A/N: I dont own digimon or any of the characters or anything. Well, I told you I'd get you this chapter before the day was up! This one is a little bit longer...I didnt realize how short that other chapter was. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy it!
The end of the day approached slower than a sleeping Numemon. In his Literature class, TK realized that most of the words used he didn't really understand. During Chemistry class, he accidentally mixed the wrong chemicals together and suffered a lecture about the necessity of paying attention during class. His lunch was tasteless, or would be if he had eaten.
As much as he wanted to talk with Kari, it was the strange shadow that was preying on TK's mind. He couldn't get the image out of his mind; a shape darker than the night sky, taller than the average man, with long arms. He didn't think it was a human; what human could move that quickly and disappear? The only other option was that it was a digimon.
He sent an email to his brother during his study hall. He told him that he was hanging out with Kari after school, but later tonight the digidestined needed to have a meeting.
He went to his locker after school and twisted the lock to enter his combination. The old locker was rusty and green, and squeaked loudly when TK swung it open. He put a book in his locker, put one in his backpack, and stood there, looking into the locker. He had that feeling that he was forgetting something. Or maybe, he thought, It's something that I should know but haven't realized yet.
"Hey," Kari said, closing TK's locker. "You ready to go?" TK stood a moment, one hand leaning against the locker.
"Yeah," he said, after realizing that he hadn't answered. "Is it okay if we just go to my house? My mom's not home."
"Of course," Kari said. "Whatever you need to tell me must be important if we have to be alone."
The walk to TK's apartment building was usually about 10 minutes. Whenever he walked home with Kari, however, it felt like 10 seconds. He knew that Patamon and Gatomon were nearby, and that as soon as they got to his house her cheerfulness would be diminished, but he couldn't yet bring himself to destroy the mood. They walked side by side, in sync, and so close that TK could have reached over an inch and grabbed her hand if he wanted to.
Every day it was the same routine. He found her, they walked home together, he had a burning desire to walk hand in hand, and then he remembered where they were and that he had a worse way with women than Tai does. Ever since Tai and Sora started dating after she and Matt broke up, everybody joked that Tai really had no common sense when it came to what Sora wanted. He continuously brings up the time he puked in her hat, and misinterprets everything she says. Yet she's still happy. All TK wanted to do was make people happy, especially Kari.
"TK," she said, gently. He looked at her. "Are you going to open the door?" He realized that he had been just standing outside his apartment. For how long, he couldn't tell. He felt his cheeks burn up as he realized that was the third time today that Kari had to break him out of a trance. His hand shook so hard with the key to open the door that she had to hold his wrist to steady him.
"Is everything alright?" Kari asked. "You're acting very strange. And I got an email saying that you called a meeting later tonight?"
"Yeah, its part of the reason I asked you to come over today," he explained. They walked into the house and went directly into the kitchen. They each got a glass of water, and Kari opened the window to allow a struggling Patamon to lift Gatomon into the apartment. He dropped the cat-like digimon into the sink, which caused Kari to giggle and TK to almost smile.
For the next hour, the two humans and their partners watched television. TK kept trying to decide how to bring it up, but he could feel Kari staring at him and he couldn't find the words. When the boy on TV tried to do a trick and fell of his skateboard, Kari gasped and then chuckled softly. Her joy faded into concern and she turned to him, her hands so close that he could feel their warmth.
"TK, are you going to tell her?" Patamon asked, landing on top of the blond kid's fishing hat. Careful not to nod so that he didn't fall of his head, TK looked at Kari.
"For the past week or so, I've been having this recurring nightmare," he began. "I don't really remember any of it. All I remember is a really dark shadow, and the most horrible laugh I've ever heard." He could hear it ringing in his ears even now. Dark, maniacal, and so very familiar...
"At school, Cody and I saw a shadowy figure race through the hallways and then disappear. He was too fast to be human, I'm sure of it."
"TK, you've been having these dreams for a week and you're only telling me now?" Kari asked. She didn't ask it in a "Wow, don't you trust me" offended sort of way. She was so genuine in her concern for TK that it made his chest hurt.
"I didn't think it was anything besides a dream," he admitted. This time, when she moved her hands, she actually grasped his, and he did not hesitate before grasping hers back. They sat there, fingers intertwined, staring at each other. Just sitting with her, like this, gave TK some comfort. He couldn't tell how long it had been since their hands had touched, he could no longer tell whose hands were who's: they had become one single, indivisible being in their own time and place. If he had his way, they would never move, their contact would never break, and time itself would cease to exist in this moment; however, a slamming door broke the moment. Kari gasped, and her hands flew away so fast that TK could barely register what had happened before his mother came into the room.
"TK? Oh, hello Kari," she smiled. "Is everything alright, you two?" It took TK a few seconds to recover his voice.
"Y-Yeah, Mom," he replied, trying to avoid Kari's eyes. He felt the blood rush to his cheeks and was becoming acutely aware of the embarrassing aspects of the situation. Then he noticed that Kari's face was redder as well. He couldn't tell if that made him feel better or worse. "I'm hanging out with Matt tonight. Is that okay?"
"Of course, honey," she replied. "I hope everythings okay. Is it more of that digimon business?" She looked down at Patamon. "You make sure to protect him."
"Always, Ms. Takaishi," Patamon responded. She nodded, set her stuff down, and went to take a shower. Calling goodbye to his mother, TK, Kari, and their respective digimon walked out of the apartment.