off to Davis, who caught the ball and too it up the right side of the court. He faked another step and rolled around, heading in towards the basket. He went up for a shot and, seeing two defenders go up with him to block, passed off to TK who was wide open. TK went to the hoop unguarded and layed the ball up and in for the winning points.
The three shirtless boys high fived each other in celebration, and then shook hands with their opponents. They grabbed their shirts from the pile and made their way over to the bleachers, each taking a seat around the cooler. Davis grabbed a sports drink and power bar, Cody likewise got a sports drink, and TK just took a bottle of water. All three concentrated on gulping down their fluids first.
"Hoo man, that hit the spot." TK said, finishing half of his water.
"I'll bet." Yolei said, leaning over towards him a bit. "Hey, something seemed to distract you out there. I wonder what it was?"
"Um…well, I thought it was a mirage at first, but…" TK tried his hardest not to look down at Yolei's outfit, but found himself glancing a couple of times. He swallowed hard, laughing briefly. "…I guess not."
"I assure you, it's no mirage." She told him with a half-smile on her face. She sat back up after a moment and handed TK a sandwich she'd kept aside for him.
"Hey, no fair! Who does he get a sandwich?" Davis said.
"Two reasons: first, he paid more than you. Second, and I'm sure this one will be the real news flash to you Davis, he's my boyfriend!" Yolei told him. TK just gave Davis a silly grin and unwrapped the sandwich, munching on it and washing the bites down with some water.
"Yeah thanks for reminding me Yolei." Davis said sarcastically. He stood back up, finishing his drink. "It's way too hot out here for anything else. I'm heading back home to cool off."
"I have to agree with Davis for once." Cody added. "I wouldn't even dare to get an ice cream cone today, it'd melt before I could even take one bite!"
"How many flavors have you gone through so far?" TK asked him.
"16 down, 15 to go. I'll have to make sure to have one tomorrow or I'll fall behind!"
"Hang in there Cody, knowing your persistence you'll reach that goal before you know it." Yolei added encouragingly. The four friends shared a laugh at the thought before Cody and Davis headed off. Most of the rest of the crowd had dispersed as well by now.
"Looks like we're on our own again." Yolei said, putting the lid back on the cooler.
"Funny how that works out anymore, these days." TK joked as he tossed his container of water and the sandwich wrapper into a nearby trash can.
"I have to say, though, I like it when it's hot. It gives me a chance to actually turn a few heads."
"I'll say." TK responded, taking a moment to take an appreciative look over her.
"Hey, I was just kidding!" Yolei said, smacking him lightly on the shoulder.
"And I wasn't. I mean, you really look, well…sexy." TK blushed a bit, not being used to calling a girl sexy to her face.
"Okay, now I know the heat's affecting your brain Takeru." Yolei began pulling the wagon with the cooler back towards home. "Pretty I can deal with, but sexy? Give me a break."
"Everyone has multiple sides to them, Yolei, some sides are just a bit more hidden than others are. And some sides never get seen by the public, for some reason or another."
"I can accept that, I suppose. I mean, I remember a couple of the times back in the Digital World that you just about lost it. When we were fighting real evil, you were like another person. You were possessed with vanquishing darkness."
"I…try not to bring that side out that often. It scares me that I can get like that, honestly."
"You're scared that you can act so brave and selflessly, risking life and limb to protect innocent people?"
"I'm scared that I can get that violent."
Yolei stopped in her tracks and looked at TK, a concerned expression crossing her features. TK had his head hung and looking away from her.
"I've heard the fights Matt and Sora have had before…hell, I remember some of the arguments he and I have had. A couple of times it got kinda physical too. I give Sora credit that she's been able to calm Matt down so much, but I know sometimes he's still prone to fly off the hook." He said, his hands clenching into fists. "And knowing that the same hot streak runs in my blood as well…I don't ever want to be like that. I don't ever want to be a threat to anyone, least of all someone I cared about."
"But you're not a threat, Takeru." Yolei said, putting her hands on his shoulders. "You've only ever shown that side when others were hurt or in danger. It was never for a selfish reason before, and I know you wouldn't do it again without good reason."
"You give me too much credit, Yolei. I'm no better than my brother."
"Stop that right now, Takeru." Yolei's voice took on a more stern tone. TK looked up at her again finally. "You are not Matt, okay? You may be of his blood, but you are not the same as him. You're everything he isn't: gentle, compassionate, humble to a fault…I could spend an hour listing the differences between you two. And you are not a violent person. And there's one more major difference between you and your brother."
