Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Flash ❯ 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Notes: ok, here's the thing… This chapter took so long to post because I've been working on Shinwa- per the request of readers and stuff. Sorry, but I'm only human, after all and I can't get 'em both done at once. Wish I could, but both of these stories take some time and focus. However, this particular storyline has been mapped out entirely so the chapters should come a little sooner from now on…

Warnings: oh the pain of unrequited love! Daisuke is a foul-mouthed former drug runner! Ken is in a terrible marriage and unwilling to admit he's sexually attracted to men! Miyako is just being all kinds of bitchy! Jun… well, she's a special case, but damn if she's not the most fun character to write ever. There's yaoi… yuri… standard things from me.

Disclaimers: own them? Me? HA! The Devil you say…

Flash- 3

Walking down the streets I look around in curiosity. It's been so long since I was last here. Seven years is a lot of time. Maybe not in the grand scheme of all things Universal, but to human life it is a lengthy stretch. Especially since it means I've been away from home and familiar faces that long. Of course, a familiar face isn't always a friendly face. But, friendly or not I would like to see some of my old cohorts. Just to see what they're up to if nothing else. Although Koushiro might want to run for the hills. I swear if I see that little bastard…

See, the thing is, I did sort of keep tabs on some of the goings on in the greater Tokyo Bay area. Not by talking to Jun, but through my own sources. For example, I know that Yamato and Sora are married but that the wife is screwing around and has quite a few fine pieces of ass on the side. Yamato, surprisingly enough, has remained faithful. Maybe it's that whole astronaut thing, I really don't know. Yeah, Yamato- an astronaut. Putting a blond into orbit… kinda creepy. Only joking. I like to tease him excessive amounts, even if it's only a mental thing. Jyou did become a doctor after he finally managed to not pass out at the sight of blood. Takeru and Hikari sort of wandered into oblivion for a while before it was announced that 'Keru was going to publish a book and 'Kari was going to teach. Then 'Kari married Iori, which is just fucking insane. Seriously, that shit wakes me out of a sound sleep sometimes. Hikari and Iori? Intellectual prowess aside, they just don't seem compatible. I'm not saying that because I still secretly harbor some sort of lust for her… Oh ew, I think I'm going to make myself sick thinking about that. She gets around. Taichi and Mimi have been MIA- they just dropped right off the radar. That's a shame too because I miss them both so much. And if I didn't know Mimi was same-sex oriented I might suspect they were off somewhere hitting it. Then there's Ken and Miyako. They have two kids and one on layaway. And I can't keep thinking about them right now. I just can't.

Part of me is still unable to believe that not only did Koushiro father my niece and nephew, but then he didn't want them and now, subsequently, pays my sister hush money. Un-fucking-real. Another part of me is simply chalking all of this up as par for the course. Seems being a Chosen lends itself to a lifetime of problems. We were all capable of saving an entire world, but we can't seem to handle our own lives. All these foolish games we play with one another are costing us time and emotions. Things that aren't given back. Why do we feel some need to prove to each other that one of us is better or that one of us is the best of all? All I ever wanted was to have a few friends I could count on. I can count on the 'Destined- but only to have my heart broken. I wonder if Yamato ever feels the weight of his crest like this.

Oooh… a coffee shop. Caffeine is one of the few vices I have, but it's one of the worst. The tiny place I step into is nothing more than a hole in the wall and not very crowded. I wonder if they do well at all or if they only make just enough to get by. As I peruse through the list of caffinated delights posted behind the counter I hear a very loud exclamation behind me.

"Holy shit- Motomiya Daisuke. I heard you were dead. How the fuck are you?" A man my age steps up to me, shaggy hair hanging in his eyes. Underneath, those eyes are aqua. I know this face…

"Hey, Takeru," I offer quietly. "How've you been?" The look on his face is half arrogance half genuine shock. Beneath the jagged edges of his hair I can see heavy, dark circles under those aqua eyes. There's at least two days worth of growth on his face and he looks exhausted. Like he hasn't gotten any sleep in days. The hair itself is a couple shades darker than I remember and looks like it was dyed much darker at one point and then covered up. His clothes are rumpled, mismatched and all of this could be glossed over if he at least looked even vaguely happy. "You look like shit," I finally tell him.

The blond smirks at me. "Still the same, aren't you? Same arrogant motherfucker that took off seven years ago and never kept in touch." Takeru slowly shakes his head. "Why did you even bother to come back?"

He moves like he wants to punch me and I catch his arm by reflex. There's a look of surprise on his face. Somehow, I feel satisfied knowing I could shock him. Tightening my grip I give Takeru a flashing idea of my strength. When he backs down my smile is immediate. "Dude, I was only telling you that you look like shit. I'm not trying to offend you in some mortal way. But, I'll admit curiosity. Those circles under your eyes and the rumpled to shit outfit make it look like you just came from one sweet ass booty call. However, you don't look happy, which means you haven't gotten laid in a while. Plus I know your girlfriend walked out on you a couple weeks ago." Giving him a gleaming Dentyne smile I let go of his arm.

