City of Angels
Chapter 1
by The Ambitious Blank

Disclaimer- Digimon has never been mine. It isn't even mine now. And it probably never will be. Sucks for me, right? City of Angels has also, never been mine.. and do I even have to finish? Really, if I owned either two, I'd be rich and wouldn't be writing this, most likely.
Comments- An AU fic based on the movie "City of Angels", the best cry-your-eyes-out movie ever made in my opinion. Kenkeru is main pairing, some Taito. Shounen-ai, kissing and maybe some hintings of citrus? ^^; This is also a deathfic. And since it's an AU, we'll say Ken lives near the school where the rest of the digidestined kids go, okay? :B Okay. C&C is appreciated. Thanks!

~*~

Every city is unique in its own way. Every city has its own quirks, its own attractions, and its own sights that make it different from one city to the next. San Francisco has the Golden Gate Bridge, New York has the Statue of Liberty, London has Big Ben, Paris has the Eiffel Tower, several cities in China share the Great Wall.

Well, Odaiba has angels.

They aren't your typical sorts of angels. They dress in black, can't be seen, have no wings, can't feel emotions or pain, and not all of them are blonde-haired, blue-eyed, and cherubic in nature. Though, the one that seemed to be one of the most unique of all seemed stereotypical. He was, in fact, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, and innocent looking. Not quite cherubic, but close enough. Today, he and a fellow, redheaded angel stood atop a tall building, staring out over the busy city. The red-haired boy turned to the blonde.

"You almost wish something new would happen, don't you?"

"Something.. new..?" The other asked, confused. The redhead nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah. I mean, life's pretty dull for us nowadays, right?"

"I don't think so."

"Of course you don't. We're practically programmed to think that life is routine and never dull. But I wanna see something besides death, don't you?"

"I guess. But wouldn't that be-"

"Oh, hush up for a sec and listen to me. Wouldn't it be cool to be down there with them?"

"The humans..?"

"No, dummy, the demons. Yes, the humans. Wouldn't you give anything to be like them..? To be able to feel like they do?"

"Not really.."

"Aww, c'mon! Live a little, wouldya?"

The blonde angel considered his friend's words for a moment, staring down at the city. Daisuke had always been a little eccentric. Different from the other angels like himself. But he had a few god points here and there. Human..? Being human? Wouldn't that mean giving everything up just for the sake of being mortal? For emotions? For pain? He hesitated, biting his lip, then looked up.

"Dai, another one's going. I'll see you later." He said quickly. Daisuke sighed and shook his head.

"Yeah, yeah. See ya."

With that, the blonde angel disappeared.

~*~

The car whirled around the corner faster than anyone could see and predict the danger and tears to come. It tore down the black pavement, the driver dead drunk. There was a yell, a boyish scream, and a hideous screeching of tires. Afterwards, there was nothing but the sound of ambulances approaching and a boy crying for his brother.

Ichijouji Osamu was pronounced dead on the scene. Police followed the driver, leaving Ken alone with his brother's body and the doctors as they lifted Osamu up into the ambulance's back. Like cargo, Ken thought miserably as he watched them drive away, then turned to walk home.

[ A/N: Yes, Ken is as old as he was in Season Two just for the sake of this fic. ]

It took a long time before the realization of what had just happened sank in. His father and mother cried hopelessly over the situation as soon as Ken monotonously reported the news. He reflected back on how.. uncaring he'd sounded as he'd told them their first son was dead. He knew they'd mourn for him. In fact, they'd mourn for him so much that Ken would be forgotten. He disappeared into his room. No use in staying, he decided, shutting the door behind him, leaning against it heavily. He stared at the bunk bed that was now all his. The room that was now all his. Because Osamu wasn't coming back. Ever. Ken let out a soft cry, dropping to his knees on the carpeted floor.

"..he's not coming back. Osamu's not coming back." He stared at the wooden door to the hallway, at the end of which his parents were sitting on the couch and clutching at each other.

"..Osamu was always the star child. The one that made them proud to be part of this family. I was just like him.. which is exactly why no one cares." He whispered, more tears falling from his violet eyes, splattering the back of his hands with warmth. He started to tremble.

..all I wanted was to be loved.

