Disclaimer: I don't own it… probably because I spend all my time on the Internet writing fiction instead of working.
AN: Okay… this chapter is a bit of a gift, as I took so long in updating the last time. Also, I wanted to update again before the flood of inspiration runs out. Pray that the inspiration continues, and I might even finish this fic while I'm still young. That's a long way off, though. Furthermore, I wanted to state that most of what happens in the second season has not happened in my timeline. More on this will be explained later, but I thought it bore repeating. This is an exceptionally long chapter, though. It's sort of a series of important conversations. They all had to go together. I hope you enjoy it!
"Genius might be described as a supreme capacity for getting its possessors into trouble of all kinds."
Samuel Butler
"The public is wonderfully tolerant. It forgives everything except genius."
Oscar Wilde
Ken was having a bad week. Actually, the whole month had been pretty bad, and that was continuing a string of bad years that dated back to… well, pretty far into the past. Not that anyone could tell he was having a bad week… life… anyway, the point was, no one could see inside his mask. Not even his parents. Especially not his parents. Everyone thought that Ichijouji Ken had a perfect life… genius, soccer star, and a perfect gentleman, perfect… perfect human being. The only perfect human being… the only worthy one… in that, at least, the public image was right on target.
He was perfect… he had to be. He would defeat those… those common children that thought themselves Digi-destined. He would do it, and then he would have won the game. It was just a game, right? It had started out that way, but now… so much time had passed, and he didn't even know where the motivation came from to do some of the things he'd done. After all, he didn't want to kill anyone, did he? He was sure he wasn't capable of that, and yet… somehow, things just happened. It was like he was behind the wheel of a speeding car and the brakes were shot… he was careening out of control, and he was leaving his humanity behind in the process.
But no… no, he was still in control. He could stop this whenever he wanted. He could stop… he was in control. He would control it all in the end. Everything would fall to him in the end. Wormon would see, he was right after all. All things must come to an end.
No… that's not what he'd been thinking… what HAD he been thinking… it was gone now… if only he could get it back…
"Hey, are you going to buy something or what?"
The lavender haired clerk was giving him an exasperated glare, drumming her sparkly, violet nails on the counter. Bringing himself forcibly back to the present, he grabbed a sports drink out of the refrigerator he'd been staring into for the past several minutes and turned towards her. She looked familiar, or maybe it was just the familiar expression of awe and embarrassment that flushed onto her face when she realized whom she was speaking to.
Bowing slightly, Ken placed the drink next to the register. "I apologize for making you wait… I… uh, had a hard time deciding between your fine products."
The girl blushed harder and smiled at him, and it struck Ken that, despite the rather horrendous headscarf and glasses, she was rather pretty. He was sure he'd seen her before, but then, wouldn't he remember a pretty girl like this? Then again, maybe he'd seen her at one of his soccer games against Odaiba. This store wasn't far from the field. He snapped his eyes back to the girl's face when she spoke.
"Oh, that's alright… you could stare at our products all you want…! Oh, no, I don't mean, I mean, I didn't mean…you can stare at the things we sell… no, that's worse! Ummm… I think I'll just die now," she finally muttered, completely red with mortification.
Ken, to his own great surprise, and hers, smiled kindly. "Don't worry about it. You just caught me staring into your drink section. At least now I'm not alone in my embarrassment." As he finished speaking, Ken blinked, his indigo eyes puzzled. Was he flirting?
The girl looked as shocked as he did, although he confidence appeared to have returned, as well. Sliding his change across the well-worn but still brightly polished counter, she winked at him. "I suppose that makes us even, then. Have a nice day, and come back and visit us soon!"
Nodding dumbly, Ken glanced once more at the bright eyes behind the glasses, and he felt his cheeks grow warm. First flirting, and now blushing? Where would it end? Grabbing his change, he hurried from the store, his cheeks still aflame.
