In Between
"I'll go check on him." Hikari insisted, looking pointedly at Daisuke. Daisuke smirked evilly and stepped in her way.
"I don't know, Hikari chan. He's my best friend, I think he'll want to see me more than you."
"Oh, as if, Daisuke kun. Get out of my way."
"You keep acting like it's your kid, and unless you found Dr. Sciencemon when you and Ken were alone, I know you don't know."
"Well, it sure as hell isn't yours, Daisuke!" Hikari replied angrily. She half tuned her head to see a light smirk on Takeru's face. "And even if it were, it wouldn't mean he'd want to see you more than me!"
Tailmon turned to Wormon and remarked wryly. "I fail to see why humans find catfights so attractive."
"I don't think this was what they had in mind."
Ren bit her lip and starred at the crazy people warring in front of her. After she had finished her analysis, Dr. Tanaka came back in with Jyou for more tests, and forced Hikari and Daisuke out of the room. She'd eventually come to the decision to take preventive measures, and with Jyou's assistance, begun laser surgery to correct the tear inside him, which had begun to bleed again as soon as they'd tried to move him.
"I'll do it." Takeru snapped irritably. "Since I'm the only one here who doesn't want to get in his pants."
"Ahem." Jyou cleared his throat in embarrassment.
"You can stop fighting. He's most likely still asleep, so it won't matter. I'll check on him in a moment, when I'm done with this culture scan." Ren insisted, inserting her authority. "You guys can just relax. Dr. Tanaka and I can take care of him."
Takeru looked over to Daisuke, who was wiggling his eyebrows comically, having the time of his life teasing Hikari, who was still not privy to their budding relationship. The blond flushed and left the room.
"I don't want to pry." Hikari said softly. Because I certainly could, if I really wanted to find out what was going on. "But is Take chan alright?"
"How would I know?"
Hikari shifted her head a little to the side, letting her soft brown hair swing a little in her face, brush against her neck and shoulders. "I think you would know. I'm not sure why. I don't want anything to happen to him."
"I know." Daisuke muttered, heading out to find Takeru
Ken flushed as his shifting bulge of a stomach reminded him acutely that he was supposed to be resting in the bed across the room. Nevertheless, he continued to walk over to the computer console. It was a little difficult, still being attached to the IV Dr. Tanaka had given him, but the stand also gave him something to lean on. For which he was very grateful. For all that had gone on that day, he felt exhausted.
He looked over his shoulder momentarily, his dark hair swinging briefly in his face, before sitting in front of the computer and beginning to work.
Hikari chan's going to beat me. Or she would, if I weren't carrying her child. Ken thought to himself as he typed in the required coding. He'd seen Koushiro do this before, though the Digital World had been in synch with theirs at the time, and he would certainly have to make some adjustments. Nothing he couldn't handle, really, but he kept feeling his head droop while he was typing.
Wake up, Ken. They won't be away long. Ken thought to himself, taking a moment to smooth his hand over his belly. Calm down, Sam. I'm okay, and you're going to be fine, too. Just stop kicking me.
He could feel her warm wordless response, and she kicked him again anyway.
Just like your mother. He thought as she made what he assumed to be a large stretch, and he was forced to try and take a deep breath as she rested against his diaphragm.
He had just recently come out of the anesthesia, and it had been a terribly long day. Well, Ken suspected that it was actually morning by now, but nevertheless, he needed to get the others out of the Digital World. By his calculations, they had at spent approximately two years waiting for them.
"Ken?" Ren's soft voice entered the room before she did and she stopped abruptly at the doorway. "Ken, you need to be in bed."
"I know. This should only take a minute." Ken insisted. She walked over to the console and set down her clipboard, then put her hands on his shoulders.
"What's so important?"
"No one else here knows how to crack into the Digital World without a Gate. I have to set one up." Ken informed her, continuing to clack away. She caught the top of his head a moment later when it dipped to his chest. He smiled softly.
"Can't this wait until you've rested? You just went through surgery. Tanaka won't be happy."
"Tanaka is never happy." Ken pointed out glibly. "I'm just sitting here, I'll be okay. I'm just tired, is all. Don't worry. After I open up the Gate, I'll rest all you want me to. You can even tie me to the bed if you don't believe me."
"I might, brat." She said teasingly. Ren leaned down to look at the code he was typing in. "Can you fix the rift? So we can be connected to the Digital World again?"
"Not from here, but I think that's on the top of our To Do List."
Ren nodded solemnly and smoothed Ken's hair, making discreet motions around his face, his head, and eventually rubbing his shoulders, in an effort to keep him awake. It had always worked on late nights before, and she assumed that he could probably use the relief in tension anyway.
"There we go. The Gate's ready."
"Where will it open?"
"I set it to focus on their Digivices. It should open right in front of them."
"Pretty nifty." Ren noted. She strode across the room and turned on most of the lights. She stuck her head outside the door and motioned for Hikari to come in.
"What is- Ken chan!" Hikari immediately went for his arm to pull him out of the chair and back into bed. Ren laid a hand on her shoulder.
"I think you should be the one to open the Gate. From the things Ken has told me about Gates, established or no, it takes energy to use them. Open it before he gets it in his head that he needs to, would you?"
Hikari grinned. "Sounds like you and I are destined to be great friends."
"I was kind of hoping you'd say that." Ren muttered ignoring the dark look Ken gave her in response. She instead took his arm and tugged. "You'd better get out of the way. That's not much space to come flying out of."
"We always managed before." Hikari said. "Though we did land on Kou kun a few times. More than a few times, actually."
"S'why he walks with a limp." Ken retorted. Hikari shook her head at him and watched as Ren guided him back to bed. She was much stronger than she'd given the girl credit for, though she was rather pale, and had seemed to have had trouble breathing earlier.
"Digital Gate, open." Hikari commanded, holding up her Digivice. Work, gate. Work. "It's open. Now they have to come through."
Ken leaned against the bed, preparing himself to attempt getting into it. "We should probably get the others."
"I'm not going to disturb them." Hikari muttered. Ken raised a brow.
Why- what are they? Ken flushed as he received a mental image of what she'd seen in one of the lab's lesser used rooms.
"Ah." He noted and looked over at Ren who was shoving him back up into the bed rather persistently. "Okay, Ren! Be gentle with me."
"Yeah, I'll be the one doing the rough stuff around here." Hikari winked at her impishly. Ren flushed and headed over to her clipboard.
