Disclaimer: I don't own digimon!
This fic just kind of popped into my head this morning as I was browsing the Toei Animation fan art section (those people draw so well…::cries::) and a thought just up and was there. This story isn't really anything. It takes place during the senior year of the 02 digidestined. Which means that Yolei and Ken are in their first year of college, TK, Kari and Davis are seniors, and Cody is a sophomore. Now that that's cleared up, just read it!
The Senior Year
::bounce…bounce…::
"And here comes team captain Takeru Takaishi of the Odiaba High School Tigers dribbling the basketball up the court with speed!" Takeru Takaishi could feel his hair blowing out of the way of his face, his fingers touching the dusty basketball and the pound of tennis shoes against the gym court. Slightly behind him, Daisuke Motomiya ran, efficiently guarding him from the on coming players. Thoughts were strewn across his head; it was the championship game and the Tigers were behind two.
"Daisuke!" His deep teenage voice suddenly called out, still concentrating on the game. The slightly shorter maroon haired teenager sped up until he was at his side.
"Brick?" He breathed out gruffly as he struggled to keep up.
"Yeah…go for it!" The familiar adventurous smile of his flashed over his face as Dai sprinted to the middle of the half court and waved his arms.
Takeru made a dead stop and spun around quickly, surprising the pursuing point guard from Kawada high school as well as the rest of the pursuing team. In a flash (and a brief smile) he hurled the ball over to Daisuke and sprinted to the three point line. He himself had discovered a while back that his teammate and he were evenly matched; while he could run faster and shoot, Dai could jump higher and was more agile.
The blonde made a squeaky stop at the semi-circle three point line, watching intently as Daisuke weaved his way in and out of the opposing Kawada Manta's and finally ducked in front.
All of the sudden a humungo guy stepped in front of him. They were just about the same height, he and Takeru, except Takeru was about the same width as this guy's big, blubbery arm. It must have taken him the whole forty seconds to move to the court. In any case, there was no way the ball could get to him.
"Dai, take it!" Daisuke looked up, a look of pure surprise riddled on his face. He could see Takeru waving frantically at him to make the shot, at least he could see his head. A huge mass of blubber was blocking everything else. But it was too late now…the ball was sailing right towards them. Kawada was practically cheering their heads off. He nearly collapsed in disappointment.
The tall basketball captain saw the orange, black stripped ball falling to him; they'd never win, now. But he had to try anyway. Just as Takeru's hands were about to slip over the ball, the gigantic fat man made the mistake of jumping in effort to block him. The basketball bounced off of his big fat head and sailed towards the basket. The fans were silent. The players weren't moving. Takeru and Daisuke were practically frozen.
And everyone heard it when the ball went through the hoop with a satisfying swish and the final buzzer went off. No one even breathed; all eyes were on Takeru and Daisuke and the fat guy who stood in etched silence.
Hikari Yagami, milk chocolate eyes as wide as jumbo sushi rolls, watched as the basketball hit the floor with a smack followed by a few series of others, a grin the size of Texas appearing on her face. Her giddy hands started to shake the blue, pink and silver pom poms rapidly.
"YES!" From across the court, Takeru and Daisuke were grinning at one another like rabid…animal…things…
"Yeah!"
"Woo hoo!" Takeru practically leaped-frogged over the fat-man's head to meet his best bud's high-five. The crowd was ballistic, the fellow cheerleaders were going nuts. The players where either ecstatic or just plain angry.
"He can't do that! It's a foul! This game belongs to Kawada, and you know it ref!"
"I beg to differ." All eyes turned to the median-height sophomore Iori Hida. His lifted yet neat brown hair (think of a cross between little Iori, Izzy, the cute little green-haired friend of Rini's on Sailor Moon, I think his name is Kelly?, and first form Super Sayian Trunks, okay?) dropped slightly over his curvy green eyes as he offered a cool, somewhat cocky smile.
"Who's this kid?" Hikari walked up behind him, giddy but very straightforward.
"This 'kid' is the Odiaba Tiger's tactical manager." Iori-kun nodded in agreement. The referee gave him a discerning glance.
"In the Tokyo district rule book for High School basketball, males and females, it does not mention anything about the teams having to use their hands to score. If anything was committed, it was moving screen right before Takeru gained possession of the ball; the man o' blubber over there was completely blocking Takeru off like a moving wall of Berlin. The three had failed to notice how quiet the gymnasium had become as the ref flipped through the pages of the rule book. The fat man was seething…
"He's right. The game goes to Odiaba!" The crowd screamed their approval; Kawada started to slink away heads hung…not that anyone cared or anything.
The boys were being cheered and smacked in their own little circle of team members. Takeru was in the middle of giving Daisuke a nice big noogie in his maroon hair when the shrill screams of the tons of boy-crazy fans came running up. Instantly, the rest of the basketball team started running for their lives…
At the head of the pack was Sara Little, active member of the spirit club and president the 'I love Takeru/ Daisuke Fan Club'. Takeru still had Daisuke under arm and his large hands in his hair. Huge sweatdrops rolled down the back of the teen boys' heads.
