Chapter 7 : First Crack
It's almost dawn, about one and a half more hour the sun will rise, but he still out there alone. After moving from roof to roof he back to the park and confused about his own decision, why did he go back? Throughout his way he keep getting chills, not from the snow but something else entirely, like he's been followed. Strangely for a quiet night he doesn't heard anything weird if he's being followed, further adding suspicion to himself that his mind isn't in the right condition. Even if he's being followed, there is no way a human would do that as he hopping from one roof to another, in the middle of cold snowy night no less. So impmon just brush off his feeling away for now.
Since he already back to the park, he choose to stay a bit longer, there is no way that this would hurt him. This time though, he doesn't even get a time to sit before his instinct kicked in, alerting his body that someone following him from behind. While he just thought that he get little paranoia a moment ago, impmon got a clear clue now. Not just sensing someone else presence, there is a sound of leaves brushed off not too far away, confirming his suspicion. Strangely he familiar about this situation, it just feels weird cause it's been a long time since he roaming around in open space like this.
Instead of preparing the branch to sit, impmon let his body fall to the ground like he lost conciousness. If he wrong then it wouldn't be too bad since he fall on to thick layer of snow that covering the ground. In split second someone grab his body and they fall to the ground, his body grabbed by big arms before he even touch the ground. Now both him and the stalker covered in snow and got some bruises from the fall, despite the effort to catch him mid air, the icy ground that covered in snow proven too hard for a clear landing.
"just as expected, how could I forget this stalker" Mutter impmon as he get up and wipe those snow off from his body, he clearly pissed off by the situation he's in. From his spot he can see renamon also does the same. "what do you want running around stalking me like that you creep!? Why don't you just lay down on that bed and have a good dream?"
Without any more words he turn around and about to leave her, but renamon still persistent to stop him, tackling the purple imp on the ground. Both tried to get the upper hand in the ground, but after a moment they know there is no doubt that renamon will win in this matter so impmon stop his struggle.
"good, you finally get the situ-hmph!?" Placing his hand on her mouth, he stop her from talking then sigh, this could lead to nothing or a real fight so renamon give him a chance to talk first.
"what do you want!? You want to talk or to drag me back with force? I can digivolve into my mega and beat you up right here right now if you keep doing this shit!" Says him, renamon give a cold look from her blue eyes and let him go.
"it seems that you're the one who want to talk, impmon" Renamon's reply hit him right on the spot, making this situation a bit awkward for him, he's the one who ask if they want to talk this out first.
Despite that he still keep his cool in front of her. "that's the best you can do? If you're not planning to drag me back then scram fox-face!"
They fall into silence, impmon leave that spot looking for a bench with renamon walk behind him. She follow him knowing impmon can't shake her off with ease and the imp also think the same, he forced to at the least talk her out of this matter. Though their talk never goes smooth, both understood that they don't mean any harm to each other. When they finally found a bench, impmon use his fireball to melts the snow that covering it, even dry out the melted snow and makes it warm before they sit on there.
Few minutes passes after they sit on that bench, the warmed bench turn cold again yet no one want to start talking, only sigh from the vixen and grunt from the imp that fills the air. He take a glance at the vixen especially on her legs, there is some little bruises thanks to their little wrrestle on snow in the middle of the night, then their eyes met and making him look away, she can see that his pouting face. No matter how he dislikes her scolding or anything she going to say about this, he wish that she just berate him then go away, it's better that way for him yet she still keep her mouth shut.
Left with not much choice he trying to pick the right words, if he tried to run away again she just going to follow him all night long. "just go back will ya, it's cold out here and your legs start to shakes like it want to cry"
Surprised, renamon instantly check her long slender legs then turn to impmon again. "same goes for you, you just back and not ready for harsh weather like this" It makes him chuckle, he know that's true to some extent but he won't admit that weakness thanks to his pride.
"please, I got worse than this stupid white thing"
This time renamon is the one who chuckle, she doesn't want to let impmon to get the upper hand on this conversation, a little heated conversation is the best way to talk with impmon. Not too much but just enough to get his full attention, if not then he will run away again. "last time I check you almost freeze to death, don't get ahead yourself" It pisses off impmon but he can't come up with a better excuse so he choose to shut his mouth. Looking at his expression, renamon need to cool off this heat first before he snapped, turns out her little banter works too effective than she initially thought.
A silent treatment coming and this time impmon trying not to give in to her tricks, his temper unfortunately can't help himself and want a different things, he then start the conversation again. "am I that weak to you?" Ask him out of nowhere, even renamon surprised from that question, it's not a taunting or bragging question from him but a genuine one from the imp.