"Ahem. Well, as soon as Dr. Tanaka gets herself in here, I'll give you a full report on your little girl."
"Why wait?" Tanaka snapped entering the room quickly and standing beside Ken's bed. Jyou walked in behind her and nodded to Ren as he leaned in the doorway. She checked his IV before speaking again. "Ken, your child..."
Ken's eyes widened in concern as she looked down at him with irritation.
"Is disgustingly healthy. I've never seen such a disgustingly healthy child."
Ken chuckled at the cantankerous doctor. "Is that a bad thing?"
She sighed. "Not particularly. It's a great thing, actually, but I've yet to reconcile her admirable health with the state you came back to me in."
"Oh." Ren interjected brightly. "I did the test you asked for, Hikari. You are the mother. I had no idea Tanaka had your DNA samples on file."
"What?" Tanaka stepped over to her and peered at her clipboard. "I... don't. I've never seen the woman before."
"But I did the analysis. It is hers. Didn't you plan on that?"
"Not... exactly." Tanaka looked a bit at a loss for words. "I'm going to have to be more harsh on security. Someone has been interfering with my experiment."
"That doesn't really surprise me, considering what both Ken chanand I could do." Hikari told her. "With both of our genomes to draw from, the child would definitely have those qualities."
"God bless her." Ken sighed.
"Who did you plan on using for the mother?" Ren asked. Tanaka pursed her lips and thought a moment.
"At first, Daisuke. But his genes didn't work well with Ken's. So I used yours. Or so I thought."
Ren burst out laughing. "Of course! That would be the only way to get Ken and I to procreate!!"
"This is not funny, Renee." Dr. Tanaka snapped. Ren quieted but didn't stop laughing.
"Yes, it is." Ken chuckled, looking over at his coworker conspiratorially. The corners of Hikari's mouth twitched, and she collapse on Ken's bed, laying her head on his chest and giggling herself to pieces. Tanaka rolled her eyes to the ceiling, aghast at the behavior of her workers.
"Children." She muttered. Jyou raised a brow at her.
"I know how you feel."
"Quiet!" Takeru hissed to the burgundy haired man hungrily eating up the flesh on his neck. Daisuke chuckled but refused to stop. Hikari had already seen them together. He wouldn't be able to tease her anymore. Barring that, this was the most enjoyable kug-fest he'd had in a long time.
"Dai kun, is that you?" Takeru had asked him suspiciously, it seemed only moments before. He'd retired to one of the closed off rooms of the extensive laboratory, realizing nothing much would get done until they could determine that all of their members were healthy enough to continue.
"Don't hide from me, Take kun." Daisuke replied, walking in softly, making a move to touch his face, but Takeru slid away from him.
"Stay away from me."
"You surely damnwell changed your tune. I thought you wanted to try something with me?"
"I'm..." Takeru resting his fingertips to his scarred face, and found himself unable to speak.
"I'm not psychic like the rest of you weirdoes. I can't guess what you're going through. I wasn't even there when you got hurt. So..." Daisuke snuck up behind him and pinched him inside his strong arms. "What's wrong?"
"I am not a beacon of light."
"Duh."
"Shut up." Takeru extracted himself out of Daisuke' warm embrace.
"None of us is perfect. Maybe things didn't turn out the way you wanted, but it doesn't make you a bad person."
"It doesn't help."
Daisuke leaned against a table, pondering this new development. For some reason he seemed to pick up boyfriends during their darkest moments. He just hoped this one didn't decide he wanted Hikari too.
"You're going to have to learn to accept this part of yourself, Takeru We need you." He walked closer to him. "And if you and I are going to have a chance, I want to love all of you. Not just the part you show to everyone else."
Takeru turned to him. "Even if you're dating a freak?"
"Well, I thought that was implied?" Daisuke joked. Takeru slapped his arm hard. "Teek. I dated the Kaiser, you think I give a damn what other people think?"
"You give a damn what I think." Takeru informed him quietly, closing the space between them.
"That's different. I care what you think, because I care about you."
Takeru apparently liked that answer, because the long awaited kiss met Daisuke' lips tenderly.
One more day without you, and I would have gone mad... Takeru thought to himself. He blushed as he clumsily slipped his tongue inside Daisuke' mouth. He could feel the amusement of his partner as he realized how inexperienced he was at this.
Daisuke slowed the kiss down, and pulled back, breathing into his ear and caressing the back of his neck. Takeru's face was flushed with the unexpected pleasure. He slid his hand down to the small of the blond's back and drew him nearer.
Then he saw Hikari grinning evilly at them in the doorway. She raised a finger to her lips and pranced away. Damn voyeur.
"What?" Takeru asked him. Daisuke silenced him with a barrage of kisses on his face and neck.
Taichi fumbled his fingers, nervously riding in the back of a questionably clean cab. The doctors weren't too keen on the idea of letting either Yamato or Sora out of their sight, but they did allow them to take her, on the condition that she would take it easy for the next couple of days. She had refused to make any promises, but Taichi assured them he'd take care of her.
She's always been so stubborn. He thought, watching Iori whisper discreetly down at Armadillomon. He'd forgotten how hard it was to hide their Digimon.
Taichi burst out laughing.
"What is it?" Sora looked back at him. Biomon was cuddled up in her arms, trying to remain quiet for the sanity of the cab driver. It had been so long since Digimon walked around Tokyo like it was nothing; they didn't want to make any unnecessary waves.
"Ano, nothing." Taichi nudged Agumon with his foot. "Don't make a mess."
"I'm more self controlled than that, Taichi chan!"
"Sure, just don't, okay?"
Sora giggled at the exchanged. "And if you do, I'm not taking the blame this time."
Iori looked at them quizzically, but shrugged and looked out the window.
"I wonder what our friends have been up to?"
"Probably just surviving." Sora responded. "Cleaning up the mess the kids made."
"We should have been there to help them." Taichi said seriously.
"It's not like we had a choice- Ano, stop here please!" Sora waved so the cab driver could see her.
The three Digidestine piled out and headed inside the lab.
"Do you hear something in there?" Iori asked, looking around the rather bleak building. Taichi nodded and led them into one of the side rooms.
In the middle of the floor was a tangle of bodies.
"Get off of me, you thirty year old virgin!" Mimi cried angrily. Koushiro quickly removed himself from the pile and tugged on his shirt in indignation.
"What is that fallacy supposed to mean? I'm not thirty."
"Well," Mimi sniffed, letting Miyako lean on her to get up. "It's not my fault I can see the future."
