"I own Digimon!"
"NO, NO, NO, dumb butt! You DON'T own Digimon! Get it right next time!!"
Digimon - Second Chances For Sora
Chapter 9 - First Date
"NO WAY, MIMI!!" a voice bellowed from an apartment building.
"Sora, stop fussing about it!" replied a high-pitched feminine voice.
In Mimi's apartment, Sora had just gotten out of the shower. And ever since she was told that Tai and Sora finally got together, she acted like a true friend, wanting to do everything in her power to make absolutely sure that their outing would be a memorable one. After her friends' "encounter" at the bus stop, they immediately decided that it was way past time to go out on their first date.
So in order to help make their date something extremely special, Mimi picked out a few nice dresses for Sora to wear for the evening.
As soon as Sora stepped into Mimi's bedroom, she was shocked at the sight of how many dresses Mimi owned, not to mention the fact that Sora wasn't ready at all to start wearing them.
"This is cruel and unusual punishment! You can't do this to me!"
"Look…at some point in life, you're gonna hafta start wearing a dress, so it might as well be tonight!"
"But I'll look so stupid!" Sora replied, clutching the wet towel covering her body.
"I don't think Tai will mind! Besides…he's gonna be dressed up, too! I made reservations at a nice, classy restaurant for the both of you! And that joint has a strict dress code! So are you gonna pick a dress out or do I hafta do it for you!?"
Sora groaned, sat on the side of bed, and reluctantly looked through the number of outfits Mimi had laid out.
"I dunno, you think a tie is too much? How about a bow tie?" Tai asked as he rummaged though his dresser picking out three different ties at once.
Kari giggled as she sat on Tai's lower bunk watching him decide.
"No, a traditional tie should be okay for this," Kari cheerfully replied.
"If you say so…I just wanna look good for her. So, which tie do you think I should wear?"
"Hmm…" went Kari as she took a good look at each of them.
The first tie her brother held was a red one with two thin diagonal stripes near the bottom, orange and black. The second was a navy blue. And the last was a forest green with yellow dots all over it.
"Well, that green one is just plain ugly…the blue is nice, but I dunno…a little too melancholy."
"Then I guess that leaves me with the red," Tai stated, putting the other two back into his dresser.
"Here let me help you with that…you've never been too good when it comes to ties."
Tai nodded as Kari got off the bed and tied it for him. Then he tucked in his shirt, put on a black sports jacket, and a pair of nice black shoes.
"Hmm…" he went as he looked into a mirror. "Should I put gel in my hair and slick it back or something?"
"No, it's fine as it is," Kari noted. "You brushed it, and that's enough."
"But it still looks the way it always does…all spiky and everything."
"Tai, I'm sure Sora will like it no matter what…now get moving! You wouldn't wanna be late for the most important night of your life!"
"Gotcha!" Tai exclaimed, almost racing out the door.
Kari giggled, but stopped when Tai walked back into their room.
"Did you forget something, big brother?" Kari asked sweetly.
"Yeah…this."
Without hesitation he advanced towards his little sister and swept her up into a big hug.
"Tai…what…?"
"I don't think I could've made it without you, sis. I really owe you a lot."
"Aww, c'mon…"
"No, I mean it…I love you, Kari."
"I love you too, big bro."
"Tell you what? Next time you're free, I'll take you out on the town to do whatever you want. I'll even pay for your next date with T.K.!"
"Oh, yeah?"
"With a sweetheart like you, I'd do anything to help the two of you get all kissy, kissy again!"
It didn't take long for Kari's face to turn beet red at the mere thought of kissing T.K., even though she'd done it before. But she immediately snapped out of her daze.
"Hey, w-wait a minute!" she exclaimed, mildly embarrassed. "Y-you're changing the subject! Doncha have a date to get to?"
"Oh, right…gotta move! Later, Kari! I'll tell ya all about it when I get back!"
"Bye! And good luck, Tai!" she said, waving.
"Here, lemme zip you up," Mimi offered.
"Sure."
