Xin
Lyra
Chapter 2 – Raindrops Falling on my Head
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Daisuke sighed as he walked through the park.
'What is up with everyone recently? No one had this much interest in my problems before. Now its like I have a big sign on my head that says bother me.'
He was so lost in thought he didn't see the lightening that cut across the sky like a knife, nor did he hear the thunder that followed. He finally looked up when he realized that it was pouring.
"Damn. I left my umbrella at the office and its as cold as hell out here as well."
He shrugged, he wasn't very far from home, but honestly he had no desire to return right now.
'Yeah so I can go home, and see probably everyone under the sun is there, discussing what's wrong with me, or I can sit here in the rain.'
He was already soaked, so he simply sat down on a bench watching the rainfall.
"I'm tired of everyone trying to get into my business. I have my reasons for my actions, if I wanted them known I'd tell them."
He smiled sadly as he remember the last day he had saw his best friend. He had been so happy. So happy, that he failed to notice the nervousness in his friend's eyes, or the fact that he had been looking at Daisuke intently for half of the ceremony. He had failed to notice everything like usual.
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"What do you want Tai? I know very well that you didn't drag me and Sora here just to enjoy our company," growled Mimi.
"Aww, don't you trust me Mimi dear? Here have something to drink, you're way too stressed tonight," replied a not so smooth Taichi.
"Don't you aww me Yagami, I know you want something, so just spit it out already."
Taichi grinned, "You know me way too well Mimi dear. I want to know what's up with Daisuke."
"Suke? Why are you curious about him?" she asked quietly.
"We're worried about him. Ever since I've come to live here, I've seen a new side to him that I didn't even know existed. If he isn't working, he's drinking non-stop. He never sleeps, and when he does he wakes up screaming. As if there's just something he doesn't want to accept or think about, so it haunts him in his sleep instead," stated Hikari.
"So he isn't doing any better huh? I had hoped he would eventually snap out of it. I tried so many times with him, but honestly I'm not the one he needs to be talking to," Mimi replied.
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Daisuke grimaced as he slowly pulled himself to his feet; it had definitely not been a good idea to sit out in the freezing cold rain. Even now as he slowly headed towards his house, he could feel his body giving in to what he was sure would be on hell of a cold.
"Just great, I'm gonna go home, if I make it that far and put up with all their questions half dead. Go me," he muttered under his breath.
"Who says you're going to get that far pretty boy?" asked a gruff voice.
"Shit." muttered Daisuke as he felt a body slam into him.
He cursed under his breath as another punch connected with his stomach. He swiftly kicked his attacker off of him, as he pushed himself up to his knees. He prepared to look up and then felt the connection of cold steel to his forehead.
"Enough games Motomiya, I know you always have plenty of money on you, now give it," stated his attacker.
"You mean you attempted to beat the shit out of me, for just a little cash? Are the drugs really worth this much?"
His attacker didn't take well to being criticized and Daisuke realized his mistake quickly as a foot connected with his side. He didn't have time to counter as his attacker suddenly slumped over and fell on top of him.
"What the hell?" Daisuke questioned as he slowly pushed his attacker off of him.
"Long time no see," whispered a friendly voice.
Daisuke looked up to see a pair of sky blue eyes staring into his own. He cursed mentally and would of continued to do so, if the world hadn't taken that moment to start spinning.
"Long time no see," he whispered as he slumped over and his mind fell into oblivion.
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Ken Ichijouji looked sadly at the man who now occupied his couch. He cursed silently as he felt Daisuke's forehead to be greeted with a great amount of heat in return. He knew he had to get his friend out of those soaking wet clothes and warmed back up, or matters were only going to get worse.
"I suppose it really isn't a time to be modest," he whispered and proceeded to drag his friend towards the bedroom.
Minomon watched silently as his partner covered the now shivering Daisuke with another cover.
"What's wrong with him?" asked the bug digimon.
"Well it would seem Daisuke would like to ignore the fact that he's human, and how stupid it is to stand outside in the cold wet rain," Ken muttered in return.
"I. heard.. that.. and I'm not... stupid," Daisuke wheezed.