Koushiro balled his fists as his face began turning red in anger.
"Here!" He cried grabbing Jyou's sleeve. "They've broken my hand, my D-terminal and my pride! You deal with her now!"
"What?" Jyou asked as he was forced head first into his fiancée. Falling to the ground once again, Mimi sighed and grabbed the sides of Jyou's head, planting a kiss on his lips.
"I'm so glad to see you guys."
"Hey!" Palmon waved at Biomon, who was tottering up to greet Hawkmon.
"Forgetting something, Meems?" Miyako said, holding a small child in front of her that they had yet to notice.
"Oh, yeah." Mimi stood and took the pink haired little child from Miyako's arms and cuddled the small body against her arm. Miyako immediately darted into Sora's arms.
"Dammit, I missed you so much. I know it wasn't long for you... but it was forever for me."
Mimi smiled knowingly and snapped her fingers at Jyou. "Jyou chan, meet Makoto."
"Where'd she come from?" Jyou said looking down at the small, adorable kid who was being presented to him and giggling wildly.
"It's your son." Mimi replied irritably. "You should know where they come from by now, Jyou!"
Jyou starred blankly at Makoto, who reached up and grabbed his glasses.
"Hi..." The boy said shyly, resting the frames on his small nose.
"Ehhhh...???"
"As soon as we get this mess with the Digital World straightened out, we can register him as a citizen." Mimi continued, bouncing the little two-year-old a bit. "My dad won't be terribly happy, but since we're already engaged, he won't try to shoot you."
"He's so cute!" Hikari squealed, rushing over to pinch his cheeks. "How funny, Mimi chan! Your kid is older than mine!"
"I know. Has any time passed here at all?"
"About a day." She replied. Hikari turned to Taichi and tilted her head. "Did the doctors give everyone a clean bill of health?"
"All but Yama chan. He has to stay another day or two." Taichi told her. Hikari smiled.
"We all made it back in one piece."
"With a few pieces to spare!!" Mimi giggled as Hikari wiggled her fingers at the child in a mini wave. Makoto wiggled his fingers back.
"Hower you?" He whispered.
"I'm Hikari!"
"Hi, Hika..we." He replied shyly.
"So cute."
"Mimi chan?" Jyou asked. She looked up quizzically. "Maybe I should give him my Crest. Apparently I'm not Mr. Responsible anymore."
Taichi burst out laughing. "Small price to pay to get with Mimi!"
"He didn't pay the price! I had to live with her for the last two years, dammit." Koushiro grumbled, seating himself at the computer and beginning to type.
"Oh, we weren't that bad, you whiner." Miyako clipped.
"How's the Digital World look?" Taichi asked seriously.
"Has everything gone back to normal?" Ken asked.
"With the exception of Icon, yes." Koushiro answered. He shook his right hand briefly, as though it pained him and swiveled around to look at the group. "I can't get an uplink... I'll have to figure out how to reset the Digital World's clock before we go back to fix it."
"What happened to Icon?" Iori asked.
"It's pretty much ceased to exist." Miyako told them. "Yugo blew himself and the whole continent up. If it hadn't been for our Digimon, we'd all have gone bai bai with it."
"What about the other Digimon?" Sora asked with concern.
"Luckily, most of them were relocated before our battle." Mimi continued the story. "The others... well, the Primary Village was pretty busy afterward..."
"So the threat to the Digital World is over?" Taichi urged. Koushiro shook his head.
"Basically, but with the Digital World moving so much faster, a problem could sneak up on us very quickly. And we can't get back right now."
"Can we monitor it?"
"Hm... yes. I'm pretty sure I could set that up. The configuring on this computer is right... but I have more information on my laptop..." Koushiro cringed suddenly. "My laptop!"
"Don't freak, Kou kun." Miyako advised holding a hand up. The other, of course, was still attached to Sora. "Let's get ourselves some air, and meet back together later, ne? No offense, but I'm getting pretty tired of you guys. We need some downtime before we tackle this problem."
"That's a very good idea, Miya." Sora said, smiling down at her and backing out of the room without letting go.
"Wait- guys this is serious." Koushiro held a hand up.
"Want me to call you a cab?" Ren offered. Koushiro looked over at the girl as though he'd noticed for the first time that people besides the Digidestine were there.
"Ano. No. Thanks." Koushiro replied warily. "Taichi kun... we need to talk."
"Okay, okay!" Taichi relented and Koushiro came towards the doorway to conference.
"Oh, wait. I almost forgot." He said almost hopping back into the room. He stood next to Ken's bed crossed his arms and looked down at the grinning man. "Soo, how are you doing?"
"Much better. Thanks." Ken fought his smirk as Koushiro uncomfortably took his hand and rubbed on his arm in an attempt to show worry, or affection.
"That's good to hear." He looked up trying to think of what else he should say.
Ken yawned widely, managing to cover his mouth a bit then looked up at Koushiro sleepily. "You know, if you're worried about your laptop, you can call the hall we rented out for the reunion. They might be able to have someone bring it to you, so you don't have to take one of those crazy cabs."
"That is a prodigious idea." Koushiro replied. He didn't really want to admit it, but while he could almost manage to let Jyou take the wheel with him in the car, he wasn't about to let a stranger do so. "Do you still have the disks I asked you to save?"
Ken's paled forehead crinkled a bit as he thought about that. "I'm pretty sure they're back in my room at the apartment. You could let Dai chan take you down there later, when you need the information."
"Thank you, Ken kun." Koushiro's face tightened a little and he reached down and grabbed Ken's hand and looked him in the eye. "You take care while we're plotting for the Digital World, alright? Let's not have any Arukenymon repeats."
Ken giggled. Koushiro was obviously casting doubting side-glances toward Dr. Tanaka, trying to decide what kind of aberration this woman was. There weren't many ways he could tell him to be careful of her without her getting a clue, though Ken suspected she was getting a distrustful vibe from the computer expert regardless.
"Oh, I will." Ken promised, stifling another yawn.
Koushiro walked back towards the door. "And for goodness sake, get some sleep. You're as bad as me before a programming deadline."
Hikari smiled and snatched Makoto from Mimi's arms. "Why don't you and Jyou kun go talk so Maki chan can get to know Aunt Hikari better?"
"Maki chan." Mimi giggled, taking Jyou's arm and retreating from the room. She looked at the doctor before vacating. "I've heard about you, and let my just say, it's about damn time."
