Disclaimer: I don't own DNAngel; everything belongs to a genius called Bunny-sensei!

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White

-by Alena S. Anigor

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The sky was tinted with shades of gray; dull, heavy clouds rolling slowly over the small plane, but even though the winter day was cold and unpleasant, the plane was filled with loud voices and laughter. The ocean, deep waters almost blending together with the horizon, was calm, icy water shimmering slightly on a cool breeze that wafted by, creating ripples on the surface.

Three figures were running and playing in the snow, the flakes of white flying around as feet rushed and dashed over it eagerly, disturbing the almost pristine look the plane was having before they had arrived.

The redhead, also known as Daisuke, smiled at his girlfriend, another short haired redhead that barely managed to avoid a snowball aimed at her face by ducking quickly. She raised her head to glare at her sister, who was laughing almost wickedly at the slightly perplexed look on her face, staring in disbelief at the almost identical image of herself across the plane.

Risa Harada was chuckling merrily, almost achieving her goal but Riku had still managed to avoid the snowball, making Daisuke beam at the two. Looking upwards for a moment, a barely evident trace of sadness crossed his features. It lasted for only a second, as he wished for a moment Dark was there with them, playing, teasing, joking around like he used to...

But Dark was gone, sealed away, together with the homicidal blonde known as Krad. As if on cue, he turned around, ignoring the twins when they continued to bicker in the snow, and looked at the solitary figure leaning on the snow covered railing, not too far behind them.

The blue haired boy was staring dully at the white around him; something about the color bringing him pain. His wings were white...His mind whispered slyly to him and for a moment, he thought he could hear Krad hissing at him, his damned voice whispering to him and couldn't help but flinch slightly at the memory. He knew that Daisuke missed having the purple haired thief around, but he knew for sure that Krad wasn't missed by him.

Satoshi Hiwatari glanced at the teens in front of him and sighed heavily. What was he doing here, anyway?

After the whole mess with the two archenemies, he was forced to live the normal life. He almost snorted at the thought – when was he ever normal?

His solitary mission and purpose in life was to defend the Hikari art and capture the annoying thief that had stolen too many things from him...and too many hearts of silly fan girls. He had a psychotic, maniacal, homicidal sadist as his alter ego who was too keen on destroying anyone who would dare to trigger even something close to emotions inside of him. Wings would sprout from his back when the monster inside would be let loose, for crying out loud. No, he wasn't normal...he was far from it. And now, when both Dark and Krad were gone, he felt like he had nothing else to live for.

Daisuke would try to cheer him up now and then, telling him how he should he happy for he was finally free of the chains Krad was trying to smother him with; he was finally free to live his life the way he wanted, the way he was supposed to...

But, Satoshi knew that that was easier said than done.

He glanced at the two smiling redheads who were currently standing by each other, whispering something to each other, their noses almost touching as their eyes shimmered with emotions. He smirked bitterly, lowering his head to stare at the snow beneath his shoes, remembering the words Daisuke had said to him earlier:

"Hiwatari-kun," the redhead said, observing his pale face worriedly, "you're free to feel now...why not finding someone you could grow to like?"

And his glasses shone for a moment when he lowered his head to stare at the floor of their school, smiling bitterly at his own, broken expression and emotionless eyes in the tiles. When Daisuke started to fidget nervously in front of him, thinking if he hadn't perhaps, said something wrong, he raised his head and looked at him straight in the eye. Daisuke could only stare after him when he replied in a cool voice:

"I appreciate your concern, Niwa-kun, but I'm fine like this." And then he disappeared down the hall, steady footsteps echoing behind him.

Even after that, he had noticed Daisuke glancing at him worriedly amidst their classes. He was after all, born a prodigy and little could escape his keen eyes. So it was easy to see Daisuke and Riku talking quietly among themselves; throwing glances at him occasionally when they thought he couldn't see them. But he could feel their worried, pitiful gazes on his back and that only managed to make him frown.

Didn't they know that it was near impossible for him to show emotions now? To start acting all touchy-feely and express his undying love for someone like the younger Harada twin would babble about so many times, waiting for Dark-san to come and whisk her away to cloud nine? It was so absurd and funny that it even wasn't funny. It was pathetic.

He had spent all his young life, alienating himself from others just to spare them the danger they could find themselves in if he showed even one single iota of feelings towards them. He had spent all his life, trying to deny himself of love and compassion, that in the end, he had forgotten how it felt like, how it was like to care for someone...In the end, he had lost those feelings and he wasn't sure he could just get them back like some lost item. His destiny was to capture Dark...and without the legendary thief, what was there to grasp for him?

His gloominess and lack of emotions didn't, however stop Riku and Daisuke from trying. After numerous "Hiwatari-kun, you should come to visit us!" and "Hiwatari-kun, you're free to join us!" and "Hiwatari-kun, you can always talk to us, we're friends!" he had no choice but to cave, sighing resignedly at their offers and tagging along with them. It was funny in a warped kind of way how they thought he had zero communication skills. He was the Commander in charge of capturing Dark; he knew how to talk to people and he wasn't mute.

