Digimon Secret Santa

the gift of communication | main characters ; wallace, terriermon, lopmon, daisuke motomiya | pairings ; slight wallace x daisuke (if you squint), mentioned takeru x hikari, mentioned taichi x sora, mentioned yamato x mimi | genre ; friendship | word count ; 3,598 | rating ; g

Terriermon and Lopmon were enjoying the company of their fellow digimons. They told each other stories, laughed, and even played a little. At some point, they fell asleep next to each other after consuming most of the food and drinks that Miyako had brought for them for the day. Terriermon had his head rested against Chibimon who was snoring softly while Lopmon was a few inches away from them.

The Chosen Children were gathered around in a circle, sans Ken who had told them that he would be late but promised to come as soon as he could. He mentioned something about helping his mom with some gift-giving in an orphanage.

“So, Wallace,” Daisuke started, his head turned to him. “Since when did you like coming here to Japan?” It made him suspicious as he remembered that Wallace had kissed Hikari once. He kissed her cheek, and Miyako’s as well, but it was still a kiss. “Are you here for anyone in particular?” But Daisuke also knew he was in denial about the fact that Hikari and Takeru had had some sort of unspoken romantic feelings for one another. “I heard there are more women in New York.” 

Wallace shrugged, simply ignoring Daisuke’s obvious accusations. “It’s a nice place to be in during the holidays. The spirit of Christmas is really taken seriously. Back in New York, people tend to be busy and get caught up with one another.”

“Looks like New York isn’t as cool as people say it is,” Iori said. “I’ve always thought it was a white Christmas there.”

Wallace nodded. “It sounds nice and it looks nice when you see it on tv and the movies but it isn’t spectacular or anything.”

“Nothing for you is ever spectacular,” Daisuke muttered. This made Hikari nudge him without much force and in turn made Takeru chuckle. “Either way, I’m glad you're here, Wallace. It’s been a while and I actually do miss you.”

Wallace’s eyes widened and his eyebrows raised. “You miss me?” he echoed. For him, that was a first for someone. “You. Miss me? You?”

“Am I not allowed to?” Daisuke raised an eyebrow.

Wallace smirked.

Daisuke narrowed his eyes. “Don’t push it.”

Miyako laughed. “Don’t mind him, Daisuke. It’s just Wallace being Wallace.”

“You don’t know much about me,” the American-raised boy defended. It was an absolute surprise to hear that from someone he had not had much interaction with in a while. “How could you say that?”

“We know enough,” Takeru spoke. “Like how you consider us as your friends. After all, you accepted our invitation to this gathering.”

Wallace did not reply. His mind was wondering how this group of friends suddenly thought that they were somehow close. It was not as if he did not like the group, he liked them a lot, especially after they helped him with Kokomon. But he needed to figure out how to handle this.

Hikari smiled at him. “Onee-san is throwing a surprise birthday party for Sora-san the day after tomorrow. You should go, it’d be really fun. We’ll be there, and I’m sure Terriermon and Lopmon would enjoy the company of being with more of their friends.”

“I’ll think about it,” he replied, still a little lost in thought. This invitation to her future sister-in-law’s surprise birthday party was, for him, a big step. He had not known much about them, yet they were thinking highly of him here.

What went into his head when he called Daisuke Motomiya yesterday to tell him that he was in the country, visiting for the holiday and seeing the sights with his mom.

He had called his home’s telephone, which made him feel anxious because he was not so sure what to say if it had been someone else who would answer. Luckily, it was Daisuke who took the call right away.

Was it because he was indebted? Because they helped him get Kokomon back? He did not think so, it could be more than that.

Just then, the door of Daisuke’s room opened and Ken appeared with Wormmom beside him. “I’m sorry for being late,” he said, bowing.

“Ken!” Miyako grinned. “The food’s almost gone, help yourself to what’s left, Wormmon.”

Ken chuckled nervously. “I’m sorry, Wormmon. I’m sure there’s still some good food somewhere there.”

“Of course! I always choose the best of the best,” Miyako said proudly.

Wallace watched as Ken walked from the door and sat down in between Miyako and Iori. They had briefed him of the former Digimon Kaiser. He felt the anger boil inside him as they told him the story, how could someone do that to digimons?

