Spring, 6 YEARS LATER

/In the Park/

"Harumi! Hina! It's time to come home now." A young auburn haired 23-year old woman called to her young 6-year old twin children. It was nearly heartbreaking for the young mother whenever she looked at her children to remember who their father was. The boy, Harumi, was the spitting image of their father. And Hina, had only inherited his eye color, while also inheriting her hair color that was streaked with gold.

The two children came when called. The little girl came running, with what looked like a crown of flowers in her small, delicate hands. Her older twin brother, Harumi, also came running, but just behind his younger twin.

"Mommy, Mommy, Lookie what I made!" the little girl, Hina, came running up to her holding out the flower crown, for their mother to look at. The young woman bent down to her young daughter and son's level.

"Wow, this is very good, Hina." She said appraisingly, then looking at her older twin son, she frowned. "Oh, Harumi… You're face is all dirty again."

And took out a handkerchief to wipe the dirt away from the young boy's cheek. The boy swiped at his mother's hand, but his mother insisted that he be kept clean. Hina spoke up out of confusion.

"Why, mommy? Are we going to see Auntie Risa?" she asked. The young twin children knew that their Auntie Risa would be looking after them, while their mother was at work until the early evening hours. And to them, she was fun. She'd take them to the park where she'd let them play for hours, until it was time for them to go home. Or she'd let them help her bake pastries or cookies in her kitchen to their heart's content, until it was time for dinner, then to the baths with them, and then read them a bedtime story that their mom would choose prior, before leaving for work that afternoon. The children couldn't wait. Though, they wished that they could see their mom more often at nighttime.

"Yes, you're going to see Auntie Risa," she told them, and finished cleaning Harumi's face, as soon as he stopped flailing to get away. "and your grandma and grandpa are coming to see the both of you today." She continued, as she picked up the bag that she had packed for snacks for her twin children. After she had settled the bag on her shoulder, she took one twin's hand in one of her own hands, and the other in her other hand.

Thoughts were going through Riku's head as she took her twin children, Harumi and Hina, to her twin sister's apartment. She knew that she could trust her children's care to her twin… and to her grandparents, more or less. She loved her parents, but they had grudgingly lent her their support when she asked for their help. Now all she had to do, was keep an eye out for the Niwas… who were likely going to demand that Dark have visitation rights. She wasn't trying to keep the twins from knowing their father, but when they asked who he was, she told them outright who he was. And that by rights, he had claim to them as their father.

To them, they had taken the truth well. Too well, that it had made her cry, though, Harumi and Hina had been there to comfort their mother…even though they didn't understand why she was crying.

Dark was taking a break from his work as a construction worker. And was currently in the park. Or more specifically, at the same park bench that Riku had met him at the day she told him that she was pregnant. He looked up at the bright blue sky with all its fluffy white clouds slowly floating by, and thinking to himself.

'Not a day goes by, when I don't think end up thinking of her.' His thoughts went a bit deeper than that. His thoughts went out to the child that he fathered. 'What would the kid look like? Would they have Riku's personality or mine? Both?'

He mentally screamed in his head for the umpteenth time in the last 6 years since he graduated high school, closed his eyes, and sighed. There was no sense in imagining what the kid would look like or what their personality would be like, because Riku wasn't here with the kid.

He sighed in resignation. He'd sworn to himself years ago that he'd win her back no matter what it took. Even today, he'd decided to wear his pendant underneath his black t-shirt, just to remember the girl that he'd fallen in love with.

All of a sudden, on coincidence, he opened his eyes and found a young auburn haired woman walking past the sidewalk, and nearly tripping on the sidewalk in her haste to get wherever she needed to be, and rushing on. He studied her silently as she stopped momentarily to get her bearings, looking left and right. Then as if giving up on trying to figure out where she was, she sighed resignedly and started looking around for someone to ask directions from. Seeing no around but him, she seemed to freeze in place, giving him a good look at her.

She had short auburn hair with gold highlights, amber-gold eyes-- which he thought were only just vaguely familiar to him, her frame was slight, yet athletic, her face... His mind went blank.

'Oh Gods above...' Dark thought to himself, as the young woman before him actually brought back the memory of his high school sweetheart back to his present. 'Riku...'

Riku couldn't believe who was right in front of her.

After she had dropped off Harumi and Hina, she had to hurry to her workplace... but somehow she had gotten herself lost. By losing herself in her thoughts, she lost track of where she was, and ended up right by a park. To be more specific, the same park where her former High School sweetheart had broken her heart. She nearly felt tears prick her eyes. She nearly tripped on the uneven sidewalk, and just stopped for the moment to catch her breath from her rush to get to work.

And when she goes to look for someone to ask directions, she found the one person that broke her heart... Dark Niwa.

She sighed and ran a hand through her already mussed short hair and not seeing anyone else... thinks through where her workplace is from the park. According to her mental map, she didn't miss her workplace, it was only a few blocks in front of her from the park.

