Atsuki: Another one-shot!
Ryo: This time more fluffy!
Title: You're not invisible
Pairing: Ryry (RyoxHenry/Jenrya)
Summary: One-shot. Henry never wanted Suzie to become a tamer so why was he smiling when Ryo gave Suzie her first modify card?
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon Tamers
Suzie…
You're just a little girl, you can't become a tamer. It's too dangerous. If you get involved in these fights, we may lose you…
If you become a real tamer, I'll lose you…
And if I lose you then I'll just go back to being…
"Hey," murmured a soft voice. Henry glanced up at the brunette who sat down next him.
"Oh, hi Ryo," came the soft reply.
"Terriermon said you could use some company," explained Ryo seeing the questioning look in the younger boy's eyes.
"Really?" That sounded too polite to be true.
"Well... maybe I re-phrased it slightly. His exact words were: Oi! Legendary tamer guy, go fix Henry, I think he's broken or something"
Henry couldn't help but chuckle at this. "That's definitely Terriermon; manners were never his strong point,"
Ryo smiled. With the D-reaper and everything going on, he rarely got the chance to see the normally serious boy so relaxed. It was a nice change.
"So, just what have you spent the last hour contemplating about?" asked the older boy. Henry stiffened and looked down, a frown gracing his features once more.
"Family"
"Suzie," It wasn't a question.
"Suzie…" repeated the bluenette, "She's just a little girl,"
"She is very young"
"And she can be very naïve"
"She doesn't know any better,"
"And it's going to be dangerous,"
"It'll be very dangerous,"
"So becoming a tamer is the worst thing she could do right now!"
"Becoming a tamer is the best thing she could do right now,"
This last statement completely threw the younger boy. "But you just agreed with me about her being young and naïve and the battles being dangerous!"
The brunette smiled, looking up at the sky. "Yeah because that's true but none of us chose this and it's just something we have to accept. Besides…" Henry glanced over at him, "…This isn't about Suzie being too young; you're just making excuses for the real reason,"
Henry tensed. Did he know? How could he know? No-one else had realised not even his own family and Ryo was practically a complete stranger.
"You're wrong," He tried to sound firm but his voice trembled under the older boy's intense gaze.
"Then why won't you look at me," His eyes remained focused on the ground.
"You don't need to concern yourself with me," He could practically feel Ryo frown at statement.
"Of course I-" Henry cut him off.
"Why! Because being the legendary tamer gives you a right to pry into others' personal affairs! Being a tamer is like business, personal life doesn't come into it so let's keep it that way! Besides it's not like I'm ever gonna see you again after this so it doesn't really matter," The words just came tumbling out before he could stop himself.
Henry looked up to glare at him but immediately wished he hadn't. Then he wouldn't have seen the look of pure pain that flashed across the brunette's face. Suddenly ashamed of what he said he averted his gaze again.
"Listen Ryo, I-" Ryo cut him off.
"No, you're right. I'm sorry for prying, I just…well I guess I thought of you as a friend. I mean, you're about the only person who's never hated me or adored me for my legendary tamer status. You treated me like a regular person. It felt nice. It felt like you were a friend and I care about what happens to my friends (1)."
Henry tried to swallow the lump in his throat. Why was Ryo doing this? He wasn't supposed to care. Although the bluenette had to admit seeing this gentle, more serious side of Ryo caused him to feel a strange sensation inside.
Just as Ryo got up and was walking away when a soft voice stopped him, "Wait…please?"
"You don't need to tell me anything,"
"I want to" was the simple reply.
The brunette walked back and sat down, surprising the younger boy when he wrapped his arms around the boy and held him close, "I'm listening,"
Henry looked away, a blush staining his cheeks.
"Just…don't think any less of me, okay?"
"Never,"
"I'm part of a big family. I have an older brother, an older sister and a little sister. I'm the middle child so I'm not really noticed. My brother is sporty and athletic and in lots of teams at school. My older sister is a social butterfly who's in part of a lot of clubs and committees. As for Suzie, she's imaginative, cute and the baby of the family. They all get good grades. Then there's me. I don't stand out like my siblings. The reason I actually took up martial arts because it was something the rest of my family hadn't done. It was my thing but after I used my skills to hurt someone, I didn't feel like fighting anymore. I still go to classes but I don't enter competitions or anything. I remember feeling so proud when my parents would compliment me on my fighting skills…"
"But?"
"…But I also remember the looks of horror and disappointment when they found out I'd attacked one of the neighbourhood kids; it was unbearable. That's when I refused to fight anymore."
"Hmm…" murmured Ryo tightening his hold, "So Suzie is a sort of link for you,"
It was more a statement than a question.
"You catch on quick," answered Henry feeling light headed. He could feel the warmth radiating from the older boy and his scent was overpowering making him feel strangely safe.
