Lessons In Friendship

Chapter 3: Shades of Gray

Ken watched with interest as Davis glanced curiously between Matt and Tai, his eyes finally settling on Tai. "What do you mean by that?"

Tai glanced at Matt out of the corner of his eye, giving the blond a fond look before replying. "What you see isn't always what you get. You know that better than anyone, Davis. Sometimes what's hidden beneath the surface is completely different from the shell on the outside."

"So...you're saying there's more to Matt than just a pretty face?"

Matt glared at him, and Davis laughed. "Dude, I'm just joking. Lighten up already, would you?"

Tai managed to keep a straight face for the sake of his friendship with Matt, but he looked as if he was trying very hard not to laugh. "That's exactly what I'm saying, Ishida good looks aside."

Typical Tai...

Matt turned his glare on Tai and he crossed his arms over his chest, a slight scowl overtaking his handsome features. "You are not helping this conversation."

"Then why'd you ask me to come over here?"

"Because, oh never mind. Stay on topic."

"Yes sir, oh self proclaimed cool one!"

Matt sighed and shook his head, smiling faintly. The blond seemed exasperated, yet amused by his best friend's antics.

At that moment, Izzy happened to look up and he raised an eyebrow, looking rather amused by the former leader's words. "That's funny, Tai, your comments about Matt are surprising. I never pictured you to be such a er...deep thinker."

"Hey!" Tai pretended to look offended. "I can think just as deep as the next guy!"

"Right!" Sora laughed.

Matt waved a hand for silence and fixing his deep blue gaze on the current goggle-headed leader's face, he said, "The point we're trying to make is that you have to be willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. Don't make the mistake of judging your peers too early. I know from experience. They might end up surprising you later on."

"How is this going to help me solve my problem with T.K.?" Davis asked, frowning.

Matt smiled at him. "Simple. Put aside all the things about my brother that annoy you, apparently there's a lot of them, and try to focus on the things that you do like."

The younger boy wrinkled his forehead in concentration. "This is going to be harder than I thought."

"Careful before you get a brain cramp!" Mimi joked.

"Ha ha, very funny," Davis shot back, yanking the nail file out of the rosy-haired Digidestined's hands and tossing it into the grass for revenge.

Mimi let out a squeal of outrage and she quickly jumped off the table top to search for it, her hands moving slowly over the grass to spot the all important grooming tool. "If I get grass stains on this skirt, you are so dead, Davis!" she shouted.

"Maybe not." Matt leaned forward and rested his chin in his hands, ignoring Mimi and gazing thoughtfully at the sky. "Okay, Davis, what don't you like about my brother?"

"Well, for one thing, every time I do something, he always has to do it ten times better than me, and it drives me crazy."

"Alright, that's a start. What else?"

"He has this way of looking at me like I'm a toddler with a low I.Q. You know...like one who needs to be led by the hand in order to do anything right."

"Good. One more thing."

Davis hesitated, and Matt gave him an encouraging look. "I also don't like the way he acts like he knows everything about the Digital World just because he's been going there longer than I have. If I don't know something, he has a tendency to talk to me as if he's conversing with someone who speaks a foreign language and he has to talk slowly so I'll understand. And...I don't know for sure, but...do you think he thinks I'm jealous of him."

"Are you?"

Davis blinked at him. "Am I what?"

"Are you jealous of T.K?"

There was a long moment of silence, and Davis finally shook his head. "No."

His reply was awarded with a few raised eyebrows, and Davis grinned. "Really, I'm not." The young leader stared directly at Matt, honesty in his chestnut brown gaze. "All I ever wanted was a little bit of respect from him and to be treated like an equal. Is that so much to ask?"

Matt exchanged a look with Tai, and though Ken couldn't be sure, he thought the blond musician smiled in satisfaction. "Now we're getting somewhere. In answer to your question, Davis, no. You have every right to expect those things from T.K., and he from you."

"I guess." Davis looked uncertain.

"You've given me a few reasons why you're angry with my little brother, and I can understand where you're coming from. This time we're going to try something different. This time I want you to name three things you do like about him."

Davis thought for a second and surprisingly he smiled. "Well...he's always willing to help me with my homework, and he offered to help me become a better basket ball player."

"Good. See? It's not so hard. Give me another one."

"Um...let's see...He's always there to help save my butt when we get into trouble in the Digital World, even if we have been fighting."

"That's a great reason. One more."

Davis adjusted the goggles on his forehead, a thoughtful look on his face. "There is one other thing..."

Matt nodded and motioned for him to continue.

"It's kind of stupid...but I accidentally overheard him having a conversation with Cody once, and he said that I was the bravest person he knew."

"Bravo, Davis!" Matt laughed as he and Tai started clapping. "You've just discovered why you really do like T.K.!"

Davis frowned at him in confusion. "I have?"

"Yes." Matt gave him a smile that was surprisingly warm. "You like him because even though it doesn't always seem like it, he respects you just as much as you respect him."

"Who said I respected him?" Davis appeared mildly insulted.

The blond shrugged, and he exchanged a smile with Tai in a way that only best friends could. "You didn't have to. Look, Davis, even the best of friends fight once in a while. It's only natural and healthy. No friendship is perfect."

"Yeah, if Matt and Tai didn't fight once in a while then I would seriously start to worry!" Sora laughed, putting an arm around the goggle-headed leader and giving him a friendly hug.

"Wait a second, back up!" Tai shouted, startling everyone. "T.K. said you were the bravest person he knew? What am I, chop liver? I thought I was the bravest person he knew! That's it! Matt, where's your brother? Davis might need a lesson on friendship etiquette, but T.K. could use one on tact!"

"Will you sit down and keep your big mouth shut?" Matt laughed. He pulled the former leader back down on the bench beside him, and Tai crossed his arms over his chest, looking sullen. In response to Tai's grumbling, Matt gave his best friend a quick hug and patted his back in a comforting gesture.

"Hey, Matt?"

The musician gave Davis a curious look, and Davis smiled softly at him. "I concede defeat. You definitely won the bet."

"Thank you. We finally agree on something."

"Bet? What bet? What are you guys talking about?" Tai asked, running a hand through his thick dark hair in confusion.

"Nothing important. Just a little wager on my apparent lack of social skills when it comes to the people I care about." The blond winked at Davis, who laughed at Tai's expression. His idol was looking more confused than ever.

"Oh...and, Davis? That was four things."

"What?"

"I told you to name three things you like about T.K." A slow smile slid across the blond's face. "You named four."

Davis went beet red in the face and lowered his eyes to the rough surface of the table.

"And another thing, I do take you seriously. You just haven't bothered to notice. By the way, T.K. really does like you. He told me so himself. The only reason he acts like that is because he thinks you aren't always so fond of him."

"Really?" Davis asked, giving the blond musician a hopeful look.

Matt nodded and reached out to ruffle the goggle-headed leader's hair. "See what I mean? It's like Tai said. You have to look beneath the surface."

"See, Matt? I'm useful for something!" Tai smirked, and Davis laughed.

Abruptly Davis went quiet and glanced at Matt with uncertainty. "Um, Matt...about all the things I said earlier. I didn't mean them."

"I know," the musician replied, his voice just as quiet.

"Matt?" Davis squirmed in his seat, but he met the blond's eyes without hesitation this time. "Thanks for teaching me all this."

Matt raised an eyebrow. "What do mean? I didn't teach you anything."

Davis stared at him, and Matt leaned over the table to whisper in his ear, "Have you forgotten that you're the one who received the Digi-Egg of Friendship? Everything I said you've known in your heart all along. You just needed someone to help you find it. And...I'm glad that someone was me."