Ken ignored his friend's comment, "Good you're awake, here swallow these."
Daisuke attempted a glare, but found much to his dismay that he was barely even able to move, much less show any other facial expression. Ken sighed and sat down on the bed beside his friend.
"Here, open your mouth."
Daisuke obliged and found two pills quickly thrown in his mouth, along with a sip of water. He swallowed, and then stared dazed at his friend. He hadn't seen Ken since graduation, which had been close to two years ago. Not much had changed; he still kept his hair just around his chin, although it looked like he might finally be filling out. He still had that slight girlish look to him, but definitely it was much less than it had been in their youth.
He went to open his mouth to speak, but Ken cut him off.
"You should get some rest Suke-chan, there will be plenty of time for explanations and talk later when you're feeling better."
Daisuke sighed and closed his eyes. He was partially grateful for his fever; he knew Ken wouldn't allow him to escape him a second time.
'Can't run from the past forever can I?' he thought sadly as sleep finally claimed him.
Ken relaxed as he saw his friend's breaths become calmer. He sighed as his thoughts ran back to a conversation he had with his girlfriend sometime earlier.
"Ken, I need to talk with you," stated Miyako quietly.
Ken looked up at his girlfriend of two years and nodded understandingly.
"You know Ken, we've been dating for close to two years now and honestly I feel like our relationship is in sort of a rut. I talk with Hikari-chan and she always knows what's going on with Takeru, even when they have a fight. Ken, I never know what's going on in that head of yours, hell we don't ever even really fight."
"Miya, we've had plenty of fights," Ken replied.
"No we haven't. All that normally happens is I scream or whine about whatever it is that has made me angry and you just apologize and promise to do better. I feel like all I am to you is someone to pass time with. Do you even mean it when you say you love me?"
Ken looked at her shocked, he definitely hadn't expected her to question that.
"Miya, how can you even ask me something like that? Do you think I'd tell you something like that just to make you happy?" he asked.
"Maybe that's not the best way to put it. I don't know, Ken. Do you know, love me romantically? I don't doubt you care about me deeply, but is it the can't live without you love, or a best friend's love?"
Ken stared at her contemplating her words. He had never really thought about it.
Ken ran his hands through his hair. Sure, he loved Miyako, but he didn't think he would die without her. He enjoyed her company sure... but what was really the difference between loving someone romantically and as a friend?
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"Mimi, do you know what happened at graduation?" asked Miyako.
"Nothing, that's what happened," muttered Mimi.
"Nothing? Was something supposed to happen?" questioned Hikari.
Mimi didn't say anything as she glanced over and looked at her girlfriend. Sora smiled knowingly and turned to Miyako.
"Miya-chan, can I have a word with you?"
Miyako looked at Sora confused, "Sure, I guess."
Sora and Miyako took walked back towards Daisuke's bedroom, while Mimi and turned to the others a neutral expression on her face.
"I'm sure Suke will probably kill me for this, but I worry he will never find peace otherwise. Let me tell you a story."
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"He didn't leave you Suke. You pushed him out the door."
Daisuke stared at the ceiling and sighed. Chibimon was right to a point he supposed, Ken didn't go anywhere, Daisuke had just stopped returning his friend's calls. It wasn't really right of him, he just one day got up and ignored his best friend.
'Hell, I am a asshole aren't I?'
He frowned as he attempted to sit up and found that the world had decided to start spinning again. He stared straight ahead and waited for clock to be on the wall instead of the floor. He looked around; it had to be close to dawn.
'I've been out for that long?'
He turned slowly, dragging each foot off the bed with a sort of precise ease. He braced himself, as he attempted to stand, and smiled when he found himself upright and the clock in its proper place. He took one step forward and then another.
"Hey, looks like I might be getting slightly better. I didn't know Ken had a cat.. wait.. that's not a cat... aww damnit."
He closed his eyes as the world started to spin once again, he could feel his knees buckling from underneath me. He waited for the inevitable impact.
"Hey, Ken's floor is pretty soft," he smiled slightly as the blackness came once more.
