Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
Seeing Red
Chapter: 08
"Nine…"
Takato grunted as he pushed himself off the floor. The muscles in his arms groaned in protest but did not falter to his commands. Upon reaching his limit, he held himself still for a moment before dropping back down, elbows bent and back straight. Centering his mind, he took a breath and forced himself up again.
"Ten…" he choked out.
"Up and down Takato went while Guilmon watched him in rapt fascination.
"Takato?" he began as the boy hit twelve.
"Yeah?"
"You've been doing pushups every day since Rika told you about Jeri's plan to have everyone hang out at the beach."
"Um… Yeah." Takato nodded at thirteen, giving his partner a sidelong, questioning look about where he was going with this.
"I was just wondering…why you're doing this." The tip of Guilmon's tail tapped their bedroom floor. "You didn't do it before, so why now?"
Takato blushed lightly.
"Because…" he began, feeling more than a little self-conscious, as if Rika's eyes were on him now, judging him. Grading him. "Because Rika will see me… Er… See me without a shirt that is and I kind of realized that I'm not…you know. Very muscly." He paused in place, gathering air. "And I want her to like what she sees when she…sees me."
Guilmon tilted his head to one side questioningly.
"But I thought she already did. She sure smells like she does when she's with you and looking at you."
I'm not even going to ask about how he knows Rika is happy just from smelling her…
"Okay, I guess I want her to like what she sees more," he replied instead, his blush deepening. It wasn't a terribly good answer, but he wasn't sure how to properly convey his feelings on the matter. Ever since he walked her home, he had been wondering what he could do for her to be her Dream Boy. Try as he might however, it rapidly became apparent for him that he had no clue how to go about it or what Rika's ideal 'dream boy' even was. She never talked about her preferences. At least, not around him or any of the others. Jeri, maybe when no one else was around (especially Terriermon), but otherwise…
She always keeps things close to the chest… Er… Takato blushed ferociously. Scratch that. Stupid goose egg.
He groaned mentally while his muscles did much the same, if for wholly different reasons.
"I just…want to be perfect for her," he whispered harshly as he lowered his body once more.
Perfect. That word drew up images of Rika's rival and legendary Tamer, Ryo Akiyama. The only Tamer who ever beat her at the digimon card game. When she was younger, she often remarked on his demeanor, and just as often in a derogatory manner. Perfect teeth. Perfect hair. Perfect skin. Always knowing the perfect thing to say in any situation. A perfect 'refreshing breath of air.' In short, a complete and utter gentleman who was perfectly humble and his honor above reproach. The world even agreed with her on those points, whether it was his fangirls or Kazu and Kenta, his ultimate cheerleading squad. Yet, for some reason, these qualities were off-putting for the Digimon Queen.
I wish I knew why, Takato thought, pushing himself through the fifteenth pushup on trembling arms. I mean, she and Ryo make a pretty good match. They'd be perfect for one another. I even used to think that she liked him.
He barked a harsh, mental laugh at that.
Better not tell her I thought that though. She probably wouldn't forgive me.
Still. The question begged. Why him instead of Ryo? Why not Ryo at all? Or anyone else for that matter? Granted, Ryo lived pretty far away for the majority of the years that they knew him. On the other side of the country in fact, but with his partner Cyberdramon at his call, it wasn't as if the two seeing one another on a semi-regular basis was out of the question. Especially now in fact, as he had begun attending university in Tokyo. Because of this, he had a much easier time staying in touch and he did so as often as his studies allowed. They were a team after all.
Takato lowered himself back down, wondering what he would do once he graduated. Being a Tamer loomed large in his future as did the digital world, but could he depend on that?
Maybe I should start thinking a little more seriously about this, like I am now with how I look, he thought. I'd like to be there for Rika as much as I can, but…what's the best way to do that? What can I offer her?
His eyes softened as he became keenly aware of the difference between them. Being a baker didn't offer a whole lot for someone of Rika's social status. Up until recently, he hadn't given it much thought which, he suspected, was one of the things Rika liked about him. But he knew adulthood would change things. Given enough time, it was inevitable.
Around and around, his thoughts swirled and circled each other. Ryo was in university. Henry would be going overseas. Jeri was working hard to become a teacher. What was he going to do?
Is being a Tamer going to be enough?
"Takato?"
