Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Christmas Moonshine

Chapter: 02

The lights are turned way down low…

Let it snow. Let it snow. Let it snow…

The festive, western music filtered in from somewhere deep in the house. Faint, but traveling. Rika thought of her mother as the most likely source due to her foreign travels and her fondness for the west. Not that she had any particular dislike for Christmas music from any country, but today she didn't feel the least bit in the mood.

At least it's got the right idea, she thought, peeking out from underneath the covers of her futon and wincing as the light of morning assaulted her temples. Promptly, she retreated back into the warm darkness, groaning irritably.

The sound of a flute whistling intruded on the silence the darkness promised. Rika didn't even to look to know the source of that music.

Renamon… she thought.

"Good morning, Rika. How are you this morning?"

Rika felt hot as her cheeks flushed. In answer, she turned over onto her side so that her back faced her partner.

"Aside from the headache and the fact that I embarrassed myself last night in front of two of my best friends, I'm perfectly fine," she grumbled sarcastically. Inwardly, she wasn't sure which was worse. That she had behaved the way she had – attempting to kiss Takato! – or that she had done so in front of Terriermon.

He probably thinks I'm a creep now or something, she bemoaned, tucking the blanket about her head. The heat swirled about her, suffocating in its intensity. Rika made a grumbling noise, refusing to surrender to the needs of her lungs just yet.

"Well, at least there's something at which you can remain perfect at," came Renamon's teasing response. Beneath the blanket, Rika scowled and soon unfurled the futon and rose up into the chill, morning air. Her violet eyes met Renamon's azure ones defiantly, barely noticing that the vulpine digimon had a glass of water in one hand.

"You're making fun of me," Rika said accusingly.

"I thought it might elicit a response from you that would untangle you from bed. It prevents me from having to remove you myself."

Rika's scowl furthered, not at all sure if her partner were being serious or not. Renamon rarely acted in such a way, save when she felt her partner was being 'bratty.' To date though, she had never tumbled anyone out of their bed to get them out of it.

Then again, I've never had trouble getting out of it before, she thought, sighing in resignation. Drawing back the rest of her blanket, Rika climbed to her feet.

"Fine. It's about time I got up anyway." She glanced over at the clock and winced, seeing the time blinking at her. Only eight in the morning, though for her it was unusually late. "What are we doing today that needs me up, anyway?"

"I was under the impression that you desired to 'clear the air' with Takato today." Renamon offered the fire-haired girl the glass of water. Rika reluctantly took it and drank it down in one go.

"Oh," she said, wiping at her mouth. "Right."

Renamon cocked her head to one side, taking the glass back. "Is something the matter?"

"No. No. It's fine." Shaking her head, Rika made her way over to her dresser and began to sort through her clothes, having forgotten to lay any out last night. "I'm sure it'll just be normal. Just Takato being a Gogglehead, drawing the wrong conclusions while I put on an angry front to keep him from jabbering the way he usually does. Same as usual."

"Well, at least you admit it's a front," Renamon said. Placing the cup on one of her shelves, she took up Rika's futon and rolled it up. Padding over to the closet, she put it away. Rika snorted, considering her selection of shirts. Red, black or blue? What message did she want to send Takato?

Red will probably put him on his guard. Black will probably make him freak out. Blue it is then.

If there was one thing she liked about Takato, it was that his behavior was, for the most part, reliable, even if he himself wasn't predictable.

Like… she thought, quickly swapping out shirts. The word made her glance up at the photo on the far side of her room. The picture of herself, Henry and Takato, several years younger and wearing summer clothes at Okinawa. A rather ill-timed adventure, as so often happened in her line of work as a Tamer. She hadn't been terribly thrilled then either, having been less close to the duo back then. Yet, in the intervening years since then, things had changed.

More things than she initially thought, if her behavior last night had been any indication.

Blushing, she hurriedly glanced away from the photo and hurried to finish getting changed. Even though she knew it was just a photograph, she felt as though those eyes of that long-ago Takato were on her. She resisted the urge to plant it face down to hide those warm, red-colored irises of his.

I'm not going to lose to him or even a picture of him. I'm not!

"Stupid…"

"Rika?"

"Just talking to myself, that's all." Buttoning up her jeans, Rika snatched up her belt and socks and quickly put them on as well. Renamon raised an eyebrow.