Ken shook his head affectionately and carried the slightly younger man back to the bed. He smiled as he brushed some of Daisuke's hair away from the feverish man's forehead. He couldn't believe it had been close to two years since he had seen his friend. He supposed it was kind of stupid of him; he could of found Daisuke much sooner. It wouldn't have been hard with his face all over half of the media. Then again he had made a lot of stupid mistakes in the past couple of years.
"Why don't you just say something? You'll never get anywhere like this Ichijouji!" yelled a rather annoyed Takeru.
Ken looked at one of his best friends a blush quickly spreading across his face. He then ran his hand through his hair and smiled the best he knew how.
"Because I'd rather not lose him Takeru, I'm happy like this. I don't need to be loved in return. I can stay like this the rest of my life."
With that Ken turned and walked away. Takeru put his hand to his forehead, he didn't even notice the bundle of lavender hair that ran past him and caught up with Ken.
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"Miya-chan, why did you ask Ken out that day?" asked Sora
"Hey Ken! Wait up for a minute will ya?" shouted Miyako.
"What is Miyako?" Ken asked politely.
"Psh, Miya-chan Ken, Miya-chan. Umm... I was sort of wondering if maybe you would like to go see a movie or something sometime, just the two of us."
"That would be nice, Miya-chan," Ken replied and smiled.
"What kind of questions is that Sora?" snapped Miyako.
"You know what I mean Miyako. That day at graduation, what made you choose that day to ask Ken out?"
"Umm, well I suppose I just figured that since we were done with college that maybe Ken would start paying attention to other things instead of his studies and Daisuke," replied Miyako.
"Miya-chan, have you ever talked to Ken about Daisuke?"
"Hmm. Sure lots of times, but it never really got anywhere. Anytime I suggested that he go and ask Hikari where Daisuke was hiding out at, he would reply with some saying of his. Oh what was it? Something about the door is locked, and he no longer as the key."
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"Its so hot, why the bloody hell is it so hot? Ken, why the hell aren't you burning up? I barely see any sweat on you?" questioned Daisuke.
"Because unlike you, I know how foolish it is to run in ninety degree weather Dai."
Ken watched as something flickered across his auburn haired friend.
"When did you start calling me that?" asked Daisuke with a strange tone to his voice.
Ken looked at his friend in puzzlement, "Call you what?"
Daisuke shrugged then smiled, "Never mind, it isn't anything important. Come on let's get some ice cream then maybe you won't have to listen to me complain so much."
Ken sighed as he watched Daisuke sleep from the corner of his eye.
'Old memories that never fade huh? I wonder what he meant that day?'
Ken opened his eyes fully as Daisuke began to thrash around as if something was chasing him. He quickly realized that his friend would end up injuring himself if it continued.
"Dai, wake up!" he yelled, shaking his friend lightly.
"Takeru... shut up... you don't know... it... doesn't... no... doesn't... matter." Daisuke muttered while kicking the sheet off him.
Ken didn't have time to wonder what his feverish friend was dreaming about because one of Daisuke's sweaty fists made contact with his eye.
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Takeru shuffled his feet nervously as he paced outside a familiar apartment door. He finally smiled slightly and knocked lightly on the door.
"Ow! Stupid... " muttered a voice in obvious pain.
The door opened to reveal Ken sporting what Takeru assumed was an ice pack covering one eye.
"Rough day?" Takeru teased.
"Shut up. Well come in, although I'll warn you to ignore the noises and not venture into the bedroom. Sleeping beauty sports quite the right hook," replied Ken.
"Sleeping beauty? Who Miyako?" Takeru questioned.
"Not exactly, if you wanna see for yourself go take a look."
Takeru raised an eyebrow to Ken who merely shrugged and headed back into the kitchen for my ice. Takeru ventured slowly down the hall glancing at the pictures. Most of them were of the chosen children from the past couple years. He glanced at their graduation photo.
"Everyone looks so happy," he murmured.
He looked up as he heard mumbles coming from behind Ken's bedroom door.
'It can't be..' he thought mind racing.
"Daisuke?" he questioned.
It had been sometime since he had seen Daisuke, it had been a couple months after graduation.
