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

So here's a fun fact about me. Takari was the reason I got into writing fanfics. Without them, I probably wouldn't have been sucked into this world of fandoms and ships and OTPs. I suppose I have them to thank for my insanity.

I used to write under a different penname when I first started out on this site. If you're interested in reading my very first Takari story, just search for The Promise by Moonlight by Elsie Plateau.

Anyway enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter Three

Friday came in the blink of an eye. TK had rushed off as soon as the final bell rang to make some last minute preparations, leaving Kari to walk home with Tai. The afternoon sun shined through the trees, creating glittering patches of light on the sidewalk. Kari was chatting about an incident in class when she noticed that Tai had been pensively quiet for some time.

"So," Tai began, trying to mask the apprehension in his voice. "Are you nervous about tonight?"

"Not really," she coolly replied. "But I can tell you are."

Tai pursed his lips. "I'm your big brother. It's my job to worry even if the guy taking you out tonight is only TK."

Kari smiled warmly at him, appreciating the sentiment. As soon as they arrived home, Kari jumped into the shower and immediately began getting ready. She and TK had hung out many times before, just the two of them. But she knew she had to put it in her mind that tonight was going to be different. That instead of hanging out with her best friend, she was going on a date with one of the school's most desired guys.

Kari glanced at her closet and sighed, realizing that she hadn't thought much about her outfit for the evening. TK had been tightlipped about what they were going to be doing so choosing an appropriate outfit proved to be slightly challenging. She stood before the mirror in her room and held up several dresses to her body, giving each one careful consideration. With Gatoman's help, she was finally able to narrow her choice down to an off-the-shoulder coral pink dress.

For the first time, as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, Kari felt a flutter of nervousness in the pit of her stomach. In spite of herself she wondered if TK would like this dress; but she quickly pushed the thought out of mind.

Don't be ridiculous, Kari, she thought as she smoothed the skirt of the dress.

Gatoman sat on the bed, watching her human companion with keen interest.

"Kari, what exactly do you do on a date?" she asked while Kari was putting on a little eyeshadow.

"Well," Kari replied, giving the question some thought. "Sometimes you go out for dinner or watch a movie together. It really depends I guess."

"But don't you and TK do that already?"

The digidestined stopped what she was doing and glanced at Gatoman, slightly surprised by the acute observation.

"Yeah, I guess we do," she said, struggling to come up with a better explanation. "But people who go on dates usually have feelings for each other. You know feelings that go beyond friendship."

"So does that mean you have feelings for TK?" the feline digimon innocently asked.

Much to Kari's relief, the doorbell sounded before she could answer the question. Outside in the living room, Tai got up off the couch to answer the door. He had spent the last hour ruminating over the speech he was going to give TK. And now the time had finally come.

He opened the door to find TK standing there with a handsome smile, wearing a black blazer over a dark teal shirt and jeans.

"Hey Tai," TK greeted, trying to hide the uneasiness in his voice.

"TK," Tai said in a serious manner as he stepped aside to let the younger boy in.

They stood in the hallway for what seemed like a long tense moment. TK shifted awkwardly in his place while Tai gazed at him with the severity of a police interrogator.

"So you're taking Kari out tonight," Tai said, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "I don't think I need to tell you what would happen if you did anything to hurt her."

TK froze in his place and swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond. Just then Kari appeared in the hallway looking very cross.

"Tai, stop scaring TK," she firmly stated, sending her brother a pointed glare.

TK's eyes widened in pleasant surprise at the sight of her. He had always thought Kari was pretty; but tonight she looked breathtaking. He was nearly at a loss for words when she stepped up to him and smiled affably.

"You look beautiful, Kari," he blurted out, not caring anymore that Tai was within arm's reach.

Kari blinked at his unexpected compliment as the color rose to her cheeks. TK's handsome look tonight also didn't go unnoticed. Had his always been so strikingly blue? Kari mentally kicked herself for staring as her gaze fell to her feet.

"Thank you," she replied shyly. "You clean up pretty well yourself."

Just then TK brought out something from behind him: two red roses. Kari let out a small, almost imperceptible gasp as she accepted his gift.

"Two roses?" she asked, raising a curious eyebrow.

"Actually, it's a whole bouquet," he explained with a charming smile. "But getting the rest of them is part of our date."

Though she didn't say it out loud, TK was astonishingly doing well so far. She could feel a flutter of excitement and anticipation as she turned to Tai to give him a quick embrace.

"I'll have her back by ten thirty," TK assured as he opened the door for Kari.

"Yeah, you better," Tai said only half-seriously this time.

In spite of himself, he knew TK would treat Kari the right way. In fact, there was no other guy he trusted more to be with his little sister. Outside TK led Kari to the car and helped her into the backseat. Kari glanced questioningly at the driver sitting in front as TK slid into the seat beside her. The driver looked oddly familiar, though Kari couldn't quite place where she knew him from.

"You rented a car and driver for the night?" she asked incredulously.

"This is Ryo," introduced TK, giving the driver a pat on the shoulder. "He's the drummer in Matt's band."

"Hey," Ryo said with a wave of his hand. "Don't mind me."

"His parents run a transportation service in town and he kind of owes me a favor," TK explained in a hushed voice as he secured his seatbelt.

Kari just smiled and leaned back in her seat. The car slowly pulled out of the parking lot and began heading for its surprise destination. All the while she gazed out at the blur of buildings passing by, still trying to process this side of her best friend she had never seen before. He was suave, charming, and full of little surprises. Needless to say, Kari couldn't wait to see what else he had in store for the evening.

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