"Are you planning on leaving now?"

"I want this done and over with as quick as I can. I should have taken care of this last night after I sobered up…"

"As I recall, it was late at the time. And you were rather busy complaining about Takato to Jeri."

Rika's blush positively darkened in recollection. The poor girl had been tired out from helping her father at his tavern and about to bed down when she buzzed her. How Jeri had managed to keep her patience over such poor timing she had no idea.

"I'll have to apologize to her too," Rika muttered. How the heck did I end up needing to apologize to her and Takato and not Henry? You'd think I would need to because of Terriermon or something. His mouth is big enough. Ugh. I can't believe how stupid all this is.

Making her way over to where her cellphone was currently charging, she snatched it up and typed up a quick message. Sorry about last night. Mom got me buzzed when I got news about my university acceptance. I wasn't in my right mind. Sorry again. I'll see you later.

Not quite as short as she was used to, but after all the droning on and on she did about how mad Takato made her, taking the time to write out a few more sentences couldn't hurt.

"All right," Rika said, pocketing her phone. "Now to get my jacket."

"You're not getting breakfast first?" Renamon asked.

"I'll get something at Takato's. I…" Her pocket buzzed. Taking out her phone, Rika quickly read Jeri's response.

It's all right. I kind of figured something like that happened.

Rika grimaced. "Renamon? I…wasn't that drunk, was I?"

Renamon lifted an eyebrow. "Well, you were more open, shall we say? And strangely possessive of Takato and the bread he gave you."

Rika massaged her forehead. That didn't tell her much. But then, she didn't have much to compare it to except what she saw on TV and the one Christmas party her family threw together for the Tamers back when she was 16. Henry had a little too much eggnog then and gotten a little loopy. She knew her behavior hadn't been great – as evidenced by her attempted, forceful kissing of Takato – but had her drunkenness been that obvious that Jeri could tell over the phone?

Then again, it's not every day that I just call her up late at night, out of the blue and start ranting about our gogglehead. She's probably seen a lot worse than me at her family's tavern. She has talked about how she's had to help throw out drunk customers.

She sighed. Well, either way, it doesn't tell me the one thing I really want to know.

"Renamon? Do I…like-like Takato?"

Renamon watched her silently before asking, "What do you think?"

Rika gave her partner a hard look. "If I knew, I wouldn't be asking. You're…more 'observant,' I guess you could say about me and how I feel about things. So, I figured, maybe you picked up on something."

Renamon cocked her head to one side, giving Rika's concern the careful consideration it deserved.

"You seem to value his presence more than the others," she said finally, her response slow and deliberate, weighing out her words. "Other than that, I could think of any number of things that might be suggestive of feelings, but I feel it would be better if you weren't being prejudiced in your conclusions. So…what do you think?"

Rika's eyes became downcast. She didn't like her partner's response – or rather, the lack thereof. But what other answer was there? Renamon knew a lot about her, but even she didn't know everything.

What am I going to say to him? she wondered, drawing away and exiting her room wordlessly. That question seemed to be an important path to take. 'Clear the air,' I said, but what does that even mean? That last night meant nothing? That he shouldn't take it seriously?

Her lips pinched, thinking about how he would respond. He wore his feelings on his sleeve, but that didn't mean he wouldn't make an effort to hide them if he thought they would hurt someone. She had been aware his crush on her. His brief switch to calling her 'Nonaka-san' had been her first clue, followed by a year of odd, awkward behavior where he seemed to stumble even worse over his words whenever she was around. While flattering in some sense, it was also worrisome, if only slightly. She remembered largely having brushed it off as a mere phase he was going through. Perhaps even a rebound from Jeri, who had rejected him some years before. No doubt he had thought those things as well and didn't want to burden her by not telling her how he felt, especially if he believed that she felt nothing in return beyond friendship . Takato could be dense, but he wasn't the sort to just sit on his feelings if he were sure about them.

Making her way into the living room, she found her mother seated at a table, watching a holiday special on TV. Hearing her approach, Rumiko looked up and smiled.

"Good morning, Rika," she greeted. "You're up awfully late. Well, at least for you. Are you feeling okay?"

"Swell," she grumped. "Listen, Mom. I'm…going to be heading out for a while."

"Going to see a friend?" Rumiko's eyes seemed to shine knowingly and Rika felt her stomach twist uncomfortably.

