Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ A Perfect Picture ❯ Beneath the Surface ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any of the characters thus associated with it. I own only this storyline.

Kagome: All right, people. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I got distracted with other ideas and this story just kind of got left behind.

Raven: Not true. She's just trying to make you people feel better, you know.

Kagome: *warning tone* Raven………

Raven: Well? It's true. She only has 6 reviews for this story, and that didn't satisfy her, so she didn't write anymore of it.

Kagome: Yeah, but I did write another Digific, I just didn't finish this one.

Raven: Uh huh. Anyhow, people, we're doing chapter five now in order to stimulate you all. Please do review after you've read this story. The more reviews she gets, the sooner she'll update.

Kagome: *snarls* The sooner you shut up, the sooner I can type. *glares at talkative muse*

Raven: *gulp* All right, shutting up now.

Chapter Five: Beneath the Surface

Ken yawned as he woke up and stretched, freezing when he felt the bed shift under him. Wait a minute. Beds didn't move like that, did they? And they most certainly didn't breathe, that much he was sure of.

Slowly, the boy genius turned his head and found himself face to chest with his boyfriend, Daisuke. Blinking, he tried to recall exactly what had happened, or if he was even awake. Lord knew he'd dreamed of waking up next to Dai-chan enough times.

Still trying to remember the night before, he sat up, then froze again as pain shot up his spine. Oh, yeah, that's right. They had played around last night, then passed out, exhausted from their vigorous `activities'. Ken grinned, thinking about how much fun they had last night.

Remembering the sketch that his lover had drawn, Ken slid out of the bed, careful not to disturb Daisuke, and got dressed, glancing around the room for the sketchpad. He found it, lying under Dai's partner Chibimon. Seeing the little fur ball there reminded Ken that he had forgotten all about Minomon last night.

Sighing, he grabbed his digivice and traveled to his house via the Digital World. He wanted to be back when Daisuke woke up. Actually, he wanted to watch him sleep for a while, but he had to get his little green partner first. Then they could just goof off for the rest of the day. After all, that's what weekends were for, right?

Teleporting straight to his bedroom, he picked up Minomon, after assuring the little guy that he was all right and hadn't forgotten about him, then he headed back to Dai's apartment. When he got there, he was surprised to notice that Daisuke was already up and gone from the room. Apparently, he wasn't as late a sleeper as he pretended to be, which made the bluenette wonder why he was consistently late to school and Digidestined meetings.

Wandering out of the bedroom, he listened carefully for any noise that might betray Daisuke's whereabouts. Smelling something divine cooking, he turned and headed for the kitchen, assuming that Dai would be there.

Sure enough, Daisuke was at the stove, cooking a large breakfast of eggs and bacon, sausage and toast. A large pitcher of freshly made orange juice sat in the middle of the kitchen table, and as Ken watched, Daisuke neatly set out the rest of the food, then turned to greet Ken, walking up to him and giving him a good morning kiss.

"Mornin, luv," he said, grinning cheekily. "I'm glad you came back. It's no fun eating such delicious food all by yourself, you know." Ken just nodded, smiling back, then frowned as a sudden suspicion occurred to him.

"How'd you know I'd come back? How'd you even know that I left in the first place?" Daisuke just shrugged and smiled enigmatically at him, refusing to answer. Ken rolled his eyes and looked at Chibimon, who grinned at him and bounced on the countertop.

"Daisuke was up two hours before you and watched you sleeping. When you started to wake up, he closed his eyes and waited for you to leave, figuring you were just going to pick up Minomon. He said you're absolutely adorable when you're asleep, untroubled and innocent," he added, then gulped when Daisuke shot a glare at him.

"Humph! Some friend you are," he muttered. Chibimon quickly apologized for the slip, and Dai grinned and hugged him, assuring him that he was forgiven, but warning him to not let it happen again. Chibimon nodded his head fervently, but even Ken could tell that Daisuke would never hurt his partner, whether or not he kept his secrets.

The brunette gestured for Ken to be seated, then all four friends dug in, the two human Digidestined and their digimon partners. After breakfast, Ken offered to help clean up, but Daisuke just waved him away, telling him that he didn't mind cleaning up if Ken would keep an eye on Minomon and Chibimon. Apparently, Chibimon was just as wild and reckless as his partner, and would get into trouble if somebody didn't watch him.

Grinning, Ken nodded, then brought the two digifriends into Daisuke's room, setting them down on the floor and proceeding to make the boy's bed. When he was done, he walked over to Daisuke's desk and picked up the sketchpad, glancing again at the pictures, this time paying more attention to them, hoping to learn something more about his best friend.

Again, he noticed how detailed and intricate the drawings were, but now he tried to read into them, hunting for some reason that Daisuke kept his talent hidden away from everyone. Well, everyone except Chibimon, and now Ken.

Suddenly, the pattern hit him squarely in the face. He understood why Daisuke chose to play the clown. In every picture that showed another Digidestined, they were laughing. But it wasn't a laugh of joy as he had at first supposed. The laughter was different somehow.

Thinking back to the short conversation he had had with Daisuke yesterday, he realized how it was different. Daisuke had said that the other Digidestined simply e-mailed him when they were going to the Digital World, not bothering to so much as check and see if he was free, or if he even wanted to go.

Following his train of thought back in time, it dawned on him what was different about those smiles. They were patronizing, condescending, and sometimes downright mocking. All the drawings of the other Digidestined showed them laughing at Daisuke, or at something he'd done.

For the first time, Ken realized just how lonely Daisuke really was. He had confessed last night that he was terrified of being alone, but the ex-Kaiser hadn't realized what he meant until now. The Digidestined didn't truly accept him as a part of their team. To them, he was just someone to put up with because he had two of the crests. He was supposed to be their leader, but they didn't listen to him, brushing him off every time he had a suggestion, assuming automatically that any ideas he might have were worthless. So he played the dancing bear for them, in order to get some sort of attention.

