Daisuke moaned and stirred, slowly sitting up. "I'm sorry, I must have just imagined the weirdest thing happening. Did you just tell me you were in love with me?"

"Quite possibly."

"Euh." Daisuke blinked in confusion, staring at the hands folded in his lap. "I'm not entirely sure what to say, Ichijouji-kun."

Daisuke had been calling him Ken since their battles with BelialVamdemon a few years back. "It's Ichijouji-kun now, is it?" Ken fixed his partner with a hard stare.

"Yes--no--I don't really know, Ken. This was just totally unexpected."

"It's all right."

"Ken..." Daisuke looked his friend straight in the eyes. "You know I'm in love with Hikari-chan, right?"

"Yes. I know." Ken bit his lip.

"And Ken...I'm not gay."

"I know, Daisuke," Ken whispered.

"I need to think awhile," the mahogany-haired boy finally said, standing up. "I'll be back."

"Fine."

As soon as Daisuke's retreating back disappeared, however, the bluenette burst into tears.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Daisuke returned the better part of an hour later, Ken had stopped crying and mutely followed the other boy to the car. Neither spoke.

As he fastened his seatbelt, Ken ventured quietly, "Is it...okay, Daisuke-kun?"

"I don't know, Ken," Daisuke answered quietly. "I really don't."

They passed the rest of the ride in silence.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ken locked himself in his room for the rest of the weekend, deeply depressed. He didn't care if Daisuke liked him; but he couldn't afford to lose his best friend. Not now.

Ken recalled the feeling of Daisuke's soft lips against his own with a bitter smile. He tasted just like I always thought he would...sort of spicy-sweet. Like cinnamon.

Wormmon, ever vigilant, hadn't left his partner's side. "Ken-chan? Do you want to talk about it?"

"Iie, my friend." Ken smiled. "I have to let go of him someday, right? I'll still have you, and Miyako, and Takeru and the others."

"But, Ken-chan...if Daisuke-san is really your friend, he won't push you away. Daisuke-kun is open-minded too."

"I know he is, but still....his reaction wasn't that great. I guess I'll have to talk to him in school. Gods...Ayumi is going to make my life hell from here on in. I should have stayed in Tamachi."

"Don't say that, Ken-chan. You came to Odaiba to be with Daisuke, remember? He'll help you."

"I don't want Dai to think that everything I do for him is because I like him!"

"Ken-chan..."

"It's okay, Wormmon." Ken buried his face in the pillow and groaned. "Please let me wake up and let it all be over."

"Good night, then. Daisuki, Ken-chan." The insectoid Digimon curled up in his partners arms and Ken smiled, happy to know there was still someone in this world who supported him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As expected, Ken was met almost immediately at school by a swarm of giggling girls. "Is it true that you were scared to kiss Ayumi-san?" one of them asked.

Ken replied with a no. "I don't kiss on the first date. And I'm not interested in Yutaka-san."

"Don't be silly, Ken, everyone kisses on the first date." Ayumi herself had appeared. "You were too scared, that's all."

"I do not kiss people who I dislike, Yutaka-san." The words came out harsher than they were intended, and Ayumi turned a bright red.

"I guess you don't like girls, then, because I'm the prettiest one in school." This sent the group into excited whispers. Ken caught the words 'gay' 'conceited' and 'stuck-up' in the quieter conversations. The last two could be used on Ayumi, but the 'gay' comment obviously pertained to him alone.

Ken scowled. "Stay out of my life, all of you. It's not for public viewing."

"Guess you didn't want to come out of the closet, eh?" a female voice at the back of the crowd asked. The other students fell silent.

"So that's it." Ayumi sneered. "I can't believe I wanted to go out with you you sick jerk." Almost as quickly as she had appeared she was gone; most of the crowd dissipating with her.

Ken leaned against his locker in shock. Ichijouji Ken, welcome to the rest of your life.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The day passed without much commotion until Ken returned to his locker after Computer Club. The halls were nearly empty; as his club let out the latest, and since Miyako was out sick he had proceeded to the locker hall alone. There waited one of the older boys; blonde-haired and blue-eyed, and almost certainly one of the popular crowd. He leaned against Ken's locker with a coy smile. "Hello there, Ken-chan."

Ken winced inwardly. "Who are you?"

"Someone who's been watching you for a while. My name is Kaiou Ataru. Nice to finally meet you."

"Um...nice to meet you." Ken returned warily.

"Anyway, Ken-chan, like I said...I've been watching you for a while, and I was wondering if you'd like to go on a date."

