A/N: Chapter 29. A big thank you to all my supporters firstly. It's your reviews that keep me going in the cold dark nights. Just joking, I have lights and heating here. But I am still thankful for your words. All of you.
Secondly, sorry to say this but I'm going to have to disregard your opinions for my Tamers Rewrite. I have planned too much of the story to change it now, so you'll just have to get what your given. BUT there is good news. Rika's partner (which gave me a huge headache because I couldn't decide who to give her) will be an OC. Reason being is I can't find one for her that isn't overused, or unsuitable, or simply doesn't have all its forms listed. So I'll OC it instead. When all else fails, OC time! And Renamon will be with an OC too.
So, that's all said. And there's a chapter awaiting your reading. Get to it...
Digimon Tamers: Quantum Displacement Theory and Other Big Words
Chapter 29
I woke to a purring Kiara resting on my chest. She had wrapped herself around me so completely that I couldn't feel my lower body, she had slightly cut my circulation. I entertained myself by stroking her back and neck, increasing her purring as she slept. She started to press herself against my hands, arching her back as her paws flexed open a few times. She acted more like a cat each day.
But what really took the cake was when she yowled exactly like a cat.
I froze. That was just too weird. Seriously shaken up I began to extract myself from her. I wasn't really being careful not to wake her, I just wanted to get away before she did a thing else weird. I managed to get away and off the bed, seeing her shiver from the lack of contact. My heart wouldn't let me leave her like that so I gently covered her with the bedding. Satisfied I grabbed a fresh change of clothes and headed for the shower.
One quick clean later and I was downstairs. Calumon had just woken and was doing his usual routine of being very annoying.
"Hey Axel! We gonna do something fun today? I'm so bored."
"Wha- Calumon, you just woke up! How can you be bored already?"
"I told you you're boring."
"Enough of that already! I am not boring!"
Calumon giggled in his usually annoying manner and ran off, leaving me to grab some breakfast. I sighed deeply, thankful that we were getting rid of him today. Why I decided that having with us was a good idea was beyond me.
I had just started preparing when two furry arms encircled me. "Morning Kiara."
"Mmm." Not this again.
"You want some of this?" I was referring to the fried breakfast I was making.
"Mmm." She buried her head against the base of my neck. "Don't mind if I do." Her paws drifted down my body.
I stopped her before she went much further. "That wasn't what I meant Kiara."
"Mmm. It's a nice thought though."
I sighed again. "Are you going to keep making that noise?"
"Is there a problem with it?" She was waking up now, I could hear it in her voice.
"Not necessarily, but there's a time and a place for it. Now isn't the time with Calumon lurking nearby." I just hoped he wasn't in earshot.
"Mmm."
"Now your doing it on purpose."
She danced her paws across my torso. "That's because I can smell you again."
That caused my face to light up like a red bulb. "Stop saying that!"
"It's true though."
"I don't care, it's embarrassing."
She didn't press the matter, leaving me to finish making breakfast. I halved what I made and gave a plate to her as we sat to eat. She surprised me though by pushing her plate beside mine and sitting in my lap.
"Uh, Kiara? This makes eating rather awkward."
She wiggled in my lap in response, giving me some slight stimulation. Damn her.
She finished her food before turning to sit sideways on me. She then proceeded to try and feed me, one paw holding the fork with the other stroking the back of my neck.
"Now Axel has to eat all his food, otherwise he can't leave the house today." She spoke how a mother would talk a child, in a slightly mocking or condescending manner. "Come on Axel, be a good boy and eat your breakfast. Here it comes..."
She slowly brought the fork closer, making me feel about two years old. I grew tired of this within a second, snatching the fork from her and eating again my own pace.
"You like to ruin my fun don't you?"
I gave her a look. "If I ate this at your pace it would be stone cold well before I got half way. I prefer my food hot."
"Hmph!" She wiggled around again. "Maybe I should have some other fun then." Once again she tried to send her paws down my body.
"Not while I'm eating and with Calumon here, last time!"
She snatched her paws back. "See? Ruining my fun again."
I sighed, finishing my food. "You can have your fun later tonight, all right?"
She wiggled again, then stopped suddenly. "The last time you sent that you disappeared into the digital world."
"That was hardly planned was it? And I doubt my luck is so bad that it will happen again today."
"Maybe..."
"What's gotten into you today Kiara?" I faced her with a serious look. "What's with all this stuff you've been doing?"
She looked confused. "Nothing. I'm fine."
"You're acting weird, even for you." She glared at me for that.
"I'm not weird!" She wiggled slightly again.
"You have been today. So what's up?"
I watched her stare at me, still wiggling. "All right, fine! You caught me. But I suppose I have been different today. Aren't you aware of what today is?" I shook my head, causing Kiara to hang hers slightly. "It's my birthday..."
That took me be surprise. "Birthday?"
She sent me a look of disbelief. "You really didn't know, did you?"
"No, seeing as I haven't known you for a year. You never told me either." I sighed, gripping my head. "Fuck. If I had of known Kiara... Damn it!" I could see tears forming in her eyes. "I'm so sorry Kiara. I honestly didn't know. I didn't even know digimon had birthdays."
"We do, just like humans do. Even if our 'births' are different to yours." Her voice had begun to break.
I didn't want to see her upset on any day, let alone her birthday. I felt like shit for being the cause of it. I embraced her tightly, a vain attempt of an apology as I felt her tears course down her cheeks. It only made me feel worse.
"Kiara, I am truly sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise. Just let me get Calumon to Guilmon's and we can spend the day doing what you want, providing we don't get any unwanted guests."
