Door into Summer

Author's Note: Set after Digimon Adventure 02 and prior to Digimon Adventure tri. Titled after Wallace's image song from the eponymous Digimon Adventure 02 drama CD. Note that in the original language version, Wallace always calls his Digimon by their Baby / In-Training names, hence why he refers to Terriermon as Gummymon here. Enjoy the story and R&R.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of the Digimon series.

Pairing: Pre-slash Daisuke x Wallace.

Summary:

Wallace reminisces about the summer he met the Chosen Children, when his heart departed the United States with Motomiya Daisuke for Japan.

A surfeit of freshly baked apple pies cooled on the windowsill, shined upon by the afternoon's warm light. The smell of home cooking wafted out the Manhattan alley. Wallace stood at the oven for the umpteenth time since the scarlet morn, his nose dabbed in flour and smock speckled in cinnamon and nutmeg, humming along to the refrain on the kitchen radio.

"La la la la la la la la la la la…"

Terriermon puffed his ears, wielding them like hands to saran wrap the brownies his partner also whipped up. "Wallace, I'm finished."

The picturesque memory of the Chosen Children from Japan pervaded his thoughts. They were a band of eccentrics, strange yet nice folks, Miyako, Iori, Takeru, Hikari, and Daisuke. He owed them an eternal debt taking in a loner such as himself off the street corner. Especially Daisuke. The vainglorious ignoramus changed his life. The glass used to be half empty. Now, it was half full. Wallace may have kissed the girls in a flash of machismo, but it was Daisuke he coveted.

Flirting with Miyako to drive the dude crazy. It still tickled. The American vacillated between being a momma's boy and a silver-tongued cad, too cool for school.

To meet Daisuke and run with him to the ends of the Earth. That was the reason he was born.

Jabbing his instant-read thermometer into the last pie, he spared a minute to shoot Goggles an email and check his progress, briskly zeroing in on the saved address among his contacts: daisuke .jp.

"You gonna be here soon?"

Daisuke responded "Yes" to his message, Wallace presumed from his D-Terminal. Due to his flight getting delayed touching down in JFK Airport, Daisuke bellyached he'd be a frazzled wreck once he arrived at Wallace's place. Nonetheless, he swore he would make their scheduled engagement; he was hitchhiking the rest of the way. His previous adventure with Wallace more than prepared him for said eventuality.

Wallace remembered the indelible thrill riding Lighdramon, holding fast to Daisuke's waist as though relinquishing the stirrups would send him hurtling into a hurricane. The incalculable freedom to scream over the breeze. The taste of summer heat on his palate. For a brief patch, Chocomon's mental health issues left his mind. He didn't care where they were going. Anywhere was fine, if he could canter aimlessly across the scenic frontier. Wherever the wind blew. Wherever his feelings took him.

He told himself that if he ever saw Daisuke again, he'd rush towards him smiling and beg him to saddle up for another jaunt through the Colorado hills and wheat fields astraddle his Digimon's back.

His dream was within striking distance.

The door chime tolled.

It had to be Daisuke. Definitely.

Their story was just starting.

"Come on, Gummymon. Let's go on and open the door! There's someone waiting for us!"