Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me.
LOVE'S TRUE STRENGTH
Chapter Ten: Just You and I
Ken groaned to himself as he leaned forward on to his computer consul. The previous night's events were flooding painfully to him. He couldn't believe he had cried in front of Kari. He had actually cried on Kari. She must have thought him terribly weak. How could she like him when she thought he was weak? Maybe he was weak. This whole thing was weak. What had happened to the good old days when he created control spires and tried to take over the digital world? No girls to muddle his thinking. It was a stupid plan to take Kari for his queen in the first place. But now that that was all said and done, he couldn't deny the fact that he cared for Kari. He cared for her more than he had ever cared for anyone. He never wanted that feeling to leave.
"Master," Wormon cried as he came into the room, "the digidestined are at it again. They're getting closer to the base every time they attack. Soon, they'll find our true location."
"Send something out there," Ken ordered.
"It won't work, Ken," Wormon insisted. "We don't have anyone strong enough to stand a chance against eleven digidestined."
Ken groaned and ran his fingers over his face.
"What should we do?" Wormon asked.
"Send everyone out there!" Ken shouted. "All the digimon we have should be beating those digidisruptions down!"
"But, sire," Wormon began.
"Do it!" Ken commanded.
Wormon nodded and left.
Ken groaned again. This just wasn't fair. Everything was wrong wrong WRONG!
"Ken," came the sparkling voice of Kari.
He groaned once more. Not now. He wanted to see her, but not now. Not like this. Especially not after last night. Ken felt like banging his head on his computer.
"Are you feeling all right?" Kari asked, walking up behind his chair.
"Not particularly," Ken muttered, his fingers pulling at his spiked hair.
"You look stressed," Kari began as she gently massaged his tense shoulders. "Anything you want to talk about?"
The light pressure pained his muscles and soothed them at the same time. Ken couldn't help but relax. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Before he knew what was happening, he began to talk.
"Well, it's those digidestined," Ken explained. "They keep on purposefully doing things to force me to go see them. Then they attack me and question me. Ohhh!"
"That must be frustrating," Kari sympathized.
"Oh, yes," Ken moaned.
"Maybe you should try just talking to them," Kari suggested.
"It's hard to do in the state they're in," Ken went on. "They don't listen to a word I say."
"That doesn't sound like them," Kari muttered more to herself then to Ken. "What do they want?"
"Oh, they just keep insisting I tell them where I'm keeping you," Ken continued, his head lolling forward as Kari squeezed his shoulders tenderly. "I don't want to tell them because then they'll take you away and I like it when you're around. Things just seem so much better when you're around."
Kari stopped massaging without realizing it. Ken's eyes shot open as he realized what he just said.
"I mean," Ken sputtered as he thought frantically. "Uh, it's nice to have someone who can make a decent sandwich. I like sandwiches."
It was lame, but it was all he could think of. Ken leaned forward and began typing on his keyboard. The fact that Kari was still standing behind him and not saying a word made him nervous.
"You know what you need," Kari smirked, "to have some fun."
Kari spun his chair around to face her, ignored the shocked look on his face, took his hand and yanked him to his feet. Kari pulled him from the room and down the hall. Ken didn't put up much of a fight. He was mostly just curious what she had in mind. Kari led him straight to an exit from the base.
"If you would be so kind," Kari said, indicating toward the keypad.
Ken raised an eyebrow at her. Was this an attempt to escape? She didn't try to escape at the pond and she could have. If this was just an escape plot, then why would she think he was enough of an idiot to fall for it. Call him an idiot! He punched in his code and the door opened.
Kari gazed out over the desert. A Triceramon stood not far away.
"Triceramon!" Kari called. "I was wondering if you might give us a lift."
"He's controlled," Ken informed, "you don't have to be polite."
"Well, no one ever HAS to be polite," Kari scoffed.
Ken folded his arms and smiled wryly as the Triceramon galloped over. Kari took Ken's hand once more and they stepped on to the digimon's head. Kari's hand felt warm and soft in his. He wondered what it would feel like having her wholly in his arms. He smiled thinking about it.
"Excited?" Kari asked, eyeing him.
"Call it curious," Ken said.
Kari squeezed his hand.
Soon enough, the Triceramon stopped and placed his head on the ground. Kari and Ken climbed down his nose.
"Thank you," she said to the digimon before it galloped off.
Ken looked at a table with two chairs, a candle, and a bottle of Sprite chilling in some ice. He shook his head at this. Getamon stood nearby in a white apron. She jumped onto the table and lit the candle.
"What's this?" Ken asked Kari, eyebrows raised.
"It's something called dinner," Kari told him. "The fun comes later, though. For now, let's eat."
Ken shook his head again and sat himself at the table. Kari sat opposite him while Getamon poured the Sprite into two champagne glasses.
