[fic]Mizu-Kagami 9/9

[caffeine_buzz]

Title: Mizu-Kagami 9/9
Fandom: Digimon 02
Rating: K
Pairings/Warnings: Kensuke
Previous Parts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Daisuke sighed and leaned against a tree, looking sideways at Ken, who was leaning against the trunk a little further around. The rest of the Digidestined were spread out across the field, resting on the grass or eating. They had gone to the Digital World for a picnic to celebrate Ken finally being allowed out.

After they had returned to the real world following the battle with the Guardian, Daisuke and the others had been faced with the task of thinking up a proper excuse to give Ken’s parents for their son’s condition. After all, as far the Ichijoujis knew, their son had been perfectly fine for the past few days. The group had half-carried the exhausted and still-sleeping Ken home, where Daisuke had fabricated a long and complicated tale involving Ken being beat up by a gang of bullies and saved by Daisuke himself, who showed off his own bruises as proof. Ken had been fussed over and eventually taken to the doctor, where he was bandaged up but informed that he was suffering from a case of exhaustion and slight malnutrition, something which had confused his parents. Daisuke had wondered about the malnutrition part until Iori had pointed out that there probably wasn’t much to eat in the lake, and Ken had, after all, been trapped there for several days.

On the orders of his parents and the demands of his own abused body, Ken had been shut up in his room for the better part of the week, sleeping off the effects of his stay in Mirror Lake. Daisuke and the others had gone to visit several times, but it had taken a lot of reassuring by Ken to get his parents to let him go to Odaiba to see the others. When he succeeded in getting permission Daisuke had decided that a celebratory picnic was in order. The Digimon had heartily agreed.

Ken’s face had a far away look to it, as if he was deep in thought. Daisuke could see the faint outlines of bruises on his neck, and he knew that Ken’s chest was still covered with slowly-healing cuts. Wormmon was sitting contentedly in Ken’s lap, his head resting on his partner’s knee.

“Hey, Ken?” Daisuke spoke up. Ken didn’t even seem to hear him. “Ken?”

“Hmm?” Ken turned distracted eyes on his friend. “Was there something you wanted, Daisuke?”

“I was just wondering....are you okay? You looked....” Daisuke trailed off, not quite sure exactly why the look on Ken’s face had made him speak up. Wormmon looked from his partner to Daisuke, then got up and went to help V-mon finish off the last of the sandwiches.

“I’m fine,” Ken said, but the tone of his voice implied that he didn’t really mean it.

“Was it.....was it really that bad?” Daisuke dared ask the question he had been wondering about for days. Well, one of the questions.

Ken was silent for a very long time, his eyes lowered. Finally he spoke, and his voice was rough with remembered pain.

“I can’t describe it,” he said. “I was so alone, so horribly alone. It was as if I had just been born and given to a torturer the moment I entered the world, with nothing in my memories but pain and fear and despair. I remembered you, but then I thought you weren’t going to come for me. I thought that maybe I made you up, or worse, that you didn’t care enough to come. I never felt so alone before, not even when I was the Kaiser. It seemed like all I knew was dread and hopelessness, and nothing more. There was no such thing as friendship, or courage....or kindness.” He looked up, his eyes meeting Daisuke’s. “And then you rescued me.”

“I-I would’ve been there sooner,” Daisuke said feebly. “I wanted to go after you so badly when Gennai told us what happened. But--”

“I know,” Ken cut him off. “Wormmon told me how upset you were.” His gaze lowered to his hands, and he began to rub his arms nervously, as if there was something more he wanted to say but was afraid to do so.

“So....is that how Kagami’s feeling now?” Daisuke wondered. “All that bad stuff, I mean?” He shook his head. “We shouldn’t have left him. I mean, yeah he was a jerk to pull you in like that, but--”

“He didn’t know,” Ken said. “I don’t think he had any idea what would happen to me in there. He was just lonely, that’s all. I don’t blame him for that. How could I? I was lonely once, too, and look what I did because of it. I’m the last one who should place blame.”

“I guess,” Daisuke replied. He noticed that Ken was suddenly looking very nervous. The pale boy opened his mouth to say something, then shut it and looked away. “Ken? Is there something else?”

“No,” Ken said, too quickly.

“Ken, I know when you’re lying.” Daisuke assumed his best stern face. “You’re hiding something again.”

“No I’m not.”

“Are so. And you know I’m not going to stop bugging you until you tell me.” Daisuke took Ken by the shoulders and forced him to look up. “So what’s wrong?”

