The Story of Us
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by summer dragonfly



Chapter XI
"It's Official"



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Sunlight streamed through the windows as Rika squinted at it. She pulled the cover over her head.
*Go away.* her mind whined, like a little girl not wanting to go to school.

In a short amount of time, the room had filled with morning sunlight. Rika's eyes fluttered open
as she looked around, wondering why she wasn't in her normal room at home, or even her dorm room.
She didn't know this place.

She turned in bed and her eyes fell upon a picture of herself on top of the nightstand. *This
must be Ryo's room.* she figured out. She was still dressed in her clothes from last night, and
there as no sign of Ryo.

She rubbed her eye sleepily and realized there was something on her hand. Rika held her hand out
and saw the ring. *Oh yeah.* she remembered, and grinned. She examined the ring. *It's so
lovely. And pretty big too,* she noticed.

Suddenly, the door opened. Ryo came in, carrying a tray with two cups of coffee. "Hey, you're up."
he smiled at her. "Good morning."

"Good morning." She yawned and stretched her arms. "Is that decaf?"

"No." Ryo said. "Should it have been?"

"No, it's perfect. Thanks." Rika took the cup from him and sipped it gingerly, blowing.

"Check out how long you slept in." Ryo said.

Rika glanced at the digital clock. "9:30."

"Did you have a nice dream?"

"Yeah." Rika remembered her dream. "It was great."

"Well, you'd better get up now." Ryo went to the window and pulled the curtains open.

"Where'd you sleep last night?" Rika asked.

"The sofa." Ryo replied. "Watched the late shows."

"Couldn't seem to sleep?"

"Nope. Not until 12 anyway." He sat down at the foot of the bed. "I went back to your house to
drop you off, but no one was there. So I just brought you back here."

"Your room is a mess." Rika sat up, noticing the piles of junk of the floor.

"Well, I rarely get to clean it. Being in school in Sapporo and all."

"Then who stays here?"

"A friend. My roommate. He keeps it tidy."

"Oh yeah?" Rika asked. "Doesn't look like it."

"Not this room, though. The rest of the apartment is pretty nice."

"I'm honored you let me sleep in such a wonderful room." Rika teased.

"No, this is MY room. There's another room. I specifically asked him not to go in here. Privacy,
you know. Wouldn't want him to read the countless love letters I wrote you." Ryo grinned.

"Ryo!" she laughed.

"I only stay here about three times a month, when I come to visit my dad."

"Don't you stay with your dad?"

"No."

Rika looked away. "Oh..." She remembered something. "Ryo?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we...keep this to ourselves for now? At least until this thing is over." Rika said.

Ryo nodded. "Of course. We'll tell everybody when you're ready to."

He got up and put on his jacket. "Well, I'm going to go get breakfast now."

"No, please don't, you've done so much already." Rika said with a hint of guilt.

"It's OK, really. I want to. I didn't get it earlier because I didn't want to leave you alone too
long. You should've seen the line at the store, I mean, a mile long and---"

"Ryo?" Rika grinned widely.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Everything."

Ryo understood. "No problem." He bent down to kiss her forehead. "You just make yourself at home.
I'll be back in a little bit."

"Bye."

Rika watched him go out the door and sank back into the warm comfort of the pillow and comforter.
*I'm so lucky to have someone like Ryo. He's such a great guy. What did I do to deserve him?*

She smiled when she looked at the diamond on her hand. *And now I'll be with him forever.*

* * *


"Hey, does anyone know where Ryo and Rika are?" Takato asked. "It's almost 10 o'clock and they're
not here yet."

"Maybe they got eaten by wild Digimon!" Kazu joked in a menacing voice.

There was yells of "Kazu!" and "No way!" from the group. Just then, Rika came bounding into the room,
followed closely by Ryo.

"Sorry we're late," Rika took off her bag and put it in her chair.

Jeri noticed something immediately in Rika. She eyed her friend suspiciously. "OK. Out with it."

"What?" Rika looked back at Jeri innocently.

"Why are you so giddy this morning?"

"I had a great sleep."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes!" Rika said in a final sort of voice. She then noticed that she had not yet taken the ring off
her finger. She quickly took it off and stuffed it in her bag, but not quickly enough, for the
glittering light caused by it caught Jeri's attention.

"What's that?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing." Rika said quickly, zipping up the bag, but by accident, not all the way. "Nothing at all."

