DISCLAIMER: I do not own Digimon or any of its characters. I just like to torture them. Please don't sue.
Authoress's Notes: Huh. I don't know if I should ask you to not flame my couples. I haven't read that many Tamers fics yet (okay, okay, I admit it: I've read the whopping sum of ONE!) and I don't know what's popular and what's considered odd. I've just been watching it, and I'm writing what I've noticed from the show. I don't know where to really fit this in to the series. We know they're in school when they go to the Digital World, so...let's say this is the same year, after they get back. And, yeah, I'm messing with the ages again, per my habit...I figure them all right at or around thirteen. Not that big a difference from the norm. Enjoy.
SEASON THREE:
Takato Masuda slumped into his seat in his classroom. For once he wasn't late. He pulled a black pen from his pocket and opened his notebook to the first blank page and began to sketch to kill the time.
Other kids gradually began to fill the empty desks. His friends Kazu and Kenta took their seats. Juri came in with a few of her girl friends.
Miss Isaji entered the room and Takato was smart enough to close his notebook, at least until she got wrapped up in her lesson.
"Good morning, kids."
"Good morning, Miss Isaji!" the class chorused back.
"I see that no one's late. Someone must be anxious to get a valentine." Giggles spread among the girls.
Valentine? Was it Valentine's Day again already? Takato looked at the calendar that was in the planner he never used. It *was* Valentine's Day. Great, just what he needed. A bunch of giggling girls armed with chocolate.
Well, okay. That might not be so bad if they didn't always expect a kiss in return.
The kid behind him tapped his shoulder and Takato reached his hand behind him almost out of reflex, feeling a piece of paper quickly pressed into his hand. It was the easiest way to pass notes.
It had his name on it. Cool! He didn't even have to pass it on. He opened it.
"Do YOU want a valentine? Kazu"
Takato scribbled a response--"Chocolate, sure, girlfriend, maybe"--and passed it back the way it had come. It came back a few minutes later.
"Not me!!" The short sentence was accompanied by a few hearts with X's drawn through them.
"It depends on who's giving the chocolate, duh!"
The note didn't come back, so Takato tried to focus on Miss Isaji, but about ten minutes later, another note came from Juri.
"Gotten any valentines? Juri" She'd drawn a heart with an arrow through it and lacy trim. She and Takato had a gift for art in common.
"No. Why?"
"Just wondering..." Next to the words was a self-portrait of Juri with a mischievous expression.
Takato scribbled a picture of himself with a confused expression. "Should I be worried?"
The note never came back, but Juri was smiling far too much for Takato's comfort.
Lee Zenrya sat in another classroom, one that was far more orderly and passed far fewer notes. He never had been able to make up his mind whether that was good or bad.
Today it was bad. Despite the orderliness, he couldn't focus on his teacher, and he was sure passing notes with Takato, Kazu, Kenta, or even Juri would have helped him pass the time.
Valentine's Day. That's what was on his mind. Both his older sisters and his younger sister had been able to think of nothing else the entire week. Susie's class was getting punch and cookies--which he didn't think was fair--and she was giving some chocolate to some boy in her class. Only in kindergarten, and she was already going through crushes. Poor kid. His older sisters both had it all figured out. The older one had a steady boyfriend, and the younger one had a plan to make her crush fall in love with her.
So, as usual, he was the only one of the four Zenrya siblings who was clueless when it came to matters of love.
Of course, he was also the only one at the girl's mercy. It wasn't like he'd be making the first move, which was kind of...terrifying. Lee liked to be in control of a situation.
But, then again, he could luck out. He was only thirteen, he might scrape by with no valentines offered to him. He almost hoped that that would be the case.
Not because he didn't like girls. Girls weren't all bad. Girls were okay. Two of his close friends were girls.
*That* was why he hoped he didn't get a valentine. He kind of wished that one of those two girls was a little more than a close friend.
Ruki--better known by her nickname, Rika--Makino sat outside of her private school, eating lunch alone on the roof, like always.
She hated her school, and she really wished that she could go to public school where her few friends were. Most of the girls in her school were rich, and they made sure everyone knew it.
Not that Rika came from a poor family. She was the daughter of a supermodel, after all. But that didn't matter to her. She didn't like hanging with the snotty cheerleader type, and she was pretty much the only one in her all-girl school who wasn't the snotty cheerleader type.