He hurried blindly through the sunlight and heat of the city, not stopping until he was around a corner and out of sight of the store. Stopping in the shadow of an apartment building, he panted, winded. He hadn't—had never reacted to a girl like that. He'd been acting like some silly teenager. Even as the coldly logical part of his mind berated him for his moment's imperfection, another part of his mind was still thinking of how nice it felt to be kind to that girl, how natural it felt, and how her eyes had sparkled when he'd smiled at her.
Disgusted with himself, he reached for his drink, now very thirsty after his near panicked flight from a mere girl. Wait a minute… where? Oh, no.
He'd left it in the store.
With her.
Oh, the humanity.
Hope my mom and I hope my dad will figure out why they get so madHear them scream, I hear them fight,
They say bad words and make me want to cry…
Close my eyes when I go to bed and I dream of angels who make me smile,
I feel better when I hear them say everything will be wonderful someday.
I don't wanna hear you say that I will understand someday,
No, no, no, no
I don't wanna hear you say you both have grown in a different way…
No, no, no, no
I just want my life to be the same, just like it used to be…
Please don't tell me everything is wonderful now.
"Wonderful"
Everclear
"You know, I can't help but feel it's partially my fault."
Matt swung incredulous eyes to his brother, leaning over the railing dividing the floor of the Greater Tokyo Family Court from the gallery. His brother sat on the other side, beside his caseworker and a children's advocate from Legal Aid. Their parents were seated with their lawyers at another table across the aisle, smiling tight, nervous smiles. Matt rolled his eyes at their superficial civility, hoping TK's custody hearing wouldn't turn into the debacle his had. He didn't envy TK the choice he had to make today one bit.
Whispering harshly so that the lawyers wouldn't hear him, Matt replied, "Why do I think I'm not going to like the sound of this? How could any of this possibly be your fault? Mom and Dad were on their way to divorce before you were even born, let alone before you—uh, disappeared."
Shifting uncomfortably in the suit his mother had bought him the day before, TK turned nervous eyes to his brother. "I know, but… no matter what I choose today, someone is going to get hurt. You might get hurt."
Looking away from his brother for a moment, Matt watched the sunlight glowing golden through the tall windows behind the currently empty judge's bench. He didn't want TK to see that his words had already hurt him. They implied that TK might not choose to live with him… with Dad. Taking a deep breath, he looked back at the younger boy, and could see from the knowing look in his eyes that TK had sensed his pain.
"I don't think I could stand to hurt you again, Yama."
Matt closed his eyes against the sunlight and the pain, as his heart clenched. TK had not called him 'Yama' since he'd been able to pronounce 'Matt.' He wished he knew what to say to make this easier, but the treacherous words wouldn't form themselves in his mind. Matt knew what he wanted, in his selfish heart. He wanted TK to choose him; he wanted it so badly that he couldn't even bring himself to say what he knew he should say. He knew he should say something comforting, to take the pressure off of Takeru and to help him in his time of need. A muffled 'opmf' in the backpack resting beside him on the hard wooden bench told him that Patamon had something to say even if he didn't. Elbowing the bag sharply, Matt turned back to TK, ready now to speak, to say what he had to, when the bailiff entered the room.
"All rise, the Family Court of Greater Tokyo is now in session, the honorable Judge Kino presiding. All rise!"
When the judge, a kind looking older woman with gray streaked hair had seated herself, they sat again. Ordering a stack of papers in front of her, she gazed down at TK, a soft look in her eyes.
"Good morning… thank you all for coming so early, and for being so patient while I reviewed all the documents submitted to me on this matter. This has been a very complex case for me, considering the minor in question has been a ward of the United States for the past twelve years. Upon receipt of the results of DNA tests, which confirm young Mr. Ishida's identity, the Family Services of Alaska and the US State Department have relinquished all jurisdiction on your welfare, and have transferred the question of your custody to the City of Tokyo. You understand that you are no longer considered a citizen of the United States, and that you will be required to forfeit your American Passport?" At TK's nod, she continued. "With the DNA results in, there's really not much for me to decide." Hesitating for a moment, she looked at the court reporter. "Let the record show that satisfactory medical proof has been provided to me to establish that Takeru St. Joseph, so named by Alaskan Family Services, is in fact Ishida Takeru. Let the record also reflect that it is the opinion of this court that Mr. Ishida is in satisfactory physical and mental health. This court sees no reason why the minor should not be returned to the custody of his parents."
