And since "Davis Claus" didn't give me Digimon this year, no, I do not own it, and probably never will. *sigh*
Chapter 2: Admittance...from the mouth of one eternally patient Genius
The afternoon sky slowly melted into the reds and oranges of evening. The game proceeded quite well, with Ken crushing...er...ok, so it was crushing, Daisuke with a whopping score of 9-1. Not happy with that, Daisuke challenged Ken to another game, only to end up losing in a complete shutout. Dark spore or no, Ken was still the master of soccer. But enough fooling around, it was time to set his plan into action.
/If I'm reading this right, Daisuke will be hungry in a little bit, and it should be easy enough to get him to come home with me using food as a motivator./
"...I had so many good moves, too. I still don't know how you got by my..."
"Hey, Daisuke, would you like to come over to my house for dinner tonight?" Ken interrupted Daisuke's post-game ramble.
"Huh?..." Daisuke seemed to give it some thought, and Ken thought he saw a few different things fly by in those rich, brown eyes.
Daisuke looked at his friend, then reluctantly answered, "Nah...I really shouldn't. My parents probably want me home for dinner, anyway..." But Ken was pretty sure that it wasn't the real reason.
/Hmm...this is going to be harder than I thought. It seems, my dear Daisuke, you are being quite stubborn again. I'll just have to work around your stubbornness to corner you./
"Are you sure, Daisuke? I mean, you're welcome, you know." Ken's worried voice was taken over by a light, fluffy tone as he continued. "If I'm not mistaken, there's still a slice of rich chocolate cake left from a party my parents had last week."
/That should get him. He always was a sucker for chocolate cake./ Ken gave himself a little mental smile.
"...well..." Daisuke was sounding less resolute, and Ken took full advantage of his hesitation.
"And besides, you can call your parents to tell them you'll be having dinner at my place. I'm not going to take no for an answer, Daisuke. We don't have many more weeks like this where we can just spend the whole day together. School's going to get tougher from here on. So, can I beg this small favor from my best friend?" Ken put on his little puppy face, and tried to look as cute as possible. Daisuke has never been able to turn Ken down when he looked this way, and Ken was almost certain that this would be enough to convince Daisuke to come to his house, thus following his plan perfectly.
******************
"Tadaima." Daisuke and Ken entered the Ichijouji apartment, and Daisuke headed straight for the phone. Ken wandered over to the kitchenette in search of that piece of cake he promised. Ok, so technically, he lied about the cake being left over from a party, but he wasn't about to let Daisuke know that he had baked it only a few hours ago. Before his little stop home earlier that day, Ken had picked up some instant cake mix, and set it to bake in the oven as he left. His mom was nice enough to keep an eye on it, and took it out when it was done. It was a nice surprise to see that his mom had also frosted it with some chocolate frosting, even though Ken's stomach was shuddering at the thought of so much chocolate.
/Ugh. I think I'm going to die from all this chocolate. But if it will get Daisuke to talk, I guess I shouldn't complain. /
Moving on from there, Ken pondered what to have for dinner. His mom was supposed to be out enjoying the evening with his dad, so that meant that it was 'fend for yourself' night. After scraping around in the fridge, Ken decided that the best course of action was just to make some nice bowls of udon, not that Daisuke would care. He was practically in love with the long, white noodles. After picking out some meat that looked edible, Ken set some water on the stove to boil.
Daisuke eventually wandered into the kitchenette, the delicious aroma of beef udon in the air.
"Hey, Ken. Need any help?"
"No, it's ok. You can just go ahead and relax. Feel free to take a quick shower if you'd like."
"But I didn't bring a change of clothes..."
"It's ok. You're welcome to borrow any clothes you may need."
"Ok...thanks." Daisuke smiled and walked off towards the bathroom.
******************
"Daisuke! Dinner's done whenever..."
Ken was amazed at how in synch they were. Daisuke was turning the corner to come back into the kitchenette just in time for Ken to practically shout into his face that dinner was done.
"Oh, oops...sorry, Daisuke. I didn't mean to yell right into your face like that..." And it was then that Ken realized just how close their faces were. If he had leaned any further forward as he was shouting for Daisuke, he almost definitely would have kissed his crush. As it was, they were only a fraction of a centimeter away from each other, and he could feel Daisuke's warm breath on his lips. Ken was blushing madly as he backed away and turned around.
