Warnings: Yaoi! Guy x Guy. Gay Digimon Characters. Fun in general.

Disclaimers: I don't own digimon. But as long as I have the freedom to write fanfiction I'll be happy.

Timeline: after Daisuke gets the Digimental of Friendship, but before Miyako and Iori get Sincerity and Reliability.

A/N: When I started writing this, I thought it was going to be the last chapter, but it got long and there is still SO much more that I want to write into this series, so I decided to break it up and write another chapter (or more ). I'm not sure when exactly Daisuke is going to make the cross from one side to the other, but it should be in the next chapter, if he cooperates I hope you'll be watching for it.

Changing Destiny

Part 2: Lure of Kindness

by loveasthouwilt

How long were we tangled in each others arms?

Peeling off various articles of clothing.

His cape, my jacket.

Gloves, goggles.

My shirt was off, and his was opened up the front.

My hands explored every soft curve of his pale skin and I was pleased to kiss most of those same places.

He likes to lick as much as kiss and I could feel his breath hot against my dampening skin.

And holding me. Always holding me possessively, as if I could never be close enough.

He wants me. He wants me like no one else in the world does.

I need him to want me.

Then he pulled away, slowly tracing the curve of my face with his finger and smiling sweetly. With my eyes locked on his, I kissed his hand as it moved past my lips.

I don't know what to think about him. Not only is his affection forbidden territory because he's a boy, like me, but also because he's my storybook-type nemesis. I'm supposed to hate him. And he's supposed to hate me.

Those may be exactly the reasons I'm drawn to him.

His wickedness seems to melt away just for me. Only for me.

For once, someone doesn't hate me.

Suddenly I was left cold. He was walking away from me... Clasping the front of his uniform...!

"K-Ken.." I stuttered. "Where are you going?"

He shook his head as he snatched up his cape from the floor and fastened it around his neck. "The others will be here for you soon. I can't stay."

He isn't... leaving me...!?

His cape swirled around him in a wave of blue and yellow as he began to walk towards the back door.

"You can't leave me to them!" I yelled, but he didn't stop. "You can't!"

And then I launched from the couch at him, my hands ready to gnarl into the cloth of his uniform, and was practically knocked out of the air by his backhanded strike across my jaw.

My heart shattered as I hit the wooden floor and tears threatened. Refusing to give up, I threw myself at him again, this time slamming into the door as he locked it behind him.

"Ken!!" I roared as I banged my fists against the solid pine. "KEN!!" Now I was screaming hysterically, my voice becoming hoarse. If I had been thinking clearly, I might have pursued through the front door, but I could hardly breathe, let alone think.

Dragging my fingernails down the wood, I sank to the floor, crying so furiously it hurt. My whole body shook with pain and my muscles were clenched so tightly I thought I could suffocate.

Gone. As startlingly as he had entered my love life, he left it. Even Hikari had never hurt me like this. I trusted Ken. And now he was gone, and I couldn't blame anyone but myself for my pain.

"Daisuke? Daisuke!!"

Veemon?

The front door flew open followed by the clamber of shoes and paws on the wooden floor as the Chosen and our digimon entered the cabin.

Veemon rushed to me and threw his arms around my neck, and I returned the hug while the others stared in pity and horror. I could imagine what they must have been thinking, to find me shirtless, sweating, and crying, my clothes strewn across the room. And to remember how the Kaizer had kissed me in front of them all. And, for the most part, they were right. I had been stripped of clothes and dignity, abused in mind and body, my broken remains left behind for the scavengers.

Not surprisingly, Hikari was the first of the Chosen to come to my comfort. She placed a hand on my bare shoulder and I immediately wrenched away. I only wanted him to touch me.

His hands...His lips...His tongue...

"Daisuke..." Hikari interrupted, her voice full of sympathy. "We're here now... the Kaizer can't hurt you anymore."

I wish he would...just so I could be with him...

Miyako kneeled down beside me. "We're going to take you home, okay?"

I couldn't look at them. They treat me like I'm worthless until I get hurt, driven by some shallow sense of responsibility. I felt sickened just to be around them.

