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A painful tingling, a stinging numbness, and the shrill cry of a small voice screaming his name, Kiyoshiro is thrown back into consciousness with the same courtesy as being splashed awake with a bucket of ice water
“Limit break!” He reflexively shouts.
Through the flickering mask of charred violet, the disoriented boy watches the two monsters who abruptly invaded his dorm, threatened him, and pushed off as quickly as they came in search of Hiro Amanokawa, fade into the bright afternoon sky. Their images nothing more than a speck on the horizon.
Kiyoshiro weakly rests a hand over his chest. It shakes with every throb of his still racing heart.
The cry of his digimon partner’s alarmed account hits his ear: “Darling!! Hiro’s in danger!”
Jellymon….
His last memory before blacking out was the colorful digimon in anguish, held hostage by the talons of a wicked bird monster. The relief of seeing her safety secured drowns out any panic that should be stirring within him under usual circumstances.
On that fateful day just a few short months ago, Kiyoshiro made the fatal mistake of allowing himself to be dragged into Hiro Amanokawa’s orbit. Now, this previously unseen world of horrors has become commonplace. He’s grown accustomed to threats on his life. But this time, someone else’s was on the line… and that was a fresh hell Kiyoshiro had never experienced or even considered for that matter.
That look of anguish was all Kiyoshiro’s mind could process in the heat of the moment, as Jellymon writhed in the clutches of that malicious bird. He couldn’t call for help. He couldn’t think of a way out of the situation. He was just paralyzed with the still images of fear and sadness in his partner’s eyes. That was all he could comprehend. Though she was right in front of him, in danger and wearing the expression that pained him so, he failed to do anything to save her.
But she’s safe now, and that’s what matters. And by association, he is too, at least for the time being.
”Let’s go!”
Right…
Jellymon pulling Kiyoshiro back to the present moment reminds him that they’re on fire at the moment.
Well… “fire” might not be the right word. It certainly looks like fire, though it's more ethereal in nature, like the will-o-wisps of lore burning in the night
The off-colored inferno doesn’t seem to be harming them, as far as Kiyoshiro can tell. Though, his gut is telling him there's more to this flame than meets the eye.
“Wait.” Kiyoshiro warns.
“What?” The agitated digimon returns.
“Something’s strange.”
Mulling over the situation, the silver haired boy brings a wrapped hand closer to his center vision to study. The rising energy billows from an unknown source below and gently brushes against the concealing fabric, feeling something akin to a warm breeze.
“Why aren’t we burning?” He muses aloud.
If he can feel it, it’s not an illusion, he thinks.
As he moves to stand, The boy outreaches the same hand to the edges of the mysterious fire. The enclosure maintains its shape instead of bulging with his appendage, meaning they’re not on fire, they’re inside of it. If he can just figure out exactly what the purpose of the attack is, he would feel safe retreating back to the dorm, but until then, he’s learned not to view anything digimon related for what it seems. Kiyoshiro considers resorting to unraveling the bandages that seal his arm, but ultimately decides it could cause an even greater calamity.
A groan from an inpatient Jellymon breaks the boy’s focus. “How long are you gonna study it?!” She whines, stomping her foot on the hard ground below. “I want to get out already!”
A nearby water bottle carelessly littered to the ground takes the brunt of her frustration, being kicked just outside of the inferno’s confines… only to suddenly disintegrate into ash.
The two partners exchange shocked expressions. That was the catch Kiyoshiro was looking for, and suddenly he’s more thankful than anything for trusting his unfounded instincts.
“I’ve got it!” He relays to the latter. “You can go in, but you’ll burn up if you step out. It’s an irreversible prison!” He adds, throwing his bandaged hand in front of his face for emphasis.
The thought that a few steps outside the wispy boundaries would have him or Jellymon instantly reduced to dust is more than enough to make him lightheaded.
“What? That makes no sense!” Jellymon wails.
Kiyoshiro closes his eyes and searches through the depths of his mind in an attempt to think of something, anything that could dispel the hex, before Jellymon’s next remark pierces through his concentration.
“I got it!” she exclaims with a cheeky smile. “I’ll just go under the fire! Bet they didn’t think about that!” she boasts, ascending to perform a midair flip as she retracts her body into her more compact form.
