Paladins wings

It's impressive, isn't it? One moment you find yourself fighting a powerful enemy whom you had considered absolute evil beyond redemption, then the next you see him as he is: more human than the self-styled paladins who fought him. Flawed, fallen, ripped apart by the force of his own mistakes. The paladin watched his vanquished enemy, his heart tugging in sympathy at the pain the fallen demon was going through. No one deserved to have their partner die in their arms like that, not even one who had been as evil as Ichijouji Ken. Ichijouji was supposed to be one of them, but it was beyond the paladin why someone with their mission would fall to such dark depths. The paladin's leader had called out to Ichijouji once the demon had gathered the dignity to rise from the ground and walk away, and the rest of the party had done nothing. Nothing at all, even when they could all see the tears in those beautiful blue-violet eyes. The events of that day had stunned them all. Chimeramon destroying every town in his path, killing so many innocent digimon. Takeru, so enraged by the Kaiser's attempts at tapping into the truly evil powers of the digital world, found himself fighting the Kaiser one on one with no help from anything else but his own fists. Daisuke finding the Digimental of Kindness and V-mon evolving into Magnamon. Magnamon, nearly killed by Chimeramon, had been saved at the last minute by Wormmon's only stance against his master's crimes. Wormmon dying in Ichijouji's arms after expending all his energy to give Magnamon the power to defeat Chimeramon. In the end it wasn't the Destined Children who defeated the Kaiser, it was Wormmon's death that struck home the horrible reality of what Ichijouji had done. Takaishi Takeru laid awake, staring into the darkness of a sleepless night. The images of the past week reeled through his mind and refused to allow him sleep, even when it was now long past midnight. The memory of the raven-haired demon fallen and staring in horrified shock at the space where Wormmon had died ate at his guts. He didn't know why, really. There used to be such a definitive line between good and evil in Takeru's life. In his heart he liked to think of himself a paladin who battled evil for the sake of a greater good, that evil should be vanquished and that was the way of things. Simple, right? Then why didn't he feel triumphant for the fall of the Digimon Kaiser? Why did he feel in his heart that he had plucked the wings from a broken angel? Why did he feel like he had to apologize to the former Kaiser? Why was he even worrying about this? The golden-haired Keeper of Hope sighed and rolled to his side, his eyes falling upon the bold aqua numerals on the digital clock on a table by his bedside. Two in the morning already, and it didn't look like he was going to be able to sleep anytime soon. A sigh escaped his lips and he pulled himself out of bed as quietly as he could so as not to disturb his sleeping digimon partner. No point in lying in bed doing nothing. Takeru pulled the blinds up and revealing an unhindered view of the world outside. The moon hung like a pendant in the sky, pale and brilliant even in the visual pollution of the city's lights. As he gazed up at it his mind once again began revolving around the Kaiser's fall. Why on earth could he not get that out of his head? .~*~.

The day after had come and gone. Daisuke had raced all over the school to talk them all into accepting Ichijouji into the fold, possibly deliberately avoiding talking to Takeru in the rush. Miyako, Hikari, and Iori had all given him a very firm 'no'. But Ken was supposed to be a Destined Child too. He, like Takeru, had watched his digimon die before his eyes and had felt the same pain. Daisuke couldn't possibly understand what it felt to lose one's partner like Takeru had, he couldn't possibly understand what it was like to watch the disintegration and feel one's world shatter in the process. It was only Daisuke who had the courage to approach the former dictator. Takeru merely watched from afar, hanging onto the hope that Daisuke would be able to convince Ken. After all, when it came right down to it, Hope was all he had. Daisuke had failed, even when he had come so close, and even if he wasn't aware of the other's presence, both he and Takeru had watched Ken walk off into the sunset. It had taken so much thinking to come to this conclusion, but... "He deserves a second chance," the blond whispered to Patamon, who was settled in the crook of his arm as the image of Ken slowly drifted out of view. The little digimon merely gave a small sound that could be taken as anything. What he didn't mention, however, was the hope he had that Ken would join them and if the others weren't going to accept the fallen one, he would support Ken the best he knew how. Takeru strolled without direction, eventually finding himself in the Seaside Park overlooking Rainbow Bridge. The lights of the bridge that linked Odaiba to the central Tokyo waterfront glowed like multicolored jewels in the twilight. He pondered again, as he had for so many times, what it would have been like if Ken had been good from the start and what kind of friend he would be. Then a thought crept upon the self-styled paladin. Why was he suddenly calling Ken by his birth name? He didn't even really know the boy personally, but it seemed so right... "What's wrong, Takeru," a tiny voice queried from its perch in the crook of his arm. His eyes came back into focus as he gazed down at his partner, wondering how long he had been lost in thought. "Just thinking." "You sound distant. What are you thinking about?" Takeru absently scratched behind one of the digimon's orange wings, his eyes returning to the bridge. "I'm not even really sure, Patamon." Silence fell between them as the seaside wind caressed them and tousled the paladin's golden hair. After long moments Takeru spoke again. "Do you know how much it hurt me when you died in the battle with Devimon, how helpless I felt when I couldn't do anything for you? If your egg hadn't appeared in that pile of Angemon's feathers after the battle, I... I-" Takeru choked as he remembered crying out to Angemon, unable to do anything as both Angemon and Devimon disintegrated during that fated battle. He had only been what? Six, seven years old at that time? And the loss still hurt, even five years afterwards. Even knowing that Patamon would be reborn hadn't truly helped. But there had been no egg appearing where Wormmon died. It was possible that he would be reborn in Primary Village, but it was also likely that Wormmon would never be reborn. Ken needed someone who understood, and the only one who could would be Takeru. The little digimon rubbed up against his ribs reassuringly. "I know, and I said I'd come back."

"Yeah, you did," the boy agreed quietly. "But I don't know if Wormmon is going to come back or not. If the digimon doesn't and if Ken doesn't forgive himself I'm afraid he'll will do something drastic." "That's not all you're worried about," the little digimon stated simply with innocent blue eyes that hinted at an underlying understanding of the situation his human partner seemed to be stuck in. "There's something else. Like the fact that you refer to Ichijouji so informally." This brought forth a sigh. "I don't know why I'm thinking about him so much. I mean, well, I usually think about Hikari and all, but she's not going through what Ken is right now. It's strange, Patamon, normally I'd say he deserved everything he got, but I can't help but want to help him." "You're not a cruel person, Takeru. It's in your nature to want to help, you can't avoid it." With that the orange and cream digimon squirmed from his partner's arms and flew out half a meter in front of him, pointedly looking at a figure seated on the sands several meters from where the keeper of Hope was standing. "I'll fly up ahead and catch you at home." Patamon caught an updraft and winged off to the general direction of the Takaishi apartment, leaving Takeru alone on the white sands of Tokyo Bay. Sighing, Hope's keeper gathered what courage he had and tentatively approached the dark-haired boy who seemed to be watching as the Yurikamome train line speed across Rainbow Bridge. Courage had never been his strong point, as he left that for people like Daisuke and Taichi, but he had to do what he had to do. The one who had once been the terror of the Digital World looked up at Takeru with the eyes of one conquered. Nothing of the Kaiser's arrogance was left, at least not visibly. Then those violet eyes grew cold and defensive as they gazed into Takeru's. "You want something. What is it?" "Mind if I sit first," the blond boy asked as politely as he knew how, hoping that he wouldn't be pushed away. Although after the little fight in Ken's base he did feel like he deserved it. Ken merely shrugged, his gaze returning to the bridge. "Do as you like." Taking the invitation as boldly as he dared, the keeper of Hope sat on the sand next to Ken. Yet he was wary of intruding on the raven-haired boy's thoughts and joined Ken's gaze at the Rainbow Bridge. They sat in awkward silence, oblivious to the sand flies and the occasional barking dog. It was broken when Takeru took in a deep breath to prepare for what he planned to say. "Ken, I just want you to know that I know what it's like to lose a digimon partner." This brought an icy glance from the former Kaiser. "Oh?" "Yeah, I lost mine during the battle with Devimon. He was reborn, but every time I think about it, it still hurts." "Get to the point." Takeru blinked at the sharpness in Ken's voice, pausing in nervousness before going on. "I- Well, I wanted to know if you've been to Primary Village to see if Wormmon's been reborn yet. If you haven't maybe I can go with you. You know, as support and stuff." The fallen one sighed and drew back to lie against the sand with his head nested in his hands, all iciness leaving his voice. "I've already been there and retrieved Leafmon. But I still can't join you." "I'm not asking you to join us," Takeru whispered as he gazed down at the fallen demon. No, not demon, he's too beautiful to be a demon. Angel, then. Fallen angel.

Wait, did he just think that Ken was beautiful...? Where on earth did that come from? He would have mulled over it, but"Then what are you asking for? What do you want?" Takeru fell silent and gazed across the water. He wasn't even really sure himself, his emotions were so mixed up right now. Was it possible that he might actually like Ken the way he used to like Hikari before Light and Hope had settled on just being best friends? "Sorry for hitting you like that in the base," he muttered awkwardly, pulling off his hat to run his fingers through his hair in nervousness. "I deserved it." The blond boy returned to gaze at Ken, who was looking silently into the darkness of the sky above. There was pain in those eyes, and acceptance of that pain. "Ken, no one deserves what you've been through, not even with what you did. Even if no one else forgives you, I do." The fallen angel rose from the sands, brushing grains of it free from his clothing. The look in his eyes were unreadable, but Takeru hoped that there was something indicating that the ice had melted, if even just a little. "My parents are probably worrying about where I am. Later, Takaishi." "Yeah, later I guess. And Ken, if you need a friend I'll always be available." Silence, again. Ken's expression softened at this, and seconds passed before he nodded in acceptance. "Thank you." He then turned and walked in the direction of the Yurikamome train stop which would take him to the JR Shinbashi station and then home, leaving Takeru alone on the white sands. And the paladin only watched as Ken disappeared into the distance, wondering and hoping. Under all his uncertainties and inhibitions, Takeru had genuinely felt like he was beginning to feel for Ken. He just hoped that he would be able to get the older boy to feel the same way. .~*~. Days and then weeks passed, and at last Ken had joined the group of Destined Children. However, Takeru found himself becoming increasingly jealous of the fact that Ken's Stingmon could jogress evolve with Daisuke's XV-Mon. While he realized that Ken needed Daisuke as a friend, the situation still grated on the blond's nerves. It was tolerable when it had just been a crush and Takeru didn't really know Ken all that well, but the blond had come to terms with himself and his feelings, and now he felt he couldn't rest until he let the raven-haired boy know that Takeru was in love with him. If only he could get up the courage to peel Daisuke off Ken and actually talk to Ken without extra interference. Strangely enough it wasn't even the fact that Ken was one of them that appealed to him, and he wondered if he'd feel the same way if Ken was still the Kaiser. But he tried his best not to think about that, and so far it seemed to work. The keeper of Kindness was beautiful, intelligent, polite, kind, self- sacrificing... and yet he could still be short-tempered, ruthless, egocentric, and dangerous on occasion. Hikari had been perfect, but Ken was perhaps more flawed, more human and therefore more interesting than the entire team. It was that which attracted the boy who used to call himself a paladin. Rather odd, however, Takeru thought as he strolled down the Odaiba Seaside Park in the sunset. Before he met Ken he had thought that all evil should be vanquished and that was that. Now he wasn't so sure. Iori used to admire his merciless righteousness, but Takeru hadn't exactly been open about how much he changed since he met Ken. Only

