Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. As always, being unoriginal, title is taken from a song XD
Warnings: some spoilers for episode 24. And set in no particular time...probably some time between episodes 24 and 25 XD And fluff. And possible OOCness. Ack. First DNAngel fic.


Satoshi's eyes snapped open at the feel of her warm breath on his face. She had leaned forward, her body nearly pressing against his, and was now sliding his glasses off. He blinked almost owlishly at her, and she had to repress a giggle at the sight. She took a step back and lowered her head to stare at the eyeglasses in her hands.

"These glasses…" she started, touching the rim of one lens carefully. "You don't really need them, do you?"

Harada Risa had come into his apartment moments ago, bearing his jacket which held two jagged holes from where his wings had appeared, and promptly held it out to him. She was just dropping by to return it, she had said. She had also informed him—with a note of pride in her voice—that she had washed and ironed it herself, with a little help from her twin sister Riku—okay, a lot of help from Riku, she admitted—before returning it to him. Although they couldn't do anything about the holes as they seemed to be beyond repair.

She was just about to leave when he stopped her and asked if there was anything she wanted to ask about him, what with her seeing him transform into Krad and all. She and Riku had seen too much for him to merely erase their memories of the white-winged angel. All he could do was to explain what he actually could and make her understand.

But she asked about something else entirely.

"No," he said, his throat going dry. "I don't need them at all."

She nodded slowly, as if absorbing this information. Her eyes ran from his disheveled light blue hair, to his startlingly blue eyes—like the ocean, she thought, down to his feet as she walked around him. He kept his eyes to the front as she stopped at his back, but he could feel his face flush a bit under her gaze—because while Hiwatari Satoshi is a self-proclaimed iceberg, he definitely isn't dead. Harada Risa is a very pretty girl, a very pretty girl who was currently staring at him appraisingly, at that.

Now he felt her breath across his nape, and he stiffened. Fingers tenderly brushed his left shoulder blade, and then his right.

"Does it hurt?" He heard her ask softly. "Does it hurt when you…transform?" Her fingers did not stop in their ministrations, and he felt himself slowly relaxing, almost against her. Her other hand came up and began tracing patterns across his back, making the hair at the back of his neck stand on end. He tried to suppress the shiver that went down to his spine.

"Yes," he answered, his voice low. "It hurts. Everytime."

He felt her touch withdraw, and he turned to face her. She was looking up at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Harada-san…" He raised a hand and placed it at the side of her face, his thumb brushing away the tears in one eye, then repeating the action with the other. "Are you…were you afraid?" When you saw me transform right in front of you, with your own eyes? When Krad was in control?He let his hand fall to his side.

She looked into his eyes and saw that they briefly flashed yellow. She shook her head. "I wasn't…I'm not afraid of him," she said slowly. "Because even if I was seeing him, I know you were there."

He looked away. "Well…you would. He and I are one."

"You may be one but you're not the same." He looked at her again and found her gazing at him earnestly. "And if I ever face him again…well…you won't let anything happen to me. To anyone." She nodded once, looking absolutely sure of herself. "I know it."

He smiled. "You're right. I won't."

Risa was used to seeing his face fixed in a scowl or smirk—or into a semi-permanent bored-looking expression. Satoshi smiling was a different thing entirely. She blushed and ducked her head as she mentally scolded herself—she was not going off again and be infatuated with the next handsome guy she sees. The one currently standing in front of her was no exception.

"Is that all you wanted to ask me?"

"Actually…" She hesitated. "There is one last thing…"

"Ask away."

"Can you please call me Risa instead of Harada-san? I'd really like it if you would, Hiwatari-kun."

His eyes sparkled—so blue, she thought. "Thank you...Risa."

Fin.