AN: It's been awhile, but I won't bore anyone with details. The main reason I haven't been writing is lack of time and ideas. But I do like this one, so enjoy.
Snowfall
It was a typical day in late January. The sky overhead was concealed by a mass of gray clouds. The clouds pressed down on the city, full with the promise of snow. It was cold; the type of cold that you could smell and that stung your face like needles. But despite all this, there were many people out and about. Many of the ponds in the park had frozen and been turned into skating rinks and hockey courts. However, one boy was walking past these ponds and up to the fountain. It sat on a hill and overlooked the whole park.
Daisuke Niwa was headed to his favorite spot. No one bothered him at the fountain, even on nice days. It gave him a place to think and he gathered inspiration for his art from there. Daisuke made his way over to the edge of the fountain and found his own, slightly distorted reflection looking back at him through the ice. The weather had taken a turn for the worst rather quickly and the park managers hadn't had time to drain the fountain before it froze.
The red-haired boy smiled before moving away from the fountain. He sat down on one of the four benches that surrounded the fountain. He soon lapsed into deep thought, so deep in fact that he didn't hear a girl climbing up to the fountain to join him.
"Niwa!" She greeted him. Daisuke jumped and turned quickly to see a girl with short, red-ish brown hair headed in his direction. She giggled at him.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
"Oh, Miss Riku… it's alright." He replied quietly.
Riku carried a pair of skates and a hockey stick with her. She had originally come to the park to get away from Risa and release some frustration due to her out in a game of hockey. But when she saw Daisuke heading up to the fountain alone she decided to follow him.
"Can I join you?" she asked sweetly.
"Of course." Daisuke replied. Riku set her things down on the end of the bench and sat down next to Daisuke. Then she scooted over to rest her head on his shoulder. He blushed and smiled at her.
"It's cold out here. We'd be silly to sit apart." She said.
"Yeah." Daisuke replied quietly. Riku lifted her head.
"Are you ok Niwa? You sound upset."
"Well, I've just lost someone close to me." He told her slowly.
"Aww do you mean someone in your family died?" Riku asked her eyes full of pity. But Daisuke shook his head.
"Not really died…"
"What do you mean?" Daisuke sighed and leaned back, looking up at the sky.
"I guess this is a good time to tell you." He said. "Before I tell you who I lost I need to explain some things first."
"Ok…" Riku said slowly.
"You remember Phantom Dark?" Daisuke asked tentatively.
"Do you mean you had some kind of connection with him?" Riku asked in shock.
"He was me." Daisuke whispered. Riku gasped, looking at him in disbelief. "Please don't look at me like that Miss Riku." Daisuke said, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "It wasn't my choice."
"Please explain Niwa, I don't understand how you and Dark were the same person." Riku begged.
Daisuke sat back up and nodded.
"The males of the Niwa family have a gene that turns them into Dark. The gene is activated on the boy's fourteenth birthday. Dark's DNA is triggered when his host -I mean the person who contains the gene- thinks or sees the girl he likes. On my fourteenth birthday I gave your sister a love letter and after reading it she rejected me. When I got home from school I went to my room and started thinking about what had happened. That's when Dark appeared."
"But how did you loose him? If he was a part of you how could he just… go away?"
"Dark's DNA is triggered by feelings of love. As long as that love is unrequited the host will keep turning into Dark. When I stopped liking Miss Risa and started liking you nothing changed. I just had to think about you instead of her. Even after I found out you liked me back Dark was still there. That's because you never told me you loved me. But last week you did. After that moment Dark was gone." There was silence for a time. Then Daisuke gasped.
"Oh I'm sorry Miss Riku that made it sound like I didn't want you to tell me you loved me!" Daisuke apologized quickly.
"No, it's ok Niwa, I understand. Dark was your friend and a part of you. It's only human nature to miss someone like that."
Daisuke pulled Riku into a hug.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to tell you that. I've felt so guilty lying about everything." Riku cuddled into his embrace.
"I love you Daisuke." Riku whispered.
"I love you too Riku."
They pulled apart after some time. Both shared a light blush and they stared down at their feet.
"I'm sorry for the things I said about Dark, Niwa." Daisuke shook his head.
"I understand what you were angry. He was very forward with you and Risa. You see, while Dark was using my body, I could see and hear everything that was happening. Dark and I could read each other's thoughts and talk to each other inside our minds. Other than that connection, we were two separate people.
