He tugged at his chains in vain, feeling as if every time he pulled the hold on him became stronger, and he weakened

Tarnished

Disclaimer- Digimon and all its characters are not copyright me, but copyright Toei Animation/Bandai (there probably are others, but I can't remember offhand). I wish they were, but sadly, not all wishes come true. The only thing that's copyright me is this fanfic, so no stealing, kiddies.

Author's Notes- Okay…this is rather different from what I usually write. That's all I can really say about…this. It was sparked by Kendra's Kensuke challenge, (with a prize like *that* how could I not write something for it??) I have mixed feelings on this whole thing… I'll probably write up a follow-up later (that's the reason why this has a chapter name as well). Yes, yes, don't worry. I'll have part 4 of "Simple Consequences" up soon…I just had to finish this first. Er…with that said, read on!

I. Réussir, Il Faut Conquérir (To succeed, one must conquer)

He tugged at his chains in vain, feeling as if every time he pulled the hold on him became stronger, and he weakened. Perhaps it was. But he wouldn't give up…he couldn't give up, for the sake of the others. In no way was this bastard going to break his ever strong will. He tugged yet again on the bitterly cold chains that restrained him.

"Worried about your friends, are you?" Daisuke's captor, Ken suddenly sneered, seemingly melding from the shadows into the dim light that surrounded Daisuke as he struggled, so hard that his wrists were beginning to redden with blood. The Emperor simply moved forward, putting a finger to Daisuke's soft lips. "You shouldn't wear yourself up if you want to save them. By the time we're through, you won't have any strength left. That is, if you even want to save them after that…"

Daisuke shook his head defiantly, pushing away Ken's hand and spitting at his feet. "I'd rather die than be one of your mindless slaves. I'm gonna save them all. I'm not going down that easily!" The indigo haired dictator gave a dark, sadistic smile at that. "You're defiant. But that's what makes it the best, my friend. I'm going to have fun with you…" His eyes gleamed back at Daisuke, and the boy stopped struggling, a shiver running down his spine. "What are you going to do with me? And where are the others?"

Ken shook his head, still grinning, letting his wild indigo hair fall over his eyes, hiding them from vision and giving an indescribable sense of insanity running along every thing line that defined him. He was like broken glass, fragile and sharp, just waiting to pierce into ones skin, tearing away all of their reserves. Daisuke pulled on his chains yet again, even stronger this time. I want out! His mind screamed, but his eyes stayed on the Emperor, not wanting to show the weakness that he was experiencing by his utter presence.

"I'm going to do whatever I want with you, my naïve Daisuke. The others don't matter now, they are safe, Daisuke. And perhaps, they'll never matter again."

"You liar! I know you did something to them you bastard, now let me go! Let me…" And he was let go. But before he could move, Ken held up a hand, enjoying the look on Daisuke's face as he did so. "Ah, ah. I let you go. But I didn't say you could go anywhere…" Looking much like a terrified rabbit, Daisuke screamed, "And who said we were playing 'Simon Says'? I'm outta here!" And sped off towards the exit of the room he was in.

Ken didn't bother to move after him, however. "Oh, I do enjoy having a chase in the afternoon, don't you Daisuke?" He melded back into the shadows with which he had come from.

Some games are friendly, fair games. But in the lair of Ichijouji Ken, games aren't meant to play, but to win. And to win them at all costs.

Daisuke ran, feeling the shadows of the hall of which he sped through pursue him just like Ken, himself. The path he had taken was dimly lighted, giving it the illusion of being overcome by the darkness of the shadows. It was very intimidating, even to Daisuke, as he cursed himself for taking that pathway and continued to find an exit away. He started to tire, however, and grow reckless like how he usually did. Slowing down and looking back, Daisuke cocked an arrogant grin, albeit a little weak, "I guess I lost 'im then…he could never catch me even if he tried."

