Anything For A Friend

By: The Smashfriends

SF: Sorry for the long delay, here is the next chapter of this story, thanks to those who bothered in review the last chapter, as usual, at the end of this chapter, our thanks to you will be at the end of this chapter, we'll try to finish this story first than any other fic we have unfinished, we'll do our best to finish each and every one of our fics, the reasons why we haven't been able to write are not because we have been in a writer's block nor because we didn't want to finish our fics, as we said before, we'll finish each and every one of our fics, but it will take us time. Now we are in different schools and it's a lot more difficult for us to keep writing and there are many other reason, if you remember, A. is sick and…is a sickness with no cure, lately she hasn't been that well, luckily enough she is getting better but still…there are other reasons but enough of that, now, let's get going with the fic.

Terriermon: Okay, now, it has been a long time and I'm still not replaced…though I don't know if that is a good or a bad thing…anyway, the SF don't own Digimon. And I send my greetings to A. since this Saturday is her birthday. Happy birthday A!!!

Chapter 6: I Only Wish Your Happiness.

'Don't be thinkin' you're gonna lose before ya even fight'-Barret Wallace, Final Fantasy VII.

Takato blinked, this was something he wasn't expecting, he never thought that something like this could ever happen. There was no way that Rika would invite Jeri to come over to her house….but here she was and both girls were giving him weird looks. Jeri was giving him a kind of surprised look, the look it will give you a little kid if you caught him taking the cookie jar just before diner after you told him not to; Rika's look disconcerted him the most for he saw something he couldn't quite describe, not related with Rika Nonaka, who never showed any other emotion that wasn't anger, maybe from time to time in the last months she would show happiness, but never the look she gave him now, and coming from her, Takato didn't know what could mean, and for the moment he thought it would be better not to say anything in front of Jeri.

He forced a smile and said "Hi Jeri, Rika" He looked at Rika again and noticed that what had worried him before wan no longer there, if it was because she felt better now or because she was just hidden her true emotions, Takato didn't know, but he took it as a good sign that she seemed to be her usual self and his smile wasn't forced anymore when both girls returned his smile and his greetings.

"Well, I got to go. See ya later guys!" Jeri said waving to Takato and almost bowing to Rika, at what Rika raised an eyebrow.

It wasn't until Jeri was out of hearing range when Rika turned to Takato and narrowed her eyes to him. Takato again blinked and after a moment of silence he said "What!?"

"She came to ask me if…we are a couple!" Rika almost yelled but in the middle of her sentence she realized that if she yelled that, her mother and her grandmother would hear her and that wouldn't be convenient at all.

Takato's eyes widened and his cheeks turned red, but neither he nor Rika would know if it was because of the implication that they were a couple or because Jeri wanted to know if they were a couple, but a very small part of Rika wished to be the first, while Takato was just confused not knowing himself why was he blushing.

"And…what did you tell her?" Takato asked and at that question made Rika's heart drop a little bit, and in a way she hated her self for that, for feeling that way.

"What else, that we are just friends and that you only come here because you want me to advice you" Rika answered with her usual tone of angry voice, though it was being difficult for her to keep her façade, and more in front of Takato, but many years of hiding and "acting" were being a lot of help right now.

"Advice…of what?" he asked carefully, fearful of angering the Digimon Ice Queen.

Rika didn't answer him and went inside her house, she didn't close the door and Takato took this as a sign to go inside with her. He closed the door after he was inside the house and followed Rika to her room. Once in there Rika motioned for him to sit and so he did.

"If anyone else ask, you will tell them what I'm about to tell you or even better, tomorrow morning you are going to the park and play, or do whatever you want with your idiots friends, and then you are going to tell them that you have been coming to my house because I have been teaching you some tricks to play cards or better said my techniques to play cards" Rika said looking straight at Takato's eyes or rather something behind him and making it look like she was looking at his eyes, she was not about to risk looking at his eyes and let all those feelings she is having be shown in her eyes.

