Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
Seeing Red
Chapter: 15
In the darkness-filled room, a woman's seat rotated, swinging her in the direction of a wall-screen that contained a number of blinking red and blue rings congregating toward one another. Her visor sat snugly on her face, feeding her information as she busily typed away on her control panel. On the screen, a yellow-colored symbol, shaped like a tower attached to a circle, sped toward the bustle of red and blue rings. The woman, Riley Ootori, bit her lower lip, expecting the worst.
The rings did nothing to the yellow symbol. Riley let out a sigh of relief and pressed a few more buttons. Below her, a blond-haired man wearing sunglasses stood, a pensive expression on his face and a lighter in one hand. The lighter flicked open with a click.
"Confirmed," Riley said. "We're seeing another germination energy pattern just like the one from the night before. They're not like any we have on record."
"Is it dangerous?" the man – Mitsuo Yamaki – asked. Riley's chair swiveled about, replaced by another woman also wearing a visor. Her hair was short and light colored in contrast to Riley's darker, redder hair.
"It's too early to say sir," this woman – Tally Onodera – replied. "The data appears to be in a state of flux. We might not know anything certain for a while. Should we alert the Tamers?"
Yamaki flicked his lighter closed. Approaching a monitor, he called up the data that Riley and Tally were receiving. Looking it over, he frowned slightly. State of flux didn't even begin to describe what he was looking at. Oh, there was certainly a fair bit of activity, but nothing definite. It was almost as if the data didn't know what it was supposed to be or what was going into it.
Strange, Yamaki thought, flicking his lighter back open. Still, it doesn't seem to be doing anything. The night before it dissipated without any difficulties.
"No," he said finally. "For now, maintain the tracer lock and record any changes that occur. Let the Tamers have their rest."
With that, he flicked the lighter closed with a loud click.
###
In his dream, Takato gasped for breath as his lips left Rika's. The girl thrashed and bucked beneath him, her mouth a silent 'O' of pleasure. He shivered, his arms holding her tight to his body. Pleasure wracked every nerve and muscle, and he knew Rika felt much the same as her hands and legs held his back tightly, preventing him from withdrawing his penis from her squeezing vagina.
This feels…so good, he shuddered, leaning back toward her. His lips found her neck and he felt her tremble at his touch. Her legs squeezed about his waist and she shoved her hips against his crotch. Takato made a choking sound and felt an exquisite throb of pleasure that rapidly dissolved into a maddening, repeating pulsing that shot out wet warmth into the tight heat beneath him. Muscle clenched pleasurably about his member, slick and hot and he thrust forward, meeting Rika's fervent, urging and inviting push beneath him.
Distantly, something told him that this felt far, far more real than it should. This was drowned out however by the overwhelming pleasure that left him quaking against Rika as he kissed her tenderly. Finally, as their thrusts against one another began to die down, Takato drew back and looked into Rika's ghostly, violet eyes. Her breasts rose and fell as her chest heaved. She looked back at him, exhausted and dazed. A moment later, a look of confusion touched her face and her lips parted. No sound emerged from them, but he heard her voice all the same.
"Takato?"
The boy blinked, finding himself alone in his bed, holding himself up on his elbows. A long, wet stream of sperm stained his bed's mattress and blankets as his penis poked out from the top of his pajama bottom. Takato's face screwed up in disgust and embarrassment, destroying all earlier thoughts and emotions in one fell swoop.
"Ahhh nuts!" he cried out, throwing back his blankets and half scrambled, half threw himself down the ladder. "Mom's going to kill me."
"Takato?" came Guilmon's sleepy greeting, lifting his head from his pile of stuffed toys. Seeing his partner's distress as the boy hurriedly began to change out of his pajama pants, he sniffed the air, ignoring Takato's limp penis as it swung between his legs. "Why is Rika here?"
"Huh?" Takato swiftly tossed his pants into the hamper, only half paying attention to Guilmon's question. "She's not here. What are you talking about?"