/I really hope Daisuke didn't notice that. I've got to be more careful. Control, Ken, control!.../
Ken fumbled his way to the table, where two large bowls of piping hot udon were waiting to be consumed. Ken took a seat, and watched Daisuke make his way to the table. Daisuke sat down, and they both picked up their chopsticks.
"Itadakimasu!" they both cheerfully said, and promptly dug in. Searching for conversation to alleviate his offset feeling, Ken decided to ask Daisuke why he took so long on the phone earlier.
"So, what happened? I thought your parents are pretty lenient people."
"Oh, you mean the call? I got Jun on the phone is what happened."
"Oh?...So what was it this time?"
"What else? Another new crush she's got. I swear she goes through crushes like they were underwear or something. 'A new one each day!' would be a good motto for Jun."
"Ugh..." Ken dramatically rolled his eyes.
"Exactly."
******************
/This is perfect. It's all going according to plan.../
Ken looked up at his friend, who was currently perched in his favorite spot in the room. Daisuke was leaning over the railing of Ken's bed, looking thoroughly satisfied, and was goofily smiling through the haze of contentment.
"Dinner was awesome, Ken! You sure you don't want to become my partner when I open my ramen cart? I'm going to need someone who can cook like you!"
"Thanks...but like I said, Daisuke, I don't think I'm cut out to cook all the time. Did you try asking Yamato yet? I'm sure he and his pink apron would be great for publicity," Ken joked back. Daisuke chucked at that, since they both knew what Yamato's answer would be. Ken was glad that Daisuke seemed in a better mood, but enough was enough.
/Idle chatter is getting me nowhere. Now that Daisuke is just where I wanted him, it's time to get down to the question at hand. /
"Daisuke, what's going on? For the first time since I've known you, it seems like something's troubling you," Ken gently asked.
"What?...nothing's wrong, Ken. Why would you think that something's wrong?..." The words streamed out of Daisuke's mouth like they had been rehearsed, as though he had said it all his life.
"Don't try to lie to me, Motomiya. You may be able to fool the others with that smile of yours, but I know what goes on in your heart. When we fought that last battle all those years ago, you didn't have a thing in the world to worry about, and it showed in your eyes. But now, your eyes don't have that brightness they once had. I want the truth, Motomiya."
/That should get him thinking. /
Ken didn't hear any movement after his statement, and decided to take this opportunity to seal off his target's exit. As Daisuke sat stunned and unmoving on the bed, Ken took the liberty to climb up to where he was, and sat down next to him, waiting for a rebuttal from his stubborn friend.
"Ken, what are you doing?...I told you, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me. Really."
/Got him! /
"I don't care what you say, Daisuke. You're not going to weasel your way out of this."
Daisuke started to look away. Ken reached out and grabbed Daisuke's chin and turned his face.
"Look at me, Motomiya. You can't hide from me, you never could. I'll say it again, I want the truth. Tell me so I may help you. I don't care how silly of a problem it is, I want to help. I know the others have tried to help you too, but you keep brushing them off..." Ken felt Daisuke go stiff in his grasp, and took a mental step back. As he did, he looked into Daisuke's eyes, and started to trail off what he was saying as he realized that he was causing genuine fear.
/Kaiser...I must be acting like the Kaiser again. /
As this thought dawned on him, Ken released his grip on Daisuke, and just cupped his face.
"Oh, my god. I'm sorry, Daisuke. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry. I'm just really worried, that's all. Please, tell me what's wrong," Ken's voice softened as he gently stroked the younger boy's cheek with his thumb and tried to reassure him that there's nothing to worry about.
"Daisuke, I'm not going to leave you, no matter how bad of a problem it is, or what it's about. Do you trust me? Do you believe in me? We've been partners for so long, I guess I always assumed you did. I'm sorry. But I really am concerned for you. Won't you please tell me why you're in so much pain?"
Daisuke paused for a few seconds, and he seemed to be closing his eyes as he tilted his head slightly downwards.
"It has to do with you..." Daisuke muttered. "Do you swear that you won't stop being my friend if I tell you?..."
/This has something to do with me? I wonder...would it be too much to hope?.../
Daisuke seemed to be searching for something within the depths of Ken's soul as he waited for his answer. "Yes, I promise, Daisuke. I will be by your side."
/I care about you too much not to.../
Daisuke took a deep breath and looked into Ken's eyes. "Ken...I..." but stopped short when he closed his eyes, gently removed Ken's hand from his cheek, and brought it to his lips. Ken could only gasp as Daisuke did what he thought could only happen in his dreams.
