Edit: 19/12/09. Of all the chapters, this one has received the fewest changes. All I've done to it is fix the spelling mistakes reagarding Takato and Nonaka.
"Before criticizing someone you should try walking a mile in their shoes. This way, when you do criticise them, you'll be a mile away and have their shoes."
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.
Someone Else's Shoes – Drivers Side
"The same old person . . . but in your shoes . . . and I'd know the people that you know too . . ."
"What's wrong?" Takato asked as he sat himself down on the steps next to Henry.
He didn't answer.
It seemed Henry had pretty much been like this all day. He was acting like some kind of vegetable, or worse; he actually seemed more serious than usual if that's even physically possible.
It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was on his mind, Takato was proof of that. All you had to do was take a few seconds out of your time to watch Henry watch the pretty redhead in the distance and it would be as clear as day.
Because, you see, that was basically all that Henry had been doing since they had first arrived at the park for another of their semi-annual 'Just In Case Something Goes Wrong' meetings. He had been watching Rika with an intensity that would put even Renamon to shame for the past few hours almost unblinkingly.
"Hello? Henry? You there?" Takato decided to try again waving his hand back and forth in front of Henry's face.
Even the hand randomly blocking his vision of the girl of his dreams didn't seem to snap Henry back to reality. It was then Takato realised there was only really one thing left to do; it was time to initiate 'Plan R'.
"Rika Nonaka just told me she is desperately in love with you," Takato spoke casually as he waited for Henry's reaction.
That, of course, immediately got Henry's attention and he turned to Takato looking almost hopeful behind his serious façade.
"You're pathetic," Tokato sighed shaking his head at his friend's antics. "I think you need a hobby, other than Rika watching."
"I'm pathetic?" Henry asked raising one eyebrow questioningly. "As far as I know, I'm not the one who's been 'not asking' Jeri Katou out for the past five years."
"But that's different," Takato explained with an uncanny spur of logic and intelligence, "I had a bad experience that put me off. When I did tell her how I felt she was possessed at the time and it throws me off every time."
"Sure Takato," Henry muttered rolling his eyes. "That's why every time you try to ask her out you end up asking her where the bathroom is. She must think you have some kind of bladder problem, I can still remember once when you asked her ten times in the same hour."
"Hey, at least I tried!" Takato replied defensively crossing his arms over his chest and drawing his posture straighter. "You never once tried to ask Rika out."
Henry sighed dejectedly as his mind was brought back to its previous train of thought. Lately it seemed he just couldn't get her off his mind no matter what he did, not that it was unusual but I guess really it was in its own way.
Surprisingly, Takato noticed his friend's sudden silence. Even with Henry, who was typically quiet, a silence like that was obvious to anyone who had known him long enough.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Takato suggested using one of his mother's sayings as he watched Henry watch Rika once again with his usual unwavering gaze.
"I don't know," Henry muttered quietly more to himself than anybody else, "it's just . . . when I see her . . . . it's . . . . different."
Takato sighed as he struggled to stop the word 'pathetic' from rolling off his tongue no matter what manner it was supposed to be in. He got the feeling that wasn't exactly what Henry needed to hear right now.
"We know, Henry," Takato started preparing himself to recite a familiar speech not of it's own. "We've all heard it a million times, how different things are when she's around. How the sun shines brighter when she walks in the room. How the flowers smell sweeter to compare with her scent. How the bird's song seems lovelier in an effort to match her voice. How the sky seems bluer in envy of her eyes. How even the brightest stars seem to dull in comparison to her beauty. How the moon fades away in shame. How the . . ."
"No that's not it," Henry said in a whimsical, almost thoughtful tone once he was sure Takato had finished with his little speech. "I mean . . ." he started again pausing while he searched for the right way to phrase it. " . . . than before."
"Um . . . huh?" Takato replied giving up on making any effort to even pretend that he knew what Henry was talking about.
He sighed. "I mean, before it was just like you said. I'd see her and suddenly I was complete, like she was the final piece of the puzzle I've been trying to solve all my life," he said dreamily as he thought about Rika. "But now it's like . . . the pieces don't fit."
"Maybe you're just not in love with her anymore," Tokato suggested almost sarcastically.
'Like Henry could ever fall out of love with Rika,' he thought to himself. 'That's almost as likely as pigs flying.'
It just seemed completely farfetched, totally impossible.
He had know Henry for five years now and he couldn't think of a time when Henry wasn't madly in love with Rika no matter how sure he was that such a time had to have existed.
"No that's not it," Henry replied still sounding far away and barely comprehending the words either of them were speaking.
"It's like she's different," he added his tone very unlike his usual one as he scrutinised Rika's every move. It was almost as if he was looking for something, anything that would uncover the fact that this wasn't the same Rika he had fallen in love with at least five years ago.
"What do you mean?" Takato asked jarring Henry from his thoughts. "She's exactly the same as always. Same attitude, same glare, same clothes, same anger management issues."
"I can see that too, those are the obvious things, but it's the little things that don't seem right, that aren't the same," he sighed exasperatedly before elaborating for Takato. "Like the way she walks, or her laugh. Or the way she smiles. It's as if she's somebody else."
"Well I'm sorry, Henry," Takato spoke with mock defensiveness, "but the rest of us don't spend every waking minute, actually even the un-waking minutes, staring or just generally thinking about Rika Nonaka so we may not pick up on that sort thing."
"I know, Takato," he replied reading between the lines of his friend's little outburst, "but I just can't help but wonder if maybe . . ."
He trailed off unable to articulate whatever it was that filled his mind with anxiety and wonder.
Takato just nodded his head in understanding his eyes filled with worry.
"Maybe tomorrow," he supplied simply a he patted his friends shoulder.
"Maybe," Henry sighed.
~ to be continued ~
Yeah, I know that chapter was short but I guess it was just the sort of thing that deserved to be on its own. That and I couldn't think of a title that would suit both chapters.
Notes:
Surprisingly nothing to say here, I think this one was self explanatory.
Next chapter: Collaboration.