Daisuke turned his head farther into the pillow and let his eyes slide shut. The world was slowly revolving around him, but he was at the moment detached from everything. The pressure of his weight agianst the bed was the only constant anchor he had to the waking world. He wiggled his right foot so his toes rubbed against the sheet, the friction helping to ground him. He was drowsy and relaxed, and the world was so -boring-. He could take a nap...
The distant -clack-clacking- noise that had been lulling him ceased. He opened his eyes quickly, unwilling to be caught off guard. Daisuke waited for his companion to say something, to question is consciousness or make a comment about Daisuke's current position, but no voice broke the silence. He felt the weight of a cool gaze, but his head was angled away from the desk and the boy sitting at it. He could no more see Ken's face than Ken could see his at the moment. After what seemed like an hour, Ken resumed typing and the air was once more filled with the sound of swift fingers moving over keys.
Daisuke allowed his eyes to slide shut again.
The temperature in the room was somewhere around twenty-two degrees. It was warmer in there than it was in the early morning sunshine. The middle of summer was upon the city and while the heat would climb much higher through the rest of the afternoon, it was still rather cool outside. Daisuke could remember his walk the previous morning, watching the sky overhead change color long before he was able to even glimpse the sun. From the sunlight streaming through the window, Daisuke thought it might be even warmer than it had been the day before.
He shifted his arm, pushing it farther under the pillow his head was resting on. It had been cramping up and he knew he should probably roll onto his back if he wanted to keep his shoulders from tensing. He didn't usually lay on his stomach for long periods of time and his body was reminding him of why.
He listened attentively for a moment, ensuring that the typing was still going on in the background. It weaned in and out of his consciousness, a background droning that alternately lulled him to sleep and jolted him awake, depending on Ken's lenity or severity with the keyboard; overall, it was soothing, but there were times when Ken would get excited, and his speed and volume of typing would rise exponentially.
It was at the latter times that Daisuke would drag himself back from the edge of napping he seemed perpetually poised upon and he'd turn his head to look at Ken. It was worth the effort to see the look of concentration on Ken's face, the narrow-minded focus that took over his face. It was the expression Daisuke had once faced in the Digital World, before Ken had joined their side. It was a look which spoke of Ken's determination, his drive and ambition. It said Ken would succeed. The one he wore at the moment was a muted version of that. It was the look Ken had when he fought the demons Daisuke hadn't managed to slay for him.
At the moment, Ken was typing at a liesurely pace, so inspiriation hadn't struck yet, it seemed. It would eventually, Daisuke knew that much. On impulse, he lifted his head and turned it towards Ken... only to be caught by the genius' gaze. Daisuke turned his head back and dropped it back to the bed, but it was too late. His eyes caught the shadow on the wall as Ken stood up in front of the lamp on his desk and approached the bed. "Daisuke?"
"No." Daisuke rolled his eyes at his own silly response. "No" to -what- exactly? He watched as Ken's shadow grew and he knew the boy was standing over him. The bed dipped slightly as Ken sat down on the edge, his hip close enough to Daisuke's side the auburn-haired boy was sure he could feel the heat through their clothes.
"Daisuke." Ken's voice was soft, a mere whisper of sound that was almost all affection, with just a tinge of amusement in the syllables. "What are you doing?"
Daisuke thought about that before going with a vague and half-true, "Nothing." Unfortunately, it came out as a question, a cue Ken would most assuredly pick up on.
Ken didn't disappoint him. "Nothing?" Daisuke felt the bed shift and then felt the pressure of Ken's arm against his left side, Ken's hip settling firmly against his right side. From the corner of his eye, he could see Ken leaning over him. Daisuke stared resolutely at the wall. "Daisuke." Now Ken was chiding; Daisuke could almost hear him tsk-ing like his grandmother did sometimes. "You should take a nap."
"I don't want to," he replied. If it came out sounding petulant, so what. Ken wouldn't tease him for pouting. Ken wouldn't call him on acting childish or silly, either.
There was a pause, and then Ken's quiet voice asked softly, "Why?" His voice was serious, too serious. Daisuke could hear the laughter lurking under the tone, could imagine the struggle on Ken's face as he fought not to grin. Not teasing Daisuke about acting out wasn't the same as not laughing at him for it.
"Your mother's making brownies." Daisuke turned his head then and gave Ken a look. "I love her brownies."