Ren snorted and took after the other and left, waving at Ken as she left to get on the work she'd been ignoring since he'd gotten back. Hikari stared directly at Tanaka as she seated herself in the floor and began talking quietly with Makoto. The woman was glaring hard at her, in what Hikari deem as a protective measure for her patient, but Hikari wasn't leaving Ken alone for a moment.
He has too many enemies for me to leave him alone in this condition.
"So you like the Digital World?" She asked Makoto sweetly. A few of the Digimon seated themselves in a circle around them. Makoto clapped his hands together and squealed softly.
"Yah... I like all the Digimons." He said softly, blushing a little in front of her. Tanaka noticed Ken had fallen asleep and quietly left the room.
"Jyou just leave me alone!" Koushiro practically growled at his friend. Jyou set his jaw stubbornly and grabbed a hold of the boy's shoulders.
"I'm not going to let you do this to yourself, Koushiro kun. If you don't do it, you won't be able to walk again." He looked angrily into his friend's frustrated eyes. Physical therapy had not been going well, and Koushiro was beginning to give up on himself. Jyou could see that clearly. "You have to let us help you."
"I don't want you to help me, Jyou kun." Koushiro clipped despondently. "I want you to leave me alone."
"That's not happening." Jyou replied softly. "Take the damn step, Koushiro kun. You've never shied away from a challenge before."
"Can you just stop being 'Ol Reliable for one second and listen to me? I can't do this."
Jyou swiftly lifted Koushiro from the safety of the rails provided for him and set him in the middle of the room. His legs immediately buckled under the pain.
"Fuck you!" Koushiro screamed angrily, tears stinging his eyes in embarrassment. He could barely hold himself up on his arms. He couldn't even crawl properly. He didn't want anyone to see him like this. Not so much his weakness. He'd never put pride in his physical prowess. His blatantly uncontrolled emotions. Fear, rage, self-loathing.
Jyou leaned back against the rails and put an unforgiving look on his face. "You want to get back into some kind of dignified position before Taichi kun and Yamato kun get here? Do it yourself. You said you didn't want my help."
Koushiro stared unbelieving at Jyou, that he could be so cold. So forceful.
He wouldn't let him get away with it.
Koushiro forced himself into a mildly bearable position and began to crawl, slowly, painfully toward Jyou. With every intention of tearing off his manhood once he'd reached his destination. The carpet burned, as his knees dragged against the rough surface, a mild discomfort compared to the jagged agony shooting through his barely functional limbs. His breath came in uneven gasps. Bit by bit, he made his way back over to Jyou, reaching up to him in an attempted blow, then collapsing completely.
But his hand was caught. His face was spared slamming to the floor, and Jyou met his eyes once again, this time, smiling.
"I knew you could do it."
"It hurts." He gasped. Jyou petted his hair sympathetically.
"I know. I'm sorry. But you should be proud of yourself."
Koushiro tried to focus his eyes on him. His vision blurred from exhaustion, this being the most physical effort he'd managed in quite along time.
"Thank you."
"Mimi chan, what happened to Koushiro kun's hand?" Jyou asked softly. Mimi cuddled up next to him and looked up coyly. She obviously didn't want to talk, but talk was coming first, Jyou was determined.
"I broke it when I was in labor with Makoto." She grinned. "He and Miya chan were kind of my coaches."
Sliding his mouth practically to the lower right side of his face, Jyou looked down at her. "You're brutal."
"I know." She laughed.
"He should get that operated on. I know he already has a touch of carpal tunnel syndrome." He tousled her hair in remembrance. "You don't look any older."
"I shouldn't."
"Well, you don't. But technically, I suppose you're about my age now."
"Nah. I'm still a kid." She joked.
"A kid with a kid."
"Something like that." Mimi gazed at him seriously. "Despite the fact we seriously got on each other's nerves... Koushiro kun was really good with Makoto. Better than you'd expect."
"I can't believe I have a son." Jyou said. "I mean, I figured you were... using birth control. I know you were back in high school. I remember you popping the pills every morning."
"I quit using them." She said absently.
"Why? I mean, why not be cautious?"
"Jyou chan, taking them in order to be safe for flings, perhaps a few weeks or months apart, is safe. Taking them when you haven't had sex in a year is pathetic."
Jyou laughed. "No way."
"Way. I just... well. Like I told Hikari chan. I got tired of the meaningless stuff." Mimi grabbed his shirt fiercely. "I wanted the other stuff. So I waited until I could make my move on you."
"You could have had me anytime, Mimi chan." Jyou whispered. She deepened a brow and looked up at him with a little embarrassment.
"I knew... I just wasn't ready... to settle down. I mean, I knew I loved you, I just couldn't, slow down for you. Then I realized, what was I waiting for? I was a little scared every time I came back for a visit. That I would have waited too long."
"Nah." Jyou smiled softly holding her closer to himself. "Not to be arrogant. But I had faith you'd come around."
"I love that about you." Mimi sighed, her creamy chest heavily through the revealing slit in the opening of her shirt. "I remember, when you got so, wise about that sort of thing. I really admire it."
Jyou kissed her forehead lightly and held her closely, thinking.
"Do you plan on moving here?"
"I was thinking about it. I miss you guys too much. But if we could fix the Digital World, I could still keep my place in America, and keep my career there."
"That would be wonderful. If we don't, we can move to America. I'm sure I can find a job there. Whatever happens it'll work out."
Miyako pressed her lips firmly against Sora's, hungrily sliding her tongue in and out of her mouth, promising more once they were alone.
"I'm so staying with you, Sora chan. No matter what. I can't stand to be away from you any longer. It seemed like forever." Miyako rushed through the words passionately.
"Don't talk about that. It doesn't matter. I have you. That's all that matters." Sora whispered desperately, and Miyako looked sympathetically into her large, sad eyes. She slowly unbuttoned Miyako's shirt, trailing her fingers over her, relishing the vision of her beloved before her. "I love you."
"I love you too."
Sora took in the image, then bent over, opening her swelling lips.
"But I like butterflies." Ken sighed. He draped a little dress over his tummy and looked over to Hikari for her input. How can clothing so small cost so much?
"Kitties are much better for a girl."
"Butterflies aren't exactly for boys, Hikari chan. I can understand you don't want bumblebees, even though, well, they are technically all girls."
Hikari chuckled and took a little jumper off a hanger, blatantly ignoring the salesgirl who was starring at them. Tailmon and Wormon were hiding under a clothing rack.
"Silly human." Tailmon whispered, tickling the girl with her tail. The girl brushed off the back of her legs and went to check on another customer.
