A/N: ::bangs head on screen:: I can't (bang) believe (bang) I wrote (bang) a fluff piece! What is wrong with me? ::recovers:: Well, here we go. Ken and Yolei fluff. It's not too bad though. It's not a fic where you're in danger of gagging from all the sweetness. ;-)
Oh, and this follows my trilogy, but you don't need to read that to understand it. Therefore, this does not follow the show.
Since this is an entry for ChibiUsa's contest, I need to follow her rules. Therefore, a description of me: Blue eyes, waist long blonde hair (and yes, it is natural!), and 5'7. Ta-dah! My Digimon crush: Hmm. Toughie. At the risk of being one of the multitudes, Ken.
Disclaimer: If I owned Digimon, this would have already happened by now.
"I can't believe this!" Yolei exclaimed as she burst into the computer room. The other Digidestined looked up. She was brandishing a newspaper wildly.
Cody frowned. "Yolei, is there a problem?"
"Is there a problem? Is there a problem? Look at this!" She shoved the paper so close to his nose that he went cross-eyed.
Cody managed to hold the paper a reasonable distance from his face to read the headline of the Lifestyle section. "Boy Genius in Love?"
"I can't believe this!" Yolei said again. She didn't seem to be talking to anyone in particular, so Cody continued his perusal of the article. "What is wrong with those stupid reporters? Isn't there something more they could be doing with their lives than following us everywhere?"
Now Cody saw what made Yolei so angry. Beneath the headline was a full color photograph of Ken and Yolei holding hands while they walked in the park. A rare smile crossed his face. "I didn't think you would mind so much, Yolei."
"Not mind? How could I not-" She broke off as the door opened. Ken himself slipped into the room.
He smirked a little at the expression on Yolei's face. "I take it you've seen the article, then?" he said dryly. She crossed to him immediately. "Yes, and can you believe -" Any further complaints were halted as he swiftly kissed her.
A ghost of a smile flitted across Ken's face. He still wasn't used to expressing much emotion, especially in front of anyone other than Yolei. "Yes, I can believe it," he told her. "There is an entire species of people that does nothing but follow me – and that means you too."
"Oh, well," Yolei grumbled. Just then Davis looked up from the computer where he, Kari, and T.K. were sitting and talking.
Even though the Digidestined didn't go to the Digital world everyday anymore, the computer room was still their favorite meeting place on the basis that no one had thought of anywhere else to go. Today they planned on going to the ice skating rink.
"All right, Ken's here! " Davis yelled. "Let's go!"
* * *
"I cannot believe that just happened," Yolei moaned. Her face was beet red as the group walked out of the rink. "I can never show my face in there again." Ken said nothing but was equally red, while T.K., Kari, and Davis were trying not to laugh. Even Cody was grinning.
"C'mon, Yolei, you should be proud that your boyfriend is so sought after," Kari giggled.
Yolei glared at her. Kari had braced herself for a verbal attack when the door slammed open behind them.
"You better leave, boyfriend-stealer! Ken is mine!" An angry girl glared venom at Yolei. "Don't ever come back here again!" She then turned her gaze to Ken, who promptly hid behind Yolei. Unaffected, she fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Oh, Ken, how would you like to go somewhere with me tonight? We can ditch this crowd -" Her voice was sickeningly seductive, and she glared as Davis cracked up. She looked back at Ken. "What do you say, baby?"
Ken moaned quietly, then came out from behind Yolei. His face was suddenly devoid of any embarrassment. Yolei marveled at his ability to mask his emotions in an instant – one of the truly useful skills he had gained from being the Digimon Emperor. He smiled coolly at the crazed fangirl. "Sorry, but I have other plans for tonight," he purred. He slung an arm around Yolei's shoulders, kissed her, and turned back to the girl who was now smoldering with rage. "I'll have to pass." He sauntered off with Yolei on his arm, with the rest of the Digidestined trailing behind.
Somehow they managed to hold in their laughter until they were a safe distance away. Then all of their held-in amusement burst loose. "Oh, man," Ken gasped, wiping tears from his eyes. He and Yolei braced each other against the wall, laughing too hard to even stand. The rest of the Digidestined were in similar states, ignoring the extremely odd stares they were attracting from the passersby.