At least I had my crying under control. Breathing was still a difficulty, and apparently Veemon was having the same problem. "You're squeezing my stuffing out," he joked. I sighed heavily and released him, granting him a weak, but appreciative smile.

The whole situation was extremely awkward, and no one knew quite what to say as I stood to gather up my things. In a way, I was glad no one was attempting to comfort me since I knew they didn't really mean it. Besides that, they couldn't comfort me if they didn't know what had happened, and I wasn't about to tell them.

The journey home was long and tense. Raidramon carried me and would often give me a concerned glance over his shoulder when my fingernails dug into his back. I just couldn't make myself calm down. I kept replaying the event over and over in my head, trying to figure out what went wrong, what I did that made the Kaizer want to leave me behind.

But then...I am, after all, Daisuke. I can't do anything right.

All four of the other Chosen walked me back to my apartment, which was entirely unnecessary, but it made them feel better.

And Kari had the gall to thank me for rescuing her.

I slammed the door in her face.

With Chibimon cuddled in my arms, I started towards my room, but the door opened behind me.

Takeru poked his head into the room. "Hey, Daisuke?"

Irritated by the intrusion, I glared at him over my shoulder. "What?"

"Um.... do you want me to stay here with you?"

My eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why?"

He slid into the room and scratched his head underneath his hat. "I just thought you might not want to be alone."

I sighed, getting tired of the attempts at compassion. I wouldn't be so wounded if it weren't for them in the first place. "Just get out," I snarled. And I glared at him angrily until he let himself out the same way he had rudely let himself in.

Once in my room, Chibimon tumbled out of my arms and looked up at me "That was mean..." he squeaked.

"I'm allowed to be pissed off once in a while," I growled as I walked past him.

His little blue brows drew together and his bottom lip quivered miserably. "I'm so sorry!" he wailed, his red eyes filling with tears. "I shouldn't have left you alone with him!"

That stopped me.

I had never even considered...

Kneeling down, I snuggled his face to mine. "Chibimon, it's not your fault at all. You have the situation all wrong." I told him.

He sniffed and stared at me confusedly. "What do you mean?"

I bit my lip. Chibimon is my best friend. Why his friendship doesn't amend my loneliness, I don't know. Maybe because he's programmed to be my friend... or something... Maybe that's stupid to say, but if the Kaizer's dark rings can alter digimon to hate, they must be originally programmed to love, right?

The point is that I didn't need to lie to him. Especially knowing how much he was hurt, thinking he was to blame for something that didn't even happen.

"I'm not sad because of something Ken did to me. I'm sad because ..." I smiled, remembering his tongue trailing slowly up my throat to my chin. "...I liked what he was doing and he stopped."

My digimon tilted his head curiously. "What....was he doing?"

I blushed. How do you explain something like that to a digimon? "He was...nice to me," I stammered.

"But you can't trust him, Daisuke!" Chibimon growled, his little paws clenched and his sharp teeth bared at me. "He's bad!"

As I stood up, I slid my goggles off my head and threw them onto the bed. I knew Chibimon was giving me the right advice...but the other Chosen have never made me feel good about myself, never made me feel needed or even wanted. To them I'm just a rash, selfish, childish, moron who wants attention any way he can get it.

I'd get their attention, all right...

That thought was interrupted by knocking at the door.

"Go away, Jun," I yelled automatically.

She ignored me, of course, and opened the door to find me standing near my blue "toy."

"Where did you go?" she demanded. "You weren't here when I checked earlier."

Where had she been? She hadn't been here when I got back. Not that I really cared...

I put Chibimon on my bed next to my discarded goggles. "I went with my friends to play soccer." I lied.

She eyed me suspiciously, then her expression changed to that of amusement and she winked at me. "You don't get hickeys from playing soccer," she teased.

Impulsively, my hand went to my neck and I glared daggers at her. Jeez, it was bad enough I had to remember making out with the Kaizer, let alone having proof of it. I wondered if the other Chosen had noticed and not bothered to mention it.

