Author's note: Sorry this took so long. I had problems with the writing and the plotness... and then my disk decided to erase itself when I was a scene away from closing Thursday...Ice'is had another copy (thanks be for beta readers, best friends, and soul sisters) but it was missing two scenes I'd already typed up... So I did my best to recreate them.
*****
Daisuke woke up first again, and as he had on Tuesday, he detached his limbs carefully from Ken and then made his way to the bathroom. He showered and brushed his teeth before making his way to the kitchen. It wasn't even six-thirty yet, so Jun was still asleep. He started the coffee-maker brewing, and then looked in the fridge. There were enough ingredients left to make one of his skillet breakfasts, but it didn't take long to cook and he had a while before he'd have to even start making it.
He made his way slowly back to the bedroom. He turned thetelevision and VCR off and the computer on in their place. He waited for it to boot up and then started a game of Minesweeper, to which he had recently become addicted.
*****
Ken woke slowly at first, and then sat up quickly as he realized that he wasn't at home in his bed. He recognized Daisuke's room almost immediately after that and looked around, but the brunet was nowhere to be seen. He felt good for having slept the night on the floor and for the miserable mess he'd been before he'd gone to bed. The residual uncertainty of what to make of sleeping with Daisuke was put on hold until he knew whether he should be embarrassed or not.
He stood up and gathered the blankets together. He deposited them on the bed, careful not to disturb Vee and Worm, who had taken up residence on the leftover pillows. He patted the smaller dog on the head before heading for the bathroom. Jun was coming out of the room and she offered him a groggy half-smile as she stumbled off to the kitchen.
It only took him a few moments to do his business and he headed for the kitchen next, rightfully assuming that that's where Daisuke would be. The brunet was standing at the stove, stirring the contents of a pan with a spatula while Jun sat at the table reading her paper.
"Morning, Ken!" Daisuke said as soon as he'd turned around and seen the genius standing in the archway. "Have a seat!" He waved towards the seat across from Jun with the hand not holding the spatula and then turned back to his food preparation.
"How are you feeling this morning?" asked Jun. She tilted the paper towards the table as she waited for a reply, but she didn't set it down completely.
"Fine, thank you," Ken answered softly. He liked Daisuke's sister for the most part, but she seemed especially irritable in the mornings. He thought it luck there had been no repeat of Sunday morning, when she had threatened to cut his hair.
"I'm fine too, Jun, thanks for asking," Daisuke said sarcastically as he turned from the stove, pan in hand. There was a plate in front of Jun, but the rest of the table was bare. After the brunet served his sister, he returned the pan to the stove, then moved to the cupboard to retrieve two more plates, wordlessly answering Ken's unspoken question of whether they would be eating too.
"I knew you'd be fine, little brother. It's been years since you've gotten anything worse than a mild cough," Jun retorted, giving her brother a look before folding her paper into a quarter of its size. That small, she could hold it in one hand while she ate with the other.
After scooping the remaining contents of the pan onto the other two plates, Daisuke dropped the pan into the sink with a loud clank and then dropped into the chair next to Ken with a grin. "Eat up!"
"The Daisuke Skillet?" Ken said questioningly.
"Yup!" Daisuke said, grin widening proudly.
"Am I supposed to eat it with my fingers?"
*****
Shortly after Jun left for work, Daisuke disappeared into the bathroom, leaving a trail of phone cord and a quick "Watch something on TV" in his wake. It was an easy command to follow, and Ken turned the television to the news while he waited for Daisuke to do whatever he was doing. He didn't have to wait long.
"Come on!" Daisuke urged as he put the phone back on the table where it belonged and the phone book in the drawer beneath.
Ken stood up slowly. "We're going someplace?"
The brunet huffed and put his hands on his hips. "No, I said come on because I want you to sit on the couch all day."
"Ah. In that case..." Ken sat back down on the couch and turned back towards the news.
"Dude!" Daisuke exclaimed in a wheedling tone. "Please, Ken? Let's go play!" The last word was dragged out into a piteous whine.
Ken chuckled softly, turned the television off, and rose once more to his feet. "Since you asked so nicely, Master Daisuke," he said, bowing jokingly.
Eyes were rolled in his direction before Daisuke pointed a finger towards the hall. "Fine, slave. Go find something of mine to wear and be back out here in five minutes."
This time Ken saluted as he moved to obey. "Yes, sir! Right away, sir!"
As the genius disappeared into the bedroom, Daisuke sighed and shook his head. "What a weird guy."
*****
Ken was kept in suspense until they reached their destination, which seemed to be on the outskirts of town. It wasn't really far, and they traveled the distance in fifteen minutes of solid walking, neither athlete winded or tired by the exertion.
It was an empty field with a small trailer beside it, the property guarded behind a chest-high fence. Ken could see what looked to be the top of a barn, but there were no other buildings. As Daisuke opened a gate in the fence, the trailer door opened and a tall, thin man stepped outside to greet them. "Hello! You must be Daisuke! When you said you were stopping by, I didn't think you meant -quite- so soon."
"Hey, you said you were open," Daisuke returned. He waved to Ken. "This is Ken."
"It's just the two of you?" the man asked, smiling at Ken but directing the question to both of them.
"Yup!" the brunet answered. He grinned at Ken.
"You guys go on ahead to the barn, and I'll bring the equiptment down," the man instructed, turning back towards the trailer. Daisuke grabbed Ken's hand and started jogging towards the roof that Ken could see.
*****
"Okay, the rules are rather easy," the man said as he dropped two large bags onto the ground. "No aiming for the face or the crotch. No stealing the other's gun or ammo. The game is to find the other's flag without getting shot. The flags can not be hidden out of site. When shot, neither party is allowed to shoot for a minute, but I'll let you boys referee yourself. After a minute, the injured party has to return to his own flag before he can shoot. Understood?"
"Yes!" Daisuke answered quickly. Ken shrugged and nodded halfheartedly. The instructions were easy enough to remember, but he still wasn't sure what was going on. It all became more clear as the brunet pulled a black gun out of a bag.
"The pellets in that gun are blue and orange, Daisuke. Ken, that leaves you with the pink and green. There are safe zones for each of you. If you are standing in a circle of your color and the enemy shoots you, it doesn't count, so I wouldn't recommend wasting your pellets. If your enemy is standing in your color, shoot to your hearts content, as it's not his safe zone. I would recommend hiding your flag quickly, as being shot while you're holding it constitutes losing. Now, to start, you guys go to opposite ends of the field. When you're there, there are two light bulbs and a switch. Turn the switch on. When both bulbs are lit, play can start."
"Okay!" came the excited affirmation as Daisuke threw one strap of his bag over his head and started carrying his equipment away.
Ken looked at his bag and then picked it up by the handles. "Paint ball guns?" he said questioningly. The man grinned back at him, waved, and turned back towards his trailer.
"You guys have fun. You can play until you're out of pellets, or until you've caught the others flag. If something should happen, I'll be inside."
Alone, Ken started towards the side of the field opposite of the direction Daisuke had taken. "Paint ball guns," he said to himself, shaking his head.
*****
Daisuke made it to the place with the bulbs and eagerly flipped the switch. As soon as the other bulb turned on, he took off running, a string of pellets strapped across his chest, gun in one hand and flag in the other. It reminded him of some movie he'd seen once. "Rambo", or "Bambi", something like that.
The field, despite the lack of buildings, was far from bare. There were high stacks of baled hay everywhere, offering cover and hiding places. Some were just stacked in a single pile, working as effectively as a small tree, while others were stacked in long lines, creating short walls and little alcoves.
It was in one of the alcoves that Daisuke tucked his flag before he moved out to find Ken, or in lieu of the genius, Ken's flag. As he ran, he noticed the paint stains on the ground and on some of the bales. There were more colors than what the man had said were in their bags, and Daisuke wished he could have gotten the ones with the red paint: he could have made it look like he was really shot.
"Daisuke!" Ken called out suddenly. Daisuke ducked behind a bale of hay. "Why paint guns?"
