I've been meaning to post this for a while but am only getting around to it today. It's nothing special, just something I thought of while listening to a very good song. This is a song-fic to For the First Time by The Script.

This is my first real Sorato attempt, so keep it friendly. Constructive critisicm is always accepted and even recommended.

Enjoy this. It's a little angsty compared to what I usually work with, so hopefully that was dealt with semi-well.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Digimon OR For the First Time.

For The First Time

Oh, these times are hard

Yeah they're making us crazy

Don't give up on me baby

... ...

If there was anything, anything at all that would help him avoid this, he would.

But leaving right now wasn't an option for him. Turning the key in the lock, Matt braced himself. He was about to break her down further than she already was.

Stepping into their house, he spotted her at the kitchen table. She barely gave him so much as a 'hello.' That alone told him just how badly she was struggling. To make it worse was the last thing he wanted to do. Unfortunately, it was also the first thing that needed to happen.

He joined her in the kitchen, standing next to where she was seated.

"They cut off the phone service." Sora told him suddenly, not even looking up from the paperwork she was doing.

"You're kidding," Matt said, but he knew what she said was all truth. This really was going to be harder than he thought.

"Nope," she shook her head. "We forgot to pay the bill."

By 'forgot' she really meant 'couldn't.' They had barely managed paying off their bills the past few months and unfortunately missed last month's payment. Now it seemed they were paying the price.

Matt had never been good with dealing bad news, so he wasn't sure how else to say it. Finally, he just came out with the news he had been dreading telling her.

"I got laid off today."

Sora was strong, if not anything else. She could have cried - he wouldn't have blamed her - but she didn't. Instead she shook her head in disbelief, uttering a single word: "No…"

... ...

And we don't know how we got into this mad situation

Only doing things out of frustration

... ...

This recession was really taking it's toll on everyone, but Matt felt the effects weighing on him harder than anything else ever had. To see Sora shut her eyes and rest her head in her hands, evidently suffering through it all, was the worst thing Matt could have seen in that moment.

He listened to her sigh, then watched as she looked up at him, their eyes meeting for the first time since he arrived home.

"Things are already hard enough as it is." She said softly, "We barely even had enough money for food when you had a job."

It was true. With all their income going to bills and both their schooling, good meals were a privilege.

"I'll find a new one soon," he said it in such a way that it was more than just words; it was a promise.

"That's not gonna be easy."

Something in her tone set him off. It wasn't like she was mocking or bitter, but there was no faith in her voice. He'd known her for years and in all that time she had been a full optimist, but now she sounded like she had given up.

Because of that, Matt couldn't help it when his voice raised and tone sharpened in his reply. "You don't think I know that!"

Immediate regret struck him when he caught her look. Her eyebrows knit together and there was a shining film over her eyes as she gazed at him. She hated it when he yelled, and he hated making her feel the need to hate.

"Sorry," he apologized sincerely.

Her gaze lingered a few extra seconds before she told him, "It's fine," and turned back to whatever she was working on.

Matt finally realized what it was that she was writing on. "Is that your resume?"

"Mhm." She answered. "I'm making note of what to fix up."

"You looking for a new job?"

Sora was holding a fairly stable job right now but if she could find something with better wages, he would support her transfer fully.

She pressed her lips together, "Actually, I'm looking for a second job."

But he wouldn't support that.

... ...

Trying to make it work but man these times are hard

... ...

"No." He spoke firmly. "You're not working two jobs." He wouldn't let her.

Sora gathered her things from the table and headed out of the kitchen, Matt trailing shortly behind her.

"We don't have much of a choice now that you lost yours." She spoke, again in the same hopeless tone.

Matt bit his tongue to keep from cursing. "It's not my fault I was fired."

"I never said it was."

"It's what you meant."

She had been heading to the bedroom, but Matt cut in front of her to block the doorway. There was an attempt to sidestep past him, but she failed.

"Don't put words in my mouth." She told him.

"Well then quit putting so much pressure on me!"

And just like that, he broke down her previous strength. With Sora, it was hard sometimes. One minute she was holding her ground and the next she could barely stand.

She held everything in one hand while she brought the other through her hair.

