Chapter Nineteen
Yamato poked at his potatoes with his fork as he looked up at Sora. She smiled at him as she nibbled on her piece of bread. The two of them lived together with Flowra while Taichi and Daisuke lodged together in a small apartment down the street, providing the in house help that Flowra needed. It was unexpected that she would ask Sora to live with herself and Yamato, but in the end they all stood to benefit. Sora grew flowers and sold them within the bakery and provided help to Yamato and Flowra with the selling and baking of the bread. There was only room for the three, so Taichi and Daisuke found jobs elsewhere, while still lending a helping had with the others now and then.
"Do you want to go see Taichi and Daisuke tonight?" Sora asked.
Yamato shook his head. "I feel like staying in tonight. You can go without me."
"No, I'll keep you company," she said softly. She smiled and watched Yamato as he played with his food. "Maybe I'd rather spend the evening with you anyway."
"Why do you lead me on like that?" Yamato asked. "Aren't you and Taichi sleeping together?"
Sora glared at him and looked out the window, "He's too childish."
Yamato rolled his eyes. "And the real reason would be?"
"I hate playing these games with him," she complained. "I've told him time and time again that I my feelings for him. It just doesn't get through all that hair."
"Maybe he doesn't like you," Yamato teased.
After a year, the relationship that developed between the three friends was a bit stretched and confused at best. Sora and Taichi had developing feelings ever since they met, but coming to this new Digital World presented a bond between Sora and Yamato. Upon the reunion of the three, Sora's feelings had been torn between the two. She was more open with Yamato at this point, having been living with him and dealing with him longer in this new environment. Her feelings for Yamato had grown beyond romantic affection, and she now saw him as a close friend, possibly the closest.
"Did he say he didn't want a relationship?" Yamato asked?
She sighed. "He might as well have. He goes, 'I think it's better we wait until everything calms down'." She rolled her eyes and said, "How much calmer could it get. TK and Kari are already married and he can't even take me out to dinner?"
From downstairs Flowra yelled up to the two, "I'm going out to play cards with the girls tonight young ones! Don't wait up!"
"Alright ma'am!" Yamato shouted back. "Don't lose too much money!"
"Define too much!" She chuckled and then left the house. Yamato could faintly hear the bell chime as the door closed behind her.
"So what are you going to do with Tai," Yamato questioned.
"Nothing. I don't get him anymore. He's changed since we came to this stupid world."
"We all changed."
"Most of us have all changed for the better. He's gone through a cycle of increased stupidity."
"I think you're making too much out of this. You two always do that."
"Since when!?"
Yamato coughed, "Hairclip."
Her eyes instantly thinned, "I told you never to mention that."
Yamato made his voice higher to tease Sora, "Oh no the world is coming to and end, oh wait, Tai gave me a hairclip and doesn't like my hair, oh damn the whole world! The world is truly coming to an end! What evil Digimon? Hairclip!"
Sora stood up and started to walk away from the table before Yamato got up and grabbed her by the arm. "Hey, I was just teasing."
She refused to turn to look at him, as Yamato saw tears fall from her face to the floor.
"Hey," he whispered. "Stop, I was just kidding."
She turned and threw herself to Yamato. Confused, he hugged her gently and asked her what she was really crying about.
Through her tears, she said, "I don't think I love him anymore."
"Why are you crying because of that?"
"Don't you get it?" she snapped. "I fell for him the way he use to be. It just shows how different we all are now. None of us are the way we use to be. We're completely different people because of this stupid world. We've all been through so much, and for the ones like Tai, he's been particularly hurt. I can't be with him the way he is now. I can't live up to what he wants from me."
He hugged her tighter as she started to cry more.
"Do you remember the day before we came to this world?" Yamato asked.
She looked up at him. "Why?"
"You brought me cookies before a concert. You asked me if I wanted to do anything with you afterwards."
She nodded.
"We never got to go out on that date," he said.
"It wasn't going to be a date," she sneered.
"Didn't you decide long ago that you didn't want to be with Tai?"
"But when I saw him again here, he looked so different, but I could still see the Taichi that I use to know."
"You aren't making any sense. You like him, you don't like him, you like him, and then you don't."
"I know it doesn't make any sense, but now," she gazed deep into Yamato's eyes, "now things are starting to make sense." Her lips were nearly touching Yamato's as her eyes shut and her eyelashes tickled the side of Yamato's cheek.
"And what's that," Yamato whispered, holding her closer to his body.
"You..."
Sora held onto Yamato tightly wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her face against his chest. They stood for a long moment in each other's arms listening to the sound of each other's breaths and the beating of their hearts. After several minutes she started to let go of Yamato, softly pushing him away. She left Yamato standing in that room as she made her way for the hallway that led down to her bedroom.