"What's that?"
Yolei's expression softened a bit as she smiled at him once again, draping her arms around his neck and gazing into his eyes.
"He has Sora. You, on the other hand, have me." She told him. TK finally managed a small laugh as he slid his arms around her bare waist.
"You've got me there." He said.
"You'd better believe it, mister."
The pair shared a kiss for a few moments, though not pulling extremely close to each other. After breaking off the kiss they continued on their way back to Yolei's home. Just around the corner from the store, Yolei pulled on her tank top again.
"If mom knew I'd been walking around in just my swimsuit top she'd freak, trust me."
"I'll take your word for it." TK replied, pulling his shirt onto himself as well, just in case. Sure enough, Yolei's mother was tending to the store, fanning herself behind the counter.
"Oh, welcome back you two. You can leave that behind the counter here with me." Mrs. Inoue told them. "Is it as bad out there as it is in here?"
"Worse, mom, believe me." Yolei said, complying with her mother's directions. "Could we just hang out here, maybe?"
"I'd normally say yes, but the air conditioner is on the fritz again, and your father is fit to be tied about it."
"Terrific." Yolei groaned. She looked back at TK. "What about your place?"
"We have a few fans, but no A/C I'm afraid." TK replied. "And I don't think the answer is to blow more hot air onto ourselves."
"Indeed." Yolei frowned. "Well there has to be some way to beat the heat!"
"Well, we could always try Matt's or Sora's place. It's worth a shot." TK suggested.
"I guess. We'll see you later, mom!" Yolei said, waving to her mother.
"Be careful out there!" her mother called after her. She then heard a crash from upstairs and bit her lower lip, hoping her husband wasn't mauling the air conditioner too terribly.
_ _ _ _ _
"Too…hot…for…words…" TK groaned as he reclined on the stairs of the apartment complex. He had gotten out of his shirt yet again, as it had been too hot for even the light shirt he had with him. Sora and Matt were both out somewhere together, and they had no access to either apartment, so the pair were once again stuck outside. The sky had become a bit overcast, but it was still as hot as ever. If anything, it almost seemed like it was getting even more hot and humid than before.
"Agreed." Yolei said, looking up at him from where she sat. She had her tank top in one hand, dabbing at her forehead to wipe away her sweat. "This is nuts…why don't we just go to your place and open the freezer door?"
"Waste of electricity. Mom would have my hide when the electric bill came around."
"So you've done it before?"
"I have two groundings and five lectures to show for it."
Yolei just sighed and rolled her head back, looking up through the stairwell. It was almost getting hard to breathe now, it was so hot. And the smell that was now permeating the air wasn't helping any.
'Hey, what is that?' she wondered, sniffing the air a bit. She then noticed TK doing the same. "You smell that too?"
"Yeah, it's almost like I can smell the humidity. Weird, huh?" he said, wrinkling his nose. All of a sudden, there was a loud crash of thunder and the skies seemed to just open up in a matter of minutes, pouring rain down on the parched earth below. TK and Yolei looked out at the deluge in amazement.
"You're thinking what I'm thinking, right?" TK asked.
"Like you had to even waste your time asking!" Yolei replied.
The two overheated DigiDestined ran head on into the pouring rain. The rush of cool water was most welcome, and both welcomed the downpour with open arms. TK laid down on the ground, letting the rain drench him completely on one side before flipping over to his other side. Yolei laughed at the sight of him flopping around on the ground like a fish out of water. She helped him up after a minute.
"That was my 'tuna out of water' impression, ladies and gentlemen!" TK announced as if he were performing for an audience. He bowed in several different direction as well. "Thank you, thank you! I'll be here all week, try the pork chops!" TK then hugged Yolei, going a little limp as he did.
"Oh no, the sun must've fried his brains!" Yolei said melodramatically. "I must try and resuscitate him!"
Yolei pulled TK off of her just enough to kiss him. At first the two laughed through their kiss at how silly they were acting. They stopped kissing for a moment to finish laughing, and looked at each other. Both were completely drenched, water dripping from their hair and faces. They were holding each other very closely, and each could feel the other's skin against their own, slick from the combination of sweat and rain water. It made the moment both awkward and extremely tempting.
"This is…very, um, nice…isn't it?" Yolei said shamefacedly. She tried her hardest to put on a more sheepish face, but the feeling of being held against TK as well as the fact that his eyes now seemed to match the color of the stormy sky kept her completely fixated on him.
"Nicer than I can describe…" TK replied in a likewise fashion.
