A/N: Okay, so this is the first time I have ever done a second pairing within a series. I've only ever mentioned other pairings in my fics, and never gone into any major depth with them. Like for example, I have never written a SoRiku fic, even though I write AkuRoku. Anyhoo, I kind of struggled with the idea of this fic, and I apologize if it's similar to Life Of A Lost Neko in too many ways. By the way, Ken, Daisuke, Miyako, Takeru, and Hikari are all sophomores in this fic, with the exception of Iori, who is a freshman, whereas Taichi, Yamato, and the other digidestined are seniors. All from Ken's POV. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Soft Spoken

Chapter 1

I sat in my bedroom, all alone, just listening to my parents out in the living room. My dark-furred ears twitched as I listened, realizing that I wouldn't be able to hide from my parents forever anymore. I sighed softly, the end of my tail flicking back and forth anxiously. Moving would mean starting new, a new beginning, and hopefully a new chance at having a good life.

My name is Ken Ichijouji, and I'm a neko. I'm the only one I know of, but that's not saying much, seeing as I have no friends. I've only ever spoken when I have to, and I normally just focus on my school work. I was bullied growing up for being such an outcast, and even the misfit kids at my school didn't like me. I didn't understand why; I never did anything wrong, so was there just a flashing neon sign above my head that screamed, 'DON'T BEFRIEND ME'? I sighed again, knowing that a new school might be good for me, or it could go terribly wrong. It just depends on if everyone there finds out I'm a neko, like in grade school. When I had let my ears and tail out that first day, I didn't know I would get picked on and teased and beaten up for being different. People are so cruel sometimes…

"Ken?" my mother's voice called through the door. "I know you heard us, dear. Would you mind coming out and we can talk some more over dinner once your father gets back?"

"Yeah," I answered back, and opened the door, allowing my mother to hug me.

"I'm sorry, Ken. We just want you to be happy, not feel so alone, and not be picked on so much," she explained, and I nodded.

"I understand," I mumbled, and then the front door opened, and my father walked in, carrying a few take-out bags.

"I went out and picked up some of your favorites, Ken," he told me with a smile. I gave a small smile in return, and he ruffled my hair and ears lightly. "That's my boy."

We sat down at the table and began to eat the take-out Dad had brought home, and as we ate, Mom and Dad talked to me about how they'd been considering moving for a while now, but finally decided to go for it. They even had a place in mind, and it was within a short walking distance of what would be my new school. Seeing as the school year had already started, it would be good for me to get used to living in the new house first, and then I could start school the following week. My parents told me how they'd already contacted the new school and informed them of my being a neko and everything, so they knew I wouldn't start for a couple of weeks. Once we finished eating and talking, they were perfectly fine with me going to my room, where I curled up in my bed to sleep. It was so much to take in for just one night, but somehow, something told me everything would be okay. Hard to believe, though.

X*X(2 Weeks Later)X*X

We had already been unpacked and completely moved into our new home for the past week, and I was already starting my first day at the new school I would be attending. Nervously, I hugged my parents, waved to them in farewell, and then completely hid my ears in my hair and stilled my tail while it was hidden in my pants before leaving with my things. I had my messenger bag with my tablet, some notebooks for taking notes with, a few pencils, and some pens in it, plus my cell phone and house key in my pockets. As I walked to school, I couldn't help but feel scared. After all, I'd been picked on a lot for being quiet and different, but maybe things would be different here.

'Don't get your hopes up, Ken,' I thought to myself, sighing. I made my way to my first class, which was English. My parents had brought me to the school over the weekend so we could get a tour without a ton of students being around, so I had memorized my way around during that time. I made it to class okay, and I began to look for the teacher. I spotted her sitting at her desk, writing on some papers.

"Um, excuse me," I said quietly, and she looked up with a surprised look before smiling gently at me.

"Ah, you must be Ken Ichijouji, our new student, correct?" she guessed. I nodded shyly, and she waved me over. "It's nice to have you join us. My name is Aerith. We all go by first names here, so there's no need to call us Mr. or Ms. Go ahead and pick a seat wherever you'd like." Her warm smile was infectious, and I caught myself smiling back at her slightly before picking a seat near the back by the window. I pulled out my phone and put it on silent before people began to flow in, and quickly tucked it back in my pocket. Once the bell rang, Aerith began to speak when everyone had settled down.

