Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
Seeing Red
Chapter: 14
Rika scowled, her heart a nervous drumbeat in her chest. On the stove in front of her sat a saucepan and behind her, standing back a way by the kitchen table, arms folded together, stood her mother. Rumiko watched the girl, arms folded together and not saying a word. With stiff, awkward motions, Rika lifted the cover to the saucepan and inspected its contents.
"I think they're done," she reported, though she didn't sound quite so sure.
Well, that's understandable since she's not used to cooking, Rumiko thought to herself. "All right," she said aloud. "If you think they are, mix them in with the rice and let the cooker take care of the rest."
Rika's lips thinned into a stressed line. Her violet eyes inspected her work anxiously before finally deciding that she had hesitated enough. Moving quickly, she turned off the stove and took the saucepan over to the rice cooker, only to pause as Rumiko made an 'Ah-ah' sound, pointing over to a nearby bowl.
"You're missing a step."
Rika sighed.
"I don't get why you need to separate the water from the beans first," she grumbled, going over to the bowl. "You said it's all going in anyway."
"Because it's Sekihan," Rumiko replied simply as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Rika immediately rolled her eyes as if this were the most ridiculous thing she ever heard. Rumiko chuckled quietly. "Rika, I'm only here to give you advice and you said you wanted to do this the right way without cutting any corners. Is that what you want?"
"No," Rika grumbled, unable to argue with both the wisdom of her mother and her own commitment to her goals. Rumiko nodded and said no more, allowing her daughter to finish up under her watchful eye and then combine the red beans and water with the rice in the cooker. Once that was done, Rika let out a sigh of relief.
"There," Rumiko smiled, approaching her from behind and settling her hands on the girl's shoulders, giving them a comforting squeeze. "That wasn't so bad now, was it?"
"It would have been better if the stupid cookbook didn't make it sound so complicated."
Rumiko gave a light laugh. "Oh, Rika, don't be so melodramatic. It's your first time making this. Of course, if you weren't so tense, you probably wouldn't be having such a hard time of it."
"Okay, that's enough mothering, Mom," Rika grumped, slipping free from her mother's grasp. "I mean, you're right, but you're laying it on a little thick."
"Sorry," Rumiko smiled apologetically. "Why don't you go clean up and get ready. I'll keep an eye on things here."
Rika cast a conflicted look at the older woman and shook her head.
"Can't," she said. "This is my project. I need to keep an eye on it."
"Oh, you can bend on this just this once." Approaching, Rumiko proceeded to give Rika a slight nudge in the direction out of the kitchen. "Trust me on this. You'll feel a lot better once you've taken a break and freshened up. You might want to take the time to pick out an outfit."
Rika blushed. "Mom! We're just hanging out here! Why should I dress up in anything fancy? I didn't the last bunch of times we went out."
"I never said you had to wear anything fancy. Just something that'll look nice and catch his attention."
"That's…That's stupid." Rika's blush deepened. "Besides, he already thinks I look nice and…and…"
Rika trailed off, her voice tattering with embarrassment as she spoke. Even after the harrowing and horribly embarrassing experience about her mother finding her pushup bra and the long talk that followed, she was not used to talking about her relationship to Takato with her. She felt her mind recoil as her skin crawled, feeling as though she were being put under a microscope. It had been bad enough that her mother knew about the relationship. But giving her details such as whether or not Takato thought she looked nice? That somehow felt like a bridge too far.
Yet, since discovering the pushup bra, Rumiko had been rather insistent on being kept in the loop about the course their relationship was heading.
"But I thought you liked it when he complimented you," Rumiko continued, still smiling.
"Oh, for goodness sake," Rika groaned. Clearly, Rumiko was going to push all the necessary buttons if that's what it took to make her leave. So, with a cloud over her head and a storm on the horizon, Rika did just that and quickly beat a hasty retreat out of the kitchen.
"This is so stupid," she grumbled to herself once she was out of earshot. "It's just stupid red beans and rice. Why's it got to be such a big deal?"
Of course, Rika knew the only person here making a big deal out of it was herself and the reasons for it were readily apparent. She was making food not just for herself but for Takato as well. Logically, she knew it shouldn't be a big deal. He made food for her and was quite happy to do it, be it on a date or just as a natural part of their relationship going back before they even became romantically involved. Takato liked to treat people he cared about. It was one of the things she liked about him and she found that, today, she wanted to return the favor.
It means more than going out and buying a pair of bentos, she told herself, sliding the door to her room open and stepping inside. Anyone can buy a bento. But making something… There's a bit more to it than that. You're putting how you feel into it.
