DT: for those of you that are frequent readers you know how rare it is for me to leave a not before the story starts (and for the record I'd like to state how sweet it is that I have frequent readers) But I feel that I need to forewarn any readers that I haven't watched Tamers in a really long time and therefore apologize for any characters that are hideously out of character. With that said, enjoy.
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Her Hidden Heart
Chapter 1: Ryo's Return
Takato sat at his desk and stared out the near by window. His thoughts swayed from topic to topic never settling on any one thing for too long. Most of his thoughts were on Digimon. How exciting it had been when he met Guilmon, his first fight with a Digimon, Traveling to the Digital World, and most of all Bio-Merging with Guilmon to become Gallentmon.
Then his thoughts took an unexpected side trip that was, for the most part, not related to his previous ones. He thought about Rika. She was the first female tamer he met and the one that had drawn him down this path when he witnessed her battle against Lynxmon all those years ago. Though for all the changes in her personality she was still Rika, sure she was kinder and softer edged than when he'd met her, but she still had her edge and would not hesitate you cut you should you "offend" her. And Takato, the poor sap, had fallen totally head over heals for her.
Takato liked to think of himself as Tai, only not as strong willed and a bit more calculating, and he couldn't help but wonder what his cartoon hero would do in this situation. He thought for a long time and eventually sighed in resignation. It was at this point that Guilmon, who had been sleeping nearby woke suddenly and began sniffing the air.
"What's the matter boy, is there a Digimon Bio-Emerging?" Takato asked the small dinosaur.
"No, Takato, but someone is coming, and there's a Digimon with him" Guilmon said now sniffing near the window.
Takato walked over to his window and opened it to take a better look outside. There he noticed someone coming his way and quick. As it drew closer Takato recognized it as Cyberdramon with Ryo. Ryo landed on the small outcropping outside Takato's window and said "Hello, Takato, long time no see."
Indeed it had, Takato hadn't seen him since the Locomon incident four years ago. "Hey Ryo." Takato said, "Would you care to come in? I could get us some bread from downstairs."
"Thanks but no thanks" Ryo said, "I was just dropping by to tell you I was back in town."
"Thanks for the heads up" Takato said
Then Ryo said something that startled Takato "So have you told Rika how you feel yet?"
He hadn't told Ryo, so how did he find out? "What are you talking about?" Takato asked innocently, playing the same card he did with his parents all the time, ignorance.
Unfortunately for Takato, Ryo wasn't as easily fooled as his parents. "Don't lie Takato, your not good enough at it to fool me. Any Tamer worth his Digivice can tell you like Rika."
Takato blushed a furious shade of red and said "Well so what?"
Ryo grinned and started toward the window as he said "Just tell her before it's too late."
With that Ryo jumped out the window and ran off leaving a very confused Takato to his thoughts, and an all the more confused Mr. Matsuki in the ally where he was taking out the trash.
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Her Hidden Heart
Chapter 2: Rika's Thoughts
Rika sat in her family's back yard on the small bridge over their Koi Pond. She sat and watched the fish swim for a long time wrapped in her thoughts, she thought of her past and her future, about Renamon, The Digital world, various "big" wins in her card playing carrier, even how to avoid her mother's next attempt to get her to model. Then a foreign thought entered her mind, she thought about Takato. She thought about when he had found her at home and what he said when he left.
"It's not every day you get to meet your dream girl!"
She heard the words in her head and played them over and over again, she sighed gently as her heart melted at her mental picture of him. Then she snapped to her senses. Takato had been joking when he said that, and what does it matter if he wasn't? He was just another Goggle Head. Rika stood up to go for a walk but when she turned around she found her mother watching her.
"Whom are you thinking about Rika?" she asked with a huge smile on her face.
"What makes you think it's a person I'm thinking about?" Rika said
"I know that sigh Rika, your thinking about a special boy aren't you?" her mother asked still with a huge grin
Rika turned maroon and shouted, "No way!" she then rushed into her room grabbed her D-Arc and deck of cards then ran off yelling behind her, "I'm going for a walk!"
Rika's mother called off into the distance, "Renamon?"
The kitsune Digimon appeared at he side and said, "Is something wrong?"
Rika's mother stared after her daughter and said, "No, but please keep an eye on Rika."
To this Renamon casually replied, "I always am"
"Thank you, just knowing that makes me feel better." She said as she walking to her house.
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Her Hidden Heart
Chapter 3: At The Bread Shop
Rika walked down the road thinking about what her mother had said. Was Takato really special to her? Naw, he couldn't be. He was, in what she thought was her opinion, a second rater tamer and a crybaby. How could she like someone like that? She had never accepted anything short of perfection with anything; she even demanded it from herself. Or at least she used to. More recently she had accepted more lack-luster things into her life. She had even accepted Kazu. She continued her walk until a pleasant aroma wafted past her nose. Freshly baked bread was calling to her, and she wasn't about to ignore it. She followed the smell until she stood in front of the bread shop Takato's parents owned. She thought about leaving but the scent of the bread caught her again and she walked inside. As she walked in, she saw Takato standing behind the cash register looking very bored. She blushed slightly and noted how cute he looked when he was bored. She then scolded herself for allowing such thoughts in her head. Those damned hormones were making her think things she normally wouldn't again.