But they had assured him that Ken had changed and was very much on their side. He was a little skeptical, and truth be told he still was, but he told himself to watch out for Ken before he could make his final judgment.

“Hello,” Ken greeted. “You must be Wallace.”

He nodded. “Yeah. And you’re Ken, right? Ken Ichijouji?”

Ken nodded. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said, raising his hand.

Wallace blinked a few times before shaking his hand. “And it’s great to finally meet you.”

“Ken!” Wormmom called him. “This is Terriermon and Lopmon!”

The group all turned back. Ken had a smile on his face. “I hope Wormmon treats you well.”

“Hey!”

Everyone laughed.

Iori said, “Try the new chocolate drink, Wormmon. I told Armadimon to hide one for you.”

“Here it is!” Armadimon held up the box.

“Thank you, Iori and Armadimon,” Wormmon said happily as he began to consume the drink.

Wallace watched as they looked at the worm-like digimon drink. Despite what had happened before, they welcomed Ken with open arms. It might take a while but he hoped he would fully forgive Ken and replace the thought of the poor digimons with happier faces. It sounded easier in thought but perhaps interacting with him more will be good for them both.

“This is so good, Miyako!” Wormmon exclaimed. He then dug into some snacks. “It's a good thing I didn’t eat before coming here.”

Wallace laughed. “That’s true, the food you brought really did make me feel full.”

Miyako grinned again. “I told you all! Wallace does like Japanese food.”

“Then I’m sure you’ll like the food that will be prepared for the party,” Hikari stated, smiling. “Please come.”

“I’ll think about it,” he repeated. But to be honest, he was very keen on going. “I’ll have to ask Terriermon and Lopmon first,” he added. “And my mom, of course.”

“Yes!” Terriermon and Lopmon shouted at the same time.

Hikari giggled. “I hope your mom says yes, Wallace.”

‘I hope so, too,’ he thought. He smiled at them. “Yeah, let’s see.” 

On the way back to the hotel, Wallace carried Lopmon as Terriermon sat on his favorite spot, Wallace’s head. Wallace had not spoken to either of them as they walked. This did not go unnoticed by his digimon partners.

Both Terriermon and Lopmon were looking at their human partner, then they would look at each other, then back at Wallace, and then make eye contact again, and the cycle repeated a few more times before both sighed.

“What’s got you thinking?” Lopmon asked, looking up at his partner. He touched his cheek and patted it a few times. “You’ve been quiet since we left Daisuke’s house.” He tilted his head. “Don’t tell me you didn’t have fun, Wallace. I know you did, everyone could see it.”

Wallace sighed and looked down at the brown digimon. “I’m just wondering about the party they invited me to. Invited us to.”

“What about it?” Terriermon questioned. “You want to go, don’t you? I saw the way you smiled, you seem excited about it.”

“I do,” he admitted. “I do want to go and it does seem pretty exciting.” But as they left the Motomiya residence, he had a sudden reflection about the other Chosen Children. “But what about the others? I don’t know much about them, they don’t know much about me. I’ll feel left out.” He was never really scared of being alone, but he found this situation different. Maybe because they all had something in common. “I don’t think it’d be fun if that was the case.”

Terriermon and Lopmon looked at each other.

“We’re sure Daisuke won’t leave you alone,” Terriermon said. “And neither will the others.”

“You can’t be sure,” Wallace said.

“Sure we’re sure,” Lopmon said. “They like you, Wallace. They won’t let you feel left out. I’m sure they’ll even introduce you to the others.”

Wallace bit his bottom lip. “I’ll ask Mom if we can go. It won’t be until the day after tomorrow, I don’t think it’ll be too sudden.”

“And besides, your mom will be happy you have friends here,” Lopmon added and Terriermon nodded in agreement.

That made Wallace smile. “Yeah, I think she will be.”

“Cheer up, Wallace.” Terriermon smiled. “I’m sure everyone will be glad if you go.”

He nodded. “Let’s go ask Mom then.”

Both Terriermon and Lopmon grinned. “Yay!” they exclaimed.

“You two do seem so excited about this,” Wallace said, chuckling.

