Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: Well, I'm back, and poor Tai and Sora are finally going to get a chance to talk! Once I finish with these two, I'll move on to Matt and Mimi. And of course Izzy and the others will make an appearance at the end. Enjoy the new chapter!

My Best Friend's Girlfriend

Chapter 31: The Crest of Love

Sora Takenouchi

Sora watched her best friend disappear into the crowd and smiled softly to herself. She had never thought Mimi would fall in love with someone like Matt, but obviously she had been wrong, and she was glad her friend had finally decided to chase after a guy she approved of instead of someone like Natsume. The more she thought about it, the more she realized just how much her ex-boyfriend needed someone like Mimi. Her best friend's silly antics had often brought a smile to Matt's face, and she had a feeling the rosy-haired Digidestined's honesty and sincerity were the main reasons why her ex-boyfriend had spent so much time talking to the younger female over the phone. He needed someone like Mimi to help him come out of his shell a bit because there was no way he was going to give up his soul to someone he could not trust. He had changed a lot since the day he had first become a Digidestined, but she had a feeling Mimi was the only one who could help him take that final step.

Matt, you had better not hurt my best friend or you're going to regret it! I really don't care who you're in love with. Mimi outshines every other girl on the planet, and if you can't see that then you're not the person I thought you were. Please don't make me lose my faith in you. She's the one who's going to make you happy. I know it in my heart, and I hope you realize that, too, before you end up getting involved with someone else. I'm sure you're in love with a really nice girl, whoever she is, but she's not Mimi, and your dreams are never going to come true without my best friend.

She still felt a little sad about her breakup with Matt, but the thought of finally having a relationship with Tai was enough to cheer her up considerably. Unfortunately she had a feeling she was never going to be truly happy until her best friend was happy, too, and that was never going to happen unless Matt finally decided to come to his senses.

And I thought Tai was clueless about love! Why do boys always have to make things so difficult? I hope everything works out for Mimi because if it turns out Matt doesn't love her, it's going to break her heart...

She closed her locker door with a sigh and headed towards the cafeteria, but she did not get very far before someone shouted her name.

"Sora! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

Sora jerked her head up in surprise, and she promptly ran straight into Tai's chest. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders to steady her, and she felt her face heat up at the way his touch sent shivers racing down her spine. It was the same feeling she used to get when she had first started dating Matt, and at that moment she realized she had not been mistaken about her feelings for the original Digidestined leader. Somehow she had fallen in love with Tai Kamiya, and both of them had the power to change what should have been changed a long time ago. She knew it in her heart, and she was going to make the most of it. Tai would be hers, and she would be his, and there was no way she was going to let anyone stand in the way of her dreams. Somehow she was going to have to find a way to be in a relationship with the original Digidestined leader, and she would not back down, even if it killed her.

"Hey, Tai," she whispered, reaching out and gently placing her hand against his heart. She could feel it pounding rapidly against her palm, and the intensity she felt with every thump made her whole body tremble. It was a good thing he had a firm grip on her arm because she did not think she would have been able to stand without his support. "Um...are you busy right now? You look like you're in a hurry to be somewhere, and if you're not careful you're going to end up trampling someone. You haven't forgotten about one of your soccer meetings again, have you? Nori's going to throw a fit if he finds out you're skipping out on anything that has to do with the soccer team. Remember last time? You are the captain, Tai, and you're the one who schedules all the meetings in the first place. You're not exactly what I would call a very good role model for the younger players if you keep forgetting to show up at your own meetings!"

Tai gave her a rather subdued smile, but the fire in his dark eyes more than made up for his lack of enthusiasm. She studied the blank expression on his face for a moment, and her eyebrows narrowed into a frown. She had no idea what he was thinking, but the emotion burning just beneath the surface of his gaze made her breath catch in her throat. She could tell he wanted to say something, but it was obvious he was waiting for the right moment to reveal what was on his mind. She could be patient, but the longer they stood there staring at each other, the greater her desire grew to lean forward and kiss him like he had never been kissed before.

I love you, you fool! Why is that so hard for you to understand?

"Well, Tai? Aren't you going to tell me what's going on?"

Tai brushed a stray strand of carrot-coloured hair out of her eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "Actually, you're the one who ran into me, and I already told you why I'm in such a hurry. I said I was looking for you, didn't I? I need to talk to you."

"Really?" Her voice came out as a squeak, and she felt her face turn bright pink. "Why?"

Tai raised his eyebrows, and she quickly lowered her gaze to the ground.