Jun giggled. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"It's none of your business," I grumbled, still holding my hand over the incriminating marks.

"Don't be ridiculous," she said, looking almost proud of me. "You need me to help you cover those so Mom and Dad don't see. And get your hand down from there," she added. "I know they're there. Your girlfriend wasn't very considerate."

"He's not my girlfriend," I snorted defensively.

"He?!" she laughed.

"Arrrgh...that's not what I meant...." Though my racing heart said otherwise.

Disregarding the slip, she grabbed me by both my hands and pulled me out of the room. "Come on. I do this all the time."

"I'm not wearing make-up," I informed her. "Mom and Dad probably won't notice anyway. They don't even look at me unless I'm between them and the TV or if it's time for my weekly grounding."

She dragged me into the bathroom and opened her make-up drawer. "You'll need to cover them for school tomorrow. Unless you wear a turtle-neck, and then everyone will know." She shuffled around in the drawer and started pulling out little bottles and boxes full of who-knows-what. "We should do this right away to figure out your color."

"My color?" I whined. "Isn't there some other way...?"

"Nope. Believe me, I know," she insisted. "No one will be able to tell. I promise."

Except the other Chosen... not that I care what they think...

"Fine," I said. I reached into the drawer and dug out something with a clear cover revealing the shades of brown within. "What about this?" I asked.

She yanked it away from me. "That's eye-shadow, Daisuke," she said sarcastically. Then she reconsidered it with a smile. "Actually that might work."

She searched out some more stuff and had it all spread out on the counter. "Alright," she said with a mischievous grin, "let's experiment."

She tapped the underside of my chin with the top of her hand, signaling me to look up and expose my throat to her. "Well," she asked, rubbing some kind of wet sponge across my neck, "are you going to tell me who she is? Do I know her?"

"No," I answered simply to both questions. She would recognize his name if I told her, which was why I didn't. The truth was no more ridiculous than the tales I usually spin, but it was just a little more personal and painful this time and I didn't feel like sharing.

"Is she cute?"

I wrinkled my nose. The Kaizer? Cute? Hardly.

Well...maybe...

"I guess so," I answered stupidly. Jun must have though it was just embarrassed modesty. More like extremely reluctant admittance.

"Is she fun?"

If you consider a psycho warlord who sends hoards of slave digimon to hunt down children and kill them fun.

Actually...I do consider that fun... not the psycho and the kill part, but the being attacked and digivolving. Being one of the good guys. It's like one of my video games, except better because it's real.

...and the stuff that happened in the cabin was fun at first...

"Yeah, she's fun." It was a little weird to refer to the Kaizer as a "she," but I knew better than to slip up again and give Jun a reason to be suspicious.

With a smile, Jun put away the sponge thing for a different one, "Is she smart?"

"Very." I answered without hesitation. That was an easy one.

Jun giggled as she took up another of her little clear plastic boxes. "She can't be that smart if she hooked up with you."

She doesn't say stuff like that to be mean, she's just teasing. That's just what siblings do. But when people tell you what you're like over and over, you can't help but start to believe them. As often as she and everyone else has told me how dumb I am, there must be something to it. Maybe I am stupid.

Geez, leave it to someone I care about to make me hate myself all over again. I slapped her hand away as it came towards me again with every good intention. "You're just like everyone else," I accused.

Jun's hand dropped to her side and she bit her lip. Then she wordlessly went back to her little project upon my neck. Good. I hope she feels guilty. Someone should.

I made my way back to my room. When I got there, Chibimon quickly stuffed my D-Terminal into my backpack, trying to hide that he had it. "I didn't do it!" he yelped, mimicking the phrase he'd heard me use all too frequently.

I sat beside him on the bed and retrieved the D-Terminal. "Didn't do what?" I asked.

"Mmmmnnn..." he whimpered guiltily. "Read your email...from the Digimon Kaizer."

"Are you serious?" With more excitement than was appropriate, I brought up my email on the screen and, just as Chibimon had said, there was an email from the Kaizer waiting for me.

I'm sorry I left you behind, Daisuke. I care about you too much to kidnap you. I hope you aren't too angry with me.

