I'll admit; for a while, I was not much of a Tamersfan. Chalk it up to nostalgia for the original digidestined, or dissatisfaction at how they ended season two. Whatever the reason, it took some time to get me into the fandom.
At the time of writing this, I was just starting to adjust. The characters drew me in more than anything else, particularly in the department of potential 'shippings. Finally, I started checking out some fanfictions once I became used to the show…and was shocked. Rukiand Takato? Now granted, I'm queen of random couplings and all that, but when people try to pass them off as cannon, that's when I lose it. I was also surprised at the lack of in-character Ruki and Jenrya fics, despite them having the most evidence to this point.
So of course, me being me, I had to do something about that. Enjoy my Valentine's Day plotbunny.
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DEDICATION: Moonfairy2000, my newest IM chatting buddy, and
fellow Ruklee/Tajuri fan…'hope you like!
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DISCLAIMER:Me no own Digimon, or 02 would have had a MUCH more satisfying ending.
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It was sometimes around mid-afternoon when Ruki finally returned home, thoroughly exhausted from the latest Digimon battle. These days, the enemies seemed to be growing stronger and stronger, leaving the Tamers weary and all but completely drained of energy.
In the back of her mind, Ruki recalled the (rather unwelcome) fact that she and Renamon may long since have been defeated in such battles without the help of her…well… She couldn't really call them her friends. Allies, maybe, but not friends. Not yet.
She sighed when the adjacent window revealed her mother, apparently caught in another of what could only be described as one of her "fashion fantasies": ideas for her next public appearance. Whenever that happened, Ruki somehow managed to be dragged right into the middle of it, especially around multi-national holiday displays. She was too exhausted at that point to remember exactly whatholiday it was this time…but whatever it was, it apparently involved pink.
Lots of pink. And dresses.
That was something she simply didn't wish to deal with at the moment. Deciding, for once, to not barge in the front door, the young redhead surprised herself by instead walking around the back of her grandmother's simple yet beautiful home.
The tiny pond and gazebo soon came into view. Mesmerized by the gentle flow of water, she headed unsteadily towards the wooden structure, never even noticing as her digivice unclipped itself from her belt, caught on a stray bush twig, and silently dropped onto the plush grass. Once there, she nearly collapsed on the first step.
It briefly dawned on her that battles should make her quite this tired. Sure, there were times when she was almost to weary to walk. But now, it was like she could barely even think straight. A tiny voice rang in the back of her head, that of her grandmother, reminding her of one of the elderly woman's many failed attempts to her the stubborn tomboy to open up:
"You just cant keep everything to yourself, Ruki, or your emotions will drain you. You're not alone in this world, you know."
Emotions?
Watching her reflection in the mirrored surface of the water, Ruki pondered the idea. If emotions were draining, she must be running on high. But from what? Even she couldn't figure it out. She had such a strong urge to let it go and sleep, leave it for later when her brain was functioning more properly. Slowly, she laid down on the wooden plank of the gazebo steps, never taking her eyes off the natural looking glass in front of her. Her eyes slowly drooped as flashes of the latest Digi-battle suddenly came flooding back to her, replaying in her mind like a movie screen buried deep in her subconscious:
The Digimon, some mutilated cross between a spider, horse, and hog, towering a good fifty feet over them…
Takato stood firm to protect Juri, who had unwillingly gotten caught in the crossfire…
The Digimon…all three, simultaneously…digivolving to Champion levels…
And there was Jenrya, standing firm and as in control as possible, shouting at the Digimon to pull back, regroup…
Within moments, Ruki was fast asleep, lying peacefully on the gazebo step. Her hands were tucked underneath her head, her hair slowly loosening itself from the ponytail above her head, and a gentle smile—something one would never see her do when conscious—adorned her face.
Several hours later, Ruki awoke, surprised to find herself in her own bedroom. Through the window she could see the first signs of dusk beginning to show in the otherwise crystal-blue sky.
I must've fallen asleep outside. Grandma probably brought me in, she figured, then thought no more of the subject. The very next realization to her was that the ponytail atop her head had been let loose, with a few strands falling in her eyes. Subconsciously pushing them away, she leaned over for her brush and hair tie
It never dawned on Ruki how something as simple as gently brushing her hair was so out-of-character for her; normally, she would just barely run the brush through before pulling it all back in her typical style, but she was so lost in thought that for several moments, she continued the stroking processes, however, interrupted only by the appearance of her partner.
"Renamon," her voice cracking slightly from just haven woken up. The digimon's appearance in itself was nothing shocking; she often would appear out of thin air when desired. What was so different was the slight frown on her furry face, pointed directly at the young tamer.
Renamon tossed a small, yellow object, which Ruki caught one-handed. "You forgot this."
Ruki looked down, surprised to find it was her Digivice. B-but…oh, I get it. I must've dropped it in the back somewhere. Looking upward, she muttered a 'thank you' to the tall digimon.
"Ruki, are you becoming bored with being my Tamer?" The question caught the red-haired girl by surprise, her eyes opening wide.
"Of course not! I was just exhausted from the battle, and accidentally dropped it in the backyard. Why would you think—"
"That's not it," Renamon interrupted, "At least, not entirely."
