Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. Never have, never will. Sorreh. BTW, this will be my first adult fic, so bare with me...
At 18, Matt was not your typical teenager. At a young age, Matt had been sent to the digital world along with six other children, including his own younger brother, TK. Now that Matt was an adult and on his own, he saw his kid brother much more often than he had previously because of their parent's divorce. Matt had everything a teenager could ever want. His girlfriend had recently moved back from America and was now living in the apartment right next to his. He was the lead singer in a very good band. Not to mention he was also very attractive, tall and had spikey blonde hair. He and his brother got along fantastically. His best friend, Tai Kamiya, was loyal and true to his best friend. It was the life any teen could want.
But it wasn't enough.
When Matt went out with his brother and his friends Davis, Yolei, Cody, Kari and Ken, Matt saw how his brother reacted to his friends, and to Kari in particular. Matt reflected on his own relationships with his friends and his girlfriend. TK and Davis' friendship was very similair to he and Tai's, in more ways than Matt would like to admit. They argued frequently, mostly about Kari, but they would still do anything to help one another in a rough spot, and both, whether they cared to admit it or not, were actually very good friends. They trusted each other, even if Davis did always forget how to spell TK's name.
Then he reflected on TK and Kari. They were so sweet together... How Matt wished that he was more like Kari and TK with Mimi. Kari was determined and strong-willed, but bent easily to other's wills if they were forceful enough. Secretly, Matt thought that's what Davis liked about her aside from her beauty. She gave in easily and Davis did not, so Davis felt he could control her. TK, however, truly liked Kari and did whatever he could to protect the girl from being pushed around. Matt found that the closest relationship that he had to TK and Kari's was not with his own girlfriend, actually, but Tai's.
Sora was very sweet, and Tai treated her very much as Davis treated Kari. Matt didn't really think that Sora liked Tai's affection much more than Kari enjoyed Davis' childish love. Even through all this Matt was over-protective of his friends. Even if it was his friends he was protecting from each other. What was worse, Matt didn't know whether to protect Sora, or be happy and helpful to Tai.
While Matt was pondering this the phone began to ring, startling him so badly that he jumped. Sighing heavily, Matt launched himself at the phone. On the second ring Matt lifted the receiver and pressed it to his ear. "Hello?" Matt said breathlessly, pushing back a strand of wild blonde hair. There was a soft giggle from the other end, and Matt groaned inwardly. 'Not now...'
"Hello, Matty! How is your day? What are you doing? Can I come over? I promise I won't bother you, it's just that I have a new dress and it's sparkley and pink, and you know how I love pink... I want to see if you like it. I'm sure you will, considering you always like my outfits, but I really like this one and if it'll make you have a better day than why can't I spread cheer, happiness and joy to the only man I'll ever love, hmm? Are you there, Matt?"
"Yeah, Mimi, but I'm afraid I have some errands to run. Sorry. You can come over later, though." The silence at the end of the statement met his reply, and he knew he had said something wrong. He couldn't help it, though. He really wasn't in the mood to see anyone. There was a soft sniffle on the other end, and Matt felt his heart darken at the thought of upsetting Mimi. Too much was his fault, already. Did he need this hanging over his head, too? Really, he though, I should just call it off with her now, and let her go. It will be much worse for her if I don't do it soon. But how do you tell a girl that you don't want to be with her when she's head-over-heels in love with you, and a part of you still loves her? No, he thought. I cannot think of that, only of what's best in the long run... And stringing her along like this wasn't what's best for either of them. "Mimi, I need to tell you something." He voice came back at him in a rush.
"I, uh... I have to go... Girl things, you know? Polish my nails... They're getting chippy... And... uh... girlie things... Heh... Bye Matt. Love you." And she hung up. Matt bowed his head and groaned. This was going to be harder than he imagined. No sooner had he hung the phone up then it began to ring again.
"Hello?" He sighed into the mouth piece.