He said he's sorry! He said he cares about me!

"It could be a trap," Chibimon said.

I laid down on my stomach with the Kaizer's message level with my face and eyed the letters thoughtfully. No return address. Just a bunch of numbers.

"I say we go see him."

The little dragon's mouth gaped. "WHAT?"

I rested my chin on the back of my hand. "Maybe this is just the break we need to get through to him," I explained. "If he is just pretending to care about me, then he'll listen to me at least a little, right? Maybe I can talk some sense into him." It was a good excuse. I almost convinced myself.

Chibimon growled at me. "Or he could just lure you in with kind words then throw you into his dungeon!"

I pushed myself up on my hands. "It'd be worth it for a few kind words!!" I yelled, knocking him back on his tail.

"Daisuke!" Jun yelled at him from elsewhere in the house. "You're playing too loud! Be quiet!"

I sat up, crossed my arms, and hmmphed, looking away from my argumentative digimon. I can do whatever I want to, with or without his support.

The others' digimon don't argue with them. They'd probably tell me that's because they never say or do anything as stupid and wrong as I do.

I'm not as stupid and worthless as everyone thinks. And they're jerks for treating me like that! I don't have to put up with it, just like the Kaizer said!

"Daisuke?"

I gave Chibimon a cold glance before looking away again.

He scampered around the bed so that he was face to face with me, and put on a serious expression. "The whole Digital World depends on you, Daisuke," he said. "Don't abandon us..."

I gritted my teeth in an angry grimace. Just make me feel all guilty, why don't you?

"If you're going to say things like that, just don't talk at all, okay?" I ordered.

Chibimon's lip curled into a snarl and he recoiled like a cat about to pounce. I honestly thought for a second that he was going to attack me. Instead he made some kinda high-pitched, furious-beyong-words, barking noise before scuttling into the darkness under the bed.

I've never argued like that with Chibimon before. But he's my digimon and my friend, so I'm sure we'll be friends again later. Even if I did make him mad, I was thankful have someone to discuss this ordeal with.

Once again, Jun intruded into my room. "Are you going to do your homework?" she asked in her usual condescending matriarchal tone.

"The dog ate my homework," I replied smartly.

She put her hands on her hips. "If you were that hungry, you should have just asked." When I couldn't come up with anything clever to retort, she changed the subject. "How does your neck look?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Well, I wouldn't know, would I?"

She walked across the room and sat beside me on the bed, checking out my neck to see if I was still properly disguised. "You're not going to tell me who she is, huh?" she asked me again.

"You wouldn't know her," I said sarcastically. "She's the empress of an alternate dimension."

"Ugh..." she groaned and started to leave the room. "You're such a jerk sometimes..."

I felt a lot better in the morning, not so stressed out after having gotten some sleep. Chibimon crawled wordlessly into my backpack as I got ready to go to school. I should probably have offered some kind of apology for being so mean to him the night before, but I still didn't feel like I was the one in the wrong. Granted, he really wasn't wrong either, but I think he should be a little more open-minded.

Maybe the Kaizer isn't such a bad guy. Maybe he just wants someone to care about him, just like I want someone to care about me. And he's still just a kid. I don't think he'd actually hurt anyone on purpose.

I bounded into my classroom as carefree as usual and Hikari gave me a little smile. I don't know whether it was to show me that there were no hard feelings for shutting the door in her face the day before, or as another thank-you for whatever I had sacrificed to rescue her.

But she never had smiled as I entered the room before. I had always wanted to her light up like that! So I sat on her desk in front of her and smiled. "That was pretty clever of me to check out that cabin yesterday, huh, Hikari?"

Oh, that was smart, Daisuke. First of all, bring up a subject nobody wants to talk about, then make a total ass of yourself. They probably figured out you knew already. Why don't you ever think about these things before you say them?

Suddenly, I had Takeru's hat pulled down over my head and eyes and I squealed.

"Yeah, Daisuke, that was good thinking!" Takeru laughed, humoring me.

