As His Heart Hopes...

The Final Three (I)

Ephram, please...I'm sorry...Please don't ghost me.

T.K. glances at the last text he had sent Ephram once again, trying not to break his own heart when he realizes that Ephram had left him on read. T.K. tried to think of any way he could make this better. 

Hoped there was some way to mend this...

He's interrupted by Tai, who playfully rustled the hat on T.K.'s head, as he came over to check-in. Tai glances at the phone briefly, but T.K. shut off the screen before the older boy could see the messages to Ephram. 

"Trouble in paradise, little man?" Tai asked with a softness in his voice that betrayed his teasing choice of words. "Do you...want to talk about it?"

And despite wanting to bottle up his emotions, T.K. took one look at Tai's sincere face and felt his walls crumble. He just couldn't go through this alone. "You could say that...yeah."

"What happened?" Tai asked, sitting down on the soccer field in front of T.K. 

While the group was prepping a trip to the digital world, T.K. walked outside to get some air. Tai must have noticed and followed after him. And now the leader of their group--and Matt's frenemy--was sitting crossed-legged in front of him waiting for T.K. to open up.

"I was a mess after the reset and...I'm pretty sure I ruined the best relationship of my life... Literally, I just broke down, Tai...I stupidly said that I wasn't able to trust...this person. And now I'm left on read." T.K. chooses his words carefully as he started to open up to Tai.

Tai nodded along sagely as T.K. told him what's been happening in his life, and T.K. wondered if Tai didn't notice his word choice, or didn't care. He didn't know much in regards to how Tai felt about people who were like him--gay people--but T.K. wasn't able to dwell on it as Tai responded. "What made you say that you couldn't trust them?"

"Don't get me wrong...It wasn't anything they did... it's just..." T.K. chewed on his cheek as he struggled to find the right words to say. A moment of silence filled the air as T.K. struggled.

 "Listen, T.K., if that Meyer kid isn't not trustworthy...what was stopping you from trusting him?" Tai asked, never breaking eye contact.

"Wait...What?" T.K. looked at Tai incredulously, and it took a moment for realization to dawn on Tai. He blushed a little and looked away, so T.K. pushed further. "You know about...him? About Ephram...? And me..?"

Tai sighed and looked back at T.K., "I do. But don't get mad at anyone for telling me. No one did...I just kind of overheard Mimi talking to Kari about you and this guy..."

"Oh..." T.K.'s face fell as he started to worry. "Did you...tell Matt then?"

"Uh, no way!" Tai looked at T.K. like he ways crazy for assuming such a thing before continuing. "It wasn't my secret to tell...And I'm the last person who would talk to Matt about something so....personal."

T.K.'s fear melted away and he couldn't help but laugh. Tai looked puzzled at this, but T.K. just felt light. "You're right...I should've known you wouldn't tell him. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

Tai lightly punched T.K. in the arm and laid back onto the grass of the soccer field. T.K. laid next to him thinking their conversation was over, but then Tai spoke again. "Don't worry about it...We've been pretty preoccupied lately. But, tell me, what caused this fight with your boyfriend?"

T.K. laughed softly again as Tai said boyfriend in a sing-song voice. His shoulders relaxed and he felt oddly comfortable opening up to Tai about Ephram. "Well...Don't hate me...but I almost told him about our Digimon. Like our partners, our adventures past and present; I almost told Ephram everything..."

Tai tuts in soft understanding as he looks up at the sky, giving T.K. a small ounce of privacy. He takes a minute thinking over his response and then speaks, "Honestly...I don't know if telling him would've been such a horrible thing..."

T.K. looked at Tai confused, "What do you mean?"

Tai closed his eyes and continued speaking into the sky, "People we care about already know right?"

"Yeah..." T.K. nods along still unsure what Tai is getting at. 

"So...what's one more? If you really think that he can be trusted...if you really think that your connection could be...permanent, then why not tell him? Seeing how he would react would be...illuminating, I'm sure. It'd probably tell you all you need to know about this Ephram kid." After T.K. didn't respond, Tai opened one eye and turn to look at him. "Does that make sense? Or does it make me sound crazy?"

T.K. shook his head, finally finding his words. "Wow...when did you get so wise?"

Tai laughed and shut his eye again, turning his face toward the sky once more. "How dare you...I've always been this wise! Just ask Matt! He's my number one supporter."

After trying to contain themselves, both boys burst into laughter at Tai's joke. And even though Patamon wasn't here, and Ephram wasn't here, Tai was. And T.K. was strangely comfortable with that for the moment. He just hoped everything else would fall into place soon.