[fanfic] Digimon Adventure 02: First

[higuchimon]

Fandom: Digimon Adventure 02
Title: First
Romance: Wormmon x V-mon
Word Count: 2,786||Status: One-shot
Genre: Romance||Rated: PG-13
Challenge: Digimon Pairings Challenge: Round 4
Summary: The first time Wormmon saw Vmon, he was unconscious. That didn't stop him from falling in love.

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Wormmon first really saw V-mon when he was unconscious. Daisuke was there, too, but the caterpillar didn't really pay that much attention to the human. That was for his master to deal with, and Ken was doing just that. Wormmon's attention was all on the other Digimon.

He hadn't had a chance to talk to any of the ones that the Digimon Kaiser enslaved. They didn't talk to him, anyway. They barely spoke to anyone beyond a few grunts, or possibly mumbled words of obedience to the whip-bearing human. He didn't think they would have that much to say even if they'd been able to.

But V-mon didn't have one of the Rings on him, and from the few muttered words and phrases he'd heard the Kaiser whispering to himself, he didn't think that he would right away. Ken wanted to hurt Daisuke as much as he could, and that would involve enslaving his partner right in front of him. The more Wormmon thought about that, the more he was sick to his stomach at the very idea. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it. He wanted his Ken back, the sweet gentle boy of just two years ago, and he had no idea of how to get what he wanted.

So until he could find a way to break through the coldness around his partner, he would obey the Kaiser, and at the moment, that meant making certain that V-mon didn't go anywhere once he woke up, at least not anywhere that Ken didn't want him to.

“Ow.” That was the first thing that Wormmon heard from V-mon. A single expression of pain, and the voice drove straight into the little green Digimon's heart and took up residence there, never to truly leave it, no matter what.

He shuffled a little closer and peered into V-mon's eyes as they began to open them. “Are you all right?” He knew that wasn't the brightest question. Getting hit from behind like he had wouldn't lead to being all right, no matter who it was.

“I've got a headache.” V-mon admitted honestly, the first true words Wormmon heard from him. One single sentence, but for the rest of his life, Wormmon never forgot it, and never wanted to.

“I'm sorry.” He bent his head as low as he could, trying to express that sorry in any way possible. “You shouldn't move.” There were two reasons for that. One, he didn't think it would do V-mon any good, and two, Ken wasn't that far off, and Wormmon tried his best not to do anything that would get his master angry at him.

V-mon blinked a few times and tried to get focused on who was talking. The first time he saw Wormmon was oddly enough one of the more pleasant times of his life, all things considered. Even with his head throbbing, staring into those warm blue eyes sent an unfamiliar warmth surging all through him. It was stronger and deeper than the delight he'd found in being freed by Daisuke. He had no words for it, and so didn't bother himself with finding them. He just enjoyed the fact that it was there.

“Oh. Hello. Who are you?” He didn't try to move. He could see Daisuke out of the corner of one eye, and the Kaiser was bent over him, his hands inside of his jacket, or so V-mon thought from his angle. He could also see the whip hanging off of the Kaiser's belt, and with their enemy that close, he didn't want to do anything that would get him angry. He wasn't sure just how he knew that was who it was, but really, who else could it be?

Not even my partner's partner for a whole day and already we got captured. He hoped the other Digimon wouldn't laugh at him. This couldn't have happened to anyone else.

But if they did, and he could still find out who this cute Digimon with him at the moment was, it wouldn't be all that bad.

“I'm Wormmon,” the other replied, all unknowing of the thoughts going through V-mon's mind. “That's my master there: the Digimon Kaiser.”

“Yeah, I kind of figured.” V-mon carefully rubbed the back of his head, and noted there was a small lump there. He was going to have to get something to fix it. It throbbed some under his touch, but he didn't think anything had been knocked loose that shouldn't have been. “So what's he going to do?”

Wormmon shrugged, as best that someone who had no arms or shoulders could. “I don't know. He didn't tell me. I'm not supposed to ask questions, either.” He ducked his head sadly. Ken had used to ask a lot of questions. Now all he seemed to have were answers, to questions that should never have been asked.

V-mon had never really wanted to comfort someone before. He couldn't remember a great deal before he'd awakened when Daisuke lifted up the Digimental of Courage, but he was pretty sure that he'd never wanted to just hold someone like he wanted to hold this gentle creature. How could someone as mean and nasty and cruel as the Kaiser have a partner who was as kind as Wormmon so obviously was?