The judge paused for a moment while TK's parents gave small exclamations of joy, although they had been certain of that much since the test results returned. Matt clasped TK's shoulder warmly, allowing his joy to be felt by his brother. TK glanced over at his parents. His father was focused on the judge, but his mother's eyes, painfully blue with hope, were locked on him. Swallowing nervously, he returned his gaze to the judge as she began to speak again.
"All that having been said, the final decision rests on your shoulders, young man. Having spoken with you in my chambers yesterday, I know you are a sensible boy, and it grieves the court that such misfortune should have befallen you and your family. The court takes comfort in the fact that all this has come out to what may be termed a happy ending, something I rarely get to see in my job. However, before any happy reunions can take place, the hardest decision must be made. As you are fifteen years old, you are, in the eyes of the court, old enough to make your own decision regarding your custody. You have been given time to consider your options, do you feel ready to decide now?"
Feeling every eye in the room swivel towards him, TK stood shakily when his lawyer gestured to him. He could all but feel Matt holding his breath from where he was seated, supportively behind him. The room seemed to spin around him, as his thoughts whirled like so many scattered leaves before the autumn wind. He'd put thought into it… he hadn't done much but think about it since he and Matt had returned from the Dark Ocean several days before. All that thought hadn't brought him any closer to a conclusion. He knew what Matt wanted, what each of his parents wanted… what he didn't know was what HE wanted.
/I want to stay with Matt…but my mother needs me, too. But if I choose Mom, what will Dad think? He'll think I didn't want him, and I do! But if I go with my mother… I'll be Takaishi Takeru again… can I be that person? I thought that was lost to me… but that's what I've wanted, isn't it? A chance to take back what's mine, what was stolen from me. For so long I wanted my name back… it is mine, more than Ishida ever will be… I love my Dad and Matt but that's not who I am. I'm not an Ishida, I never really have been. I don't know if I'm strong enough to take my life back, but I have to try. I can be Takaishi Takeru; I know I can. It's my life and I WANT IT BACK! /
Opening his eyes just before his silence became conspicuous, he gazed steadily at the judge; not looking at his parents or Matt, not wanting to see the pain he was about to cause, or the joy.
"I'd like to live with my mother." His voice had only wavered slightly, but then, it was only the biggest decision of his life.
The look of radiant joy on his mother's face only barely mitigated the look of pain and disappointment on his father's. TK couldn't bear to look at Matt. The lawyers began to shuffle papers busily, making the necessary notations and preparing for the necessary briefs. The judge looked at TK for a long moment, weighing his decision, before nodding in satisfaction.
Perhaps she recognized some of his reasoning in his eyes, perhaps because she'd seen so many young people make similar decisions before her everyday, for some reason, something passed between the judge and TK that day, which prompted her to ask her next question.
"You'll assume your mother's maiden name, then?" She asked it as though it were though most natural, logical thing in the world, when they both knew how unusual it was for someone TK's age to choose to change his name. Her bright brown eyes smiled down at him in understanding, and he smiled thankfully back.
"Yeah, I'd like that a lot."
He spoke softly, and as quickly as the decision was made, the hearing was over. The judge made some statements, and the lawyers tossed cryptic phrases back and forth across the aisle at each other, shaking hands in the genial way that people who often find themselves in quasi-friendly competition are wont to do. He was only aware of his mother hugging him tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks, and he was hugging her back, all the while looking helplessly at his father, who was still seated, staring despondently at his hands. As the courtroom cleared, he saw Matt standing next to his father, a look of tempered hurt and acceptance in his eyes. Matt was upset, TK knew, but he was willing to trust his choice, to be grateful for what time they did have together.
Pulling away from his mother, he looked down into her eyes, wondering when he'd gotten taller than her. "Mom… Matt… can I have some time to talk to Dad…?"