Daisuke grinned. "I don't know! I thought it'd be fun, after the waterfight yesterday."
"It won't be so fun now that I can fight back properly."
"Ha. It's going to be twice as much fun to kick your ass now that you have a chance at winning. Even if it's a small chance," Daisuke retorted, grinning.
"I think you want me to win," Ken shot back confidently, his voice sounding odd. Daisuke tried to peek around the corner of the hay to figure out why it seemed different.
//A little too confident.// Confused and worried, Daisuke frowned in the direction he'd last heard Ken and tried to figure out what the words meant. "How do you figure that?"
"Because you let me get this close," Ken said suddenly, too close. Daisuke jumped and whirled around, only to find Ken's gun aimed at his stomach. There had been two guns in each bag, a large, rifle-like one with a note attached that said "long distance" and a hand-held pistol with another note, "close range". It was the pistol in Ken's hand, and Daisuke frowned. It was obvious that the genius had intended on getting close.
"That's cheating, Dude," Daisuke pouted, crossing his arms over his chest, the hand with the gun holding the 'weapon' to his chest.
Ken shook his head in disagreement. "It's not cheating. It may not be exactly fair, but it's not cheating, Daisuke."
"Whatever you have to tell yourself to keep your conscience clear, Ken," Daisuke said sarcastically, taking a careful step backwards. If he was lucky, Ken wouldn't notice his slow, backwards retreat. "So, Ken. Shot anyone lately?"
The hand with the gun waved slightly as Ken spoke, following the flow of his words. "Oh, you know me. Had to shoot my way through the fanclub. It's not easy being the ruler of the planet."
"You aren't an emperor yet, Ken," Daisuke reminded him, shuffling back a little more. He was encouraged by the fact that the genius didn't step forwards to follow his movents. The gap between them was widening, and he'd soon be able to duck around the bale of hay and get his gun ready to defend himself.
"I -am- an emperor. You saw the shirts the girls were wearing yesterday. Isn't that what I said would happen when I took over as ruler of this tiny ball of dust?"
Daisuke paused momentarily, realizing rather bemusedly, and belatedly, that the fan club yesterday -had- been sporting pictures of the genius's face on their shirts. It was while he was distracted with that thought that he felt something hit him on his side. It didn't hit with bruising force, but it did elicit an 'ow' as he looked down with some surprise at the pink spot on his blue shirt. He looked back up in time to see Ken running away laughing.
And the game was on, Daisuke down by one.
He adjusted his shoulder strap with a grin and took off, intent on chasing Ken until the genius was worn out or paint-covered, whichever came first. Or maybe both.
*****
"Oi, Ken! Are you hungry yet?" Daisuke asked tiredly. He was leaning heavily against a hay-stack wall, large gun in his left hand, the pistol in his right. His bag was completely empty and all the ammunition he had left was strapped around his chest and back. Somewhere a few yards away, Ken was faring about the same. They were both paint-splattered from neck to shoe, and Ken even had some in his hair where Daisuke had shot above his head and the paint had rained down on him.
"Starving," Ken answered, sounding equally fatigued. The lunch hour had passed them by a while ago, and the sun was arcing its way toward the horizon. It would be dinnertime soon, and food was something both boys could use, as they'd been chasing each other for hours. "Are we calling a draw?"
Daisuke sighed to himself and debated. //I'm tired, hungry, sore, paint-covered... this is the best day of this week!// He chuckled to himself as he started sidestepping around the wall. Ken was on the other side, and if he could just-
He found himself nose-to-barrel with Ken's pistol. "Is that a 'no'?" Ken asked softly, eyes dangerously serious. If Daisuke declined the truce, the auburn-haired teen would find himself with one more paint-splatter on top of all the rest.
"Draw," Daisuke said quickly. He knew the bruises that pistol could cause at close range, was already sporting a few, and he had no desire to be hit again. Ken smiled, eyes crinkling up in the cars, and lowered the gun. "My sister's going to kill us."
"Nope. You're sister's going to kill -you-," Ken said smartly. "She'll just shake her head at me and wonder why I'm letting you corrupt me."
Daisuke rolled his eyes but nodded. "It was fun, wasn't it?" he inquired, looking hopeful.
"Yes, it was," Ken agreed. He rotated his shoulders stiffly. "Painful, but fun."
"No pain, no gain!" Daisuke yelled, throwing his hands up into the air. He grunted suddenly dropped his arms. "But somehow, I've got all of the bruises and none of the victory."
Laughing, they made their way to their forgotten flags, gathered the bags and accessories they'd discarded throughout the course of the afternoon, and made their way back to the trailer. The man in charge of the paintball field was sitting on his porch, patiently waiting for them to get done. "Have fun, guys?" he asked, pushing dark hair out of his face.
"It was great!" Daisuke exclaimed. He started to punch his fist into the air, but then stopped. "Those guns are -heavy-."
The man laughed. "Of course they are, when you carry them around for hours. Who won?" He looked at their clothes, equally paint-covered, and grinned. "Or did you guys just spend the last couple of hours trying to kill each other?"
"I wasn't trying to kill him," Daisuke said innocently, smirking at Ken. "I'm his right-hand man. We were just... doing military excersises. I have to keep the Emperor here in shape."
"Emperor?" the man repeated, looking confused. He shook his head instead of inquiring farther. "Go ahead and leave that stuff right there at the bottom of the stairs. I'll get back to it later. You guys might want to get home soon. Much longer, and all that paint will be dry and you won't be able to walk."
"How much do I owe you?" asked Daisuke, one hand already reaching into his paint-crusted pocket.
The man shook his head. "It's on the house. I hope to see you boys again closer to summer. I'll be mowing the back field, so there'll be more room to play in."
"Cool!" Brown eyes practically glowed with excitement. "I will -so- be back this summer."
"And you? Ken, was it? You'll come with him and give him a run for his money, right?" the man asked, smiling at Ken. The genius shrugged his shoulders uncertainly and looked at Daisuke, who ignored the question in favor of dragging Ken towards the road.
"Later, man! Thanks for the fun time!" They reached the sidewalk and Daisuke released Ken's arm. "I'll have to get Tai down here this summer, too. Let him and Matt go at it with the paintguns." He grinned at Ken. "They're really funny when they're competing for something, because neither one likes to lose, but they -hate- to lose to each other."
"Sounds like an interesting rivalry," Ken commented. "You said before that they've been friends for a long time."
"Forever! They were around ten or so when they first met, and that was before Kari was born. That's why Kari and TP are such good friends." He had started out with a cheerful tone, but as he spoke, his smile dimmed and his voice grew softer. "They all lived next door to each other and there's no one closer to either one of them."
"I haven't really met any of them, but they seem like nice people."
"Nice enough," Daisuke agreed quietly. "We used to all be friends, but-" He stopped suddenly, and Ken followed his gaze. Not a hundred feet away, Hikari Yagami was standing. She turned and caught sight of them, and the blank, peaceful look disappeared behind surprise, and then something darker.
She began to walk towards them, her face lighting up again as she smiled. "Hello, Daisuke. Ken." She held her hand out before either boy could return her greeting. "We've never actually met. I'm Hikari Yagami, but you can call me Kari." Her eyes flickered back to Daisuke and her smile wobbled uncertainly. "Daisuke, if I may? I just need to talk to you for a moment."
He looked uncertainly at Ken before shrugging. //Here it comes. She hates me and is going to make sure everyone knows it.//
"I'm sorry, Daisuke." Her smile grew stronger, more sincere. "I know I've waited too say that, and maybe it doesn't mean much to you now, but I am." She paused and gave Ken a considering look before going on. "Takeru and I aren't together anymore. I thought you should know that."
//Eh?// Daisuke stared at her for a moment, but her words still didn't make sense. "You and Takaishi -aren't- going out, but -you're- sorry? Why?"