Sora had finally picked out a fine dress…so to speak. To be blunt, it wasn't ugly, but it wasn't at all flashy either…which was probably and exactly how Sora wanted it. It was a simple sleeveless, black dress with no fancy collar, frills, spaghetti straps or stuff like that, with the skirt going down as far as the top of her knees.
After Mimi zipped up Sora's dress from behind, she moved on to the next order of business that Sora would definitely find…disturbing.
"Here, Sora…high heels!" the brunette chirped, holding out a pair from her closet.
"Uh-UH! Forget it! Those things will give my feet blisters!"
"Oh, hmm…well, if those aren't to your liking…then how about these?"
Sora also "hmm-ed" as she looked at the second pair of shoes. They were black, almost identical to the first pair, but they had thicker heels and weren't nearly as high.
"Guess they'll do…" Sora grumbled as she slipped the shoes onto her feet.
"Next, some perfume…" Mimi said as she took out a small bottle of liquid, and sprayed a little in Sora's face, causing her to cough.
"Hey…! Cough, cough…watch…hack…w-watch where you p-po…wheeze…point that thing!"
"Sorry," Mimi shrugged. "And last – but certainly not least – a little bit of…lipstick!"
"NO!"
"Oh, Sora…honestly! Act your age! Besides, doncha wanna look nice for tonight's date?"
"Well, yeah! But…!"
"Then stop fidgeting!"
Mimi pulled a small black box out of her desk where Sora was sitting at. She almost gasped when it was opened. Inside were fifteen lipstick brands! No doubt she was going to choose an appropriate shade which to color Sora's lips. While Mimi rummaged through them, Sora took out the hair clip that Tai gave her and once again put it in her hair. Ever since Tai had given it to her, she almost never went without it.
"Lesse here…" Mimi muttered, while checking out each shade of lipstick.
Sora just rolled her eyes.
"Red? No, too traditional. There's pink! Ah…cute, but wrong. How about purple? Hmm…not bright enough. Orange?? Nah, too flashy. Hey, this one should…oh, no wait, that's chapstick. BLACK?! WAY too gothic. Green? When did I buy THAT? White…mm, nope, it's got no character. Hmm…"
"Do you go through this kind of 'ritual' EVERY time you go out?" Sora asked mockingly.
But Mimi whipped her head around and stared into Sora's eyes almost angrily.
"How dare you, Sora! NEVER mock…my LIPSTICK!!"
"Uh…yeah, right," Sora replied in a nervous sweat.
Mimi quickly turned back to choosing the appropriate lipstick shade for Sora.
"Ah! Here we are! This'll be perfect!"
"Hm? Whaddya have there?"
"The perfect shade of lipstick for you to wear!" Mimi said happily. "Behold!"
"What is it?"
"It's light pink! It'll look beautiful on you!"
"If you say so…" Sora said, shrugging.
Mimi bent over a little to apply the lipstick to Sora's lips. The job was done in less than five seconds.
"Okay, now take this!" Mimi said, handing a small tissue to Sora.
"What's it for?" Sora asked.
"Put it between your lips to wipe any extra lipstick off."
"Umm…all right…"
Sora did just that, and Mimi took the tissue and threw it away.
"There!" Mimi exclaimed, standing behind her friend and placing her hands on her shoulders. "Whatcha think now, Sora?"
The shorthaired girl stared at her own reflection in the mirror. As much as Sora didn't want to admit it, she DID look pretty. Over the past four years, Sora and her twin had both become very lovely young women.
"I…I guess I look okay…" she said in a worried voice, blushing.
"You look more than okay! You're gorgeous!" Mimi said happily, gently hugging Sora from behind.
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!
"Ooh, it's finally the moment the you've been waiting for! That must be Tai!!" Mimi squealed.
"Uh…Mimi, could you get the door? There's one more thing I need to take care of…"
"OHHH!" Mimi playfully huffed with a wry smile. "Fine, but you better have your butt out here in the next ten seconds!"
