Disclaimer-I don't own Digimon

---------------------------------------

True Emotions

---------------------------------------

Tomoki sighed and glanced at his watch. Shinya, where are you? Letting out an impatient sigh, he waited a while longer.

"Tomoki!"

The boy pushed up his hat and saw Shinya running towards him, hand covered over a package in his hand protectively. "You sure took your time! What was up?" Tomoki asked, taking the package into his own hands.

Shinya, out of breath, took a while before answering, "Takuya...Izumi...you have to come. Just to make sure...it doesn't..."

Right away, Tomoki knew what was wrong.

---------------------------------------

"Gah, Kouichi, you didn't have to run! How could you? You're carrying three books!" Kouji grumbled, stomping through the door after Kako and Naoko.

Kouichi walked out of the kitchen carrying a plate of cookies. "Before you take a cookie, promise you won't become hyper and ruin the house," he replied, holding the cookies out of Kako's reach.

Kouji snorted and sat on the couch after closing the door. Placing a hand on his growling stomach, he whined, "She promises, now give me a cookie already! I'm hungry..."

"Don't you have kendo?"

"Nope. Got out of it today. I had OTHER plans..." The younger twin shot Kako a glare.

Kako smiled serenely. "Cookie first, whacking Kouji later."

"HEY!"

"What, Kouji dear?" Her voice dripped with heavy sarcasm.

Kouichi handed the plate to Kako and sat down beside his brother. "Yeah, whatever. Uh...we should start, huh?"

"Well, technically...yes," Naoko admitted. She took a seat beside Kouichi and quietly lay her head on his shoulder.

Kouichi froze, but said nothing. Kouji was too busy trying to snatch a cookie from Kako while still sitting to notice.

Kako's eyes narrowed on Kouichi and Naoko before she shoved the plate at Kouji and dragged Kouichi off the couch. "Okay, we're going to start our project now!" she announced, running to Kouichi's room, tightening her grip on his arm as she slammed the door behind them.

Kouji crossed his arms grumpily. Finishing the cookie he had stuffed in his mouth, he muttered, "Well, let's start, then."

Naoko just smiled.

---------------------------------------

Kako breathed a sigh of relief as she sat down on Kouichi's bed. Kouichi twitched, saying nothing as he took a seat and cleaned up his desk quietly. His hand brushed across the present Kako had given him. He took the present and several other things, quickly stashing them into a cabinet in his desk. Then he cleared his throat and asked, "How long do you plan to invade my room?"

"Oooh, I wish my bed was this warm," Kako murmured with a sigh.

Kouichi's eyes widened. "GET OFF MY BED!"

Kako glared and yelled back, "No! Come on, you aren't going to make me sit on the floor, are you?"

"I'll sit on the floor and you can have the chair! Just get off my bed!" pleaded a flustered Kouichi.

"Make me!"

"Fine!" Kouichi stood up, staring menacingly at Kako. A second later, he sighed and sat back down on the bed. "Not worth the effort..."

The girl burst into laughter, jeering, "It's a miracle you beat Kanaye!"

Kouichi stood up once more, this time walking over to her and smiling. "Wanna bet?"

"You're on!"

Funny, she isn't afraid to bet after the last one with Kanaye, Kouichi thought as he stated the rules, "Okay, I win, you get off my bed. Rules are self-explanatory."

"I win, you owe me chocolate and do the project yourself!" Kako sang back.

"Fine with..." Kouichi grinned as he began to tickle Kako. "...Me," he murmured, laughing with her a little.

Kako shrieked and burst out laughing, trying to push Kouichi away. Still laughing, she managed to squeal, "N-no! Come on, this isn't fair!"

"So, then, I win!" Kouichi chuckled as he waited for Kako to get off the now messy bed. Darn, now to remake it...

"No! I told you, it's not fair!" Kako snapped, sitting up on the bed and stubbornly glaring at Kouichi, arms crossed across her chest.

Kouichi sighed. "Please?"

"NO!"

