Ken: DigimonDragonLady doesn't own Digimon. Or the characters she uses in these stories. Or Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing. Sheesh…she doesn't even own the computer she types these stories on okay, so you can't sue her.

Dragon Lady: Um…well put Ken-chan. ^^;

Ken: Whatever. Okay I thought your next story was going to be an important sequel…?

Dragon Lady: Well…this is a sequel…

Ken: *groans* Not an important one! The last story would have been just fine as a stand-alone you know.

Dragon Lady: …

Ken: Oh whatever. -_-;;

Dragon Lady: ^^;; Um…the sequel to my Bridging the Gap story. It would be best to read that one first…then this would make a little more sense…but…you can do whatever you want. Enjoy!

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What Shall Follow

By: DigimonDragonLady

The phone rang, it's shrill cry cutting through the otherwise peaceful mood of the small bedroom apartment. Ken moaned and rolled over, stretching his hand out towards the night table beside the bed from which the harsh ringing sound came. After several seconds of groping for the receiver his hand finally connected. He brought it to his ear, not even bothering to open his eyes.

"Moishi moishi," he mumbled, pretty incoherently, into it. He was still a bit disoriented and attempted to swallow back the yawn he felt coming, but failing despite his obvious efforts.

"Good morning!" a cheerful voice came to him from the speaker on the other end of the line.

"Miyako?" Ken questioned, and mentally forced himself to open his eyes.

"The one and only," came the chipper response. "I'm sorry Ken, did I wake you?" the woman on the other end asked, not sounding at all sorry for the early morning intrusion into his rest.

Um yeah, you did," Ken sighed. "Miya why in God's name are you calling me at…" he forced himself into something resembling a semi sitting position and half turned, half rolled to glance at the clock. He groaned when his brain registered the still sleep blurred red numbers of the alarm, "…seven in the morning? You know some people actually like to do something called sleep at this hour!"

Miyako giggled. "Someone's grumpy today."

"Miya as far as I'm concerned it isn't "today" yet," Ken grumbled. This statement only caused her to laugh even more. "Morning people are such a pain," he growled.

"Oh go make yourself a cup of coffee you grouch. It might make you feel better."

"Not at seven in the morning it won't. What do you want?" he asked bluntly.

"I'm just calling to remind you about the picnic today. I've got you and Daisuke down to bring the drinks right? Remember everyone's in town; even Iori and Jyou, and you know how difficult it is to draw them away from any kind of work. I just wanted to make sure you were still coming."

"Yes Miyako, I'm coming to our little "get together". My answer hasn't changed since you called me Thursday. Or since Friday afternoon. Or since Friday night at ten o'clock!"

"Good." Miyako choose to ignore his rant and process the "yes I'm coming" part. "I was trying to get a hold of Daisuke as well. I left a message yesterday, and I tried calling him before I called you this morning…but it appears he either sleeps through that annoying loud phone of his, or he isn't home at all."

Ken turned to glance at the figure that lay sleeping soundly beside him and smiled. "Maybe its both," he murmured softly.

He didn't actually realize he'd spoken aloud until Miyako asked, "What was that?"

"Oh…nothing."

"I heard you anyway," Miyako responded.

"Then why bother asking?" Ken asked in frustration.

Miyako ignored him again. "Soooo…is Daisuke with you now?"

"Maybe."

"I'll take that as a yes. Is he coming?"

"Yes! We're both coming! Yes we'll bring the drinks! Is there anything else you wanted to interrupt my sleep to ask Lady? If not would you please get the hell off my phone so that I can sleep for at least another hour?!"

"Coffee Ken, coffee," Miyako told him. "Of course if Daisuke spent the night with you I'm sure you have good reason to be exhausted…" Ken was turning one hundred shades of red from embarrassment and anger. Miyako correctly interpreted his silence to mean that he was somewhat peeved with her. "Fine. I'll go now."

"Thank God!"

"Bye."

"Goodbye," Ken said firmly, before slamming down the phone and collapsing back onto the pillows of his bed.

"Who was that Ken?"

Ken blinked as Daisuke stirred. "I didn't know you were awake Dai. I'm sorry."

"For the last part. Who was it?"

"Miyako. Calling about the picnic again." Daisuke chuckled at that. "I didn't mean to wake you…"

"'S all right," Daisuke slurred sleepily. "I don't mind being awake with you Ken," he snuggled closer.