Sora nervously laughed again as Mimi went to answer the door. After she left, Sora picked up the jeans she was wearing a few hours ago. Digging into the back pocket she pulled out a small mysterious little pendant which she then put around her neck…
After attaching the red watch Mimi had bought her around her left wrist, she seemed good to go. Sora took one last look at herself at the mirror and lightly touched her bottom (lipstick-covered) lip. She still felt a bit uncomfortable with how she looked, all dressed up and everything. True she looked nice altogether, but…she wasn't exactly satisfied. This just wasn't her. Maybe her "twin sister" had become accustomed to dressing up like this regularly, but it wasn't the same here.
Another factor nagging at her mind was how this date would go. She really wanted everything to proceed smoothly. Not only was this her first date ever, but it was with her best friend! Her BEST FRIEND! While he was so cute and wacky and loving and caring…she wasn't sure what she had going for her. Just a few days ago, she was trapped in the Digital World, covered in dirt and dust, wearing raggedy clothes, and living in an old upside-down pyramid.
But on the other hand, she was currently staying at a more than moderately nice apartment back on Earth, with one of her oldest friends, and she'd started to reconcile with her parents (and especially with her estranged mother). And lastly, there was again the undeniable fact that she was about to venture into a date with the one person in the entire world that meant more than anything to her.
In retrospect, it was practically the tale of Cinderella, going from rags to riches, so to speak. So maybe in the long run of things, there was some balance for her!
"Hey, Tai! Come on in!" Mimi politely said, letting the spiky-haired boy in.
"Yo, Meems!" he shot back. "Listen, I…WHOA!"
Tai gulped, just now realizing that Mimi wasn't dressed. Well, that wasn't exactly true, but it looked as if she was getting ready for bed. Half of her hair was in pink curlers, her feet were stuffed into a pair of hot pink, soft, fluffy slippers and the only piece of clothing she seemed to be wearing was a large pale pink T-shirt that just barely covered the entirety of her thighs. On the shirt in big, red letters was the phrase "I LOVE BOYS".
Mimi didn't catch on quickly to what Tai was staring at, until a red streak appeared across his face. Try as he might, he couldn't tear his eyes off of her…legs. The girl crossed her arms and began to glare at him.
"If you keep staring at my legs, Tai…then the only place you'll be going on this date is the hospital."
Tai gave off a nervous chuckle, much like the way Sora did.
"Umm, SO! Where is Sora?"
Mimi moaned in annoyance, and walked over to the doorway that led into her bedroom.
"Sora, c'mon out! Tai's here, y'know!" Mimi noted.
"I'm not coming out!" hollered a voice from the bedroom.
"Look, I did not make prepaid dinner reservations and get you all dressed up so that Tai could go STAG!!"
"Forget it, I look stupid in this dress! It's embarrassing!"
"Don't make me drag you out!"
"I just can't do it!"
"That's it, I'm comin' in there!"
"Wha-NO! Stay back!"
"Sorry, Sora! I tried to be nice and reasonable…but YOU had to be DIFFICULT!"
"STOP!"
Tai scratched his head as Mimi walked into her own bedroom, with a series of "bangs" and "clatters" immediately following, coming from the room.
"One moment, Tai…" Mimi said sweetly as she quickly stuck her head out of the doorway. "…Sora's just feeling a little shy."
"Okay, Sora…you forced me to do this!"
"Hey…! Whaddya think you're…PUT ME DOWN!!"
Tai stared as hard as he could, as his eyes and brain tried to comprehend what was happening right now. Mimi was now hauling Sora across her back! Finally making her way near the door, Sora was put down, but she was still making a bit of a fuss.
"Give it up, Sora!"
"No Mimi, I DON'T WANNA-"
But her words were cut short as she was "placed" face to face with Tai, who finally got a good eyeful look at how lovely she looked.
"Uhh…hi," she said hastily, blushing at how she was dressed.
"Hi," Tai repeated, who couldn't stop smiling. "Wow…you look…spectacular…!
