Chapter Text
A day has passed.
A day that went uneventful. Classes as usual. An hour and a half spent in the Gym. Gossip here or there.
But to Digital it was a very different day.
At the end of it he sits in her bed, her blanket again draped over her shoulders. It’s almost like it turned magic, like it became heavier and better and softer.
She realized a few minutes ago that she doesn’t remember what anyone else was up to. Usually that’s all she sees. The things they do. The way other trainees look at each other. The things other Uma say and do.
Tonight she barely recalls any of it. She barely even paid attention. Her mind, her entire world revolves around only one thing.
It’s not even supposed to happen to her. This kind of thing is meant to happen to other Uma. Someone lending a raincoat and draping it over her dearest shoulders. That’s the kind of thing she’d draw, maybe even write about. Daydream, yeah. A secret meeting behind the school exchanging notes or pictures. That’s not what Digital is meant to do.
Other Uma. They get to do those things. Not her. Not silly little Digital.
But it has happened to her. She doesn’t know what to do about it.
She can’t keep drawing herself. Her accounts have all gone dry. An entire week without anything posted. She’s already getting comments wondering if she got caught, or told to stop. Or if something happened to her.
Digital hasn’t responded to any of them.
A half finished sketch is on her desk. She tried drawing someone else. She tried finishing something she started drawing weeks ago at this point. Only to pick up the purple color.
She got halfway through what was meant to be Hishi Amazon’s hair before she caught her mistake. It was so… accidental and instinctual that it almost scares her.
And there’s this rock in her stomach. She hasn’t eaten all day long. She’s way too nauseous to even try.
The infirmary. She should got to the infirmary. Clearly she’s sick and needs to be checked and needs some medication. Something’s wrong.
…The place where she woke up with McQueen by her side. That stone gets a little heavier. No, she can’t go there can she? She shouldn’t. She won’t.
Oh it all feels so impossible.
Maybe. Maybe if she tells McQueen to go away it’ll stop. McQueen is the problem, yeah. If she just… doesn’t do those things to her anymore she can go back to what she used to do. Right? She can keep drawing other Uma, and she’ll keep swooning and running after them.
If McQueen just stops talking to her everything goes back to normal.
Yeah. She has to find McQueen and tell her. Even if means leaving the safety of the blanket.
McQueen has spent the day daydreaming away. That little blush on her cheeks. The way she freezes. Even the smallest gesture overwhelms her.
What should she do next? A gift, maybe? Something small she can treasure while they’re not in the same room? Yeah, that sounds nice. She can already see the way Digital will stutter and sputter out. But she’ll take it and treasure it.
Now, what to give her? She’ll know it when she sees it, won’t she?
Time for her to go shopping.
Digital doesn’t know where she is meant to look first. Her tyrant queen could be in any number of places. Though she does know where to find one particular person.
Her Sister Ryan is no doubt going to be in the Gym. And indeed. As she peeks her head through the door to the still Uma filled room, there she is. In her signature racewear, pumping some Iron.
On an ordinary day Digital might join the various fellow students oogling Ryan. She has a veritable Fanclub. Today though she has a mission. It doesn’t even occur to her that she’s approaching another Uma, that she’s the first to address her.
“Hey Ryan?”
The one in question looks up. At first her expression is overcome with worry, seeing Digital so close. Speaking from her own experience the pink-blonde might just pass out by virtue of proximity. “Yeah, that’s me.”
“Do. Do you happen to know where McQueen is?”
Ryan can’t help but feel a bit hurt. It’s a somewhat regular occurrence that people come to her to ask about her sister. The one in whose shadow she constantly has to sit. “I don’t know, I don’t have a tracker on her.”
Some annoyance swings through. Though. Now that she thinks about it. “…Though she did say she was shopping, I guess. Something about… I don’t really remember.” Luckily she is already mid workout. The best way to relieve tension and frustration. Already she raises the barbell in her hands once more.
“Thank you so much. Eh. See you?” Digital dashes away.
In what felt like the world crashing down on her she suddenly realized what she had actually done. Talked to another Uma. Just like that. Ryan of all of them too. Someone like her? Oh, oh no.
She has to run and she has to run fast. She really isn’t herself right now, is she?
McQueen for her part is enjoying a leisurely stroll back from the shopping district. The sun is slowly setting, as she walks through the park, along a little river. In her right hand the little box that holds the gift. In her left a bag, a little something she got for herself.
