A/N: Limey m/m intercourse, Takedai/Daikeru, Daisuke being a bit of a power bottom, hurt/comfort, a little bit of angst. Part of the same universe as my other digimon fic, "Not Another Hat." Set entirely before Tri. Also, the nicknames "Buttercup" and "Petunia" were coined by Agnes/Pretty Pretty Princess, and I just love them so much I kind of borrowed them. So if she reads this and wants me to change them, I have no problem with that. Also yay condoms.
Always
Takeru swayed a little, hesitating just outside the door to apartment 502. He sniffled, his vision blurred a little and he finally managed to raise his hand to the doorbell.
A voice chimed "Haaaaai" from inside the apartment a few moments before the door swung open, and Takeru winced a little at the look on Daisuke's face as the shorter boy took in the sight of him.
One swelling black eye, lip busted open, blood and dirt smeared across his jaw, hair stiff with grime, blood oozing from a gash just above his hairline, finger-shaped bruises on his neck, basketball jersey torn and bloodied…
"Oh, Buttercup…" the red head said concernedly, reaching a hand out to pull Takeru over the threshold.
Blood dripped from the blonde boy's nose and he sniffled again, wiping it away on the back of his hand, a few tears streaking down his cheeks.
Daisuke pulled Takeru into the bathroom and helped him ease down onto the edge of the tub, then pushed grimy bangs aside to plant reassuring kisses to the blonde's forehead, to his cheek, to the bruises on his neck…
Takeru's face contorted, tears flowed freely, and he buried his face in Daisuke's sweatshirt, wrapping his arms around the shorter boy's middle and clinging onto him desperately for comfort.
Daisuke folded his arms around Takeru's head protectively, and he sniffed back tears of his own as he listened to his boyfriend sob against his chest. He ran his tan hand soothingly over Takeru's hair, again and again, waiting patiently until the tears ebbed.
"They thought I was staring at them in the shower," Takeru croaked finally, trying to burrow deeper into the red head's chest.
Daisuke clicked his tongue, disappointed that his hunch had been right.
The rumor that Takaishi had started dating the red-headed queer from the soccer team had fueled a swell of blatant homophobia as it made its way through the members of Takeru's basketball team.
It started with dirty looks, teammates shying away in the locker room, and progressed slowly to overly aggressive fouls during practice, total alienation, and subtle but effective bullying in the hallways.
The only thing that stopped Daisuke from charging in to intervene was Takeru pleading with him not to.
"It'll just make it worse. They might start after you, too," the blonde boy had insisted.
Daisuke ran his fingers down the back of Takeru's neck, slowly, tenderly, his heart aching. The taller boy had gone through so much in his life already, Daisuke couldn't bear to see him going through more.
The red head dislodged himself from Takeru's clinging grasp, shushing the blonde boy's protests, and crouched down to look him in the eyes, one red and puffy with tears, the other almost swollen shut now.
Daisuke cupped the pale cheek, wiping a few stray tears away with his thumb. "Let's get you cleaned up..."
Takeru nodded silently, a few more tears dripping from his chin.
He hissed in pain as Daisuke helped him out of the torn jersey top; blood had glued the fabric to a cut along his side, and they spent several painstaking minutes with it.
A lump rose in Daisuke's throat at the sight of the dark bruises around Takeru's ribs. How did they do so much damage without being caught?
Takeru noticed the puzzled, frustrated look on Daisuke's face and whispered hoarsely, "They cornered me when I was walking under the bridge by the boardwalk."
Dark eyebrows knitted, but Daisuke said nothing, fury burning in his throat. He yanked the handheld shower head from its mount and helped Takeru into the tub, murmuring distractedly to himself until Takeru suddenly swooned a bit and Daisuke had to catch him.
"Oookay, babe, hang in there." Daisuke lowered Takeru down, set him up on his knees and pulled off his own clothes before getting in the tub himself.
Slowly, with gentle fingers and warm water, Daisuke picked away at Takeru's sorrow.
Takeru sighed, leaning in to Daisuke's soft, reassuring touches, a couple tears still trickling down his cheeks every once in a while, blood trickling down the drain little by little.
Daisuke kissed away a few new tears, then turned the water off and wrapped Takeru up in the softest towel he could find. He pulled the first aid kit out and covered the open cuts, planting a soft kiss to each bandage.
It took him a while to notice the flush on Takeru's cheeks, the way he was hunched over, arms crossed over his lap.