"That was too much," T.K. said finally. He shook his head and laughed again. "I've got to get home." He started to walk away from the group. Cody looked up. "Wait up, T.K.!"
"I suppose I should go too," Kari sighed.
"I'll walk you home!" Davis cried.
"Davis, you live in the opposite direction –" Kari began, then gave up, recognizing it for a lost cause. "Oh, fine."
Davis looked positively elated as he and Kari walked off in the opposite direction as T.K. and Cody. Yolei looked at Ken and sighed. He shook his head, smiling faintly. They shared a look of exasperation and amusement. Then Ken caught Yolei up in his arms briefly. "See you tomorrow?" he asked, releasing her.
"Definitely," she replied. "Same place?" He nodded, and she smiled at him before turning to walk to her apartment after T.K. and Cody.
She didn't realize until she was far away from their parting place that today was the first time she had heard Ken laugh outside of their own private company. The thought was so surprising that she stopped in mid-stride to stare behind her in utter amazement.
* * *
"There you are," Ken said softly. He was leaning against a tree in the middle of the park. That tree had become their "official" meeting place outside of the computer room.
"I'm sorry," Yolei said, snuggling up to him. "My sister was impossible this morning, and cross-examined me before I could leave the house. I really hate it when Dad puts her in charge."
"Don't worry about it," he said, giving her one of his rare, brilliant smiles that made her melt. "I only just got here, anyway."
"But you decided to give me a guilt-trip anyway?" Yolei gasped, mock offended. "Shame on you, Ichijouji!"
He ducked his head and peeked at her through his hair. She sighed. Ken was just so adorable when he did that - and he knew it, too. "Well, I suppose I could forgive you...if..." she let her voice trail off suggestively.
"If?" he questioned in a low voice. He leaned towards her. Their lips were about to touch...
"Omigosh! It's Ken Ichijouji!"
The pair immediately jumped apart in shock. Two girls stood a short distance away from them, with identical star-struck looks in their eyes. "Oh no," Ken whispered.
"Ken's here?" another excited voice asked. Within an amazingly short period of time, a large group of people had completely surrounded the hapless pair. They shared frustrated looks as the crowd grew.
Ken started as a notepad was thrust under his nose. "Ken, what do you think about your upcoming soccer tournament? Do you think you will lead the team to victory again this year?" An eager looking junior reporter was standing in front of him.
Ken blinked. For a moment he stood, confused, and then flashed the crowd a bright –and fake – smile. It was nothing like the soft smile Yolei had gotten from him earlier – yet the excited teens in the background squealed. Can't they see how fake that is? Yolei wondered. Was I really that dense awhile ago? She shook her head as she realized that yes, she had been just as pathetically obsessed as these poor girls were now.
"Well, it will be a team effort, of course," Ken said confidently to his rapt audience. An approving murmur rose from the gathered people. "And I know that if we work hard, we will become champions again this year." The crowd applauded.
The junior reporter looked like he was about to die with happiness. I'll bet this is his first big assignment, Ken thought. He's determined to have a wonderful story for his editor – and what better way to raise a reporter's status than to land an interview with the "famous" Ken Ichijouji? That made him all the more determined to get away. Young reporters were the pushiest and most obsessive of the entire bunch.
It only took one glance at Yolei. Help me! his eyes pleaded. She nodded almost imperceptibly. Then she looked at her watch and made a big show of gasping with shock and horror. "Oh no! Ken! Look what time it is!" The reporters watched quizzically. He glanced at his own watch, and his own eyes widened in an identical expression of horror. He grabbed Yolei and together they walked swiftly into the midst of the crowd, which parted slightly to let them through. "Excuse us, excuse us please," came the steady mantra.
They had almost made it out when the junior reporter stopped them. Ken recognized the look in his eyes and winced. This boy was not, under any circumstances, going to let his story get away. "Ken, if I could just have a few minutes to ask a few questions – "
"I'm sorry, but that won't be possible." Surprisingly, Yolei said that. She raised her chin and looked at the boy condescendingly. He shrank back a little at the look in her eyes. "Ken has a very important meeting that he is already late for, and I would appreciate it if you did not make him any later." Without waiting for a response she grabbed Ken by the elbow and walked him straight past the reporter, who stared after them completely struck dumb.
