Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.

Be With You

Chapter 2: dinner

When Ruki arrived home she found her Mum in the kitchen humming a familiar tune and cooking up a storm of her favourite dishes. Something was up.

"Mum?"

Rumiko swinged around from the stove, danced towards Ruki and held her in a quick but tight embrace.

"Ruki!"

This gesture made her more suspicious, "What's going on?"

"Hm? Nothing. I'm just glad to see you home," Rumiko grinned sheepishly.

"Mum, don't lie. You only ever cook this much food when you feel like you've done something wrong and have to make it up to me. What have you done?" She crossed her arms across her chest with a stern look on her face waiting for Rumiko's response. She thought in her head, 'Please don't be another photoshoot.'

Rumiko looked down avoiding Ruki's face.

"Mum," Ruki pressed on.

Rumiko gulped and pursed her lips. She put her hands on Ruki's shoulders and gestured her towards a chair, "You'll want to sit down for this."

Her face changed, "Is it that bad?"

Rumiko finally looked her daughter in the eye. "Ruki I know how hard it has been on you all these years since your father left us, and I know I haven't been the best mother to you. I only focused on my work and neglected you-"

She was about to speak but Rumiko stopped her, "Let me finish."

Rumiko took a deep breath, "I'm getting married."

It took her a while to register Rumiko's words.

"What!?" She exclaimed when she finally realised what Rumiko had just said.

Ruki sat underneath a tree, her back rested against its branch, eyes closed and music blasting through her earphones. She chose a fairly deserted area of the campus. The weather cooled down from the scorching forty degrees heat the day before to a breezy twenty eight degrees. It was a perfect setting for the auburn haired girl to calm herself. She needed to after hearing her mother's news the previous night. She still couldn't believe it.

'Maybe it was all a dream?'

Suddenly she felt a slight nudge against her arm. Her eyes shot open to be met by none other than the cerulean eyes of Ryo Akiyama. "Hi Pumpkin," He grinned.

'It had to be a dream.'

When he didn't get a response from her, Ryo realised she had earphones on so he used hand gestures to get her attention, "Can you hear me?"

'There's only one way to find out if it's a dream.'

Without warning Ruki punched him on his left shoulder. Hard.

Caught off guard, the brunette doubled over in pain.

'Hm. So it's not a dream,' Ruki thought with a smug look on her face.

Ryo straightened himself up after recovering from the initial pain but he was still in shock, "What was that for?"

She turned down her music, "I thought you were going to pull something funny, you know approaching a girl like that with her defences down and all."

Ryo shook his head at her in disbelief, "You really are a wildcat."

"What do you want Akiyama?"

He grinned, "You remembered my surname! I'm truly touched!"

She rolled her eyes.

"Are you stalking me again?"

Ryo flashed his pearly whites at her, "Searching is a better word pumpkin."

She raised an eyebrow at him.

The brunette boy grinned sheepishly putting one hand behind his head, "You see I needed to talk to you about our dinner date but you didn't leave me your number yesterday, thankfully I memorised your timetable and knew that you had class in that building over there so I figured you wouldn't go far because you have class in there again next period so I searched and searched and I found you. Aren't I clever?

Ruki gaped at him with a mixture of wonder and disbelief.

"You memorised my timetable!?" Death was written on her face.

He winked, "I have a photographic memory."

The auburn haired girl raised her fists in rage, "Dinner is cancelled hotshot."

"That's what I was going to tell you. I can't make it anymore so can we reschedule?" He replied unfazed to her anger.

"No."

"No? We can't reschedule?" Ryo mocked disappointment.

Ruki gritted her teeth, "No, I'm not buying you dinner. Not Friday, not next time, not ever."

Ryo put his right index finger on his lips as if deep in thought, "Mhhh… I guess I was being unreasonable asking a pretty girl to buy me dinner. Where are my manners? I'm sorry Ruki, I understand now."

She blinked at him in confusion and disbelief, 'Did this idiot finally get the message?'

"I'll buy you dinner instead," he smirked.

She sighed in defeat.

'This idiot really doesn't get it.'

"I'll let you know when. My schedule is a little tight at the moment. Sorry pumpkin. I know how much you were looking forward to it."

"Whatever Akiyama," Ruki got up to leave.

"So I'll see you around pumpkin," Ryo stated.

She didn't reply and walked away.

Ryo sat there watching her back disappear out of sight before making his way to class.

'Sooner than you realise,' he thought smugly to himself.

Rumiko fumbled with her hair and her outfit as she waited for someone to answer the door.

"Ruki do I look ok? Is my hair messy?"

Ruki rolled her eyes.

"You look fine. Why are you so nervous?"

Rumiko hesitated, "It's just you're meeting each other for the first time and-"

Ruki sighed, "I'll be nice."

Sure the news of her mother getting remarried had come as a shock to her especially since she hadn't known about the man's existence until a couple of days ago, let alone that her mother would be getting married in less than a month to him but deep inside Ruki Makino was happy for her mother. She deserved to be happy and settle down after all these years. Ruki just couldn't come to terms with how quick everything was happening. She needed at least a year to process everything her mother had thrown on her in the last several days but right now they were outside so called Mister Right's house who had invited them over for dinner as he couldn't wait any longer to meet Ruki.

Hurried footsteps were heard from inside the house. The front door swinged open and they were met by a tall, dark and handsome middle aged man.

"Rumiko!" He pulled her in for a hug.

"Ronin!"

He pulled away and looked her in the eye, "You look beautiful."

Rumiko blushed, "Thank you."

Ruki felt sick.

The man, now known as Ronin, looked over at Ruki and a huge smile formed on his mouth.

"You must be Ruki!"

She was about to speak but all of a sudden she felt two strong arms pull her in for a tight enthusiastic embrace.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you!" He squealed.

Ronin pulled away and it looked as though tears of joy were forming around the corners of his eyes, "You have no idea how happy I am that you are here. I've always wanted a daughter. Oh Ruki, thank you for agreeing to let me take care of your mother for the rest of her life. I promise I won't let her down and that I'll take great care of you too."

Rumiko started forming her own tears at Ronin's words.

Ruki managed a "you're welcome" whilst trying to catch her breath.

Ronin ushered them inside into the dining room.

Rumiko took a seat, "Oh Ronin this is too much, you really didn't have to."

Ronin sat beside her, "I didn't know what Ruki liked to eat so I cooked a bit of everything." He looked intently at the auburn haired girl, "I hope you'll find something to your liking here Ruki!"

She nodded slowly, dumbfounded, at the amount of food she had in front of her.

Rumiko started with her soup, "Oh I almost forgot; will your son be joining us tonight?

"He's just gone out to buy some drinks, he'll be back soon-"

As if on cue they heard a small "I'm home" come from the entrance.

"We're in the dining room," Ronin called out.

Uninformed about another person joining them tonight, Ruki nudged her mother and mouthed a "who's that?"

Rumiko grinned sheepishly, "Sorry Ruki, I forgot to tell you that Ronin has a son-"

Her explanation was cut short when a tall, dark and handsome young man walked into the room.

Ruki looked up and almost spat out her food.

"Let me introduce, this is my son, Ryo-"

"Akiyama!" She exclaimed.

Everyone turned to her.

"Have you met?"

"Do you know each other?"

Ryo smirked, "Hi Ruki."