This little story is a gift fic for Yaegashi Yoshiki, my partner in crime.
He wanted me to write him an Ioken and I told him I would. At first I
wasn't sure what to do with two characters that I have a really hard time
writing well, Ken much more than Iori. For the longest time I didn't like
Ken that much, but I've recently warmed up to him quite a bit. When I took
the notes down for this story it was going to be a 3-4 page short. Well,
as things usually end up happening to me, the story came alive and it will
be much more.
I sat down to start typing it up and I was listening to what might now be
my new favorite song, "Concrete Angel" by Martina McBride. The story began
to flood out of me once the song started playing. I might as well toss the
notes I wrote out into the street because it's not looking like I'll use
them at all now.
Peace has finally rung throughout the digital world. All the destruction caused by the Digimon Emperor and the battles against him and the others has been repaired. The Digi-Destined have all now put aside any ill feeling toward Ken, even little Iori. He was the last to do so and it didn't come easy. In fact, it was damn near impossible.
Daisuke took to him immediately, like a duck to water. Takeru soon followed, as did Miyako and Kari. The older Digi-Destined got over everything he did to their beloved digital world as well. Iori simply couldn't do it for a long time. He would try to put it out of his mind, but it continued to invade his thoughts repeatedly. Every time he thought he had succeeded, he'd remember a little thing that Ken had done as the Emperor.
Finally, after nearly a half-year, he managed to hold a long, meaningful, and completely civil conversation with Ken without suddenly finding he loathed him. All the younger Digi-Destined had gone out to see the latest movie and have a bite to eat afterward. As they were walking from the theatre to their favorite hangout a few blocks away, Ken brought up the subject of Iori's kendo training. He asked in a completely caring and interesting way and Iori responded in kind. The two of them talked during the walk and all during their dinner of assorted fried foods.
The other Digi-Destined stood back and let what was going on bloom. They'd never seen Iori freely speak no more than a dozen words to Ken at any one time. Soon the two of them were carrying on like they'd been friends since time out of mind. Smiled graced the faces of each boy and even the usually boisterous Daisuke was nearly silent while the two former near-enemies talked.
After the group broke up and headed home for the evening, the other four Digi-Destined considered what had happened that evening at great length, except for Daisuke who considered it for two minutes while his pizza rolls were cooking in the microwave. Kari came up with what was the most articulate of the thoughts. She came to the conclusion that Iori needed a cooling off period toward Ken while his memories of Ken's actions as the Emperor faded and lost some of their pain in Iori's mind. Had she have shared her insight with Iori, she'd have found that he had concluded the same thing.
While the two boys didn't go out of their way to hang out together or anything, it was obvious that they were slowly warming toward each other. When they got together they talked more to each other than the rest of the group put together. It was as if some underlying understanding had been uncovered between them and they were making up lost time.
Soon Iori found Ken at a few of his kendo tournaments, silently watching and secretly rooting him on. Iori always found a bit of extra strength and determination when he saw Ken watching from the stands. More often than not Iori would win the matches that Ken appeared at even when the odds were heavily stacked against him.
What made those days really special for Iori, more so than his victories, was when he and Ken would go out afterwards for a bite to eat. Ken and the 'Little Samurai' would stop at the same little bistro and they would slowly eat and talk for hours. They would finally part company as the sun was beginning to set, both sad to see their new best friend leave, even if it were only for the evening.
Iori walked away from the most recent of these meetings reflecting on how much things had changed in the past few months. As hard as he tried to do so, he couldn't understand why it had happened. It seemed like the last thing that should happen in a rational world. Maybe this world isn't as rational as Koushirou says it is he thought as he rounded the last block and approached his building.
Iori stepped through the door of his apartment and found it silent inside. No, not quite silent. Light snoring could be barely heard from his grandfather's room. Iori grinned as the snoring deepened for a moment and his grandfather murmured something about fishing and fell back to near- silence. After taking his shoes off he strode into the kitchen to grab a drink of water to help replace the gallons of fluid he sweated out earlier. He saw a note on the refrigerator and read it. Iori-chan, I've gone out with a few of my girlfriends tonight. I left some dinner in the fridge if you've not eaten yet. Love, Mum. He grinned again, knowing some of the trouble his mum and her friends could get into. He thought back to a few months ago when he and his grandfather had had to go bail them out of jail after a particularly rugged night of partying. He grinned and decided to pass on more dinner and to take a shower instead.
