14.
Hours later, Takeru and Ken were having a long talk, Kei and his family were at home, the police were handling the situation, and the boy named Hirose lay in a hospital bed. Cupimon sat on a chair, refusing to sleep and casting glares at the two digimon wandering in and out of the room. Neither reacted however beyond glancing back and offering what smiles they could give.
Cupimon ignored them. But he could not fight them. The cat had destroyed him, destroyed them. The very idea of rebellion would be met by that cat, who would destroy them. Therefore, these older, more powerful digimon would destroy him as well.
He would have to wait.
Except he had to keep waiting and he did not like to. Because they were giving no answers, not even some fake promises like the woman who hadn't come inside, hissing and muttering as she would.
Instead the boy and his cat came in and he talked happily to Cupimon's silent human. As if Hirose would talk to him when he hadn't talked to anyone. He wouldn't even talk to Cupimon.
But when the stranger boy rose to leave, Hirose gripped his wrist, hard, so hard. And the boy had stopped and stayed.
Cupimon trembled with envy.
It did not abate until they were alone and he was in Hirose's arms. Where he belonged. Where only he belonged.