Aqua eyes stare at me with alarm and he swallows whatever is left of the fear I can smell on him. "Okay," Takeru says slowly, "maybe you have changed." Absently rubbing at his arm he looks at me as though seeing me for the first time. "How'd you know all that stuff anyway? None of the others ever even knew Keiko existed."

I give him another tiny smile. "I have my methods." Takeru merely makes a face and I know he's pissed that I'm so secretive but I think I'll get over it. Ah- the mystery, the riddle, the puzzle that is me. Blondie over there will never solve it. Not even with his keen detective sensibilities. Suddenly, I'm reminded of something… "Hey, so who told the others I was dead?"

We've now exited the shop for an unknown destination. When I ask my question I see him freeze immediately like stop-action film. Oh, he did NOT! Stopping with him I roughly grab his shoulder and turn him so that he's facing me. There's death in my eyes and I have to set my jaw to counteract the violence looming inside. Takeru won't meet my eyes.

"It was you?!" Shaking him, I try not think about how happy I would be if his head fell off… "You son of a bitch! Why? Why would you tell them something like that?!"

"Because," he snaps, pulling out of my grip. "No one really knew the truth anyway and I figured I'd never see you again so what difference would it have made?" Shoving his hands in his pockets he glares at me for a moment and continues. "You weren't the only one with problems, you know. Do you have any idea how hard it was to watch what Ken was going through while you were gone? Any idea at all!" Now he's yelling and we seem to have collected a tiny audience, but I simply hold it together. Takeru can't intimidate me. "He fell apart, Daisuke. Because YOU left him. And Miyako was no help trying to fuck him back to happiness. The older Chosen didn't even want to come near this problem and 'Kari, Iori, and I were left to pick up the pieces of the huge fucking mess you left behind!" Tears swell in his eyes and his chest is heaving. But, all I can say is: it's not my problem.

So, I shrug, looking all nonchalant about life. "Not my problem. Maybe I had some issues of my own to work out. Maybe I needed to just get away from Japan. Maybe, just fucking MAYBE I got sick and tired of you all treating me like I was nothing. What's done is done. I can't change it, nor do I want to." Facing off to the blond I keep my face neutral.

Eventually he gives a broken, very tired laugh before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pack of cigarettes.

"You're a piece of work, you know that Dai? You are one amazing fucking piece of work." He stops shaking his head a moment to light his cancer stick. Inhaling deeply, he lets the smoke out in a great gust of breath. "Seriously though, I did think you were dead. I mean, no one's heard from you in seven years- in some parts of the world that's long enough to declare you legally dead." Taking another drag from his cigarette, Takeru motions down the street. "Look, we're blocking the sidewalk here so why don't we go get some food or something?"

Mood swings maybe? Perhaps…? A little…? Pissed off and screaming one minute, calm and almost smiling the next. God damn this guy is messed up. As we start walking I keep glancing at him. Really, do I think there is some long buried conflict between us? Yes. Am I willing to overlook it? Also, yes. Scratching my chin I say in a soft voice, "You have no hope."

"Hmmm?" Takeru replies while taking a long drag.

"Your face," I try to explain my logic. "There's no hope in your eyes like there used to be. That light is gone. That's how I knew all that shit. Well, except Keiko, but I'm not coughing up an explanation for that."

Some sort of strange wonder passes through his aquamarine eyes. The blond stops and looks at me, the hard lines set around his mouth and eyes softening. "Thank you," his voice is soft, respectful. Throwing the butt of his cigarette into a sewer grate he speaks again. "For whatever it's worth I'm sorry I said that to the others. Just know that I didn't embellish it at all. That was all Miyako's doing. She seems to desperately want to believe it's true too, so that her marriage doesn't fall apart completely."

We've come to a restaurant and are about to go inside, but I stop him on the sidewalk first. "What do you mean? I thought they were happy…"

Takeru shakes his head. "Theirs isn't exactly what I would call a 'happy' marriage, Daisuke. Miyako's never really had Ken's heart and she knows it. Despite everything she's done to tie him to her or to win him over, Ken loves someone else."

I can feel my eyes widening. Ken… doesn't love Miyako? Well shit, maybe there's hope for me after all. "You mean he's having an affair?"

The Keeper of Hope chuckles for a moment then breaks into an all out giggle. When he calms down enough he pats my cheek. "Oh, Dai… you're priceless. Absolutely priceless."

One eyebrow goes up because I just can't freaking help myself. If there is one thing I cannot stand, it's being laughed at. My eyes narrow. "Well I just wanted to know if it was a situation like Sora and your brother."

