A/N: This story deviates a little from the storyline of Daisuke being trapped in the picture. I just changed when Dark finally steals the painting.
Disclaimer: Yes, I remembered! As much as I adore Dark, sadly, he is not mine. I weep.
/commencer/
Rendezvous At the Window
-
Daisuke needs me, damn it! I can feel it--he's in trouble. I need to steal that painting. But first...I need to erase Riku's memory.
-
Riku stood on her balcony, chin in hand, and sighed. Her head was hurting from last night, most likely from her weird dream.
Oh, God. That dream.
If it hadn't been so freaky, Riku could have sworn it was real. But, magically entering a painting? And Dark and Daisuke somehow knowing each other (or something of that nature)? That was the stuff dreams were made of. It couldn't possibly have been real.
Except...
Daisuke had seemed a little off the past few days. It was almost as if someone was attempting to masquerade as Daisuke, only badly. Yet in the dream he seemed normal. Well, as normal as the situation allowed. So that gave some evidence in support of the dream being real.
But...what the hell had Dark, of all people, been doing in the dream?
Riku pondered these questions and more as she stood on her balcony, moonlight softly pouring over her.
-
Even though it was still early in the night, no one noticed the phantom shadow streaking across the full moon sky. If anyone did, they attributed it to a falling star.
-
Finally, Dark arrived at his destination. Everything was going smoothly. Sneak in, get painting, avoid Riku, sneak out. It was a no-brainer. Of course, that's what he said last time and look what happened. He ended up in a bigger mess than what he started with. Damn it, he was Phantom Thief Dark! He was precise, he was perfect, and most importantly, he didn't fail!
So, as Dark readied himself outside the Harada house to put his plan into motion, he realized one little fault in his plan.
Riku was awake.
Not only was she awake, she was standing on the damn balcony.
This was just not his day.
Onto Plan B.
-
Being Riku Harada meant that she was not as oblivious to most things as her twin. This being said, it was not until Dark had grabbed the painting that Riku finally noticed another presence in her room. She turned around. Dark froze. There was an agonizing moment of silence before Riku reacted.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY PAINTING!"
Thankfully, Riku was her predictable self and immediately began throwing objects at the thief, who, also immediately, dodged the objects with a flourish, which only served to further enrage Riku.
"GO AWAY, YOU STUPID, IDIOTIC PERV--"
Afraid she would bring the whole neighborhood running (not saying she already hadn't), Dark quickly covered her mouth with his hand.
"Listen, Riku, I need you to understand something. No matter how much you might...hate me, know that I need this painting." Seeing that this was not helping the matter at hand, Dark sprang to his last resort, "Daisuke's life depends on it!"
At the mention of Daisuke's name, Riku immediately stopped struggling. With a puzzled look, her eyes flickered to the painting, to Dark, and back to the painting. Suddenly, something clicked in her mind, and she wriggled our of Dark's hold only to gape at him in shock.
"Wait...does that mean...the dream was...real?"
Dark hesitated, his mind and heart warring with one another, before he slowly nodded.
Riku collapsed onto the floor, her legs no longer being able to support her body. On the one hand, Dark was hardly the one to be believed. On the other, she knew in her gut that the dream had been real all along. A little voice in her mind was telling her that Dark spoke the truth...especially when her eyes drifted to his hand.
"You're...still wearing my bandanna."
Dark looked down. "Oh, yeah. Um, it's a little blood-stained, but I'm sure a little wash will fix it right--" He was silenced by Riku shaking her head.
"No, no. Keep it. It's all right."
The two sat in silence.
"I don't quite...get what happened."
"You're not supposed to."
Riku's honey eyes shot up in surprise. Dark wasn't looking her; instead, he was staring off into the distance at something only he could see.
"At least, not yet. And right now, it's definitely better if you didn't."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm going to have to erase your memory, Riku. Your memory of that night."
It took a few seconds for his words to mean something to her. Erase...that meant she would never remember falling into the painting, bandaging Dark's hand, or waiting, cold and alone, as Dark was off "doing his job"...
"NO!" Riku surprised both of them when she promptly stood up.
"What do you mean 'no'? There is no argument here, I'm going to erase your memories!" Using his height advantage, Dark towered over her, hoping to scare the young girl into complying.
Riku was not impressed. "They're my memories, and I think I should get a say in whether or not I get to keep them!"
"No one cares what you think!"
"Oh really?"
"Yea!"
"Oh yea?"
"Yea!"
"Well, I won't let you!"
The pair stood glaring at one another, firm in their resolve not to back down. But looking into her sun-warmed eyes, Dark slowly felt his insides melting, wanting to give in to her. He didn't want her to forget. It was the first time he had spent time with her, enjoyed her, been near her without fearing about turning into Daisuke. Just like now.
He didn't want her to forget right now either.
"Fine, fine," Dark grumbled, putting his hands up in mock defeat, "I surrender. Keep your memories."
Instead of the triumphant shriek he had been expecting, Riku's mouth dropped open.
"Just like that? You're giving in to me?"
"Jeez, woman, can't you ever be happy?"
"Well, no," Riku stammered, "I mean, it's just surprising." Abruptly, her eyes darkened. "Daisuke's really in trouble, isn't he?"
Always thinking of Daisuke. "He might be, if I can't help him in time."
Riku lowered her head, deep in thought. Her next words came out slightly muffled, but clear in their meaning.
"Do what you need to."
Dark hugged the painting to his chest, feeling a little lost. He should be leaving right about now, yet he couldn't bring himself to move his feet in the direction of freedom. Before the dark-haired thief could arrive at a decision, however, Riku lifted her head, eyes bright, and a firm resolution displayed across her face.
"Bring Daisuke back."
There was a moment before Dark answered.
"Trust me."
And strangely, she did. She trusted this perverted, jerky thief to bring Daisuke back home. Any questions that she felt brewing inside her soul didn't matter as long as Daisuke was safe, back in her arms.
As long as Daisuke...
"You be careful too!" Riku's cheeks burned cherry as she realized what she had said. Covering her mouth in shame, Riku began to turn away, only to be stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Dark grinning, happiness shining in his eyes, right above a layer of emotion Riku didn't recognize.
"Thank you."
Sooner than Riku could comprehend, she felt feather-soft lips graze against her own before a rush of wind announced Dark's departure, leaving his lady-love to wonder if she had fallen in love with a phantom thief.
/fin/
A/N: Yea, yea, just don't shoot me.