Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Absolutions ❯ Orange Warthog ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Author's note: This will become a Yamasuke but at the moment it is not. ^_^

Absolutions

The Orange Warthog

List of Players:

(in order of their appearance)

Motomiya Daisuke: 21. Attending Tokyo University. Best friend of Inoue Miyako and Ichijouji Ken. Roommate of Takaishi Takeru. Too busy staying uninvolved to wonder why.

Inoue Miyako: 22. Also a student at Tokyo University attending the same College of Management as Motomiya Daisuke. Has a long running rivalry with Daisuke though it is mostly for show, now.

Takaishi Takeru: 21. Yet one more annoyingly jovial student of Tokyo University. Has aspirations of becoming a world famous writer (or at the very least--rich). Dating Yagami Hikari. Brother of Ishida Yamato.

Ichijouji Ken: 22. Employed by the prestigious economic firm of Hiroshi Moishi. Disillusioned by the realities of working life. Generally a very quiet and soft-spoken man.

Ishida Yamato: 26. Ex-musician looking for another career path. Current live-in boyfriend of Yagami Taichi.

Other Characters:

(i.e. the non staring roles)

Yagami Taichi: a mutual friend, current (hehehe) boy friend of Yamato

Yagami Hikari: a mutual friend, girlfriend of Takeru

Izumi Koushiro: a mutual friend

Kido Jyou: a mutual friend

Chapter 1

"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire."

- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

Fog. That was his first, and rather blatantly obvious thought. This fog was going to keep him from seeing where he was going. It was already so thick and heavy that with each deep breath he swore he could feel the water in his lungs. It had not been foggy long. That much, he could be sure of, even if he could not be sure of how he knew. He tried again to place himself within his surroundings, all the time, struggling to convince himself that his eyes were indeed open.

Despite this, all he could really be sure of was the pebbly path beneath his feet. He took a few more steps, straining to see, hear or even feel anything. It was not until he had reached the crest of whatever hill or mound he was climbing that he realized that he had somehow gotten to the ocean. The fog had taken on a decidedly salty taste and he could almost hear where the ocean was beating against some nearby rocks. He stumbled a few more steps forward, following the sound as best he could, still looking in vain for some landmark he could use as a point of reference.

He followed the ocean's sound until it grew much louder and until each step became a hesitant tapping of the foot as he tried to assure himself that he had not suddenly found himself at the cliff's edge and that the pebbly path would not give way underneath him. Suddenly, as if that thought had willed the actuality into existence, his next step met with absolutely no resistance. He scrambled back quickly, his feet slipping slightly on the now wet pebbles and sending him shoulder first into a nearby tree. Rubbing the sore shoulder, he extended the other hand to feel tentatively around the trunk. The tree, that had gone unnoticed as he passed with in a foot of it only a moment before thanks to the thick fog, was deemed sturdy enough.

He hugged the tree tight, taking comfort in the earthy, mossy smell it exuded as he leaned over to try and see what must have been the spectacular image of the waves crashing against the cliff face. Unfortunately, this too, was obscured by the fog. He fought down a sigh of disappointment as he leaned even further out over the cliff, hoping against hope. No such luck, but before he could try and lean even further, the tree's shallow roots came loose and both he and it began to fall. As he was struggling to come to terms with this new sensation of falling, a movement on the top of the cliff caught his eye. Something, no, scratch that, someone was just watching him fall.

But why?

"Ouch," Daisuke groaned, rubbing first his head and then his hip, the two places that had taken the most brutal force of his fall, as he stared mutinously up at his bed. He had not fallen off of the bed in his sleep since he was a kid. That must have been one weird dream. He jumped suddenly, putting more strain on his already aching muscles as the alarm burst to life, driving all hopes for more sleep away with it's incessant beeping. Daisuke pulled himself gingerly back on to his bed, slapping at the annoying alarm in the process. Stupid bed, stupid alarm, stupid school, stupid life. What could possibly be wrong with sleeping your life away?