And today was worse than most days. The worst day of the entire school year.
Valentine's Day.
Rika hated Valentine's Day. As if her classmates weren't annoying enough when they talked about boys, they had to create an entire holiday just to give them the chance to talk about them even more.
What was this whole deal with guys and girls? If a guy liked a girl, and/or vice versa, why did they have to make a big deal of it? Most of Rika's friends were guys, and things were never awkward because of it. She supposed that if one of the guys was to admit that he liked her that way, she'd--she'd...
She wasn't sure. It'd depend on the guy. And why they liked her. And what they wanted out of it.
Rika sighed. Most of the girls at school thought that the world *revolved* around boyfriend/girlfriend relationships. A breakup was devastating, and a new relationship was big news. And, of course, the boy had to be "suitable". Rika knew that "suitable" was the code word for "cute and rich". "Brains" and "personality" and "love" simply were not part of the equation.
She could only hope that the school day would end quickly so she could get to her real friends.
Juri, Takato, Lee, Kazu and Kenta were sitting in a circle under a tree on the school grounds. Lee was leaning against the tree.
"I thought lunch was never going to get here," Kenta said, chomping into a sandwich.
"Me either," Kazu agreed, opening his sack lunch.
"This school day has been the longest since the day we went to the Digital World," Lee said, "And it's only half-over."
"I know whatcha mean," Takato said. "It's been the worst."
Juri listened in silence. The only thing she could think of to talk about was the Valentine's Day present tucked away in her backpack, and she didn't want to talk about that just yet. Not until after school.
"What's making this day different?" Kazu asked.
Lee had a theory. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I couldn't focus today, and nobody--but *nobody*--passes notes in my class."
Kazu pointed at Lee and spoke with a mouth half-full of food. "That, my friend, is because you have the toughest teacher in the entire school."
Lee made a face. "At least he makes sure we get good grades."
Kazu sweatdropped.
Kenta shook his head. "You guys all seem to be forgetting what day it is."
Takato wrinkled his nose. "It's Valentine's Day. So?"
"So, we're all nervous that some girl is going to make an idiot out of us, and *that* is what's making the day drag on."
Juri wasn't upset, but she felt a need to set her friend straight. "Wait a minute, Kenta. We girls don't set out to embarrass you guys." She giggled, remembering something she'd gotten in an e-mail once. "It's just that most of you are the do-it-yourself types."
"Hey!" Kazu, Kenta, and Takato said in unison.
Lee smiled. "Guys...you might be proving her point."
They all sweatdropped. "We can't win," Takato said.
"Speaking of Valentine's Day," Juri said, trying to change the subject, "I wonder what Rika's doing."
"Probably nothing, considering she goes to an all-girl school," Takato said.
Lee shook his head. "Are you kidding? She's probably trying to lie as low as possible so she doesn't have to listen to all the other girls talking about guys."
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I don't see what all the fuss is," Kazu said.
"Me either," Kenta agreed.
Juri rolled her eyes. Kazu and Kenta were so immature...
Rika changed out of her uniform and into street clothes in the school bathroom and stuffed the uniform into her backpack, glad to be out of the skirt. She couldn't see how Juri could like it enough to wear mostly skirts.
She rushed away from the school grounds and her classmates, over to the next neighborhood, where the park was.
She walked up the sidewalk towards the steps that led to Guilmon's little house.
"Rika!" Guilmon cried happily. "Let me out!"
She leaned against the gate to catch her breath. "No way, not 'til Takato and the others show."
"Aww..."
"I brought you something, though." She opened her backpack and pushed her uniform to the side. It was getting wrinkled, but it needed to be washed anyway. "Here!" She pulled out a small bundle wrapped in a paper napkin and handed it to him.
He sniffed it. "Ooh, peanut butter!"
"I figured you'd like it. It's called peanut butter cake. Grandma baked it last night."
Guilmon had devoured it before she finished her first sentence. "Good!" he declared. "Where's Takato?"
"He's late, that's what."
"Ohhh..." Guilmon leaned his head forward, pressing against the fence.
"Hey, Rika!" Takato and company arrived on the scene.
"About time you showed up, Goggle Brain. Your poor digimon here is about to keel over."
"Takatomon's here! Yay!"
Takato opened the gate and Guilmon stepped out. "You coulda let him out, you know."
Guilmon blinked at Rika. "See?"