"You think you're the only one feeling pressure!" Her voice was husky because she was so close to tears. "You think I like this life? Because I don't! I hate it!"

Fighting with her was his outlet. He hated it, but sometimes it couldn't be helped. They hardly ever fought because there was nothing to fight about, but with the way things were going lately, arguing was how he blew off steam. Surely that was the same for her - it wasn't in Sora's nature to take things out on others.

"Me too, Sora!" The raising of his voice was unavoidable. He was yelling now. "I hate worrying about how things are gonna work out! If they'll work out."

For the second time in the past five minutes, she gave him that look. The look of pure, irrefutable sadness. It killed him to see her look so upset. Matt felt a pang of regret strike him once more.

"Don't yell," was all she said, but it was enough to hear the soft pleading her request held.

Now he was faced with the dilemma of what would hurt her least. He could stay and finish this now, but he knew his frustration was too much to contain and he would end up yelling again. So instead, he shook his head and headed down the hall towards the front door. All he needed was a few hours to calm down.

"Where are you going?" She asked, still grounded to the same spot.

Unfortunately, Matt wasn't calm enough to reply without snapping. So he left without a word.

... ...

She needs me now but I can't seem to find the time

I've got a new job now on the unemployment line

... ...

The bartender set the full glass in front of Matt, who picked it up then set it back down. He shouldn't be drinking it, but leaving it was just another waste of money - something they couldn't afford.

He thought of Sora, sure that now that she was alone she could allow herself to cry as openly as she wanted. Everyone always said it was healthy to cry, but the idea of her alone, shedding bitter tears was almost too much to bear.

They didn't plan for this. Hell, who plans on being poor and working minimum wage just to feed themselves? All Matt could really think of was that he should have listened to everyone who had told them moving in together wasn't a good idea.

He and Sora were nineteen when they moved in together and were twenty now. Twenty and broke. Both were paying their way through university and on top of bills and food, that set the minimum standard of living for them.

He admitted it now, moving in together at such a young age was stupid, but at the time it seemed like a great idea. Neither had done something so outgoing and dangerous in their lives so it was like a new adventure. Of course, now it wasn't so much an adventure as it was a burden.

Things went fairly well the first seven months, where they held up good jobs and managed their money responsibly. When the recession hit, Matt was fired. Eventually, he picked up another job in labour but today that role ended as well.

Slowly, things changed. They were no longer living together.

They were surviving together.

... ...

And we don't know how we got into this mess

Is it God's test?

... ...

Earlier, when she told him she was going to apply for a second job, he didn't mean to snap. It was just the idea of her working two jobs while he failed to hold up one was unfair. He would rather swallow his pride and admit to their parents that they were right about not moving in together than watch Sora balance two jobs, school and their relationship.

Although he would never admit it to her, he sometimes wondered to himself if all of this was supposed to happen to them. Maybe this was all just a test of their relationship. Sora was the girl for him, he was sure of it, but maybe there really was some greater power up there that wanted them to suffer to prove it. If there was, this was a cruel way of testing them.

... ...

Someone help us 'cause we're doing our best

... ...

"You gonna drink that, kid?"

Matt hadn't even noticed that an older man had pulled up a stool next to him during his time of daydreaming.

"Uh…no." He replied, sliding the glass to his neighbour.

The man downed half the glass in a single gulp before asking, "What's got you all beat up?"

Was he that obvious? Probably. He would bet a million dollars - money he didn't have - that he had never looked so pathetic before.

It was odd, but with this man questioning him, Matt felt an overwhelming need to let it all out. To confide in someone. And after all, this guy did ask.

... ...

Trying to make it work but, man, these times are hard

... ...

"My girlfriend's at home, probably crying." Matt started slow, but found an eventual momentum as he went on. "I can't even be there for her because I hate seeing her so run down. I was laid off for the second time in three months and we're dirt poor. I can't even spare enough money to buy her something nice…something she deserves."

Saying those words was like a weight lifted from his shoulders. The power of speech was incredible sometimes. As a songwriter, he should have already known that.

Beside him, the man chuckled. "You're dirt poor? I'm the one ripping drinks off a broke kid."

