Digimon Adventure Chronicles II: Secrets Revealed
folder
Digimon › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
25
Views:
3,045
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Digimon › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
25
Views:
3,045
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Digimon: Digital Monsters, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Foreign Feelings
...chapter TWENTY TWO – Foreign Feelings
The room was full of flowers, sweet smelling and bright with color despite the hazardous winter weather outside. In combination with the power of his holy gift, Vamdemon felt completely at ease.
Sora sat across from him at a table, creating the arrangements that had been requested of her by the other children for the coming Christmas party, as well as orders placed by customers. For a long time he watched her work, hands weaving through flowers with expertise and obvious love for the craft. After an hour she sat back and stared at them with pride, and set back to work after taking a short break to get some water.
Vamdemon shifted in his seat as he looked at the compiling vases and baskets. His mother had loved flowers as well and had many gardens devoted to different species, large and small. He had once worked with her in the soil and helped her cultivate beautiful arrangements as well.
Reaching forward, he drew one of the papers with instructions towards him and began to read. Sora watched him with concern for a moment, but quickly returned to her work. She didn't notice when he started working the designs himself, albeit slowly and with one arm, and was incredibly surprised when she reached for the next page of orders only to realize they had already been filled.
They stared at one another for a few seconds, shock on one end and apprehension on the other. “...Sora?” He spoke and surprised her even more.
“Yes?”
“How do you know...when you are in love?”
She stared at him with disbelief. Had that question really escaped his lips? She smiled gently and folded her hands together on the table. “That's a very complicated question. It can be difficult to explain because each person is different.”
Vamdemon's gaze was unwavering. He prodded, voice low. “Can you try?”
She thought for a moment. “Well... It starts with a pleasant feeling whenever you are around the person. Just their presence makes you happy and peaceful, and their touch can sooth even the most wild of nerves. A compliment from such a person leaves you feeling a high all day. Turned around, you might care for the person so much that you would do anything to make them happy, even something you might not enjoy or do otherwise. Then of course, there are bodily symptoms. Quickened pulse, clamminess, sweating, and a loss of words, just to name a few.”
“Does there need to be...sexual desire...to be in love?” He wondered, voice somehow lower than before.
“No, of course not!” She said, shaking her head. “Such love is the purest of all manifestations, because it isn't based on physical appearances but the inner beauty of a person.”
“And what is that judged by...one's actions?”
“More like their true personality.” She corrected. “Which isn't always visible upon first glance.”
Vamdemon looked down and fingered the stone beneath his shirt delicately. As always, his heart beat sped up and he felt at ease, but was it exclusively from the enchantment or because of its giver?
“Was I helpful?” She asked.
“Very much so.” He replied and gave the first full smile since his time of weakness.
She returned the gesture and prodded, “So, are you?”
He looked back up at her, smile faltering slightly. “Yes, I believe so.”
“Ooh, who is it?” She wondered with excitement, remembering a time when Koushiro had written a love letter and the chaos that had ensued as a result. “Is it one of us? Me, or Mimi, or Kari?”
“Um...none of the above.” He said, unsure if he should even play her game.
“Miyako?”
“No.”
“I see.” She stated. “Piyomon? Palmon?”
“No and no...”
Sora paused for a moment. “...Tailmon???”
Vamdemon blinked stupidly at her. “...no.”
“...is it one of us?” She asked, both confused and curious.
He hesitated. “Yes.”
“Did I miss someone?”
“Only about three quarters of your group.” He stated, not understanding her confusion.
“...Oh!” She exclaimed, and gave a hesitant laugh. “I'm sorry, I just hadn't considered that you might be gay.”
He stared at her and leaned forwards slightly. “...that I might be what?”
“Gay... “ She paused. “You are, aren't you?”
“I would tell you if I knew what you were talking about.” He stated, growing slightly annoyed.
“Maybe digimon don't have a word for it.” She said, more to herself than to him. “It's when a male loves another male.”
“Oh.” He said, remembering what the girl at the pretzel stand had said to him at the mall and the explanation he had received afterwards. “Then I suppose that's what I am...”
She leaned back in her chair and sighed. “But that's such a long list to go through... Why don't you just tell me?”
“...no.”
“Please?”
“No.”
“But I helped you discover your true feelings!”
“I'm not just going to tell you...”
“Is it because your embarrassed?”
“No.”
“Then why?” She wondered.
“I don't want the others to know.”
“Why not? If you aren't embarrassed then why hide it?”
“Do you know there are three things that must be done before I can even approach a holy shrine to lift my curse?”
She shook her head, thinking he was changing the subject.
“Three things...” He repeated. “Chosen because it was believed that they would be the last things I might willingly experience. I must fall in love, be loved, in return, by the same individual, then join with that person in a union of love. Because of what I've been through, that last part will be extremely difficult to take part in, and that's assuming step two occurs in the first place...” He paused and swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat. His gaze bore into hers. “Sora, I yearn, more than anything, to be what I was. I want to be a digimon again. I want to be able to do the things I once did, and I want to be able to fight with you children against the monster that has done this to me...but I can't do that until I overcome this obstacle placed before me. It is true, that I love, but... The chances of this foreign feeling being returned are very low... I want to be one hundred percent sure of what I feel, sure that I don't need to try and love another, and be sure that I have a chance at my goal before I allow word to be spread of what I must do.”
“I see, and I think that I understand.” She said gently. “I won't force it out of you.”
“Thank you.” He said and drew in a deep breath.
“But, will you tell me when you are sure?” She asked.