~*~

The angel appeared on the street, stepping through the crowd and to the spot where the body was. A boy with spiky blue hair and glasses was lying there, having been hit by the car that just went by. The blonde stood back a ways from the body, watching a younger boy sob over it. His younger brother, the angel supposed silently, glancing up at the spirit that now stood next to him.

"Will he be all right?" The dead boy's spirit asked, looking worriedly at the angel. The blue-eyed messenger had no answer for him, just shook his head.

"Was he what you liked best, Osamu?" He asked instead. Osamu sighed and his shoulders slumped.

"It never seemed that way, did it? Yeah.. I guess he was, even if I didn't always show it as best as I could have."

The angel took Osamu's hand and they disappeared in a flash of light.

~*~

The blonde reappeared later on, following Osamu's younger brother as he went home. He saw the boy disappear into his room and followed after. The room seemed to get warmer from his presence, and the younger paused, sitting up straight and stiff, fear showing in his violet eyes. How odd, the angel thought, violet eyes on a human boy.. I've never seen that before.

"Wh-who's there?!" The boy whimpered. The angel tilted his head.

Just me.

"..no.. no one..?"

Just me. I won't hurt you.

"..Osamu..?"

..Osamu? No. Just me.

"..Osamu, th-that.. isn't you, is it..?"

..you're so beautiful.

The angel jerked at that thought. What was he thinking?! Beautiful.. where had that come from? The boy was shaking now, and the blonde reached out, wrapping him in his tender arms.

"..it.. it's so.. warm.." The boy murmured, his eyelids drooping slowly. The angel sighed. The poor child was weary with his tears and his sorrow. He was soon asleep, held and comforted by a figure he couldn't see.

~*~

Everyone at school when Ken returned a week later offered pity, but pity wasn't what he wanted. Hikari, Miyako, and Sora were the worst by far. They kept trying to coax him into getting a girlfriend, that a girlfriend would make him feel better. Ken pushed past them and finally came to a face he could trust.

"Yamato.."

The elder boy turned, looking toward Ken curiously, his soft smile comforting to Ken somehow. He thought about the strange, warm feeling he'd had last night, and the fact that he'd locked his door, had fallen asleep on the floor, and yet had somehow managed to get back into his bed and get himself tucked in. He decided to express his opinions to Yamato.

"..Yamato, have.. have you ever thought about things like spirits.. or.. or angels?"

"Angels..?" Yamato asked, freezing for a moment. Ken could tell he was tense about something, but tried to persist anyway.

"..yeah, angels. It's so weird, because last night I was in my room, and I could have sworn that there was someone in there with me."

"How did you know?" Yamato asked, going back to fishing things out of his locker.

"..I dunno. The room got really warm, and I felt like.. like someone was holding me. Do you think it might have been Osamu..?"

"I don't know, Ken. I'm not good at this religious stuff." Yamato shrugged and slung his guitar over his shoulder. "Catch you later." And he left Ken standing in the hall alone rather quickly. Ken blinked. A hand placed itself on his shoulder, and the boy genius flinched and whirled. Koushiro stood there, looking surprised.

"Ah.. I'm sorry, Ken.. did I scare you?"

"Just a little, Koushiro. Don't worry about it. Listen.. ah, have you ever thought about things like angels..?" He immediately regretted his question.

"Angels?" Koushiro asked, blinking. Ken could tell he was about to start off on one of his long lectures. Koushiro's infamous lectures had been scientifically proven to put people to sleep more easily than lullabies. He glanced at the clock.

"Ah! Gomen, Koushiro, but I have to go!" He hurried off down the hall before Koushiro could start on his theory of evolution and how such a thing as an angel would be a physically impossible thing to exist.

~*~

The walk home seemed longer than usual as Ken pondered over his thoughts that day. Vaguely he wondered why Yamato had gotten so uncomfortable when he'd asked about what he'd thought about angels, but didn't worry about it long. People were uncomfortable around religion sometimes, right? Ken sighed and unlocked his apartment door.

"..you push your friends away so easily." Came a soft voice. Ken looked up abruptly. A young blonde boy stood next to the door, leaning against it, his arms crossed. He was dressed in all black, and his blue eyes seemed to hold no emotion, though it felt as if they could see right through him. Ken lowered his gaze, unable to hold those ceruleans staring at him for more than a few seconds.