"I believe you are wrong, Daisuke!" Ken suddenly appeared from what seemed to be but thin air to Daisuke, latching on to his hand like an extra organ. Giving a helpless yelp, Daisuke pulled away, and ran yet again. But he was tired out from his first escapade, and faltered in his jerky movements of escaping. Not realizing where he was going, Daisuke found himself in the one place he had dreaded going in to. It was a dead-end. "What? No…" His eyes widened, as he realized what he had tried to dodge was now the inevitable.

"All paths lead to a dead end here, Daisuke…" The younger boy flipped over, to see Ken leaning over one of the darkened walls of the hallway. He began to back away, knowing that there was no out in his situation, but hoping that perhaps Ken was lying, and there was.

Apparently, he wasn't.

"What…are you going to do with me?"

Ken smirked, the darkness that seemed to thrive off of his very being complimenting his demon like demeanor. "Negotiating, my friend. Your friends go off free, for you. And only you. But I have to have your consent…or it wouldn't be fun." His smirk became wider, and if it could, darker. "We'll see what your decision is after I'm through with you, my Daisuke. And my ways of negotiating are quite, different indeed…" With a jerk of a hand, he had Daisuke up to his level. "Now let us go."

"And what if I don't want to go?"

Ken stopped. "I simply can't force you into it. But perhaps your friends can…are you making your decision already? Giving your friends into endless torment and torture so you can defend your selfish beliefs?"

Daisuke stiffened; The Emperor held back a chuckle. Oh how easy you are to read like a book, Daisuke…He thought, reveling in the untouched territory that was now his to pursue. Will you let me re-write the pages, just the smallest bit?

"Fine. Do whatever with me; you'll never win, you'll never change my attitude, Ichijouji! Never!"

"Two negatives make a positive, Daisuke. Watch what you say."

The fiery boy said nothing, but walked forward, following the Emperor in his every step. He feared if he spoke again, he would lose what was left of his little temper and say something he knew he'd regret. In reality, he was very confused, rather than angry. It was so fast, he had been just outside the fortress with the others and now….he was being lead to who knows what by the dirtied hand of his foe. With their lives on a thin string, he had no other choice but to follow all the orders of his enemy. But that didn't mean he would do them easily. At least, that's what he thought, and repeated to himself ever time he tried to stare into those intense violet eyes hidden beneath Ken's visor.

A part of him wanted to give up. And that scared him the most out of anything he had ever experienced.

—

Off all the places Daisuke had been expecting to be taken to, this was definitely not on the list. A dungeon, torture chamber….anything like that. But not…a kitchen?

Oh, but something about what he was going to endure in this kitchen was overflowing with the essence of pure evil that revolved around the entire fortress. This didn't mean that Daisuke wasn't surprised, however. In more ways than one he didn't want to know what was planned for him. Ken, however, had other plans. He detached himself from the arm of reluctant mahogany haired boy and positioned himself in front of him.

Looking around at his sudden freedom, Daisuke started towards the door; only to be stopped by Ken's hand, which seemed to have attached itself to his backside. "Oh, Daisuke. Stop trying to escape when you know you'll just be brought back to point A yet again. Where are you trying to reach, that you must do this to yourself?"

Daisuke simply growled. "I, unlike you, have a sense of loyalty to my friends!"

"But do they to you?"

"What did you say?!" Daisuke's eyes widened a bit, but he kept his demeanor calm, as not to make things worse than they already were. The Emperor simply chuckled, waving his hand. "Never mind. We have more important matters to talk about." Daisuke suppressed the urge to snort at that comment, "You see Daisuke, I have only brought you here for the sole purpose of making a cake."

"A what?!" Daisuke stuttered, not believing what he was hearing. Had Ken literally gone insane? If he hadn't already? This was definitely not going the way he had thought it would. Ken looked indifferent to Daisuke reaction as he continued, "Yes, a cake. But Daisuke..I want this cake to be the best, the sweetest one I've ever tasted." He licked his dry lips at that, causing an shiver to make its way down Daisuke's back. He suddenly felt nervous, vulnerable. "Being born from such a rich family has given me access to the finest of pastries, the finest of deserts. But none of them have appealed to me before, Daisuke. None of them have been sweet enough, tasty enough. None of them have been made to perfection."