"It was something." Jeri said. "Something very shiny."

"It was just a coin," Rika desperately tried to change the subject. "Beautiful morning, isn't
it?"

"Yeah it is," Jeri looked out the window. "It's gonna be sunny all day..."

Rika chose this oppurtunity to run away. Jeri looked after her. "You're hiding something, Rika...
and I'm going to find out what."


* * *


"Ryo, bad news." Rika said as soon as she saw him.

"What is it?" Ryo turned away from his computer to look at her. "What's wrong?"

"Jeri's suspecting something." Rika said.

"About---?"

"Yes! She---kinda saw the ring."

"Wait, wasn't this your idea to keep it secret?"

"Yes, yes, it was, but now---"

"Uh, Rika?" Ryo shook his head vigorously at her not to continue.

"What?"

"Rika---" he pointed behind her.

"Ryo, what are you...? Anyway, this is gonna be hard to keep secret--"

"Keep what secret?" said a voice that sounded oddly like Kenta's. Rika turned around to see that
the entire group was standing right behind them.

"I tried to tell you," Ryo gave a dry laugh.

"Oh, hey, guys, whatcha doin' there?" Rika asked, smiling nervously.

"We know." Henry said, showing her the ring.

"Where did you get that?" Rika said indignantly. "You haven't been going through my backpack, have
you?"

"No." Jeri said, stepping up. "It fell out."

"Oh, crap!" Rika cursed. "I must not have zipped it up all the way!"

"How long have you guys kept this from us?" Kazu said in a dramatic, broken-hearted voice.

"We just got engaged last night," Ryo admitted.

"OK then." Kazu sounded satisfied.

"Ryo, can I talk to you? NOW?" Rika motioned toward the other room.

"Uh, yeah, sure." Ryo looked back at them, afraid.

"He's getting it." Takato said, sighing.

* * *


"We need to talk about this." Rika sat down on the lobby sofa.

"I don't see what the big deal is about." Ryo said.

"I don't know---it's---it's weird." Rika got up again, pacing back and forth. "Are we rushing
into this, Ryo?"

It was as if Ryo had never heard anything like that in his life. "You...don't want to do this, do
you?"

Rika sighed. "I---I---I'm just scared," She stopped pacing. "Especially with what happened with
my parents..."

Ryo was silent. He didn't really think about that.

She noticed his expression. It was like she knew what he was thinking. "Look..." she went and sat
down next to him. "I want to get married. I mean, I really do. Don't you?"

"Of course I do, I'm just confused." He said.

"But..." Rika frowned. "We really haven't thought this over, you know?"

"Yeah." He turned to look at her. "Tell you what, why don't we just forget about this until everything's
OK again?"

"Deal." She smiled and hugged him. Then she was feeling happier than ever. "Ryo, you know I love
you, right?"

"You do?" Ryo said sarcastically. Then he said more seriously, "Yes, I do."

"Do you love me?" Rika said in a kiddy voice pouting.

"I don't know..."

"Ryo!"

He laughed. "I'm kidding---of course I do."

* * *

"What's going on?" Kenta whined. "You guys aren't letting me listen to anything."

"Shh!"

The entire group was pressing their ears against the door, listening.

"Can I go then? Because I missed breakfast this morning and I'm hungry..."

"SHH!!"

"Sounds like they've worked things out." Jeri whispered, smiling.

"So it's official," Henry nodded. "They're getting married."

"Wow, do you realize that now that they're getting hitched, nothing's ever going to be the
same again?" Kazu said.

"Of course it'll be the same," Takato gave him a reassuring smile. "Ryo and Rika'll just be married..
it won't stop them from being friends with us. They'll just be closer friends with each other."

"Right."

"Well let me the one to say finally!" Kenta said. "I mean, after all those years..."

"It is very romantic, isn't it?" Jeri said dreamily.

"To Ryo and Rika!" Kazu said, and everyone held up their soda cans. "May they have a long and loving
life."

But deep down in their hearts, they all doubted that.



...end of Chapter XI!



A/N: The Digi-Battle comes up shortly after this. A bit of a spoiler for ya: Ryo DOES get captured
by the D-Army! Good job, Akino Ame! ;D How, and what happens after that, you'll find out in chapters
XIII and XIV(thirteen and fourteen)!