“We want to see you happy,” Lopmon told him. “And we’re glad that you have friends here.”

Wallace smiled and nodded. Then, it dawned on him that in a few days, before Christmas day, he would have to leave the country and head back to New York. He had not told them this—they had not asked—but he would have to soon and it made him feel sad knowing that he would leave them behind. “Just when things were brightening up,” he murmured.

“What was that?” the two digimons asked in unison. “What did you say?”

Wallace shook his head. “It’s not something I want to talk about right now, and I don’t want to think about it yet either. Let’s just enjoy the rest of our stay here while we can. Japan is a nice place, let’s not ruin the vacation. Okay?”

The two digimons looked at each other for a few seconds before nodding as they shifted their eyes to Wallace. “Okay.”

As Wallace and the twins expected, his mother was very happy that he had made friends. “I didn’t expect this,” she admitted.

“They’re the same friends I told you about before,” he said. “I…missed them.”

“Is that why you wanted to come here for the holiday?”

Wallace nodded slowly.

His mother grinned. “I’m glad you’re finally letting yourself out there.” Then she tilted her head. “But how did you find them?”

“I asked for help from Mimi-san,” he answered. “You remember her.”

“Oh yes, that pretty girl you met back home.” She smiled.

“She’s in a relationship,” he immediately said, knowing where that smile was headed.

She giggled. “Alright then. When is the party again?”

“The day after tomorrow,” he replied. “A lot of people will be there. My friends and their older brothers and their friends as well. And Terriermon and Lopmon’s friends, too.”

“My, isn’t that a big party,” his mother said. “And you don’t know the others?” Wallace shook his head. “You won’t feel out of place?” Again, he shook his head. “You won’t be in the corner alone?” He let out a soft chuckle before shaking his head once more. He was suddenly so sure, surprisingly, that he would not be left alone by the group. Terriermon and Lopmon really do have an effect on him. “But you’ll have fun, won’t you?”

“I will,” he assured. “I know I will.” He knew very well that he would have a lot of fun. ‘I know I will,’ he repeated in his head. ‘I know I will.’

“That’s good. That’s all I needed to hear.” His mom grinned. “So what’s the theme? What will you wear? We’ll need to make a good impression on them. I know how you can be, Wallace.”

He rolled his eyes. “It’s like you have no faith in me.” His mother frowned. “I don’t know much. I’ll call Daisuke and ask for more information.”

“Okay. But remember to just tell me if you need anything. Anything at all.”

“Yes, Mom.” He smiled.”You’re just as excited as Terriermon and Lopmon.”

“We’re just very happy for you, Wallace.” His mother leaned to kiss his forehead. “My sweet boy, I’m really happy for you.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

When she straightened her body, she added, “I would very much like to meet your friends one day. Maybe invite them after the party. Perhaps the next day or the day after that?”

Wallace nodded. “Yeah, I’ll ask them. Will you be cooking?” He had always loved his mom’s cooking and was very proud of how others liked them as well.

“Of course, I need to make a good impression on them, too.”

They both laughed.

The day of the party had arrived and Wallace was quite nervous about it. He had kept himself composed and ready for the event the past day but he did not think about what would happen as he was on the way to the Takenouchi residence.

“Aren’t you excited?” Terriermon asked cheerily.

“I am!” Lopmon answered. “What about you, Wallace?”

Wallace put on a smile. “I am. I am excited. But I’m a little nervous, but I guess that’s a normal thing to feel when you’re about to meet a bunch of new people.”

Lopmon nodded. “Don’t worry, you’ve got us. We can leave anytime you want.”

“Thanks, guys.”

They continued to walk and then finally arrived at the condominium. As they entered, having made sure that Terriermon and Lopmon had returned to playing as stuffed animals, he walked to the receptionist and informed them that he was there for the surprise party in the apartment of the Takenouchis.

Just as the receptionist gave him the floor and room number, an unfamiliar voice called his name. “Wallace?”

He turned around and recognized the man in front of him. “Koushiro.”

The redhead smiled at him, his digimon partner in his arms. “That’s me.” He walked closer to Wallace and stopped just a few inches away from him. “Takeru-kun said you would come.”

