a) first Digimon fic

b) naturally, it has to be Ryou and Ruki, who are my OTP in Digimon Tamers.

c) English isn't my first language plus I don't have a beta yet, so I'd be happy if someone'd point out any mistakes C:

d) bells-mannequin doesn't own Digimon. Someone else does (who, I dunno. Nor care xD)

xyz) now, have fun :D


snowcold, heartwarm


Rukia should've known that she could not escape it, from the beginning. It was clear.

Actually it wasn't that difficult to accept the defeat, that she had learnt in the last few years, on the hard way. With only short visits from Renamon, with the her grandmother's vigilant eyes on her. She understood that sometimes losing was necessary to win afterwards. There were people like Jenrya; like Juri. People who showed it to her everyday. Who always won, too.

There were, however, cases—sometimes, not very often, and then there was no other choice but to lose.

Ruki hoped that this time it wasn't the case.

Sometimes Ruki wondered whether she was really so much stupider than the others—or whether it wasn't maybe that bad to have someone in the group who was hard-headed enough to sit two full days in front of Yamaki's front door before she was let in, just to get permission to visit the Digital World, for a few measly hours. Ruki tried to persuade herself that it was good but in the end she knew how the others only sat down next to her on that day because they didn't want her to be alone, because they knew her and her stubbornness and because they were way too nice and, somewhere on the road, that would be their death.

First Takato, of course, sat down. An instant later Juri and with a chastising sigh Jenrya as well. Lumbering and stomping Hirokazu and Kenta followed, naturally.

And of course there had to be a bloody mail from this bloody idiot who nothing but butted in her life and it just wasn't his business, goddammit.

But that wasn't the real problem, was it?

Ruki didn't quite know where to put all her musing and pondering anyway. Before, as Digmonqueen, her thoughts were all neat files and straight lines, nothing that was really irritating, nothing unplanned.

Now, in the meantime, Ruki knew what to do even if she couldn't figure the scenario out, sometimes even enjoyed—with a scowl, nonetheless—the utter madness in her life.

But in this case Akiyama Ryou really did catch her on the hop.

.

.

"Okay, Heroboy," Rukia said slowly.

He grinned in response.

"You owe me exactly three answers." She stared at him, and he would've vanished into thin air with the cold wish of murder in her eyes if he wasn't Akyama Ryou and used to it and completely stupid.

She nearly cringed as she saw how his grin only broadened. He'd never let her make him insecure.

He was so dead.

"First question. Why for the Digigods' sake did you kiss me?" She touched her mouth almost unconsciously. "Second question. Is that your sense for romance or do you actually have a rational reason for getting me me duped and soaking wet and freezing by those brats before kissing me?" She took a deep breath. "Third question. Do you have nothing better to do with that money of yours than to pay innocent brats?"

Ryou's grin got lost in a smile. He looked adorably stupid, with that expression of utter affection on his face.

"First answer. Because I'm in love with you. Second answer. Because you are real sexy when you're angry and freezing and wet. Third answer. No."

The coldness in her eyes melted away. She smiled.

She really couldn't help it that her fist full of emotions coincidentally met his face, could she?

.

.

Sometimes it wasn't that bad to lose.

Really, Akiyama was the best example for that.

.

.

("You know what, Wildcat? Now I've really, really fallen for you."

"Don't give me a reason to punch you again, moron.")


Reviews'd be lovely :D