The Trouble With Little Voices
By: Kc

Disclaimer: Not mine...blah blah blah...belong to Fox and whoever else...
blah blah...AND THEN I SHALL RULE THE WORLD!!! ::looks around:: Heh. Yeah...
Notes: ummm want some cheese?
Archive: Just let me know so I can brag.
Series: Are you kidding? It took me long enough to beat my muse into 
submission to write this! ::wipes brow:: One was more then enough!
Feedback: Yes, please. Send whatever comments you have to Kcdove1013@aol.com
Rating: G. Is there something higher then G? If there is, it's that.
Summary: Wherein Dai is determined to win an argument, Matt's in a tutu and 
How the heck does Ken get his eyes to *do* that?

~~~

       Daisuke kicked a rock and watched it join its brothers and sisters at 
the bottom of the cliff. He had been here for an hour give or take, and he 
still didn't know why. This was his special place, where he went when he had 
problems or just needed to let go. He mentally snorted when he thought of 
what the others would say about this place if they knew. They would be in 
equal parts shock and amazement. He couldn't blame them, even for a seventh 
grader he acted immature. Key word-acted. Not that he was unhappy with his 
image, per say, mostly he didn't want people to expect to much from him. 
Look at what that had done to Ken. 

    He sighed, thinking of the other boy. Ken in and of himself was a can of 
worms he usually tried not to open. If he did then he knew he'd wind up at 
the same conclusion that he always had. Ken was the best friend he had and 
he didn't want to mess that up. He didn't want to lose the closeness they 
had that Daisuke had never managed to find with any of the others. 

    Firmly shutting the can again he sat down and focused his thoughts on 
why he was here. Why, today of all the days in the year he had felt the need 
to come here. What had brought him here hadn't been more than a faint 
dissatisfaction with the way his life was going a week or so ago and had 
built into a pressure in his scull that just got worse with every comment 
anyone spoke to him. The can opened enough for something inside him to 
whisper ~'When Ken talked we didn't get a bigger headache. Actually it felt 
better.'~

    Dai grumbled to himself about annoying little voices and silently 
replied ~'Yeah, well I can't exactly ask him to come down here with me so I 
could listen to him talk, could I?'~ He listened to the silence for more 
than a minute before the voice replied ~'You could. He wouldn't mind. He 
never does, and he almost never asks questions.'~

    Daisuke sighed. He hated losing arguments with himself. ~'Yeah, but what 
if this time he asks? You know we can't lie to him. What do I tell him?'~ 

    His voice was quiet when it spoke ~'The truth.'~

    ~'Dumb advice' he thought 'when it could loose me my best friend.'~

    ~'Ken would understand. He always does.'~

    ~'But... I'm afraid. What if he doesn't? What if he doesn't want to hang 
out anymore or talk or anything? What if-'~

    ~'What if the sky falls and pigs fly? What if horses learn to tap dance 
and Kari and Takeru stop edging around each other? What if Joe and Izzy 
admit they like each other and Mat goes on stage at his next concert in a 
tutu?'~

    ~'The first three I can see happening a year before the rest. But I 
understand. Your saying it's worth the risk.'~

    ~'Yeah. And I'd give anything to see Mat in a tutu.'~

    Daisuke snickered at that mental image and climbed to his feet, ~'Me 
to.'~

    ~'So you'll call him?'~

    ~'Yeah.'~

    ~'Now?'~

    ~'I said I would, didn't I?'~

    ~'Then do it.'~

    ~'I am, I am... Geez... You sound like you don't trust me.'~

    ~'You forget I am you. Now march!'~

    Daisuke slowly walked towards the only pay phone in sight and even more 
slowly put in the coins and dialed. He counted three rings before a cheerful 
voice said, "Hello, Ichijoji residence."

    "Hi Mrs. Ichijoji. It's Daisuke. Is Ken home, by any chance?"

    "Hi Daisuke. Yes, Ken's home. I'll tell him your on the phone."

    "Thanks Mrs. Ichijoji."

    "Your welcome, Daisuke."

    He was starting to relax, the panic he had felt welling up inside him 
was receding listening to that cheerful voice. ~'I can do this. I can. I'll 
just ask him to come down and then tell him how I'll feel. Even if he 
doesn't like me that way he won't abandon me. He's my friend. I can do this. 
I can do this. I ca-'~

    "Hello?''

    ~'I can't do this!'~ His panic surging back, it was all Daisuke could do 
to keep the phone in his hands and not drop it and run.

    "Hello? Daisuke? Is everything OK, Dai?"

    Hearing the concern in Ken's voice released him from his paralysis 
enough to answer, even though it almost physically hurt to say anything. 
"I'm fine Ken. Sorry about that." He took a breadth "You know how I told you 
about the cliff and how sometimes I go out there when I need to think?"

    "Yes, I remember..."

    "Well I'm here, I mean there now and I wanted to talk to you so I called 
and was going to ask you if you wanted to come down but I understand if you 
don't." Daisuke said in a rush, trying to get it all out before he lost his 
nerve. There was silence on the other end of the line for about ten seconds 
before-

    "Which bus do I take?"

    Breathing a sigh in relief and renewed nervousness he gave Ken all the 
information and twenty minutes later found him sitting again, waiting. He 
brought his legs up to his chest and banged his head down on his knees. 