"Just get off!" Kouichi burst angrily. Kako replied by sticking out her tongue. Stop being a child...it's a bit too much, he thought, sitting down in the chair with an exasperated sigh. "Whatever..."

"Jerk."

Silence befell them for the longest time.

"We should...get...started, huh?" Kouichi asked quietly.

Kako said nothing. Instead, sniffing, she drew her knees up. Jerk. What's his problem?

Kouichi sighed again and called out in a murmur, "Kako?"

"What?" she snapped.

"Why...exactly did you drag me away from the cookies if we aren't going to work on the project?"

COOKIES? GOD, IS THAT ALL HE'S THINKING AOBUT? Kako let out a small growl and snapped, "Because I felt like it! If you want to start, then start, dammit!"

In response, Kouichi turned around. "It isn't good to curse," he reprimanded.

"I don't give a damn."

I...give...up. She's worse than Kouji. As if that's possible, Kouichi thought grumpily, pulling a drawer open and pulling out some pipe cleaners and construction paper. "Fine. I'll work on it myself."

"Fine!"

"Fine."

"FINE!"

Kouichi's hand clenched around the paper he drew out, crumpling it to a useless ball. "...so much for using that," he muttered, throwing it to the side. Blue for Adenine...Green for Guanine, and then we'll have Orange and Red for Cytosine and Thymine. Brown for the sugars, Gray for Phosphorus. It works. He flashed a look at Kako through his peripheral vision. Her gaze was glued onto him, watching his every move. With a defeated sigh, Kouichi picked up some pipe cleaners. The usual day...alone.

Nothing had changed much these past years at all.

----------------------------------------

Izumi walked into the house, her heart beating wildly. She nearly yelped when Mrs. Kanbara came out of the kitchen and greeted her.

"Izumi! It's nice to see you again!" the lady said happily, laughing. "Takuya, you didn't tell me she was coming over."

Takuya merely shrugged. "It's...a project."

Gathering her composure, Izumi smiled and murmured, "It's nice to see you again, too, Mrs. Kanbara. Shinya out?"

"Yes, you just missed him, actually." She sighed. "They all grow up so fast..."

Before she could burst out into laughter, Izumi was dragged off by Takuya.

-----------------------------------------

"So...um..."

Takuya lay on his bed, hands laced together behind his bed. "Hm?"

"What...should we do?"

Sounding a little alarmed, Takuya sputtered, "Wh-what?"

"For the project, I mean," Izumi said quickly.

He relaxed slightly. "Um, pipe cleaners?" I think that's what Kouichi said...and he's smart...

Izumi must've noticed he had stolen the idea as she let out a muffled laugh and asked, "Okay, genius, do you have any?"

For the longest time, Takuya thought about it. Pipe cleaners...what the hell are pipe cleaners, anyway? Oh well, he thought, letting out a sigh and muttering, "Nope?"

"You don't know?"

"Not sure. Never seen any, I think. Ask Shinya."

As pathetic as the conversation was, Izumi was enjoying every second of it. It seemed like ages since she had talked to Takuya, and...

Who knew? Maybe they could talk about other things?

"Um, Takuya...?" Izumi asked shyly. "Are you...going to the dance?"

"No."

Her face fell. "Takuya..."

"What?"

Why is this happening to us? Why is this happening at all? Why couldn't it be Kouji, instead? Izumi let out a choked sob, shaking her head as she wiped her eyes. "Uh...d-do you have any string, then?"

"No."

"So then, what should we DO?" she asked, getting angrier by the second. Angry with herself for expecting more, angry with Takuya for not saying anything more. "And not about the project, okay? I mean about us! Why are you doing this, Takuya?" she yelled, suddenly bursting into tears. "It's not fair! Just...please, can't you just talk to me?"

As Izumi continued crying, Takuya turned to his side, his back to her. Silently, he was crying along with her. He hated the pain. It was killing him, but it would have to be. "Stop crying," he whispered in a barely audible voice. Sitting up, he stated flatly, "We have the project to worry about."

