Chapter 2: Sleepover

Ken frowns slightly as he reads Daisuke's message. He understood why Daisuke wasn't coming. Ken had helped his best friend on a few of his classes. Daisuke just had trouble with them and often comes to him for help. Daisuke did mention that he had a test today that Ken helped him study for. He either was staying after school to finish it or his teacher needed to talk to him about his work.

What troubled Ken was the request to keep an eye on the others. He wasn't sure why. It wasn't like there was any trouble now. Well, if you count the fights he has with Miyako and Takeru or that other thing that he is not to talk about, but that's besides the point. Maybe there was a fight and he wanted Ken to keep an eye on them just in case something happens. That did make sense, but something didn't fit though and he wasn't sure why.

He shrugged as he saw the others coming towards him. He smiles as the digimon runs or flies to their partners. He walked towards them with Wormmon in his arms and V-mon walking next to him.

"Where's Daisuke?" V-mon asked them. Ken looked at them worriedly as the group looked at them with blank looks. I wonder what happen? Ken thought as he vaguely saw a look of anger flashing in Takeru and Miyako's eyes.

"He didn't show up." Iori told him.

"Probably got in trouble again. What else is new?" Miyako said as she rolled her eyes. Ken frowned at that. Daisuke doesn't get in trouble that often.

"He didn't tell you that he had a test today? He usually stays after school if he didn't finish it." Ken asked in confusion. The group shrug at him and dismissed what he said.

"It doesn't matter. Let's go play with the Yokomon." The group nodded and proceeded in the direction of the village.

Ken blinks at them and looks at the two digimon. "I think they did get in a fight." Ken said worriedly to the digimon. V-mon frowned in turn and nodded.

"I hope Daisuke is okay." Ken smiles softly at him.

"He's fine. He emailed me saying that he had something to do in school, but will see us tonight." V-mon smiles at that.

"Oh okay! Let's go catch up with the others then." V-mon said enthusiastically. He started walking when Ken placed Wormmon on the ground. As the two talked Ken looked on ahead in worry. What ever the fight was about it probably wasn't good. It may be nothing, but he was worried. Something wasn't right. He couldn't shake this feeling of foreboding. Whatever it was it could very well tear the team and everything else apart.

Daisuke types on the computer as he makes some plans. He had always known that the others didn't respect him or liked him very much. They saw him as annoying and childish. That's what he wanted them to think. He never even shown his true self to his best friend or partner. Sure Ken had saw glimpses, but they were only what he wanted him to see. He trusted Ken and knew Ken thought highly of him.

He smiles as he thought about Ken. Ken had been through so much over the years. He had lost his brother, been taken by darkness and manipulated to do awful things, been beaten and saved by him and the others, lost his partner, gets amnesia, gets his partner back but then suffers from depression, joins the group later on to defend the Digital World, gets kidnapped, and then saves the world from the stupid vampire. Yup, Ken had been through a lot but that's not the half of it.

Ken had confined in him once that he has to keep a very special part of himself hidden. Daisuke was surprised at first when he saw the real Ken. He knew there was something different about him when they first jogress together. It was something truly amazing, though he waited until Ken came to him. He didn't want to make him feel that he was pushy or anything. He didn't want to scare him away, especially with all the things that was happening during that time.

He smiles. Ken was truly a strong person. However, he was emotionally fragile, if that was the right word to describe him. He sees the way Miyako tries to flirt with him. He sees the mistrust in Iori's eyes. But worse of all he sees the true feelings of his friends. Daisuke knew that one day he was going to split from them. He was going to leave them and start anew in this other world that Ken talked about, with hopefully with his best friend at his side.

Daisuke even had friends among the digimon and many have seen the way he was treated. All the digimon have even forgiven Ken for the things he has done. Word travels fast in the Digital World when BelialVamdemon is involved. He was glad for that. It made things a lot easier when he was talking to the digimon and asking for their assistance in a certain matter.

Daisuke frowns as he gets a message on his computer. He opens it and reads it. He narrows his eyes at it. He had some nerve, contacting him of all people. He wasn't going to allow him to have Ken. Ken was going to be protected and what better way to do that then to use the hidden powers and control that he currently has.