"Something like that. I…um…might have said some things to Takato that I shouldn't have."

Rumiko gave a light laugh. She tried not to, and she blushed in embarrassment as she did. Rika frowned.

"Mom…"

"Sorry. I don't mean to. I just…" She gave a sudden snerk noise. "Sorry again." She waved at her daughter. "I might have overheard some of what you said to him when you were talking to him."

Rika felt her heart plunge into her stomach as she blushed in humiliation. "Ugh. Great. Does everyone in the stupid city know too?"

Rumiko frowned now. "Rika… It's perfectly fine to like someone. I mean, you could have gone about it better, but…"

"I don't…!" Rika began angrily, only to abruptly stop herself. She felt her lips twist about her denial in defiance of it. Her face heating up, she struggled to finish the sentence, only to find herself unable to do so. An image of Takato's face, a smile crafted to hide how he really felt, crept up in her mind and brought her up short. Rika clenched her fists at that, suddenly becoming angry. She found that the thought of him trying to hide his feelings from her in an effort to protect their friendship – despite whatever disappointment or hurt he felt if she rejected him – hurt.

I guess that crush meant more to me than I thought it did, she mused in irritation. It didn't quite tell her what she wanted to know, but it felt concrete. Like a light in the dark.

Something inside her solidified and settled. Taking a deep breath, she unknotted her fists.

"Yeah," she said a bit throatily. "I could have gone about it better." Her gaze hardened. "And I'm goingto."

"Oh my…" Rumiko's hand went to her lips, caught somewhere between giggling and concern for her daughter's friend. "Don't hurt the poor boy."

Rika harrumphed. What did her mother think she would do? Hit him? As if! At the very worst, she would tug at his cheek, as she was wont to do from time to time these last few years. For all his faults, Takato seemed incapable of making her mad enough to punch him.

In either case, he's too cute to punch anyway, she thought distractedly.

"I'll try not to pinch him," she reassured her mother, turning away. She paused, and then blushed as she realized the double meaning of her words. A second later, it seemed, so did Rumiko as she snerked again. Rika turned a baleful glare in her direction, but the older woman was not in the least bit intimidated.

"Go on," she said, struggling between giggles, waving her off. "But if it comes down to pinching, make sure that's all you do."

Walked right into that one. Rika rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Ugh. I'm out of here."

Storming off, Rika stopped just long enough to snatch her jacket from off its coat hanger and then grab her shoes. As she exited the house, Renamon materialized by her side.

"Would you like me to take you there?" she asked. Rika shook her head, and she felt the tangled mess in her mind as she did so.

"I need some time to sort things out," she said. "Hopefully by the time I get there, I'll have figured out what to say to him."

Renamon nodded respectfully and with that, she vanished from view. Rika could still feel her however, hovering at the edges of her senses. A constant source of comfort and strength, always there and close for when she needed it. Rika swallowed nervously, heading down the path toward her home's gate.

Figure out what to say… That's a joke. I had a hard enough time admitting to myself that I cared about Renamon. If the past means anything, I'm going to run a groove in the ground long before I figure anything out. Ugh. Takato… You'd better do yourself a favor and be there when I get to your place! Otherwise, I'm going to pinch your cheeks right off!

###

Takato shrugged out of his pajama's top. Wakefulness was slow in coming just as sleep had been scant hours before and it showed in his sluggish movements. In spite of this, his red-colored eyes fell upon the shirt hanging off the back of his desk's chair. Light blue-colored raglan sleeves against a white chest, broken only by the full-heart emblazoned at the center.

Just as before, as it had been nearly without letup, his mind turned back to trying to figure out just what happened last night and what it meant between him and Rika. And just like then, it came up with nothing.

It's like a bad dream, he mused, the full-heart staring at him. I mean, a good dream. I mean, well, if Rika hadn't been drunk at the time it'd be a good dream. I mean…

Takato's eyes slid shut and he ran a hand through his messy hair.

None of this makes sense. I've gone crazy. That's the only logical answer, right? I've gone nuts and I'm imagining her old shirt hanging off my chair for some reason.

Stranger things had happened to him in his life and he felt tempted to believe that his losing his mind was the most likely thing that happened. Unfortunately, Henry, Terriermon and Guilmon had all been there and were all able to attest as to what happened. The shirt was real. Rika had been slightly tipsy and she had almost kissed him. Even going so far as to tell him not to see other girls. A part of him wanted to be happy. The knowledge that she had feelings for him – or at least appeared to – should have made him giddy with joy. Instead, he could only question his sanity.