All of a sudden, her thoughts were interrupted by a shadow being cast over her, as she looks in the direction in which she was heading. She looks up at the person that cast the shadow, and gasped. It WAS him. That same messy violet colored hair, and the dark purple eyes that always made her heart melt when she stared directly into them:

Dark Niwa, the man that had stolen her heart...and the man who broke her heart.

Dark got up to walk over to her…just to make sure she didn't pass out in the park. But he wanted to make sure that it really was her…his Riku.

She had turned her head in the direction that she had currently been heading. Then as if remembering where her destination was, she was about to turn but then, as if sensing that he was in front of her, she changed her mind, and stared at him with those same amber-gold eyes that he had fallen in love with once upon a time.

"Riku…" he murmured, just loud enough for her to hear him, and took her arms in a firm—yet gentle grip. Her eyes widened, when she realized that he recognized her.

"D-dark…h-how…?" she asked, but she knew she couldn't stay. She had to get to work. But Dark now, had a firm yet gentle hand.

"Your eyes, Riku...They were always expressive." Dark said in a quiet tone.

All of a sudden, Riku's knees gave out. But luckily, Dark caught her, and held her against his chest in a gentle embrace. He breathed in her scent, which was still the same…spring flowers and cherry blossoms. He felt her lean into his embrace, and tightened his hold, but still remained gentle.

"You haven't changed at all. Have you, Dark?" Riku asked him, her voice slightly muffled in his shirt. Dark nearly gave out a harsh laugh, but he made it come out as a rumbling chuckle.

"Maybe I have, Riku. After all, I swore the day we broke up that I'd work to win your forgiveness, and maybe…just maybe, win you back again…" he paused for a moment, then continued on, "win you back…WITH our child." He finished. He felt her tense, and he felt something akin to foreboding in the back of his mind.

"Riku? Did something happen?" he asked, suddenly afraid of her answer. These same feelings were the same as the day he rashly broke their relationship off. He felt her shake her head. He nearly grinned at the never-forgotten memory of their break-up.

"No. It's about the child…I didn't give birth to one…" she trailed off, slightly unsure as to tell him that she'd given birth to twins. Dark was stunned… 'Did the child end up stillborn?' he wondered. But tuned back into the present, when he heard Riku chuckle a little.

"Riku?" Dark asked wonderingly…Riku had tears coming down her face, but she attempted to wipe them away. He pulled her hands down. "Riku, tell me…was the child stillborn?"

She shook her head, and looked up at Dark. "No, Dark. The child wasn't stillborn. I gave birth to twins."

Dark nearly stepped away from Riku. The realization that she gave birth to twins…surprised, shocked, and warmed him from the inside out. He hugged her comfortingly.

"It's alright, Riku. It's going to be okay." He whispered. She nearly cried, but instead hugged him back while burying her face into his shoulder. But then, the realization that she needed to get to work, got to her, and she stepped back, away from Dark, who had a puzzled look on his face. "Riku? What's wrong?"

She pulled out her cellphone and looked at him and gave him a weak smile. "I have to call work. I'm late, but I'm gonna let them know that I'm calling in sick today. Then I have to call Risa to let her know what's going on." She told him, as she dialed in her work number, she added after a pause.

"I think you and I need to talk, Dark." And Dark couldn't agree more.


Dark waited for her by the park bench as she made her calls. 'No wonder Dai's been happier lately... Risa's back in town...' Dark thought to himself, as he imagined his younger twin smiling more often now.

Riku glanced out of the corner of her eye, to where Dark now sat. She was all too aware that he was watching her. She hadn't wanted to run into him NOW of all places. She was nervous as how to tell him that the kids had wanted to see their father, but she was just too hesitant…and there was just no guarantee that he'd understand. She finally got hold of her sister, and heard Hina and Harumi singing some nursery songs in the background, loudly.

MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB, LITTLE LAMB, LITTLE LAMB
MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB…
She smiled.

"Hey Risa, it's me." She said.

"Ah! Riku, what's going on? You never call from work." Her sister replied. She frowned. It WAS true. The only times she called from work was to let them know that she was going to be working late. She sighed.

"Something's come up…" she paused before dropping the bombshell. "I ran into Dark."

There was a long pause, then… "Are you absolutely sure?" Risa asked, worry evident in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's him. Listen, I've already called work and told them that I'm sick and won't be able to come into work. I need you to…" she didn't get a chance to finish, when her sister interrupted.

"You want me to look after the twins until you and Dark have talked things over?" she heard her younger twin ask.

"Yeah. Can you do that? I mean, just until we've sorted things through?" she pleaded.

"Of course I can do that. I'm sure the twins will love what we're gonna do a little later after they've had their nap." Risa replied. Riku could hear the protests in the background, and sighed… and paused. Somehow, she felt Dark was right behind her.

"Riku? Can you help me out? I think Harumi's gonna throw a fit, and Hina looks like she's going to start crying." She heard Risa's near panic in her voice, and sighed once again.

"Alright. Give the phone to Harumi, then when I'm done talking to him, have him give the phone to Hina." She said, and heard the grumping of her older twin son get louder and louder. She felt Dark take an intake of breath when she mentioned the names of the twins. And when he gave her a questioning look, she only shook her head.