"But I smell…" Guilmon trailed off, furrowing his brow. There was something he couldn't quite figure out. Rika's scent was fresh and strong as if she were just here, but Renamon's scent was nowhere present. Climbing out of his bed, he peeked up at Takato's bed. No one was there that he could see. Standing up on his toes, he tugged at the corner of the blanket and proceeded to press his nose into it, taking a deep sniff.
"Guilmon!" Takato exclaimed, hastily snatching the blanket out of his partner's face. "Don't! I just…" The boy blushed ferociously and Guilmon tilted his head to one side questioningly.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "Did I do something bad?"
"N-No. I…" The crimson staining Takato's features deepened and he made an exasperated sound. "I-I just had a wet dream, that's all. My blanket and bedsheet is all gross right now. I don't want you getting into it."
"Oh, okay," Guilmon nodded, easily accepting that. He could see sense in that. He didn't quite understand all the ins and outs of Takato's rare nocturnal emissions – other than that they seemed to feel really good for him – or why he always seemed so ashamed when they did happen, but he supposed that, given where the sperm came from, it was better to avoid touching it.
Not that that explained why adult humans were always touching such things to feel good or make babies, but he supposed it had something to do with just how the real world was.
"So…Rika wasn't here just now?" he asked, looking back up at the bed as Takato pulled off the blanket and sent it to join his pajamas in the hamper. Takato again arched an eyebrow at his partner.
"Ah, no." He cocked his head. "Are you feeling okay, boy?"
Guilmon pondered the question, giving it the weighty consideration it deserved. It seemed strange that he would smell Rika so strongly just now if she wasn't here, but if she wasn't…
"Maybe I'm still sleepy? Or maybe I've caught a computer cold and it's making my nose play tricks on me. I don't know. All I know is that I smell her and it smells like she was just here. But Renamon's not here, so she couldn't have disappeared or anything either."
Takato looked at his partner worriedly. "Weird," he said. "Um, maybe we should see if Henry's dad can have a look at you or something just to be sure. I…"
"Takato!" came the call of his mother from downstairs. "Telephone!"
Takato sighed and glanced at the clock. It was still early. Barely past 7, which meant Yamaki time. Which usually meant something was up. He sighed and grabbed a pair of pants and clean underwear from out of his dresser. "Great," he muttered, hastily shoving his legs in and drawing them both on. "What else can go wrong?"
Guilmon watched his partner make his way out of the room before turning to ponder the empty bed again. The scent of Rika was fainter now, but still fairly strong and fresh, mingled heavily with that of his partner as though they spent the night together. Unless his nose was off, there was no mistaking it. She had been here, but for some reason now she wasn't. She was certainly good enough to slip by without him noticing, but there was no way she could hide her scent.
Maybe she went downstairs or left to use the bathroom? Guilmon wondered. But if that's so, then why would Takato say she wasn't here? Maybe he didn't know and it was supposed to be a surprise?
Guilmon's nose tested the air again, trying to determine where she might have gone. Curiously, there was no path. Everything was concentrated in the blanket and bedsheets. Just in case, the dinosaur padded over to the large window overlooking its small porch and the alley. Fingering the latch with his claws, he drew it open and stuck his head out onto the metal porch.
Nothing and no one greeted him.
"Maybe my nose is playing tricks on me," he frowned, ducking back inside and shutting the glass door.
###
Takato?
Rika awoke to a frustrated groan escaping her lips. Blinking blearily, she cast her violet gaze about, trying to make sense of the strange dream she just had. Her dresser greeted her, as did the rest of her belongings, packed neatly out of the way in her large, spacious room. She hadn't been anywhere else, yet for some reason she felt as though she just had been. More to the point, she could have sworn that she had been in Takato's room, with him on top of her and…
Her thoughts paused as a throbbing, pulsing, pleasurable need made itself known from between her legs. And more. Groaning again, she shifted her feet and found that she was flush with heat and her body felt angry over something. She felt that swollen pleasure rise up into her belly and muscles squeezed needily, causing her breath to catch in her throat. She lay there for a moment, unpacking that feeling as memory settled back into place, informing her of what happened.