I felt her nod against me. I stroked the fur in her spinal channel to try and soothe her. I felt her paws grip me briefly as I ran my hand along her back. I allowed my hand to graze across the base of her tail occasionally, the appendage itself flicking now and again in recognition. Slowly she calmed down, accepting my actions as the start of an apology. Truth be told I couldn't be completely sorry because I simply didn't know about today. There wasn't any sign that I would have seen to give it away, there wasn't a reason to ask about it either. Digimon birthdays weren't common knowledge, possibly because they weren't born like us humans. But as Kiara explained, even if the method is different they still have birthdays.
I made a vow to myself that her birthday this time would be one to remember. And I knew exactly when and how to do that, even if I did get slightly worried by it. I would bear with it just for her, I owed her that much.
I rubbed her back a few more times for good measure. "Come on you. The sooner we get Calumon to Guilmon the sooner we can start your day."
Again she nodded slowly, although she was much calmer now. She got off me and waited as I stood. After quickly clearing away I caught Calumon before he ran off again and we all left for Guilmon's hut thing, Kiara phasing out as usual.
I admit I felt awkward carrying Calumon like some stuffed toy, people were giving me looks, but my mind was focused on Kiara. I should have known about today. I should have asked before to make sure I didn't do exactly what I did this morning. It made me look like I didn't care about her despite anything else. But I do care. I know I do, I can feel it inside me. Yet I had failed her.
She obviously held today with significance, evident by how she got so upset about me not knowing, and I just passed it off. I disregarded the whole thing. I should have asked, should have known. Ignorance is no excuse.
The more I thought about it the worse I felt. I felt like crap as I left the house, by the time we reached Guilmon I was ready to lay down and die. I felt that bad.
Guilmon himself was on his own. He seemed very happy to see us as we approached, even Calumon seemed excited. I allowed him to fly towards the red dino before heading inside through the gate.
"Axel!" Well at least he isn't adding the 'mon' now.
"Hey Guilmon. You keeping busy?"
"Yeah, I'm digging a hole." True enough there was a large amount of dirt missing from the middle of the room. I felt it best not to ask.
"It's a good hole. Hey Calumon?" He turned to face me, curious. "Would you like to stay here with Guilmon from now on? I'm sure he's not as boring as me." 'Please say yes, please say yes, please say-'
"Okay." Jackpot! That's a huge load off me. "He's much more fun than you anyway. And we get to play everyday!" I'll let him off with calling keep boring this time. This time.
"Great! Now, if you're all right with that me and Kiara are going to go off to do stuff today. I would ask if you want to come but it'll be boring." Calumon's face told me he didn't want to come, even Guilmon seemed to agree.
"Will you come back again Axel?"
I nodded. "Sure Guilmon, we live close by anyway. It's just that we have things we need to do today. Can you look after Calumon for us? There's some bad digimon after him."
"Ooooh, the Devas?" Smart dino.
"Yes. They can't have him okay? They'll do bad things to him."
"I know, Takato said so. Don't worry Axel, he'll be safe with me." It may not have been much with his strange adolescent voice, but I knew he meant it. He was also the best choice for Calumon's protection.
I gave my farewells as we headed back, we meaning me and Kiara who had yet to phase back in. I thought she was still there but there wasn't a way of knowing. The trip back was silent as a result. Kiara didn't speak to me and I wasn't sure if she was even there, talking to myself wouldn't be very helpful.
I wasn't alone for long as Renamon appear in the cover of some trees, just by the park exit. She beckoned me over with a paw. Curious I angled towards her, ducking behind the trees she used to hide herself. As soon as I was deep enough she appeared again.
"What's with the cloak and dagger act Renamon? We gonna have a secret handshake as well?"
She didn't look amused. "No, I wanted to speak with you about the Devas. I also wasn't aware you were out and about."
"That's a long story that involves Calumon and a diginome. Basically my leg is fully healed. And we already know of the Devas. Digimon encyclopaedia here, remember?" Well that's what I called it, right or not.
"Fair enough. Is Kiara with you?"
"I'm not actually sure. I can't tell if she's phased out like she is." A sudden thought came to me. "Renamon? You haven't seen Impmon have you?"
She gave me a quizzical look. "Who?" Uh, what?
"You don't know Impmon? Short purple guy with a white face, red gloves and scarf?"
"Sounds like a digimon but I haven't met one of those." Okay, this is either a really good thing or a really bad thing. I couldn't decide which it was. "Is that a problem?"
"I don't know. He was a big deal before, having him missing here is confusing." Another difference that I wasn't aware of perhaps? "Maybe he'll turn up later." Yeah, that seems right, well more comfortable than missing completely.
"I'll keep an eye out in case. I have to go, Rika might need me and I'd rather be close given these Devas."
"Sure, stay safe and all that." What did I just say? Ah screw it.
Renamon sent me a strange look before phasing away. I wove out through the trees again and headed back home. Well, I tried to before Kiara appeared in front of me.
She had a concerned look again. I didn't like those.
"There's a digimon nearby. Big and powerful."
I raised a brow. "Deva?"
"More than likely. I can sense Renamon and Terriermon already on route. I also saw Takato heading this way for Guilmon." Renamon was just with me, she moves fast... "Shall we join them?"
I sent her a concerned look this time. "What about you? This is your day today."
"The Devas are more important. We should be there." She was serious this time.
I conceded. "All right. Let's go then." I lightly patted my deck to make sure it was there, check. Digivice, check. Kiara, also check.
Game face.