Jellymon dives headfirst into the ground below. The tamer hadn’t even considered his digimon’s ability to phase through solid material, and her plan seemed sound. Leave it to her to come up with a solution before him, Kiyoshiro thinks.
With the same speed and urgency, a distressed jellyfish comes surging back up, holding her battered tendril.
“It burns all the way down!” she cries.
Though his earlier brainstorming was interrupted, Kiyoshiro can’t help but feel like they’ve already exhausted all options.
“I guess we’re trapped.” he concludes, defeated.
The silver haired boy sits back on the ground. If another idea comes to him, they can try it, but for now, there’s no use in racking his brain for a solution in a hopeless situation. All they can do is wait for help.
Jellymon reextends her body and mirrors her tamer’s seated position with an upset “Hnu”, resting her back against his. Her warmth emanates through Kiyoshiro’s sweater and calms him slightly.
…
…
…
Normally, Kiyoshiro would have a plethora of entertainment and work to attend to, but in the confusion and panic of Jellymon’s captivity, grabbing his phone or anything else for that matter was the farthest thing from his mind.
At the very least, he didn’t end up trapped alone, so he has the option to talk to his partner to help the time go by.
Although…
As the boy thinks about it more, he realizes he and Jellymon don’t really have everyday conversations. They talk, sure, but mostly surface level pleasantries influenced by an outside source.
What does he even say to her?
Limit break usually gives Kiyoshiro the mental fortitude to think calmly and clearly, but apparently small talk isn’t one of its perks.
Dwelling on it makes the silence more unbearable than it was before.
”What’re we going to do then?” The digimon inquires
Once again, leave it to Jellymon to find the most simple solution to a situation Kiyoshiro was over complicating.
“I’ll try to think of something. For now let’s just stay put where it’s safe.”
”Lame.” Jellymon huffs. “I wanna zap those guys dead for what they did to me.”
Kiyoshiro feels his partner turn from his backside to peek around his waist.
”At least you’re lucky enough to have me stuck here with you, right, Darling?” She flashes a grin.
”Well, that’s one way to look at it.”
The digimon’s wide mousy eyes narrow at his remark. “What’s that supposed to mean…?”
“I-I mean, if I’m going to be stuck with anyone, I’m glad it’s you Jellymon-sama!” Kiyoshiro cautiously corrects with a large exaggerated smile.
”That’s what I thought!” She asserts before retreating to rest against her human once more.
Kiyoshiro’s focus shifts to the dancing flames flickering before him, falling back to his thoughts as the silence rolls back in.
”I… really am thankful, you know.” The boy mutters under his breath.
”Hnyu?” The colorful jellyfish chimes curiously. “What was that, Darling?”
Kiyoshiro’s gleaming crystal eyes dart to the side ”Ah, nothing.”
Jellymon groans and swivels around to meet her tamer head on, making Kiyoshiro further avert his gaze
“C’mon, I heard you, you know.” She whines
Deep azure pupils flick back to focus on Jellymon
”Why make me repeat it then!?”
“‘Cause-” She hums, turning around to rest comfortably in Kiyoshiro’s lap. Once settled, she looks up at her partner with joy sparkling in her otherwise voided eyes. “I like Darling’s praise.”
Kiyoshiro’s heart stops for a brief moment. How is it that Jellymon can act so spoiled one second, then breathtakingly endearing the next? It has to be some kind of manipulation tactic, and it’s working.
“I’m just… glad you’re safe.” He admits in defeat.
Expecting his partner to explode in excitement at being offered any kind of heartfelt words, he is surprised when he feels a smooth hand cup his cheek instead.
“I’m glad Darling is safe too.”
Kiyoshiro jumps, taken aback by her tenderness.
“I was so scared, seeing you like that...” he adds.
“Hm. I could have taken them. You didn’t need to try to save me. Darling is too fragile.”
Kiyoshiro lowers his voice to a soft whisper
“You don’t need to pretend to be so strong, Jellymon-sama.”
“I want to be strong, so you can be weak when you need to. Then you can take your time to become strong with me. But until then, I want to fight for you, because I love you.” She says with determination.