"You know, a lesser man might try to take advantage of a girl in a situation like this." Yolei smiled at TK, brushing some of his damp hair away from his face. "And that's the big difference between you and Matt, Takeru. You aren't a lesser man, not by a long shot."
"This is pretty tempting all the same Yolei…" TK swallowed a bit as he tried to calm himself down a bit.
"Believe me, the feeling is more than mutual."
"It's not being fair to you, though. I mean, my leading you on like this…"
"Do you hear me complaining yet?"
"Yolei…"
"I know…I just…"
Yolei hugged TK closer, resting her head on his shoulder. TK moved his one hand up to her head, stroking her wet hair gently. They stood there, in the rain, just holding each other in silence for a long while.
'I know what's holding him back, and I curse the fact that we have to wait any longer to have this settled once and for all. Just a few more days, though…' Yolei thought as she held onto her boyfriend. 'I'm so tempted right now to follow this to its end, though…no, I have to wait until he's ready.'
'If I wasn't being fair to her before, I sure as hell am now.' TK thought, trying to concentrate on the moment. 'What's it going to take to sort out my true feelings? This situation doesn't help much, but I have to exercise some restraint. I can't give in to that side of me…I just can't!'
"We should get indoors soon." TK finally said , trying to rein himself in, though not having terribly great luck. Yolei just looked so tempting to him, and that combined with the strengthened feelings and closeness he felt to her was almost too much for him.
"In a few minutes." Yolei said with a nod. She saw the look of longing in his eyes, meeting it with her own. For every bit TK was being tempted, she was being tempted just as much. Finally, she spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper. "I think we owe it to ourselves to at least blow off some of this steam, Takeru. It's not healthy to bottle up your emotions that much, after all."
Yolei suddenly found herself being kissed fiercely by TK, and immediately kissed him back. Her words had been like a green light to both of them, and they made out in the middle of the storm as if they were the only two people for miles around. After several minutes they finally stopped kissing and embraced each other tightly. They headed into the apartment complex shortly thereafter, making their way towards TK's place.
"Whoa. I don't think I've ever felt like that before." TK said, shaking his head vigorously.
"Ack!" Yolei cried as water from TK's head sprayed her. "Just for that…!" She did likewise, spraying him with water from her own hair.
"Okay, okay! Uncle! Uncle! Sorry Yolei."
"Don't worry about it. But I agree, that was more intense than anything we've done so far. I'll have to hope it rains more often."
"Yeah, no kidding." TK muttered.
"Hah! I heard that!"
TK stopped short of his front door, turned to face Yolei, who was walking alongside him, and put his arms on either side of her against the wall, backing her up against it.
"Well can you blame me for wanting to kiss a pretty girl like you?" he asked, smirking at her.
"So I'm back to just being pretty now?" Yolei asked in a mock indignant tone.
"My apologies. I meant to say…" he leaned in closer, dropping his voice a bit. "…can you blame me for wanting to kiss a sexy woman like you?"
Yolei felt her heart rate jump up again. TK sounded almost like he was hungry for her, and she had a hard time denying that she didn't feel the same way for him. She managed a coy smile at him, giving him a quick kiss as she ducked under his arms, stepping towards his front door again.
"Much better. You're learning, Takeru." She said playfully.
"Okay, let's get dried off." He said. Just as he went to unlock his door, it opened and the two were facing his mother. Suddenly, the both of them had a lot of explaining to do…
_ _ _ _ _
TK sat on his couch in his bathrobe and a pair of sweatpants, stretching out a bit. He could hear the shower still going. Yolei had accepted his mother's offer of a shower and some replacement clothes so she could get home. Ms. Takaishi sat opposite her son in her chair, waiting for him to say something.
"Mom we were just trying to cool off, and we came back to dry off." TK said, trying to smooth things over.
"Right. My son and his girlfriend come to my doorstep, both half-naked and dripping wet with rain water, and expect me to believe that they just want to dry off." She replied. "I wasn't born yesterday, Takeru."
"We weren't going to do anything, I swear!"
"You certainly were not." She said. "Not without protection you weren't, and I doubt you've had enough foresight yet to have any on hand."
TK sulked back where he sat until his mind wrapped itself around the other half of his mother's statement. He then looked back at her, completely puzzled.
"Um, I missed something there…aren't you supposed to still be yelling at me for acting like a raging hormonal teenager or something like that?" he asked.
"You want me to be angry at you for being attracted to a girl like her? Takeru, you're fifteen years old. I'd be worried if you weren't starting to show interest in someone."
