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Turned out Japan has ATMs, and I had an account with unlimited funds. Someone decided to plan my finances well. I decided not to abuse the privilege, though. I bought a week and a half worth's clothes, plus clothes to sleep in, and a few other things. I kept the one hoodie, though. All I need is one.

We returned home, just before noon, an hour or so left before we had to show up. I spent a few minutes putting the clothes away and using a few of the hygiene products I got. That left a solid hour still. Great. Now I'm bored.

I sat down and flicked on the TV, knowing full well I wouldn't watch it. Raia came by a few seconds later and sat down next to me. She had an entire couch, enough room to put a full cushion between us, but she sat right next to me. I was really starting to wonder about her...

"Hey Rai." I said, using a short form of her already short name.

"Hi." She said. Alright. I might not have that much experience with women, but I know this act.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, fully knowing she had something on her mind.

"Nope." She chirped happily, staring blankly at the TV. This was going to get on my nerves real quick.

"So... about earlier. What did you mean?" I figured this was a good place to start. I had an intent behind it, but the generalness of the question made it so I could catch what she was thinking about.

"What? What I said about how you look?" I nodded, not sure if she saw. "Just what I said. I didn't hate it."

I decided to express my frustration the best I could. I grunted. "You and I both know that means something." I said, flat as a blacktop. "Don't play games with me, we're supposed to talk to each other, we're a team. This is something that's been on my mind, and yours too, judging by how you act."

She blushed. "I guess you caught me in a lie." She said. That was it, she said that, then silence. I grunted again. More silence.

"I swear to God."

"Alright, alright." She said, caving into finally telling me. "I have to say: true, it wasn't what most would call the best, but I like how you look. I don't know why this has been bugging either of us, we're friends after all. How we look shouldn't matter."

I was about ready to snap. Friends? I thought, Friends, and nothing more. As I should have expected. Such was the story of my life, eternally "friend-zoned". I sat for a few more seconds, then stood.

"Yeah, you're right." I said as I walked away. "It shouldn't matter." I walked to the bedroom, shut the door behind me and fell face first into the bed. I laid there for just a couple minutes before I felt a presence.

"You should use the door." I said. I felt the bed sink and a paw land on my back.

"What's wrong?"

"Most people use the door." I said, cold as stone.

"Caleb, tell me."

"Friends use the door." My words froze as they hit the air.

"Caleb, please..." It sounded like her voice was cracking.

"You know who doesn't?" The air felt like it was chilling around me.

"Please look at me."

"People who love each other." All I heard as response was the sound of a word catching in her throat. "People who care about each other. Boundaries shrink, sometimes cease to exist, because trust blooms."

Silence filled the room, the air stagnated instantly, her hand felt limp on my back. "Caleb, I..."

"Don't have to say anything." I said, standing. "It's time for us to go. Come on." I walked out the door, and I knew she would follow.

(Break)

We arrived in the park and I heard Takato talking. I signaled to Raia that we should move, get behind something, so we hid behind a tree. A few moments later, I saw Rika and Renamon walking along. Rika made a hand motion and Renamon was instantly airborne. Half a second later, Guilmon became one with his inner fence.

"Hey!" Takato yelled in protest.

"What a lousy fighter. But a fight's a fight." Rika said flatly.

"Hardly a fight." I said, stepping from behind the tree. "State-side, we call that assault."

"Who are you?" Rika said looking me up and down, apparently not caring that I had no digimon to be seen, or so I thought. A paw brushed my side, signaling Raia had followed me. I looked at her briefly, she seemed... limp. I sighed mentally. Shit. Guess we'll have to talk this out at home.

"Just a guy." I said, really at a loss for words. My elegant plan stopped after my entrance and one-liner.

"A guy with a Renamon?" She asked, eyebrow raised, question in her voice.

"Yeah, suppose that's a bit more accurate." I said running my hand through my hair, a habit of mine. "'cept I don't use mine to randomly assault unknowing tamers."

"Whatever." She said, her attitude only slightly showing. "I started a fight, and I'm gonna finish it." She signaled again, and Renamon, who had since returned to Rika's side, leaped again. The hell you are. I thought. I quickly looked at Raia, realized she wasn't going to do anything and decided to act very stupidly. While Renamon was mid-attack, I rushed Rika from her blindside, knowing I would severely regret what I was going to do. From behind, I swept my left arm under hers, then my right, and wove my fingers behind her head, putting her in a full nelson. It was hardly a challenge, given I was a gigantic 17-year-old, and she was a somewhat frail girl of 12.

"Hey Re-re!" I said, taunting Renamon and proving myself an asshole. "Look what I got!" Renamon's head snapped straight to me and she did the last thing I expected. She fucking bum rushed me. I loosed Rika, throwing her to the side and brought my arms up to take the impact. Funny how I never felt it. After a moment, I looked past my arms to see Raia in front of me. She was locked in a grapple with Renamon. I stepped back a bit, reaching down to Rika, who was on the ground, but she blew me off and stood. I knew she wasn't hurt, a full nelson never killed anyone and she hardly fell when I dropped her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Rika asked, getting up in my face. Well, she tried, given how I had a good foot of height on her.

"You were really going to have her attack a helpless digimon? One who didn't want to fight? I could ask you the same question."

"You grabbed me!"

"You wouldn't call off Renamon!"