"Well don't worry, I'm not going to be awake much longer," Ken yawned.

"Says you," Daisuke smirked mischievously, moving quickly and pinning Ken to the bed. "But I truly doubt you could manage to sleep through this love," he drew his teeth playfully along Ken's neck, nipping gently at his throat and thoroughly enjoying the purring hum the other man elicited.

"Oh-h," Ken moaned, weakly attempting to free his hands from Daisuke's grip. "Planning for a little fun love?" he panted breathlessly.

"Oh no Ken-chan, I'm planning on a whole lot of fun," Daisuke smiled.

"Well damn. There goes that last hour of sleep."

"Hey! What's better, sleep, or me?"

"Oh there's no question about that," Ken answered. "No contest."

"Good," Daisuke settled down to his work again.

"Definitely sleep."

Daisuke ceased in his playful attack on Ken's neck and narrowed his eyes. "Oh is that so?" Using one hand to keep Ken's wrists pinned to the bed in an iron strong grip, he began tickling him mercilessly with the free one.

Ken squirmed and writhed desperately beneath him, trying to escape his grasp. "Stop!!" he begged, laughing helplessly. "Daisuke!"

"Its not my fault you're ticklish," Daisuke commented wickedly as he continued.

"Daisuke please!!" Ken howled in utter anguish.

"I could go on for hours, how 'bout you Ken?" he teased.

"N-no!" he gasped.

Daisuke finally desisted, allowing Ken to collapse. "Oh thank you!" Ken breathed.

"I think I'm going to have to prove to you how much better than sleep I am, don't you Ken?" Daisuke asked, in the same wicked amusement as before.

"Nothing would make me happier," Ken told him.

* * *

Miyako sighed. "Where on Earth are those two?! Everyone's here but Daisuke and Ken! He promised they'd be here!"

"Relax Miya," Takeru told her. "If Ken said they were coming then they'll be here."

"Takeru's right," Hikari nodded. "You know Ken's a man of his word."

"Besides…" Mimi said thinking. "Isn't today their anniversary or something? How many years has it been since they got together now? Eight? Seven and a half? Something like that…"

"That's right!" Sora exclaimed. "I'm surprised they're coming at all! You'd think they'd have had their own things planned already."

"Yeah…" Miyako agreed.

"And didn't you say Daisuke spent the night at Ken's place?" Yamato asked winking.

"I bet they just got a little…distracted," Taichi grinned.

"Well, well, well," Jyou chuckled as Ken and Daisuke appeared in a hurry. "Look who decided to join us. We thought we'd lost you guys."

"What are you talking about?" Daisuke panted slightly. "We've been here the whole time! Haven't we Ken?"

"Of course," Ken agreed.

"Did you two over sleep or something?" Taichi asked innocently. Everyone but Daisuke and Ken laughed at that. They just flushed red.

"Here Miyako, we brought your drinks," Ken said quickly, drawing the attention off their lateness and shoving three plastic shopping bags at her.

"Ice and cups too," Daisuke surrendered his grocery bags to the lavender haired young woman as well.

"Oh cups! It's a good thing you thought about cups, because I had completely forgotten that we'd need them."

"You're just lucky you have us around to cover your lapses Miya," Daisuke smiled sweetly.

"Oh whatever!" Miyako replied.

They all laughed again at her indignation. It was good to be in the company of friends.

* * *

"So how's school going for everyone?" Hikari asked brightly.

There was a chorus of good remarks from those present who still attended school. The majority of them were still in college, or in Iori's case, just finishing high school. "Well that's good to know," she replied.

"Anybody have any news?" Mimi asked, always the gossip, just like Miyako.

"We'd ask about relationships," Sora said, casting her eyes out on two members of the group, "but Taichi and Yamato give out waaay too many details that I did not need to know." There was laughter at this statement, even from Yamato and an indignant Taichi.

"Well…" Daisuke shot Ken a sideways glance. "We know a cute couple who just got engaged…"

Mimi looked from Daisuke to Ken and at the impressive blush that spread across Ken's cheeks, and then squealed in delight. "You're engaged?!!" she screeched, causing Sora, who was sitting next to her to put a hand over her ears in mock protest at the decibel level.

Ken nodded, blushing profusely. "Oh my gosh, that's wonderful!" Miyako shouted.

"Congratulations," Koushiro and Jyou both offered.