Daisuke shook his head, still not processing the words that flowed out of the Emperor's mouth. "And what in the world does this have to do with me?" He was answered by Ken suddenly moving up to him, pushing his body up to his tanned skin. "You must do this for me, show me the perfect cake I've yearned for… and as you make it you shall stand still, and not flinch at whatever I ask you, what ever I do."

Daisuke snorted. "And you really believe that I would do that? Just so you will pry information out of me to destroy all of us? I'm not stupid, I'd rather die than put my friends in danger!"

Ken's hands suddenly moved to caress Daisuke's tender neck. The fiery boy shivered, out of fear…or maybe out of denied pleasure, he wasn't quite sure yet. Of course, he told himself it was just a trick to intimidate him, and tried hard to keep calm. Ken whispered, "Who said I was going to ask questions giving information about your friends….? Sweet Daisuke, I just want to know more about you, is that too hard to ask?"

The other boy just shook his head, trying to get away from those awfully persuasive hands, those suddenly tender words that had began to sink into his mind like poison. He grit his teeth and began to do exactly what he had been told to do: make a cake.

Ken didn't waver, however, wrapping his arms around Daisuke's free waist, catching the boy off guard. "'Tis rather rude not answering a question of mine, Daisuke."

"Fine, then it is too much. Leave me alone."

"You can't possibly mean that, Daisuke. You've been alone for much too long to say something like that…" The Emperor leaned closer to his captive, burying his face-more so lips- onto Daisuke's neck. The leader of the Digi-Destined eyes narrowed a trifle as he spoke, "What do you know about my life? If I was alone, do you think I'd be here with you risking everything for my friends?!" He began to stir the mix of the cake together furiously, trying to get him mind off of the hands, and lips that were beginning to make their way across his backside. I'll deny the feeling…it's the only thing I can do. But…the feeling…it's so- As his mind struggled with its perception on what exact Ken was doing, he vaguely heard the other boy speak out. "I know much about you, my friend. Don't tell me you actually don't like this, don't lie to me, Daisuke. It's much more than you've ever been allowed to have…isn't it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Daisuke half gasped out, still stirring the mix, and Ken still hanging on to him, beginning to trail little fiery kisses along his neck area. Oh, this cake is ever so sweet, Daisuke…perhaps the best I've ever tasted. Ken smirked, continuing his 'negotiations' with his beloved foe.

"Of course you know, Daisuke. Tell me, has Hikari ever done this to you…?" He lead his trail of small kisses to the corner of Daisuke's soft lips. Then, taking the initiative, he placed a full kiss, full of hidden passion that had been bottled up for so long within him onto those lips, grasping onto Daisuke's waist with all he had worth.

Of course, to Daisuke, this was rather…unexpected.

The younger boy reeled forward, loosing his footings on the ground and dropping the mix he had been so vigorously stirring before onto the cold ground. Much colder than what he was feeling, the burning fire of the same (although more subtly) hidden passion his enemy held within his body.

Daisuke had not wanted to feel that.

Oh…my god. He roughly latched himself away from those warm arms, and glared, albeit rather softly to his dismay, at Ken. "You're sick."

"Quite. You're the one who gave me this disease, however. And I do believe you still carry it within yourself."

Daisuke rubbed at his mouth, trying to get the feeling, the sweet taste of Ken that terrified him so much out of his system. "Quit giving me that shit, Ichijouji! Say what you mean out in clearly!"