“It’s just.....did you mean it?” The question was asked so softly that for a moment Daisuke didn’t think he had heard right.

“Mean what?” he questioned.

“What you said in the dark world....” Ken looked up at him out of frightened violet eyes. “About--about loving me. Did you mean it?”

Daisuke let go of Ken’s shoulders, a flush creeping across his cheeks.

“Ah, well, actually...” he stammered in embarrassment.

“It’s okay if you didn’t mean it.” Ken lowered his head to let his hair shield his face. “I just....wondered, that’s all. Just a thought.”

“Well, um....did you mean it?” Daisuke’s voice was calm enough, but his heart was beating faster with every moment.

Ken, surprised at the question, glanced up. His eyes met Daisuke’s, and for a moment it seemed as if time was still. Finally, Ken found a voice to answer with.

“Yes. I meant every word. I love you, Daisuke. I always have.” He sighed and looked resigned. “Please don’t hate me.”

“Are you nuts?” A second later, Ken was caught up in Daisuke’s embrace.

“Wh-what?” Ken pulled away, confused.

“I thought that you didn’t, for a second there,” Daisuke admitted. Catching Ken’s eye, he smiled. “You know, when I was talking to Kagami, he made me realize something. Something I’ve tried to ignore for a long time.” Daisuke took a deep breath. “I love you too, Ken. And I mean it.”

Ken stared. Part of him screamed that this was some sort of cruel joke, that the universe had never been this kind to him. But that part was drowned out by the sheer glow he felt inside hearing those words. Almost unconsciously he threw himself at Daisuke, tackling the other boy to the ground and kissing him on the lips.

Ken finally pulled away and rolled off Daisuke, lying on the grass beside him. Daisuke was looking at him with a strange combination of shock and happiness. He touched a hand to his lips, where Ken had kissed him.

“....Wow. Didn’t see that coming.”

Ken laughed softly, his eyes shining with barely suppressed emotion.

“I never thought....” He shook his head. “I was afraid that it was all just to calm me down. I’ve been dying to ask you, but I couldn’t, not with everyone else around. I was so afraid that--that you really didn’t mean it.”

“If I didn’t mean it, I wouldn’t have said it,” Daisuke said firmly. “I really do love you, Ken. I--I wasn’t too sure about it at first. Kagami kinda shocked me into saying it.” He paused, and when he spoke again his voice was unnaturally subdued. “You know when I finally realized it? When we got our first sight of Mirror Lake, and I saw you trapped in the ice. I thought you were dead for a second there. I really did. And then it just kinda hit me that I really did love you, and that I couldn’t imagine what things would be like without you. Maybe that’s why I kept hearing you, when you were in the lake.”

“You....heard me?”

“Yeah,” Daisuke confirmed. “It was weird. The first time I was in the computer lab with everyone else and I coulda swore I heard you call me for help. But then Kagami came in and I still thought he was you and I just kinda forgot about it. And then later I was at your place talking to Kagami and he started coming kinda--close, and for a second I thought he was gonna kiss me, and then I heard you screaming my name. I didn’t think about it until later, but I guess that really was you I heard, huh?”

“I--I guess so.” Ken flushed and couldn’t help a pleased smile. “You really heard me?”

“Yup.” Daisuke nodded. He might have said more if Ken hadn’t attached himself to Daisuke’s lips once more. When the kiss was broken, Daisuke couldn’t help but smile as he wrapped an arm around Ken’s waist and pulled him closer. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy.”

“I don’t know if I’ve ever been this happy before,” Ken admitted, snuggling into Daisuke’s side. “It’s like I’ve woken up from the nightmare to find a pleasant dream waiting for me. All my memories seem to be full of you now.”

“Then I guess we’ll stay happy as long as you don’t lose them,” Daisuke said gravely.

Ken’s only reply was another soft kiss, as he and Daisuke started the important process of creating precious memories.

~~~

Elsewhere, wrapped comfortably in swaying glass waters that no longer seemed to hold the threat they once had, the being that called itself Kagami slept peacefully. He could feel the Guardian’s presence around him, yet somehow it didn’t bother him. The presence seemed faint, far off, as if it were not even in the lake with him. The Guardian’s touch was no longer a touch of pain to Kagami, but rather, it felt soft as wind across water. Nestled in the crystalline waters, Kagami slept and dreamed, with the sound of two synchronous heartbeats playing like a lullaby in his ears.