A/N: This oneshot here was originally planned to be a Taiora long fic. I've been sitting on this for a year because life keeps throwing things at me.
So here's the deal. Since I've been dying to get something up, I decided to temporarily treat this first chapter as a oneshot. This way no one is waiting forever for another chapter.
Hopefully when life calms, I'll eventually come back to continue this to my original plan of a Taiora childhood best friends to eventual lovers plan.
Until then, enjoy this temporary platonic Taiora.
Cross Your Heart
(temporary oneshot until further notice)
Ferocious lightning flashed multiple times into seven year old Sora Takenouchi's bedroom window at midnight. Without a second's thought, she ran from her window to under the safety of her bed comforter.
Sora always loved thunderstorms. She was fascinated by how powerful they could be; rain could give life to all, and take it away by floods or droughts. Thunder was the bodyguard that reminded all of rain's power.
Lightning, however, was the sadistic villain ready to strike without a moment's notice. Lightning didn't need rain and thunder to make its presence known to take its next victim. Lightning taunted and stalked its prey, and Sora was convinced she would be next.
A love, hate relationship at its finest.
Another lightning flashed near her window illuminating her bedroom followed by a crushing thunder. Her body shivered in fear, pressing her hands over her eyes. She couldn't wake her mom. The last time she did, Sora was reprimanded for waking her up.
She needed Tai. She needed to reach her best friend, Tai. Their moms grew up together, and in turn so did Sora and Tai. They moved in next door yesterday, and the two couldn't have been much happier, especially Sora. Now they didn't have to walk forever to visit each other.
Tai was even ecstatic they could practice Morse code on their shared bedroom wall. Secretly defying their bedtime never felt more thrilling.
This was the second night of thunderstorms with ferocious lightning. Yesterday was the first time, and she didn't sleep well, if that. She was tempted to sneak next door to sleep next to him, but how could she do it without waking everyone?
When another lightning flashed, a small yelp was released. It was coming for her. She felt it. Slowly peeking from under her bed comforter, Sora looked out the window onto the balcony. A curious thought came to her: Could she make it to his balcony if she jumped?
The rain was picking up blowing sideways. She had to do it. She needed her best friend.
Taking her pillow under an arm, Sora rushed to the window and froze. The rain was fascinating. How she wished she could sit there and watch it all night. But she couldn't. She had to make it to Tai.
Fighting the urge to hyperventilate, Sora opened the window, and crawled through it onto her balcony. She couldn't jump. There was a privacy divider between each balcony. Sora would have to crawl around on the outside of the balcony, past the divider, until she was on his side, and climb back in. That meant she couldn't hold on to her pillow.
Sora threw the pillow back into her room and closed the window. Was this worth it? Lightning taunted her striking closer to her balcony. She jumped with a scream.
It was freaking worth it.
As careful as she could be, she climbed over her balcony and scaled passed the privacy divider until she was by Tai's window. Sora hopped over the balcony and rapidly knocked on his bedroom window. Her sopping wet pajamas were plastered against her.
"Tai!" she whispered with urgency. Fear showed from her eyes as she kept pounding on his window. "Tai! Wake up!"
She tried opening the window, but found it to be locked.
"Please!" she begged, the whisper had risen in volume. "I need you!"
As Sora squinted through the window, she could make out the bunk bed, and see Tai and Kari tossing, but it didn't look like they heard her. Her palms pressed flat against the window, and she lowered her head with a mournful wail. This storm was going to swallow her whole and no one in this world could hear her. Her body slid to the ground while she sobbed, and she hugged her knees to her chest.
"Sora?"
Sora gasped in relief as she scrambled to her feet. "Tai!"
Tai rubbed his eyes, groggy. "What are you doing outside? How did you get here?"
Lightning flashed inches from where they stood. Sora screamed in terror, pushed Tai away from the window, and crawled through. She clambered under the bunk bed and huddled into a fetal position all the while shivering in fear and cold, soaked from the rain. Finally, she was safe with people that loved her.
Confused, Tai placed a finger to his bottom lip staring at where his best friend was hiding. "Sora?"
Kari yawned in her bottom bunk bed and stretched. She then crawled to the edge, and looked under it. "Hi, Sora! What's the matter?"
Sora didn't answer.