The two of just stared at each other, virtually frozen until Mimi decided to introduce some sound into the vicinity.
"Why, Tai!" Mimi said rather loudly in a sickly sweet voice, holding out her arms towards Tai. "After all these years, you finally notice me…! I didn't know you cared!"
Tai started smiling, catching on to what Mimi was doing. He decided to play along.
"Of course I care, my sweet Mimi! Why would anyone want to date a completely dressed up and most perfect girl, when I can have a plain gal in a T-shirt and curlers?"
Sora started to growl as her two friends advanced towards one another, as if to hug.
"All right, all right! That's enough! You've made your point, Mimi! I'll go already, okay?!"
Tai and Mimi laughed heartily for a moment and finally calmed down.
"Oh, wait!" Mimi said, snapping her fingers. "I forgot one more thing! Stay there, you two! I'll be right back!"
Mimi rushed back to her bedroom, while Tai once again checked out Sora.
"Sora, you…look…"
"Choose your words carefully, Tai."
Tai laughed a little, put his hands in his pockets, and smiled confidently.
"I've never, ever seen anything more beautiful."
Sora blushed again and stared at the floor, scratching the back of her head.
"Oh…th-thank you…"
"Here it is!" Mimi almost yelled, quickly walking back into the room with two items in her hands. "First…here are the directions to the restaurant, Tai. Wouldn't want you to accidentally walk outta town while looking for the place!"
"Thanks, Mimi," Tai said taking the small map from her.
"And for you, Sora…here's your purse!"
"Great…" Sora muttered.
"Hey, don't knock it 'til you've used it! Inside is everything you need!"
Sora took the black leather purse from Mimi and rummaged through it.
"Hmm, there's some extra money in here…some tissues, a hairbrush…more lipstick…a small compact mirror…and a spray can of mace??"
"It always came through for me whenever I ended up with bad dates in America! Now get going, you two!"
Tai and Sora looked at each other and nodded.
"Let's go!" they both said excitedly.
With that, the front door was closed and the two of them were off.
Back at the Takenouchi home, a chain of minor events were beginning that would soon initiate feelings of pain…and possibly a fair amount of jealousy.
"Sora, honey?" Mrs. Takenouchi asked.
"Yeah, Mom?" hollered Sora from her room.
"I'd like you to quickly go to the store and fetch me some flour."
"Aww, Mom! It's already late, and I'm sorta on the phone with my friends right now!" she whined.
"Sora, you can talk on the phone almost anytime! I need that flour!"
"All right…I'll do it," Sora said with a sigh, hanging up.
"Thanks, sweetie," Mrs. Takenouchi said, pulling some money out of her purse. "And here's a little extra cash if you want to buy a snack or something."
"Right," Sora grumbled, stuffing the money into her pocket. "I'll see you later."
It hardly took anytime to get to the restaurant. Tai and Sora walked in, arm in arm. As soon as Tai identified himself, the two of them were immediately guided to a table. The place seemed huge. The lights were dimmed, many other couples sat at other tables or booths. Also, paintings and beautiful potted plants were seen everywhere, and every side of the restaurant had fairly large windows giving anyone a great view of the city outside.
In the back a hired band was playing some soft rock and jazz music, which proved to be very calm, and soothing. Even though Tai decided to fall (back) in love with Sora, it was still tough for him to work up the nerve to ask her to dance, provided she could dance at all.
A waiter soon came to their table with glasses of water, and a small bowl of red food. Neither teen was sure about what it was, but they were always willing to try new things.
"Some appetizers, sir," said the waiter.
"Thanks," they both replied simultaneously.
"Hmm…" went Sora as she picked a piece of food out of the bowl. "Wonder what this is?"
"Only one way to find out," Tai said.
The two nodded and popped the food into their mouths. They chewed for a few seconds, until-
"PAAAAFFFFF!!" was the only noise they made as they quickly came to realize just how SPICY the food was!
They wasted no time in gulping down their water. The waiter immediately came back to replace their drinks.
"So…" Tai tried to say, "…whatcha think?"