Izumi burst into more tears, and Takuya bit back a groan. "Izumi, please, stop," he begged, standing up and walking over to her. "Just...please, stop!"

"I...I can't!"

Helplessly, Takuya sank onto his knees, his hands resting on her arms. Drawing a breath, he tried to keep his voice steady as he murmured, "I know I haven't been there for you much, I really...I really don't mean it! You know that, more than everyone! Izumi, I-"

"TAKUYA, DON'T DO IT!" Shinya yelled, throwing the door open and pouncing on his older brother as Takuya stood up and turned around.

Takuya whirled around to face Izumi just as Shinya hit him, and fell over from the impact, his lips colliding with Izumi's.

Tomoki entered the room a second later, covering his eyes. "Shinya...time yourself...better..." he declared, shuddering.

Shinya stood up, laughing sheepishly. "Oops?"

Slowly, Takuya pulled away from Izumi, licking his lips and inhaling slowly. If anything happens to Izumi, I'll make sure to murder Shinya, he promised himself, turning to his little brother. "Okay, Shinya, you twerp, what was that about?" he growled.

As the two brothers argued, Izumi recovered from shock. Slowly, she met the eyes of a grinning Tomoki who gave her a thumbs up sign before calling Shinya and saying, "Come on! We need to go meet up with the others!"

Shinya winced. "Oh, right!" he said slowly, edging away from a murderous Takuya who slammed the door shut as soon as his brother ran off.

Sighing, Takuya turned to Izumi and apologized, "Listen, Izumi, about that, I-" He paused, blinking as she walked up to him with a smile.

"Just shut up," Izumi murmured, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into another kiss.

----------------------------------------

Kouji sighed, sending a glance towards his brother's room. They're too quiet. You don't think...? No! Kouji, stop it! You're scaring me...Kouichi's not that type, he told himself firmly, turning back to the finished project. "Cool. You game?"

"Hm?" Naoko asked, writing their names on the back of a sugar packet. "Um...a bit. Are you sure you won't get sick after eating all those sugar packets?" she asked, frowning.

"Of course not!" Kouji declared, turning on the PS2 and unraveling the controller. "So...have you beat any?"

Naoko shrugged and replied, "I play a few of my brother's games now and then. Too lazy to become addicted."

Kouji grinned. "Cool, then I'll make you get addicted with my mad skills!"

Naoko rose an eyebrow, but nodded. "Sure, whatever."

----------------------------------------

Kouichi sighed, banging his head on the table. He had finished, yes, but Kako was asleep.

On his bed.

It just wasn't right.

His mind momentarily wandered to Takuya and Izumi. I wonder if those two are okay. I worry...very much, he thought with a sigh. "Hey, Duskmon?" he called out quietly. He didn't know why he had called Duskmon of the three that he knew, he just felt like it. "We'll get our spirits, right?"

Duskmon nodded, appearing in the shadows cast on the door. "No really?"

"What about Ranamon and the others? There's ten spirits..."

He received a wry smile. Sighing, Duskmon replied, "No one's really asked that besides the two of us. Lowemon knows, because Ophanimon told him. She doesn't trust me, though. Just goes to show why I shouldn't be working for you kids."

Kouichi shot a look at Kako. "Can you tell what she's thinking?"

"Yes, and you don't want to know."

"What is it?"

Duskmon thought a while before replying, "Things only a girl could dream of."

"Like...?"

Duskmon grunted and said nothing more.

Kouichi sighed. "Is it that bad?"

"Yes."

"Just tell me!"

Again, silence.

Is he preparing a lie? Just great, Kouichi thought, rolling his eyes. "Whatever," he muttered, "it doesn't matter. So, anyway-"

"...if you wanted to know..."

"Yes?"

"Kouji's in her dream. And so are you."

Kouichi frowned. "Uh...that doesn't help, but sure..."

Duskmon groaned, then disappeared. How clueless is he?

"Hey!"