Laughter slowly drains away from the once golden face. "How did you know about that?" Oh great- I've induced another mood swing. "Answer me, dammit! How the fuck did you know?!" Taking fistfuls of my shirt he tries to rush me. Some people never learn.

Without even pausing to think or even breaking a sweat I side step and swipe Takeru's feet out from under him. As he lands with the solid crack of tailbone meeting concrete I lean down and grin at him. "Don't fuck with me, Princess. I'll cut you to pieces." And my façade drops, letting him glimpse the person I've been for the past seven years. It only takes a moment for him to go pale. Standing tall again I eye him with distaste. "I found out about them the same way I found out about Keiko."

When the blond stands he looks at me, and it's as if he's searching for something that even I can't see. "You really don't know, do you?" Each word is softer than the last. "You don't know who it is that Ken truly loves above everyone else. That's so sad…" Eyes like the Caribbean begin to overflow; a few slow, shameful tears trickling downward. "It's you, Daisuke," Takeru says to me. "Ken loves you."

And I respond the only way I can think of: "Oh my fucking god. You're shitting me!"

Before he can say anything I hear another voice. One that I haven't heard in a very long time and was nearly certain I'd never hear again. "Dai- Daisuke?" The sound of my name is shaky, not as bright as it used to be.

Hearing her, I spin around and throw my arms around her. "Mimi! Damn I'm happy to see you," I gush. She fell of the radar and pretty much like Takeru thought of me, I thought Mimi was, quite possibly, dead.

She shoves me backwards and glares at me for a second or two. And then she hauls off and slaps me! Then I'm being hugged so tightly I think my intestines are going to start pouring out. Fun is. "You bastard," she's crying. "Don't you ever do this shit again. Don't you ever disappear on me like that again or so help me I'll hunt you down and kick your ass!"

As the grip lightens up a little I manage to wheeze out, "Glad to know you aren't going to kill me."

Mimi steps back after kissing my cheek and gushes some more while shoving 'Keru and I into the restaurant. "We've got so much catching up to do! Tell me where you've been, tell me what you've done, tell me everything!"

Once we're seated I barely glance at the menu before letting out a tremendous sigh. "Trust me, guys," I begin, "if I could tell you what I've been up to, I would. But the short version is: I've been moving around a lot. Yeah, I stayed in Tokyo for a while, then went to Hong Kong, and finally headed for the States before coming home again." Fidgeting, my hands compulsively pull and twist at anything in reach. I notice Takeru openly staring at me. "What?"

"You used to do that at the parties a lot," he smiles. "You would watch Miya and Ken and twist all the napkins into little flowers. Iori and I would collect them after you left. Whether you intended to or not they always turned into flowers. Nervous habit, I suppose." That stupid smile spreads to an open grin as he picks up a glass of water, sipping at it.

Rolling my eyes I give the world's snappiest comeback, "Oh man… you know what? Fuck you."

Now Takeru is just laughing. In a way it's good because for a fleeting moment, I get a flash of the old Takeru- the Keeper of Hope, that dammed eternal optimist. Eyes sparkling he just chuckles some more. "Ken used to do the same thing, you know. Only his twists always went the opposite way yours did. And you guys never even realized it either! It was so funny…"

"The flowers were pretty though," Mimi sighs, voice dreamy. "But I can't believe you won't tell us what you've been doing all this time!" Her hand cuts through empty air as I duck a slap.

Pulling her back into her seat, the blond offers comfort. "Don't worry, Meems. Dai's been keeping tabs on all of us."

"Except you and Taichi," I add quickly. "If you thought my disappearing act was good, you two were better. It was like you two fell off the face of the fucking planet or something."

Both of my old friends go abruptly silent. They glance at each other and make not so subtle 'you tell him' 'no YOU tell him' gestures. Finally, Mimi speaks up again after clearing her throat. "Yeah, that was kinda messy. A few days after you left, Tai and I left to try and find you. Only Takeru and Yamato knew we were going. I went because Miyako's incessant complaining about her husband's emotional state made me want to help her, and of course, I missed you like crazy! Anyway, Tai went because Yamato was so stressed out at seeing Ken that way too. He didn't want Ken to…" She pauses and looks over at Takeru who's eyes are downcast. "He didn't want Ken to end up like him."

"But that was seven years ago! Don't tell me things with Yamato had already…"

Takeru shook his head. "No, but it did keep him away from the person he truly wanted to be with."

I nodded and waited for him to continue. When he didn't I decided to prompt him. "And that would be…?"

Mimi hit my shoulder. "Dai!" Her eyes rolled. "Why do think Taichi leaped at the chance to make Yamato so happy?"

Again, I respond the only way I can think of. "No fucking way! Yamato and Taichi?!"

*************

Alright, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. You can look for an update to Shinwa soon. Until then, happy reading and review/criticize as you please. ^_^