Professional AU - prompt taken from a Digimon OTP Week from ages ago. This may turn into a series, but I'll see how it goes.

First Date

"I'm still recovering."

"Doesn't mean you can't go on a date," Takeru retorted with a roll of his eyes.

Yamato let out a sigh, massaging his temples. "No, but it severely limits what we can do."

"Want to really impress her, huh?"

Yamato looked up at Takeru with a glare.

"I'm just saying that now isn't the best time."

"You said that during your astronaut training."

"It would've been a little cruel to start a relationship with someone before disappearing for three years."

"You made up excuses when you were studying too… and when you were in your band."

"Our manager said it would damage our popularity…"

"Since when did you ever care about being popular," Takeru countered.

Yamato took a sip of his drink before focussing again on the menu. They still had yet to order any food.

"You're not gonna end up like Dad if you start a relationship."

Yamato made a mental note of what food he wanted before closing the menu and giving Takeru his undivided attention.

"Why do you think I need to be in a relationship?"

"So I met this woman at a party…"

"Takeru!"

"It's not what you think! She's a friend of a friend and seems really nice. I just want you to meet her."

"Did she ask you to set her up with someone?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Takeru, you can't just treat people like characters in your books."

Yamato looked up and made the horrible mistake of making eye contact with his younger brother. Immediately he felt guilty. He knew Takeru just wanted the best for him, but the idea of starting a relationship when he had only returned to Earth a short while ago made Yamato anxious. He was supposed to be focussing on his recovery. Plus, he still had endless hours of debriefs and tests, not to mention the press interviews. He didn't want to bring someone else into that.

Takeru continued to look downcast as the waiter arrived and took their orders. Yamato took a sip of his drink – non-alcoholic; he was on strict orders – and placed it back on the table.

"Fine."

Takeru's turn around was too quick to be natural. Typical, Yamato had been manipulated by his younger brother again.

"She's really great. I promise!"

Not for the first time, Yamato wondered why on earth he'd agreed to this. Even as he leaned against the railing that overlooked Rainbow Bridge, he could already feel his legs starting to ache. This was a terrible idea.

The sunshine warmed him a little against the freezing air. He was glad for the cold, though. People were much less bothered by someone wearing a face mask in winter and Yamato was keen to avoid the attention as much as he could. He checked his watch. Still a few minutes before his 'date' was scheduled to arrive.

There were few people outside, most choosing to shop and eat indoors, which was fine by him. It made spotting the woman he was supposed to meet that much easier. Although Takeru had failed to give much of a description beyond 'interesting' and 'your type,' Yamato's eyes were immediately drawn to the woman walking purposefully towards him.

"Takeru said you'd probably be wearing a mask."

She seemed amused, her smile widening as she approached him. Her auburn hair stuck out from under a woollen hat and around her neck was a matching scarf.

"Sora Takenouchi," she said, politely introducing herself with a bow.

Yamato glanced around to check no one was looking in their direction before pulling away his mask. Her eyes widened comically and Yamato wanted nothing more than to find his younger brother and kill him… slowly.

"Yamato Ishida. Sorry, my brother is a scheming menace."

Sora's palm hit her forehead. "He said you'd been out of the country for a while."

Yamato eyed her sympathetically. "I bet he thought he was being really clever."

When she finally pulled her hand away her cheeks were tinged pink. Yamato found it endearing, even if he would never admit that aloud.

"You both have different last names."

Yamato turned and silently invited her to walk with him. "Our parents divorced when we were little. I lived with our father, while Takeru moved in with our mother. Legally, it's best to have the same family name as your guardian."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It happened a long time ago. Takeru and I see each other pretty often when I'm not in Space." Before she could ask anything else, Yamato got in his own question. "You know about me, but what about you? Takeru mentioned you were a famous fashion designer, but I didn't want to look you up online before meeting you."

If there had been one thing Yamato hated from being famous, it was people approaching him with the familiarity of knowing him when they didn't. Just because they knew his career history with JAXA or his favourite food didn't mean they knew him.

"I have a few ongoing projects, but I suppose I'm most famous for my kimonos." She was being humble, but Yamato supposed he could look up her work once he knew her better.

They continued walking in the winter sunshine, with Sora describing some of the places she had visited for exhibitions and Yamato answering her questions on the wonders and nightmares of living in Space. He was so engrossed in the conversation, he only realised people were staring when Sora trailed off mid-sentence.

Yamato tried to smile to the small clusters of people watching them through their phones, but it probably looked more like a grimace. A middle-aged man and woman walked up to them, with a little boy holding onto the woman's skirt.

"I'm so sorry to bother you, but you're Yamato Ishida, correct? My son very much admires you." She stepped aside a little and Yamato could see the boy was wearing a JAXA T-shirt. "Is it possible-" she held out a pen.

Yamato accepted the pen with a genuine smile and bent down so that he was level with the boy. Adults were one thing, but he was more than happy to indulge children.

"Would you like me to sign your shirt?"