She never seemed to want to be more than friends for as long as I've known her, he thought. I mean, sure she teased me a few times about 'being in love with her' when we were kids, but she never meant anything by it. Even after my slipup with her name, she just seemed to want to be my friend. Last night…couldn't have meant anything.

Could it?

Approaching the chair, he laid a hand on the smooth, worn fabric. It brought back memories of comforting hugs. Her scent, a combination of sakura petals and a fresh, spring rain beneath a warm sun, followed them and his thumb traced along the shirt's surface.

Rika… Why?

Feeling a little bit like a creep at the attention he was giving the old shirt, he withdrew his hand. A moment later, there came a low scratching noise at the door.

"Takato?" came Guilmon's call as the door slid open. "Your mom wants to know what's taking you so long."

"Sorry," the boy replied, glancing back at his partner. "I'll be down soon, boy."

Guilmon smiled. "No need to apologize. Your mom says that if you take too much longer, I can have your breakfast."

"You're obsessed," Takato chuckled while Guilmon laughed at their old joke. The mood felt strange to Takato however and didn't feel like it fit him. Like the shirt, it was several sizes too small.

Guilmon tilted his head at him questioningly, noticing that his partner was bare from the waist up and standing in front of Rika's shirt.

"Ah… Are you going to put on Rika's old clothes? Is that why you're taking so long?"

"N-No!" Takato hastily stammered out, a blush erupting across his face. Where does he come up with these crazy ideas? "I'm just…just thinking about last night."

"You've been thinking about it a lot since we got home," Guilmon said, stepping into the room. "You didn't want to talk about it then. Do you want to now?"

"I…" Takato scratched the back of his head before turning away. "I don't even know what to say."

"But it's so easy. You're worried about whether or not Rika likes you, right? The way you used to like Jeri?"

Takato turned back toward his partner, eyes growing wide with amazement. Guilmon grinned.

"See? I told you it was easy."

"Well, it's a little more complicated than that," Takato said, a corner of his mouth quirking slightly in a smile. "But…yeah. I am worried. And…worried about whether or not what happened will hurt our friendship. I…" He cast a glance back at the girl's old shirt. "I don't want to lose her. Even if she doesn't like me the way I like her, I don't want to lose her."

He winced outwardly, feeling his heart clench in his chest. His mind was already turning toward what she might say to him once they saw each other again. The awkwardness would be there, that much was for certain. She would tell him that they couldn't stay friends after what happened. That it would make things too weird between them, especially with how he felt about her and how she couldn't return those feelings.

It'd be my fault, he thought. If I hadn't slipped up that one time, this might never have happened. She knows me. She can read me like a book. She couldn't have missed how I referred to Jeri back then and how I referred to her. She'd make the connection. Even if she didn't notice it consciously, it probably influenced her subconsciously or unconsciously or whatever it is and it came out after she got enough to drink and…and…

"Takato?"

"Ah! W-Wha…?" Takato looked back over at Guilmon, who was looking at him questioningly. It took him a second to realize that Guilmon had been trying to ask him something and he had been completely lost in his thoughts. "Sorry. Um… What did you say?"

"I was wondering why you think you might lose Rika. I mean, isn't she still friends with Ryo? Oh, and Kazu?"

Takato frowned slightly. "Kazu's not that bad," he said. "I know she likes to complain about him a lot, but they just butt heads sometimes. That's all."

At least he stopped with the staring, he added mentally. Puberty had been such a confusing time for everyone, not to mention painful. "And as for Ryo… Well, it's kind of hard not to like him. I mean, like she always said. He's perfect."

"Even though they argue a lot whenever she sees him?"

"Well, Rika likes to argue and he's her rival."

He pressed his lips together tightly. If there was anyone he thought Rika had feelings for, at least of the romantic variety, it was Ryo. He couldn't quite explain it out loud or even to himself mentally, but he understood on a deep level that the two complimented each other well and had a yin-yang balance with one another. Rika was a sorcerer and worked well with him on the front lines, and his technological elements contrasted her magic in a more upfront way.