Reappearing, the spirit snapped, "What?"

Kouichi paused before asking, "Any news?"

"None. Oh...except...Blitzmon's joining us!"

The boy froze. "You mean..."

"Junpei decided he was too lazy to bother with Blitzmon at the moment, with no D-Tector and all, so Agunimon mentioned you had yours, and any time now, Junpei'll drop off that button that fell off in the Digital World, apparently."

Kouichi turned away from Duskmon with a sigh. A button? Typical...

"Are you going to wake her up?" Duskmon suddenly asked, intrigued with the human's unintentional staring at Kako.

"What?" Kouichi blinked a few times before the words sunk in. "Oh...yeah, I probably should, huh?"

Have fun, Duskmon thought with a smirk, disappearing without a word.

And Kouichi winced. He did that on purpose, he thought, walking up to Kako and tentatively placing a hand on her arm. "H-Hey, Kako...wake up."

Kako turned over, murmuring, "No, but I want that one..."

What's she dreaming about? Chocolate? Kouichi sighed impatiently. "Kako, wake up," he snapped, whacking her shoulder lightly. This is stupid. I should get Kouji. He'll know what to do.

"No...twins."

NOW I'M WORRIED, the boy thought, eyes wide as he began to panic. "Couldn't she not mutter?" he whispered to himself in horror.

Before he could call for Kouji, however, Kako murmured with a sigh, "Mhm...yeah...of course. Twin-scented candles are preferred."

"What...are...twin-scented...candles?" Kouichi murmured aloud, confused.

Kako's eyes fluttered open. "Well, I call the-" She sat up and screamed. "GET OUT!" she shrieked, taking off her shoe and throwing it at him.

Kouichi yelped and caught the shoe before it crashed onto his desk. "Do you mind? This is my room!"

"Oh..." she murmured, her eyes widening. "Gah! I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay," he mumbled in return.

Kako stood up and walked over to him. "Don't...tell me...you finished it? Without me?" she exclaimed, slamming her hands on the desk. "Kouichi!"

He shrugged and shut his eyes. "You were sleeping."

"You're a real idiot, you know that? You could have woken me up!"

"You know the material well enough."

"It doesn't matter! If I fail-"

"You won't. You know the material better than I do."

"But-"

Standing up, Kouichi covered her mouth with a hand. "Just. Don't. Argue," he told her, twitching slightly. Drawing a breath, he continued, "And if you want to, you can bug Kouji and game a little."

"...Kouichi..."

"What?"

"You could have woken me up."

"Kako, just let it go," Kouichi snapped, heading for the door

She let out a growl and grabbed his arm. "No! I mean it, Kouichi! You're too nice for your own good!"

Letting out a sigh, Kouichi turned to her. "So...would you rather I be like Kanaye?" he asked slowly, backing her up until she fell on the bed. "To tell you the truth, Kako, I'm confused myself."

Kako squeaked as he pressed her against the bed, shutting her eyes. "Let...let me go," she demanded weakly as he grabbed her wrists to pin her down.

"Then tell me, why are you doing this to me?"

Opening her eyes, Kako winced. He sounded so desperate, so lost. But telling him meant he would get hurt, wouldn't it? That's what Kouji said. We have to go on with this...for a while longer, Kouichi. Just a while longer, she thought, whimpering as the distance between them grew smaller.

Kouichi's grip tightened. "So tell me!" he hissed, his face inches from her own. "Please, Kako..."

At that moment, the door opened and the two froze. Kouji's gaze hardened on his older brother. "What...are you doing?"

Immediately, Kouichi let go and walked out, shouldering his brother. Kako sat on the bed, trembling as Kouji approached her. Drawing a breath and forcing a smile, she stood up and said, "Hey. You didn't start gaming without me, did you?"

Kouji frowned. "What was he doing, Kako?"

"Let's go, then!" Kako exclaimed, grabbing hold of his arm and dragging him to the living room. Naoko sat on the couch, sighing and staring at the T.V. screen. "Hey...you started without me!"

