Warning for alluded to homophobia and gender dysphoria.
Chapter Two: Fluff of Clouds
"Hikari stop staring at the silly snow globes and come on~"
"But Kei might want one," Hikari protested, looking at the wide-eyed Nyaromon staring at its first snowfall. Awful images panged her heart for a moment, until Tailmon nosed her cheek. "He would love this."
Noriko snorted and came back to grab her by the arm of her cashmere sweater, "We can get him one from America that has the right color, now come on. The gate's far way."
Hikari acquiesced with a small huffing laugh. "Who was it that was reluctant to go again?" she asked the air despite knowing its incredible attraction to sudden deafness.
Fortunately, Noriko heard this and turned a bright red. "Aw, cram it. I like vacations as much as you do."
"You and I have a varied idea of vacations," Hikari said, tightening her grip on her carry-on. It wouldn't do to lose it after the long haul through security it had taken them both to get them. Why did digivices set off metal detectors? She had always figured they were made of some sort of Digimon plastic. "Like i prefer mine without too much drama. Promise me you won't fight the next security guard."
Noriko scoffed. "You know damn well that I won't be making any promises of the sort."
Hikari mimed throwing her hands up into the air as she walked. "What am I going to do with you?"
Noriko winked at her as she leaned over the heads of taller fellows to see the numbers. "Kiss me in a closet?"
Hikari's face colored a dark shade of pink. "We're in public, Noriko." Not that that tended to stop her.
Noriko gently took her by the wrist. "Spoilsport." And they started to walk, both suddenly feeling their faces burn with the embarrassment of what could have happened instead of what actually was. Japan was not a country where they were allowed to run free, even now, and it galled Noriko the longer things went on. But what could she do? What did she want to do?
Now that was a good question not to think about during a vacation stay. Noriko pushed the thoughts and the sudden itch of the hem of her skirt and kept walking. Hikari's fingers brushed hers as they separated briefly in the crowd and Noriko felt herself smile.
She would have to relax, for starters. The rest would just have to come later.
After the third hour on the plane ride, Noriko assumed that she wasn't going to get any sleep. She yawned behind her hand, eyes watering. Hikari breathed into her arm, eyes closed. Noriko smiled a little and leaned her slightly taller head onto brown hair. Tailmon's ring shifted on her tail, but no more. Terriermon was just as peaceful. Small miracles. It probably wouldn't last past getting off of the plane.
Noriko breathed, her exhale tickling Hikari's cheek. Thankfully, the other didn't stir. Noriko looked around, temped to run her fingers over the cashmere sweater and slip their hands together like everything was all right.
She stopped and kept her hands in her lap. Anyone's eyes could open after all, and two women holding hands, fully grown adults capable of making their own decisions at that, were still looked upon much in the same way you looked upon a disabled frog.
Noriko let out a softer exhale. Two women. That was what they were, right? Two old biddies taking a vacation away from their kid. Two women… but even that didn't feel right.
She snorted to herself. I thought I was supposed to get through these things by now.
Her dress shirt itched, all the way into her armpits. Noriko closed her eyes and took Hikari's hand anyway, and tried to sleep.
Maybe English had different words, better ones, to explain this. She would have to ask someone, perhaps Mimi, when they got down.
Hikari had never been so grateful for her brother getting first class seats as she was right now. Flights across the ocean in anything other than this would probably have permanently dislocated her spine, at least before Noriko figured out how to make the seats lay down. Wonderful inventions those. Also terrifying during turbulence.
At least they had let them take Tailmon and Terriermon on the plane with them. Putting her partner in a crate would have asked for everyone's bags to be shredded, if they were lucky.
She sat up and groaned at the sound of the seatbelt ping. "My neck..."
Noriko groaned from next to her and when she shifted her arms, she caught their twined fingers. Hikari almost pulled away, almost, but then scoffed at herself.
Let them see it, she decided on impulse. Let them.
"Your neck is all you've got to complain about..." she heard Noriko grumble, using her free hand to rub at a reachable point on her ribs. "You're lucky you're so short."
Hikari managed to smile as she stretched a bit. "I think you mean 'you're lucky you're the perfect size for me."
Noriko's eyebrows shot right up into her hairline and she grinned. "Yeah, that's exactly what I mean." She turned the clock on and groaned. "No way..."
Hikari moved to sit better as the landing began. "Time zones stink, huh?"
"A thirteen hour timezone difference does." Noriko rubbed her eyes. "Are we meeting anyone?"
"I think Mimi-san said a couple of her flatmates would be there."
Hikari said flatmates the same way Miyako said couple when she looked at the two of them. There was enough subtext to be considered television worthy. Well, all she knew of Mimi was that she liked to break the mold a little. She was going to have to see this.
Thankfully, not long after she thought about this, the flight attendants came around with coffee. God bless.
When they finally departed the plane, it was with stumbling legs and loose grips on their carryons. Now Noriko and Hikari leaned on each other in desperation not to fall over. As they walked out of the gate, Noriko found herself scanning the room for something like a sign. They continued down the path until kanji greeted their tired eyes. Noriko snapped awake at the sight of who was carrying the sign.
"Keiko?!"
Noriko's long time ex-girlfriend, fellow Dark Seed infectee, and good friend grinned at her. "Surprise!"
Hikari burst into giggles beside her and Noriko attempted to glare. They were going to have words later. "Why does no one tell me anything?"
Keiko's expression turned mockingly grave. "Because you're never on Skype."
Noriko shot her the rudest hand gesture she could think of. Fortunately, it fell flat.
