Hey! Sorry for taking... well, forever. Here's the next chapter. It's long-er to make up for not updating. Anywhozerwoozer... There's a Taiora moment! AGH! And a MIMATO! And a fun Izzy moment too! :D
DISCLAIMER: PrincessJaded does not own Digimon.
The Taming of Sora
Sora used to be fun and outgoing, she used to like talking and being bubbly, but then it all stopped. Maybe it had to do with the loss of her mother, maybe the reality that she had to play mom to her younger sister, maybe just adolescence. Whatever it was it changed her. Mimi never changed, she remained kind and slightly air-headed, and popular. She wanted to date boys, it wasn't like there was a lack of possibilities but it was a common known fact that the Tachikawa girls weren't allowed to date. Their father was Mr. Over-Protective, come with in ten feet of either one of his daughters and you won yourself a one way ticket to the grave.
Chapter Eight: Parties Always Lead to Trouble... Always
"Let me go home! Look I have the perfect plan. I'll tell my dad that you were in a horrendous car accident and you were burned to death," Sora said hopefully as Tai grabbed her hand and walked through the door with her. "Let me go you big-headed, egotistical, chauvinistic buffoon!" She yanked her hand away, cast her gaze up to the ceiling and sighed. "If this is punishment for putting gum in Mimi's hair when I was ten, I'm sorry!"
"You're lucky I have thick skin, or else that might have hurt," Tai joked.
"Probably not as thick as your skull," Sora murmured.
"This will be fun!" Tai smirked and clasped his hand with Sora's. "I promise."
She snorted and glared at their joined fingers. "Tell me, do you value your phalanges?"
"My what?"
"These." Sora squeezed his fingers tightly and he yelped.
"Why Junpei, to what do we owe this pleasant meeting?" Mimi asked the bigger boy with a smile.
Junpei stared down at TK with disgust. "What are you doing here with Mimi?"
Mimi rolled her eyes and gave TK's hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it. She hoped he'd take it as her word that she would handle the situation. "JP, calm down. TK just gave me a ride."
"Jou went to pick you up but your father dismissed him." Junpei nodded toward the area where Jou sat brooding. "In fact, he's over there waiting for you. Are you coming?" Junpei held out a hand for Mimi.
She looked up at TK and smiled. "Thanks. I'll see you later. Tell Kari I'm sorry for keeping you." She didn't accept the offered hand but walked toward Jou with a fake smile plastered on her face.
"There's my favorite girl." Jou smiled at Mimi and gestured for her to have a seat on his lap. She was going to refuse when Junpei sat her down. "Comfortable?"
Mimi nodded automatically. But truth be told she would rather have stayed with TK. That aside, Miyako was staring at her like she was the black plague. What happened to "best-friends-forever?" Miyako was just beginning to show her true colors and Mimi was seeing that… in the worst possible way. Jou adjusted Mimi in his lap, sitting her in a more comfortable position. Mimi sat up straighter and looked around. Just as Jou's arms slipped around her waist and pulled her closer to him, Mimi spotted Matt staring at her from across the room.
Matt stared at the wide-eyed girl. Her face gave off nothing but false happiness. It was actually pissing Matt off the more and more he stared at her, yet he couldn't tear his eyes away. She had his full attention and the weak glare in her eyes told him that she didn't want him to see her… not like this.
"And I hate to say it but-"
"Then don't, Izzy!" Matt barked. "I'll see you later. I'm leaving."
"Oh no, you mostly certainly are not!"
"You know that you just sounded like your mother right now, right?" Matt asked skeptically.
Izzy blushed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah well, that's not the point. You came here tonight to get the girl, so get her."
"And how do you propose I do that, Dr. Love?"
"Aw, that's where you're on your own. I might be a genius but I know zip about girls. I mean, aside from the videos I've downloaded. But those girls really don't count, I mean I've never converse with them. I just stare but that's completely irrelevant when you really think about it. I mean they are just females who are engaging in lewd and…"
"Izzy? Are you a porn addict?"
