Disclaimer: Nor Digimon nor its characters are mine.
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"I didn't think you would come," she had seen him enter the exhibition a few minutes back, but she had been so busy presenting her flower arrangement that she hadn't been able to say hi.
"I know how much this means to you… and to your mom." He was wearing his leather jacket casually on one shoulder, it was almost annoying how casually good-looking Yamato was. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world."
"But you guys have been fighting-"
"Again, I wouldn't have missed it for the world." he smiled, one of those Ishida smiles Sora liked to think were exclusive for her. "You haven't been replying to the group chat."
Sora broke the eye contact, pretending to clean a spot on the table that was perfectly fine.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she lied, and Sora was the worst liar. Everyone else could give a white lie here or there, but to Sora it was physically impossible to lie. It gave her stomachaches, and they were just starting.
"You know you can talk to me, right?" and she knew he was right, but it still felt like a thousand cuts in her heart. Sure, she had talked to Mimi about her intentions on not wanting to fight anymore, but it had been through the phone, it wasn't the same.
And she didn't want to take credit out of Piyomon, her partner had been her biggest support for years, and knowing that she was okay with her decision about not joining the fights anymore made her feel in peace.
But she hadn't faced any of her friends, and that included Yamato right there. She was being gullible to believe they wouldn't notice her sudden disappearance from the group chat, she wasn't the biggest chatter, but she placed a thumbs up here and there. They would notice she was ignoring them sooner or later.
And here was the sooner, with beautiful blue eyes, wondering what was occupying her mind. She hadn't even replied when her eyes started filling up with tears and Yamato could only take her backstage from the exhibition, he knew Sora well enough to know how much she hated attention. They would be better talking somewhere they could be alone.
He held her, letting her cry as much as she needed. If Yamato knew something about Sora was how much she liked being in silence, in a safe space where she didn't feel like she was being judged. Yamato could sometimes be distracted, but he had noticed Sora had been distant- not only from the group chat, but ever since the problems with the Digital World had begun… again.
When the tears had finally het her talk, she looked up at him. There was something about Yamato's eyes that on first sight could seem intimidating, but when you got to know them, they were the warmest thing she could think of. They made her feel safe, they made her feel understood.
"I don't think I want to fight anymore…" it was a mere whisper, but clear enough so she didn't have to repeat it. Sora was surprised with herself; she didn't expect to cut the drama and go straight to how she felt. "After everything that happened with Meicoomon I don't think I'm able to keep fighting I'm just…"
She held Yamato's wrists tightly, her legs felt weaker than moments before. She remembered being hit against the hard and cold ice by Machinedramon, she remembered thinking she was about to die. She had been in many fights before, but never had she felt that helpless. Five years had passed, and even if she had gone with a therapist, rekindled with tennis and done everything she was supposed to do to get over a trauma, it hadn't felt real until the Digimon attacks restarted.
"I'm so tired." Yamato could see the pain in Sora's eyes. They (the rest of the Chosen Children) didn't really talk about the traumas from the battles, it was the elephant in the room, and it hurt to see her suffering like that. He held her again, and even if Sora wasn't crying anymore —tears may have left her body—, it was nice to feel her breathing against his chest, her heart beating alongside his.
"You don't have to fight if you don't want to." He stated after a few more minutes in silence, he felt her nodding. "We understand… I understand," Sora lifted her gaze to meet his again, and with his thumb, Yamato cleaned up the last tears running through her cheek.
"Do you want to see my flower arrangement?" She said with innocence, after she had calmed down. Yamato couldn't hide his sudden blush. He nodded.
Six flowers in the colors of everyone's crests. Yamato smiled, widely, the kind of smiles he only had once in a full moon. He understood Sora had stepped down from fighting, but she hadn't stepped down from being a Chosen Children. That would always be in her heart.
Notes
I wasn't going to upload this here because it's so short but SkuAg asked me to do it so I did. I might add more "lost scenes" if I get inspired once Kizuna comes out.
Thanks so much for reading! Leave a review :)
Xoxo, GossipChii.