After his shower he glanced at the clock and saw it was getting close to his bedtime. Iori changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed, a bit sore from the previous exertion. He lay with his hands behind his head and Ken's smile in his mind, soon drifting off to the sound of Ken's laughter, smiling to himself as he did so.
He awoke the next morning to a rather odd feeling. At first he couldn't place it to save his life. It slowly began to gain focus as the day wore on. He was sitting in his second class of the day when he realized what it was. He missed Ken. He'd not seen him since yesterday and it felt like it was a year already. This new feeling perplexed Iori for the rest of the school day. He'd always been a bit distant from everyone except his mum and grandfather and now out of the blue he felt like he was dying without Ken near him.
As he, Takeru, and Miyako walked home from school he was strangely quiet. Miyako commented on it and he told her that he was thinking deeply about something. He had done this oft enough that it drew no further questioning from the other two and they continued their walk home. Iori bade the others goodbye and walked into his apartment, finding it empty. After he made a small snack, he settled on the couch and continued his pondering.
Could it be love he was feeling? Was that possible? Could cold Iori Hida feel something as strong as that? He honestly wasn't sure. He liked all his friends a lot, but his feeling toward Ken was more powerful than that. Just thinking about him made Iori smile. He saw how Ken's hair fell in front of his eyes when he laughed and how he always brushed it back into place. He saw Ken smiling in his mind's eye and for a moment thought he would melt. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to be able to talk to Ken, but he would still be at school for another two hours or so. Iori frowned slightly and set his plate on the small table next to the couch.
Was it love? He had to know. But who to ask? A list of people flew through his mind. He automatically dismissed Taichi and Daisuke, not wanting to ask such a question to them. The rest of the Digi-Destined went through his mind, all being discarded for one reason or another until he came upon Koushirou. Koushirou would know. Koushirou knew almost anything worth knowing. His mind made up, he walked to the phone and dialed Koushirou's number.
"Koushirou, would you mind if I came over for a bit and talked to you about something?" He asked after Koushirou picked up the phone.
"Sure, Iori, come on over. What's it about?"
"I'd rather tell you in person, Koushirou," he said quietly.
"Okay. I'll be waiting."
"Thank you. I'll be right over." Iori hung the phone back and headed out the door after leaving a quick note for his mum as to his whereabouts.
He made short work of the twelve blocks between his apartment and Koushirou's, making the trip in under ten minutes. He knocked on the door and was ushered in by Mrs. Izumi.
"He's in his room, Iori. Go on in," she told him as she shut the door. Iori thanked her with a polite bow and headed to the room. After a short knock he entered.
"Hello, Iori. Come on in and have a seat," Koushirou said and Iori closed the door behind him. "What's on your mind?" Koushirou asked as Iori sat on the edge of Koushirou's bed. Iori fidgeted for a few seconds before speaking.
"Koushirou, what does it mean when you can't stop thinking about someone? Is it love?" He blurted out suddenly, the tactful way he'd planned to broach the subject tossed out Koushirou's fifth floor window and left to splatter upon the street below.
"It might be, Iori. What brought this around?"
"All day I've been feeling really odd, like something was missing from deep inside me. At first I hadn't a clue as to what it was, then it hit me a little while before I called you. I think I'm in love, Koushirou."
Koushirou looked at the younger boy before him thoughtfully for a few seconds before speaking. "Who's the lucky lady, Iori?" he asked. Iori's face fell just enough for Koushirou to notice before Iori could cover it. Koushirou's heart fell about 10 stories as his mind rapidly put two and two together. "Oh," he said very quietly.
"Yeah. It's not a girl," Iori said as he hung his head.
"Why are you sad, Iori?" Koushirou asked him as he moved to his side on the bed. "I shouldn't have come over here. I'm sorry." He began to stand up and leave but a hand on his shoulder arrested any further progress.
"Why are you leaving, Iori? It doesn't matter to me at all who you love. So why don't you sit back down?" Iori looked at the redhead and flashed him a smile and sat back down. Koushirou wrapped an arm around him in a brotherly way and spoke again. "So, who's the lucky boy?"
That was the whole reason he had come here. He knew deep inside that Koushirou would be completely understanding. He didn't have a judgmental bone in his entire body. He looked over and saw Koushirou's friendly face and couldn't help but hug his friend back, wrapping both arms around him in a hold that would make a wrestler jealous.
