Takato's Hatchling
By milesprower06
Chapter 5 – That First Special Moment
MATSUKI BAKERY / RESIDENCE
MONDAY – 4:45 PM
"Uh, Jeri! Uh, what are you doing here?"
"I saw you talking to Ms. Asaji after lunch. You seemed really distracted today, so I wanted to come over here to see what's wrong."
"Well, nothings wrong…uh, not really."
"What is it, then?"
Takato seemed hesitant, and Jeri noticed.
"What is it, Takato? You don't want anyone to know?"
"Well, my parents already know, but yeah, I'd rather word didn't get out. It's kinda outta the ordinary."
"Well, you can tell me! I can keep a secret, honest!"
To Takato, Jeri seemed rather anxious. Did she have any idea what was going on?
"You promise you won't tell anyone?"
"Not a soul - cross my heart."
Takato tried to fight back the slight blush in his cheeks.
"Well, alright. Come on upstairs."
With that, Takato turned and headed up to his room, with Jeri on his heels. When they got to his bedroom door, Takato slowly slid it open, and they stepped in.
"So what had you so distracted today?"
Guilmon popped his head up out of the shoebox, curious towards the unfamiliar voice. Jeri laid eyes on him, and Takato could tell in a matter of seconds, that, just by looking at her; that her heart had just melted.
"Takato, is that…a…a Digimon?"
"Yeah. How'd you guess?"
"That's all you, Kazu and Kenta ever talk about." Jeri said, walking over to Guilmon, who was anxious to meet yet another new face.
"Oh, he's the sweetest thing." Jeri cooed, picking Guilmon up.
Takato smiled, as Guilmon took in the attention Jeri was giving him.
"Alright, so how'd this happen?" Jeri asked, sitting down on the floor next to Guilmon's shoebox.
"Remember last Friday, when I was outside in the hall for being late?"
Jeri nodded.
"Ms. Asaji caught you drawing out there."
Takato unzipped his backpack and took out his drawings of Guilmon, rubber-banded together and put safely into one of the side pouches, and handed them to Jeri.
"So, how'd he get from this to this?" Jeri asked, nodding towards the drawings, then to the small raptor she held in her arms.
"Long story short; scanned them though this, an egg appeared, found it downtown on Saturday, and it hatched that night." Takato summarized, not really wanting to explain it in detail a third time.
"And your parents are letting you keep him?"
"Yeah. I asked them to help me look after him while I was at school. I'm really glad they did - if they didn't, I don't know what I would've done."
Jeri glanced over at the clock, and realized just how late she had decided to come over.
"Well Guilmon, I'd love to stay, but I've gotta be home in time for dinner."
"Yeah, don't we all. Alright, come by anytime."
"Yeah, don't worry Guilmon, I'll be back over here soon."
Jeri carefully set Guilmon back down in the box, and Takato saw his friend out. He stopped in the kitchen afterwards.
"I trust you won't be having any more visitors? Because dinner's ready in fifteen." Mei said.
"Nope, no one else tonight…I hope." Takato said, Jeri having been an unexpected 5-minute visit.
"Jeri's a nice girl, Takato. She always loves our creampuffs." Takahiro interjected.
"Hehe, yeah, I guess she's nice. Alright, I'll be back down in a few." Takato said, running back up to his room. His socks slid to an eventual halt in front of his door. He slid it open, and went over to Guilmon, whose excitement once again grew as his Tamer drew closer. He knelt down in front of his box.
"Ready for dinner, Guilmon?"
His partner gave him a goofy smile, and then, pressed his tongue against the his front teeth.
"Ta……kah……to…………"