The boy let out a squawk as he suddenly found his partner's gold eyes right in front of him. Jerking, his hands slipped and he went down with a heavy thud.
"Owww… Guilmon…"
"Sorry," the crimson dinosaur apologized. "You just stopped doing your pushups and looked like you were thinking hard." He sniffed the air and nodded to himself. "You're worried about something with Rika."
"Um… Should I ask how you can tell how I'm thinking about her just by smell?"
"Because you always smell a certain way when you think about her," Guilmon replied, a touch confused by his question. Rolling over, Takato pushed himself up into a sitting position.
"Well… I guess that just shows how good your nose is," he said with a slight frown, kneading his arms. "Hey. Um… By the way, do you think I look any different?"
Guilmon cocked his head to one side, his golden eyes roaming along Takato's body before shaking his head.
"You look the same as you always do," he said. Takato's head sunk at that. It seemed it was going to take longer than a week for there to be any noticeable change. Seeing his disappointment, Guilmon placed a comforting claw on his partner's back.
"You really want to get stronger for Rika, huh?"
"Yeah." Turning, Takato gave his friend a halfhearted, but lopsided smile. "Yeah, I really do. I…I may not know why she picked me of all people, but I want to be the best I can for her. She deserves it."
"So…does that mean Rika's your Tamer?"
Takato blinked at that and turned toward Guilmon, perplexed.
"Whaaa…? Where'd you get that idea?"
"Well, you said you want to get stronger just like I like doing for you. You said to me once that humans have partnerships that are kinda like what we have, so I wondered if that meant Rika was your Tamer."
Takato opened his mouth as if to correct him, then closed it. He turned away, his eyes thoughtful.
"Takato?" Guilmon asked, eyes confused. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No." Takato let out a light chuckle. "I was just thinking that if Dad were here, he would probably say something about how you're right. Terriermon too, I bet." His eyes drifted to his porch where, not too long ago, Rika had appeared to ask him out on a date. "She does make me want to improve myself and get stronger."
To be worthy of her, he thought quietly.
"So, does that mean you'll digivolve if you train hard enough?"
Guilmon's playful tone betrayed his teasing. Laughing, Takato turned back toward his partner.
"Sure. I'd become Takatomon for sure then!"
Both human and digimon broke into loud laughter just then. Great, long guffaws that released the tension in Takato's heart, if only a little bit. After a while, they quieted and looked at one another.
"What would I do without you, boy?" he asked.
"Not be in a relationship with Rika?" the dinosaur suggested. "Definitely no Guilmon bread too."
"You're obsessed." Takato gave a light chuckle at that and lifted himself off the floor. Still, he had to admit that his partner was right on both counts.
If it weren't for Guilmon, Rika and I probably wouldn't have ever met. I probably wouldn't have even dreamed about her.
His eyes turned toward his desk where his digivice sat. The screen lay there, blank and looked no different from a toy. Yet, it was so much more than that. So much more.
They can bring like-pairs together, he thought, remembering something Mr. Mizuno – one of the creators of both the digivice and the digimon – had told him years ago. Did that mean that it had first made him aware of Rika and then their digivices brought them together?
He wondered if Rika would like that.
Probably not, he mused. She doesn't like feeling like someone's controlling her destiny.
Still, he couldn't shake the question from his mind and wondered if Mr. Mizuno might have something to say about it.
"Takato!" came the voice of his mother from downstairs, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Rika's on the phone!"
"I'll be right there!" he called back. Leaving all questions behind, he hurried downstairs.
###
Leaning against an iron gate, Rika closed up her phone and pocketed it. Across from her, seated on the steps that led to Guilmon's old home, sat Jeri, a wide, knowing grin splayed across her face.
"Is Takato on his way?" she asked. Rika looked at the smaller girl with a look of suspicion and anxiety.
"Yeah," she said, folding her arms across her shirt. She resisted the urge to glance down at her bag. Once again, since setting out, she became aware of the two-piece bathing suit that lay within. Her heart began to play a game of rapid-fire tennis against her sternum and she shifted in response. Seeing this, Jeri giggled.
"Rika, I'm sure it'll be all right."
"I'm sure it won't be," she said adamantly. "This is Takato we're talking about. He'll find some way to gogglehead things up."
Jeri giggled again. "Yeah, but you like it when he does."
Rika jerked at that and looked at her friend sharply. The brunette shrugged.