Renamon shake her head and smile to him. "no, I agree that I will lose if you choose to digivolve into your mega form. But I trust you, I believe you won't hurt me and I know I'm trusting the right digimon" Her smile soothe his anger a bit.
It's getting more awkward for impmon and he can do nothing about it, all of her words is true, he never want to hurt her again and just planning to scare her to go away. She see through all of that and put up with his game, now he feels like shit. Before he could come up with something to talk, renamon open her mouth. "Nightmare?" Ask her out of nowhere, the sudden question caught impmon off guard, as much as he want to deny it, his initial reaction already answer that question. A nod from him further confirming her guess, but he still reluctant to talk about it openly and they back to silent once again.
Slowly renamon move closer to him until she's right beside him, impmon does nothing to stop her. With her big paws she grab his left hand, not even a single reaction coming from him. "sometimes I feel like being alone isn't that nice, you know that better"
After a moment Impmon look at her eyes and she smile to him, but he pull away his hand with an angry looks. "either thanks to your stalking routine or you just knows everything foxy, but I agree on this one" She chuckle from it and pat his head, making the imp anger rise up despite he liking her treatment.
"I'm here" Whisper renamon to him, when there's no response she tries to make him talk but trying not to push him too hard. "I can keep a secret" Reassure her.
Impmon stare at her for a moment, she can see his fear from his emerald eyes, his body trembling and it seemed that he about to burst into tears, but he's impmon and he wouldn't do that except something push him too far. Taking a moment to calm his mind, he start to tell her about his nightmare. "every night, every time I went to close my eyes just to rest, I see myself stabbing leomon. He's not dissolve into data, but blood gushing out from his gut like human would be in this world" The vixen horrified hearing that, worse thing is impmon seems like he's not done yet about his nightmare. "his blood is warm, showering my body. Then it's their turn, one by one I put a hole on their chest. Those kids, my own tamers, pineapple head. That bunny-boy is different though. I grab his damned long ear then slam his face until it turn into a mush"
The gruesome detail left renamon speechless but she maintain her expression, something like this isn't funny even between friends but impmon wasn't joking, she know it just from the way he talk. Then one thing bother renamon, he doesn't mention her name or any other nickname that he would use to call her like 'toots' or 'fox-face', it makes her wonder why is he afraid to talk about it or there just nothing to talk about to begin with. Either way she want to know which one is the truth.
Although the story of his nightmare is horrifying and sickening, she need to add his delusion and trauma into that, this is just the way he perceive himself. If he really want that than she already dead by now. No matter how optimist everyone can be, they know that as beelzebumon he can do that very easily. They manage to stop his rampage before thanks to all of them versus him alone plus takato and guilmon biomerging, there is no doubt about a possibility that beelzebumon could end their life while they still at digital world.
"what about me?" Ask the vixen, his body stiffen hearing that, just thinking of it make his stomach turn upside down. "impmon, what about me? What do you see in your nightmare?" Using her big paw renamon makes his head turn to her, she want to reassure him that everything is okay but he need to spill everything first, especially about how he look at her.
"you're alive, same goes for ruki" A strange answer compared to what he 'did' to others.
No matter how she look at it, that's not something good considering to what he 'did' to others, but she tried to play it good with him, especially knowing that it just a nightmare, nothing real. "you're not that bad, you let me live" It doesn't bring any smile nor any good response from impmon, he rather more dejected from her words.
"cause it's not like what you think… it's not like that!" The sudden outburst surprise renamon, so she let him to sort his mind for a moment before they continue.
The dreams stopped before he can see them, or it just him who can't remember, for some reason he can't remember why he let them alive or if they alive in his nightmare to begin with. "then what?" Ask renamon again, demanding the detail. He panicked, trying so hard to think of any excuse or good explanation yet he can't even make out one. Before he could think anymore bad things, renamon grab his small body and place him on her lap, with her hands and long tail she wrap his body quite tightly. "let me go fox-face! Let me go! I said let me go or I'll-" His voice dropped, he can't think anything to threaten her and he won't do that seriously either, his threat to her right now is just a laughable bluff.
"well, it's not about you can't, but you won't. I know you won't hurt me even in your dreams" Impmon still tried to struggle, no matter how comfy it is from her smooth and warm fur, his pride hurts from the situation he's in. "stop. We know you like this. Don't tell me you forget how you can sleep better for the past couple days" Impmon slightly blushed in her care, how could he forget, but that doesn't mean he will give in and now he trying to find any reason to deny it.
