Worst Date, Best Night

by Silver

*Not-So-Standard Disclaimer: Yeah, I own rights to Digimon, and I also own the American Government, the sun, and 2/3 of Bill Gates' company!*

Author's Note: This is my first (and possibly last) stab at a pure romance fic, so we'll see just how good a job I do. I figure I should at least try my hand at a romance. By the way, this story has no connection to any of my other fics. Please read and review (or flame if you want to).

I hate the idea of putting a warning at the beginning of a fic (it kills the mood), but I guess I should. This is a Daikari, but not an instant "I love you" Daikari. You'll have to read and find out what I mean.

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Davis Motomiya walked to school with new determination. Today was the day. Yes, today he would ask Kari to go out on a date with him! He'd been waiting for this day for a long, long time. It might be his only chance to get Kari away from TE, er, TK and have some private time with her. I'll get it right, I know I will!

He had gotten up half an hour earlier than usual in order to make it to school with plenty of time to ask Kari out. He knew that she usually arrived about fifteen minutes before the bell rang, and TK arrived about five minutes after her. That didn't leave him much time, but he could do it.

Davis arrived with twenty minutes until the bell. Okay, how should I ask Kari out? "Hey, Kari, let's hit the town!" No, that's lame. "Hey, babe, how's about a date?" Even more lame! "Kari, would you go out on a date with me?" That was good. The simple question was the best. Okay, stay cool, appear calm, and don't stick your foot in your mouth. Easier said than done.

Kari entered the classroom right on time. Davis walked up to her with a big smile on his face, "Hi, Kari."

Kari smiled at him, "Morning, Davis. You're here early."

Davis said, "Well, I need to ask you something."

Kari said, "Really? I need to ask you something too." Davis' heart skipped a beat. Kari asked, "What did you get for number four on the math homework?" Davis' heart came to a crashing stop.

The words came blurting out of his mouth, "Kariwouldyougoonadatewithme?"

Kari blinked and frowned. "What?"

Davis' voice was still in a rush, "Wouldyougoonadatewithme?"

Kari held up her hands, "Slow down, Davis. Try saying that again, very, very slowly."

Davis took a deep breath, "Would-"

Kari nodded, "That's it, keep going."

"-you-"

"uh-huh"

"-go on-"

"A little slower."

"-a-"

"A?"

"-date-"

"Oh."

"-with me?" Davis heaved a quick breath, glad to have finally said it correctly. Real smooth, Romeo. His mentally kicked himself.

Kari looked at him, "Um, thanks for offering, Davis, but I don't think so."

"Oh." Davis looked crestfallen.

"Sorry." At least Kari sounded sincere.

Davis shrugged, "That's okay." He sulked back to his seat. That was fast.

One of the boys who sat near him snickered, "Oh, shot down."

Another boy joined in, "Really nice job there, Davis."

A third boy sighed, "You should have known better than to ask Kari out. Only the most popular guys can date Kari Kamiya."

Davis growled, "Hey, I'm popular!"

One boy laughed, "Yeah, but not in the good way. You need to be popular like TK if you ever wanna get a date with Kari."

That set Davis off, "I'm just as popular as TS!" He hated it when people compared him to TK.

"Yeah, sure." The other boys laughed. Davis hulked down in his seat with a dark expression on his face. That settled it. Davis was going to try and ask Kari out just one more time.

* * * * * * * *

Kari sat on a bench outside the school at lunchtime. She loved to eat in the sunlight. She was still getting over the slight shock of having Davis ask her out. She knew he liked her, but she'd never expected him to have the guts to actually ask her out.

"Hi, Kari." As if on cue, Davis was standing right next to her. "Mind if I sit with you?"

Kari was a little hesitant. She already knew where this was going. Still, she nodded. Davis sat down next to her and began to eat. There was a long, awkward silence. Finally, Davis said, "Hey, Kari? About when I asked you out earlier-"

"The answer is still no, Davis."

Davis sighed, "Why not? Would it be so bad to spend one evening with me?"

Kari said, "It's not that, Davis. It's just that we're friends, just friends."

Davis said, "But you won't even give me a chance to see if I'm more than a friend. Please, Kari, one date. After that, I'll never ask you out again. Heck, if you want you'll never have to see me again! Just one date, please?"

