Rika poked at her salad, if it could be called that. It's a freaking mountain of olives.

Okay, so perhaps it wasn't quite that bad, but there were still enough that she didn't want to touch them, or anything near them. She'd ordered no olives, but they brought them anyways. She'd asked for Balsamic Vinaigrette, they'd brought her Greek Feta.

With her status as a popular young socialite, people were always trying to find ways to make her look bad. It was likely just an honest mistake, but she knew asking to have the order replaced would probably be stretched into some tabloid article about how much of a catty diva she was, and that wasn't something she felt energetic enough to deal with.

Across the table, Ryo seemed to have been enjoying his entrée until he seemed to notice something behind her. Stopping in place, a piece of heavily-marinated pork dropped from his fork to his plate. She didn't need to turn around, because she heard the news channel's theme track playing from the large TV mounted behind her, on the other side of the restaurant. It was gonna be some piece on how horrible and dangerous the Cipher organization was.

She saw him put down his fork quickly, flashing her a sad smile afterwards. She knew he hated the stories as much as she did.

On the plus side, it's a reason to get out of here.

Rika nodded to him in silent agreement, and both stood up, trying not to make eye contact with the scattered people who she knew had been watching them throughout the meal. While she put on her coat—well, a short black denim half-jacket—Ryo tossed some money on the table; enough to both pay for the meals, as well as a generous tip for that great service they didn't get.

She took his arm when he offered it, and they left quietly.

The walk, too, was mostly silent. But at least they didn't have to pretend to be happy. It had been two weeks since Kazu was identified as an operative for Cipher—as a traitor to the country. Kazu could no longer return to the real world. Like Ryo, she'd had to put out statements about the incident—to go on the air teary-eyed and beg him to turn himself in. At least the tears weren't hard to fake.

Rika felt so damn bad for him. Just like Takato and Jeri. She tried not to think about it, but it never worked. And she tried not to talk about it—even with Ryo—because she knew that sooner or later, they'd both be in the same position as the others.

In the sixteen days since Kazu's capture, rescue, and essential banishment, Rika and Ryo hadn't heard from him—Takato and Jeri had decided it would be best for the remaining three real-world members to lay low for a while. No missions, no visits to the digital world, and no communication.

She really wanted to know how Kazu was doing, but knew that Ryo was probably even more anxious. After all, it was been Ryo who had been monitoring Kazu when he was captured.

Of course, everyone was worried about how Kenta was handling everything, too. Because he hadn't been brought into Cipher, all he got was the stories from the news, and the public announcements from Hypnos. But since Rika and Ryo were both usually present at Hypnos's press conferences—often even helping give them—they both assumed that they were the last people Kenta wanted to see. Henry was the only one who could talk to him without giving himself away, and neither Rika nor Ryo had had a chance to talk to Henry safely, which was another source of the stress.

What Rika really needed was a mission. Breaking into some complex, stealing some top-secret crap. Something that would take her mind off of things, and hurt Hypnos.

"Well, we still need to find some dinner." Ryo said finally. "Ideas?"

"We could make something?" Rika suggested. She paused, wishing she could retract her statement as she realized that the grocery stores would probably all be closed.

"Uh, yeah, we could try, I guess?" Ryo said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.

Rika winced. "There's nothing resembling food in your apartment right now, is there?"

She knew it was a question worth asking—even though Ryo was a great cook, he almost never made anything, as they both had enough money that they could go out for whatever meals they wanted. He considered the question for a few moments before he gave his answer.

"There's peanut butter." He replied seriously.

"Any bread to go with that, Grandmaster Cook?" Rika challenged.

"None to speak of." He confirmed. "Well, I guess there was some, but it probably can't really be called bread anymore. It's evolved beyond that though."

She wasn't sure if he was kidding or not, but suppressed a shudder when she realized he probably wasn't. "Why do you keep moldy bread?"

"I'm not touching it." Ryo raised his hands in protest. "I stopped looking in that cupboard after it assimilated a full can of pasta into it. We've got a truce for the time being—it doesn't bother me; I don't bother it."

Rika couldn't help but grin at the thought of Ryo coming to that arrangement. "A mold monster with a hunger for Chef Boyardee? I can see why you're scared of it."

"It's just a tactical retreat." Ryo scoffed.

"And here I thought you'd go insane living on your own."

"It is a big apartment…" he mused.

