Chapter Three: Woke Up This Morning
DISCLAIMER: Digimon is owned by Toei and Bandai, and whoever else owns it at this point. Silver Side Up and all song titles are property of Nickelback. Nickelback is property of Roadrunner Records.
The morning light filtered through Tai's sickly green curtains. He had been meaning to replace the ugly pieces of fabric for years, but hadn't been un-apathetic enough to do so.
The golden glow cascaded across the bed, turning the pale white linen sheets a deep yellow. It caused Tai's darkly tanned skin to glow, and his dark eyes fluttered open. He squinted, long lashes making his eyes all but invisible to even the most careful observer.
The young man stretched his arms wide, his toned muscles flexing beneath skin like steel. His long hair hung loose, brushing against his bare back and chest. A red dragon tattoo wound its way up his right bicep, a strange sun symbol on his shoulder, just outside its wide mouth.
He ran a calloused hand through his hair. It was knotted and tousled, but he never took care of his hair. Besides, it naturally looked good.
He looked to his alarm clock. The green letters read out a bright 9:00 AM.
9AM? he thought. My alarm was set for 7: 30. Weird. Must've turned it off in my sleep.
He shrugged gracefully and slung his bare legs over the bedside. Still nude, he walked out into the main room.
And saw Sora standing at the stove.
"Good morning, Tai," she called.
"Uh...uh...uh..." Tai stuttered.
Instinctively, he ran back into his room, trying his best to retain some shred of dignity. The door slammed loudly in the small apartment, and he leaned against the solid structure, panting.
However, he then managed to remember last night.
"Right..." he said. "Still, gotta look gentlemanly...which means shorts."
He danced around the clothes that lay littered on the ground, and pulled a pair of shorts out of his drawer. He figured that a shirt didn't really matter.
With more confidence (and clothing) he stepped back out into the hall.
Sora was still standing at the stove, but she looked at him with a stare that said, "You're a silly idiot, you know?"
Her soft crimson hair was longer than he remembered, going down past her shoulders. It was also faded from its former luster, as were her eyes. They were slightly puffy and bloodshot, but she looked no worse for ware...aside the dark bruise that marred her otherwise perfect porcelain skin.
She was wearing a simple pair of sweats and a loose blue t-shirt that she had obviously pilfered from Tai's closet. She still looked like a Goddess to the young man.
"Breakfast?" he asked.
"Habit," she said, smiling weakly. "I cook every morning, so I'll still do it. Did you know that half the food in your fridge is blue?"
"Lack of habit," Tai sneered. "Now, what did you salvage?"
"A few eggs and some bacon...I think. That, or really limp beef-jerky. Either way, its meat and eggs."
"Breakfast for a hearty man," Tai said, pounding his chest, and doing his best Tough Guy impression.
"Well, it's what Yamato always eats..." Sora trailed off.
Shit. Bring that up, will ya' T-Man?
"Sora I..." he began.
"No," she stopped him. "It's my fault. I...I shouldn't have brought it up."
"I'm the one who called attention..."
"No!" Sora snapped.
Tai stared at her, slightly frightened. Her eyes had regained their ember-like glow, but it was anger, and not her usual happiness that made them shine.
"I mention Yamato, not you," she said, voice lower. "I...I didn't mean to snap or to make you feel any more awkward."
"It...it's not your fault," Tai said, softly. "And neither was Yamato..."
Sora dropped a plate on the small table in the kitchen a quickly turned away from Tai. The sound of the plate falling was sharp and loud, like a thunderclap. The silence that followed was even more deafening.
"Sora?" Tai said weakly.
He gingerly reached out for her shoulder, but thought better of it. She would just shrug it off.
"I...I know it wasn't all my fault..." she said, voice shaky with tears. "But some was, Tai. I loved him, I married him, I stayed with him even though he hit me and treated me so horribly. I was the one who picked him instead of you."
"But you're the one who left," Tai said. His voice was louder and more firm than he meant. "You're the one who left his sorry ass. You're the one who put up with that shit, grinned and bared it, and then had the courage to leave. You are stronger than almost any woman on the planet, Sora. You left when almost every other woman would've stayed and died. You have nothing to be ashamed of."
Sora sobbed softly, turned around, and flung herself into Tai's arms once more. He hugged her softly, and again her tears were hot on his chest.
"I...should be ashamed of...of not staying with you from the start, Tai," she choked out. "I should be ashamed I never did anything about it either."
"But you did do something about it," he whispered. "You left, and now you can tell the police and get his ass arrested."
"Tai..." she began.
"No," he shushed. "No more talk."
Tai, being a few inches taller than Sora, nuzzled his face in her hair. She was content to merely hold herself against his chest, taking in his spicy scent.
"You smell better..." she said weakly.
Tai chuckled low, and the sound warmed the apartment.
"So...do you think what we did was...wrong?" Sora asked, voice still weak and slightly choked up.
"It damn well felt right," Tai laughed. "And besides, as soon as you divorce Yamato's sorry ass, I'll marry ya. Consider this my proposal. I'd go down on one knee, but I prefer hugging you like this."
The two stood for a short while longer. Then the doorbell rang.
"Great," Tai sighed. "Someone else intruding on my private space," he joked.
Sora slapped the back of his head as he turned. When he peeked through the peephole, he saw his sister Hikari "Kari" Yagami. Tai turned back to Sora and mouthed, "Hikari". Sora understood, and ducked into the bedroom.