"See how cute?" Hikari said draping the jumper over the dress Ken had picked out. It was pink, and had a little hood with soft cat ears on either side.
"Does that actually help you decide on size or are you just making fun of me?" Ken asked, avoiding the question. He didn't have much money saved, and he wasn't certain how he was going to deal with all of this. Hikari rubbed his back and held the kittie jumper out in front of her to look.
"Well, it's not like we have to decide on one theme..." She muttered. She raised a brow playfully.
"No, Hikari chan." Ken said before she could go any further. "Leave the poor salesgirls alone. You don't need to mess with their heads any more than we're already doing with me just standing here."
Hikari sighed and rolled her eyes. "I still think kitties are cuter for a girl."
"Maybe. I'll be right back." Ken muttered, heading out of the department and toward the restrooms.
It had been a week or so since they'd settle back into a normal, or semi normal routine waiting for the baby to be born. Hikari had invited herself into Ken and Daisuke's apartment, taking Daisuke's room with Ken, because he had a double bed. Which was just as well, since Ken couldn't possible use his own without hurting himself.
And it wasn't all uncommon for Takeru to "spend the night" a few times a week, or the weekend. Hikari and Ken had discussed getting a bigger apartment, for themselves and Sam, and perhaps to accommodate their other roommates as well. Though that search had been completely unproductive. And they'd only just now been able to get out to look for housing, and baby things.
Ken found himself standing in front of the two door trying to decide which would be more disturbing for the other customers to see him go in. He was getting tired of pretending to be a girl, but Hikari had somehow managed to convince him it would be better. They hadn't been hiding the reality of Dr. Tanaka's experiments, but under the circumstances, they all wanted to lay low. Yamato had even called off some of his concerts in order to stay out of the public eyes. Considering he tended to strip during concerts, someone would ask questions about his healing wounds.
Ken bit his lip and headed into the ladies room.
Hopefully, they won't pay me much notice. My hair's gotten pretty long.
To his surprise and relief, the women seemed just as uninclined to look at one another as guys did, though, probably for different reasons.
He still wasn't sure how to handle the situation. Dr. Tanaka had been able to get much of his work from his professors, promising that he should be healthy enough to attend finals. She hoped. Ken wasn't sure that would be the case, considering she'd already explained the procedure of the cesarean to him. He doubted he'd been on his feet quickly. And of course, that worried him, since he and Hikari didn't know how much longer they could ignore the situation in the Dark Ocean. So far, it had tended itself without them, but Ken could always hear it, and it was getting louder. He was afraid if Daemon escaped, he wouldn't have the strength to force him back. And while Hikari had gotten stronger, she couldn't open a gate to the Dark Ocean herself. It was his domain, not hers.
While washing his hands, a chipper voice pierced through his revelry.
"When are you due?"
Ken looked up to see a smiling woman dressed entirely in black. She seemed perky enough, sporting an ankh around her neck. Jet-black hair was tousled around her shoulders.
"About five more weeks. My doctor will probably take the baby by cesarean then." Ken answered honestly. He braced his back with one hand as he turned to look at her face on. For some reason, the young woman looked familiar. Her ruby red eyes twinkled merrily, and she was wearing what looked like a set of black fox ears.
"Your first?" She asked as they walked out of the ladies'. Ken nodded.
"And my last."
She beamed. "Neat. But I don't think so. I see you having another daughter someday."
"Not if I have anything to say about it." Ken muttered.
"Oh, you will." She smiled, and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry so much, it'll be okay."
Ken raised a brow at this strange woman. She tilted her head to the side happily and waved.
"I'll see you around, Ken chan. I have some work to do. Do give a call if you ever need me." She said walking away.
"How do you know my name? Or that I'll see you again?"
"I see everyone." She giggled. "Sooner or later."
Ken leaned against the wall and shoved a hand into his hair starring at the strange woman.
"Honey, are you alright?" A middle-aged woman asked him. He turned to look at her.
"What?"
"You're pale, honey. And it seemed like you were talking to someone who wasn't there." The woman asked, looking him over critically. "Should I get a salesclerk to call the hospital?"
Ken whipped his head around to look after the black haired woman, who was nowhere in sight.
"I'll get an associate." The woman decided.
"Oh, no! I was just thinking out loud. I have a lot on my mind." Ken explained lamely. The woman looked unconvinced and began to head out to the floor. Another drawback to being pregnant, everyone thinks my business is theirs. But where did she go?
"I'll be fine." Ken insisted, repelling himself from the wall and heading back out into the store. The woman took his arm.
"Honey, I really think perhaps you should rest..."
"Please let me go. I told you I was alright."
"Hey, Ken chan!" Hikari waved from the other side of the store. She came running, nearly knocking over a teenaged boy in her haste. She giggled when she came up to them. "I thought you'd fallen in."
"Funny."
"Miss, are you her friend? She's been acting strangely."
Hikari smiled and Ken knew they were in for a scene. "Ken's my girlfriend. She always acts that way. She's a psychic."
You really are a bitch.
I'm just honest, well relatively, and this woman doesn't seem like she wants to go away.
"Your, oh... my."
Hikari firmly brushed the woman's hand off Ken arm and wound hers around his back. "We should head home. It's been a long day for you, huh?"
"Tell me about it." The woman had stayed where they'd left her, with a scandalized and bewildered expression on her face. "But we haven't made any decisions."
"I thought maybe, we get a few things we like now and decide on clothes later. She'll just outgrow them. We should be hitting consignment shops."
"Now there's an idea..." Ken stopped as they stepped outside. There was already a crowd.
"What's going on?" Hikari asked. A man in the crowd turned around.
"Car wreck. A young couple just died."
"Let's go." Hikari whispered urgently. Ken had the tendency to get weird around tragic scenes. Ken stood on his toes and finally managed to look through the crowd.
"Can you see her?" Ken pointed out to the wreck and looked at Hikari.
"Who?"
Ken looked back. A moment ago, he'd seen the woman in black, talking to a couple. Taking one of their hands sympathetically. Now they were all gone.
"Nevermind. I think I need to lay down."
"Jade, I don't care who it is. Just pick out someone discreet and not too annoying so I can get on with my life!" Yamato complained loudly. Taichi poked his head out of the kitchen, a piece of jelly toast dangling from his mouth. "Dammit Jade Crue, just do it."
"Tell that creep who's boss!" Taichi muffled, his mouth still full. Yamato made an obvious eye roll and flopped his legs over the side of the chair in a pointed attempt to not look at Taichi while on the phone. It tended to have disastrous results.