"Like, OH my god! It's Takeru Takaishi and Daisuke Motomiya! Like, OH MY GOD! AHH!" The girls charged like wild bulls.
"We're…dead…" Takeru sighed sadly and released Dai from his head lock.
"I really liked this jersey…" He didn't fancy the thought of it being ripped to shreds.
"Hey! Is that Yamato Ishida and Taichi Yagami over there?! You know, that hot guy from that hot band 'Wolves' and the star player of Tokyo's Soccer Team?!"
"Oh…my…god… a professional athlete and a rock star?! AHHHH!!!"
Up on the Bleachers…
Two screams of terror echoed throughout the gym as a huge stampede of teenage girls chased the running figures out of the double gym doors.
Takeru's whole face seemed to smile as he saw Hikari standing behind him, profound smile etched on her features.
"Thanks Hikari; we owe you one." Daisuke nodded in agreement.
"No way; I'm just repaying you for the time you covered for me when Osaka's school mascot, the goat Melody, followed me home."
"You have a way with animals…" Dai said with a coy smile on his face, motioning to the bunch of cat-calling guys behind them. The brunette sent a pathetic look towards Takeru, who sighed; why was it he who always had to make a spectacle of himself. Not that he really minded doing Hikari-chan a favor or anything.
Turning towards the group of rather rude guys, he glared and made a slow, lingering slash at his throat. Instantly, the howling and rooting stopped. Being tall so did serve him well. Yes, it was tough ruling a high school like he did; sometimes the subjects just got a little rowdy. With a final glare, he turned back to Kari with a 'pretending to be mad' smile.
"You owe me." Daisuke shook his head with a smile at their little plans and plots.
"You know…one of these days someone might get the idea that you guys are dating…" Hikari laughed, interlacing her fingers with Takeru's and relaxing her head on his shoulder.
"Us? No way, Dai."
"I dunno…you kinda look like a couple to me…" Takeru rolled his eyes as they walked towards the back gym exit.
"This coming from the one who had a crush on the infamous Hikari Yagami for approximately…"
"Hey man, shut up!" Daisuke couldn't help but smile at the fond yet embarrassing memories.
"We're just messing around, Dais." Hikari said with a giggle.
"Yeah, cool it." The three all laughed and exited the gymnasium.
Takeru and Hikari released their hands immediately after the door was closed and breathed deep.
"So guys…shall we go to-"
"I'm gonna teach you not to mess with me, kid!" The sound of punches and groans echoed over the quad where they had entered.
"I've got a bad feeling about this…did that sound like Iori to anyone else?" Exchanging worried glances, they ran to the other side of the building.
Iori struggled under the powerful grip of Vince Jauger, the fat man. With his fat hands under the second of his double shirt, there was no way he could slip away.
*What I wouldn't give for a kendo stick right about now…* He thought as the sophomore tried to pull the barbarian's hand away from his clothing. With that failing, he threw a solid punch at the fat man's face. Roaring the rage he raised his first.
"Why you little-"
"Put him down!" Hikari Yagami screamed at the obnoxiously large teenager. Vince saw her distress and smiled, glaring at Iori.
"You better be lucky I don't like seeing girls cry." With that he threw him to the ground with a powerful throw; the boy scrapped all along the pavement and stopped finally in the middle of the court. Hikari shrieked and ran towards him, closely followed by Takeru and Daisuke.
"Oh Iori-kun. Will you be okay?" He sat up; the arm that scrapped along the pavement was covered with blood.
"Despite this, he didn't lay a finger on me." Takeru looked down at his younger friend and frowned, removing his hat and taking his handkerchief from under it. Hikari took it and started to tie it around the long cut on the bottom of his arm. Then the blonde stood up, still frowning, and started towards the over-grown walrus (gee, just how many names COULD I call this guy?) Daisuke glanced up at him and started to run when the fallen friend stopped him.
"Dai…it's a lost cause." Iori pulled himself into a sitting position beside the older brunette.
"Takeru is a very gentle person…but…sometimes he can't control it." Daisuke frowned. His bud did look pretty scary. His eyes traveled to Hikari, who seemed equally worried.
"Takeru versus the Jaugernaut, round one."
Vince Jauger gave a false fright face as Takeru stepped up to him with deadly serious eyes.
"Oh no! It's Takeru Takaishi come to save his little friend! Oh save me, save me!" Nothing. Takeru said nothing.
"So Takaishi, have you come to fight the great Jaugernaut?"
"I'm not here to fight." The giants beady, blackish blue eyes narrowed.
"Let me guess, because fighting isn't the answer? Oh, so poetryic."
"Because I don't need to." The vicious teenager growled and took a slow but powerful swing at Takeru, knocking the other teenager over the head.
"Takeru!" Hikari and Daisuke yelled at the same time.
The blonde merely stumbled slightly, then he straightened up and wiped the little trickle of blood on his mouth. Vince Jauger seethed and swung again, but this time he ducked, hands in his pockets as if it were nothing. After numerous swings and misses, the gigantic blob slacked slightly in his tight basketball jersey, tired out, while his blonde opponent still stood straight, neither a deep breath nor a sign of retreat showing. The blubber-man looked up, as if to swing again but simply double over, exhausted.
