Day Seven: Saturday

It took quite a while for Daisuke to extract himself from Ken's hold and make his way down the loft's ladder. The sun was already peeking in the window, and there was a light under the door, the latter signalling someone was awake and moving within the apartment. Daisuke was a light sleeper, and he hadn't heard the door to Ken's room open and shut, so it was unlikely Ken's parents had checked on them yet.

He slid under the first layer of sleeping bags. It was only when he tried to rest his head on the pillow he realized he'd left his up on Ken's bed. He debated for a second whether to get up, but the sound of footfalls in the hallway decided him. He rolled over onto his stomach and curled up.

The door opened and the spill of light brightened the shadows of Ken's room, noticeable even behind Daisuke's eyelids. He worked to keep his breathing even, face and body relaxed. The door shut again with a click, the steps retreated, and Daisuke grinned against his arm. One less reason for them to dislike him, then.

His happiness was cut short by a sudden noise from the loft. He lifted his head and listened. It came again, a small sound of distress. He recognized it as a whimper, reminiscent of the noises Worm used to make when he was still frightened of Daisuke. Fear. Ken.

It took only a second to get back up the ladder, especially since this time he wasn't worried about waking Ken. Daisuke crawled right over the other boy and only then found himself hesitating. Ken hadn't been awakened by all of Daisuke's movements, but neither was he whimpering anymore. With a slight frown, Daisuke rolled to the side. Atop the covers, he fit himself as best he could against Ken's side, one arm draped over Ken's stomach, and waited for the return of nightmares that never came.

* * *

Nine o'clock came and went with no sign of Ken's parents. Daisuke couldn't tell if they had left at some point, or if they were lurking somewhere in another part of the apartment, waiting for unwary young boys to walk defenseless into their clutches. When Daisuke woke Ken up to share his theory, the dark-haired boy stared at him for a long, sleepy second before rolling over to laugh into the pillow.

Pleased with himself for making Ken giggle like a girl, Daisuke slid back down the ladder for the second time that day. He hadn't quite been joking about Ken's parents lying in wait, so he busied himself taking care of his 'bed', in the hopes that by the time he was done, Ken would be awake and ready to accompany him. He wasn't.

"Come on, Sleepyhead."

"You weren't this persistent to get me out of bed at your house," Ken muttered.

"Well, yeah," Daisuke returned. "At my place, there's only Jun to worry about. And really, unless you're Yamato, you're safe. The entire hair thing was just..." He waved a hand about in the air, but the right word eluded him. "It was an off day. Strange cute boys in the kitchen. You know."

Ken hung his head over the loft and fixed Daisuke with a grin. "Actually, I have no idea. I've been in a kitchen with you, and I had no desire to scalp you while we were there."

For a moment, Daisuke was distracted by the compliment. Then he remembered the point he had been trying to make, and he returned to defend it with what amounted to the best argument ever. "You're not Jun."

"I had wondered," Ken stated flatly. Daisuke stared at him for a moment before heading for the ladder, but Ken was ready for him. A pillow battered at Daisuke's head before he'd even made it one step up, and that was the scene Ken's mother interrupted when she opened the door.

Both boys froze, Daisuke with his arms over his head in defense, Ken half-hanging over the edge of the left with the pillow just hitting the low-point of its arc. Daisuke felt the 'weapon' brush against him, but Ken's arm had lost its driving force, and the hit was weak.

"Morning, Mother," Ken said. He sat back on his bed and placed the pillow before him. Daisuke turned around and half leaned against, half sat on the ladder.

"Good morning, Ichijouji-san." It was harder to smile than he had expected, but he was intimidated by the stiff look on her face. There was no emotion there for Daisuke to identify, nothing to tell him whether she hated him just a tiny bit or a lot, or if he was her son's favorite boyfriend ever. He finally managed to unstick his tongue from the roof of his mouth to ask, "What's for breakfast?"

Ken made a choking sound that sounded like it could have been a laugh, and his mother's expression cleared into something recognizable as confusion. "I hadn't decided. What would you boys like?"

That was an easy question to answer. "Pancakes. Or waffles, if you can. Although, come to think of it, it's been awhile since I've had French toast. Or-" Daisuke wasn't the only one to have recovered; Ken had put a little extra oomph behind his swing, and the force of the pillow to Daisuke's head not only shut him up, it knocked him partway off the ladder.