Rika just huffed.
"Hey, Takatomon, Rika brought me peanut butter!" All was forgiven.
After the six put in a hard day's play, the group began to break up. Kazu and Kenta had to get home for dinner, and Takato had to leave, too. "My mom will kill me if I don't get my homework done before dinner."
"That'll be the fourth time she's killed you this week," Rika reminded him.
Takato sweatdropped. "Yeah, I think so...if it's not the fifth...I...gotta go..."
Juri smiled. "Hey, Takato, I'll walk with you, if you want."
Takato shrugged. "Sure, why not?" He started to walk away from the bottom of the stairs and Juri went with him.
When they were out of earshot of the other two, Juri took her backpack off her shoulder and started to dig through it, still walking.
"Whatcha lookin' for?" Takato asked.
"You'll see..."
Takato wasn't sure if that was a good thing.
"Found it!" Juri giggled. She put her backpack back on and held out her prize to Takato. "Um...this is for you...Happy...Valentine's Day."
Takato raised an eyebrow. "Um, Juri...I...oh, nevermind." He reached out and took it.
"Open it!"
He did. It was chocolate, of course. "Um...thanks, Juri."
"Takato?"
"Yes?"
"I...I like you."
Takato drew in a breath. "In...in that way?"
Juri blushed. "Yeah. I know I said I didn't, and I really didn't, then...but I do now!" She stopped, and he did too. She smiled expectantly.
"Um...Juri?"
"Yes, Takato?"
"I...I...I like you, too."
"Really?"
He nodded.
"*Really*?"
"Yes, really."
They both stood there for an awkward moment.
"Um, Juri?"
"Yeah?"
Takato quickly stepped up to her and kissed her. He was going to make it a quick, simple, peck, but it turned into a longer kiss, sweet and precious.
When he pulled away, all she could do was blink. And blush.
"Do you wanna be my girlfriend, Juri?"
Her whole face lit up, and she hugged him around his neck. "Yes!"
Meanwhile, Lee and Rika were the only ones left at the park. They were standing on the bottom step, leaning against opposite walls of the stairwell.
"Not in a hurry to get home?" Rika asked.
"I may as well give Terriermon a few more Susie-free minutes when I can. Besides, he seems to be having a lot of fun with Guilmon."
They both looked up towards the top of the stairs, but it was hard to see much due to the curve of the staircase. That's why it made such a good hiding place. However, they could both hear Guilmon cry, "You're it!" and laugh.
Lee rolled his eyes. "Some digimon can be just like kids."
"Those two are," Rika agreed.
"So, how did *your* day go?"
"On a scale of one to ten, ten being good...I'd give this day a minus thirty-six."
"Ouch..."
"You're telling me. I swear, every girl in school thinks I'm a walking freak show, just because I didn't give away some stupid valentine..."
"You don't like Valentine's Day?"
"Oh, the day itself, the holiday, that's fine. Love, boyfriends, romance...it's okay for the people who want to celebrate. It's just that the way the other girls act that grates on my nerves. They all think that you're some kind of social outcast if you don't have a boyfriend or give a valentine away. They focus more on giving a valentine than they do about caring about who you give it to. I think that you should really care about a guy before you just...throw away your heart and emotions on someone who's going to dump you for the first prettier girl he sees."
Lee nodded.
"Sorry, Ri." Lee's Chinese name was almost physically impossible for a tongue trained in Japanese to pronounce. Fortunately, he understood and never complained. "I didn't mean to dump on you."
"It's okay, Rika." Lee just considered himself lucky to know Chinese and Japanese and have mastery over both "L" *and* "R". "Everyone has to vent sometime."
"Yeah, but usually my idea of venting is to kick the walls in my room."
Lee laughed. "There are better ways. Talking's one of them."
Rika shrugged.
He nodded. "I'm serious. You can always talk to me."
She tilted her head at him. She had the feeling that he was skirting an issue that he wanted to talk about. "Yeah. I know. But that doesn't mean you'll understand."
"Maybe not, but you know, sometimes just the talking helps."
A silence hung between them, broken only by exchanges of tags between Guilmon and Terriermon.
Lee finally broke it. "I...agree with you. About the whole valentine thing. I mean, Susie's giving away valentines. She's only five. She doesn't know anything about love, you know?"
"Yeah...wait a minute, Ri, you do?"
