A/N: More Ken and Dai-ness from me, who writes precious little else for this fandom. This fic was mostly inspired from a line in the second issue of "666 Satan" that I thought was particularly sad. Actually, so far the whole dang story has been rather depressing, albeit in a kick-ass way.

*brightens* Though, that cute new boy who just popped up looks like he'll be good for slashing with Jio. -^__^- Scooore. And here I was worrying there wouldn't be any good yaoi pairings to 'ship, when the author shared a uterus with the creator of Sasuke and Naruto. Silly me. ^___^
"The Now and the Never"
Daisuke sits. Ken sits. They are back-to-back, their digimon dozing in their laps, and talking without looking at each other.

"Do you know why the things people most want to do in life are called 'dreams'?" Ken asks as he stares up at the clouds, and lightly strokes the dreaming Leafmon. The one right in front of him is a cumulus formation- the large kind, with a flat base and rounded, airy top.

"I know you're going to tell me," Daisuke replies, grinning up at the clouds and scratching the snoring Chibimon's head. The one right in front of him is shaped like a dragon- the cool kind that breathes fire and brimstone and stuff like that.

"Because they don't come true," Ken says solemnly as his cumulus inches across the sky.

"Never?" Daisuke raises an eyebrow as his dragon stalks towards a bold knight.

"Never," Ken confirms, voice quiet. His cumulus is starting to drift apart slightly.

Daisuke falls silent and considers this. The knight is dancing away from his dragon's teeth.

"I suppose," he begins doubtfully, "that SOME dreams don't come true. But, well, some of 'em shouldn't anyway." He laughs a little sheepishly at the thought, an oddly wise one for his age. The dragon gives a silent bellow.

"Oh, you 'suppose,' do you?" Ken laughs too, but it is bitter. The very edge of the cumulus has become fragile and strung-out.

"Yes," Daisuke agrees, ignoring the sarcasm that is so unlike his friend. "I do."

"Name me one that has," says Ken, finally turning to face the other. Daisuke does the same.

"Just one?" he asks. The knight cries defiance.

"Just one," Ken confirms. The cumulus twists slightly, and a curl breaks free.

"Okay."

There is such a thing as a "now or never."

This is the now.

And Daisuke won't let there be a never.

"You."

" . . . me?"

"You're my dream."

Then Daisuke kisses Ken, and Ken kisses Daisuke, and the dragon tags the knight, and mouths, "You're it."

And a tiny, runaway patch of cumulus looks a little bit like a laughing prince and, perhaps, he is riding another dragon.

Or perhaps they're just a cloud. A lie: a child's dream.

"I love you."

Which are of course the only kind worth having anyway.
* owari *
. : it's now or never . . . : .