Kindred Pairs
by milesprower06
Takato stood in the bakery's personal kitchen, snapping the lid closed on the plastic container he currently held, before Guilmon's snout or tongue got any closer.
"Boy, you've had five taste tests. I think I've got the hang of it." Takato told his partner, as he added the container to two identical ones already sealed on the counter, bringing the stack to three. "Besides, if you keep eating, and you won't have room for everything else the others are bringing."
Guilmon's ears drooped momentarily in disappointment, as his stomach protested. Takato patted his head, bringing his mood right back up.
"When we get there you can eat to your heart's content, I promise. The less leftovers everyone has to take back home, the better."
With his contribution safely sealed away from Guilmon's nose and mouth, he picked up all three, and the pair made their way out to the front.
"Alright, mom. I'm headed out. Be back in a few." He told his mom, currently at the register.
"Alright, have a good time. Say hi to everyone for us, and let me know what they think!" She replied.
Takato and Guilmon were lucky to catch most of the lights green on their brisk walk towards the park; he didn't dare go any faster and risk losing the plastic containers and their very special contents.
"You think everyone will like your surprise, Takatomon?" Guilmon asked, having gotten his appetite under control for the time being.
"Oh I know they will, boy. Well, most of them will. I'm... Honestly not sure what Rika'll think." Takato admitted, thinking back to his Tamers flag that he had made. She had brushed it off, and thanked Guilmon when he had accidentally snapped it in half. It hadn't phased him too much, he had quickly expanded it before their trip to the digital world.
Fifteen minutes later, they had arrived at Shinjuku Park, and had no trouble spotting the group that had set up a picnic scene in the center of the clearing, and it looked like Takato and Guilmon had been the last to arrive.
"About time you got here, Chumley!" Kazu called, as several of the others waved to him.
"Sorry I'm late. We would have been here sooner, but somebody did a little too much taste testing, and I had to do an extra batch." Takato said, nudging Guilmon with his elbow as they came up to the large picnic blanket that the others had gathered around. Even Ai, Mako, and Impmon were here, with their mother sitting some distance away on a bench, keeping herself occupied with a good book.
And what a spread everyone had created together. Easily the biggest he had seen outside of a class field camping trip.
Henry had decided on edamame, freshly steamed and salted soybean pods still on the stem. For her part, Suzie, with her brother's help, brought sliced watermelon, a perfect counter to this warm summer day. Ai, Mako, and Impmon had been dropped them with a tin of freshly fried kara-age chicken, complete with mayonaise for dipping. Jeri had come with korokke, potato croquettes that were shaped into patties, breaded with panko crumbs, and deep fried. Kazu brought morokyu, or cucumbers with miso. Kenta had brought more than enough Onigiri rice balls to go around, filled with salmon and tuna salad. Rika had arrived with the refreshments; four jugs of iced mugicha tea, and with Renamon's help, a plastic bento tray and tumbler for each of the picnic's participants.
"So what have you got there, Gogglehead?" Rika asked as Takato took his seat next to Henry.
"Yeah you never did tell us what you were bringing." Henry added.
"Well, I kinda wanted it to be a surprise, but I suppose there is no rule that we have to eat any of this in any specific order, so..." Takato paused, taking the time to un-stack each container, then quickly pulled the lids off of each one.
"Surprise!"
Inside the three containers, were freshly baked cookies, all with icing, and all in different shapes. First, there were sugar cookies in the shape of Renamon's head. Then white and green tornado-shaped cookies with Terriermon's face. Guardromon-shaped gingerbread cookies. Chocolate cookies cut like Impmon's head, complete with the red icing for his scarf. MarineAngemon butter cookies. Lopmon had her likeness in chocolate cookie as well. Lastly, Calumon sugar cookies stacked in the middle of the third container.
"My parents are looking forward to hearing what you think, because if you like, they want to add these designs to our dessert section." The goggle-clad boy told everyone, trying to gauge their reactions.
Ai, Mako, and Suzie were the first ones to immediately cheer affirmatively. Henry immediately went along with it after tasting, as did Jeri, Kenta, and Kazu. Rika, after a short critique on the accuracy of Renamon's expression, which was immediately followed by exasperated chastising from her digimon in question, then also agreed. With that, the iced tea was poured, and the bento trays were passed out to Tamers and digimon alike.
It looked like half of the picnic blanket's contents were gone in everyone's first serving, and it was looking like they weren't going to have to worry about a whole lot of leftovers to take home, especially with their partners around.
"A toast," Henry began, raising his glass of iced tea. "To having everyone back together again. To everything we've been through, and to the adventures yet to come."
Henry's glass was joined by others, with only a little tea spilling on the blanket, along with disjointed cheers of "hear hear!"
Some time later...
"I hope Jeri has an ice pack or two standing by..." Takato moaned, as he headed down the steps of the train station towards the nearest payphone.
"How come, Takatomon?" Guilmon asked, keeping pace with the boy. Since he had gotten off of the phone with Jeri a half hour ago, he had gotten a peculiar scent about him.
"Because out of all the clumsy, foolhardy stunts I've pulled over the time I've known her... This could definitely be the one that gets my butt kicked." Takato said as he walked up to the phone.
"Why would Jeri kick your butt?" Guilmon asked.
"Not Jeri, boy. Rika. Jeri got a call from Rika's mom, saying she's not buying the shopping spree anymore, and they need more time to finish the decorations for her surprise party, so Jeri needs me to get in one last distraction. And I know she's not easily fooled..." Takato paused as he slowly picked the phone off of the unit, input the coins he had in his pocket, mentally recalled Rika's cell phone number, and began to dial it in, taking a deep breath as he did so. "So I'm going to need a rather... Convincing distraction." He finished as he put the receiver to his ear. It returned the ringing tone a total of three times, before background noise came through from the other end, followed by a familiar voice.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Rika. It's Takato."
"What can I do for you, Gogglehead? Mom and I are just finishing up here."
"Well, um... I was actually wondering, that is, if you're not busy, if you'd like... Um, to go with me and..."
"Just spit it out, Takato."
Takato winced, feeliing himself waver already.
"I was wondering if you'd like to go cheery blossom watching with me."
FIN
A/N: Thank you very much for reading, everyone. Apologies for the extended length of time it took me to wrap this up, I've been busy preparing the beginning of another story that I wanted to have ready to go for another franchise's anniversary.
It felt great to return to Digimon Tamers after so long away, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed this as well.
-Miles