“I was a little hesitant,” he lied, not wanting to sound too eager. “But I thought it would be fun to make new friends and, you know, hang out with them.”

“I’m glad you think so. I’m sure Taichi-san and the others would love to meet you. Mimi-chan is here already. I know you two are acquainted with one another.”

“Yes,” he said. “We met in New York one time, she recognized my partners.”

Koushiro nodded. “This is Tentomon.” Then he paused. “Let’s get going,” he said as he looked around the lobby. There were not many people but they still had to be careful.

The two, with their partners, rode the elevator going up. Wallace was getting a little more nervous now. He got a warm welcome from Koushiro, yes, but what about the others?

‘What’s got you hot and bothered by this, Wallace?’ he questioned himself. ‘This shouldn’t keep you on your toes.’

“They’re really nice,” Koushiro said, as if reading his mind. “My friends are really nice. You don’t have to worry about them. Not even Yamato-san can ruin your mood.”

“What do you mean?”

Koushiro smiled. “He’s been a handful before, but he’s become very mellow over the past few years. He smiles a lot more, too, ever since he started dating Mimi-chan.”

Wallace looked at him.

“I didn’t read your mind, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Koushiro added with a soft chuckle. “I just saw it in your body language.”

Wallace raised his eyebrows. He was always so calm, not once had he shown people his true thoughts and feelings. How did Koushiro know about this?

“I was like you before, back when I was young. Even before I met Taichi-san and the others. I hid myself behind my laptop, not once showing emotions. But when I started hanging out with them…it felt good, it felt nice. I felt like I belonged. That’s how great they are.” Koushiro looked at him. “Chosen Child or not, they’re nothing to be afraid of.”

Wallace grinned. “Thank you.”

They reached their floor and they quickly walked to the apartment. Not everyone was there yet but when Daisuke saw that Wallace had arrived, he grinned and walked over to him. “You came! You’re here!” 

Terriermon and Lopmon grinned as well. “Are the others here, too?” Terriermon asked.

“Of course,” Daisuke answered. “They’re at the back.”

Terriermon and Lopmon leaped from Wallace’s arms and ran down the hallway.

“They’re excited,” Koushiro said as he let Tentomon fly away. “I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

Wallace gave him a nod while Daisuke’s eyes followed Koushiro’s steps. When he was in the kitchen, Daisuke grabbed Wallace’s wrist and dragged him to the living room. “You have to meet Taichi-san!”

Wallace’s heartbeat raced. He was about to meet the highly talked about Taichi Yagami.

They stopped in front of a young man whom Wallace knew all too well just basing it on pictures. “Taichi-san!” Daisuke greeted. Taichi looked back and gave Daisuke a questioning look before looking at Wallace. “Taichi-san, this is Wallace.”

“Oh, so you’re the Wallace Hikari-chan talked about.” He raised his hand and said, “Taichi.”

“It’s so great to finally meet you.”

Meanwhile, in the background, they ignored Daisuke’s question about Hikari talking about Wallace to her older brother.

“Sora will be here soon, I suggest you find a place to hide. Daisuke can lead you around. I’ll get to know you more later, alright?”

Wallace nodded. “Okay.”

Daisuke narrowed his eyes. “Hikari-chan talks about you.”

Wallace could not help but laugh. “Let’s find a place now. As Taichi said, Sora will be here soon.”

The surprise party was a success. Sora arrived with her mom and was shocked to see her friends surrounding her and shouting “happy birthday”.

Sora’s eyes teared up but she was smiling from ear to ear. “And I wonder who came up with the idea,” she said, giggling.

Taichi went up to her and intertwined his fingers with hers. “Take a wild guess.”

She giggled some more and gave her fiancé a kiss and everyone clapped. Then, Sora went over to hug and thank everyone in the room, including Wallace.

“It’s very nice to meet you,” she said when she stopped over to hug and thank him. “I’ve heard good things about you.”

For some reason, that made Wallace’s cheek turn pink. “I hope so.”

Sora smiled.

The party was still in full swing—that is, everyone was chatting with each other and the food and drinks needed refilling—when Wallace headed over to the balcony for some fresh air. He was just overwhelmed with how friendly the others were, how they welcomed him with open arms, and how comfortable he was with them. He hated that he would be leaving soon.