Lee blushed. "Well...I know a lot more than she does. And I know that I love you, Rika."
Rika gasped, and blushed, and looked away. That was definitely what he'd been trying to get up the nerve to say.
"Rika..."
She couldn't look at him. It wasn't that she didn't like him. She'd thought about him that way a couple of times, even, but she'd never dreamed that he cared about her that way.
"Rika?"
Her continued silence made him sure that she didn't hate him for saying it. She would have regained her composure and slapped him by now.
He tentatively reached out his hand, placing two fingers under her chin and turning her face to look at him. She had a very confused expression on her face.
He leaned close and kissed her.
She didn't pull away or slap him.
In fact, she put one arm around his shoulder and started kissing back--the last, but best reaction he'd imagined.
Finally, they broke apart.
She shook her head. "You...you love me, Ri? Me? Tough-as-nails, throw-the-first-punch, all-she-owns-is-jeans Rika Makino?"
He smiled at her. "Yeah. I do."
"Since...since when?"
"For a long time, Rika. A very long time. Before we ever went to the Digital World. But Rika, how do you feel about me?"
She looked down, and then looked him straight in the eye. "I never thought that any guy would be able to see past the tough-girl front...but you did...and...I'm just kind of shocked right now...but...I...I...I think I love you, too."
Lee heaved a sigh of relief. "I was sure you were going to kill me for admitting it."
She grinned. "At least you have proof that I'm not lying when I say that I love you."
"Yeah..." he agreed, his voice barely above a whisper. "So...we're...?"
"I'm not going to be like the girls at school. I'm not going to play games with your heart. I'm not going to say I love you and then not agree to be your girlfriend--*if* that's what you want."
"That's what I want."
Rika smiled. "Me too."
A/N: Oh, the *sap*! Yes. I like Takato+Juri and Lee+Rika. I'm sure that now that I've decided that, the trend is going to turn to Takato+Rika (which I could picture, honestly, I just don't like it *as well*). Please don't flame too badly, I'm still naïve when it comes to season three fanfiction trends. Not that knowing what's popular will change my mind--I'm kind of like Rika that way. If I like what's popular, great, but if I *don't* like what's popular, I'm not going to say that I like it just because it's popular. Anyway, please review. Bye!
Authoress's Notes: Huh. I don't know if I should ask you to not flame my couples. I haven't read that many Tamers fics yet (okay, okay, I admit it: I've read the whopping sum of ONE!) and I don't know what's popular and what's considered odd. I've just been watching it, and I'm writing what I've noticed from the show. I don't know where to really fit this in to the series. We know they're in school when they go to the Digital World, so...let's say this is the same year, after they get back. And, yeah, I'm messing with the ages again, per my habit...I figure them all right at or around thirteen. Not that big a difference from the norm. Enjoy.
SEASON THREE:
Takato Masuda slumped into his seat in his classroom. For once he wasn't late. He pulled a black pen from his pocket and opened his notebook to the first blank page and began to sketch to kill the time.
Other kids gradually began to fill the empty desks. His friends Kazu and Kenta took their seats. Juri came in with a few of her girl friends.
Miss Isaji entered the room and Takato was smart enough to close his notebook, at least until she got wrapped up in her lesson.
"Good morning, kids."
"Good morning, Miss Isaji!" the class chorused back.
"I see that no one's late. Someone must be anxious to get a valentine." Giggles spread among the girls.
Valentine? Was it Valentine's Day again already? Takato looked at the calendar that was in the planner he never used. It *was* Valentine's Day. Great, just what he needed. A bunch of giggling girls armed with chocolate.
Well, okay. That might not be so bad if they didn't always expect a kiss in return.
The kid behind him tapped his shoulder and Takato reached his hand behind him almost out of reflex, feeling a piece of paper quickly pressed into his hand. It was the easiest way to pass notes.
It had his name on it. Cool! He didn't even have to pass it on. He opened it.
"Do YOU want a valentine? Kazu"
Takato scribbled a response--"Chocolate, sure, girlfriend, maybe"--and passed it back the way it had come. It came back a few minutes later.
"Not me!!" The short sentence was accompanied by a few hearts with X's drawn through them.
"It depends on who's giving the chocolate, duh!"
The note didn't come back, so Takato tried to focus on Miss Isaji, but about ten minutes later, another note came from Juri.
