Ohayou/Konni'/Konbanwa (Good morning/good afternoon/good evening, depending
on what time of day you're reading this.), my friends. Here it is; just a
Daiken, from your resident village idiot of the world. Anyhow, yes,
it is slightly AU... in what ways, you shall soon see. Mainly cause I don't
know, myself. Anyway, if it is AU...
Anyhow... yes, I simply apologize for what I'm about to put you through.. namely, my writing. With that said.. huh, what else is there to say? On with the show! And since I can't use italics on this site- I dunno how- all character thoughts are written on ' ' while normal speech is "".
Daisuke pushed the ramen cart through the park, heading towards a certain bench. The summer sky shone its glaring light in his eyes, almost blinding him.
' Hot today.. ' he mumbled to himself. ' Good thing I actually wore shorts today.. ' Reflexively, he shoved his hands in his pockets, almost grabbing for the goggles he had worn so long ago. Time might have made him grow older, but it hadn't changed him as a whole.
Mentally, he smacked himself. ' Oh, yeah.. I left those at home.. oh well. Don't need it anyway.. '
That said, he pushed the cart on towards a certain bench, thanking the world silently for the fact no one wanted to buy any ramen today, for some odd reason.
' Besides, I don't need anything keeping me from meeting Ken again today.. he did say he had so little time, and he was.. mad the last time I met him... ' he mumbled to himself, running a hand through his reddish-brownish hair. He sighed, thinking back to the past to occupy his time as he pushed the cart towards a destination he knew well.
' Soon after that whole incident with that.. BelialVamdemon thing, I guess we just all went our separate ways.. I wanted to open a ramen business, so things happened, and here I am pushing a ramen cart through the parks of New York... anyhow, there I was, friends, living my dream but living nothing else.. ' he thought, telling it as a story to himself just to pass the time.
' I had nothing, really... I was simply here, with a dream, and nothing about it... none of my friends I could find in America, whether they'd just lost touch with me or had simply become extremely.. not findable... everything was just.. gone, I think, even that crush I had on Hikari... or was that what it was? ' he mused.
' Heh, I seem a bit... poetic.. I think. Oh, whatever... I don't know what exactly it was I felt for Hikari, but it came and went so quickly.. just like that crazy hallucination or something I had about everyone getting Digimon, or was it something like that.. ' he mumbled silently.
' But I renember something weird about that... a voice saying something about that coming to happen.. someday, was it? I hope it does... I really miss V- mon, and I know everyone else misses theirs.. gah, what am I doing? Here I am, trying to recollect all those memories, and I end up going off the subject.. what a bad storyteller I make. ' he chuckled to himself.
' I need to start focusing more often.. now, where was I? ' he thought to the audience of himself. ' Oh, yes, I was thinking about Hikari.. yeah, I think what I felt for her was.. well, I don't know... somebody tried to tell me once that it was some kind of need for acceptance driven to an extreme height.. meh, whatever, I'll go with that.. ' he rambled on to himself.
' There I was, folks, in America, unable to find any one of my friends.. just living out a dream with nothing.. and being a rambling idiot. Heh.... So, I did the only thing I could do... I tried to call almost everyone I knew, asking them to come over to America and visit me.. ' Daisuke thought, oblivious to everyone and everything in his thoughts.
' But, sadly, none of them did... they kept telling me things like "I don't have the time! "or "Uh... later? "or even "Go to sleep, Daisuke, it's 4 in the morning! "... well, that is until I got to Ken.. I have no idea what he's doing or trying to do, but he was actually able to come visit me... that was odd, to say the last.. ' he mumbled.
' Since then, I really don't know how, but it's.. I dunno, become some kind of ritual.. I couldn't say anything about it, but then I've been the clown most of the time.. I wouldn't know anything about this.. somehow, someway, we always end up meeting here every.. year to talk... or, if we can't, we use the Internet.. heh. But this is better.. 'Daisuke sighed, his self-tale concluded as he pushed the cart on towards its destination.
"Heh.. "he mumbled to himself. "It's probably one of the highlights of my life, really... I don't know why, but I just really.. I don't know, I just love him. I just have, and I can't explain it- why try to, especially when I don't even now whether or not I really do.. this could just be an extreme case of friendship.. "
Daisuke paused the cart, running a hand through his hair. "After all... wait, this makes absolutely no sense! This is all I know... I think that I love Ken, and I don't care.. I've realized it, and I'll tell him... no, telling him's not the matter... I just don't want to mistake friendship or another ' need for acceptance ' or whatever for love.. "
He sighed, pushing the cart onwards, mumbling.