Nancy nodded, following her oldest son out of the deserted courtroom, smiling back encouragingly at her youngest as the door swung shut behind her. There was a moment of silence while Malcolm seemed to collect himself, looking up at his son. He seemed surprised when TK snagged his backpack from a bench and plopped tiredly into the seat beside him.
"That was really, really hard," TK sighed in a remarkably candid and exhausted voice. His eyes, which Malcolm remembered as being so luminous, were shadowed with something, like TK was carrying a great weight he wasn't sure he could bear.
"Son, you don't have to explain your choice to me. I understand if you wanted your mother…" the older Ishida began, only to be cut off by his son.
"No, Dad, I want you to understand why I made the choice I did. Matt will—well, he'll figure it out in time, but I want you to know how much I wanted to choose you. I—when I got my memory back, I missed you as much as I missed Mom, just as much. I guess I just… well, you have Matt, and Mom's by herself, but that wasn't the whole reason I chose her. There was more, a lot more to the decision and I think you deserve to know the truth. The whole truth."
Staring off out the window at the cloudless sky for a moment, TK pulled himself together, breathing deeply before turning back to his father. "How much has Matt told you about the Digital World?"
Malcolm looked surprised briefly, but he got a speculative gleam in his eye before replying, "Matt has told me about what happened to him and his friends… the tags and crests and Dark Masters and now the Digimon Emperor… but he never… he never mentioned anything about you…" a look of shock crossed his features, "That… that doesn't have anything to do with… oh, God, TK!"
Fiddling with an imaginary fleck of dust on the pristine polished tabletop, TK nodded, not meeting his eyes. "Unfortunately, it has everything to do with what happened. I was kidnapped by the Dark Masters. They held me in their fortress on Spiral Mountain for six months, until Patamon here saved me."
Zipping open his backpack, he allowed a blushing Patamon to peer out bashfully at his father. Malcolm stared at the digimon incredulously, finally muttering in a sardonic tone, "I don't know if the digimon who saved my son's life should be hauled around in a book bag like a common notebook. It's highly unsuitable for such a heroic little guy."
Squeaking in embarrassment, Patamon ducked back into the bag, his small face glowing red. TK chuckled, allowing his partner to retreat for the moment. Malcolm also laughed, although not unkindly, before returning to a more serious tone.
"TK… why—do you have any idea why they… why you? There are so many… what do you call yourselves—Digidestined? Why you?"
Twisting his fingers together, TK seemed to consider this for a long moment. Finally he pulled the Crest of Hope out from around his neck, staring at it. "It has a lot to do with this. More so, actually, than it has to do with me personally, I'd imagine. You know how Matt's crest is Friendship? This is mine… Hope."
Malcolm took the proffered talisman solemnly, his eyes widening slightly as he grasped it. TK wondered idly what other people felt when they handled it… Matt had worn a similar look when he'd held it several days earlier. A look of… of wonder, as if they were touching something that was beyond what they knew… something almost holy. TK's wonder, like Kari's for her also revered Crest, was balanced by a dose of healthy pragmatism. Powerful, yes, and also a tremendous nuisance. A tremendous nuisance that made its bearer a target of incredible evil… and therefore almost more trouble than it was worth, in his opinion. Almost. It did have its uses.
As Malcolm examined the crest, TK continued his explanation. "The Crests are… well, I can't say I understand everything about them, but I do know that Hope and Light are different from the others. The long and short of it is that it makes me kind of a big target for the bad guys. It also means that I… I guess you could say, I have an idea of what my life would have been like, if not for… circumstances beyond my control. I—you guys would have divorced, anyway, and Mom would have gotten custody of me. It's hard to explain how—how I know this, but it's true. I knew I was supposed to be Takaishi Takeru. I knew you guys were divorced before I even got back here. Choosing Mom was sort of… my way of reclaiming something that was taken from me. Do you—do you understand why I chose the way I did?"