Izzy's face froze as several girls walked by and stared at him in disgust.
Sora walked ahead of Tai through the party. She had no real purpose here, except to be somewhat charitable to her sister. It was frustrating to have him following her around like he was a disturbing puppy. "Sit."
Tai stared at her in confusion.
"Stay."
Was Sora loosing it? Had she hit her head? What was going on? Tai wasn't sure but stood still, brown eyes looking her up and down for any trace of injury or illness.
Sora reached up and patted Tai's head. "Good puppy. Now stay… Stay!"
And suddenly she was swallowed up in the crowd. Tai looked around trying to find her but instead found his sister. "What are you doing here, twerp?"
"It's a party, I happen to know the girl throwing it. My boyfriend is here and so is my best friend. What are you doing here? This isn't your thing. And where is your flunky?"
"Ken is not a flunky. He is a friend." Kari rolled her eyes. Tai glared and then he smiled, "Kari, where's your leech? I swear I seen him come here with Mimi."
Kari's eyes bulged then narrowed threateningly. "Very funny, asshole. TK was supposed to pick up Sora. We were going to Moonshine whe-"
Tai put his hand over her mouth, "Kari, your voice, it hurts my ears. You are so much prettier when you don't talk. Actually, and this is really a fun bit of information for you, I'm here with Sora. And, and this is a really good 'and,' your boyfriend brought Mimi here. Ouch, that has to sting. I'll see you later brat."
Kari stared at her brother's retreating back with anger flaring in the depths of her brown eyes. The anger turned to rage when she spotted a blond head. She stomped over to him, ready to give him the telling off of a lifetime. Mid-step she remembered that Tai said he was there with Sora. "What the hell?"
Sora avoided mingling and the funny stares she was receiving at all costs. It wasn't until she was pumped into by a certain blue haired turd that she spoke.
"Mmm… Sora, looking good, babe. How ya been? I haven't seen you at a party in a while. Your ass still fine as ever I hope."
"Fuck off before I turn you into a sterilized little prick. Oh wait, little prick, I got that part right!" Sora tried walking away but Jou caught her arm. "Let go of me."
"Do you know where I just was?" Jou asked cockily.
"Shoving your dick into a vacuum hose?" Sora offered.
Jou laughed. "Cute, but no. I was sitting over there, with your sister in my lap. Damn Sora, I can't believe you kept her locked up for so long."
"You stay the hell away from my sister!" Sora snapped.
"Hey, Jou," Mimi stopped short as she seen her sister talking to Jou. "Uh, I'm gonna go get a drink, you want to come?"
Jou smiled at Sora and leaned in to whisper, "She came to me." With that Jou nodded at Mimi and walked off toward the drinks.
Mimi turned to follow him when Sora called out her name. "Can you not address me in public? I mean people might think we're actually related."
"Mimi, don't go with him."
"Sora, stay out of my life!" Mimi spun on her heels and followed after Jou.
Sora angrily grabbed a shot glass from a passing guy. He smiled at her and clicked glasses with her before she threw it back and took another.
Ken stepped over the threshold and sighed. This was why he didn't come to these kinds of parties. He didn't fit in. It wasn't his thing. When he was fourteen, sure, but now that he was eighteen, life had taken a whole new meaning. Drunken stupidity at a high school party was not one of his new fascinations. Give him a snare, a Les Paul, and a thirty pack of booze and Ken was the party man. Just not here.
Why had he even come here? Oh that's right, to seek out the asshole that'd made start a minor fire in the restroom at Moonshine. Tai owned him, big time.
"What are you doing here?" An amused voice asked from behind Ken.
He turned and found a petite brunette in a tight skirt and equally tight top. Her choppy brunette locks were pulled this way and that, accenting the layers. Her hands were on her slim hips and she was staring at him with glee in her large brown eyes. "Well, come on Ken, I know you can talk. I've heard you do it."
Ken blushed at the minor double meaning. But then shook that thought away, Kari wasn't home the night he and Tai brought back those girls from a gig.
"Um," Ken started.
