The Finer Arts of Theft
By Ryukin
A/N: I'm taking cannon from both the manga and the anime, but none of this is recent in my head, so I bet everything I do try to put toward plot (Ha! What plot!) is way off. And I've only read/scene what has been released in the States, so if you know more than me and I have my plot points all weird, just pretend, okay? First DNAngel fic, and I've had bits of it floating through my head for some time now, and just finally had a free night to get some down. I'll continue as I get time, but please don't be mad if it takes me a while! I have a bad habit of forgetting fics, pushing them aside on my hard drive and ignoring them. Tried to stay in character. Please review!!
Chapter 1
It was art room cleaning day for Daisuke again, as Takeshi had, again, needed preparation time for Dark's attack later that night.
Daisuke knew he was full of bull, but there he was again, scrubbing the chalkboard in his friend's place.
Others were there, too, this time. Risa, Yuuji, Ritsuko, Ukawa … and Satoshi.
Daisuke slyly turned his eyes over to where Satoshi was working, sweeping pencil shavings into the tray Ritsuko was holding for him. She blushed and giggled as he nodded his appreciation, then she skipped across the room and giggled with Risa.
Satoshi turned around, eyes meeting Daisuke's for a mere second before the redhead turned away. Daisuke felt a deep blush race up his face and he tried to hide it with his arms, straining to wash away the swipey chalk marks at the top of the board.
"Here."
Daisuke jumped at Satoshi's voice, watching as the other boy swung a chair over to where he had stood. Eyes rolling up to look at Daisuke through his hair, Satoshi said gently, "This'll help."
"Uh … thanks, Hiwatari-kun." He hopped up on the seat, able to reach all of the board with ease.
The blue-haired youth leaned against a clean part of the blackboard and watched as the other students slowly finished their jobs and filtered from the room. The boys left first, pushing in chairs and straightening tables on their way out.
"Bye, Niwa-kun!" Risa waved as the boy turned around.
"See you tomorrow, Harada-kun!"
Risa left with Ritsuko, both glancing back at the two boys still occupying the room before turning back to themselves, collapsed in giggles again.
Alone with Satoshi, Daisuke continued to scrub the board, moving down.
"It's clean, you know."
"I, uh …" Daisuke laughed. "I just wanted to make sure!" Man, Satoshi made him nervous. But it wasn't bad …
Satoshi shook his head and pushed off the blackboard, tucking his broom away in the closet. He watched as Daisuke leapt from the chair. He rinsed his rag off in the sink, laying it out to dry.
Satoshi sat down on the tabletop where the two boys had left their book bags. Daisuke walked slowly up to him.
"So …" Daisuke tried to stall. He did not want to leave the other boy, but did not know what to say.
Satoshi looked up at him, gently stretching his back. He winced as he stretched a particularly sore spot. He knew his shoulders were bruised a deep purple from the last time Krad had spread his wings. He sighed, hiding the pain from the boy watching him with tender eyes.
The two stayed silent. Daisuke took the moments to look at the other boy, to really look at him. He looked tired. Daisuke sometimes forgot that every night Dark stayed up late, Satoshi was right there, too.
"Does it hurt?" Daisuke asked softly.
Satoshi turned to Daisuke, confused. "What?"
Daisuke looked down to his feet, biting the corner of his lip. After a moment's though, he inquired: "You don't have a – a familiar, or whatever, do you Hiwatari-kun? Like Wiz?"
Satoshi shook his head. "Why do you ask?"
Daisuke sat on the edge of the desk. "Then your wings … they …"
"What do you want me to say?" Satoshi snapped, making Daisuke look at him again. "Yes, yes I grow wings. From my back. And it hurts like you wouldn't believe," he added, softer this time, shaking his head slightly.
"I'm sorry," Daisuke said feebly.
Satoshi just shook his head. "For what? You didn't make me …" he trailed off.
Daisuke was silent. Satoshi took off his glasses, setting them on the table before rubbing his tired-looking eyes.
"Are you alright?" Daisuke asked, reaching a hand to Satoshi, scooting closer to him. The blue-haired boy jumped back, out of reach. He wiped his glasses clean and replaced them on his face.
"I'm fine."
"Is it Krad?" Worry was thick in Daisuke's voice. Satoshi tried to ignore it, focusing on his breathing, trying to keep it under control.
His answer was simple and curt. "Yes." He moved to look out the window, watching the other students meander across campus. He saw an older girl wave to someone near the building, out of his sight, and watched as the girl ran to meet the person, a boy who met her halfway, pulling her into a tight hug. Satoshi turned away.
"Do you turn into him a lot?"
"More often now than ever."
"Oh."
The two sat in silence once again.
"What … what is … I mean …" Daisuke tried. Satoshi turned his eyes back to him. Daisuke looked at his lap, nervously reaching a hand over his shoulder to rub at his neck. "When I first started turning into Dark," he started slowly, "The change was set off by, um, my feelings for … Risa. If you don't mind me asking … is it the same for you with Krad?" He looked at the other boy, whose eyes lowered to the floor.
When Satoshi didn't answer, Daisuke nervously laughed and said a little too fast, "Sorry, that was really rude of me. I have no business prying! Um … I guess I, uh, should be going." He hopped from the table, swung his book bag over his shoulder, and headed for the door.
He almost didn't hear Satoshi. "Why do you care?" the boy asked slowly.
"What?" Daisuke stopped and turned around.
Satoshi looked up. "Why do you ask all these things?"