Fingering the fine chain of the Crest, Malcolm looked meaningfully up at his youngest son. "You haven't told Yamato all of this, have you?" Seeing TK shake his head, he sighed, handing the talisman back to him. "He should hear this from you sometime… your mother, too. You might want to wait for her hysterics to die down, first, however. I do understand, though, and I'm glad you explained it to me. I'll expect you to visit, though, and damn often, too. The last thing I need is a moody, sulking Matt on my hands. I've put up with that for long enough."
TK grinned, slipping the crest back over his head. "Doesn't Gabumon help with that?"
Laughing outright, Malcolm clapped his son on the shoulder. "That bottomless pit? When he's not eating, maybe. I hope Patamon isn't an eating machine like the rest of them seem to be."
TK stood, ignoring the indignant protest from his book bag. "I don't call him the bat pig for nothing."
"Hey! TK! You promised that was just between us!" Came the even more indignant voice from within the depths of the book bag.
"Actually, I promised that I was the only one who would call you that. I never said I'd stop calling you that." TK smirked when Patamon did not reply except for grumpy but good-natured mumbling.
Father and son laughed as they headed for the doors, and Malcolm looked with barely restrained pride at the young man his small son had become. At the young man whose eyes were luminous again, with relief, and also with hope, which Malcolm understood now. Holding open the door, he smiled tightly, sadly. "You remember what I said about visiting, though."
Gripping the straps of his bag more firmly, TK looked away from his approaching mother and into his father's eyes. "I will, Dad. I promise."
She doesn't own a dressHer hair is always a mess
If you catch her stealing she won't confess…
She's beautiful…
Meet Virginia…
She never compromises…
Loves babies and surprises…
Wears high heels when she exercises…
Ain't that beautiful?
Meet Virginia…
Well she wants to be the queen
And she thinks about her scene
Pulls her hair back as she screams
I don't really want to be the queen…
"Meet Virginia"
Train
Sora bit back a curse as her gym bag hit the ground, spilling tennis balls out into the hallway. The round yellow balls rolled in every direction, flashing brightly in the bright squares frown the windows that stretched across the floor and walls, letting the sunny afternoon into the silent school interior. She dropped her racket onto the floor with an angry clatter, stooping to chase after the fugitive balls. She was on her knees reaching under a trophy case when a pair of black dress shoes paused in front of her. She froze, realizing the humiliating absurdity of her position, and let her eyes travel up… and up… into the smirking face of Ishida Yamato.
And she'd thought her day couldn't get any worse.
Wearing the tiniest of smiles, Matt held out a tennis ball, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Lose something?"
Trying to back out from under the case as gracefully as possible, Sora blushed and blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. "You mean besides my mind?" She returned sarcastically, rocking back on her heels. Then her mind caught up with her mouth.
Oh, Lord.
"Did I just say that out loud?" She gasped, her blush growing brighter as she attempted to pull herself up out of her precarious position. A hand appeared in front of her face, and she hesitated before taking it gratefully, allowing Matt to pull her to her feet. He held her hand for a moment, until she pulled away awkwardly, averting her eyes from his face.
Matt was still smiling though, although it had become a little strained. "I can help you find your tennis balls, if you want," he offered hesitantly. "I can't help you with finding your mind though," he continued, leaning towards her conspiratorially. Almost against her will, she found herself leaning in as well.
"And why is that?" She asked archly.
Glancing around as though to be sure he wasn't overheard, he winked at her. "I don't know if you've heard the rumors around here, but everyone knows I've been crazy for years."
Sora pulled away quickly, disturbed. The part about the rumors was true; everyone in school knew Matt had a dangerous temper, ever since his brother disappeared. The other destined had done their best to dispel the rumors, but in the end it had been Matt's musical talents and looks that had made him popular despite the whispers. A lot of girls found his past tragically romantic, although Sora found that to be the biggest load of crap she'd ever heard. Still, to hear Matt joking so off handedly about it…
"Sora, laugh! Jeez, I wasn't that uptight, was I?" Matt was grinning at her now… not that it was a grin by anyone else's standards, but it was as close to it as the blond could comfortably get and still look acceptably cool.