"My grandfather was Dark before me. He, Dark, never changes. You remember on the news on my birthday they said it had been forty years since Dark had appeared?" Riku nodded. "That's because only males contain Dark's DNA and so my mom couldn't become him. My grandmother didn't have any other children either because she died shortly after Mom was born."
"So, is having Dark's DNA like a Niwa curse?"
"Not at all. Hiwatari's the one that was cursed. Dark's job was to steal harmful, most of the time possessive, art and seal away its magical powers. Hiwatari turned into Krad. I don't know why Krad is gone or how Krad's DNA is triggered. All I know is that Krad is Dark's other half and that Krad wanted to use the power from the art to make himself stronger."
Daisuke looked up at Riku to see how she was taking it all in. She was smiling in an understanding way.
"I always knew you were different and special Niwa." She told him softly. Daisuke felt his cheeks warm up again. Riku leaned in and kissed Daisuke gently on the lips. His blush deepened and he didn't notice Riku turn to go. When she stood up he grabbed her wrist and pulled her gently into him.
He took her lips shyly, returning her gesture as he had not had time to before. Riku was shocked at first that little, timid Daisuke would do something like this, but she was about to complain. She righted herself on the bench, continuing their kiss.
After awhile the pulled apart but remained close.
"Miss Riku," Daisuke said quietly.
"Hmm?" Riku replied. Daisuke reached out a hand and brushed at her hair.
"There was snow in your hair." He said with a soft smile. Riku looked around quickly.
"Niwa! Snow!" She gasped. Daisuke chuckled as her looked at her. Un-melted snowflakes clung to her hair and eyelashes making them sparkle. They framed her shinning eyes very well. Riku gave Daisuke another hug.
"I'm glad I got to share the first snowfall of the year with you, Niwa." Daisuke smiled and squeezed her hand.
"We should get you home. If we stay much longer we'll both catch colds."
Riku hadn't noticed the cold, close as she was to Daisuke, but she agreed anyway. Daisuke escorted Riku to her house, holding her hand all the way. When they reached her front door, Riku gave Daisuke a quick peck on the cheek.
"Good night Daisuke." She said smiling. "I'll meet you at the park tomorrow and teach you how to skate." They both laughed at the memory of his last attempt.
"Yeah, ok." Daisuke replied, smiling as well. He waited until Riku had closed the door and disappeared into the house before leaving. He touched his lips; they were still burning from the kisses Riku and he had shared. The rest of the night Daisuke couldn't stop grinning.
Back at the Harada household, Riku had just gotten out of a long hot shower. She was changing into pajamas when Risa burst into the room.
"Riku!" she said accusingly. "Do you have any idea how long you've been gone? And what is this?" Risa held up one of her ridiculous Tarot cards. Riku pushed it away.
"You know I don't know what that means Risa." She said calmly. Riku refused to let her sister ruin her good mood.
"It means you've been kissing someone!" Risa replied exasperatedly.
"Yeah, and what of it?" Riku asked pointedly.
"You don't mean you have, do you?"
"That's exactly what I mean." Riku replied smiling happily.
"Who, who'd you kiss?" Risa asked expectantly.
"Why don't you ask your cards? If they're so smart they should be able to tell you." Riku said mockingly.
"But, but that's not fair!" Risa whined. "However I don't think I have to ask anyway, I can probably guess."
"Help yourself." Riku cast Risa aside and finished pulling on her pajamas.
"I was Niwa, wasn't it?"
"Could be…" Riku replied carelessly.
"Oh why won't you tell me?!" Risa demanded, frustrated with her sister.
"Because it's none of your business." The older said, twin sticking her tongue out at her younger sister.
"Fine, I'll just call Niwa and ask him! He can't lie to me!" Riku giggled.
"Ok, fine Risa, it was Niwa. Happy now?"
Risa squealed and pulled her sister into a rib-crushing hug.
"I'm so happy for you!" she told Riku grinning brightly. Riku laughed.
"I thought it was bound to happen eventually. We've liked each other for a long time now. You've just been too obsessed with Dark to notice."
Risa gasped and said something about going back to her Tarot cards. Apparently Dark was the reason she was looking at them to begin with. Riku was glad to see her go. Quietly, she pulled on her jacket and slid her feet into some shoes. She walked out onto the balcony and smiled as snow fell around her.
Ever year after that Daisuke and Riku went back to the fountain on the same day. And strangely, it snowed for many years after on that very day. Daisuke believed that Dark might have something to do with that, wherever he was. Every time they kissed in the falling snow, they remembered the day that had first kissed. Those were the kisses they enjoyed the most.