Kari smiled and laughed softly. "Because when you kissed him and we had that fight, I was cruel, and I know that. I had no right to treat a friend the way I treated you, and the fact that I was wrong about him and I only adds to my guilt and regret. I wanted to be mad at you and I used the fact that I thought he and I were in love to make me angry. But we weren't, obviously, and when I realized that I also realized how stupid I was to say and do the things I said and did."
She stretched her hand out for him to shake and continued, "I'm asking for your forgiveness, Daisuke, and I hope that in time, you'll let us be friends again." Her eyes flickered to Ken, who was watching them silently, no reaction on his blank face. Her hand dropped. "And I was going to tell you that Takeru was free, if you wanted to try again, but I don't think you'd care anymore." Her smile widened as she turned back to Daisuke...
Who stared at her as if she'd grown a second head. //She -what-?// "You're giving me permission to go after your ex-boyfriend?" he asked, just to make sure he'd caught that part correctly. It hadn't ocurred to him yet that Ken was standing as audience to their discussion.
The girl laughed and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "I was going to, yes." A pointed glance at Ken. "But that's not necessary, is it?"
And Daisuke remembered then that the genius was standing there, and he turned to Ken with wide eyes and a blush staining his cheeks. "Um..." He swallowed hard and looked back at Kari. "Thanks," he said finally. He stuck his hand out and she accepted it. "I'm sorry, too. I was stupid. And I -do- want to be your friend again." He smiled slightly, his eyes lighting up. "Hikari-chan."
She smiled back, noting the affection in his eyes. It would have worried her, made her wonder if he didn't still care for her as much as he once had, but then he looked at Ken and the light in his eyes grew into something brighter, stronger, and she relaxed. On impulse, she leaned forward and embraced him awkwardly, trying to avoid touching the paint splattered all over him. "Daisuke-chan," she murmured into his ear, laughing quietly. "Be smart this time, okay?"
When they drew apart, his cheeks were still flushed and he wouldn't look at either Hikari or Ken. "Arigatou. Ja ne," Daisuke told Kari, taking a step back and then turning.
"Later," she said softly in return, watching as the two boys walked away. She smiled as they disappeared around a corner, her heart light. Only in her dreams had that conversation gone that way. She had been so afraid of hurting him more, but it seemed fate had decided to step in to make sure he was happy.
*****
Ken tailed Daisuke to his house without making any attempt at conversation. When they reached the Motomiya residence, Daisuke unlocked the door and pushed it open before looking at Ken. "Do you want to call your mom, or have Jun take you home?"
The genius looked at him pensively for a moment, wondering if he dared be bold enough to ask to stay. He hesitated and then skirted around the issue for a time. "Is it okay if I worry about that after I can walk properly again?" He waved a hand down at the splattered clothes he was wearing, and winked at Daisuke, who laughed.
"Yeah, dude. If you wanna go ahead and start a shower, I'll bring you some clean clothes." He shut the door finally as Ken made his way to the bathroom.
While Ken was in the shower, Daisuke made good his word and retrieved the other boy's clothes from his bedroom. He set them on a stand in the hallway, and then went into the kitchen, where Jun was sitting on the counter.
"Hey, Pain," she greeted him casually, sparing a glance at her brother before looking back at her magazine. She did a double-take and set the magazine aside. "What have you guys been doing today? And is Ken running the water, or were you waiting for the temperature to be 'right'?"
Daisuke shrugged. "Ken's in the shower. We went and played at the paintball field. I'm -starved-." He sniffed at the pain on the stove; Jun was boiling something, though it didn't smell recognizable. "Jun?" he said softly, questioningly, eyes on the boiling water.
"Yeah?" she murmured back, picking her magazine back up as she waited for him to start talking.
"Do you think it's wrong to realize you don't like someone within a week of liking them?"
She frowned and looked at him over the curled pages. "What do you mean?"
"Well... I talked to Kari today. Last week, I thought I still really liked her, but today when she was talking, I didn't. Not like a crush anymore. More like a friend. And last week, I still thought Takeru was kind of cute, but I didn't like him like I used to, but she said I could date him, but I don't -want- to. But I think I would have a week ago."
"And now you wouldn't?" He nodded in affirmation, and she rolled her eyes. "At your age, it's normal to stop liking people really quickly." She hesitated. "Hikari and Takeru?"
He looked up at her with a guilty expression. "Yeah."
"Are you guys friends again?" she asked. There was a long pause after her question, and she was about to repeat herself when he finally nodded.
"I think we are. Hikari said she was sorry, and I said I was sorry. I'll have to see if Takeru still hates me on Monday, but she made it sound like he doesn't."
"Takeru will never hate you, Daisuke. Just like you could never hate him or Hikari, and just like Hikari never -truly- hated you. You guys were young. I'm actually surprised you've stayed away from each other so long. The three of you used to be inseparable and I thought nothing could tear you apart."
He grimaced. "It happened, though." He smiled suddenly. "We might all be friends again." Just as suddenly, he turned wistful. "It'd be nice to have friends again."
They both heard the water shut off at approximately the same time, and Daisuke grinned at his sister before running back into the hallway to get Ken's clothes. Jun stared at the doorway for a moment before wondering to herself how Daisuke's reformed friendships would affect his relationship with Ken.
*****
Daisuke was happy and it showed. He was bouncing around the yard after practically eating his dinner in one bite. Ken was tired just watching him. Of course, it helped that they had spent the first half of the day chasing each other, though one wouldn't know it from looking at the brunet playing tag with his dog. His energy seemed boundless, and Ken wondered if he'd ever slow down.
They hadn't discussed much about what had happened after the paintball field, but Ken could make a few assumptions from what he'd heard between Daisuke and Hikari, and what Daisuke's reactions seemed to say. There had also been the incident at the cook-out their teachers had had, where Daisuke had spent the meal talking to Tai and keeping as far away from Hikari and the blond, who Ken assumed was the infamous Takeru, as possible.
They had once been friends, and Takeru and Hikari had dated. That was obvious and given. Daisuke had liked them -both-, but had liked Hikari more and had managed to lose both his friends because of a kiss. All three friends were now single, and Hikari had made it obvious that -she- was off-limits to Daisuke, even if Takeru wasn't.
In Ken's mind, that made things almost easy. If his competition had been Hikari, he might have lost, because a girl could offer Daisuke things Ken couldn't. Takeru made things easier, though, by being male. Ken couldn't imagine the blond offering Daisuke something that he, Ken, couldn't, and he was going to spend their last two days together, if they were indeed the last, trying to find the quickest way to Daisuke's heart.
He felt his chest tighten at the thought, but the feeling was pleasant, like the fluttering in his stomach he experienced when he gave into one of Daisuke's whims or pleas. It only increased as Daisuke came running up to the porch where Ken was sitting. "So, dude. Are you going home or what?"
"Or what?" Ken repeated with a smile, watching Daisuke's face for his reaction. There was a brief flash of surprise, and then pleasure, and he felt his stomach take up its fluttering.
"Cool! I'll go tell Jun, and do you want to call your mom, or do you want me to?" His excitement was contagious, and Ken found himself getting to his feet.
"I'll call. I don't know what my mother would do if a strange boy called home and said he was keeping her son."
Ken expected Daisuke to laugh, and he was rewarded with that and a grin. "I'll just tell her that I'm the one who owns you for the week."
"Oh, yes, that would be better. Then you'd only have to explain why you were keeping me for longer than the agreed twelve hours."
Ken -wasn't- expecting Daisuke to pick up on that comment, though. "Well. Why -am- I keeping you past the 'agreed twelve hours?'"
The genius was stuck without an answer as he debated internally over how to respond. After a few moments, during which Daisuke seemed to pick up on his hesitancy, Ken finally shrugged. "Because you want to. And I want you to." The smile he flashed at Daisuke was small and unsure, and just a little bit flirty, a reflection of the uncertainty and hope inside him. It was one thing to say that getting Daisuke was easy, but it was another to actually move forward and put any plan into action.