Hikari ever really knew, and that was because Hikari was his best friend. Well, other than Patamon anyway. Patamon was visiting with Tailmon now, and left Takeru alone for the time he needed to think about things. Rainbow Bridge glowed not too far away, and the wind from its direction carried with it the remote sounds of traffic and the smells of sea salt. To his surprise he saw a familiar figure in the distance watching the glowing bridge, and trotted over to the boy's side. A fallen angel that sought redemption looked up to see the light of hope, and a small smile quirked at his lips. "We have to stop meeting like this." "Oh, I dunno, I like it out here. Mind if I sit?" At Ken's gesture Takeru took a seat by his side, and joined his gaze at the bridge. Sunset gave way to twilight, then night, and not a word passed between them. The silence this time was comfortable, but it was broken at last when Takeru found the courage to ask what had been bothering him for awhile. "Where's Daisuke? He's usually latched to you." This merely brought a shrug and an indifferent answer. "I don't know, probably at home mooning over Hikari. It's not like he's my boyfriend or anything. Why do you ask?" Takeru's eyes drifted from the view of the bridge to Ken's hand, which was settled in the sand. His own drifted down to clasp it, drawing the older boy's attention from the multicolored lights beyond. When those sharp amethyst eyes fell on him, Takeru felt his cheeks heat up in a blush. "Erm, well, I... Ken, did you know my brother has been going out with Taichi for the past few years?" "Yes, what about it," Ken asked, an eyebrow arched in query and voice too neutral for Takeru to pick anything out from it. "It's pretty common knowledge." "I was wondering if you would mind going out with me," the golden- haired boy got out in a rush, his blush deepening. "If you don't want to that's okay, I'll understand." The expression that Ken gave him was one of slight surprise mixed with something Takeru still couldn't figure out. The raven-haired boy pursed his lips tightly before at last uttering what was on his mind. "You do realize that once an angel becomes involved with the darkness, he falls from grace? I may be the Kaiser no longer, but I am still touched by darkness. Do you really want that kind of corruption, paladin?" Ken started as Takeru's hand squeezed his, wondering if the younger boy really was going to have the courage to go through with it. He had liked the blond as a friend, but there was always the issue of the one girl everyone except Daisuke thought Takeru should be paired with. But if Takeru was asking him out then it seemed that Light and Hope were not as close as everyone had thought. Intriguing. After taking a deep breath to settle his nerves, Takeru pressed his fallen angel back against the sand and brushed his lips against the other's with feathery lightness. He had seen Taichi do it with Yamato often enough and it seemed like a very good idea at the time. The boy under him stiffened at first, then relaxed as Takeru pressed harder against his lips before pulling away. "That's my answer." Much to Takeru's surprise the raven-haired keeper of Kindness pushed him off and onto his back, a mischievous grin on that pale face. Before the keeper of Hope could say anything, Ken brushed his own lips against his paladin's and slipped his tongue out to tease open Takeru's lips and press within. A muffled moan escaped the blond as Ken toyed with his tongue and sent thrills down his spin in the process. Somewhere in the haze his mind had become Takeru wondered where on earth his fallen angel learned to kiss like that, but right now he wasn't all that concerned. He eagerly embraced the raven-haired boy leaning over him, bringing Ken's weight to lie on top of him. And it was anything but unpleasant.

The older boy stiffened at the contact, unused to such intimate contact with anyone. He had dared to dream once, before he had become Kaiser, but never actually thought he'd find himself in this kind of position. Especially not with a person everyone else considered too much a goody-goody to be interesting or too fragile to touch. But the golden-haired boy had actually made an effort to see past Ken's shell, however subtle it had been compared to Daisuke's and Miyako's sledgehammer approach. Ken parted from the kiss and propped up part of his weight on his elbows, his forehead resting against Takeru's. Odd, he had felt different when he and Daisuke had heard each other's hearts. When Stingmon and XV-mon jogress evolved there had just been a deep friendship bond sealed between Ken and Daisuke. This was... different. More intimate and intense. It felt so right. "I don't care anymore what you did in the past," Takeru whispered, running fingers through Ken's sand-sprinkled hair. "I doubt very much that I'd care if you do the same thing in the future if it meant not seeing you again. I've thought about it a lot and I think maybe I might actually love you or something." "That's nice to know." Takeru opened his eyes to look into Ken's, losing himself in their depth. It was awhile before he could find the right words, and those that came sounded so unduly awkward. "So, would you go on a date with me to the Museum of Maritime Science? I think it might be fun. And DECKS Tokyo Beach is within a ten minute walk if that gets boring." This elicited a chuckle from the older boy. "I'd like to avoid the crowds though... think you can get away from Hikari and the rest on Saturday at 17:00? I think we could avoid the crowds at the museum for awhile and hit DECKS for supper. There's this nice Italian restaurant I think I might like to take you to." The younger boy pressed his lips lightly against Ken's before responding. "Sounds perfect." Ken pulled away and rose, offering to help Takeru up from the sand. "You know, next time we should really bring a towel. Our parents are going to wonder about the sand." .~*~. A thousand times these thoughts wheeled around Ken's mind, and a thousand times he couldn't make them go away. Three years passed since Takeru had first asked him out, and since then the outings they kept secret from everyone else were one of the few things that drew him out of his depression. Time and again he told himself that he wasn't worth anyone's attention, that he should just be left to suffer for everything he ever did in his life, that he should just be killed in battle and get it all over with. But the last time he had plunged headlong into a battle he knew would kill him, Daisuke had dragged him back and slapped sense into him. It had been before Takeru asked him out, but he remembered all too well the tortured look in those sky blue eyes. Oh, over time Ken found himself developing feelings for his paladin too, but never said anything about it. Most of the time he dared not admit to it, for he knew all too well how much he ended up hurting those that loved him. He had wished for his brother's death and the wish was granted. Ryou was gone, who knew where - even when Ken did take a dark seed for him. Wormmon he had beaten, whipped, kicked, insulted and yelled at; and still the creature loved him. His own parents he had held in contempt for the way they pushed him to excel at everything, yet they had been hurt when he disappeared to the Digital World and learned the error of their ways. He knew he wasn't worth the attention Takeru bestowed upon him as a boyfriend and Daisuke offered as a best friend. It would be better for everyone in the long run if he

just didn't exist anymore. Right? Even the pain Takeru would go through would be nothing compared to what Ken could do to him. Rainbow Bridge loomed in the distance, the image of it becoming larger as he walked with the airs of someone with a single purpose in mind. It was night, no one could stop him. The farewell e-mail to the other Destined Children wouldn't be sent until the evening after. The one Ken had written for Takeru's eyes only had already reached him but since Takeru was asleep by now he wouldn't see it until the morning. It was such a pathetic way to die, but after second set of Japanese Destined Children weren't needed any longer he couldn't find anything better. Pathetic ending for a pathetic excuse of a Destined Child. It was perfect. He sighed wearily as he strode up the pedestrian walkway with an invisible cloud of dark thoughts trailing him. At the vantage point he could see Tokyo Tower poking up from the skyscrapers of central Tokyo, made visible by the illumination of lamps below. Nice view, but he wasn't here for that. With one last farewell to the world he proceeded to climb up on the guardrail. "Ken?" The voice that penetrated his depression was small, fearful. It was his paladin of Hope gazing at him as if he had killed Takeru himself. Such a hurt and betrayed look in those trusting blue eyes. I am such a damn bastard, Ken muttered to himself as he settled back down on the walkway and stood before Takeru. "You probably hate me now. Like everyone else does." "I don't think I can ever bring myself to hate you," was the soft response. Takeru steeled himself and stepped forward. Back when they were battling Archnemon and Mummymon they had found quickly that the best way to bring Ken back from his selfish depressive bouts was to slap him. But Takeru had never raised a hand to his fallen angel since the fistfight at the Kaiser's base, he was not going to do so now. "You're supposed to be asleep, Takaishi. What brought you out here?" Takeru winced at the use of his surname. While Ken never used Takeru's given name in public, he always did so in private once they had the relationship fully established. It was one of the few hints Takeru had that suggested Ken did indeed care for him. "Couldn't sleep. Then I found that e-mail. Dammit, Ken, how could you be so damn selfish! Have you any idea what that would do to me? Or your parents and Wormmon? I thought you knew better than that," Takeru shouted, then paled as he realized just what he had done. He rarely ever lost his temper, and now"How can I," Ken snapped, a shadow of his former self seeping coldly into his voice. "Simple! Remember what I did as the Kaiser? I enslaved, tortured, and killed countless innocent digimon, and I enjoyed it! I enjoyed inflicting that pain because it made the pain I lived with easier to bear. And while some of my actions had been controlled, the worst part of what I did was that I not only accepted that, I went along for the ride. And even did a lot of my atrocities on my own. Takeru, I'm a monster. It's better for everyone if I was dead..." The older boys voice trailed off and he gazed out into the distant skyline. Takeru looked at him helplessly, unsure of what to do, until"You deserve someone far better than me," Ken finally added quietly before moving to walk away. In a moment of panic at the idea of losing his boyfriend, Takeru grabbed the older boy's wrist and yanked Ken sharply back against him. He held the raven-haired boy tightly against him and began shuddering violently despite himself.

"I've lost Angemon before, it ripped a hole in my heart. If I lost you I can't imagine what would happen... Ken, stay, at least for me." Much to Ken's surprise he felt his paladin actually crying. That was wrong- Takeru never cried, not since after the battle with Apocalymon anyway. At least, that was what Hikari said. He rebuked himself once again for his stupidity before he returned Takeru's embrace. Several minutes passed before the blond boy slumped into his arms with exhaustion and whispered something Ken couldn't quite hear. He sighed and brought the younger boy's face up from his shoulder to ask his paladin to repeat what he said. "Ken," Takeru got out with not a little bit of strain, rubbing the tears from his eyes before continuing. "I love you. Don't do that to me ever again." Ken froze at this admittance. He had always thought Takeru was just doing it out of kindness, but... but... But that didn't change the fact that he actually enjoyed Takeru's company more than he thought he would at first, or that he had developed some sort of feeling for the golden-haired boy he never actually had before. He swore to himself. Once he had become the Kaiser to escape emotions, he considered himself above them. And now he was enslaved by them. If Takeru was going to be hurt by his death, then he just wasn't going to kill himself. Despite how deeply he had fallen long ago, his paladin didn't deserve to be hurt. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again..." This brought forth a shaky laugh as Takeru pulled away and wiped his other cheek free of tears. "Great, thanks." "You know, the Yurikamome line doesn't run this late," Ken suggested, smirking a bit now that the tension was alleviated a bit. "It looks like I'll just end up having to stay at your place since it's so much closer." "Oh my," Takeru gasped in mock horror. "You couldn't possibly be thinking of ravishing me, would you?" "Now there's an idea," the raven-haired boy grinned menacingly, laughing as his paladin's expression grew even more wide-eyed and shocked at the very concept. It was all out of humor, of course, as Takeru's hormones were getting the best of him lately and Ken wasn't doing much better. Pity they haven't done anything about it. Yet. They walked back hand in hand to the Odaiba side of Rainbow Bridge. Takeru always had the annoying ability to lighten Ken's mood, even if he didn't want it to. It wasn't until they were approaching the Fuji television station near the Takaishi apartment that the silence between them was broken by a soft, thoughtful voice. "Takeru, I... I think I might love you too."

Lux ab tenebris
"Geesh, where on earth is he," a boy clad in a cream-colored shirt, green-blue jacket and darker slacks that might have been a little too long asked of no one in particular. He scanned the crowds in the JR Shinbashi Station of mainland Tokyo, wondering if his boyfriend was even going to make it. Four years after they had started dating they decided to have a little picnic in the Shinjuku Imperial Garden as a sort of anniversary celebration. Now he wondered if the date was even going to happen. The train from Tamachi had already come and gone several minutes ago, and Takeru wondered faintly if his boyfriend was caught up in something. Ken was usually so punctual, so something had to have happened...