Even their digivices are like yin and yang, he thought, pushing away from his chair and heading over to his dresser. Picking through it, he searched for clothes with which to be presentable. They're opposites, but they're also a lot alike and pretty competitive. Plus, Ryo looks pretty handsome and he's got a lot of confidence to go along with his skill. And he always knows the right thing to say. What's not to like about him? Rika's always had a hard time talking about how she feels, so maybe her arguing with him is like a way to show that she's interested?

Of course, Takato knew he was playing at hypotheticals. He knew very little about how Rika felt when it came to romance, as she herself astutely observed last night and many other times before then. But if he were to put money down on anyone, it was Ryo.

And yet…last night tugged at his doubts, pulling them in a new direction. With a frown, he pushed them back on the previous path.

Time to stop dreaming about what-ifs, Takato. There's no way Rika would like you that way and you know it. After all these years, do you really think that she wouldn't just tell you if she didn't feel the same way?

Experience, recent and not-so-recent, suggested that she very well might not. Takato ignored that too, not wanting to feel hopeful. After Jeri, he didn't dare feel hopeful, nor did he feel right wanting to. Rika was her own person after all and not a prize to be won.

That didn't stop his heart from feeling the way it did however. Hope continued to spring eternal as his thoughts circled back to last night once again like water going down the tub drain.

"Hmmm… I don't get it. You sound like you're different or something. But you're still friends with Jeri even though she didn't return your feelings."

Takato hummed at that. Guilmon had a point there. But he was forgetting one crucial thing. "Rika's different from Jeri though. And that makes me and how I feel about her different. How I feel about her might make me look like a problem. And she has a hard time trusting people. I don't know if she could trust me. I don't know if I would trust me."

In his mind, he thought of a time back during their first adventure. Backed into a corner, he had born witness to a friend of his, a digimon named Leomon, being murdered and loaded. A permanent death as far as digimon went. He hadn't reacted well and forced Guilmon to digivolve into whatever he thought it would take to protect everyone else. Even if it meant turning his partner into a monster.

Could he trust himself with how he felt? The question had been hanging in the back of his mind for years, never quite being answered. At least in his mind despite righting the wrong he had made shortly after the incident occurred. The potential for further wrongdoing, after all, remained.

Guilmon didn't appear convinced by his partner's reasoning. "Don't you think you're skating on sausages, Takato?" he asked, stepping closer. "Sure, Rika's not Jeri, but she's never turned her back on a friend before. Why would she start now? So, you feel differently about her now than you used to. No big deal, right?"

Except, it is a big deal, Takato thought. He kept this to himself though, not trusting his mouth and brain to work together well enough to convey what he was trying to say. Love changed things. Rika knew that better than anyone. She loved her partner like a sister and she had found that frightening when she first realized how much she cared.

How would she react now? Skating on sausages didn't quite describe it.

But then…why would she try to kiss me if she didn't feel the same way? a part of him wondered. Why would she tell me to wait for her? Or give me her old shirt as a present? Why…all of last night?

There was that hope again. He shook his head.

"Sometimes…I wish I could just turn off how I feel," he murmured. "It sure would make things a lot easier."

Tap! Tap! Tap!

"Hey! Gogglehead!"

"Whaaa…!"

Takato's surprised squawk broke across his thoughts, as did a shirt and pair of pants. Whirling about, he saw Rika and Renamon standing on the metal porch outside his room's glass door, the latter of whom was staring at him, arms crossed, hip cocked impatiently and an expression that at once mixed between irritation and curiosity. As her violet eyes looked at him, raking along his bare chest, something seemed to dawn within their lilac depths and crimson graced her features.

With the morning light framing her commanding figure and her blushing face, Takato thought she looked beautiful. Unfortunately, he was not in the frame of mind to appreciate the moment. Hastily snatching up his shirt, he tugged it on, his head briefly getting stuck in one sleeve before he forced it back the way it needed to go. The tag stuck out from the front, but Takato didn't yet notice. Instead, he rushed over to the door and jerked it open.

"Rika!" he exclaimed. "What…?"

"We need to talk," she said. Tilting her head, she frowned at him and then pointed with one finger. Blinking, he looked down at himself and the tag tickled his throat. With a quiet curse, he quickly turned it back around.

"Sorry," he said, settling himself down. "Anyway, about what you were saying? You said…?"

"…that we need to talk," Rika interrupted, shifting her arms. "About last night." A pause before she continued with, "About us."