"Is that what you're afraid of? Being alone?" whispered Ryo. The bluenette in turn shivered as the older boy's hot breath caressed his ear.
"W when everyone looks through me, when they don't even seem to see me…" Henry trailed off
"It hurts," finished Ryo, his grip tightening again.
"It'll happen again, when this is all over," murmured the blue haired boy, "The others see me because I'm a tamer. They see me through Terriermon just like my family…"
"…sees you through Shuichon," Ryo closed his eyes in understanding. Henry kept a tight hold of Shuichon because of big brother instincts but an almost suffocating hold because he didn't want to be left behind, he didn't want to be forgotten.
"Let her go, Henry,"
"I…can't. I don't want to be invisible," mumbled Henry in a small voice.
Before Henry knew what was happening a pair of soft lips descended upon his. It was chaste and sweet, just a casual brush of the lips but it caused both boys to feel strangely warm and tingly.
"You're alone. You don't have Terriermon or Shuichon with you but I can still see you," whispered Ryo lifting a hand to stroke the younger boy's cheek.
"You have never been invisible to me," The hand moved to cup his cheek.
"You never will be invisible to me," Ryo's face was just centimetres from his own.
"And I could never forget someone so beautiful," The brunette leaned forward and brought the younger boy into another kiss, this one a lot more heated than the first.
Henry clutched at the other's shirt and moaned as the older tamer's tongue licked at his lips, begging entrance which he was more than happy to give. Parting his lips and feeling Ryo's hot, slick tongue exploring his mouth made him shiver; the sensations he was experiencing were overwhelming. Shyly, he began to respond, stroking Ryo's tongue with his own.
Eventually the two separated, gasping for breath.
"Don't hide this part of you Henry. The angel doesn't deserve to be hidden behind the tamer," murmured Ryo. The smaller boy blushed.
"You're one to talk," he said smiling, "How come you never brought out this more serious, gentle side before?"
Ryo chuckled lightly at the remark.
"I guess both of us have problems with hiding things about ourselves but you know, you've got nothing to be scared of. You don't want to be invisible and alone but then you never let anyone see this side, the side's that vulnerable, the one with all the insecurities about yourself,"
"I guess I'm selfish being such an attention seeker,"
"You're human, so it's okay to be selfish and feel scared or hurt," Kisses were being trailed along the back of the bluenette's neck.
"If I try to open up a bit more and stop gripping Suzie and Terriermon so tight, you won't disappear right?"
"Never,"
"When this battle is all over, you'll still be around?"
"Of course,"
Henry smiled and snuggled into Ryo's embrace. He felt so warm and safe in the older boy's arms…it felt right. Suddenly he remembered something.
"Hey…Ryo?"
"Yeah?"
"Why did hidden-serious-gentle-Ryo come out anyway?"
Ryo smiled at the odd name.
"Well, hidden-serious-gentle-Ryo only comes out when Ryo's about to lose something very to him,"
"Precious?"
"Yeah,"
"Oh," Henry began to blush again, an even brighter shade of red. The moment would have been perfect if they hadn't been interrupted by Kazu yelling about something.
"We should probably go see what that's all about," suggested Ryo taking his arms from around the boy reluctantly
"Yeah," agreed Henry already missing the warmth of the brunette's embrace.
Later on -----
After listening to Kazu's version of that day's battle Ryo turned to Henry, an amused look on his face.
"Kind of an overstatement, don't you think?"
The younger boy laughed.
"Well yeah, but you gotta admit you and Kazu really did save the day,"
"Henry!" They both turned to see Suzie run up to them. Ryo gave Henry the briefest glance and smile when he saw the other boy give him the slightest nod signalling it was okay.
"Hey Suzie, you're a tamer aren't you?"
"Of course I am silly"
"Then you'll need this, it's a modify card and I'm guessing you don't have any yet,"
"Oh yay! My very first modify card,"
Henry smiled watching Suzie's eyes sparkle as she stared in awe at the card. Ryo was right; maybe having Suzie become a tamer and grow up a bit really was the best thing for her. After all, he was still her big brother and she'd probably need him at one point or another and besides he'd always have Ryo.
The blue haired boy let his eyes flicker to the smiling brunette.
Yeah,I'll always have Ryo.
(1) That line is from 'Can you keep a Secret?' by Sophie Kinsella and it just seemed perfect to use in this fic.
Atsuki: Yatta! Another fic finished!
Ryo: But you still haven't finished the other one-shot where I finally get some action with my Jen-chan.
Atsuki: Oh shut up! I'm on the lemony part, aren't I? Stop being so impatient.
Ryo: (grumbling about evil fanfic writers)
Atsuki: Review people!