Ken walked forward and pulled a hand to touch Daisuke's cheek softly, caressing it like a fragile piece of glass. "To do that would mean to restate the question I had already asked you. But of course, the great Motomiya Daisuke must have forgotten in his feverish moment within my hold. Yet he won't admit that he had forgotten, because it's a matter of pride, pride that he pretends he has, when he is just denying another one of his losses. Just like he will deny that he actually liked what I had just given him, the gift that I had set in his hands."

Daisuke clenched his fists, pulling away from Ken's almost serpentine hold of his body. "Quit speaking like I'm not here!" The Emperor simply shrugged, looking away. "Just like your beloved 'friends' do? It seems rather ironic to me that you'll risk everything to the people that do just the same thing to you as I, the one you think you want to destroy, do."

The younger boy looked to the ground, starting to tremble a bit, "T-That's different…"

"And how different is it? I simply want to give you what you deserve, Daisuke. And you deserve much more than they have given you." When Daisuke refused to answer, Ken picked up the fallen bowl of cake mix, dipping one finger into the mixture. "You got farther in making this than I had expected from you, my friend. Perhaps I should take a taste…" Before Daisuke could say anything, Ken had roughly pulled him towards himself, taking the cake mixture and rubbing it on his nose and lips. "…and see how truly sweet it is…"

Daisuke found himself not objecting, although one part of him was screaming for the madness to stop. It was just wrong. But then, when he had Ken's tongue parading around his cake-dough stained lips and working its way to his nose to place a well deserved kiss on top it, he couldn't possibly find a way to object. "My, this cake is very delicious, now isn't it, Daisuke?" The boy said nothing, numbed by the shock, and utter pleasure he was feeling as Ken probed his mouth with his sugarcoated tongue, engaging him into a mind-shattering kiss that he had only dreamed of sharing with Hikari.

Why wasn't he stopping these actions from happening? Daisuke began to ask himself, once his thoughts came back to him, although still foggy. What the hell is wrong with me? He found himself almost unconsciously tightening his hold of support on the Emperor, deepening the kiss in that effort. He should have disliked it, but to his horror he was relishing the feelings that were making their way through his soul. Damn you. Why do you do this to me?

Ken pulled away, leaving a breathless Daisuke staring onto the unholy ground he had been tainted on with disbelief. Licking his lips, he bent downward and looked into Daisuke's eyes of chocolate. "What are you thinking about, now?" He whispered, sending chills of mixed emotions down Daisuke's spinal chord with every soft word spoken. Daisuke refused to move his eyes from the ground, speaking,

"You sick bastard…what have you done to me?" Daisuke hated that he was enjoying every moment of this, every touch, every breath. Ken answered, "Only magnified what was there long before."

Yet again Daisuke didn't answer him, letting that information sink in. It was so very true. He felt like he had been starving himself, and was now in front of a grand feast. He was hungry. He wanted to touch and taste and use his meal to vanquish this hunger that wouldn't go away. He lifted his eyes to meet Ken's. Only one sentence flowed through his mind, his mind that was clouded by the opened desires he had hidden from for so long. Taste him. And as much as that sickened him, he knew that's what he wanted to do. He began not to feel ashamed anymore…leaning into his own desires as his logic was beginning to become forgotten. Not thinking, he leaned forward to steal a light kiss, starting his attack on the Emperor that had poisoned him so.

To his dismay, Ken pulled away from him.

"Ah, but we are dirty, my Daisuke." He trailed a single finger along the boy's chest area, smirking that smirk of his. "We should take a bath, don't you think?"

He had Daisuke up and was pulling him away from the kitchen area before he could utter a word. Not like he would have, anyway. His mind was too clouded already. Why don't you run, Daisuke? That small logical voice within his mind was getting smaller and smaller, only to be replaced by that other voice…the one that voiced his desires, his true desires.

The washroom was dark, just like the rest of the fortress. Ken kissed Daisuke yet again, pulling him towards the bath, which had been already filled with fogged, streaming water. As hot as Daisuke was feeling right at that moment.

"Why don't you object anymore, Daisuke? Have you seen to reason?"