A light hand fell on his shoulder, and he turned to look into the calm brown eyes of a childhood friend. "Maybe he's just stuck somewhere. Why don't you just sit down and wait with me?" He merely consented as Hikari guided him over to one of the benches, too worried about whether or not Ken had decided to stand him up to protest. He couldn't even think straight right now. Hikari had come along to cover for him in case one of the other Destined Children started asking questions, and in hopes to actually get a picture of Ken and Takeru together. For her personal collection, she said, though Takeru was never sure if she meant that or if anyone else was going to see it. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, it was just that he didn't trust other people not to find the photo. As it was, she was the only one who knew of their relationship, and only because she had pressured Takeru about why he wasn't talking to her so much anymore. He liked being able to share his thoughts about his relationship with Ken to her, and knowing that she would never tell anyone else. It was also nice knowing that she was so supportive of it too. Takaishi Takeru sighed and leaned back to gaze up at the ceiling. Reeling around in his mind like leaves in a wind-stirred pond were worries and ponderings that all centered around Ken. Why didn't Ken page him, or tell him ahead of time? An hour passed and not a word was exchanged between himself and Hikari. It was strange, once he'd talk about anything and everything to her. Maybe she was right, maybe Ken had changed him. He really should stop thinking like this so much. .~*~. Ken sighed in relief as he stepped from the train from Tamachi and into JR Shinbashi Station, one arm draped over the laptop carry satchel slung over his shoulder. His parents had caught him at the last minute and drilled him on where he was going and when he was coming back. Apparently they still hadn't forgotten his running away exploit four years ago. He hated lying about his plans with Takeru, but he had to anyway. He was the only son left of the Ichijouji line, there were... expectations... of him that he was sure he didn't want to meet. If only Osamu was aliveHe shook his head at that thought and moved on to a less painful subject. It just wouldn't do to live in the past like that. Look at where it had gotten him. The scars of his past would always haunt him, but he had his paladin to shine a little light into that darkness. Somehow that thought always comforted him. As nice as having Daisuke for a friend was, the cinnamon-haired boy just couldn't understand what Ken was going through. Takeru understood everything, and if he didn't he'd just wait patiently until he could figure it all out. Daisuke just didn't have that kind of patience. A quick glance around the station offered the image of his golden- haired paladin seated next to someone he couldn't identify yet, and Ken found himself striding over as quickly as possible to bask in Hope's glow. When the girl seated next to his paladin turned to call out to Ken in recognition he felt his heart freeze over. No. Takeru couldn't. Not with herAs easily as it had done so long ago, an invisible wall erected itself around Ken and a mask shielded his face from the world. He nodded in stony acknowledgement to Hikari, and barely cracked a small smile when Takeru trotted up to him and dragged him over to the bench. All feeling or emotion he would have had closed up on itself and refused to come out. Takeru gazed in concern at the lack of expression on his angel's face. This was strange, Ken hadn't looked like this around him for years. He reached up to brush away a lock of

black hair that had fallen into Ken's face, finally realizing what had happened when Ken visibly flinched at his touch. He couldn't believe it, his angel was actually threatened by Hikari's presence. "Ken, Hikari came along because she wants to take a picture of us together. She's going to send us copies when she develops the film later tonight," Takeru offered as reassuringly as possible without looking like he was being condescending. The last thing he wanted was for his angel to be jealous of his best friend. "And after I get pictures of you two I'm going to meet Miyako at Tokyo Tower for some scenery shots of that and maybe a little quiet time at the Atago Jinja shrine nearby." The raven-haired boy blinked at this information even as relief trickled in to weaken his defenses. Miyako and Hikari? That was quite unexpected. "I hadn't heard that you two had gotten so close." Hikari gave a gentle smile, grateful that her comment derailed any misgivings Ken may have had about her presence. She wagged a finger in front of his face and winked. "You and Takeru aren't the only ones keeping secrets, you know." "Ah..." Light's keeper bounced to her feet and pointed to a quieter part of the station. "So, can I snap off a couple of pictures of you two before the train to Kanda Station gets here to whisk you off?" A frown finally crossed Ken's face at the implications of the existence of something that could be used as blackmail. "These photos, they won't be used for more... unsavory purposes, will they?" "Come on, Ken, this is Hikari," Takeru said, grinning as he grabbed his angel's hand to pull the taller boy towards the quieter part of the station. "She's got principles that would make most people balk. We can trust her. Besides, she's never betrayed me before, she's not going to start any time soon." Ken's frown lightened at this. If Takeru trusted Hikari, then he really should come to trust her too. But then there was still the issue of those photos and whether anyone else would get ahold of them, intentionally or not. The displeasure Ken felt dissolved completely when Takeru leaned against a concrete column with arms crossed and giving a very definite 'come hither' look. Taking it as he was meant to, a predatory grin flashed across Ken's face as he strode forward to plant one hand just centimeters from Takeru's face on the concrete and another on the shorter boy's hip to draw the blond closer. Takeru smirked as he stepped up, threw his arms around his angel's neck while pressing the length of his body against Ken's, and placed an ardent kiss on his boyfriend's lips. All thoughts of Hikari's presence were completely and utterly forgotten in the heat of the moment. At least, it was until they heard the distinctive click of a camera's shutter. Hikari gave a huge grin as they broke off and glared daggers at her for watching. "Oh, stop looking at me like that, it made for such a wonderful photo opportunity that I simply couldn't resist it," the Child of Light stated, smiling as sweetly innocent as she knew how. "I don't suppose you two would pose for a few more shots, would you?" Despite Ken's misgivings about the whole photography fiasco, he shrugged and draped one arm in a decidedly possessive manner across Takeru's shoulders as he faced Hikari. A very rare and genuinely heartfelt smile tugged at his lips when Takeru's arm encircled his waist. Somehow it was always these little things that seemed to lighten his mood, and he could never figure out why. A few more pictures were taken before the train to Kanda Station pulled into the stop and its arrival announced. After hasty farewell bows to Hikari, the two boarded the train and found a relatively isolated seat together once the fare was paid.

"So, why were you late," the blond asked out of gnawing curiosity after the train had left the station and was well underway. He watched as Ken pulled out a CD player and tiny earbud-style headphones from the satchel before looking up at him. "My parents caught me on the way out and interrogated me, so I had to explain in length that I was due over to help Daisuke with his homework. And given that they know of him and his still-infamous crush on Hikari, they would not be likely to realize where I'll be or what I'll really be doing." Takeru's brows knitted together in a slight frown. "I thought Hikari had finally rubbed a clue into him years ago." "Oh, she has," the raven-haired boy smirked as he loaded a compact disc into the player and offered one of the buds. "However, my parents don't realize that, nor do they realize that I've been spending much more time with you. Feel like listening to opera with me?" "Sure," Takeru murmured, taking the offered bud and pressing it into one ear. Ken had the most unusual musical tastes in the group apparently... but it was rather nice, especially when his angel was narrating or summarizing for him. The music his boyfriend introduced him to always seemed to have a complexity, beauty, and invariably a tragic theme that often reflected Ken's own soul. "Which one is this?" "'Tristan und Isolde', by Richard Wagner. A maiden named Isolde was captured in war and has been chosen as the conquering king's bride, and the one bringing her to the king was an enemy she healed. As it turns out, she had a deep and unrequited love for this knight Tristan, but hated herself and him for this unwanted emotion." "That's silly," the blond commented as he laid a hand on Ken's under the satchel and laced his fingers between the other's. Blue topaz and amethyst eyes closed as the boys focused on the music and each other's presence. Takeru listened intently as Ken explained how Isolde tried to poison Tristan and herself, but the handmaid mistakenly switched the poison for a love potion. The two finally realized their love for each other, but were doomed when the king's lackey plotted to entrap them during a night's rendezvous. Halfway through, the mechanical voice announcing the train's arrival at Kanda Station intruded upon the boys' privacy. Dazed at the sudden reality check and subsequent pause of the music halfway through a passionate aria, Takeru allowed himself to be led off the train and towards one of the many stations of the Toei Shinjuku subway line. It wasn't long before they were able to catch a subway train and find a reasonably quiet corner for themselves. The music and Ken's softly whispered narration resumed. The lovers were caught by the king's lackey, and Tristan challenged to a fight. Grievously wounded from this battle, he was dragged away by his friend to his castle, and would soon die from heartbreak and infection of the wounds. Isolde heard of the news of his declining health and rushed to his side. She was however too late, and Tristan died in her arms. Isolde, unable to bear the pain, joined him in death soon after. The blond sighed heavily as the last strains died away. These operas always got depressing, and they always gave Ken's eyes such a distant, sad look afterwards. Takeru squeezed his boyfriend's hand lightly, bringing Ken's attention back to reality. "Are you okay," he whispered, gazing in concern at the older boy. Ken merely nodded as he pulled the buds out of their ears and stuck the CD player back in his satchel. Silence descended between them as the subway train sped along its way. Takeru knew better than to disturb Ken during one of his quiet moments, but he wished his boyfriend would at least give him a glimpse of what the raven-haired boy was thinking or going through. But he always held on to the hope that some day his angel would learn to confide in him.

Pity it was taking so damn long to get Ken to open up just a little bit... although it was getting a little bit easier to figure out what was going on in Ken's mind. And right now Takeru had a pretty good idea what his angel was thinking. The train's entry into Shinjuku-sanchome Station disrupted Takeru's line of thoughts, and this time he was the one having to snap his boyfriend back to reality. In the span of several minutes they had exited the subway station and walked up to the Shinjuku Imperial Garden. Stepping into the Garden was like stepping into another world. The bustle and noise of city life were shed completely in the tranquility of Tokyo's most beautiful park. Two boys more deeply in love than they knew strolled though it in silence before finding an area free of prying eyes. It was there that they settled upon the grass under the sheltering low branches of a gingko tree and gazed into each other's eyes. Takeru brushed his thumb lightly against his angel's cheek before leaning in to plant a tiny kiss on Ken's forehead. "You're not going to lose me, if that's what you're worried about." "I hope not," Ken muttered as he leaned back to lay upon the grass, closing cloudy amethyst eyes to the leaf-filtered sunlight. "I've lost so much that I don't think I could bear the idea of losing you." "Mmm," the blond responded as he laid besides his boyfriend and stared up into the canopy of the tree in thought. Best to distract Ken from darker thoughts as much as possible. "It's nice when we get time like this alone, isn't it?" "Yeah. Thanks for agreeing to come with me." "How could I resist," he whispered as he curled up on his side and settled his head on his boyfriend's left shoulder, smiling warmly when Ken's arm encircled his shoulders. It was going to be a very nice anniversary date after all. .~*~. It was really too bad that everything had to take such a horrible turn when the park closed, however. In an attempt to find a reasonably cheap place to eat, they had inadvertently walked into Kabukicho, Shinjuku's seedy red-light district. Despite Takeru's misgivings, Ken was unfazed by the apparent underworld dealings around them and had found a decently priced Chinese restaurant. Dinner was great, of course, but it had given them a false sense of security. Which in turn made them the perfect target for a pickpocket who decided that the contents of Ken's satchel would be well worth the snatching attempt. Enraged that someone would dare take something of his, the former Kaiser left his boyfriend's side and ran the teen down a dark alley. What Ken did to the teenaged Yakuza brat, the blond did not ask, nor did he want to know. The bruises on the older boy's knuckles and the apparent safe return of the bag with the CD player and laptop still within was all the answer Takeru needed. Once they had finally made it back to Shinjuku-sanchome Station, the train they had meant to take in hopes of getting home had already come and gone, and would be the last train out that would not leave them stranded in Shinbashi. Disenheartened by this, Ken and Takeru exited the station to look around for a place to stay overnight. In time they found themselves at Hotel Tateshina. The hotel was a mere five minute walk from the station, though notably lacking in cheap vacant rooms. However, after some sort of argument Ken put the person at the reservations desk through that Takeru did not want to be a part of, they finally wrangled out a deal for a single-bed room in the hotel's annex building. Takeru sighed and leaned back into the soft, full-sized Western-style bed that took up most of the space in the hotel room. He closed his eyes wearily as he heard his