"I will return with your meal," Getamon said, running off.
"Kari, really, what is this?" Ken asked.
"Ken," Kari began, glancing down at the table, "over the passed little while, I've gotten to know that you're not who I thought you were. Deep inside, you're kind and sensitive and really...great. I just wanted you to see that."
Ken was about to say something when Getamon came back with two plates. It was a meal of fish and chips. Ken shook his head, smiling. He didn't understand this, but it made him feel good inside. By the time the meal was finished, he didn't even remember his problems with the digidestined. It was starting to get dark, but the candle still lit their table.
"Thanks, Kari," Ken said. "I feel much better."
"Oh, there's more," Kari giggled. "Getamon.."
Getamon came up playing the violin.
"Would you like to dance?" Kari asked, standing up and holding a hand out to Ken.
"I don't dance," Ken told her.
"You mean you CAN'T dance?" Kari said, smiling wryly.
Ken shook his head. There was no use in refusing. Somehow, she would get him to dance eventually. He might as well show her who can't dance.
Ken stood up and took Kari in his arms. He led her in a slow waltz. They danced out of the light of the candle. The moonlight glimmered down on Kari's porcelain face. She looked so beautiful.
"You're wonderful, Kari," Ken whispered, staring down at her.
Kari glanced up into his deep blue eyes, her heart pounding. Maybe it was just the romantic scenery and the moonlight, but she felt something when she looked in those eyes. It was a feeling- a warmth- deep inside, burning it's way through her. She began to quiver as Ken came closer. He slowly leaned toward her, his eyes remaining locked on her's up until their lips touched. Kari closed her eyes for that short moment, a warmth radiating through her entire body. Ken pulled away just enough so he could see her face. Kari looked up into his nervous eyes. She wanted him near her. She wanted to hold him and never let go. Slowly, Kari raised her hand to Ken's cheek. In response, Ken pulled Kari toward him, his lips caressing hers with such passion, she didn't even noticed the tears running down her face. Ken began to pull his lips away, then came back into the kiss even deeper. Kari slipped her arms around Ken's neck, pressing herself against him. Their hearts were beating as one as everything around them melted into nothingness. When Kari and Ken finally parted, he held her close as they both gasped for air.
"I love you, Kari," he whispered.
"I love you, too," Kari replied, tears streaming down her face.
A/N: The End. No, just kidding. There's more. I think there will be about two more chapters.
LOVE'S TRUE STRENGTH
Chapter Ten: Just You and I
Ken groaned to himself as he leaned forward on to his computer consul. The previous night's events were flooding painfully to him. He couldn't believe he had cried in front of Kari. He had actually cried on Kari. She must have thought him terribly weak. How could she like him when she thought he was weak? Maybe he was weak. This whole thing was weak. What had happened to the good old days when he created control spires and tried to take over the digital world? No girls to muddle his thinking. It was a stupid plan to take Kari for his queen in the first place. But now that that was all said and done, he couldn't deny the fact that he cared for Kari. He cared for her more than he had ever cared for anyone. He never wanted that feeling to leave.
"Master," Wormon cried as he came into the room, "the digidestined are at it again. They're getting closer to the base every time they attack. Soon, they'll find our true location."
"Send something out there," Ken ordered.
"It won't work, Ken," Wormon insisted. "We don't have anyone strong enough to stand a chance against eleven digidestined."
Ken groaned and ran his fingers over his face.
"What should we do?" Wormon asked.
"Send everyone out there!" Ken shouted. "All the digimon we have should be beating those digidisruptions down!"
"But, sire," Wormon began.
"Do it!" Ken commanded.
Wormon nodded and left.
Ken groaned again. This just wasn't fair. Everything was wrong wrong WRONG!
"Ken," came the sparkling voice of Kari.
He groaned once more. Not now. He wanted to see her, but not now. Not like this. Especially not after last night. Ken felt like banging his head on his computer.
"Are you feeling all right?" Kari asked, walking up behind his chair.
"Not particularly," Ken muttered, his fingers pulling at his spiked hair.
"You look stressed," Kari began as she gently massaged his tense shoulders. "Anything you want to talk about?"
The light pressure pained his muscles and soothed them at the same time. Ken couldn't help but relax. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Before he knew what was happening, he began to talk.
"Well, it's those digidestined," Ken explained. "They keep on purposefully doing things to force me to go see them. Then they attack me and question me. Ohhh!"
"That must be frustrating," Kari sympathized.
"Oh, yes," Ken moaned.
"Maybe you should try just talking to them," Kari suggested.
"It's hard to do in the state they're in," Ken went on. "They don't listen to a word I say."
"That doesn't sound like them," Kari muttered more to herself then to Ken. "What do they want?"