"You threw me to the ground!"

"Your Renamon would have killed you if I hadn't and she hit us!"

In the midst of this, I heard a series of smacks. One of the Renamon, at this point I couldn't tell one from another, had gotten the other on the ground and was really laying into her.

"Raia!" I tried experimentally, not sure if I was addressing the right one. Seems I did as the Renamon on top stood and walked to me. I thought I was at least somewhat in the clear, until she smacked me, then phased away. "Damn it."

Renamon stood and clutched her side as she walked to Rika. "You're a monster."

I was surprised to hear that Renamon said that. "You're one to talk. I had no intention of injuring her, but you could have killed us both." Both Rika and Renamon looked away from me, refusing to accept that I wasn't the only one at fault. I opened my mouth to say something, thought better of it, and walked to Takato.

"You ok, kid?" I asked as Takato doted on Guilmon. He nodded.

"Yeah, thanks for helping us."

"You seem to be the only one thanking me." I said, glaring over my shoulder. "Listen, your friend Henry will be here in a few seconds, so he can help you out." I started to walk away.

"Wait!" Takato called out. "Who are you?"

"My name's Caleb. You'll be seeing more of me, don't worry." I continued to walk and called over my shoulder. "And make sure Rika and her Renamon are alright!"

(Break)

After a long, _long_walk, I finally reached home. I assumed Raia came back here, because... well, where else would she go?

I entered the house to find her curled up on the couch, eyes red and tears staining her fur. Shit.Me and my dramatic bullshit at work once again. I knew that I should have just explained my feelings before, but I was too upset at the time.

I sat down next to her curled form and received a harsh push in the side from her foot for my efforts. I decided persistence would aid me best here. I pulled myself closer to her, only to be pushed again. We repeated this cycle a couple more times before I got an idea. I walked around behind the couch, hooked a leg over, and lifted myself onto it from behind, wedging myself down between Raia and the back of the couch. She refused to go off the couch, as I hoped she would, leaving me pinned between her furry mass and the couch. I slid one arm beneath her, and threw my other over her and brought her into an embrace.

"I'm sorry." I said softly. "I just... I was afraid to tell you."

"What?" I heard the cracks in her voice, it was obvious she'd been crying heavily. "Tell me what?"

"That I care about you."

She grunted and I decided to try again.

"I mean that I really care about you. Raia, I like you in a different way than a friend. As something more. I got mad before because... I was afraid I was left out to dry again. Being just friends" I sneered on the word, "when I really wanted to be more than that. It hurts to be suppressed like that. I just... I just wanted you to understand." I closed my eyes, feeling them begin to mist up. I'd done it again. I'd fucked up again. Another friendship gone because I couldn't keep my feelings down. Another time I'd broken my own heart.

All these thoughts were plaguing my mind, slowly killing me with the knowledge I'd fucked up again, huge this time, but then two words shattered them.

"Prove it."

I couldn't believe my ears. God damn this duplicity.

"How?" I asked, feeling myself retrace painful footsteps, following a path that leads to only my sadness.

She rolled, facing me now. "Kiss me." Her words echoed in my mind. The duality stops here, I told myself. I won't make the same mistake.

Drawing my arms in on her, I pulled her ever closer and dipped my head to hers. My lips connected with hers and I saw a flash of silver. Just a faint touch, but it left us hungry. Seeing the pleading in her reddened eyes, I dove back in, pressing into her and tightening my pull. Silver flooded my mind as it overflowed with joy and ecstasy. This feeling was unlike any other I'd felt. The more I pressed, the more silver occupied all the space in my mind not being filled by the sensory overload caused by the beautiful beast pressed into me. I never wondered why silver, but later I would know.

(Break)

We'd fallen asleep, huddled together on the couch, so I was unsurprised when I could not move when I woke up. I didn't move though, didn't wake her, and just nuzzled in a bit closer and lay watching her face, peaceful as she slept. After some time she woke as well, but something caught my eye. When she first opened her eyes, I could swear I caught a hint of crimson, yet her eyes were the usual beautiful ice blue when she blinked them. I decided that I was just still tired and I was seeing things.

She held my gaze for a moment, then closed her eyes again. I sighed inside myself. As much as I wanted to just leave her to her peace and watch her sleep, I couldn't very well survive in the world with a lazy digimon. I had to have the resolve to force her to have resolve, I was her tamer after all.

"Rai?" I said gently, noting a nose twitch and a light flutter of the eyelids. She was awake, we both knew that. "Come on, we had to get up. Something important is gonna happen, and we have to be there." She groaned a bit, but relinquished her grip on me and allowed me to stand. I stroked the side of her face for a moment before turning to the bathroom, grabbing a second set of clothes along the way. I stripped down, got in the shower, and quickly washed myself. I tried to relax under the hot water while still being quick, but I couldn't shake a paranoia of being watched. It dissipated quickly though, when I saw a golden-yellow flash out of the corner of my eye. Damn it. I thought as I rinsed my hair. As much as I'm flattered, boundaries gotta be set. I left the shower and pulled on my clean clothes before brushing my teeth and leaving.

As I walked out of the bathroom, I saw Raia was ever so casually sitting outside of it. I gestured for her to follow me.

"Alright there, Miss Curious, let's go." She blushed, I'm sure of it, but I never looked to be certain. "We need to have a talk on the way to where we're going.