Crossing her arms over her chest, and wondering what had occurred between them so suddenly, Sora tried to sound dubious as she replied. "Well, you're not usually chipper, and that's what I'd have to call this. Who do I have to thank for this change of heart?"
The question hung unspoken between them… why don't you still hate me?
Shrugging, Matt adjusted the strap of his book bag, being careful not to wrinkle his, as usual, immaculately ironed jacket. "If you had to thank someone, it would have to be TK." His grin didn't get any wider, that would be trespassing past coolness, but his face seemed to light up, and he seemed, just more at peace.
Sora understood immediately, and she had no compunctions about grinning as widely as her face would allow. "Ah, I see. Then I owe him quite a bit. I'm very happy for all of you… I—what I mean to say is… I've always wanted you to be happy, Matt. You know that, right?"
The blonde's expression clouded slightly, but he nodded, softly, and opened his mouth to reply, but Sora cut him off, excitedly. "Oh, is that him?"
Turning to look where she was pointing, Matt's smile reformed. TK was on his way down the hall, his arms full of the work he'd missed during his day in court. "Yeah, it is. Hey, TK!" He called, waving a bit at the younger boy, who smiled and hastened a bit down the hall towards them.
"I'm going to take him to grab his stuff and then—and then drop him off at my mom's place," Matt explained.
Sora winced slightly. "I heard you were in court today. That means he didn't choose you and your dad, huh? I'm sorry."
Matt shrugged, still watching his brother approach. "It's not what I wanted… but it's still a lot more than I used to have."
There was no time for Sora to reply, as TK had finally reached him, shuffling his books under one arm. Matt ruffled his hair, pushing him slightly towards Sora. "Sora, this is my brother, Ish—Takaishi Takeru… TK, this is—this is my friend, Takenouchi Sora."
Both smiled at Matt as he introduced them, TK for his last name and Sora for being called a friend. TK bowed politely to Sora, saying, "Please, call me TK."
Sora smiled broadly, brushing a stray auburn strand out of her face. She reached in to hug TK, placing a quick kiss on the younger boy's cheek. "Oh, don't be so formal. Anyone who can put such a smile on Matt's face is practically family in my book."
TK smiled back at her, before noticing her tennis uniform. His smile grew broader, and he produced a tennis ball he'd picked up down the corridor. "Lose something?"
Sora stared at the ball for a moment before laughing brightly and snatching it from him. "What is it with you two and picking up tennis balls that don't belong to you?"
TK looked puzzled, but Matt's blue eyes glowed mischief, and he crossed his arms over his chest. "Be nice, or we'll leave you to pick up the rest yourself."
Gasping in outrage, the redhead glared at the older boy. "You'll help… unless you want TK to hear some less than flattering tales of your adolescence."
This time it was Matt's turn to sputter in outrage, and he did so as TK and Sora laughed at his expression.
As they laughed, they were watched from the shadows by a thoughtful figure. Tai bit his lip, unsure how he should feel about what he'd been watching. He knew eavesdropping was wrong, but he'd been curious to see how the encounter would play out. Before TK had arrived, it had almost seemed like Matt and Sora were flirting.
"Well, that's a relief."
Tai whirled to face the speaker, and was surprised to find Davis standing behind him, still wearing his soccer uniform. He had Tai's cleats dangling from one hand. "You forgot these," he said, handing them to the older boy. Tai took them slowly, his mind still reeling from what he'd seen and the shock of Davis sneaking up on him.
"What's a relief?" He asked hesitantly, throwing the boy a questioning glance.
Davis looked puzzled, and he gestured to the trio down the hall. His challenging brown eyes were reproachful when he spoke. "Them. I remember you saying that all you and Sora wanted was to be friends with Matt, but that he was the one resisting it. Well, he seems to have gotten over it, so that's a good thing, right?"
Not looking at trio still gathering balls, he shrugged unconvincingly. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm happy about it, why wouldn't I be?"
Giving Tai one last wise look, Davis turned back towards the locker room. "If you're so happy about it, why are you hiding over here?" He tossed back, making Tai come up short.
