Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Flowers and Ashes ❯ FaA 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Flowers and Ashes

Eto... thank you very much Suzu no Miko and Maz for reviewing~ I'd almost forgotten I'd posted this there *gg*~ <3

Chapter 2:

"Marry me!"

There was a long pause for a moment before the pale flower-boy collected his thoughts.

"Excuse me?" Ken asked, blinking his eyes at the kneeling boy. The other stood up, Ken's hand still grasped firmly between his own gloved ones. The light of a buildings opened door shined on the youth, and Ken could just make our the burgundy of the boys hair and the chocolate in his eyes.

"Because," the boy continued. "I've been watching you for a really, really long time!" Ken stared at him, not sure what to say. "I want you to marry me," he repeated, tone and expression very serious. Absently the blue haired boy wondered if anyone was even seeing them.

"I-It's a very kind offer, really. But I assure you I am a boy, and you would get nothing good out of a wedding to myself. I'm sorry," Ken smiled slightly at the other, disliking having to say that.

"No, it's okay. I know you're a guy, like I said--I've been watching you." The flower-boy shifted, a little uncomfortable with the idea.

"H-how have you been watching me? Do you stalk me or something similar?" his tone was not un-gentle, and very patient, if not confused. The other scratched the back of his neck with one hand, the other still held Kens in a tight grip.

"Well, I clean chimneys and roofs for people, so I can see a lot of what happens in the areas I work. And, well, you happen to be around here a lot!" he grinned.

"I see... may I ask your name, before we continue on?" he was always polite. It was distressing, but he was wondering if he could get the boy to buy a flower before he was sent on his merry, random way.

"Ah, yea! I'm Daisuke Motomiya," Ken nodded, impressed that this boy was from such a family that he had a last name.

"Unless you know already, I'm-"

"I know, you're Ken. Like I said, I've been watchin' ya."

"A-ah..." `He knows my name...!' Ken tried to pull his hand away, but Daisuke refused to let go.

"M-May I have my hand back?" he requested after a moment of tug and war on its smallest scale.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." Ken nodded his acceptance of the apology and took another bite of his pathetic dinner. These always made him so thirsty... He's have to visit the public spring soon, despite how the thought of drinking the same water others drink from, animals sometimes bathe/drink... beggars cannot be choosers, he knew. And if he wasn't careful he would be a beggar.

"So..." Ken started when the other spoke--he'd assumed the boy had wandered off by now. A flower was shoved in his face, and Ken realized cynically it was one of his own.

"Do you accept?" The flower boy gave him a very odd, scrutinizing look.

"I beg you pardon?"

"Will you marry me?" he asked for the third time that night, not seeming at all discouraged.

"I-I-... I can't marry you... I have no money, no house, no dowry-plus we're both boys. I hardly know you either-"

"But you do know me, Ken!"

"....I do?"

"Yeah, `member? It was long time ago! It was very foggy outside and I startled you when I slid down a ladder from someone's roof. I ended up getting dust on you... and you gave me a flower!" Ken leaned back slightly, squinting into the starless sky trying to remember. After a moment his eyes widened a bit.

"Ah... you're that boy from then, I see..." Daisuke nodded, grinning widely.

"But why have you asked me to marry you?" Daisuke looked up, as if he weren't quite sure how to answer.

"It's kinda hard to explain,"

"...If you need time to think about how you will explain your wishes, you may come with me to my flower bed, if you like." Daisuke nodded.

"It's a bit dark, I hope you can follow well--"

"Don't worry; I already know where it is!" he chirped, grinning madly.

"Eheh... is that so?"

"You have a lot more flowers here this time," Daisuke commented.

"I have more picky customers then I used too." Ken replied. He watched as Daisuke made himself at home in the small area by a dried up pond. It was less then seven by ten, but he could tell that when the sun was out it would fall directly onto the various flowers from between the dilapitated structures of abandoned and broken sky scrapers. He imagined climbing up there, on their very bones and touching the stars with his own hands.

"Na, Ken,"

"Yes?" Ken asked distractedly. He had knelt at the edge of the flowers and was smoothing them, caressing them with gentle hands. Kneeding the dirt around them to stimulate their growth, half-ignoring Daisuke.

"Where do you sleep?" Ken looked up, a little wary and a little confused.

"Why are you asking?"

"Well, you can't sleep here can you?"

"...No, I sleep behind an Inn on 5th Street," he eventually replied. Daisuke plopped down next to him, gazing up at the stars.

"Hmm..."

They were silent for a long time, the only noise was the chirping of crickets and the soft rustling of Kens clothes as he worked with his preacious flowers.

"I was being serious, when I asked you to marry me, ya know." There was a pause.

"I know, and I'll--" Kens soft voice was interupted by a silence rending howl. Both boys stood quickly. Ken had gone very pale, and was standing protectviely infront of his flowers. Daisuke moved to guard Ken, standing with an arm outsrtetched infront of the thin boy. A strange purple and green thin legged dog stepped out of the shadows. Its fur might've been blue and yellow if the light were better...

