Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ The Internship ❯ Chapter 3: Cough Drops & Car Rides ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3: Cough Drops & Car Rides

 

-:-

 

Carefully tucking away her lenses, reflectors, varying filters, and several changes of film into a large leather case; Hikari made certain that she hadn't forgotten any other of her rather expensive camera equipment. After checking about the tiny premises for what seemed to be the umpteenth time, for any forgotten belongings, the tiny brunette eagerly stepped out of the stuffy and still partially crowded room.

 

She released a sigh of pure delight as the cold night air kissed her warm, sweat-misted flesh. Having spent a good eight hours amongst gaggles of sweating, screaming fans; the eighteen-year-old wanted nothing more but to get home, take a nice bath and finally get some sleep.

 

She was barely down the long, gravel driveway of the Odaiba Senior Center when a loud, somewhat hoarse voice called for her attention.

 

“Kari!”

 

The girl in question quickly jerked about to see who was addressing her, contemplating on whether or not she had forgotten something in the building. Her face puckered with confusion, highly perplexed and thoroughly stunned to see that familiar head of golden-blonde making fast strides her way.

 

“Did I forget something?” Hikari questioned softly, cheeks reddening some due to her own forgetfulness…as well as something else.

 

Yamato chuckled lightly, taking a quick sip from his half-empty bottle of water before speaking.

 

“No, no. I just wanted to tell you I'd give you a ride home.” He answered in a raucous tone, wincing at the roughness of his voice.

 

Hikari shook her head at the offer, absently reaching into the back-pocket of her jeans and extracting a tiny circular piece of candy, wrapped in bright yellow wax paper.

 

“I'll be fine; it's only a twenty-minute walk or so.” The eighteen-year-old murmured with an appreciative smile, placing the cough drop into the palm of the blonde's larger hand.

 

The twenty-one-year-old felt his brow lift in surprise, giving a grateful grin of his own as he happily unwrapped the tiny confection, popping it into his mouth.

 

For some strange reason, still reeling from the after-effects of the concert as she liked to believe, Hikari felt herself eagerly watch with a critical eye as Yamato slowly ate away at the piece of candy. The lemon-flavored treat shifted languorously through his mouth, jaw moving ever so gently over the tiny food. His facial muscles slowly convolute with the motion, his temples rippling slightly.

 

“…well, since I hear no objections, I'm guessing that's a yes. Give me a moment to go load the rest of the equipment onto the van before we go. Just wait out here for me.” The blonde announced in a flourish, already more then half-way towards the building.

 

Hikari opened her mouth to say something, but quickly decided against it, shoulders slumping fro in defeat. While his kindness was touching, she couldn't help but to wonder if, just perhaps, Taichi had something to do with this.

 

Not that Yamato going forth on a good deed on his own was impossible; he was an all-around nice guy. It was just that…he seemed to be showing a bit more favor towards her then he usually did.

 

She frowned heavily at the thought, angry that her notoriously over-protective brother had called in for a chaperon. Having graduated second in her class (losing by two points to Ken Ichijouji), bestowed with the grandiose honor as salutatorian and achieving a partially-paid internship at Teen Vogue; Hikari Yagami felt herself more then aptly prepared for the real world.

 

She hadn't had a babysitter in well-over nine years and certainty didn't want one now. But the tugging aspect of a certain lead-singer of The Wolves attached to her side made the idea more than tempting.

 

The resounding toot of a car horn brought the girl out from her inner-musings, shimmering cerise red eyes blinking about herself curiously. Face warm, Hikari took several quick steps away from the driveway, permitting the rust-encrusted white van that she had been blocking to finally exit out.

 

Several other automobiles, varying in size and color, passed the tiny brunette until a familiar dark midnight blue '96 corvette slowly backed out, its polished surface gleaming under the moonlight. It came to an abrupt stop before the girl, the passenger-side door suddenly floating ajar.