Glancing at the picture of herself with Takato and Henry, she smiled briefly at it. Takato, more than anyone else she knew, put how he felt into the things he did, whether it was his artwork or his cooking. Guilmon was, perhaps the best example of that. All his love and childish naivety were on full display with his digimon partner. That said something special about him and the impact he had on her. She wanted to convey that in her cooking.
Besides, this is what couples do for one another, isn't it? A-And red beans and rice is a good way to do that, so I shouldn't be bothered by it. I shouldn't be.
Rika hovered uncertainly in the center of her room, trying to make the logic all fit in her mind. Couples did things for one another and she wanted to express how she felt. She might not do it all that often, but when she did, she did so openly.
Yet, she remembered a time some years ago where she expressed nervousness about having friends over to her home for the first time. Henry and Takato had been confused about her anxiety, as it was something they did all the time. They took it for granted, and that was the crux of her problem.
I want this to go right. No mistakes. No goofy, goggleheaded moments on my part. I made the food. It needs to be perfect.
She pressed her lips together tightly, rolling those thoughts around in her mind. Her mouth twisted into a harsh grimace.
For goodness sake, I really sound like my classmates now.
Yet, try as she might, those thoughts remained and would continue to send out little roots into her mind.
"You seem nervous," came Renamon's voice as the sound of a flute playing announced her presence. Rika tightened her fists.
"What's there to be nervous about?" she asked without turning to face her partner. "It's Gogglehead. And we've been on a date like this before, so I'm sure thing will be fine."
She heard a light chuckle emanating from the vixen. "It wasn't that long ago that you would have thought differently."
"What happened on the beach wasn't his fault." Approaching her dresser, if only to distract herself, Rika began to peruse through her clothing, wondering if she should take her mother's advice after all.
At the very least, it might not be a bad idea to have him off balance. At least a little bit.
"Even before then," Renamon continued as the girl took out a shirt and appraised it before putting it back in.
"He hasn't tripped over himself in the last few days," Rika grunted. "I'm sure he'll be fine."
Yet, she found herself wondering about that a little. She couldn't deny that her gogglehead had the strange ability to trip into a situation without any help and cause her to get flustered and lose her footing. The absence of such issues made her wonder if the universe were merely saving up for an even bigger slipup.
"Hmmm… Perhaps," Renamon said, as if to her unspoken thoughts. Rika took out a pair of shorts. They were old and well-worn, but comfortable in the summer heat. A part of her realized that, having not kept up with her growth, they showed a rather generous amount of her legs. She cocked her head, frowning in contemplation before finally replacing them. She wanted Takato off-balance. Not distracted.
Feels like I'm relying on that kind of thing too much, she thought. First the shirt, then the swimsuit. What's next?
Her mind drifted to the pushup bra, still squirrelled away in her dresser. With a faint blush, she quickly decided that what she wore now would have to suffice.
"Renamon? Do you think that maybe I'm taking this too seriously?"
Renamon tilted her head to one side questioningly. "What do you mean?"
Rika pressed her lips together uncertainly, mulling over how to respond. "It's just sometimes feels like I'm getting into this whole 'having Gogglehead as my boyfriend' the same way I got into the card game. I treat it like a fight. A game and I try to figure out how to use everything to my advantage so I can win. I don't like doing things halfway, but…" She shook her head, face burning with heat as she fought to put into words what she intended to say. The words wouldn't come however, the ideas coming too thick and fast for her to properly grasp them in her flustered state. Fortunately, through the link that she shared with her partner, images that came unbidden in her mind – memories of the food she made, how she dressed or considered dressing to accentuate certain aspects of herself – made their way to Renamon. The kitsune's eyes widened slightly.
"I see," she said softly. Rika wrapped her arms about herself, her blush deepening.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to send you all of that." Her arms tightened about herself. "I guess I'm just wondering if this should be different. Am I doing something wrong?"
"I've been given to understand that humans often take care of their appearance with regards to their romantic partner. From what I've observed, this is a common occurrence amongst many forms of life in this world."
Rika shifted, understanding what her partner was getting at. "I'm not a peacock. I just want to have a good time with my gogglehead."
"Your mother and grandmother would be sure to tell you that a relationship is considerable work." Making her way over to her partner, Renamon placed a massive paw on the girl's shoulder. "Even for the good times."
Rika hmphed, conceding the point.
"That still doesn't answer my question."
"I believe your family would be a better judge than I," Renamon replied. "But if it helps, I believe you are doing the best you can with the knowledge you have."
Rika gave her partner a sharp look. "You're making fun of me, aren't you?"
A small, barely perceptible smile touched the kitsune's features. "As I said, your family would be a better judge than I. But if I may, I believe they would also remind you to not do anything you aren't comfortable with."