And yet, to her surprise, she sees in the distance a fast approaching shape. With a smile, she pockets the surprise.
With long steps, Digital is on her way to try and get to the very place McQueen just came from. Shopping. Her mind is already busy imagining the Queen in various dresses and outfits. All of which she wants to draw, some of which she already has drawn.
She shouldn’t be thinking that. She has to draw others. What if she draws McQueen with someone else? Someone she likes? No, no that wouldn’t be right. It doesn’t feel right. It would need to be her.
Two feet appear in her field of vision, which had been stubbornly pointed down at the road before her.
Shoes she knows. Digital looks up and to her despair and elation both she finds herself face to face with McQueen.
Who herself is just as pleasantly surprised that they met in the in-between.
“I-“ Digital begins. “Ehrm… eh. Ah.” She can’t get a coherent sentence together. She needs McQueen to keep distance. She can’t function like this. But, neither can she say it, can she?
“It’s nice to see you too.” McQueen says with a little tease to her tone. From her view it’s nothing new to see the other this flustered. Even if every time it is just as endearing.
“Y-yeah. Hi. Ehr. I. You.” It’s impossible.
Not a single word makes sense right now.
“My, you’re not going to pass out already, are you?” McQueen is actually worried. She hasn’t even done anything yet, the idea of a gift might actually knock her out.
With the intent to catch her if she does, she steps closer. The distance between them now measured in inches.
“N-no. I’m not. Promise. Not. Nu uh.” Digital is panicking. She really needs to do something. Anything. What even can she do? She doesn’t know.
It’s just a few simple words too. Stay away on it’s own might be enough. Two words.
“S-stay…” She can’t say the other one. No, that’s the opposite of what she is trying to achieve!
“Oh? Well, I wasn’t planning to go anywhere.” McQueen’s smile widens, all the while Digital’s blush intensifies.
She is already feeling dizzy. If she was hoping to achieve her goal she’s already fumbled it.
McQueen for her part has an idea. She extends a hand, like a royal might, for Digital to take. “Let’s take a seat.”
Her eyes have spied a bench that overlooks the river. It would give them a wonderful view of the sunset.
Digital is practically speaking in a daze now. All coherent thought has abandoned her. As though hypnotized she reaches out and takes the hand offered to her. She offers no resistance as she is lead to the little bench. Without even thinking about it, she takes a seat. It doesn’t occur to her to let go of McQueen either.
Why is it so hard? She set out with a single goal. Not that it’s surprising, she has always been a mess when trying to talk to any Uma. Their ears are just… and their tails. And everything is just so…
But then why was Ryan easy? Couldn’t she have just meandered up to McQueen and said that she can’t draw her anymore, and that would be it? Why does her body feel on fire and like someone is bathing her in ice at the same time. While does she feel tense and relieved all at once?
“It’s pretty, isn’t it?” McQueen’s gaze wanders along the little patch of nature in front of them. Until finally she looks to Digital, a smile on her lips. The poor girl still looks red as a beet.
“It… it is.” Digital murmurs. Though her eyes are glued to McQueen. Not to anything else. Still, she agrees.
It’s happening again. Sitting here, at sundown. It should be happening to someone else. It deserves to happen to someone else. Not to her, not to little Digital. She should be walking along, seeing two other Uma here, and giggle to herself with an idea of what to draw.
That’s how it should go.
“I…” She begins again. Tries to put into words what she needs. And falters immediately. There is no way for her to say it, is there?
“Did you dream up something wonderful again?” McQueen is curious now. Something is clearly making her blush. Someone she intentionally or unintentionally did. Maybe it’s the fact that Digital still hasn’t let go of her hand that tips her off.
McQueen let’s her own imagination wander. What royal thing could she do, that might spring from Digitals mind. What little gesture could she take.
Then, it becomes obvious.
When Digital doesn’t answer, just continues to stare ahead while she tries to unscramble her brain, McQueen raises their still joint hands. Lowers her lips to meet it and presses a kiss against the back of Digitals hand.
Digital can see it coming. She wasn’t at all aware that the hand McQueen had used to guide her hadn’t let go of her. Or rather that she hadn’t let go of it at all yet.
To her own surprise the kiss doesn’t make her pass out. Of course her mind short circuits, but not with panic. With a warmth and pleasant feeling that is all overwhelming to the point of excess.
McQueen chuckles to herself, seeing the beet red Digital stare, dumbfounded. “How was that for inspiration?”