 

“Sorry I took so long,” Yamato called apologetically from the driver's seat, pausing momentarily to clear the hoarse tone from his voice.

 

“Trunks was too busy sweet-talking some chick to help us.”

 

Hikari nodded, however remained silent as she wordlessly slipped into the black leather upholstered passenger seat. She was mindful of the black-leather haversack, heavy with costly camera gadgets, which was thrown loosely over her slight shoulders.

 

“You can place that in the back seat if you like.” The twenty-one-year-old informed to the younger girl, nudging his head backward towards the empty seats behind them as he set the car into gear.

 

“Thanks, but it'll keep fine here.” The brunette murmured quietly, the bag in question placed flat across her lap, her hands folded neatly atop it.

 

“Whatever floats your boat.” He muttered; a tired but malicious grin suddenly pulling his features and giving the dreadfully attractive male a deviously handsome look.

 

The engine purred contently under the sapphire-painted hood, the palm of Yamato's hand affectionately stroking the leather-enclosed surface of the stick shift rod. He shook his head, mumbling something incoherent under his breath.

 

Then, the blonde-haired guitarist suddenly stomped his foot down hard and forced the tiny arrow in the speedometer to propel from zero to seventy-five in a mere three seconds, flooring the gas.

 

In that instant, Hikari's tiny frame was jerked and painfully adhered to the leather backing of that dark midnight blue '96 corvette.

 

-:-

 

“So, you enjoy your first show?” Yamato questioned casually, pretty azure blue eyes focused dead straight on the empty road before them.

 

Hikari, who had been trying to regain the ability to breathe for the past five seconds, released a shaky sigh before straightening in her seat. She only slumped back a moment later, the back of her skull nestling into the cushioned-head rest of her seat.

 

“It was pretty fun, actually, a lot of fun.” She informed with a slight smile, eyes shut in her exhaustion.

 

“Just that…you rock stars. How do you manage so much energy throughout the entire night?”

 

Her eyes fluttered open but a moment later at the sudden guttural chuckle that erupted from the male at her side, casting him a puzzled stare. He continued to laugh to himself, almost bitterly, as he slowly began to increase their speed.

 

“I wouldn't call us rock stars yet, Kari.” He mumbled under his breath, the flaccid grip on the steering wheel growing considerably tighter.

 

“Not when you get paid fifty dollars a gig.”

 

At the rasping edge of his voice, Hikari quickly pulled out another cough drop from her jean pocket, handing it to the blonde. As Yamato roughly swiped the medicated candy from her hand, she felt her flesh tingle at the dreadfully brief contact.

 

“That seems like a lot for someone starting, Yamato.” She assured soon after, swallowing aside the sudden burn at the pit of her belly.

 

“Not when you split fifty with two other people.” He quipped just as fast, practically ripping the annoying yellow wrapper off the small confection and throwing it into his waiting mouth.

 

Hikari remained silent after that, unsure of what to say and finding herself entranced (yet again) as Yamato's facial muscles proceeded to ripple and contort with the angry, forceful motions he did with his jaw.

 

The brunette shook her head at that, ignoring the pleasant hum that had filled all her female senses. She didn't know why she was suddenly seeing Yamato in this way, in this painfully confusing, lust-driven way.

 

As far as she could recall Yamato Ishida had been the first male, aside from her father and brother of course, she had met. He practically lived at their house as a child; most of his days spent more often in the Yagami living room rather then his own, sleeping over days at a time.

 

Ironically enough, Hikari and Yamato never honestly talked to each other, mostly those kind smiles and waving situations, never seeming to go beyond that. The longest conversation between the two generally didn't concern their personal well-being, mostly asking the other about their brother's whereabouts and the such.

 

And now, here she was, practically fawning over a man who she barely knew; aside from minor facts such as that he was a guitarist, a real smooth talker and was ridiculously good-looking. There were some substantial tid-bits here and there, like that he happened to be her brother's closest confidant (even beyond Sora) and that he tended to feel alone a lot.