"Well…" Sora rasped, "…a little hot…but not bad."
"Excuse me, sir…but there is an alternative if you do not wish to order from our usual menu choices…" the waiter noted.
"Yeah? What?" Tai nearly whispered.
"There IS a buffet over there, for customers to choose other foods that are to their liking. Perhaps the two of you would prefer to sample them?" the waiter said before he walked away.
"Whaddya say? Do we try the cuisine from the menu…or the buffet?"
Sora locked eyes with Tai from across the small round table for a few quiet seconds.
"BUFFET!" they both said, strongly nodding.
"Okay, Sora…all set!" cheerfully replied the purple longhaired girl behind the convenience store counter.
"Thanks, Yolei…" said Sora, putting the change into her pocket. "Hey, I thought you were sick."
"Nah, I got better about two days ago…" she explained. "But my mom wanted me to stay in bed – or at least take it easy – for a little while longer."
"Oh, I see. Well, glad to see you're feeling better."
"Thanks! So…how have YOU been?"
"Me?"
"Yeah…" Yolei said, while adjusting her thin, round glasses. "Davis and Cody visited me while I was sick, and told me about your new 'sister'. I wanted to know how you were handling it."
"I'm, uh…handling it as best I can. SHE's been rooming with Mimi, who's visiting."
"Oh…I should drop by and say 'hi' to both of them."
"Look, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later, Yolei. And thanks for the flour."
"Anytime! Come again, Sora!" Yolei said, waving and smiling.
"Call me 'Sor'!" she yelled, running off to get home.
Tai and Sora got in line, picked up some plates and made their way through the buffet. Soon enough, they were sitting back down in their seats, happily munching on cheeseburgers, fries and Jell-O.
For the next ten minutes or so, the couple talked and chatted normally about this and that (between chews). Tai talked about the additional adventures he and the others endured in the Digital World and what she missed out on. But what really interested her the most was actually…Tai's upcoming soccer match.
"Wow! You're already in the semifinals? That's great, Tai!"
"Well, it'd be even greater if we could actually win!"
"Hey…that's loser talk, buster!"
"It's not the upcoming game I'm worried about…it's the game after!"
"What, the other team of finalists got you sweating?"
"The word 'sweating' doesn't do their handiwork justice…they demolished the other team in their semi-final game!"
"I take it 'demolished' means 'aced', am I right?"
"Right! I mean, they scored eight easy goals, and then they racked up five more…just for fun!"
Sora was pretty surprised at this little revelation.
"Whoa. Thirteen to nothing."
"And we really gotta keep our guard up this time around if we wanna to stand a chance against those team full of creeps. I so wish you still played soccer…wait a minute! Who says you can't?"
"Hm?"
"Hey, Sora! Why don't you join our soccer team? The team could really use your help on the field!"
Sora thought hard about the possibility of playing soccer again. The idea did appeal to her…but their were multiple factors that had to be considered beforehand.
"Wait! Don't I have to be a member of the school to play?"
"Well…my team isn't a school team, so it'd be okay. And the coach is a reasonable guy. I'm sure he'd let you play."
"Even if I'm a girl?" Sora asked with a wry smile.
"He's so worried about the next game, and so desperate for help right now that he'd accept anybody."
"Gee, I feel SO special…"
Tai laughed at Sora's remark.
"Chill, I didn't mean it like that. But I know how good you are at the sport and how much you love it. And to be honest…I never felt complete when the 'other you' quit soccer."
"She did??"
"Oh, didn't I tell you? Sora plays tennis now."
"Traitor…" she muttered in a playful voice.
"So whaddya say? You and me, on the field again, kicking goals like there's no tomorrow?"
"I'll think about it."
"Okay. That's all I ask."
Sora then changed the subject, which was (in its own way) slightly more interesting. She spoke about all the hardships and hazards she dodged and escaped, traveling by herself.
"But you wouldn't believe what happened after that!" she exclaimed, wiping some sauce off of her mouth with a napkin.
