Disclaimer: I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.
Fandom: Digimon Adventure 02
Title: While The Ramen Cooks
Romance: Ken x Daisuke
Word Count: 784||Status: One-shot
Genre: Romance||Rated: PG
Challenge: Written for the Diversity Writing Challenge, section B99, starts & ends with the same letter; Written for the One Ship Boot Camp, prompt #5, talent; Written for Word Counts Set Boot Camp, #24, 783; Written for Digimon OTP Week on Tumblr, Day 6, fluffy
Notes: This takes place some years after the defeat of BelialVamdemon but does not include the 25 years later epilogue.
Summary: Daisuke makes ramen. Ken makes small talk. Then they make out.

Daisuke made ramen. That wasn't all he did with his life – Ken could attest to the fact Daisuke was very good at helping to save the world and smack people out of sad thoughts – but ramen was what he genuinely loved to do the most. And he was extremely good at it.

"How long did it take you to learn to do this?" Ken wondered, shifting position on the stool as he watched Daisuke working with the noodles.

Daisuke kept all of his attention on his work even as he answered. "A few years. My mom makes ramen too and I started off watching her when I was little." He made something of a face. "Jun never wanted to learn how, so Mom ended up teaching me."

Somehow that failed to surprise Ken. Jun studied to be an investigative reporter and ate more takeout than any person he could think of off the top of his head.

Daisuke's face slipped into a sudden grin. "I wasn't always this good at it, though. I mean, even genius takes time, right?" The way his gaze darted toward Ken and back away was a definite tease.

"It depends on the kind of genius you are," Ken said. He'd seldom had to work at it when he'd been a genius. But that was something else altogether.

Daisuke nodded, still working on getting the ramen noodles put together. Ken watched Daisuke more than the noodles, his eyes flicking over his lover's warm features, strong hands, and continually moving shoulders and back. He didn't take as much time as he should have to admire views such as this.

I should change that. He didn't know if he would; he had a lot to do and it wasn't always spending time with Daisuke, as much as he wanted to. But he could dream of it now and enjoy the time that he did have.

One tiny bead of sweat trickled its way from out of Daisuke's hair, down his cheek, and fell off his chin. Ken tracked it with his eyes all the way, vaguely envying it for how close it was to Daisuke. He'd be that close later, but while Daisuke could be as tactile as an octopus when he chose to be, when he was cooking was one of those times when he did not choose to be.

Ken seldom bothered with fantasies. Reality seemed so much safer, since his fantasies had a way of getting out of hand. But now he imagined what it would be like to have his arms wrapped around Daisuke, to bend his head in to rest against Daisuke's shoulder, feeling the heat of Daisuke's skin, tasting his sweat.

He swallowed and tried to focus back on what was actually going on in front of him. If he went down that path too far, then he wouldn't be able to stop himself, and Daisuke would get very angry at him for interrupting the ramen-making. While he did find an angry Daisuke attractive on some levels, he didn't really want to be the one who got him that way.

Moment by moment Daisuke put everything together, until the ramen simmered on the stove, a delicious scent from it filling the kitchen. Daisuke washed up everything he'd used until then and Ken's eyes drifted more and more to the delicious expanses of skin he could see peeking out as he moved here and there.

Has it really been that long? Even if it hadn't been, just the thought of having Daisuke in his arms again appealed to him. He could've held and been held by Daisuke forever and never quite have enough of it.

Daisuke's hand rested on his without warning and Ken jumped, focusing on his lover now, and that amused grin the other sported.

"Come on, let's sit down. The ramen doesn't need me to stare at it constantly until it's done."

That much Ken knew; Daisuke would have to check on it periodically but that was it. He knew exactly how much care his work took.

So he didn't complain at all when Daisuke took him by the hand and led him to the couch, the two of them settling down there together, Daisuke's arms winding around Ken and pulling him close for a deep, thorough kiss. Ken returned it with every ounce of passion he could, hands pressed against Daisuke's chest, feeling the beat of his heart underneath the skin.

Ken didn't say I love you with words. He said it with his mouth but not his voice, with his eyes, hands, and heart. Daisuke said it right back, in all the same ways.

Along with steaming hot ramen, perfectly cooked.

The End

Note: Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the story. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.