"Which is part of the problem," Rika sighed, still clenching her fists. "There's so many things I want, but I'm…" She paused before forcing the words out of her mouth. "I'm not comfortable with them. I bought that stupid bra and the stupid swimsuit to get comfortable and it hasn't really helped." Rika's shoulders sagged a little. "Not really. A part of me feels like I'm relying on the wrong tools to stay ahead in the game, but sooner or later it's going to catch up with me and I won't know what to do!"
"Then perhaps part of the problem is that you view Takato as an opponent who needs to be defeated?" Renamon offered before adding, "Even tamed?"
Rika scowled at that, but a smirk played on the corners of her lips. "All right," she said. "I think that's enough out of you. Didn't you say that you had something to do during my date?"
"A study of sorts, yes," Renamon said. "But nothing that can't wait if you want to talk."
"I think I've reached my limit," the girl returned apologetically. "But thanks. I guess I'll just wing it and hope things don't get too goggleheaded by the time you get back."
"Fortunately, you and Takato are very good at 'winging it,'" the vulpine digimon laughed. "Have a good date."
With that, Renamon faded from view, leaving Rika alone in her room and her thoughts. Drawing in a deep breath, Rika sighed.
"Takato. Renamon. Sometimes, I don't know how you put up with me," she said ruefully before turning her attention back to her dresser. After a moment, she glowered at it and reached into one particular drawer, where she produced the pushup bra.
"I am going to get comfortable with all of this," she said defiantly to the article of clothing, squeezing the straps hard between her fingers, as though she were strangling snakes. "I'm not going to be afraid of the things I want."
###
Takato set the chicken gizzards down on the living room table gingerly. His crimson eyes swept across the table, wide with surprise as they took in the meal of Sekihan laid out before him. The rice was a golden-orange in color, sprinkled with red beans and black sesame seeds.
Sitting down next to him, Rika lifted an elegant eyebrow. If she were unsettled by his sudden lapse into silence, she hid it well behind her relaxed composure.
"What's gotten into you?" she prompted, a note of defensiveness betraying her nerves. Seating himself now, Takato gave her an embarrassed grin. He had noticed something different about Rika ever since arriving. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on. The presence of red beans and rice further cemented this, but he couldn't for the life of him figure it out.
"Sorry. Just wondering what the occasion is," he said, hoping to find some kind of clue as he wracked his brains for the change he perceived with her. She looked as she normally did. Her clothes and hair didn't appear out of the ordinary. The shirt looked a little abused, but as she was a Tamer, that tended to come with the territory. And he couldn't see a spot of makeup anywhere on her face.
Not like she would wear that kind of thing anyway, he thought, his eyes considering her shirt again before returning to her face. But there's something different. But what?
At his attentive look, Rika shifted uneasily. "No real reason. I just felt like it." She paused before adding, "I made it by the way."
At that, Takato blinked.
"You?" he asked a little more loudly than he meant to. Rika's brow wrinkled slightly, forming a thunderhead.
"Yes, me. Don't sound so surprised, Gogglehead. I know I don't do it all that often, but I can cook too."
"I'm not…" Takato began before hastily trying to shift gears. "I mean I am surprised! It's just, well, different." He gave her an apologetic shrug. "I just didn't expect you to, that's all."
"Yeah, well, I felt like you were showing off last time and I wanted to remind you that I'm still the best, even if I'm a little rusty."
Rika smirked at him. While she could cook, her claim of rustiness was undersold. Aside from Miso soup, her usual for breakfast, she rarely went to the trouble of cooking for herself or others. From her perspective, it was boring, frustrating, and a waste of her time. Yet with Takato making meals for them whenever they dined together on one of their indoor dates, she couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious about it.
Am I putting everything into this? she found herself wondering. Am I giving it my all? Being the best version of myself like I told Renamon I would always be?
Love, it seemed, was very complicated. She felt as though she were second guessing herself and wondered if the same were true for Takato.
Knowing him, probably, she mused, dishing some rice into a bowl. He's always second guessing himself. It's why he's always awkward around me.
Her mouth twitched slightly, causing Takato to tilt his head to one side questioningly. Rika cleared her throat to cover it, not wanting him to pick up on one of her tells and begin bombarding her with questions about how she was doing.
"Anyway, I made more than enough, so feel free to have as much as you want," she resumed, a nervous twitter to her voice. A smile spread across Takato's face at that and she squirmed under his gaze.
"What?" she demanded, giving him a small frown. His smile grew in response.
"I was just thinking of how amazing and awesome you are."
Rika felt a slight blush touch her features as her expression became catlike and playful.