He has instructed Terriermon and Lopmon to play with the other digimons as he wanted to be alone for a while. The twin digimons seemed to have sensed it as they did not object to the request.

Just then, someone stood beside him, holding up two drinks, and offering one to him. Wallace did not bother to look up as he took the cup, he was actually thirsty but was not yet ready to go back inside. “Thank you.”

“If you just want to stay silent that’s fine with me, but let me stay here with you for a bit.”

Wallace nodded. “The party’s a success.” He looked back at the gathering behind him and then back to the horizon. “Taichi really loves her.”

“He does,” Daisuke said. “They’re in love.”

“How are you and Hikari?”

Daisuke sighed. “I’ll give up soon enough. She and Takeru have a lot of stuff going on, going around each and all. They have a history. They have the present. And,” he paused. Wallace could see how heartbroken Daisuke was about this. “And they have a future.”

Wallace pursed his lips. “There’s someone else out for you, I promise.” He placed a hand on Daisuke’s shoulder and rubbed it. “I know it.”

Daisuke smiled. “Thanks, Wallace. You’re a good friend, you know that?” He raised his hand and rubbed Wallace’s shoulder. “I know Mimi-san is missing a lot.”

Wallace shook his head. “Why does everyone think I’m into Mimi?”

“Uh, because it’s obvious? The way you keep looking at her? The way Yamato-san looks as if he’s about to start a fight soon.”

Wallace felt like he was shrinking. “I didn’t notice.”

Daisuke laughed. “Anyway.” He regained his composure. “I don’t want to ask but it’s bound to happen. When are you leaving?”

“Three days from now,” he answered, his head bowed down. “I don’t wanna leave,” he admitted. “I’m…having a good time.”

Daisuke nodded. “Yeah, I know you are.”

They stayed quiet until Daisuke ended it by asking, “What do you want for Christmas?”

Wallace cocked his head to the side. “What?”

“What do you want for Christmas?” Daisuke repeated. “You’re leaving three days before Christmas Day and I want to give you something before we part ways.”

Wallace was silent. Then, he took out his phone and handed it over to the man in front of him. “Can you give me your email?”

“My email?” Daisuke echoed.

“Yeah,” Wallace nodded, “I’d really like it if we talked some more. Even when I’m back in the US, I want to be able to communicate with you guys properly.”

Running Late

Word Count: 991 | Universe: Adventure [02] x Savers Crossover (slight Xros Wars reference) | Characters: Daisuke Motomiya, V-mon, Masaru Daimon | Dedicated to nsdrawsstuff

It was a Christmas like any other, but also extraordinary in its own way, because wasn't every Christmas spent with Digimon extraordinary?

Though he and the others had been planning their get-together for months, Daisuke had been so busy he'd kept pushing off his task. Takeru had even teased him about it the other day, asking if he'd gotten the food yet for their fête. "Of course I did," Daisuke scoffed, setting down his water glass a little more forcefully than necessary. "Who d'you think I am?"

"You," Ken had replied smoothly, coolly, even, not a hint of malice in the words. Just the truth.

Well, they were both right, dammit.

Daisuke glanced at the clock. Okay. He only had a few more minutes of his shift left. Then he could go run out for some snacks. Surely there would still be some left somewhere, right?

V-mon poked his head over the counter. "How much longer?"

"Just a few more minutes, buddy! Then we can go get the grub." As if he didn't already work in a restaurant. With plenty of food.

"Daisuke! Mind bussing that table? You can call it a day after that." His manager poked his head into the kitchen, nodding to a table that had only recently been vacated. Daisuke grinned and nodded, turning off the stove in front of him.

Was it fair to say he was practically sprinting to bus the table? Yes. So was it completely expected that he would bump into someone while he did so? Also yes. The unfortunate part of the encounter, however, was that he was holding a pile of plates, and he nearly dropped all of them. As he fumbled with the Leaning Tower of Plate, he spun to apologize to the person he'd bumped into. In the nick of time, he regained his balance. Bonus! "Sorry about that! I wasn't looking."

"No problem, man. Don't sweat it," the guy said, waving. "Be careful!"