Takato felt his heart crack. Ah, nuts…

"Right," he said, nodding uncomfortably, feeling his heart jack up its hammering in his chest.

"Your dad already knows I'm up here," Rika added, looking away and shifting her arms again. "I ran into him down below. He gave me permission to take this route."

"Right," Takato repeated, nodding again. It was a strange thing to mention after opening with the need for them to talk, but Takato had an idea that it was meant to buy her some time. Time to sort out her feelings and pick her words. He scratched the back of his head. "About…About last night…"

He ran a tongue along his lips, realizing just how dry his mouth had gotten in the short time since their arrival.

Why is this hard? he wondered, his brain buzzing as he tried to make his mouth work.

Fortunately for him, Guilmon came to his rescue, waving a big, clawed hand and smiling happily.

"Rika! Renamon! Hi! Would you like some breakfast? Takato's mom is about to give his away. She said I could have it, but if you're hungry I'd be more than happy to share with you."

"Rika did skip breakfast to come here," Renamon said, and Rika shifted her balance, looking embarrassed.

"I just wanted to get this over with," she murmured. Takato winced at that, but gestured for her to come in.

"Well, probably a bad idea to have this conversation on an empty stomach." He paused, realizing how that must have sounded, and the position it put Rika in. An invitation to a boy's room while having a problem with said boy.

That could have come out better… he thought before quickly amending. "Er… I mean, maybe it'd be a better idea if you went in through the front door?"

Rika frowned at him in confusion at first before the puzzle pieces slipped together.

"I'm fine going through this way," she said, stepping forward and brushing past him without so much as a backward glance. "But I'd much rather talk first before eating. My stomach's still doing cartwheels." She paused before adding, "From my mom's wine. Not you."

Turning back at him now, she gave him a small, comforting smile. Takato's own stomach clenched as his heart sighed with longing.

Pretty…

"Um… How about you, Renamon?" he asked, trying to distract himself. "Do you want anything? You know my mom always likes to treat you."

"I think I could do with a little something," the vulpine digimon said, entering the room as well. Approaching Guilmon, she brushed the Rookie dinosaur with her tail. "Perhaps Guilmon could make a suggestion?"

"Huh?" the reptile blinked before understanding dawned in his golden irises. "Oh. Ohhh… Come to think of it, Takato's dad made a nice, peanut butter-filled bread with chocolate frosting on the outside."

"At least it's not deep-fried tofu this time," Rika muttered, approaching Takato's desk and looking at her old shirt, still draped along the back of the chair.

"I learned my lesson!" Guilmon said. Takato gave a light, mental laugh in recollection. Discovering Renamon's love for deep-fried tofu had been amusing and one of the rare times that the warrior-kitsune had been put off her guard.

Who would have thought Renamon'd resemble the mythology that much? he thought as Guilmon led Renamon out of the room. The door slid shut behind them, leaving the two teens alone in the room.

Takato turned to look back at Rika. She remained fixated on her old shirt, her expression melancholy. He gave a light cough and she looked up at him.

"So…About what you wanted to talk to me about? You wanted to tell me to pretend last night didn't happen, right? Or that it didn't mean anything?"

At that, Rika scowled at him. Takato blanched mentally, wondering what he had just stepped into.

"You really think I'd come here to say something like that?" she asked, her tone harsh. Takato pressed his lips together. Still, as he knew full well, honesty was the best policy to pursue when it came to Rika, no matter how much it hurt.

"The thought did come to mind."

"Don't be stupid," she said, looking away as a faint blush rose once more in her cheeks. "For one, we wouldn't be able to pretend it didn't happen. Terriermon saw. Henry wouldn't say anything, but there's no way that stupid little rabbitmon would let us forget." Rika looked back at Takato, her harsh expression softening. "And it wouldn't matter anyway. Because last night did mean something."

Takato blinked at that, a bit surprised. Rika shifted her footing, feeling a bit uncomfortable by his gaze.

"Be honest with me, Takato. It meant something to you, didn't it?"

Now it was Takato's turn to look away. A part of him wanted to say no, it didn't. But at the same time, he refused to lie to her. To Rika, his being honest meant a lot, and even before he discovered his feelings for her, he cared about her enough to not want to lie.

"Yeah," he said, looking back at her and meeting her lilac eyes. "Yeah, it did. And I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"Huh?"