Takato stood at the register bored out of his mind. He'd much rather be in the park having fun with Guilmon, or hanging out with Rika, but no, he was stuck here, helping his parents. His mother had told him it was time he take a more active role in helping with the shop. Takato had understood and not argued with her over it, and he didn't mind helping at all, but they hadn't had a customer since the morning rush. Just then Takato heard the door open and someone walk into the shop. He didn't look up, as he wouldn't need to until the customer asked for something or brought their purchase to him to pay. He knew the drill far too well by now. He listened as the customer walked towards him, it was then that he knew that they needed something from him. As he looked up the customer made it all the way to the other side of the small counter Takato stood behind. He looked at the mystery customer and saw a face he recognized all too well. He stood there face to face, with Rika Nonaka.
Rika noticed Takato didn't look up to find out who just walked into the shop. 'Is he ignoring me?' she thought. She watched him for a short while then thought 'He is! That stupid Goggle Head! Lets see him ignore this.' Rika then walked up to Takato who looked up just as she arrived at the counter. He looked at her and she could have sworn she saw him blush. Rika was taken back by this but quickly remembered why she had approached him. Rika in one motion raised her fist and thwacked Takato in the head.
"That" she said, "is for ignoring me."
Then before she knew what she was doing added "and this is for being happy to see me." She then leaned across the counter and kissed Takato on the cheek. Then, as she realized what she just did, she blushed and ran out of the shop.
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Her Hidden Heart
Chapter 3: Hidden No Longer
Takato was stunned when Rika kissed him, and when she ran out of the shop it didn't take long for Takato to know what to do.
"Hey mom! I'm going out for a bit!" Takato yelled into the back of the shop as he ran after Rika. He was going to pay for that later, but now he didn't care, he had to catch Rika. He didn't know what he was going to do once he caught her, he was, in truth, playing this one by ear.
Rika may have been the better athlete, but she was going to lose this time, because Takato surpassed her in one very important place, drive. His drive to catch her was much stronger that her drive to escape him. Soon Takato was right behind her and in another moment Takato had grabbed her wrist and stopped her. She looked at the ground as Takato tried to catch his breathe to ask the question that he had chased her so hotly for.
"What….. happened…. Back…. There?" Takato said in between breaths.
Rika blushed furiously and didn't say anything. So Takato continued "Rika! Why did you kiss me?"
"I…I don't know!" she finally yelled
By now they had attracted the eyes of several people on the street. Takato, determined to get his answers, said, "Rika, let's go to the park."
She nodded and followed Takato. Together they walk into the small shack that Guilmon used to call home before he was allowed to stay with Takato. They sat in silence for a time until Rika spoke up.
"Takato, listen… in the shop… I wasn't thinking and I just kinda…"
"Ended up kissing me" Takato finished and Rika nodded "Rika… when you kissed me I really liked it, guess that's why I chased you, I wanted to know what it meant."
His words echoed through her mind for a time until she asked "What trying to say?"
Takato hesitated and thought about lying to get out of the situation, until he heard Ryo's words in his head. "It's because I really like you Rika, like, more than a friend…"
As Takato confessed, both sides blushed more and more. When he was done Rika was dumb founded. The goggle head had just confessed feelings for her, and what's more, she began to think that she liked him back. Her heart and mind raged a war inside her. One side thinking that she like Takato, the other saying he wasn't good enough. Then a bright memory brought an end to the battle. Takato had chased her, grabbed her, and taken her to the park. In those actions he displayed courage unlike what she had know Takato for. Convinced now that she did truly return his feelings she walked over to him and placed her arms around his neck. He responded by placing his hands on her hips as she settled her head on his chest. Takato leaned against the wall behind him and continued to hold on to Rika. They stayed like that for a time until Rika leaned back and looked into Takato's eyes. There she saw herself, but not the way she normally did, she saw herself as Takato saw her, a perfectly flawless girl that had stolen his heart. He loved her, and now she could see that she loved him back. She closed her eyes and leaned back into Takato's chest and simply enjoyed the moment, wishing it would never end.
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DT: It's a little shorter than I thought it'd be, but I wrote this as a sort of prequel to my next story "A Whistle to Wake You" it will continue this story as well as my story "The Goggles and The Hat". You could call this a Rutako one shot and ignore AWTWY but I wrote this to set up the tamer's side of it. I hope you enjoyed this story, and are excited for the next one.