/He is actually kissing me.../
Daisuke's eyes flew open and then immediately closed as he broke down and started to cry. "Ken, I'm sorry...I don't know what came over me, but I can't take back what I did, can I?"
/Daisuke.../ Ken could feel his heart breaking from the pain of his friend's agony. /You are truly brave to take such a big risk.../
"It's ok, Daisuke. Shhh, just hold still. I'm still here." Ken tightly hugged Daisuke, and held him close to his heart.
/It's my turn. You're not alone, Daisuke. You're not alone. /
"I have a confession to make also. I love you, Daisuke." Ken let that sink in before he continued. "And no one else has to know about us, if you don't want them to."
Ken kissed the top of Daisuke's head, held his beloved closer, closed his eyes and snuggled into the mass of cinnamon hair.
Chapter 2: Admittance...from the mouth of one seriously in denial Goggle head
The afternoon sky slowly melted into the reds and oranges of evening. The game proceeded quite well, with Ken crushing...er...ok, so it was crushing, Daisuke with a whopping score of 9-1. Not happy with that, Daisuke challenged Ken to another game, only to end up losing in a complete shutout. Daisuke eventually admitted defeat when he noticed that it was getting late, and that he should be heading home.
/Drat. It's already five, but why am I so reluctant to go home? / Daisuke's mind wandered as he absent-mindedly continued his traditional schpiel after losing a game.
"...I had so many good moves, too. I still don't know how you got by my..."
"Hey, Daisuke, would you like to come over to my house for dinner tonight?" Ken interrupted Daisuke's post-game ramble.
"Huh?..." Suddenly, a hundred thousands words flashed by in a matter of seconds.
/I don't think I should go...but still, I really don't feel like going home yet. It's like I just want to spend more time with Ken...but then again, I really shouldn't...I mean, I'm still trying to make that... feeling... go away, and if I spend more time with him, then...ARG!!! Ok, Daisuke, get a hold of yourself...just say no and let it be that.../
Daisuke looked at his friend, then reluctantly answered, "Nah...I really shouldn't. My parents probably want me home for dinner, anyway..." But Ken didn't look like he was buying it.
"Are you sure, Daisuke? I mean, you're welcome, you know." Ken's worried voice was taken over by a light, fluffy tone as he continued. "If I'm not mistaken, there's still a slice of rich chocolate cake left from a party my parents had last week."
/Ooh...cake...chocolate cake...hmm...I am a little hungry, and well, it can't hurt to go get some cake, right?.../
"...well..." Daisuke could feel himself giving in as his last reply sounded kind of weak...and this was a bad thing, as Ken surged forward.
"And besides, you can call your parents to tell them you'll be having dinner at my place. I'm not going to take no for an answer, Daisuke. We don't have many more weeks like this where we can just spend the whole day together. School's going to get tougher from here on. So, can I beg this small favor from my best friend?"
Daisuke looked at his best friend, and couldn't help it when he noticed that Ken was putting on that cute little puppy face that he always wore when he wanted something. And somehow, Daisuke could never say no to him when he did that. He finally gave in, and decided that he would go and have dinner with Ken. After all, Ken was right; the school year was starting up, and who knows when they'd be able to spend another day together again, so one little time couldn't hurt, could it?
*******************
"Tadaima." Daisuke and Ken entered the Ichijouji apartment, and Daisuke headed straight for the phone in Ken's room as Ken headed towards the kitchenette. Daisuke walked into Ken's room, flipped on the lights, and walked over to the desk. On it was a sleek black cordless, which he picked up and dialed his own number. After half a ring, a hyperactive, high-pitched voice resounded in his ear.
"Moshi, moshi! Motomiya desu!"
/Just great...it's Jun...ugh.../
"Hey, Jun. It's me."
"Oh, it's you, squirt. I thought Ichirou was going to call...he's so cute!..." Daisuke could feel his conditioned reflexes starting to kick in and he conveniently blocked her annoying voice out.
/Oh, man...all I wanted to do was tell my parents that I was going to be at Ken's for dinner. Now I get the motormouth wonder of hormones. How can I get her to shut up now? /
"...well, anyway, what did you want? I've gotta go in case he calls!"
"I just wanted to tell mom and dad that I was going to be at Ken's for a bit longer. He's making dinner..."
"Awww! That's soooo cute! Ken-chan is soooo sweet to do that!..."
"Uh, huh...well, don't you have to get off the phone, Jun?..."