"Like I said, I don't need to." Takeru adjusted his hat and put his hands back in his pockets before starting away. Then, with a sarcastic smile, he turned back around.
"Oh, and it's poetic, not poetryic, moron."
As soon as Takeru got back to his friends, the act dropped and he returned to normal, sighed and leaned on his knees.
"That was close…" Hikari flung her arms around his neck in a hug.
"You were awesome!" She cheered, releasing him from her hold and smiling brightly.
"Fat Man didn't stand a chance!" Iori piped up as he stood, Takeru's handkerchief wrapped around his arm as a temporary bandage.
"Dude you have GOT to tell me how you did that. It would save me a who lot of trouble with this one guy…" Takeru yawned and checked his watch.
"Hey, we gotta get home. It's almost twelve. I told my mom I'd be home by then!"
"Yikes! So did I!" Hikari exclaimed as they neared the point where their homes split in different directions. About three years back or so, Daisuke and the rest of the Motomiya's moved closer to where Iori lived and Miyako used to live (she's in college, remember?). Then a year later, Takeru and his mom moved close to where Daisuke and Hikari lived. In the morning, when they all walked to school together, Takeru and Hikari came and Iori and Daisuke came.
"Goodbye, Daisuke." The lovely brunette gave Dai a hug.
"Goodbye Hikari." Then she turned towards Iori and gave him a hug. "Get well, Iori-kun." The youngest of the bunch nodded and also said goodbye.
"Ja ne, Takeru." Takeru and Daisuke (hugged…J/K) slapped hands. "You too, Dai. Sayonara, Iori." The blonde slapped hands with him too before they all started off in their separate directions.
Takeru and Hikari could see their separate apartment buildings in view. And soon enough, it was time to split.
"Ja ne, Hikari. See you tomorrow at school." The teenage girl pulled him into a hug as custom for her, hug times were for first hello, last goodbye and any other time she saw fit. Takeru was one of the few who fell into the catergory of getting 'whenever she saw fit' hugs and she didn't mind in the least; it was usually him she hugged the most and the longest. Iori also fell in but he was too shy, and Daisuke also but he was a bit too bony for her liking. Takeru was just the right height, width and texture for her; he was always soft and warm. Tonight was no exception.
After ten seconds, Hikari stood on her tip-toes and pecked his cheek before standing away. Takeru didn't blush; he'd outgrown that when he was around 15 or so, especially with Hikari.
"What was that for?"
"For being so awesome." She answered with giddy flare and a gentle smile. He smiled back.
"Sayonara, Takeru." Quickly, he leaned down and brushed his lips against her cheek. Hikari closed her eyes, tilting her head to one side before the light caught in the brown irises and she smiled gently.
"Goodnight, Hikari." With a soft smile and a quick wave, he stuck his hands in his pockets again and started off towards home. As soon as he was out of sight, Hikari touched her cheek and sighed, smiled and shook her head.
As soon as Hikari was out of sight, he touched his cheek and smiled, then shook his head.
"Nah."
"Nah."
The next morning, Hikari stood outside of her Apartment building waiting for Takeru like every other day.
"It's not like him to be late…"
:beep, beep:
Her eyes glanced up in time to see a shiny green BMW convertible ride up towards her, two young men in the front. Hikari recognized them immediately.
"Ohayo, Yamato. Ohayo Takeru. Driving us to school today?" Kari asked as she hoped in the back seat.
"What are big brother's for?" The older blonde asked as he drove out of the complex towards the normal meeting spot. The brunette rolled her eyes.
"Why ARE you doing a good deed today, anyway?" Takeru gave a slightly sour laugh.
"Good deed my foot. He's making me pay 50 yen for this." Hikari smiled.
"Oh come on, 50 yen isn't that bad." Yamato cracked and evil smile while Takeru crossed his arms.
"Each."
"Each?!" Hikari exclaimed. Takeru huffed.
"Plus him." The girl whacked Yamato in the head.
"What are big brother's for is right! Evil…" The musician laughed as they sped down the road.
Daisuke and Iori were extremely happy as they jumped in the backseat with Hikari.
"To what do we owe the pleasure, Takeru?" Takeru's sour mood had lifted and he was same old happy Takeru again.
"We've got to be the rush. The last time we walked to school after the championship game, you know, last year?" Hikari and Daisuke groaned.
"I didn't think we would ever get down from that stupid tree…" Dai exclaimed and shook his head.
"At least you guys have protection in groups. If I get mobbed (which you will, the older teens stated) I'll have no one to run behind since the Sophomore building is on the other side of school."
"Poor Iori-kun." Her eyes drifted to the empty school yard with a sigh. "Wish us luck…"
Yamato pulled up to the school, and Takeru paid him the 250 yen before everyone except Iori clambered out of the car.
"Good luck, Iori!" They waved to him as Yama-chan drove him to the other end of the school. The three took a deep breath before approaching the painted glass doors, concealing everything within.