"Takeru, are you…?"
The blonde boy turned a darker shade of pink, avoiding Daisuke's amused gaze.
"Seeing them naked in the shower doesn't have the same effect as seeing you," the taller boy finally admitted.
Daisuke couldn't keep the silly grin from spreading across his face. He lifted Takeru's chin with a gentle finger, catching the blue gaze with his own brown one and leaning in for a kiss.
Takeru whimpered, the cut on his lip stinging, and Daisuke started to pull away in concern, but Takeru's arms shot out around the shorter boy's neck and pulled him back in, opening his mouth to deepen the kiss.
Takeru breathed in sharply from his nose, heat firing up in his groin. He stood, the towel fell away, he pressed himself against Daisuke and the shorter boy tugged both of them towards his bedroom, both still feeding each other desperate kisses.
Daisuke gently lowered Takeru onto the bed, noting in the back of his mind that he was glad Jun had taken Chibimon with her for an afternoon outing. He pulled open the top drawer on his nightstand, grabbed the lube and a couple of condoms, then crawled onto the bed, swinging one leg over the taller boy's hips to straddle him.
"Daisuke–"
The red head leaned down to take Takeru's lips in another kiss, tasting copper, and busied his hands with preparation.
"Daisuke…" Takeru's voice was thick with desperation, his breathing heavy, all his aches and pains momentarily overshadowed by the one throbbing in his groin.
"Almost, babe," Daisuke purred, leaning in as the blonde boy sat up, planting eager open-mouthed kisses along the tan neck, nibbling, sucking, pale fingers massaging the shorter boy's tailbone.
Daisuke bit his lip, taking the taller boy's heat and holding it against his backside, rolling his hips, eliciting soft, steady whimpers from the blonde boy's throat.
His eyelids drooping slowly, Daisuke felt himself twitch and stiffen at the sounds wafting up from beneath him; his whole body pulsed with every writhing movement they made.
"Dai-" a wordless, begging moan escaped Takeru's lips, partly from pain, partly from pure want.
The red head nodded, slipping a condom on each of them and positioning himself. As he eased himself down, Takeru filling him with throbbing heat, the blonde boy groaned again, an attempt to contain himself as much as it was vocalization of pleasure.
Daisuke smiled smugly, planting his hands on either side of the blonde's head, his heart racing, and he began to move. Slowly at first, eliciting more of those sweet whimpers from Takeru's throat, until they'd built up a rhythm.
They rocked together, fingers threaded, foreheads pressed, voices rising along with their intensity until they both reached their end, all the muscles in their bodies convulsing. Daisuke continued to move, slowly, as they both came down from their high, reveling in the aftershocks, Takeru still twitching inside him.
As they caught their breath, Daisuke went about disposing the condoms and padded back into the room with his underwear back on. He rummaged around in his drawers for a shirt and shorts for Takeru and then eased back onto the bed, clothes in hand.
He watched Takeru's chest rise and fall, lightly running his tan fingers over the bruised sternum and ribs with all the tenderness he possessed. He moved to brush the bangs from Takeru's forehead, but stopped short when he saw a few tears leak from the closed eyes.
"Oh, Buttercup…" Daisuke gathered the taller boy up to cradle him possessively, and Takeru held tight to Daisuke's arms, crossed over his own pale chest as a fresh stream of tears started up.
Daisuke hesitated for a moment, staring down at the marks on Takeru's neck, before starting, "I know you want me to keep out of this-"
"That's right, don't you dare-" the taller boy croaked, his voice firm and defiant despite his tears. He struggled to push out of Daisuke's arms, but the shorter boy only held him tighter, soothing into Takeru's ear, "Ssssh, I know, babe."
Daisuke held his hand up, waiting for Takeru to do the same, threading their fingers together. "I just want you to know," he began, his voice just above a whisper, "that no matter how bad things get... I'm with you." He pressed his lips just behind Takeru's ear. "We're partners. I'm with you 'til the end."
Takeru sniffed, bottom lip quivering, tears trailing down his cheeks, but now with relief more than anything. He was silent for a moment, fighting to choke the tears down. He could get through anything as long as Daisuke was there to piece him back together again.
"T-that's- all I need, Petunia," he stuttered out, and he could feel a smile spread over Daisuke's face against his ear.
He tilted his head up, and Daisuke looked back at him with an expression so warm and tender and loving, an expression for him alone.
"Always, Takeru."
Always.