"I've got to return what I was given." Was all that Daisuke said, staring away, not wanting to make it seem like he was enjoying every second of his 'negotiation'.

"It was a gift, though. Its rude to return a gift…" Ken purred, slowly removing Daisuke's upper attire. When the boy stiffened, he raised a hand. "You're dirty, as a good host I should clean you up." He gently gave Daisuke a push, sending him slowly into the water that awaited them. "You're too uncomfortable…we need to start slowly and make our all across your body…"

Daisuke didn't say anything. It was then that he had given up on denying what was there. That small voice of reason had disappeared and his mind was filled with one mission it had to do. Seize him, he is only as much yours as you are his…Almost roughly, he pulled Ken in, wasting no time in taking off his upper garments as well. Later, He thought, Later I'll get below…

Ken, much like Daisuke had before, tried to move away, for he did not wish to be the one on the bottom, the one receiving the gifts. He loved to be in control, in every way.

Of course, Daisuke, drenched with passion, wasn't going to have it that way.

I want you. He slowly began to trail kisses along Ken's chest area, just like he had been subjected to earlier. I want to taste you…to feel you…Ken, rather stunned by the sudden rough hold Daisuke now had on him didn't move, suddenly basking in the feel of his beloved foe. The one he had wanted for so long…You've had your chance to use me. Let me use you. Daisuke made his way to Ken's mouth, prying it open and widening it to an earth-breaking kiss that he had no idea he could have done before.

When he let go, Ken gasped for breath, giving a weak grin to Daisuke. "This is certainly the best cake I have ever been made to taste….oh, but what about Hikari now?" He knew she didn't matter anymore to the mahogany haired child. None of them mattered any more. Daisuke kissed him yet again, playing with his fingers underneath the warm water. "She doesn't want me, or care….but I want you."

Neither Ken nor Daisuke knew if Daisuke was really speaking or not, for this was not his usual style of speech. But then again, with their bodies intermingled with each other's the way theirs were, they didn't really care either.

"Oh….but I.." Ken was having trouble with his speech as well now, as Daisuke pulled him towards himself. "..I thought you wanted to save them….?"

Daisuke stopped. He had, didn't he? But what was making that so hard to do now?

And then it hit him.

Right before they had been captured, Miyako's words still rang through his mind.

"This is all your fault, Daisuke! If you hadn't of been so damn impulsive the Emperor wouldn't have caught us like he did!"

"What? I was trying to save all of us! Right, Hikari?"

Silence.

"….Right?"

Looking at her, he could see that she was just as angry as Miyako was. "I can't believe you can be so reckless, Daisuke. You weren't trying to save us, you were trying to play hero, weren't you?"

"But I-"

"Miyako's right! All you think about is yourself!" Takeru shouted as well, and Iori nodded in response.

And it had begun to rain.

Daisuke realized the bitter reality of it. Had Ken been right then….he really did deserve more? Why should he save them when all they thought he did was cause trouble? Even Hikari? Why did they deserve his pity?

It was true. They didn't deserve anything from him.

As a response to this realization, Daisuke gave Ken yet another long kiss. This is for all of my "friends". If they don't want me, I don't want them. "If this means that I can feel like this every day with you, then there was no point in trying to save them in the first place…"

Ken smirked. "Excellent. They didn't deserve you."

Daisuke nodded, a faint smile on his face as he buried his head into Ken's chest. "But let them go. See how they fare being on my bad side…"

Ken resisted the urge to laugh. How lovely. He converted a foe into an ally and a lover in a matter of a few hours. Or was that long? None of them could tell. He pulled Daisuke's hand from the warm water and kissed each lovely finger that now belonged him. He had killed two birds with one stone. It was deliciously beautiful.

He kissed Daisuke's tender lips, knowing that this wasn't going to be the last time he would do that action.

It seems he really did get the most devilishly sweet cake ever made.

-End-