"I don't want their pity." He said softly.

"..they don't understand."

"..of course they don't!" Ken cried, shaking his head. "Of course they don't understand! They don't know what it's like to lose someone close to them!"

"Have you ever tried asking them?" The blonde asked, tilting his head.

"Asking them what?" Ken asked sharply. "That would make a great conversation. 'I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, guys, but have you ever suffered as badly as I have?' Yeah. Great." The violet-eyed boy rolled his eyes.

"..you're quick to isolate yourself."

"Can you blame me?"

"No, not particularly." The blonde said, holding out his hand and smiling. "My name is Takeru."

"..I'm Ken." Ken replied, shaking his hand. Something shot through them as they touched.. the feeling of warmth from the previous night struck him as if by a sack of bricks. He looked at the boy, startled.

"You.. you.. were..?" He trailed, off, staring. Takeru shrugged and smiled mysteriously.

"..maybe."

With that, he turned and walked toward the stairs, turning the corner. Ken regretted his hesitation and ran after, but as he skidded around the corner, the boy was gone. The violet-eyed genius just blinked in confusion. There were many things even a genius couldn't figure out right away.

"..that wasn't just an ordinary kid.. that was who was there with me last night. I don't know how I know, but.."

"Ken, honey, are you all right?" Mrs. Ichijouji's voice wafted to her son's ears. Ken blinked and turned.

"Yes.. I'm sorry, I must've phased out for a second.."

"..well, come in, honey, it's getting dark." She said and disappeared back into the apartment. Ken nodded and hurried in after her.

~*~

"You actually showed yourself to a human?!" Daisuke asked incredulously, staring at Takeru in disbelief. They were standing on top of Ken's apartment building, looking out over the city as the sun sank into the horizon far in the distance, glowing brightly. "Takeru, man, you've changed. Just this morning you were sayin'-" The blonde angel cut Daisuke off, holding up a hand.

"Yeah, yeah. I know, I know."

"..sometimes I wonder about you, 'keru."

"Doesn't everyone?" Takeru said with a smile, standing up and staring out over Odaiba, it's buildings wreathed in the fiery sunset. His blue eyes reflected everything in his eyes as he crossed his arms.

"..yeah, I guess. But I mean.. why now? Why that human?"

"..there was just something about him, Dai'. He just.. he interested me."

"Don't forget what happened to Yamato, man.. he fell in love with that dopey, big-haired human and no one knows what happened to him." The redhead said warningly, eyeing Takeru with slight suspicion flashing in his dark chocolate eyes.

"I know, Daisuke. Lay off." Takeru said tiredly. Daisuke was a good friend, but perhaps he was a bit too good of a friend sometimes. But, what the other was claiming was true. Yamato had been an angel once, and he and Takeru had been like brothers, if angels actually had brothers. One day he'd seen a human they called Taichi, however, and began to distance himself from the rest of the angels. Soon enough, he'd disappeared from their ranks completely, and only a few knew what had become of him. None of them dared speak whatever he'd done.

"All right, whatever you say, 'keru." Daisuke said, holding his hands up in surrender. "But don't be goin' and getting emotions on me or nothin'. We can't afford to have emotions."

"I know, Dai'. I know."

~*~

Ken couldn't stop thinking about that mysterious blonde boy the whole next day.

"Takeru." He said to himself, staring at the sky as he walked toward school. "I wonder what he thinks of me now? What is he..?" He paused as he passed a church, where a cross stood high on the roof, and a few sculpted angels flew about it, their blank eyes almost disturbingly watchful. Ken's violet eyes widened in surprise.

"..an angel..? Were you an angel, Takeru..?" He blinked once, and then shook his head. "Nah. Couldn't be.. Koushiro could think of a thousand reasons why angels don't exist.. why can't I?"

Ken kept walking, eyes lowered to the sidewalk as it passed by beneath his feet. Yet the blonde's face, his smile, his eyes didn't pass from his mind for longer than a minute. Even his friends weren't enough to distract him from the thought.

