1kyu: So I felt like typing this, and before I knew it, it got to a certain part that I liked the way it was. I'll end it where it is, but if you want it to continue, I'll have to take another look at it. . . Enjoy!

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Satoshi was- uncharacteristically- not paying attention to a single word the teacher said. He had decided that the ass of one Daisuke Niwa deserved that attention much more.

Why do you continue to waste your time with that buffoon when I'm always right here with you, Satoshi-sama? Krad's sultry voice came rolling through his head.

Because I hate you. was his quick and blunt retort.

But you know he'll never accept you. Krad said, now sounding bored. And even if- by some miracle- he did, everyone else surely would be against it.

I know that. But. . . Satoshi snapped. Leave me alone. If I keep this up, I'll show anger, and the class already thinks I'm aloof. I don't need to add crazy to that.

Very well, Satoshi-sama. But I'll be right here if you need me. All you need do is call. Krad's voice faded into the back of his mind, and he sighed in relief.

As if that would ever happen. Satoshi mentally shivered. No way in the nine circles of Hell would he ever call upon Krad.

Satoshi was then forcibly pushed out of his daze as the bell rang, signaling freedom. Most students- and teachers- rushed out of the room, heading to grab last minute items from their lockers and leave. Only four people remained in the room: Riku, her sister Risa, Daisuke, and Satoshi.

"I-I just don't know what to say. . ." Daisuke stuttered up to Riku, who was standing in front of his desk, hip cocked, frustrated expression on her blushing face.

Risa rolled her eyes from her position a few desks away. "It's quite simple, Niwa-chan. You just say 'Why yes, I'd be delighted to go out with you.' See? Not so hard."

Satoshi's eyes went wide. It was over. There was now no hope for him to be with the one person who mattered at all to him. Daisuke would of course say yes- he loved Riku after all- and they would all stroll off into the sunset to be together, and he'd forget all about Satoshi, because he wouldn't have to be a thief anymore, because Dark would leave and take Krad with him, and then Satoshi would be left to rot all alone, and-- . . .

Wait a second. Krad would be gone?! Krad would be gone. . . No. Not even that huge joy could overcome the numbness left by the thought of Daisuke leaving him to be with Riku. He stood and left, being as quiet as he could so as not to disturb them from their precious moment of realization.

"I. . . I don't know what to say, because I don't want my rejection to hurt." Riku's eyes snapped to the little redhead as he stared intently down at his desk. "I-I'm sorry. . . But I don't return your feelings. There was a time not so long ago that I would have jumped at the chance to be with you, but I found that my feelings shifted to someone else."

"What? Why would that happen?" Risa asked as her sister seemed to be in no mood for speaking.

Riku watched through her tears- something made her stay to listen to what he had to say. His eyes, still focused on the desktop, softened, and his normally goofy grin was nowhere to be seen as a beautifully soft and simple smile spread delicately across his face. His voice was soft and calm, no stuttering around; and he was apparently thinking straight, because he was speaking in a way none had heard from him before.

"I just couldn't stop it. I noticed little things about them at first, and then the whole picture fell into place. I love them. With all my heart and soul- divided as it may be- I love them. . ." that awe-inspiring smile melted, replaced with anguish. "But it can never be. They'll never accept me. And even if they did, my family would sooner disown me than let me live happily."

Riku let out a frustrated grunt. "So if you know it's hopeless, why not see if you still have feelings for me?"

Daisuke smiled sadly. "I wish it were that easy, Harada-kun."

Risa rolled her eyes, stepping closer. "Why not just make it that easy? Duh. Just go out with her. We know that you at least had some feeling for her. Try to resurrect it and-"

"I said it's not that easy, and I meant it!" Daisuke slammed his hands on his desk, standing up. He walked to the door and turned to face them, a hand on the frame. "I can't help how I feel, and I can't ignore it or pretend differently!"

Riku and Risa watched as the smaller boy stormed out of the room, a current of red sparks following him. Risa then wheeled around to comfort her crying sister.