“Yes.” He complied.
“Do you promise?”
He paused as a parallel clicked in his mind, then smiled. “...yes. I promise.”
The room was full of flowers, sweet smelling and bright with color despite the hazardous winter weather outside. In combination with the power of his holy gift, Vamdemon felt completely at ease.
Sora sat across from him at a table, creating the arrangements that had been requested of her by the other children for the coming Christmas party, as well as orders placed by customers. For a long time he watched her work, hands weaving through flowers with expertise and obvious love for the craft. After an hour she sat back and stared at them with pride, and set back to work after taking a short break to get some water.
Vamdemon shifted in his seat as he looked at the compiling vases and baskets. His mother had loved flowers as well and had many gardens devoted to different species, large and small. He had once worked with her in the soil and helped her cultivate beautiful arrangements as well.
Reaching forward, he drew one of the papers with instructions towards him and began to read. Sora watched him with concern for a moment, but quickly returned to her work. She didn't notice when he started working the designs himself, albeit slowly and with one arm, and was incredibly surprised when she reached for the next page of orders only to realize they had already been filled.
They stared at one another for a few seconds, shock on one end and apprehension on the other. “...Sora?” He spoke and surprised her even more.
“Yes?”
“How do you know...when you are in love?”
She stared at him with disbelief. Had that question really escaped his lips? She smiled gently and folded her hands together on the table. “That's a very complicated question. It can be difficult to explain because each person is different.”
Vamdemon's gaze was unwavering. He prodded, voice low. “Can you try?”
She thought for a moment. “Well... It starts with a pleasant feeling whenever you are around the person. Just their presence makes you happy and peaceful, and their touch can sooth even the most wild of nerves. A compliment from such a person leaves you feeling a high all day. Turned around, you might care for the person so much that you would do anything to make them happy, even something you might not enjoy or do otherwise. Then of course, there are bodily symptoms. Quickened pulse, clamminess, sweating, and a loss of words, just to name a few.”
“Does there need to be...sexual desire...to be in love?” He wondered, voice somehow lower than before.
“No, of course not!” She said, shaking her head. “Such love is the purest of all manifestations, because it isn't based on physical appearances but the inner beauty of a person.”
“And what is that judged by...one's actions?”
“More like their true personality.” She corrected. “Which isn't always visible upon first glance.”
Vamdemon looked down and fingered the stone beneath his shirt delicately. As always, his heart beat sped up and he felt at ease, but was it exclusively from the enchantment or because of its giver?
“Was I helpful?” She asked.
“Very much so.” He replied and gave the first full smile since his time of weakness.
She returned the gesture and prodded, “So, are you?”
He looked back up at her, smile faltering slightly. “Yes, I believe so.”
“Ooh, who is it?” She wondered with excitement, remembering a time when Koushiro had written a love letter and the chaos that had ensued as a result. “Is it one of us? Me, or Mimi, or Kari?”
“Um...none of the above.” He said, unsure if he should even play her game.
“Miyako?”
“No.”
“I see.” She stated. “Piyomon? Palmon?”
“No and no...”
Sora paused for a moment. “...Tailmon???”
Vamdemon blinked stupidly at her. “...no.”
“...is it one of us?” She asked, both confused and curious.
He hesitated. “Yes.”
“Did I miss someone?”
“Only about three quarters of your group.” He stated, not understanding her confusion.
“...Oh!” She exclaimed, and gave a hesitant laugh. “I'm sorry, I just hadn't considered that you might be gay.”
He stared at her and leaned forwards slightly. “...that I might be what?”
“Gay... “ She paused. “You are, aren't you?”
“I would tell you if I knew what you were talking about.” He stated, growing slightly annoyed.
“Maybe digimon don't have a word for it.” She said, more to herself than to him. “It's when a male loves another male.”
“Oh.” He said, remembering what the girl at the pretzel stand had said to him at the mall and the explanation he had received afterwards. “Then I suppose that's what I am...”
She leaned back in her chair and sighed. “But that's such a long list to go through... Why don't you just tell me?”
“...no.”
“Please?”
“No.”
“But I helped you discover your true feelings!”
“I'm not just going to tell you...”
“Is it because your embarrassed?”
“No.”
“Then why?” She wondered.
“I don't want the others to know.”
“Why not? If you aren't embarrassed then why hide it?”
“Do you know there are three things that must be done before I can even approach a holy shrine to lift my curse?”
She shook her head, thinking he was changing the subject.
“Three things...” He repeated. “Chosen because it was believed that they would be the last things I might willingly experience. I must fall in love, be loved, in return, by the same individual, then join with that person in a union of love. Because of what I've been through, that last part will be extremely difficult to take part in, and that's assuming step two occurs in the first place...” He paused and swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat. His gaze bore into hers. “Sora, I yearn, more than anything, to be what I was. I want to be a digimon again. I want to be able to do the things I once did, and I want to be able to fight with you children against the monster that has done this to me...but I can't do that until I overcome this obstacle placed before me. It is true, that I love, but... The chances of this foreign feeling being returned are very low... I want to be one hundred percent sure of what I feel, sure that I don't need to try and love another, and be sure that I have a chance at my goal before I allow word to be spread of what I must do.”
“I see, and I think that I understand.” She said gently. “I won't force it out of you.”
“Thank you.” He said and drew in a deep breath.
“But, will you tell me when you are sure?” She asked.
“Yes.” He complied.
“Do you promise?”
He paused as a parallel clicked in his mind, then smiled. “...yes. I promise.”