"Continue…I'm listening, Sor."
"Uh, no offense, Tai…but I'd prefer it if you just called me 'Sora'…"
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah…I'm not too fond of that nickname."
"I see, I'm sorry. Anyway, go on," Tai said, genuinely interested in whatever she had to say.
"Well, you see…I got back to the Primary Village, right? So then, I-"
"Hey, wait a-" Tai said, pointing.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just…that necklace your wearing…it looks kinda familiar."
"Don't you recognize it? It's…my crest."
"Oh!"
"Yeah, my crest of…Love. From the Digital World," she noted hesitantly.
"I remember. We had to cross a gigantic desert, collect all of our crests, and outwit Etemon all at the same time. Gee, if I still had mine…I woulda wore it, too."
"Huh? What happened to yours?"
Tai took a deep breath, but decided to save that tale for another day. So…
"Long story."
…was all he said.
"I see. Well…anyway, I'm not really a fashion expert, but…I thought that wearing my crest for tonight might help make me look nice."
Tai stared at Sora with his brown, warm, loving eyes and sighed.
"You do. You're the most magnificent thing I've ever seen."
"Ooh!" Sora went sarcastically. "That almost sounded smooth!"
"Sorry…I'm not much of a sweet talker."
"It's okay…you still get a kiss," Sora noted sweetly, leaning forward, closing her eyes and puckering up.
Tai closed his eyes as well and leaned forward to-
"Hey, lovebirds!" interrupted a very familiar voice.
Sora and Tai turned their heads and were astonished to see Matt!
"Matt??" Tai went in a doubting voice. "What are YOU doing here??"
"Remember when I said that I landed a gig at 'one of those fancy, classy' places? Well, this is IT!"
"Oh!" Tai said in realization.
"Yep! Me and the band are gonna take five and get somethin' to eat! Man…don't the two of YOU look pretty?"
Tai and Sora blushed and stared at the floor.
Matt lightly chuckled, and quickly whispered in Tai's ear while Sora was looking away.
"By the way, man…after my band's break, we're gonna be performing a slow song. So get Sora onto the dance floor, and into the mood!"
"Right!" Tai whispered back, half-smiling.
The blonde then took his leave, and left the two lovers to enjoy the rest of their dinner.
"Hmm…" Sor said, as she crossed the street. "…it sure is getting dark. I'll hafta take the shortcut through the park!"
And across the street from where the park ended…was a restaurant.
"Excuse me!" Matt said over the microphone. "Lovers and couples, please step onto the dance floor, 'cause the boys and I got a sweet n' slow love song to grab your heartstrings with!"
Like a magical wish that was granted, a more than fair amount of people gathered onto the dance floor.
Here goes nothing, Tai thought. He slowly got out of his seat and walked over to Sora, who was quietly sipping her drink.
"Umm, Sora?"
"Yeah?" she said looking up from her drink.
"M-may…may I be granted the honorable privilege of a romantic dance with you?"
Sora giggled a bit.
"Tai…I thought you'd never ask."
Of course, both of them were pretty nervous about dancing with the other. But they'd mentally promised to themselves that they'd give it their all.
"Hey, wait a minute…" Sora said, somewhat suspiciously. "Since when do YOU dance, Tai?"
"Well, it's something I never told you, but…when I was five, my mom forced me and my sister to take dance lessons in preparations for my aunt's wedding that was coming up. So what's your story?"
"Me? Truthfully, I just picked up some pointers from television and movies."
Tai laughed, with the knowledge that in the back of his mind…dancing would become second nature to both of them for tonight.
In the next few seconds, he found out that he couldn't be more right. Before Matt's band started, Sora simply and gently draped her arms around Tai's neck and he, in turn, wrapped his arms around her moderately slim waist. Only then was Tai aware that she'd pulled him close long before the music even started.
"A little eager, are we?" he lightly teased.
"Anticipation builds the appetite," she swiftly replied.
"As I said before, leave the metaphors to Izzy."