"Okay. Only when you get him worked up. Sorry. But isn't that the whole point about your new bathing suit? To get him worked up?"
Rika looked away, her eyes hard enough to break rocks against.
"Kazu will be there," she countered. "You know how his eyes like to wander."
"I'm sure it won't be as bad as that one time," she said. Rika returned her hard look to her friend. Memories swam to the forefront of her mind from back when she had been fifteen, when her pubescent budding had begun to bear fruit. Kazu's roving eyes had been drawn to her chest like a magnet and she had responded quite negatively to his unwanted attentions. He wasn't as bad nowadays, having learned some hard lessons in the last two years, but every so often his gaze would settle on her and stick. Inevitably, she, or someone, would need to do something to unstick him from her person.
In truth though, she wasn't that terribly worried about Kazu's leering as she was about Takato's reaction to seeing her new bikini. A strange thing to feel, having prided herself on not caring about what people thought about her outfits and styles, but puberty had brought forth a number of things that suddenly required her to feel concern about her appearance.
She tightened her grip about her arms, her scowl deepening.
"I hate this," she grumbled. Jeri's eyes softened. Getting up from her seat, she wandered over to Rika and leaned against the concrete bunker's gate.
"If you want, we don't have to do this. We can try something else."
Rika felt shame wash over her at being given an out.
"Just because I hate it doesn't mean we're stopping," she said a bit harshly. "I'm just…you know." She took a deep breath and took hold of her emotions. "I need to do this anyway. I don't want to be a roadblock."
"Rika, you're not a roadblock."
"I will be if I keep running away all the time whenever I get worked up about something. As bad as Takato can be, at least he throws himself into things even when he knows it'll make himself look like a gogglehead."
Jeri gave the Digimon Queen a sympathetic smile. Again, Rika felt shame wash over her. Jeri had it far worse than she did, thanks to the trauma she experienced at the hands of the malevolent program known as the D-Reaper. And she did her best every day to get out there and face the world.
I've got it good compared to her, she thought, berating herself. I can do this. I have to.
Rika frowned more deeply. Never thought I'd hear myself say that I need to wear a two-piece bikini and go to the beach. I must be getting too much sun already.
"As long as you're sure," Jeri said. "Anyway, I'll help keep Kazu off your back. And Terriermon."
Rika arched an eyebrow. "Didn't you set this up so you could have fun instead of doing work?"
"Oh, Rika," Jeri laughed. "It is fun. Kind of. Besides, I haven't seen either of them in a while, so it'll be a good excuse to hang out with them." She gave Rika a wink. "Don't worry about a thing and just enjoy Takato putting sunscreen on your back."
Rika's face bloomed bright red at that, but before she could even begin to protest at her friend's insinuation, the sound of voices caught her attention. Pushing away from the gate, she looked down the stairs to find Henry and Terriermon beginning to climb them. Rika tsked somewhat unhappily. Henry was fine and she was more than happy to see him again. His partner on the other hand…
"Hey, Rika!" the long-eared digimon crowed from his spot on Henry's shoulder, waving one of his ears like a hand at her. "It's been a long time! Did you miss me?"
"Henry, yes. You, no," Rika replied, crossing her arms back together. Undaunted, Terriermon giggled.
"That's okay. I have plenty of time to change that."
"Or not change things at all," Henry sighed, drawing up to the two girls and bowing his head to them. "It's good to see you two again."
"And you, too," Jeri beamed happily. "How've you been?"
"Glued to his computer screen," Terriermon coughed.
"With you around, I bet I can guess why," Rika said, her violet eyes turning toward him. Terriermon huffed and drew himself up on his partner's shoulder.
"You say that like I drove him to it when you know that it's not! Well, kind of, but not like what you're implying."
"Rika… Terriermon…" Henry chuckled, though his tone contained a bit of a warning in it. His grey eyes went from one to the other. "He's right though. I have been spending a lot of time at my computer. I need to get out a little bit more." A soft smile graced his lips. "Get out and momentai."
"Which is just what Nurse Jeri ordered," Jeri giggled. Terriermon's eyes grew wide at that and a playful smirk crossed his features. One that Rika quickly observed.
"Don't even think about it, Rabbitmon," she warned. Terriermon paused, looking at her, and then a devilish glint entered his dark eyes.