Tai closed the window after a gust of wind. He then kneeled next to Kari, looked under the bed, and addressed Sora. "Are you afraid of lightning?"
His only answer was a whimper.
"Take my hand," he stretched his arm out to her. "It'll be okay. It's only a little storm."
Sora shook her head with her eyes shut tight.
Kari scooted off the bottom bed and walked into the hallway.
"Hey!" Tai harshly whispered to his sister. "Don't tell Mom! She'll send her home!" He moaned in annoyance, and turned back to Sora reaching out to her again in a calm, assuring voice. "Come out, Sora. As long as we stay inside, we can't get hurt."
Sora opened her eyes and stared at his invitation.
"I'll protect you," he added, using a finger to mark an 'x' over his heart. "Cross my heart, and hope to die."
Lightning made its presence known again, followed by a thunderclap. It was so forceful that the picture frames in the living room wall shook. Sora jumped into Tai's arms, shivering and crying. Her arms held him tight, her fingers clutch tightly to his pajama shirt, as she buried her face into the crook of his neck.
Kari returned to the bedroom with a towel and shut the bedroom door. She used it to dry Sora's hair, then wrapped it around Sora's body.
"I thought you liked thundershowers?" Tai murmured as he held her just as tight with the towel in a hug.
Sora nodded.
"Then why are you scared?" Kari asked, sitting on her bed again, waving her legs front to back as they dangled off the edge.
"I like rain and thunder. I don't like lightning," Sora clarified.
Tai chuckled. "But don't they go together?"
Sora frowned. "Not all the time."
"Tell her a story, Tai," Kari suggested. "That's what you do to me when I have a bad dream. It works all the time."
"A story?" Tai thought about it. He asked Sora, "Want a story?"
"No," Sora shook her head. "Just hug me."
Tai frowned again as he scanned the room for an idea. When he spotted Kari's handkerchief, he said, "Kari, hand me your handkerchief. Sora, I want you to put that on like a blindfold. It'll help you not to see the lightning. Let's get in bed with Kari and I'll tell you the best story you've ever heard."
"Yay!" Kari ran to grab her handkerchief, then back to bed holding it while waiting for the others. "I wanna be in it!"
Sora removed the towel and used it to wipe her tears. Tai knew as much as she tried to hide it, her body was still shaking in fear.
"Tai, all I want to do is hug you. I don't need a story."
Tai sat silent watching his friend dry herself off.
"Can I borrow some pajamas? I'm still wet." Sora asked.
"Sure," he grinned.
As he handed her a spare set of sleeping clothes, Tai said in a low voice so that his sister couldn't hear, "Kari isn't going to go to sleep without a story. She's too awake. Can you do me a favor and pretend you want to hear a story? I'll let you hug me all night if you do."
Sora hesitated, then chuckled. "You'd let me hug you no matter what."
"Yeah," he sheepishly grinned as he saw his sister eagerly waiting for them, kicking her legs in excitement, "but help a guy out."
Rain fell sideways and angrier than before. Sora looked at the window and trembled with fear. With a nod, she rushed to change, after he promised to not peek, then burrowed under the covers with Kari on the bottom bunk.
"Hurry up," Sora urged her best friend to join in while tying the handkerchief over her eyes.
Tai hopped in with them and took his spot against the wall. Laying on his side, he used his free arm to hold Sora close. Kari was on the edge.
"The handkerchief will help you not be scared with the lightning, and help you concentrate on the story. Everything's gonna be okay," Tai reassured.
"Yeah, Sora," Kari patted Sora's head with her small, chubby hands. "Everything will be okay. Tai's stories always put me to sleep."
"Geez. Thanks," Tai side glanced his sister.
Kari answered with a pure smile only a four year old could wear. "You're welcome! You're the best, Tai."
Flash went another lightning.
"Tai," Sora whined.
"Is the handkerchief on tight?" he asked.
"Yep."
"You're ready?"
"Yep."
"Here goes!"
"Oh, boy!" Kari wiggled in excitement. "This is the best part!"
Tai scanned the room again looking for ideas on what kind of story he could make up on the spot. When it came to Kari, it was easy. All he had to do was make up some silly nonsense story about farm animals and she was sleeping in no time. He was sure he couldn't get away with saying that kind of story to Sora.
