Chapter 5

            "Not too bad," Kari commented as the ending credits rolled down the TV screen.  The rain was still pouring.  Nancy had called earlier to tell them that she wasn't going to try and come home in this and that they should be extra careful.  TK had laughed in reply and reminded her that they had a pair of digimon with them.  Nancy had told him to still be careful and to monitor the weather.  About an hour ago, the schools had cancelled classes for the next day.  The streets were like miniature rivers at the moment, and the forecast for the next day didn't look much better.

            "I liked it when it came out," TK responded, standing and going over to look out at the pouring rain.

            "Who'd you see it with?" Kari asked, trying to gain some kind of new insight into his life in between Odaiba.

            "My ex-girlfriend," TK replied softly.  For a brief instant, Kari felt a pang of jealousy at the answer, but she quickly suppressed it.

            "Who was she?"  She tried to keep her tone mild and managed to hide most of the conflicting emotions within.

            "No one of consequence," TK replied gruffly.  "She was a pretty little cheerleader and I was the captain of the basketball team.  We dated for a little while, but it didn't work out.  How about you; anyone in your life?"  Kari laughed and for the briefest of moments, TK could only compare it to the sound of bells.

            "Davis had a huge crush on me in middle school and we went out once or twice, but he's too much like Tai.  We're good friends, but nothing more."

            "According to you," TK muttered.  Unfortunately, Kari had risen and come over close enough to hear him.

            "What's that supposed to mean?"  TK mentally kicked himself, but realized that Kari had a right to know what Davis had said.

            "Today at lunch, after Davis and I argued and I left, he came and found me.  He said that you were his girl and that I should back off."  Kari starred at him in a mixture of shock and horror.

            "You have to be kidding me," she whispered.

            "Do you honestly think that I would kid you about something like this?" TK asked.  "Look, Kari, I don't trust Davis.  I think deep down he's a good kid, but he hasn't grown up yet and he isn't ready to take responsibility for his actions or the repercussions that may follow from them."  He took her hand in his and looked into her eyes.  "Please, just be careful with him."  Kari managed to smile and traced the outline of his jaw with her free hand.

            "I missed you," she whispered.  "You were always so much stronger and smarter than me."  TK gently smiled back.

            "My strength came from the faith you had in me.  I missed you, too."  Their faces were close, their lips just inches apart.  Neither seemed willing to move, unable to break the tender moment that had developed between them.  Nature finally intervened.  A massive, window shaking clap of thunder shook the apartment and Kari jumped in surprise; right into TK.  Their lips came together and TK pulled her into a crushing embrace.  She wound her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened while his arms moved to her waist.  The kiss continued to deepen until TK finally lost his balance and fell backwards onto the floor, Kari falling right along with him.

            Their lips had parted when they had fallen and TK managed to partially catch Kari as she fell on him.  Their eyes locked and for a moment, the entire world melted away.  Another clap of thunder broke them from their reverie and Kari awkwardly climbed off of TK and offered him a hand up.  They remained silent for several minutes before TK finally spoke up.

            "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to…that is…I mean, I liked it, but…awe hell."  He scratched the back of his head as his mind firmly refused to start working.  Kari suddenly began to giggle, which quickly turned into a full laugh.  "What's so funny?"

            "I'm sorry, you just always used to know exactly what to say to make everything seem okay.  It's just kind of funny that now you're completely lost for words."

            "It wasn't something that words can adequately describe," TK replied in a hushed voice.

            "I take it back," Kari returned, wrapping her arms around his neck once more.  "You still know what to say.  I liked that, TK.  It felt, right, somehow.  I don't want it to interfere with our friendship, but I don't want to run from it, either." Her large, brown eyes held a depth of emotion and hope that TK couldn't refuse.

            "Whatever happens, we stay friends?"  She smiled and nodded.

            "Friends that kiss and maybe make out?" she teased.  TK responded by pulling her into another deep kiss.

            "What are we going to do about Davis?" TK wondered after they had separated for air again.