I dragged off his hat, and with it my goggles. "Lucky for you my hair is always perfect," I joked threateningly, jumping down from Hikari's desk and fumbling to put my goggles back in their place.

Takeru sat at his desk, setting his backpack on the desktop. Hikari rested her elbow on her desk and her chin in her hand, then closed her eyes and smiled at Takeru for no appearant reason.

Jeez, there she goes again! Stupid "meaningless" flirting...

I slid myself between the two, blocking their view of each other. "Hey! We should go back there today and take down those spires!" I offered. I wanted to keep this subject in the air to prove that whatever happened in the cabin wasn't what they thought it was. If I didn't act upset or evasive then it would seem like it was no big deal.

Hikari, on the other hand...

"I don't know if I want to go back there," she said, her eyes filled with worry. "Being held prisoner by the Digimon Kaizer was scary."

I crossed my arms. "Well, I'm not scared of the stupid Kaizer," I bragged.

Dammit, I really don't say anything even remotely thoughtful or considerate, do I? Hikari did have a blade to her throat, and even though I don't think the Kaizer really would have hurt her, we didn't know that then and we were both really scared. Hikari's life had been threatened, and only my dignity.

And just to prove what a jerk I am, I pretended I hadn't come to that realization and stood there with my nose stuck up in the air arrogantly.

"I was thinking," Takeru said, looking directly at Hikari, making me felt left out of the conversation, "maybe we could spend the weekend in the Digital World." Hikari raised an eyebrow at him. "There are cabins in the icy forest," he explained, then he looked up at me, "we could all go."

"Thanks for inviting me..." I said bitterly, with no thanks whatsoever in my voice. As if I wasn't invited the moment he brought it up!

"That sounds like fun, Takeru," Hikari said with a grin, once again pushing me out of the conversation. Sometimes it's hard to tell if they do that on purpose or not. Not that that matters. It's still annoying.

"Great!" I interjected, as if it was my idea all along. "It's a plan, then. I'll tell the others!"

Takeru winked and gave me the V-sign. "Pack light," he reminded us, then the teacher walked in and started class.

Oi, it was cold! The sky was blasting us with icy rain and it was pitch dark because of the cloud cover. If it had been like then when we first got to the Digital World, we would have turned back, but we'd already been walking for a few miles when the storm started.

"Brilliant plan!" I had yelled at Takeru, but the wind had carried the sound away long before it could reach the blonde.

"I thought you said this was your 'brilliant plan'" Iori pointed out sarcastically, giving me the impression that he had never believed that in the first place. He and Armadillomon were sitting in front of me on Raidramon so that I could keep them from flying away in the wind. Hikari and Tailmon were riding the same way on Halsemon with Miyako holding her. I had been both surprised and relieved when Miyako had offered her help Hikari before Takeru did. After all, Miyako's no threat to my possible future with Hikari.

It's a massive comfort to know that I still like Hikari. Makes me feel a little better about sort of liking Ken. I mean...it's still pretty unsettling. Admitting to...maybe...being bi...Well, it's just not something I would do to make people like me more. It's not one of the devices I would use to draw attention to myself...one of the few...

Iori shivered against my chest, tugging my jacket closer to him. I wrapped my arms around him and his digimon and held them tight, all of us closing our eyes against the ice as Raidramon trudged on.

This was the feeling I had always expected of my friends, to just make me feel needed and wanted. I shouldn't have to ask for it. No one would be here in my arms if it weren't necessary.

I'm too young to be this lonely...

Takeru reached down from Pegasusmon to rustle the frosted fur of my jacket to get my attention. "The cabins!" he yelled over the wind.

I glared at him.

He didn't deserve to be glared at for that comment; in fact I was happy the cabins were in sight. I just didn't want him touching me. His existence ruffles my feathers. He likes Hikari...I'm sure of it. I don't care what he says.

Rolling my shoulders to work some of the ice off my jacket, I squeezed Iori lightly to rouse him. "Hey, we're here," I told him.

He opened his eyes and spotted the cluster of cabin roofs just beyond the snowdrifts then grinned up at me excitedly. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Sometimes Iori accidentally lets the kid in him get out. I can relate to that. Being a kid is way more fun than acting serious all the time.