Daisuke jolted as the alarm wrenched him out of his semi-sleep state for the second time that morning. How is it that five minutes in class felt like hours when five minutes spent dozing on your bed could pass in a few seconds, he mused. He could almost swear he heard Ken call out, "Time is relative," in his best didactic voice. They had had this conversation before. Lots of times. Now if only he could work on extinguishing that voice from his mind. Daisuke was bright enough not to hold his breath.

This time he actually remembered to turn off the alarm, rather than just hitting the snooze button, before hurrying out to grab a bite to eat and run to class. As always, Takeru had already long-since left for class, leaving his breakfast dishes to molder on the table. Daisuke scooped them up, using a damp washrag to scrub away the milk ring left by the bottom of Takeru's cereal bowl before depositing the whole mess in the sink. He grabbed the top spiral off of his pile of books beside the door, not even checking if it was the proper one for the class he was going to or not. After all, paper was paper. It was not his fault that Miyako had gone through all the trouble of labeling them for him.

Daisuke hurried out of the apartment complex and jogged the four blocks to the school. Living off campus certainly had its disadvantages. Oh, the things he was willing to put up with for a proper bedroom and a stove. Daisuke did not stop jogging when he came to campus, choosing instead to break into a full out run as he made his way through the crowd of late comers streaming into the various classrooms. He did not slow his pace after he arrived at the management building either. His first professor of the day was a spiteful old man known for locking the door after he arrived. Daisuke was not about to miss class after working this hard to get here.

"Professor Hitoshi," Daisuke said in what he hoped was his most polite voice as he very impolitely slid between said professor and the door with a small smile. He climbed the stairs in twos, hurrying over to his seat next to Miyako after reaching the top row, still huffing and ignoring the amused look she gave him as she tsked her tongue.

"Tell me again why we can't sit up front?" he asked her when he had finally caught his breath a couple of minutes later.

"Somehow I've never pictured you as a front row person. You aren't that good of a student," Miyako whispered back with a smirk. She watched as Daisuke patted each of his pockets, his normal routine for the class.

"Do you have a pen I can bo--" Daisuke broke off, snatching the already out-held pen that had been neatly labeled "Daisuke." That girl must go through tape at a super human pace. "I'm not that bad of a student, either. Besides, I can't see what he's writing from back here. I hate when I can't see what's going on." Something about having said that made Daisuke feel uneasy. It was almost close to a feeling of déjà vu but decidedly more hazy.

"What's the matter?" Miyako asked, concerned when she saw him give a small shudder. Daisuke swallowed a couple of times, brushing off the already passing irrational fear.

"Nothing. Someone just walked over my grave is all," Daisuke grinned.

"That's a really lovely image, Daisuke," Miyako hissed back, rolling her eyes.

"Shh!" a student one row forward turned in her seat to express her displeasure in their continuing conversation. Daisuke choked back a laugh at the look on Miyako's face. There were a few things in life that one just did not do, and one of them was to shush Inoue Miyako.

"What do you need to hear anyway? He's just complaining about the test scores," she spat in the other student's direction. Daisuke laid a calming hand on Miyako's arm to bring her back to him before she said anything else she might regret. "Honestly, who would want to listen to this blow hard?" she asked, turning back to Daisuke.

"I know, Miya, I know," Daisuke used his most placating tone of voice.

"I mean, the guy's a blasted moron! Hell, I'm brighter then he is," she continued to rant, all in a voice that barely reached above a whisper.

"Um, huh. Any day."

"And Ken. Ken could blow him out of the water."

"Definitely," Daisuke concurred. Miyako stopped complaining long enough to shoot him a confused look.

"What's with you today? You are almost being pleasant," she asked slowly. Daisuke flashed her his best smile.

"What can I say, Miya? When you're right, you're right."

Miyako narrowed her eyes at him menacingly. "You had better watch out or I'll tell Ken you were being nice to me." Daisuke just smiled again, using his borrowed pen to scribble down what the professor was saying. He did not even comment when Miyako followed suit.

+++++++++++

"You are coming out with us tonight, right?" Miyako asked as they were packing away their books at the end of class, or in Daisuke's case, closing his notebook.