"I really wish I wouldn't have those stupid dreams," she grumbled, forcing herself to rise in her futon. She winced as a new sensation between her legs joined in on the fun, though this one was far less desirable. She ached, as though muscles in her belly had been long used and abused. Drawing back her blanket, she shakily climbed to her feet.
That dream felt a little too real, she thought, fingers touching her stomach tenderly, questing about until they pressed against the opening to her vagina. A mixture of discomfort and pleasure greeted her, with the latter feeling stronger and angrier, as though it had been interrupted and left hanging from something.
You've been a little too active lately, she berated herself, gingerly heading over to her dresser. Absently, she heard her phone buzz on its charger, but she ignored it for now. She needed to make sure there was nothing wrong.
She found a faint hint of blood in her underwear as she drew her pants down. She grimaced.
"Terrific," she grumbled in both a mixture of agitation and relief. Her period was early by the looks of it. Not how she wanted to start the day.
Probably should have taken Mom's advice and got on birth-control to control that, she thought, scrambling to find her pads. Distantly, a questioning part of herself wondered about the pain and the blood. It didn't feel normal for her period, and she had no warning. Normally, her skin would start to break out with acne before the blood and pain came, but nothing of the sort happened. And the pain felt not at all like the usual muscle cramping. More like a slight, tender bruising, but even that didn't quite explain what she felt. Even now, as she moved, the pain was lessening, becoming dreamlike and easy to ignore.
Now if only I didn't still feel turned on, she thought, shivering as she buttoned up. That growling cat was reluctant to go away and Rika could still feel her vulva, swollen, red and flushed, squeezing angrily at nothing.
Rika frowned in recollection at the dream. That didn't go away either, and neither did the realness of it. Now that she thought about it, she could have sworn that she felt something inside her as Takato hovered over her, hips thrusting while staring into her eyes just as she did with his. The sense of him, including his scent – that wonderful mixture of freshly baked bread and cookie dough – had been too real. And the feel of his weight on top of her along with his eyes…
Okay. That's enough of that.
Rika stamped her foot on the floor in the hopes of dashing away the last remnants of the dream before hurrying over to her phone. Snatching it off the charger, she checked her messages and was half-pleased to find Takato's right there greeting her. She hit the play button and listened as the boy's chirpy voice came to life
"Hey, Rika! It's Takato. Henry says he wants to meet up at the park around 9. His dad got a call from Yamaki. He says it's nothing major, otherwise he'd have called one of us himself, since, you know. Fate of the world and all that."
"Just get on with it, Gogglehead," Rika said to the recording, a faint smile touching her lips as her lover boy continued to ramble on in the way only Takato could. All thoughts of her strange morning were becoming distant. Like a cloud passing briefly over the sun and soon forgotten.
"…and Guilmon says he might need Henry's dad to look him over. He, uh, said some funny things this morning. Smelled it too. I'll explain later if you'd like, but, um, yeah. That's about it. So, see you at the park?"
There came an awkward pause, followed soon by, "I love you. Take care."
The message ended. Lowering her phone, Rika gave a light chuckle.
"You're such a dork," she said softly. Finishing getting dressed, Rika adjusted her pad to make sure that it sat right where it was supposed to before making her way out of her room. She cast her mind about for her partner. The vulpine digimon hadn't been there when she woke up, which usually meant she was engrossed in something with either her mother or grandmother and couldn't immediately peel herself away from them without appearing rude. Rika hummed happily, the shadow from this morning swiftly vanishing along with the pain and frustrations. Somehow, the promise of seeing Takato so early in the day had put her in a better mood.
Maybe there really is something to that corny line about love conquering all, she thought, her hum taking on a more familiar tune she had sung in her youth. A song about sunsets. She wanted to berate herself for the rather corny thought, but couldn't find the energy for it. The day was warm and bright and as far as periods went, this was by far the easiest one she could remember having. What was there to be upset about?