 

She couldn't really understand the last part, considering he had Taichi and Takeru. And their kind of love was enough to choke a hoarse.

 

Hikari was forced from her thoughts as she felt her surrounding bearings come to a sudden, unexpected stop. She blinked, confused, as she finally came to the conclusion that the car had been parked, outside at the foot of her apartment building.

 

They were home, so soon it seemed, the blaring chaos of the concert seeming so far away. She hadn't wanted to leave so soon.

 

“I'll give you a ride to and back from the next show.” Yamato suddenly informed from behind her, the sound of metal keys chiming together as he accidentally skimmed the wad of metal with his knee, shifting his seating.

 

The eighteen-year-old made a move to say other wise, as she always tended to do, turning around fully to give the blonde a scolding stare, that reminiscent of a mother.

 

But he refused to hear it, instead flashing one of his legendary heart-stopping smirks, the kind that could easily make Satan stop in mid-step and look; rethinking that whole evil-deal if only to have that smirk for eternity, the kind that made a girl want to swoon over herself and giggle manically. Or, the kind of smirk that caused all of eighteen-year-old Hikari Yagami's blood to rush to her face in a mere second.

 

“I will not have you say `no' Kari. Don't start complaining about inconveniences, you are literally on the way to the café and I'm more then sure your brother wouldn't appreciate you walking around at all hours of the night.”

 

The twenty-one-year-old clicked the tip of his delicate pink tongue between his teeth, smirk growing all-knowing, as if he had planned the entire ordeal.

 

He hadn't intended to flirt with Taichi's sister, little Kari, his kid brother's best friend and unspoken girlfriend. No, he didn't need that kind of stress in his life. But with her long, chestnut-brown tresses and wide blush-pink orbs that were her eyes; she was too cute not to toy with a little.

 

So he smiled a little more around her, talked a little more, flirted a little more…it didn't really mean anything. Nothing too personal, just…a game in a way; the opponent hits and the other strikes back. Volleying, back and forth, never-ending, trying to get the upper-hand, to see who could out-wit the other.

 

It all ended the same; his arrogant son-of-a-bitch smirk and her demure, coy smile.

 

Then he'd turn back to whatever he was doing. They were just playing around, just teasing, light banter, he was sure of it. He was sure of it.

 

He was sure of it.

 

“Well, I-I'll take up on your offer, but only if it isn't of any trouble!” Hikari managed to blurt, face a perfect scarlet as she slowly made her way out of the car, practically stumbling out from her seat.

 

Spilling out onto the concrete side-walk, the tiny brunette quickly gathered her heavy leather satchel, readjusting it atop her shoulders before clearing her throat. She appeared positively flustered beyond words.

 

And Yamato found it downright adorable.

 

“It's not any trouble, Kari.” The blonde assured softly, smiling, as he began to reset the stick into proper gear.

 

The eighteen-year-old gave a slight nod, murmuring her thanks for his services as she shut the door. She saw him begin to drive off, lingering for a moment, before turning her heel.

 

Barely two steps when she heard a familiar raspy voice call out from behind her.

 

“Sweet dreams, Kari!”

 

The auburn-haired girl blinked, stunned, as her fading blushing coming back in full-force. She took a daring glance at the departing vehicle, waiting for the glint of the sapphire-paint to fade into the night.

 

As it did, the eighteen-year-old fell back into motion, trudging tiredly to her apartment, pounding in the necessary coordinates to allow her access to the building. Somewhere between walking through the front doors and walking through her apartment door; she realized something.

 

She needed to buy more cough drops.

 

-:-

 

So, I took a while updating this. Just that my family had off this entire week and a half, so we chilled and went out a lot. Sorry! Bleh…I need to improve my updating skills.

 

Review! (or I'll maliciously hurt you! ^__^)