"Okay Dai, open the door." Hikari whispered. Dai looked back at the two like they were nuts.
"Why do I have to open it?"
"Just do it!" With a sigh, he slowly reached for the door and took a little peek inside.
"There's nobody there…" Takeru and Hikari poked their heads out from behind the stone lion that was near the door. Wordless they also looked in and saw nobody and frowned.
"Does everyone have a jacket, pants and clothing you do not value very much on?" The three nodded together and, with a deep breath, opened the door to the seemingly empty high school.
"Something is definitely…wrong here…" Hikari trailed off as she glanced this way and that.
"Like, Oh…my…god!" All three of them spun around at the same time and saw Sarah Little and her disciples all with signs and banners and over loads of make up behind them. No one could move.
"It's like, Takeru Takaishi, Daisuke Motomiya and Hikari Yagami! Like, Oh…my…god!" Takeru gulped slowly. Was this a high school or a mad house?!
"You guys…run…" They bolted. Girly screams echoed throughout the school as the 'I love Takeru and Daisuke' fan club ran in hot pursuit.
Rounding the corner, the three were stopped dead by a great mob of basketball fans, cheering in hyper active voices and running towards them. Turning the other direction they saw tons of guys holding signs with phrases like 'Date me, Hikari!' and 'Will you be mine, Hikari?'. Now, being trapped in a three way split, the teenagers dodged into the ever-open biology lab and locked the door behind them. Outside, ravenous screams of raged high school students screamed bloody murder.
After staring at the door for a few seconds, Takeru, Hikari and Daisuke collapsed in three of the lab chairs.
"This is surreal…" The light-named girl trailed off as she laid her head on the black counter.
"At this rate you'd think I was already a famous soccer player…" Dai muttered as he leaned his head back, his spiky maroon hair barely inching from behind his sun-tinted goggles.
"We'll just have to stay here until home room, I guess…" The eerily dark Freshman Biology room was cast with shadows because of the drawn curtains. The eyes of various dead creatures seemed to stare at them with their zombie faces…it made each of the seniors shudder.
"Well…this isn't so…" Those dead eyes came face to face with Takeru. He gulped.
"I don't know about you guys…but I'm kind of opting for the raging crowd of fans…All in favor of ditching the bio-lab say I."
"I!"
"I!"
"I!" The jumped up faster than the speed of light and bolted out into the screaming wilderness…
"Actually, I don't think it was that bad…" Hikari stated as she walked out of the girl's bathroom, finally finished changing her nearly ripped to shreds clothing. At the same time, Takeru and Daisuke came out of the boy's restroom. Both of them were still a little dizzy from the stampede of raging animal teenagers in all their glory.
"You never know exactly how many people there are in the 'I love Takeru and Daisuke Fan Club' until their all touching you at the same time…" Daisuke uttered, rubbing the back of his neck to soothe the aches. Takeru nodded as he changed his torn, ragged hat to a fresh, dark green one.
"Come on, we have about thirty seconds to get to homeroom." None of the teenagers moved for a second, staring at each other with motion tugging at the corners of their mouths.
WHOOSH!
Suddenly they were off towards Miss Kamikaze's room number 202.
Of course after they narrowly escaped detention and went to periods one through four, it was time for lunch, and the three rulers of Odiaba High School met in their usual spot.
"Come on! I really don't want to have to wait in line!" Hikari Yagami whined as she, Daisuke and Takeru skidded around the corner and towards the cafeteria.
"Since when have you had to wait in line?" Dai called up to her. The cafeteria doors opened and the mass of students along with it, all chatting and talking. Not to mention the line; the little sign that showed how long the normal line was said '1 hour wait' and lunch was only forty-five minutes. The three seniors exchanged glances.
"Okay Takeru. Do it." Takeru made a double take at Daisuke.
"No way! I did it last Friday!"
"So? It was my turn on Thursday!" Hikari gave a frustrated sigh and shoved the books she was carrying into Takeru's large hands.
"I'll do it, I guess." Brushing her hair back behind her ears and clutching her shoulder pack, the brunette started towards the head of the line where the cross-country team stood chatting. The boy's cross-country team, that is. Takeru and Daisuke followed silently in tow.
"-yeah, so and I told her-"
"Excuse me?" The boys looked over to see none other than goddess of high school Hikari Yagami standing in front of them, looking rather innocent and, if possible, hotter than usual.
"I'm kind of in a rush…would you let me cut in line, just this once?" She battered her long eyelashes, her mahogany brown eyes wide and angelic.
"Please?" The captain of the C-C team turned his head this way and that; he himself had a little crush on Miss Yagami, despite the fact that he had a girlfriend, who stood next to him at the moment, seething with jealousy.
"I…don't know. What do you think?" He asked his blond novia. The girl was about to make a dead reject when Takeru and Daisuke, hotties of the year in every year book since their Freshman year, popped up beside their brunette friend.
"Please?" Instantly, the girl's heart melted into silly putty. Unknown to the C-C captain, she was one of the top members of the 'I Love Takeru and Daisuke Fan Club'.
