Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Seeing Red

A Digimon Tamers story by: Crazyeight

Chapter: 01

Sunlight gently warmed the roof of the house, and with it the golden fur of a tall, foxlike creature seated upon it, her long tail swishing as she waited for the girl below to finish getting herself ready for the day. Her ears twitching at the sound of movement below, she rose to her feet and sure enough a redheaded teenage girl with her hair tied back into a blazing ponytail emerged out onto the path of her home, kicking her shoes on. Above her, the fox tilted her head to one side, taking note of her shirt.

Red today? Interesting.

"Ready to go, Renamon?" Rika asked, looking over her shoulder and up at the fox, who nodded in return.

"Always, Rika." The vixen paused, considering the red shirt for a moment before continuing. "Are we going to Takato's place today?"

At this, the girl's violet-colored eyes frowned slightly, a touch of red coloring her cheeks.

"If you can figure it out so fast, then what's the point of even asking?"

Grasping hold of the rooftop with her large, white-furred hands, Renamon flipped down, landing next to her, a small smile on her muzzle.

"I apologize," she chuckled to the teen. "I'll take care to avoid answering my own questions in the future. Might I ask what is the purpose of your visit?"

"You probably already know the answer anyway," Rika replied tersely, starting down the path toward the open gate of her home.

"Perhaps," Renamon returned, trailing after the girl, easily keeping pace with her. "Do you also want me to take you there or would you rather be left to your own feet?"

"Okay, you really need to stop doing that," Rika grumped, picking up her pace as they left the entrance to their home.

"I see the answer is the latter then…"

"You know, just because Dinoboy said that you're always right doesn't mean you always are!" Rika huffed while Renamon simply gave another, light chuckle at her dear friend and partner's agitated behavior. This song and dance between them was an old one, and the kitsune knew that Rika was venting some other frustration that lay on her heart, knowing full well that doing so now was better than later when she wanted – needed – to be of another mood for whatever she had on her mind with regards to her friend and fellow digimon Tamer, Takato Matsuki. Even her taking a much longer trip to his home was something of a delaying tactic meant to help her work things out so she would be ready for the real battle ahead of her. At times, Renamon found it was occasionally necessary to encourage this, but of course, Rika, being who she was, tended to resent help at times and so found other means to vent by herself.

Fortunately, that was not today, suggesting Rika was grateful for the assistance and felt that she needed it before arriving at her friend's home.

Renamon's azure gaze touched Rika's sleeveless, low cut shirt, considering it for a moment, having an inkling of what was on her mind, for this too was a sign of her agitation.

After all, Rika's mood often showed in her colors.

It took a bit of time to discover this. Renamon, being an otherworldly creature – a digimon – from another plain of existence born from the Earth's Internet was not used to humans and how they expressed their emotions, and Rika, her human Tamer, expressed them with far less ease than most humans, and complicating matters still further she didn't socialize well. Yet, in the fullness of time, as Rika made friends she could count on and Renamon grew closer to her, she began to discover things about her that were…fascinating from her perspective.

Whether unconsciously or consciously at first, she didn't know for certain and even today she couldn't be sure which was the case, but she knew that Rika best expressed herself in the clothes she wore. It was something of an irony, given her distaste for fashion statements – a distaste forged by her mother's early attempts at trying to dress her rebellious daughter in a more traditionally feminine style and later pushing her to follow her into the modeling business – but there it was all the same. When they first met, Rika's shirt had been dark-grey with a human skull emblazoned on it and topped off with a black leather jacket. As their partnership advanced over the course of the year, she traded it in for a white shirt with a purple, broken-heart symbol and by its end, the heart became a mended one – a reconciliation gift from her mother and one that Rika bore as her good luck charm for some years until she grew too big for it.