"Where are you going?" Yamato asked.
"Going to go get ready for bed," she said, holding onto the doorframe. She coaxed him to follow her. "You should get ready too."
**
Moonlight poured into the dark bedroom over Yamato's eyes. It was the middle of the night and the house was silent, as was the town that surrounded it. Fall had settled in and the air was crisp in the world where central heating didn't exist. He pulled the blanket up closer to his body, while at the same time covering up Sora so that the cold would not break her sleep. He watched his breath steam against the moonlight.
He gave a deep sigh and looked upon Sora affectionately, and put an arm around her, resting his head against hers. He couldn't believe what they had done that evening and wondered what sort of consequences would come from it. He closed his eyes and wondered what the others would think. Most of all, he wondered what Taichi would think.
Trying to rationalize his actions, Yamato reflect on how Taichi seemed to show no strong feelings for Sora in the way of a relationship. Taichi told everyone about the girl he really fell in love with, a princess that died because of his actions, or rather, his inactions. The guilt within Taichi must have been great, but a great deal of it was never seen. Whenever Taichi spoke of those times, which was rare in itself, there was always a somber look in his eyes. But then just as quickly as his face became sad, he finished his story and went back to his old self. Was he hiding his feelings for Sora the same way he hid his sadness for that forgotten princess?
There was a loud knocking at the door. Yamato sat up in bed and grabbed a shirt and stumbled to get a pair of pants on. Sora sat herself up in bed holding the blanket to her chest. "What's that?" she asked.
"Some moron," Yamato sneered.
He heard the door chime ring as the door opened in the store. "Yamato! Sora! Where are you?" Daisuke yelled out.
Sora giggled. "You weren't that far off."
Yamato winked at her and ran downstairs to see what Daisuke wanted. He sleepily rubbed his eyes as he entered the store, trying to adjust to the light that Daisuke was holding. "What do you want?"
"I just got an email from Jou," he said. "He wants us all to go to Qualaria. Takeru and Hikari think that a wars going to start up soon."
"Right now?"
"Well not right now, but soon."
Yamato's eyes thinned as he said, "Then why did you come here in the middle of the night to tell us?"
Sora came to the door wearing a robe. "Daisuke, when will you grow up?"
"I'm plenty grown," he complained. "Get your things packed. Tai wants to leave tomorrow morning."
Yamato rolled his eyes. "It's tomorrow morning right now."
"Well just get ready," Daisuke said.
"Fine, see you in the morning," Yamato said, waving Daisuke off and heading back down the hall.
"Get some rest Daisuke," Sora said, as she started walking down the hall following Yamato.
Daisuke made his way outside the bakery. Shivering, he held his arms tightly and watched the steam come from his breath. On the second level of the bakery, someone lit a lamp and through the curtains Daisuke could see the silhouettes of two people in the same room.
He blinked a few times as he watched the two shadows. He watched one of them disrobe as the other one pushed the first down onto the bed, followed by the lamp being blown out and darkness returning to the room.
"That's," Daisuke mumbled to himself, "out of the ordinary."
Blinking a few more times, Daisuke shook it off and started walking down the street. It was well passed midnight and the town was silent and sleeping. Not a lamp for a mile was lit as he paced himself slowly down the block. He walked passed a small park and then made his way to the apartment complex where he and Taichi lived.
_I didn't see what I think I saw. Did I?_
He quietly made his way up the steps to his flat. Stopping in front of the door he held his fist tightly and wondered if what he saw was real. He wondered if it was just his imagination jumping to conclusions.
_Maybe they were playing a game, or rehearsing a play, or something._
His left eyebrow rose as he realized how stupid that sounded. Daisuke pushed the door open to see Taichi running back and forth through the small apartment gathering his belongings and packing them up. Agumon sat on the kitchen table watching Taichi while V-mon was asleep in a washbasin.
"Tai..." Daisuke mumbled.
"Did you go tell them?" Taichi asked, holding onto a pile of clothing.
"Yeah," he said. "Um..."
"What is it?"
"Well..."
**
Standing outside the door in the pitch-black hallway, Taichi stood with his fists clenched tightly. Had he not been wearing gloves, his fingernails would have easily cut through the skin of his palms. Biting his lower lip, he stood and listened to the sound of rustling and giggling from behind the door that stood before him.
He wasn't feeling rage, nor was he insane with jealousy. All that surged through his blood was sadness and pain. He took a deep breath and reached for the doorknob, stopping only an inch away from it. A tear fell from his eye as he shook his head and covered his face with his other hand.