"Ummm….Ok. So…it was that what you told Jeri?" Takato asked starting to feel uncomfortable with the attitude Rika was having with him 'It's my imagination or is she acting cold' he thought trying hard not to frown.

"Yes, that's what I told her….and it would be better if….you don't come so often here anymore" saying that was more difficult than she wanted it to be, not just because it meant that she won't be seeing him so often and what was more difficult was not to show how sad she felt saying that.

"But…" "You asked me to help you to find a way to tell Jeri how you feel, and I think that I already did my part so I don't see why you have to keep coming here" Rika cut Takato out before he said something that would make her regret and take back what she said, and she only got silence as an answer.

Takato was stunned, he thought that he had won Rika's trust and friendship already and he was more than happy for it, but now….now she was back to her old self and that made him sad, Rika had become his best human friend and he liked that, he liked being with her, he liked that she trusted him, he liked being her friend, that she thought of him as a friend…but now, she seemed not to care for anything, she seemed not to care for him, for their friendship, and now he was wondering if there was ever such friendship, he really didn't know, not anymore.

He bowed his head and in a low voice said just a "Goodnight" and then he got up and left, with a heavy heart, Takato decided that…perhaps it would be better…not to come again.

'Sorry Takato, but it is for the best, Jeri won't misunderstand our relationship again and she will dare to confess her feelings for you, and then you will be happy and I only wish for your happiness…' Rika thought and she too bowed his head, she felt her eyes burning, she closed them and tried hard to contain the tears that dared to try to come out, taking deep breaths she was able to contain them, but she wasn't able to erase or ignore the sting in her heart.

It had been several days since the last time Rika had seen Takato; she had stayed in her house and only going out to her usual walks but always avoiding any meeting with the rest of the tamers, she didn't know if Takato and Jeri were already a couple, she really didn't want to know and she asked Renamon to keep for herself any information about the goggle-head, Renamon understood why Rika didn't want to know anything about Takato but…she wished that things were different, she wished to see Rika happy again, as happy as she was when Takato visited her, when Takato was her friend, but there was nothing that Renamon could do, she didn't know if Takato and Jeri were already a couple or if they were just really close, but both situations would affect Rika, so she did as she was asked and didn't say anything, she didn't tried to convince Rika to try to be Takato's friend again nor to look for the rest of the tamers and hang out with them and she didn't tried to talk with Takato and tell him how Rika was doing, though she was very tempted to do it, Rika wasn't becoming like before she meet Takato, she wasn't cold and angered all the time…but she was cold and silent all the time, Renamon didn't dared to say that Rika was sad, but she knew that there was no other way of describing Rika's behavior, and though it pained her, Renamon keep silent but there was someone else that saw the change in Rika, and he wasn't going to remain silent.

Rika was taking her usual walk, she had her headphones on and she was listening to her music but she was starting to get lost in thought, so lost in thought that she didn't realized that someone was following her, so lost in thought that she didn't even noticed where she was now, not until she saw Jeri and Takato sitting close to each other and around them where Kazu and Kenta trying to get Takato to play cards to them, probably trying to get the techniques that Rika taught him, as Takato must have made them believe, Henry was in front of them, watching the closeness between Takato and Jeri, he seemed almost depressed and at the same time jealous of them; and the Digimon seemed oblivious of anything else but their games, all but Renamon who had already noticed the presence of her tamer, but Renamon decided not to let the others know that Rika was there.

Rika saw how Takato seemed happy and that lightened her heart a little, but she didn't want to continue looking at them, and it was then when the person following her let his presence be known.

Rika felt a hand rest in her shoulder and quickly turned to look who it was, it was Ryo Akiyama, and Rika instantly gave him a murderous glare, which made Ryo take his hand away instantly.

"I'm not in the mood Akiyama, so go bother someone else" Rika replied and was about to leave when Ryo stopped her, he placed a hand on her shoulder again and gave her a pleading look, though Rika couldn't care less for Ryo, she couldn't ignore him and stayed to hear what he had to say (SF: It's not going to turn a Ryuki).