But, when Riku Harada had something in mind and planned ahead, that had to be done, with poor Niwa-kun's help or not. Add the other, overly bubbly, but surprisingly persistent Harada twin in the game and he was helpless. It was better to just go with them than to be dragged by them, anyway.

Satoshi sighed. And look what the latest "Hiwatari-kun, please come with us!" has gotten him into...He was forced to stand like an idiot in the cold, and watch the Harada twins bicker over something that was probably insignificant while the poor Niwa-kun was forced to play the role of a peacemaker. And failing miserably.

"Please, Riku-chan," he begged, stepping in between them to try to reason with them. "Risa-san, calm down!"

"Argh, she started it, anyway!" The older twin growled and crossed her arms over her chest, sticking a tongue at the younger one. Risa huffed angrily and without a second thought, bent down, scooped a handful of snow, making a round ball in her hands and threw it at her sister who again (and there Risa cursed her good reflexes) managed to avoid the snowball that kept on flying until it hit something with a splat.

Daisuke paled slightly, while Riku blinked and turning around gasped, seeing only snow where once Satoshi Hiwatari's face was. Risa, on the other hand just gulped, half-expecting Krad to come back and kill her with a giant snowball but only dead silence stretched onward, making it all worse for her. She clasped her hands over her mouth, the soft fabric of her mittens on her parted lips, chocolate eyes wide with fear and trepidation.

"Oh..." Riku said finally after a long pause when no one else dared to speak. Finally, Daisuke managed to snap out of his stupor and cleared his throat, sweat-dropping at the still unmoving Satoshi and a bewildered Risa.

"Uhm...Hiwatari-kun, are you okay?" He asked the blue haired boy apprehensively, and then almost flinched when Satoshi took his glasses off and answered them all with a glare.

He let out a slow breath that came out as a puffy white cloud and moved slowly away from the railing to feel his skin prickling under the iciness of the snow. He shook his head mentally and sighed. He should've known...actually, he did know it was a bad idea to go with them, he just didn't know he was that stupid...and some people were considering him an intelligent person. Now, how stupid were they? He resisted the urge to lick his lips to get rid of the snow and raised his hand to wipe the remaining snow away from his face. He looked at the still sweat-dropping Daisuke and at the somewhat amused Harada twin and then his gaze rested on Risa who almost jumped at the cold look in his eyes. She thought the snow would remain and freeze on his face judging by how his eyes seemed icy and emotionless.

"Hi-Hiwatari-kun..." Risa spluttered after regaining her composure and realizing what she had done. "I'm, I-I really didn't mean to! I..." She suddenly remembered that she had a spare handkerchief in her pocket and she reached quickly for it, retrieving the slightly crumpled handkerchief. He managed to wipe the most of the snow away from his face, but she still ran forward, adamant to give him the tissue to at least do something to make it up for her carelessness. "Here, take my..."

And as the cruel fate would want it, she managed to stumble across something in the snow and with a startled yelp, fell forward, her hands reaching instinctively for something to grab onto, auburn tresses dancing freely behind her. He reacted quickly, letting go of his glasses that fell on the snow softly. And like in a movie, when the scene would be played in slow motion, the faces of the people behind her would gape at her in wonder (although her sister covered her face with her hand and Daisuke just deadpanned discreetly at her clumsiness) and she would fall into the strong arms of her beloved Dark-san (although the hands of her savior were a tad scrawny and it was Satoshi Hiwatari who caught her...and whom she hit with a snowball just a minute before...).

And as reality checked on her, she blinked when her nose met a soft fabric of his jacket and his scent welcomed her, his arms snaked around her waist, holding her tightly.

And twice in one day, Satoshi Hiwatari asked himself what in the hell's name had made him come here.

A few moments were spent in uncomfortable silence; Risa still clutching the sides of his arms while his own were still around her waist, preventing her from sliding away and down to the snow covered plane. It was an awkward situation for both of them and they knew it. Risa was suddenly aware that she was in Hiwatari-kun's arms and she blushed, something so familiar and yet different tingling inside of her, that familiar swirl of emotions playing around her heart and making her feel dizzy. She blushed harder when it hit her that it actually felt good to be held by him and her eyes widened. Shaking her head slightly, she raised her chin up a bit to glance at his face and at his slightly startled expression, crystal blue eyes staring at her in some sort of amazement.

"I..." she whispered, swallowing hard when she saw him frowning slightly in confusion, his eyes becoming somewhat distant and glassy.

Daisuke let out a yelp when Riku grabbed him by the hand and with a huge smile plastered on her face. She pulled at his hand and just beamed at the questioning look on his face.

"Let's go, Daisuke," She said, half-whispering the words to him. The redhead blinked at her then realized what she meant by that.

The couple walked away discreetly, turning only once to see the two still staring at each other awkwardly.

