A Lot Like Christmas
Intro: Phew… finally! In front of you is the last chapter of A Lot Like Christmas, neat huh?
Ruki: Hey wait a second… I have to sing again don't I?!
Me: o.o ummm…. No, ok… well kinda.
Ruki: -_-;;; Kinda?!!
Me: Hai... Anyway, there will be slight Lee/Juri in this and of course Rukato! Rukato Itsumademo!!! R+R!
BlackGatomon: Whoa! Over 70 reviews?!! 6.6 This… is the greatest amount we've ever got!!! Arigato to all Reviewers!!! Oh, and the one's who brought me candy:
Kamehameha
Max acorn (Ok… I'm going to have to give the weed back)
KaizerGallantmon
Serpent Treize (thanks for the site!!!)
Rukato fan
Sugar high
The dragon master (I would scratch her but if you read this chapter you'll find what you want! By the way… can I still have the chocolate?!)
Disclaimer: I do not own the song or digimon, etc.
Bold- actions, important crap
Italics- thoughts, memories, other (songs)
****Sunday****
Christmas Day
Candles in the window…
"Ruki?"
Rumiko peeked through the door at her daughter, who was sitting in her room,
gazing out the window. "I didn't see you at all last night. Where were you?"
Ruki looked up slowly. "I was out
around back with Takato." Oh crud… big mistake…
Rumiko's eyes lit up and Ruki instantly regretted her words. "My Ruki-kun has actually found a guy?!"
Ruki backed away. "N-No mother! He's a friend!"
"He's a guy and a friend right?"
Ruki sighed, relieved. "Hai…"
Rumiko eyes sparkled. "So he's your guy friend!!!"
"No, no, no!!!" cried Ruki. "He's just my friend Mom, there's nothing between us!"
Rumiko wasn't listening instead she was practically dancing around the room. "Was it that Gogglehead boy? Awww! I knew you liked him, I just knew it!"
Ruki buried her face in her hands and groaned. "Mommm…."
Shadows painting the ceiling…
Seiko came in and saw her daughter flouncing about the room. "Rumiko?"
"Your granddaughter has a boyfriend!" she announced, grabbing Seiko by the shoulders. "Can you believe it?"
Seiko looked alarmed and stared at Ruki. Ruki smiled slightly, shaking her head. Pulling away from her over reacting daughter Seiko pushed Rumiko out of the room. "Rumiko, let's not jump to conclusions…"
The door closed and Ruki was allowed to think in silence. She sighed and laid her head on the windowsill, watching families walk together down the streets, laughing. Watching carefully she saw a young girl bound in between her parents, happy as a clam to be alive. The father picked her up and threw her in the air, catching the giggling girl back in his arms, laughing himself.
Gazing at the fire glow…
A memory played in her head, one she had since she was very young. Her father's smiling face, herself bouncing up and down, giggling. Her mother beside them in a straw hat, laughing… That's the happiest memory I've got before he left…
Ding dong…
Ruki groaned and got up, trudging to the happy sound of the doorbell. After lunch Rumiko was dragging everyone over to her photo shoot, what fun. Seiko was the only one that had escaped her mother's fashion obsessed wrath. Why couldn't they just stay home together for the holidays?
After she unlocked the door and opened it, she froze. "T-Takato?"
Takato stood in the doorway, a small box wrapped in blue giftwrap in one hand. He blushed and smiled. "May I come in?"
Still a little surprised, Ruki nodded and moved to one side. Takato slid past her and said, "Can I talk to you alone… please?"
What does he want now? Ruki sighed. "Sure… how does the backyard sound?"
Feeling that gingerbread feeling…
Snow still covered every inch of Shinjuku and although it was a slight burden, it was very beautiful. It was still snowing outside, so when the two appeared outside they were immediately frosted with the powdered fluff. Ruki led him away from the house to the stone wall so her mother wouldn't see them.
The sat on the cold bench in the back together, silent for a moment. Takato stared at Ruki who was staring up at the sky, allowing the snowflakes to rest and melt on her face. He could feel warmth surge through him like someone had lit a torch right next to the bench. He had to tell her, otherwise it would haunt him forever.
Slowly he pushed the wrapped box across the box to her. Ruki blinked and looked down at the small box, wrapped up in blue wrapping paper decorated with Renamon. She smiled, he had made the wrapping paper himself.
She picked it up gently. "Arigato Takato-san."
Takato watched her slowly untie the ribbon and gently unwrap the box as to not ruin the paper. Under the paper was a silver box. "Open it."
Ruki glanced at him. He's up to something…
She opened the box to see a long, gold chain connected to a heart-shaped golden locket. Engraved on the face of the locket were two Renamons bounding toward each other.
She fingered the locket, smiling in spite of herself. Takato was beaming, he had really outdone himself this time.