Rika wondered how he actually fared living there. It was a two-bedroom place, and although Ryo was popular, but nobody at school could really know him, so she doubted he had many people over. Besides, Ryo was a very social creature. Must have been difficult for him to have to keep so many people at bay.

Lying to Yamaki came naturally, with him being an evil bastard and all. Lying to friends was a lot less satisfying.

Without any further agreement or opposition, they ended up at Ryo's apartment.

Rika hadn't been there nearly as often as people thought—the majority of their time together was either public appearances, or in the digital world. It was an open-concept apartment—it was nicer than most other 17-year-olds could afford, but not extravagant. Big living area, small kitchen and dining areas, two bedrooms—or rather, one bedroom, and one random-stuff room. Ryo had to pay for the apartment from the money he made legally—all the Hypnos-public-relations crap. The illegally-obtained money from all the Cipher-spy crap was likely in a similar situation as Rika's own money—trickling out of an account to buy little things, like salads covered in olives and the wrong damn dressing.

Ryo tossed his jacket onto the chair in the kitchen area before leaning against the kitchen bar, looking thoughtful. Rika approached the cupboards and quietly prayed that Ryo was joking about having no food. The first cabinet had a can of crushed tomatoes and a few mugs. The second had a few cans of energy drink and a box of band-aids.

She opened the third just as Ryo turned and tried to protest a moment too late.

As it turned out, Ryo hadn't been embellishing very much at all about the bread. It had taken over almost all of the bottom shelf, and was growing in a shape that gave Rika the impression that it had been growing outwards from an entire breadbox. Rika yelped at the sight and smell, closing the cupboard door quickly and firmly. If it hadn't been so terrifying, she'd have done a double-take.

A beat passed before Rika spoke.

"Do you think it saw me?" she asked in an exaggerated whisper.

"I wouldn't worry about it." Ryo declared matter-of-factly. "Breadmonsters don't like redheads like I do."

She couldn't help but grin, knowing she was probably walking right into a trap. "That so?"

"Of course! I mean, have you seen Jeri?" He gave a wolf whistle.

"Oh, shut up." She pretended to pout, poking him in the side, squawking in surprise. Ryo was at times, one of the most powerful beings in the digital world—but he was still hilariously ticklish.

"Hey, um…" Ryo said thoughtfully. "Can I ask you something?"

"You can." Rika answered cautiously, wondering what might give Ryo pause before speaking for once in his life.

"Do you feel as weird as I do about this?" he asked. "Us, I mean? That we're here?"

Her stomach clenched. She and Ryo had tried dating before the whole Cipher thing, and it hadn't worked out. Being undercover criminals reignited that romance. But they'd grown beyond that—hadn't they?

It was true that she'd felt strange the last two weeks. But long before that, she and Ryo had talked about purpose—how they felt a lot more meaning when they had an important goal to work towards. Since they'd been ordered to keep their distance from Takato and the others, she'd become agitated. But it wasn't from not having a purpose—it was from there being a purpose, but not being able to do anything because they were benched.

But however weird she felt, she didn't feel weird about them. On a regular basis, Rika lied to millions of people about a cause she was on the other side of, stole classified information from a government-supported corporation, and ran the risk of being captured, tortured, or killed. But there was Ryo. Even with everything she was going through—that they were going through, Ryo was always there for her.

Still won't say it though.

It had started as a running joke, but had evolved into an uncomfortable recurrence—neither of them would drop the L-Bomb.

"No." Rika said carefully. "I—I don't feel weird about us. I actually…happen to be very much—into us. Are you—not?"

Ryo looked at her, the confusion plain on his face as she stammered her way though it—a second later, shock. "Oh—oh! No, not us, us."

He looked as embarrassed as Rika felt.

That could have been so, so much more awkward.

Fortunately, their mutual crippling fear of admitting how deep their feelings ran wasn't their only dumb little quirk as a couple—

"Freezing that one." Rika declared.

Rika was safe from that discomfort for the next thirty days—they'd agreed that when one of them made an ass out of themselves, they could freeze the distress from it for the next month before the other was allowed to tease them about it. Things were generally less humiliating after some time had passed. She'd only had to do it once before, when she tried cooking for Ryo and gave him food poisoning. Ryo'd had to use it twice—once when he came back from a mission smelling like rotting beef, and another time when she overheard him on the Cipher communications channel seeking relationship advice—from Kazu of all people.