Her style continued to evolve and change since then. A long sleeved turquoise shirt that hid her changing figure as puberty set in before again changing back to her previous, preferred style, a photograph of sorts of her thought process at the time, the first being a defensive posture and the other a reclaiming of sorts; fighting back against the fears that had first rose up in her as her body changed and matured. Rika's moods were an expression of the battles she felt within her and at the age of seventeen she had become more comfortable with herself and the weapons she fought those battles with. Even adding others to the pallet to better express her moods; a visually shouted warning to everyone, particularly her friends, so they knew what they were dealing with.

Today it was all aggression. All attack. And, curiously, an invitation to counter attack.

Oh dear, she thought, thinking of the hapless, unknowing boy Rika was heading for, completely ignorant of what was coming his way.

###

Stupid Gogglehead…

The old, semi-derisive, semi-affectionate nickname for her much-cared for friend, Takato Matsuki echoed through Rika Nonaka's head as she made her way down the familiar paths on her way to the boy's home. Her heart and stomach were both a knot of tension that she struggled to ignore, leaving her to scowl angrily at her feet, as though blaming them for continuing to move in spite of her misgivings. Of course, she knew she couldn't blame them for a decision she herself made and committed herself to seeing through to its end. What would the point be if she refused to turn back after all? Especially when she would only end up blaming herself for not showing bravery and commitment?

A Tamer never walked away from danger after all. That was what she told herself so many times as a child, back when her adventures first began, and she held to that philosophy now. So instead of pinning the blame on her feet for ignoring her heart, she instead placed it on Takato, who made her heart flutter with all the anxiety and anger that caused her to make her decision in the first place.

Stupid…Gogglehead! she repeated, kicking at the ground as she continued on. You had to do this to me!

Her scowl deepened noticeably, causing a passerby to shrink away with a frightened look, but she ignored them, focusing instead on the path ahead of her and the task she set for herself. It would be a difficult one. Perhaps the most difficult she had set for herself to date, or at least one of the most difficult. Certainly not as hard as saving the world from an all-destroying computer program, but she liked to see them as being on equal footing. She wasn't good when it came to matters such as this. She tended to prefer a solitary life after all, so making room for matters such as love was a bit of a big step for her, and for someone as fumble footed and fumble mouthed as Takato of all people, it was an even bigger one.

Just…tread carefully, she told herself, closing her eyes briefly and taking a deep breath. It's not like the two of you haven't hung out with just one another before.

Except she knew it wasn't as simple as just 'hanging out.' She intended to ask Takato out on a date. What they would do on such a date she didn't know. She just knew she wanted to give it a try with him and to see if their relationship could become a little deeper than what it already was now.

It's no big deal, she told herself. He's available. Has been for years, and he likes hanging out with me, so this'll be just more of the same thing we've already been doing, only…more so.

She frowned worriedly and her hands tightened into hard fists. Attempting to ignore this, she shoved her hands into her pockets, hoping to appear casual.

What if he says no, though? What happens after that?

She wasn't one to believe Takato wouldn't want to see her ever again, nor was she the type to fall apart over the possibility that Takato might not want to be in a relationship with her, but she worried at the possibility of the former becoming a reality no matter what reality did to prove otherwise. She was…prickly to say the least. Her first encounter with Takato was a disaster and the second one even more so. Even after she became less hostile, she would consistently needle him about every little thing in his struggling attempts to figure out how to be a good Tamer for his digimon partner, Guilmon, and though she lightened up significantly since their becoming friends, the boy had the tendency to unintentionally jab himself on one of her thorns. There would be no question that would continue to be the case in a relationship. Would he want to put up with that? Did he still somehow hold a grudge against her because of the past?

She took a deep breath to steady herself, doing her best to ignore the anxious fluttering of her heart. She had discussed this with Jeri and went through her feelings enough times that she knew that ultimately there was nothing to do except either continue to bottle up how she felt so as to keep things as they currently were or to risk taking the plunge. She also knew that, historically, she didn't fair so well with keeping things bottled up which caused friction with people she cared about.