"Think about what?" he asked. "Because if you're saying I was thinking about Nurse Jeri playing Princess Pretty Pants with Henry, I totally wasn't thinking that. I don't know why you were, though."
There followed a deafening silence, during which the faces of all three humans flushed a deep, dark red. Rika's mouth worked, trying to rally so she could make some kind of response. Something particularly biting, but try as she might, she couldn't find the words for it. Jeri shifted, looking down at her feet, doing everything in her power to avoid meeting Henry's eyes as Terriermon's words conjured up ideas and images she didn't want to pursue.
And as for Henry? He drew a hand across his face, ran it up along his forehead and through his smooth, neatly combed hair. His cheeks were dark and burned with heat. His eyes were closed, battling against the very same mental imagery that now raced through Jeri's mind. He sighed in obvious discomfort.
"Terriermon…"
"What?" came the expected reply from the long-eared digimon, his dark eyes sparkling mischievously. "Momentai! It's not my fault if she has nurse fantasies, is it?"
"Terriermon!"
"All right. All right." The digimon sighed and shook his head. "Sheesh. I don't know what the big deal is."
"I'm pretty sure you know exactly what the big deal is," Henry said in exasperation. Massaging the bridge of his nose, he groaned. "Suzie should never have let you have access to the Internet…"
"With what she's looking at online, she shouldn't even have access at all." Giggling, he turned towards the still blushing Rika and winked. "You know, maybe you should talk to Takatomon about that fantasy of yours. I bet he would be glad to help."
At that point, Rika promptly gave up on trying to find an appropriate comeback and went straight for a blunter approach.
###
With his bag bouncing lightly against his back, Takato was deep in thought as he and Guilmon made their way down the park path. For a change, his partner didn't press him about his silence and seemed more concerned with looking up at the sky, sniffing the air. Takato wondered if his scent gave him away.
He says I always smell a certain way whenever I'm thinking about Rika, he thought, feeling slightly embarrassed about how his thoughts and feelings were broadcasted to his partner. Still, he had to admit that if Guilmon was taking those subtle cues and realizing that he needed some quiet to organize his thoughts, there was at least a silver lining.
I wonder how Henry must deal with that with his partner, he mused. Or Rika. I mean, our digimon are always pretty sensitive to how we're doing. They're all in tune with us and how we feel, look and smell. It's all 'data' for them, but we don't even think about it. I don't even pick up on how I smell except when I've been sweating a lot or skipped a shower. Rika…
His mind paused on the sound of a distant jet engine and he found himself swallowing heavily, remembering Rika's proximity over the years, especially once his feelings for her began to manifest. Her scent, which he always associated with cherry blossoms during a day shower, had caught his attention on many occasions. The heat in his face turned up a notch and he shook his head.
I-I bet Rika doesn't have to worry about this kind of thing. He groaned inwardly. I mean, Renamon at least seems to have some kind of understanding with Rika and seems pretty smart about things. Wise even. They never look like they have problems. I had a hard enough time trying to explain all this to Guilmon.
He shook his head, remembering all the uncomfortable conversations they had about puberty and wet dreams and his growing sexual interest in girls. At the very least, Guilmon had been patient throughout the whole thing, even if he did occasionally blurt out something he shouldn't.
Probably a far cry from what Henry goes through with Terriermon, he thought as the roar of jet engines began to draw closer.
"Hey, Chumley!" crowed a voice from above, breaking Takato out of his thoughts. "Top of the morning to you!"
"Top of the wha…?" began Takato, his head snapping up just in time to sight the oncoming form of a massive, rust-colored, can-shaped robot dropped down from above the trees. Guardromon's engines, aimed at the ground, fired hard, slowing his descent until, with only inches to spare, they cut. The android landed heavily, but with grace, and from his shoulders hopped off a tall boy with a wolfish-looking grin and mischievous grey eyes.
Guardromon and his partner, Kazu Shiota. Two friends of his since childhood and the latter a fellow Tamer.
"How's it going, Chumley?" he asked, clapping Takato on the arm with enough force to almost knock him off balance. "Looking forward to going to the beach today?" He smirked and circled his arm about Takato's shoulders, drawing him closer. "Looking forward to seeing Rika in her swimsuit?" he added, his voice dropping to almost a whisper.
