a season for respite
He was the last person Henry expected to see, despite it all. All the other kids were taking time off with their families. It was true Henry was still in Shinjuku proper, at the Wild Bunch's makeshift HQ, but he was with his dad too.
"Jen!"
Henry actually jumped, nearly dislodging Terriermon from his already wobbly perch. "Momantai, it's just Ryo."
Yes, it was. There was the same garishly orange sweater which concealed his lean physique. The startling blue eyes that took him in, head to toe. "Why are you still here, Jen?"
"What does it look like we're doing, huh? We're saving the world!" Of course between Ryo and Terriermon it was impossible to get a word in edgewise. Henry glared at his digimon for the comment, and was met with his usual unrepentant smirk.
"I was about to ask you the same thing...." Henry looked over at Mizuno-san, who was watching them with interest.
A warm hand pressed on his shoulder. Henry was still not used to looking up to talk to Ryo. "You haven't slept."
"I have."
Ryo knowingly glanced at Terriermon. Henry sighed; naturally the digimon would give him the lie. "C'mon, let's get out of here."
"But I was helping Mizuno-san..."
With an odd twinkle in his eye, Mizuno-san shook his head. "You kids go ahead! You need a little fun anyway, right?" He laughed, deeply and heartily. Henry had agreed with Terriermon when he'd commented (loudly) that the creator of the Blue Cards had a screw loose. Still, the man was frighteningly perceptive. He already knew Ryo and Henry were seeing each other, when Mr. Wong hadn't been told yet.
Henry was strangely determined to tell his father and mother of their relationship. It would probably upset them both, and likely earn odd looks from Rinchei-niisan and Jaarin-neesan. After the battle was over, he would tell them. Ryo had understood immediately. No matter what kind of trouble it brought them, it was a promise. The battle would end. And both he and Ryo would be alive to speak to it.
"I'll go see what Lopmon and Suzie are doing," Terriermon declared after another glance from Ryo. Honestly, he had to figure out how to escape their mutual plotting. Though it really wasn't necessarily -against- him. Henry nodded, feeling Terriermon's weight launch off his shoulder; he watched the small digimon trot off to the family area.
He followed Ryo through the twisting corridors of the office building. After a few turns Henry didn't know where he was. Reluctantly he admitted to himself that he was zoning out. He didn't even notice when the older boy took his hand. Ryo always seemed to know where he was going anyway. It was a trait Henry envied a bit. "...hey, Jen. You really haven't been sleeping. You have bags under your eyes."
"Aa. I'll be all right."
Inexplicably Ryo smiled. The thing with Akiyama Ryo's smiles was that they were usually unexpected and always stunned Henry to the core. His chin tilted up in an almost-smirk but his expression was open and bright. If he'd gone through a fraction of what Ryo had, he'd--- "--- burn out, Jen."
"Hmm?"
Ryo laughed, the sound echoing down the hallway. "C'mere, you!" Simultaneously he hugged Henry and pulled him down onto a plush couch.
Henry leaned on his soft sweater. "I still don't get why you're here."
"What, you look like someone from Night of the Living Dead and you don't know why?"
Henry smiled tiredly, enjoying the slow backrub Ryo was giving him. "I thought you were with your dad."
Ryo shrugged. "He knows I'm gonna come home. And if there's one thing he doesn't cut corners on, it's keeping my priorities straight." He hugged him tighter.
Priorities.... A dull warmth spread through Henry. He nestled in despite himself. "...where are we, anyway?"
"Oh, some conference room. Facing Fuji." Away from the D-Reaper, of course. "Uh uh, don't think so hard. I see you." Strong arms tucked him closer, and at last Henry began to feel the hours of fatigue. "Rest, Jen."
It was a tone of voice which brooked no argument. Besides, it was easy to let his eyes get heavy and to slip into sleep in the circle of Ryo's embrace.
~~~
"... I told him to push the big red button again but he wanted to Bit Knuckle through the elevator shaft!"
"I did not!"
"Did so!"
"Guys, Henry's sleeping..."
Henry chuckled softly. "Not anymore." He blinked over at the digimon. Monodramon was now trying to turn a rolling chair upside down while Terriermon tried to push him on it, not under it. It was kind of funny to watch Terriermon get as exasperated with the other digimon as Henry got with him.
Ryo's voice was next to his ear. "Sleep well?"
Henry blinked, finally realizing that he was now comfortably sprawled between Ryo and the couch back. The other boy was reclining, legs up on the cushions and one arm around Henry. "Yeah, I think so," Henry said, feeling his cheeks heat up.