"...Oh, my god, that's right! Ok...see you later, squirt! I'll tell mom and dad you called. Bye!" *click*
Daisuke was ever so glad to finally be off the phone as the distinct aroma of beef udon filled the air. Daisuke wandered back towards the kitchenette, and stuck his head in to see how Ken was doing.
"Hey, Ken. Need any help?"
"No, it's ok. You can just go ahead and relax. Feel free to take a quick shower if you'd like."
"But I didn't bring a change of clothes..."
"It's ok. You're welcome to borrow any clothes you may need."
"Ok...thanks." Daisuke smiled and walked off towards the bathroom.
********************
"Daisuke! Dinner's done whenever..."
Daisuke was amazed at how in synch they were. He was just about to turn the corner to go into the kitchenette when Ken's face appeared in front of him and practically shouted to him that dinner was done.
"Oh, oops...sorry, Daisuke. I didn't mean to yell right into your face like that..." Daisuke suddenly noticed just how close they were. If he had turned the corner any faster, he probably would have been kissing Ken, and gods know that it would have been disastrous if something like that had happened. Right now, as it was, he was only a hair width away from Ken and he could feel Ken's breath as it mingled with his own. Daisuke blushed madly as he quickly turned and looked away.
/I really hope Ken didn't notice that. It would be really bad if he knew what kind of sick, stupid things I'm thinking of. It's just a phase...it'll go away soon.../
Daisuke turned back around and watched Ken fumbled his way to the table. He was obviously just as embarrassed, or maybe he was just uneasy with that close encounter they just had. Either way, Daisuke was hoping it wouldn't put too much of a strain on what was a perfectly good day. He wandered over to the table himself, where two large bowls of piping hot udon were waiting to be consumed as Ken took a seat. Daisuke sat down, and they both picked up their chopsticks.
"Itadakimasu!" they both cheerfully said, and promptly dug in. Daisuke was still feeling kind of uneasy about what just happened and was very thankful that Ken found something to talk about first.
"So, what happened? I thought your parents are pretty lenient people."
"Oh, you mean the call? I got Jun on the phone is what happened."
"Oh?...So what was it this time?"
"What else? Another new crush she's got. I swear, she goes through crushes like they were underwear or something. 'A new one each day!' would be a good motto for Jun."
"Ugh..." Ken dramatically rolled his eyes.
"Exactly."
*********************
/Wow...Dinner was really good, as usual...Yamato had better watch out, cause Ken's tough competition.../ Daisuke, engrossed in his thoughts, gave a little smile as he leaned over the railing of Ken's bed.
"Dinner was awesome, Ken! You sure you don't want to become my partner when I open my ramen cart? I'm going to need someone who can cook like you!"
"Thanks...but like I said, Daisuke, I don't think I'm cut out to cook all the time. Did you try asking Yamato yet? I'm sure he and his pink apron would be great for publicity," Ken joked back. Daisuke chucked at that, since they both knew what Yamato's answer would be. Daisuke was glad that the little incident earlier didn't ruin dinner, and he was happy that he could spend this little extra time just relaxing with Ken.
/Ken still looks a little worried though...I wonder what's on his mind...uh, oh...he's got his eyebrows in a little knot again...I know what that means.../
"Daisuke, what's going on? For the first time since I've known you, it seems like something's troubling you," Ken gently asked.
"What?...nothing's wrong, Ken. Why would you think that something's wrong?..." The words just streamed out of Daisuke's mouth. He had said that so much in the last two weeks to all his friends that it had become almost second nature.
"Don't try to lie to me, Motomiya. You may be able to fool the others with that smile of yours, but I know what goes on in your heart. When we fought that last battle all those years ago, you didn't have a thing in the world to worry about, and it showed in your eyes. But now, your eyes don't have that brightness they once had. I want the truth, Motomiya."
/Owch, that was harsh. Ken hasn't called me by my last name in years. What do I do now?...Can I hold his questions off to another day when I'm less confused?.../
Daisuke sat there stunned and a little shocked...and maybe a little...hurt...? As he puzzled over his reactions again, he failed to notice that Ken was climbing up to where he was. By the time Daisuke noticed, Ken was just a little close for his liking.
"Ken, what are you doing?...I told you, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me. Really."
/Trapped! /
"I don't care what you say, Daisuke. You're not going to weasel your way out of this."
Daisuke started to look away, but then, he felt Ken grabbed his chin and turned his face.
