A Lot Like Christmas

Intro: Hai, this is my second Rukato holiday fic! This one has a different plot and later features the song: "Somewhere in My Memory" which just so happens to be one of my favorite holiday songs!!

   The story's a bit confusing but here's the low down: Each chapter is one of the 7 days leading up till Christmas, each one focusing on either Rukato, Lee/Juri, or (very slight) Ryuki. I'll also swerve in on Ruki's holiday problems, Takato fantastic ice-skating (coughcoughnot) and Lee's love problems. Ruki will be the somewhat star of this story.

Blackgatomon: Let's just say Ruki is not in her happy place. ^.^

Umm… very well put… Anyway, this takes place the Christmas after Parasimon's attack. I'm assuming the Parasimon attack was in spring because of the sakura at the end (don't ask), so this would be the same year but in the winter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own digimon!

Bold- actions, important stuff

Italics- thoughts, memories, other

                                                                        **Sunday**

    "It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas" plays in the background…

    Makino Ruki sighed, staring out the window while her mother zipped from room to room in their vast mansion, making sure every little detail was perfect. Rumiko rummaged through her drawer in her spacious bedroom and held up two modeling dresses. "Ruki-kun, do I look better in this… or this?"

    Ruki had made the stupid mistake of letting her mother drag her into her bedroom. Ruki rolled her eyes, still watching the outside world and trying to block the Christmas spirit out of her. "Whatever."

  Rumiko scowled. "I like this one better. Ruki, please be on your best behavior tomorrow, you know how much this means to me-

 "Having Romeo over? Yea, whatever mom," said Ruki flatly. Much as she despised her mother's obsession over fame and fashion, she wished her mother would spend more time with her rather than her monthly boyfriends. Ruki did not need to meet the knuckle heads her mother brought home, she already knew in her heart there was no man other than her father in her life.

  Rumiko sighed. "Ruki, gomenasai, but this one's special. I know you still miss your father but please try to understand…"

   Ruki grunted and turned from the window. "I don't care what you do as long as you don't marry the bakas…" And without waiting for response she stormed out of Rumiko's bedroom, leaving Rumiko fuming.

  "She gets more like her father every day," fumed Rumiko as she shoved the dress into her closet angrily. Seiko watched from the doorway. "You can't blame her Rumiko, I've watched her for the past years of her life and Christmas to her is a very depressing time for her."

   "Why? Shouldn't she be happy?" Rumiko growled. "She drives off every man I bring to the door."

   Seiko smiled. "As her friends say, momentai. You know she still misses him very much." Rumiko stopped and sighed. "I know…"

    Ruki slammed the door in a huff, causing some snow to fall off the roof. She took a deep breath and exhaled, watching the puff of her frosty breath swirl into thin air. Ruki frowned and shoved her gloved hands into her pockets. "Christmas sucks…"

   She trudged through the 6 inches of snow Shinjuku got last night and made her way through the slushy, frozen streets of the city. She knew the one place she could go that usually made her happy, the Matsuki's Bread Shop.

    She walked through the sliding door to warm scents and bright decorations. Strung around the shelves hung bells and ribbons, fir tree lining decorations lining hung from the ceiling. Gingerbread men stood ready to be packaged and eaten on the front window display and spice cakes, bread, buns, and other bread products lined the shelves. And right above her head hung real mistletoe. She smiled slightly, although she'd never admit it to Takato she really enjoyed this place.

   "Wipe your feet dear," came a voice from the hall, and Mrs. Matsuki appeared from the kitchen. "Oh konnichiwa Ruki-san, Takato's upstairs. Did you come to see him?"
   Ruki nodded and took her coat off, hanging it on the coat rack in the corner. She rolled up her sleeves and walked into the kitchen, offering to help Mrs. Matsuki bake. She smiled. "Oh you are such a sweet girl, Ruki. Sometimes I wonder why Takato doesn't fall head over heels for you." Ruki only shrugged and continued to knead the bread.

     The thing was, Mrs. Matsuki was incorrect. Takato had a crush on Ruki; he had given up on Juri long ago after she still denied him even though he saved her. He was pretty heart broken at first but the next day he realized why he had stared at Ruki down in the tunnel that day and had blushed so hard. He realized that Juri was just an excuse to Ruki so she would never know that deep down he really liked the spiked ponytailed wonder.

     Takato was up in his room when Ruki came in, but he didn't know she was in his house. Actually, he was too busy finishing his homework. After working for 15 more minutes he sighed and stared at his writing assignment. He shook his head, got up, and went downstairs muttering to himself. "At least I got it done…"

   He walked to the curtain the separated the bread shop from the kitchen. He saw another pair of feet, but because he was slightly tired and annoyed with Ms. Asaki's English homework he took no notice. Figuring it was just some intern come to work here again he walked right past and shoved a bun into his mouth. Biting into it, he called, "Mom, I'm done!"

   Mrs. Matsuki's head appeared from under the curtain. "You are? Good. Takato, there's someone in here that came 30 minutes ago to see you. Poor thing looked depressed, so I figured maybe baking something would help. She's very good."

    Takato frowned as he chewed the cinnamon bun. Who'd be seeing him at this hour? It was around 10 o'clock in the morning. Curious, he peeked under the curtain to see the owner of the shoes from before. "Ruki?"

    Ruki's hands were partially covered in flour as she kneaded the dough she was working on. She looked up at him but continued her work. "Konnichiwa Takato-chan."

