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“Daisuke-kun! Took you long enough!”
“Ah - shut up Takeru!” Daisuke replied quickly, with more sarcasm in his tone than anger.
Patamon leapt off of Takeru’s head and flapped around to say hi to Veemon, Takeru just grinned.
“Everyone else is already here - we gotta get this Digital World picnic started already! We only have the computer room for a little while thanks to Iori-kun!” he goes up to the door and knocks lightly “We’re-”
“Takeru-san, you and Daisuke can come in” Ken’s voice echoes.
Daisuke charges straight in.
“Ken!” he grins “You knew we were there”
“How could we not?” Iori asks “You guys are loud Daisuke-san, Takeru-san”
Ken chuckles softly before meeting Daisuke’s gaze.
“Well, if I’m honest, I knew the moment you neared the building”
Takeru snickered.
“Of course you did Ichijouji-kun”
Miyako laughed a bit.
“You always know Ken-kun!”
Ken rolled his eyes dramatically, then turned his gaze onto Hikari.
“Hikari-san? We have somewhere to be don’t we?”
Hikari nods.
“Yep! Come on everyone! Iori-kun?”
Iori turns around on his chair and presses a couple buttons.
“The gate is unlocked, when everyone’s ready?”
Daisuke ran over, holding his D-3 out to the computer while everyone lined up around him doing the same.
“Digital Gate - Open!”
The light is blinding but familiar, comforting. It’d been a little while now since Daisuke had even had time to travel through the Digital Gates. Being an Adult wasn’t exactly easy, even when he was working towards his dream.
He wobbled a bit when he hit the ground of the Digital World, he snickered a bit.
“At least we aren’t dog piling anymore!” he jokes.
“I know right, Daisuke-kun! Though usually you were on the bottom” Takeru jokes back.
“Shut up, hat boy!”
Takeru turns around to keep shooting jokes his way but freezes, going silent and looking Daisuke up and down, before a sort of sad expression crosses his face.
“What? What are you staring at?”
Everyone looks over, Miyako and Iori exchanging glances. Ken comes up behind him and whispers:
“...Look at how you’re dressed Daisuke”
Daisuke met his gaze before looking down and pulling at his outfit…it was unchanged, exactly what he’d been wearing before he left the digital world. Down to the glasses on his head…
“No flame jacket” Hikari whispered, hugging Gatomon close “Daisuke-kun…”
“Last time we went to the digital world together, you were the only one who still had your outfit Daisuke-san” Iori comments.
“That was a year ago though Iori” Miyako replies, clasping her hands together “Daisuke, you okay?”
Daisuke rested a hand over his chest, staring down at his outfit.
“Man…I knew I was an adult but…I wasn’t…”
Ken rests a hand on Daisuke’s shoulder and gently grabs his arm.
“Do you need a minute Daisuke?”
Iori looked at the others and gestured for them to go and set up the picnic. Leaving the two alone to talk.
Daisuke stares down before he drops down to the ground and pulls his knees up to his chest.
“Daisuke?” Ken leans down, looking concerned.
“...It's just…sad Ken…”
Ken sat down slowly, smiling softly towards him.
“I understand Daisuke. Of course it's sad.”
“I…wasn’t ready to grow up yet…” Daisuke rests his head on his arms.
Ken stays quiet for a minute before he gently takes Daisuke’s hand.
“Daisuke, you’ve been grown up for a very long time. I think you just didn’t want to be”
Daisuke glanced up at Ken, sighing a little.
“Yeah…you’re right…I just didn’t want to change”
“Daisuke - you haven’t changed. You’re exactly the Motomiya Daisuke I have always known and loved” Ken replies “You’re just a little older now. What are you afraid of? That ‘growing up’ means you’re not still loud and boisterous and caring?”
“I…”
“You haven’t changed dramatically just because you grew out of that flame jacket and your goggles-”
“Taichi-san’s goggles”
“Taichi-san’s goggles” Ken says correcting himself “Regardless, you’re still Motomiya Daisuke, okay? And I adore you”
Daisuke blushes a little, but stands up slowly, Ken standing with him.
“They’re probably waiting for us right…?” Daisuke asks.
“Very likely yes”
The leader gently rubs his eyes, pulling at his jacket a little.
“Well, let’s go Ken…” he smiles a little “Thank you”
“Of course, any time”
“....Ichijouji…?”
Ken looks back at him, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes?”
Daisuke pulls at his jacket again.
“Do…you really think i haven’t changed…?”
“Ah, I mean you have changed, but you’re still Daisuke. Which is all that has ever mattered to me” Ken replies leaning closer “Really, you’re still the one who pulled me out of that darkness and you’re the still the one my heart beats in sync with”
Daisuke blushes a little.
“I don’t think that I need to say anything else?”
The red head nods a little, of course not. He could feel everything Ken wanted to say and more.
“...I..thank you…”
“Now, come on. Before Miyako-san starts some rumour about what we were up to”
Daisuke laughs lightly, nodding.
“Alright. Let’s go”