boyfriend pace where he could in an attempt to figure out what to do now. Ken was smart, he'd figure out how to get them out of this predicament. Not that he didn't like the idea of staying overnight in a hotel room that was, at eleven thousand yen, considerably more expensive than he thought. They could have gotten one of the smaller and less expensive rooms, but Ken just wouldn't change his mind. Yet the thing that stuck like a burr in Takeru's mind was how exactly they were going to explain this to their parents. When the pacing stopped and a shadow rose to block light spilled by the fixture above, he found himself gazing up at a very triumphant- looking Ken. "Since we seem to be stuck here," Ken stated, a faint edge of silent humor in his voice. "I suggest we do something to enjoy the stay." "Oh, does the genius have a plot to get us out of hot water with our parents," Takeru smirked as his raven-haired fallen angel loomed over him on the bed. He reached up to caress his angel's cheek, smiling softly as those beautiful amethyst eyes closed to focus on that touch. "Yes, I do. However, I think it can wait another hour or so. Don't you," Ken asked, his voice carrying just the tiniest quaver as Takeru's fingers trailed from his cheek and down his throat to release the first few buttons of the white silk shirt from their holes. "Takeru, what-" "We've both been wanting this since we went steady," the blond-haired boy answered as he brushed his fingers against the skin that was now exposed to his view. "And we're legal, right? At least in this country anyway. What's to stop us?" Ken shrugged, settled with his elbows propped up on the bed and took his boyfriend's lips in a kiss. His paladin's lips parted, allowing him to press in and draw Takeru's tongue out into a well-practiced dance. As they kissed, Takeru released the rest of the buttons and pulled his boyfriend's shirt free of its confines under a black leather belt. His hands trailed up under the shirt and over the smooth skin of his angel's back to take Ken into an embrace. It was when Takeru's fingers caressed back down to Ken's waist and began working at his boyfriend's chrome buckle that Ken pulled away. A smirk played across ravenhaired boy's face at the speed with which his paladin was trying to push them. "Now now, going a little fast aren't we," Ken pointed out even as his smirk turned into a huge grin of delight at the frustration evident in Takeru's eyes. "Then, until you figure out how to take it slower, it looks like I'm going to be in charge." Takeru stared at his angel, recognizing a glint of the dominance in those beautiful amethyst eyes. The Kaiser wore it so many times in the past that the connection sent a cold shiver of dread down the golden- haired boy's spine. He thought he could accept a revisitation of that particular aspect of Ken's personality when the time came, but now he wasn't so sure. And yet deep down inside he liked the fact that Ken was so possessive and in control. It actually made him feel wanted. So he shrugged and gave his boyfriend a bemused smile. "If that's the way you want to play, fine." He was rewarded with a small kiss as Ken leaned over him once again. Much to his surprise his boyfriend pulled his wrists up and over his head, gathered in one strong hand. The gaze he gave his angel was questioning. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. Just taking the necessary measure to ensure you won't get ahead of the game." With that Ken's thumb lightly caressed across his paladin's lips, then the free hand trailed slowly down Takeru's cheek and neck, resting at the top button of the creamcolored shirt. "Mine," the former Kaiser uttered silently as he gracefully worked the first

button free. He leaned in to nibble lightly at the other boy's throat and was satisfied with the muffled moan it elicited. As much as he hated himself for it, he liked making Takeru moan like that... it gave him a sense of control he secretly longed for since he fell from his position as Kaiser. But this was entirely different from the kind of control the Kaiser would use. He hoped. And he really should be focusing more on the task at hand than his emotional issues. Ever so slowly each button was released and the bared flesh touched with gentle caresses. Takeru squirmed impatiently at this treatment once Ken had reached his navel and leaned down to nip lightly at one of the exposed nipples. It wasn't painful, but the way Ken's tongue teased the sensitive tissue made Takeru feel really good. And he really wished he could do something about the situation, like try something he had heard his brother talk to Taichi about when Yamato thought he wasn't listening. Something he wanted to do to Ken for ages. But right now what Ken was doing to him did feel nice... And right now this was not going at an acceptable pace, as pleasant as it was. Takeru squirmed out of his boyfriend's grasp and clamped his hands down on Ken's. Before Ken could so much as protest the change, Takeru pressed a finger to his lips. "I want to try something, if you don't mind. I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it though." "Oh? Dare I ask," Ken muttered, raising an eyebrow at this sudden twist of events. Much to his surprise, his boyfriend rose from the bed and shrugged off the shirt. With a smirk Ken sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "So, what is it?" Intent on his task, he failed to answer, and instead Takeru knelt before his angel and parted Ken's knees. His hands caressed up Ken's inner thighs, eyes fixated on a point just below the raven-haired boy's buckle. Quick fingers unbuckled the belt and pulled it free. With that out of the way, the blond paused to look up at Ken. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this," Takeru whispered as the fingers of one hand traced light patterns on his boyfriend's midriff before trailing back down to unbutton and unzip Ken's slacks. Ken stared down at the mop of golden hair. He wasn't stupid, he knew well enough what Takeru planned to do to him, but he never thought his paladin would consider doing anything like that. Not that he didn't like the idea, but this was quite unexpected. The raven-haired boy squirmed a bit as Takeru's hands pulled out his rising heat and stroked it gently. His paladin looked up, smirking. "You know, watching you squirm is so delicious," the blond-haired boy said as he licked his lips hungrily and grinned at the expression on his angel's face. He leaned forward to kiss Ken's stomach before taking his boyfriend's erection into his mouth. A hiss of pleasure escaped Ken's lips at the new sensation. He gathered the bed's blankets within white-knuckled fists as the play of Takeru's tongue on his hardness drove his passion higher and higher. Any thoughts he had were gone, his mind so hazy with what his paladin was doing to him that he didn't notice his control over the situation had slipped away completely. One single thought rose amidst the haze, almost as if on reflex. Control... he hated not being in control, even if this did feel incredibly good. Despite his body's need for release, Ken steeled himself and pressed his paladin away. A hurt expression crossed Takeru's face as his angel pushed him away. He was so certain that Ken was enjoying it, but"As pleasant as this is," Ken purred as he ran his fingers through his paladin's golden hair. "I think it's time for us to... consummate... our relationship, don't you?" Relief spread across Takeru's face as he rose up to kiss his angel, only to pull away when he realized that Ken was moving to pull off his slacks. Takeru eagerly aided the

dark-haired boy and removed the rest of his own clothes. With everything out of the way, he pulled his boyfriend into his embrace and captured Ken's lips in a passionate kiss. Minutes passed before they pulled apart and gazed into each other's lust-filled eyes. A smirk flashed across Ken's face as he gently pressed his boyfriend onto the bed and flat on his back. "Wait right there," the raven-haired boy ordered as he knelt at the bedside and rummaged through his clothing. Within a few moments he pulled out a tube of lubricant and grinned. "Knew this would come in handy someday..." Takeru stared in surprise. "You've been planning this?" "I didn't plan for us to get stranded out here, but I have been hoping for this to happen eventually. Tonight is as good as any, right?" "And we're not likely to get caught by anyone who knows us," the blond muttered, following Ken's logic. Made sense, certainly. And right now he wasn't about to complain. Ken nodded in agreement as he unscrewed the cap on the tube of lubricant and squeezed a generous amount onto his palm. He joined his paladin on the bed, slicking his own hardness with the gel with just enough left for other purposes. With a fingers made slippery by the lubricant, Ken reached down to press into Takeru's tight hole. The blond gritted his teeth at the initial dull pain as his muscles tightened against the invasion. Yet his fallen one pressed onward, stroking the flesh within and making it slippery in the process. Ken pressed further in and upwards against a spot he knew would make the discomfort worth it. Takeru bit back a cry in response to the unexpected flash of pleasure, his muscles tightening further before all resistance was shed away. Satisfied with the blond's response, Ken withdrew his fingers and settled his boyfriend's hips into position. He locked eyes with Takeru before taking the plunge, watching carefully for any change in expression. "It's going to hurt at first-" "I know," the blond whispered, smiling as he reached up to caress his angel's cheek. "Do me already." This elicited a chuckle from the raven-haired boy. Ken leaned down to kiss his paladin before slowly pressing into Takeru's depths. A gasp of pain escaped the blond in response to the invasion, causing a look of consternation to cross Ken's face. Briefly he toyed with the thought of withdrawing, but that was not what either of them would have wanted right now. He steeled himself to press further in and upwards. The younger of the two shuddered at the wave of pleasure that overtook him and drowned out the pain as his angel stroked that one spot inside that made all the discomfort worth it. Having gotten the response he wanted, Ken withdrew only to thrust in again. Being able to control Takeru like that appealed to something dark within Ken, but right now he didn't care. The feeling of his boyfriend's muscles encasing him like that, the feeling of power in being able to draw out exactly the kind of responses he wanted from Takeru... that was all he wanted and that was all that mattered. Takeru groaned softly as each thrust pushed him closer to his peak and each stroke against that spot that flooded his nerves with pleasure he never thought was possible. He gazed up through passion-clouded eyes at his angel, seeing and accepting the look of possessive dominance. Once it would have bugged him, but now he trusted his angel without a second thought. Dark side or not. As he felt Takeru's muscles clamp tightly around him, Ken quickened his pace, unconsciously becoming rougher in the process. It wasn't long before he faintly heard a

harsh cry penetrate the dark fog of his mind and the muscles around him clamp up even further as Takeru reached his climax. The raven-haired boy reached his own peak soon afterwards, and slumped forward in exhaustion as his seed emptied into his boyfriend's depths. Ken sighed a couple of minutes later and withdrew from his paladin to lie at the boy's side. His eyes closed as he thought over what he had done. The enjoyment he felt at dominating Takeru like that, at being rougher than he should have been, at being completely and utterly in control... it was as if the Kaiser had come back to take charge of the situation. Except he was the Kaiser, the Kaiser was him, and it was stupid and weak of him to consider his darker side a separate personality entirely. And if what had just happened was any proof, he could probably do a lot more damage to his paladin unconsciously than he dared imagine. He had hoped that it would be more... intimate, perhaps? Then he had to go and ruin it by letting his darker desires take over. One of the most basic of human instincts, and he couldn't even get that right. A shift in the bed's mass alerted him to Takeru's motions, and soon afterwards he felt a gentle caress on his face. "Something bothering you," Takeru whispered, concerned at the dejected expression on his angel's face. He quite enjoyed what they had done, and was certain he would crave it even more in the future. But with the look Ken was wearing, something must have gone wrong somewhere along the line and Takeru was more than willing to find out what the problem was and amend it. "What is it?" "Nothing you should concern yourself with," Ken sighed as he looked up at his paladin. Takeru was sweet, precious, and deserved far, far better than what Ken could ever give him. As much as he enjoyed the blond's presence, it probably would be better if the relationship was broken off. Yet each time Ken had thought such a thing he remembered the tortured look that his paladin gave him the two times he made an attempt on his life, and each time he resolved never to put Takeru through that kind of pain again. It was a delicate situation, and one he couldn't find a gentle solution for no matter how much he thought about it. And he liked Takeru a lot more than he thought, to the point where he actually felt threatened by Hikari's presence. There was something he felt for his boyfriend of the last four years that he was never able to fully define. Was it really love or something else? Why couldn't he figure it out? The raven-haired boy pulled away from his paladin's touch and rose from the bed. He'd need a little time alone to think, and this problem concerning their parents had to be resolved. "Call Hikari, ask her if she's willing to play along. We'll need Hikari as an alibi, and if she's willing then call your mother and tell her that you're staying at a slumber party with Daisuke and the rest at Hikari's. I'll call my parents after I take a shower." Takeru stared after Ken as his angel retreated to the bathroom. Lie? To Mom? And get Hikari involved in this lie? But then again it was necessary, wasn't it? His relationship with Ken was something he would never want to break off, and if their parents found out they could ruin everything. A sigh escaped him as he reached over to the telephone and dialed up his friend's number. Personally he would love to forget all this completely and join Ken in the shower, but this needed to be taken care of first and he knew better than to bug Ken during the beginnings of one of his silent states. "Good evening, Mrs. Yagami, is Hikari there," Takeru asked of the older woman who picked up the phone after a second ring, marginally grateful that it wasn't Taichi. As

much as he liked Taichi as a friend, he really didn't want to answer another question about why he and Hikari were still on a friends-only basis. "Oh, Takeru! Of course, just a minute please... she's busy scanning something." While he waited for his friend to pick up the phone, his mind wandered briefly to Ken. Tall, dark, beautiful, flawed Ichijouji Ken. His fallen angel who would forever be marred by the darkness. But if he could shine a little light into that darkness maybe he could help his beloved. Wait, beloved? He did love Ken, right? Before he could get any further into his thoughts he heard Hikari's voice greet him warmly and ask why he called. "Hikari, Ken and I are in a bit of a jam right now. We're stuck in Shinjuku and the train to Odaiba doesn't run this late." "Oh? What happened?" "Run-in with some punk Yakuza wannabe. Ken handled him but we missed the train out and by the next one came we would have been stuck in Shinbashi Station since the Yurikamome train would have already done its last round of the night. So right now we're in a hotel in Shinjuku for an overnight stay." There was a pause at the other end of the line before Hikari managed to respond. "And judging by that odd tone of voice you have right now I'm assuming that you two have already had sex?" Takeru began to feel faint as his face heated up in a huge blush. It was alright when Hikari became a little more open about herself thanks to Miyako's influence, but he never thought he'd see the day when she would pick up on her girlfriend's bluntness. It was awhile before he could bring himself to speak again. "Erm... yeah. It was great. Anyway, we really don't want to be asked about our whereabouts by our parents, so Ken and I were hoping you'd be willing to act as an alibi." "No problem. What's the plan," Hikari quipped in a distinctly distant voice which made Takeru wonder what she was doing when he interrupted her. "Ah, well... we're going to tell our parents we're attending a slumber party at your place if that's okay." "Sure it's okay Takeru, you know you can count on me. Oh, I'm going to e-mail you and Ken some scans of the photos in a bit. Would you like a couple of them in hardcopy," the keeper of Light asked cheerfully as the sudden sounds of typing on a keyboard filtered through the phone- line. A smile crossed Takeru's face at this. Having something as substantial as a photograph to remind him of his angel and how he felt about Ken would be nice. Very nice indeed. "Yeah, sure. Thanks for everything, Hikari. I really owe you a lot." "I'll think of repayment methods later. You two have a good time now, okay?" Once the conversation ended and Hikari hung up, Takeru dialed up his home number to tell his mother that he was attending to a slumber party with his friends at the Yagami residence. She accepted it easily and without question, thankfully. The last factor was Ken's parents, and Ken would have to be the one to deal with them. The blond sighed as he put the phone back on the hook and rose from the bed. He still ached a little but that was something that would pass eventually. At the moment he was worried about his angel and just what made Ken so aloof this time. The bathroom door was slightly ajar and the sounds of running water emerged from within. Takeru leaned against the doorjam, watching the taller figure silhouetted against a shower curtain. The idea of joining Ken in there was very, very appealing right now, but he had other things to deal with that did not include his raging hormones.