"How about you at least try the red rice before you lay on the compliments? Just because I'm the best doesn't mean I want to be acknowledged for it before I've proven it."
"Whatever you say, Rika," Takato replied, still beaming. Rika squirmed again, her blush deepening at his smile. Clearly, he was greatly touched by her gesture.
Well, he should be, she thought, snatching up his plate and spooning the rice onto it so as to distract herself. I don't do this sort of thing for just anyone.
After handing him his meal, and doing her best to avoid eye contact for the time being, Rika turned her attention over to the television. With a grunt, she hoisted herself up and made her way over to it. Turning it on, she slipped the DVD she had picked out into its slot.
"So, um, what are we watching?" Takato asked, waiting for Rika to return. Rika cast a sidelong glance at him before hurriedly glancing away. Their date had an almost domestic feel to it that made her imagine that they were married and well settled into the routine of their relationship.
This, in turn, reminded her of the pile of marriage proposals her extended family kept sending her and immediately her mood threatened to sour.
"It's a movie I used to watch a lot with Grandma when I was a kid," she replied, turning her thoughts away from notions of marriage. "Seven Samurai."
Takato's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I saw that once with my grandfather. I thought it was pretty good!"
Rika smirked at him, spooning some rice onto her plate now. "I thought you might think that. It has swords and samurai in it after all. The good guy fighting the good fight and saving the day. Just perfect for a knight in shining armor like you."
"Is that why you like it?" Takato asked, blushing at her playful jab.
Rika hummed thoughtfully to herself. "Not really," she admitted, earning her another raised eyebrow. "It's more of a personal thing," she explained. "Family."
At that, Takato's expression became one of concern. Yet he didn't say anything yet. The matter of her extended family was, he had learned over the years, a bit of a sore spot for her, though he didn't know the specifics as she remained silent on details. She gave him another playful smirk and lightly punched his shoulder.
"Don't be like that, Takato," she warned.
"S-Sorry," Takato stammered out. "It's just, I kind of know how much of a big deal family is to you."
"Only for my mom, Grandma, Renamon and you," she said, taking up her chopsticks and beginning to eat. Takato's eyebrows both rose at being unexpectedly included in her small family circle. For her part, Rika continued as if she had said something completely normal. Taking her cue, Takato took up his chopsticks and dug in, taking the time to taste Rika's cooking.
"This is good," he said, unable to hide the pleased surprise on his face. Rika smirked triumphantly at him.
"Told you," she said, a boasting note in her voice. Inwardly, she felt a swell of relief and relaxed a little. "And you didn't believe me."
"Hey! I believed you," Takato assured her with a laugh. "I just said I was surprised, that's all. I mean, it's like you said. You don't do this very often."
"Well, maybe you can expect me to do it a bit more then," Rika said, eyeing him playfully. "Someone needs to take you down a peg, Gogglehead."
Takato paused between mouthfuls and looked at Rika in astonishment. Yet she didn't meet his eyes, instead returning to her own meal as though she had said something perfectly normal and not at all out of the ordinary for her.
After a moment, he gave a light chuckle.
"Only you could take something like cooking and turn it into a competition."
"I can't be anything else," she smirked, eyes shining.
Takato's eyes flickered over to the television, watching a scene unfold. A samurai, one of the main characters, was having his hair shaved off, disguising himself as a priest so he could save a child from a crazed man.
"Never change," he grinned back, returning his attention to her. "Guess I should step up my game, huh?"
Rika wordlessly eyed him, her mirthful smile playing across her lips.
A knock on the door caused both teens to look up and find Rumiko standing at the entry.
"Just thought I'd check in on you," she said. "Good to see that you're getting along."
At the sight of the older woman, Rika's mood darkened slightly and Takato saw her smile slip away.
"Of course, we are, Mom," the girl grunted, snatching up a gizzard from the container. Rumiko, chuckling, tapped a finger on her nose and winked at the couple knowingly.
"All right," she said, seeing that she cast a cloud over her daughter's date. "I'll let you two get back to your lunch. Just remember not to do any funny business. I'll still be checking in after all."
"O-Oh, don't worry about us," Takato laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head while Rika looked down at her shirt, heat flushing her face. "We'll be well behaved!"
Rumiko smiled before glancing over at her daughter. "I'm sure you will," she said before disappearing around the corner. Rika glowered at the empty spot her mother had vacated and shifted uneasily. She felt herself all too aware of the pushup bra she now sported beneath her shirt.
"Stupid…" she muttered under breath. Takato arched an eyebrow.
"Did you say something?"
Blushing harder, Rika adjusted herself and sat up straight.
"I'm just saying how stupid it is for her to be so nosy. It's not…" She swallowed nervously. "It's not like we've really had the chance to do anything like that anyway."