Daisuke was the first person Ken had ever felt truly comfortable around, and it made talking with him, interacting with him easy, but that was when things were stable and steady, and Ken knew where they both stood. Now he was waiting with bated breath for Daisuke to give him some form of encouragement.
The brunet just grinned back and nodded. "Yes, I do. You're going to watch action movies with me all night and tomorrow we're going to get up really early and do something fun."
"Is that so?" Ken said, swallowing hard. Daisuke didn't seem to have picked up on Ken's flirting, feeble attempt though it had been.
"That's so," Daiuske confirmed, nodding decisively. "Now call your mom while I make popcorn and tell Jun you're staying."
"Yes, sir." Ken saluted him, but the brunet was already bounding into the house and towards the kitchen.
*****
"You're cheerful," Jun said distractedly, shoving something aside as she searched the fridge. Behind her, Daisuke just laughed as he found the popcorn, unwrapped a pouch, and put it in the microwave.
"Ne, Jun," Daisuke said slowly, voice almost hesitant. Jun looked up and raised an eyebrow. Her brother was staring into the microwave with a frown. "Can Ken spend the night again?"
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Why are you even asking? Have I told you yet that he couldn't?"
He rolled his eyes back at her. "I just thought that since you're the adult and all, I should ask. Because it's not every day that a boy- a, uh, friend stays over.
"Ah," Jun said wisely, turning back to the fridge. She felt more than saw Daisuke look at her, waiting for her to say whatever was obviously on her mind.
"What? "Daisuke asked, frowning at the look on her face. Jun laughed, found a bowl in the fridge that looked like it might still hold edible food, and stood up. She ruffled his hair as she walked past him to get a spoon.
"I like him. I wouldn't mind if you dated him."
"I didn't say I liked anyone," Daisuke said, still mostly confused.
Jun laughed. "You didn't have to." She grinned and turned around to tease him more, but Ken chose that moment to enter the room, and she kindly leant forward to whisper in Daisuke's ear. "But no making out in the living room, and no sex until you're at least seventeen."
She stepped away and leaned against the counter, watching as her brother flushed a light pink and Ken gave him a curious look. "My mother says it's okay with her if I stay the night," he announced to the quiet room. Jun's grin grew wider and she had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing out loud as Daisuke flushed darker and looked completely flustered.
The microwave beeped at the same time as the smell of burnt popcorn invaded the house, and Daisuke was saved from having to make a sensible reply as he burst into sudden action and tried to save the already destroyed popcorn. He grabbed the back, wrapping his hand securely around it, and then yelped in pain as it burned his palms. The bag fell to the floor, and Daisuke headed for the sink to run cold hands over the burns, but Ken stopped him before he reached it.
"You don't want to use cold water, or you'll make it blister worse." He leaned over the sink to turn the water on, and waited until it was a warm temperature before he let Daisuke put his hands under the faucet. He cradled Daisuke's hands with his own, arms overlapping Daisuke's and making them stand side-by-side, touching.
While they were busy at the sink, Jun left the kitchen, but not before smiling at their backs and flashing a victory sign at her brother, even though he couldn't see it.
*****
"Thanks, Ken," Daisuke said softly, watching the dark head bowed over his hands. They were in the bathroom, Daisuke sitting on the counter by the sink while Ken rubbed salve into his hands and wrapped them.
Ken looked up with a smile, only to stop and blink when he found his face precariously close to Daisuke's, who had leaned forward a bit. "Is it better?" he whispered, not moving away. His voice was little more than a whisper as he stared into Daisuke's eyes.
"Yeah," the brunet answered, only a tad louder than Ken. His hand was still cradled by the genius and tilted at an angle between them. Daisuke leaned forward a little more, closing the distance before them, and then Jun was knocking on the door.
"Daisuke, you have company!" her voice was sharp and startling, and they drew apart quickly, Ken moving across the room as Daisuke leaned back towards the mirror. There was a knock on the door and then Jun was calling to him again. "Takeru's in the living room."
"Takeru?" Daisuke said, surprised. //What does he want? Is he going to apologize, too? Weird. Both of them in one day.// He grinned at Ken uncomfortably and hopped down from the counter. "Best go see what he wants, right?"
"I'll let you have your conversation in private," Ken said, making it sound more questioning than he'd intended. Daisuke only grinned at the offer.
"It's okay. You already heard Hikari-chan. There's not a lot Takeru-kun could add, is there?" Ken frowned as Daisuke turned to open the door. The genius had a sudden ominous feeling and he wished that Daisuke had worded his sentence differently.
They left the bathroom, Ken following behind Daisuke, and proceeded to the living room, where a certain tall blond was standing, waiting. "Daisuke," Takeru Takaishi said, smiling brightly. His eyes flashed to Ken in recognition and he nodded his head and smiled politely at the genius as well. "Ken." Blue eyes quickly swung back to Daisuke. "I hope it's not a problem if I visit."
Daisuke shook his head instantly. "No." //Just do like Hikari-chan did and tell me everything's cool between us. Tell me you want to be my friend.// "What's up, dude?"
"Hikari called me." His eyes flashed again to Ken and then back to Daisuke, and the blond didn't bother to hide his determination or affection. "I came to apologize." He stepped forward, walking until he was the same distance from Daisuke as Ken. "I wanted to ask you if we could be friends again."
The brunet grinned. //Yes!// "Of course, dude!" He held his hand out for Takeru to shake, and then blinked in surprise as the blond used it to tug him closer, and then used that closeness to press a chaste kiss to Daisuke's cheek.
He didn't release Daisuke's hand when he stepped back, and Daisuke was too stunned to pull away. "And since you are so willing to forgive me for being a jerk, I was wondering if you would give me a chance...give us the chance we didn't have a couple of years ago when everything got messed up." He didn't seem to notice or mind the bandage covering the hand he was holding.
Ken sucked in a harsh breath and took a step back, feeling his stomach drop and his vision constrict to the scene in front of him. "I'll go make another bag of popcorn," he said quickly, turning and fleeing gracelessly. Takeru glanced at his back and quickly reverted his gaze to Daisuke.
"What do you say, Daisuke? Have your feelings changed for me with all the bad stuff between us?"
The brunet recovered himself slightly, still feeling stunned. He pulled his hand away with a frown. "Takeru-" He stopped, not knowing what to say. "I liked you and Hikari three years ago... and when she came and talked to me today, I didn't like her like that anymore...Ken and I..." //I really like -him-.//
Takeru seemed to understand what he didn't say, though, and he stepped back with an embarassed look. "I'm sorry." He took a deep breath and then smiled again. "But we are still friends, right?" Like that, the awkwardness dropped, and they shook hands again, Daisuke eager to be on good terms and Takeru more than happy to smile brightly if it would get him away quicker and on better grounds.
A few minutes later, Takeru left and Daisuke shut and locked the door behind him before going to find Ken, a grin on his face. The genius was no longer in the kitchen and the smell of freshly popped popcorn had replaced the odor of burnt popcorn. Daisuke followed the smell into his room, where Ken was sitting quietly on the bed and staring at the dark television screen.
He jumped slightly when Daisuke sat down on the bed beside him, and then smiled as best he could. "So? New boyfriend?" There was a stiffness in his voice and face as he spoke, and Daisuke smiled slightly and shrugged.
"I don't know," he said. And he smiled shyly and leaned forward, closing the distance between them.
Shocked, Ken sat where he was as warm lips pressed against his, wide eyes resting on Daisuke's face. The brunet pulled back and bit his lip, looking fearful and uncertain, and something in Ken's mind finally clicked into place. "Yes," he whispered hoarsely, before swallowing and repeating the word. He closed his eyes and leaned forward, offering his lips to Daisuke again, an offer the brunet accepted with more enthusiasm than skill.
Still, it was good. Awkward, but warm, and so very tender and sweet. When they parted again, they smiled at each other, both faces tinged with an embarassed pink color.
Daisuke reached out and tucked a lock of blue hair away from Ken's face, fingers resting gently against the other boy's temple before brushing down over his cheek. "Ken?"