"Oh, they just keep insisting I tell them where I'm keeping you," Ken continued, his head lolling forward as Kari squeezed his shoulders tenderly. "I don't want to tell them because then they'll take you away and I like it when you're around. Things just seem so much better when you're around."
Kari stopped massaging without realizing it. Ken's eyes shot open as he realized what he just said.
"I mean," Ken sputtered as he thought frantically. "Uh, it's nice to have someone who can make a decent sandwich. I like sandwiches."
It was lame, but it was all he could think of. Ken leaned forward and began typing on his keyboard. The fact that Kari was still standing behind him and not saying a word made him nervous.
"You know what you need," Kari smirked, "to have some fun."
Kari spun his chair around to face her, ignored the shocked look on his face, took his hand and yanked him to his feet. Kari pulled him from the room and down the hall. Ken didn't put up much of a fight. He was mostly just curious what she had in mind. Kari led him straight to an exit from the base.
"If you would be so kind," Kari said, indicating toward the keypad.
Ken raised an eyebrow at her. Was this an attempt to escape? She didn't try to escape at the pond and she could have. If this was just an escape plot, then why would she think he was enough of an idiot to fall for it. Call him an idiot! He punched in his code and the door opened.
Kari gazed out over the desert. A Triceramon stood not far away.
"Triceramon!" Kari called. "I was wondering if you might give us a lift."
"He's controlled," Ken informed, "you don't have to be polite."
"Well, no one ever HAS to be polite," Kari scoffed.
Ken folded his arms and smiled wryly as the Triceramon galloped over. Kari took Ken's hand once more and they stepped on to the digimon's head. Kari's hand felt warm and soft in his. He wondered what it would feel like having her wholly in his arms. He smiled thinking about it.
"Excited?" Kari asked, eyeing him.
"Call it curious," Ken said.
Kari squeezed his hand.
Soon enough, the Triceramon stopped and placed his head on the ground. Kari and Ken climbed down his nose.
"Thank you," she said to the digimon before it galloped off.
Ken looked at a table with two chairs, a candle, and a bottle of Sprite chilling in some ice. He shook his head at this. Getamon stood nearby in a white apron. She jumped onto the table and lit the candle.
"What's this?" Ken asked Kari, eyebrows raised.
"It's something called dinner," Kari told him. "The fun comes later, though. For now, let's eat."
Ken shook his head again and sat himself at the table. Kari sat opposite him while Getamon poured the Sprite into two champagne glasses.
"I will return with your meal," Getamon said, running off.
"Kari, really, what is this?" Ken asked.
"Ken," Kari began, glancing down at the table, "over the passed little while, I've gotten to know that you're not who I thought you were. Deep inside, you're kind and sensitive and really...great. I just wanted you to see that."
Ken was about to say something when Getamon came back with two plates. It was a meal of fish and chips. Ken shook his head, smiling. He didn't understand this, but it made him feel good inside. By the time the meal was finished, he didn't even remember his problems with the digidestined. It was starting to get dark, but the candle still lit their table.
"Thanks, Kari," Ken said. "I feel much better."
"Oh, there's more," Kari giggled. "Getamon.."
Getamon came up playing the violin.
"Would you like to dance?" Kari asked, standing up and holding a hand out to Ken.
"I don't dance," Ken told her.
"You mean you CAN'T dance?" Kari said, smiling wryly.
Ken shook his head. There was no use in refusing. Somehow, she would get him to dance eventually. He might as well show her who can't dance.
Ken stood up and took Kari in his arms. He led her in a slow waltz. They danced out of the light of the candle. The moonlight glimmered down on Kari's porcelain face. She looked so beautiful.
"You're wonderful, Kari," Ken whispered, staring down at her.
Kari glanced up into his deep blue eyes, her heart pounding. Maybe it was just the romantic scenery and the moonlight, but she felt something when she looked in those eyes. It was a feeling- a warmth- deep inside, burning it's way through her. She began to quiver as Ken came closer. He slowly leaned toward her, his eyes remaining locked on her's up until their lips touched. Kari closed her eyes for that short moment, a warmth radiating through her entire body. Ken pulled away just enough so he could see her face. Kari looked up into his nervous eyes. She wanted him near her. She wanted to hold him and never let go. Slowly, Kari raised her hand to Ken's cheek. In response, Ken pulled Kari toward him, his lips caressing hers with such passion, she didn't even noticed the tears running down her face. Ken began to pull his lips away, then came back into the kiss even deeper. Kari slipped her arms around Ken's neck, pressing herself against him. Their hearts were beating as one as everything around them melted into nothingness. When Kari and Ken finally parted, he held her close as they both gasped for air.
"I love you, Kari," he whispered.
"I love you, too," Kari replied, tears streaming down her face.
A/N: The End. No, just kidding. There's more. I think there will be about two more chapters.