Why is he suddenly so eager to talk to me? I'm pretty sure he was trying to avoid me earlier, so why has he finally decided to change his mind about confronting me face-to-face? Oh no. What...what if he wants to tell me he's no longer friends with Matt? This can't be happening! They have to be friends. What am I going to do? How am I going to find a way to bring them back together again?

"Tai-"

"Sora, I don't have a soccer meeting today. In fact, I don't want to talk about soccer at all. We have...um...more important things to discuss."

"Like what?"

Tai leaned closer to her, and she felt him take her hand in his strong grip. His fingers were warm against the inside of her palm, and she found herself smiling at his simple gesture of affection. It made her feel good inside, but at the same time she did not allow herself to get her hopes up. It was going to take a lot more evidence than a touch on the hand to make her believe she really had a chance with him.

"Things like Matt and Mimi," he murmured, his lips brushing against her ear.

Sora ignored the goosebumps popping up on the back of her neck, and she gave his hand a tight squeeze. Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest, and she felt like she had just had a bucket of cold water thrown over her head. Does he know who Matt's in love with? No way. He can't know. Matt would never tell him...unless...

"Tai, are you friends with Matt again?"

Tai gently placed his hand against her cheek and smiled in amusement. "Sora, Matt and I never stopped being friends. Why don't we find somewhere else to talk? We don't need the whole school listening in on our conversation."

Sora looked up and realized several students in the hallway were watching them curiously. She felt her face turn a darker shade of pink, and she quickly dragged the former Digidestined leader towards the front doors of the school. They stepped out into the sunshine, and she realized Tai had not let go of her hand.

What if he knows I'm in love with him already?

She felt a momentary stab of panic, but despite her fear she did not pull away from the former leader.

There's no way Matt told him about my secret. I guess he must have figured it out on his own. I bet he's only holding my hand because he feels sorry for me. I can't believe I'm letting myself get comfortable with the idea that I might actually have a chance with him. When am I going to learn not to get my hopes up all the time?

"I'm sorry about running into you earlier," she mumbled, avoiding his eyes.

Tai led her over to the soccer field, and they sat down on a wooden bench under the trees. He glanced around, as if making sure there was no one close enough to overhear their conversation, and gave her a warm smile. "Don't worry about it. I'm the one who almost knocked you off your feet, not the other way around."

He doesn't love me. The only reason he's acting this way is because he's afraid he might have accidentally hurt me...

"Um...Tai? If you want to know the truth, I was on my way to look for you when we ran into each other in the hallway. I was wondering if you'd had a chance to talk to Matt yet. He told me he wanted to speak with you, and I...um...well..."

"Yes, I talked to him a few minutes ago," Tai said quietly. He turned to look at her, and she swallowed hard when she realized he was gazing at her with concern in his dark eyes. A sudden flash of emotion cast a shadow over his face, but it was gone before she could figure out exactly what it meant.

"What's wrong?"

Tai wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug and rested his cheek against the top of her head. "I'm really sorry, Sora. Matt told me you guys broke up this morning. I guess you must be pretty upset right now. I know you're not in love with him anymore, but that doesn't really make it any easier, does it. If you need someone to talk to, you know I'm always here to listen."

Sora felt sudden tears begin to slide down her cheeks, and she buried her face against the former leader's chest. The sound of his heart beating against her ear should have been a source of comfort, but instead it only made her even more upset. The only reason he was being so nice to her was because he thought she was devastated over her breakup with Matt, not because he actually cared about her as more than a friend.

He doesn't love me. He's only worried about me because he's my friend, and he wants to make sure I'm okay. I'm so stupid! I can't believe I actually thought there was a chance he'd return my feelings...

"Don't worry, Sora. Matt still cares about you, and you know he'll always be your friend. I know it's hard, but you did what you thought was right, and Matt's being really supportive of your decision. He's happy for you, and I know you're happy for him even though you might not be comfortable with the thought of letting him go yet. He feels the same way you do, and you know he'll support you know matter what happens after today is over."

Sora slowly pulled away from the former leader and gazed up at the bright blue sky without really seeing it. She felt empty inside, and it did not take a genius to figure out exactly what it was she was missing. Once again the power of her crest had failed her, and the loss of what was supposed to be her greatest strength hit her like a slap in the face. At that moment she understood exactly how Mimi was feeling, and the pain she knew her best friend was struggling with made her feel sick to her stomach. "I know, Tai. Matt mentioned all of those things to me earlier. Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

Tai frowned and slowly wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Are you sure? You don't sound fine to me."