There was no doubt in his mind at all that Wormmon was nothing like the strange human who had declared himself the master of the Digital World. Anyone looking into those eyes would know he wasn't like him. He might defend him, as any Digimon would his partner, but V-mon had not a shadow of a doubt that he was not like him.

But the point was, he wanted to pull the caterpillar into his arms and hold him and just make it all better. Just what 'it all' was he didn't know. There was sadness in those eyes, and it shouldn't be there. He could even see a few fading scars and marks on Wormmon's green body. He'd never seen the marks of a whip before, but he knew that was what had made it anyway. How could anyone do that to someone this adorable? This sweet? They'd barely exchanged fifty whole words, if that many, and already V-mon was convinced that Wormmon was quite likely the most precious creature in the Digital World.

He glanced over at the Kaiser again, his gaze dropping for a moment to Daisuke. His own partner didn't look all that good. He didn't look bad, either, but V-mon would've felt a lot better if he'd open his eyes or something. Maybe the Kaiser had done something so he wouldn't? He shivered just at the thought before he turned back to Wormmon.

“Well, I'm V-mon.” The introductions had been a little stilted and confused, but they were taken care of now. “I hope we're not going to have to fight each other.”

“K..the Kaiser never lets me fight. I wouldn't be any good to him like that.” Wormmon murmured, dropping his gaze from V-mon's. He did most of the grunt work around the fortress, really. He was the one who made certain Ken had meals ready, if he chose to ate while he was there, and who tended the bedroom Ken had set up for himself. He never slept there, but Wormmon took care of it anyway. Sometimes he even slept on the bed himself, dreaming long, happy dreams of Ken being there with him. The sad reality was that he woke from them every time to find himself alone.

“That's silly.” V-mon declared firmly, his eyes cutting over to where the other was now staring down at Daisuke. He couldn't see the Kaiser's face, mainly because of how they both stood, but the hate that dripped off of the human was almost touchable in its intensity. He shivered briefly, and wondered how long it would be until they were rescued, or until they had a chance to free themselves. No matter what reaction the others had, he could hardly wait to find out what it was. The sooner, the better.

Wormmon stared down even more. The words appeared to be offhand, the casual remark of someone who could evolve, who could protect their Chosen human, and who could do it as easily as they could breathe. They didn't mean anything to him. Or they shouldn't. But he couldn't help but be warmed just by the fact they'd been spoken in the first place.

“Wormmon!” The Kaiser's voice cut through his emotional muddle. “Bring that little pest along and follow me.” Both of the Digimon noticed belatedly that he had slung Daisuke over his shoulder and now stalked along a corridor that appeared almost from nowhere. V-mon wondered just where they were; he hadn't really paid that much attention to their surroundings until now.

The last he recalled before waking up to Wormmon's eyes was falling into a deep hole, one dug by Drimogemon. They were now in a large cavern, with a sourceless light shimmering all around them. Several tunnels led out of it, most of them appearing to be more Drimogemon work, from his limited experience. The Kaiser was going down one of them now, his movements quick and fluid. He carried Daisuke's weight, surely equal to his own if not more, with an ease that might have impressed V-mon more if he had known just how much humans tended to weigh, and how much ones of the Kaiser's age were normally supposed to be able to carry.

As it was, he had other things on his mind. Wormmon nudged him a little with the tip of his nose. “Come on. We don't want to get him mad at us.”

V-mon, truly, couldn't have cared less if the Kaiser were angry, as long as he didn't hurt Daisuke. But since an angry Kaiser more than likely would do that, he kept his mouth shut and followed along with Wormmon. He didn't mind very much, as within a very few steps, he learned that he liked walking beside Wormmon. Despite his own strides and Wormmon wriggling along, they matched paces almost as if they were one being. It was the first time anything like that had ever happened for either of them.

Wormmon noticed it as well, and the warmth that bubbled up within at the thought only grew stronger. How could V-mon make him feel like this just by walking beside him? It made no sense, and if there was one thing that Wormmon had picked up from being with Ken, it was that things should make sense. Even if they didn't, they should.

“Go that way.” The Kaiser didn't even look to see if the two of them were still there when the corridor they walked down split into two. “And wait for me.”

