Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Digimon.

Thanks for the kind reviews so far. I sympathize with you, siriAshtpen. The writers love trolling us with this Takari nonsense. But I guess that's what fanfics are for right?

Happy reading!

Chapter Two

"You're doing what?!" Tai exclaimed while nearly choking on his food. "With who?!"

"Relax, Tai," Kari insisted, eyeing her brother curiously. "It's not what you think."

"A date with TK doesn't seem like such a bad thing," Aguman stated as he shoveled a ball of rice into his mouth.

"Better that it's TK than one of the guys on your soccer team, Tai," Gatmon added matter-of-factly.

Kari was sitting with Tai, Agumon, and Gatomon around the dinner table when she revealed her Friday night plans. Tai scrutinized his younger sister, speechless and paralyzed by shock. It had always been his personal mission to fend off any guy who got too close to Kari; but he never expected one of them to be TK. He was completely unprepared to handle this situation.

"So what exactly are his intentions with you?" Tai demanded, taking on a fatherly tone.

"Intentions?" Kari repeated, stifling a laugh. "Tai, this is TK we're talking about. And like I said, it's not a real date. It's just a little harmless fun."

Tai frowned, unconvinced. "I don't know if that's supposed to make me feel better."

Meanwhile just a few blocks away, TK was lying in bed talking with Matt on the phone. Patamon sat nearby, happily nibbling on a cookie.

"Kari really asked you out? Did she hit her head or something?"

Even over the phone the disbelief in Matt's voice was as clear as day.

TK chuckled. "Is it really that hard to believe that Kari would go out with me?"

"But it's not really a date, right?"

"No, I guess not," TK said reluctantly. "She says she doesn't understand what the other girls see in me."

"Well you two have been friends for a long time," Matt suggested.

TK stretched his arm over his head and gazed pensively at the ceiling. His mind ran wildly with thoughts. There were so many questions he wanted to ask his older brother, and yet he didn't quite know where to begin.

"I know I don't need to tell you this," Matt said after a while. "But just be careful. This is Kari we're talking about. I can only imagine how Tai's taking the news."

"Don't worry, Matt," reassured TK. "You know I would never do anything to hurt Kari."

"I know," Matt said, smiling at the sincerity in his younger brother's voice.

After getting off the phone with Matt, TK sat up in bed and started thinking about all the things he needed to prepare by Friday. He glanced at the calendar that hung by his desk and noted that tomorrow was already Thursday.

"Maybe I should've given myself some more time to prepare, huh Patamon?" said TK as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Don't worry, TK," Patamon replied, flying up to nestle on his partner's shoulder. "I'm sure Kari will love whatever you end up doing."

"Thanks, Patamon," TK said, smiling at the little orange furball. "Guess I've got some phone calls to make. It's going to be a long night."

The next day started out like any other. TK came by the Kamiyas' apartment to pick up Kari like he often did. Though he didn't say it out loud, he was relieved to find that Tai had left earlier that morning for soccer practice. TK wasn't quite ready to hear a lecture from Kari's protective older brother.

They walked to school together, talking about nothing in particular, and the rest of the school day progressed uneventfully. They agreed to refrain from telling their other friends about their anticipated date. The last thing they wanted was any unwanted speculation about an innocent outing between two friends.

The final bell sounded throughout the school as students buzzing with eager chatter poured out into the halls. Kari stayed for an extra study session with her friends before heading home. As she left the classroom, she pulled out her phone to check the time. Five o'clock on the dot. Most of the students had already gone home so the halls were practically empty. Just as she was making her way down the corridor she spotted Sora exiting another room. Kari smiled and waved at the older digidestined.

"Hey Kari," Sora greeted as she approached her. "What are you doing here?"

"I just finished a study session with some girls in my class," she explained. "You?"

"Group project," Sora replied, gesturing to the room she had just left.

She gazed at Kari for a moment while recalling a conversation she had with Tai earlier that day.

"So is it true?" she said at last "About you and TK?"

"Oh no," Kari said, pursing her lips. "Who told you?"

Sora gave an understanding smile. "Don't worry; your secret is safe with me. Tai is just a little worried, that's all."

"He doesn't have to be," Kari insisted. "It's not like it's a real date."

"Right, so I heard," said Sora with a reluctant smile. "So then this date doesn't have anything to do with you having feelings for TK?"

Kari blinked in surprise at the unexpected question. "No of course not. We're just friends."

Sora nodded her head, though her eyes were clouded with doubt. Kari bit her lip nervously, unsure of whether to give voice to her thoughts.

"Can I ask you something, Sora?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Tai and Matt are your best friends, right?"

"Yes."

"But then at some point you started developing feelings for them, right?"

Sora felt the color rise to her cheeks as she averted Kari's gaze.

"S-sure," she stuttered, shifting uncomfortably in her place.

"So what changed? What did you see that wasn't there before?"

"Actually I think it was what I saw that had always been there," Sora explained with a tenderness in her voice. "It just took me a while to realize it."

When Kari looked at her questioningly, Sora contemplated another way to explain it. The group project she was working on suddenly came to mind.

"Friendship is like light going through a prism," Sora explained. "The light has been shining one way for so long but when you shine it through a prism, you realize that there are different shades to your friendship. Those colors have always been there; you've just never seen then before. And then sometimes one of those shades turns out to be more special to you than the others."

"I see," Kari said as she considered the analogy.

Sora smiled and placed a reassuring hand on Kari's shoulder.

"If you say that you and TK are just friends then I believe you," she said. "I know it's possible to care deeply about a friend without having to be in love with them."

"Thanks Sora," Kari said appreciatively.

She bid Sora goodbye and made her way home. All the while, Sora's words ran continuously through Kari's mind. She had always believed that she knew everything there was to know about TK. Their past adventures in the Digital World and the fact that they were both the youngest digidestineds had forged close bonds between them. But all of a sudden Kari found herself wondering if maybe there was a shade of TK she had not yet seen.

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