"Gotten any valentines? Juri" She'd drawn a heart with an arrow through it and lacy trim. She and Takato had a gift for art in common.
"No. Why?"
"Just wondering..." Next to the words was a self-portrait of Juri with a mischievous expression.
Takato scribbled a picture of himself with a confused expression. "Should I be worried?"
The note never came back, but Juri was smiling far too much for Takato's comfort.
Lee Zenrya sat in another classroom, one that was far more orderly and passed far fewer notes. He never had been able to make up his mind whether that was good or bad.
Today it was bad. Despite the orderliness, he couldn't focus on his teacher, and he was sure passing notes with Takato, Kazu, Kenta, or even Juri would have helped him pass the time.
Valentine's Day. That's what was on his mind. Both his older sisters and his younger sister had been able to think of nothing else the entire week. Susie's class was getting punch and cookies--which he didn't think was fair--and she was giving some chocolate to some boy in her class. Only in kindergarten, and she was already going through crushes. Poor kid. His older sisters both had it all figured out. The older one had a steady boyfriend, and the younger one had a plan to make her crush fall in love with her.
So, as usual, he was the only one of the four Zenrya siblings who was clueless when it came to matters of love.
Of course, he was also the only one at the girl's mercy. It wasn't like he'd be making the first move, which was kind of...terrifying. Lee liked to be in control of a situation.
But, then again, he could luck out. He was only thirteen, he might scrape by with no valentines offered to him. He almost hoped that that would be the case.
Not because he didn't like girls. Girls weren't all bad. Girls were okay. Two of his close friends were girls.
*That* was why he hoped he didn't get a valentine. He kind of wished that one of those two girls was a little more than a close friend.
Ruki--better known by her nickname, Rika--Makino sat outside of her private school, eating lunch alone on the roof, like always.
She hated her school, and she really wished that she could go to public school where her few friends were. Most of the girls in her school were rich, and they made sure everyone knew it.
Not that Rika came from a poor family. She was the daughter of a supermodel, after all. But that didn't matter to her. She didn't like hanging with the snotty cheerleader type, and she was pretty much the only one in her all-girl school who wasn't the snotty cheerleader type.
And today was worse than most days. The worst day of the entire school year.
Valentine's Day.
Rika hated Valentine's Day. As if her classmates weren't annoying enough when they talked about boys, they had to create an entire holiday just to give them the chance to talk about them even more.
What was this whole deal with guys and girls? If a guy liked a girl, and/or vice versa, why did they have to make a big deal of it? Most of Rika's friends were guys, and things were never awkward because of it. She supposed that if one of the guys was to admit that he liked her that way, she'd--she'd...
She wasn't sure. It'd depend on the guy. And why they liked her. And what they wanted out of it.
Rika sighed. Most of the girls at school thought that the world *revolved* around boyfriend/girlfriend relationships. A breakup was devastating, and a new relationship was big news. And, of course, the boy had to be "suitable". Rika knew that "suitable" was the code word for "cute and rich". "Brains" and "personality" and "love" simply were not part of the equation.
She could only hope that the school day would end quickly so she could get to her real friends.
Juri, Takato, Lee, Kazu and Kenta were sitting in a circle under a tree on the school grounds. Lee was leaning against the tree.
"I thought lunch was never going to get here," Kenta said, chomping into a sandwich.
"Me either," Kazu agreed, opening his sack lunch.
"This school day has been the longest since the day we went to the Digital World," Lee said, "And it's only half-over."
"I know whatcha mean," Takato said. "It's been the worst."
Juri listened in silence. The only thing she could think of to talk about was the Valentine's Day present tucked away in her backpack, and she didn't want to talk about that just yet. Not until after school.
"What's making this day different?" Kazu asked.
Lee had a theory. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I couldn't focus today, and nobody--but *nobody*--passes notes in my class."
Kazu pointed at Lee and spoke with a mouth half-full of food. "That, my friend, is because you have the toughest teacher in the entire school."
Lee made a face. "At least he makes sure we get good grades."
Kazu sweatdropped.
Kenta shook his head. "You guys all seem to be forgetting what day it is."
Takato wrinkled his nose. "It's Valentine's Day. So?"
"So, we're all nervous that some girl is going to make an idiot out of us, and *that* is what's making the day drag on."