"I'm here if you want to talk about it," he voiced in concern when he realized the figure wasn't moving, wondering vaguely if Ken had gone into one of his depressive modes again. "Thanks," a soft, almost timid voice rose from behind the curtain after a minute of silence. The blond closed his eyes in moderate apprehension. He was never sure how to help Ken with these particular problems, and it distressed him that he had no real idea of how to aid his angel. And what hurt most of all that he wanted so desperately to relieve Ken of the pain of his past. "Mind if I join you? I kinda have this mess on me I want to wash off." This elicited a small chuckle. "Oh, fine. Come in." A smile of relief painted itself across Takeru's face. If his angel was actually responding to him then Ken was through the worst of it. But it was far from over and would not be over for awhile. He stepped into the shower and gathered the raven-haired boy into his arms. There was just something indescribably special and timeless about holding his beloved angel like this... The feeling of Ken in his embrace and of skin against skin, nothing between them except for the silence... It was perfect. Deep down he wished it would never end. Any doubts he ever had about themselves and their future were washed away in the peace of that moment. Moments that seemed to stretch on forever passed before Ken moved to pull away. Judging from the expression on his angel's face it probably wouldn't be appropriate to ask right now what had been bothering Ken, so that would have to wait. Ken reached forward with a foamy washcloth to swipe it across Takeru's stomach. "I believe you came in to clean that off, right," the raven- haired boy asked, snickering slightly when a blush rose on Takeru's cheeks. "Ah, yeah... among other things," Takeru muttered. Well, at least his boyfriend was getting some kind of enjoyment from needling him, though that particular stage never lasted long. He pulled the washcloth from Ken's grasp. "I was wondering if you'd want a little help." "Maybe another time." A shadow of a smile crept across Ken's face. "But first I need to call my parents. I expect you'll be out of here by the time I'm done?" The golden-haired boy nodded, covering up some of the disappointment he was feeling as Ken retreated from the shower stall and grabbed a towel. Damn, he was looking forward to doing... things... with his beloved angel. He sighed as he mentally smacked himself for his rampaging hormones and began scrubbing himself clean. The entire process didn't take long at all, and when he was done he stepped out to dry off and join Ken. Even now his angel was curled up on the bed with eyes unfocused and gazing into something Takeru could only guess at. Probably memories so dark Ken would never share them, or reflecting masochistically on his inner torment, or festering within the darkness in his own soul. Takeru doubted he would ever know fully what the Digital World and everything involved with it had done to Ken, nor did he think he could ever smooth over the scars of Ken's past. But he could at least try. Right? ...It was all really very depressing. Takeru sighed as he crawled onto the bed to lay besides Ken and gaze into those deep amethyst eyes. No one ever deserves the kind of torture Ken went through in his childhood, especially not at such a young age. They both had been through so much for the sake of the Digital World, though Ken went through significantly more. Few were the times he asked this question, yet it arose once again.

"What did we do to deserve it," the blond whispered as he reached out to caress his angel's cheek. The responsibilities, the anguish, the fear of being killed and of failing... was it really worth it? Those beautiful violet eyes finally focused as the question registered in Ken's mind. There was something so infinitely sad in them, laced with the shadows of the fallen one's sins. "I deserved what I got," was Ken's toneless answer. "I have the blood of so many innocents on my hands. I am the cause of my own brother's death. I can't escape my own darkness, as tonight has proven." The blond shook his head as he scooted closer to draw his angel into his arms, leaning in to kiss the older boy's forehead as he did so. "None of that is really your fault, and you really have to stop beating yourself over the past." He gazed deeply into his angel's eyes as he prepared to say what had been on his mind for awhile. "I love you, no matter what you did in the past. And no matter what happens I swear I'll do everything I can to make sure you'll never be hurt again. Even if you do still have the Kaiser's shadow in you, I still love you. Nothing you do will ever change that." Ken sighed and looked away. "You're just saying that to make me feel better." "I am not," the blond muttered as he nudged Ken's face back to look into his eyes. "And don't you dare tell me you don't deserve anyone." Before the raven-haired boy could so much as protest, Takeru took his lover's lips in the most heartfelt kiss he ever bestowed upon his angel. Takeru could not guess at how long he had kissed his beloved, or when the kiss was returned. The way the raven-haired boy melted into the kiss, the way it all felt just so right... it was perfect and had affirmed everything he felt for Ken. When they parted at last, Ken looked up at him with eyes softened by emotion. They gazed in into each other's eyes in silence for some time before any words were spoken. "Thank you," the raven-haired boy whispered, reaching up to touch his paladin's lips and smiling slightly when they parted to nibble a bit on his fingertips before he withdrew them. "What are you thanking me for," Takeru asked as he grabbed the fingers he had nibbled on and threaded his own between them. Ken just looked so beautiful lying in front of him that he couldn't help but lovingly caress the older boy's cheek with his free hand. "For being there for me whenever I needed you, for accepting who I am. For everything." A smile crossed Takeru's face as he pressed his angel onto his back and leaned over to share another passionate kiss before nuzzling the older boy's neck. "I love you, Ken." Ken sighed, closing his eyes and running his fingers through his paladin's hair as the younger boy's nuzzling turned into light nibbles at his neck. Somehow Takeru's confession lifted a fog of darkness that had hovered over his heart. Knowing that someone cared for him like that, someone who accepted the darkness of his soul and still loved him... it was something he never dared think he'd deserve. He murmured something under his breath as Takeru's lips trailed down to brush across one of his nipples, which drew the blond's attention from the task and asked him to repeat it. In the silence of the chill spring night a soft, intimate voice rose. "I... Takeru, I love you too." .~*~. Once upon a time, a paladin that hid his despair under a suit of armor made of the light of hope stumbled upon a cave. Within this cave laid a figure with broken wings so dirtied that they looked black and hands caked with the blood of others. The paladin offered his hand to the fallen angel, drawing it from a black lake of sins. When the

fallen one stood, the paladin knelt before it and took a blood-encrusted hand between his own. And he swore with eyes locked upon the angel's that he would forever protect the fallen one and one day hope to draw it up from its own darkness and pain. A glimmer of a smile crossed the angel's face as it set one hand upon the paladin's golden hair, nodding its acceptance.

Lux aeterna luceat eis

Hikari sighed as she flipped through her photo album, her gaze lingering on the few photos she had of Takeru and Ken. It had hurt when she learned about them, it continued to hurt for many weeks afterwards, and it wasn't until the past couple of years that she felt she had gotten over it. With everything Ken had been through, and certainly more than he would ever admit to anyone, he very much needed someone as patient and understanding as Takeru. At least they were happy together, and she had Miyako around to cheer her up. The tiniest of smiles crossed her face. So many people expected her and Takeru to hook up eventually that in time she honestly believed in it. Which was quite silly, come to think of it, and it wasn't until Hikari actually talked to Miyako about it that the other girl pointed out how ridiculous it was to follow other people's expectations and make none of your own. Alright, technically Miyako had to corner her and pry out the reason for her depression, but then Miyako was rather good at that and bluntness was always the purple-haired girl's forte. As nice as Takeru was, and as much as she admired his optimism and occasional chivalrous streak, eventually it became Miyako who was more apt to bring a smile to her face than anyone else. The mutual understanding they had come to that had in turn triggered their digimons' first Jogress evolution brought them close enough to become friends. And in time they drew closer. Gods forbid they ever tell anyone about their relationship, however. She had only ever told Takeru, and in turn Ken if only to prove to the raven-haired boy that she was not a threat to his relationship. Miyako proved to be a lot more trustworthy than she initially thought, and had told no one at all. So many people with so many secrets that would prove quite troublesome if brought out to the open... it was rather daunting at times. With a final sigh she closed the photo album and returned it to its hiding place underneath her mattress. In a few minutes she would have to meet Miyako and Sora at a restaurant close by before heading to school, and it just wouldn't do if she was late, now would it? When the Child of Light rushed out of the apartment, she failed to hear as her mother called out for Taichi to gather up the bed sheets for laundry. .~*~. Five years ago he wouldn't even have considered taking up the piano as a hobby. Or any musical instrument for that matter, as Yamato was the real musician in the family. His brother's talent laid in writing music and singing in that voice that made his fans melt, and Takeru's only real musical talent was in bringing to life someone else's composition. It wasn't even all that good of a talent considering masters such as Emanuel Ax and Alicia de Larrocha.

But there was something to be said about losing oneself in the music, about the purity of emotions evoked when one played a particularly fitting piece of music. When he played it felt like he didn't need to be so happy and optimistic for other people's sake... he could be the Takeru he hid from everyone else save the two most important beings in his life. Neither of which were in the school's empty orchestra room, so he was very much alone with the instrument his fingers danced on. The piece he played now was one of Mozart's piano concerti. Romanze from Concerto No. 20 in D minor wasn't it? It would be nice if he had the other people in his chamber group to play along, even nicer if he could bring Ken alone in here some day and play for him. After all, it was Ken who had introduced him to music other than what he was used to. And he rather liked the idea of playing the type of music his angel liked to listen to so often. Ken. It was always the raven-haired boy that occupied his mind to the point of obsession. Supposedly that wasn't healthy, but those thoughts always brought him the kind of peace he didn't think was possible. Being loved by someone who needed him, and loving that person in return... it was very gratifying. It made him genuinely happy, which was rather different from the shallow kind of happy mood he had to be in for other people. A slight smile surfaced on his face as he played out the last measures of the music and rose from the piano bench. Who knew he'd turn out to be such a damn romantic? The sudden cacophonic noise of clapping intruded upon his thoughts, and he turned to meet the approving gaze of the school's orchestra teacher. With a grin plastered on his face he bowed to the old man that had taught him what he knew. "Takaishi," the teacher began, nodding in acknowledgment to the formal gesture. "I would be very honored if you would be willing to play in a city-wide competition with a trio I will be hand-picking for this purpose." Takeru stared, his mouth going dry at the thought of competing against anyone in something that was really just a hobby. "But... but Mr. Suzuki, I'm not really all that talented." "Nonsense. Talent is nice and dandy on its own, but you have passion going for you too. A musician is nothing if he can't pour his heart into the music. We have high hopes for you, Takaishi." Sighing, Takeru relented. Everyone always had expectations of him that he was sure he didn't really want to meet, and yet he tried to meet them anyway with as cheery a demeanor as he could manage. It was quite stressful. Well, maybe he could get something out of this... "Mr. Suzuki, may I request something if I agree to this?" "Of course, if it is within my power to grant this request. What is it?" The teenaged boy took a deep breath before presenting his request. "Instead of practicing during lunch break I would like to come in and practice after school hours, and have a friend with me. He's kinda from another school though, but-" "He will be most welcome," the teacher cut in, smiling. "I shall make arrangements with the janitor. Just be sure you behave yourselves." "Certainly, sir!" Takeru spared a quick glance at the room's clock and blanched. "If you'll excuse me, I have a class to go to." With a quick farewell he ran off, darting through the hallways and finally collapsing in his chair before the teacher for computer science showed up. Grinning nervously in response to Hikari's quizzical glance, he gathered himself and turned on the computer to check his e-mail on a telnet client before the teacher would come in and actually begin the class. And the nice thing about Hikari being the only one sitting next to him was that