Not much in the way of choice, is there? Well, however the dice falls, I won't let this ruin our friendship. I don't think he would either, but I'll fight to keep it in case things don't work out.

Fighting. That instilled a fire in her, and she nodded to herself with renewed confidence. Fighting was something she could understand, and she understood it far more easily than her own feelings. She cared about Takato, which was easy enough for her, but the desire to hold him or share his presence more closely…considerably less so. Fighting for something at least gave her a clearer sense of what she needed to do, and there was, of course, the challenge. If this were a game, she would almost welcome it just for the difficulty it represented.

Of course, as Jeri pointed out, trying to get Takato to be interested in her or figure out how to confront him on her own terms when it came to romancing him was its own fight. Almost a game.

Too bad the tools aren't more my style, she thought, glancing downward at the opening to her shirt and the slight, sensual curve of her chest that just barely peeked out over the top. She frowned again, not sure if going down to his place in such a manner had been the right decision. Not even Jeri or her own mother offered such advice.

Subtle… she thought sarcastically, wondering if it was too much. Well, I wanted to be direct, and that's one way of being direct. I just hope I don't have to spell it out for him too much. Ugh… This is so stupid…

Still, if she was going to do this, she was going to play for keeps.

###

She arrived at the Matsuki Bakery and felt her heart quicken its pace almost immediately, filling her with fear. Sensing this, Renamon phased into view next to her, a look of concern on her face.

"Rika?" she prompted, placing a paw on Rika's shoulder, only for the girl to lower her head, like a bull preparing to charge, and start forward, her expression one of annoyance at herself.

"Let's get this over with," she muttered, more to herself than to her digimon partner. Renamon watched her go for a moment before following after her. Guilmon was outside the front, wearing an advertisement for the now local favorite – and Guilmon's personal favorite – Guilmon Bread, singing loudly what was now the classic song of the Matsuki Bakery.

"Guilmon Bread! Come eat Guilmon Bread! A loaf of bread that's shaped like my head!" The dinosaur paused in the waving of his large arms and sniffed the air, having suddenly caught their scent. His eyes fell on them within short order and a wide smile split across the dinosaur's face.

"Rika! Renamon! Hiii!"

"Hello, Guilmon," Renamon greeted, the pair of them drawing to a halt.

"Dinoboy," Rika nodded. "How's life as a walking advertisement?"

"Fun!" Guilmon chirped, his tail wagging happily. "I make so many people happy when they see me! Especially kids! They all say they want to have a digimon just like me someday!"

"Yeah, that's going to be kind of tough," Rika said with a touch of amusement. "You're kind of just one right now, and I don't think anyone could make a copy of you."

"Maybe Takato can scan his drawing of me to make more Guilmon's?" Guilmon suggested, tapping his claw thoughtfully. "Although… If he does that, then they might end up being his partner instead of someone else's." He paused, frowning slightly as his ears twitched. "Can a Tamer have other digimon as partners?"

I sure hope not, Rika thought, glancing over at Renamon, who, upon catching that the girl was watching her, smiled softly, already guessing what was on her mind. I wouldn't want to have anyone but Renamon as my partner.

"Try not to think about it too hard, or else you'll make your brain smoke," she said instead, patting Guilmon on the head. "Speaking of the Gogglehead, where is he? Inside?"

"I think he's on break right now," Guilmon replied. "So, he should be up in his room."

Upstairs, huh? Rika's eyes turned toward the alley, finding Takato's father there, washing out containers. A small smile curved at the corners of her mouth as a thought occurred to her and she gave Guilmon's ears a good scratching, causing the dinosaur to lean into her hand, eyes rolled up in a sudden burst of utter bliss.

"Ohhh… That's nice… Thanks, Rika."

"You're welcome," Rika chuckled, soon retracting her hand and starting down towards the alley. "Have fun, Guilmon."