Raidramon didn't need to be told twice, he leapt over the last snowdrifts with Halsemon and Pegasusmon right on his tail, and we made the last few hundred feet in seconds.

Our digimon descended to rookies and we all stood on the porch of the main building blowing heat into our mittens while Miyako tried to get the attention of someone within by banging on the front door. A fuzzy raccoomon answered the door with an amused grin. "You humans have no sense," he teased, waving a friendly paw for us to come in, "traipsing around the Digital World in a blizzard."

"It's not that cold," I boasted, dusting the frost out of my hair.

When Takeru had mentioned cabins, I had gotten the idea of old, rustic shacks, but the digimon never cease to surprise me with their inconsistencies. The main lobby was very clean and modern-looking, and the temperature was regulated to a comfort that defied the storm raging outside. Though that ruled out sharing sleepingbags under the pretense of needing extra body heat...I wasn't likely to get to share with Hikari anyway, so it wasn't that big of a disappointment.

"I'm thinking hot chocolate," Miyako said as she peeled off her mittens and cap, "with cake and ice-cream."

"You want ice-cream?" Hawkmon asked in disbelief. "It's snowing outside and you want ice-cream?" But Miyako just continued to list all the desserts she wanted, now with Armadillomon's attention.

Takeru, with Patamon riding on his head, produced his wallet and followed the raccoomon to haggle for one of the cottages. (We had had the foresight to bring some digi-dollars, just in case.)

Another raccoomon came down a staircase, this one wearing a pink apron. "I thought I heard voices," she said with a toothy grin, "what can I get for you children?"

"We're not sure, yet," Hikari said politely. Then she smiled at Miyako, "Hot cocoa sounds really good, though."

"With marshmallows," Iori and Armadillomon added.

"And chocolate chip cookies!" Veemon furthered the order, hopping onto one of two gray-striped couches.

All this talk about candy and chocolate was getting me excited. For the first time, I was starting to feel that I'd rather be here with these guys than to be sorting things out with the Kaizer. Maybe he was just a fling to be forgotten. With the storm between us, I felt a world away from him.

After Takeru paid for our lodging, he rejoined the rest of us. We were all sitting on the couches that were facing each other across a low coffee table, a fire crackling in the fireplace nearby. The raccoomon couple disappeared into the next room to accommodate our sweet-tooth.

Digimon can be so unbelievably and unnecessarily gracious. It's really sad to think that the Kaizer could come in here at any moment and turn this friendly digimon pair into monsters. Maybe I can talk him out of this Kaizer thing.

Veemon was sitting next to me, but with a noticeable space between us. I had assumed, since he's my digimon, that he'd get over our spat pretty quick and us be friends again, but he wasn't being as cooperative as I had thought he'd be. I guess I should have anticipated him being more stubborn. He is my digimon, after all.

'Course, I should have also been able to anticipate him supporting me...

I'm not gonna be mad at him, though, 'cause he's my friend.

So I scooted closer to him and leaned over to whisper "I'm sorry I yelled at you" quietly enough that only he could hear it. The other Chosen didn't need to know Vee and I had been arguing about anything, 'cause then they'd want to know what we'd been arguing about and it would just get bad from there.

Thankfully, my apology had its intended affect and Veemon smiled and jumped onto my lap. I was a little nervous that he might want to talk about it, but he was much too busy drooling hungrily for chocolate. I guess I picked a better opportunity to apologize than I thought.

Anyways, the raccoomon couple brought out the sweets--cake and cookies, milk and cocoa with marshmallows on the side, doughnuts and little cups of ice cream. Miyako and I fought over the doughnuts and ended up spilling her hot chocolate, which made her really mad, but she deserved it for hogging the doughnuts. Besides, our hosts immediately replaced the spilled drink. I even helped clean the mess (at Hikari's insistence).

As the hours went by, it was impossible to tell when the day faded into night. The storm was still going on full force outside, but I was ready to find our cabin and settle in for the night. "We walked in it for miles, a few extra yards won't kill us," I argued.