Precious moments…
Ruki's fingers hit something, a hinge. Blinking in surprise she opened the locket. What was inside the locket made her heart leap. "Takato…"
On the left side of the inside of the locket was a picture of Ruki and her family, the last picture of all of the Makino family together before they split up. Hot tears suddenly rolled down Ruki's face as she brushed a finger over her father's handsome face. She did all she could to keep herself from crying, but she allowed a few silent tears escape. On the other side was a picture of her, Renamon, and Takato, taken when they went to see the sakura in the spring. Takato had his arm around her, her face solitary as usual. Renamon stood in the middle on a tree branch, brushing sakura aside onto them.
Special people…
Happy faces, I can see!
Without warning Ruki threw her arms around Takato's neck. "Arigato! Thank you Takato-kun… thank you so much!"
Surprised, Takato regained his balance from her outburst. She buried her face in his shoulder and cried, still hugging him. Takato stared for a moment, wondering if this was good or bad. But after a bit he realized he had done something really good and put his arms around her. "Ruki-kun…"
Somewhere in my memory…Christmas joy all around me…
Living in my memory…
All of the music…
All of the magic…
All of the family home here…
With me…
Ruki released him and stopped crying, suddenly ashamed. She turned away. "Gomenasai… I don't know what came over me, you probably didn't…"
"I loved it."
"Excuse me?"
Takato took a deep breath. This is it… on the count of three… 1…2…3! "Ruki, I loved it and I think I love you… no, I know I love you. Seriously Ruki, I love you, I never want to leave your side… I understand if you don't love me that way back…"
"Is that why you ran away?" said Ruki, smiling. Takato blinked, blushing furiously. "Hai… I was afraid…"
"I was too."
"Nani?"
"I was afraid of what you would say," Ruki put the locket on. "After you kissed me that night, I was really confused. But then I realized that I loved you back… so I asked you. Of course, you and I were both afraid of the same thing…"
Takato smiled and leaned forward. It's a glorious feeling, being in love. Especially if the one you love loves you back! Before Ruki knew what was happening they were kissing passionately like they'd been born to kiss.
They'd pulled away at the same time, blushing furiously. Together they stood and walked slowly back to the house, hoping that for some freak reason time would stop and they'd be able to stay together longer.
But of course that didn't happen, time stops for no one. They stood together under the porch roof, not knowing what to say. Ruki suddenly embraced him. "Arigato Takato-kun…"
Takato stared down at his love with soft eyes, stroking her back. For a few moments they listened to each other's heartbeat; they soon found that their hearts beat as one. Ruki closed her eyes, happy at last. This Christmas wasn't so bad…
Suddenly Ruki's eyes shot open. "I didn't give you your gift!"
She instantly broke away and stared at him. Takato shook his head. "Ruki you didn't have to get me a gift…" He looked up and Ruki had gone. "Hey! Ruki?!"
She reappeared almost a second after he finished calling her. Under her arm was a weird shaped package wrapped in digimon wrapping paper, of course. Ruki smiled and presented him with his gift. "Open it."
Takato took it slowly and began to tear the wrapping. "Honestly Ruki, you didn't have to get me something, that kiss was enough!"
"Just open it."
"Fine, but I still say you didn't have to buy me a pres-
Takato stopped in mid-sentence, amazed. "Oh my god… Ruki how'd you get these?!"
Ruki beamed happily. "Hey, I have my ways."
He was thoroughly touched as he lifted his present out of the box, smiling. Her present was so simple, yet so great. Takato beamed, she had gone and found his goggles for him!
"It took up all of last night to clean them," said Ruki, smiling at the shining goggles that Takato had put on his head. Takato felt like he could kiss her… again! Ruki shook her head, "After you ran off I followed you and saw the lake. I figured that unless there's some lockness monster in the lake then your goggles were still down there…"
He looked up in surprise. "Hey wait, you didn't…"
Ruki kissed him on the lips. "You bet I did, I dove into the lake!"
He laughed; Ruki was quite a character. But she was happy and that was all that mattered to him. It had been quite a Christmas after all…
All of the music…All of the magic
All of the family
Home here
With me…
Outside, Ryo stood in front of the gate to Ruki's house. He had seen the two kissing and smiled. "Merry Christmas Gogglehead."
*******
"Guess who!"
Two gloved hands
covered Lee's eyes. Lee laughed. "Juri?"
"Hai!!" The hands released his face
and turned around to see Juri. Juri beamed happily. "And now for your Christmas
gift! Close your eyes…"
Lee sighed but did as he was told. Terriermon, perched on his head, was also told to close his eyes too. A pair of lips started gracing Lee's own as they proceeded to kiss each other. "Merry Christmas Lee…"
Terriermon made the stupid mistake of opening his eyes. "Augh!!!" he cried, covering his eyes again. "Ugh… guys get a room!"
"Terriermon!!!"
******
Heehee, how was that? Not exactly as much Rukato and Lee/Juri as I would've liked, but close… Gomenasai about that!
BlackGatomon: It was fine, ok?! I suggested the last part ^.^ Well I hoped you all liked it, because we sure enjoyed writing it! My Master Thank You List will be in the epilogue ok?! Until then! Rukato/ Lee/Juri Itsumademo!! Happy Holidays!
Me: Maybe next time we should do a Hanukkah one…