A brief note: This story is pretty much all dialogue, with minimal cues to indicate the tone and temper of each character. I've done my best to hint at who each speaker is with context clues, so hopefully there isn't too much confusion there. Now... onward!

This is us.

"I think I'm doomed."

"You're doing teen angst exceptionally well today. Did you run out of hair gel?"

"No. And I don't use gel."

"Ah. Guitar strings in a twist then?"

"I hate relationships."

"That's... really good to know?"

A muffled groan. "TK... I think I like someone."

"Oh, that's great! You make it sound like it's the end of the world."

"It kind of is."

"Who is it?"

A pregnant pause, and then a defeated sigh.

Widened eyes. "Are you serious?"

A small, resigned nod.

"Oh man. Oh man." Smothered laughter. "Wait till Kari hears about this!"

-xx-

"I can't believe it."

Pensive silence. "Actually, I can. Haven't you noticed he's the only person who can get away with annoying Matt?"

A little offended. "Hey now, what about me?"

"You're not nearly as annoying. No one is nearly as annoying as Tai."

"Good point."

"What's your brother going to do?"

"No idea. He's locked himself in his room for now though. Seems like a solid plan. I don't see how that could possibly fail as Step 1."

-xx-

"Oi, Matt!"

Brief tenseness, and then, "Hey Tai. You're awfully chipper today."

"Of course I'm happy! Here, take this."

A little startled. "Cookies?"

"Sora made them for you." A sheepish grin. "Although I sort of got hungry on the way here today, so there's only about half left."

A scowl. "Thanks a lot."

"Hey now, at least you still have some. If this were for Joe, I would've eaten all of it."

"That makes me feel loads better."

"As it should." A brief pause, and then an uncomfortably close examination. "Are you okay? You look a little stressed."

"Yes I'm fine. Now get your ugly mug away from me."

A chuckle. "If you say so. Come on, we have a few minutes before class starts. Let's grab a bite, my treat."

Cautiously, "Why?"

"To make up for eating half your cookies. Duh."

"Oh. Okay then."

-xx-

"You know, don't you?"

Innocent smile. "Know what?"

"Don't play dumb."

"Okay then." A peal of giggles. "TK told me. It's kind of cute."

"It's not cute, it's stupid. Your brother is stupid."

"I don't think you're the first person to say that, nor will you be the last."

"Good."

-xx-

"Wait, what? Matt likes someone?"

"You don't have to sound so surprised. Just because you have the mental capacity of a three-year-old doesn't mean everyone else is as certifiably idiotic as you."

"I am not a certified idiot."

"Just an idiot, then. You hardly need the certification."

A contemplative pause. "So... Matt likes someone."

"That's what I heard." Light laughter and a quick bump of the shoulder. "Why are you so concerned?"

"Not concerned, just interested." A casual shrug. "Anyway. What's Mom cooking for dinner?"

-xx-

"Oi, Ishida."

"What?"

"I heard the news."

"Good for you. I'm not interested."

A snicker. "So... you like someone, huh?"

Slight hesitance. "Where'd you hear that from?"

"Off the grapevine." In a singsong voice, "Is it true?"

A longer pause. "Go away, Tai."

-xx-

"Matt's not talking to me."

An exasperated sigh. "Maybe there's a good reason for that."

"But Matt never ignores me. Well... he ignores me, but he doesn't ignore me, you know? I want to know why."

"You should ask him then."

"But Sora..."

A long-suffering sigh, but with a reluctant smile. "Whining to me won't miraculously solve your problems, you know."

A snicker. "Oh I know. I just like whining to you. You're like the big sister I never had."

"You think of me as your sister? That's... a little weird."

"Why is that weird?"

"Because I'm your girlfriend?"

A pregnant pause. "Oh. Right."

-xx-

"Why are you ignoring me?"

Feigned surprise. "Oh, hi Tai. I didn't see you there. Finally acknowledging my existence again?"

"When was I not talking to you? Last I remember, you weren't talking to me."

"I wasn't the one too busy chasing after everyone else."

"That's because I was asking them what was wrong with you!"

An incredulous pause. "And somehow you didn't think of just straight-up asking me?"

"I didn't think you'd tell me the truth. But I'm here now, aren't I?"

A very, very long and hard stare.

"Wow. I was wrong."

"Huh?"