"You think something might happen between them?" Daisuke asked the older Harada who just smiled enigmatically at him and winked at him, pulling him by the hand.

"Who knows."

Risa was silent, words stuck in her throat, but her eyes burned with something and her body shivered on its own. Satoshi's eyes were still fixed on her, but they seemed to be staring through her, as if he wasn't really here. Risa swallowed, staring intently at the pools of crystal blue, so beautiful and clear that she had to ask herself how come she hadn't noticed his eyes were pretty before. Her lips parted and she was about to say something when the boy suddenly loosened his grip on her and she was forced to straighten up to keep herself on her feet.

His arms left her waist and she was left to shiver again, this time because it has become cold without his arms around her. The blush remained on her cheeks, though when she looked at him shyly, remembering the handkerchief in her hands.

"Uhm...here..." She whispered, offering him the tissue and he looked at it tersely, the cool mask once again on his face. He looked at her then and noticed her pink cheeks and her eyes that seemed glued to the snow under her feet. "I'm really sorry...I wanted, I wanted to hit Riku, not you and she somehow dodged and I couldn't really do anything and-"

"Harada-san," he cut in, stopping her from babbling for a moment and she looked up at him almost shyly, hesitantly, her eyes shimmering with something so odd. For some reason, he couldn't associate that kind of look on her face with him. It was the look that was usually reserved for Dark, but...

He stopped himself there, not daring to go any further.

"Thank you," he just replied steadily and took the handkerchief away from her although he didn't really need it anymore. He turned his gaze to the left when she suddenly noticed something glimmering in the snow and bent down to pick up his glasses.

Wordlessly, she handed them to him and he took them, using the handkerchief to wipe away traces of snow from them. She was waiting patiently for him to put them on but when he finally did, she blinked, not being able to see his eyes in their true light. He made a move to return the handkerchief to her but she just shook her head and smiled at him, that real, sweet, sincere smile that many were so in love with.

"You can keep it," she said and he stared at her for a moment before he nodded casually and thanked her again.

It was then that he realized that they were alone and looked around for any sign of the redheads but there were nowhere to be seen. Following his example, Risa turned around and then realized that Riku and Daisuke were gone, as well. She huffed.

"How rude!" She exclaimed and then turned to see him walking away from her slowly, her expression becoming slightly pensive. He was still so distant and cold towards everyone, but she just couldn't get the image of his eyes out of her mind...and her body still tingled with something so exciting and thrilling after being in his arms.

She remembered that she said she didn't like boys with glasses, but...then again, Satoshi Hiwatari was a story for itself. She hugged herself tightly, turning around to go home, remembering to berate her evil twin sister for deserting her just like that. She did turn one more time to watch him stroll down the street, shoulders slightly hunched and hands in his pockets.

She sighed and continued to walk back home, wondering if she could persuade him to accompany her to the school dance...She could already imagine Saehara taking photos and commenting the two of them coming together and she giggled suddenly, imagining the shocked expressions on his fan girl's faces if they would appear together.

And then she stopped and beamed in the middle of the street, clenching her fist in the air. She would persuade him to accompany her to the school dance! And when Risa Harada wanted something, she got it!

With a smile, he practically bounced back home, ignoring Riku's prying and locking herself in her room to think of a plan that involved her, the school dance and Hiwatari-kun.

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The TV was on in the luxurious apartment, being the only source of light in the room but he preferred it that way. But his eyes weren't glued to the screen, but at the simple, white handkerchief in his hands.

The blue of his eyes was hidden behind the glasses as he twirled it between his fingers, replaying the scenes in his head repeatedly.

And being the boy who was always calculating something, he analyzed every scene and analyzed every thing he felt when the said scenes happened.

Analyzing every thing he felt...Did he feel something else than anger, despair, loneliness, helplessness he was so used to feeling? He couldn't quite decipher the meanings of the strange emotions he still couldn't name that were connected with the girl who was, ironically enough probably his Sacred Maiden.

But those strange emotions...what were they? He couldn't describe them or name them...or even analyze them no matter how hard he tried. His brain only managed to register that they felt new and good and that he was feeling...good and...content, and...what was the word? Happy?

Could the girl actually trigger those long forgotten emotions in him and make him feel again?

Staring at the white handkerchief in his hand, he let out a cryptic "hmm" and then his lips parted in surprise when he realized he no longer associated white with wings and pain and chaos...He no longer thought of him, but of a little Risa Harada with a warm smile and brilliant eyes.

Odd, wasn't it?

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a/n:

My first DNAngel fic...-is nervous-

I'd like to say that I first fell in love with it after seeing a cover of Asuka on the net, featuring Daisuke and Dark. But the story was all too confusing a bit for me, so I didn't bother to find out more about the characters and the plot. Then, I started to read DNAngel fics after a while, fell in love with the characters again and this time, did some research, too.

I'm still not sure about all the details because manga is different from anime and all so if there are any mistakes or anything, please let me know.

Right, that's about it. I hope you liked this and I hope Satoshi and Risa weren't too OOC.