"Sure. They can cut."
"Thanks!" Hikari cheered as the Captain made way for her in front of him. He gave a dreamy sigh.
"Yeah, thanks!" Takeru and Daisuke stated cheerfully as they passed his girlfriend with a smile. She gave a dreamy sigh, as did the rest of the people in line. The teenagers quickly gathered their lunch and went to their exclusive lunch spot.
The Captain frowned and turned to his girlfriend, who frowned back.
"Who were you sighing at?"
Hikari Yagami sipped her apple juice thoughtfully before pulling out her agenda, as did Takeru Takaishi and Daisuke Motomiya.
"You start, Dai." Takeru stated, pulling out a red pen for his professional looking forest green planner that his brunette best friend insisted he carry around. Dai nodded and scrolled the pages.
"Okay…today I have soccer after school until five…and afterwards I promised my mom I'd make dinner." Takeru and Hikari exchanged evil glances.
"Aww…" Daisuke crossed his arms, pouting.
"It's not funny." They all laughed afterwards, and Takeru told Hikari to tell her schedule.
"Chloe asked me to come to rehearsal today for Romeo and Juliet. I'll be there until about six or so, I guess. What about you, Takeru?"
"I'm completely free. I don't have to be home until about eight or nine; my mom's working late tonight." The tall, blonde gave a relaxed sigh.
"How about we all go and get smoothies at seven-thirty?" Takeru suggested as he slapped his agenda closed and dropped it into his pack.
"I'm in." Stated Dai as he mirrored his blond best friends actions. Hikari smiled and placed her pink and yellow binder back into her shoulder backpack.
"Sounds good to me."
The red-haired messenger of the Yearbook committee buzzed by their table with a rushed expression, his bean-pole shaped body nearly flying past the 'holy' table in the corner of the open cafeteria.
"Hey Tom." All the senior high schoolers stated without a second thought; Tom thought he might faint because they knew his name.
"Hi…Takeru…Hikari…Daisuke. Here are your wins and nominations for Yearbook this year. Photos have to be taken or handed on by…W-Wednesday. Okay?" Daisuke eagerly opened his envelope.
"Thanks. Hey, I saw you playing basketball the other day. You have some nice lay-ups, you know. You should have tried out for the team this year; bet you could have made varsity with training. " Takeru stated in his naturally cheerful voice that hadn't left him since he was about eight. The bumbling junior's wide eyes went wider.
"Really?"
"Yeah. You're not bad. Awesome even, with practice." Tom's lip trembled, his eyes started to fog up.
The fact that a senior in high school, one of the three most popular even, who was known for his honesty and gentleness, had giving him a complement about his unknown basketball skills was bring tears to his eyes.
"Thanks." He mumbled, rubbing the edge of his thick black glasses. He was just about to walk away when Hikari stopped him.
"Don't worry Tom, I'll put in a good word for you to Rika Hiroki for you." She whispered with a wink. And while Tom had no idea how the heck she knew that he had meant to ask her that, or how someone just a year older could inspire him so much, he smiled and nodded and ran off to deliver more papers.
None of them thought nothing of the good deed they'd done and quickly unfolded the colored paper, revealing long lists of names and such.
"So Hikari, how many did you get?" Dai asked and set his paper onto the metal table.
"You go first. I want to go last." Shrugging, the maroon haired teen went down the list.
"Okay…I was nominated for…fourteen and got ten out of the forty."
"Seventeen and fifteen." Takeru stated proudly and put the paper on the desk.
"Yeah! I beat you both. Read it and weep, nineteen, fifteen." Both Takeru and Daisuke groaned.
"Man, you ALWAYS beat us!" Dai whined before he lifted his paper to fold it. Hikari started to read off her wins.
"Okay I got in the cheerleading squad picture, the track picture, the girl's tennis and volleyball picture…"
"Just skip that and go to the 'most' section." Dai said impatiently.
"Okay…most popular…"
"Got it." Takeru and Daisuke stated simataniouslly and crossed it off.
"Most artistic…most creative…most likely to succeed and most intelligent." Seeing no reaction from the boys, she continued.
"Most chic…most fashionable…most photogenic…blah…blah…blah…WHAT?!" She jumped up, causing both of the guys to jump up also.
"What is it?" Takeru asked, slightly concerned.
"Look at your 'most' list, right at the bottom." She stated, sitting more in shock than surprise as she sat back in her seat. Takeru scrolled down the list until it hit him like a sack of potatoes.
"What the? Cutest couple? With Hikari?!" They both stared at the other for a while, until the gaze slowly transferred to overly-innocent looking Daisuke.
"Dai…"
"Okay…I did it! BUT, it was through serious pressure and major consulting with the rest of the student body." Hikari rolled her eyes.
"Please…"
"Prove it." Dai shrugged and grabbed their hands.
"Okay…" He stood up on the table.
"Hey Tigers!" His arresting voice had the mess hall silent in seconds. The maroon haired teenager sent an evil look towards his two best friends, who were desperately telling him that they didn't need proof. But of course, he wouldn't let an opportunity like this escape his grasp.