He did overhear his dad speaking on the phone to someone about a digital…digital something or another. What could he use with digital? Tai saw his globe on his desk. Globe? Digital globe? What was another name for "globe"? Earth? World? Digital World?
Whoa. That sounded cool. A digital world.
Tai cleared his throat and began the story. "This happened last year. Most people don't remember because after what happened, everyone's memories of that night here in Highton View Terrace were erased."
"Oh, boy! Oh, boy!" Kari clapped with joy. "A mystery!"
"No scary stories, please," Sora requested.
Tai squeezed her hand. "I promise. Listen to my voice, and keep your eyes closed. Let it drown out the lightning."
The storm outside was slowing. Tai looked at his and Kari's toy box for more inspiration. He saw his orange T-Rex with green eyes and Kari's stuffed green parrot sticking out. A smirk instantly shown. He knew where this story was heading from there.
With his free arm still hugging Sora, Tai squeezed her hand. "Monsters are real. Not the scary ones we see in movies. These are digital monsters and they live together in the Digital World. Some look like animals we've seen, and some not at all. They've heard of humans, but never seen one before. To them, humans were a fairy tale legend until one night what happened changed the lives of everyone here. The government got involved and wiped all of our memories away."
An uneasy smile shown on Sora. "Like that movie 'Women in Black' with the memory eraser machine thingy?"
"Yeah! Exactly like that," Tai exclaimed, excited that she recognized where that idea was referenced.
Kari's eyes widened in fascination. "Whooooaaa."
"I know, right?" Tai agreed with Kari. "I think I remembered this because the battery in their machine was dying. The lady had to smack it a few times to work again."
"Tai," Kari giggled, "there's no such thing as monsters."
Lightning flashed, and Sora shivered.
Tai frowned from Sora's reaction, but ignored it as he told the story. "Who says there's no such thing as monsters? You're never quite the same after you meet your first Digimon."
"So, then, Parrotmon attacks Greymon with the, uh," Tai eyed his room for an idea of what to call the attack. Hearing thunder faintly roll in the background an idea formed, "Mjollnir Lightning attack!"
Sora's mouth hung open, mesmerized by his storytelling. "No way."
"Yes way. Ya know, you were there the whole time, Sora. You were on your balcony watching everything."
Sora removed the handkerchief from her eyes with a long yawn. The violent storm was settling down, and she was having a hard time staying awake.
Tai took the handkerchief, and tossed it to his desk. It didn't make it that far. He scowled for missing, but made himself comfortable again next to Sora. He could see she was about to fall asleep. Kari, on the other hand, fell asleep not long after the story started.
"Yeah, you and all our friends were watching and I tried really hard to think of a way so that no one got hurt, but I couldn't do anything. Then Greymon got hurt!"
Sora yawned again with one hand gripping his pajama shirt and said in a sleepy voice, "Thank you, Tai. I'm going to try to get better about the lightning."
"Why? Everyone's afraid of something. That's what my mom says."
"Not mine," she barely said above a whisper. "She says I'm too big to be scared. I think I'm broken."
He fell silent again as he watched his best friend drift off to sleep. The last time Sora said that to him, she had another argument with her mom.
Snuggling close to her, he wrapped an arm around her tight, and whispered while softly patting her head, "I think you're perfect just the way you are."
Shake.
Yell.
Blink.
Shake.
Yell.
Gasp for air.
Sora awoke startled, gasping for air, to her own mother shaking her awake with yells early the next morning. Tai and Kari were already both awake with their backs scrunched against the wall scared from Sora's mother's reaction.
Yuuko Kamiya pulled Toshiko Takenouchi away, her attempt to diffuse the situation. "See, Toshiko? She's fine! The kids probably let her in last night from the storm."
"You know better than to leave in the middle of the night, young lady!" Toshiko reprimanded her daughter. "Do you know how worried sick I was?"
Sora whimpered, wiping her tears. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"It was a very bad lightning storm last night," Tai found his voice after his best friend spoke. He crawled next to her. "She thinks she's broken because you won't let her be scared of stuff!"
"Tai!" Yuuko corrected her son.
"That was supposed to be a secret, Tai!" Sora yelled upset.
"But it's true!" he insisted to everyone in the room.
"Up," Tokishio took hold of her daughter's arm and dragged her out of bed as she ignored Tai's statement. "We're going home and you're going to timeout!"