He walked down the path he hadn't pointed out to them, and in moments was gone from sight. V-mon watched him, wondering if he should try to follow and rescue his partner. There had to be something he could do; he couldn't just be following that bad guy's orders constantly!

“Come on.” Wormmon nudged against him briefly, and V-mon saw another scar as he did, one that appeared to be fresher than the others. It probably hadn't been inflicted in the last day or so, but it had to be in the last week. He reached out quietly and touched it with the tips of his clawed fingers, and Wormmon froze at the contact. “What are...”

“Why does he do that to you?” V-mon's voice was lower and softer than he had ever heard it before. Wormmon knew he'd never been spoken to like that for at least two years, and even then, Ken hadn't sounded quite like this. The warmth within only grew stronger, and he wished with all of his pure digital soul that he could do something that would help V-mon.

“I don't listen to him all the time. Not when I should,” he answered, staring into V-mon's eyes. They had to be the sweetest eyes he'd ever seen. Not that he looked into many Digimon's eyes, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Ken's, for that matter. They all paled next to these, that looked at him with such kindness and caring. “I try to, but sometimes I'm just not good enough for him.”

“You're too good for him.” V-mon spoke with utter certainty. Somehow, without noticing it, the two of them had begun to walk down the corridor the Kaiser indicated to them. V-mon still had one hand gently on Wormmon's skin, and he stroked, not even thinking about what he was doing. Both of them shivered at the contact, and neither thought for a moment about breaking it.

“I'm not.” Wormmon wished that he was, but he knew what was true. He wanted to be whatever Ken wanted him to be, and since he couldn't be right now, he wasn't good enough. Maybe someday I'll find a way. Maybe V-mon would be able to help him.

“Hmph. You are.” V-mon knew he was right about this. Wormmon might take some convincing, but he knew it was true, and he'd find a way to get the other to believe it, no matter how long it took.

The corridor ended at a dead end, with no sign of anything the Kaiser might want them to do while they wait for him. V-mon settled himself down on the floor and watched the direction they'd come from, knowing that sooner or later, their enemy would show up. He said he would, after all, and V-mon had a strong feeling that this guy would keep his promise, no matter what. Besides, it was more comfortable to sit and be able to look into Wormmon's eyes like this.

Neither of them said all that much while they sat and waited. V-mon divided his attention between Wormmon and the pathway, and found Wormmon's eyes to be that much more interesting. It was the first time in his memory that he'd ever thought something like that, and he enjoyed it. He wondered if Wormmon was thinking the same thing, but couldn't bring himself to ask. He had no idea of what words to say anyway. So he didn't bother to say anything at all. It was better like that.

This was not to say that he didn't worry about what the Kaiser was doing to Daisuke. Every bit of him that wasn't noticing how adorable Wormmon's antenna were, which was more than he might've thought under most circumstances, was caught up in thinking about what might be happening. He had to be all right. He would be all right. He was all right. He thought about Daisuke and he thought about Wormmon and even though the two types of thoughts were as different as night and day, he enjoyed them both. If he enjoyed the ones of Wormmon a little more, then perhaps he could be forgiven for preferring pleasure to panic.

Wormmon, for the first time, was able to simply sit and enjoy someone's company, and he worked hard to memorize this time, so when it wasn't gone, he would be able to think about it all the better. It was really the first time that Ken had entrusted him with something this important. Of course guarding someone's Digimon partner wasn't as important as guarding them, but he hadn't expected his master to entrust Daisuke to him, after all. Ken had spent quite a bit of the time since Daisuke had first made his appearance cursing out the other boy, and Wormmon had never expected to so much as be brought along on this mission of humiliation.

Perhaps that was a good sign for the future. He determined to take it as such. Not to mention that he really and truly enjoyed talking to V-mon. It didn't matter what they had to say. Just the fact they spoke to each other was enough.

So when the Kaiser showed up and manacled V-mon to part of the rock, and ordered Wormmon to follow him, the only regret that the caterpillar had was that he hadn't spoken much more, given himself more to remember when he'd had the chance.

And in the months and years to come, he both wished that he'd taken one more first, given one more first, and yet he was glad that their first kiss was when Ken wasn't the Kaiser and was as glad for him as he was for himself. Truly, there was no one else he would have wanted to have that first precious gift, even when he hadn't known what love was.

The End