"I will!" Guilmon called back at his departing friends, giving his head a little shake before waving goodbye. Entering into the alley, doing her best to appear as cool and casual as possible. As she drew near however, it suddenly occurred to her that she would be standing in front of Takato's father wearing a rather revealing T-shirt. She paused, wondering if maybe her idea would be better served being ditched and instead go through his mother before deciding that, no matter what, either one of them would be equally as bad.

Stupid… I should have just called him, she thought, stuffing her hands in her pockets to hide her growing nervousness before launching herself into the abyss. "Morning Mr. Matsuki!"

Takehiro's head swung about from his work and smiled upon seeing who it was.

"Morning, Rika," he greeted, turning away briefly to resume his work. "Here to see, Takato?"

"Yeah," she said. "Figured I'd see if I could take him off your hands for a little bit. It's been a while. Is that okay?"

Her fingers felt as though they were glued to each other as her muscles steeled themselves. Distractedly, her eyes flitted up to the metal 'porch' overhanging them that led to the second – and largest – of Takato's two bedroom windows.

"Yeah, it's no problem," Takehiro replied, leaning back and wiping an arm across his brow. "He's all caught up with his chores so I think you can borrow him." Turning around, he grinned. "Just make sure you bring him home before curfew."

"With his luck, I'm more worried about bringing him home in one piece, but I'll do what I can," Rika laughed, ignoring the nervous twitter in her voice before turning toward Renamon indicatively. The kitsune held out her arms and the girl stepped into them. A second later, they teleported up in front of Takato's window, and Rika breathed a sigh of relief.

"All right…" she said under her breath, steeling herself once more. "Now for the Gogglehead."

She spotted him seated at his desk, back turned to her, which was good. She wanted to have the advantage here and take him unawares. This wasn't her usual mode of entry into his home, though in retrospect she found herself rather liking the idea of just dropping in right outside his room and…

She frowned, her fist hesitating in the beginnings of a knock on the glass as something caught her attention. What's he doing?

She saw him clearly, even with the glare of the sun on the surface of the glass, one hand between his legs and moving rhythmically with his pants pulled down slightly. His teeth were clenched against one another tightly and his head was bowed. His hand was moving faster with every passing second and his hips shifted, revealing the swollen head of his erection.

"Oh my…" said Renamon next to her, having determined the nature of Takato's activity a second before Rika, who was still staring in utter stupefaction at the sight she was witness too. Takato leaned back in his chair, thrusting his hips upward to maximize his pleasure and then let out a groan that Rika could hear through the window. His head rolled back and…

…caught sight of Rika and Renamon at the window just as his penis jerked and pulsed, sending a stream of white semen spilling out onto the floor.

Takato yelled out in horror and scrambled away from the sight of the window, knocking his chair over in the process and almost tripping over it in the process. Blushing furiously, Rika jerked herself back to attention, but not before catching sight of Takato's rapidly shrinking erection as it swung in front of her, all sense of fun and eagerness vanishing in one fell swoop. Rika fell back against the railing, eyes wide in shock. Renamon turned toward her, her expression full of concern.

"Perhaps we should come back at a later date…?" she offered, but Rika shook her head fiercely.

"No! No… I mean…" She winced, hearing something crash inside, followed by another yelp. "A Tamer never walks away from danger, so…no point putting this off. I'll just…wing it."

I really should have called him… she thought, her eyes falling on Takato's upturned chair.

Renamon frowned, appearing confused. "He doesn't appear to be dangerous at the moment, though I'd hesitate to consider dancing with him in his present frame of mind."

Rika's eyes flashed and she shot a sharp look at her partner.

"You're not dancing with him."

Renamon gave a light laugh. "Protective of him, aren't we?"

"I… You… Renamon!"

Huffing in annoyance, Rika folded her arms about her waist and looked down at the soft curve of her cleavage – bright red as her blush had rushed downward – as it peaked out from the top of her shirt, giving a hello of sorts to her. A rather aggressive hello she intended for the boy of her heart.

And now things between them were going to be awkward.