Dazed, Ken made a sound of inquiry.
"What movie do you want to watch first?" Daisuke asked softly.
In answer, Ken leaned forward and kissed him again.
*****
Daisuke woke up first again, and as he had on Tuesday, he detached his limbs carefully from Ken and then made his way to the bathroom. He showered and brushed his teeth before making his way to the kitchen. It wasn't even six-thirty yet, so Jun was still asleep. He started the coffee-maker brewing, and then looked in the fridge. There were enough ingredients left to make one of his skillet breakfasts, but it didn't take long to cook and he had a while before he'd have to even start making it.
He made his way slowly back to the bedroom. He turned thetelevision and VCR off and the computer on in their place. He waited for it to boot up and then started a game of Minesweeper, to which he had recently become addicted.
*****
Ken woke slowly at first, and then sat up quickly as he realized that he wasn't at home in his bed. He recognized Daisuke's room almost immediately after that and looked around, but the brunet was nowhere to be seen. He felt good for having slept the night on the floor and for the miserable mess he'd been before he'd gone to bed. The residual uncertainty of what to make of sleeping with Daisuke was put on hold until he knew whether he should be embarrassed or not.
He stood up and gathered the blankets together. He deposited them on the bed, careful not to disturb Vee and Worm, who had taken up residence on the leftover pillows. He patted the smaller dog on the head before heading for the bathroom. Jun was coming out of the room and she offered him a groggy half-smile as she stumbled off to the kitchen.
It only took him a few moments to do his business and he headed for the kitchen next, rightfully assuming that that's where Daisuke would be. The brunet was standing at the stove, stirring the contents of a pan with a spatula while Jun sat at the table reading her paper.
"Morning, Ken!" Daisuke said as soon as he'd turned around and seen the genius standing in the archway. "Have a seat!" He waved towards the seat across from Jun with the hand not holding the spatula and then turned back to his food preparation.
"How are you feeling this morning?" asked Jun. She tilted the paper towards the table as she waited for a reply, but she didn't set it down completely.
"Fine, thank you," Ken answered softly. He liked Daisuke's sister for the most part, but she seemed especially irritable in the mornings. He thought it luck there had been no repeat of Sunday morning, when she had threatened to cut his hair.
"I'm fine too, Jun, thanks for asking," Daisuke said sarcastically as he turned from the stove, pan in hand. There was a plate in front of Jun, but the rest of the table was bare. After the brunet served his sister, he returned the pan to the stove, then moved to the cupboard to retrieve two more plates, wordlessly answering Ken's unspoken question of whether they would be eating too.
"I knew you'd be fine, little brother. It's been years since you've gotten anything worse than a mild cough," Jun retorted, giving her brother a look before folding her paper into a quarter of its size. That small, she could hold it in one hand while she ate with the other.
After scooping the remaining contents of the pan onto the other two plates, Daisuke dropped the pan into the sink with a loud clank and then dropped into the chair next to Ken with a grin. "Eat up!"
"The Daisuke Skillet?" Ken said questioningly.
"Yup!" Daisuke said, grin widening proudly.
"Am I supposed to eat it with my fingers?"
*****
Shortly after Jun left for work, Daisuke disappeared into the bathroom, leaving a trail of phone cord and a quick "Watch something on TV" in his wake. It was an easy command to follow, and Ken turned the television to the news while he waited for Daisuke to do whatever he was doing. He didn't have to wait long.
"Come on!" Daisuke urged as he put the phone back on the table where it belonged and the phone book in the drawer beneath.
Ken stood up slowly. "We're going someplace?"
The brunet huffed and put his hands on his hips. "No, I said come on because I want you to sit on the couch all day."
"Ah. In that case..." Ken sat back down on the couch and turned back towards the news.
"Dude!" Daisuke exclaimed in a wheedling tone. "Please, Ken? Let's go play!" The last word was dragged out into a piteous whine.
Ken chuckled softly, turned the television off, and rose once more to his feet. "Since you asked so nicely, Master Daisuke," he said, bowing jokingly.
Eyes were rolled in his direction before Daisuke pointed a finger towards the hall. "Fine, slave. Go find something of mine to wear and be back out here in five minutes."
This time Ken saluted as he moved to obey. "Yes, sir! Right away, sir!"
As the genius disappeared into the bedroom, Daisuke sighed and shook his head. "What a weird guy."
*****
Ken was kept in suspense until they reached their destination, which seemed to be on the outskirts of town. It wasn't really far, and they traveled the distance in fifteen minutes of solid walking, neither athlete winded or tired by the exertion.
It was an empty field with a small trailer beside it, the property guarded behind a chest-high fence. Ken could see what looked to be the top of a barn, but there were no other buildings. As Daisuke opened a gate in the fence, the trailer door opened and a tall, thin man stepped outside to greet them. "Hello! You must be Daisuke! When you said you were stopping by, I didn't think you meant -quite- so soon."
"Hey, you said you were open," Daisuke returned. He waved to Ken. "This is Ken."
"It's just the two of you?" the man asked, smiling at Ken but directing the question to both of them.
"Yup!" the brunet answered. He grinned at Ken.
"You guys go on ahead to the barn, and I'll bring the equiptment down," the man instructed, turning back towards the trailer. Daisuke grabbed Ken's hand and started jogging towards the roof that Ken could see.
*****
"Okay, the rules are rather easy," the man said as he dropped two large bags onto the ground. "No aiming for the face or the crotch. No stealing the other's gun or ammo. The game is to find the other's flag without getting shot. The flags can not be hidden out of site. When shot, neither party is allowed to shoot for a minute, but I'll let you boys referee yourself. After a minute, the injured party has to return to his own flag before he can shoot. Understood?"
"Yes!" Daisuke answered quickly. Ken shrugged and nodded halfheartedly. The instructions were easy enough to remember, but he still wasn't sure what was going on. It all became more clear as the brunet pulled a black gun out of a bag.
"The pellets in that gun are blue and orange, Daisuke. Ken, that leaves you with the pink and green. There are safe zones for each of you. If you are standing in a circle of your color and the enemy shoots you, it doesn't count, so I wouldn't recommend wasting your pellets. If your enemy is standing in your color, shoot to your hearts content, as it's not his safe zone. I would recommend hiding your flag quickly, as being shot while you're holding it constitutes losing. Now, to start, you guys go to opposite ends of the field. When you're there, there are two light bulbs and a switch. Turn the switch on. When both bulbs are lit, play can start."
"Okay!" came the excited affirmation as Daisuke threw one strap of his bag over his head and started carrying his equipment away.
Ken looked at his bag and then picked it up by the handles. "Paint ball guns?" he said questioningly. The man grinned back at him, waved, and turned back towards his trailer.
"You guys have fun. You can play until you're out of pellets, or until you've caught the others flag. If something should happen, I'll be inside."
Alone, Ken started towards the side of the field opposite of the direction Daisuke had taken. "Paint ball guns," he said to himself, shaking his head.
*****
Daisuke made it to the place with the bulbs and eagerly flipped the switch. As soon as the other bulb turned on, he took off running, a string of pellets strapped across his chest, gun in one hand and flag in the other. It reminded him of some movie he'd seen once. "Rambo", or "Bambi", something like that.
The field, despite the lack of buildings, was far from bare. There were high stacks of baled hay everywhere, offering cover and hiding places. Some were just stacked in a single pile, working as effectively as a small tree, while others were stacked in long lines, creating short walls and little alcoves.
It was in one of the alcoves that Daisuke tucked his flag before he moved out to find Ken, or in lieu of the genius, Ken's flag. As he ran, he noticed the paint stains on the ground and on some of the bales. There were more colors than what the man had said were in their bags, and Daisuke wished he could have gotten the ones with the red paint: he could have made it look like he was really shot.
"Daisuke!" Ken called out suddenly. Daisuke ducked behind a bale of hay. "Why paint guns?"
Daisuke grinned. "I don't know! I thought it'd be fun, after the waterfight yesterday."