"For what?" Sora cried.
"Where are your pajamas?"
Yuuko saw Sora's pajamas crumpled on the floor and picked them up. "It's soaked. I'll dry it and bring it by later today. She has Tai's spare pajamas on."
Sora wiggled free from her mother's hold and sobbed. "I hate you! You don't listen to me! I wouldn't have to come here if you did!"
The room fell silent as Sora's sobs grew stronger. When her mother took a step towards her, Sora sensed it, and rushed out the room, towards the front door, and left. Her bare feet smacked the cement in a furry to the elevator, then towards the damp cement sidewalk. It didn't matter that she was still in pajamas, or where her feet led her, as long as it was far away from everyone.
Not long after, Sora came across a park. Trees as far as the eye could see, and not one person in sight. She rushed inside and climbed a tree as high as she could. Secluded. Closed off. Safe.
This was the same tree Tai and she climbed a few days ago. They were pretending to be explorers shipwrecked on new land, and needed to find high ground to look for help. Tai used his monocular to search the land, and it was the coolest object she had ever seen. He let her use it, and staying true to his character, he patted her on top of her head and said 'Don't worry! We'll get out of this together!'
She missed Tai already. Even when they played together he always made her feel safe.
She rested her back to the tree trunk and wiped her tears with her shirt. How could he tell her mom something he knew was supposed to be a secret? It wasn't like she had to tell him outright that it was a secret. Anything that had to deal with her mom was always an unspoken agreement between them both. She was already in big trouble whenever she went home today. Tai made it worse.
That's it. She wouldn't go home! She'd go find her dad. She'd tell him what had been happening lately and make him see how horrible of a mom she had. Her dad would have to believe her then!
Maybe she'd do that later though. Her eyes were drooping, and she had a feeling that her voice was going to break again – just another thing that was broken about her. Whenever this happened, half the time it never registered that the wrong words came out from her mouth unless Tai told her to stop and think of her words. Sometimes it worked and when she realized what came out instead she was embarrassed, but at least it was in front of Tai. The other times her brain wouldn't let her hear what her broken voice was saying. It frustrated her and made the situation worse. Those were the worst and she could only speak in fragments.
Five minutes was all she needed to rest - but that wouldn't happen. All the emotional stress from the night before, and from what happened this morning, was a lot to take in.
"Sora!" Tai's voice rang in the park. "Where are you?'
Sora bit her lip unsure if she should answer. She wanted Tai to hug her. She needed that reassurance that everything was going to be okay.
Instead what came out was a frustrated yell. "How could you tell her that, Tai!"
Tai stopped in his tracks as he looked in the direction of where her voice came from with a confused expression. After he spotted her, he sighed in relief.
"Are you crazy? How could you run off like that? Everyone's out looking for you."
"I don't care! I'm not going home!"
Tai cocked his head to the side as the confused expression grew and a groan was released. "Move over. I'm coming up."
"No! You're not allowed up! You told my mom that I'm broken. Now she's not gonna let me out of the house!"
Tai rolled his eyes climbing up the tree. "Sora, you're doing it again. Nothing you've said since I got here makes sense. It's all gibberish. Stop talking and breathe."
Tears brimmed in her eyes. Her voice was broken again just like she knew it would happen. Worst part was her brain wasn't cooperating. Sora had no idea what actually came out of her mouth. She shut her eyes and tried to force the sentence in her mind out, but what was actually spoken were fragments.
"You! Trouble! Me! Mom! Meanie!"
"Man, I was the only one defending you!" Tai said almost reaching the same branch. "I'm glad she knows. People won't know to change until someone speaks up."
"Go away, Tai!" Her voice was coming back. She was able to hear herself this time.
"No!"
"I said, go away!"
Tai wiped his messy, brown, spikey hair from his eyes when he made it to the same branch she was on. A silly half grin grew. "Whatcha gonna do if I don't?"
Sora huffed, crossing her arms to her chest and turned her nose to the air in the opposite direction upset. "You're so annoying!"
"Sora," he said, sitting next to her. "We have to go back. We have to talk to your mom. She's scared. Can we go?"
Instead of answering, her shoulders shook as she sobbed. She felt Tai had tried to reach out to her, but she recoiled from his touch.
"You don't understand!" she yelled in between her sobs. "Your mom is different. Mine doesn't love me."