"I need you to be completely honest here. Forget your bias and think about what I have to say for a second. I've got a couple of disbeliveers here, who think that Takeru Takaishi," He pulled Takeru up on the table with him,
"And Hikari Yagami," Hikari was also vaulted onto the top of the metal table.
"Wouldn't make the hottest couple this side of Tokyo. If you disagree with these disbeliveers, please scream bloody murder."
The cafeteria was etched in silence, as Daisuke expected with a confident smirk. Hikari and Takeru were oblivious to this and snorted proudly.
"See Dai, I told you." Said the blonde as yanked his arm out of his grasp. His best friend held up his finger.
"Just wait a sec, Takeru." Clearing his voice he continued.
"Thank you to those who expressed their feelings. But I have made a terrible mistake. If you believe that Takeru Takaishi and Hikari Yagami would make the hottest couple this side of the Northern Hemisphere, please scream bloody murder."
It was here that the crowd erupted like Mount Fuji a billion or so years ago; like a sonic boom that destroyed the dinosaurs or the great San Francisco Quake. It seemed that the rumble and roar of the cafeteria wouldn't die down until Dai told them to. Takeru even thought he saw Miss Kamikaze shouting, laughter on her face. The two best friends exchanged glances.
Finally, with easy hand motions, Dai eased the crowd down.
"Thank you for expressing your opinion on this lunch time poll. Have a nice day!" Once more the crowd cheered, not so loudly though, and the teenager jumped down off of the table.
"Well, what did I tell you…Takeru? Hikari?" They were nowhere to be seen.
"That was so embarrassing…" The brunette stated as she leaned against one of their favorite trees with a sigh, letting the flushed color drain.
"Tell me about it…" They were seated near the same spot; Hikari was sitting on a branch and Takeru was resting on the ground. Their escape had been relatively quick and they'd made it there without hassle.
Thoughtfully, she glanced down at Takeru's fair face and sighed.
"You know, it wouldn't be that different whether we were going out or not." His eyes trailed up and stared into hers from below.
"What do you mean?" As she edged out of the tree, she tripped and would have fallen had he not immediately caught her elbows. Takeru released her when he was sure she was steady.
"I mean stuff like that. You're so protective of me." He shrugged and leaned back on the tree, arm rested on the branch where she had previously been sitting.
"Do you want me to not be like that?" He asked curiously. She blushed slightly and shook her head.
"No, I was just…saying…"
"So…," A smile played on his face as he leaned even more on the tree. Even so, they were remarkably close. "Are you telling me that you want me to ask you out?" Hikari smirked and gentle nudged his shoulder, crossing her arms with a smile, barely feeling the goosebumps running up her arms at the feel of his breath on her cheek.
"Are you telling me that you would if I told you yes?" He couldn't help but lean a little closer, the image of her kiss last night starting to ring in the back of his mind.
"Are you telling me yes?" His voice, still coy, dropped to a medium whisper.
"Am I?" She whispered, her eyes starting to close as she could feel him coming closer…closer…
The passing bell rang for lunch to end. They backed away from each other, somewhat hyper, somewhat giddy, somewhat scared and excited at one time. Wordlessly they grabbed their backpacks.
"I'll…see you after school, okay…Hikari?" She nodded absently and waved before running down the green slope, feeling his eyes following her, or maybe it was just her imagination. He almost kissed me, she thought. But as she retreated to English, she couldn't tell whether she was confused, surprised, or maybe…just maybe…disappointed.
Finally, the last period bell rang, and Takeru escaped Advanced Trigonometry. His mind was clear and no thoughts in particular stuck out; even the event with Hikari just a little over an hour before had been lost somewhere between superscripts and polynomials.
"Takeru!" Hikari called from behind him. He supposed she'd forgotten just as well as she did, because the look on her face reflected her calm aura.
"Sate, Hikari. What's up?" She smiled brightly, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"Since your not doing anything, I thought you might be bored. Do you want to come with me to see the Romeo and Juliet play? We can go and meet Dai at the smoothie shop afterwards." Feeling no awkwardness in the slightest he shrugged.
"Sounds good. Just let me stop at my locker."
The teens ran to Takeru's locker quickly, gathered his stuff and went to the Indoor Theater, where, as soon as they were inside, they were tackled by Chloe, the director.
"Hikari! Takeru! I'm so glad you're BOTH here!" At the exaggeration of the word 'both', the two senior's exchanged nervous glances.
"You see, we have a major crisis! The play is opening in two days and Romeo and Juliet can't get the ending scene right!" To further her point, she pointed (no pun intended) to the stage, where Romeo, Juliet, Paris and the Friar where in the midst of a bloody argument.
"You played Romeo and Juliet last year! Can you please help me talk some since into them?!" At the fervent look on Chloe's face, how could they possibly say no?
"I'm totally confused on how Juliet wakes up. Is it…OH! Comfortable friar? Where IS my lord!" The brunette playing Juliet asked, completely lost. Hikari shook her head.