"Way to go Daisuke!" Takeru exalted. "And you too Ken!"

Hikari laughed happily. "And I remember when you two couldn't even stand the sight of each other. Remember how they used to fight all the time? And now you're engaged!"

"We fought?!" Daisuke teased Ken with a scandalized look.

"Not us!" Ken protested teasingly as well.

"Hah," Miyako returned. "Says the two guys who made summer camp living hell for the lot of us!" They both grinned sheepishly. "But we sure fixed that, didn't we Hikari?!"

There was dead silence. You could have heard a pin drop. Daisuke and Ken looked around at their friends in confusion; particularly at Miyako and Hikari. The former seemed to have realized that she'd made some grievous mistake, as she had her hands over her mouth in horror, and the later had gone chalk white.

"What are you talking about?" Ken asked curiously.

"Nothing!" Hikari and Miyako chimed as one, totally unconvincingly.

"Yeah right." Daisuke crossed his arms and waited for an explanation.

"Well…um…its just that…" Mimi began. "We couldn't stand your bickering anymore! So we…decided to give your relationship…"

"A little push," Sora finished.

"…"

"…How?" Daisuke asked slowly.

"Err…" Taichi, Yamato, Iori and Jyou were frozen and seemed unable to remember that they had the ability of speech.

"Well, Hikari got the idea from a book she was reading," Takeru volunteered.

"Actually it was a Shakespearean play," Koushiro added.

"Huh?" Daisuke looked confused.

Ken was thoughtful. "Shakespearean play?" he asked. "Much Ado About Nothing?" he pondered aloud. "That's the only one I could think of…" he looked around at their guilty expressions. "That was it wasn't it?! You mean to tell me that you rigged that whole huge conversation under the tree?!" he glared at Hikari and Takeru.

"Um…"

"You lied?" Daisuke looked at Miyako and Takeru, as well as Iori, Taichi and Yamato, who had also been a part of it. "Down at the lake? That whole thing was just an act? A set up?!"

"Er…"

"But…you still love each other now right?" Iori asked.

"You are engaged," Sora noted.

"Yeah. Does it really change anything between you?" Taichi asked.

"No…" Ken admitted slowly, looking at Daisuke.

"I guess not…" agreed Daisuke, a slow grin spreading across his face as he thought about it. "You know…thinking about it now…makes it actually seem kind of funny."

He and Ken burst out laughing. The rest of the groups members gradually relaxed as each individual recalled the part that they had played, or what they had said, or heard, or done, or thought during Hikari's plan.

* * *

"Ken-chan?"

Ken looked at his husband-to-be when he sat down on the couch beside him and rested his head on Ken's shoulder. "What's wrong Daisuke? Is something bothering you?"

"Do you…do you…" Daisuke stopped.

"Go on Daisuke, you can ask me anything, you know that."

"Do you really love me?" He rushed on at the look on Ken's face. "I know, it's a really stupid question to ask…Just forget I said anything…"

"Is this about what Miyako said earlier?" Ken questioned him gently, holding him close. "About setting us up?"

"Well…yes…" he admitted. "I just…I really love you Ken-chan; and maybe at one short point in my life I couldn't stand you, but now I couldn't live without you. I just…wanted to make sure that you felt the same way. And I don't want to feel like I'm pressuring you into anything…"

Ken hushed him with a gentle kiss. "I love you Daisuke Motomiya, and don't you ever forget it," he lectured in stern tenderness. "As far as I'm concerned I've always loved you. Ai shiteru."

"Ai shiteru Ken-chan."

"Good," Ken smiled. "Now that that's settled."

Daisuke snuggled closer to him. "Ken?"

"Yes Dai-chan?"

"Can we get a copy of that book? The one Hikari read?"

"Much Ado About Nothing?"

"That's it," he agreed. "I want to read it."

"Whatever you want Dai-chan, whatever you want."

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Dragon Lady: *eyes water at the fluff*

Ken: Uhh! You could choke on all the sap in that story!

Dragon Lady: Yeah well…This turned out kind of on the short side didn't it? *looks over story*

Ken: Pathetic. Why do I even bother to give you any good ideas when all you turn out is fluff like this? Why can't you work on the stories with plots?

Dragon Lady: I'll…get to them…^^;; Eventually.

Ken: *throws up hands in defeat* You know…if I had any sense I'd just quit right here…

Dragon Lady: ^^;