Chapter #1: Daisuke
"I can't believe I'm going to be late for swim class again! Saehara, why do you always get me to cover for your cleaning duties?" I made a pout as I ran down the hall to the boy's locker room.
-You wouldn't be late if you could learn to say no once in a while Daisuke, but you're too nice for that aren't you?-
I sigh briefly, maybe Dark's right, maybe I'm too nice for my own good, "Next time I'll say no for sure," I say now with a smile.
-No you won't, don't even kid yourself like that!- Dark said with a snicker.
"Shut up Dark," I yell as I push against the door to enter. I run in and around the corner over to my locker to retrieve my swim suit. I start to unbutton my shirt when my fingers seem to become numb as I try too fast to get them undone. I get to the third one down when I hear a sigh over by the sinks. I stop immediately, is there someone else in here with me? Everyone should already be out in the pool, I could have sworn I was alone. I tiptoe across the room to peek around the corner at the sinks, "Hello, is anyone there?" I step around the corner to find a sight I'd have never thought I'd see. "Hi-Hiwatari? What are you doing in here?" He stands there facing the mirrors looking back at me through the reflection, and he's wearing nothing but his bathing suit bottoms.
"Why shouldn't I be here Niwa? It is the boy's locker room, and we have swim class now after all," he turns around and smirks at me, a bitter-sweet smile.
"Well, it's just that you always have a note excusing you from swim class is all, I'm not used to you being in here like this," I had avoided his eyes as I said this, I thought it didn't come out right. I glance back up at him, he's so pale, his skin looks like a china dolls. His body seems so small without clothes on, but still larger then my own. He looks strong too, I wonder if that's from the police training or if his family made him train hard too, but it's not like he's a phantom thief. I begin to feel my cheeks heat up, I'm not blushing am I? No I can't be, hopefully it's not noticeable, I look away again, but back when he starts to speak.
"Well I am today, I have a note saying that I can, but I have to wear a shirt. For obvious reasons to you," he turns back to the mirror, I now notice the shirt laying on the counter infront of him. What did he mean, obvious reasons to me? Then I notice his back, I didn't realize it before but on each of Hiwatari's shoulder blades are 6-10 inch long scars, they aren't very wide though, but very noticeable on his snow-white skin. How didn't I notice it before? I think about what caused them, but it upsets my stomach when I know what it had to have been. He wets his hands in the sink and wipes his eyes under his glasses.
"So you don't use a familiar at all, do you?" I look down to the checker-tiled floor awaiting his response. I see his feet turn around, I look up to meet his eyes, they look so confused.
"What are you talking about Niwa?" he adjusts his glasses back into place. I stumble trying to find away to continue, maybe he knows and just doesn't want to talk about it, but maybe he really just doesn't know. I scratch the back of my head with one hand, tilt my head slightly with my eyes closed and laugh a weak laugh. I bring my hands both in front of me and begin to twiddle my thumbs. What do I say? What do I say?
"Well, when I ever I transform into Dark, I use Wiz, he's my pet rabbit and Dark's familiar. He's been in the family for years. He, umm, he acts as Dark's black wings, I was just wondering if you..hmm" I don't know how to continue. He sighs heavily and turns back to the mirror, he lifts a towel to his still damp face to dry all the excess water. He starts to speak and his voice is muffled by the towel at first, but gets clearer as he moves it away and sets it back down.
"Oh, you're talking about my wings.. No Daisuke, I don't have a familiar like your rabbit Wiz.." His eyes are closed, but you can see the slight pain show on his face, I don't know whether to continue or not, but I feel as though if I don't, I'll never know.
"So your wings, you just, I mean they just.."
"Yes Daisuke, my wings grow from my back! They sprout from my shoulder blades everytime!" His breathing was harder now, and his voice grew louder as he spoke, but he just sighed again and regained his composure. How does he do it, stay calm all the time? He needs to stay so strong, not just against Krad, his father, or me, but for everyone else too. I've never seen him reveal so much of himself before. And now a new emotion dawns on his face, pure sadness, he unclenches the fists he had formed, and his head falls. I fear that he may break down, so although it could make things worse I decide to keep going in the hopes it could make him calm again.