Juri wasn't upset, but she felt a need to set her friend straight. "Wait a minute, Kenta. We girls don't set out to embarrass you guys." She giggled, remembering something she'd gotten in an e-mail once. "It's just that most of you are the do-it-yourself types."
"Hey!" Kazu, Kenta, and Takato said in unison.
Lee smiled. "Guys...you might be proving her point."
They all sweatdropped. "We can't win," Takato said.
"Speaking of Valentine's Day," Juri said, trying to change the subject, "I wonder what Rika's doing."
"Probably nothing, considering she goes to an all-girl school," Takato said.
Lee shook his head. "Are you kidding? She's probably trying to lie as low as possible so she doesn't have to listen to all the other girls talking about guys."
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I don't see what all the fuss is," Kazu said.
"Me either," Kenta agreed.
Juri rolled her eyes. Kazu and Kenta were so immature...
Rika changed out of her uniform and into street clothes in the school bathroom and stuffed the uniform into her backpack, glad to be out of the skirt. She couldn't see how Juri could like it enough to wear mostly skirts.
She rushed away from the school grounds and her classmates, over to the next neighborhood, where the park was.
She walked up the sidewalk towards the steps that led to Guilmon's little house.
"Rika!" Guilmon cried happily. "Let me out!"
She leaned against the gate to catch her breath. "No way, not 'til Takato and the others show."
"Aww..."
"I brought you something, though." She opened her backpack and pushed her uniform to the side. It was getting wrinkled, but it needed to be washed anyway. "Here!" She pulled out a small bundle wrapped in a paper napkin and handed it to him.
He sniffed it. "Ooh, peanut butter!"
"I figured you'd like it. It's called peanut butter cake. Grandma baked it last night."
Guilmon had devoured it before she finished her first sentence. "Good!" he declared. "Where's Takato?"
"He's late, that's what."
"Ohhh..." Guilmon leaned his head forward, pressing against the fence.
"Hey, Rika!" Takato and company arrived on the scene.
"About time you showed up, Goggle Brain. Your poor digimon here is about to keel over."
"Takatomon's here! Yay!"
Takato opened the gate and Guilmon stepped out. "You coulda let him out, you know."
Guilmon blinked at Rika. "See?"
Rika just huffed.
"Hey, Takatomon, Rika brought me peanut butter!" All was forgiven.
After the six put in a hard day's play, the group began to break up. Kazu and Kenta had to get home for dinner, and Takato had to leave, too. "My mom will kill me if I don't get my homework done before dinner."
"That'll be the fourth time she's killed you this week," Rika reminded him.
Takato sweatdropped. "Yeah, I think so...if it's not the fifth...I...gotta go..."
Juri smiled. "Hey, Takato, I'll walk with you, if you want."
Takato shrugged. "Sure, why not?" He started to walk away from the bottom of the stairs and Juri went with him.
When they were out of earshot of the other two, Juri took her backpack off her shoulder and started to dig through it, still walking.
"Whatcha lookin' for?" Takato asked.
"You'll see..."
Takato wasn't sure if that was a good thing.
"Found it!" Juri giggled. She put her backpack back on and held out her prize to Takato. "Um...this is for you...Happy...Valentine's Day."
Takato raised an eyebrow. "Um, Juri...I...oh, nevermind." He reached out and took it.
"Open it!"
He did. It was chocolate, of course. "Um...thanks, Juri."
"Takato?"
"Yes?"
"I...I like you."
Takato drew in a breath. "In...in that way?"
Juri blushed. "Yeah. I know I said I didn't, and I really didn't, then...but I do now!" She stopped, and he did too. She smiled expectantly.
"Um...Juri?"
"Yes, Takato?"
"I...I...I like you, too."
"Really?"
He nodded.
"*Really*?"
"Yes, really."
They both stood there for an awkward moment.
"Um, Juri?"
"Yeah?"
Takato quickly stepped up to her and kissed her. He was going to make it a quick, simple, peck, but it turned into a longer kiss, sweet and precious.
When he pulled away, all she could do was blink. And blush.
"Do you wanna be my girlfriend, Juri?"
Her whole face lit up, and she hugged him around his neck. "Yes!"
Meanwhile, Lee and Rika were the only ones left at the park. They were standing on the bottom step, leaning against opposite walls of the stairwell.
"Not in a hurry to get home?" Rika asked.
"I may as well give Terriermon a few more Susie-free minutes when I can. Besides, he seems to be having a lot of fun with Guilmon."