"Not quite. She just woke up from a long sleep. She should have a softer voice and kind of smile softly, and stretch too, because she's expecting to live happily ever after with Romeo." The girl gave a confused stare.
"That would mean…?" Hikari sighed.
"I mean, it's more like 'O comfortable friar! Where is my lord?" Mieko smiled and nodded.
"Wow! Your good at that!"
"So, you're saying that I should be…sad, because Juliet is dead?" The sturdy blonde junior classman who was playing Romeo, named Satoshi, asked with a perplexed expression. Takeru stared for a moment, and nodded. Satoshi threw down his papers and ran his hand through his hair.
"I just don't get it! Why WOULD Romeo be all depressed because Juliet got him into so much trouble?!" Chloe stood up from her director's chair in the audience and sighed, before a smile lit her face like a candle.
"I've got a great idea! Why don't you two SHOW just the ending scene! It's a whole lot easier than trying to explain it!" Takeru and Hikari exchanged nervous glances.
"Well I-"
"You still remember all your lines, right?" Mieko asked. The two teenagers nodded.
"And you could probably still fit into your old costumes, right?" Again, they could only nod.
"And of course, you wouldn't mind doing it for the well-being of our play, right?" Chloe asked with big, puppy-dog eyes. But before the two seniors could have any reaction whatsoever, Mieko and Satoshi dragged them off into the dressing room.
He stood near her now, staring into her blank, pale face with heart-wretched eyes. In his hands, the vile containing that dark, liquid stirred. Quickly, he tore off the cork and held it to his mouth.
"Here's to my love!" As soon as the elixir was down his throat he started to gag; cough medicine. He regained his composure though and leaned back onto the wooden crypt where she lay and gazed.
"O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick…" For the record, he gently brushed her mahogany tresses out of her face. He was worried slightly. The year before, he hadn't felt a thing when he kissed her or when she kissed him. But with the current events…he wasn't entirely sure he would feel the same.
"Thus with a kiss…" Swiftly he bend down and touched his lips with the corner of her mouth; barely brushed against them, not even qualifying as a peck and staggered to the cold stone steps.
"Thus with a kiss...I die…"
Just moments later, after the conversation between Balthazar and Friar Laurence, she stretched her arms and sat up, oblivious to the friar's sympathetic gaze.
"O comfortable friar! Where is my lord?" Her lively smile contrasted with the dark walls.
"I do remember well where I should be, and there I am. Where is my Romeo?" The friar would not meet her gaze. A noise echoed from outside the tomb.
"Thy husband…he lies there, at your feet. And Paris too." Her back stiffened, her breath grew short and she refused to believe it, but only for a moment. The dread of expectation and fear hovered; now she could feel the Death in the air.
"Come, I'll dispose of thee, among my holy sisterhood of nuns. Stay not here to question; the watch is coming. Come, go, good Juliet." Again, the noise echoed throughout the halls. Nervously, he looked back at her stricken face.
"I dare no longer stay." Without looking over at him, wordlessly, she edged off of the crypt and stared sullenly at the pale face of her Romeo. Gentle and sweet, no longer troubled with his woe. Still, never breaking her gaze, never turning her back, she spoke.
"Go…" She whispered. "Get thee hence, for I will not away." Sympathetically, he nodded and swiftly carried himself out.
Her thin fingers traced along his arms and face until she came upon the glass bottle, enfolded in his hands.
"What's here? A cup? Closed in my true love's hand? Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end." She quickly stole the bottle and put it to her lips, but tasted none.
"Oh churl! Drunk all! And left no friendly drop to help me after. I will kiss thy lips; haply some poison yet doth hang on them to make die with restorative." She bent her head and touched her lips with his, pressing just lightly before pulling away, a wistful smile impressed there.
"Thy lips are warm." She whispered, eyes closed.
"Which way?" She heard the head watchmen ask. She now knew what must come next.
"Yea noise? Then I'll be brief. O happy dagger!" She pulled his blade from his belt with a possessed smile.
"This is thy sheath…" She drew in a sharp breath and jammed it into her fair stomach, light brown eyes going wide, the glittering irises small, before she began to dizzy. Her blood dripped onto her hands, and her breathing grew short and deep.
"There rust…" She settled her body against her lover's own, removing the bloody dagger from her stomach that fell to the stone with a sharp clang. "And…let me…die…" With loving eyes she looked at his beautiful, pale face, his golden hair among his eyes. She tenderly brushed them away. With her last breath, she whispered, sweetly, serenely.
"Farewell, sweet…Ro…" The shadow of a smile appeared just slightly as her eyes fluttered close; the breath escaped her lips first, her bodice ceased to rise and fall, her dark form grew still, and Death finally carried her away, to be reunited with her love. Not here in life, but beyond, after…forever after.
They had tears in their eyes, all of them, as they saw the curtain drop from the plushy red chairs in the audience. Surprisingly enough, the surly blonde football player was crying the hardest and while Paris and Balthazar consoled him, Chloe blew her nose on her handkerchief rather loudly with a small cry. Juliet was also crying softly.
