A/N: Written for the Advent Calendar Challenge, Day 13 – write about a friendship.


How to Play a Leomon Card

Ruki goes on teaching Juri how to play the Digimon card game, because that is what Juri asks her to do. And when she finds the Leomon card left under her pillow one afternoon, she keeps it safely because she knows that's what Juri wants too. Though Juri never says it, and Ruki never asks. Leomon's card simply sleeps in the jewellery case Ruki's mother brought once upon a time for precious things.

Ruki's mother had never said the things Ruki puts in there have to be precious to her.

And so the days go by. Juri's almost how she used to be now, though Ruki can't take much credit for that. It's more Takato and her family. All she did was continue teaching Juri when Juri asked. And the card. But, in a way, Juri had asked for that as well. Just not with words.

And, one day, when Juri, hesitantly, asks if Ruki still has the card, Ruki smiles and opens the jewellery box and gives Leomon back to her. She knows why Juri wants it – just like she knows why Juri had left the card under her pillow where the intent could not have been mistaken for anything else. Only precious things went under pillows. Things no-one wanted to forget. To lose.

Ruki imagines Leomon's card will be under Juri's pillow that night. It certainly doesn't go back into Juri's deck – and Ruki knows that deck back to front and any changes to it. Because she taught Juri how to play and she's still teaching her.

Though, in truth, a card game doesn't take that long to learn. Ruki knows it, and Juri knows it too.

It might not be much, but it's their excuse to meet up, chat, play…and smile together.