He turned and started walking down the hall, stopping to look back at the two pairs of slippers at the foot of the door. Taking a deep breath, he left the bakery through the back door, the same in which he came, so as not to ring the chime.
author's comments: what happened to ff.net?! i can't format ANYTHING it seems :T
Yamato poked at his potatoes with his fork as he looked up at Sora. She smiled at him as she nibbled on her piece of bread. The two of them lived together with Flowra while Taichi and Daisuke lodged together in a small apartment down the street, providing the in house help that Flowra needed. It was unexpected that she would ask Sora to live with herself and Yamato, but in the end they all stood to benefit. Sora grew flowers and sold them within the bakery and provided help to Yamato and Flowra with the selling and baking of the bread. There was only room for the three, so Taichi and Daisuke found jobs elsewhere, while still lending a helping had with the others now and then.
"Do you want to go see Taichi and Daisuke tonight?" Sora asked.
Yamato shook his head. "I feel like staying in tonight. You can go without me."
"No, I'll keep you company," she said softly. She smiled and watched Yamato as he played with his food. "Maybe I'd rather spend the evening with you anyway."
"Why do you lead me on like that?" Yamato asked. "Aren't you and Taichi sleeping together?"
Sora glared at him and looked out the window, "He's too childish."
Yamato rolled his eyes. "And the real reason would be?"
"I hate playing these games with him," she complained. "I've told him time and time again that I my feelings for him. It just doesn't get through all that hair."
"Maybe he doesn't like you," Yamato teased.
After a year, the relationship that developed between the three friends was a bit stretched and confused at best. Sora and Taichi had developing feelings ever since they met, but coming to this new Digital World presented a bond between Sora and Yamato. Upon the reunion of the three, Sora's feelings had been torn between the two. She was more open with Yamato at this point, having been living with him and dealing with him longer in this new environment. Her feelings for Yamato had grown beyond romantic affection, and she now saw him as a close friend, possibly the closest.
"Did he say he didn't want a relationship?" Yamato asked?
She sighed. "He might as well have. He goes, 'I think it's better we wait until everything calms down'." She rolled her eyes and said, "How much calmer could it get. TK and Kari are already married and he can't even take me out to dinner?"
From downstairs Flowra yelled up to the two, "I'm going out to play cards with the girls tonight young ones! Don't wait up!"
"Alright ma'am!" Yamato shouted back. "Don't lose too much money!"
"Define too much!" She chuckled and then left the house. Yamato could faintly hear the bell chime as the door closed behind her.
"So what are you going to do with Tai," Yamato questioned.
"Nothing. I don't get him anymore. He's changed since we came to this stupid world."
"We all changed."
"Most of us have all changed for the better. He's gone through a cycle of increased stupidity."
"I think you're making too much out of this. You two always do that."
"Since when!?"
Yamato coughed, "Hairclip."
Her eyes instantly thinned, "I told you never to mention that."
Yamato made his voice higher to tease Sora, "Oh no the world is coming to and end, oh wait, Tai gave me a hairclip and doesn't like my hair, oh damn the whole world! The world is truly coming to an end! What evil Digimon? Hairclip!"
Sora stood up and started to walk away from the table before Yamato got up and grabbed her by the arm. "Hey, I was just teasing."
She refused to turn to look at him, as Yamato saw tears fall from her face to the floor.
"Hey," he whispered. "Stop, I was just kidding."
She turned and threw herself to Yamato. Confused, he hugged her gently and asked her what she was really crying about.
Through her tears, she said, "I don't think I love him anymore."
"Why are you crying because of that?"
"Don't you get it?" she snapped. "I fell for him the way he use to be. It just shows how different we all are now. None of us are the way we use to be. We're completely different people because of this stupid world. We've all been through so much, and for the ones like Tai, he's been particularly hurt. I can't be with him the way he is now. I can't live up to what he wants from me."
He hugged her tighter as she started to cry more.
"Do you remember the day before we came to this world?" Yamato asked.
She looked up at him. "Why?"
"You brought me cookies before a concert. You asked me if I wanted to do anything with you afterwards."
She nodded.
"We never got to go out on that date," he said.
"It wasn't going to be a date," she sneered.
"Didn't you decide long ago that you didn't want to be with Tai?"
"But when I saw him again here, he looked so different, but I could still see the Taichi that I use to know."
"You aren't making any sense. You like him, you don't like him, you like him, and then you don't."
"I know it doesn't make any sense, but now," she gazed deep into Yamato's eyes, "now things are starting to make sense." Her lips were nearly touching Yamato's as her eyes shut and her eyelashes tickled the side of Yamato's cheek.
"And what's that," Yamato whispered, holding her closer to his body.
"You..."
Sora held onto Yamato tightly wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her face against his chest. They stood for a long moment in each other's arms listening to the sound of each other's breaths and the beating of their hearts. After several minutes she started to let go of Yamato, softly pushing him away. She left Yamato standing in that room as she made her way for the hallway that led down to her bedroom.
"Where are you going?" Yamato asked.