"All right, class, we have a new student that has joined us today," she announced, and I got a chill down my spine as I prayed that she wouldn't make me stand up and introduce myself to the class. Unfortunately, luck was not on my side, and she said, "Go ahead and introduce yourself, sweetie." Terrified, I stood up, and spoke.

"My name is Ken Ichijouji, and I just moved here," I said softly, and Aerith noticed my discomfort.

"Thank you, Ken. You can sit down now," she smiled, and I quickly reseated myself. Aerith then proceeded with the day's lesson, and as she spoke, I jotted down the notes she wrote on the board in my green notebook, even highlighting the parts she emphasized. As I took my notes, I felt the other students' gazes on me. Some were perturbed, most were eager in a bad way, and the rest were curious. Finally, the bell rang, and I quickly began to leave, making my way to Math. As I tried to hurry to the safety of the classroom, I was suddenly grabbed and slammed against the wall, and I yelped in pain as the back of my head smacked against it.

"So, you think you can just walk in here and think you're hot shit for trying to be a goody-two-shoes, huh, freak?" a guy's voice sneered as he held me against the wall. I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything, which seemed to piss the guy off more. "Not gonna speak, weirdo?" He raised a fist as if to punch me, and I flinched as he swung. When the blow didn't hit me, I peeked to see another guy holding back the bully's fist, a furious expression on his face.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" the guy defending me snarled. "Fucking moron!" He shoved him away, glaring heavily.

"Who're you calling a moron?!" the bully growled, swinging now at the boy who stopped him.

"You, duh!" he spat, and knocked him down with a punch. "Now leave him alone and stop picking on new kids for stupid reasons!" The bully glared at the other boy before getting to his feet and leaving, holding his bruised cheek. The boy who saved me turned to me, looking concerned as I trembled from what had just happened.

"Are you okay?" he asked, grasping my shoulders and looking me over. "Hey, just take some deep breaths, and it'll calm you down." I complied, inhaling deeply and exhaling a few times before looking up a bit at the guy. "You okay now? Wanna go to the office?"

"No, I'm okay," I assured him. "Thanks for helping me, by the way."

"Eh, no big deal. I'd do the same for anyone who was being bullied," he grinned. "My name's Daisuke Motomiya. What's your name?"

"Ken Ichijouji," I murmured shyly.

"Oh yeah, you're in English with me! Sorry, I wasn't really paying attention and kinda dozed off during class," he apologized, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, not even messing up his spiked, cinnamon-colored hair. "What's your next class?" he asked, and I showed him my schedule. His face brightened when he looked it over. "Hey, we're in all the same classes! That's awesome, now I don't have to worry about assholes messing with you, 'cause I'll be around to keep ya safe." My eyes widened in surprise.

"What?" I uttered, not understanding.

"Look, let's get to class first, okay? On the way, I'll explain," he offered. As we hurried to class, he elaborated. "First off, I want you to join me and my friends at our table during lunch today. And you can't refuse. Don't need you being alone," he smiled. "And second, I don't like bullying, especially when it's someone I know. Sure, I barely know you, but I'd hate to see you hurt because of stupid, judgmental assholes."

"Thank you…" I mumbled, and then the bell rang. Daisuke cursed, and then he pulled me into a run for class.

"Sorry, Ken, but we can't be late! The Math teacher is strict about late students!" he told me as we ran. We skidded to a stop in front of the classroom door and walked in. The teacher, a tall brunette man, gave a stern look before Daisuke began to try and apologize and explain.

"I'm really sorry, Leon, there was a jerk messing with Ken here, and he's a new student, so I intervened, and that's why we're late," he explained quickly. Leon's eyes widened slightly, and he nodded once.

"I understand, Daisuke. Ken, I apologize for that student. We have some idiots on the grounds, unfortunately," he told us. "But anyway, you're both excused from being tardy. Go ahead and take your seats." We quickly made our way to the back, and I pulled out a different notebook, this one with a red cover, and began to write what was already on the board as quickly as I could. I glanced over to see Daisuke struggling to keep up, so I wrote out a quick note letting him know I would let him copy my notes later and passed it to him. He flashed me a grateful smile as he continued to frantically write.

Finally, Leon assigned homework right before the bell rang, drawing a collective groan from the class. Leon merely rolled his eyes and told us it was due tomorrow. Daisuke and I got up after everyone else had left, and as we walked out the door, I thanked Leon for not writing us down as tardy.