"Um is a sound, not a word," Kari corrected. "Come on, I don't bite. Why did you and Tai come here? This really isn't your scene."
"You got that right," Ken mumbled.
Kari gasped and looked around wildly. "He speaks! Do mine eyes and ears deceive me, did the noble prince of darkness grant this humble girl with his voice?"
Ken blushed darker than before and let his hair fall over his eyes.
"I was kidding," Kari giggled. "Anyway, I'm off. If you see TK can you please tell him I'm looking for him? Thanks Kenny!"
"Sure, anything for you Kari…" She didn't hear him though; she was already turning a corner and walking into the kitchen.
TK fought off the urge to find JP and beat the shit out of him. If he meant to intimidate TK, he really hadn't. But TK was too much of a gentleman to start anything in front of Mimi. That wasn't right; his mother had raised him better than that. A flash of blond caught his eye and his brother was suddenly in front of him.
"What up bro? I didn't know you were going to be here?" TK smiled pleasantly at his only sibling.
"I could say the same for you," Matt muttered. "Weren't you going to a bar?"
"Closed."
"Where's your girlfriend?" Matt asked.
TK looked around, "Good question. I've been trying to find her since I got here. If you see her, let me know 'kay?"
"I don't even know what she looks like," Matt pointed out.
"She looks like this," Kari popped out from behind TK and smiled. "You must be Matt. I'm Kari."
Matt shook her hand but she reach out and hugged him. "Uh?"
"We're like family. Families hug. Okay, not really in mine but you can't blame me for wanting a cool older brother, mine's a dick. I'm sure you've probably seen him. Big haired, loud-mouth, black clothes, stupid smile."
"Tai?"
"Oh, so you know the thorn in my side? Yeah, Tai." Kari looked around the large room and then found Mimi dancing with Miyako. She looked at her boyfriend with a deadly grin, "TK?"
"Yes?" he asked looking down at her cheerfully.
"What were you doing here with Mimi?"
Matt looked closely at the small girl. Was it jealously that he was reading on her face, or morbid curiosity? Matt wasn't sure but waited intently to listen to his brother's answer. TK froze and then laughed. It was purely innocent. Nothing had happened, if anything, he'd done her a favor, a very small favor. Plus, it was more for Sora than anything else. "I drove her here."
"I see. And why did you do that?" Kari inquired, still overly sweet.
"It's actually a long and funny story," TK said.
"I'm all ears," Kari shot back. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared up at her boyfriend. "That meant start talking."
Matt had to laugh at the girl's tenacity. She took charge and whether TK would ever admit it, he was whipped. But Matt found Kari amusing, so much so that he sort of liked her. And as long as his little brother was happy, Matt was too.
Tai was growing increasingly bored with every passing second. High school parties were so mundane to him. It was pointless for him to sit there and watch the idiot's trip over their own feet and stumble up the stairs to find an empty bedroom. He held a can of weak beer in his hand and searched the dissipating crowd. The redhead walking toward the dining room grabbed his attention. His feet moved, bringing him ever closer to her. She had a red plastic cup in her hand and a satisfied smile on her lips.
"Sora, what are you doing?" Tai asked as he stopped her from walking away.
"I'm having a good time. It's a party; you should really learn to loosen up. Sulking over there just makes you look gay." She laughed as if she'd just said a funny joke.
Tai smirked down at her and shook his head; Sora was wasted. She swayed on the spot and his smirk turned to concern. "Give me your cup."
"Go to hell, it's mine!"
"Where did you get it?"
"Uh," Sora looked around and put her hand to her head. "Um, somewhere over there. Look I don't need a babysitter. And frankly, I can't stand you. All you are is a sad, pathetic little boy who hides behind that nest that he calls hair. Leave me the hell alone."
People walked by and Sora threw herself into a guy and hugged him. It just so happened to be Jou Kido. Tai glared at him and Jou winked. He spun Sora away from him and stood next to Tai. "I guess my money's really coming in good use. Damn dude, good job."
"Fuck off, Kido."
