Guilmon pushed the cardboard box off of himself. His bright yellow eyes traced around the room eagerly. So many new things to check out, so many new smells and sensations! His mouth spread into a wide smile and he romped forward. Takato watched from the closed doorway. He still couldn't believe that he had created an actual Digimon of his very own. It was impossible, but he had done it! He had created his own Digimon!

There was a clattering noise as Guilmon knocked over a cupful of pencils on Takato's desk. Guilmon watched as they scattered over the floor.

"Hey, cut that out!"

He ran over to the dino-Digi, not sure if he could even scold him.

"Now that you're in my house, you're going to have to start listening to me, Guilmon", he told his new friend.

Guilmon stared at him quizzically.

"Guh.....Guilmon?", he repeated.

"Yes!", said Takato.

"That's your name."

"I Guilmon?"

"Yes!"

Takato nodded to prove his point.

"You're name is Guilmon!"

"Who.........you?", Guilmon asked, pointing at Takato.

"My name's Takato", he stated.

".........Ta.........ka.........to.........mon?", Guilmon said slowly.

"What?", the 13-year-old said.

"No, I'm 'Takato'! I'm not a Digimon!"

"Takatomon!", Guilmon repeated.

Takato sighed. He knew that this was going to take some doing.

*********

"Takato?", came his father's voice from right outside the door. Takato jumped in fear.

"Who are you talking to in there?"

"Nobody!", Takato called back, grabbing Guilmon by the arm.

Takato looked around the room in anxiety. His parents couldn't know about Guilmon.........his mother had freaked about the cat he had brought home, how badly would she react to an actual Digimon?

He heard the doorknob turn. In haste, he shoved Guilmon into his closet, slamming the door behind him. The Digimon gave a shriek as he was shoved into the darkness. Mr. Matsuki came into the room, his eyes searching the place.

"Who were you talking to?", he asked his son, who was standing with his back against the closet door.

"Who? Me?", Takato said innocently.

"I'm all alone in here.....see?"

Mr. Matsuki eyed the closet door.....which seemed to be shaking slightly.

"You're sure you're alone in here?", he asked again, a bit suspiciously.

"Of course I'm sure!", Takato replied very openly.

Mr. Matsuki thought about demanding to know what was inside the closet.....but cringed at the thought of what his wife might say or do if an animal was discovered inside the house.

"Okay.........well, dinner's going to be ready soon", he said finally, turning away.

"We'll call you in a while."

Takato nodded. Mr. Matsuki rolled his eyes and retreated out the door, closing it behind him.

*********

Takato waited until he heard his father's footsteps echoing down the stairs before opening the closet again. Guilmon had been knocked against the back wall, and he was holding his snout with both clawed hands. His eyes were clenched shut, and it looked as if the closet door had smashed into his face when Takato had rapidly closed it.

Takato's eyes widened with worry.

"Guilmon?", he said, taking the Digimon by the arm and gently pulling him out.

Guilmon emitted a whimper of pain, and a single tear squeezed its way through his clenched eyelid.

"Oh no, did I hurt you?"

Takato put an arm around Guilmon's shoulders.

"Owie.........", Guilmon moaned quietly.

Takato gave Guilmon a small hug and held him against him.

"I'm sorry.........I didn't mean to do that", he whispered.

*********

Guilmon sobbed into his hands. The massive jolt onto his muzzle had given his infant body quite a shock. He was crying more out of fear than in pain. He was scared because he didn't know what was going on. Takatomon had hurt him.....if he had done it purposely was unsure, but he had still done it. Guilmon was alone in his mind now, confused and frightened in a seemingly dangerous world.

But when he dared to open his body again.........it didn't hurt anymore. He wasn't filled with the cold his panic had brought, he now felt warm...and oddly secure. He lifted his head and smelled Takatomon. Takato had his arms around him, and was hugging him soothingly and whispering into his ear.

"I'm sorry.........you're gonna be alright, buddy.........I won't do it again, I promise....."

Another thought entered Guilmon's mind that washed away all the dread and replaced it with clarity; even if Takato had intentionally hurt him [which Guilmon now heavily doubted], he was now sorry.........and was showing it.

With a smile reappearing on his face, Guilmon nuzzled Takato lovingly and hugged him as well. Takato looked up from Guilmon's shoulder in surprise. His Digimon's naturally-happy eyes were back, beaming at him with a strong liking.