"Don't worry about it, Ken. It happens," he smiled slightly at me, and waved at me to go to my next class. Daisuke led me to our third period class, History, where a brunette woman was sitting at her desk. I learned her name was Tifa, and she was very strict about her students paying attention. Finally, the bell rang, and it was Daisuke and my free period. He led me to the cafeteria, where we sat down side-by-side at the table nearest the corner, and grinned at me.

"So, what brings you to our high school?" he asked, his tone genuinely curious.

"We moved here to Odaiba from Tamachi," I told him. He tilted his head to the side curiously.

"Why's that?"

"My family and I needed a fresh start, that's all," I answered, not wanting to tell him anything about my neko features. He seemed to believe me, but not completely. Thankfully, he didn't push it.

"Well, I'm glad I met you, Ken," he smiled.

"Huh?"

"Well, first off, I'm relieved that you weren't hurt by that fucktard earlier, to start," he began. "And I'm glad because you'll get to meet my friends. They're great, and I know they'll like you."

"You mean that?" I questioned doubtfully.

"Of course! Trust me, they'll make you feel like you're family," he smiled reassuringly at me. We chatted for a little longer until the bell for lunch rang, and then Daisuke looked up expectantly, watching the doors to the cafeteria. After the crowd of students flooded in and headed to tables or the lunch line, the cinnamon-haired teen began to wave frantically to someone. I felt my ears flatten themselves further against my scalp, and the very tip of my tail twitched slightly in anxiety from the inside of my pants. Finally, four other teens began to approach the table we were at, and they gave me curious looks.

"Who's this, Daisuke?" a brunette girl with light brown eyes asked curiously.

"This is Ken Ichijouji, our new group member!" Daisuke said happily, and my blue eyes widened in surprise at being referred to as part of the group.

"How'd you meet him?" a blonde boy next to the brunette asked.

"He was about to get pummeled by a complete fucktard after English," Daisuke explained.

"That's terrible! Well, anyway, it's nice to meet you, Ken," the brunette smiled at me, and shook my hand with a gentle yet firm grip. "My name is Hikari Yagami. This is Takeru Takaishi, my boyfriend," she added, gesturing to the blonde.

"I'm Miyako Inoue!" a girl with light violet hair greeted enthusiastically, shaking hands with me. "And this is my neighbor at my apartment building, Iori Hida!" she added, gesturing to the shorter boy behind her.

"Hello," he greeted kindly.

"It's nice to meet you all," I told them softly, unable to look at them. I was feeling so awkward; why did I have to be here right now…?

"Hey, there's no need to feel shy," Hikari assured me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "We're all good friends here, and now you're part of our group." I raised my widened eyes to look at her, shocked that they were accepting me so easily.

"How come you're all accepting me so easily?" I mentally slapped myself; why do I open my big mouth? "Am I just a pity case or something?" The group around me seemed surprised by my question.

"Of course not!" Daisuke protested. His next words were softened, though. "We're all friends here, and we've known each other for a while. You don't seem like you deserve to be alone, especially in high school, so I wanted to help you. And besides, you're a nice guy! Even if you're shy." He grinned at me, and I couldn't help but smile a little bit back at him. "Does that help you feel better?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "I'm sorry about my doubts… I've never had any friends before, that's all…"

"Why not? You're a nice guy!" the cinnamon-haired teen exclaimed. I immediately struggled to think of a quick lie that made sense.

"Everyone thought I was weird because I'm so quiet and shy," I mumbled. "I don't have any siblings, so I never really socialized when I was younger."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Ken…" Hikari told me, her expression saddened.

"I kind of know how you feel, Ken," Iori nodded. "I'm the only one in our group besides you who has no siblings. It's just me, my mom, and my grandpa, seeing as my dad was killed in the line of duty as a police officer."

"Oh… I'm sorry, Iori," I murmured.

"Don't worry about it. I'm not jealous of the others or anything, so don't worry," he assured me. After a bit of quiet, I got curious about how many siblings the others have, and decided to inquire.

"We each have one sibling, except for Miyako. She has two older sisters and an older brother," Takeru explained. "And Hikari and I aren't the only ones dating. Our older brothers, Taichi and Yamato, are dating, too. Yamato's my brother, and Taichi is Hikari's."

"Funny thing is that my sister, Jun, used to idolize Yamato until he started dating Taichi a few years ago," Daisuke laughed. "Now she fantasizes about being with Taichi and Yamato's friend, Jyou's, older brother, Jim."

"Honestly, your sister changes her obsessions like she changes clothes, Daisuke," Miyako giggled.