Annoyance flashed in her eyes and she drew away from her old shirt.

"I'm saying, don't be. Do I have to spell it out to you? I'm not…" I'm not good at saying these things, she thought wanted to say, but that didn't quite say what she felt. So instead, she said, "I don't do things if they don't mean something to me. Even if I don't understand what that something means, if something's important to me, I'm still going to act on it. Sure, I might get mad but…" She trailed off, seeming to struggle with something before continuing. "…but that only means that I care a lot about what's going on and about…about who's involved."

Her eyes met his again, and now both their faces were painted red.

"Rika…"

"Don't… Don't say anything." Rika shifted on her feet and glanced away. She looked nervous to Takato. He couldn't blame her. Seeing her look this way though made his heart ache. He wanted to try and help make this easier for her.

"Okay," he said, nodding. The desire to comfort her grew and much to his surprise, he found himself approaching her. Her eyes snapped up to him and the color in her cheeks grew at his proximity. He raised a hand to her, only to hesitate at the last instant. Crimson met violet, both searching one another for some kind of sign between them. Then, as if on some unspoken agreement, Takato's hand came to rest on her shoulder just as she leaned into his touch. Unfolding her arms, she wrapped them about his back and drew him to her wordlessly, a gesture that was matched as Takato's remaining hand found its way to the back of her head. His fingers traced along the strands of her hair and she sighed, drawing in his scent.

"I keep forgetting how big you've gotten," she grumbled, voice half muffled by his sleeve as his face came to rest on her forehead. "It's not fair."

Takato gave a dry chuckle and rocked her in his arms. "Sorry."

Rika's arms tightened about his waist. "Don't be. It's not like it's something you could help."

Takato nodded numbly against her, feeling a painful lump in his throat. "Rika… Are we good?"

"Don't be stupid," she replied. "You've got nothing to apologize for. I…I should. After last night…" She pressed closer to him, her voice becoming thick with emotion. "I put you in a weird spot. Because I couldn't admit to myself how I…I…"

Her fingers drew tight against his back and Takato felt her tremble slightly in his arms.

"Hey, it's okay," he said, massaging her back. "As long as we're good. I…I don't want to lose you. However you feel, it's okay." He gave her a tight, comforting squeeze that she readily returned, if harder. Takato grunted in surprise at the strength in her arms. Was she trying to compete with him about who could hug harder?

"You're such a gogglehead," she grumbled, but he could hear the smile on her lips as she spoke. Annoyed, but grateful. Takato laughed.

"Are you still up for breakfast?" he asked. Rika hmphed.

"Not exactly how I imagined our first date would go."

Takato went rigid at that. "When…When did we start dating?" he asked, honestly baffled. Rika gave him another hard squeeze.

"When you asked just now, duh." Drawing away, she fixed him with an introspective look as he looked at her, utterly baffled. "I'm willing to give it a try if you are. Now come on. Guilmon said that your breakfast is up for grabs." She smirked at him playfully. "Or if you'd rather, we could make it interesting and play for it."

"Okay, now that's not fair!" Takato laughed. He wasn't sure what was going on, but if Rika was fine with this, he had no other choice than to do his best to make it work.

The Digimon Queen gave his shoulder a light punch.

"All's fair in love and war," she said. "So, are we doing this or not?"

Takato's expression sobered. Reaching up, he brushed at one of the strands of hair that came out past her ear and down her cheek. She didn't recoil or flinch at his touch. Instead, the blush that somehow managed to constantly color her cheeks since her arrival deepened.

"If that's what you want," he said softly. "As long as it's what you want. So, if you're sure…"

Rika's stomach gurgled in answer before he could finish. Rika's blush again darkened in embarrassment.

"That's as good an answer as I think you're going to get, Gogglehead," she chuckled.

###

Stepping around him, she paused and after a moment's thought, took hold of the boy's hand. It felt warm and strong as she squeezed and he squeezed back. It felt…good. Right. Not quite what she expected, but a welcome feeling all the same.

With a gentle tug, Rika led him toward the door. A part of her wondered if this was truly all right. She hadn't quite been able to tell him how she truly felt after all. She wasn't entirely certain of the extent of those feelings either. They had snuck up on her after all, taking her completely by surprise and only coming to the forefront when she had some of her mother's wine.