Long, whip like tendrils flowed from it's snout, and the thing's long canies sparkled in the faintest of the lights. It stepped towards them, coming closer one foot at a time.

"D-Daisuke... what do we do?" Ken hissed, trying not to provoke the monster. The other boy didn't answer, instead he pulled out a long, twisting knife from between the folds of the long ropes wrapped over his arm and criss-crossing over his chest.

"Get ready to run, Ken; I don't want you to get hurt!" Ken stepped back, as the chimney sweeper advanced on the creature. "When I say `go', run as fast as you can back into the city streets!"

"Daisuke..."

"Go Ken!" Ken turned, getting ready to sprint as the other had commanded, but he tripped instead. Daisuke spared just a second to look back at him with narrowed eyes before the dog-thing lept at the pair, cannies bared.

"Dammnit! Get up and run!" Ken pulled himself up quickly, and looked down just to see what tripped him.

`A hoe? I didn't know I still had one...' he heard Daisuke grunt with effort against the creature. Somehow they seemed in a different dimension then himself... the burgundy haired boy had several scratches on his body, specifically on his arms and a few shallow ones on his face. What looked like a dangerous bite on his lower leg concerned the blue haired boy as well....

`I cannot let him do this alone! Regardless of what he says!' Raising the hoe, Ken rushed into the battle head-on. He could feel the energy around him, the enviornment seemed to change subtly, just to the corners of his eyes, and the magical beat that strummed through the air had a destinctive musical feel to it. Harsh, pouding, it bade his blood on and he raised the hoe as a weapon--as if it were a sword.

"Ken! What are you doing in here?!" Daisuke demanded, eyes focused on the beast.

"I came to help," he ran at the dog-like creature, bringing the gardening tool down on its head as hard as he could. It growled at him, blinking. He returned to his spot, and Daisuke shot forward, slicing at the monster. Slowly the two weakened the creature, gaining their own wounds from this encounter. With a last hit from Daisuke, the monster fell over, black creeping through its color and then it faded... as if it were never there.

The boys collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air and feeling the extremety of the activity.

"I...told...you...to run..." Daisuke said, panting and glaring at the same time.

"And leave you to die?" the other asked, indignant.

"I'd rather-you know what? Forget it. We won." Ken nodded, he pushed himself to his feet and did a damage count. Several scratches on arms, two thin ones on legs, bruise on his cheek... and he was hungry again. Not cool. He realised he was still holding the hoe with the monsters blood on it and dropped the tool to the ground. Daisuke had layed back on the dirt and scattered blades of grass, trying to regain his strength.

"I bet there are more of them... we should warn someone.." Ken whisperd at length.

"Who's gunna listen to us?" the other demanded, sitting up.

"I don't know, but-"

"Instead... instead of all this, instead of this life, Ken, agree to marry me." Ken sighed, exasperated.

"Daisuke-"

"If you agree to marry me, I will take you from here, we'll go on a great adventure! And I promise I'll make you happy!" Ken bit his lip, uncertain.

"You're sweet... and you protected me... but I don't know you..."

"I wont let you go hungry again," he promised. "we'll travel the world and I promise you'll be happy... please? This is the millionth time I've asked you!" he said, flailing slightly.

"Alright,"

"And then you just reject me...what?"

"I'll marry you Daisuke, if you promise to take me far, far away from here," A moment to let it sink in and Daisuke was grinning madly, pulling Ken to himself with a cheerful `whoo!'p. The smaller boy smiled slightly, doubting his choices.

"We'll have to get some things before we go.. I need a day...to prepare." He told daisuke in a soft voice. The other boy nodded.

"No-one here will miss us, Ken."

"...."

"One day, alright? For now... let's not stay here and go somewhere more populated, alright?"

"Un..."

Ken followed Daisuke out of the hidden garden, into the city where the lamps burned steadily and the shops one by one begun to turn out their lights. The population was thinning out on the streets where Ken and Daisuke were. Everyone was with their families at this late hour. No one knew about the battle, nor did they care about the bloddied teens holding hands in the middle of a city.
Wires were strung from ever corner, pipes leaking stem edged the alleys and there was litter everywhere.

"Stay with me tonight, Ken. I have some left over food--and it's actually enclosed-" Ken chuckled, smiling gently at his fiance'.

"I wouldn't mind that at all,"

"Good! I can even start a fire! You know I can clean my own chimmeny? It's so cool! I never have to pay for that service! And one day, you'll have a great big garden in front of our house where you can grow any and all flowers you want and we'll STILL have a clean chimeny! Why? Because I'll be cleaning it! I hope you can cook though cause I'm not the best... eheh... if it can just be heated up I wont burn it usually but other-wise...." Ken listened with half his attention, allowing the other to lead him on through the cobblestone streets of their un-forgiving, half-industrial city.

End chapter twoooo... reviewww....