"I'm not hiding!" Tai snapped back, crossing his arms.
Tai could all but hear Davis smirk as the locker room door swung shut behind him. "Of course you're not."
"Humph. We'll see if you ever date my sister," Tai muttered at the closed door. He couldn't really remain angry, though, because he knew Davis was right. He and Matt were going to have to settle their differences, if only because Kari and now Sora would dismember them otherwise.
"Jeez, Sora, how many tennis balls does one person need?"
"Matt! There are a lot of balls, but I'm sure there's a perfectly rational explanation—"
"Yeah, there's an explanation, TK. It's that she keeps hitting them over the fence into traffic. Did you know Sora here is singly handedly responsible for the rising rate of car crashes in Odaiba?"
"Speak for yourself Ishida. I heard the rising rates were due to your deplorable driving skills."
"Want to start, Takenouchi?"
"Any day, Ishida, any day."
"Oh, break it up, you two."
Still standing in the shadows, Tai smiled to himself as he watched the three teens bicker good-naturedly. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all.
Maybe.
Grace—she takes the blame.
She covers the shame.
Removes the stain.
It could be her name.
Grace—it's a name for a girl.
It's also a thought that changed the world.
Because grace makes beauty out of ugly things.
Grace finds beauty in everything.
Grace finds goodness in everything.
"Grace"
U2
Yolei picked at her nails, sighing in boredom. The store was slow that evening, and she hadn't seen a customer in at least forty minutes. Satisfied with the condition of her manicure, she propped her head on her hand and stared listlessly out into the warm purple dusk. People were strolling by the windows, heading all sorts of exciting places, she was sure. They weren't trapped in a convenient store like a common clerk. She sighed again, imagining herself strolling in the beautiful twilight, arm and arm with Ichijouji-san. Then they would go to the park, and…
"Hey! TK!" She called suddenly, starting out of her reflections when a familiar face passed her window. The blond paused, peering into the store curiously. He smiled when he identified her as the person who'd called him. Yolei walked to the door, standing out in the balmy night to talk to her newest friend. TK was leading a large gray dog on a leash, which was sitting obediently beside him as they waited for Yolei to come out.
"Oh, what a nice dog! What's its name?" The girl exclaimed upon seeing the dog, offering her hand to be sniffed by the animal. When Kiu had sniffed it thoroughly, she began to stoke the dog's soft fur. TK grinned as Kiu leaned into the attention, making happy sounds in her chest.
"Her name is Kiu… and as you can tell, she's a glutton for attention. Unfortunately she hasn't been getting much of mine lately, with everything that's been going on." TK sounded genuinely sorry that he didn't have more time to spend with his dog, and Yolei smiled at his sincerity.
"How's Patamon taking to her?" She asked, picturing the digimon and dog fighting over TK's limited time and attention.
TK laughed. "Patamon's fine with it, so long as he doesn't have to share my pillow with her. At least, that's what he said. They're still negotiating the terms of the settlement, I think."
Yolei laughed with him, standing up and stretching slightly. "So, are we up for the Digital World after school tomorrow?"
"I think so… according to Kari, anyway," TK replied, his eyes focused on something far off, for a moment. Yolei watched him for a moment, as he leaned against the store's façade. She smiled to herself as she made some connections in her mind.
"You look thirsty," She changed the subject, "Here, have a water, on the house." She handed him a bottle of water from the cooler just inside the door, taking one for herself as well. She smiled her secret smile again as he poured a little into his cupped hand, allowing Kiu to lap it up before he himself drank. This would work out perfectly.
"Are you making a lot of friends at school?" She continued innocently, her eyes following the passersby, hurrying to and fro on the sidewalk before them. In the distance, she could hear a siren, and the dull roar of city traffic.
"Yeah, some. Beyond you guys, only a few, I guess. It's hard being new." TK shrugged as he said this, sipping his water thoughtfully. Yolei was impressed with how open he was being with her. Smiling deviously in her mind, she pressed her advantage.