"As far as I know, I do have feelings for him... I have been drawn to him, and I have always wanted.. to help him.. you know what, I'll just call myself an extremely abnormally close friend and that's the end of that! " Having resolved that problem, he pushed the cart onward with no more interruptions.
At long last, he was where he had wanted to be... at a certain bench, in the park. Pushing the ramen cart to the side, he walked forwards to the bench.. and its occupant.
Ken Ichijouji had also been touched by time's fingers, growing taller and looking like himself in the past, but like himself in the future- so different and yet so the same. Yet, something was wrong with him.. he looked almost tired, and sad.
' What's wrong with him? ' thought Daisuke silently to himself. ' I haven't seen him like this... since a while... since after that whole Kaiser incident.. something really is wrong.. though what is it? ' he mumbled silently to himself, walking over to Ken.
"Oh, Ken.. hello. Haven't seen you in a while.. where have you been? " Daisuke mumbled, sitting down on the bench.
"Mmm, fine.. "he mumbled slightly under his breath.
"Oh, okay... so, what have you been up to lately? "Daisuke asked.
"Er.. trying to become a private investigator? "Ken said. "I've told you that already.. "He sighed; sometimes Daisuke was listening, but he wasn't. Still, it didn't really matter.. he was a good friend, one of the best in his opinion. Yet... he felt something towards the other boy, something he knew was love..
' But I can't... I can't pursue it. ' Ken thought. ' Not until I've... made up for what I've done.. '
"Oh, yes.. "Daisuke mumbled, breaking his thought. "Sorry about that... I forgot. Say, something I've always wondered... why do you want to become a private investigator, anyway? "
Ken suddenly became evasive. "I've told you already, haven't I? "he almost snapped.
' Of course I haven't.. ' Ken mumbled to himself. ' But I can't tell him... I don't want him to think I'm still brooding over my actions, no... I'd think he'd distance himself from me if he know.. I don't know why, but I do.. '
Daisuke responded. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry.. no need to get that mad.. "
Ken sighed under his breath. ' Oh, this is playing out like some stupid show or something... but I might as well go the only way. '
"Sorry, Daisuke.. I just.. "
"Have been working way too hard doing.. whatever it is you're doing? " Daisuke finished for him.
"What? That's not what I was going to say... "Ken said, surprised.
"Ken, you look tired... you even look sad.. I don't know, you seem like you're really.. depressed.. Something is wrong, isn't it? "Daisuke pressed.
"Erm, no, nothing's wrong... why do you ask? Erm, um.... "he said, evading the question further.
"Oh, come on.. you're not fooling me... you can't fool your friends, okay? I know something's wrong.. so tell me, or I'll just keep pestering you. " Daisuke smiled.
"Um, no.. uh, so.. what's with the ramen cart? "Ken said desperately.
' My god, that was ridiculous... but I had to divert him somehow... still, that was stupid.. what was I thinking? But I can't let him know... god, this seems so ridiculous.. why can't I tell him, of all people... I don't know, with him, I feel like I don't need to do this... like I'm just happy, like I could be there forever.. what am I thinking, and why is there a voice that's telling me different.. ' he thought, his mind a jumble in all his confusion.
"Ken, stop asking stupid questions... it's not like you.. now, just tell me what's wrong.. please? "Daisuke said, almost begging.
Ken sighed.
' I.. guess I should tell him... I couldn't keep a lie from him... ' he mumbled to himself. Time passed, in silence.. at long last, he spoke.
"I did it... to help... someone, or something.. to make up for what I've done.. "Ken mumbled.
"What... what do you mean? "Daisuke said confusedly.
"I said I was trying to become a private investigator, right? Well, I did it to help.. to make up for everything I did.. when I was evil... "Ken sighed.
Daisuke looked a little shocked, to say the least. "But, Ken... I thought you already knew that it wasn't your fault... you already confronted your past, didn't you? "
"Yes, I know.. "he sighed. "But while I was away... I don't know, I just heard this weird voice or something that kept saying it was my fault, almost like mine... that everyone would hate me, that I had to do as much good as I can, sacrifice every last bit of myself before anyone would even think of liking, talking to, even letting breath someone like me.. I don't know.. "He looked almost on the verge of tears now, like he was trying to rein them in.