Despite being caught in illusive flames, the silver haired boy feels a frigid cold pollute his blood.
….Love?
Like….
….
No…
Kiyoshiro shakes his head. He has to remind himself, Jellymon is a digimon. She’s not accustomed to human culture. She doesn't understand the connotations of saying... that word in such a manner.
“Thank you, Jellymon-sama.”
Realizing his ridiculousness, and comforted knowing Jellymon is there to keep him from harm's way, Kiyoshiro allows himself to relax as much as he can in the tight confines of this makeshift prison.
At least, until the sensation of excruciating electric discharge forcibly stiffen his muscles.
His agonizing scream may have been loud enough to even reach Hiro.
Casting a shadow above him, Jellymon retracts her persecuting tentacle back to her side, her face contorted as it was minutes ago while she was held hostage. Anguish. Sadness.
“You’re such a jerk, Darling.” She squeaks through her shaky voice. “Think of a way out of here. I hate being trapped with you.”
…why?
Kiyoshiro looks up befuddled at the distraught creature above him
“Jellymon-sama…”
The small mollusk squeezes her eyes shut and turns her head to the side.
“Forget it.” She barks, her tone still rough and choppy. “I don’t know why I expected you to understand anything.”
Frustrated with her vagueness, the dorm leader takes a more demanding tone with crossed arms. “No, I can’t understand if you don’t explain.”
Jellymon snaps back, fresh tears wicking from her face. “Hinami didn’t need to explain to Shironosuke! He got it, and you got it then!”
“Wha- are you talking about episode 37?!” He shouts back. “You have to think about the context Jellymon-sama! That’s no way to confess!! We’re on a dorm roof, not a school roof, not to mention the fire!” The boy throws out an exaggerated bandaged arm to motion toward the engulfing flames. “This isn’t a romantic backdrop at all! No cherry blossoms, no breathtaking sunset…. You didn’t even put a note in my shoe locker to come meet you! Read the mood of the story if you want it to be obvious!” he lectures with passion.
Kiyoshiro’s eyes widen as his mind catches up to his words.
Jellymon was referencing a confession scene…
A love confession scene….
Kiyoshiro wasn’t mistaken earlier.
She didn’t mean it in a familial way at all!
Kiyoshiro grabs his head and frantically ruffles through his silver locks with a stupified cry. All of the hints were there this entire time, and yet he was somehow too oblivious to notice. Or maybe, he did, but didn’t mind? No, no, that would imply he was okay with the idea of being romantically sought after by a monster. Which he’s certainly not. Because that’s unnatural.
Staring back at him through misted and narrowed eyes is a sorrow stricken Jellymon.
“You don’t have to act so repulsed.” She spits.
His partner’s melancholic expression cuts deeper the longer he looks at her. Even if he has a whole stack of ethical concerns to sort through, he can’t idly stand by while she suffers again.
“Don’t cry, Jellymon-sama.”
The mollusk’s topmost ears stand on end “I’m not crying!”
Kiyoshiro reaches his hand to cup his partner's cheek. She accepts the touch and leans into his hand below.
“I don’t want you to be upset. I’m sorry. I misunderstood.” He explains softly. “I thought there was no way you’d like me like that.”
Though this isn’t the first time Kiyoshiro has had to confront a girl with feelings for him, for some reason when it comes to Jellymon, it feels much different. He doesn’t have the need to immediately shoot her down, or make it obvious he has no interest in her. If anything he’s… honored to have someone as extraordinary as Jellymon have feelings for him.
“Well… You do know now, so say something.”
“That’s, well….” The boy feels his brain scrambling as he searches for an acceptable response. The overpowering fluster boils from his chest and reaches to heat his cheeks.
“I’m not allowed- or ah, I mean, with the way things are I’d be ridiculed if I had feelings for you…”
“Some excuse.” Jellymon sneers, the luster returning to her eyes. “The other digimon give me funny looks all the time. But I don’t care what they think. They’re stupid if they don’t understand anyway.”