Yolei didn't stop until they had walked several blocks from the park. When she did, she noticed Ken staring at her in amazement. "What?" she asked?
"You dealt with that reporter like you had been doing it all your life," he said, still amazed. "I've never gotten rid of one so quickly."
Yolei grinned. "Did you think I was going to let a measly reporter be more pushy than me?"
Ken's eyes sparkled with mirth. His eyes were the only part of him that ever showed emotion reliably, and the way they glowed now warmed Yolei to the tips of her toes.
"Ken!" Two heads whipped around to see what disturbed them now. Exasperation crossed Ken's face as he realized the reporter had followed him, and was then replaced by anger at having his and Yolei's moment interrupted.
"What?" Ken demanded. The reporter took a step back. Ken winced mentally. He had to give a good impression to the press, because a reporter could easily make or break someone's reputation. Ken hadn't meant to sound quite that irritated. But I am annoyed. That's twice he's interrupted my moment with Yolei. And what's worse is I can't give any signs of it so I can protect my "image."
"I'm sorry, you startled me," Ken lied glibly. "What is it that you want?"
"Like I said before, I just want to ask you a few questions: about the upcoming championships, how you feel now that you're back home...and maybe a few other things," he said, looking at Yolei suggestively.
Ken hadn't missed the look he gave Yolei. Not again. Not another one who wants to know how we met, when, where, what our long-term plans are...we're fifteen for crying out loud! "I'm sorry, but I'm already late for an appointment. I'll have to take a rain check." He flashed a smile that usually made fangirls swoon. The boy looked extremely put out.
"But it won't take long, honestly..."
"I'm sorry, but no." Ken started to walk away as fast as he could, Yolei close beside him. They ducked around a corner a few blocks ahead.
"Finally," Ken sighed. He glanced over at Yolei, expecting her to agree with him. To his surprise she had a decidedly mischievous look on her face.
"Ken...you still owe me for teasing me about being late this morning," she said, grinning.
A slow grin crossed his face. "I guess I do," he whispered, and drew her closer.
Just then Yolei pulled away with a gasp. She was staring over Ken's shoulder. "I don't believe it, Ken...he's following us!"
Ken whirled around. Sure enough, the reporter had decided to try his luck one more time. Just as Ken turned the reporter caught sight of him. "Ken!" he called, and began to run.
Yolei grabbed his arm and hauled him forward. He looked at her in surprise. "There's a time to be polite and a time to run," she growled. "And I'll give you a hint - this is not the time for the former!" He glanced behind him only once, then took off down the street.
"Ken! Ken!" This guy is relentless, Ken thought. They had been running several blocks now and he showed no signs of giving up pursuit. Just then Yolei grabbed his arm and pointed. "There," she gasped. There was an alcove ahead, and the reporter had not yet turned the corner. If they could reach it...
The two dove into the alcove and pressed against the wall, breathing hard. A few moments later, the reporter dashed past the opening, leaving them behind. They breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
"I'm glad that's over with," said Yolei, and started to leave the space. Ken reached out and stopped her from going, and she looked at him in surprise. He pulled her so close their noses nearly touched. "He's interrupted us three times," he murmured, "but I'm not going to let him get the best of us." And with that he finally did what he had tried to do all morning.
The kiss seemed to go on forever. Ken lost himself in the sensation; after being denied the privilege of kissing her so many times, this was paradise. But from behind them -
Snap!
The pair yanked apart and stared into the jubilant face of the junior reporter. He looked positively stunned with his good fortune. "I got it! I got the picture! Wow, the article I can write with this to back it up...the editor's gonna be so impressed; nobody could have gotten as good a picture; he might give me a raise or a promotion or..." He kept babbling as he ran out of sight - presumably heading straight to the newspaper office.
Ken and Yolei stared at each other. Ken wasn't sure what to think. Should he be angry? Shocked? Indifferent?
Yolei settled the matter. She leaned in and kissed him again, and Ken realized that flashbulbs were nothing compared to the fireworks he saw now.
The end of my entry to ChibiUsa's Kenlei contest. Thank you for reading, and please review.