Why…didn't I notice them before? she wondered, giving his hand another squeeze as they went down the stairs together. There was something there. That much she couldn't deny and those feelings were strong enough that they refused to let her deny them any longer. Had it been because she had been so focused on getting into university that she simply pushed them aside? Or was she just fooling herself?

I tried to kiss him last night, she reminded herself. Told him to wait for me and to not see other girls. That's not something a person does unless there's something more behind it.

She relaxed a little at that. The logic felt sound and she felt strangely happy holding his hand. So maybe…just maybe, it was safe to explore and find out the depths of her feelings for her gogglehead.

"Um… About your shirt…" Takato began, reaching the bottom. "Your old one, I mean!"

Rika frowned slightly.

"What about it?"

"Do you want it back? I mean, you were kind of out of it when you gave it to me, and I know how much it means to you."

Her frown deepened as embarrassment once more washed over her. What did one say to a question like that? Especially with how bizarre the circumstances around its giving had been to begin with.

Might as well go all in on this one, she thought. When in doubt, wing it and hope for the best. That was how they tended to handle things after all.

"Keep it," she said upon reaching the landing. "Not that I think you need any reminders, but I'm sure you'd like one handy while I'm at university. Just don't do anything weird to it, okay?"

"Weird?" Takato arched an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Forget it," Rika said rolling her eyes and not doubting his question's sincerity. Takato could be hopelessly naïve sometimes, a fact that she occasionally had to remind herself of from time to time. That wasn't Takato's fault per se. Just a difference in how they approached the world. He took things as they appeared more often than not while she habitually tried to look deeper, sometimes with an eye for the worst in people.

It was one of the things she liked about him. She kept him grounded, but he also kept her optimistic about the world; kept her wanting to bring out the best in people, just as he did.

They found their partners in the kitchen, Renamon lightly swatting Guilmon's claws away from her tail where, much to Rika's surprise, a tiny bit of mistletoe was stuck on the tip.

"Oh, but Renamon, I almost had it."

"It's all right, Guilmon. Just let me take care of it."

"Do I even want to know how that came about?"

Renamon whirled about, her tail arching up and high, sweeping up to the two Tamers, causing them to jerk back in surprise at her swift and unexpected motion. Her feet coming to rest, Renamon bowed her head to her partner, a mischievous twinkle in her azure eyes.

"Oh dear," she said. "My apologies. My tail caught some mistletoe in it by accident. Guilmon was attempting to remove it, but it seems quite…stuck."

As if to lend credulity to her excuse – which Rika didn't believe her in the least! – she swept her tail about to show off the offending Christmas decoration. It was indeed caught up in the golden hairs of her tail. That wasn't all there was though.

It also towered over the two teens.

"Ohhh… And the two of you were underneath it!" Guilmon crowed. Tapping a claw on his chin, the reptile looked up at the fox. "Does that mean they should kiss now?"

"That all depends on Rika," Renamon said, planting a hand atop Guilmon's head and giving it a gentle scratch. Guilmon's eyes rolled up into his head and he leaned into her touch. Rika glowered at the two digimon.

"I know you planned this, Renamon," she half-growled to her partner through their psychic connection. Renamon didn't respond, save to pluck the mistletoe from her tail, her eyes shining with amusement.

Well, she could forgive her. It offered her an opportunity – not to mention an excuse – to explore her feelings some more.

She turned to Takato, who shrugged with embarrassment. "It's a Christmas tradition," he offered. "But you don't have to do anything if you don't…"

"Why don't you just shut up and come get some Christmas cheer, Gogglehead," she said, pulling him toward her. Her lips parting, trembling ever so slightly in anxiety, they caught hold of his and pressed themselves to him tightly. Pleasant warmth immediately flushed her body, causing her to come alive with an excited buzzing, like a wire had gone live inside of her. She felt Takato stiffen against her, having been taken off guard by her forwardness. She smiled around his lips and took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, taking control of the situation and the warmth she felt grew in intensity.

All was fair in love and war, and this, she decided, was definitely love.

Merry Christmas, Takato, she thought as his arms finally remembered to draw about her slender figure and pull her close, throwing all remaining caution to the wind.

###

A/N: Merry Christmas to all Rukato fans (and Digimon fans!) out there. Stay safe and warm and have a good holiday. 'Till next time. :)

-Crazyeight

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