Ryo smiled again, his eyes lidding. That calm gaze made Henry want to relax too. He glanced over at Terriermon, who had managed to direct Monodramon onto the chair back. His friend understood immediately, and with a giggle and a wave he pushed the office chair around the room and out the door, Monodramon hooting all the way.
"...be careful, guys!" Ryo called. "They'll probably give some poor programmer a heart attack."
''They've been fighting almost non-stop since this started. They should have a little fun." Henry shifted, realizing that as Cyberdramon, Ryo's digimon had probably been fighting for months. It was an existence Henry still couldn't comprehend.
"Yeah, well we humans need a break from the fighting too." Ryo ran his hand through Henry's hair, sighing as each tuft brushed his fingers. The weird-but-good feeling Henry was getting more familiar with seemed muffled through the sleepy-warmth. He noticed it was nearly dusk, probably time for the impromptu meal at the main room. It was the only time any of the Wild Bunch or the former Hypnos members left their computers, besides to sleep and wash. He should probably go see his dad, Henry thought. Only, he didn't really want to leave yet...
"You're thinking too hard again." Ryo grinned, though he let Henry sit up. "I took care of dinner."
"You sure do prepare for everything, Ryo." Henry got up and stretched. Shedding his jacket, he automatically went through a simple form to center his breathing as Ryo laid out the rice cakes and dumplings. Only towards the end did he notice how he was distracting Ryo. Another weird-but-good feeling.
Ryo pulled up a chair, splitting the disposable chopsticks and laying them next to Henry's plate, on the left side. "I do a lot of preparing for the unexpected. The expected's not so hard."
They ate in silence for a while. It was nice, Henry had to admit. They were far enough away from the rest of the group to have some privacy. Henry and Terriermon were the last "experimental sample" in the vicinity, so their attention was almost constantly needed. Henry missed being able to blend into a room full of adults, observing instead of acting. It was the only environment where he really could blend in completely. He sighed at that. Those days were probably gone; everyone would recognize him now.
On the other hand it was odd to have the attention of his family. There had always been Rinchei and Jaarin, and then Shuichon to compete with. His older brother and sister excelled at sports and school, and left the computer stuff to their father and little brother. He was so different at home, sometimes. He interrupted, he argued, he teased and butted in. You just had to be loud to be heard at all. Now, when he spoke, a hush would fall over the table. Rin' and Jarrie had visited a couple of times since the programming team had relocated to the building. Henry could still feel the weight of their gazes, so full of respect and awe. It was just weird. He wasn't sure if it was good... but he didn't think it was going to change anytime soon.
He looked up to see Ryo watching him. This was definitely a good feeling. Ryo winked at him, lips twisting up fondly. It occurred to Henry that he should apologize for being so quiet, after he'd gone through all the trouble to get this time away. Ryo wouldn't accept it, though. It was definitely odd to think that someone would be so focused on him that even long silences were worth observing.
"Two yen for your thoughts?"
Henry shrugged. "Selfish stuff... how things have changed in my family." Ryo raised a brow at 'selfish', but it was true. Ryo had hardly any family to get attention from, and his dad barely tolerated Monodramon. And on the streets, he was mobbed by dozens of anonymous people who wanted to get a piece of the legendary tamer. "And how nice it is to get away for a while."
"I knew you'd come around."
Henry laughed. "Yeah, my mom always said I'm as stubborn as my dad. Really... it's nice. Thanks."
Ryo studied him for a moment. "But?"
He blinked. "Ah..."
Ryo gently dislodged his hand from his D-Arc. Henry hadn't noticed how hard he was gripping it. "It's getting harder and harder to sit around without fighting, isn't it."
Henry sighed, nodding. Ryo was speaking for himself too. On the other side of the building, and all over the world, the bubble of chaos was spreading. It was already doing such horrible things to the digital world. "It must have been hard to see all that destruction, on Grani's recording."
Ryo turned his face. For a moment Henry thought he'd said the wrong thing. "I've seen it on the edge a lot of times," Ryo said quietly. "But never... decimated, like this."
"...Ryo? You downloaded all the recordings, didn't you."
He turned back to Henry, a little sheepish. "Yeah, I did."
Henry touched Ryo's sleeve. "You really got to love that place."
"In a way." Ryo twined his fingers with Henry's, his eyes unusually distant. "It was lonely and unfeeling, at times. And constantly holding Cyberdramon back was pretty draining. But I'm kind of its protector."
Something in his pensive gaze piqued Henry's curiousity. Not I acted as its protector. Ryo had said I am its protector. "You're... supposed to be? Or you chose to be?"
Ryo pushed his plate away, scooting his chair closer. "Jen, you watched the TV shows, didn't you?"
"A little. Mostly I got into the games."
"... do you believe in destiny?"
[unfinished as I too need to eat, shocking as that may sound.]