Kari studied his face for a moment. This seemed to mean a lot to him, and Kari did admit that she hadn't really considered what it would be like to go on a date with Davis. Though, knowing him, it wouldn't be a small event. But he looks so sincere. Kari shrugged. "Okay, one date. One small date."

Davis put on a grin so wide it threatened to split his face in two. "Great! I'll come by tomorrow at six. See you later!" He got up and ran around the corner.

Kari sighed. I wonder what everyone else with think of this.

* * * * * * * *

"YOU WHAT?" Yolei screamed in Kari's face.

Kari took a step back, "I said 'okay.' I'm going on a date with Davis. It's nothing big."

Cody said, "Tell that to Davis."

Kari's face darkened, "Has he been boasting?"

TK shook his head, "Nope, actually he's been pretty quiet. But he's beaming with pride about something, so it's hard to notice."

Kari shrugged, "Guess I can't blame him for 'beaming.' Still, he's making this seem like such a big deal."

Cody said, "It is a big deal for Davis. He's had a crush on you since before we all met. I'm still surprised you said yes."

"I didn't say 'yes,' I said 'okay.'"

Upamon frowned, "What's the difference?"

Kari folded her arms, "'Yes' makes it sound like I really wanted it. 'Okay' sounds like it's not a really big deal."

TK looked concerned, "Are you really sure this is a good idea?"

Kari looked at him, "I don't think Davis will do anything bad. He's a lot of things but he's not violent. Not to me, anyway."

TK shook his head, "It's not like that. Things seem to always fall apart for Davis. I have a feeling that this night might not go very well. If you'd like, I could come along and we could make it a threesome."

Yolei rolled her eyes. "Oh, Davis will really like if TK comes along on his date with Kari." TK glanced at her with a bit of frustration. There was no missing the sarcasm in Yolei's voice.

Kari nodded, "Yolei's right, TK. I really appreciate the offer, but I don't think you should come along." TK nodded, but everyone could tell that he still had his doubts. The bell rang, and everyone started to head to their next classes.

* * * * * * * *

Davis paced back and forth in his room while Demiveemon watched from his bed. "Davis, you're going to wear a hole in the floor."

Davis continued to pace, "I just can't stop thinking about it. I'm going on a date with Kari! I'm going on a date with Kari tomorrow!" He said the words as if he couldn't believe them. "I've been waiting for something like this to happen practically since the day we met! This could be my last chance to impress Kari, I have to make sure everything goes perfectly."

Demiveemon asked, "What are you going to do?"

Davis looked at his little friend, "I've got it all planned out. I show up at her home at six o'clock, sharp. I'll have a rose with me, not a bundle, just one. That'll be nice. Then, we go to this really nice restaurant, the kind that you need to make a reservation to get in."

Demiveemon pointed out, "But how can you get a reservation made just one day in advance?"

Davis put on a crafty grin, "I made the reservation last week. I made it the instant I decided to ask Kari out. Pretty good, huh?"

Demiveemon sighed, "And if she had said no to your date idea?"

Davis laughed, then sighed, "Actually, she did say no at first. Lucky for me I didn't give up. Besides, I can always cancel the reservation, but now I won't have to! Anyway, after dinner we go to a really romantic movie, something that would fit the mood perfectly. And while we're in the movie, I slide my arm over her shoulders," he mimed the scene for Demiveemon, "and by the end of the movie she'll have fallen head over heels for me!" He resumed his pacing.

"Okay, now, what shouldn't I do?"

Demiveemon said, "Kari gets mad at you when you blow your top."

Davis agreed, "Yeah, I'll have to keep my temper in check."

Demiveemon thought, That'll be a first. "And you shouldn't talk about yourself. Girls don't like it when guys boast."

Davis nodded, "But what should I wear? A tuxedo?"

Demiveemon shook his head, "Too formal."

"Jeans and a regular shirt?"

"Too casual. Davis, why don't you just wear a dress shirt and pants and a black tie. That's good for a date."

Davis nodded, "Yeah, that sounds good."

Demiveemon said, "Girls like guys who dress nice but don't overdress."

"Yeah." Davis stopped pacing. "Wait a minute, how do you know all this?"
Demiveemon replied, "I spend my whole day hiding inside your school. I overhear boys and girls talking. It's weird how obsessed you humans are with dates and romance."