Kouichi sat on the ground, ignoring everyone else's presence as he continued to race the chocobo. Naoko glanced up at the clock before shaking her head. "Well, I'd love to stay longer, but I have other things to do. See you guys tomorrow." Just as she shut the door, she waved and said sweetly, "Bye, Kouichi!"

Kako clenched her fists, keeping a perfectly straight face. 'Bye, Kouichi!' her mind thought in disgust. I'll make him regret everything!

"Oy, Kouichi, let me play!" Kouji demanded.

"Whatever," muttered the older twin, sighing and taking out his memory card. "I'm going for a walk."

"Sure. Kako, you need to help me! I can't get the stupid materia..."

Kouichi walked outside, glancing behind his shoulder sadly. Idiot, that's what you are, Kouichi. You're an idiot.

----------------------------------------

Izumi burst into laughter. "Takuya, that was brilliant!"

Smiling slightly, Takuya chuckled, "Well, he is Kouji."

"But punching him!" she laughed, clutching her sides.

Takuya burst into laughter as well. "You know," he commented as the laughter faded, "in all technicalities, I should be nice to him, but rude to Kouichi. After all, Kanaye wants me to be the opposite of what I was to my friends, right? But for some reason...it just makes me angrier around Kouji. I think it's because of what he's doing to Kouichi. We just wanted a little revenge-maybe find his hat, dip it in paint. Or hide his textbooks. But Kouji's taking this and turning into...some kind of game..."

Izumi fell silent, her eyes shut. "I think he's confusing everyone before making his next move. If I didn't know better, I'd say Kouichi's really blind to it all."

"Of course he is. You know...he's taking..."

"Naoko to the dance, yeah. I asked her to ask him about that. Apparently, the entire class thought Kako and Kouichi were going out before," she replied, her eyes opening to reveal her amusement.

"TAKUYA!" Shinya yelled, banging on the door. "TOMOKI AND I NEED TO TALK TO YOU TWO!"

Takuya twitched slightly as his little brother threw the door open, walking in without a care in the world. Immediately, Shinya stuck his face in front of his brother's and questioned, "You didn't do anything, did you? No evil stuff? No torturing? No making out!"

Tomoki sighed and Izumi reddened. "Shinya..." the boy at the door groaned. "You know, you're just provoking Takuya to murder you."

"Hush!" the younger boy demanded, turning back to his brother. "Well? Answer the question!"

"I know where you live, and will murder you if you don't stop playing 'cop.' What do you think the answer is, Shinya? NO!" Takuya yelled, leaping up to strangle his brother.

Izumi yelped and scrambled to her feet, grabbing a hold of his shirt. "Takuya! What kind of older brother are you?"

"The Kouji kind!"

"...well, that's great..." Izumi said with a sigh, letting go of Takuya and instead holding onto their DNA model. "Just don't kill the project."

Tomoki walked around the two bickering brothers and examined the project. "You're just going to let them fight?" he asked, adjusting a toothpick on their model. "They'll go on forever, you know."

But the girl merely smiled. "As long as he's back to normal, it really doesn't matter."

----------------------------------------

A/N-

You know, writing romancy parts while listening to 'Christmas Night' makes me wanna cry. .:sniffs:. I love you, Takuya, I really do, but you have to suffer a BIT.

Thank You for the reviews-

GemmaniGirl, Winter's Light, Ruki Minamoto, Light's Blue Blossom, Snowy Leopardess

About that comment about hating Kouji, I don't REALLY mean it that much, but I do hate his personality. He can be such a jerk sometimes.

I'm going to use Japanese digimon names from now on. I've confused myself to death, worrying about it. Maybe a few of them will be English, though. I'll have a list next chapter.

If I happen to incorporate homework into this fanfic, it's because I'm failing a subject and this is the way I remember most things-writing it in a funny/amusing/dramatic way that involves characters I can semi-relate to. So, please, excuse my idiocy. Finals approach with doom.

Review or Flame.