"I hate him, Matt! I really do this time! It's not fair, just not fair at all!" Blinking, Matt stared hard at his wall.
"What did Tai do now?"
"He said my hair is too short, and I should let it grow! Then he was staring at my chest the entire time we were talking. Then he asked me why I slapped him! After that he tried to get me into his bedroom, you know what I mean. When I refused he called me a tease and said that I was just trying to get him... er... well, you know, and that I liked to see him hurt. When we were arguing this girl named Alexis came over and he didn't even try to stop himself from drooling all over himself."
"I'm sorry, Sora." Matt sounded very sincere and felt his loathing of his best friend intensify ten-fold. Tai had someone so wonderful! How could he hurt her like that...? He vowed to kick Tai's ass the next time he saw him.
"I know you are, Matt. I just wish he was. I wish he'd stop doing these things to hurt me. No. You know what I really wish? I wish he was more like you. You're so sweet and sensitive, and everything a guy should be. Mimi's so lucky. Why can't Tai be like that? The only thing he's sensitive to is what he has down below his naval." Matt felt his face grow red with the last comment.
"I didn't need to know that about my best friend, Sora." There was a bout of laughter from the girl, and Matt felt a smile forming on his lips. Even her voice had a soothing effect on him, and he felt all the hatred in him melt away as he listened to her sweet voice.
"I've been thinking a lot, Matt... And I want to ask a favor of you." Curiousity got the best of him, it surely wasn't anything bad. She'd never do anything to hurt him. Nor would she give up Tai, no matter how much she pretended to despise him.
"Anything, Sora. You know I'd do anything for you. Just say the word."
"The word." Both shared a laugh, her sweet soprano ringing in his head. "Seriously," She began again after the laughter finally left her voice. "I'm sure Tai's told you all about our personal life together... And you know what I mean, Matt." Matt did, in fact, know what she meant, and was very well aware of all that the two had done together. Tai had been very proud to be Sora's first, and therefore had given great detail to Matt on everything that they'd experienced.
"Uh... No. Tai doesn't talk about that." Sora scoffed.
"I'm well aware of what he says, thanks. It doesn't matter. I told Mimi. Anyway... Well, Matt... As I'm sure you're well aware, Tai has been the only one I've been with... And, well... To be quite frank... I'm... curious... On whether it's always like... that... Oh, God... This is so strange... Matt, you said you'd do anything for me?" Matt felt his mouth go dry. Surely Sora didn't expect Matt to...
"Huh? What are you on about, Sora?" Then she hesitated.
"I wanted to know if you'd... If you'd... Show me... if it's always like that... Like it is with Tai... It will be our secret. Mimi and Tai won't have to find out, and that way I'd know if... it is always like that. It... Doesn't... feel... right... Like, I don't know... He--"
"All right, stop right there! No more mental images in my poor mind! Y-You want me to have s--"
"Oh, please don't put it like that, Matt. I just want to see if it's... The same with someone else. Mimi told me that she and you--"
"She what?" Sora began to stutter and clear her throat. "Look, although I'm very surprised that Mimi would even talk about that, that's your business. You're very special to me, Sora... And so are Tai and Mimi... I wouldn't want to taint you. I also wouldn't want to hurt Tai and Mimi." He added the last part as an after-thought.
"But the way Mimi describes what she felt with you... It's not the same as I felt with Tai. Please, Matt. Let me just see what she's talking about. Let me share a part of you that Mimi has. I have a special bond with you that I don't have with anyone else. Please. I don't beg, Matt. I won't ask again." Matt hated it when Sora begged for anything. Someone that good, pure, sweet, intelligent, kind... yeah, he was rambling in his mind...
"You won't have to ask again, Sora. I hate it when you have to beg, and I won't make you do that. I hate it when you do, anyway. I'll do it, but only for you, and only if we both promise never to tell Mimi and Tai. If they found out I'd be dead faster than a bullet. Tai loves you so much Sora..."