The young boy nodded, while shifting himself back behind his mother's legs.

"Where would you like me to put it?"

The boy shuffled again, seeming to gain a little confidence, and pointed to the upper right side of his shirt. While Yamato went through the motions of asking the boy's name and if there was anything special he wanted Yamato to write, the parents were speaking with Sora.

"Your exhibition last Spring was incredible," the father said. "I'm not normally interested in fashion, but the way you mix the traditional and modern in the context of Japanese history… your pieces are truly works of art."

"I apologise for my husband. I drag him to shows all the time, but this was the first one he's genuinely enjoyed."

When Yamato was finished, the boy gave him a hug and held his hand for a picture. However, before they could take it, the boy reached out for Sora's hand too.

"Are you sure?"

"Ooh, yes," the boy's mother cooed as Sora let herself be pulled to Yamato's side.

She crouched down a little and shared a smile with Yamato before the three faced the camera.

"Thank you very much!"

Yamato couldn't help smiling when the boy pulled on Sora's coat and pointed to his shirt with the pen. Sora laughed.

"I don't work for JAXA I'm afraid, but I can sign my business card for you if you don't mind?"

The boy looked between Sora and his mother, then nodded, seemingly satisfied with her compromise. Sora pulled out a card from her bag and scribbled a little note with her signature at the end. She presented it to the boy, who looked at it carefully before handing it to his mother.

"All right, I'll keep it safe for now." She took the card and put it in her purse. "Thank you again."

Yamato said his goodbyes with Sora before leading her through the crowd towards somewhere quieter. Luckily, no one else seemed brave enough to approach them and soon they found themselves in a secluded park.

"I should've been paying better attention," he said, before slipping his mask back on.

"That was nice, although I can see why you like to keep a low profile. Does it happen often?"

"Ever since I got back."

The two chose a path close to the water. Yamato shoved his hands in his pockets as the wind picked up, blowing his hair across his face. He glanced over at Sora, who had her arms wrapped around her chest for warmth. Still, at least there wasn't anyone else around.

"I was going to suggest going somewhere for lunch, but…" Yamato wasn't too keen to go back into the crowds.

"I know a place that should be quiet."

Sora led the way down some streets that wound around so much Yamato was almost convinced they had come back on themselves. Just when he was about to question his companion's navigation skills, they came to a stop in front of a small shop. Sora smiled brightly at him as she opened the door, leading Yamato inside.

It wasn't much warmer than outside and it was certainly quiet. Of the booths that lined the walls, only one was occupied by a lone old man hunched over a steaming mug of tea. It was also surprisingly dim, with only a lantern on each table for light. However, when he looked up Yamato couldn't help but smile. Across the ceiling were hundreds of fairy lights embedded into the plaster to look like stars. There weren't any constellations he recognised, but that was probably expecting too much.

His eyes wandered back to Sora and nearly missed her pleased expression. She'd been staring at him.

"Heating still broken?"

The waitress groaned. "For at least another week. They've told us to use electric heaters, but it's not like our budget can cover for many."

The couple sat down and Yamato tried not to wince at his aching muscles.

"You all right," Sora asked when the waitress was gone.

Yamato nodded as he massaged around his knees. "Still readjusting to Earth's gravity."

"You must love being able to say that," she teased, but not unkindly.

Yamato's legs finally settled and he was able to relax a little. His back was to the door, while Sora was facing him in the small booth. Just as he moved to take his mask off again, Sora pulled her scarf up over her face. Her eyes crinkled in mirth.

"I think you have the right idea." She glanced around the place. "It's usually quiet, but since the heating broke almost no one comes here. Lucky for us though."

Her eyes drew him back to the ceiling.

"What do you think?"

"They're not anything you'd see from Earth, but I suppose we can just pretend we've walked into a restaurant on the other side of the Universe."

It was a stupid comment, but Sora laughed nonetheless and Yamato felt an unfamiliar warmth spread through his chest.

"Tea's on the house," the waitress said as she set two steaming mugs in front of them. "Let me know if there's anything you need."

The two ordered their meals. Yamato wrapped his hands around the mug, the warmth seeping into his cold fingers.

"Do you come here often?"

"A few times in the last year. It's nice to go somewhere a little out of the way every now and then." She pulled down her scarf and sipped her tea with both hands. "Plus the food is really nice."

If there was one thing Yamato had missed in his time away, it was good quality food. At first they had all been too excited to care, but as the months wore on the crew had gradually become bored of the same rations. There were some fairly memorable culinary disasters when other crew members had tried experimenting with flavours without any idea what they were doing. Yamato was suddenly pulled back to his present company when she placed two tickets on the table.

"Your brother gave me these. Not sure if you want to brave the crowds though."

Yamato picked one up and felt the colour drain from his face. Next time he saw his little brother, he was going to kill him.

"It's probably not worth it, don't you think?"

Sora saw right through his attempt at nonchalance.

"You don't like haunted houses, do you?"