"Tonight?" Daisuke queried vaguely, trying to place what she was talking about.

"Ken's bachelor party you numbskull!" Miyako replied testily and with a crack to Daisuke's head, "You know, the one that as his best man you were supposed to be planning. All the digidestined are going to be there. Well, except for Iori," she corrected, "His mother wouldn't let him go out of town on a school night."

"Well, I kind of made other plans," Daisuke hedged, wincing at the look on Miyako's face.

"But I'll try!" he quickly added when he saw her take a deep breath to speak.

"Well you had better show or I'll mention to Ken about how strange you've been acting," Miyako threatened much, much to calmly.

"I haven't been acting strange," Daisuke began, her words taking their time at soaking in. Suddenly, he realized what she was actually suggesting, "You wouldn't!"

The last time she had "mentioned" something like this to Ken, Daisuke had found himself on the receiving end of a rather lengthy conversation about life in general. Ken could be very tiring when he was in over-protective mode. Afterwards, Daisuke had made Miyako promise she would never do anything like that again. So far, she had kept her promise, but with no small amount of teasing.

"Besides, it would break his heart if you weren't there," she broke into his thoughts with her soft remark. Daisuke frowned a little, knowing how right she was. Still, he had nothing against making Miyako sweat.

"I'll see you," he called, leaving the classroom with out ever giving her an answer.

+++++++++++

Daisuke busted into the apartment he shared with Takeru, calling out but not receiving an answer. He loved Tuesday's and Thursday's because he had only one class and often beat the blonde home. He dropped the spiral back on to the pile of books and tossed Miyako's pen in a cup that was already half filled with others he had accidentally taken with him at the end of class. Whenever she was running low, Miyako would just follow him home and steal them back. It was a never-ending cycle.

By the time Takeru did make it home, Daisuke had made his way into the kitchen working over something on the stove.

"Tell me again how you get away with taking so few hours?" Takeru asked.

"Work study, my friend, work study," Daisuke reminded him for what had to be the one-hundredth time.

"Is that lunch?" Takeru asked hopefully.

"You left your bowl on the table again this morning," came Daisuke's only answer.

"And you left your socks in the hallway, but you don't hear me complaining."

"But you know how I feel about the kitchen."

Hmm, yes, Daisuke's kitchen fetish, Takeru thought with a small smile. The things you learn about a person when you live with them.

"Sorry, I was in a real hurry this morning. I'll remember tomorrow," Takeru promised, still sniffing optimistically at what ever it was Daisuke seemed to be trying to hide from him. Thankfully, at that, Daisuke finally turned with a smile, showing Takeru two plates of noodles and vegetables. Some people withheld sex for favors. With Daisuke, it was food. At the moment Takeru was inclined to think food worked better.

"So are you going to Ken's party tonight?" Daisuke asked as he watched Takeru chow down.

"Hasn't Miyako threatened everyone with death if they shouldn't show?" Takeru answered back by way of question, "Why? You're not thinking of not coming, are you?"

"It's just that I already made other plans. I don't know that I'll be able to make it."

"Yeah right. What other plans? Don't be ridiculous. It'll kill Ken if you blow him off."

"I'm sure Ken would love to know just how fragile everyone thinks he is," Daisuke countered, ignoring the raised eyebrow he received from Takeru. The blonde had only recently learned the trick and used it at every possible moment. The only person who fell for it was Hikari, and Daisuke half-believed she was acting. She certainly would be if she had any idea just how long Takeru had stood in front of the bathroom mirror perfecting the move.

"Yamato's going to be there," Takeru spoke up suddenly, startling Daisuke out of his thoughts, a fact which he quickly hid by becoming absorbed in the project of coating his vegetables with the noodle's sauce.

"Yeah, so?" Daisuke asked casually a few seconds later, taking a slow bite of his lunch as he stared the now chuckling Takeru straight in the eyes, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come on Dai," Takeru only used Daisuke's nickname when he really wanted to wheedle something out of him, "You know you've been sweet on Yamato for almost as long as you've been sweet on Ken."