They both looked up towards the top of the stairs, but it was hard to see much due to the curve of the staircase. That's why it made such a good hiding place. However, they could both hear Guilmon cry, "You're it!" and laugh.
Lee rolled his eyes. "Some digimon can be just like kids."
"Those two are," Rika agreed.
"So, how did *your* day go?"
"On a scale of one to ten, ten being good...I'd give this day a minus thirty-six."
"Ouch..."
"You're telling me. I swear, every girl in school thinks I'm a walking freak show, just because I didn't give away some stupid valentine..."
"You don't like Valentine's Day?"
"Oh, the day itself, the holiday, that's fine. Love, boyfriends, romance...it's okay for the people who want to celebrate. It's just that the way the other girls act that grates on my nerves. They all think that you're some kind of social outcast if you don't have a boyfriend or give a valentine away. They focus more on giving a valentine than they do about caring about who you give it to. I think that you should really care about a guy before you just...throw away your heart and emotions on someone who's going to dump you for the first prettier girl he sees."
Lee nodded.
"Sorry, Ri." Lee's Chinese name was almost physically impossible for a tongue trained in Japanese to pronounce. Fortunately, he understood and never complained. "I didn't mean to dump on you."
"It's okay, Rika." Lee just considered himself lucky to know Chinese and Japanese and have mastery over both "L" *and* "R". "Everyone has to vent sometime."
"Yeah, but usually my idea of venting is to kick the walls in my room."
Lee laughed. "There are better ways. Talking's one of them."
Rika shrugged.
He nodded. "I'm serious. You can always talk to me."
She tilted her head at him. She had the feeling that he was skirting an issue that he wanted to talk about. "Yeah. I know. But that doesn't mean you'll understand."
"Maybe not, but you know, sometimes just the talking helps."
A silence hung between them, broken only by exchanges of tags between Guilmon and Terriermon.
Lee finally broke it. "I...agree with you. About the whole valentine thing. I mean, Susie's giving away valentines. She's only five. She doesn't know anything about love, you know?"
"Yeah...wait a minute, Ri, you do?"
Lee blushed. "Well...I know a lot more than she does. And I know that I love you, Rika."
Rika gasped, and blushed, and looked away. That was definitely what he'd been trying to get up the nerve to say.
"Rika..."
She couldn't look at him. It wasn't that she didn't like him. She'd thought about him that way a couple of times, even, but she'd never dreamed that he cared about her that way.
"Rika?"
Her continued silence made him sure that she didn't hate him for saying it. She would have regained her composure and slapped him by now.
He tentatively reached out his hand, placing two fingers under her chin and turning her face to look at him. She had a very confused expression on her face.
He leaned close and kissed her.
She didn't pull away or slap him.
In fact, she put one arm around his shoulder and started kissing back--the last, but best reaction he'd imagined.
Finally, they broke apart.
She shook her head. "You...you love me, Ri? Me? Tough-as-nails, throw-the-first-punch, all-she-owns-is-jeans Rika Makino?"
He smiled at her. "Yeah. I do."
"Since...since when?"
"For a long time, Rika. A very long time. Before we ever went to the Digital World. But Rika, how do you feel about me?"
She looked down, and then looked him straight in the eye. "I never thought that any guy would be able to see past the tough-girl front...but you did...and...I'm just kind of shocked right now...but...I...I...I think I love you, too."
Lee heaved a sigh of relief. "I was sure you were going to kill me for admitting it."
She grinned. "At least you have proof that I'm not lying when I say that I love you."
"Yeah..." he agreed, his voice barely above a whisper. "So...we're...?"
"I'm not going to be like the girls at school. I'm not going to play games with your heart. I'm not going to say I love you and then not agree to be your girlfriend--*if* that's what you want."
"That's what I want."
Rika smiled. "Me too."
A/N: Oh, the *sap*! Yes. I like Takato+Juri and Lee+Rika. I'm sure that now that I've decided that, the trend is going to turn to Takato+Rika (which I could picture, honestly, I just don't like it *as well*). Please don't flame too badly, I'm still naïve when it comes to season three fanfiction trends. Not that knowing what's popular will change my mind--I'm kind of like Rika that way. If I like what's popular, great, but if I *don't* like what's popular, I'm not going to say that I like it just because it's popular. Anyway, please review. Bye!