Words: 1442
Setting: post-series
Summary: Ikki finally comes home

Return

Ringo breathed a sigh of relief as the hot water made contact with her body. She tilted her head back as the soothing sensation put the academic side of her mind at ease. Truly, nothing was better than a nice, relaxing shower after a long day of studying to help digest all of the material that she crammed into memory.

The house was unusually quiet lately, which Ringo took to her advantage. Actually, it was Rika who pointed out that things have been very still and serene around the place ever since that troublemaking "brat" was gone, as she put it. Even with that rough comment, Ringo saw the light dim in her elder sister's eyes; it really wasn't the same without him around. More often than she would like to admit, Ringo found herself wondering about what he was doing, where he was spending his days, and what sort of mischief he was up to.

"Ikki…"

His name escaped her lips involuntarily, as she gazed at the water pooling beneath her feet. Ever since the battle with Sora, Ringo was dying to know what Ikki's next plan of action would be. She hoped to see him more often, not counting their time at school, but apparently he continued to spend his afternoons and evenings elsewhere. She sometimes wondered if there was another girl he was seeing—hopefully not Simca—only to cause a pang of jealously to jolt through her chest.

Shaking her head, Ringo tried to pull herself together; this wasn't the time to get caught up in hypotheticals. Deciding to make herself productive, Ringo turned off the water and stepped out onto the bath rug. Grabbing a large, white towel, she wrapped it snuggly around her petite frame as the drops of water still on her body dampened the fabric. As she slid the bathroom door open, Ringo absentmindedly stretched out her arms before her to get the blood flowing, although that wasn't the only thing she accomplished.

A loud yelp, and the sensation of her arm connecting with something soft caused her to freeze in her tracks. Ringo immediately realized that she probably just bashed one of her sisters in the face, and if it was Mikan, she was in for one hell of a lecture. "I'm sor—"

"Holy shit! That hurt!"

The sound of a male voice immediately caused Ringo to grimace as she assumed the worst. Wait, a male voice? Were they expecting guests tonight? No, hold on; she knew that voice. In fact, it was the one voice she would probably never be able to forget. The dots connected in her head as she snapped out of her momentary shock.

Darting her head to the right, her eyes landed on the subject of her thoughts. "Ikki…" she breathed, staring wide-eyed at her childhood friend who stood before her.

"Yeah, you got that right," Ikki confirmed with a nasally grumble, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He was wearing his usual Kogarasumaru attire, just like he did the day he decided to leave her home and set out on his journey.

Ringo was still in a state of disbelief. "W-What are you doing here this late?"

The Sky King gave her a confused look that suggested the answer should be obvious. Pointing with his thumb to the large backpack he was carrying, Ikki spoke the words her subconscious was longing to hear. "What does it look like? I'm moving back in with you guys."

The smile that formed on Ringo's lips could light up even the darkest of nights. "R-Really?"

"Really," Ikki confirmed with his trademark grin, although that expression turned to more of an embarrassed one in the next moment. Diverting his eyes elsewhere, he spoke somewhat timidly. "Uh, Ringo, your, umm, towel…"

"Huh?" It didn't click until Ringo realized the white towel she had draped herself in was dangerously close to sliding completely off her body. It also registered with her that she just held an entire conversation with Ikki, a teenaged boy, while showing more skin than she would have liked. Feeling her face catch fire, Ringo's mind went on autopilot as she clasped her arms around herself. "D-d-don't look!" she yelled in a panic.

"I-I'm not!" Ikki raised his voice nervously, putting his hands up in front of him as he continued to stare off into the opposite end of the hallway.

Ringo did an about-face and proceeded to sprint down the hallway at a speed she couldn't imagine. Slamming the door shut as she escaped into the relative safety of her room, she leaned against the wall as the last few minutes sunk into reality. Her heart was beating out of her chest, as a moment of elation radiated throughout her body. It wasn't a dream; Ikki was here, and he actually said he was moving back in! A million thoughts raced through her mind as she tried to organize herself enough to think rationally. Though, out of the flurry of incomprehensible emotions, one simple feeling was paramount: she wanted to see him.

Deciding to do things properly this time, Ringo dried herself as best as she could, and tossed on a loose-fitting T-shirt and gym shorts. Tidying her hair to bring it under control, she gingerly padded out into the hallway. With one more deep breath, she tentatively knocked on the door to Ikki's old room.

"It's open!"

Sliding the door to the side upon hearing his response, she awkwardly stared into the formerly unoccupied space. Ikki had already started to unpack, placing his various personal items back to where they originally were located. His usual pair of ATs was sitting on his desk, and he apparently must have picked up some new posters, judging by the fresh decorations he taped on the walls.

"Are you gonna come in or are you gonna just stand there and watch me?" Ikki laughed, as Ringo started to fidget with the hem of her shirt. He casually sat down on his bed, still observing his friend's jittery behavior.

Ringo walked inside, closing the door behind her. "Sorry about earlier," she mumbled, curling her toes in embarrassment. Receiving a confused stare, she pointed to the slowly subsiding injury to his nose. "For hitting you, I mean."

"Oh, that?" Ikki grinned once more, standing up as he looked into the nearby mirror that hung from the opposite wall. "It's alright, I barely feel it anyway."

"What made you come back?" Ringo blurted out, her eyes widening as she realized her question might have sounded accusatory. The last thing she wanted was for Ikki to feel like he didn't belong here.

Much to her relief, though, his response started with another one of those isn't-it-obvious looks. "I promised you I would come back once I finished what I wanted to do, remember?"

Ringo mentally slapped herself, recalling the words he spoke to her that day. Although, having said that, she felt that the white elephant in the room needed to be addressed. "You're okay with coming back, even though, you know, everyone here is still part of Sleeping Forest?"

She heard a sigh escape his lips, as Ikki's footsteps drew closer to her. The next thing she knew, Ikki had placed a hand on her cheek, lifting her face up so their eyes met. Ringo recognized the serious expression he wore.

"You should know by now that Sleeping Forest, Genesis, all of that stuff," he spoke in a warm tone, bereft of uncertainty, "none of it makes a difference. This is where I belong, right next to you, Ume, Rika, and that loud gorilla. Even if you are the Thorn Queen, you're still Ringo to me. The same one I grew up with, and the same one I spent my entire life with."

Tears welled up in Ringo's eyes, as the emotions that were long bottled in the pit of her heart started to surface; he was here—finally here—and he wasn't going anywhere. That irreplaceable part of her life that was abruptly removed all those months ago had, at long last, been returned to its rightful place.

"Ringo?" he muttered with a slight tilt of his head, unsure of the reaction his words caused.

Overcome with an urge she couldn't suppress any longer, Ringo swung her arms securely around Ikki's body, burying her face in his chest. "I missed you, you idiot," she mumbled, relishing the feeling of his toned body.

With an understanding hum, Ikki reciprocated, holding his lifelong friend tightly in his arms. "I'm home," he whispered, placing his chin on top of her head.

"Welcome back," Ringo mumbled, resting safely in his wings once again.