"It won't be so fun now that I can fight back properly."
"Ha. It's going to be twice as much fun to kick your ass now that you have a chance at winning. Even if it's a small chance," Daisuke retorted, grinning.
"I think you want me to win," Ken shot back confidently, his voice sounding odd. Daisuke tried to peek around the corner of the hay to figure out why it seemed different.
//A little too confident.// Confused and worried, Daisuke frowned in the direction he'd last heard Ken and tried to figure out what the words meant. "How do you figure that?"
"Because you let me get this close," Ken said suddenly, too close. Daisuke jumped and whirled around, only to find Ken's gun aimed at his stomach. There had been two guns in each bag, a large, rifle-like one with a note attached that said "long distance" and a hand-held pistol with another note, "close range". It was the pistol in Ken's hand, and Daisuke frowned. It was obvious that the genius had intended on getting close.
"That's cheating, Dude," Daisuke pouted, crossing his arms over his chest, the hand with the gun holding the 'weapon' to his chest.
Ken shook his head in disagreement. "It's not cheating. It may not be exactly fair, but it's not cheating, Daisuke."
"Whatever you have to tell yourself to keep your conscience clear, Ken," Daisuke said sarcastically, taking a careful step backwards. If he was lucky, Ken wouldn't notice his slow, backwards retreat. "So, Ken. Shot anyone lately?"
The hand with the gun waved slightly as Ken spoke, following the flow of his words. "Oh, you know me. Had to shoot my way through the fanclub. It's not easy being the ruler of the planet."
"You aren't an emperor yet, Ken," Daisuke reminded him, shuffling back a little more. He was encouraged by the fact that the genius didn't step forwards to follow his movents. The gap between them was widening, and he'd soon be able to duck around the bale of hay and get his gun ready to defend himself.
"I -am- an emperor. You saw the shirts the girls were wearing yesterday. Isn't that what I said would happen when I took over as ruler of this tiny ball of dust?"
Daisuke paused momentarily, realizing rather bemusedly, and belatedly, that the fan club yesterday -had- been sporting pictures of the genius's face on their shirts. It was while he was distracted with that thought that he felt something hit him on his side. It didn't hit with bruising force, but it did elicit an 'ow' as he looked down with some surprise at the pink spot on his blue shirt. He looked back up in time to see Ken running away laughing.
And the game was on, Daisuke down by one.
He adjusted his shoulder strap with a grin and took off, intent on chasing Ken until the genius was worn out or paint-covered, whichever came first. Or maybe both.
*****
"Oi, Ken! Are you hungry yet?" Daisuke asked tiredly. He was leaning heavily against a hay-stack wall, large gun in his left hand, the pistol in his right. His bag was completely empty and all the ammunition he had left was strapped around his chest and back. Somewhere a few yards away, Ken was faring about the same. They were both paint-splattered from neck to shoe, and Ken even had some in his hair where Daisuke had shot above his head and the paint had rained down on him.
"Starving," Ken answered, sounding equally fatigued. The lunch hour had passed them by a while ago, and the sun was arcing its way toward the horizon. It would be dinnertime soon, and food was something both boys could use, as they'd been chasing each other for hours. "Are we calling a draw?"
Daisuke sighed to himself and debated. //I'm tired, hungry, sore, paint-covered... this is the best day of this week!// He chuckled to himself as he started sidestepping around the wall. Ken was on the other side, and if he could just-
He found himself nose-to-barrel with Ken's pistol. "Is that a 'no'?" Ken asked softly, eyes dangerously serious. If Daisuke declined the truce, the auburn-haired teen would find himself with one more paint-splatter on top of all the rest.
"Draw," Daisuke said quickly. He knew the bruises that pistol could cause at close range, was already sporting a few, and he had no desire to be hit again. Ken smiled, eyes crinkling up in the cars, and lowered the gun. "My sister's going to kill us."
"Nope. You're sister's going to kill -you-," Ken said smartly. "She'll just shake her head at me and wonder why I'm letting you corrupt me."
Daisuke rolled his eyes but nodded. "It was fun, wasn't it?" he inquired, looking hopeful.
"Yes, it was," Ken agreed. He rotated his shoulders stiffly. "Painful, but fun."
"No pain, no gain!" Daisuke yelled, throwing his hands up into the air. He grunted suddenly dropped his arms. "But somehow, I've got all of the bruises and none of the victory."
Laughing, they made their way to their forgotten flags, gathered the bags and accessories they'd discarded throughout the course of the afternoon, and made their way back to the trailer. The man in charge of the paintball field was sitting on his porch, patiently waiting for them to get done. "Have fun, guys?" he asked, pushing dark hair out of his face.
"It was great!" Daisuke exclaimed. He started to punch his fist into the air, but then stopped. "Those guns are -heavy-."
The man laughed. "Of course they are, when you carry them around for hours. Who won?" He looked at their clothes, equally paint-covered, and grinned. "Or did you guys just spend the last couple of hours trying to kill each other?"
"I wasn't trying to kill him," Daisuke said innocently, smirking at Ken. "I'm his right-hand man. We were just... doing military excersises. I have to keep the Emperor here in shape."
"Emperor?" the man repeated, looking confused. He shook his head instead of inquiring farther. "Go ahead and leave that stuff right there at the bottom of the stairs. I'll get back to it later. You guys might want to get home soon. Much longer, and all that paint will be dry and you won't be able to walk."
"How much do I owe you?" asked Daisuke, one hand already reaching into his paint-crusted pocket.
The man shook his head. "It's on the house. I hope to see you boys again closer to summer. I'll be mowing the back field, so there'll be more room to play in."
"Cool!" Brown eyes practically glowed with excitement. "I will -so- be back this summer."
"And you? Ken, was it? You'll come with him and give him a run for his money, right?" the man asked, smiling at Ken. The genius shrugged his shoulders uncertainly and looked at Daisuke, who ignored the question in favor of dragging Ken towards the road.
"Later, man! Thanks for the fun time!" They reached the sidewalk and Daisuke released Ken's arm. "I'll have to get Tai down here this summer, too. Let him and Matt go at it with the paintguns." He grinned at Ken. "They're really funny when they're competing for something, because neither one likes to lose, but they -hate- to lose to each other."
"Sounds like an interesting rivalry," Ken commented. "You said before that they've been friends for a long time."
"Forever! They were around ten or so when they first met, and that was before Kari was born. That's why Kari and TP are such good friends." He had started out with a cheerful tone, but as he spoke, his smile dimmed and his voice grew softer. "They all lived next door to each other and there's no one closer to either one of them."
"I haven't really met any of them, but they seem like nice people."
"Nice enough," Daisuke agreed quietly. "We used to all be friends, but-" He stopped suddenly, and Ken followed his gaze. Not a hundred feet away, Hikari Yagami was standing. She turned and caught sight of them, and the blank, peaceful look disappeared behind surprise, and then something darker.
She began to walk towards them, her face lighting up again as she smiled. "Hello, Daisuke. Ken." She held her hand out before either boy could return her greeting. "We've never actually met. I'm Hikari Yagami, but you can call me Kari." Her eyes flickered back to Daisuke and her smile wobbled uncertainly. "Daisuke, if I may? I just need to talk to you for a moment."
He looked uncertainly at Ken before shrugging. //Here it comes. She hates me and is going to make sure everyone knows it.//
"I'm sorry, Daisuke." Her smile grew stronger, more sincere. "I know I've waited too say that, and maybe it doesn't mean much to you now, but I am." She paused and gave Ken a considering look before going on. "Takeru and I aren't together anymore. I thought you should know that."
//Eh?// Daisuke stared at her for a moment, but her words still didn't make sense. "You and Takaishi -aren't- going out, but -you're- sorry? Why?"
Kari smiled and laughed softly. "Because when you kissed him and we had that fight, I was cruel, and I know that. I had no right to treat a friend the way I treated you, and the fact that I was wrong about him and I only adds to my guilt and regret. I wanted to be mad at you and I used the fact that I thought he and I were in love to make me angry. But we weren't, obviously, and when I realized that I also realized how stupid I was to say and do the things I said and did."