Kiyoshiro hadn’t considered that there’d be discrimination on the digimon side, too. The group had their fair share of digimon weary of humans, he can only imagine the warnings and prejudice Jellymon must’ve faced for her emotions toward him. Which also brings up the question of- just how many digimon has she talked to about this?!? Goodness knows his partner has no filter, what if she told some human-hating digimon that’ll try to snuff him out for Jellymon’s sake?? …Shaking that thought into suppression, Kiyoshiro instead reminisces all their digimon encounters, how some just needed more clarity and explanation, and the more agreeable creatures would understand and be on their way. If only digimon could see eye to eye with humans, there’d be less conflict to deal with.
Though, if digimon started becoming more common, humans could stand to understand where they come from more, too. Afterall, they’re not too different from humans themselves.
….
Kiyoshiro’s eyes meet Jellymon’s through the translucent violet wall. She’s definitely special to him, more special than anyone has ever been to him before. He’d never dream of running headfirst into such a dangerous situation for anyone else. If what he did feel was… reciprocation on her feelings… then it’d only be society’s judgement telling him that it's wrong. She might not look human, but she’s more human than anyone else to Kiyoshiro. Maybe it’s not so wrong for humans and digimon to have that kind of relationship. Maybe he’s just…
Scared.
Like usual.
And he’ll keep being scared for the rest of his life if he keeps staying where he’s comfortable.
Even if his life will end in a few short moments when the hostile Digimon’s magical flames inevitably take their toll on his body.
With a new anxiety-fueled determination, Kiyoshiro exchanges Jellymon’s cheek for her hand.
“You’re right, Jellymon-sama.” He affirms. “Even I have my stupid moments.”
Jellymon tightens the grip on her tamer’s hand, and her troubled frown grows into a large, bright smile.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t know… what my feelings are yet, but I want to find out. I want to try, even if the future is uncertain. So, with that being said-” Kiyoshiro rises, not letting either of Jellymon’s hands go free. He smiles at her with a burning confidence he has seldom felt before. “Will you still go out with me?”
Jellymon shuts her eyes and turns her head, failing to hide her elation of the situation.
“I guess I can give you the chance.” she hums
Kiyoshiro lifts his partner by her hands to meet him head on. Seeing her face to face, the honest smile worn on her face… she’s stunning. A gorgeous display of sunny hues painted with purpose. Though this new advancement opens a floodgate of excitement and anxiety, the sight in front of him helps put him at ease. Right now, she’s the most beautiful thing to Kiyoshiro.
….
Heavy lids fall over the boy’s azure eyes. He wants to hold on to this moment, to encase it in a precious memory forever. As if pulled by a beckoning force, his head gravitates closer to the warmth in front of him. Closer and closer, the comforting sensation of his nose brushing against sleek skin tells him she’s pulled by the same force. Her warm breath washes over his lips. Kiyoshiro prepares himself with a deep inhale as he leans–
A wave of energy disperses from around the pair. The sudden shift in atmosphere snaps the silver haired boy back to the reality of the situation. The remaining violet embers dance their last before vanishing into thin air.
“Why?” Jellymon challenges, a tinge of frustration welling in her voice.
Kiyoshiro surveys the area.
“....Are we saved?” he stammers, disoriented by the moment that overtook him just seconds ago.
“Yeah…. from the fire….” the digimon mutters.
Without a second thought, the boy quickly places a peck on Jellymon’s cheek.
“Is that what you were sulking about?” He teases, a small grin forming.
The jellyfish creature places a hand where Kiyoshiro’s lips had made contact, seemingly paralyzed from the contact. She stares at his averted gaze before snapping back to reality.
“It was supposed to be on the lips, Darling!!!”
“Ah—- well! How about an IOU on that… I said I’m still sorting out my feelings afterall!!!”
“Hmph, fine! I’m not gonna forget though!!!”
“Yeah, yeah.”
In a swift motion, he takes the now smiling Jellymon by her hand.
“Come on, let’s go check on Amanokawa-kun and make sure he’s alright.”
“Ah, right, Hiro.” She chimes back “ A lot happened, I almost forgot.”
After sharing a laugh, the two return to the confines of the dorm, Kiyoshiro gently tugging Jellymon behind him by her small hand. This might be the first time he’s led the way like this. It’s a nice feeling, one he won’t soon forget, unlike the way he’d so quickly forgotten about Amanokawa-kun.