"Ken," he said into Koushirou's shoulder. "It's Ken." Iori looked up from his bear hug and saw Koushirou grinning at him. "What's so funny?"
"It's not really funny, but I was thinking of how you wouldn't even talk to him unless you absolutely had to and now you love him."
"It struck me as quite odd myself," Iori told him.
"Why don't you tell me what you feel and we'll see if this is love?" Iori nodded and started speaking.
"We went out for dinner after my kendo tournament yesterday like we do rather often and had a great time. I was fascinated with every single movement he made, every breath he took, every word he spoke. When we had to split up to head home, I was a little sad. Then, this morning I woke up feeling like a part of me was missing, like I'd forgotten something somewhere." Iori stopped for a second to look at Koushirou again. Koushirou nodded and prompted him to continue.
"I thought about it all day and I thought that it might be love. I've heard it talked about before and that is exactly how I feel about him. When I got home, every thought I had about him made be a little weak. I couldn't stop thinking about him, Koushirou. Even the littlest thing he did in my mind made me feel as if I would melt," Iori said, completely revealing his soul like he'd never done in his life to anyone, not even his mum.
"I do believe that is love, Iori," Koushirou said as he pulled Iori a little tighter. "I can't believe it, but I think our little boy is growing up." Koushirou smiled at Iori again and got one in return. Iori had grudgingly accepted a bit of babying from all the other Digi-Destined, but it was different when it came from Koushirou. There was no malice in it, no depreciation, nothing of the sort. It was just simple care. Iori liked that.
"Thanks, Koushirou. I'm glad I came over here now."
"Glad I could be of help. If you don't mind me asking, what are you going to do about this, Iori?"
"I really don't know," Iori told him after a moment's thought. "I don't even know if he feels a thing for me at all."
"Maybe you could find out when we go to the digital world this weekend. We'll all be there and you could spend some time with him. The whole day, really."
"You're right, Koushirou!" Iori's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "I had forgotten about that."
"You've been too busy swooning over Ken-chan to think of much else, haven't you?" Koushirou asked him, his face again covered with a grin.
"Yes I have." Koushirou reached over and gave Iori a gentle noogie and they both shared a laugh.
Oh my goodness was that fun to write. I do believe that this is my new favorite story to write on now. If it weren't for the fact I have to study for a final in a few hours, I'd likely write a lot more of it. But, school must come first and I also promised Yoshiki that I'd post it. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. The next chapter will be up in the near future, so don't worry. If you want it sooner, you could always drop a review or three in it and I might get it out sooner. I'm a sucker for reviews in case you all didn't know that by now. Well, you know what to do.
energy
Peace has finally rung throughout the digital world. All the destruction caused by the Digimon Emperor and the battles against him and the others has been repaired. The Digi-Destined have all now put aside any ill feeling toward Ken, even little Iori. He was the last to do so and it didn't come easy. In fact, it was damn near impossible.
Daisuke took to him immediately, like a duck to water. Takeru soon followed, as did Miyako and Kari. The older Digi-Destined got over everything he did to their beloved digital world as well. Iori simply couldn't do it for a long time. He would try to put it out of his mind, but it continued to invade his thoughts repeatedly. Every time he thought he had succeeded, he'd remember a little thing that Ken had done as the Emperor.
Finally, after nearly a half-year, he managed to hold a long, meaningful, and completely civil conversation with Ken without suddenly finding he loathed him. All the younger Digi-Destined had gone out to see the latest movie and have a bite to eat afterward. As they were walking from the theatre to their favorite hangout a few blocks away, Ken brought up the subject of Iori's kendo training. He asked in a completely caring and interesting way and Iori responded in kind. The two of them talked during the walk and all during their dinner of assorted fried foods.
The other Digi-Destined stood back and let what was going on bloom. They'd never seen Iori freely speak no more than a dozen words to Ken at any one time. Soon the two of them were carrying on like they'd been friends since time out of mind. Smiled graced the faces of each boy and even the usually boisterous Daisuke was nearly silent while the two former near-enemies talked.
After the group broke up and headed home for the evening, the other four Digi-Destined considered what had happened that evening at great length, except for Daisuke who considered it for two minutes while his pizza rolls were cooking in the microwave. Kari came up with what was the most articulate of the thoughts. She came to the conclusion that Iori needed a cooling off period toward Ken while his memories of Ken's actions as the Emperor faded and lost some of their pain in Iori's mind. Had she have shared her insight with Iori, she'd have found that he had concluded the same thing.