"So…you're not really mad?"
"Well, I was more concerned that you'd track water all over the place and create a big mess. But as far as your intimate life goes, Takeru I know when the time comes that you'll be smart about it and use a bit of discretion as well."
"Unlike Matt and Sora…" TK said off-handedly.
"Frankly, yes." His mother said, standing up as she heard the shower turn off. "Those two just seem to always be looking for an excuse to explore that side of their relationship. I often question whether there's anything more to them than just that."
"I'm sure there is, mom, you just haven't seen it yet."
"Ever the optimist." His mother chided, heading back towards her room. She picked up a blouse a pair of shorts and a pair of panties that she'd picked out and knocked on the bathroom door gently.
"Yolei, I'm passing in some clothing for you. I hope it fits okay." She said, cracking the door slightly. She passed the clothing through, and it was quickly taken from her hand.
"Thanks Ms. Takaishi. I really appreciate this!" she heard Yolei say from inside. Ms. Takaishi smiled and returned to her son, who was flipping channels on TV. She sat down in her chair once again, returning to their prior discussion.
"I'm sure there are parts to your brother's relationship with Sora that I don't see, but when all I ever hear about from your father is about them being intimate with each other it does make me worry a bit." She told him.
"I can understand that I guess. But trust me, that's not how things are between Yolei and I." TK told her.
"He's right, ma'am." Yolei added, joining the conversation as she dried her hair. The clothes fit well enough for now, though she was clearly a little uncomfortable in them. She sat down next to TK. "I care for him a great deal. Sure, I enjoy when we kiss or maybe do a little more than just that, but we spend far more time talking and learning about each other, or just having fun wherever we are."
She looked over at TK, putting her hand on his and smiling at him. He nodded in response, agreeing with her assessment of things.
"While I do appreciate hearing that, Yolei, one thing does bother me." Ms. Takaishi said. Yolei turned back to her, a bit worried now. "Don't call me "ma'am", please. That makes me feel about eighty years old."
"Right! Sorry Ms. Takaishi." Yolei laughed nervously, wondering if TK's mother did this sort of thing to him often.
"That's better. Now then, that rain isn't letting up, and I'm not about to have you two running through that mess again right now, so you're both welcome to stay here and relax for now. We can see to getting you back home tonight after dinner, Yolei. As for me, I'm going to go do the grocery shopping I had been planning on before."
Ms. Takaishi got up and took her purse and umbrella with her, pausing after slipping her shoes on at the genkan to look back at the pair.
"Now behave you two!" she told them with a smile. Yolei giggled while TK just rolled his eyes, waving to his mother as she left.
"Your mother sure is pretty cool." Yolei said, leaning back against the armrest of the couch. "I'm amazed she didn't freak out about us. I don't even want to imagine what would've happened if we'd tried to go back to my place."
"Your folks just want the best for you is all, Yolei. They just want to make sure you don't get in trouble." TK told her.
"I know, but it gets a bit stifling at times, you know?"
"I guess. When I was younger mom was pretty over protective of me, but as I've gotten older she's certainly given me a lot of free reign, as you've seen."
"She wouldn't do that if she didn't trust you."
"True enough. I'm glad someone does. After earlier on, I know I don't."
"Takeru, don't feel bad about it. We were both swept up in the heat of the moment. I gave in just as much as you, and we still managed to keep our wits mostly about us."
"And what if mom hadn't been here, Yolei?" TK asked, standing up and walking over to the kitchen counter. Yolei could hear frustration edge its way into his voice. "We would've come in here like that and…who knows where things would've led to? I can't…I won't give into that part of myself. Not like Matt did."
"I told you to quit comparing yourself to him!" Yolei said, her tone somewhat aggravated now. She stood up and joined him at the counter. "Dealing with temptation is part of being a human being, Takeru. Everyone deals with it differently, but at some point or another we all give into it to some extent, and that includes you. It's honestly unhealthy to do otherwise, because you end up bottling those feelings up and that's when those feelings can turn into something more dangerous."
Yolei could see TK was staring intently at the counter, but knew he was listening to her by how still he was standing. She took hold of his chin, lifting his face to look at her.
"You're not perfect. I don't want you to be perfect for that matter! And nobody is expecting you to be perfect, so don't think you have to hold yourself to some absurdly high standard all the time. In the end, you're just as human as me or Matt or your mother or anyone else for that matter." She told him.
"I know you're right, Yolei. This isn't the first time I've been told that I'm a perfectionist. But…"
TK paused before he spoke, part of him still holding him back.