"Look at me, Motomiya. You can't hide from me, you never could. I'll say it again, I want the truth. Tell me so I may help you. I don't care how silly of a problem it is, I want to help. I know the others have tried to help you too, but you keep brushing them off..." Ken was starting to use a tone of voice that Daisuke vaguely remembered, and wished that he could forget. That strong, forceful voice that threatened him, told him that whatever Ken's goal was, he was going to accomplish it no matter what it took. In a nutshell, Daisuke was scared.
/Kaiser/
After a while, Ken started to trail off.
"Oh, my god. I'm sorry, Daisuke. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry. I'm just really worried, that's all. Please, tell me what's wrong," Ken's voice softened as Daisuke felt Ken releasing his grip, and just cupped his face. Ken gently stroked the younger boy's cheek with his thumb and his voice took on a soothing quality, like the whisper of an angel.
"Daisuke, I'm not going to leave you, no matter how bad of a problem it is, or what it's about. Do you trust me? Do you believe in me? We've been partners for so long, I guess I always assumed you did. I'm sorry. But I really am concerned for you. Won't you please tell me why you're in so much pain?"
/What is he doing?...and why does this feel so right?...why, Ken...do you make everything seem like it's alright?...even if I still have my doubts.../
Daisuke closed his eyes as he tilted his head slightly downwards, trying to hide his shame and confusion. Then, he decided to take that step into what would be either the quicksand of despair, or the lake of hope.
"It has to do with you...Do you swear that you won't stop being my friend if I tell you?..."
/Please, Ken. If I trust you, if I believe in you, will you at least stay by my side? Please, I don't want to lose you. /
Daisuke held his breath as he waited for Ken's answer.
"Yes, I promise, Daisuke. I will be by your side."
/...Ken...please...I'm so confused...please...don't hurt me.../
Daisuke took a deep breath and looked into Ken's eyes. "Ken...I..." but stopped short when he closed his eyes, gently removed Ken's hand from his cheek, and brought it to his lips. And then, he kissed his beloved's hand.
/Oh gods!...What did I just do...I lost control.../
Daisuke's eyes flew open and then immediately closed as he broke down and started to cry. "Ken, I'm sorry...I don't know what came over me, but I can't take back what I did, can I?"
/Shit. That was so stupid, Daisuke. Now he probably hates me...what am I supposed to do now? /
To his surprise, Ken tightly hugged him close to his heart and whispered only comforting words. "It's ok, Daisuke. Shhh, just hold still. I'm still here."
/Ken...Your heart...it still beats in time with mine. /
"I have a confession to make also. I love you, Daisuke." There was a pause as Daisuke tried to comprehend that his best friend also felt the same for him. "And no one else has to know about us, if you don't want them to."
Then, Daisuke felt the lips of his love kiss the top of his head, as he was pulled even closer, and he snuggled into the warmth of his partner's arms.
Notes:
-the score of 9-1 is the score of the soccer match between Daisuke's and Ken's teams in the show. Cheesy, I know, but -_-;;
-chocolate cake?...well, I guess it goes with Daisuke's hyperactive personality ^_~
-"Tadaima" is something you say when you walk in the door of your own house. It's like saying, "I'm home!"
-when Daisuke and Ken both express their surprise at how in synch they were, it's no accident that they are thinking almost the exact same thing. I structured these first 2 chapters in such a way as to show how different, yet similar, they are.
-Ken...cooking...Well, I think that Ken would probably be a pretty good chef if he wanted to be. I mean, he's good at almost everything else... ^_^
-Ken, in the show, originally calls Daisuke "Motomiya" because he is more formal and probably because he has a certain level of respect for Daisuke. Ken's calling Daisuke by his last name again now, in the future, as a sign of his distancing. When people are more close and intimate, they call each other by their first name, and usually use their last name when they're less intimate. I just wanted Daisuke to understand that Ken's really serious through Ken's usage of these linguistic subtleties.
-ok. So normally, Daisuke wouldn't be afraid of the Kaiser, but since he's in a rather fragile state of mind right now, between the confusion, and the possible loss of his friend, the last thing he needed to be reminded of was that Ken used to be the Digimon Kaiser, and that that particularly dark spot of his personality still exists.
-Daisuke kisses Ken on the hand, and it's a big deal?!? Well, keep in mind that in Japan (and most of the US) kissing anyone anywhere is a big deal...and since Daisuke isn't really sure of himself yet, and still doesn't fully accept who he is, this is an even bigger step. Ken realizes this, and is impressed by Daisuke's bravery (fitting since Daisuke's the holder of the Digimental of Courage...), while Daisuke is both terrified and horrified by what he has done by crossing that final line between "just friends" and "something more."