Davis looked at his Digimon partner, "And just why didn't you tell me this sooner???"
Demiveemon gulped, "You, uh, didn't ask?"

Davis smiled as he loomed over Demiveemon, "Well then, let's see what other information I can get out of you. I have ways of making you talk!" He began to tickle the little Digimon until the sound of their laughter could be heard all the way down the block.

* * * * * * * *

"Let me get this strait." Tai looked at his younger sister. "You're going on a date with Davis?"

Kari nodded, "It's no big deal. It's just one little evening."

Gatomon sighed, "I've only heard this, what, fifty times today? No one's willing to believe that she agreed to spend an evening with Davis.

Tai nodded, "It does sound a little strange."

"Well," Kari gave a slight smile, "He asked me in a really sweet way (the second time, that is). He promised that he would never ask me again if I didn't have fun on our date."

Tai's expression grew serious. "Kari, this may not seem like a big deal to you, but Davis is a very emotional person. He doesn't take things lightly, and this means a lot to him. Even if you don't have fun tomorrow night, you need to be careful not to hurt him in the process."

Kari nodded, "I will Tai. But I don't see what the big deal is. It's just one date."

* * * * * * * *

Davis felt his heart beating in his chest as he approached Kari's apartment. He'd been waiting all day for this. People had been giving him strange looks all day. Those same people had given Kari pitying looks. No one thought that Davis stood a chance with Kari. He was determined to prove them all wrong.

He looked down at the small package in his hand. The flower shop had been sold out of roses, and Davis hadn't had time to look for another store. He had bought a forget-me-not instead, and hoped that it would have a similar influence to that of a rose. His wallet was filled with money that had been saved up over a countless period of time. Davis had started a small savings system ever since he had developed a crush on Kari. Every time he got his allowance, he hid a little bit of his money in a small box in his closet. Given the usual disorder of his room, no one could have found Davis' hidden savings unless they knew exactly where to look. Now Davis could finally put his savings work, just as he had hoped from the beginning.

Davis looked up at the sky. There with thick, dark clouds coming in. It looked like it would rain. Davis didn't mind, though. He and Kari would be inside a restaurant, then a movie theater, so the rain would probably come and go without touching them.

He walked up to Kari's door and rang the bell. Tai opened the door. "Hey, Davis." His eyes widened slightly when he saw how Davis was dressed. Davis figured he looked a little strange without Tai's goggles around his head. He had left those at home.

Davis asked, "Something wrong?"

Tai shook his head, "Ah, no, nothing's wrong." He called into the house, "Kari, Davis is here." He looked back at Davis, "Good luck." Davis gave a nervous nod.

Kari came to the front door and Davis' heart sank a little. She was dressed just like she always was, camera included. She hadn't changed for the evening. Kari blinked, "Oh, I'm sorry, was I supposed to change?"

Davis shook his head, "No, it's okay." He held out his gift with a slightly unsteady hand. Kari took the box with an even more surprised look, and opened it. She looked down at the flower, and then promptly sneezed right in Davis' face. Davis jumped back, startled.

"I'm sorry," Kari sniffed, "I'm allergic to forget-me-nots." Tai took the flower from her and went inside. He shook his head and wondered what else could go wrong.

Davis gave a very nervous laugh, "Aw, don't worry about it. Let's get going." Okay, rough start but you can recover, Davis. Just keep your cool. He and Kari left the apartment. Davis noticed that Kari didn't take his arm, even though he offered it twice.

Kari asked hesitantly, "So, where are we going?"

Davis smiled, "Dinner first, then a movie." Kari's expression seemed to say that Davis' idea wasn't very original, but he tried to remain optimistic. They walked down the street a short distance, until they reached the restaurant Davis had chosen.

Kari's eyes widened as soon as she saw the restaurant. "We're eating here?"

Davis said, "Yeah, is that a problem?"

Kari gestured at her outfit, "Do I look like I'm dressed for a place like that?"

Davis replied, "I don't care how you dressed, you look great as you are!"

Kari blushed slightly. "Um, thanks. But, what if everyone stares?"

Davis said, "Well, I don't care if they stare, but if you don't want to eat there, we can go somewhere else."