She found her partner seated across from her mother in the kitchen, the two of them sharing a cup of coffee. Politely, on Renamon's part. When it came to getting a morning jolt of energy, the vulpine digimon preferred the energy drink Rika had once given her years ago. While she didn't mind coffee as a rule, she felt the taste left something to be desired.
"Mom, what kind of trouble are you getting my digimon into, this time?" Rika asked sarcastically as she entered the room. Looking up, Rumiko smiled at her daughter.
"No trouble at all, really," she laughed. "If anything, Renamon wanted to ask me for some help."
Arching an eyebrow, Rika turned toward her partner expectantly.
"I desired to know what a 'girl's night out' was like. "And to test my transformation ability with regards to a camera test."
"You're kidding me," Rika responded flatly. When Renamon shook her head, the girl pressed her lips together tightly.
"She only wants to learn how to fit in with human society more," Rumiko offered, hoping to tamp down on the sudden tension in Rika's posture. "Is that so wrong?"
"I'd much rather that she just be herself instead of pretending to be something else," Rika grumbled, crossing her arms. "Anyway, Renamon," she continued, opting to drop the topic before it could be pursued much further. "Takato says Henry wants to meet up with us at the park. Apparently, Yamaki picked something up but doesn't think it's a big enough deal to pass it on to us directly."
"I see," Renamon said. Getting to her feet, she bowed politely to Rumiko. "In that case, it seems that we should go." She paused, before awkwardly saying, "Mother."
"Ohhh… See? You can do it!" Rumiko beamed as Renamon blushed. Rika glanced back and forth between them before shaking her head.
"I'll see you outside," she said, departing from the scene.
###
"You mind telling me what that was all about?" Rika asked, once they were properly on the road. Renamon phased into view by the girl's side, her walk casual as though she had always been there.
"It has been on my mind more and more lately, ever since you entered puberty," the kitsune said. "I feel that I ought to learn more about human society and to do that I should learn to blend in better."
"You never needed to do that before," Rika pointed out. "You can even walk out in the open perfectly fine as you are now."
"Yes," Renamon acknowledged. "But my presence can still be upsetting – even alarming – to some. There may be places where I can't be with you if I appear as my usual self. As you grow and change, the places you go will as well. Remember when you had to quickly get home from Okinawa?"
Rika felt a blush tinge her cheeks in recollection. Years ago, back before she and Takato could even properly call each other 'friends,' she and Renamon had been transported to the island of Okinawa, where Takato and Henry had been vacationing at. They had both won the day, but Rika had to quickly find a way home, a matter made complicated somewhat by Renamon as, during that time, digimon were still unknown to the general public.
"Okay, you've got a point there," Rika said, embarrassed. "I'd hate for you to have to be with the luggage again when you can just fly first class with me. I just wish you didn't have to look different, that's all."
"I can understand that," Renamon nodded in agreement. "In spite of the boys' reactions, my usual disguise doesn't appear quite as nice."
Rika's blush deepened. "I really wish you wouldn't make fun of me, sometimes," she said.
"Apologies," Renamon replied with an amused chuckle before fading from view. Scowling at the spot her partner had vacated, Rika hurried along.
###
8:40 found Rika resting at the gate to the old concrete bunker, one foot tapping against the ground while she rocked her head to the beat playing on her earbuds. She felt a tickle at the back of her head courtesy of her connection with Renamon. Hitting the pause button, she slid her earbuds off and pushed away from the gate. Marching her way over to the top of the stairs, she folded her arms together and smiled down at Takato and Guilmon hurried up.
"You're late," she said with a playful smirk. Takato blinks as he and Guilmon reach the last stair, standing just a step below the fire-haired girl.
"Uh, I am? But I was pretty sure I left with…"
The boy found himself abruptly cut off as Rika closed the remainder of the distance between them and softly pressed her lips against his. Reaching up, she cupped his cheek, stroking it gently with her thumb. Quickly getting over his surprise, she felt Takato laugh against her and encircle her waist with his arms.