"Then what?"
Renamon didn't answer for a good while. She slowly walked over to the nearest wall and leaned up against it, folding her arms. As she closed her eyes and looked downward, she finally asked, "Why do you let him order me around?"
Ruki was taken aback. "Who?"
"That boy, Lee. Never before have I been instructed what to do aside from you. But lately, I've been taking instructions from him nearly as much." She opened her eyes and looked directly at her Tamer. "Why, Ruki? Why do you allow him to do so?"
Ruki remained silent for a moment, all the while staring the floor down as if it could give her the answer she needed. To be quite honest, she wasn't sure why she allowed Jenrya to take charge. For so long, Ruki had been the one in control, the one giving orders. What had changed?
"Kyubimon!" she called out, watching her companion fall once more from an attack. Growlmon and Gargomon soon followed. This was almost too much for her to take. The digimon were being pelted with blow after blow, barely fazing the enemy in return.
Frustrated, Ruki grabbed one of her many cards and prepared to swipe it. She would have, too, had a hand not grabbed her arm just then.
"Ruki, no." Ceasing her struggling, she looked back and into the sincere eyes of Jenrya. He looked straight at her, as serious as she'd ever seen him. "Our digimon are at Champion level, and they can barely even touch him. We need to pull back, regroup."
Even if she had something to say, Ruki wouldn't have been able to speak at the moment. At that moment, she saw Renamon appear, having devolved from the latest attack, before turning back to Jenrya. Cautiously, she nodded once, telling him she understood.
"Gargomon! Renamon! Fall back!" He called out, letting go of Ruki's arm. She vaguely heard Takato calling out to Growlmon to do the same, but for some reason her voice wouldn't work. Her heart was pounding like crazy; most likely, from the heat of battle…but it had never pounded quite so hard or so fast before.
Ruki still hadn't answered, and Renamon could tell her mind was elsewhere at the moment. Her eyes were glossed over: a look Renamon had seen on few humans before. Despite the peaceful (if distant) expression on her face, Renamon was impatiently waiting for a reply. "Ruki?"
"Hmm?" Ruki half-heartedly responded, picking her head up. As soon as she met eyes with Renamon, the present situation came back to her, and she abruptly turned around, her back now to her digimon. To get her mind off things, she continued brushing her hair.
"You haven't answered my question yet, Ruki. Why?"
Pausing for a moment, Ruki replied, not bothering to turn around. "Because I trust him."
Renamon said no more for a good while. She simply watched her Tamer from behind. Noticing for the first time what Ruki was doing, though the action itself seemed insignificant, the yellow Digimon couldn't help but notice just how much Ruki had changed since joining with her fellow Tamers. Rarely was she so cold anymore…and Renamon had occasionally even seen hints of a smile on her face when she talked with…
A thought came to Renamon, who was surprised in both it's nature AND sudden appearance in her mind. Questioningly, Renamon temporarily vanished, reappearing directly in front of the girl. "Why do you trust him so much?"
Ruki gave no answer, choosing to remain silent. She didn't even look at Renamon, focusing her sight on the small, black brush in her hand. Renamon, receiving the silent answer she had expected, smiled faintly, her eyes wide with amusement. "Ruki!"
Before Ruki even had a chance to reply, a voice from outside the door startled them both. "Oh, Ruki, dear! Can I come in for a moment? I've got something just gorgeous to show you!"
Renamon had just barely disappeared when Ruki's mother came barging through the door without a single word from her daughter. In her hands, she held a piece of red cloth. Ruki visible frowned when she saw the ruffles and shape, easily identifying it to be a dress.
"I was shopping for brand new gowns for the party tonight, and I came across the most lovely outfit for you. I know you don't like pink…why, I still can't figure out, since it would suit you so lovely…so I picked something out in red!" As she spoke, she unfolded the clothing to show her daughter.
All things aside (including the fact that it was a—she shuddered at the thought—dress), Ruki had to admit that it was the closest thing she would come to wearing that her mother had everpicked out. The design was extremely simple: it appeared to come down to just above the ankles, straight from the waist (which appeared to be the only part with ruffles), and came up to a wide-shoulder neckline with no sleeves. On the right shoulder, there stood a small, white heart shape, but no other decorations. For a moment, Ruki almost considered going along with her mother's game of dress-up.
But then, she heard the rules:
"Oh, Ruki, you're going to look so lovely—what am I saying; of course you are, you are my daughter! There's supposed to be another agent there tonight, and when he sees mother AND daughter together, there's no way he could possible turn us down!" That was the final straw. At those words, Ruki's half-smile turned to a deep frown as she wordlessly got up and marched out of the room. "Ruki, honey, where are you going?" her mother called out, surprised by the sudden change in tone of her daughter.
She had seemed to like the dress…well, she didn't grab it and toss it into the garbage. That was supposed to be a good sign, right? She never got any answer other than faintly hearing Ruki shout something about going out for a little while.
Sighing, she spoke to no one in particular. "What am I going to do with her?"