"K-Kazu…" Takato blushed, disentangling himself from his friend. "Don't…Don't say things like that."
"Yeah, yeah. I know." Kazu stepped back and hefted his bag of beach supplies. "Renamon's got those crazy ears and probably already heard me. It's not like Rika's ever going to like me the way she likes you." Planting a fist on his hip, he looked at his friend curiously. "But seriously, are you looking forward to seeing Rika in her swimsuit? I bet she went all out this time, Chumley."
Takato adjusted his bag, wondering if he should tell Kazu that he and Rika were already together. She had been rather cagey about the idea of informing anyone, especially Kazu and Terriermon due to how often they tended to tease the two of them. And like sharks detecting blood in the water, Rika especially since hitting puberty, as she became increasingly self-conscious about herself and her feelings towards her gogglehead.
"I'm looking forward to spending time with her," he decided to say evasively, rubbing the back of his head. Kazu tsked, and shook his head.
"Wuss," he said. "But probably for the best. If Renamon hears you saying stuff like that, she'd report it to Rika and then she'd be mad at you the whole trip. Don't worry though. I'm not about to let anything get in the way of you two getting together!"
"Uh… Kazu. You really don't have to do anything." He looked at his friend with some concern, wondering what was causing him to be suddenly this blunt about how he and Rika felt about one another. Previously, he tended to be a bit more subtle as it amused him to no end watching the Digimon Queen and her chosen knight squirm at the unspoken implications between them.
"Sure, I do!" Kazu began to dig around in his bag and produced a magazine. Takato's eyes went wide as saucers as he caught a glimpse of the cover, showcasing a woman naked from the waist up, hands holding a pair of undone bikini-straps just above where her nipples would be. One eye was closed in a saucy wink as she smirked knowingly at her viewer.
"Kazu!" he hissed. "What are you doing with that?!"
"Duh!" The boy began to flip through its contents rapidly. "I got an idea on how to help you get closer to Rika. The two of you have been dancing around each other forever and I think it's about time you two kicked it up to the next level. Here! Take a look!"
Stopping at a particular page, Kazu shoved the magazine at Takato, who took it reflexively. His eyes dropped into the magazine and he yelped before closing it up.
"Well?" Kazu asked, grinning. "What do you think?"
"I think if I did something like that, Rika would murder me." He handed the book back to the boy and brushed past him.
"What? Hey, come on! Chumley… It's a great idea!" He flipped the book back open and handed it to Guilmon, who blinked. "What do you think? It'd help, right?"
Guilmon stared at the book in bewilderment for a second before taking it in his claws. "Wow. That girl looks like she really likes what he's doing to her."
"Guilmon!" Takato snatched the book out of Guilmon's claws, causing the dinosaur to blink once again, his bewilderment knowing no end. Takato shot Kazu a hard glare.
"Come on," the other teen chuckled indifferently. "At least think about it? What have you got to lose? Rika already thinks you're a gogglehead anyway. This'll just be another notch in her scorecard."
Takato opened his mouth to tell his wayward friend that with he and Rika already together, he didn't need any half-brained schemes to test the waters of her interest. Before he could even get a word out edgewise however, a primal roar of anger and a shriek of fear echoed from somewhere ahead of them. Sniffing the air, Guilmon straightened up.
"Takato. I smell Rika. And she's mad!"
"She's always mad about something," Kazu replied. "It's like she's always on her period or…"
Takato's sudden bolting off in the direction of the roar interrupted him, leaving him, Guardromon and Guilmon behind in a cloud of dust. Kazu folded his arms together, an annoyed look on his face.
"Typical. Always got to play the hero."
"Why is he running?" Guardromon asked. "There aren't any digimon around other than us, and whoever it is that's screaming, it sounds like they have more to worry about from Rika than she does from them."
"It's a Takato-thing," Kazu shrugged. Unfolding his arms, he began to saunter on, his jog brisk, but casual. "Come on, guys. I want to see the fireworks."
###
Takato bolted down the park pathways and blew past his friend, Kenta with scarcely a nod of hello before charging up the stairs to the old hideout. Panic and anger both thumped hard in his chest as he envisioned all manner of horrors to which Rika could be having done to her. A wild digimon they had missed ambushing her. A creeper. Impmon flipping up her shirt. Terriermon doing something that only Terriermon would do… The list went on, having seemingly no end thanks to his inexhaustible imagination.