"You what?! Why didn't you say something sooner Dai?"
"Humph, way to be casual about it. I think Mimi and Sora in America probably heard you. It's not like it matters anyways," muttered Daisuke.
"You can't honestly mean that. Dai, you're smarter than this."
Daisuke rolled his eyes, "Shut up, I'm not getting into it. You don't and wouldn't understand. It doesn't matter."
Takeru looked at Ken dumbfounded as he entered the room with a bowl of water and a washcloth.
"Why is Daisuke the one in your bed and not Miyako?"
Ken shot Takeru a look, "Don't start assuming things, we met in the street, and he passed out from a fever because the moron had been out in the rain god only knows how long."
Takeru shrugged, "So I take it, you two are doing about the same thing you were years ago? Avoiding one another because neither one wants to get some thoughts and ideas out in the open."
Ken sighed, "Sometimes things don't work out like in the fairytales Takeru. You of all people should know that. Now I heard an earful from Miyako, around an hour ago, about yours and Hikari um problems."
Takeru grimaced, he had really been hoping to avoid this conversation.
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Mimi looked sadly out the window as the rain continued.
"I suppose this must be a shock for you all, Daisuke always did manage to keep his drinking hidden so well. I suppose he started sophomore year of college, at least that's when I found at. It was for him I suppose a way to forget his problems. He used to have other ways, but he began forcing them out as well," Mimi stated.
"Ken," whispered Miyako as she and Sora reappeared in the hallway.
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"You know something, you two talk too much," muttered a semi-conscious Daisuke.
Ken and Takeru looked up from their conversation on the couch to see a worse for wear Daisuke supporting himself against the wall in the hallway.
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" asked Takeru.
"Meh, nothing to worry about. I've had worse than this," replied Daisuke as he slowly made his way to the couch.
Unfortunately he didn't entirely make it, and once again found himself being caught, by not one, but two hot guys.
"Dai, your stubbornness will be the death of you someday. Now sit, and don't move for once," scolded Ken.
Daisuke shot Ken what he had hoped was an intimidating glare, but for some reason he doubted. Ken promptly ignored his friend's antics and turned back to Takeru who was currently laughing at them.
"I'm glad I bring you such amusement," muttered Daisuke.
"Trust me, you two bring me much more amusement and annoyance that any two people should be capable of," replied Takeru.
Daisuke looked at him funny as he was unable to comprehend Takeru's words. Takeru merely shrugged his shoulders and turned back to Ken.
"So what do you think?" asked Takeru.
"I'd say as you are always suggesting to me, to talk. It sounds like you and Hikari may just have one huge misunderstanding going on here. You don't want to lose something special over some fictional story," stated Ken.
Daisuke snorted then smiled fondly at his friend, "Don't worry, Kari-chan's a reasonable girl most of the time, if she'd stay in her own freaking bed for once, but otherwise I think you'd be surprised how willing she would be to listen."
Takeru smiled," You're right Dai... Hey, wait a minute. What the hell do you mean stay in her bed? You're supposed to watching over Hikari, not trying to sleep with her!!"
Daisuke wished he wasn't sick for the first time since he had woken up at Ken's apartment, because he soon found himself hauled off his feet by a beet red Takeru.
"Psh, Takeru think for a minute will ya? It's me Daisuke," stated Daisuke.
Takeru looked at him puzzled for a minute, "Oh yeah. Sorry Dai, I get carried away sometimes. Well it would seem I have a certain beauty to visit, but don't worry I'll be back soon to check up on you."
Takeru patted Daisuke on the head, and casually avoided Daisuke's attempt at biting his hand off. He smiled at Ken, "Thanks. Oh by the way Dai, take your own damn advice."
Daisuke looked at Takeru slightly annoyed, Takeru merely waved as he grabbed his coat and headed out the door into the morning's light.
"Stupid Takeru, stupid crest of hope," he muttered annoyed.
Then as suddenly as he started rambling he stopped as he seemed to remember where he was. He looked at Ken for the first time straight in the eyes in two years.
"Long time no see," Ken whispered.