supercollide by okikage (M): the defining fic of the crest gems au, one that easily makes me cry with its sweetness and purity... just an absolute fave. oki is a wonderful writer, check out all their fics!
fever dream / phantom touch by anatui (E): as the most prolific writer of the daiken fandom, ana has a bajillion amazing fics, but these two take the cake for me. it's an au where daisuke and ken begin feeling each other's touch on their own bodies and do a ton of jerking off (obviously). the two fics represent the two different POVs, and they're such fun to read as a pair!
one month by anatui (M): i'm gonna list two more chapter fics by anatui, but beware, they're unfinished -- but this one has 38 chapters, so it's not like you'll be lacking in content lol. one month is just so much fun, introducing wallace as the guy who cockblocks daiken so hard they're forced to realize they're in love with each other over the course of his one month long visit to japan. it's amazing and integral to the daiken experience.
meet me on rainbow bridge by anatui (T): this fic has a really special place in my heart. the second chapter touched me so much i drew fanart of it that i still love! it's a really out-there premise -- that daiken have been meeting in dreams they can't remember since before they ever met -- but it makes for some incredible interactions that never would have been possible otherwise. lovely stuff.
what the sibyl said / die verwandlung by herongale (E): this fic is really strange, but left a big impression on me! i actually prefer the porny little sequel to the main fic, but the main fic provides important context to the characterizations, which are realy fun and interesting here. definitely a classic.
brave by reflection by werepope (G): i love this fic and think about it all the time! it features an OC, which normally would be a turn-off for me, but here it's utilized so well to provide an outside POV of daiken that is so charming and funny, you can't skip it!
heart day's night by sparkleworm (M): this is a beautiful three-part cardiophilia fic written for me by mothy!! she perfectly captured the appeal of the kink and its meaning to daiken (and to me!!). it's so nice to have heart-focused fics that aren't written by me lol
the space between us by sparkleworm (T): absolutely gorgeous and heart-wrenching body-sharing fic that was just finished recently and is so, so good.
you and i in unison by frizzlefry (T): not daiken, but this is a fic i commissioned from my buddy fry with a premise you'll never see coming -- ken mpreg'd with wormmon's egg. pretty crazy, know, but he did an incredible job bringing it to life in the most delicate, emotional, and sexy way. if i haven't scared you off yet, give it a read!
the llyn zone
if you know me at all, you saw this coming LOL. llyn is my favorite author in the fandom and i couldn't make a fic recs page without including her fics... a bunch of them, because i couldn't pick just one.
the orchid by llyn (T): this was the first fic i read by llyn and it just blew me away. daiken in which ken is metaphorically presented as a beautiful orchid none of the others believe daisuke can take care of. it's subtle, funny, and gorgeous.
crestfallen by llyn (E): i know this fic is tagged daisuke/ken/takeru, but, trust me, it's daiken. daiken in a dysfunctional polyamorous relationship that just serves illuminate how the two of them are meant for each other. and all this is folded into an incredible, hilarious, fucked up and sexy story about taichi's disastrous feelings for yamato. probably the most iconic fic i've ever read tbh!!
cool, calm, & collected by llyn (E): yeah i know this is barely daiken too but listen. listen. this is THE taiyama fic of all time and also has an amazingly funny and heartwarming take on daiken, with ken as a famous model who always stops by after his shoots to try his childhood sweetheart's newest ramen concoction. i cannot recommend it enough.
swan boat by llyn (M): and yeah, this one isn't even daiken at all, but i would be remiss to not recommend it when i'm recommending digimon fics because, this might be my favorite one of all. taiyama. a swan boat. a near death experience that puts everything into perspective. perfection.