On the screen, the now bald samurai made his way down the dusty road, his mission complete. Reaching up, the warrior ran a hand along his naked scalp, feeling the absence of his chonmage and the shame that came with it. Takato felt his throat tighten at her words, remembering how, at the beach, they had been kissing, and were interrupted by the presence of their fellow beachgoers, most prominently an older woman giving them a disapproving glare for their public display of affection.
Rika had promised then that they were 'not done.' Yet, in the week and a half since their visit to the beach, they hadn't had any opportunity to do things like kiss and hold each other. The bakery grew busy and they both needed to get some work done on their summer assignments before going back to school. While they still managed to see one another, it had been in the context of hanging out with their friends and never solely each other.
Does it bother her? he found himself wondering. Takato pressed his lips together, thinking it over. He knew he wanted to hold her more. To shower her with kisses and show her how much he loved her, but Rika tended to be a bit more on the standoffish side when it came to physical affection. She had her moments, of course. Her kisses seemed to hint that she wanted more, but he couldn't figure out how much more she wanted. He wanted to be bolder and give her whatever love she wanted, but at the same time he felt that what he had with her was fragile. Something that might break.
If I push too hard without knowing what I'm doing, I might end up losing her, he thought, thinking about her unspoken situation with her family and her father especially. Rika never seemed to think too much about her father, but every once in a while, he would catch her being melancholy on the subject, sometimes uncertainly wondering aloud if she should visit him.
Taking notice that he was staring at her, Rika arched an eyebrow at him.
"Well, what?" she asked playfully, smiling a little. "Am I more interesting to watch than the movie or something?"
Takato made a panicked squawk and hurriedly stuffed more rice into his mouth. Rika tilted her head to one side questioningly, waiting for him to finish eating before pressing further.
"I, ah, was just thinking about," Takato's mind scrambled, "about how we've watched a lot of things that are kind of old. First the Noh theater and then Gojira. Now Seven Samurai. N-Not that I think that's a bad thing or anything, I just find it…funny?"
He gave Rika a goofy, lopsided smile that he hoped would throw her off. Setting her bowl down, Rika eyed him thoughtfully.
Clearly, she wasn't buying his bluff, but was amused enough to play along rather than pressure him for the truth.
"You're such a gogglehead," she chuckled, shaking her head. "They're good movies. So what if they're old?"
"I'm not saying they're bad. I just…"
"You just think it's funny. I know. I heard." Rika ate up another gizzard casually. "And it's making you wound up. I'm sure it had nothing to do with you looking at me."
She again shifted in her seat and Takato once more felt that there was something different about her. Unfortunately, he couldn't pursue the puzzle as Rika's teasing sent his brain flailing about for stable ground.
"W-Well, you're so p-pretty and…and…f-funny. I mean, did you do something to your hair? I mean, your shirt? I mean…"
Takato's lips twisted, stiffening up as heat washed over the length of his body as his earlier questions began to flood his tongue. Seeing that he was falling apart, he snapped his mouth shut with a loud click, no longer trusting himself to say anything more. Rika smirked at him, blushing brightly herself.
"You have such a way with words," she laughed softly. Taking up a gizzard with her chopsticks, she leaned toward him, indicating that she wanted to feed him as she had on their previous date at his house. "Here. Untangle yourself."
His blush increasing in ferocity, he leaned forward and accepted the gift gratefully. Chewing it over, he found the stiffness in his mouth loosening and before too long he let out a heavy sigh.
"Better?" she asked. Takato nodded.
"A little. Sorry about being weird like that."
"You said I looked pretty, so I'll let it slide," Rika replied, her grin catlike and coy. "Now, you want to tell me what's really going on?"
"Just thinking about stuff," Takato said, half-evasively. He blushed again and Takato wondered if he looked like Guilmon right now. "F-Funny stuff. Since, you know, you seemed kind of bothered about it when your mom brought it up."
Rika cocked her head to one side, a faint sliver of red staining her cheeks. Once more, she shook her head, this time not bothering to meet his eyes.
"Leave it to you to make a big deal over something small," she said.
"But isn't it a big deal?" he asked, forcing himself to be upfront on the topic. "I mean, it's…" He coughed, clearing his throat. Oh, it felt so hard to talk right now. "…funny stuff."
"Are we using euphemisms now, Gogglehead?" Rika grunted. "I thought with all the old movies that you watch that you weren't a kid."
Takato twitched at that. Are we fighting now?
"Um, weren't you the one who called me a kid back when we first met?"
"I said that because you didn't know anything about anything." Rika smiled playfully at him. "You've done some growing up since then. You made that pretty obvious when I stopped by your window."