"I'm sure," she managed to whisper.

Great, now I'm the one who's making up lies. What am I going to do now?

What she really wanted to do was find Mimi and sob all over her best friend's shoulder, but she made no attempt to get up from her seat on the bench. She knew Mimi was going to need her just as much as she needed the rosy-haired Digidestined, but if she left now Tai would start to get suspicious, and she was beginning to wonder if she should tell him about her feelings after all. Besides, she was pretty sure she already had her answer.

"Sora, Matt told me one of the reasons you guys broke up is because you're in love with someone else," Tai said hesitantly after a brief moment of silence.

Sora felt her heart stop, and she stared at the former leader with an expression of pure terror on her face. "He...did?"

Tai gently rubbed her back and gave her a reassuring smile. "He didn't tell me who the lucky guy was. You know Matt's better at keeping secrets than that."

"Yeah, sometimes he's too good at keeping secrets," she muttered, but despite her words she could not help letting out a small sigh of relief.

"Um...Sora? Can I ask you something?"

Sora gazed into her friend's dark eyes, and she gasped when she realized the arm Tai had wrapped around her was actually trembling. "What is it?"

Tai's cheeks had grown very pale, but the fire in his eyes was burning brighter than ever and the look of determination on his face made her knees feel weak. He gazed into her eyes for a moment, and after what seemed like forever, he managed a shaky smile. "If you don't mind me asking, who are you in love with? You know I'll support you no matter who it is, and I'm glad you've found someone you want to share your happiness with."

I have to tell him. I don't care if doesn't love me. He needs to know, and I'm the only one who can make him realize the truth. I'm not going to run away from my feelings anymore! If I back out now, my love for him will haunt me like a shadow for the rest of my life. I'm sorry, Tai. I hope you'll still want to be my friend after you finally find out what I've been hiding from you for so many years...

"Do...do you really mean that?" she choked out, leaning forward and slipping her arms around his waist. The look in his eyes made her stomach flutter, and she bit her lip to stop herself from saying something stupid because she did not want to ruin everything before she even had a chance to tell him the truth about her secret.

"Yes, but only if he treats you with the respect you deserve!" Tai said fiercely.

Sora lightly ran her fingers over his chest and rested her cheek against his shoulder. "Trust me, Tai, I don't think you have anything to worry about. He has treated me with nothing but respect ever since the day I met him."

For some reason Tai looked like he was ready to throw up, and he hugged her tightly, as if he was afraid she would disappear if he let her go.

"Tai, are you-"

"Do I know him?" the former leader interrupted, his face turning a sickly shade of green.

Sora smiled sadly and nodded. "Yes, Tai, you know him very well."

Tai held her protectively against his chest and ran his fingers through her long, carrot-coloured hair. The touch of his hand against the back of her neck made her feel dizzy, and she closed her eyes in order to prevent the sky from spinning in a circle above her. She had a feeling she was never going to have an opportunity to be in Tai's arms again, and she was going to make the most of her last chance at happiness.

"One more question. Do I actually like this guy?"

Sora blinked in surprise, and before she could stop herself she started to giggle. "Well, I hope so. He's a great guy, and I'm sure the two of you will get along just fine. I would seriously start to worry about you if you didn't like him!"

Tai collapsed against the back of the bench and stared at her with absolutely no expression on his face. The fire in his eyes had faded, and she had the impression she was gazing at someone whose soul had been ripped away. Her heart went out to him, and she swallowed a lump in her throat. He looked dull and lifeless, as if he had just suffered a terrible loss, and it took all of her self-control not to reach out and take him in her arms.

"Please, Sora, no more jokes," the former leader said quietly, his voice trembling with emotion. "Who is he?"

Sora gently took his face in her hands, and somehow she managed to smile through her tears. He jumped at her sudden touch, but she did not let go. Instead she pulled him closer, and she continued to lean forward until their foreheads were touching. She gazed into his eyes for a moment, and he let out a small gasp when she suddenly kissed him lightly on the nose. "You, Tai," she whispered softly against his lips. "It has always been you. You're the one I love, and don't you dare tell me I'm wrong because I was given the Crest of Love, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you're the one I want to be with. The power of my crest has never failed me before, and I'm not about to give up on my greatest strength right when I need it now most of all. I know what I have to do now, but I can't do it alone. You are everything to me, Tai, and before this day is over I'm going to make sure you understand exactly what the Crest of Love is all about."