Despite his situation, Matt grinned. "Don't worry about it."

"I wasn't."

He grinned again, appreciating the man's blunt honesty.

"Life's gonna throw ya' curveballs," he started in a gruff voice. "You just gotta suck it up and deal with 'em."

"It's tough." Matt was actually thankful this man was sitting here with him. Not only did it feel relieving to finally share his situation with someone, but it was also nice to feel…successful next to an unshaven, mid-forty year-old man 'ripping drinks' off a twenty year-old. "I want to prove that we can do it." Matt added, hearing the purpose in his own voice. "I want to prove it to our parents, to me and to her."

"I feel ya', kid."

The strangest sense washed over Matt. He felt like this man could really relate to him and truly understood what he was going through. Silently, he wondered if this guy had once been where he was now.

"Mind tellin' me about her?"

No one had ever asked him to describe Sora before, so the man's request came as a little surprise. It wasn't like it was hard to describe her - he had written his fair share of songs about her. The problem with describing Sora was that there was too much to tell.

"She's stubborn," he started. "But so selfless. She's competitive and smart. She's probably the strongest person I know, stronger than me for sure, but when she cries…she just lets it all out." He paused, trying to figure out how to finish otherwise he could keep going on all night. "She's unlike anyone else."

Beside him, the older man smiled. "You ever tell her all that?"

Matt didn't reply because he was ashamed of his answer. The truth was yes, he'd told Sora all of that before, but not nearly enough. They didn't really talk so much anymore as they did argue out of their frustration. They didn't say nice things nearly as much as they should have.

A silence took over Matt and the man next to him, where they just sat still. At least fifteen minutes must have passed when Matt realized he had found the calm that he had been searching for. It was getting late, anyways, so he figured it was probably time to head home. He rose from the stool and started heading away when the rough voice of his confidant spoke up a final time.

"Kid," he said, without even looking up. "Take this from a washed up guy like myself."

They both smiled dryly at the irony.

"Things might seem hard now, but if you work at it, they'll get better." He paused to drink the last of the alcohol in front of him before continuing. "That girl sounds special. Don't let one little rough patch screw up a good thing. I did, and look at me. So fight through it and you'll be fine."

That was a piece of advice Matt knew he'd hold on to forever.

Things were hard, fighting to push him and Sora down. Well, they would just have to fight back harder.

And suddenly, Matt knew exactly how to start.

... ...

But we're gonna start by drinking our cheap bottles of wine

Sit talking up all night

... ...

His talk with the man in the bar gave Matt some insight on what had been missing lately. Something that he and Sora desperately needed but hadn't made the time for since this entire mess started.

Neither of them were the sappy romantic type, so Matt planned around that carefully. All he wanted was this to help them out of the hole they'd been digging for quite some time, and he really believed his plans would work perfectly.

He knocked once on the bedroom door before opening it. Peeing inside, he saw Sora curled up on the bed with a book he knew she wasn't even reading because she was staring at it blankly. After a moment he pushed the door open fully.

"Hey."

She looked up from the book instantly, her still gaze resting on him expectantly.

"I want to show you something."

There was no argument this time. Instead, she just stood up and followed him out the door and down the hallway.

Upon reaching the living room she froze.

He really didn't do much other than tidy things up and set out two wine glasses with a bottle of champagne, but Sora's expression told him it was more than enough,. No, neither of them were crazy about romantics, but she was still a girl and it was natural for her to grow emotional at such an act.

"What is all this?" She asked quietly.

Matt circled around to the table and picked up the champagne. It was fairly old, probably a housewarming present from Tai or someone, but it had never been opened and was perfect for this occasion.

"Everything lately has been focused around work and money and trying to get by." He told her, still impressed at the reaction he had gotten out of her. She continued staring at him in complete awe. "We've been so busy with everything that we barely have time to just talk anymore."

He smiled at her when she started giggling despite the previous depression existing between them.

"So tonight's just about us."

For a while she just stood at the other end of the room, holding firm eye contact with him. Finally, she joined him by the couch and picked up one of the wine glasses. Matt cracked open the bottle and poured them both a glass before taking a seat next to her.