she knew better than to try to look over and read his personal stuff. She did have a habit of asking questions about them later, however. There was something from Ken, which from the timestamp looked to have been sent several minutes ago. The genius was obviously very bored in the advanced programming class he was attending and took to ranting for a paragraph or so about how the teacher was only focusing on the slower members of the class and therefore left him with nothing challenging to do. So he had decided to pester Takeru in e-mail and promised to help if his pestering ended up distracting his beloved paladin from anything important the teacher might say. Also, where his mind was right now was far more entertaining... though he hoped he wouldn't be called upon any time soon. Snickering softly at that final line, the blond waited until the teacher passed out assignments before responding to the mail. He wrote out his concerns about the competition, about how he really didn't want to compete against anyone for a silly trophy and a title, about how he would rather just like to be able to play without that kind of pressure. Oh, and would Ken like to come over to the school after hours and listen to him practice? Takeru waited in boredom for a response, half-listening to the teacher lecture about something or another that Ken was probably far better at explaining. Ken was far better than a lot of people at explaining things, even though he would never think of going into teaching as a profession. His thoughts drifted briefly to a rather recent image of his fallen angel, amethyst eyes closed in sleep and long, silken dark hair spilled out upon the pillow. Ken rarely had nightmares nowadays, thankfully, and the peaceful beauty his face held in slumber was something Takeru treasured. It was something he very much wanted to see again. After roughly ten minutes had passed, a response finally came. Ken was more than willing to drop by and finally have the opportunity to listen to his boyfriend play. And since it was a Friday, perhaps they could get a hotel room for the night? School had taken up so much of their time lately that they were rarely able to visit each other. A tender smile flitted across the blond's face at the text. As rare as this was, it was really quite nice when Ken actually felt romantically inclined... or at least admitted to feeling something. He sent off his agreement at the idea, and not long afterwards he was sent a response which included a suggestion to get a room at the Hotel Nikko Tokyo in Odaiba that offered a nice view of the bay. Fighting down a blush at the image of what that would lead to, Takeru scribbled out a note explaining that he wouldn't be available after school and handed it to Hikari. His best friend cocked an eyebrow at him knowingly and scribbled out a reply on it. Apparently she had a few activities to take care of as well. He sighed as he watched the clock's hands slowly tick by, wishing school would be over with already so he'd have his angel gathered up in his arms and bestow kisses upon his beloved's exquisite face. And neck. And certain other places that he really shouldn't be thinking about in a classroom. This was going to be an excruciatingly long day. .~*~. Ken stepped from the Odaiba-Kaihinkoen Station with his laptop carry satchel under one arm. He always dragged it everywhere he went in recent years, and was never really sure why. Probably for something to do, anyway. Life could be so boring and uninteresting when he didn't have Takeru around. He paused on the way to Odaiba's high school, finally remembering that he really should have called Daisuke earlier and told the other boy that he would have to call off the study session. Well, more like 'watch Daisuke try to act silly and avoid doing

homework' session, at any rate. Sometimes he wondered why he ever bothered helping Daisuke with his homework since it was so obvious that the cinnamon-haired boy was only really interested in avoiding his assignments. Ah, right... he did so because Daisuke needed a friend that wasn't half a world away and Ken was the only one who was willing to be that friend. Well, it was nice that Daisuke was actually developing feelings for that blond kid over in the United States... Wallace, wasn't it? Hopefully it would work out, if Daisuke would ever actually get over his initial nervousness and the fear that maybe Wallace would reject him. With the mental note made to call Daisuke later, he strode into the somewhat empty school building and asked for directions to the music room. Once he had those he trotted down several hallways until he found it. The idea of Takeru playing just for him was quite touching, actually. His paladin was really far too good for him. The raven-haired boy cocked his head at the empty music room, briefly wondering where Takeru was hiding. Then he heard them: delicate notes that wafted through the air like cherry-blossom petals dancing on the wind, and they drifted from what looked to be a chamber practice room. As an almost impish grin painted itself across Ken's face, he strode with quiet steps up to the one soundproof practice room that had its door ajar and watched as his lover's fingers pranced upon ivory keys. Keeping as quiet as possible, Ken regarded his golden-haired paladin serenely. Mine, he thought to himself as he listened to the music and gazed adoringly upon Takeru's face. No one, nothing will ever take him from me... Takeru stopped before the song was supposed to end and opened his eyes to glance at the person who had intruded upon his private little sanctuary. Just the very person he had wanted to see for the past few hours. "Missed you," he whispered, moving to rise from the piano bench before his angel motioned him to stay put and took a seat besides him on the bench instead. Refusing to waste another second, Takeru traced a line from Ken's earlobe to just under the chin, and leaned in to plant a hungry kiss upon his angel's lips. Smirking at this, Ken allowed himself the pleasure of responding in kind for a few minutes before pulling away. He pressed a single finger lightly upon his lover's lips. "Now now, we don't want to be caught, do we? And I could have sworn you said you were going to perform something for me." An embarrassed chuckle escaped the blond as his imagination provided a much different kind of performance he would like to give his angel. He was very much in need of that little outing Ken would be taking him on later that evening. "Ah... hey, that's right. Um, I'm gonna have to apologize in advance, though... the song I'll be playing isn't really classical, and it normally has a violin and vocal accompaniment. So I've had to embellish the piano part a bit. Hope you don't mind." Ken merely made a silent indication of approval and closed his eyes to concentrate upon the music. It started off muted and mournful at first, then rose in a crescendo with innocent hope. The volume then settled at pianissimo before rising again to a forte and then settling once again to a mezzoforte, intricate notes weaving all the while within the varying emotions the music conveyed. It was really quite lovely, especially once the emotions clarified into a single, simple little melody and finally faded off. It was some time before either could bring themselves to talk. Ken sighed pleasantly as he laid his head upon his lover's shoulder and wrapped his arm around the other boy's waist. "That was beautiful, Takeru... thank you," he whispered as he hugged his paladin tenderly. Takeru's heart took wing and soared at Ken's response to the piece. He worked so long on his variation of the original composition that he feared that his beloved angel

wouldn't like it. But this was nicer than he'd thought it would be, and he was quite content just to sit with Ken in his embrace. Love is painful when the one you love doesn't love you back, it eats at your insides and occupies your mind until you find yourself pining for the person you have been cursed to love. And yet when you discover that this person develops the same love for you too and admits to it, then it becomes the most intimate and delicate emotion in the world. Few people are ever lucky enough for this to happen, however, and Takeru knew this enough to be endlessly thankful that his angel returned his feelings, and continued to do so for the past five years. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against his angel's, lacing his fingers between Ken's and reveled in the intimacy of the moment. We will be together forever, we have to be, Takeru thought to himself. I won't let anyone or anything draw us apart. .~*~. To say that Yagami Taichi could be impulsive at times was a vast understatement. Admittedly, he had gotten better about that over the years, but he was still capable of acting before thinking. So, when he found his sister's photo album, the idea that he was intruding upon her personal things did not cross his mind. He had meant to look at it earlier when he found it while gathering up the bed sheets for his mother's laundry chores, but he had class to attend to soon afterwards, and already had enough tardies racked up against him. Now, with Hikari over at some study session with Miyako and while waiting for Yamato to come over, he took the time to flip through the white and pink book. Hikari was really quite good with her camera, and the stunning scenery photographs made his heart swell with pride. This was his sister's work, after all. Then came the more personal shots. In the first one Tailmon, Hawkmon, and Miyako were curled together under a cherry tree and practically beaming at the camera. The second was rather blurry and probably taken by a much less expert hand, and offered the image of Miyako making her trademark 'Bingo!' sign with one hand while the other arm was draped over Hikari's shoulder. And the one afterwards... Was that Miyako kissing a slightly-blushing Hikari? Taichi's mouth went dry at the evidence before him. His little sister was with someone who was not part of what Yamato liked to so lovingly call 'The Family'? But... but what about Takeru? Oh gods, after all the times Takeru would hedge when Taichi would ask why the boy and Hikari weren't going out... he really should have figured it out. Rather numb now with shock, Taichi pressed onwards, through photos of Miyako, Miyako and Hikari, one or two of himself and Yamato, one of Jyou and Koushiro studying together, several of Daisuke strutting around or acting silly while some blond kid with a Terriermon that Taichi didn't really recognize watched on in amusement... And, near the back, were photos of Takeru. Stand-alone photographs at first, with a few stand-alone pictures taken of Ichijouji which the former Kaiser had probably been unaware of. None of the pictures on those two pages hinted at what was on the last, however. The first of the photos on the final page offered the image of Takeru trapped between Ichijouji and a concrete pillar, the raven-haired boy pressing Yamato's little brother against himself and practically ravishing the blond's mouth. The second portrayed the former Kaiser with his arm draped over Takeru's shoulders and glaring possessively at the camera. Ill at the implications of those images, Taichi slammed the photo album shut and stared blankly at the white and pink cover with a single red heart in the middle. It looked so innocent, and yet turned out to be such a... what was the term? Pandora's Box?

Alright, Hikari was with Miyako, he could deal with that. Miyako could come on like a sledgehammer most of the time, but she had her moments and was rather nice and gentle once one really got to know her. But Yamato's sweet, innocent little brother? With Ichijouji of all people? Oh gods, he couldn't get that image of Agumon wearing a dark ring out of his head. His Agumon, turned evil by that terrible conqueror. He could still hear the reports from frightened digimon of the Kaiser's abusive ways, he could still remember the wounds so many of them carried. The newer kids went on and on about how Ichijouji was good now, and Taichi had been stupid enough to believe them. From what he could see, however, they had misjudged the megalomanic boy. Shaking his head in a resolve to rescue his boyfriend's innocent brother from the Kaiser's grasp, he opened the album again to dig out the first photograph that provided the evidence he needed to show Yamato. He'd have to save Takeru, preferably with Yamato's help. Why did things have to go so wrong? Takeru and Hikari were supposed to be together, so Taichi and Yamato could be together too and their families wouldn't complain because Takeru and Hikari would carry on the family legacy and everything would be okay. Right? Taichi rose from his seat on the bottom bunk at the sound of the doorbell ringing. That had to be Yamato. He rushed to the door and opened it, gazing upon the rather delicious visage of his boyfriend of the last few years. Unfortunately, what he would really like to do would have to wait until later. Grabbing the sleeve of Yamato's leather jacket, Taichi dragged the shorter youth off to his room and closed the door behind him. Once he knew they were alone he pointed to the bottom bunk. "Yama, before I say anything it would probably be a good idea if you sat down first." Yamato cocked his head, blinking mock-innocently at the brown-haired leaderboy as he settled upon the bed. "Now Taichi, I thought we swore that anything really kinky would have to be done in my van." A flush painted itself across the taller youth's face as that comment brought forth a memory of a rather recent event concerning the back of Yamato's van, ice, and hot wax. Shaking his head to dispel that particular image, he dug the photograph from his pocket and pressed it into the musician's hands. The color in Yamato's face drained at the sight, his fingers clasping the heavy paper with such force that it crinkled under pressure. "How- Taichi, Ichijouji looked so normal when I was with him in Mexico. Spoke Spanish more fluently than the actual natives did and was rather nice about it, but I never thought... Never thought he would take Takeru like that..." "We have to find them and see just how long this has been going on and why Hikari hasn't said anything to me about it." "Hikari took this picture?" The musician's hands went slack, leaving the photograph to drift to the floor. He stared blankly at the fallen image. His precious, innocent little brother, prey to the Kaiser. Oh gods, why didn't he notice anything happening before now? "Yeah," Taichi muttered as he looked away, feeling rather betrayed that Hikari never told him anything about her personal life. "She's also been rather heavily involved with Inoue if those other photos are anything to go by." "Well, so much for The Family, eh," Yamato snorted, leaning down to pick up the picture and stuff it into a pocket before rising from his seat on the bed. "All our