"CUT! That was…beautiful…with the music and the words and the…OH! It was classic! I don't think we'll be having ANY trouble from now on." Satoshi had stopped crying by then and nodded along with Mieko. The crimson curtains raised but, to everyone's surprise, the stage was empty.
Takeru had just been pulling on his green shirt over his khaki cargo pants when Hikari peeked into the door. He swiveled around, shirt half on and blinked, blue eyes wide.
"Hi." Hikari giggled and turned away, hands resting behind her back.
"It's not polite to be bare chested in front of a lady." He smirked, pulling the stripped polo over his muscular chest (he's an athlete. He's supposed to have a muscular chest!).
"What lady?" She whirled around, the 'pretending to be mad' smile playing on her face.
"Oh, you're gonna get it now!" He laughed and ducked under her flying grasp, dodging with lightning speed out of the backstage door and down the sidewalk towards Odiaba Park, Hikari hot on his tail. Chloe and Satoshi and Mieko stood outside the door, broad smiles on their faces.
"They are going to make one heck of a couple someday." Chloe stated, her voice dreamy. Satoshi nodded along with Mieko.
"Yeah…I think I want a burger." Satoshi stated, still keeping the same face. Mieko and Chloe exchanged glances, sighed, and walked off, leaving Satoshi to stare off into the great…burger…beyond…
Hikari laughed wildly as she vaulted herself up on Takeru's back, arms clasped tightly around his neck; he instinctively grabbed her legs as if going for a piggy back ride. Her face was close to the side of his, their breathing hard and lengthened, but the simmer of giggles between them still sounded through the air.
"Piggyback?" Takeru asked, innocently enough and continued through the park which they were currently crossing through without having her consent, knowing her answer like knowing the time. He carried her on his back for a while, in silence, before letting her off and collapsing on a park bench. The brunette fell with him onto the sturdy seat, leaning on his shoulder without a second thought, traces of laughter still in her voice. Her breath was still heavy; her eyes looked towards his face and he looked back, shaking in quiet laughter along with her.
But the laughter faded suddenly when Hikari stopped giggling, eyes gleaming, and quickly turned and kissed him, right on the lips, as if an everyday thing, as if they were dating. He turned silent too, not really sure what to think but not to severely shocked either, not shocked enough to blush anyway. She scrunched up her nose and scrutinized her eyes, licking her lips with a sour face.
"You taste like cough medicine." He gave a sudden burst of laughter and leaned down, kissed her lips and drew back with the same face she wore.
"So do you." There was silence for a moment after the breath interlude of laughter, and Takeru, feeling very uncomfortable all of the sudden, reached over and tickled the sides of her stomach. Kari let out a wild shriek and jumped up.
"Stop! HAHA!" But of course he didn't relent, letting his fingers dance on her sides until her face was red. She threw her arms around his neck again, resting her head against his chest, shaking with laughter.
"Okay…okay…stop…please…Takeru…" The blonde smiled and let his arms wrap gently around her waist and rested his head on top of hers. Hikari let her giggles fade and smiled softly, mischievously, but failed to move away from his grasp.
"And you're just…hugging me…because?" She nearly laughed from imagining the perplexed look on his face.
"Can't I hug my friend?" He asked gently. Takeru could feel her arms around his neck tighten, but she didn't respond. Then, a soft, content sigh escaped her lips and she nuzzled her head against his chest. It was like a spell; the spell of time most likely, entrancing him with fancy thoughts of 'what if' and 'someday'. He let his head drop onto the top of her own, closed his eyes with a faint smile. And for the moment, that singular moment in time, they were boyfriend and girlfriend; like they always had been since they were born. He was made for her; she was made for him, and they were planning on spending the rest of their lives together. It was heaven; he had the world folded into his pocket.
His smile faded when she just slightly stepped away, brown eyes glittering, innocent smile etched along her face with wispy façade. He looked adorably confused, those wide angel blue eyes clear as a summer sky behind strewn curtains of spun gold; the little child he'd always been since their first visit to the Digital World.
"You can hug me whenever you like, Takeru." Hikari's cheeks were flushed with color, eyes still glassy, face smeared with affection as he nodded to her. She clasped his hands shortly, turning her head cutely to one side and then the other.
"Come on. We're gonna be late to meet Dai." Her slender hands pulled his along for a while before she eventually let go; the spell broke, and the event was shoved behind old files in their brains, like it never happened. He slipped his arm around her shoulder with a casual expression, the usual cheerful smile replacing his innocent face. Their eyes met, he scrunched up his nose, she scrunched up her nose. And all of the sudden, she stepped away from him, walking backwards.
"Hey TK."
"Yeah?"
"Catch me if you can!" She giggled and ran away. And of course, he ran after her.
End of Part One
This is only gonna be a two part story because it would have been to long for just one story. The next part should be out…soon, I guess, but since I'm sorta grounded (yeah…again…) the results are mixed. ANYWAY, I hope you enjoyed this part. I'm hoping for over fifteen review before I actually post the story though. Please, if you want the ending be a friend! ANYWAY, comments? Flames? Toothpicks? Send um' all to me at
Artemis