Kari shook her head, "No, it's okay, I guess. Let's try and eat there." Kari figured that they'd be stared at no matter where they went. Davis was too formal for a fast-food restaurant, and Kari was too casual for a formal restaurant. They were the ultimate odd couple. She decided this would save them a trip all over town.

They entered the restaurant and instantly all eyes fell upon them. Davis did his best not to notice. He spoke to the host, "Hi, reservation for Motomiya?"

The host looked at him with a great deal of skepticism. "Little boy, where are your parents?"

That question nearly set Davis off, but he kept his temper in check because of Kari. "My folks are at home. I made the reservation for two about a week ago."

"A week?" Kari couldn't believe her ears.

The host looked down his nose at Davis, "We don't serve children here. I suggest you go find a Chucky Cheeses or some other place."

Davis growled, "I made a reservation, are you going to give us a table or not?"

The host folded his arms, "Please leave, now."

Davis bunched his hands into fists, then sighed and said to Kari, "Let's go." He and Kari exited the restaurant.

Kari said, "What a jerk."

Davis said, "Never mind… We'll just have some popcorn at the movie." Kari looked at Davis, surprised that he wasn't on his third rant by now. He's trying to keep his temper down because he doesn't want to ruin things. That was kind of sweet, in a strange way.

They walked to the movie theater, and Davis purchased two tickets, Kari didn't hear which movie. They bought popcorn and entered the theater. Davis couldn't help but notice what a small audience was there for the movie. Why do I get the feeling something else is about to go wrong?

They sat down and began to eat the popcorn hungrily. The lights darkened, and the title appeared on the screen. Kari read the title, "'L'amour des Imbéciles?' What's this about?"

Davis shrugged, "I don't know, but I heard it was a really good movie." He mentally grinned, A really good romance movie. He leaned back and waited for things to start.

* * * * * * * *

Half an hour later, Davis and Kari exited the theater with Kari on the brink of mass hysteria. Davis said, "Well how was I supposed to know the movie was completely in French?"

Kari laughed, "By the title, silly. 'L'amour des Imbéciles!' Doesn't that sound French?"

Davis replied glumly, "I thought they were just being fancy. The newspaper said it was a really good movie." He had tried to make the most of the movie, but neither he nor Kari had enjoyed watching a movie when they didn't have a clue what was going on.

Kari laughed again, "It probably is good, if you can speak French."

Davis looked up at the sky. The clouds were even thicker than before. It might rain. What else can go wrong? Davis asked, "You want to just walk around a little?"

Kari replied, "Okay." They set off down the block. They walked for fifteen minutes in complete and total silence. Davis tried to think of a million things to talk about, but nothing seemed to fit. Suddenly, he felt a drop of water on his shoulder, and then another, and another. By the time Davis looked up, it was beginning to pour rain. Why me? He and Kari ducked under the overhang of a nearby store. Davis took a peek in the window. As if by chance or fate, the store had a few umbrellas for sell. Let me guess, Davis mentally sighed, this is a sign. "Wait here one sec." He left Kari, went into the store, and came out with an umbrella he had bought using what was left of his dinner savings. "I think this date's about over. I'll take you home."

That was it, he'd lost. All his planning had blown up in his face, all his big ideas had only humiliated him, and now it seemed as though the world itself was against him. What else is new? If word of this ever got out, Davis' social life would most likely whither up and die. Not that he had much of a social life to begin with. I can only imagine what Yolei would say if she found out.

Kari looked at Davis with some concern, but she kept silent. They walked in the rain under Davis' umbrella. A car came speeding by and hit a pool of water right next to Davis and Kari. A small tidal wave shot up and splashed over the two of them. Kari was only slightly wet, but Davis was soaked. Kari looked at the expression on his face, and knew that not all of the drops of water under his eyes were from the rain. "Davis?"

Davis shook his head, "I am so, so sorry, Kari. I totally blew this date!"

Kari asked, "What are you talking about?"

"I wanted this to go perfectly, but every single thing just blew up. I messed up dinner, I messed up the movie, and now you're all wet. All this just because I'm an idiot."

Kari shook her head, "You are not an idiot, Davis."

"Yes I am! I can't do anything right, even when it means the world to me."

Kari was silent for a moment. Then, she smiled, "Davis?"

"Yeah?" Davis didn't sound too energetic.

Kari said, "I actually had a lot of fun tonight."