"I don't care if he's a damn monkey fart, if he'll do the goddamn interview... well ask the green-haired bint..." Yamato sighed and comically collapsed over the chair. Taichi snorted loudly and almost choked on his toast.
"She can hump my leg for all I care, Jade. Just get me a decent interview... So the fuck what?"
Taichi slid down the wall and tried not to pee on himself laughing. Jade Crue was one of the scariest people he knew, besides Mimi. And Yamato was the only one with the guts to say things like that around the jerk. But Yamato was getting gigs because of the androgynous little weasel, so Taichi wouldn't complain. Jade, did after all, look after investments well.
"Then they can all get the horn for me... Fine. Goodbye, Jade- No. Bai bai... bai bai... go the hell away!" Yamato yelled clicking the phone off. Taichi could no longer contain himself and laughed as loud and as hard as he could.
"Damn, Yama chan. I wish I'd been taping that conversation."
"Me too, so I could blackmail the little cunt. Where does the bitch get off telling me what to do? I'm one of Flaming Usagi's best contracts! I'd still make them a mint if I striped naked and played limbo on Jerry Springer."
"That sounds like fun." Taichi teased, crawling over to the chair. Of all their furniture, that chair had seen a lot. If it could talk, it would probably scream.
"You think so, huh?" Yamato lolled his head over and looked at Taichi, who was still starring up at him from all fours. "You are so crazy lately."
"I'm waiting on you to heal, dummy." Taichi said, curling up in Yamato's lap gently. "It's driving me crazy."
"Then stop fooling around and let's have some fun." Yamato ordered, burying his hands in Taichi's incredibly massive hair.
"The doctor said no." Taichi insisted. Yamato snorted loudly.
"Fuck the doctor."
"I thought you wanted me to do that to you?"
Yamato regarded him coldly for a moment and began ravishing his neck.
"What's that?" Taichi asked, a bit distracted as a shadow slid over the sun, darkening the room length window behind their loveseat.
"Probably a cloud. Forget it."
Taichi looked out the window a moment longer, then finally submitted and returned Yamato's kisses.
Koushiro clacked busily away at his computer, trying to ignore the Tentomon buzzing over his shoulder. Telling him to pick up the phone.
"Alright!" Koushiro leaned across his chair precariously and snatched the cordless phone from the receiver. "Speak at me."
"Koushiro kun?"
"Iori kun!" Koushiro responded exuberantly. He'd been pretty secluded over the past few weeks and was more than happy to hear from one of his friends.
"I just called to see how you were doing. It seems we've all separated into our various lives again."
Koushiro shrugged, then realized that Iori could no more see that than his AIM buddies could. "We lead busy lives. Especially lately. If you want to see the others, give them a call."
"Oh, I have been. I just worried you were too busy decoding the Digital World to keep up with us." Iori said flatly. Koushiro started forming a rebuttal when he realized the young man was kidding.
"Ken kun did most of the decoding actually, before he gave it up." Koushiro chuckled, continuing to work out the equations before him. "I'm just finding a way to put that information to good use."
"Hm. Well, Nuriko chan and I are going out to dinner next weekend. I'd be happy if you decided to pry yourself away from the computer and join us."
"I'll be there. Should I meet you at your apartment?" Koushiro halted his typing for a moment as he heard Iori take a breath, as if deciding something.
"No, we'll meet you at your place, and walk to the restaurant."
"That sounds just fine." Koushiro said, returning to his business.
Takeru entered the small apartment with a key that Daisuke had given to him earlier that week and looked around nervously. I don't belong here.
"Dai kun?" He called, walking further in. He should have been off from his class by now. But he could have stayed later working on his latest painting.
"Un?" Ken poked his head out of the bedroom and smiled at him. "Dai chan's not home yet, Take kun. You can wait for him on the couch, if you'd like."
"Ano, maybe."
Ken's gate was slow and deliberate as he came out to sit with him. "It's okay. You can stay. Or not. Whatever you want to do, Take kun."
Takeru looked around and took a seat. Ken slowly eased himself onto the couch, as Takeru eyed his bulging belly underneath the light maternity blouse.
"Hika chan adores dressing you like a girl doesn't she?"
Ken flushed. "She does."
"She loves guys in drag. I've never really understood that, but she does."
Ken smiled. "I know. She was always so thrilled when Dai chan and I dressed for conventions or parties. She would be the first to draw up a sign saying '5 yen for free yuri' when we did the Sailor Senshi or Anshi and Utena."
"She's the biggest faghag in the world."
Ken crinkled his bow. "Soo."
"Yeah." Takeru looked at his hands. It was still awkward to talk to Ken. The only think he knew about him was business. "How's the work with the Digital World coming?"
"Slowly. I'm in contact with Izumi san... but... I feel the worlds coming together already. We may not be able to fix it in time."
"The Digital World and our world? That always happens when there are strong relations between the two."
"No, I mean more than that."
Takeru narrowed his eyes seriously. "We could all be destroyed that way!"
"Not like this, I don't think so. But... it depends on how it happens. We just have to keep working." Ken ran a hand through his silky hair, looking weary.
Takeru nodded. "Un. So... how's school?"
"School is coming to a close. And I won't be going back. I'm so tired of classes. I don't know what possessed me to stay this long." Ken signed. Takeru raised his brows. He'd never heard Ken talk about himself much.
"I didn't know you hated it."
"I don't hate it, I just... I do like to learn, but I don't liked to be pushed. I like to help people, but that's hard to do, when most of my time is devoted to taking classes for another doctorate. Sometimes I feel like I just went to school because my brain was altered in the way it was. Like I have to do this, because I'd be wasting a gift otherwise." He crooked a smile. "Granted one I didn't ask for, but a gift nonetheless. After Sam is born, though, I really want to take some time off to be with her."
Takeru smiled. "That sounds good. I wonder if I'll still be wondering what to do with myself after I get my degree."
Ken giggled. "It's altogether possible. And if you are, don't worry about it, because you are by far not the only one."
"I think I want to write. Maybe for a magazine? Or something like that."
"That's good. A writer and an artist. You and Dai chan go well together. You should have a lot in common." Ken smiled. Takeru rubbed his neck.
"I never thought you too had anything in common, but somehow you made it work."