Hikari rang the bell again, and Tai opened the door wide, swinging his arms open for a hug at the same time.
"Hikari-chan!" Tai said warmly.
"Tai?" asked Hikari, thoroughly confused. "You're almost always never awake at this time, let alone cheerful and wanting a hug...are you drunk again?"
"No, I'm not drunk," Tai grumbled. "Can't I want a hug from my baby sister whenever I want to? Or only when I'm being Happy-Drunk-Guy?"
"No, no, don't be getting drunk for me," said Hikari, hugging her brother.
"So, what brings you around this part of the neighborhood?"
"My brother, duh," Hikari scoffed.
"Here for another intervention," Tai grumbled.
"No, just checking up on you."
"And my progress?"
"Well..."
"Hikari, how many times do I have to say this!" Tai snapped. "You decided to become Miss Devout Christian, I didn't. I don't know who's right, so I'm not making a decision yet."
"I just don't want to see you end up in Hell because you're too indecisive!"
"Then don't look for me! I read Dante, I know the 'consequences,' and I'm willing to accept the fact that I might burn forever. If Catholicism or Christianity is right."
"Are you saying I might believe in the wrong God, or something?" Hikari said, staring at Tai incredulously.
"No, but I'm saying I don't know," Tai said flatly. "I don't want to piss off the wrong God, so I'm keeping my options open."
"Until when?" Hikari growled.
"Until I know what's right for me."
"What's wrong about believing in our Lord, Jesus Christ?"
"But he's not 'our' Lord, he's 'your' Lord, got it? I have not embraced him as my savior, you have. I believe that he may have existed, and that he was a really nice guy, and that he had a lot of good ideas, but I'm not willing to, right now, believe that he was the Son of God. Maybe he was a prophet, like the Jewish think. Or maybe he was a Buddha. Or a crazy man. Who knows?"
"It's not about who knows, it's about who has faith to believe."
"And that is an admirable statement, yet not one that convinces me. Until you give me reason to place my faith in your version of God and Jesus, I don't know if I can believe you."
"So it's either prove them wrong, prove myself right, or you're not changing your mind?"
"No. It's do that or I'm not making up my mind," said Tai, grinning evilly at his sister.
"You know what I mean," grumbled Hikari. "So," she said, changing the subject. "What have you been up to?"
"Same old, same old," said Tai, shrugging it off.
"Shopping?"
"Wha?" asked Tai, thoroughly confused.
He looked over at Hikari, who was pointing at a coat draped over the couch. It was Sora's.
"Um..."
"Wait, is that Sora's?"
"No!" Tai quickly snapped. "I...I must've just got the same kind."
"Looks a little small," Hikari said, looking suspicious.
"I was, uh, thinking of taking it back soon. Got the wrong size. You know what a shopping fool I am."
"True..." Hikari said. "Guess I was just being overly suspicious," she decided, shrugging it off.
Just then, Sora sneezed loudly in Tai's bedroom.
"Um, I can explain..." Tai started.
"Who's in your bedroom, Tai?" Hikari asked, eye twitching. "Sounded like a woman. That and the coat would lead one to believe that Sora is in your bedroom. Sora, who is currently married. Not to you."
"I...it...um..." Tai was rendered speechless.
Hikari walked towards the room, and swung the door open. Tai ran up behind her, and the two found it devoid of any people.
"Where is she?" Hikari grumbled.
"She who?" Tai asked, trying to sound innocent.
Sora sneezed again. The noise came from under the bed. Hikari kneeled down and found herself face-to-face with Sora.
"Um, hi, Hikari," mumbled a mortified Sora.
"Hi, Sora," Hikari snarled. "Been here long? Like, a night?"
"Uh..."
Sora scrambled out from under the bed, looking like a caged animal. Tai turned to run away, but Hikari grabbed his pony-tail, and tugged him into the room, ignoring his yells of pain.
"That fucking hurt!" Tai bellowed.
Hikari stood unflinching in the path of his rage, knowing full well that he would never hurt his sister. She pushed his chest hard with her pointer finger.
"You deserve it, you perverted heathen," Hikari said, her voice filled with venom. "I suggest you quickly convert and go to confession if you don't wish to burn in hell for all eternity. Lust and adultery are severe sins."
"Hikari, you don't understand," Tai said, staring at her sternly. "Yamato is a wife-beating bastard. She came to me last night, and her. As soon as we put him away, I'm marrying her."
"That doesn't excuse your sins," Hikari began. However, her gaze softened before she continued. "However, I sort of understand why. Just...try to keep it clean until marriage, all right? I don't want to see my big brother going to Hell."
"Thanks for the sentiment..." Tai grumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "Still, that really hurt."
"Sorry," said Hikari, smiling weakly.
"Poor Tai," Sora cooed. She quickly pecked his cheek
.A/N: Okay, I decided to make Hikari a religious character because it seemed to work for the plot. And I chose her because she seemed the most likely to: 1. become religious, except maybe Takeru, and 2. visit Tai. And I've decided to use the Japanese names, except for Tai instead of Taichi. I also decided to use Yagami instead of Kamiya. The next one is Too Bad, which I have no idea what I'm going to do for. Any suggestions? Review, or e-mail me at , okay? See you next time.