"Frozen." Ryo agreed quietly, still looking embarrassed. She wouldn't be surprised if he never teased her about that one.

If he feels the same way about you.

"As I was saying," Ryo continued, giving a little cough. "I feel bad that we're just going about our days, when the others are…I mean, even Henry's still undercover like we are, right? But he's doing something. He's helping. We're just turning more people against Cipher, when…"

He trailed off, but didn't need to finish—Rika understood. "I know what you mean. But—Takato said to just sit tight and do whatever Hypnos says for now."

"When do you think they'll call?" he asked quietly.

Rika sighed. "Wish I knew."

Ryo gave a grim smile. "Do you think they will?"

She met his eyes. They were always the most intense shade of blue. And Ryo was always so full of charm and confidence, that all it took from him was a look and they'd be inspired. She wasn't used to him being unsure—for him to be needing her for a change. She wanted to be there for him. More than anything.

Ryo was blaming himself for what happened to Kazu.

"Ryo, what happened wasn't your fault."

He gave a shrug. "You tried to warn me. If I'd looked at my phone—"

"You were focusing on the mission, which is what you were supposed to do." Rika said without a shred of doubt in her voice.

I'm apparently not as good at this whole inspiring thing as he is.

"He got caught because of me." Ryo murmured quietly.

"He also got rescued because of you." Rika reminded him. "You saved him—and Takato. Got them both right out from under Yamaki's nose—I mean, how badass was that?"

She purposefully neglected to mention that Ryo going into rescue mode was one of the hottest things she'd ever seen. It was an indisputable fact—just not one relevant to the current situation.

"They'll call." Rika reassured him. "Besides, you're the only one who knows how to work the DVR. They barely have a choice."

Rika saw that he was trying to suppress a smile—whether it was because she'd actually cheered him up, or because he was trying not to laugh at her lame joke, she wasn't sure, but if he was smiling, she was counting it as a victory.

"For the time being, we're free, and we can do what we want." Rika said secretively. "And you still owe me dinner, so we should start there."

"Pizza." Ryo said with more confidence than she'd heard from him in the last sixteen days. And a movie. With aliens."

"I think that's the best idea of all time." Rika nodded with a playful smirk. "I'll see what's on the TV."

As she attempted to head to the living area, she felt him grab her hand and pull her back to him, close.

His eyes had that look about them again. Ryo was Ryo again.

"Have I told you how amazing you are?" he asked, grinning.

"I'm not sure…I hear it from so many people, I mean…" She pretended to look pensive. "Maybe you better just say it anyways."

Her hands were on his shoulders, and she felt his on her waist.

"You, Rika, are the coolest, most talented, sweetest, best girlfriend ever."

He kissed her. She leant into him, one hand through his hair, the other on his chest. She felt his heart racing, and felt her own beat faster. If there'd been any doubt in her mind, she knew then—she loved him. Whatever they would face in their war on Hypnos—and possibly the rest of the country, she wasn't scared, because she knew he'd be right there, too.

After they broke off their kiss, he still held her tightly, and he rested his forehead on hers, their eyes only an inch apart.

"I'd like to add that you're also a pretty great kisser." He noted with a coy smile.

"I'm better than you at video games, too." Rika reminded him.

He pulled back a bit, though neither took their hands off of each other. "Sure you are." He said with a patronizing tone.

Rika had completely destroyed him the last time they'd played. "Forgetting that whole 25-to-6 debacle? That's cute."

Ryo shrugged, "I let you win."

"Ah, of course…" Rika played along. "We should probably set that up again so I can teach your little ass some respect."

They kept chiding each other for some time. But neither of them made any effort to leave the other's embrace—and Rika was quite happy with that.

So, this was the first of a little subseries for Cipher. The idea is that they'll take a look at some of the character relationships at a more relaxed pace. I'm also hoping that there'll be little-to-no story development in them, so we can focus on the characters. Consequently, you can skip right over them and not worry about having missed anything—they'll be a big source of fluff/romance/banter/friendfics/whatnot.

Essentially, they're one-shots set in the Cipher frame.

Main purpose is since these aren't full chapters, they're a lot shorter, and I can hopefully patch some of these together when I've hit a block on the main stories. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it!

Please review!

-N

Afterthought, but I'll love you forever if you could also check out Jared Head's 'The Silent Project', and DarkFox2009's 'A New Beginning'. You can get to each from my Favourite Stories. :)