"Don't be stupid," Tailmon said. "It's warm in here, and the raccoomon said we could sleep upstairs if the storm doesn't calm."

The first thing that crossed my mind was Don't call me stupid, but since it doesn't do any good to point out that I don't like it, I ignored it.

"We paid for our own cabin, though," I persisted, looking at Takeru, since it had been his idea and his money. But he just looked at Hikari, then back at me and shrugged.

What was I supposed to make of that? He wouldn't go if Hikari wasn't going? Fine. Ass.

I sighed. "Miyako? Iori? Anybody?"

Miyako and Hawkmon grabbed the last few cookies. "I'll go," she said. "I wanna check out the cabin and claim my room."

I was elated that someone was actually coming with me. Sometimes even I can't tell whether I'm serious or just showing off. Veemon ran circles around my legs, hyper from all the sugar and ready to go on adventures even if it was only a couple yards away.

When I opened the lodge door and the wind almost yanked it off it's hinges, I considered turning back, but only for a moment. Sensing that Miyako might be having the same second thoughts, I grabbed her by the hand and dragged her out, leaving the raccoomon to shut the door behind us and our two digimon.

Blasted by ice as coarse and painful as sandpaper, frosty needles spiking every inch of exposed flesh, wind threatening to pick up our poor digimon and carry them away forever. It was worth it to prove once again that I can survive whatever seemingly rash situations I dream up and throw myself blindly into.

I'm such an idiot. Oh well.

Not only that, but I stupidly, mindlessly left Takeru and Hikari together.

I didn't have time to think about that right now. I needed to concentrate on getting the four of us to safety. That's my responsibility as leader.

The inside of our cabin was as clean and nice as the main lodge, though not as warm since no one had been occupying it. Miyako immediately went to the kitchen pantry to find matches for the fire. Veemon and Hawkmon started jumping on the couch like a couple of toddlers. And I went to the first bedroom to drag the blankets and pillows off the bed. I don't know about Takeru, but I came here to be rugged. I'm sleeping on the floor in front of the fire, even if I have to move the furniture around.

Once Miyako had a fire going, she turned the overhead lights out and built a nest of blankets near mine.

"I thought you were going to pick out a room," I said, "sleep on a bed and all."

She shook her head. "Not with you down here. That would be rude."

I nodded. I suppose I should thank her. But I don't think it was friendship as much as common courtesy that kept her around. Maybe I'm being too cynical...

I pulled off my jacket and threw it onto the floor nearby. "While you're feeling generous," I began, "can I have a cookie?"

Her brows drew together and her lips puckered possessively and the light of the fire flickered against her face. I just grinned at her, not really expecting her to share, just teasing her.

Her lips just barely curled into a crooked smile. "You're such a brat."

I nodded proudly and she produced a cookie and handed it to me. Suddenly smelling chocolate, Veemon burrowed under the covers next to me and gave Miyako a similar hopeful look.

"And you're a bottomless pit!" she accused my digimon, but gave him a cookie anyway.

That's when Hawkmon fluttered to us. "Perhaps we should have stayed where we could still have milk," he commented as Miyako gave him a cookie without him having to ask for it.

For the first time, it occurred to me that maybe Miyako knew stuff about Hikari that I didn't. Maybe 'Kari talked to her about stuff. I should ask her.

"Hey, Miyako," I began, rolling onto my chest and looking into the fire. "Does Hikari talk to you about...you know...girl stuff."

I could tell she turned to look at me funny, even if I wasn't facing her. "Maybe... Why?"

I crossed my arms in front of me and rested my chin on them. "Did she tell you if she likes Takeru?"

Miyako sighed and leaned against the couch. "I can't tell you that, Daisuke."

I nodded. "I take that as a yes, then."

"You can't assume that. Maybe she likes someone else."

I hadn't considered that...That would suck. At least if it was Takeru, I could hold it against him.

"Like who?" I demanded. What if it was someone I didn't even know? What if it was one of the older Chosen? Stupid Miyako...probably just trying to make me even more curious.