"I have to agree with you on that one, Miyako," he snickered. I couldn't resist smiling at that, but I held back my laughter.

"I still remember when Yamato told me he was in love with Taichi," Takeru smiled lightly. "He had no idea how to tell him, and was terrified he'd be rejected."

"Let's not tell Ken everything, Takeru. After all, it's our brothers' story," Hikari chided gently.

"Sorry about that," the blonde apologized.

"Where are Taichi and Yamato, anyway?" Daisuke asked suddenly.

"And Sora?" Miyako chimed in.

"What about Koushiro?" Iori added.

"I'm here, but the others will be here shortly," a boy around my height with rust-colored hair said as he walked over. He noticed me, and looked at me curiously. "And who's this?"

"There's no point in repeating myself three or four times, so I'll explain when the others are here," Daisuke assured him.

"We're here now!" a redheaded girl called, walking over with a blonde with deep blue eyes and a wild-haired brunette with chocolate brown eyes that were holding hands. "Who's the newbie?"

"This is Ken Ichijouji, and I saved him from being beaten up by some asshole from class," Daisuke introduced me. Pointing to each of the older students in turn, he said, "Ken, this is Koushiro Izumi, Sora Takenouchi, Yamato Ishida, and Taichi Yagami."

"It's nice to meet you, Ken," Yamato said, shaking hands with me.

"And it's also good to know that Daisuke's temper still flares when he's protecting someone," Taichi chuckled, shaking my hand as well.

"Just like you when you're defending Yamato, Taichi," Sora giggled.

"Some things never change, but this time it was a good thing," Koushiro sighed while shaking his head with a small smile.

"So, Ken, what brings you to Odaiba High?" Yamato asked.

"My parents and I needed a new start, make some friends for myself," I explained as I glanced away. I felt his curious gaze on me, but he said nothing more on the subject as he and Taichi sat down across from Daisuke and me. Everyone began to pull out their lunches, and I pulled out my own small one, which consisted of just a ham and cheese sandwich and a soda. As I ate, listening to everyone chat around me, I felt Daisuke's eyes on me, his gaze worried.

"Is that all you packed for lunch?" he frowned, concerned.

"Yeah, I don't eat much," I replied quietly, not wanting to draw everyone's attention.

"Hang on; I've got some extra food I packed for later. Help yourself!" he grinned, digging through his lunch bag and pulling out an apple, some chips, and a Ziploc bag of what looked like home-baked cookies. "Don't worry, this isn't all of it, so you can have however much you want."

"You don't need to, Daisuke, I'm not really hungry…" I mumbled.

"Come on, you'll need the energy for gym class later," he urged. Sighing, I gave him a thankful smile as I accepted the chips from him. "And I'll share the cookies with ya, too. My mom makes amazing chocolate chip cookies!"

"Thank you, Daisuke," I murmured, and he grinned back.

"No problem," he nodded, and we continued eating our lunches in a comfortable silence. I began to feel awkward, however, when I noticed Koushiro's analyzing gaze on me. I flushed, embarrassed, and looked away, trying not to seem suspicious. Once the warning bell rang, however, and we'd all eaten, I was about to head to Psychology with Daisuke when Koushiro pulled me off to the side.

"Don't worry, I'll bring him to class, Daisuke," he assured the cinnamon-haired teen as he frowned. Daisuke nodded with a shrug, and then went to wait for me outside the cafeteria. Once Koushiro and I were in a private spot, he said, "You're a neko, aren't you?" I paled considerably, horrified that he'd figured it out. There was no point in trying to deny it, so I sighed and nodded.

"I am. How'd you know?" I muttered.

"Because Yamato's one as well, and he hides it the same way you do. That's why his hair looks messy," he smiled. "Don't worry, I won't say anything to anyone, and I'll play dumb if you decide to share. Sorry if I scared you, by the way. I just wanted to tell you that I know, and that we won't judge you should you tell us."

"Thank you, Koushiro," I told him gratefully, bowing slightly to him, and then quickly left to rejoin Daisuke.

"What was that about?" Daisuke asked as we rushed to class.

"Nothing important," I replied, making my new friend furrow his brows in confusion, but he let the subject drop. We walked into Psychology, where a stone-faced blonde with spiky hair and blue eyes was sitting at the desk off to the side in front of the class. He nodded to us in greeting, and then Daisuke led me to the back of the room, where we sat down next to each other by the window.