The laughter that time came from Mrs. Ichijouji, who failed to muffle the sound completely behind her hand, despite her best to hold it back. She was quick to compose herself, but the amusement didn't leave her expression completely as she said, "I think I can do pancakes. I'll see you two at the table shortly."

"Thank you!" Daisuke called. He raised his voice to be heard through the door as she shut it firmly behind her. Alone with just Ken again, Daisuke turned and made a charge up the ladder. Ken was laughing again, louder and more freely than before. Daisuke knocked the pillow aside and tackled his boyfriend back into the mattress.

* * *

Ken insisted they dress before joining his parents for breakfast, so Daisuke slid across the hall to the bathroom while Ken changed in his room. They met in the hallway a few minutes later, and Daisuke took one look at Ken's face before deciding his boyfriend needed to relax just a little bit more.

Not that kissing seemed to help all that much. Ken didn't so much relax as he shifted his tension, so that he looked happier and more determined, but no less battle-wary. It was still better than the half-frightened look which had been creeping up around the corners of his eyes.

All in all, Daisuke thought it went very well. Ken's parents were polite, and at one point in time, they even seemed to laugh genuinely at one of his jokes. When breakfast was over, Mr. Ichijouji took himself off to the living room and his wife shooed the boys out of the kitchen in order to clean up. Daisuke and Ken took that as their cue to clear out of the apartment completely.

"So, where to?" Ken asked. He looked at Daisuke expectantly, and the auburn-hair boy in turned looked around at the street in hopes of inspiration. None came.

His house had his video games and movies, plus the dogs. It also had his wallet, which was pretty much empty. Jun had taken back the money she'd lent him for paint ball. There were the parks spread throughout town, three of them, but they had outgrown the playground equipment. Soccer, which they'd already played. Daisuke looked at Ken before discounting soccer completely. The season was coming up, and they'd have enough practice and such then.

"Nothing?" Ken was laughing at him.

"Nothing," admitted Daisuke in defeat. He sighed. "Video games at my place?"

"Or something more entertaining at my place," Miyako suggested. Both boys whipped around in surprise. Ken took a step back, as she was closer to him and her target besides. Daisuke stepped between them. Her eyes settled on him. It was easy to read by her body language she hadn't gotten over her previous anger. At either side, she had a fan club flunky. Three to two was much better odds than seven to two.

There was no refusal from Ken, at least not a vocal one. He had gone a little pale at her appearance, and Daisuke could see the discomfort on his boyfriend's face when he turned his head to meet his gaze. He looked back at Miyako with new determination. "Miyako, leave him alone."

"Excuse me?" Her tone was dangerous, and her stepping forward only served to increase her intimidation factor. Someday, Daisuke would hit a growth spurt and she wouldn't stand over him quite so much, but until then, he had only bravado and Ken's affection to carry him through. He probably would have done the same on just the bravado.

"Leave him alone." He too stepped forward, putting him practically nose-to-neck with her. "Stop this. He doesn't want a gaggle of girls following him around like he's a celebrity. It's embarrassing a-and demeaning. You think he's hot, but you don't know him and you obviously don't care to."

Most of the anger left her face, but Daisuke wasn't quite done having his say yet.

"You don't know anything about the person he is at all, because if you did, there wouldn't be a fan club and you wouldn't fight over him." He looked back at his boyfriend and smiled slightly at the surprised look on Ken's face. It made it easier to face Miyako, knowing Ken was pleased with his effort. "He's cute, but he's more of a computer geek than a star athlete."

"Daisuke, you can stop helping now," Ken said quickly. He pulled Daisuke back to stand beside him.

Miyako looked from Daisuke to Ken. With an imperious air, she tossed her hair back. "Whatever. Ken, he's an idiot, as evidenced by every word out of his mouth. As your intellectual equal, it's my duty and my privilege to extract you from the clutches of those who would drag you down."

"That would be you," Daisuke said sharply, though he was confused by a moment at the sound of the words echoing. Then he realized Ken had said the same thing at nearly the same time.

When Ken drew himself to his full height, he was nearly on eye level with Miyako, enough so that Daisuke felt a little jealous. "Miyako, once upon a time, I would have liked to have been your friend. You are intelligent in most things, but the moment you started a fan club in my honor, I lost what respect I had for your mind. Which was the first and only positive thing I ever noticed about you."

His hand slid into Daisuke's and their fingers laced together as he continued. "That was a while ago, however, and every time I catch sight of you or anyone from the club, I'm filled with dread. You have expectations of me I never want to fulfill, and an idealized view of me I never want to live up to. So I would appreciate it if all of you would let go your silly infatuation and let me be."