She crossed her arms across her chest. "Well, it's really none of your business."

I nodded again. Hikari likes Takeru. Screw it. I don't need her. I could have Ken.

Mmnnn...I shouldn't be thinking like that. Ken's the bad guy... the bad guy.

"You know, it's not really your fault she doesn't like you." Miyako said, drawing her blanket over her legs and wrapping her arms around Hawkmon, who nestled in her lap.

"And you know I don't buy that."

She frowned. "Then you're a bigger idiot than I gave you credit for."

But...I don't do anything really wrong... Hikari likes everybody...why doesn't she like me? I like me....Even Ken likes me...I think....

Moron. She doesn't know what she's missing.

If only Takeru wasn't around...

Before that scheme could be plotted, the front door opened and Hikari walked in followed by Takeru, who was carrying a sleeping Iori in his arms, and their digimon partners came behind. The storm must have calmed if Iori could sleep through it.

Takeru whispered something to Hikari then carried Iori up the stairs, Patamon and Armadillomon following him. Then Hikari and Tailmon came to sit on the couch near where Miyako and I had constructed our beds.

Seeing that Miyako had fallen asleep, Hikari spoke in an excited whisper. "The raccoomon said if it isn't stormy tomorrow they'll take us all sledding."

Trying not to disturb Veemon's sleep, I turned over to sit up, leaning back on my hands. "That sounds like fun," I told her. "I can show you some slick moves I know!"

She snickered incredulously. "Just don't get a concussion. A trip to the Digital World Hospital isn't anyone's idea of a swell vacation."

Yeah, that wouldn't be any fun.

Nice to know that she has so much confidence in me...

Instead of getting mad, though, I just waved my hand dismissively. "I won't get hurt. I'm superman!"

Tailmon nodded. "Riiight."

Oh, shut up, Tailmon.

Hikari took her digimon into her arms. "I'm going to call it a night. I'll take one of the beds upstairs that still has it's bedding," she quipped as she walked away.

I turned back to the fire. "Just make sure Takeru isn't in the bed when you climb into it," I muttered under my breath so that she couldn't hear me.

"Yeah, that goes double for me," Veemon whispered supportively. It's good to have my friend back. After just one day of him not talking to me, I know I won't argue like that with him again. We've gotta stick together.

I don't know when I fell asleep; I just know I woke to the sound of Hikari giggling quietly upstairs. Miyako was still sleeping soundly, but I decided to make a nuisance of myself anyway.

I found Hikari in the same room as Takeru, sitting cross-legged on opposite ends of the bed, apparently just talking. "Why aren't ya'll asleep?" I whined. "It must be midnight..."

"It's the weekend, Daisuke," Takeru said with a grin. "Live a little. Stay up late."

I frowned indignantly. "What can there possibly be to talk about this late at night?" ...that couldn't include the rest of us...that couldn't include me.

Hikari shrugged. "Just stuff."

Yeah...you're trying to get rid of me. I can tell...

I pouted. "Well, it would be nice if you wouldn't chatter at everyone else's expense. Your giggling is keeping Miyako and me awake." So I lied about Miyako...They didn't know that.

"Ok," Hikari said brightly. "We'll be quiet." Then she turned her back to me, wordlessly excusing me from the room.

Oh, that is IT...!

Such a small, seemingly meaningless gesture...she's probably done it to me a million times...and she doesn't even know what she really did...

I stood there for a moment, my teeth bared like angry Chibimon, my fists clenched at my sides, my breath caught painfully in my chest.

She wants me to go...wants me to leave...leave her alone...so she can be with him...

Fine.

I stormed downstairs and pulled on my jacket, then gathered up the blanket Veemon was curled up in, cradling him to me so that he didn't need to wake up, and left the cabin.

It was dark, it was cold, and it was snowing. But it wasn't stormy, at least. I used my D-3 like a compass and headed towards the digital gate that would take me back to the real world.

I don't know when they'll notice I'm gone, but I know they'll start looking for me right away, and they'll know why I left...

They'll be furious that I ruined their weekend...

To be continued