Ken watches the others as they leave. Despite the others odd behavior, it was a fun day, but it wasn't the same without Daisuke. Ken kept getting those bad feelings again. He wasn't sure how, but he was near. It wasn't a good thing. If he finds him, things could turn out bad. There was a reason that he was in hidden after all.

His guardian wanted him to go to this special school, but he didn't want to leave his friends or family. So they compromised. He stays in Japan with his friends, but he has to take private lessons on the weekend and holidays and go to the school during the summer. Fun stuff.

"Ken-chan?" Ken looks down at his partner who was smiling at him. V-mon was smiling at him too. What were they up to? "Are we going to Daisuke's now?"

Ken smiles and nods at them. "Sorry. I guess I spaced out again." He shrug at him as he unclips his D-3.

"It's alright." Wormmon told him.

"Yeah! You were probably just thinking about how cute Daisuke is anyway."

Ken blushed and stammers, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you do," they chimed together as they went through the gate. Ken groaned as he followed the two troublesome digimon. This was going to be a long night.

Daisuke leaves his room after he finished putting the final pieces of his plan in order. Daisuke was missing some minor elements in his plan, but he could work that out later. Daisuke enters the kitchen and sees the food that his mother made. He told her that Ken was coming so she made extra food. By extra he means the amount of food could be enough to feed V-mon five times over.

He smiles softly. His mother was a wonderful women. She cared deeply for him, even if she goes after him all the time. She is also aware of how he is treated as well. He told her many times that he will take care of it, but she still insists. However, she stops whenever he changes the subject to his best friend and how he might have a connection with her teachings. What teachings you may ask? Well, his mother is a Wiccan and believes in those magical creatures that help protect and take care of the natural world, along with the Great Mother.

Daisuke never really paid attention to her when he starts talking about them, until three years ago. After the whole digimon incident, Daisuke views had changed slightly. His mother was very trilled whenever he asked her about them.

Daisuke yawns as he realized that he was staring at the food for a good fifteen minutes. With a shrug he starts to separate four plates. If his timing was right Ken should be here within the next fifteen minutes or so. Daisuke hums to himself as he heats up the food and places them on the table that he had decorated earlier. He then goes to the fridge and takes out some lemonade that his mother did before going to work. With a smile he places that on the table at the same time the door bell rang.

Daisuke quickly grabs some cup, places them on the table, and then rushes to the door. He grins as he opens the door, revealing a very nicely dressed, slightly frustrated, best friend. "Hey Ken! What's wrong?" Daisuke asked after Ken came inside.

Ken groans. "Them is what's up." Ken says as he lets Minomon and Chibimon out of his bag. The two had a mouth full of junk food.

Daisuke laughs as the two rush to finish their snacks. Ken sends him a glare before crossing his arms in pretend anger. Ken rolls his eyes as the two digimon run off after they finish. Ken follows them to the dining room and notices the food on the table.

"Daisuke," Ken said with awe in his voice. "You really didn't have to do this you know." Ken gestured to the decorated table that had the food ready to be eaten, drinks, and candles to give it a natural glow. If he didn't know any better he would have thought Daisuke had a date or something, as much as it pained him to think that.

"What? I can't do something nice for my best friend?" Daisuke asked feigning hurt. Ken blushes slightly.

"That's not what I meant Daisuke. It's just that…"

"I know what you meant. You know how religious my mom is. She insisted that I use these candles tonight."

"Why?" Ken asked as he took a seat. Daisuke took a seat across from him.

"Every week on Friday we have to do this," he gestures to the candles and fragrance that traveled throughout the house. "Because she wants to invite or give respect to the faeries. She wants them to know that we value them for all the work they do for us."

"Oh," Ken simply replied. Daisuke raised an eyebrow at him. Oh? What's that all Ken had to say? He knew Ken believed in magic and the supernatural and stuff, but it was odd that he had a surprised expression on his face. Was he really that surprised that humans still respected faeries?

