'Hear My Heartbeat through the Rain'
By The Infamous Boss Reo
The low rumbling thunder sounded off in the distance as the heavy rain poured down onto Shinjuku. Inside Ruki's bedroom, she lay with her cheek pressed to her mattress, her eyes gazing out her window at the continuing downpour.
For countless hours, she felt, her sleepless night had been nothing more than staring out at this window. She found herself often just trying to look at the raindrops as they fell across the paned glass, hoping to find an unknown solace in their presence for the split second that she could see them, before they disappear from sight or splash against her window.
Another roar of thunder caused her to almost jump. Her heart seemed to skip a beat as the loud clasp sounded, almost shaking the walls around her as a bright flash of light followed. Ruki found herself curling into a tight ball, bundling the covers of her bed around her. With a soft exhale of breath, she pressed her cheek to her pillow once more. Amid the cold air that seeped into her room, she shivered lightly as she pulled her covers closer to her.
Even the fabric of her pillow cover seemed to be cold, and she found herself pressing the side of her face against it harshly in an effort to build up warmth from her body against it. Once more, as she settled in, was she surrounded by silence, save for the random drops of rain splashing down against the thin wall of glass across from her eyes. Ruki sighed, lying still as she resumed her evening's activity.
"Can't sleep?" a familiar voice asked softly; appearing almost as an eerily shadowed whisper. Ruki felt a shiver as her partner resonated from the shadows in the far corner of her room. However, her presence gave the young girl a sense of comfort. She felt the upper corner of her lip curl slightly.
"A little bit." She answered, "Can you?"
Renamon approached her partner's bed silently, her long silky tail lifting slightly above the floor as not to drag along and trail dirt on her proud fur.
"I never find myself sleeping at night that often." She replied softly. She sat on the side of the bed, gazing down at Ruki. The female tamer returned the glance, pulling her covers down slightly.
"Sleep never seems to agree with me," She sighed, "I usually just end up looking outside this window." She turned back to facing the window, resting on her arm. Renamon tilted her head just lightly.
"Is anything troubling you?" she asked. Ruki's eyes continued to watch the falling raindrops through the glass.
"Has anything ever troubled YOU?" the young tamer asked in retort, Renamon sighed and brought her knee up as she sat on the bed.
"Lots of things." She said, "many different subjects and topics, all flowing through my head like fish in a river. Each one carrying with it a different question."
The kitsune turned her head towards Ruki.
"What about you?"
"Well let's see…" the young girl said, "I have lots of questions. I think of them all the time…"
"Such as?"
"Such as questions like 'How will I live the rest of my life?' or 'What will I find myself doing tomorrow or the next day?' Stuff like that."
Ruki shifted in her bed, seating herself up to look at her digimon partner.
"I also ask myself every so often one specific question, though." She said, folding her hands. Renamon looked at her and felt her ears perk in curiosity.
"And what question would that be?" she asked. Even in the blackness of night, her eyes could pierce through the darkness and see her partner's cheeks tint a shade of crimson.
"How did I become a partner to such a wonderful being like you?" she answered, smiling timidly. Renamon felt the fur that layered her body tingle in a pleasurable shiver as she saw Ruki's lips curl into her shy grin.
For a momentary second, Renamon just looked at her. She found herself blushing as well when she felt her partner's hand resting atop her paw. She looked back at Ruki and smiled.
"I sometimes find myself asking the very same thing about you." She said softly.
The two of them sat in silence as the rain continued on outside. Another low rumble of thunder eventually grew louder, finally sounding in a loud crack. The rest of the night seemed like a blur to Ruki. She must have dozed off, because when she opened her eyes again, she felt the warmth of her digimon's body as it pressed against her.
Renamon's cheek lay resting against Ruki's chest. The young girl's cheeks reddened for the second time during the night, and she brought her hand around her partner's shoulder and gently ran her fingers through the fox's silky fur mane.
She could see her partner's lips take the shape of a tiny smile across her muzzle, and her green eyes shifted upward to see her.
"I must have dozed off." Ruki smiled, Renamon just gave a small exhale of her nostrils as her companion's fingers ran through her fur.
"You're getting some sleep," she finally said, in a gentle whisper, "That's good."
The kitsune cuddled up to her partner more closely. Her cheek rubbing against Ruki's softly.
"You look like you're going to nod off soon, too." She said, placing her hand along her digimon's shoulder. Renamon sighed and swished her tail lightly.
"It would be no surprise if I did." She smiled, letting a small, embarrassed blush tint her furry cheeks, "I feel safer when you're with me."
Ruki giggled softly, pulling Renamon closer to her body.
"I feel safer too." She whispered; the heat of Renamon's form pressed against her skin like a blanket. Slowly, her eyes lowered until she felt herself drifting off to sleep.
"Renamon?" she managed to say, yawning at the same time. The kitsune who lay with her had closed her own eyes as well, but perked an ear at her name.
"Yes?" she asked. Ruki held closer to her, saying just as she drifted to sleep,
"I love you."
The words rang through the fox digimon's mind for what seemed like hours, when it was only seconds. Opening her eyes again, she peered out at the same window that her partner had gazed at for countless nights before. Again, a low rumble of thunder slowly churned in the distance.
Renamon didn't feel frightened, however, and as she closed her eyes once more to sleep, she flicked her tongue gently across Ruki's cheek.
"I love you too." She whispered back: the patterned sound of raindrops filling her ears as she drifted away in slumber.
The End