"Jeez…" Takato bent his head, his mind bubbling with confusion. "I don't know if you're doing this on purpose or not."
Rika felt a wave of sympathy wash through her. Deciding she should dial things back, she nodded reluctantly.
"Well, you're cute when you get flustered."
Takato barked a harsh, if relieved laugh. "Gee, thanks."
"Don't be like that, Gogglehead," Rika said, her smirk returning. "Because if you are, just remember, I happen to know where you're ticklish."
Takato's eyes, going wide, snapped up at her. To prove that she wasn't full of hot air, her hand snaked out and poked at his ribs before swiftly retreating. The boy jerked, mouth twisting up into a wide, toothy smile he tried to repress.
"H-Hey! Rika! That's…That's not funny!"
"All's fair in love and war," she said, her playful streak returning full force. "Besides, you deserve this for not telling the truth earlier anyway." Again, her finger snuck forth, quick as a whip, poking at his sides just below his ribs. Takato clamped a hand over his mouth.
"O-Okay. I think you made your point," he said, his hand muffling his response. Rika bared her teeth.
"What's that? I don't think I heard you."
"I said…"
Rika didn't give him a chance to finish. Once again, her finger thrust itself at his side and this time it didn't retreat. Takato's knees smacked loudly against the table as he attempted to retreat, causing the dishes to rattle.
"C-Come on! Your mom said no funny stuff!"
"Oh please. We both knowwhat she really meant by that. Don't hide behind her now, Gogglehead."
The movie temporarily forgotten, Rika shifted, taking on a more confrontational posture. It was immature, she knew, and even now she would scoff at this sort of behavior as she often did. But Takato had a habit of drawing out her immature side and that part of her, having become more comfortable with itself in recent years, wanted to take full advantage of its momentary freedom. Her fingers curling into claws, she advanced on him. Takato's eyes went as wide as saucers, seeing his doom written on her nails. Unexpectedly, Rika giggled.
In a desperate bid to save his ticklish sides, Takato snatched hold of her wrists. Grunting, she twisted, trying to wrench her hands free. Unfortunately for her, Takato's grip was too strong.
"Come on," Takato laughed breathlessly, wonder in his voice at what had gotten into the fiery girl. "How about we go back to eating and we can say that I've been punished enough, okay?"
"How about no?" Rika replied, suddenly pushing toward him.
There came a loud clunk as their heads collided, followed by a light exclamation from both of them. Rika winced. She hadn't meant for that to happen. She had been trying to kiss him so she could throw him off balance, but he had moved at the last second. But at least she was able to free her hands as his grip went limp in stunned surprise. Seizing the advantage as well as the revenge she went full bore on his sides, causing the boy to barely swallow a yelp as his ribs heaved, attempting to crawl away from her fingers.
"R-Rikaaa!" Takato squirmed, grabbing hold of her by the shoulders. "K-K-Knock it…off!"
Rika smirked, pushing him down.
"Make me."
Takato's eyes flashed and as if she had set something in him alight, his own fingers went to her sides and immediately began reciprocating with a tickle attack of their own. Rika jerked, half-crying out in surprise. A wiser part of her, attempting to intervene, warned her about the noise they were making. That her mother would soon investigate if they kept this up for much longer.
The competitive part of her however redoubled her attacks, and before too long they were both thrashing against the floor, fighting to make the other surrender. A tickle war. A tickle war! They never had one before now. She knew he was ticklish, owing to an incident when they were fourteen where he had been depressed and she tried to 'prod' him out of it. It wasn't something she had tried to do though. It was too immature.
Yet, here they were, both struggling against one another as their hands quested about, seeking out new places to attack and laughing as they did so. Rika's face was flush as she giggled loudly, glorying in Takato's more aggressive stance for a change. So intent on making her give up that he didn't notice his fingers slipping underneath her shirt to strike against the naked flesh beneath. Nor did he notice hers doing the same. She felt the muscles in her stomach tighten and then…then…
Rika's eyes flew open, wide with sudden realization and sensation. Her hands froze, fingers tightening against his sides, causing Takato to let out a startled gasp.
"Rika, what…?" he began, but Rika didn't hear the rest of what he had to say. The surge of sensation grew and grew, increasing in intensity with each passing second as muscles in her stomach tightened and shook. Rika let out a loud, harsh gasp, pulling Takato tightly to her as pleasurable quakes suddenly erupted from seemingly everywhere. Squeezing. Contracting, centered around her belly and radiating outward. Distantly, she heard Takato calling to her. Or for her mother. She didn't know. All she knew for a long, delightful moment was a pleasant, blanket-like warmth filling her body and the steady series of gasping contractions that made her moan until, finally, she slumped in his arms.