Daisuke stomped his way down the hallway, thankful no one else was there to delay him from getting away. . . Even if he had no true destination.

Dark asked as the redhead pushed past the front doors and turned in the opposite direction of his house.

Daisuke spit out in his mind, frown still etched in his features.

Dark's voice was abnormally quiet.

Daisuke's feet led him to the park. Not that he had any complaints as it was his favorite place in town. He especially loved to stand on a certain balcony and watch the beautiful, intricate fountain bubbling with the sun set/rise behind it.

Hands shoved in his pockets, eyes watching his shoes, he didn't notice the other observer until he bumped into them and fell over. . . on top of said person. There was a moment of disorientation that comes with falling and then a warmth mingled with a scent that relaxed Daisuke immediately. He tilted his face up, unsurprised when he was assaulted by blue.

Daisuke sighed and rested his head on the strong chest beneath him, content to stay put. . .

"Niwa-san. What are you doing?" Daisuke mentally groaned as Satoshi gave him a line that clearly meant he wanted up. He quickly scrambled to sit up, noting that doing so put him in a straddling position.

"Gomen, Hiwatari-kun. I wasn't watching where I was going." Daisuke smiled, rubbing the back of his head as he usually did when in an embarrassing situation.

Satoshi's face never changed, hiding more emotion than usual. "I see. . . Do you plan on getting up any time soon?"

'Not if I have anything to say about it.' Daisuke thought to himself, immediately shaking the thought out of his head. He slowly stood, pulling Satoshi to his feet as well, reluctant to break their contact. "Gomen nasai."

"It's nothing. Just watch where you're going." Satoshi stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned to leave but was halted as Daisuke grabbed his arm. "Something wrong?"

Daisuke flushed and looked away but didn't let go. "D-don't- Don't leave yet. Watch the sunset with me?"

Satoshi turned his body toward Daisuke a little more. "The sun doesn't set for another three hours, Niwa-san."

"Then we'll just wait."

"Here?"

"Yes."

"Together?"

"Unless you plan on leaving me."

Satoshi thought for a second, then remembered his anger. "Why don't you go find Harada-san instead? I'm sure she'd love to sit with you for hours."

Daisuke blinked at him. "R-Riku? Why would I want to spend hours with Riku?"

Satoshi jerked his arm from the redhead's grasp. "I saw her ask you out in the room. You don't have to play dumb with me, Niwa-san."

"Just because she asked me out, doesn't mean I agreed!" Daisuke turned violently to the balcony's railing and leaned heavily on it.

Satoshi quirked an eyebrow, curious. "Why would you say no? You've been wanting to go out with her for nearly a year now."

"Wrong." Was Daisuke's quick reply. "I liked her last year. Over the summer I found I had only shifted my affections from my first Maiden. Risa had rejected me, and Riku was the first girl I ran into afterwards. She was sort of like a rebound."

"Still, you can't deny that you felt something for her. . . or her sister." Satoshi stepped closer, leaning on the railing next to- but still distanced from- Daisuke.

Satoshi noticed that, though it had lessened, Daisuke still had a flush across his cheeks. His voice was quiet but steady as he muttered, "First crush doesn't always mean first love, Sato-kun."

Satoshi was shocked into silence. . . for a moment. He had to know. "So. . . there's another you have affections for. . ."

Daisuke nodded his head. Satoshi felt a race of hope and a stab of fear attack his chest. Situation one was that he might like Satoshi. Situation two was that he was in love with yet another girl. Situation three was that-though he was gay- he was in love with another guy. . . Satoshi really hated his analytical mind sometimes. It crushed his hope nine times out of ten. It also distracted him, he thought as he noticed that Daisuke's lips were moving again.

". . . and I know it would never work, but I wish my parents would just leave."

Satoshi realized he had no idea what he had said. "You mean leave you alone?"

"No. I want them gone."

"Come now. Surely you don't mean that." Satoshi had never heard the boy so angry.