"But doesn't how I feel have any say in anything? I don't love him. I never have, and I never will. He's all wrong for me. And Mimi is--"
"Don't bring Mimi and I into it. I can't handle you bashing all of those important to me. And Mimi is very important to me."
"You don't love her." There was no question in the girl's voice, and Matt felt a knot form in his throat. Had he been that obvious? If Tai found out that he didn't love Mimi, and in fact loved Sora... Matt was in major trouble. "Are you there, Matt?"
"W-Why would you say something as crazy as that, Sora? Of course I love Mimi. She's my girlfriend, after all. I wouldn't be going out with her if I didn't--"
"If you didn't like her. You may like her, but you don't love her." Sora's confidence seemed to be building. "In all honesty, I think you love someone else... Someone more your type." Matt's nerves were shot, so he tried to throw her off.
"I really don't go for groupies, and June really isn't--"
"I know that you know who I'm talking about, Matt."
"June."
"No."
"Yolei."
"Definantly not."
"Kari?"
"If you went for Kari you'd be dead faster than if you admitted to Tai that you were in love with me." The silence between them after that statement was so thick, Matt thought if he'd only had a knife and bread, he could have some toast...
"I... uh... Got to go..."
"Matt?"
"Whenever you want to see... about... that... just come over... I'll be home today." And Matt hung up. After a few minutes the phone began to ring again, and Matt picked it up with a groan. "Look, Sora, if this is about me being in love--"
"Sora?" Matt's voice momentarily went away while he thought about how to respond to his younger brother. "You're in love?"
"No. Sora thinks I am."
"Oh... So... then maybe I shouldn't ask you for help with this..."Of course, this was not at all what Matt was expecting, so he furrowed his brows in confusion and listened to his little brother as he sighed and fretted at the other end.
"My baby brother is in love?"
"I'm not a baby." Laughter spilled from Matt's mouth at these words, and he could hear TK scoffing at him from his line. "And yes, I think I am... "
"Kari."
"...Huh? But... how did you...?"
"Oh, come on, Takeru! It's been obvious since you first met her and Angemon had a partner in Angewomon that you two were in love. Even at eight years old you were protecting Kari from all of the worst Digimon. Sure, she could have handled it alone, but she prefered to have you as a partner."
"It's TK, and gee, thanks, Matt. Or should I say, Yamato... But... Kari is perfect... Really, she's everything anyone could ever want." Boy, did that sound familiar to Matt. "And she's sweet and considerate... Do I really stand a chance? There were these boys on the football team... And the captain... he asked Kari out, but she turned him down. All the girls were shocked... You should have heard the telling-off she got from Yolei... But if she can turn him down, who's to say she won't turn me down? I know that Davis flirts with Kari a lot, but she doesn't tell him to stop. She doesn't seem to have a problem with him flirting with her, so why do I?"
"Because you love the girl, and that's what it's like to love someone. Maybe that football guy didn't make her think of you, so she deemed him not good enough. And if I do recall, baby brother, she certainly doesn't mind your flirting." Matt put on a high, squeeky voice. "'TK's right.' 'I'm with TK.' 'TK, help me!'" Matt could all but feel the heat radiating through the phone from his brother's blush.
"Okay, so there's a chance she may like me... How does that help me, now? I don't know what to do, but if Davis makes one more stupid comment about her being his girl, he's going to get a fist in the jaw..." Matt laughed at the mental image of his brother beating Davis up. TK and Davis were a lot like Matt and Tai... They just didn't know it. And little Kari was another Sora.
"Just make sure you tell me all about socking him, okay? I have to work on my music now, so call me after things get sorted out with Kari."
"Will do. And Matt?"
"Yeah, baby brother?"
"Thanks."
"No problem."
"One more thing."
"Hmmm?"
"I'm not a baby." And the phone went dead.
