We're into the new year, everyone. Let's try and make it a good one! This chapter is a bit more mellow since I'm not in the best of moods today, sorry about this! This will also be much shorter due to my limited lunch break. The next chapter should be happier, though! ^_^

Note: This story takes place after Season 3.

Disclaimer: I don't claim to own Monster Rancher or the characters. I'm just a huge fan. Tecmo owns everything. I just own the plot.

Moments We Share

P: Patience

Suezo sighed softly to himself as he watched Holly helping Golem make the gang some lunch. It wasn't that he annoyed by this. No, he loved when Holly would cook them up some delicious food and treats, for nothing could compare to her culinary skills. Golem, too, had become rather talented in the cooking field thanks to Holly's teachings. The eyeball monster wasn't surveying the duo's cooking; he was more so watching Holly as she stirred some broccoli in butter before adding some chopped garlic to the mix. As Golem helped to sprinkle a little fresh basil on top, Holly flashed the rock giant a worn smile before turning her attention back to the cooking meal.

A worn smile.

Suezo felt his heart drop as he watched the young woman go on with daily life as if nothing was wrong, as if everything was perfect. He hated when she put up this charade. He absolutely hated it. He hated how she would pretend the world was fine so no one would worry about her. He hated how she would flash everyone empty smiles to calm their nerves. He hated how she would always allow herself to suffer in silence just so she wouldn't feel like a burden. Oh, how he hated it.

"Suezo, the meal is almost done! Could you let the others know?" Holly called out from the kitchen.

"Yeah, sure," Suezo replied softly as he hopped off the couch before heading out to the backyard of Hare's home to find the other rebels plucking weeds from around the house. Normally, the eyeball monster would have laughed at the scene at seeing the heroes who defeated Moo plucking weeds on their hands and knees, but today he just wasn't quite up to it.

"We should hire someone to do this," Tiger muttered as he pulled up a dandelion with his paw.

"That would cost way too much!" Hare exclaimed with a scowl.

"You just don't want to pay the expense. It would be worth it, you cheapskate," the wolf monster replied with a huff.

"This is just as efficient and it doesn't cost me anything, so there we have it," the rabbit monster spoke with a nod of his head, but his argument was cut short when his eyes fell on Mocchi, who was pulling up some crabgrass. "Mocchi! When you pull out weeds, you're supposed to pull out the root, too, or else they'll just grow back!"

"Oh! Sorry, chi!" Mocchi chirped up.

"Don't worry. You're doing a good job, Mocchi," Genki spoke up with a wryly smile.

"Hey guys, lunch is almost done," Suezo announced weakly, though they didn't need to be told twice because all except him and Genki bolted inside the house to get in line for some fresh food; leaving the young man and Suezo to stand alone awkwardly.

"Hey, Suezo, you seem kind of down. You okay?" Genki asked with a frown as he strode over to the eyeball monster's side before placing a comforting hand on his head; worry in his eyes at seeing his usual loud and slightly obnoxious friend so quiet.

"…I'm worried about Holly," the yellow monster admitted with a low sigh.

"…oh, you mean because of her situation with Yosho, right?"

"Yeah… She acts like everything is fine, but for the past few months she's been hiding behind her emotional mask like she usually does. She tells me she's fine, but I know she's not and I think she's hurt by more than just being kicked out of her house. She won't tell me what happened the day she told her father about her engagement, but I'm sure he said something else that really hurt her," Suezo explained with a worried glance up at Genki.

"I know what you mean," the young man replied, and he couldn't help but feel a strange pull in his gut at seeing someone as guarded at Suezo being so suddenly open. "…I wouldn't let it get to you, though."

"How can it not get to me?"

"With Holly, she's the kind of person who the more you ask her what's wrong, the more guarded and distant she gets. That's why I always make sure I'm close to her, but I don't bring it up. She'll start talking when she's ready to, but until then all we can really do for her is to make sure we're there for her so when she is ready to talk, there's someone there to hear her out. It makes me feel helpless sometimes, but I know she'll talk soon," Genki replied with a sad smile.

"…I suppose you're right. I just hate this waiting game. I hate seeing her so upset," the eyeball monster spoke with a frown. "I know it took me a little while to come to term with you and Holly's relationship. It had nothing to do with you as a person, but it was just… I felt at first that maybe I was losing Holly to you. I realized later, though, that Holly doesn't love me any less now that she's with you. I wish Yosho would come to terms with it, too, so this whole painful situation can finally end."

"I think Yosho is starting to realize Holly's emotions, though, and I think there's still a chance he may come to terms with my relationship with her."

"How do you know that?"

"When Holly went to get her belongings from her home, I went with her. Yosho was passed out on the couch, but even in his sleep he looked so sad and so broken. I felt awful just seeing him like that," Genki replied as he kept his gaze down at the ground while nudging a pebble with the tip of his boot. "This whole time throughout my relationship with Holly, I've always been fearful of Yosho because he's always been so unpredictable and tough. Seeing him so vulnerable, though, was almost sad."

"Let's hope you're right, otherwise Holly will be in for a world of hardship. She loves her father, but she also loves you. If things don't work out with Yosho, than your relationship with her will be strained," Suezo spoke with a frown. "And if that were to happen, she would be even more broken at not only losing her father, but also losing you."

"I won't let it get to that, rest assured. Still…"

"What?"

"She has been keeping me at arm's length ever since her last meeting with her father. I… I'm not going to let it get to me, though. I know things will work out as long as we give Holly her space and to hear her out when she decides to open up," Genki reassured as he put on a small smile no matter how much he really didn't want to. "All we need is a little determination and some patience, and everything will be okay."

"I sure hope you're right, Genki. I'm better with the determination thing rather than the patience thing, though," Suezo replied with a sad chuckle, the stress and fatigue from the past months catching up to him.

"Come on, let's grab some lunch otherwise we'll worry ourselves into a coma if we keep talking like this," the young man spoke with a small laugh as he patted Suezo's head before heading inside the house.

'…I just need patience. For you, Holly, I'll wait as long as you need me to if it will make you happy again. Please, try not to make me wait too long, though,' Suezo thought to himself as he slowly hopped inside to get some lunch, where he already knew he would be welcomed with a steaming meal and an empty smile.

This was a shorter and mellower chapter more so focusing on Suezo as he sees Holly's pain from her relationship problems with Yosho. I thought he needed a chapter since Hare and Tiger have both had their moments, but Suezo hasn't even though he's Holly's companion. So, yeah. XD I can't believe there's ten chapters left. I feel like I just started this story. XD

RockyRoadSmith: Signing off! :3