            "I'm almost tempted to tell Tai and let him take care of it," Kari replied.  TK shrugged and turned to head into the kitchen.

            "While we plot the death of Davis, what do you want for dinner?"

            "Death?  I never said anything about death?  And how does pizza sound?"

            "What kind?  You wanted to tell Tai.  That amounts to a firing squad if I remember correctly."

            "Pepperoni.  Well what do you want to do to him?  The nerve of him, claiming me like I'm some kind of prize!"

            "Got it in the oven," TK replied as he came out of the kitchen.  "And you aren't a prize.  You're a treasure."  She laughed as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her once more.

            "Why do we have to worry about Davis?" Kari breathlessly wondered as he released her to go get plates.  "Seriously, if he doesn't want to deal with the fact that we're together now, then that's not our problem.  The others will back us, and he's not really our concern."

            "Not everyone," TK replied as he came out.  "The old gang will back us, sure and Yolei is your friend, so we can count on her.  If push comes to shove, Ken will back me but I got the vibe that he and Davis have become good friends, so I wouldn't want to put him in that position."
            "Okay, so what about Cody?"  TK stopped and hung his head.

            "I don't think Cody likes me," he muttered.  Kari came up and hugged his arm.

            "Share," she prompted, taking the plates from his hands and setting them on the table.

            "I'm not sure.  He was really cold to me today.  I think he sees me as an outsider trying to force my way in.  He isn't that old, is he?"
            "No.  He's only 15.  Plus, he and Davis are pretty good friends.  That's a shame; Cody and I were becoming good friends."

            "Maybe he won't side," TK shrugged.  "He's fairly intelligent, so he might decide that it's not his place to say anything about who you're seeing."  Kari shrugged and twined her hands around his neck again.

            "Let's skip the Davis question for right now and go back to that, 'who you're seeing' thing again."  Their kiss was deep and probing and lasted until the timer went off on the oven.

            "Let me at least keep dinner from burning," TK gasped as he pulled away from her.  Kari giggled and let go.

            "Alright, but hurry back or no dessert."  TK grinned at her and headed for the kitchen as the phone rang.

            "Could you get that?" TK called.

            "Sure," she called back.  "Hello?  Takeshi residence?"

            "You answer his phone now, too?" Tai's voice came from the other end.

            "Hi bro.  What's up?"

            "Mom and Dad wanted me to call and check up on you.  You guys heard about school?"

            "Yep.  We caught it just before we popped in a movie."

            "Which movie?"

            "Escaflowne," Kari replied.  "What were you expecting?"

            "Just wanted to make sure you were alright.  You know how much I worry about you."

            "You don't have to anymore," Kari reprimanded and then stopped as she realized what she had just said.

            "What do you mean?" Tai asked.  Kari remained silent and Tai suddenly let out a whop of laughter.

            "You and TK?  Man, Kari, he just got back in town.  You sure move fast," he laughed.  "Seriously though, TK'll be good for you.  Just remind him that I'll kill him if he hurts you."

            "He won't hurt me, Tai," she defended.  "And you better not breathe this to a soul.  I mean it!"

            "Hey, lips are sealed.  Just have fun and be safe."  With a final laugh, Tai hung up while Kari gently lowered the phone and pressed the off button.

            "Who was it?" TK asked as he emerged from the kitchen.

            "Tai.  He knows about us now," Kari replied morosely.

            "Is he on his way over here to kill me?" TK asked.  Kari shook her head in response.

            "Actually, he was fairly supportive."
            "That's very close to being frightening," TK replied, coming out and handing a plate to her.  "Dinner."  Kari grinned and kissed him on the cheek as she took the plate.

            "Thanks.  How do you want to break it to the others?"

            "That we had pizza for dinner?  I didn't think it would come up, but I guess I could be really mysterious about it," he joked.  Kari lightly slapped his arm with her free hand.

            "No, silly, about us."