Ken stiffened for a moment and his eyes closed. A second later he burst out laughing and leaned down to rest his head on Daisuke's back, between his shoulder blades. "Daisuke." Another intonation in his name this time. Affection and laughter. A light tone, infused with Ken's mirth. "I promise I won't let her give them away to the children across the hall." His mouth was open to respond when Ken tilted his head up and planted a kiss on the back of Daisuke's neck. "It happened -one- time Daisuke. She hasn't forgotten you since then."
"It wouldn't have been so bad if you'd shared yours," Daisuke said miserably, refusing to be placated by Ken's assurances or touches.
"I would have shared if you hadn't tried to take it from me and knocked it to the floor," Ken reminded him. Ken was still laughing, but Daisuke could hear the thread of impatience beginning to weave its way into Ken's tone.
Daisuke closed his eyes and buried his face in the pillow again, inhaling Ken's scent. He liked the smell. Ken often showered at night before going to bed, and the pillow smelled like his shampoo. Daisuke could imagine Ken lying in bed, damp hair dark around his pale face.
He smiled and inhaled deeper, imaging the scent wrapping around him. Ken's hand touched him, rubbing circles in the small of his back.
Daisuke jolted up suddenly, pushing himself up off the mattress. He looked around wildly, the sleep rapidly disappearing from his eyes and mind. He was alone in Ken's room. The curtains had been drawn to keep out most of the light, but Daisuke could tell it was still day. The faint aroma of chocolate filled the air and he stood up quickly and followed the smell to the kitchen, where he found Ken, Mrs. Ichijouji, and a plate of brownies. Ken was sitting at the table, a glass of juice in front of him. Another glass sat across the table from the genius, and Mrs. Ichijouji waved him to the chair.
"Have a seat, Daisuke. Ken told me you'd want brownies."
Daisuke nodded eagerly, the scent making his mouth water. Ken was smirking at him from across the table and Daisuke gave him a dark look. "You were going to let me sleep."
Ken's face took on a look of innocence. "I thought you were faking it. You told me you weren't going to take a nap."
Whatever retort Daisuke might have made was lost as Mrs. Ichijouji handed him a napkin and a brownie. He considered carrying on the argument, but the call of food was too much and he stuffed the first bite into his mouth and ignored the smug look on Ken's face. He'd show him. Later. After the brownies.
The distant -clack-clacking- noise that had been lulling him ceased. He opened his eyes quickly, unwilling to be caught off guard. Daisuke waited for his companion to say something, to question is consciousness or make a comment about Daisuke's current position, but no voice broke the silence. He felt the weight of a cool gaze, but his head was angled away from the desk and the boy sitting at it. He could no more see Ken's face than Ken could see his at the moment. After what seemed like an hour, Ken resumed typing and the air was once more filled with the sound of swift fingers moving over keys.
Daisuke allowed his eyes to slide shut again.
The temperature in the room was somewhere around twenty-two degrees. It was warmer in there than it was in the early morning sunshine. The middle of summer was upon the city and while the heat would climb much higher through the rest of the afternoon, it was still rather cool outside. Daisuke could remember his walk the previous morning, watching the sky overhead change color long before he was able to even glimpse the sun. From the sunlight streaming through the window, Daisuke thought it might be even warmer than it had been the day before.
He shifted his arm, pushing it farther under the pillow his head was resting on. It had been cramping up and he knew he should probably roll onto his back if he wanted to keep his shoulders from tensing. He didn't usually lay on his stomach for long periods of time and his body was reminding him of why.
He listened attentively for a moment, ensuring that the typing was still going on in the background. It weaned in and out of his consciousness, a background droning that alternately lulled him to sleep and jolted him awake, depending on Ken's lenity or severity with the keyboard; overall, it was soothing, but there were times when Ken would get excited, and his speed and volume of typing would rise exponentially.
It was at the latter times that Daisuke would drag himself back from the edge of napping he seemed perpetually poised upon and he'd turn his head to look at Ken. It was worth the effort to see the look of concentration on Ken's face, the narrow-minded focus that took over his face. It was the expression Daisuke had once faced in the Digital World, before Ken had joined their side. It was a look which spoke of Ken's determination, his drive and ambition. It said Ken would succeed. The one he wore at the moment was a muted version of that. It was the look Ken had when he fought the demons Daisuke hadn't managed to slay for him.