"You okay now, buddy?", he asked him with a smile.

Guilmon purred affectionately and licked Takato on the face.

"Hey, cut that out!", Takato said playfully as he tried to resist, and Guilmon tackled him.

They fell on the floor, and started to wrestle around playfully.

"Takato?", Mrs. Matsuki called from downstairs.

"What's that ruckus?"

"Nothing, mom!", Takato called back from underneath his friend, who was trying to lick his face again.

"Come downstairs; it's time for dinner!", his mother hollered.

"And don't make me come up there!"

Takato giggled and pushed Guilmon off of himself.

"I gotta go eat now", he told him.

"Eat?", Guilmon asked.

Takato smiled.

"I'll bring you something when I come back", he promised.

"Just stay here and be a good boy, okay?"

And he left the room, closing the door securely behind himself.

*********

When Takato came back upstairs, a large bag crammed with everything the refrigerator had to offer, he noticed that the door to his room had been opened. Automatically, he panicked, and dropped the bag.

"Guilmon!", he hissed under his breath, and entered his room.

It was empty. Dread shot through his body. Where was Guilmon? Where could he be? Why did he leave?

Luckily, Takato had the sense to take a look sideways down the hall.........and saw another door ajar.

He sprinted down the hallways, past the bathroom and broom closet, and opened the door to his parents' bedroom.........

Takato received the shock of his life when he saw the scene. Guilmon was in the room alright, but he had found his way into Mrs. Matsuki's box of cosmetics. Facial power clung to every surface, including the walls and ceiling. Eyeliner pencils with the points broken off lay scattered across the carpet. Mrs. Matsuki's favorite lipstick lay on the floor, with the waxy- part all smushed together.

And sitting in the middle of the fray.....was Guilmon.....who seemed to be wearing the age-cream.

"Guilmon!", Takato semi-shouted.

"What did you DO to this place?!"

Guilmon's head suddenly snapped towards the door, first noticing that his Tamer had walked in on him.

".........Guilmon want eat.........", he said quietly, guiltily

"Guilmon looking for Takatomon........."

"Get out of there!", Takato said angrily, grabbing Guilmon by the shoulder and pushed him down the hall.

He winced as he looked back at the mess he would have to clean up.

"Now stay in here!", he shushed nastily at Guilmon once he was back inside his room, and shut the door firmly.

*********

Takato barely managed to clean everything up before his parents came back upstairs. He had re-sharpened all of the eyeliners, cleaned up the powder, and done what he could with the lipstick. He was only returning to his room when his mother came up the stairs, carrying a basket of laundry.

"What are you doing?", she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing", Takato answered robotically.

Mrs. Matsuki shrugged and made for her son's room.

"No!", Takato yelled in a strangled voice.

"Mom, you can't go in there!"

His mother gave him a no-nonsense look.

"Don't play games now, Takato. Let me in there", she said.

If it had been anybody else pushing the door open, Takato would've done something.........but he couldn't lay his hands on his own mom. He closed his eyes, and waited for his mother's screech when she saw what he had brought home...

But it never came.

Mrs. Matsuki came out of his room, still looking a bit annoyed but unperturbed.

"I brought some clean clothes", she informed him

"Please put them away now."

Takato stared at his mother blankly.

"Uh.....yeah, sure, mom....."

Mrs. Matsuki shook her head in despair and went back downstairs.

*********

Takato went into his room and looked around. Guilmon was nowhere in sight.

"Guilmon?", he called quietly through the total silence.

His foot bumped into something. He looked down, and saw the bag, which was still filled with food; untouched.

"Guilmon?", he called again.

There was no answer.

Only when Takato stopped his breath and strained his ears to the maximum, he could hear tiny slivers of breath across the room. He found Guilmon sitting in a darkened corner, partially hidden by the drapes of the window. He was sitting with his head down, hugging his knees to his body. The shadows of the setting sun had made his form almost invisible.

"Guilmon!", Takato said in relief, and hurried over to him.

The dino-Digimon raised his head slowly when he heard Takato approach him. His eyes were heavy and full of sorrow. Takato stopped in surprise.

"What's wrong, Guilmon?", he asked.

Guilmon sniffled through his nose.

"Guilmon.....Guilmon is bad.....Guilmon make Takatomon mad....."

He put his head back down and spoke to his stomach.