"Going to go get ready for bed," she said, holding onto the doorframe. She coaxed him to follow her. "You should get ready too."
**
Moonlight poured into the dark bedroom over Yamato's eyes. It was the middle of the night and the house was silent, as was the town that surrounded it. Fall had settled in and the air was crisp in the world where central heating didn't exist. He pulled the blanket up closer to his body, while at the same time covering up Sora so that the cold would not break her sleep. He watched his breath steam against the moonlight.
He gave a deep sigh and looked upon Sora affectionately, and put an arm around her, resting his head against hers. He couldn't believe what they had done that evening and wondered what sort of consequences would come from it. He closed his eyes and wondered what the others would think. Most of all, he wondered what Taichi would think.
Trying to rationalize his actions, Yamato reflect on how Taichi seemed to show no strong feelings for Sora in the way of a relationship. Taichi told everyone about the girl he really fell in love with, a princess that died because of his actions, or rather, his inactions. The guilt within Taichi must have been great, but a great deal of it was never seen. Whenever Taichi spoke of those times, which was rare in itself, there was always a somber look in his eyes. But then just as quickly as his face became sad, he finished his story and went back to his old self. Was he hiding his feelings for Sora the same way he hid his sadness for that forgotten princess?
There was a loud knocking at the door. Yamato sat up in bed and grabbed a shirt and stumbled to get a pair of pants on. Sora sat herself up in bed holding the blanket to her chest. "What's that?" she asked.
"Some moron," Yamato sneered.
He heard the door chime ring as the door opened in the store. "Yamato! Sora! Where are you?" Daisuke yelled out.
Sora giggled. "You weren't that far off."
Yamato winked at her and ran downstairs to see what Daisuke wanted. He sleepily rubbed his eyes as he entered the store, trying to adjust to the light that Daisuke was holding. "What do you want?"
"I just got an email from Jou," he said. "He wants us all to go to Qualaria. Takeru and Hikari think that a wars going to start up soon."
"Right now?"
"Well not right now, but soon."
Yamato's eyes thinned as he said, "Then why did you come here in the middle of the night to tell us?"
Sora came to the door wearing a robe. "Daisuke, when will you grow up?"
"I'm plenty grown," he complained. "Get your things packed. Tai wants to leave tomorrow morning."
Yamato rolled his eyes. "It's tomorrow morning right now."
"Well just get ready," Daisuke said.
"Fine, see you in the morning," Yamato said, waving Daisuke off and heading back down the hall.
"Get some rest Daisuke," Sora said, as she started walking down the hall following Yamato.
Daisuke made his way outside the bakery. Shivering, he held his arms tightly and watched the steam come from his breath. On the second level of the bakery, someone lit a lamp and through the curtains Daisuke could see the silhouettes of two people in the same room.
He blinked a few times as he watched the two shadows. He watched one of them disrobe as the other one pushed the first down onto the bed, followed by the lamp being blown out and darkness returning to the room.
"That's," Daisuke mumbled to himself, "out of the ordinary."
Blinking a few more times, Daisuke shook it off and started walking down the street. It was well passed midnight and the town was silent and sleeping. Not a lamp for a mile was lit as he paced himself slowly down the block. He walked passed a small park and then made his way to the apartment complex where he and Taichi lived.
_I didn't see what I think I saw. Did I?_
He quietly made his way up the steps to his flat. Stopping in front of the door he held his fist tightly and wondered if what he saw was real. He wondered if it was just his imagination jumping to conclusions.
_Maybe they were playing a game, or rehearsing a play, or something._
His left eyebrow rose as he realized how stupid that sounded. Daisuke pushed the door open to see Taichi running back and forth through the small apartment gathering his belongings and packing them up. Agumon sat on the kitchen table watching Taichi while V-mon was asleep in a washbasin.
"Tai..." Daisuke mumbled.
"Did you go tell them?" Taichi asked, holding onto a pile of clothing.
"Yeah," he said. "Um..."
"What is it?"
"Well..."
**
Standing outside the door in the pitch-black hallway, Taichi stood with his fists clenched tightly. Had he not been wearing gloves, his fingernails would have easily cut through the skin of his palms. Biting his lower lip, he stood and listened to the sound of rustling and giggling from behind the door that stood before him.
He wasn't feeling rage, nor was he insane with jealousy. All that surged through his blood was sadness and pain. He took a deep breath and reached for the doorknob, stopping only an inch away from it. A tear fell from his eye as he shook his head and covered his face with his other hand.
He turned and started walking down the hall, stopping to look back at the two pairs of slippers at the foot of the door. Taking a deep breath, he left the bakery through the back door, the same in which he came, so as not to ring the chime.
author's comments: what happened to ff.net?! i can't format ANYTHING it seems :T