Daisuke spoke suddenly, his words driven by.. something he couldn't explain.
"Listen to me, Ken.. What you are saying, all of it.. it is wrong. It is not right.. it is incorrect.. understand... "
"Yes.. "Ken mumbled silently.
"There are people who love you.. your family, your friends.. but most of all... I love you, okay? "he said.
Ken stared at him. "Is this some kind of joke.. some kind of way to cheer me up, or something? "
"No, it's true.. I love you, okay.. I simply know I do, and that's all I know.. I love you, Ken, and you don't have to redeem yourself.. what's past is past, and I love you, here and now.. "Daisuke sighed.
' I guess.. I do love him.. heh, here I was thinking it'd be like one of those crazy novels.. but it's just a simple, undefinable feeling.. I love him, and that's it... I really really love him, and I can say it without rose- like poetry.... I simply love him, and I don't want anything to happen, and.. I just really really care about him.. wow.. love is like, I think, some kind of abnormal friendship.. and something more.... ' Daisuke thought, rambling in his silence.
There was indeed a great silence, like a calm. Finally, Ken spoke, breaking the calm.
"Thank you, Daisuke.. I love you too. Your words haven't cured me yet- " he chuckled, something odd and yet right "but they have started me onto something... I thought I did too, and now I know it.. I honestly love you.. I don't know why, but I just do.. and I do not believe I could quell this feeling, in anyway... I love you, I think, and I never want to see you hurt or cry.. that is how I believe or feel.. I want to see neither of us sad, but happy... I do love you too. "
He sighed.
"And I know that for now.. for now, though, let's not make any moves, let's not do anything.. let's just live with the knowledge that we love each other, and we do care for each other.. right? "he finished.
"Sure.. "smiled Daisuke.
' Well, I guess I can wait.. besides, I wouldn't want to make any mistakes.. but then again, I don't feel like I'm making any mistakes being with him.. it's right.. ' Daisuke thought. In an instant, he voiced one last thought, before they sat in silence, content in their love and what awaited them in their expression of it... and the simple fact they loved each other.
"You know something, Ken? We've become too melodramatic.. I think. "
facepalm Author-killing weaponry's on the table to the right, down the hall.
Anyhow... yes, I simply apologize for what I'm about to put you through.. namely, my writing. With that said.. huh, what else is there to say? On with the show! And since I can't use italics on this site- I dunno how- all character thoughts are written on ' ' while normal speech is "".
Daisuke pushed the ramen cart through the park, heading towards a certain bench. The summer sky shone its glaring light in his eyes, almost blinding him.
' Hot today.. ' he mumbled to himself. ' Good thing I actually wore shorts today.. ' Reflexively, he shoved his hands in his pockets, almost grabbing for the goggles he had worn so long ago. Time might have made him grow older, but it hadn't changed him as a whole.
Mentally, he smacked himself. ' Oh, yeah.. I left those at home.. oh well. Don't need it anyway.. '
That said, he pushed the cart on towards a certain bench, thanking the world silently for the fact no one wanted to buy any ramen today, for some odd reason.
' Besides, I don't need anything keeping me from meeting Ken again today.. he did say he had so little time, and he was.. mad the last time I met him... ' he mumbled to himself, running a hand through his reddish-brownish hair. He sighed, thinking back to the past to occupy his time as he pushed the cart towards a destination he knew well.
' Soon after that whole incident with that.. BelialVamdemon thing, I guess we just all went our separate ways.. I wanted to open a ramen business, so things happened, and here I am pushing a ramen cart through the parks of New York... anyhow, there I was, friends, living my dream but living nothing else.. ' he thought, telling it as a story to himself just to pass the time.
' I had nothing, really... I was simply here, with a dream, and nothing about it... none of my friends I could find in America, whether they'd just lost touch with me or had simply become extremely.. not findable... everything was just.. gone, I think, even that crush I had on Hikari... or was that what it was? ' he mused.
' Heh, I seem a bit... poetic.. I think. Oh, whatever... I don't know what exactly it was I felt for Hikari, but it came and went so quickly.. just like that crazy hallucination or something I had about everyone getting Digimon, or was it something like that.. ' he mumbled silently.