Daisuke looked up to Satoshi, his eyes filled with nothing but hatred and slight regret. "No. I will never forgive them. I want them gone and out of my life."

"But. . . why? What did they do to make you so angry?" Satoshi seemed curious today.

"They. . . kept things from me. . . and forced me into things I normally wouldn't do without me even knowing about it." Daisuke avoided looking at Satoshi at this point. And thanks to that, Satoshi assumed the worst.

"You mean they-" Here he trailed off, and when Daisuke looked up, he started at the wide-eyed look on his face.

"NO! Nothing like that! They hid things about the curse that would have made a huge difference!" Daisuke said, stepping closer to Satoshi mid-rant. "Things that would've let us get closer. . . But they're too wrapped up in themselves and their grudges to see what's going on in my life. . . to see what I want. . . to see what Dark wants."

Daisuke's voice had decrescendoed as he spoke, and his eyes had taken on a glassy look, turning the pools of red to a crystalline ruby. Satoshi noticed that Daisuke had spaced out after he drifted off and was thinking to himself or speaking to Dark. But he also noticed that he had yet to move away. . .

Daisuke had stepped so close that Satoshi could feel the boy's warmth, could smell his fresh scent- an odd mixture that reminded Satoshi of a crisp fall day- could feel his breath ghosting across his exposed collar bone.

"I'm glad." Satoshi found himself saying. Daisuke looked up, a little hurt by the words. "I'm glad that you went against them. That you don't ignore me- or worse, hate me. I'm glad you greet me everyday, and tell me goodbye after school. You eat lunch with me, you walk with me when we meet in town. You talk with me. . . you laugh with me. . . you smile at me. . . I don't- I don't know what I'd do if you didn't."

Here Satoshi looked away, not able to keep staring at Daisuke's warm eyes. It was what always happened. He'd stare too long, and his ice chunk of a heart would nearly melt. "Please don't ever take this away from me."

"Take what?" Daisuke's voice was a quiet murmur, still spreading his breath across Satoshi's neck and collar.

"You. Just simply you, Daisuke." Satoshi waited. . . and heard Daisuke chuckle softly. Preparing to step back and leave, Satoshi was quite surprised when he felt Daisuke's head fall onto his shoulder, his arms wrapping around his waist.

"I'm not going anywhere. . . Satoshi." Satoshi felt the ice crack violently and wrapped his arms around Daisuke's shoulders.

Satoshi leaned his head against Daisuke's, letting the crisp scent of his hair fill his lungs as the warmth Daisuke radiated filled his entire being. Satoshi felt odd- happy, yet hurt. Because he knew that, though he loved being friends with the Niwa, he wanted more. Had always wanted more.

He wanted to be the one that Daisuke smiled at lovingly, wanted to fall asleep with Daisuke in his arms, knowing he'd still be there when he woke up. He wanted to tell Daisuke everything about himself and learn everything in return. He wanted to take Daisuke away and keep him safe and love him for all time.

But at the same time, he knew it would never happen, and that he was the one that could hurt Daisuke the most.

But he would not deny himself this- this one moment of bliss. He would not let go until Daisuke deemed it time. And lucky for him, Daisuke stayed there for quite some time, the two of them staring out at the sea.

They stood there a moment longer, and Daisuke looked up and leaned back, but didn't let go. "I want to stay here."

"Here?" Satoshi found his voice soft.

"Right here. I don't want to leave this." Daisuke buried his head back into Satoshi's shoulder.

"Well, we can't stay here for too much longer. We'll freeze." Daisuke's laughter shook him and reverberated through Satoshi's chest.

"I didn't mean the park. Here," Daisuke tightened his hold, motioning to Satoshi's arms, "is where I wanna stay."

He pulled back again, looking uncertain. "Is that okay?"

Satoshi stood still before crushing Daisuke against him. "Of course. I want you here too. Don't leave me."

Daisuke's eyes softened with relief. "Wouldn't dream of it."