Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, or anything Digimon related.
Fireside Lullaby
by: Shaela (hero_athena@yahoo.com)
Note: First off, I just wanted to thank (bear with me please!) everyone
who e-mailed me with comments on my stories; I appreciate the feedback
so much! Keep it coming. I also want to thank Liz for her really
positive comments, and that she is always willing to post my stories on
her site!
Liz~ How could I not? I just love your stories!!!! *cough Mimatonext!
cough**falls out of chair* Ow.....Ok back to the fanfic...
Note (on the story): This is actually a Tai+Sora fic (they are both
adults), but that doesn’t mean I no longer enjoy Matt and Sora together,
I’m just trying something new so let me know if you like it.
She was beyond simple sensibility; all her emotions were just so
tangled. She wanted to take some scissors and cut through them, leaving
behind all feeling, and allowing them to fray at the edges. He confused
her. He didn’t even know it, but he still caught her off guard. Not by
planning the trip, on the contrary, they had both been planning for a
couple of weeks now, even though Tai didn’t feel it was necessary. And
truthfully, Sora wanted to go. She enjoyed being outside, feeling that
certain ease and comfort that came with backpacking on trails that
appeared to have never been touched by human feet. And Tai, he would be
there, most likely making an ass out of himself, but in the most
endearing way possible.
“Sora, we’re only going to be gone a week, so I don’t think the 1,000
Ways To Survive the Wilderness book is really essential,” he commented.
“Honestly Tai, with you, one can never be too careful,” she replied
briskly, as though his interruption had some how made him aware of
her thoughts. He gave her a sideways glance, but said nothing. She
swung on her backpack and made a face, “Did you really think I
wouldn’t notice you put the tent pegs in my pack?”
He grinned, looking impossibly boyish; “It doesn’t hurt to try.” Sora
rolled her eyes, hiding her own smile; there was something about him...
“You take half of the pegs,” she insisted. He complied, reaching
around her for the pack.
~FLASH
“Tai, you have to help me set up the tent,” she called after him,
irritated that he was talking to a boy she didn’t know instead of
helping her like he was supposed to.
“Whose that?” the boy asked, unaware Sora could hear him. Tai glanced
over his shoulder.
“Oh, that’s Sora. She’s okay, for a girl anyway.”
~FLASH
“We were only ten years old then,” she murmured audibly, surprised by
the memory.
“Hey, I didn’t do anything else,” Tai protested after overhearing,
“You don’t need to say I’m acting like a ten year-old.”
“But I didn’t,” she began to explain. He had already gotten into the
car.
~FLASH
“It’s too bad that there’s no room in your head for a brain, but I
guess you have to make room for all that hair,” she teased.
“Ha, ha, Sora, don’t you start. It’s bad enough I have to deal with
Matt,” he grumbled. She only smiled.
~FLASH
“Where’s this all coming from?” she wondered. Again, Tai abruptly
released her from her thoughts by incessantly honking the car horn.
“Okay, okay, I get the point,” she snapped. She jumped into the
passenger seat; by that time he had the car halfway down the drive.
* * *
It was nearly twilight and night was slowly lowering across the treetops,
hesitating as if, for some reason, the sun were reluctant to set. Tai
had set up the tents, willingly for a change, and Sora watched from her
position in the lingering light. She was patiently coaxing the fire, as
it sputtered and sparked its disinclination to light, and eventually it
caught and spread across the kindling, scoring the wood immediately.
“I’m done,” he announced, settling down beside her.
“We’ll need more firewood for later,” she replied, sitting back on her
heels, satisfied with the fire.
“You should get some, then,” he said. At her dismayed statement, he put
up his hands, “I did the tents, you do the fire,” he reminded.
“But I have to get something...” she muttered and attempted to sneak
into her tent.
“Not so fast,” he said, and he grabbed the waistline of her jeans,
pulling her backwards. She fell on top of him; they were both on their
backs, his against the ground, hers against his chest.
~FLASH
“I want to talk to you for a minute,” he said, taking her lightly by
the elbow and guiding her to the refreshment table. He poured himself
some wine, and then hesitated, about to fill her glass.
“No, I’ve had enough,” she replied.
Tai said, almost jealously, “I saw you dancing. You certainly seem to
be enjoying yourself!”
“I am. Aren’t you? I’ve never done this kind of thing before!”
“It never occurred to me you would enjoy a party like this; if I had
thought of it I could have taken you to some of the other ones I’ve
been to. But,” he hesitated, “ the public dances, where everyone mingles,
tend to get a little wild. Dancing all night and into the morning,
pairing off in the gardens...I didn’t think you’d want to come.”
She felt a sudden resentment; he believed it was suitable to go himself,
even if the party got a little wild, but he had decided that kind of
entertainment was not suitable for her! “You might have let me decide
for myself.”
He raised his hand to touch the nape of her neck in a suggestive touch.
He whispered, “I was jealous.”
She felt herself responding to soft intensity of his fingers on her neck
as he continued to caress her neck, but when he bent close she could feel
his warm breath. He was drunk...
~FLASH
“Sora? Are you okay?”
She snapped to attention. She was sitting up, and Tai was facing her,
with a worried and confused statement. “I’m fine,” she said quickly.
Tai’s brow was furrowed, and it looked as though her didn’t believe her.
“If this is some ploy to make me get the firewood,” he began, and then
glanced back at her, his eyes softening, “it worked.”
Sora absentmindedly tended the fire while he was gone, and by the time he
returned, night had finally fallen. He lay down facing the sky, and she
did the same. He told her about his sister and what she had been doing
lately, but carefully avoided bringing up Sora’s recent behavior.
Eventually they tired of small talk, and after several more hours of
unsuccessful attempts to sleep, Sora sat up and poked at the dying fire.
Her gaze wandered over to Tai. She smiled at him, his fair brown hair
shining faintly in the firelight.
~FLASH
“I think I broke my leg,” he grunted, held out his hands to her, and
laid his head against her breast: off guard, vulnerable, no longer
concerned to keep up the mask of strength and masculine infallibility.
She soothed him and he whispered, “I trust you Sora, sometimes I think
you’re the only one I can trust. I’m not afraid of you.” It made her
want to cry, but she knew she could not; she must be strong for both
of them...
~FLASH
“I can’t deal with this,” she groaned softly. “Tai,” she began,
aware he was asleep, “I don’t know what to think. I’m so confused,
but no matter what happens, you should know...that I don’t know how
exactly, or in what way, but I do love you. And that’ll last, forever...”
She sat for a moment, and then got up to look for firewood, just
needing to walk and breathe easily. She never even heard him.
“I love you, Sora.”
(
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