Night fell too quickly on the small group at the amusement park. Matt and Gabumon were finally fed to their contentment for the first time in a long time and the blonde could finally convince himself that he was happy. Tai had been laughing, retelling the same stupid story he always used to tell about his cat getting stuck in a tree, Agumon and Gabumon had come back from foraging with arms full of berries (TK exclaiming how happy he was that there were no mushrooms, whatever that meant), and Matt was finishing making journey-cakes for what Tai called "a grand adventure" to find the other kids.
The fire was burning low in the makeshift pit and TK was, once again, asleep curled up between Patamon and Gabumon on a bench. Agumon had volunteered to take first watch and, instead of sleeping, Tai and Matt sat on the opposite bench, talking.
"You're still not gonna tell me what happened to you?" Matt whispered. "Is it really that terrible?"
Tai shook his head. He'd bathed in the lake, so his hair drooped to frame his face and his goggles hung around his neck, illuminated by the constant glow of his crest. "It's not that. It's just so... weird. I'm still not sure what happened myself." He gave Matt that same odd smile. "What about you? You don't seem too eager to tell me what happened."
Matt looked away. His face was warm, but he wasn't sure if it was his own shame or Tai's expression. "It's like I said, me and Gabumon were exploring the other side of the lake. I meant to come back that day, but we got attacked." His own crest felt like a dead weight around his neck. "I'm... glad, you were here to watch over TK."
"Aw, the kid was able to hold his own," Tai laughed. "I got here just in time to see him kick butt."
The brunette reached out, absently trailing a finger down Matt's forearm and raising gooseflesh all the way to his spine. Rich oak eyes looked at him, flickering from more than just the light and Matt swallowed a hesitant objection. Agumon was looking away, to give them privacy no doubt, and Gabumon remained focused on protecting TK's slumber, so both noticed but said nothing as Tai took Matt by the hand, leading him away to just beyond the edge of firelight.
It wasn't anything like Joe. Tai seemed hurried, more anxious to get their clothes off than explore. He gripped Matt's wrists too tight and bit harshly, leaving small bruises up and down his throat. His breath came fast and he kept murmuring something too soft to be heard. Matt bit his tongue, wincing and trying to tell himself that it wasn't painful, just different. And when their lips did meet as Tai peaked, it left a bitter taste that sunk all the way to his stomach.
Tai rolled off him, sleepily whispering an apology and promising that next time would be better. Matt just nodded, an ache in his chest deep enough that Gabumon silently cried into TK's hair.
Gomamon wiped the floor clean as Joe reluctantly finished off his plate. The two had shared Joe's lunch, Gomamon feigning fullness after a few bites. His Tamer could hear the small seal's stomach grumbling, but he steadfastly cleaned up what looked like it would have been enough to satiate both of them. The last bits of rice were wiped up from the floor and polished off from the plate and Joe reached out to pet Gomamon, finally not shaking.
"Feeling well enough to finish up?" Gomamon asked, for once actually cheerful despite his constant hunger. The bond between them was stronger now, the pain in Joe's cheek wasn't so unbearable that Gomamon was feeling it as well, and there was the barest possibility that they might actually be fed again soon. Something must have snapped in Digitamamon to make him treat them like they were living beings.
"Not like I can say no," Joe semi-joked. He pulled himself to his feet, gathering the plates to wash in the bathroom sink. The laundry was finally dry, and Joe quickly made the bed, tucking the sheets into strict hospital corners without noticing he was doing it.
Gomamon squeezed into the last corners to dust as Joe opened the last of the boxes, setting out the soft-looking pillows on the bed. A few of them looked like they had bites taken out of them, but Joe managed to set them up nicely. There was no telling what Digitamamon would want with this room, but he was sure to want it looking it's best.
Though the room was sealed off from the rest of the world, the pair could feel the temperature drop slightly and knew that the sun had set. Joe checked his watch (though, honestly, he'd never trusted it since coming to the Digital World. It could read 1 AM with the sun directly overhead or 4 PM in the dead of night) and figured that the restaurant would be closing up any minute now. If Digitamamon was going to going to use this room tonight, he would be here any minute to kick them out.
But his watch silently ticked on, well past when he'd usually be kicked out of the kitchen for making a bigger mess rather than cleaning it, and he and Gomamon sat on the floor next to the door, waiting. The door was so thick, and the wall must have been too, because no sound passed through to them for hours.
