DISCLAIMER - I don't own Digimon. Is it really necessary to type these things? Can't we just have one big disclaimer for the site?
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Author comments: This is the fic I said I was thinking about writing in "What's WRONG With You People?" As you can see, it's called "Choices." It'll be split into six parts - "Courage," Parts 1-3, and "Love," Parts 1-3. I have no idea how often I'm going to be able to write each part... but I can write fairly quickly, so I don't intend to leave you hanging for prolonged periods. This is my first ever attempt at writing a romance story, so it might wind up sucking. But humour me anyway, 'kay?
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CHOICES
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COURAGE - Part One
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By Chris McFeely
Taichi Kamiya drummed his fingers absently on the bleacher beside him. The soccer game had been over for
around a half-hour now, and he was still waiting on Sora's emergence from the locker rooms. Taichi, better
known to his friends as Tai, had known Sora Takenouchi practically all his life, but that didn't exactly mean
he was willing to wait around for her for the rest of it.
Suddenly, Tai's world went dark as something clamped down around his eyes.
Guess who? a voice came.
Tai mused, with mock sincerity, knowing full well who it was, Natalie Portman?
Much better looking!
Britney Spears?
Gah, she faded away years ago!
A guy can hope...
Quit messing around!
Look who's talking, he grinned. Could it possibly be Sora Takenouchi?
Ooh, only took you three guesses, she said, lifting her hands from over his eyes, and giving him a playful
slap on the arm.
Good game today, Tai said, hopping up from his seat on the front row of the bleachers.
Eh, I've played better, Sora said, shifting her kitbag, which hung over her shoulder. She had changed out
of the atypical black and white shirt and shorts that were her team strip, into a pair of rather grungy jeans
and a blue T-shirt.
Tai shrugged. Meanwhile, his mind was screaming. Do it! it yelled. Tai wound up shaking his head,
prompting Sora to look at him oddly.
What's up with that? she asked.
Tai realised what he was doing, and quickly stopped. Oh, uh, nothing... I was just thinking about
something.
Nothing important.
Well, if you're quite done talking with yourself, want to walk me home? Sora asked, moving to go.
More than you know, Tai thought, but his response was a simple;
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I'll see you tomorrow, Tai, Sora said, stepping over the threshold of her mother's flower shop, and
jerking her wrist in a brief wave of goodbye to her friend. Tai returned the gesture silently, smiling, and
walked off down the street. When he thought he was a suitable distance away, he just stopped, dead in his
tracks, leant against a wall, and groaned audibly.
What am I gonna do? he asked himself. I've been crazy about her for six years! Six years! I'm too chicken
to do anything about it... and she can't even see it.
There was no denying that Tai had always found Sora attractive, in her own way, but he couldn't have said
that he was actually attracted to her. However, once they and the other kids had been stranded in the
DigiWorld together those few years ago, something had really clicked. Maybe it was the way she always
looked out for him and the others... maybe it was her loving disposition... or heck, maybe it was just cause
the only other girl there was Mimi... but Taichi Kamiya had fallen head over heels in love with Sora
Takenouchi.
It hadn't been to hard to deal with at first... there was always some evil Digimon threat on the horizon that
took priority. When Datamon had kidnapped Sora, it was true that Tai had a hard time dealing with it - but it
had all turned out okay, hadn't it? Then there was Myotismon... then the Dark Masters. Tai had always been
secretly thrilled when Sora elected to stay with him, instead of leaving with Matt during that nasty mess. Tai
could never have been sure, but he thought Matt made eyes at Sora sometimes. It was probably his
imagination.
However, after their Digimon adventure was over, the love became harder for Tai to take care of. Now, at
seventeen years of age, he'd tried, many times, actually, to tell Sora how he felt, but at the last minute, he
always choked. What if she didn't feel the same way? What if she laughed? He didn't think he could take
that.
It was ironic, really. He had been holder of the Crest of Courage back in the day - and where was that
courage now, huh? Inside me, Tai commented to himself, with a heavy dose of sarcasm. Yeah, right.
Tai sighed deeply, and brushed an errant strand from his massive mop of dark brown hair back into place.
With a grunt, he hefted himself forward, off the wall, and continued on his way down the street.
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Ishida residence.
Hey, TK, Tai said, twiddling the phone cord between his fingers with nerves. Is Matt there?
C'mon, Tai, you know I don't like bein' called that anymore, TK replied.
Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry - Takeru. Matt there?
There was a clunk, as TK set the receiver down on the table the Ishida's phone rested on, and yelled into
the next room.
Tai held the phone away from his ear. The yells were pretty loud. There was a scuffling, another clunk, and
the voice of Yamato Ishida was heard.
Hey, Matt, it's Tai.
Oh, hey Tai. What's up?
I kinda need your help with something...
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Continued in "Courage," Part Two.
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R&R? Please? Pretty please?
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