"Jeez…" he breathed as she broke their kiss. "You almost had me going there for a second."
"Someone's got to keep you on your toes," she chuckled, still running her thumb along his cheek. "How're you two numbskulls doing? Everything all right?" She glanced down at Guilmon, who smiled at their love. "Especially you, Dino Boy. Gogglehead says you need to get looked at."
"I don't know," Guilmon replied. "It was a weird morning. I thought I smelled you in Takato's room like you were just there, only you weren't, so…"
Trailing off, he gave a little shrug. Rika arched an eyebrow at Takato, who also shrugged.
"His nose usually isn't wrong," the boy explained. "I don't really get it myself, but it pays to make sure just in case."
"No argument here," Rika agreed with a nod before pulling away. "Any idea about what Henry has to tell us? Couldn't he have told you over the phone or something?"
"Sorry," Takato admitted with a light blush. "I didn't think to ask. Besides, I figured it would be a good excuse as any to see you."
"I'll bet," Rika hummed, giving Takato's nose a light flick. With a sigh, she returned to her spot against the cage and sat herself down. "Well, nothing to do except to wait for him."
"I can help with the waiting if you don't mind," Takato said, joining her.
"I don't mind as long as you don't make talking a requirement," Rika replied. Taking out her earbuds, she offered him one. Takato lifted an eyebrow, but accepted it.
"Why, what's up? Bad morning?"
"Weird dreams and I'm on my period." Rika blushed faintly at addressing her monthly cycle, as did Takato. However, neither shied away from it, both having shared quite a few things between them even before dating and neither seeing any reason to hide this rather important detail.
"Bad one this month?" Takato inquired, placing the earbud in his ear.
"No, actually," Rika said, hitting the play button and toning down the volume. "But still not good. Felt a little bit like I had been riding Kyubimon all the way to Hokkaido. The dream though…"
Takato tilted his head to one side, a concerned look on his face as the space between them was filled with a steady, musical beat. "What about it?"
Rika blushed and, after folding her arms over her knees, leaned her chin atop them. "Well, it's kind of embarrassing."
"Can't be anything worse than the kinds of things I've dreamt," Takato offered, smiling reassuringly. "I mean, I had a pretty weird dream last night too." Crimson promptly bloomed upon his face. "I could tell you mine if it'll help you feel better." He barked an uncertain laugh. "I mean, it is pretty embarrassing and, um, well…"
"How about not?" Rika grinned, leaning over and bumping herself against the boy. "I'm sure you're having all kinds of 'naughty dreams' about you and me holding hands."
Takato coughed. "Actually, it was more than that. A lot more."
Rika gave him a thoughtful look, sensing what that 'more' was in the nervous tone in his voice. Thinking back on how he had accidently made her orgasm yesterday, she turned away.
"Yeah, well, that's normal, right? We're at that age after all. Maybe we shouldn't be so embarrassed about it. Especially if we're both having those kinds of dreams."
Takato looked at her in surprise. After a moment, he scratched the side of his head.
"Yeah, I guess," he said, watching Guilmon sniff around, testing his nose's sensitivity. "Not sure if it's normal for dreams to feel so real. But then, my dreams have been anything but normal ever since I created Guilmon."
At that, Rika looked at him sharply. "Hang on," she said, hitting the pause button. "Say that again? Your dream felt…?"
"Heeey!" interrupted an all too familiar call coming from the stairs. Rika groaned in annoyance.
"Terrific. Of course, he has to have the perfect timing."
Retrieving the earbuds, she stashed them in her pocket. Climbing to their feet, the couple found Henry and Terriermon reaching the top of the steps.
"Hey guys," Henry said, giving them a polite smile while Terriermon waved at them with his ear.
"Hey yourself," Rika nodded with a slight frown, shooting Terriermon a warning look. "So, what's so important that it couldn't be mentioned over the phone?"
"What's the big deal?" Terriermon asked, hopping down from his partner's shoulder. "Did we interrupt your date or something?"