"T-Takato?" she whispered, coming back to herself.
"Rika!" he gasped, relief flooding his panicked voice. "Oh, thank goodness! Are you all right?"
"L-Let me up."
He had to disentangle himself from her first, an act that required surprisingly more work than it should have. She had held onto him fairly tight and without even needing to look, she knew her nails had left their mark on his sides. Yet, he showed no thought for them as he looked at her, warm eyes full of concern.
"Do you need me to get you some water?" he asked worriedly. "Rika, what happened?"
"Nothing," she said dismissively. "Just a muscle cramp." Yet in her mind she knew it had been anything but. Her mind was awhirl with a thousand thoughts and feelings, none of which she could catch right away. She didn't like that. Didn't like feeling out of sorts like this. Takato. Takato had made her…made her orgasm! And from the look on his face, he didn't even know it!
She scowled angrily at him.
"You win," she said, lightly slugging his leg. Takato blinked.
"Wait, what?"
"You win," she grumbled, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "Don't make me repeat myself."
He made me orgasm, she thought, doing her best to avoid his confused and concerned gaze. With his hands. He. Him. The stupid gogglehead.
Her thoughts were tumbling about in her head like a load of laundry in the dryer. She couldn't quite focus on anything and a part of her wanted to just go for a run, work everything out of her until she felt a little more like herself again. She wasn't even sure how she felt about what happened! The uncertainty hit her like a truck. She had enjoyed it, and yet it had caught her completely flatfooted.
How did he do that to me? she wondered, looking up at him. Concern was writ upon his face, but more than that, she saw pain and beneath it, self-loathing priming itself for hurting her.
Why is he…? Oh. She remembered that she told him she had cramped up from his tickling. "Takato…"
"I'm sorry," Takato said just then, embracing her. Rika grunted, his scent filling her head. "I didn't mean…"
"S-Shut up," she cut in. "It was just a stupid accident. Don't…Don't apologize for stupid things, got it?"
"But, Rika…"
"Don't. Apologize." Rika squeezed him all the harder and breathed deep his scent once more. She felt her confusion lessen a little. "Stupid Gogglehead," she whispered.
They held each other like that for a minute longer until there came a low, polite cough. At once both teens broke apart and looked up to find Rumiko standing at the doorway, looking at them with a mixture of relief and alarm.
"Is everything all right in here?" she asked, her eyes swinging toward her daughter. Rika blushed, but held her mother's gaze. Scratching the back of his head, Takato gave a polite cough of his own.
"Ah, well, there's actually a funny story…"
Rika rolled her eyes.
"Very subtle, Takato."
###
"I'm sorry about the muscle cramp," Takato apologized again as Rika followed him to her door. Despite the embarrassment she felt churning within her, Rika shrugged, outwardly doing her best to appear calm and collected. The rest of their date had gone well, if not as eventful as their tickle war. Rika held herself to blame for that, having become a bit disengaged after their tickle fest. Try as she might, the whole incident kept replaying itself in her mind and she couldn't get it unstuck from its loop.
That was completely different from anything I ever did on my own, she thought, and a part of her felt worried about what that might entail for the future.
"Like I said, don't worry about it," she replied, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "It was an accident. These things happen."
"I know. It's just…" Takato gave her another apologetic smile. "Well, you know me. I get worried. I'll try harder not to let myself get carried away like that."
Rika scowled at the way he said that. In her mind's eye, she immediately saw how he was seeing himself just then. A dragon, born from rage, howling its rage as it pinned its opponent to the ground with its serpentine tail. The whole digital world burning and breaking apart around it.
Megidramon.
"Don't be a gogglehead," she chastised. Removing one hand from her pocket, she gave his shoulder a light punch. "Believe it or not, it was nice to see you cut loose for once. Sometimes, it feels like you try too hard to not make me upset."
Turning her violet gaze at him, she smiled.
"Maybe I like seeing you be a little more loose. Did you ever think of that?"
Takato blushed and turned away.
"Yeah? Well… It was kind of nice seeing you…like you were. Goofing off, I mean."
"Being immature, you mean?" Rika smirked. Her hand moved over to his and gave it a light squeeze. "Maybe once in a while. Between you and me only though. That's…" Red bloomed across her cheeks. "That's not something I want to show off in front of just anybody. Only people I care about."
She felt Takato squeeze her hand back as they reached the gate of her home.
"Well, I guess this is where we separate," he said, turning to her. Yet, she noted he was reluctant to release her hand. She didn't blame him. He loved her and in spite of her earlier assurances, he was still worried about what happened. Giving an indicative tug with her arm, she drew up to him and gently kissed the corner of his lips.