Sora wanted to say more, but Matt and his buddies had already started playing a sweet, strong, romantic tune. Everyone on the dance floor started to gently sway and move to the music as Matt began to sing.
"With no answer at that place, I'm hanging up the phone.
I could see your quiet back profile seeming to cry.
Even the sadness you intend to hide so well,
I understand everything
It was a promise, wasn't it?
Protecting you,
By my unburdened choice, is something I can do.
If it leads to your happiness,
I don't think of wanting anything else…"
Tai breathed heavily, but it was a soft breath. Sora giggled a little as she could feel his heart beating in synch with hers…
"Even if sadness shoots through the chest, at that time
believing in your strength,
Make it into an invisible shield…"
Tai loved holding on to Sora like this; something he wanted to do for a long time; to hold her in a way that didn't just represent friendship. And speaking of Friendship, he switched his vision over to the small corner stage where Matt was strumming his guitar and singing. In addition to Kari, he had Matt to thank, for helping to point Tai in the right direction. Though it would've been extremely inappropriate to talk during such a romantic ordeal, Tai knew very well that there were other ways of communicating. So he locked eyes with Matt from across the room, and handed his blonde friend a facial expression that said "thank you".
It was only about two more blocks until Sor would be back in her own warm, cozy apartment. She brushed a little bit of sweat off of her forehead, and then continued to walk. The last thing on her mind was the predicament with Tai and her sister. But that thought would soon jump to the head of the line in the next few moments…
…especially since the restaurant where her double and Tai were located was only a few steps away.
Back in that very building, the romance – as well as the amount of passion in the music playing – was steadily rising, as Matt and the Teenage Wolves continued to perform.
"On your sleeping face
Burried in the sofa
I kissed you softly
Don't catch a cold…"
For Sora, being held by Tai was the most wonderful feeling ever known to humans. And she was the only one here who was granted the chance to experience that sensation, which she didn't want to share with anyone. The girl closed her eyes, held onto Tai a bit more firmly, and sighed happily.
He's so warm, she privately thought. Sora closed her eyes, and even though she wasn't feeling sleepy, a million dreams and hopes for the future opened up in her mind. It was like someone had just cracked open a private safe in her head and all the riches inside had been distributed to the needy, leaving behind the echo of a pleasurable feeling.
True enough, it sounded crazy…but when you're truly in love with the one person in all the world who truly loves you back just as much, how much in life makes sense? How much needs to make sense?
"You're beautiful
I'll be by you for eternity
Within in your dreams, feel this voice in a song
It's no hassle for me…"
Outside the restaurant, "Sor" gasped as passed by the window. Inside, she saw herself and Tai slowly and carefully dancing together! Her mind started to race at an indescribable speed, stopping only to exercise the emotion of suspicion, then switching to confusion, next shock, and finally…panic.
Inside the restaurant, the atmosphere was anything but confusing, shocking, or panicky.
"When somewhere in your heart you can feel the glow,
A light to keep you warm when the night winds blow,
Look for the rainbow in the sky…"
As the music reached an instrumental "stage", Sora opened her head and lifted her head to briefly talk to-
"Tai?"
"Yeah?"
"It's kinda funny, isn't it?"
"What is?"
"Y'know…you and me, being here together…"
"I guess you could look at it that way…seeing as how you have a double who's dating Matt…"
But Sora just closed her eyes, sweetly smiled, and shook her head.
"No, that's not what I mean. I meant that it feels like yesterday we had just met, and as a result, we started playing together every day. Now, look at us…we're older, still close and best friends, we've faced real danger together, we're out on our first date…and finally in love with each other."
Tai smiled warmly.
"No argument there."
"If I remember right, we were only five when we met for the first time. I was a young girl playing in the sandbox and you were a small boy, kicking around a soccer ball nearby. And all it took was a simple misdirected kick towards that sandbox to make our eyes meet."
"I remember. You complained and called me a dummy for almost getting sand in your eyes."
"Hey, I still say you deserved it."