"Yeah, and Taichi and Jyou and Koushiro and maybe even you before I discovered what you're really like. Come to think of it, what's to stop us from all coming back here for a mass orgy? No wait. What would we do with the girls?" Daisuke joked coarsely, trying to cover his obvious discomfort with this line of thought.

"Leave them to their own accord?" Takeru suggested with an evil smirk, completely non-nonplused by the turn in the conversation. Daisuke shook his head sadly.

"I shudder to think of what you have become."

"Don't get all high and mighty on me. As I recall, you had a pretty large hand in my corruption," Takeru laughed.

"Your memory is faulty," Daisuke smiled, getting up to rinse off his plate before he began filling the sink with hot, soapy water, "Shut up and eat so I can do the dishes."

+++++++++++

So here he was, barely 8:00 p.m. and Daisuke was already sitting at a bar, nursing his Diet Coke. He had underestimated Miyako, who had called Takeru and told him not to leave the apartment without Daisuke in tow. Ever the good boy, on the outside anyway, Takeru had obeyed her order to a 'T'. That was not to say he was not enjoying himself. On the contrary, he found it quite a bit of fun to watch a rather embarrassed Ken get showered with leis by what was obviously meant to be a hula dancer. Daisuke watched as Ken turned bright red when the dancer came too close on one pass. That boy was way to shy for his own good. Even hanging around with Daisuke and Miyako as long as he had had done little to dent his primary nature.

"I know," Taichi answered Daisuke's gusty sigh, "I would say we should all pitch in and buy him one last wild ride, but he'd probably just sit up talking to 'em all night."

"Shut up, Taichi," Yamato broke in, saving Daisuke from further embarrassing remarks before posing his own question, "Why are the girls here if this is Ken's bachelor party?"

"Miyako planned it all," Daisuke shrugged, watching as said friend shooed away the dancer and began to pull Ken towards the bar.

"He is marrying her after all," Taichi concurred, making his best whip cracking sound in Miyako's direction.

"I heard that, Yagami Taichi!" Miyako called, sending a mock glare in his direction.

"I think that may have been the point," Ken joked, sending a wink over Miyako's shoulder in the general direction of the gossiping boys.

"Don't be upset, Miya," Daisuke offered up comfortingly, "I think you'll make a lovely slave driver." Ken clasped a hand over her mouth before she could come back with a rebuttal, pulling her a few more stools away with a small chuckle. Score one Motomiya! Albeit with an assist from Ichijouji.

"This is pathetic," Taichi complained, "You're the best man, Daisuke. It's your job to keep things like this from happening."

"Shut up, Taichi," Yamato spoke up for the second time, wrapping his arms around his pouting boyfriend with a smile, only to have Taichi shrug him away a second later.

"Hey! Iz's here," Taichi proclaimed brightly, "Lets go say hi."

"You go on ahead. I'm just going to get a drink," Yamato decided, motioning for Taichi to go on over with his hands, "You want anything?"

"No thanks. I'll be back in a while." Yamato watched Taichi hurry over to meet Koushiro by the door, the two exchanging thwacks on the back, before he turned back to the bartender to order his drink.

"You want anything? My treat," he offered, glancing over at Daisuke. Daisuke held up his recently filled mug of soda by way of response.

"I actually meant something a little stronger than Diet Coke. You are old enough to drink, right."

"Yeah," Daisuke nodded.

"I thought so. So what will it be?" Now both Yamato and the bartender were watching Daisuke.

"Umm," Daisuke tried to remember the name of any drink he might have heard before but was coming up blank. Finally Yamato took pity on him, leaning over to mumble something to the bartender, who then hurried off to fill the short order.

"Don't get out much, eh?"

"I'm just not a big drinker."

"That's a good habit," Yamato nodded briefly, "Of course, we will have to break you of it." The bartender chose that moment to come back with their drinks. Yamato immediately tipped his back, then turned to look at Daisuke how was still peering uncertainly at his own.

"What is it?"

"­­­­An orange warthog. Try it. You'll like it. Don't worry, it's not too strong."