Ken's heart stopped. A...date? He's attractive, but...I don't even know him, and...what about Daisuke. That thought chilled him. Daisuke wasn't even interested, why cry over spilt milk? All he wanted was his best friend back. What harm could going on one date with this guy do?

Wait...something feels wrong here. How did he know I was gay? After the scene that morning, it would be hard to miss, the genius decided. Still, he was getting bad vibes. "Um...sorry, I don't think so."

Ataru looked disappointed. "Oh, you're not gay?"

Ken was taken aback. "I hardly think that's any of your business, Tomoe-san. I'm not interested in a relationship right now. Not with you, or Ayumi, or anyone."

Ataru placed a hand on Ken's arm, and despite his years of judo training the young genius was still stricken with fear. "That's not very nice."

"Please let go of me," Ken stammered, trying to pull his arm away.

The blonde boy touched his left hand to Ken's cheek and cradled it, leaning in so close Ken could barely breathe. "You're so pretty, Ichijouji. What a pretty boy."

"Let go of me!" Ken began to struggle, but Ataru was pinning him down. "Help!"

The blue-eyed aggressor pushed his body against Ken's, effectively trapping him against the locker. "Why are you struggling, pretty boy? Aren't you a fairy? Don't you like boys?"

"I don't think you even qualify as a human being," a dry voice said from behind Ataru. The blonde whriled to face the newcomer and was immediately sent reeling by a strong punch from the grinning Child of Courage and Friendship. "Oops, sorry!" he tittered sarcastically. "Did I do that?"

Ken stared dumbfounded at Daisuke. "Da-Dais?"

"'Tis me," the mahogany-haired boy proclaimed. "Looks like you've been getting yourself into trouble, Ken-chan."

"Well...just a little..."

"You bastard!" Ataru swore, climbing to his feet. "What do you think you're doing, Motomiya!?"

"Protecting my boyfriend," Daisuke said airily. "And if I ever catch you touching him again, you're dead."

Ataru's mouth dropped open. "Yours...?" Before either Chosen could say a word the blonde glared and stalked away, leaving a confused Ken and a victorious Daisuke. Ken could barely allow himself to hope that what he had heard Daisuke say might be true. "D-Dai...? What...?"

Daisuke smiled uncertainly. "Well, he was hitting on you, wasn't he? I mean...you didn't actually like it, did you?"

"Of course not. Thank you for saving me...I hope Ayumi and her pep squad don't come after you now..."

"I can handle them. I watched for a minute, though," Daisuke admitted guiltily. "I still didn't know what to do about...this. I mean, Ken, you're my best friend, and I..." his voice broke. "I really am...in love with Hikari, and...I don't want to see you hurt, but I really can't help it!"

"It's okay, Daisuke. I just don't want to lose you as a friend."

"No way, Ken. Our friendship isn't worth losing over such a stupid thing." He rushed on. " Well, not that you being in love with me is stupid, in fact it's really kind of flattering, and I don't want to insult you or anything, but I, I, I, I...gah."

"Dais...it's not a problem. I'm just as happy being just friends. I just thought it was something you should know--"

"Oh, thank God, you wouldn't believe how worried I was--"

"I thought you should know, and listen to me this time! Don't you ever, ever--"

"I'm so releived! Whew!"

"EVER set me up on any double dates again."

Daisuke fell silent with a sheepish grin. "Uh, right. Heh."

"Unless it's with Takeru."

Daisuke burst into laughter. "Ha! Good one, Ken! What say we go over to my house and play the PS2?"

"Fine by me." I gathered my books and the two of us walked to the front doors of Odaiba High School, smiles on both our faces. Courage and Kindness had been united by Friendship once again. Everything is perfect.

"Uh, Ken? You weren't actually serious about Takeru, we you?"

"I'm in love with you, remember?"

"Oh. Right."

Well, almost perfect, Ken thought.

Then again, I wouldn't want it any other way.

~owari!

so now we're down to two kensuke serials. i wanted to finish this one before anyone realized that it was one-sided. ^^;; sequel is in the works, it'll be about hikari and daisuke keeping their relationship secret--with ken's help. when dai's parents forbid him from having a girlfriend, he tells them that he is gay to throw them off the track--using ken as his decoy. of course ken's okay with this, but what will hikari think...? look for the tentatively-titled 'quartze,' coming soon. i noticed something funny, i have fics beginning with every letter of the alphabet except q, u and x. where am I getting an 'x' story!? must...get...alphabet...mwa!

why am i writing in all lower-case letter for this story and 'memory lapse'? i don't know! i feel like it. ^__^