Ruki found herself somewhere in the park just as the first stars were appearing in the night sky. A slight gust of wind reminded her that she had yet to re-fix her hair. She had been too distracted, first from Renamon's accusation and then from her mother's never-ending mission to get her into a dress. Groaning softly, she shook her head for a moment, finally allowing the crimson locks to waft as they pleased.
Having nothing better to do for the moment, Ruki slowly walked along the pathway, taking notice into her surroundings. She had long since figured out that it was Valentine's Day, explaining the pink, red, hearts, dress, and party. She meant to snort in disgust, but it ended up coming out as a heavy sigh. If anything, she detested the holiday more than any other. More than the annual Cherry Blossom Festival…more than el cinco de mayo…it was supposed to be an American holiday of love, romance, and relationships, all of which she had none. In her eyes, the holiday was…
"Ruki?" her musings had gone so deep, she failed to notice a figure walking up behind her. She turned abruptly around to face the speaker. "What are you doing here?"
She visible relaxed in seeing that it was only Jenrya, then put up her barrier once more. "Escaping from yet another one of my mother's evil schemes."
He motioned towards her loosely flowing hair. "Apparently in a hurry. Lemme guess…another dress?"
"Yeah," she looked at him strangely, "how did you know?"
Jenrya shrugged, drawing to Ruki's attention that Terriermon wasn't there like he usually was. "I remembered last time we ran into each other, you were arguing with her over the phone about the lack of dresses in your purchases. You remember; that was the day you grandmother freaked out when I answered your phone later on, thinking I was…what was it, a kidnapper?"
Ruki managed a small giggle at that before catching herself. Jenrya gave another one of his satisfied smiles, one that appears every single time he manages to break through her tough outer shell.
"Ruki! So you do have a heart!"
Recalling that blush-inducing statement he had said to tease her one time, she and Jenrya soon fell into step with one another. For some reason, Ruki felt more relaxed at that moment than she had all day. "Where's that dog-rabbit of yours?" She finally broke the silence.
Jenrya simply shrugged. "He said something about keeping Guilomon company until Takato got home. I don't even wanna thin kabout the trouble they're most likely getting into…but something tells me it involves peanut butter." Ruki smiled faintly at this, before something else he said caught her attention.
"Where did goggle-head go, anyways?"
Jenrya stopped walking, causing Ruki to stop, too. Turning to face her, he said with a grin, "Where else would he be on Valentine's day? With Juri, of course."
Ruki opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. "Actually…that does make sense." She said finally, before turning back to face the pathway. Jenrya noticed the sudden mood change, and looked on with a worried gaze.
Of course, wouldn't you figure even goggle-head has someone on Valentine's Day?
Her grandmother's voice played in her mind again: "You're not alone in this world, you know."
Not alone, huh? What does she know…
"What's wrong?" Jenrya asked, falling back into step beside her. Ruki neither looked at him nor responded, her hair blocking the view of her face. After a minute of silence, Jenrya reached for her arm.
The feel of him holding her back sent chills down her spine she couldn't explain. Ruki turned to look back, giving him a glare that hadn't been seen on her face since the first time she met her fellow Tamers. Then, he may have been frightened off, but this time he stood firm. It wasn't long before Ruki broke her gaze, turning away. Jenrya still held tight to her arm, as he did in the battle.
" I hate Valentine's Day. It's pointless. I have no family…no real family, just a fashion-obsessed mother and missing father…no friends, no one. What's the point? Now, are you going to let me go, or do I have to break that arm of yours?" Her heart was racing, for reasons she still couldn't understand.
Jenrya did let go of her arm, but still Ruki did not move. She stood there, staring at the ground. In the next instant, she vaguely felt the touch of someone pushing random strands of her hair back behind her ear. "You know, you should wear your hair down more often. It looks…nice…." She turned to face him, looking upward to meet his eyes.
They had never been close enough before for her to tell, but Ruki realized for the first time that he towered over her a good two inches, at least. His navy colored hair reflected the light from the rising room, but his eyes shone even more. She became consciously aware of just how close they were standing…
Slowly, with extreme caution, Jenrya leaned downward and met his lips with hers. Her head swam at the contact, and even with thoughts running through her head a mile a minute, she kissed him back. The touch was extremely gentle, filled with purity and innocence, yet left her silently pleading for more. The feelings flowing through her veins at that very moment were nearly indescribable; she was almost sure he could hear the pounding inside her chest.
Only the need for air pulled them apart in the end, both of them breathing heavily from lack of such. Ruki opened her eyes just as he gently placed his forehead against hers.
"You do have someone, and don't you forget it…Miss Digimon Queen." He pulled back, sliding his hand down her arm until their fingers touched before finally letting go. "Happy Valentine's Day, Ruki." He turned and walked away, hesitating in the slightest. Ruki was left standing in the middle of the sidewalk, staring after him.
"You just can't keep everything to yourself, Ruki, or you're emotions will drain you."
" You're not alone in this world, you know."
"…because I trust him."
"You do have someone, and don't you forget it…"
In her eyes, the holiday was…confusing. And never in her life had Ruki been so confused and so sure at the same time.
"Happy Valentine's day, Jenrya."