"It's funny…" Tai said in a unique tone of voice that Sora had never heard before. "When my feelings for you started to grow…I really thought she'd…YOU…would feel the same. Like it was destiny of something that we'd fall in love. After that Christmas…well…I gave up on it. I stopped believing in destiny. Then all of a sudden, YOU'RE back…and I finally have you."
"And?" asked Sora, wanting to hear his conclusions on the past and present situations.
"Now…I really don't know what to think."
"I think…" Sora said, still smiling. "That all of us have our own destiny. But they don't just come true, like a magical wish. We have to make them happen."
"I agree."
"All I know…is that you and I belong together, no matter what anyone says. This is the way it should be."
"And that's the way it'll be from now on," Tai agreed. "Don't you ever doubt that."
Sora shook her head again, understanding.
"And all I know…" he added, "…is that you're my everything, Sora. You were right the other day when you said we were like a flashlight and batteries. What you really meant was that we needed each other."
"Yep…" Sora replied, her mind about three fourths lost in the romantic mood she was in. But her ears still gripped onto what her lover was saying.
"When we met for that first time…I knew deep in my heart…that I wanted to be with you forever…"
Sora gasped as her eyes widened suddenly at the spoken words, and her cheeks suddenly flushed in partial embarrassment. She looked up at Tai to make sure that she was hearing what she always longed to hear from him.
"I need you, Sora. I love you, and I don't ever wanna lose you again."
Tai gulped as Sora now looked as if she was about to cry…and she was. Salty tears started pouring out of her eyes and her lips trembled. But these expressions were joyful, happy…and loving.
"T-Tai…I…I…! Oh, come here-"
Faster than shooting star, Sora lost the ability to talk and gained the experienced effort to kiss. Her eyelids headed downwards and rammed shut like the closing of a castle's drawbridge, only the other way around.
Tai felt his face being firmly cupped by Sora's soft hands, and as he closed his eyes, he felt the pleasurable sensation of her lips pressing against his ever so gently.
Matt quickly "checked" on Sora and Tai, and smiled when he saw how passionately his two friends were embracing. Even from far away he could see their tears, and he could almost feel the love radiating from their hearts, which were now larger than life and anything life had to offer. Their feelings for each other were so clear, that he almost forgot his cue to sing.
"The feelings I give to you are an Angel Heart
But, I worried,
That the truth is you were my angel…"
"No…" Sora whispered from outside, watching how they kissed. Her chest suddenly started to hurt.
"Even if sadness shoots through the chest, at that time
Believing in your strength,
Make it into an invisible shield…
In the cornered crossroad where the rain could fall,
Like a miracle, we'd met by chance…
Make an umbrella of what is loved."
As the music ended as softly as it had begun, Sora and Tai (who had ceased dancing when they kissed) finally let go of each other. The kiss had passed moments before, but the two of them continued to hug. They slowly opened their eyes as if they'd just been let out of some sort of hypnotic trance. The teens just looked at each other and breathed heavily, and their cheeks had turned completely red.
But from the other side of the restaurant's windows, one person's cheeks became stained with tears of pain.
Sor just couldn't watch any longer, and ran off blindly into the night. She didn't even care where she was headed. All she knew was that she desperately wanted – at all cost – to get as far away from those two as possible. As she ran faster and faster she squeezed her eyes shut, covering them with her arm. No doubt about it, the sad truth about the situation presented itself…she was crying.
And she didn't know why…
TO BE CONTINUED...
Well, first of all…thanks and kudos to all who have been patient to wait for every painful update, and congratulations on making it this far! You have my respect! Anyway, next chapter…Sora tries to join the soccer team! Will they let her? And will her help be enough to help Tai's teammates go all the way to the top? And if that weren't enough, Mimi reveals a special "bedside confession"...sort of. I guess there's not much else you can do but keep on reading! And the answers will unfold before you!
Additionally, the song "Angel Heart" was (originally) performed by Keiji Fujiwara. Man, I almost forgot to mention that…bye!
Now, if only Mr. Disclaimer would get his damn lines right…