She stretched her hand out for him to shake and continued, "I'm asking for your forgiveness, Daisuke, and I hope that in time, you'll let us be friends again." Her eyes flickered to Ken, who was watching them silently, no reaction on his blank face. Her hand dropped. "And I was going to tell you that Takeru was free, if you wanted to try again, but I don't think you'd care anymore." Her smile widened as she turned back to Daisuke...
Who stared at her as if she'd grown a second head. //She -what-?// "You're giving me permission to go after your ex-boyfriend?" he asked, just to make sure he'd caught that part correctly. It hadn't ocurred to him yet that Ken was standing as audience to their discussion.
The girl laughed and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "I was going to, yes." A pointed glance at Ken. "But that's not necessary, is it?"
And Daisuke remembered then that the genius was standing there, and he turned to Ken with wide eyes and a blush staining his cheeks. "Um..." He swallowed hard and looked back at Kari. "Thanks," he said finally. He stuck his hand out and she accepted it. "I'm sorry, too. I was stupid. And I -do- want to be your friend again." He smiled slightly, his eyes lighting up. "Hikari-chan."
She smiled back, noting the affection in his eyes. It would have worried her, made her wonder if he didn't still care for her as much as he once had, but then he looked at Ken and the light in his eyes grew into something brighter, stronger, and she relaxed. On impulse, she leaned forward and embraced him awkwardly, trying to avoid touching the paint splattered all over him. "Daisuke-chan," she murmured into his ear, laughing quietly. "Be smart this time, okay?"
When they drew apart, his cheeks were still flushed and he wouldn't look at either Hikari or Ken. "Arigatou. Ja ne," Daisuke told Kari, taking a step back and then turning.
"Later," she said softly in return, watching as the two boys walked away. She smiled as they disappeared around a corner, her heart light. Only in her dreams had that conversation gone that way. She had been so afraid of hurting him more, but it seemed fate had decided to step in to make sure he was happy.
*****
Ken tailed Daisuke to his house without making any attempt at conversation. When they reached the Motomiya residence, Daisuke unlocked the door and pushed it open before looking at Ken. "Do you want to call your mom, or have Jun take you home?"
The genius looked at him pensively for a moment, wondering if he dared be bold enough to ask to stay. He hesitated and then skirted around the issue for a time. "Is it okay if I worry about that after I can walk properly again?" He waved a hand down at the splattered clothes he was wearing, and winked at Daisuke, who laughed.
"Yeah, dude. If you wanna go ahead and start a shower, I'll bring you some clean clothes." He shut the door finally as Ken made his way to the bathroom.
While Ken was in the shower, Daisuke made good his word and retrieved the other boy's clothes from his bedroom. He set them on a stand in the hallway, and then went into the kitchen, where Jun was sitting on the counter.
"Hey, Pain," she greeted him casually, sparing a glance at her brother before looking back at her magazine. She did a double-take and set the magazine aside. "What have you guys been doing today? And is Ken running the water, or were you waiting for the temperature to be 'right'?"
Daisuke shrugged. "Ken's in the shower. We went and played at the paintball field. I'm -starved-." He sniffed at the pain on the stove; Jun was boiling something, though it didn't smell recognizable. "Jun?" he said softly, questioningly, eyes on the boiling water.
"Yeah?" she murmured back, picking her magazine back up as she waited for him to start talking.
"Do you think it's wrong to realize you don't like someone within a week of liking them?"
She frowned and looked at him over the curled pages. "What do you mean?"
"Well... I talked to Kari today. Last week, I thought I still really liked her, but today when she was talking, I didn't. Not like a crush anymore. More like a friend. And last week, I still thought Takeru was kind of cute, but I didn't like him like I used to, but she said I could date him, but I don't -want- to. But I think I would have a week ago."
"And now you wouldn't?" He nodded in affirmation, and she rolled her eyes. "At your age, it's normal to stop liking people really quickly." She hesitated. "Hikari and Takeru?"
He looked up at her with a guilty expression. "Yeah."
"Are you guys friends again?" she asked. There was a long pause after her question, and she was about to repeat herself when he finally nodded.
"I think we are. Hikari said she was sorry, and I said I was sorry. I'll have to see if Takeru still hates me on Monday, but she made it sound like he doesn't."
"Takeru will never hate you, Daisuke. Just like you could never hate him or Hikari, and just like Hikari never -truly- hated you. You guys were young. I'm actually surprised you've stayed away from each other so long. The three of you used to be inseparable and I thought nothing could tear you apart."
He grimaced. "It happened, though." He smiled suddenly. "We might all be friends again." Just as suddenly, he turned wistful. "It'd be nice to have friends again."
They both heard the water shut off at approximately the same time, and Daisuke grinned at his sister before running back into the hallway to get Ken's clothes. Jun stared at the doorway for a moment before wondering to herself how Daisuke's reformed friendships would affect his relationship with Ken.
*****
Daisuke was happy and it showed. He was bouncing around the yard after practically eating his dinner in one bite. Ken was tired just watching him. Of course, it helped that they had spent the first half of the day chasing each other, though one wouldn't know it from looking at the brunet playing tag with his dog. His energy seemed boundless, and Ken wondered if he'd ever slow down.
They hadn't discussed much about what had happened after the paintball field, but Ken could make a few assumptions from what he'd heard between Daisuke and Hikari, and what Daisuke's reactions seemed to say. There had also been the incident at the cook-out their teachers had had, where Daisuke had spent the meal talking to Tai and keeping as far away from Hikari and the blond, who Ken assumed was the infamous Takeru, as possible.
They had once been friends, and Takeru and Hikari had dated. That was obvious and given. Daisuke had liked them -both-, but had liked Hikari more and had managed to lose both his friends because of a kiss. All three friends were now single, and Hikari had made it obvious that -she- was off-limits to Daisuke, even if Takeru wasn't.
In Ken's mind, that made things almost easy. If his competition had been Hikari, he might have lost, because a girl could offer Daisuke things Ken couldn't. Takeru made things easier, though, by being male. Ken couldn't imagine the blond offering Daisuke something that he, Ken, couldn't, and he was going to spend their last two days together, if they were indeed the last, trying to find the quickest way to Daisuke's heart.
He felt his chest tighten at the thought, but the feeling was pleasant, like the fluttering in his stomach he experienced when he gave into one of Daisuke's whims or pleas. It only increased as Daisuke came running up to the porch where Ken was sitting. "So, dude. Are you going home or what?"
"Or what?" Ken repeated with a smile, watching Daisuke's face for his reaction. There was a brief flash of surprise, and then pleasure, and he felt his stomach take up its fluttering.
"Cool! I'll go tell Jun, and do you want to call your mom, or do you want me to?" His excitement was contagious, and Ken found himself getting to his feet.
"I'll call. I don't know what my mother would do if a strange boy called home and said he was keeping her son."
Ken expected Daisuke to laugh, and he was rewarded with that and a grin. "I'll just tell her that I'm the one who owns you for the week."
"Oh, yes, that would be better. Then you'd only have to explain why you were keeping me for longer than the agreed twelve hours."
Ken -wasn't- expecting Daisuke to pick up on that comment, though. "Well. Why -am- I keeping you past the 'agreed twelve hours?'"
The genius was stuck without an answer as he debated internally over how to respond. After a few moments, during which Daisuke seemed to pick up on his hesitancy, Ken finally shrugged. "Because you want to. And I want you to." The smile he flashed at Daisuke was small and unsure, and just a little bit flirty, a reflection of the uncertainty and hope inside him. It was one thing to say that getting Daisuke was easy, but it was another to actually move forward and put any plan into action.
Daisuke was the first person Ken had ever felt truly comfortable around, and it made talking with him, interacting with him easy, but that was when things were stable and steady, and Ken knew where they both stood. Now he was waiting with bated breath for Daisuke to give him some form of encouragement.