Typical… she thought, closing her eyes and feeling the burning of her skin while her heart thudded loudly beneath her breasts. Well, at least we're 'goggleheading' this up now. Maybe that's a good sign for later.

Images of Takato's penis flashed across her vision and she tightened her grip about herself, her tension rising once more. She had seen Takato's penis. She had seen it! Renamon's suggestion about taking this up at a later time came to mind, but it was already far too late to change her mind now.

Not that she would. She had her pride after all.

Takato rushed back into view, eyes wide and face pale. She gave him a sympathetic look as he pulled the window open.

"Uh… R-Rika! Ah… Um…" His gaze faltered on her violet eyes, finding them difficult to face, knowing what she just witnessed, and fell away, only to jerk back up as they found themselves dropping into the girl's open shirt. His expression as he forced himself to maintain eye contact said it all.

Ahhh…nuts.

Like a cornered mouse, she thought, her lips thinning out as she pressed them against one another tightly. Renamon looked back and forth between the two.

"Well… I see that the two of you have some things to discuss, so I'll leave you to it."

With that, she vanished, and the two teens found themselves alone, both blushing profusely.

"S-Sorry about that," Takato stammered out. "I… Um…" He paused, seemed to start to say something, only to stop and press a hand against his face before stepping to the side. "Do you want to come inside? Ah…! Wait, no, that's probably a bad idea! I mean… After what you…" He coughed and shakily ran a hand through his hair, trying desperately to collect his thoughts. "Rika… I-I didn't mean for you…"

Oh, he was badly shaken, and why shouldn't he be? He had accidently exposed himself in front of one of his best friends. In front of her no less. Used as he was with accidently embarrassing himself in front of others, he tended to get mentally jostled when that sort of thing happened, and this was…far worse than usual. No doubt he was hoping for a hole to appear from out of nowhere and swallow him up so his misery could be ended once and for all.

Rika paused on that, realizing the double meaning of that imagery and wishing that she hadn't.

"Takato," she said simply, cutting off his inane babbling and causing the teen to freeze in place uncertainly. She could already guess what was going on in his mind. Long association told her that he was expecting a pummeling. Why this was at times confused her, as she never hit him once since they became friends. Yelled at him for sure, more than his fair share – his tendency to put his foot in his mouth and embarrass her had in years past, triggered her already hair-fine temper – but never had she hit him before.

She wasn't going to start now over something that, technically speaking, wasn't even his fault to begin with.

Rika pushed off the railing and took a step forward. Takato reflexively drew back, his eyes visibly struggling to maintain their connection with her violet gaze. At least, right up until he bumped into the glass window, forcing him to look away briefly to check himself. Her heart thrumming dangerously loud in her chest, Rika stepped closer, practically cornering him. Both their faces were bright red now.

"Grab your things and meet me outside," she said simply, whirling away and starting toward the railing. "I'm taking you out."

Takato blinked, utterly confused all of a sudden. "Wait, you're what?"

She could understand his bewilderment. This clearly wasn't in the script. Not that she was running on any at all. Her heart was beating so loud she could hear it in her eardrums. What was she doing?! Her hands shook slightly as she took hold of the metal banister.

"Just meet me out by Guilmon." Rika climbed over the railing and looked at him, eyes hard. A smirk played along her face that somehow managed to hide the anxiety she felt drumming throughout her body. "And wear a belt. I want to be seen with you in public after all."

With that, she slid off the railing, the yellow blur of Renamon catching hold of her as she did so, leaving a stupefied Takato to question his sanity.

Rika could sympathize. She was more than willing to question hers.

###

A/N: I've been playing with the idea of getting back into 'A Spring Flowering' lately, but I found myself uncertain about pulling off mature-content material after being away from the story for so long (going on two years in a few months). So, consider this a 'getting my feet wet' story that gets me used to writing such material again in preparation for tackling Spring. Don't know if I'll continue this fic or how explicit it will get. For now, it's going to be more vanilla with some added details thrown in for Takato's suffering.

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