Daisuke paused and watched the man leave the restaurant. Shaggy brown hair, dog tags, wristbands… he looked familiar. Or, at the very least, he almost seemed like some alternate version of Taichi. Back when they were kids, at least. But that could be true of just about anyone, right?

Then again, he was a Chosen Child. Coincidences weren't something to be taken lightly.

He didn't have time for this! If it was something to worry about, something else would happen. That was usually the way these things went in his life. Right now, he had a mission. And that mission was to get snacks!

V-mon paced dutifully behind him as Daisuke hurried down the street, scanning for a convenience store that would still have the types of snacks that his friends liked. And that the Digimon liked. That was the most important part, because obviously the Digimon would be eating more than half of the food.

Finally! One appeared in front of him, almost by magic (though he knew there was no such thing, unless Digimon counted), and he hurried inside. His breath fogged in front of his face as he released it, but the convenience store was fairly warm. V-mon did a full body shake, almost like a dog, stomping his feet to regain feeling. Daisuke was constantly reminded that shoes were a blessing whenever he had his partner with him.

A cursory glance at the store revealed low stocks of the kinds of chips and cookies he was looking for, but that didn't deter him. There had to be something.

Times like this, it was helpful for one to have a Digimon partner. V-mon reached further back on the lower shelves for the last of the party-size sour cream and onion chips. Now as for barbeque…

"Ah, I bet you're looking for this. Here, I grabbed two."

Daisuke looked up from his position kneeling on the floor, instantly recognizing the guy he'd bumped into earlier. "Hey, you're—"

"The one you nearly ran over? Yeah, I am." The man held out a hand, and Daisuke gripped it in his own, allowing himself to be helped to his feet. "You look like you're in a bind. Got a party or something?"

"Yeah, I said I'd get snacks, but you know… work and stuff…" Daisuke rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

The guy just nodded in understanding. "Been there. Bet you got a friend who gives you crap for it, even if he's not harsh about it?"

"In their own ways, they all do. But yeah, I got two of them."

"Ha, nice. Well, hopefully they like barbeque." With a smile, the man handed him the barbeque chips.

"Thanks." Daisuke smiled down at the chips, knowing that the Digimon (especially V-mon) would love them. When he looked up, the stranger was leaving. "Wait, at least tell me your name! If I run into you again, I'd love to repay you."

"I'm going out of town soon, so I don't think you'll see me again. But, for what it's worth, Masaru. See you around, Daisuke."

"Masaru." That name sounded familiar, kind of like how he looked like someone he'd seen before. At least, the sound of his name fit in his mouth in a way that meant he'd used it before. Right…?

Wait, but how did he know his name?

Before he could ask, Masaru was gone.

"That was strange," V-mon said, scratching his cheek with a claw.

"You're pretty strange, too, buddy," Daisuke pointed out with a playful smile, trying to shake off the swirling questions. He could ask Koushiro or Taichi or someone about this later—right now, he had snacks to obtain! "Now let's go look at the cookies."

Though he didn't run into Masaru a third time, Daisuke couldn't help but wonder if he was having as merry of a Christmas as he and the others were. Maybe he'd see him the next time he was running late with something.

Kuga Yuuya did not texted her first.

It wasn’t something subjective—it was a simple, known fact! She wasn’t sure Yuuya texted anyone first. Often, when Rina texted him, Yuuya left her (very cruelly) on read. Sometimes he left her on delivered. Which was like, extremely rude, thank you very much.

(Granted, none of those messages were because of actual emergencies, but still. Her memes were nonetheless very important and warranted a response. But Yuuya had ignored her. Because of course he did. The jerk.)

So, naturally, when Rina’s phone vibrated and pinged, and Yuuya’s contact lit up her screen, Rina gaped. She blinked, surprised, and it took several moments to register that oh yeah, she should read the message.

Hey, Yuuya had written plainly. Jeesh, and he called everyone else boring.

Yeah, the world had totally ended. Sometime in the last few minutes, the world had ended and Rina had died and gone to an afterlife where apparently Kuga Yuuya texted her first.

She debated on calling him to see what was up, but that ran the risk of scaring him off because he didn’t even text, let alone call; so Rina leaned back in her chair and did what she did best.

