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Daisuke pulled the tee shirt over his head and heedlessly tossed it onto the bench next to him. Immediately, a murmur rose inside the changing room and when he turned to face his teammates, he felt their eyes staring at him.
‘Oh, right...’ he had almost forgotten in the meantime - to him, the sight in the mirror had become normal-, but this was his first soccer training after his hospital stay, and even though most of them had heard rumors, or got some information from the newspapers, they hadn’t been prepared to see his scars, as their partly pitiful, partly shocked, but definitely curious looks told him. A huge, ugly, jagged scar graced his left side and a smaller, elongated one the left upper arm.
Despite the surgeries with skin transplantations it was easily visible that something hadn’t simply struck, burned or pushed him, but that something had entered there and removed parts of his skin.
He smiled half forced half encouraging (”I’m okay”), and waited for the questions which would inevitably come, while grabbing his jersey.
As soon as his scars disappeared behind the white and red fabric, the first one dared to ask something. Keeper Zuko had always been curious, but also a good teammate to Daisuke, and now he wanted to know, if that had happened ‘during the incident 3 months ago’, - even though everybody knew this. Daisuke had been in a coma for almost a month and had missed soccer training for 3 months. Zuko and some others had sent get-well-cards to the hospital.
“Yeah, but I fainted almost instantly, so I don’t really remember”, Daisuke replied in honesty. He continued to change, while the others still stood around him unfinished and seemed to have completely forgotten about soccer training.
Daisuke waited, but it took some time until the next one dared to ask: “Did something attack you? A monster like the one at the bay some days later?” “Yes, exactly. But the one attacking me was much smaller”, he admitted.
He kept it a secret that Alphamon still was 8 to 10 meters tall and able to use the Ouryuken with deadly precision.To him, huge monsters were nothing scary anymore, since his eleven-year-old self had looked into the red glowing eyes and snarling mouth of Imperialdramon for the first time, who had towered all former seen digimon with his 20 meters of height. But his teammates would probably get dizzy at his sight.
He himself would’ve preferred to not be thrown in at the deep end, if he ever had time and opportunity to reflect it. Had he known in advance, that being a chosen child also ment to have nightmares, to see humans and digimon die, to fight for your life, to get seriously injured, be in a coma and get scarred, he probably hadn’t shaken Veemons hand but dropped the digivice in school like a hot potato. Or a red-hot poker.
On the other side, he wouldn’t have gotten to know Ken then...He swallowed. No, it was a good thing that he got to know this other, deadly, world, that he had taken Veemons hand.
All the risks, worries and pain had been worth it, because they had saved Kens life. The scars, as big and flashy they were, didn’t bother him as long as Ken was alive, and he had a pretty strong hunch that Ken wouldn’t be alive today, if he hadn’t pushed him to the side, because he had been right in Alphamons line of fire, while it had “only” brushed Daisuke during that racing dive. A month in coma passed by in a flash, but a life without Ken would be unbearable, he thought to himself.
Hitoshi poked him: “Are you okay? You seem so deep in thought.” Daisuke forced himself to smile again: “Yeah, I’m okay. Just thinking. Do you wanna know anything else?” “Does it still hurt? The scars? Can you use your arm as usual?” Ryota asked hesitantly. Daisuke demonstrated how well he could let his arm swirl again after weeks of rehab. “Sure! It doesn’t hurt anymore, it just doesn’t look good”, he grinned.
“Are you joking?” Miki laughed aloud, “scars are super popular with the girls! You never have to worry again to not get a girlfriend.” Daisuke smiled indulgently, while several teammates shot disapproving looks at Miki. Such personal topics were less appropriate even when Daisuke was widely known as being easy-going and straightforward. As someone who was always honest and said what he thought.
“I am already spoken for”, it slipped from his honest mouth and he mentally cursed himself when dozens of curious looks now focused on him again, while he turned a dark red. Couldn’t he shut up at least once?
“Are we gonna play soccer now, or what?” he shouted to stall the topic. The others noticed that they maybe went a bit too far and hurried to change. Until the training ended, Daisuke was left alone. No curious stares anymore, no more questions during the drinking breaks. He almost forgot about the questioning when he went back to the changing room. Only now, during the second changing, he felt being watched and bombarded with unspoken questions once more.
He hurried more than usual to get dressed again. His teammates tried to give him some space but one or two questions were asked nonetheless and Daisuke politely answered them as best as he could.
Then they left the stadion and there was Ken, waiting for him.
And Daisuke forgot everything around him, the questions, the looks, the scars, the teammates, the soccer game, the world, he ran to him and kissed him. A long time. Ken writhed in his hug uncomfortably, but when he couldn’t shake him off, he kissed back. Only when they parted, he asked with a grin: “Did you tell the others?” Daisuke blinked confusedly, then he heard an approving whistle behind him, that probably came from Miki, and an overall whisper and murmur.
He blushed again: “Oh. No, not really....” Ken laughed a bright laughter, which was so rare, that Daisuke was still surprised everytime he heard it, and then shook his head in a disbelieving grin: “Well, now they know for sure.”
He kissed Daisuke on his flushed cheek: “Baka.” It sounded gentle. Daisuke took his hand and turned to face the others. The curious looks didn’t bother him anymore. “This is Ken. We’re together”, he introduced his boyfriend.
Surprisingly few new questions were directed at him. Instead, Ken was besieged now. “Weren’t you on television back then, during the chess championship?” Zuko asked amazed, and Taki added: “And during Judo?” “Nah, that was Karate”, another teammate chimed in. Then Miki interfered precociously: “Guys, Ichijouji-kun was known as a genius, he could do anything and was nationally famous!” And adressing Daisuke, he smirked: “Are you sure, he isn’t together with you simply out of pity?”
Ken opened his mouth to vigorously contradict, but Daisuke knew, that Miki was just joking and answered: “Yes, I am sure, and he also isn’t together with me just because of my scars!”
That made Ken blink confusedly and the others laugh aloud.
End