~'When did this happen? When did I stop being Daisuke the Seventh Grader and 
start being Daisuke the Guy Who Overanalyzes Things? When did I start being 
someone who's in love with my best friend? My extremely *male* best 
friend.'~ 

    "When did this happen? I'm to young for God's sake! I can't be in love! 
Isn't there a rule somewhere? People always say that kids can't be in love! 
Iv heard them...so why does this feel like love? When did I become so 
dependent on his voice and touch and laugh...oh Jesus! Everything about him 
and I can't even..." His head stopped hitting his knees as a thought 
occurred to him "Oh my God...this can't be happening. I am not about to tell 
my best friend I'm in love with him. I'm not. It's just not happening. I'm 
dreaming. I have to be. How can I set myself up like that? How could I do 
that to myself? Ken is so far out of my league I couldn't even begin to-"

    "Daisuke?"

    Daisuke scrambled to his feet and whipped around, even though he knew 
who it was, all the while mentally banging his head against a wall. He 
must've been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he missed the bus showing up 
and, sub sequentially, Ken getting off. And there he was. The subject of all 
his turmoil and pain. Standing there looking more then a little confused and 
he seemed to be in shock. He looked like someone had just walked up to him, 
hit him with a large trout and walked away. And so gorgeous that it 
physically hurt.

    "Daisuke?"

    Shit shit shit! Ken was still looking like someone had hit him with a 
large fish, though comprehension seemed to be slowly dawning on him. ~'Like 
he's making sense of something he heard... This is all your fault!'~ To his 
little voice while he was thinking frantically for something to say, knowing 
his eyes were wide and probably panicky looking. ~'If you hadn't convinced 
me to call him he wouldn't look like someone just told him he was about to 
be abducted by aliens.'~

    ~'Say something to him! He's still standing there so obviously he isn't 
disgusted...'~

    ''Dai?"

    ~'Ummmmmm....'~ And with all his mental capacities at his disposal and 
all his higher thinking frantically trying to come up with something clever 
and witty to say, what came out should have been something for the record 
books. Something people would want to quote him on later. "Ken." ~'I'm so 
impressed. You remembered his name.'~

       ~'Shut up.'~

       Ken was watching him now, and he didn't know what the other boys 
expression meant. "Um hi."

       "Hello Dai." He was still watching him.

       "Ken?" Daisuke knew his voice was in serious danger of cracking so he 
cleared his throat and waited for Ken to say something.

       "Yes?"

       ~Oh, that was helpful.~

       "How long were- I mean, how much did you-" He licked his lips 
nervously. "How long have you been here?"

       "A couple of minutes. What were you saying before?"

       Dai's eyes widened and he probably looked like a fish when he 
stuttered out "B-before? Nothing. J-just babbling heh. Just me being me, it 
wasn't  important. So what do you think of the view?"

       Ken rose an eyebrow and looked around briefly before pinning Daisuke 
with his eye's again. "It's nice, but I don't think what you were saying was 
'nothing'. Please tell me?"

       ~'No, no, no, no... I can just say that I don't want to talk about 
it. He never pushes, so I'll be fine and we can talk and it'll be normal. So 
I'll just say I don't want to talk about it and-'~ "...ok." ~'What?!'~

       Ken seemed to be waiting, looking perfectly comfortable where he 
should look nervous and maybe a little impatient. "Well...You see...it 
started before...and then...but that was after...oh hell." ~'Very 
articulate. I think that just answered *all* his questions.'~

       ~'I'm pretty sure I said shut up.'~

       Ken's mouth twitched like he wanted to smile but then his face turned 
serious and he nodded for Daisuke to continue. ~'Have I mentioned today that 
I hate you deeply?'~

       ~'Yes. Talk.'~ Dai looked down at his shoes, deciding he really 
didn't want to see Ken's face if was going to do this. "You see, I ummm...I 
like you." He risked a look up, but he couldn't figure out what Ken was 
thinking, no matter how hard he stared at his chin. ~'Really brave, man.'~

       ~'I try. Can't you go away?'~

       ~'No.'~

       ~'Thanks.'~

       ~'Anytime, just ask.'~

       "I like you too, Dai."

       ~'Great. He doesn't understand. This is as much fun as listening to 
Jun babble about Matt.'~ Still staring a hole into Ken's chin Daisuke tried 
to explain. "No, I really like you. Really. Like Kari and TK. Well, actually 
more like Matt and Tai but-"

       "Dai."

       He froze as the chin he was so focused on started coming closer. 
~'What's he doing? How does he expect me to think, let alone talk with him 
so close to me. So close... What's he doing?! Oh. Oh, that feels nice...'~ 
Ken had walked forward until he was directly in front of Daisuke and was now 
cupping his cheek, stroking slightly, forcing him to raise his eyes form 
their death glare on said Ken's chin. Ken was smiling and his eye's were 
twinkling. "I like you too."

       ~'Oh.'~
       ~'Oh.'~
       "Oh."
       ~'I told you so.'~
       ~'Shut up.'~ "So..." He cleared his throat again when his voice 
threatened to crack on that one syllable. "You umm like me? Are you sure?"

       Ken nodded, eyes seriously twinkling now, smiling a little and his 
hand moved down to Daisuke’s shoulder. "Yeah, pretty sure."

       Daisuke stared for a minute before nodding and smiling in return. 
"Cool!" ~'Cool? Couldn't you come up with any--'~

       ~'Shut up.'~



The End!
Not happy? Should have taken the cheese...