"Does it hurt very much? When they grow?" I can't see his face, but I can see his reflection, he looks slightly relieved, but I don't know why, that was a terrible question to ask him. He opens his eyes looking down at the floor.
"Naïve little Niwa," I hear him whisper to himself. "Yes Niwa, it hurts a lot, like more pain then you could ever imagine."
'Dark, is that true, does he really feels so much pain?'
-Yes Daisuke, you haven't experienced that pain, and because of Wiz hopefully you never will. It also hurts tremendously when Krad and I use our magic. It's not easy for Hiwatari Daisuke, I think this topic is too sensitive for him…-
"I'm so sorry Hiwatari, it isn't fair," I embrace him in a hug from behind as tears start to form in my own eyes. I release him after a few moments and wipe my eyes dry, and he tells me it isn't my fault. "But Hiwatari, I'm the only person who knows what you're going through, and even I don't know it all." He gives me a reassuring side glance from over his shoulder, and turns back to the sink. He goes to grab his shirt, and I look at his shoulder blades again. "Can I touch them? The scars I mean?" I asked stupidly without thinking, Daisuke what are you doing? Of course he won't say yes.
"Sure," he says back so low I almost didn't hear him. He closes his eyes, and relaxes his shoulders. I hold out a hand slightly, and slide the tips of my fingers over the blades. I feel his muscles tense up quickly.
"I'm sorry!" why did I apologize, I didn't do anything wrong.
"It's okay Niwa, your fingers were just cold that's all."
I place my hand back over the scars. I didn't even notice how warm he felt, no wonder he must have thought my hands were cold. I glide the tips over his smooth skin. I expect the scars to protrude from the soft skin, but they don't. They are still just as smooth as the rest of him. I slowly start to remove my hand. I'm in awe. How can someone be in so much pain, but be so beautiful?
-So you think he's beautiful, I told you that dream meant something, hahahaha-
"No Dark! You don't know what you're talking about!" I shout at him under my breath. Suddenly the sound of something falling startle's me. Hiwatari's glasses have fallen off into the sink, and I'm pretty sure a lens cracked. I go to ask him what happened, and I see him grip at the counter top. His knees slightly shake, and he bends over in a small kneel. I see something move underneath the skin of his shoulders, and for a second I see a flicker of gold in his eyes before he closes them again. He makes a brief, low, hurt moan.
I step forward, "Is it, Krad?" He stands up again, and takes a deep breath looking up to the ceiling, and slowly opens his eyes they're back to his normal ocean blue again.
"Yes.."
He appears to fight back Krad's urges, he grabs his shirt and slides it over his head. I pick up his glasses for him. "I'm sorry Hiwatari, but it looks like one of your lenses has broke."
"It's okay, I have another pair. And besides, I don't need glasses to see Niwa. They're for him.." He turns to pick up his towel, and glances at me through the reflection. "Tell me Niwa, what do you see, when you look at your own reflection?" He puts on his broken glasses. I look at my reflection.
-I'm looking pretty good, aren't I Daisuke?-
I push Dark's remarks to the side, "I see Dark, not myself."
"So you too huh, I guess that's another thing we share.." He closes his eyes and turns away with another classic smirk, "So Niwa, did you forget what we're supposed to be doing?" He heads for the showers to leave for the pool.
"Oh no! I'm still late, and I didn't even get changed yet!" He leaves as I rush back over to my things on the bench. I get my shirt off, and start to undo my pants. I never thought about how Hiwatari must see Krad instead of himself in a mirror. So was he smirking at Krad instead of me? That must be even harder for him, to see the one who causes him so much pain instead of himself, reminded of that monster dwelling within him. I'm so lucky to have Dark as my angel, and I always take that for granted, poor Hiwatari, he's in so much pain.
-You're right Daisuke, it must be terrible that he has to see that homicidal blonde instead of this precious face- I see him gesture to himself in the mirror and adds a cheesy wink at the end. I smile and turn away, oh Dark.. I finished getting dressed and run for the showers, I wonder what lame excuse I'll have to give today for being late?