The brunet just grinned back and nodded. "Yes, I do. You're going to watch action movies with me all night and tomorrow we're going to get up really early and do something fun."
"Is that so?" Ken said, swallowing hard. Daisuke didn't seem to have picked up on Ken's flirting, feeble attempt though it had been.
"That's so," Daiuske confirmed, nodding decisively. "Now call your mom while I make popcorn and tell Jun you're staying."
"Yes, sir." Ken saluted him, but the brunet was already bounding into the house and towards the kitchen.
*****
"You're cheerful," Jun said distractedly, shoving something aside as she searched the fridge. Behind her, Daisuke just laughed as he found the popcorn, unwrapped a pouch, and put it in the microwave.
"Ne, Jun," Daisuke said slowly, voice almost hesitant. Jun looked up and raised an eyebrow. Her brother was staring into the microwave with a frown. "Can Ken spend the night again?"
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Why are you even asking? Have I told you yet that he couldn't?"
He rolled his eyes back at her. "I just thought that since you're the adult and all, I should ask. Because it's not every day that a boy- a, uh, friend stays over.
"Ah," Jun said wisely, turning back to the fridge. She felt more than saw Daisuke look at her, waiting for her to say whatever was obviously on her mind.
"What? "Daisuke asked, frowning at the look on her face. Jun laughed, found a bowl in the fridge that looked like it might still hold edible food, and stood up. She ruffled his hair as she walked past him to get a spoon.
"I like him. I wouldn't mind if you dated him."
"I didn't say I liked anyone," Daisuke said, still mostly confused.
Jun laughed. "You didn't have to." She grinned and turned around to tease him more, but Ken chose that moment to enter the room, and she kindly leant forward to whisper in Daisuke's ear. "But no making out in the living room, and no sex until you're at least seventeen."
She stepped away and leaned against the counter, watching as her brother flushed a light pink and Ken gave him a curious look. "My mother says it's okay with her if I stay the night," he announced to the quiet room. Jun's grin grew wider and she had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing out loud as Daisuke flushed darker and looked completely flustered.
The microwave beeped at the same time as the smell of burnt popcorn invaded the house, and Daisuke was saved from having to make a sensible reply as he burst into sudden action and tried to save the already destroyed popcorn. He grabbed the back, wrapping his hand securely around it, and then yelped in pain as it burned his palms. The bag fell to the floor, and Daisuke headed for the sink to run cold hands over the burns, but Ken stopped him before he reached it.
"You don't want to use cold water, or you'll make it blister worse." He leaned over the sink to turn the water on, and waited until it was a warm temperature before he let Daisuke put his hands under the faucet. He cradled Daisuke's hands with his own, arms overlapping Daisuke's and making them stand side-by-side, touching.
While they were busy at the sink, Jun left the kitchen, but not before smiling at their backs and flashing a victory sign at her brother, even though he couldn't see it.
*****
"Thanks, Ken," Daisuke said softly, watching the dark head bowed over his hands. They were in the bathroom, Daisuke sitting on the counter by the sink while Ken rubbed salve into his hands and wrapped them.
Ken looked up with a smile, only to stop and blink when he found his face precariously close to Daisuke's, who had leaned forward a bit. "Is it better?" he whispered, not moving away. His voice was little more than a whisper as he stared into Daisuke's eyes.
"Yeah," the brunet answered, only a tad louder than Ken. His hand was still cradled by the genius and tilted at an angle between them. Daisuke leaned forward a little more, closing the distance before them, and then Jun was knocking on the door.
"Daisuke, you have company!" her voice was sharp and startling, and they drew apart quickly, Ken moving across the room as Daisuke leaned back towards the mirror. There was a knock on the door and then Jun was calling to him again. "Takeru's in the living room."
"Takeru?" Daisuke said, surprised. //What does he want? Is he going to apologize, too? Weird. Both of them in one day.// He grinned at Ken uncomfortably and hopped down from the counter. "Best go see what he wants, right?"
"I'll let you have your conversation in private," Ken said, making it sound more questioning than he'd intended. Daisuke only grinned at the offer.
"It's okay. You already heard Hikari-chan. There's not a lot Takeru-kun could add, is there?" Ken frowned as Daisuke turned to open the door. The genius had a sudden ominous feeling and he wished that Daisuke had worded his sentence differently.
They left the bathroom, Ken following behind Daisuke, and proceeded to the living room, where a certain tall blond was standing, waiting. "Daisuke," Takeru Takaishi said, smiling brightly. His eyes flashed to Ken in recognition and he nodded his head and smiled politely at the genius as well. "Ken." Blue eyes quickly swung back to Daisuke. "I hope it's not a problem if I visit."
Daisuke shook his head instantly. "No." //Just do like Hikari-chan did and tell me everything's cool between us. Tell me you want to be my friend.// "What's up, dude?"
"Hikari called me." His eyes flashed again to Ken and then back to Daisuke, and the blond didn't bother to hide his determination or affection. "I came to apologize." He stepped forward, walking until he was the same distance from Daisuke as Ken. "I wanted to ask you if we could be friends again."
The brunet grinned. //Yes!// "Of course, dude!" He held his hand out for Takeru to shake, and then blinked in surprise as the blond used it to tug him closer, and then used that closeness to press a chaste kiss to Daisuke's cheek.
He didn't release Daisuke's hand when he stepped back, and Daisuke was too stunned to pull away. "And since you are so willing to forgive me for being a jerk, I was wondering if you would give me a chance...give us the chance we didn't have a couple of years ago when everything got messed up." He didn't seem to notice or mind the bandage covering the hand he was holding.
Ken sucked in a harsh breath and took a step back, feeling his stomach drop and his vision constrict to the scene in front of him. "I'll go make another bag of popcorn," he said quickly, turning and fleeing gracelessly. Takeru glanced at his back and quickly reverted his gaze to Daisuke.
"What do you say, Daisuke? Have your feelings changed for me with all the bad stuff between us?"
The brunet recovered himself slightly, still feeling stunned. He pulled his hand away with a frown. "Takeru-" He stopped, not knowing what to say. "I liked you and Hikari three years ago... and when she came and talked to me today, I didn't like her like that anymore...Ken and I..." //I really like -him-.//
Takeru seemed to understand what he didn't say, though, and he stepped back with an embarassed look. "I'm sorry." He took a deep breath and then smiled again. "But we are still friends, right?" Like that, the awkwardness dropped, and they shook hands again, Daisuke eager to be on good terms and Takeru more than happy to smile brightly if it would get him away quicker and on better grounds.
A few minutes later, Takeru left and Daisuke shut and locked the door behind him before going to find Ken, a grin on his face. The genius was no longer in the kitchen and the smell of freshly popped popcorn had replaced the odor of burnt popcorn. Daisuke followed the smell into his room, where Ken was sitting quietly on the bed and staring at the dark television screen.
He jumped slightly when Daisuke sat down on the bed beside him, and then smiled as best he could. "So? New boyfriend?" There was a stiffness in his voice and face as he spoke, and Daisuke smiled slightly and shrugged.
"I don't know," he said. And he smiled shyly and leaned forward, closing the distance between them.
Shocked, Ken sat where he was as warm lips pressed against his, wide eyes resting on Daisuke's face. The brunet pulled back and bit his lip, looking fearful and uncertain, and something in Ken's mind finally clicked into place. "Yes," he whispered hoarsely, before swallowing and repeating the word. He closed his eyes and leaned forward, offering his lips to Daisuke again, an offer the brunet accepted with more enthusiasm than skill.
Still, it was good. Awkward, but warm, and so very tender and sweet. When they parted again, they smiled at each other, both faces tinged with an embarassed pink color.
Daisuke reached out and tucked a lock of blue hair away from Ken's face, fingers resting gently against the other boy's temple before brushing down over his cheek. "Ken?"
Dazed, Ken made a sound of inquiry.
"What movie do you want to watch first?" Daisuke asked softly.
In answer, Ken leaned forward and kissed him again.