"Sorry, Hiwatari-kun, I didn't mean …"
"No," Satoshi shook his head. "Don't be sorry. Just," he stood and cocked his head in a move of confusion, "Just tell me why."
Daisuke shrugged. "I'm not quite sure. I – I just know I want to know you, is all."
"Why?"
Daisuke swung his book bag in front of him, clasping the handle with both hands and looking over his shoulder, out the window. "I'd like to find out."
Satoshi narrowed his eyes, confused.
"Well," Daisuke began as he set down his bag again, leaning it against a table leg as he moved toward a chair near Satoshi. He brought the chair closer and swung it around backwards, sitting with his hands clasped on the back, chin resting on top of them. "When I stopped changing into Dark because of Risa, I, I had fallen for Riku, I guess, and Dark said something like, um, just because she was my first love - Risa, I mean - doesn't mean she has to be the only one." He looked up then. Satoshi was staring intently at him.
Daisuke continued, "But I know the only way to, break, I donno what to call it," he laughed, "The, uh, curse, I guess, of Dark, is for Risa to fall in love with me."
"And what, Niwa-kun, does this have to do with Krad? Or me?" Satoshi leaned forward.
A dozen answers flashed through Daisuke's head, each as true as the last, but he chose the safest one: "I guess I want to know if it's the same way with you."
"I – I'm not sure of it all. It was never explained to me that fully."
"Really." Satoshi nodded in agreement to Daisuke's statement. Daisuke looked Satoshi in the eye. "But you do know what causes you to change, right?"
Slowly, Satoshi nodded.
In a breathy whisper, Daisuke asked, "Is it me?"
Satoshi did not answer.
"When you talk to me, when you really talk to me, I've noticed a look in your eyes. Something … not you. It feels different. It's not even really there, but I can tell. It looks like I feel, just before I turn into Dark."
Satoshi watched Daisuke's eyes peer hopefully into his own. He saw the boy's emotions, plain and simple, reflecting in his eyes. And he knew that feeling anything back, anything at all, would lead only to tragedy, but … in those eyes …
Satoshi shivered and pulled back, wrapping his arms around himself. He felt Krad, right there, as if he was lurking under the surface of himself. He felt the heat of him rising through his being, boiling his skin. It made him shiver more, and he shut his eyes, held himself tighter, breathed in and out and in, slow and deep, trying to focus on not changing, do not change, don't …
"Hiwatari-kun …" Daisuke stood and took his arm.
"No!" Satoshi leapt back. As he did, Daisuke saw his eyes, blue fading to a deep gold around his pupils, spreading more as he watched. "Don't touch me, Niwa. Don't …" He took a couple more steps back, shoulders hitting the wall. He leaned against it, eyes squeezed shut as he attempted control once more. "Please don't touch me," he pleaded as Daisuke leapt from his chair and toward him.
When Satoshi opened his eyes again, they were back to their normal pale blue. He had stopped shaking, but he was still sweating a little.
"Hiwatari-kun?" Daisuke prodded.
Satoshi shut his eyes again and grimaced, sucking air in sharply through his teeth as he stood up from against the wall. His wings had started to grow, ad his shoulders were killing him. He slowly rotated them in circles, a futile attempt to calm his burning muscles. Daisuke reached for him again, and again he dodged, letting himself fall into Daisuke's abandoned chair.
He rested his elbows on his knees, letting his hands dangle. Looking up at Daisuke, who had taken up perch on the table he had previously occupied, he saw pity.
"Don't look at me like that."
"Sorry. I don't mean to. I just …"
"What?" Satoshi asked at his knees. "What are you just, Niwa-kun? You were just right, is all." He shook his head, raising his eyes up to the other boy's face. They were close enough that he did not need the aid of his glasses to see the look of surprise clearly across Daisuke's face. "It's you, okay? You were right," Satoshi said quietly. "If … if I get weak," Satoshi looked down, "If I let my emotions take over, Krad gains control. And you make me weak, Niwa-kun."
Daisuke too spoke in a hushed voice, "What breaks the curse?"
"I need to capture Dark."
"Please do."
Satoshi blinked. "What?"
"Please. I – I want to help you. I, I need to know what I feel for you. And I don't need Krad ruining it. Or you," he whispered as he ran the back of his hand gently over the side of Satoshi's face. Satoshi did not shy away from the touch this time. He felt Krad raging inside him, but there was no way he was going to let the demon spoil the moment. And for once, the demon listened.
The clock outside rang loud, once, twice, four times as Daisuke ret his hand fall from Satoshi's face.
"Please, Hiwatari-kun." He put his hand to his heart. His free hand grabbed one of Satoshi's, bringing it to rest over the hand holding his breast. "Please capture Dark." He released Satoshi's hand and with a grin, said, "You're already halfway there."
His words and unspoken innuendo hung thick in the air as neither spoke.
Head spinning, Daisuke rose to his feet. "I need to go, now." He walked around Satoshi, hoisted his bag back over his shoulder, and ran for the door.
Satoshi shook himself from his trance, standing quickly. "Wait!"
Daisuke, already out in the hall, spun on his heel and watched as Satoshi walked to the door.
"Tonight?" Satoshi asked.
Daisuke smiled and nodded. Blushing, he asked, "Please," once more before he turned and raced down the hall.
Satoshi leaned on the doorjamb, watching the redhead until he had turned the corner out of sight.
"Tonight," he repeated lightly to himself, waiting for his heart rate to return somewhat back to normal.