"It is possible for you to be an even bigger idiot."

"Go fuck yourself, Ishida."

-xx-

"This is getting ridiculous."

"I'm glad you recognize it. Took you long enough."

"I think I'm giving up."

"What? Why?"

"Waiting for Tai to come around is like waiting for snow in the summer."

"Well... that technically did happen once, back when we were first sent to the DigiWorld. It didn't turn out so bad."

"Right, well, I'd hardly compare this to our near-death experiences."

"From the way you're acting right now, I wouldn't be surprised if you did."

"Fuck off, Izzy. Leave me alone. I really regret telling you any of this."

"I'd leave you alone if you'd just give me back my laptop! It's not like I want to listen to you pining after Tai, especially not when the solution is so clearly in front of you."

"I am not pining."

"Uh huh."

A pause. "What solution?"

-xx-

"We should talk."

"Uh… can we eat first and then talk? Did you see what they gave us for lunch today? I swear, if I faint at soccer practice later, I'm suing the school."

"No, we need to talk now."

A long skeptical look. "All right, then." A little warily, "Talk about what?"

Hesitance. "About... about me. And you."

"Wait, this isn't about that sweater I stole, is it?"

"What? When did you steal my-" An abrupt sigh. "Never mind. No, it's not about that."

"Oh okay good. Because I don't think I could give it back to you even if I wanted to." A nervous chuckle.

"I don't even want to know. Look-"

"So it's about Sora, then."

Completely bewildered. "What? Sora?"

"Yeah, Sora." Grim. "I see the way you look at us. I'll admit I'm pretty clueless, but even I can tell you're not happy when you see us." A resigned pause. "She's the one you like, isn't she? That's why you couldn't tell me?"

Highly incredulous. "You think I like Sora?"

"Don't you?"

"No, god no. Tai... I don't even know how to say this."

Greatly confused. "Say what? What's going on, Matt? Come on, it's me you're talking to. You can tell me anything."

"Okay… okay. I'll try." A deep breath, a deep exhalation, and then, "I... I like you, Tai."

A very pregnant pause. "You… you what?"

"I like you. That person you were asking about earlier? That person is you."

An even longer pause.

"M-Me?"

"Yes. You." A little exasperated. "And I don't mean like as in… friendly like. I mean…" Faint blush. "I mean I… like you as more than just a friend."

"Oh."

Silence.

More silence.

"Uh… Tai? It'd be really great if you said something right now."

"I... I think I really need to eat."

-xx-

"You're an idiot."

"No one asked you, Kari."

"You're still an idiot."

"You're still not shutting up."

-xx-

"I think I'm officially done with him."

"That was fast."

"Yes well, I'm cutting my losses."

"He's still avoiding you, huh?"

"Yep."

"Maybe you should give him some time. He's not the brightest bulb in the shed when it comes to things like emotions. You know that."

"More time? Patience has never been my virtue. Besides, it's not like I'm asking him to rescue me from Piedmon or something."

Wryly, "Somehow I think he'd be much better at that."

A resigned sigh. "Yeah, he would be."

-xx-

"You're giving up on me?"

"Yes, that's what I said."

A sudden burst of anger. "What do you mean you're giving up on me? You never even gave me a chance! Wait, no, not even. There was nothing to ever give up in the first place!"

"There we go then."

"So that's it? You're just going to drop this on me and then leave?"

"Looks like it."

"Well you're just a coward then."

"Takes one to know one."

-xx-

"I'm going to kill him."

"What are you going on about now? What did Matt do?"

"He's a coward, is what he is. A good-for-nothing son of a-"

"Tai! What on earth? Why are you so mad at him?"

"He told me he likes me! Likes me!" A flail of the arms. "What does that even mean?"

A look of shock, and then very quietly, "Matt said he likes you?"

"Yeah, but so what? I mean I like him, sure, but I also like you and Kari and Izzy and all our other friends. Why would he get all upset over this?" Incredibly furious. "And then he has the gall to tell me he's done with me?"

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh' is definitely the right word. Except it's more like a 'oh?!' with a billion question marks. Why can't he ever clarify… Sora? Sora?"

Hastily, "Sorry, but I have to go."

Bewildered. "What? Why?"

"I just do."

A loud slam of the door.

-xx-

"I will fucking end you."