"y-you're the one who force me to do it! I never asked that! You're the one who liked that! Just because I can't move you can't twist the truth like that fox-face!" Her response for that is only giggle and impmon voice quickly silenced from the embarrassment.
Impmon recalling what happen after he stay on makino's house, although he likes it he still got some regret to end up there, but in the end it was his stubbornness to reject juri's hand that force ruki to keep him there. "what do you mean you sleep on carpet!? just put me on there, I'll be fine, it's not like this house will freeze me to death!" He asked to swap places with renamon cause he won't let renamon sleep without bed, even he knows that taking the bed that supposed be hers was crossing the line. In the end ruki force the vixen to sleep with him, on the same bed. It's not even cramped for both of them, renamon just want him to sleep without much worries, she thought if she sleep on the bed it then he would get less room for his injured body. After some debate, ruki's words is final since she doesn't want him sleep on carpet while injured like that.
Then it happen every night, even got the same pattern. First he sleep then wakes up in sweats from nightmare, shivering in fears before the vixen beside him wipes his sweats with tissue. No words between them yet he felt safe and sound with her on his side. His night continue with pat and stroke on his head until he calmed down, closed by cuddle from her before both fall into sleep again.
Back to the present, renamon stroke his head gently, there is no complain from him and that seal their debate. That silence is prove that he likes it, though there still part of his mind that want to stop her, the pleasant feeling is just too much for him to deny that again. "I'll take this as you're on the same page with me. Look at yourself, isn't your life feels better if you just let me help you?" While she's right about that, impmon's delusion still hard to crack, but he let her words goes in, at least for this moment. For someone lonely like him, a little hug and pat in the head like this means a lot. "You don't see me and ruki dead in your nightmare cause you let us take a part in your life, maybe" Renamon still unsure if it's true, but it's her best guess and she want impmon to feel better, so he will open up more.
Throughout his time with renamon, he never heard her talking a lot like this, she always prefer to keep silent and watch over everyone. He never expect this kind of warmth from someone with cold eyes like her, and he also not expecting himself to likes it. "is this really okay? I deserve everything that thrown at me renamon"
Renamon stop the pet and layed her head on top of his, she feels happy to be with him, something just feels right when she spend her time with him like this. Though she doesn't realize it, her face turned a bit red. "what do you mean, we're not going to let you suffer. You're precious to us" Impmon quickly cover his face out of embarrassment, he can't believe himself to hear that from renamon out of all digimons. To make this even more unbearable, there is a giggle from the vixen behind him. "s-shut up!" His protest only makes everything more funny to her.
"i'll make this easy. Honestly I don't mind if you sleep with me, but-" Renamon stop her words, like she interupted by her thought. It goes for few minutes and impmon getting impatient. "uhh… renamon, what's the matter? What do you mean by 'but'?" The vixen let him go from her hugs and she shook her head. "ah, nothing. It's almost dawn, we should go back now"
Impmon stop her before she could get up from the bench, he getting curious why she stop abruptly like that. "now you admit it yourself huh~" A smug face from renamon shatter his pride, it's tough to admit it but he got other choice on this.
"fine, I get it, I need… I…" It's so hard to say, even when he already spent a week on that house.
Renamon hug him again, this time stroking his back gently. "asking for help isn't making you weak, everyone does that. Even I can't live alone" Her words push him a little bit and that's enough for impmon to be honest with himself.
"I need your help renamon, so please…" A little sniffle can be heard and renamon try her best to take this seriously even though he's cute like this. "there there, It's gonna be fine, let's go back for now" She then pick him up and they vanished from the park in no time.
The two digimon arrive at ruki's house few minutes later, when they about to open windows at ruki's room, the human girl open it first and give them a glare. Both digimons unsure what to say. "get in. I just open my eyes and I feel like I had enough for today, that's including you" She pointing at renamon. The scolding from ruki doesn't stop there, they forced to clean themselves first before going to bed and another few minutes of ruki letting out her anger on impmon. After that they cuddle in the bed, ready to sleep. Suddenly a blanket is placed over their body. "well, i guess the night talk is worth it" Ruki sigh and look at them. "I see you guys later, Have a good dreams" Says ruki as she pat both of them then leaving the room.
"Dang it, i got to start somewhere huh?" Impmon start planning about his next step while thinking about renamon's words, maybe he can try again. He smile, he got the best or the most important one as his start, and there's no one better than the one who give him a second chance. The second chance that keep him alive until now.