"So what got you to do all this?" She questioned him in a soft voice he hadn't heard in quite some time.

He grinned, finding the answer funny himself. "An old guy at a bar."

Raising an eyebrow, she giggled. "What?"

"Long story," he said simply.

Sora took a sip of her drink and made a face. "Where'd you get this?"

"I found it downstairs. I think it's from Tai."

"You're feeding me wine that Tai got for us?" She eyed him with a tiny smirk playing on the edge of her lips. "What kind of boyfriend are you?"

They both laughed. It was incredible. Already Matt felt some of the tension between them slipping away and it was back to the way things were. Not completely, but better nonetheless. Just hearing Sora joke like that again was enough to tell him tonight was the smartest thing he could have done right now.

... ...

Saying things we haven't for a while

Smiling but we're close to tears

... ...

"So what exactly was it about this old guy that got you to set all this up?"

Sora had a way of sending Matt into silence with her innate childish characteristics, much like she was doing right now. She was looking up at him, head slightly tilted with plain curiosity like an infatuated child.

After working through his loss for words due to her natural cuteness, Matt answered. "He just made me realize how important it is to take time for…stuff like this."

"Oh yeah?"

"He asked me to describe you."

Again, she wore that cute, child-like expression. "And what'd you say?"

Matt recounted to her what had so poetically come out of his mouth in the spur of the moment. With each word he watched as Sora's eyes reflected even more and more joy and contentment. He understood completely - she hadn't heard any of that in a long time because he hadn't said any of it for so long.

"You're pretty great yourself." She said once he finished, offering him a wink.

Perfect was a relative term. Nothing could ever really be perfect, and looking into her eyes, Matt saw that. Despite the bliss they were experiencing now, there was still a lingering sadness in Sora and even himself. It was all the stress that had been building up and couldn't just vanish because of one relaxing night. The stress would remain there for a while, he knew, but it helped that there was something happening now to prove there was always hope to conquer it. Behind each of their genuine smiles was still a problem, but for the first time it seemed like they could beat it. And really, that was all that mattered.

... ...

Even after all these years

We just now got the feeling that we're meeting

For the first time

... ...

"I've missed times like these." Sora told him earnestly. "I forgot how relaxing it was to forget about our problems." She set her glass on the table and adjusted herself so she was leaning into him. Matt responded by wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Not many people would consider it real intimacy, but to Sora, Matt knew it meant the world just to have the reassuring touch his arm offered, the comfort of him simply being there.

"I'm sorry for earlier," she said quietly. "I was stressed and taking it all out on you."

Matt didn't like her taking the blame for something that was partially his fault, so he shifted the apology onto himself. "No, I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"I hate fighting."

He looked down to see that she had a tiny pout on her lips.

Quick to change the topic, Matt asked her, "How are you?" It was a simple question, but he realized that they never really asked it anymore.

"Better." She replied, "You?"

Matt cleared his throat, searching for an answer. How was he? "To be honest," he said after pondering on the question. "I'm kind of inspired."

Sora placed a hand on his thigh to push herself up so they were looking at each other. "Like, to write a song?"

"Yeah. Wanna help?"

She wrinkled her nose and shook her head, "No. You know I suck at writing songs."

Matt chuckled because it was true, she was awful with lyrics. "So what? It's not like anyone's ever gonna hear it."

"You really want me to help you write a song?"

"Yeah," he answered truthfully.

"Fine," she agreed.

So Matt grabbed a pen and notepad. He scratched down the words that Sora rehearsed, making changes as they went along. He laughed at Sora's poor attempts at rhyming and she would hit him playfully, laughing along with him.

There was an absence of what had been plaguing them for the past several months, instead being replaced by a familiar warmth and the genuine joy that came with being around each other. It was like…when you first start to really fall for someone and all you want is to bask in who they are and who you are when you're with them. That was how Matt felt now. He had fallen for Sora once and it was like he was being granted the pleasure of experiencing it all again, and it felt amazing.

Just like the first time.

... ...

Oh, these times are hard

Yeah they're making us crazy

Don't give up on me baby

I don't love it but I'm fairly proud of it. I'd love to hear what you all think and thank you so much for reading!