   Takato remembered his manners and turned a light shade of pink. "Konnichiwa…" His mind blanked out and he smiled sheepishly. "Um… why are you here again?"

   Ruki kept working, not even looking up as she spoke. "I had another fight with mom and figured that because your house is so nice, warm, and has food it would make the perfect place to calm down."

   Takato didn't finish his bun so he discarded it. Slowly he drew closer. "What happened?"

   Ruki's eyes were suddenly very concerned. "Mom's bringing another boy friend home, and you know what that means. I have to be on my best behavior, wear nice dresses, and crap."

   Takato sighed and took another wedge of dough and began to knead beside her. "That must be rough, having your mom dating other men…"

    "It's not that bad, I find pleasure in driving each and every one off the deep end," said Ruki with a smirk. Then she sighed. "But I really wish my family was a lot like yours. I never really told you but I've always admired the fact that your family is still together and happy."

   Takato wished he could embrace her but he thought the better of it. "Momentai Ruki, everything will be alright it usually is."

   "Yea…" Ruki washed her hands and grabbed her coat. "Arigato for having me," she said quietly to Mrs. Matsuki, who smiled at her broadly. "Come anytime dear, we'll all be glad to have you." She nudged Takato in the ribs.

   He smiled at her. "Yea, come anytime."

      Ruki waved over her shoulder and walked out the door. Mrs. Matsuki sighed and shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder about her Takato, she always seems so lonesome and depressed around Christmas."

    Takato stared out the window after her and realized that what his mother said was true. He longed to be of some comfort to her other than as a friend.

                                                                        *******

   Ruki trudged through the slush gathered by the road from the cars whirring by. She sighed and shoved her hands in her pocket. Going home meant facing her ignorant, fashion obsessed mother. Staying outside meant facing the harsh cold December weather. She shuddered. I'd choose freezing winds any day…

    She plodded through the streets watching the other people bustle about and shop. Keeping up the pace and trying hard not to run into anyone was difficult, and she ended up colliding with someone. "Ruki-san?"

   Ruki looked up to see none other than Akiyama Ryo, who in his black coat beamed with pride and happiness. Ruki growled, of all days she just had to run into him when she was feeling in the worst mood. "Hey…"

   Ryo smiled slightly. "Why the long face Queenie? It's Christmas time, you should be happy like everyone else."

   "Everyone minus one," she growled.

   Ryo ran his fingers through his hair. "Is this a bad time? What happened?"

     Ruki suddenly became very angry. "That's my business…" She shoved past him leaving a very confused Ryo to watch her disappear into the crowded streets. He sighed when she was out of earshot. "I just want to get to know you Ruki-kun… I really do like you…" He put his hands in his pockets and continued to walk, wondering why she was always so nasty to him. Other than that one time during the D- Reaper battle she never was very close to him. "Is it because of the tournament?" he thought aloud. "But that… that was a mistake…"

    He remembered that in his wildest dreams, he had always wanted to beat the Digimon Queen. He had trained vigorously, and at the next tournament she was present he had entered too.

   Feeling very confident and sure of himself he had slaughtered every person he came up against. But at the last moment when he was in the finals he was suddenly very nervous. That wasn't because he knew he'd lose, it was because he never knew the girl he was going up against was so damn pretty.

    One glance and he felt himself turn to putty, and he understood why many had failed, especially the guys. The sheer brilliance of the Digimon Queen's physical and mental ability was so overwhelming you couldn't think.

   His friends were backing him, but he had taken refuge in the boy's bathroom. He couldn't face her now; he was too shaken from the mere sight of her. He was not afraid of the humiliation, but how unimpressed she'd be of him. He wanted so desperately to have her, but he assumed that this was normal.

   But his friends didn't understand his feelings. They knew he'd get slaughtered even if he wasn't in this condition so they drew straws. Unknown to Ryo one of them slipped into her quarters and stole a card from her deck, a very good card. It was the card he'd used when he defeated the Dragon Deva.

    They brought him that card and stuck in his deck without telling him. Then they shoved him right into the tournament area, where Ruki was waiting.

    He remembered the tournament with such clarity it was like watching a video. He remembered that in the middle of the toughest battle in his life, when he knew all was lost, he had picked up a card out of his deck that he knew was not his own. At first, he stared at it like some foreign object, but put it down anyway. He remembered her unwavering face turn to shock at the card he had placed, and her eyes narrowed. Before she could utter a word the game was over, he had won.

   In a flourish of screams and cries of happiness, he was taken away from her before he could explain, before he could try to understand what had happened. He was handed the trophy and rushed out for a celebration.

   He scrambled through the crowd, he tried to tell them he had not won, but no one believed him. He caught sight of Ruki, and their eyes met. Her look was of pure hatred, and from then on they were enemies…

     He learned later what his friends had done, but by then he was in the Digital World, training his digimon. In there was where he truly learned how to be an expert tamer and card player. Yet wherever he traveled he still remembered that look, and his heart was full of guilt. But during their adventure he had given back her card and told her it wasn't his fault. At first she did not believe him, but when he went in search for her before the arc left, he convinced her and she came willingly.

   Despite all that, she still hated him.

                                                                        ******

Ummm… yeah, about that story right there. No that is not true, remember this is fan fiction, but I'm sure most of you rukato fans wish that it were true.

Blackgatomon: Bring candy! I love candy! Any candy! Please?

Till the next chapter! Itsumademo Rukato!

Preview for next chapter: Lee begins to show signs of liking Juri and a relationship begins to develop. Meanwhile, Takato and Ryo compete for Ruki!