While the two boys didn't go out of their way to hang out together or anything, it was obvious that they were slowly warming toward each other. When they got together they talked more to each other than the rest of the group put together. It was as if some underlying understanding had been uncovered between them and they were making up lost time.
Soon Iori found Ken at a few of his kendo tournaments, silently watching and secretly rooting him on. Iori always found a bit of extra strength and determination when he saw Ken watching from the stands. More often than not Iori would win the matches that Ken appeared at even when the odds were heavily stacked against him.
What made those days really special for Iori, more so than his victories, was when he and Ken would go out afterwards for a bite to eat. Ken and the 'Little Samurai' would stop at the same little bistro and they would slowly eat and talk for hours. They would finally part company as the sun was beginning to set, both sad to see their new best friend leave, even if it were only for the evening.
Iori walked away from the most recent of these meetings reflecting on how much things had changed in the past few months. As hard as he tried to do so, he couldn't understand why it had happened. It seemed like the last thing that should happen in a rational world. Maybe this world isn't as rational as Koushirou says it is he thought as he rounded the last block and approached his building.
Iori stepped through the door of his apartment and found it silent inside. No, not quite silent. Light snoring could be barely heard from his grandfather's room. Iori grinned as the snoring deepened for a moment and his grandfather murmured something about fishing and fell back to near- silence. After taking his shoes off he strode into the kitchen to grab a drink of water to help replace the gallons of fluid he sweated out earlier. He saw a note on the refrigerator and read it. Iori-chan, I've gone out with a few of my girlfriends tonight. I left some dinner in the fridge if you've not eaten yet. Love, Mum. He grinned again, knowing some of the trouble his mum and her friends could get into. He thought back to a few months ago when he and his grandfather had had to go bail them out of jail after a particularly rugged night of partying. He grinned and decided to pass on more dinner and to take a shower instead.
After his shower he glanced at the clock and saw it was getting close to his bedtime. Iori changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed, a bit sore from the previous exertion. He lay with his hands behind his head and Ken's smile in his mind, soon drifting off to the sound of Ken's laughter, smiling to himself as he did so.
He awoke the next morning to a rather odd feeling. At first he couldn't place it to save his life. It slowly began to gain focus as the day wore on. He was sitting in his second class of the day when he realized what it was. He missed Ken. He'd not seen him since yesterday and it felt like it was a year already. This new feeling perplexed Iori for the rest of the school day. He'd always been a bit distant from everyone except his mum and grandfather and now out of the blue he felt like he was dying without Ken near him.
As he, Takeru, and Miyako walked home from school he was strangely quiet. Miyako commented on it and he told her that he was thinking deeply about something. He had done this oft enough that it drew no further questioning from the other two and they continued their walk home. Iori bade the others goodbye and walked into his apartment, finding it empty. After he made a small snack, he settled on the couch and continued his pondering.
Could it be love he was feeling? Was that possible? Could cold Iori Hida feel something as strong as that? He honestly wasn't sure. He liked all his friends a lot, but his feeling toward Ken was more powerful than that. Just thinking about him made Iori smile. He saw how Ken's hair fell in front of his eyes when he laughed and how he always brushed it back into place. He saw Ken smiling in his mind's eye and for a moment thought he would melt. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to be able to talk to Ken, but he would still be at school for another two hours or so. Iori frowned slightly and set his plate on the small table next to the couch.
Was it love? He had to know. But who to ask? A list of people flew through his mind. He automatically dismissed Taichi and Daisuke, not wanting to ask such a question to them. The rest of the Digi-Destined went through his mind, all being discarded for one reason or another until he came upon Koushirou. Koushirou would know. Koushirou knew almost anything worth knowing. His mind made up, he walked to the phone and dialed Koushirou's number.
"Koushirou, would you mind if I came over for a bit and talked to you about something?" He asked after Koushirou picked up the phone.
"Sure, Iori, come on over. What's it about?"
"I'd rather tell you in person, Koushirou," he said quietly.
"Okay. I'll be waiting."
"Thank you. I'll be right over." Iori hung the phone back and headed out the door after leaving a quick note for his mum as to his whereabouts.
He made short work of the twelve blocks between his apartment and Koushirou's, making the trip in under ten minutes. He knocked on the door and was ushered in by Mrs. Izumi.
"He's in his room, Iori. Go on in," she told him as she shut the door. Iori thanked her with a polite bow and headed to the room. After a short knock he entered.