"Yeah, right," Daisuke scoffed, giving the drink a second dubious look. Why someone would want to drink something named after a pig was beyond him. Still he raised the glass to his lips and took a sip. Yamato was already calling for his own refill, all the time watching Daisuke's reaction.

"It's not too bad," Daisuke smiled a second later. Actually, it tasted oddly familiar. They sat in companionable silence for quite a time, Daisuke still giving his Diet Coke preferential choice to the ­­­orange pig, which Yamato was making sure to keep filled. As it was, Daisuke was already feeling the classic buzz. It wasn't half-bad.

Daisuke left his drinks on the bar, swiveling in his chair to watch the people on the dance floor squirm to the beat of the music. He watched as Takeru did his best to "get down with it" while Hikari stood nearby, her omnipresent small smile gracing her lips as her hips swayed lightly to the music. The things that girl must be willing to put up with. Not that Takeru was such a bad guy. Daisuke gave a small laugh at that little admission. He would have punched the person that suggested as much when they were twelve.

"Is my little brother drunk?" Yamato broke into Daisuke's thoughts, squinting at the figures on the dance floor. Daisuke chuckled again.

"No, he always acts like that."

Yamato made a surprised sort of face, "I'm sorry."

"It's all right. Actually I was just thinking about how he kind of grows on you."

"You're not sweet on Takeru, are you?" Yamato questioned, eyeing Daisuke strangely. Daisuke shook his head in a decisive no.

"Good. 'Cause Takeru's straight as an arrow. Poor fool."

Daisuke could not help but smile about Yamato's take on the situation. To be sure, the musician was quite a bit looser when drunk. As if to prove this point, Yamato wrapped an arm around Daisuke's shoulder, offering him another drink. The two sat in companionable quiet, neither getting any more sober, for the better part of two hours. Every so often, Yamato would offer up some humorous remark and Daisuke would laugh and return the smile that seemed to have permanently affixed itself to Yamato's features. The smile only faltered for the barest second when Yamato's latest story was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing his throat.

"You never made it over," Taichi's voice held a mild rebuke as he slid on to the stool next to Yamato. Koushiro took the next one down, making no comment of his own but shooting a glance towards Yamato's glass. They all watched as everyone on the dance floor paused briefly in the space between on song and the next, quickly resuming their patterns as the beat picked back up.

"Hey, Daisuke," Koushiro greeted once the music was rolling full-force again. Daisuke gave a small smile, fighting to hold back a sigh as Yamato's attention, which had been solely focused on him a moment before returned to Taichi. Daisuke glanced down the bar trying to place the other digidestined while rationalizing his reaction.

That's just the alcohol cutting off higher brain functions. I don't really care. Just the alcohol--wait a second that's sounds a lot like a higher brain thought…wicked. I'll have to remember to ask Ken about that. The strange thoughts made Daisuke chuckle, drawing three stares. He gave a small smile in return before turning his gaze to where Jyou had cornered Ken in a far booth and was animatedly trying to explain something or other. Maybe I should go ask him now. Do us both a favor.

"Yeah, Daisuke and I were just discussing the finer aspects of human sexual relations," Yamato's voice instantly drew Daisuke back into the other conversation, wiping thoughts of escape from his mind. They had been doing nothing of the sort! Yamato was just telling him about the time Takeru had worked up the courage to ask him just how two girls did 'it'. Daisuke blushed bright red at the odd look Koushiro gave him, shaking his head in a rather forlorn hope of convincing him and Taichi that that was not what it sounded like.

"Well, are you going to stay over here all night?" Taichi eventually asked, brushing off both Yamato's announcement and the hand that he had placed on his thigh. It was difficult to miss the hurt look that flashed through Yamato's eyes.

"Maybe," he shrugged, "I don't know. Do you want to go do something?"

"Never mind. It's getting late," Taichi frowned, standing up to brush the creases out of his shorts before making his way across the room. Yamato's eyes followed him all the way to the men's room door before he turned his attention back to his glass, finishing it in a quick swallow. Koushiro stood up a second later, but not without a small sigh.