Joe was holding Gomamon in his arms, almost asleep amidst his long ears, when the shlunk of the bolts undoing penetrated his fogged mind. He pulled himself up and stepped back, Gomamon wiggling to be let down. If anything was going to happen, the small Digimon wanted to be free to attack with what little strength he'd been able to gather. Digitamamon stormed inside, glaring around the room. He ignored Joe and Gomamon as he nodded to himself and began speaking to someone in the hall.
"As you can see, privacy will be no problem."
The temperature in the room flared suddenly as a man made of fire stepped inside. Joe wiped the sweat from his brow, flinching as it stung his wound still gingerly held together, and Gomamon pressed back against his leg with a low growl, not wanting to abandon his Tamer. The Champion Digimon looked at Joe, that same head-to-toe calculating look that Vegimon had given him. The stitches across his mouth stretched tight as he grinned.
"You always find the best stuff, Digitamamon," the Meramon said, his voice like silken tar. He handed the egg Digimon a roll of money and Digitamamon bowed out of the room with a snide chuckle.
Joe swallowed hard and managed a weak grin. "I'm sure you'll want the room to yourself, so..." He grabbed Gomamon and backed up to the door.
Shlunk.
Joe grabbed the handle desperately, but the door wouldn't budge.
"Now, why would I want to be alone when I paid good money for this?" Meramon stepped forward and Gomamon struggled in Joe's arms.
"Stay away!" the seal cried. He tried to reach for the strength to attack, crying out, "Marching Fishes!"
A few small creatures materialized, flying at Meramon only to bounce off harmlessly with a sick scent of smoke. The tall Digimon just laughed and reached out with a burning hand to snatch Gomamon from Joe's grip. He squealed in agony, feeling the fire burning away the thick ruff of fur on his neck. Joe yelped and tried to grab his partner only for a flaming fist to connect with his wounded cheek. Pain exploded through his jaw and he felt blood begin flowing down his face as he collapsed against the wall, dazed. Gomamon flailed in his suffering, lashing out with his claws and trying to free himself to protect his Tamer.
"Joe!" he cried miserably. He heard Joe shift and felt through their bond as he reached out only to be kicked aside.
"Go... mamon..."
Mermamon continued to laugh as he stalked across the room, tossing the small seal into the bathroom and slamming the door. Gomamon shook the blur from his eyes and, ignoring the burning on his neck, he slammed his paws (fists?) against the door. There was a tiny click as Meramon locked him inside and Gomamon backed away with a snarl. He could hear Joe cry out, screaming as Meramon grabbed him. He felt fire crawling all over his body and he gathered his what remained of his strength, yelling hoarsely, "Marching Fishes!"
A single goldfish was all he could summon and it flopped on the floor pitifully a few times before disappearing in a puff of data. Joe was screaming, begging Meramon to stop, as Gomamon could hear the sound of flesh on flesh, the stench of burnt hair overwhelming his senses. He tried to steady his shaking limbs, wishing he'd taken his Tamer's offer of more food earlier, and pulled the moisture from the air. "Typhoon!" With Meramon's heat filling the room, only a few drops condensed on the doorknob.
The silence was sudden and the only thing that assured Gomamon that Joe was still alive was that the small bond still pulsed between them. Meramon was grunting and the bed was squeaking. Gomamon's cry filled the air and he began slamming against the door. He had nothing left to attack with but himself, and he refused to let the pain in his body and soul prevent him from trying to save his beloved Tamer.
It was a long time before he heard the main door open, Meramon and Digitamamon sharing a laugh, and still Gomamon flung himself into the door. It was rattling on its hinges with every solid slam, but he still couldn't escape. It was even longer, well into the morning hours surely, before he heard Joe emerge from the bed. Bukamon looked up as the door opened, his flippers bruised and bloodied, breathing heavily and fighting back tears. Joe stood in the doorway, unsteady on his feet with blood sticky on a cauterized scar. His shirt was gone and there were burns up and down his chest. His hair was singed and his glasses were gone, somewhere across the room. He didn't want to see anything anyway.
"Joe..." Bukamon mumbled. The Tamer collapsed to his knees, gathering the small creature with a surge of strength that came from a desperate need for comfort. Bukamon hissed in pain as he wrapped his flippers tenderly around Joe's neck, rocking him as best he could, and that was all it took for the blue haired boy to break, soul-deep sobs filling the small space.