Disclaimer- .:Izumi:. Okay, I'M making this short. Kouichi, your turn.

.:Kouichi:. Kaea doesn't own Digimon. And you're welcome, Izumi.

Christmas Shopping

"Yey! Shopping!" Kako squealed, skipping merrily in front of everyone else.

Snickering, Junpei whispered to Tomoki, "Just another girl."

Kako stopped to turn and glare at him. "I heard that! Clothes shopping is ick. Game and gift shopping is...AWESOME!"

Izumi just smiled. "That reminds me...I have a little place we all have to visit at the end," she said, eyes directed at Kako who was too busy bouncing around to pay attention.

"Whatever," Kouichi sighed, walking past them all. "Let's go."

Returning to her usually hyper self, Kako literally dragged Kouichi over to a store. "Here first," she ordered, letting go of his arm and quickly disappearing into the shop, leaving Kouichi to blink.

Candles. "Kako, what's so interesting about candles?" Kouichi asked, exasperated as he walked into the store.

Picking up a candles and tossing it to him, she replied, "Spearmint. Cool, icy and calming, but sweet."

Takuya looked at Kouji in askance as the rest of them entered the store, but the bandana head merely shrugged.

"Bubblegum. Annoyingly hard to chew, but fun," Kako said, throwing a candle at Kouji this time.

Kouji winced as the candle bounced off his forehead before falling into his hands. "Aim better," he muttered, rubbing his head.

"Cinnamon, enough to spice things up. Lilac, smooth," continued the girl, throwing the first candle to Takuya and the second to Izumi. "Tropical Rose, truly unique and Ocean Breeze, always thinking clearly." The last two candles she handed to Junpei and Tomoki.

"I don't get it," Tomoki confessed, examining the light blue candle in his hand. "WHere does it say that?"

"It doesn't."

Everyone stared at her.

Smiling, Kako explained, "A person is like a candle. Each has it's own unique scent, but the all have the ability to burn bright."

"You mean you made that all up on the spot!" Takuya asked in awe.

She shook her head. "I used to have a long list of scents and matching personalities, but I think Hideki threw it away by accident. Those are the few that I remember."

Kouji grinned. "So, you're going to own a candle shop when you grow up, then, candle girl?"

"Possibly."

His jaw dropped. "I was kidding," Kouji said hastily.

Kako shrugged. "I was serious. Anyway, keep these. They're on me."

"What about you?" Kouichi asked suddenly.

"Wha...?"

"What candle scent are you most like?"

She smiled as she paid for the candles. "Vanilla."

Izumi frowned at her cousin. "Kako, you told me that vanilla was-"

"Pointless," Kako continued, still smiling, "Vanilla is pointless."

Quietly, Kouichi picked up a vanilla scented candle and paid for it, pocketing the candle as he walked after the others. Pointless, huh?

He smiled, watching his friends laugh as Kako whacked his brother for some comment he had said.

I'd have to say otherwise.

"Hey, Junpei, remember what you said earlier? About Kako being like every other girl? I think you should rethink that," Tomoki advised as he dropped the bags he was carrying so he could catch his breath.

"Ooh! Video games!" Kako yelled, attempting to race into the store.

Kouichi caught her arm. "No way. We've done enough shopping for ten Christmases. I'm starting to think Junpei's holding more weight than ten books."

"But-"

"NO."

Kako sighed. But I don't want to go yet, she thought, glumly looking at Junpei who was carrying four full bags and having trouble balancing them. "Fine," she finally surrendered, slumping as she headed for the exit.

"Not so fast!" exclaimed her cousin. "Last stop today is that way!" Izumi pointed to a store that seemed to be deserted. Then again, one couldn't tell as there was black butcher paper covering the windows and doors.

"It looks closed, though!" Kako said, suddenly interested. "Any games?"

"Well, you could say that..."

"I WANNA GO!"

Izumi smirked and only the boys saw. "Okay...fine with me!"

Frowning, Kouichi walked over to Izumi. "What are you plotting?"

"Oh...nothing...nothing much."

"Uh huh..."

"Shush, you'll see," hissed the girl as she ushered her cousin into the store.

Kako's jaw dropped the second she stepped through the threshold.

Kouji and Takuya covered each other's mouths so they wouldn't laugh or scream while Junpei and Tomoki exchanged looks.

Kouichi, being Kouichi, merely sighed and shook his head in a bored manner.

"No. Way," Kako growled, attempting to stomp out of the store. "NO."

But Izumi held her back. "YES. Now behave. It'll only take a minute! I promise, just two dresses!"

"No."

"Two isn't much."

"NO!"

"Kako, the sooner you try them on, the sooner we get out," Kouichi stated as he leaned against a nearby wall.

"B-but-"

A firm gaze from Kouichi shut her up.

Kako watched in silent fury as Izumi walked off amongst the rack of dresses. Finding nothing to do with the spare time she had, she glared at the boys. "What are you all waiting here for? Go try on a tuxedo or something!" she snapped, trying not to blush, but failing.

"We're too young to die," replied Kouji before staring at a rack of tuxedos and bursting into laughter. Oh, man, that's funny. Kouichi in a tuxedo...

"Shut UP," Kako yelled. She would have kicked him, had Izumi not appeared out of nowhere with two dresses in her arms, each covered by a black plastic bag.