"Tai, are you... drunk?"

"You shut up. You don't get to say anything to me." Wobbling a little. "I get to do all the talking now, you hear me?"

Slightly amused. "Okay."

"Why do you always have to do this? Why do you always have to be so goddamn cool and aloof and just so... so..." A wild gesture. "So frustrating?"

"I'm frustrating?"

"You don't get to come into my life and tell me you like me and then just leave like that. How can you even like me? What does that even mean?"

An amused but nonetheless tired sigh. "I think we should save this conversation for when you're a bit more coherent."

"No, we're doing this now. Now."

"Do you want to sit down first? You're kind of falling over right now."

"You don't like me. You can't like me. You fight with me all the time. You always think I'm an idiot. You're in a band for god's sake. A terribly-named band, but still... a band! You don't like me."

Very patiently, "Tai, it doesn't work like that."

"Yes it does." An affirmative and jerky nod. "You like pretty girls with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. You told me this before." Almost accusingly, "You told me so."

"Well, I never said I wasn't an idiot either."

A loud crash, a toppled chair, and then a muffled, "You're just making excuses now."

"I'm not. I am an idiot. I'm an idiot for not realizing this sooner. I like you. I don't know why I like you, because frankly, you're a pain in the ass and more trouble than you're worth. But I've spent a long time thinking about this over the past few weeks, and I can't seem to escape it." A deep sigh. "It is you, for better or for worse."

"But…"

"I know you don't believe me, or you find it hard to grasp. Either way, I've already resigned myself to knowing nothing's going to change. The past few weeks have been telling enough on their own."

A stupefied stare.

"I just wanted to tell you… if anything, for myself, so I can get it off my chest."

Incoherent mumble. "But now it's on my chest."

An endeared exhalation and a short breath of laughter. "Come on now, you undignified idiot. Up you get. Don't you dare pass out. I won't let you dirty my floor with your toxic saliva."

"I have lots of dignity."

"I'm sure."

"Matt?"

A grunt. "What?"

"You're my best friend, you know?"

"… I know."

"Good."

A brief pause.

"Uh… Matt?"

"What now?"

"I think I'm going to throw up."

-xx-

"So I heard you stayed over at Matt's place."

A grunt. "Yeah."

"How was it?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

A deliberate pause. "Okay. So um… Sora called."

"Sora? Oh… is she… um did she…"

"I told her you were at Matt's."

Quietly, "Oh."

Gently and patiently, "Still don't want to talk about it?"

Morose silence. "I don't know what to do, Kari. I don't understand any of this."

A gentle hand. "I think you actually do, Tai. You just don't want to acknowledge it."

-xx-

"Matt."

"Yes?"

"I… I thought it through this weekend."

A raised brow. "Okay."

Guiltily, "Matt, you know I can't..."

"I know."

Brief surprise. "Oh. Okay. But... I can um... I can try."

A confused pause. "Try?"

"Thing is, I've never thought about you in that way."

"Oh."

"But… but that doesn't mean I can't see you in that way."

"Oh?"

"I... I broke up with Sora. Well actually, she broke up with me."

"I see."

"I think she hates my guts now."

"Ah..."

"I think it's your fault."

"That's very mature of you."

"I think it's your job to comfort me now."

"… Tai?"

"I can't promise anything since all of this is very new to me and all. I suck at relationships, with or without you in them, but uh... I figured that out of any relationship I could possibly get into, I have the best shot at making this one work. With you."

"Why?"

"Because it's you." A hesitant shrug. "Because I think you're the only person other than my sister who understands me more than I understand myself. And well... I can't really imagine letting a day go by without insulting your perfect hair, so... this seems to make sense."

Dryly, "And here I thought I wasn't made for romance."

"You're not. But I don't think I am either."

"So we both suck?"

"Seems like it." A casual shrug, and then hopefully, "But hey... at least I'm here, right?"

Finally, a smile. "Right."

Author's Note: Annnd... DONE! Quick read, no? :) Hopefully there wasn't any confusion regarding who was whom, but feel free to drop me a note and I'll clarify! I'm also debating turning this into a full-fledged one-shot, but would like your opinion on that! Would you want to read more about this highly amusing albeit slightly confusing relationship, or do you think this stands well on its own?

As always, thanks for reading! Any and all thoughts are always appreciated!

xx KRS