expectations, our dreams, shattered. And we didn't even notice until now. Any idea where Takeru and Hikari are?" "Hikari should be at the Inoue residence, and I have no idea where on earth your brother is. It really wouldn't surprise me if Hikari knew, however." Yamato sighed, rubbing his temples in an almost calming gesture. It just wouldn't do for him to get angry, not right now. Just wait until he got his hands on Ichijouji. "Do you have Inoue's phone number anywhere?" With a nod, the former leader of the Destined Children left the room, only to return soon afterwards with a piece of paper and the family's cordless phone. A few punched numbers later and after the necessary pleasantries were exchanged with one of Miyako's siblings, he had his sister on the phone. It took a lot more willpower than he thought he had, but he avoided asking just how long his sister had been involved with the youngest of the Inoue siblings. "Say Squirt, do you know where Takeru is? It's really important that Yamato and I have a long talk with him." The pause at the other end of the line was far longer than he liked. Impatiently Taichi tapped his foot against the floor. "Yagami Hikari," he ground out in his most commanding voice, hoping it would get her to tell him just where he could find Takeru and Ken, and throttle the smirking little raven-haired brat. "We believe he may be in danger, especially if he's with Ichijouji." Hikari practically hissed into the mouthpiece. "Taichi! How dare you dig through my personal album!" "Listen, I don't really have the patience to deal with this argument right now. Just tell me where Takeru is hiding so I don't have to drag the Tokyo Police in on this too." "Fine, they're at one of the hotels near the bay in Odaiba, I don't know which one except it supposedly overlooks Rainbow Bridge. Nor would I tell you. I'll just leave you with this warning: it's not at all wise to come between a paladin and his angel." With that the phone was slammed down upon its cradle and the connection killed. A sigh escaped Taichi as he lowered the phone and glanced at Yamato. "Well, they're at one of the two hotels along the beach that overlooks Rainbow Bridge, so it won't be that much of a search." "Yeah, now we just need to figure out which one it is and what alias Ichijouji might use. Hand me that phone and find me a phonebook, will ya," the musician asked, running his fingers through his precious hair now in anxiety. The first one they called, Le Meridien Grand Pacific Tokyo, which was probably less expensive than it sounded, had no one going by either Ichijouji or Takaishi staying that night. Making a note to check by later if the other option did not provide the answer they wanted, Yamato moved onwards. There was, however, a Takaji Masaru staying at the Hotel Nikko Tokyo and more specifically in one of the single rooms that had a harbor view. After thanking the reservationist profusedly, Yamato hung up and pointedly dragged his wild-haired boyfriend out of the apartment. The drive wasn't all that long, and within eight minutes the teenaged youths found themselves at the single classiest hotel in all of Odaiba. They had a very hard time trying to refrain from openly gaping at the splendor of the place. In trying to find the hotel room, they got lost and had to retrace several times for roughly an hour before finally stumbling upon the right wing and room. When they knocked upon the door, howeverIchijouji Ken stood against the doorjam, pointedly preventing them from trying to get a glimpse inside, wearing nothing but a pair of hastily thrown on blue-green slacks, a silver dove pendant, and an extremely sated smile which soon turned into an annoyed

grimace as he recognized the two intruders. But it was the hair spiked by a rough drying attempt with the towel he held in one hand that caused the older boys to stare. It looked all too familiar, and all the scene was missing now were the shades and the Kaiser's cape and jumpsuit. Cocking an eyebrow in curiosity at the unexpected visit, the raven-haired boy then smirked and purred his query. "Unless you two have decided upon jobs as hotel staff, you're here for something. What is it?" "My brother," Yamato growled, his fists beginning to clench and unclench in suppressed anger. "Where did you hide him?" Internally Ken swore to himself even as he outwardly retained his calm mask of a public face. How did they know? "I don't know what you're talking about, and would appreciate it if you would stop making such wild accusations." He then stiffened as he felt his paladin's hands caress slowly up his sides and across his chest, then Takeru pressing bodily behind him. Dammit. "Ken, hurry up and come back to be-" Takeru froze as he looked up from the neck he was intent on nibbling upon and recognized his brother and Taichi, both going pale. "Eh... ah... hey big brother, Taichi." In an almost instinctive reflex born of the presence of a potential threat, the blond hugged his angel close. "Oh shit... Takeru, tell me you aren't actually willing to be this... this jerk's little sex toy," Yamato started, feeling increasingly ill as he watched his innocent, trusting little brother begin to glare at him with defiance and that rare protectiveness he had seen so few times in the past. "I must say that would be somewhat hard to believe since Takeru's the one initiating most of the events which lead to sex," Ken offered dryly even as his paladin's decidedly protective gesture warmed him. It felt so nice knowing that Takeru was as possessive of him as he was of his lover. This elicited a brief chuckle and a quick squeeze from the other boy, who then returned his attention to his brother. "Please don't call my beloved a jerk, big brother. I don't say anything about your choice in boyfriends." "Dammit, Takeru, don't you remember what he did as the Kaiser," Taichi spat out vehemently in hopes of appealing to something... anything in Takeru that would bring the younger boy back to his senses. "He enslav-" "Enough! I know what I did in the past, and it was the gravest error I ever made. I regret it every day of my life," the raven-haired boy growled at first, before his voice faltered. He glanced at the paint on the door, anything to avoid looking at the righteous ones. "If you'll excuse me..." Takeru sighed as he allowed his lover to escape into the sheltering darkness of the hotel room. Dammit, he definitely didn't need this right now. Neither of them did. He closed his eyes as he stepped from the doorway, trying to suppress the rise of anger at what Taichi had done. His angel was hurt, and it took years to heal Ken... And now those wounds were ripped open by someone he considered a friend. He swore to himself that he would protect Ken from anything that would hurt the other boy, that he would heal his wounded angel in any way possible. A knight does not deserve to call himself a paladin if his word cannot be trusted. Closing the door behind him, he opened his eyes to glare at the intruders. Ken did not need to see this. The anger intensified and Takeru lashed out, planting a solid fist in Taichi's gut that sent the older boy falling backwards. He withdrew the fist only to glare at the other intruder. "I protect that which is mine," the paladin snarled as his fists tightened to the point where the knuckles were white with strain. "Ken is mine, I am his. Don't you dare come between us!"

Yamato and Taichi stared in utter shock at the boy who was currently seething before them. Neither had expected that, and at this point neither was sure exactly what to do. It was just so rare when Takeru lost his temper that it took some time before the other boys could gather their wits and respond. The older of the brothers watched the younger uneasily, his mind searching wildly for anything he could use against Ichijouji before finally recalling the image revealed by that photograph. He dug into the pocket of his black leather jacket and drew out the picture that brought them so much trouble. "Care to explain th-" Before Yamato could continue, the photograph was snatched from his fingers. "I would like to know where the hell you got this," the younger boy snapped as he recognized the image and stuffed it into a pocket in the grey jeans he had haphazardly thrown on when he realized that it was not the room service at the door. Nevermind the fact that those jeans weren't his. "Found it while helping Mom with chores," was the wheezing response from Yagami, who was in the process of picking himself off the floor. "Found out about Inoue too." "Then you deserve everything Hikari throws at you when she finds out about this." Takeru sighed and folded his arms across his chest in a defensive gesture. It was turning out to be such a nice night too until now. "That picture was from the day of our fourth anniversary. We went up to Shinjuku Imperial Garden to celebrate and have a little quiet time together." "Anniversary," Yamato practically choked on the word as his thoughts reeled. Oh gods, had it really been that deep a relationship? All this time and he didn't even realize what had been going on? "Ken and I have been together for five years, Yamato. He has never intentionally hurt me, he's never forced me to do anything against my will. I love him, and I'm trying to heal the wounds life has inflicted upon him. It's taken me years to bring him to the point where he's getting over his depression, and thanks to you two he's relapsing. Is there anything else?" The older boys glanced at each other, both vaguely wondering if Takeru was being earnest or if he had been told to say such things. Yet the burning embers of righteousness in Takeru's eyes that practically screamed his unwavering faith in his love for Ichijouji indicated the former. Were they wrong for interfering? Before they could say anything, however, Takeru sighed and began with something that obviously pained him a great deal. "Neither of you could possibly imagine what I have to go through when he gets like this. Do you know how much it hurts knowing the person you love teeters on the brink of suicide and you can't do anything about it except just to be there for them and offer what support you can? He's suffered enough for what he's done. Please, just leave him be." With that, he turned to open the door and retreat into the darkness. However, once he felt his brother's hand on his arm, he glance angrily back at the older boy. "Listen, I have to undo the damage you two have done. Don't-" "Takeru," Yamato began, somewhat red in embarrassment at the whole ordeal. "Well, you know our parents are okay with my orientation and already know about Taichi... So, erm... when do you think you'll tell them?" "When I feel like it," Takeru muttered as he opened the door behind him, entered the room, and shut himself and his angel into their sanctuary. The paladin sighed as he watched the shadows under the door move away, then turned his attention to the interior of the room. Well, Ken apparently wasn't on the bed, or in the bathroom. Had to be out on the balcony then.

"...libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna..." whispered the voice of his beloved in song as he drew closer to the figure that stood looking across the bay. Hoping that Ken wouldn't mind the intrusion, he stood besides his lover and joined the other boy's gaze into the distance. "I don't recognize that, what's it from?" "Libera Me, from a Requiem Mass," the raven-haired boy answered, eyes never leaving the horizon. Takeru glanced over at his angel's face, mentally swearing at himself for being unable to prevent what happened, and Yamato and Taichi for interfering. The listlessness in Ken's face was very much not what he wanted to see right now. He placed a hand on his angel's shoulder, rather surprised at how cold Ken was to the touch. That definitely wasn't good, and the windchill was worse. "I think you should come back in, it's freezing out here." Ken relented as he was dragged back into the room and the glass door to the balcony shut behind him. It was so dark in the room, so very dark... Almost comforting, really, in a rather ironic way. Darkness enveloping darkness. How fitting. In exhaustion the fallen angel laid back upon the bed, not the least bit surprised when he felt his paladin crawl in besides him. He wondered briefly what Takeru had to do to get rid of the older boys, but given what he knew about his lover, he had a reasonably good idea just what happened. "You don't have to defend me," Ken began, feeling somewhat guilty that Takeru felt the need to protect him from close friends. And he did deserve what Taichi had thrown into his face. "I'd hate myself if I didn't," was Takeru's reply as he gathered up his beloved into his arms. His angel offered no resistance as he did so, and settled willingly into the embrace. A slight smile crossed the paladin's face as he inhaled the scent of rainy days and juniper that hung within Ken's silken hair. He had no regrets about how he handled Taichi and Yamato, oddly enough. Anything for his angel. Sighing as he laid his head upon his paladin's shoulder, Ken draped his arm across the other's chest and closed his eyes. What Takeru had done for him... everything the paladin had done for him... that was priceless. And his paladin was so warm that it was hard for him to even consider leaving the comfort of the blond's embrace. It was so comfortable holding Ken like this, even if the dark-haired one was still colder than Takeru liked. He'd have to get his angel warmer, especially since Ken's hair was still damp and he could catch something from being outside like that. He reached over to turn the bedside lamp on to a soft golden glow before drawing himself from his angel to rise from the bed. Ken looked incredibly appealing right now. There was only one thing wrong with the view, however. "Say, can I have my pants back?" The raven-haired boy blinked innocently before smirking at that question. "But I like being in your pants." A chuckle escaped Takeru as he leaned down to lightly kiss his lover's forehead. "I like being in yours too, but I think we can do without them right now. It'd be easier to warm you once I have you naked and under the covers, now wouldn't it?" Before Ken could reply his lips were taken up in a kiss, and far be it for him to spurn the obvious advances. His lips parted, allowing his paladin to plunge within and their tongues to meet. Part of him was vying for control, but he relinquished it. After Takeru's rather impressive show of chivalry, he was more than willing to allow his paladin whatever the golden-haired youth wished. Time passed, eventually finding them curled together under the blankets and recovering from their exertions. Takeru purred dreamily into his angel's hair, extremely sated and