Upon reaching the top of the stairs, panting hard, he drew to a halt and took stock of the situation. Terriermon was presently hopping about Henry's feet while the boy tried to keep himself between his partner and Rika. At the iron gate, Jeri had an alarmed look on her face.
"Henry! Stop getting in the way and let me…!"
"Rika, please. Let's not start off like this. Terriermon said he was sorry."
"Yeah! And I mean it this time! Momentai, will you?"
"I'll momentai you into a hospital bed, you long-eared rat!"
"You know, it's talk like that that's keeping you and Takatomon from… Oh, hey! Speaking of whom! Hey, Takato!"
"Uh… Hey." Takato waved at the chaotic group uncertainly. Well, at least I was right about that one. "Staying out of trouble, I see."
"More like getting in trouble," said Henry as Rika attempted to circle about him again. The half-Chinese Tamer kept pace with her, refusing to let her by. "The usual reason why I don't see anyone anymore."
"And I thought it was because you're always glued to your computer screen," Terriermon said, trotting over to the goggle-wearing Tamer. "Maybe I should move in with Takato. He at least gets out more."
"You'd kill his business," growled Rika as Kenta arrived at the top of the stairs.
"Hey, guys. What's going on?" the dark-haired boy asked, adjusting his glasses. From his vest emerged a floating, pink-colored fairy with a bulbous shaped head. It waved a tiny wing at Jeri, who giggled and waved back.
"Oh, the usual," replied Terriermon. "I say something completely innocent and Rika takes it the wrong way."
The fairy digimon frowned down at Terriermon and spoke a single word.
"Pih!"
"Hey!" Terriermon planted his hands on his hips. "I think that qualifies as rude!" He turned to face Kenta. "What did he say, anyway?"
"Ah…" Kenta laughed and scratched the side of his face. "It kind of loses something in the translation. Um… So, that aside, how's everyone…"
"Whoa!" Terriermon exclaimed suddenly. "Hot mama! Takatomon! What's that you got there?"
Rika's eyebrows rose as Takato looked down at Terriermon in utter confusion at first before following the Rookie's pointed finger toward the magazine he was holding in his hand. Scarlet drowned his face a second later and Rika quickly saw why. The back of the magazine showed a woman's round, heart-shaped posterior pointed directly at its viewer. The woman's head poked out from behind, blowing a kiss.
Takato's eyes shot over toward Rika with sudden alarm. "It's… It's not… I didn't… It's not what it looks like?"
"Not what it looks like, huh?" Terriermon asked. Rika brushed past Henry, who, in his shock, barely even noticed. He was too busy looking at Takato as if he had grown rabbit ears out of his goggles.
"It sure looks like what it looks like," Terriermon continued, tapping his chin with a wide grin. "You brought a porn magazine to Jeri's get-together. Even for you, that's pretty goggleheaded."
Takato's face only darkened in further horror and humiliation as Rika approached. Jeri watched with concern and she took a step forward. However, a shadow fell over her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she saw a surprising pair of blue eyes staring at her, and a single finger raised to its owner's lips, signaling silence.
Rika drew to a halt in front of Takato and she folded her arms together. Terriermon looked back and forth between the two before skedaddling off, zipping back over to his partner as the boy shook himself back to attention.
"Well?" Rika began, her tone neutral. "I'm listening."
"Rika," began Henry. "I'm sure he has a good explanation…"
"I'm sure he does," Rika interrupted, her voice still betraying not a single emotion. "I just want to hear it from him."
Takato swallowed, his red eyes looking directly into Rika's violet ones. A part of him wanted to look away, but another, wiser part, instructed him to hold firm. That things weren't as bad as he thought they were. Listening to that second half, he began to speak, only to find his voice beginning to crack at the very first word. He saw Rika wince at that in sympathy. Takato felt a flood of relief seeing that and, simultaneously, a conceived a desire to kick himself. Of course, Rika would genuinely want to hear him out and not think the worst about him right off the bat.
That's right, he thought, remembering their date at his house. She knows me. I may be a gogglehead, but she knows I wouldn't do something like this without a good reason behind it.
It didn't make him feel better, but he had to remind himself that Rika trusted him, and that trust wasn't something earned easily. Especially where they stood with one another now. Taking a breath to steady himself he looked at Rika an apologetically. "I heard you shout and got worried," he said. Rika arched an eyebrow questioningly, mulling it over in her head before nodding.