"Of course." Daisuke was amazed at the amount of dignity Miyako managed to hold onto in the face of Ken's dismissal. The other two didn't fare so well. They'd been sniffling from the word dread and by the end were crying outright. Miyako got them all turned around, put an arm around each girl, and walked away. Daisuke assumed she'd wait until they were in private before joining the weeping.

Meanwhile, Daisuke had a fantastic boyfriend who had just faced down Miyako with him. It was kind of an amazing thing. "Can I kiss you?" he asked, facing straight ahead as Miyako and company continued on their way.

"Here and now?" Ken asked. He didn't sound at all upset about the idea. Daisuke nodded, and then found himself being pulled forcibly into Ken's personal space and kissed.

Really, Daisuke couldn't have planned a better Saturday.

* * *

Jun was home. Daisuke stared at her for a moment when he came across her in the kitchen. "I thought you weren't coming home."

"Change of plans," she said flippantly. She was painting her fingernails, but she glanced up at the boys. "I thought you were at his place for the weekend?"

Daisuke shrugged and moved fully into the room. "Only for the night. We kind of got caught kissing, and it was a bit weird."

"That's one way to phrase it," Ken muttered. He pulled out the chair opposite Jun. "My parents had guests. It was awkward."

"I can imagine," Jun said. She was staring at Ken with something akin to wonder. Daisuke could totally sympathize; his boyfriend was many kinds of undiscovered awesome. "And so this means the two of you had to come home today?"

Ken shrugged. Daisuke took two colas from the fridge, put one in front of his boyfriend, opened his own, and then caught Jun looking at him expectantly. He gave her his can, fetched a third for himself, and sat down between them with his back to the sink.

Jun sighed and went back to her mani-whatever. "Why are the two of you back here?"

"Video games." Which was the short answer. Truthfully, Daisuke was a little tired of sharing Ken with other people. Unexpected people, at least, since he had no problem sitting there with Jun purposely not watching them. He just didn't want to be out and about, where they might run into someone else they knew, like Takeru again, or one of the guys from the soccer club. Or Hikari or Miyako.

"The dogs," Ken added. Daisuke nodded in agreement, but didn't get up to let in Vee or Worm. At least, not until Ken's foot tapped against his calf and he looked into his boyfriend's hopeful eyes.

There was silence as Daisuke got up and headed for the back door. Vee was practically vibrating at the mere sight of Daisuke, but Worm shot past him, little legs scrambling on the wooden floor as he headed for the kitchen. No doubt the little guy had heard or smelled Ken. "Come on in, V-man." The Doberman trotted after Worm, leaving Daisuke to shut the door.

* * *

"This is a really exciting life we have here." It was meant to be sarcasm, but Daisuke thought it fell a little flat since Jun was doing the exact same nothing they were. She didn't look more bored than he or Ken, either.

Ken settled his legs in Daisuke's lap, Worm resting in his, and smiled. "I like it here."

Daisuke yawned and leaned his head back against the porch railing. "We should do it again tomorrow."

"Well, your week is up," Jun said, looking at her watch. She put the cat down and stood up. "Ken, are you staying for dinner?"

"If it's okay," he answered. Daisuke looked over at his boyfriend, his heart suddenly beating hard in his chest. Ken caught his gaze and frowned at him. He didn't say anything until Jun had gone inside, the screen door banging shut behind her. "What?"

Daisuke shook his head, but it was harder to shake the doubt. Ken was still sitting there, not rushing to go away now that his term of service was up. And Daisuke hadn't asked for Ken to like him like him, but to be his friend, so it wasn't like Ken was dating Daisuke because he'd told him to. Doubt was sitting hard in his stomach.

The taller boy leaned up, his feet sliding out of Daisuke's lap as he put Worm on the porch. "Daisuke?"

"I didn't think. And it's not. I mean, it's not." He tried to sound more certain than he felt. "Except, you think differently than I do, so maybe this is how you took what I said? But it's not like that."

"Oh." Understanding softened the concern on Ken's face, and then Daisuke could see nothing more than Ken's eyes and the skin around them as his boyfriend was kissing him again. As an argument in favor of it not 'being like that', Daisuke thought it was quite convincing.

Jun's return was audible, though it didn't cause either boy to pull away. "You two are at it again?"

Ken laughed, which gave Daisuke time enough to shoot his sister a dark look. "Some things never get old," he said, which only set Ken off further.