Tai took off after Sora, only to find her dancing on a couch, slowly stripping herself of her clothing. Jou rushed past Tai and stood in front of Sora, cheering and whistling with the crowd.
"What's going on over there?" Miyako asked.
"I don't know," Mimi replied. "Let's go see."
The two girls walked toward the commotion and Mimi's jaw dropped. There was her sister, shaking her ass for all she was worth in front of Jou and… Tai? Mimi blinked back the furious tears that were stinging her eyes. She couldn't believe Sora was doing this. It was wrong, all wrong and it made Mimi angry. Not just the fact that Sora was basically embarrassing herself but because just by association of last name, Mimi would suffer the embarrassment of this too. Moreover, what would their parents say if they could see this?
Her mind was warped as she thought about her dead mother turning over in her grave at the sight of her daughter, that she didn't notice where she was walking. She slammed into a hard body and muttered a hurried apology. She looked up with a smile on her face but her eyes still staring at her neurotic sister.
"Mimi," a cold voice called.
Mimi's smile fell and she looked into Matt's eyes. "Matt, hey, do you know Miya?"
"No," Matt answered shortly.
"Miyako Inoue," the nearly drunk girl spluttered. "And who are you, hottie?"
"Mimi, can I talk to you?" He looked at Miyako and added, "Alone."
Mimi looked at Miya, then to Matt. She spotted Jou walking their way over Matt's shoulder and shrugged. "Actually I'm a little busy, but I'll catch up with you later!" Mimi dragged Miyako away and then got lost in the dancing people.
"Sora, get down now!" Tai demanded, severely pissed off. "I'll drag you down if I have to."
"Fuck off, Kamiya," Jou laughed. "Come on Sora, there's a twenty in it if you take off your top!"
Sora stiffed and lunged at Jou in a sloppy attempt at attacking him. She missed and fell into Tai. He caught her and threw her over his shoulder. "Fuck, you're heavy."
"Screw you. Forgive me for having a healthy appetite and not eating like an anorexic idiot."
"Now that isn't a polite way to talk about you best friend. Kari may be a lot of things but she's actually not an idiot," Tai laughed.
"I wasn't talking… Ohmigod, I'm gonna sick."
Tai set her down as he pulled out the keys to his car. "You be sick over there. You aren't getting into my car if you're going to throw up all over it."
"Gee, thanks," Sora croaked sourly.
Tai looked away as she hurled at his feet. "Fuck, man. These were new." He looked down at the hacking redhead and felt a pang of pity. "Sora, are you okay?" He knelt down in front of her and titled her chin up. Tai smiled at her lost expression. "Let's get you home."
"Hey," Sora said with a smile, "you have really pretty eyes. Really… really pretty."
"Thanks." Tai sat her in his car and buckled her seat belt. "You do too."
Mimi stood outside the house with Miyako at her side. So far things had gone from fun to bad to boring to embarrassing… the night just sucked. Mimi let her head fall on Miyako's shoulder and huffed. "This party was crap. I used up my "Get Out of Jail Free" card for nothing."
"Uh huh," Miyako sympathized.
"Hey ladies, a few of us are heading over to Junpei's house for a little after party, you coming?"
The question was directed at Mimi from Jou but Miyako took it upon herself to answer. "Sure."
"Sorry, I can't," Mimi said truthfully. "I have curfew at eleven."
"Oh, that's too bad," Jou whined. "Well you coming, Miya?"
"You bet."
"Miya!" Mimi shook her head in amazement. "How am I supposed to get home?"
"Figure it out," Miyako snapped as she and Jou walked away.
Mimi looked around sadly and shook the tears away. "Bitch."
"Did you fun have tonight?" Someone asked from behind her.
Mimi turned to see Matt staring at her. She shook her head slowly and looked at the floor. "No. My night was sucky."
"Pity," Matt lied as he walked away from her.
Mimi bit her lip and reached for him. "Matt, can... can you take me home?"