"What can I do?" Tai begged. "Do you want a hug? I think I have money in my pocket for chocolate."
"Go away," she said in between her sobs that were intensifying.
Tai raised his hands, palms up, to his chest confused. "I have to help somehow. You're my best friend, Sora. I can't leave you alone."
"Let me cry, stupid idiot!"
Sora buried her head in her hands and sobbed her heart out. How could her best friend be so dumb? How could he not just leave her alone? He wasn't helping at all. It was obvious he took her mom's side.
It was all a façade. That's what it was. Her mom pretended to be concerned and Tai fell for it hook, line and sinker. He always was a sucker to help anyone that asked. He wasn't her best friend any more. He was a traitor! A traitor who…
From the corner of her eyes, she saw Tai had hugged his legs and attempted to wear a brave face. She knew that look. He was trying not to cry himself. There was only one other time she saw that look and it broke her heart. This time was different. She was the one that caused him to be like this again.
As sullen as can be, Tai responded, "Okay. I'll wait until you're finished."
Sora sniffed a few times while wiping her eyes with her arms this time. She hurt her best friend, and the guilt never felt so real.
"Cross your heart?" she asked in a quiet, and calm voice.
Tai's eyes widened in shock. She guessed it was because he didn't think that she would react this way. He used a finger to draw an 'X' over his heart. "And hope to die."
Uncomfortable silence hung in the air. She caused this, and it was the worst feeling ever. Worse than this morning.
Sora playfully leaned her shoulder into Tai's arm. "I'm sorry. For everything. You're not an idiot."
With hopeful eyes, Tai asked, "You mean it?"
Sora nodded.
"Take back me being stupid too."
In the midst of complying, she stopped herself and chuckled. She used a finger to pull down her right bottom eyelid wider and blew a raspberry. "Nah. Sometimes you are stupid. People won't know to change until someone speaks up. Remember that? That's me speaking up. Time to change."
"Hey!" Tai retorted as his best friend laughed. "You can't use my words against me!"
Laughter bubbled out of Sora as she patted his head.
Tai stared with a raised eyebrow until he sighed with a half smile. "You're laughing again."
Sora smiled as she looked up to the sky. Her voice was wistful as she scanned the clouds.
"Sometimes I wish I could be a bird."
Tai scratched his head confused. "Huh? Why?"
She looked at him, the smile turning sad. "So I can fly away. She doesn't understand me, Tai. She doesn't love me. I wish Dad wasn't away at work all the time. It's always better at home when he's back."
"Don't be mad at me, but I don't think that's true," said Tai. "I think sometimes grownups forget what it's like to be a kid because they always have to do grown-up stuff – at least that's what my mom said one time," he shrugged. "Plus, your mom and my mom are best friends. I don't think my mom would be best friends with someone that's mean."
"But she yells at me all the time," Sora pouted.
"Maybe she yells because she doesn't know what else to do?"
Sora blinked taking that in. She huffed exaggeratedly. "Man! If that's true, she sucks. Big time."
"I don't know. After you ran away, my mom told her to calm down and she cried just like you."
Sora's mouth hung open. "Shut up. No way."
"Yes way!" he insisted.
"My mom? She cried?"
Tai nodded.
Sora tried to fight new tears from coming. "I made my mom cry?"
Tai held out a hand. "Let's go back together. Please? Promise me you'll try real hard to talk to your mom. You have to make her understand you're scared of lightning, and anything else that's bothering you."
Sora stared at his hand. She bit her lip until she asked, "If I do that, can I come over anytime there's lightning?"
"Sure!" Tai laughed. "But you have to leave before your mom wakes up and freaks out again."
She bit her top lip again before asking, this time, in a shy tone. "Can you tell me more Digimon stories when I do?
"Sure!" Tai chuckled and motioned with his eyes for her to take his hand again.
Right before her hand touched his, she stopped and pointed a finger to his face. "Cross your heart! Come on! Do it!" Sora insisted. "Cross your heart and hope to die!"
In all seriousness, Tai hurried to do so to prove his word, then raised his hands in a surrender leveled with his chest.
Satisfied, Sora took hold of his hand. "I'll do it for you. And I better hear some great Digimon stories too!"
Tai grinned. "Trust me. They'll be the best adventures you'll ever hear in your whole life."