Ken slowly ate his food as he digested what Daisuke told him. Humans still respect faeries? That is wonderful, but why do I feel so nervous? Ken always thought humans hated the supernatural. There was even a cult that hunted down faeries, no thanks to him. Anyone who knew a faerie personally were often criticized.

Ken wondered if Daisuke believed in faeries. His mother seemed to believe in them since she is a Wiccan after all.

"Ken are you okay?" Daisuke asked.

"Yeah I'm fine." Ken tells him with a smile. "Daisuke can I ask you something?"

He blinks. "What is it?"

"You want to tell me what you and the others were fighting about?"

Daisuke groans as he and Ken watch TV in his room. He expected Ken to ask him that. He had an answer but he was debating if he should tell him the truth or on. Ken would not like what he had plan and he knew Ken would not like the fact that he contacted him.

Ken was waiting for him to answer. He was a very patient person. Daisuke contemplated on what to say. "The others," he started slowly in thought.

"What about them?" Ken asked as held a sleeping Minomon.

"Well they said something I didn't like." Ken gave him a confused look.

"But you never like what they say half of the time. Unless it's like the time you and Takeru got into that huge fight a few months back with that bully."

Daisuke grimaced at the memory. That was not a good day for him. Not only was he suspended for a week, but he was not allowed to go to Ken's house.

"I know." He looked at his best friend sadly. "Can we not talk about this now? I don't want to talk about it. It hurts still." Ken's eyes glisten in understanding and sadness.

"Okay," Ken said kindly. "You can tell me when when you're ready to deal with it." Daisuke smiles at his best friend.

"Thanks." Ken smiles too. However, Daisuke knew he couldn't keep things from Ken.

"Something else is bothering you isn't it?" He sighed.

"Yeah...about that." Ken raises an eyebrow at him. "He contacted me today."

"WHAT?" Daisuke ran his hand through his hair. "What did he want?"

"You," Daisuke replied. Ken groaned.

"Hasn't he done enough damage?" Ken moaned as he hid his face in his hands.

"Apparently not." Daisuke gently rubbed Ken's back, in hopes of calming him down before he accidentally blows out the lights. "But don't worry me and V-mon will protect you." Ken looks up at him and smiles warily at him.

"I know you will. I just wish he'll leave me alone."

"I know." Daisuke grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. They weren't watching it anyway. Daisuke stretched as he and Ken got ready for bed. Where did the time go? Daisuke slides into bed as Ken makes himself comfortable on the futon. "Hey, isn't your cousin coming over next week?"

"Yeah. My aunt too. Why?"

"Well, I was just thinking about the time you told me that she goes to his school for girls and how she is friends with these other girls."

"Yeah, it's a prodigious school for girls. It like the one that I go to in the summer."

"Right. Right. So I was saying since your cousin is coming over and since she has similar powers as you, why don't you ask for her help? I'm sure she would help." Ken blinked at him through the dark.

"That is brilliant. Why didn't I think of that? Roxy did say that if I ever need help I should call her."

"You had a lot on your mind. I'm not surprised that you didn't think of it. Though aren't royal families suppose to stay connected in case of threats. You guys are literally over the ocean from each other."

"Daisuke we only met like a few months ago." Ken said after he tries to stifle a yawn. "And that was by accident. We didn't even know we existed until my aunt called us."

"I guess." Daisuke tries to stifle his own yawn. "Though it's cool how your cousin is a future crown princess and your aunt is a ex-queen." Daisuke pulled Chibimon close to him as he laid down on the bed. "So does this make you a prince or something? It would be so cool if you were."

"I'm not sure. Maybe. Mom never really said." Ken mumbled softly before drifting off to sleep.

Daisuke heard his friend mumbling something like a maybe. He looked down and saw that Ken had fallen asleep. He smiled at that. Ken looked so adorable, so untouchable. His mind drifted off to the team. It hurt that they said that, but something didn't feel right. It could have been his imagination, but something was telling him that it was staged, a setup. However, Daisuke was too tired to think straight and decided that he was just making excuses for them. With a sigh Daisuke joins his best friend and digimon in sleep.