"Hurry up. The faster we try them on, the faster you can get rid of them," Izumi declared practically shoving her cousin into the dressing room.

All the boys exchanged glances then proceeded to wait.

Ten minutes later, Takuya sat in a chair, yawning for the 15th time. Kouji was half asleep in another chair while Tomoki and Junpei were in a big argument about some game or another and Kouichi was leaning against the wall of the dressing room's entrance with his eyes closed.

"As they done yet?" Takuya complained, groaning and yawning again.

Kouichi shrugged, his eyes still closed.

Kouji stared at his brother. "How do you do that!"

"That's not really helping pass time, you know. And besides, you already know how to do this. It's just not in your brain. Like Takuya said, 'stupidity transfer,'" the older twin commented.

The other stuck his tongue out. "I can try."

"Just shut up. I need to remember if I bought everything for everyone. And if I missed someone, I'll give them your gift."

Kouji squeaked, jumping in his seat before saying in a small voice, "Shutting up."

Another minute past and Kouji practically burst as he questioned his brother, "What are you getting me!"

"IZUMI! I AM NOT GOING OUT LIKE THIS!" Kouichi heard Kako yell.

Opening his eyes, Kouichi pushed off the wall and poked a now sleeping Takuya. "Wake up. I think Kako's done."

"Great! Home and videogames, here I come!" Takuya yelled, jumping out of his seat and startling Junpei and Tomoki into silence. "I finally realized what I did wrong! I have to go backwards to get the W-item materia!"

Kouji's jaw dropped as he stood up. "REALLY?"

Kouichi rolled his eyes and got out his water bottle. "Idiots," he muttered, taking a sip.

"Get. Over. There. NOW!" Izumi yelled, pushing her cousin forward.

Kako began to whine, "I look stupid!" Looking down, she frowned at the dress she had on.

Kouichi stared at Kako with wide eyes before turning around and trying not to spit out the water he had in his mouth. That looks...

"Well, what do you think?" Izumi asked gleefully. "Black silk dress, no sleeves..."

"I WANT my jacket," Kako growled at this point.

Izumi continued despite the interruptions, "No sleeves, but two inch straps and-"

"Thank the gods or whatever for no low cuts," muttered her cousin.

At this point, Kouichi had swallowed the water and covered his nose as the water threatened to come up. Yeah, I finally get over the fact that she looks good in the dress and she has to crack a joke. Thanks a lot, Kako, he silently grumbled in his head.

"Right...now the other dress!" Izumi muttered, mainly to herself, as she pushed the younger girl back into the dressing room.

Takuya groaned and fell back into his seat. "I thought she was done..."

"On the bright side, did you know the first shogun's name was Minamoto Yoritomo? Awesome, right!" asked the bandana head.

"Hardly," Junpei replied with a grin.

Tomoki snickered, understanding what Junpei had meant and clarified for the baffled Kouji, "Nothing compared to the fact that you remembered that!"

"HEY! I can be a pretty smart guy if I want!" Kouji yelped indignantly. Opening his mouth again, Kouji looked at his twin for support and found Kouichi standing by the wall, supporting himself with a hand as he tried to catch his breath. "Uh...Kouichi?"

Kouichi took several more breaths before closing his water bottle and leaning against the wall with closed eyes again. "I'm...fine..."

"AGAIN!" Kako yelled as Izumi pushed her out.

"SHUT UP!" the clerk yelled furiously.

Kouji stared at the man who had been glaring at them for the past few minutes. Smirking, he prepared his counter carefully.

The clerk continued, "THIS IS A STORE!"

"AND NOT A LIBRARY!" Kouji yelled back gleefully.

Opening his mouth several times, the clerk attempted to find a better comeback, but shut up, defeated.

"Red satin dress with sequins at the inch edge of the sleeves, hem and neck! Isn't it great!" Izumi asked enthusiastically as she pushed Kako out.

Kako grumbled, "I'm glad it has sleeves and all, but I'd like my jacket now, and these sequins are ITCHY! MY ARMS AND NECK ITCH!"

Kouichi winced and looked away as a slight blush crawled up to his cheeks. "Izumi, I think we're done now."

"Oh...but Kouichi-"

"PLEASE?"

Before anyone could say another word, Kako disappeared into the dressing room.

Izumi let out a defeated sigh. "Fine, Kouichi, you get your way," she muttered, frowning at Takuya who was at the very edge of sleeping.

Kouji snickered as he saw he blush on his brother's face. "Kouichi's blushing!" he teased.

"I am NOT blushing," Kouichi growled in his defense, the blush disappearing completely.

"Ooh! Yeah, you were! Is it because-"

"IZUMI HELP ME GET THIS DRESS OFF!" Kako yelled from inside the dressing room.

Kouji snickered as he watched his twin storm outside the store with a crimson red face. Oh, his plan would work so wonderfully...

A/N-

OH MY GOD I AM SO BEHIND! I'M SORRY! I really am. Only...I didn't get that many reviews, either. BUT I'M SORRY! The customer/reader is always right, no? Next chapter is Christmas! YEY! And it's so close to Christmas here, too...

I came up with the candle idea on the spot, yes, though Junpei's was really hard to figure out. Not only was this a boring chapter, but it was short, darn it. Must make it longer! .:grumbles:. I'm sorry…really, I am…

Review or flame as you wish. Arigatou.