"Don't worry about Cloud, he's quiet, but he teaches in a way that makes sense to everyone. Just don't piss him off," the cinnamon-haired teen warned me. I nodded once in understanding, and then the bell rang as the rest of the class filed in. Cloud stood from his desk and shut the door, and then began the lesson on mental disorders and diseases. It sounded like it was a previously lectured on topic that he was continuing from, so I decided to ask if I could get the notes from him after class. Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of class, and I swiftly packed my things before approaching him.

"Cloud?" I said, my voice shaking slightly.

"Yes?" he replied as he erased the board.

"May name is Ken Ichijouji, and I just started today," I began. "It sounded like this was a previously discussed lecture, so I was hoping I could get the notes from the beginning of the lecture?" He blinked once at me, appearing slightly surprised, before digging out a copy of the notes.

"Here, this is everything from when we started," he told me, handing me the half inch thick packet with a smirk. "I can already tell you'll do well in this class, so don't study too hard." I nodded and smiled slightly, feeling less nervous about the blonde teacher. Once I had tucked the packet into my bag, I turned to Daisuke, who was watching me, surprised.

"What?" I frowned, confused.

"I'm just surprised you got Cloud to warm up to you so quickly," he chuckled, and the sound made my heart flutter in a strange way I couldn't decipher. I merely blushed slightly with embarrassment, and let him lead me to gym class. When we got there, I discovered that, although the class was mandatory, I was given special privileges so I wouldn't be discovered. The teacher, Zack, merely grinned at me and had me help him with setting up the equipment required for a flag football game.

"Awesome! I'll make sure my team wins for sure!" Daisuke cheered, pumping his fist excitedly as he joined his team. Zack handed me a dry erase board and a blue marker for it, as well as an eraser for it, and told me to keep score while he acted as referee. I nodded, accepting my task, but when I overheard a student ask why I wasn't playing, he told them that I have a medical condition that makes it difficult for me to keep up physically. I sighed internally in relief, grateful he had an excuse ready for anyone who asked about me. The raven-haired teacher blew the whistle, and then everyone began to play. I managed to keep up with the scoring, and by the end of class, Daisuke's team had the winning score of 13-8. Everyone took off their flagged belts and dropped them in the sacks Zack had set out for them when everyone was getting ready. Zack tossed the ball to me, and then I put it in the bin with the other soccer balls, basketballs, and volleyballs. While Daisuke was changing, I stood with my bag on my shoulder near Zack, just to make sure I wasn't snatched and beaten up or something.

"You were bullied before, weren't you?" the gym teacher guessed as I waited.

"Yes, for the medical reason you mentioned before," I chuckled dryly. He sighed, but placed a hand on my shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't worry about it too much, Ken. All of the staff here at the school will be sure to protect you, and it already seems like Daisuke wants to protect you, too," Zack pointed out.

"You're right on that one. He already saved my skin once today," I told him.

"I heard about that. Dumbass went home early from that punch, whining about a possible concussion, according to Yuffie, which is bullshit," he laughed lightly, making me join in quietly. Finally, Daisuke emerged from the boys' locker room, dressed back in his normal clothes, and joined me.

"Well, our day is over now, seeing as our last two classes are free periods," he said. "Wanna come back with me to my house? I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind, and then I can copy those notes from class earlier."

"Um…let me just call my mom first and ask for permission," I answered, digging out my phone. I quickly dialed my home number, and then Mom picked up after a couple of rings.

"Ken? Hello, sweetie, is something wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"No, nothing's wrong, I was just wondering if I could go over to a new friend's house. I'll be back for dinner," I told her.

"Oh, Ken, that's wonderful! It's perfectly fine, dear, just make sure to let me know if things get bad, and I'll come pick you up. Also, let me know if they invite you for dinner," she said, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. I sighed internally, knowing the tears were of happiness, not sadness.

"Don't worry, Mom, I'll make sure to call if they do, and if anything comes up," I assured her.

"I love you, Ken. Take care, and I'll see you later, sweetie," she sniffled, and I told her I love her as well before hanging up.

"I'm allowed to," I told Daisuke, and he grinned.

"Awesome! Come on, let's go!" he crowed, and grabbed my wrist before dragging me into a run to his house. 'Let's see how this goes,' I thought as we went.

A/N: I apologize if there's any conflictions or errors in this, I started this back in April and just finished it today. I'll work on handwriting some more and then type it up later. R&R, peeps!