' But I renember something weird about that... a voice saying something about that coming to happen.. someday, was it? I hope it does... I really miss V- mon, and I know everyone else misses theirs.. gah, what am I doing? Here I am, trying to recollect all those memories, and I end up going off the subject.. what a bad storyteller I make. ' he chuckled to himself.
' I need to start focusing more often.. now, where was I? ' he thought to the audience of himself. ' Oh, yes, I was thinking about Hikari.. yeah, I think what I felt for her was.. well, I don't know... somebody tried to tell me once that it was some kind of need for acceptance driven to an extreme height.. meh, whatever, I'll go with that.. ' he rambled on to himself.
' There I was, folks, in America, unable to find any one of my friends.. just living out a dream with nothing.. and being a rambling idiot. Heh.... So, I did the only thing I could do... I tried to call almost everyone I knew, asking them to come over to America and visit me.. ' Daisuke thought, oblivious to everyone and everything in his thoughts.
' But, sadly, none of them did... they kept telling me things like "I don't have the time! "or "Uh... later? "or even "Go to sleep, Daisuke, it's 4 in the morning! "... well, that is until I got to Ken.. I have no idea what he's doing or trying to do, but he was actually able to come visit me... that was odd, to say the last.. ' he mumbled.
' Since then, I really don't know how, but it's.. I dunno, become some kind of ritual.. I couldn't say anything about it, but then I've been the clown most of the time.. I wouldn't know anything about this.. somehow, someway, we always end up meeting here every.. year to talk... or, if we can't, we use the Internet.. heh. But this is better.. 'Daisuke sighed, his self-tale concluded as he pushed the cart on towards its destination.
"Heh.. "he mumbled to himself. "It's probably one of the highlights of my life, really... I don't know why, but I just really.. I don't know, I just love him. I just have, and I can't explain it- why try to, especially when I don't even now whether or not I really do.. this could just be an extreme case of friendship.. "
Daisuke paused the cart, running a hand through his hair. "After all... wait, this makes absolutely no sense! This is all I know... I think that I love Ken, and I don't care.. I've realized it, and I'll tell him... no, telling him's not the matter... I just don't want to mistake friendship or another ' need for acceptance ' or whatever for love.. "
He sighed, pushing the cart onwards, mumbling.
"As far as I know, I do have feelings for him... I have been drawn to him, and I have always wanted.. to help him.. you know what, I'll just call myself an extremely abnormally close friend and that's the end of that! " Having resolved that problem, he pushed the cart onward with no more interruptions.
At long last, he was where he had wanted to be... at a certain bench, in the park. Pushing the ramen cart to the side, he walked forwards to the bench.. and its occupant.
Ken Ichijouji had also been touched by time's fingers, growing taller and looking like himself in the past, but like himself in the future- so different and yet so the same. Yet, something was wrong with him.. he looked almost tired, and sad.
' What's wrong with him? ' thought Daisuke silently to himself. ' I haven't seen him like this... since a while... since after that whole Kaiser incident.. something really is wrong.. though what is it? ' he mumbled silently to himself, walking over to Ken.
"Oh, Ken.. hello. Haven't seen you in a while.. where have you been? " Daisuke mumbled, sitting down on the bench.
"Mmm, fine.. "he mumbled slightly under his breath.
"Oh, okay... so, what have you been up to lately? "Daisuke asked.
"Er.. trying to become a private investigator? "Ken said. "I've told you that already.. "He sighed; sometimes Daisuke was listening, but he wasn't. Still, it didn't really matter.. he was a good friend, one of the best in his opinion. Yet... he felt something towards the other boy, something he knew was love..
' But I can't... I can't pursue it. ' Ken thought. ' Not until I've... made up for what I've done.. '
"Oh, yes.. "Daisuke mumbled, breaking his thought. "Sorry about that... I forgot. Say, something I've always wondered... why do you want to become a private investigator, anyway? "
Ken suddenly became evasive. "I've told you already, haven't I? "he almost snapped.
' Of course I haven't.. ' Ken mumbled to himself. ' But I can't tell him... I don't want him to think I'm still brooding over my actions, no... I'd think he'd distance himself from me if he know.. I don't know why, but I do.. '
Daisuke responded. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry.. no need to get that mad.. "
Ken sighed under his breath. ' Oh, this is playing out like some stupid show or something... but I might as well go the only way. '
"Sorry, Daisuke.. I just.. "
"Have been working way too hard doing.. whatever it is you're doing? " Daisuke finished for him.