"We do have things in common. Soccer, for one thing. Neither of us really liked school, even if I was an overachiever. We both like the same Animes and watch the same shows. We disagree about somethings, but we always have something to talk about." Ken replied fondly. Takeru watched his face as he talked about Daisuke. He still loves him. I guess that'll never change.
Takeru placed a hand on Ken's belly. "Did you ever wish this was Dai kun's child?"
"Maybe for a little while."
"And if it had been, would you be so happy about letting me have him?"
Ken looked at him questioningly. Takeru reached up and touched his hair gently. It was so soft. Ken's brows raised, waiting for Takeru's next move, or an explaination. He leaned over and kissed Ken on the lips softly, and then left the room.
Ken blinked and got up to go finish a paper.
Ken looked up at Hikari, who was busying herself trying to clean up the apartment in a hurry. She had seemed to take up the role of the maid lately, because if she didn't she knew Ken certainly would. As it was, she'd forced him to sit down and prop his feet up. So he sat there with his feet up, rubbing his tummy and trying to figure out why Hikari had suddenly become so domestic.
I'm not an invalid. Why is she so concerned all of a sudden how the apartment looks? Maybe I'm rubbing off on her.
"Daisuke chan, can you get the ledge up there?" Hikari asked, swinging her head into Ken's old room. Daisuke sauntered out and looked around.
"Are you nesting or something?"
"No, I'd, just like the apartment to look nice in case someone decides to drop by."
Ken's ears perked up. "Who?"
"Hm?" Hikari replied innocently wiping off the baseboards along the wall.
"Who might be dropping by, that you'd be so worried how the place looks?"
"Well, oh, any of the Digidestine might drop by. You know. Unexpectedly. Or maybe some other friend, or a family member..."
"Hikari chan?" Ken pushed against the back of his chair and slid into a more upright position, swinging his legs off the ottoman. "Who's coming by today?"
Hikari paused, crouching beside the wall, biting her lip and trying to decide how this was going to play out.
"Our parents."
"Our parents! Hikari, why?" Ken stood up abruptly as possible.
"So when exactly did you plan on telling them they'd be grandparents?" Hikari reasoned. "We're going to have to tell them eventually. It'll be your name on the birth record."
"I planned on getting around to it. Time kind of slipped away from me." Ken replied wryly. "I can't believe you were going to let them show up here without telling me."
"And if I'd told you?"
"I'd have told you to cancel! How can you be so impulsive about this?"
Hikari stood up to face him. If they were going to have a discussion, she could do him the favor of taking him seriously. "Waiting around isn't going to change the situation. Having your parents' advice is one of the best parts of having a baby at a young age, Ken. We don't know what we're doing!"
"No kidding." Ken looked away angrily. "You're putting me in a terrible position, Hikari chan."
Daisuke crooked his mouth and snuck out of the room.
"Really? Because from my point of view you did that to yourself a couple of months ago." Hikari replied seriously. Ken looked at her blankly.
"I did not ask for this to happen. I didn't even mean for it to go this far. Excuse me for giving a damn about the direction intolerance and hatred are taking in this world!"
"Is that really the reason you started this Ken chan?"
"What the hell other reason would I have?"
Hikari crossed her arms and blocked her thoughts from Ken. She was doing her best to read his expression, without peeking into his mind. She was very good at reading emotions, whether she pulled them directly from his mind or not. He really had no idea what she was talking about.
"You are so goddamn careless sometimes, Hikari. And I never see it coming." Ken said turning away from her and heading to the other room. It wasn't too difficult for her to catch up to him and block his path.
"I know I should have told you. And I shouldn't try to force these things on you when you aren't ready, but Ken chan, you have to face it sometime. Might as well be with me by your side." She told him gravely, looking up at him. He looked down as she curled her arms around his ridged body. Slowly, he put his hand over her silken cap of hair and reached around her with the other arm.
They stood there holding each other, trying not to say anything hurtful while they both knew the other was angry enough to take it seriously. Ken had realized that beginning a relationship like this might not be completely productive. He was worried it would fall apart, and that perhaps Hikari didn't quite feel what he felt for her. Or if she did, maybe he was confused about what he was feeling. It was all too tempting to use his newfound link with her to find out. They were still feeling that part out as well.
"Go ahead." She whispered, drifting her gaze up at his now serene face.
"What?"
"I'll let you look, if you let me." Hikari promised. Ken paused for a moment then they simultaneously lifted their barriers to one another only, letting their emotions slid from mind to mind. They remained in their mutual embrace, physical and mental absorbing each other's warmth, and thoughts. Becoming one for just a moment.
"Ahem, guys!" Daisuke voice interrupted them after what only seemed like a few minutes. Ken and Hikari started, and turned their heads to see their parents standing in the doorway looking rather confused.
Oh, god. What do I say, Hikari?
Hikari smirked, still holding him. The truth usually works best.
"Oh, Ken, you look so pale. Are you alright?" Rika Ichijoji rushed forward to embrace her son, who was keeping himself at a bit of a distance from her. He bit his lip and looked at her apprehensively.
"I'm alright, Mama. I, ano. Hika chan and I have some... good news for you." He turned around completely and let his mother get a good look at him. "You're going to be grandparents in a few weeks."
Ken could see his father twitching, still standing by the door. Hikari's father was having much the same reaction, but Rika and Hikari's mother Keiko looked overly pleased. Keiko even made a soft squealing noise. Rika leaned into her son with a gentle hug, as though he might break on her.
"Are you sure you're alright? Why don't you sit down?"
"Absolutely." Keiko agreed. Ken flushed as he was guided to the couch.
"It's like having two more Hikari chan's around." Ken muttered. Hikari giggled.
"Can I call you Mama, Ichijoji san?"
"Oh, of course. I had no idea Ken was even interested in gir- I mean. Had dated someone besides Daisuke kun recently."
"Wha?" Ken's father asked.
"How?" Hikari's father added. Keiko and Rika looked at each other and smiled.
"I don't think it really matters." Keiko chuckled, sitting next to Ken happily. He could read her mind easily, even though he wasn't trying. Grandchildren!! "Is it a boy or a girl?"
"They can explain it for us in due time." Rika added softly, taking her husband's hand and offering him a seat. "It's alright, Yosho. Just have a seat, and I'll go make us some tea. Looks like Hikari san was in the middle of cleaning. Must be difficult with three men in the house, though I bet you have to wrestle the broom away from Ken, ne?"
"I'll help you with the tea." Hikari offered, briefly looking over at Daisuke who was keeping an eye on her father Tagetsu lest he get the idea in his head not to take this as well as their mothers.