"I want to tell you something, I know you may kill me after what I'm going to tell you but I ask you to let me finish and then….you can't do whatever you want, alright?" Ryo said taking his hand off Rika's shoulder and waited for Rika's answer.

"…..Fine, but make it quick" Rika replied crossing her arms over her chest, Ryo sighed and thought how to start with his speech.

"Well Rika, this isn't easy to say but I'm going to say it anyway. I like you and I could almost dare to say that…well, is more than just liking you, I love you but before you beat me up, let me finish. I already know you don't feel the same, and you don't have to say anything. I only wanted to let you know, I wanted to, how should I explain it….well, you know, it's like lifting something heavy from your shoulders…from your heart, and is this what takes me want to tell you something else. I think that you should tell Takato what you feel, even if he doesn't feel the same way about you, I think you will feel better, I know I do, and he has a right to know as I think you had right to know what I feel for you, though you may not care at all what I feel, I know Takato would care to know how you feel and I know that he will stay at your side and he will continue being your friend, and who knows, he might be more than a friend in a future. Just tell him Rika, if you don't is as if you're letting yourself lose a battle before you even start to fight and that's not the Rika Nonaka that I know and grew to…love" Ryo said watching carefully every reaction Rika had at what he was saying, and he waited for her to digest everything he said.

Rika was simply stunned, her eyes wide open, not just because she just discovered Ryo felt that way about her, she believed that he was just teasing whenever he was around her trying to hit on her, she never thought that he was serious, but what shocked her the most was that Ryo knows of her feelings for Takato, she bowed her head thinking about everything Ryo told her and she didn't know if she should do as Ryo said and confess Takato her feelings for him.

After a while, Rika looked up at Ryo, she wasn't angered at him and was surprised with herself when she gave him a quick but tight hug and said 'Thank you, for everything. You know this is difficult for me to say….but you are a good guy and….(deep breath) you are not so bad looking. I…I…do care about your feelings but…you are right, I….do have feelings…for Takato. I would like….for us…to be friends Ryo and I thank you for your advice and I'm going to think about it."

(SF: So? How's that? For you who don't like Ryo bashing and tell us that it seems as if we can find another way for Rika to reject Ryo because we make him look like a complete jerk, was this good? We hope it did, it was difficult to write it since is obvious we don't like Ryo. And you who dislike Ryo and love Ryo bashing…sorry but we needed to show that we can write something about Ryo being a nice guy, in other fics the Ryo bashing will most probably continue, do not worry. Hehehehe!!)

Ryo smiled at that and said "Of course Rika, I will be very happy to be your friend. And I suppose that now you are leaving to your home so…can I walk you there?"

"Well….I guess you can, but don't try anything funny!!" Rika replied smirking, Ryo chuckled and shook his head. Then the two walked home, moments in silence and other chatting about the newest Digimon Cards.

End Of Chapter 6

SF: That's all for now, we hope you had liked this, we'll try to get the next chapter soon, no so soon as you would like but as soon as it be possible for us. From our other fics, we have more than the half of the chapter from the fic "Not A Simple Kind Of Life" and like the third part of the next chapter of "RE A New Nightmare" Those are the fics we are working on. Please give us 5 reviews or so to continue with this chapter, if we get this number of reviews we'll continue with this fic first, if not, we go with the fic that got more reviews and we leave at the end the one with less reviews, that goes for all our fics…just that we haven't been able to finish the chapter for "Not A Simple Kind Of Life" which is the fic with more reviews in just one chapter. Anyway, please R&R!! And see ya!!!

Terriermon: Now, we'll give you the thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter.

Newbi: Yes, it is a Rukato just that is a slow way to get there. Everything will work out at the end for our favorite couple. And thanks for reviewing, hope you keep reading.

Morbed-Kai: Thanks, let's say that the end is near but still a little far XDD, you still have to wait. Keep reading!!

Terriermon: Haha!!! Just 2 reviewers!! Good going SmahF!!! Hehehehe!!!

SF: SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!! That's it!!! Let's eat Digi-bunny with chilly!!

Terriermon: O.O!!