"Hello, Iori. Come on in and have a seat," Koushirou said and Iori closed the door behind him. "What's on your mind?" Koushirou asked as Iori sat on the edge of Koushirou's bed. Iori fidgeted for a few seconds before speaking.
"Koushirou, what does it mean when you can't stop thinking about someone? Is it love?" He blurted out suddenly, the tactful way he'd planned to broach the subject tossed out Koushirou's fifth floor window and left to splatter upon the street below.
"It might be, Iori. What brought this around?"
"All day I've been feeling really odd, like something was missing from deep inside me. At first I hadn't a clue as to what it was, then it hit me a little while before I called you. I think I'm in love, Koushirou."
Koushirou looked at the younger boy before him thoughtfully for a few seconds before speaking. "Who's the lucky lady, Iori?" he asked. Iori's face fell just enough for Koushirou to notice before Iori could cover it. Koushirou's heart fell about 10 stories as his mind rapidly put two and two together. "Oh," he said very quietly.
"Yeah. It's not a girl," Iori said as he hung his head.
"Why are you sad, Iori?" Koushirou asked him as he moved to his side on the bed. "I shouldn't have come over here. I'm sorry." He began to stand up and leave but a hand on his shoulder arrested any further progress.
"Why are you leaving, Iori? It doesn't matter to me at all who you love. So why don't you sit back down?" Iori looked at the redhead and flashed him a smile and sat back down. Koushirou wrapped an arm around him in a brotherly way and spoke again. "So, who's the lucky boy?"
That was the whole reason he had come here. He knew deep inside that Koushirou would be completely understanding. He didn't have a judgmental bone in his entire body. He looked over and saw Koushirou's friendly face and couldn't help but hug his friend back, wrapping both arms around him in a hold that would make a wrestler jealous.
"Ken," he said into Koushirou's shoulder. "It's Ken." Iori looked up from his bear hug and saw Koushirou grinning at him. "What's so funny?"
"It's not really funny, but I was thinking of how you wouldn't even talk to him unless you absolutely had to and now you love him."
"It struck me as quite odd myself," Iori told him.
"Why don't you tell me what you feel and we'll see if this is love?" Iori nodded and started speaking.
"We went out for dinner after my kendo tournament yesterday like we do rather often and had a great time. I was fascinated with every single movement he made, every breath he took, every word he spoke. When we had to split up to head home, I was a little sad. Then, this morning I woke up feeling like a part of me was missing, like I'd forgotten something somewhere." Iori stopped for a second to look at Koushirou again. Koushirou nodded and prompted him to continue.
"I thought about it all day and I thought that it might be love. I've heard it talked about before and that is exactly how I feel about him. When I got home, every thought I had about him made be a little weak. I couldn't stop thinking about him, Koushirou. Even the littlest thing he did in my mind made me feel as if I would melt," Iori said, completely revealing his soul like he'd never done in his life to anyone, not even his mum.
"I do believe that is love, Iori," Koushirou said as he pulled Iori a little tighter. "I can't believe it, but I think our little boy is growing up." Koushirou smiled at Iori again and got one in return. Iori had grudgingly accepted a bit of babying from all the other Digi-Destined, but it was different when it came from Koushirou. There was no malice in it, no depreciation, nothing of the sort. It was just simple care. Iori liked that.
"Thanks, Koushirou. I'm glad I came over here now."
"Glad I could be of help. If you don't mind me asking, what are you going to do about this, Iori?"
"I really don't know," Iori told him after a moment's thought. "I don't even know if he feels a thing for me at all."
"Maybe you could find out when we go to the digital world this weekend. We'll all be there and you could spend some time with him. The whole day, really."
"You're right, Koushirou!" Iori's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "I had forgotten about that."
"You've been too busy swooning over Ken-chan to think of much else, haven't you?" Koushirou asked him, his face again covered with a grin.
"Yes I have." Koushirou reached over and gave Iori a gentle noogie and they both shared a laugh.
Oh my goodness was that fun to write. I do believe that this is my new favorite story to write on now. If it weren't for the fact I have to study for a final in a few hours, I'd likely write a lot more of it. But, school must come first and I also promised Yoshiki that I'd post it. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. The next chapter will be up in the near future, so don't worry. If you want it sooner, you could always drop a review or three in it and I might get it out sooner. I'm a sucker for reviews in case you all didn't know that by now. Well, you know what to do.
energy