Ken's eyes narrowed in barely concealed malice as he realized just how hurt and crippled Daisuke really was, even if he didn't show it. Glancing over to where Chibimon and Minomon were playing together, he noticed the same signs in Chibimon. His laughter was strained, even when it was sincere. He was being very careful around his friend, trying hard not to upset him or make him angry in any way.

Ken started as he realized that Chibimon had the same look that Wormmon used to have when he was the Digimon Kaiser. He looked like he was expecting to be kicked away and rejected, not by Daisuke, but by the other digimon.

The ex-Kaiser felt tears welling up in his eyes as he realized just how painful it was for both Daisuke and Chibimon to be a part of the Digidestined team. After all, the digimon took after their human partners, so it made sense that if Daisuke was the dancing bear of the Digidestined, then Veemon was the same for the digimon.

Hearing footsteps, Ken quickly shut the sketchpad and set it gently back on the desk. Turning around when he felt Daisuke's questioning gaze behind him, he wrapped his boyfriend in a hug and just held him, safe in his arms. He knew that this feeling of security wouldn't last for long, but for right now, he could only hope it would be enough.

It was Daisuke who pulled back first, a small glimmer of fear in his eyes. Fear for Ken, although not of him, which confused him. Why would Dai-chan be afraid for him? Daisuke answered his unspoken question quietly, along with passing along a message.

"The Digidestined are going to the Digital World today at noon, and they told me to make sure you knew as well," Dai explained, then glanced up at Ken. "Ken-chan, please tell me, what's made you so angry? I can sense the Kaiser personality radiating from you, very faintly, but it's definitely there." That's what was making him so afraid for Ken. He was worried because the Kaiser was resurfacing, and that might hurt his Ken-chan.

Ken stared at Daisuke, shocked. "How can you feel when the Kaiser is rising?" he asked. Daisuke just shrugged, then replied, "Two reasons, really. One, we're Jogress partners, so I can sense severe mood changes in you. Two, I was the one who trusted you in the first place, and I was the one you confided in. I tend to know you better than most people, and I can tell that you're obviously upset about something. I can also tell that whatever that something is, it has to do with me and the other Digidestined, because when I mentioned that they were going to the Digital World today, you tensed up and your eyes narrowed. The Kaiser was looking out through your eyes, Ken. Please, tell me what's upset you so much," he begged.

Ken just shook his head and gestured over to Daisuke's sketchpad. Puzzled, the cinnamon-haired boy picked up the book and flipped the pages, coming to rest on the pictures of the Digidestined and their digimon. Then he froze as he saw what Ken had noticed. The Digidestined were all portrayed in pictures where they laughed at him or his antics. Daisuke hadn't even noticed it, but then again, that was the only way he remembered any of the Digidestined, glowing with laughter directed at him and Veemon, so it made sense that his sketches would demonstrate that for anyone who cared enough to see it.

Glancing up from the sketchbook, he noticed Ken staring at him, concern bright in his eyes. Smiling sadly, he spoke, "Yeah, I see what's upset you now that I think about it, but don't blame them, please. I act like a clown to get attention, because I decided years ago that being laughed at is better than being ignored. Don't go Kaiser on me over this, okay Ken? Promise?" he looked directly into the bluenette's eyes, pleading with him wordlessly to let this slide.

Ken sighed. "I'll let it go for now, Dai-chan, because I love you and respect your courage and loyalty in the face of such derision, but don't think I plan on letting it continue like this indefinitely," he warned.

Daisuke just smiled and nodded. That wasn't what he wanted from Ken, but it would work for now, until he could come up with something a little more permanent that would satisfy Ken and keep him safe from reverting to the Kaiser. Then he smirked up at his boyfriend. "Well, let's get this show on the road then, shall we? After all, we can't let them have all the fun, now can we? Actually," his voice softened to just above a whisper, "I do believe that the other Digidestined are heading right for a Digi-disaster, and they don't even see it coming."

Ken looked at Daisuke, confused. Did the smaller boy know something about what the Digidestined were going up against today that they didn't? If so, why hadn't he said something before now? Would he bother to tell the other Digidestined?

The chocolate-eyed gogglehead caught sight of the older boy's expression, and just smiled grimly. "Yeah, I know something, and yeah, I'll tell you once we've reached the Digital World, and no, I'm not going to bother to tell the others, although you can if you want to. They wouldn't listen to me anyhow." With that, he grabbed his digivice and opened up the portal to the Digital World.

Kagome: All right. Chapter Five is completed now, and things are actually starting to heat up. If you want more, you'll have to review. I want to see the number 10 under my reviews for this story, okay? I have 6 already, so it shouldn't be impossible to manage.

Raven: See? All that time spent away from this story did her good. Her chapters are much longer now.

Kagome: *sticks out tongue* Yeah, yeah, yeah. Enough already. I'm quite aware that my other chapters were really, really, really short. I'm working on that now, okay? Sheesh. Who ever said that muses helped you?

Raven: ………………………

Kagome: 5………4………3………2…& #8230;…1………now!

Raven: Hey! Did you just insult me?!

Kagome: Nope, not at all. *crosses fingers behind back*

Raven: *glares suspiciously* Uh huh.

Kagome: *grins cheekily* All right, people. Read and review so I'll update sooner, all right? Since it's summer, I could probably churn out a chapter every other day, but I need encouragement to do so, so how `bout you give me some, hm? I also accept constructive criticism, but if you flame, you're wasting your time, and I laugh at you now. If you don't like the story, then you shouldn't still be reading it, ne? As for everybody else, please review! Thanks!