"How long have you and Ken been together?" Rika asked, bustling around the kitchen. "I saw Ken only a week ago, but I'd have to say, with your adventures in other dimensions, I'm trying to take things such as these in stride."
"Ano, officially, only about a month or so." Hikari replied, swishing tea bags around in the hot water. "Yes, it does have to do with the time we recently spent in the Digital World. Even so, you and mom seem to be taking this really well."
"Mamas love grandchildren, dear. We aren't going to complain how we get them, particularly when circumstances seemed to be plotting against us, so to speak." She leaned against the kitchen counter. "I would have preferred if you and Ken were on a more... permanent basis, but you do seem like a nice girl and we've really known your family for quite awhile, so I have little to be displeased about. Ken says he's all right. Is that true?"
"We had a few problems when we got back, but his doctor is pretty talented, and Jyou kun... you know Kido Jyou?" Rika nodded in recognition. "Has been keeping up with the case. He should be in the best of hands. Daisuke chan and I would have a fit if he weren't."
Rika arranged some crackers on a plate and picked it up, heading for the kitchen. "I was worried Ken wouldn't find anyone after Daisuke kun. They seemed like they would be together forever, and when he left, Ken was so devastated. I'm so happy for you two. Between you and his friend, I'm sure he'll be well taken care of."
Hikari frowned a little bit, pondering that.
"Oh, Rika san!" Keiko cried energetically as the two women reentered the room. "It's a girl, isn't that fantastic? A granddaughter. And I have most of Hikari's old clothing ready in storage."
Rika beamed. "Isn't that just perfect. They shouldn't have to worry about that stuff right away then should they?"
She set the tray down and offered tea to each of them.
"I made some decaffeinated for you, sweetie." She said softly to her son kissing him on the cheek. She cupped his face and looked at him in admiration for a moment, unbelieving of her good fortune. "Unfortunately, Keiko san, we had to sell all of Ken and Osamu's old things. We didn't want to, but we really couldn't afford to keep them."
"Hm." Keiko put her finger to her cheek, thinking. "Well, perhaps you and I should get together and make a list of things they'll need. We don't have much time, but I bet I still have a few other things we could use. Then we can take the happy couple out to find what else they need, so they don't wander around town blind."
Rika rubbed Ken's hand proudly and nodded along. Raising a brow Ken shot a look over to Hikari, who shrugged.
Unbelievable, eh, Ken chan? I think they've been trained to expect the bizarre.
I know.
Tagetsu cleared his throat rather loudly. Everyone turned their attention to him.
"Yosho san, if I were you, I'd be demanding to know when my daughter planned on making an honest man of your son."
A wry grin crept up Yosho's face. "Tagetsu, my man, nothing normal happens in an Ichijoji house. You'll have to get used to it."
"Oh, and you call us normal?" Tailmon sniffed, padding her way into the room. "I think I'm insulted."
Wormon cocked his head at Tailmon in his version of a smile and hopped up into the sofa with Ken. There wasn't really much room on Ken's lap for him anymore, but they made do.
Tagetsu sighed. "She does have a point. I'll have to learn to cope. We live in such strange times."
Keiko smiled. "So have you thought of any names?"
"Her name is Sam." Hikari said matter-of-factly, pulling herself a seat as close as possible to Ken without disposing one of their mothers. At least they aren't fawning over me.
They should be.
"Osamu." Keiko felt the word in her mouth somewhat scornfully. "That's not a girl's name. What do you think, Rika san?"
Rika put her hand to her mouth and held back tears. Ken took his mother's hand, hoping he hadn't upset her. "I could put a full name, like Osamu or Samantha on the record... I've just been calling her Sam since before I knew she was a girl."
"Oh, do whatever you want with that, Ken. It's the most beautiful name I ever heard."
"Goodness. Ichijoji's are romantics, it seems." Keiko remarked, having no idea why Rika was so touched. "Un. Well, it's short, easy to spell. Or shout and still give her time to duck. Do we have any plans for nursery yet?"
"Oi." Iori said softly over the shoulder of his blond friend.
"Oi." Takeru replied, pulling a seat out from the table where he was sitting to invite Iori to join. Soft jazz music was playing in the background, from a CD the coffeehouse was promoting on the behalf of one of their workers.
"How's live at Daisuke's? Feel crowded yet?"
Takeru smiled lightly. "A bit. There are four of us there. Well, I'm not there all the time."
"Like now."
"Dai kun would have scampered off if he could have gotten out of it. Hikari had something planned, I think. I'm not really a part of it."
"You will be. Or did you decide not to join them in the apartment search?" Iori motioned to the waitress and ordered a mocha.
"I hadn't really decided yet." Takeru took a sip of his coffee. "I've had other things on my mind. I left the apartment today, really, because Ken chan shared with me something he saw, and I don't think he was imagining it."
"What could it be?"
"Our worlds are starting to come together."
Iori looked seriously at the table and folded his hands. "From the accounts I've heard, that happens every time there's a big event in the Digital World."
"Not just the Digital World, this time."
Iori raised a brow. "Other worlds too?" After a moment of silence, Iori studied Takeru face carefully. "You haven't been sleeping."
"I have been. I just haven't been resting when I've been sleeping. I've been... out."
"Out?" Iori rested his elbow on the table, and his head into his soft brown hair. He'd always kept it in a ridged bowl cut, but as of late, he'd felt the need to change. Upon entering college, Iori realized he had the freedom to be who he wanted, and the time he needed to choose who that was. What he considered a liberating experience was terribly frightening to Takeru
"Un." Takeru leaned back in his chair. "School treating you okay?"
"Pretty much. Nuriko chan's in a couple of my classes, so we have the perfect opportunity for study buddies."
"That's good. Especially when you have the tendency to spend time in alternate dimensions. I bet she misses her Botamon."
Iori nodded silently. Takeru looked down and petted Patamon under the table. He didn't really want to let Takeru get out of his sight, and Takeru didn't blame him really. It was just difficult hiding him.
Or he could just let him ride on his head like he used to. Takeru wondered how the most obviously place never got any stares. Iori accepted his coffee and thanked the waitress.
"Didn't know you liked coffee."
"I started liking it, once I needed to stay up all night finishing a paper." Iori's normally bland face took an unexpected turn as he grinned widely at Takeru
"Stuff changes." Takeru shrugged.
Iori raised a sardonic brow. "Every day, my friend. Every day."
If you like, email me and let me know. I'm vain and like to know if yall like what I'm doing.