"And because of that you did something goggleheaded," she said, nodding to the magazine. The tension in the air was fast evaporating and Terriermon's ears shot up in surprise at this turn of events.
What the…? No yelling? No glaring? What's going on here?
While Terriermon's world was being turned upside down by this unexpected change between the two Tamers, the sound of something heavy clanging down at the end of the stairs reached the group. Rika cocked her head to one side.
"Let me guess as to who's responsible."
"Um… Before you go ballistic on him, just know that he was coming at this from a good place."
Rika gave Takato a flat stare before snatching the magazine out of his hand. Marching around him, she strode over to the top of the stairs just in time for Kazu to arrive. Seeing her, the boy's grey eyes glanced down briefly at the magazine in Rika's hand before meeting her eyes.
"Aw, man. I missed the fireworks, didn't I?"
Rika shoved the magazine into his chest, causing him to stumble backward into his partner. Wordlessly, she stalked back over to Takato and folded her arms together.
All eyes were now on the pair, rather surprised by their rather passive interaction. MarineAngemon looked over at Kenta.
"Pih."
"You think so, buddy?" he asked. The fairy digimon nodded and Kenta looked at him uncertainly. "Well, if you say so."
"What did he say?" Rika demanded, a touch of heat making itself known in her voice. Kenta shrugged and smiled placatingly.
"It's nothing."
"It's nice to see you all again," Jeri interceded, deciding that now was as good a time as any to change the subject. "Are you all ready to go to the beach?"
"Despite my partner's near derailment of this outing, I can certainly say that I am ready!" Guardromon said, pumping a mechanical fist into the air. "Or, I will be once I put on my swimwear."
"You're kidding," Rika said, staring at the android in bewilderment. Kazu sighed and nodded.
"He got it into his head that he can't go to the beach without it. It's like he thinks he'll look naked or something."
"Kazu!" Guardromon protested. "It's all about the spirit of the event! Everyone will be wearing something that's appropriate for the beach. I see no reason why I shouldn't do the same."
"My allowance is plenty of reason. Do you know how hard it was customizing those swim trunks for you? You're probably going to wreck them the second you put them on."
"You two are such clowns," Rika groaned while Jeri laughed.
"Shall we get going then?" the brunette asked.
"Sure. By the way, Chumley. You left Guilmon behind. He's all upset again that you didn't give him longer legs to keep up with you."
"Is he now? Perhaps I can help him feel better." came Renamon's voice as she teleported directly in front of the teen. Kazu jumped in surprise, and once more all eyes went wide.
She stood tall and lithe and very human-like, yet with noticeable muscle on her arms and legs. Long, golden hair fell down the back of her shirt, borrowed from Rika and framed her strong, yet heart-shaped face. A skirt flowed past her knees, barely hiding the tip of a fox-tail that poked out from underneath it.
"Hot…mama!" Terriermon breathed from his spot by Henry's foot.
"Terriermon…"
"But… Henry! Just look at her!"
"I am, but that's not an excuse to be rude!"
Renamon's human, blue eyes stared at Kazu with a playful smirk as she folded her arms beneath her breasts.
"Well?" she prompted, giving her bust a slight push and causing Kazu's face to burn with fire as he jerked his gaze away. "As Jeri said, shall we get going?"
"Ah…uh…" Kazu nodded numbly and stood aside. With a soft chuckle, Renamon stepped past him, her hips giving a little sway to each step as she went.
Kenta approached Kazu, both of their eyes glued on the vulpine-turned human.
"Is… Is that…?"
"Her transformation ability, kohenkyo?" Kazu supplied as Kenta trailed off. "Yeah. Yeah, I think so."
They remained fixed in place, unable to take their eyes off the kitsune as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Takato scrunched his face up, realizing that everyone was still in a state of shock and needed a bit of a push.
"Let's…ah… Let's get going," he said, starting toward the stairs. Slowly, Henry began to drag himself forward, seemingly at a loss for words while Jeri, smiling, looped an arm through Rika's and tugged her in the direction of the stairs. Satisfied that they at least were moving again, he looked back at Kazu and Kenta, who were still rooted where they stood. Approaching them, he gave them both a prod with his fingers.
"Um… You're drooling guys."
11