"Hey Sora!"

Sora looked over her shoulder, her long white gown swishing even with her slightest movement. Her bright ruby eyes fell upon her greeter, and darkened slightly before shining with happiness again.

"Tai! You came, oh, I'm so happy to see you. Has Agumon come with you?"

"Heh, of course. You know he wouldn't miss your wedding for all the cat food in the world." Tai smiled brightly back at her, though his chocolate eyes were dull. She smiled at him as well, and they briefly enveloped each other in their arms. Tai's tears threatened to come, but decided to side with him instead and stay where they were.

It seemed he had lost.

She was going to belong to Matt in a matter of minutes.

Sora gasped for air and her tears spilled over her cheeks. Tai let go and held her shoulders, smiling as though proud. "Hey, don't cry. I'm sure it won't be that bad." Both of them giggled a little at Tai's weak, but heartfelt joke. He truly wished her the best, she could see it in his eyes even though they tried to conceal emotion for some reason.

"I'm fine, Tai. Just a little scared I suppose. Who wouldn't be?"

"You're right, it's completely understandable. Go on, go ahead and finish getting ready, and I'll see you out there, right? I'll be in the back, rootin' for ya." Tai turned to leave, smiling over his shoulder and waving. "It's great to see you achieving your dreams - er..." He shouldn't have said that. Damn...

He walked out the door with another smile and an encouraging nod aimed at her slightly flustered countenance.

"Tai?"

He stopped as he clicked Sora's dressing room door shut, and turned toward the gorgeous man with the long, golden hair. With another smile, a bit nervous, Tai greeted him as well. "Hey, Matt, what's up man?"

"Ah...you know. Stuff, getting ready to be married, not all that much." Both of them laughed. "It's been a while, Tai. What made you decide to come?"

Matt's heart pounded at seeing Tai. He noticed he'd gotten a haircut, his mop of deliciously browned hair was neater and a portion shorter than what it used to be in high school.

"Ah, you know. You're my best friend. Sora was once my best friend. My little sister and her boyfriend, who happens to be your little brother, are here. How could I not come?" Tai looked sincere. Was he? Or was he saying a final goodbye to the love he had always dreamed of having...

"Tai, you don't look so good." Tai gulped a little, sweating and smiling to shake it off.

"W - whaddya mean? I'm fine, man, it's all right. I just didn't feel good earlier..."

"Oh, bummer. Are you not staying for the wedding then?" Say you're staying, Tai. I want you to go through all the hurt I had to go through when I watched you pine for Sora all those years ago.

Stop it, Matt.

You don't treat the ones you secretly love like that. Otherwise, it's not true love.

Why am I marrying Sora then?

"Of course I'm gonna stay. I wouldn't miss it for the world, bro." Tai then took Matt into his arms, hugging him tightly as Matt stood there, almost breathless, stunned into silence and reveling in the touch. "I'm real happy for you. Sora's a great person, for a girl, you know." Tai let go, and both of them laughed again.

"Thanks Tai." Matt's voice, softer, less hurtful. At least to himself. He really didn't want to hurt Tai this way, but it was too late to turn back now. Sora had already fallen more deeply in love with Matt. He should never have made that mistake by encouraging her crush on him to go further, by asking her to marry him.

But he just couldn't bear the thought of Tai with anyone but himself.

He knew how Tai's life was going to be from now on.

Agumon, his only true life companion, who'd always be by his side. He'd bury himself in his career by handling relations between the digital world and the real.

Tai stepped back and Matt reached out and squeezed his hand once, just once, before he moved through the front doors to take his place at the alter. Shouldn't have done that...his hand twitched and tingled with longing for more. Tai's hand was left burning. He was not getting Sora, and Matt was. That's all he saw coming from this arrangement. He was losing Sora.

Wasn't it his fault though? Years ago, back in high school, hadn't he pushed Sora towards him? He had just wanted her to be happy. You do things for the ones you truly love, whether it meant sacrificing your own happiness and losing the best friendship you'd ever had or not.

He was going to miss Matt terribly, but he knew he'd never feel the same about him again. He stole the love of his life. It wasn't forgivable, but at least Matt never had to know.

And Sora never had to know.

She looked for Tai as she stepped out into the aisle, the bright, happy faces turned her way and wishing her the best through their eyes, but she did not locate him. She figured he really had established himself way in the back, unnoticed, and cheering her on, proud of her. So she thought no more of it as she gleamed in Matt's direction.

But she was wrong.

Tai left. He couldn't go through with it, watching two people he loved join together without him. Outside, in the sunny, warm afternoon of central Japan, Tai's engine revved and his jeep sped crookedly away from the church, towards his office where he could hide behind the piles of paperwork and not have to think about the pain, the hurt ramming through the walls of his arteries.