At the moment, Ken was typing at a liesurely pace, so inspiriation hadn't struck yet, it seemed. It would eventually, Daisuke knew that much. On impulse, he lifted his head and turned it towards Ken... only to be caught by the genius' gaze. Daisuke turned his head back and dropped it back to the bed, but it was too late. His eyes caught the shadow on the wall as Ken stood up in front of the lamp on his desk and approached the bed. "Daisuke?"
"No." Daisuke rolled his eyes at his own silly response. "No" to -what- exactly? He watched as Ken's shadow grew and he knew the boy was standing over him. The bed dipped slightly as Ken sat down on the edge, his hip close enough to Daisuke's side the auburn-haired boy was sure he could feel the heat through their clothes.
"Daisuke." Ken's voice was soft, a mere whisper of sound that was almost all affection, with just a tinge of amusement in the syllables. "What are you doing?"
Daisuke thought about that before going with a vague and half-true, "Nothing." Unfortunately, it came out as a question, a cue Ken would most assuredly pick up on.
Ken didn't disappoint him. "Nothing?" Daisuke felt the bed shift and then felt the pressure of Ken's arm against his left side, Ken's hip settling firmly against his right side. From the corner of his eye, he could see Ken leaning over him. Daisuke stared resolutely at the wall. "Daisuke." Now Ken was chiding; Daisuke could almost hear him tsk-ing like his grandmother did sometimes. "You should take a nap."
"I don't want to," he replied. If it came out sounding petulant, so what. Ken wouldn't tease him for pouting. Ken wouldn't call him on acting childish or silly, either.
There was a pause, and then Ken's quiet voice asked softly, "Why?" His voice was serious, too serious. Daisuke could hear the laughter lurking under the tone, could imagine the struggle on Ken's face as he fought not to grin. Not teasing Daisuke about acting out wasn't the same as not laughing at him for it.
"Your mother's making brownies." Daisuke turned his head then and gave Ken a look. "I love her brownies."
Ken stiffened for a moment and his eyes closed. A second later he burst out laughing and leaned down to rest his head on Daisuke's back, between his shoulder blades. "Daisuke." Another intonation in his name this time. Affection and laughter. A light tone, infused with Ken's mirth. "I promise I won't let her give them away to the children across the hall." His mouth was open to respond when Ken tilted his head up and planted a kiss on the back of Daisuke's neck. "It happened -one- time Daisuke. She hasn't forgotten you since then."
"It wouldn't have been so bad if you'd shared yours," Daisuke said miserably, refusing to be placated by Ken's assurances or touches.
"I would have shared if you hadn't tried to take it from me and knocked it to the floor," Ken reminded him. Ken was still laughing, but Daisuke could hear the thread of impatience beginning to weave its way into Ken's tone.
Daisuke closed his eyes and buried his face in the pillow again, inhaling Ken's scent. He liked the smell. Ken often showered at night before going to bed, and the pillow smelled like his shampoo. Daisuke could imagine Ken lying in bed, damp hair dark around his pale face.
He smiled and inhaled deeper, imaging the scent wrapping around him. Ken's hand touched him, rubbing circles in the small of his back.
Daisuke jolted up suddenly, pushing himself up off the mattress. He looked around wildly, the sleep rapidly disappearing from his eyes and mind. He was alone in Ken's room. The curtains had been drawn to keep out most of the light, but Daisuke could tell it was still day. The faint aroma of chocolate filled the air and he stood up quickly and followed the smell to the kitchen, where he found Ken, Mrs. Ichijouji, and a plate of brownies. Ken was sitting at the table, a glass of juice in front of him. Another glass sat across the table from the genius, and Mrs. Ichijouji waved him to the chair.
"Have a seat, Daisuke. Ken told me you'd want brownies."
Daisuke nodded eagerly, the scent making his mouth water. Ken was smirking at him from across the table and Daisuke gave him a dark look. "You were going to let me sleep."
Ken's face took on a look of innocence. "I thought you were faking it. You told me you weren't going to take a nap."
Whatever retort Daisuke might have made was lost as Mrs. Ichijouji handed him a napkin and a brownie. He considered carrying on the argument, but the call of food was too much and he stuffed the first bite into his mouth and ignored the smug look on Ken's face. He'd show him. Later. After the brownies.