Luckily the food, smelling flavourful and beautifully presented, arrived just as he was fumbling for a reply. It was the kind of dish Yamato would expect to be served in a fancy restaurant in the city centre. Sora seemed to catch his surprise.

"Beautiful, isn't it? I promise it tastes just as good." She was certainly pleased with herself. "And don't think you're getting out of our previous conversation that easily."

Yamato took a bite of the food, chewing slowly to buy himself some time. It was amazing. He was genuinely surprised there were so few customers, even with the heating issues.

"If you hadn't noticed already, my brother enjoys putting people he supposedly cares about in compromising situations."

"So you don't like haunted houses."

"No."

He was sulking and he knew it, but he had been hoping not to reveal his weakness this soon. Yamato ate in silence, his brain desperately trying to think of a topic they could move onto instead.

"Did you watch Alien before going to Space?"

He couldn't help the glare he shot her. How had she guessed?

"Takeru forced me. I barely slept the first few nights away."

Sora's lips twisted and her face scrunched up. Finally, a laugh burst forth.

"I'm sorry," she said, wiping away a tear. "I can just imagine it."

"It gets better." Yamato remembered how all the strange noises as the ship settled really unnerved him at first. "Takeru got word to the crew, so guess what happened on one of our quieter days?" He paused, enjoying the mixture of amusement and horror on Sora's face. "How they managed to find time between all our daily tasks for something that elaborate I'll never know. I think someone managed to get a video of the whole thing as well."

"Do you think Takeru has it?"

"Definitely. I'm sure he's waiting for the most opportune moment. Probably why he wants me to get married so badly."

"You too, huh?"

Yamato met Sora's eyes and he could see understanding. He imagined it was even worse for an only daughter. At least Takeru had taken the pressure off him… mostly.

"Your mother?"

Sora shook her head. "She used to nag me about finding someone so I didn't spend my old age alone, but after seeing how much I love my job, I think she understands." She sighed. "I still feel bad. Clients are normally the worst, though."

They finished their meals in between friendly chatter. Yamato insisted on paying, since it was his brother's fault they were here. He was surprised at how reasonable the price was, given the quality of food. No wonder the place was struggling.

Everything was going so well, it felt inevitable that that was when Yamato's legs refused to cooperate. When he went to stand, he found himself falling straight back onto his seat. Pain shot through his legs and arms. He'd stayed still for too long – idiot.

Sora was leaning over him with concern. "Do you need some help?"

"No, I just need a minute."

He carefully rotated his arms and legs to try and get the feeling back. Eventually, the aching eased, but Yamato pulled out his folding walking stick anyway. As he locked the parts together, testing the length, Sora held out a hand.

"Sorry to worry you," he apologised as he took it, using his stick in the other hand to help push himself up.

Sora wrapped her arms around his, helping him to keep his balance. Yamato was glad he had put his mask back on before he sat up, hoping it was managing to cover his blush. Even when they stepped outside, Sora held onto his arm.

"How long does recovery take?"

The sun was low in the horizon as they stepped outside and Yamato realised just how long they'd been in the little restaurant.

"It varies. Because of how long the Mars mission was, it'll take us longer to recover. I'm mostly fine, but my body is still working as if it's twice my age."

"So no ice skating."

"I think my medical team would have a fit."

They continued to walk and Yamato felt his muscles loosen a little. He looked down at Sora, her arms still around his.

"When's your next exhibition?"

She met his eyes, slightly confused at first, before his question finally seemed to dawn on her.

"Actually, I have one starting here in Odaiba in a couple weeks. It's been nice to get a break from all the planning and work that goes into this kind of show."

"Don't suppose there are any spare tickets going still?"

"You want to go?"

Yamato looked away. "I'd like to see what you do."

Sora let go of his arm and Yamato had to stop himself from snatching it back.

"Give me your number." At his surprise, she back-tracked a little. "I mean, only if you want to. You don't have any obligation."

Wordlessly, he held his hand out for her phone. As he typed in the number, he noticed her pull up her scarf to hide the blush that was spreading to her cheeks.

"I'll message you when I'm free… that is, if you want a tour."

"If it's not too much trouble."

They reached the train station and both found themselves staring at the ticket barriers. Yamato was still aching a little, but part of him really wanted the day to continue. Still, he had to get back to Tsukuba.

"Seems my little brother has fairly good taste after all."

Sora giggled. "I admit, I had my doubts as well. Thank you for today."

"You're the one who found such a great place." He paused. "And thanks for not subjecting me to the haunted school attraction."

Sora winked at him. "Maybe another time, after you show me that video."

Yamato couldn't help laughing. "I'll see what I can do."

"You better."

A brief hug seemed appropriate before Yamato went through the barriers. The train arrived just as he reached the platform and he found a seat easily enough. Just as he was putting away his walking stick, his phone alerted him to a new message.

Thank you again. I'll send you details soon x

Maybe his brother had been right after all.

Thanks for reading. Please review!