"I've heard nothing but good things about you… especially from the girls. You're on your way to being very popular, I think."
She laughed silently as TK blushed; pink rushing straight across his nose. "That will wear off when the publicity does, no doubt."
"Oh, I don't know about that. Most of the girls seem genuinely interested in you, and it's not just the blond hair. Of course, none of them will try anything, what with you and Kari and all…" She allowed her thought to dangle. As she'd hoped, he snapped it up.
"Me and Kari what?" He asked quickly, although he was still blushing.
Yolei turned innocent eyes on him, her face puzzled. "What do you mean, what? You two have been joined at the hip since you got here. Everyone's talking about it." Okay, so the only people who were talking about it were she and Cody, but TK didn't know that.
And what TK didn't know could only be to her advantage.
TK seemed nonplussed by this, his blue eyes distant. "It's not really anything like that… I just—we just—clicked, I suppose."
Yolei arched a violet eyebrow, pursing her lips in disbelief. "Oh, clicked, did you? Then why was Kari reading up on Alaska a week and a half before you even showed up?"
She grinned in victory as TK groaned, closing his eyes and lowering his head. "Something tells me the only person talking about Kari and me is you."
Still smirking, she tried to reassure him. "I'm just teasing, don't worry so much. I'd be very interested to know how she knew you were coming, but I'm willing to wait until you're ready to confide. Everyone confides to the great Yolei in the end," she teased, shaking a finger at him. He smiled weakly. "Besides, it's not like you guys are making out, or anythi—TK!"
At the words 'making out' TK had turned a brilliant red which belied the stammered disclaimer he tried to choke out. Yolei's eyes grew as round as her glasses, and she hurriedly lowered her voice.
"You guys made out? When? What—how—isn't that moving a bit fast? What's going on with you two?!"
His eyes closed in exhaustion. TK's voice was barely audible over the sounds of the evening. "It wasn't like that… well, it was a little like that. It was right after that first battle. I—we—we're not going out, or anything. It just happened. It had as much to do with our crests as it did with us, really." The last part sounded weak and unconvincing, and Yolei thought she heard something else in his voice. It might have been yearning.
Her voice was hesitant, as if she wasn't sure she was ready to ask such a sacred question. "TK, are you in love with her?"
TK's eyes opened, and they seemed tired but bright, and looking into them, Yolei had a sudden insight into the true meaning of his crest. She kept it to herself, however, and his voice was terribly soft when he replied.
"I think I might be."
If Yolei's eyes could have gotten any wider, they would have. As it was she had to step away from the boy to absorb what he'd said, almost as if the impact of it had driven her back. When she spoke again, her voice was as soft as his. "How could that have happened so fast? Are you sure… when did this happen?"
A soft smile returned to TK's face, and he looked slightly amused. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. But—some of this is Kari's story to tell. If you want to know you'll have to ask her."
Yolei's mouth opened and closed a few times, but she couldn't think of a single thing to say to that. She was DEFINITELY calling Kari the moment TK left, though.
TK smiled at her silence, sipping his water thoughtfully. "What about you? Any torrid love affairs?"
This brought Yolei back to earth quickly, and she grimaced. "Not yet, unfortunately. Especially since I thoroughly humiliated myself in front if Ichijouji Ken the yesterday."
TK choked on his water, coughing as he inhaled the liquid. "Did you say Ichijouji Ken?"
Yolei cocked her head to the side, completely thrown by his reaction. "Yeah, why?"
TK's eyes were wide and incredulous when he turned to her. "Kari didn't tell you? What was she thinking? I assumed you guys knew and just weren't talking about it!"
Yolei frowned. "Didn't tell us what?"
When he turned to her, TK was somber. "Yolei… how do I explain this… for the second time today… sheesh… Kari and I… with our crests, we kind of know things about the Digital World, and sort of what—what might have happened with it, up to a point. Now, we don't know much, really anything, about what happened after you guys got your digimon, but for a few specific things. One of those things is Ken… Yolei, I'm sorry, but… he's the Digimon Emperor."