            "Which 'us' are you talking about, exactly?" TK teased, pinning her against the table with his body.  "The 'us' that are old and dear friends who fight and kill for each other?"  He gently began to rain little kisses up and down her neck and head.  "Or the us that kiss and grope and are obviously very involved with each other?"  He emphasized the last point by capturing her lips once more.

            "I think I like that last one," Kari whispered against his lips.

            "I don't care," TK whispered.  "I lost you for eight years, Kari.  Now that I have you back, I don't want to let you go.  They'll get the picture eventually."  He captured her lips once more and Kari put her plate down on the table and wrapped her arms around him.

            "I still think we should tell them," Kari protested.

            "We'll think about it some other time," TK promised her.  "Tonight, I want to eat dinner with you and catch up on the last eight years  Tonight I want to fall asleep with you in my arms, and tomorrow I want to rediscover the digital world through the eyes of a grown up and breathtakingly beautiful Angel of Light."  Kari blushed at his last remark but smiled and nodded as he let her go.  TK moved over into the sofa and sat down with his pizza while Kari remained standing by the table.

            "I think I can agree with all those.  But TK?  We…um that is…I don't…"  TK grinned down at her discomfort.

            "Kari, what ever it is, just say it.  I'm not going to think any less of you."

            "I don't have any protection with me," she finally blurted out.  TK stared at her for a moment and then began to laugh.  Kari blushed and even deeper shade of red.  TK set his plate down on the floor and moved over to Kari and swept her up into a fierce embrace.

            "Kari, why would we need any?" he grinned down at her.

            "Well, I mean, you said that you wanted to sleep with me," she struggled.  TK laughed again and kissed her on the forehead.

            "No, Kari.  I want to fall asleep with you in my arms.  I don't want to make love to you; not yet.  We just started this relationship.  I think we can take it a little slower than that."

            "But, I mean, we've already been moving so fast."  Kari fell silent, at a loss of words to explain how she felt.

            "Is that bothering you?"  TK's tone was extremely gentle and filled with the unspoken promise of slowing down, if she wanted to.

            "No!  It's just, I don't know, we started out as friends and suddenly we're kissing and planning on telling everyone that we're involved."

            "Don't you want to be with me?"  On the surface, it seemed like such a simple question, but there was a catch in his voice as he asked it that made Kari study his eyes.  There was sorrow there; mixed with fear and a longing for something that Kari couldn't place.

            "Of course I do," Kari replied, soothingly running her hand along his back.  "It's not a question of that.  I'm just kind of surprised at how quickly we got together."
            "We do have the added advantage of having known each other since childhood," TK pointed out.  "Even though I have barely seen you in the last eight years, we still kept in contact, so we get to skip the whole, 'getting to know each other' stage.  We've done that.  We're just skipping ahead to the good stuff.  Is that alright?"

            "Of course it is," Kari smiled.  "I'm sorry; it's just that most of the boys I dated always wanted to get into my pants."

            "And so does this one," TK grinned.  "I just happen to want to take the long, romantic, caring way to do it."

            "Well, it's never been tried before," Kari admitted.  "What happened to Patamon and Gatomon?"  TK blinked and looked around.

            "I kind of lost track of them.  Hey, Patamon!  Where'd you go?"  TK and Kari moved around the apartment, searching for their digimon until they were finally located, sleeping in the spare bedroom that had yet to be set up.

            "I guess we should leave them," Kari whispered.  TK nodded and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

            "We should follow their example.  I want to be well rested for our jaunt into the digital world."  Kari mutely nodded and they headed to TK's room.  Kari grabbed her nightgown and headed for the bathroom while TK quickly changed into a pair of running shorts and a tank top.  He pulled back the covers on his bed and looked around for anything he might have forgotten.  A hesitant knock on the door caused him to turn.  Kari stood, framed in the dark doorway.  Her nightgown clung to her, showing off her curves and her hair flowed loosely down her back and hung over her left shoulder.  TK's breath caught in his throat.

            "God," he whispered.  "You look so beautiful."  Kari blushed slightly as she climbed into the bed and TK's arms.  "Sleep well, my Angel," TK whispered into her ear as she drifted off.