"Sorry, guys," Henry interceded before anyone could reply. "But when Takato mentioned something possibly being wrong with Guilmon, I thought it would be better to meet up and then go from there. Yamaki told my dad that there's some data gathering in the digital world. It seems pretty harmless now, but…"
"But whenever has things stayed that way?" Takato finished, feeling a little crushed by this news. "Man, we sure can't catch a break, can we?"
"A Tamer's work is never done," Rika shrugged, folding her arms together. "All right. We'll keep an eye out while you give Dino Boy a once over. Hopefully whatever's bugging his nose is just allergies or something."
"Did Yamaki give you an idea about what that data gathering even is?" Takato asked, hoping to glean more information out of his friend. It seemed a trifle odd that Yamaki would bother to send a message at all if there wasn't any more detail to it. He didn't particularly like possibly having to fight blind.
"Afraid not," Henry shook his head. "Seems weird, but maybe there's not much to go on anyway and he's just letting us know just to be on the safe side."
"Who cares what he knows or doesn't know?" Terriermon asked, striking a fighting pose. "If it comes looking for trouble, we'll still kick its booty!"
"All right, if that's all you've come for, does Guilmon have an appointment set up? If there's trouble coming, the sooner we get him looked at the better."
"My dad says we can go see him now, actually," Henry said. Rika nodded.
"In that case, I'll hold the fort down until you're done."
"Are you sure?" Takato asked, looking at her worriedly.
Rika shifted, thoughts swirling about in her head. "Yeah," she said. "If something happens, you'd only end up being a distraction without Dino Boy. Sorry, Gogglehead, but it's the truth. Besides, I can let the others know and set them on patrol too."
"It's not like Kazu needs convincing to go lay the smackdown on an evil digimon anyway," Terriermon pointed out. "He's been a little bit restless ever since the beach. I think he wants to make up for yanking Takatomon's pants down in front of everyone."
"I think that's enough now," Renamon said, phasing into view behind Terriermon as Rika and Takato both blushed in recollection. Glancing at Henry, the vulpine digimon smiled. "Make sure to keep in touch if you find anything…or don't."
"R-Right," Henry nodded, looking suddenly uncomfortable. Rika glanced back and forth between them, sensing a sudden, uncomfortable air between them. Unable to parcel out why, and unwilling to press it in front of Terriermon, she shrugged and turned toward Takato.
"You do the same," she said, clasping his hand in hers. "And if this whole thing with Guilmon's nose turns out to be a whole lot of nothing, let's get something to eat. Just us."
A warm smile bloomed across Takato's features, but before the boy could say anything, Rika stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his once more. Renamon glanced over at Henry thoughtfully while the boy studiously did his best to avoid eye contact.
"Awww…" Guilmon sighed, smiling as Takato and Rika continued to kiss one another. "Isn't that nice?"
"I say it looks like they're trying to eat each other," Terriermon giggled. "But that does make me wonder… Hey, Takatomon! What does Rika taste li-?"
"How about no wondering," Henry said, hurriedly grabbing his partner and clamping a hand about his mouth. Rika broke away from her lover boy and visited a fearsome glare on Terriermon. Mouth twitching, Henry began to back up.
"We'll, uh, be waiting down at the bottom of the stairs. Ah, see you later. And Merry Christmas?"
"See you later," Renamon smiled as Henry hurriedly scrambled down the steps with a grace that eerily reminded Rika of Takato at his most flustered. It looked alien coming from him.
"You boys better get going," Rika said, giving Takato's hand a squeeze. "Let me know what's up, okay?"
"Always," Takato blushed. Leaning forward, he gave the corner of her mouth a light kiss before breaking away, Guilmon following close behind. Rika watched them go for a moment, thoughts and feelings swirling in her mind. Finally, shaking her head, she looked over at Renamon, her eyes inquisitive.
"You want to tell me what that whole thing with Henry was about?" she asked.
Renamon's eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise, looking caught off guard. After a moment, she heaved a heavy sigh.
"Oh dear…"
9