Why would she ever want McQueen to leave? Why would that ever be her goal? Not when she does that.
Instantly a dozen ideas populate her mind. All of which she wants to draw equally. All of which she needs to put on the page.
“Yeah. That… that was good. But.” Digital blinks to herself. “A-aren’t you the queen. Isn’t. Isn’t that…”
The idea that she might get to return the gesture is too much.
Come to think of it, Digital has been drawing her as the royal. As the prestigious. Suddenly her gift feels much more important. McQueen gets out the little box she held earlier, her other still occupied by Digitals grip.
“I thought about that.” McQueen whispers. “And I don’t mind being your queen. But…” She looks away, plays with the gift. Twists it in her fingers.
A pit of despair opens in Digitals stomach. Is she about to… no. But that’s what she wanted right? For McQueen to leave? Why does she suddenly feel this dread?
Without knowing it she tightens the grip she has on the others hand.
“A queen- well. I don’t want a loyal subject.” McQueen continues. “I’d rather have a fellow queen.”
That pit is still there, but it’s now a very different feeling Digital is falling into. Is she implying what Digital thinks she is implying? No. She isn’t a queen. She doesn’t-
It’s then that McQueen flicks open the box. Inside a golden necklace, upon which hangs a little golden crown.
McQueen herself stares at it. This feels so foreign, so bizarre. She herself has a pit in her stomach now. Yes, she spent hours deliberating on it. Days even. It’s not a new thought. Just ten minutes ago she was so sure of herself. Now, she isn’t as sure anymore.
Then her eyes fall onto the deathly silent Digital, who is staring, blushing. Swaying back and forth even, dizzy possibly. She reciprocates the little squeeze of their held hands.
Digital meanwhile is realizing something. She doesn’t want McQueen to leave. She never did. If anything she wants to be closer.
Which felt so impossible. Her, silly little digital. Getting closer to someone like McQueen.
And now, McQueen is offering it. It still feels just as impossible. Just as nonsensical.
“Are… Is. Eh…” her mind is scrambled. To the point of frustration. Her gaze averts, down to the flowing water beneath them. To a sole bird, pecking away at the grass.
Not that McQueen minds. She just giggles to herself quietly, and gives Digital the time she needs. She expected this after all.
Their hands are still intertwined. It’s grounding, for Digital. To feel that warmth. The reminder that this isn’t a dream. She needs that contact, that little bit of a presence.
And finally, after what feels like an eternity she has gathered her thoughts enough to be able to ask. “Are you sure?”
Her voice is quiet. Her tone is subdued. She simply has to know. She can’t just accept that this is something that is happening.
McQueen is ready. She’s been thinking about this for a while now. So the words come easy, they come naturally. Without hesitation. “I am. You’ve shown me a side of me that I didn’t know I needed to be shown. You see the best of me. Yes, with silly dresses and outlandish jewelry-“ She chuckles to herself a bit. “But I needed that. It meant a lot to me, still does.”
Digital again stares at the necklace. Then finally she looks up and meets McQueen’s gaze. She’s looking for a hint of something. A sparkle of mischief. Or a sign of a lie.
Yet she can’t find anything but honest truth. Embarrassment, maybe at speaking her heart.
Digital squeezes, McQueen squeezes back. “I… I don’t know that I can be your… your queen.” She whispers. “But.” A hard swallow. “I’m willing to try.”
The sun has started cresting the horizon. Red and orange clouds in the distance color the sky in wonderful colors.
McQueen can only look to the mess of emotions before her, as she finally has to let go, to reach into the box. To untangle the tender golden chain.
Finally, she needs both hands to open it, to wrap it around Digitals neck, and close it once more.
Digital should have passed out forever ago. She should have fainted, she should have lost it. She probably would have, had she watched this happen to someone else.
Again, she doesn’t feel any panic. Just overwhelming warmth. A warmth she comes to recongize as a deep seated happiness of an intensity she hasn’t known.
Then- finally a moment of panic. A different kind. “Oh but. I know so little about… being a queen! You have to teach me. You- you know. All the elegant stuff?”
“Teach you how to be elegant?” McQueen muses. “It would be my pleasure. Though...”
She leans away, to her side. To the little bag she brought with her, the little box she got for herself. It’s much bigger, much heavier.
She opens it to reveal an assortment of paints of various colors. Fresh and new. “In exchange you’ll have to teach me how to paint you.”
Digital’s breath stocks. She'd love nothing more.