very happy with what they had done. And it was really quite satisfying watching the pleasure flit across his lover's face in response to his ministrations. He was certain Ken was sleeping at the moment, until"Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine; et lux perpetua luceat eis. Cum sanctis tuis in aeternum: quia pius es," the fallen angel murmured in the most peaceful voice Takeru had ever heard from his lover. The blond hugged his angel close, faintly wondering just what Ken uttered. "You know I don't know Spanish," he muttered into his angel's hair, eliciting a chuckle from the other boy. "It's Latin. 'Eternal rest grant them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. With your saints forever, for Thou art merciful.' Usually sung at a funeral or Requiem Mass, except..." Ken paused, suddenly at a loss for words. Only after reeling wildly about his own mind was he able to find them. "Except that I feel very much alive, and at peace with myself and who I am. Thank you for that, my knight." A giddily happy grin spread across Takeru's face as he hugged his angel close. "You have no idea how much of a relief that is to hear." Silence descended between them, and neither felt the need to move from the comfort and warmth of each other's arms. Secure in their love and dedication to one another, they soon drifted off into peaceful slumber. .~*~. Takaishi Natsuko paced nervously on the ground floor of the enormous monster of a building that was the Tokyo Telecom Center as she awaited the arrival of a relatively non-crowded elevator. The chamber trio from Odaiba High School would be competing against other schools in the finals, which would be held in the Center's twentieth floor. And her younger son was among the three students from Odaiba. While she was proud of him for going so far already, she couldn't help but wonder exactly why he decided to compete at all. Takeru just wasn't the competitive type, so he must have had a good reason. And the prize money and trophy just weren't things she'd think he'd be all that interested in. Not that he would tell her if she asked him, and it was her own fault for being too busy in recent years to be as involved in his life as she'd like to be. He never told her exactly who had given him the gold dove pendant he never took off since he got it two years ago, just like he never really told her where he spent the weekends sometimes. Her presence here was an attempt to be something of a mother, at any rate. There was so much she wanted to know, and simply didn't feel like she had the right to ask. Rather depressing, really. An elevator finally came, and the students within that carried instruments soon disembarked. It wouldn't be long before Odaiba was scheduled to play before a panel of judges, and she hoped she could find her son in time to wish him luck. After the relative peacefulness of the elevator ride, the bustle on the twentieth floor was rather jarring, and it took a few moments for her to straighten out her bearings. A quick glance around offered the image of her son talking to someone draped in dark greys and blues that contrasted sharply against ivory skin. One of Takeru's friends among the Destined Children, wasn't it? Mildly curious, she strode to the table and glimpsed at the piano score they were looking over. "Looks complicated." The two youths looked up at her in surprise, and she cocked her head thoughtfully as she noted the silver dove pendant around the raven-haired boy's throat. It was exactly the same shape and size as the one Takeru kept hidden under his clothes, the one he said someone special gave to him. And she wondered vaguely if that someone special-

"Hey Mom, what are you doing all the way out here," Takeru asked for want of anything better to say. Not that he minded his mother being present, but Ken was here, and if Yamato said anything... "Can't a mother wish her son good luck in such a competition," Natsuko asked innocently as her mind finally provided her with the identity of the other boy. Yes, it was one of the other Destined Children. Ken, the one Takeru would talk about every now and then with a distant look in his face. Things were starting to make sense now. Takeru smiled up at her, partially in relief. Good, if she knew about Ken, then she wasn't pestering him about it like his brother did. "Thanks," he responded, then looked up at the clock. Four more minutes before the Odaiba trio would be called into the judging room. "Listen, I'd hate to go, but they're going to call us soon and I have to talk with Hitoshi about keeping on tempo." A smirk painted itself across Ken's face as he regarded Takeru. "But it's the pianist that's supposed to set the tempo, not the violinist or the cellist." "You aren't helping one bit, Ken," the blond retorted as he rose from the table. "See you two after the competition." Once Takeru had disappeared amidst the crowds of anxious musicians, Natsuko settled on the chair her son abandoned and gazed at Ken. Very pretty young man, certainly, and quite the genius according to the rumors she heard about him. If her son was involved with the youth as she figured he was, then she could be proud of the fact that at least this one had far better tastes in men than his brother. Learning about Yamato's orientation had provided a shock at first, but then once she thought about it, that development really wasn't all that surprising. However, she did secretly wish that Yamato would find someone that didn't look like a walking porcupine to be involved with. But so long as both her sons were happy, she honestly didn't care who they loved so long as the objects of their affections treated them well. Hoping to confirm her theory and maybe get to know a little more about Ken, she began striking conversation. "So, do you know what they're playing?" "Chopin's Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano in G Minor. Complex piece, but I'm certain Takeru can pull off his share if he can just keep up with the tempo variations," Ken replied, wondering vaguely why his boyfriend's mother was asking him such a thing. Ms. Takaishi never showed interest in talking to him before... Unless she was told by Yamato about his relationship with her son and was trying to assess the situation. He just hoped she wouldn't be stupid enough to try the same thing Yamato did, as he really didn't feel like making an enemy out of his boyfriend's mother too. Natsuko smiled to herself. Well, Ken obviously had confidence in her son's skills, that was good, and she noticed the spark of pride in the youth's eyes when he replied. Very good. Now, about those matching pendants... "That's a lovely pendant, where did you get it?" Rather surprised at the nature of the question, Ken absently touched the little dove that dangled from a thin silver chain around his neck. Few people ever commented on it. "Ah, I got this in a bazaar at Mrida in Mexico a couple of years back. Why do you ask?" "My son has one just like it. Were you the one who gave it to him?" Ken sighed and looked away, not liking where this was going to lead to in the least. He would like it if Takeru's family would accept him, but after Yamato's little display he doubted he would ever gain that acceptance. "Yes. Then you know about us, don't you?"

"I've only just figured it out today," the woman admitted, frowning slightly at the rejected look on Ken's face. Did he expect her to disapprove? When he failed to respond, Natsuko reached across the table and placed a reassuring hand on the youth's shoulder. "Takeru seems to be happy with you." Glancing at the hand on his shoulder before returning his gaze to his boyfriend's mother, Ken was briefly surprised at the gentle smile she gave him and was at a complete loss for words. That was not what he expected at all. Once Natsuko had Ken's attention, she continued. "You look like a nice enough boy. I'm rather glad Takeru's chosen someone who cares about him." All the phone calls, Takeru's occasional disappearances, the gifts that her son would buy for someone he refused to tell her about, the way he would daydream when he should have been doing his homework... It all made perfect sense now. "Then... you're not upset," Ken asked, somewhat bewildered. Takeru's mother was neither angry or shocked at this discovery? But that went against everything he anticipated, surely there was something wrong that would pop up soon enough. The woman shook her head, rather bemused at the continued surprise on the boy's face. "Not at all. Welcome to the family, Ken." He stared, completely stunned. Takeru's mother accepting him without question... that was... that was... "I... I... Thank you, Ms. Takaishi." That was more than he thought he would ever deserve. .~*~. Takeru sighed as he stepped out of the judging room. Goshuu the cellist had narrowly missed trashing the whole performance when his endpin almost slipped out and ended up having to hold the cello up by his knees for the rest of the piece, and Hitoshi the violinist was attacking his strings too hard. His own fingers slipped up once and he was sure that even though he moved to cover the error, the judges might have caught it. It looked more and more like they weren't going to win. Not that he minded, really, but he had plans for his share of the money. He did want to treat Ken to a nice dinner afterwards. It was the least he could do after all his angel would spend on him. It wouldn't be until an hour later that the results would be posted, and behind him the other members of the trio were making noises about going down to one of the restaurants on the lower floors to get a quick bite to eat. Waving them off with a smile when they asked if he wanted to join them, Takeru trotted back to where he left his mother and Ken. And he paused in surprise as they came in to view. They were actually talking to each other? And Ken seemed strangely relaxed in his mother's presence. That was rare, Ken usually tensed when it came to talking to anyone he didn't really know. Speculating at this oddity, Takeru stepped closer to the two in hopes of catching bits of the conversation before they noticed his proximity. His eyes widened as he caught the tail-end of his mother telling Ken about some of his more... unpleasant childhood habits. "Mom," the blond whimpered as he took an empty seat next to Ken, blushing profusedly as his mind ran circles around what his mother just revealed. "Please don't tell my friends things like that." Natsuko smirked at her son. "No, I don't tell your friends about that. Just your significant other. You really should have told me earlier, you know." Takeru whimpered even more as he hid his face in his hands in a feeble attempt to hide from the embarrassment and to try and reduce the amount of blood that was currently racing to his head and turning him an interesting shade of red. Damn, now he felt like he was going to faint too.

A hand reached out and gently stroked Takeru's back. He glanced out of the corner of his eyes and between fingers at his angel, who was smiling kindly at him. "We all do things in our childhoods that we're not proud of. Besides," at this Ken grinned and leaned in to whisper into his paladin's ear. "... Now I know why you enjoy giving blowjobs." Groaning at this, the blond felt his last threads of consciousness give way before he fainted. Shifting her gaze from Ken to Takeru and back again, Natsuko made a sound of disapproval. "Now now, what did you say to him?" "Nothing I thought would get that kind of reaction," Ken muttered, all of his attention on his paladin. He really didn't expect Takeru to pass out like that. Eventually Takeru woke up, his head pillowed on something soft and warm that smelled of rainy days and juniper. Ken's sweater. With eyes still closed he listened in on his mother and his angel talking. That Mom would accept Ken so easily, and seemed to have no problem with their relationship, it was something he really didn't expect to happen. But it was nice. Very, very nice. His mother seemed to like Ken, and Ken seemed to like her. There was no need to hide anything from her anymore. Maybe she would even let him invite Ken to sleep over every now and then? But he could always ask later. There was always later. Right now he really didn't want to disturb them. For some reason or another the room soon resumed its crowded state, causing the blond to grumble under his breath as he pulled himself from the makeshift pillow and surveyed the masses of anxious musicians. He really didn't care about the results, but... Somewhere from the crowds a couple of boys pushed their way through and approached the table. Oh, right, Goshuu and Hitoshi anticipated the results more than he did and were coming to let him know how they did. Plastering probably the fakest smile he ever had on his face, Takeru waved at them. "Wemadesecondplace," the violinist exhaled excitedly, practically hopping from the energy triggered by anxiety. Goshuu wasn't doing much better. "Didn't think we were gonna make it, y'know? After my instrument gave out like that..." "Hey, second place is something, anyway," Takeru remarked, absently wishing they would go away so he could enjoy his family's company. "Sure, we don't get a trophy and the cash prize isn't as big, but it's the attempt that counts isn't it?" Goshuu nodded vigorously at this. "Yeah, better than I thought. Say, you wanna go celebrate with me and Hitoshi later?" "We're thinking of going out to Tokyo Joypolis and maybe pizza afterwards," Hitoshi added, still hopping energetically. Takeru shook his head. He really had other plans that included Ken and a candlelit dinner, and excluded everything else. "Nah, I have other things to do. Have fun, guys." "Alright, see ya later then," Hitoshi bubbled, completely oblivious to the 'go away' look Takeru was shooting at him. "You'll wanna talk to Mr. Suzuki to get your share of the prize. Bye!" Sighing as the two ran off to celebrate, Takeru returned his attention to his mother and Ken. He had hoped to get first place, but second was just as good. "Chopin's Trio in G Minor is a difficult piece," Ken stated, reaching over to squeeze Takeru's hand. "Congratulations for doing so well on it." Natsuko smiled to herself as her son mouthed a 'thank you' to his boyfriend, absently pondering the idea of driving them both to wherever Takeru wanted to celebrate and invite Ken to stay overnight afterwards. Yes, she could see what was there between

them, she knew it as well as any mother would. Takeru and Ken, one was a child of her body, the other she would welcome as a child adopted into her family. It would be interesting to see what develops in the next few years, now wouldn't it? .~*~. Somewhere a Maiden of Light observed a paladin withdraw from a cave of darkness, supporting a limping angel that was so dirtied and torn that she had taken it briefly for a demon. But as she watched she noted the looks that passed between them, and prayed that holy light would shine upon them and wash the darkness away. Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine cum sanctis tuis in aeternum: quia pius es.