Rationality told Matt to leave her there. To ignore her like she'd ignored him. But he was a sucker for pretty girls, particularly this one. "Come on." He offered her his hand and she took it with a bright smile. Matt smirked back at her and led them to his car. It was like the day he found her in the hallway. He always seemed to find her when she was crying or sad. And as soon as she stepped foot in his car, her sadness was gone. Matt took pride in that fact.
"Sora, wake up!"
Sora cracked her eyes open slowly and looked around the unfamiliar car trying desperately to grasp her situation. Her head felt fuzzy and she rubbed her eyes furiously, trying to push away the sleep. "Where..."
"In front of your house."
Sora turned her head and found Tai sitting next to her. "You drove me home?"
"No, I was going to leave you there to drown in a pool of your own puke. Yes, I drove you home. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not that big of an asshole."
"Right," Sora added sarcastically.
"Believe what you want," Tai responded without a hint of anger or any other rude emotion.
Sora observed him closely. His hands were on the steering wheel, his posture was relaxed, and he was staring at her. As much as she disliked the sudden attention, she couldn't tear her eyes away from his. Her body was moving closer to his, all thoughts of restraint gone from her mind.
Tai watched her lick her lips lightly and stopped himself from pulling her into a crushing kiss. He was dying to lean into the awaiting lip lock, yet he stayed where he was, forcing her to move ever closer. It was one way of getting back at her.
Growling in irritation, Sora scooted toward Tai even more. She was so close, his breath was hot against her lips. She reached in and felt her lips connect with his. She kissed him softly, molding her lips to his stiff ones.
That's when reality dawned on her that he wasn't kissing back. She sat back and looked at him, he was still staring at her but there was nothing in his expression to tell her what he was thinking. All she felt was shear dread and embarrassment. She'd just kissed the biggest jerk she'd ever had the displeasure of meeting and he just sat there. He was probably enjoying her humiliation.
Sora threw the door open and slammed it behind her. Tai sat in his seat, for once feeling like a true asshole.
Matt pulled up to the front of her house and Mimi stared out the tinted windows with uncertainty. Did she apologize for her behavior? Did she say that Jou meant nothing? Well that much was true. But if she told Matt that she was only using Jou, would he think her selfish and unworthy of his friendship?
"You are unbelievable, do you know that?" Matt questioned darkly.
"Excuse me?" Mimi whispered.
"You play this sweet little princess role, Daddy's precious angel. But all you do is toy with people. Mimi, one day you're going to realize that people don't always play by your rules." Mimi stared at him in shock. What was he saying? "Don't look at me like that. It's insulting. Damn, I set up this whole scheme so that I could take you on one date! One frickin' date. And you know, I'm starting to feel like it was a waste of time. You don't care about anybody but yourself. Geez, Mimi, you're just as bad as your sister."
Mimi pressed her back against the door and looked at Matt, fury readable in her caramel eyes. "You don't know a damn thing about me or my sister. And I'm not what you think I am. I'll prove that to you."
"Yeah?" Matt laughed bitterly. "How?"
"Like this!" Mimi threw herself across the car and into Matt's arms. She kissed his lips with urgency and all too soon, pulled away. "Goodnight, Matt Ishida. Thanks for the ride home."
She got out of the car, the sound of her heart hammering in her ears, and her face flushed with excitement.
"You're late," Keisuke growled as he sat in the shadows of the living room.
"I know," Mimi chirped. She walked over to him, planted a kiss on his forehead and turned around. "Night, Daddy." She climbed the stairs quickly, almost running with the feeling of Matt's lips still tingling on hers.
Izzy groaned when he rolled over and untangled himself from the sheets. He ran his hand through his once gelled hair. The sun was too bright for his eyes to really adjust. He lay back down on his bed and yawned loudly. It was Saturday; there was no point in getting up early. He turned over, ready to pull the long body pillow he slept with toward him but instead found another body.
The girl was sleeping peacefully with a smile on her lips. She was completely naked. Izzy stared in wonder at the girl then looked down at his own body. Naked.
He nodded in excitement and looked up at the ceiling. "Thank you," he whispered before snuggling closely to the girl.
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