Davis looked at her in complete bewilderment, "What?"

"I had fun tonight."

Davis said, "You're just saying that to make me feel better. Thanks, but don't bother." He turned to keep walking.

Kari placed her hand on the side of his face and gently turned his head back to look at her. "I am not just saying that, Davis. I've seen how much effort you put into this date. You tried to make it very romantic, and perfect. You made reservations in a advance, you were willing to see a romance movie just for me, and you actually kept your temper in check, which, for you, is no small accomplishment."

"Um… thanks?" Davis wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not.

Kari giggled, then said, "You're the only guy I know who takes a first date this seriously, and that's really sweet of you. I'm sorry I took this so casually, but I'm seeing a whole other side to you that I haven't seen before. I'm really impressed at how hard you tried to make me happy."

Davis said, "I-I really like you, Kari, and I wanted this to go perfectly."

Kari shrugged, "I guess nothing's perfect. But let's give this another try."

Davis blinked, "Huh?"

Kari said, "Let's go out again tomorrow. We'll go to a fast food restaurant, I'll choose the movie, and you should dress casually. And no flowers. Okay?"

Davis shook his head, "I don't want you to go on another date with me just because you feel sor-"

Kari pressed a finger over his lips to keep him quiet, "I don't go on pity dates, Davis. I'm doing this because I actually liked going on this date with you, and I'd like to try and see what happens when we take things a little more casually."

Davis asked, "But what if everything gets screwed up again?"

Kari shrugged, "Then it should be really funny, but it won't be your fault. Trust me, okay?"

"O-okay…" Davis couldn't believe his ears. After everything that happened, Kari still wanted to give things a second chance. What a girl. That was why Davis liked her so much.

They continued to walk until they finally reached Kari's apartment complex. They walked up to Kari's floor and stood outside her doorway. Kari said, "Thanks again for trying so hard, Davis."

Davis smiled, "Thanks for giving me a second chance."

Kari reached for the doorknob, then stopped. "Oh, I almost forgot." She leaned towards Davis, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Davis' face turned as red as a tomato. Kari giggled, "Never forget the good-night kiss." She smiled at Davis, then entered her home.

Davis stood there a moment, absently rubbing his hand against his cheek. Wow…He turned around and started to head towards the steps leading down. The spring in his step was so big that he could have jumped to the moon on his own power. He stopped. "You're the only guy I know who takes a first date this seriously," "I don't go on pity dates," "Never forget the good-night kiss."

"Just how many dates has she been on anyway?" Davis shrugged and continued to walk.

* * * * * * * *

Tai watched his sister come in the door and start to make herself a sandwich. Her clothes were a little wet, but she seemed to be happy. Tai asked, "So… how was dinner?"

"We didn't eat."

Tai blinked, "Oh. Well then, how was the movie?"

Kari replied, "We left about half an hour after it started."

Tai asked, "What did you do then?"

"We walked around in complete silence, then got soaked in the rain.

Tai sighed, "Sorry. This must have been a really tough night for you."

Kari walked towards her room with a sandwich and a glass of milk. "Actually, I really enjoyed myself. I'm looking forward to tomorrow night."

"What happens tomorrow night?"

"Davis and I are going on another date." She entered her room.

Tai looked after her in stunned silence. "WHAT???"

* * * * * * * *

Demiveemon listened to Davis outline the events of the evening as he changed into some dry clothes. "Well, first she sneezed on me after looking at the flower I got her, then we got thrown out of the restaurant, then we walked out of the movie theater cause the movie was so bad. Then we walked around, got drenched by a car in the rain, and then I walked her home and we said goodnight."

"Oh no!" Demiveemon was sympathetic. "I'm sorry your date went so bad."

Davis flopped down on his bed. "What are you talking about?" He rubbed his hand against his cheek, "This has been the best night of my life."

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The End.

Author's Note: So, this is what it feels like to write a romance. Hmm… I think from now on I'll mix romance in with adventure, it's a little more interesting for me as a writer. Romance is fine, but I like action!

Anyway, please review my work. You can flame me if you really want to, but I'll ignore any shouts of "Takari 4 ever." Then again, I also don't put much stock in the war cry "Daikari 4 ever." Personally, I think the only shout should be, "Every couple 4 ever." Like I said, please R/R.