"Get home, Lover Boy," she teased. "Before your mom calls wondering what I've done to you."
Takato laughed and with great reluctance, the two released each other's hands.
"See you tomorrow," Takato said, setting off. "Or, you know. Whenever we're not busy."
"Yeah," Rika smiled softly. "See you tomorrow."
Turning, the fire-haired girl stepped back into her yard and found her mother standing on the porch, her gown giving her a bell-like appearance.
"So," Rumiko smiled, steepling her hands against one another giddily, "how did your date go? Or is it too soon for me to ask?"
Rika rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Oh, for goodness sake…"
###
Takato made his way home without incident and before too long night found him in bed, exhausted from having dodged questions about his date, yet still awake. Below Guilmon slept soundly, a comforting, nasally sound and one Takato had no trouble falling asleep to on other nights. Not tonight however. He was restless, his mind buzzed with the events of the date. He kept coming back to the tickle war and how Rika had cramped up at the end of it. He had been terrified then, feeling her tighten up the way she did, gasping as if she couldn't get enough air. Although she had told him that accidents happen and that he shouldn't hold himself to blame, he couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility for it.
I've got to do better, he thought. I can't lose control of myself like that again.
"Maybe I like seeing you be a little more loose," whispered the memory of Rika as he turned over onto his front. Did you ever think of that?"
But how? he wondered. How can I be what she wants without hurting her? Even by accident?
He scratched the back of his head, wondering if he was being too hard on himself. He knew Rika would immediately tell him that he was. She had said as much back on the beach when he put suntan lotion on her back and had gotten excited. She trusted him and knew he would never intentionally hurt her.
But even so, that doesn't mean I can be careless. He sighed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to relax. Man, I bet Guilmon never has to worry about this kind of thing.
Down below, it sure sounded as though the reptile didn't have anything to worry about. His breathing was perfectly relaxed and at ease in his makeshift bed, surrounded by plush animal toys given to him by Jeri and various classmates over the years. Takato supposed that was the strength of his partner. He was careful to not hurt anyone intentionally, and if he did, he made sure to apologize and learn from it. He didn't let himself get bogged down by a turmoil of doubts and questions and fears once amends were made.
How does he not worry about me turning him into Megidramon again? Takato wondered. How does he trust me not to hurt him like that again?
A good question, and one he never thought of before. He supposed it was something he ought to ask the next time he had the chance.
He shifted in his bed, forcing himself to try and relax. Hugging his pillow close to him, he imagined it was Rika. He envisioned the feel of her in his arms; the scent of her hair, like lavender. Comforting. Warm. Strong. He remembered the touch of her lips against his as she bid him goodbye, as she had done so many times now since that first fateful day where she asked him out.
He felt his stomach twist in recollection of how awkward it had been then. Yet, Rika took it in stride as him being his usual 'goggleheaded' self, accepting it as she accepted him. Him being or doing something bizarre or embarrassing or otherwise being awkward was, in her eyes, an acceptable 'hazard' of their relationship. And, in her words, it kept things interesting.
How she put up with him, he didn't know. But he wanted to make sure that, no matter what, she felt appreciated.
I'll have to do something for her, he thought, giving his pillow a squeeze.
Time drifted, and so did Takato. Slowly, steadily, sleep laid hold of him and took him into the realm of dreams where a vision of Rika awaited him.
On his desk, the screen on his digivice lit up, casting a gentle illumination over the room. Guilmon stirred amidst his sea of plush toys, sniffing the air.
"Ha?" the reptile slurred, rousing from his slumber, knocking over a fox plushie as he did so. "Rika?"
But all was now cast in darkness, and the scent he had detected was swiftly vanishing. Shrugging it off as Rika's scent from Takato's clothes – the pair enjoyed hugging each other after all – Guilmon took hold of the fox plushie in his mouth, dropped it back in his bed and plopped down next to it with a soft sigh.
He never once saw the faint wisp of fog emanating down the ladder that led up to Takato's bed.
###
A/N: For those that are curious, Sekihan is a traditional Japanese dish that is served on special occasions throughout the year. Birthdays, weddings and various holidays to give some examples (and it seems in some places to celebrate a girl's first menstruation). It has become common enough as a means for celebration that the phrase, "Let's have sekihan" has become synonymous with celebration, backed by the red color being a symbol of happiness (amongst its various symbolic meanings).
I thought about making the ending scene a little longer with more going on in it than what was shown (especially at the end), but as I was writing I got the feeling that doing so would make it a little too busy, so I ended it off with a bit of a mystery for the future.
Hope you all are having a good day so far. Take care. :)
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