Puddles

I didn't know what to think. I still don't ya know. I've never been really good at this stuff but... I sort of... well I didn't want to tell Chibimon I...

He showed up on my doorstep soaking wet, ok. Heh, I'm sort of sad it wasn't me who answered... but then again that would have been really weird.

So, Jun was making me watch some stupid show about some stupid people, I wanted to watch a game... No way I was gonna get up and answer the door if she was gonna make me watch that lame-o stuff.

She jumped up with this huff that she learned from me, she says I get it from her but that’s a lie, sister's are liars. I was smiling all the same and staring at the T.V. ya know, to pretend I hadn't noticed, I thought it was funny, well it was.

Alright, a little bit later I can hear her shuffle back into the room but I was totally interested in the Blonde girl and the Red-head that had gotten into a chick fight over some guy or what ever. Heh, there were hairs and strips of torn clothing flying everywhere, it rocked actually.

"So? Who was it?" I said after a bit cuz, ya know, Jun can't shut up so just standing behind me was creepin' me out. But she didn't answer so I turned around... He was standing there. He was soaking wet and just standing there staring at me.

I fell of the couch. IT'S NOT FUNNY! He was just staring... and he was... focused, like he was... studying me. So I fell of the couch and scrambled to my feet. "Ken." It just came out cuz, I had NO idea why he's there.

I looked behind him at Jun, she was staring hard at him, trying to figure out who he is, that had to be it, other wise she would have been yelling at me about the floor like it was my fault or something that he was soaked and wet and dripping.

I nearly vaulted over the couch and grabbed his wrist to pull him into the bathroom. I didn't... don't know why, but I just didn't want her to recognize him. I was sort of surprised she didn't nail his identity on sight, I mean he's been all over the news. Genius Wiz. Missing Kid. Sudden Reappearance. The news has been nothing but Ken and there he was, in my apartment.

Still, I guess, he didn't look much like his pictures. He wasn't in the gray uniform and his hair wasn't it's normal perfect but it wasn’t messy either.

He didn't look how I was used to him either, No whip. But I... No Whip... not the Kaizer, just Ken.

I hadn't really seen him since I made that offer, In the Digital World... when Wormmon... He'd been in the Digital World once or twice since then I think, not evil or anything like that... but I hadn't talked to him. I wondered how he knew where I lived... He was shaking.

I felt stupid. It's not like that’s new or anything. But it wasn't exactly Spring outside and he must have just come from outside cuz the skin on his wrist was freezing and I could feel him jerking, like he's fighting the shivers or something.

I left him in the bathroom to run and get some stuff, a couple of towels, a dry shirt... I got back to the bathroom and throw everything on the floor and... he was staring at me again.

I asked him what he thought he was doing, "Ken, what do you think you're doing?" but he still didn't answer. So I threw a towel over his head and started trying to get off his wet cloths, then some more towels and I dragged him to my room for a proper blanket.

I tried to take care of his clothes but it was gonna take a while for them to dry so... I went back to my room. Back to my room where Ken was, just sitting there, staring. I wished Vee-mon was there with me but I had left him in Primary Village to help out... it was a good idea at the time.

~~~~~

I wanted to know why.

I know I was staring but I couldn't help it. I thought if I looked at him long enough I would understand; like he was a math problem or an equation I could solve. It wasn't quite that easy.

I wasn't having an easy time of things. I had gotten tired of my mother trying to make up for her mistakes. I had already forgiven her; it was her fault, but it was mine as well. I had grown tired of the reporters following me, trying to get any scrap of me they could get their hands on. I had expected that to some degree. but I thought they would get tired of me after a month.

I was, I am having problems getting over what I did. I don't think I ever will. I was the Digimon Kaizer. Manipulation. Control. Slavery. Torture. Murder. I did it. I did all of it. I needed time. I needed to get away from the circus, so I ran. Out on to the streets I ran for hours. It started to rain and still I ran. None of it mattered though, I just needed, I need to understand.

Wormmon's forgiveness I can understand, just barely. He would never leave or betray me; he's my partner. Motomiya Daisuke's forgiveness is incomprehensible. The things I did, how could he ever-

Daisuke had offered his forgiveness, his understanding, and most of all, his friendship. I couldn't...

When I stopped running I realized where I was, in front of his apartment building. When Daisuke and I had been on opposite sides, when he had been the leader of my enemies, I had wanted to know everything. Daisuke interested me. In my superior ignorance I had thought he was an idiot, just at first, and it angered me. Then, I realized it was something more. There are things about Daisuke that I didn't understand, things to do with my past that I barely knew about. Things I'm just now starting to remember but still don't understand. I wanted to know everything about him. Everything.

I wondered had it been an accident or if this is where I had wanted to be the whole time. In front of Daisuke's Building, in front of Daisuke's door, in front of Motomiya Daisuke; all I could do was stare.

In his room, letting the blankets warm me, I realized I was being a bastard. Daisuke had been trying to start a conversation with me for an hour or more. I was just staring at him, trying to figure him out. It was probably very rude. I stared long enough for my clothes to dry; he retrieved them for me and still I said nothing. I put on my clothes (a cotton shirt, a sweater and a pair of slacks) mechanically; I wanted all the attention I had to be directed towards figuring Daisuke out.

My time was almost up. I wasn't going to say anything, I had nothing to say, and once my clothes were on I would have to go. I think Daisuke knew that because as I straightened my sweater and look away from him, finally, turning to leave, he grabbed my arm.

It wasn't a strong grip but it was rather firm. For a wild moment I thought he would ask me not to leave. I think I was hoping he would say that, hoping he would give me more time to try and understand him. "I meant it," He said instead, "When I... on the bridge. I... I want you to join us, Ken." Even after knowing everything there is about Motomiya Daisuke, he still surprised me.

I turned to look in his eyes, or rather I turned and his eyes caught me. Brown. Just Brown. But there was something in them, maybe it was his words, the honesty and sincerity and something not quite corporeal.

~~~~~

He kissed me. I... He kissed me. I was totally not expecting that. I mean one minute I just... I was trying to get him to understand. It wasn't something he could blame himself over forever, he wasn't the same person and... He kissed me.

I had his arm and I had said it finally: I meant it, I wanted him to join us. Then I saw his eyes close and I thought he was gonna faint or something but his hands came around and sort of grabbed my face, ya know, and he sort of just leaned in and kissed me.

It was sort of... well... I mean it wasn't something you would expect from an evil genius... but I already knew he wasn't that person any more. Sort of soft just light but solid, ya know... like I wasn't imagining it. It was... It was sort of...

I really wanted to hit him or something, like punch him in the jaw. And I wanted to pull at him... closer. I wanted to shove him away... or was it shove him against a wall and... I...didn't do anything. I remember my hands sort of fell to my sides like noodles or something and I just stood there not moving... I'm... not really sure I could have... if I wanted to...

It was sort of nice.

Then his eyes flew up like he just realized what he was doing. And let me go and took a step back. Man his eyes were huge like shock or something... I wonder how I must have looked... I know I was staring at him waiting for him to say something... anything... I couldn't.

He bolted. They say he’s lightening fast on the soccer field. I remember playing him; he was fast... I don't remember him ever being that fast. He had a good two seconds on me before I could think. I heard the front door shut before I even made it out of my room.

I followed him out to the hallway, there were people coming out of the elevator... he must have taken the stairs... There was no way I was gonna catch him. I ran back in the apartment, to the window that faced the street. There he was, I could see him streaking down the sidewalk, disappearing in the rain.

What could I do? I just backed up and sat on the couch and stared at the TV. Jun asked me something... like "What was that all about"... or something...

He kissed me.

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