"I've got to run, too," he apologized, "Morning classes." Koushiro was the only one of the older Digidestined, other than Jyou, who was still in school. He gave Yamato a pat on the back, though whether it was in friendship or solace, Daisuke could not be sure.

"Taichi's not the most lovey-dovey person, is he?" Daisuke spoke up as they watched Koushiro wave in Ken's direction and leave the bar. It was not until the words were already out that he realized that they might not be appreciated. Higher brain functions, his mind sing-songed.

"He has his reasons, okay?" Yamato scowled, focusing all his attention on the bottom of his empty glass.

"Sorry," he begged, holding up his hands in supplication, "I didn't mean anything by that. It was just something to say." Yamato studied him closely for a moment before giving a small smile.

"Sorry, too. I didn't mean to snap at you." Yamato turned and motioned for another glass, sliding his empty one along the bar towards the bartender, who barely caught it before it slid off the edge, giving Yamato a dirty look in the process. Yamato failed to notice. Still, his ire did not prevent the bartender from filling the order quickly; setting the new glass on the bar before a once more smiling Yamato as he gathered the required bills from where they had been tossed the counter top.

Takeru came up a second later wrapping an arm around Yamato's waist and making a not so subtle sort of waving motion in the direction of the barkeep, whom gave only a slight nod in return.

"Enjoying yourself, Oniichan?" Takeru chirped, adopting the pet name he rarely used for Yamato anymore.

"Well I was," Yamato chided back, though he was still in too good of a mood for the remark to carry too much effect. "I'm a big boy you know. Besides, I got Daisuke to look out for me, haven't I?" Daisuke blushed as Yamato reached over and gave his knee a squeeze.

"Blind leading the blind. Since when did you drink?" Takeru asked, shooting a smile at his roommate.

"I drink," Daisuke answered back a bit indignantly. Funny how the alcohol did not have the same effect on him that it did on Yamato. He would have given anything at the moment to be grinning as effortlessly as his companions.

"We're about to head home. Do you want to come back with Dai and me or do you want us to drop you off at your apartment?" Takeru turned back to his brother, apparently including the remaining digidestined in his universal we.

"Taichi?" Yamato asked, glancing around the emptying bar.

"He just left," Takeru supplied with a frown.

"That's right, he has soccer practice on Friday mornings."

"Hey," Ken's soft voice drew Daisuke away from the brother's conversation. He had apparently managed to escape from Jyou all by himself. Ichijouji Ken, super-genius.

"Hey," he answered back, "Where'd Miya go?"

"She and Hikari have headed back to their apartment. Something about having to study for her management class. You wouldn't happen to know what that's all about, would you?" Ken chuckled.

"I scored three points higher on the test we got back this morning," Daisuke smirked back, finally reaching the point where he could grin. Something about Ken always made him smile.

"That would certainly explain her mood earlier," Ken mused, "Mind if I give you a ride home? There's something I need to ask you to do for me and it'll probably be easier if you're inebriated."

"Sure, baby. I know the perfect little place and it's on the way home to boot."

"Very cute. Come on, Don Juan," Ken smiled, pulling Daisuke off of his barstool.

Daisuke's knees creaked after having sat there for so long and he was surprised just how much trouble he was having toeing a strait line.

"I've got Dai," Ken called over his shoulder in Takeru's direction. Daisuke, too, waved back towards Takeru and Yamato but both seemed too deep in conversation to notice. He just shrugged, following Ken out of the bar and into the chilly February night air.

TBC…

Please Review. I do so love reviews!

Author's note:

Orange Warthog*:

Ice cubes

3 tsp Orange Kool Aid, presweetened

3 1/2 oz Southern Comfort

12 oz Coca-Cola**

Mixing instructions:

Fill glass with ice. Add Kool-Aid powder, Southern Comfort and Coke. Stir well (never shake).

*I once saw this described as, "Real sweet and intoxicating. Sugar in Kool-Aid + caffeine gives initial euphoria, then you crash hard." Hehehe. Yama's e-vile.

**Hence the familiar taste.