'Can I say it? Can I possibly tell her my darkest fears? I just…' he thought. He looked up finally and saw the concern and affection her eyes held for him, and knew his answer immediately. If there was ever a time and a person he could bare his secrets to, that time was now, and that person was Yolei.
"I've spent a long time now in Matt's shadow." He said, somewhat quietly. Yolei listened intently, knowing that this was difficult for him. "All that time I've been thinking and worrying that I would end up following the same paths he was going down. Mom worries that he's going to end up just like our father, and that means…"
"He might end up breaking Sora's heart someday." Yolei said, finishing his thought for him. Her eyes widened as the realization struck her. "That's what this is about, then, isn't it? It's less about Matt and more about the fact that you're worried about becoming just like your father like you think Matt is."
"And that's why all of this is hard for me to do." TK said, walking back into the living room.
"Takeru, you promised…"
"Just give me a few minutes, please Yolei? There's something on my mind that I want to say. I need to get this off of my chest once and for all." TK said pleadingly. Yolei nodded, leaning back against the counter as she listened to him. "I promised myself a long time ago that I'd only ever really fall in love once, and that it'd be forever. I never wanted to hurt someone like I knew my father hurt my mother, after all, and that still holds true. For a long time I was sure it'd be Kari. Everything just seemed to feel right about being with her. But I honestly can't say I'm sure anymore. Do you know why?"
"N-no…why?" Yolei asked, stuttering slightly. 'Kami-sama…is he…does he really…'
"It's because I've developed the exact same feelings for another person." He said, walking slowly over towards her. "She's tall, beautiful, smart, funny, witty…she's been my friend and confidant, she's lifted my spirits when I was down, and she's shown me how to live without worrying from one moment to the next. All of this in just a few short, yet unforgettable weeks."
TK stopped a few steps away from Yolei. Her face was fully red with color, as was his. She looked at him again, almost holding her breath as she waited for him to finish what he wanted to say.
"And to top it all off, she has the most beautiful, indigo colored hair…" he said, reaching out to touch her cheek gently. "It took me until now to realize all these feelings I've had for you were just as strong as those I have for Kari, Yolei. I just…I know someone is going to end up hurting after all of this is over. I want to make sure that down the road I only end up breaking one person's heart, and not two."
Yolei felt her heartbeat pounding inside her chest as she realized what TK was getting around to saying. Her took her hands in his, squeezing them gently as he began to say what had been in his heart for quite some time, now for the very first time out loud.
"Yolei, I…"
"Don't say it." Yolei said quickly, cutting him off.
"But it's…"
"Just don't say it, Takeru, please!" she pulled away from him, folding her arms to hug herself. "You still…you still have feelings for her too, so how could you say it? You can't, I won't let you! And because if you do say it…I'd hold you to it, and you'd never settle things between you and her completely."
TK was flabbergasted that she was pushing him away like this, but not quite hurt by it either. He realized she was trying to still give him the chance to choose, even though he'd been willing to give up that choice just to be with her. He sighed, managing a small smile at her as he put his hands in the pockets of his robe.
"Alright. I'll save those words for now." He told her.
"By all means, save them Takeru. Save them for the one you truly do want to hear them, whether that's her or…or me." Yolei said, her voice sounding timid, almost scared. "So what happens now?"
"I promise I won't mention Kari for the rest of the time she's away. But when that time comes, I need to see her alone to talk to her as well as to sort out just what my feelings truly are. I can only hope that I figure this all out then." TK replied.
"When will you let me know what you decide?"
"The following Monday, I promise. I won't let you suffer any more beyond that."
"Okay, then." Yolei managed to summon the courage to look him in the eyes again. "It is hard, knowing you can't just fell that way about me, but I understand that she's been a part of your life for longer than I've even known of you. I can wait."
"Thank you Yolei. I'll make it all up to you someday, no matter what."
"I know you will, Takeru."
"Now then, what shall we do the rest of the day?" he asked, taking a deep breath. It seemed to cleanse him a bit, his spirits a lot higher than they were just before. "That rain sure doesn't seem to want to let us back outside anytime soon."
"Let's have a look at that computer of yours, and then maybe we can just watch some TV or a movie or something." Yolei said, rolling up the sleeves of the blouse she wore. "Maybe I can figure something out."
TK nodded in agreement and the two set to going over the computer. It may not have been much, but it was significant to both of them nonetheless. They were together, for the time at least, and that's all that mattered.