"Guilmon sorry, but Takatomon still mad. Guilmon bad........."

Takato sighed and put a hand on Guilmon's shoulder. He didn't think that he himself should feel any guilt in this matter, as it was Guilmon who had almost gotten him into trouble.....but he felt bad anyway.

"C'mon, it wasn't that bad.....I didn't hit you or anything, did I?"

Guilmon now let out an audible sob.

"Don't hit Guilmon..........Guilmon sorry.....Guilmon bad.....don't hit Guilmon....."

"No, no, I didn't mean that!", Takato said.

"I'm not going to hit you.........but.....well, why were so stupid to go and do that anyway?"

At once he wished he hadn't had said that. Guilmon didn't understand what he had said, but his conscience slapped him hard in the face for calling Guilmon stupid.

"What's the matter with you?!", he thought angrily at himself.

"You insult the creature who cares for you because of a simple mistake?! Hey, I'd like to have seen YOU when you were only a few hours old!"

Takato sighed. He was only 13-years-old, and he didn't know what to do. This Digimon had been given to him, but he didn't know if he was up for such a job. But he couldn't leave Guilmon.

He scootched over and sat down next to Guilmon. Guilmon looked up as Takato put his arm around his shoulders.

"I'm not angry at you", Takato said, realizing that he was being honest.

"I'm not angry for what you did, and I'm not going to hit you."

He smiled a reassuring expression at Guilmon.

"But you have to listen to me from now on. If you keep on doing stuff like this, you might get in trouble, or even hurt.........and I don't want that to happen."

Guilmon wiped his nose with the back of his palm.

"Takatomon no want Guilmon to get owie?", he asked.

"That's right!", Takato said earnestly, squeezing his friend's shoulder.

"I don't want others to hurt you. So if you stay with me, and do what I tell you, nobody will ever hurt you.........I won't let anybody hurt you, because I love you."

His smile widened. He knew that he meant this. Guilmon looked back at him.........and smiled as well.

"Takatomon no want Guilmon to get hurt.........and Takatomon love Guilmon?"

"That's right, Guilmon!", Takato said, with his smile still in place.

Guilmon looked thoughtful for a moment.

"What is 'love', Takatomon?"

Takato laughed and embraced Guilmon in a big hug.

"I think you'll find out soon, buddy", he said and gave Guilmon a small, affectionate kiss on the cheek.

Guilmon made a small sound of happiness and returned the hug to his Tamer...and his best friend. He nuzzled Takato's neck and licked him under the chin. Takato continued to hug Guilmon warmly against him. He knew he had just cemented a friendship.....possibly the best one he would ever have.

*********

Soon after, Takato heard his parents announce that it was his bedtime. He and Guilmon were playing a board game on the floor. Guilmon really seemed to be enjoying himself, but he didn't object when Takato told him that they would have to stop.

"Okay, Takatomon", he said obediently, and proceeded to pack the game up himself and place it back on the shelf where it had came from.

"Good boy!", Takato commented, giving Guilmon a reason to smile.

He went into the bathroom to change into his pajamas, and picked up the empty bag on his way; Guilmon had retrieved his appetite and had eaten everything.

When he returned in striped jammies, he found Guilmon curled up on the carpet. While he looked managing enough, he didn't look very comfortable.

"You don't have to sleep on the floor, silly", he told his Digimon.

"If you want to, you can sleep next to me."

Guilmon liked this suggestion. While Takato walked over to close the window and draw the drapes, he jumped onto the mattress. Admiringly, he slid his claws over the soft pillows and sheets.

"Is that comfortable enough?", Takato asked.

Guilmon nodded.

"Comfy", he added.

Takato slid in next to him and flicked off his nightlight. He pulled the covers over himself after making sure Guilmon was warm as well.

"Good night, Guilmon", he said quietly, closing his eyes.

"Night-night, Takatomon", Guilmon replied, sleepiness catching hold of him. He put his head down on a pillow and pulled the blanket up to his face.

As he closed his eyes, a feeling of blessedness filled his infant mind. He knew that this was something special.....surely this was love.

*********

Later that night, after they had both been asleep for some time, Guilmon snuggled over, against Takato. He put his muzzle against his face, and gave him a small kiss. Takato, reached over and put an arm over Guilmon.

"I love you.........", he murmured in his sleep.

Guilmon snuggled up close to him, as if in agreement.