Ken sat in his desk in his History class, staring at the ceiling thoughtfully, his mind far away from the Ancient Romans. He knew most everything the teacher was saying already anyway. It didn't matter. He tapped his chin with a pen idly, sighing. Class seemed to drag by even slower than usual.

Apparently, even lunch had lost its touch. Ken distanced himself from his friends and sat alone under one of the big trees in the lunch area, leaning against the trunk of it comfortably and just thinking. Why it was so hard to forget the blonde he wasn't sure. Somehow he'd been reminded of Yamato. He frowned a little. How strange. He might have sworn the two were related, even. Ken automatically thought about Yamato's hesitance to discuss the subject of angels earlier the previous day, but didn't dwell on it.

Taichi, Hikari, Miyako, and Sora asked him if he was okay a few times that day, afraid he was having a relapse or something. Yamato, however, seemed to avoid him for the rest of the day. The boy genius tried to get a word in with him, but somehow the older blonde successfully evaded him for the remainder of the school day. Ken eventually gave up trying to find the elusive Ishida boy and instead began his walk home, continuing to think over what'd he'd thought on his way to school.

Koushiro could think of a thousand reasons why angels don't exist. Why can't I?

..because I've met one.

~*~

Takeru was waiting patiently for Ken near his apartment door again. Ken jumped as he caught sight of the blonde and came hurrying up.

"You're back.." He whispered, and Takeru nodded. Ken smiled. "I thought you'd be." He said. "Would you like to come in? My parents are out tonight.. we'll have to make dinner ourselves, but.. we can get the chance to talk now, if you want."

Takeru tilted his head curiously, and then nodded.

"Okay." He followed Ken inside. Ken set his backpack down and removed his shoes. Takeru did the same, minus the backpack. Ken thought it strange.. Takeru didn't look any older than he was, and if there really were a logical explanation for him, he'd be a student, and would probably at least have books with him. Ken shook his head and sighed, going into the kitchen and pulling out some fresh vegetables. He set some cabbage out and a large knife.

"Takeru, could you cut these up for me, please?"

"Sure." Takeru said with a nod, and picked up the knife. Ken went to work warming some leftover curry and some rice, glancing at Takeru every once in a while over his shoulder. Suddenly he froze.. he could have sworn he'd just seen.. no, that couldn't be right! Takeru had just practically sliced his finger off, but nothing had happened.. unless Ken's depth perception was off, and Takeru had missed, that was exactly what had just happened. He could tell the blonde knew he was watching and was trying to hide his mistake. Ken grabbed Takeru's shoulder and turned him around.

"What are you, Takeru?!" He demanded. Takeru glanced away. Ken, without thinking, grabbed the knife in one hand and Takeru's wrist in the other, holding tightly as the blonde struggled to pull away. He flipped Takeru's hand over so his palm faced upward and brought the knife harshly across it. Takeru gasped and yanked his wrist away, reaching for a towel and wrapping it tightly around his hand. Ken grabbed it and ripped it off. There was no blood, not even a mark. Takeru avoided Ken's eyes. The taller boy's eyes narrowed.

"Takeru. Tell me. What are you?"

"..I can't tell you that."

"I sliced you with a knife, Takeru! You barely flinched!! You.. you're not human, are you?"

Takeru said nothing.

"TELL ME!" Ken shouted desperately, grabbing Takeru's shoulders. The blonde shook his head furiously.

"I.. I can't!" He cried, yanking himself away and going toward the door. For the first time Ken noticed a distinct pattern on the back of the blonde's shirt. Someone had taken delicate time in embroidering two beautiful, incredibly realistic pattern of two white, feathered wings on the back of the black, sleeveless turtleneck that Takeru was always wearing. They were so realistic, in fact, that Ken doubted that they were made by any mortal means. Ken blinked, startled long enough to let Takeru get out the door before being able to stop him.

He snapped out of his trance and blinked again. Glancing down at the cutting board, he saw something shimmer. It was a small, white feather, and as Ken reached out and touched it, it turned black. Surprised, Ken drew back. The black feather burst into a golden flame and shriveled into nothing, yet it left no mark on the cutting board. There was no doubt about it now.

Takeru, the mysterious blonde that had haunted Ken's thoughts all day long, was an angel.

~*~

To Be Continued...