Rina: hey!!!! ┌( ＾◡＾ )┘whatcha up to???

Yuuya: Studying. You use a lot of exclamation points, Rina-san.

Rina: and u text like the heir of the gigo company lol

Yuuya: Is… that a good or a bad thing?

Rina blinked again, her lips curving into a frown. She narrowed her eyes at her screen suspiciously, and who could blame her? Since when did Yuuya care about her opinion of him?

Rina: not bad!!! was just kiddin lol (≧_≦)

Yuuya: Okay.

She sent him another text that mostly consisted of emotes and exclamation points (perhaps proving his point), and this time, it took a while for Yuuya to respond. At least a good ten minutes.

Yuuya: What about you? What’re you up to?

Okay. Wow. She peeked out her bedroom window—yep, still snowing. Which meant it was still mid-December and she was still in Japan. Maybe. Probably. If she wasn’t… did it snow in the afterlife? To what afterlife had she been sent, for Yuuya to not only respond but ask about her in return? Smug, snooty Yuuya? What the hell was even happening? She couldn’t even begin to know the answer to that. 

Instead, she answered Yuuya.

Rina: just chillin!!! not really doing much haha it’s boring w/o V.V. here tbh

Yuuya: I see.

Another pause followed. Rina stood from her chair and made her way to her bed to sprawl out, phone in hand, as she awaited the continuation of their conversation. She got bored waiting on minute three and decided she couldn’t handle the suspense anymore.

Rina: so whats up???

Yuuya: I’m studying.

Rina: well duh u said that already i meant why did u text me

Yuuya: You text me all the time.

Rina: yeah! but u like never answer soooooo

Yuuya: Sorry.

Oh good god, okay. Yuuya, apologizing? Prideful, arrogant Yuuya? Maybe she’d gone to some alternate dimension—somewhere that wasn’t the digital world—where everything was the same except for one fifteen-year-old Kuga Yuuya.

She frowned again, this time in contemplation. As she pondered how to respond, she kicked her feet idly against her bed, tapping the back of her phone case if only to keep her fingers moving.

She wondered absentmindedly if his dad scolded him or something. From what she knew, Kuga Kenzou was more insufferable than Yuuya—which, of course, made sense considering he was Yuuya’s father—so it wasn’t much of a stretch to say he wasn’t all that great of a parent.

Her chest ached inexplicably at the thought and her frown deepened.

Rina: is ur dad being a bitch

Yuuya: Huh?

Rina: ya know ur dad is he being a bitch lol

Yuuya: I don’t see what he has to do with the conversation.

Then, after about a minute:

Yuuya: Father is always being a bitch.

Rina: lol!! i believe it honestly

And because Rina was a gremlin with no sense of self-control: 

Rina: his ass must really hurt from the stick shoved in it

Yuuya: Lol.

Rina blinked once more in surprise and then grinned at her screen because this was another new thing—Yuuya laughing at a joke? A joke she made? She didn’t even know Yuuya could laugh, much less over text. She didn’t know he even had a sense of humor.

They spent the next hour or so texting, with Rina sending memes (the normal amount) and emotes (also the normal amount) and Yuuya telling her that it was, in fact, not the normal amount. Eventually, the time between Yuuya’s responses grew longer and longer, and Rina assumed that he’d averted his full attention back to studying.

Rina: ur a fun texter lol

Rina: not as fun as me obviously but still fun just sayin

She sent it without really expecting a response right away, but she was surprised yet again when the reply came in only a few minutes.

Yuuya: Wow. One person approves of my texting habits.

Rina laughed out loud. This was a fun side of Yuuya to see.

(And no, it wasn’t because she felt a little warm inside that he seemed to trust her enough to make jokes with her.)

(She didn’t feel warm inside at all.)

(Yuuya was simply growing on her.)

(Like a fungus.)

Yuuya: Is this supposed to be an honor or a shame, since the person is Rina-san?

Her laugh quickly turned into a scandalized gasp as she stared down at her phone in offense. No, she changed her mind. Yuuya wasn’t growing on her.

“Rude,” she said aloud as if he could hear her, without any hint of fondness in her voice. None at all. "Yer such a punk."