TriceroDragon: Well, after many, MANY months, I finally have the time to update! Let me just say one thing first off: High School SUCKS. At any rate, now, it's that time of year; I've been snowed in, sick, punched, beleaguered, pestered, and tired! This chapter will be short, since, I haven't had much time. That one great fan who has inspired me to keep on writing fan-fiction knows who they are, and I'd like to anonymously acknowledge them here: Thank you, and you know who you are, although, I won't have much time to write fanfiction anymore, since I have decided to devote time to writing my Fiction Novel. At any rate, on with this fic! And I don't own Digimon.

---------------------------------------- Time and Love Again ----------------------------------------

Izumi sat on Takuya's bed, with an adoring gleam in her eyes. Takuya started thinking, not the greatest thing. 'Why has she got that look in her eye? It's really starting to give me the creeps. But her eyes are sooo pretty. They're such a beautiful sapphire blue!' At this point he just about became drowned in the thoughts of her and blurted something out. "You want to do something sometime?" he burst out. Izumi smiled and nodded. Suddenly, the sound of a large explosion recalled her to her senses. Some large object had just been obliterated on the cartoon blaring on the television. "How about we go out now?" she said. At this statement, Takuya shifted uncomfortably, looking for an easy out. "Sorry, but I have to help my mom ...umm rearrange her bedroom! How about tomorrow?" he said, rather nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Ok. Anytime." She replied, getting up and sauntering out the door, with her skirt swishing as she walked. Takuya sat down on his now vacant bed. He heard his mother saying good-bye to Izumi. As the sound of the front door closing reached his ears, he fell back and gave a heavy sigh. "Takuya! Your girlfriend said she'd call tomorrow!" his mother yelled. He sighed again and fainted dead away.

* * * *

Sunday Morning dawned. Takuya's alarm clock sounded, waking him from the most beautiful dream; but he rose, rubbing his eyes into focus. He trudged groggily to the bathroom, picked up his toothbrush, and put some toothpaste on it. He stood, staring absentmindedly with sleepy eyes at the blue and green striped paste for a few minutes. Suddenly Shinya poked his head around the door, yelling, "Breakfast's ready Takuya! And your giiirlfriend called!" He threw up his hands in surprise. Then, out of the blue, Shinya started laughing, and pulled his head back around the corner. Takuya was now fully awake, and began the search for his toothbrush. Suddenly, *it* found *him*. It slid down over his eye from its ingenious hiding place; the top of his head. But now, it was missing a key element. The toothpaste he'd put on it. He quickly looked around. No toothpaste in sight. 'Oh no...' He thought, putting a tentative finger to the top of his head. Sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed. There was toothpaste on his head. Already this was not starting out as a good day, and on top of that, he had to go do something with Izumi. He was afraid. He did like Izumi but he was afraid of screwing up. So he dreaded calling her back, and he knew it was going to have to happen. It was the implacable, the inevitable, and the indomitable. Why did he go and open his big mouth. Now he was stuck. There was no way out. Trapped. Like a rat. He took a washcloth from the cabinet and wiped the toothpaste from his hair as best he could, then applied new paste to the brush and proceeded to brush his teeth.

* * * *

Darren awoke in his sleeping bag on Izumi's bedroom floor. It was about half past six, he noted from the digital alarm clock across the room from him. He and Izumi had slept over at each other's houses every weekend since they were kids, alternating houses. And it was just pure luck that this week it was Izumi's house, because it had been two weeks in a row, since they'd been at Darren's twice in a row, since Izumi's mother had had to rush into the office Saturday before last. So, as luck would have it, Darren was awake and brushing his teeth when Izumi burst out of her room. Outside a flock of birds could be seen fleeing from their nest on the roof of Izumi's house, and from the roofs of 2 other houses in either direction. She ran past the bathroom door, the wind from her passing nearly blowing it shut, and immediately streaked for the phone in her nightclothes. After waking up Takuya's mother, and confirming that Takuya was still asleep, she walked, as calmly as her excitement would allow, back to her bedroom.

Just before she passed the bathroom door, though, Darren stepped out. With the hearts in her eyes, Izumi never saw her imposing 6' friend in the way, and walked smack into him. She fell flat on her butt and he stood, like an iron pillar, arms crossed, looking down at her. He shook his head tersely. Izumi leaped up and rubbed her hurt rear end. "Oww, why'd you do that for!!!!" she exclaimed wildly, staring up at her hulking behemoth of a best friend. "You called his house didn't you? You never listen to me, do you Izumi?" he said, laughing a little. "But... I couldn't resist!!" she said in childish voice, the hearts clouding her eyes again. "It's seven in the morning, you know." He said, shaking his head again. "Just... try and listen to me a little more, will ya? I know how a guy's mind works. I AM a guy, you know?" he said, nodding sagely. "You sure don't act like it sometimes!" she quipped, and then gagged, seeing the strand of floss trailing from Darren's mouth dripping saliva, while Darren froze, mid-nod. Izumi sauntered smugly past him and into her room, carefully avoiding the spit-coated floss, and snuggling back under her comforter, while Darren sidled slowly back into the bathroom to finish his routine.

* * * *

Well, 10a.m sped forward to Takuya, who by now was already dressed in his red gear, sans his recently acquired headgear, the toothpaste. He picked up the phone from his desk, and began dialing Izumi's number.

The phone rang twice. Then someone picked up. "Hello, Orimoto Residence, Darren speaking" came the greeting. Takuya, as usual displaying less sense than he possibly could, said in a bewildered tone, "I don't remember Izumi having a brother...", at this, Darren snorted derisively and snickered, "No, she doesn't, I'm her friend, Darren".