"What? That's not what I was going to say... "Ken said, surprised.
"Ken, you look tired... you even look sad.. I don't know, you seem like you're really.. depressed.. Something is wrong, isn't it? "Daisuke pressed.
"Erm, no, nothing's wrong... why do you ask? Erm, um.... "he said, evading the question further.
"Oh, come on.. you're not fooling me... you can't fool your friends, okay? I know something's wrong.. so tell me, or I'll just keep pestering you. " Daisuke smiled.
"Um, no.. uh, so.. what's with the ramen cart? "Ken said desperately.
' My god, that was ridiculous... but I had to divert him somehow... still, that was stupid.. what was I thinking? But I can't let him know... god, this seems so ridiculous.. why can't I tell him, of all people... I don't know, with him, I feel like I don't need to do this... like I'm just happy, like I could be there forever.. what am I thinking, and why is there a voice that's telling me different.. ' he thought, his mind a jumble in all his confusion.
"Ken, stop asking stupid questions... it's not like you.. now, just tell me what's wrong.. please? "Daisuke said, almost begging.
Ken sighed.
' I.. guess I should tell him... I couldn't keep a lie from him... ' he mumbled to himself. Time passed, in silence.. at long last, he spoke.
"I did it... to help... someone, or something.. to make up for what I've done.. "Ken mumbled.
"What... what do you mean? "Daisuke said confusedly.
"I said I was trying to become a private investigator, right? Well, I did it to help.. to make up for everything I did.. when I was evil... "Ken sighed.
Daisuke looked a little shocked, to say the least. "But, Ken... I thought you already knew that it wasn't your fault... you already confronted your past, didn't you? "
"Yes, I know.. "he sighed. "But while I was away... I don't know, I just heard this weird voice or something that kept saying it was my fault, almost like mine... that everyone would hate me, that I had to do as much good as I can, sacrifice every last bit of myself before anyone would even think of liking, talking to, even letting breath someone like me.. I don't know.. "He looked almost on the verge of tears now, like he was trying to rein them in.
Daisuke spoke suddenly, his words driven by.. something he couldn't explain.
"Listen to me, Ken.. What you are saying, all of it.. it is wrong. It is not right.. it is incorrect.. understand... "
"Yes.. "Ken mumbled silently.
"There are people who love you.. your family, your friends.. but most of all... I love you, okay? "he said.
Ken stared at him. "Is this some kind of joke.. some kind of way to cheer me up, or something? "
"No, it's true.. I love you, okay.. I simply know I do, and that's all I know.. I love you, Ken, and you don't have to redeem yourself.. what's past is past, and I love you, here and now.. "Daisuke sighed.
' I guess.. I do love him.. heh, here I was thinking it'd be like one of those crazy novels.. but it's just a simple, undefinable feeling.. I love him, and that's it... I really really love him, and I can say it without rose- like poetry.... I simply love him, and I don't want anything to happen, and.. I just really really care about him.. wow.. love is like, I think, some kind of abnormal friendship.. and something more.... ' Daisuke thought, rambling in his silence.
There was indeed a great silence, like a calm. Finally, Ken spoke, breaking the calm.
"Thank you, Daisuke.. I love you too. Your words haven't cured me yet- " he chuckled, something odd and yet right "but they have started me onto something... I thought I did too, and now I know it.. I honestly love you.. I don't know why, but I just do.. and I do not believe I could quell this feeling, in anyway... I love you, I think, and I never want to see you hurt or cry.. that is how I believe or feel.. I want to see neither of us sad, but happy... I do love you too. "
He sighed.
"And I know that for now.. for now, though, let's not make any moves, let's not do anything.. let's just live with the knowledge that we love each other, and we do care for each other.. right? "he finished.
"Sure.. "smiled Daisuke.
' Well, I guess I can wait.. besides, I wouldn't want to make any mistakes.. but then again, I don't feel like I'm making any mistakes being with him.. it's right.. ' Daisuke thought. In an instant, he voiced one last thought, before they sat in silence, content in their love and what awaited them in their expression of it... and the simple fact they loved each other.
"You know something, Ken? We've become too melodramatic.. I think. "
facepalm Author-killing weaponry's on the table to the right, down the hall.