"Harumi? Answer me, sweetie." She cooed to him, waiting patiently for him to stop his grumping long enough for him to answer his mother.

"Mommy? Why do we have to take naps?" Harumi asked, as he held the phone to his ear. Riku knew that she'd never hear the end of THIS particular conversation.

"Harumi, you have to take your nap. Otherwise you're gonna be grumpy later on. Do you want to cause Aunt Risa trouble, hun?" she asked, and heard her son give out a sigh.

"Okay, mama Does the same go for Hina too?" he asked carefully, knowing his sister was softhearted, but had a determined streak in her through both their parents.

Riku nodded her head on the phone, while closing her eyes to shut out Dark's impending presence.

"Yes, the same goes for Hina. When I get home, we'll see about going out to the carnival tonight, okay?" Riku replied, and almost heard eagerness in her son's voice, and didn't want to make any promises that would make her son hate her. "Mind that I said 'we'll see', Harumi. Alright?"

There was a pause on the phone, then, "Alright, mama. We'll behave. And even take a nap."

Riku started shaking her head. 'Well, I'm certainly NOT going to go back on my word.' She thought determinedly, and felt Dark at her back, holding her elbows in his strong and sure hands. She almost faltered in her reply.

"All right, sweetie, Can you hand the phone to your sister?" She heard a loud noise in the background and guessed that Harumi was handing the phone to his younger twin.

"Mama? Why did Haru say that we'll take a nap?" she heard Hina ask, and sighed. Riku thought, and caught herself leaning into Dark's comforting arms, which were slowly starting to wrap around her.

'Oh boy…this is going to take some explaining…'

"Hina, honey, listen do you want to be grumpy later tonight?" she asked, and heard her daughter shake her head.

"Nooo…," Hina said, dragging out the sound of her reply. "but naps are for babies, and Haru and me AREN'T babies."

"Hina…," Riku said on a sigh, and felt one of Dark's hands make its way from her elbow to her shoulder, and she felt like she needed to be in his arms, but held back from him while still talking to her daughter. "You need the rest. Or do you want to cause trouble for your auntie Risa?"

there was a pause, then, "All right, mama, we'll behave…" she heard Hina yawn widely. "Love you mommy."

"I love you both. And be good for your aunt." Riku said, and after getting a confirmation from her daughter, she finally hung up. She felt her knees buckle, and Dark's arms around her then, to support her from falling to the concrete ground.

"Riku? Are you alright?" Dark asked, and felt her shudder. He saw her head shake, then:

"No…I'm not alright, Dark…" Riku whispered, as she felt his strong arms tighten around her, and leaned into him, but not until he had turned her around so that she was facing him.

Dark hooked a finger under Riku's chin, and forced her to look him in the eyes. "What's wrong?" he saw her close her eyes, as if to make him disappear from her sight, and saw her swallow and bury her head back into his chest.

"…" she was silent for so long, Dark nearly shook her to make sure that she was still with him and not frozen with the cold. He shook his head and made sure that she was secure with one of his arms, freeing the other to take out his cell and call work. His plan was to take the rest of the day off, and take her back to his place where they could at least warm up and talk about their next step, regarding the twins.


Riku wasn't sure what to think at all... here she was supposed to be at work, but instead, she runs right into the last person she wanted to see: Dark Niwa.

And now she was here…in his arms…where she had wanted to be the most in the last 6 years, since she had given birth to not one child, but two. She loved them, not just, because they were her first children…but also because they had reminded her of her love for the bad boy from her high school days. The playboy, who'd always made her testy and want to beat him at every chance presented to her to make him back off.

She felt him move and tighten one of his arms around her. Then his voice low, and seemed so calming. She felt herself fall into a trance, just concentrating on his voice. She felt like she could listen to it all day... she slowly closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest, feeling the blissful darkness of sleep overcome her subconscious decision to keep away from the one person whom she feared wouldn't just break HER heart.. but the hearts of her twin children.

Her thoughts drifted but she tried to push away her worries and fears that had constantly nagged at her heart and mind since the twins were born... no, before that... when Dark Niwa broke her heart and broke off their relationship.


Dark was just finishing his call in to work that he was calling it quits for the day, when he felt Riku's weight fall into him willingly, and instinctively wrapped both his arms around her, quickly pocketing his cellphone, and picking up a now unconscious Riku bridal style and headed toward a shortcut through the park toward his flat a few blocks away.

As he walked through the park, memories of their past, awakened within him. Of carrying her like this from the beach on one of their midnight dates. He remembered the way the moonlight made a pale halo around her head, her eyes shining brightly. And when she was sleeping... she was like an angel formed from the very breath of night.

He shook his head to rid himself of the memories that he had of her at the moment. As soon as he could put her down on his sofa to rest, he would sort out his emotions. This was... no, IS too sudden. Riku suddenly appearing in his life once again... after 6 years of not knowing if she had survived childbirth or if the child had even survived at all, or either Riku AND the child had passed on or what... it had literally killed him to think about losing the one person that brought out the best in him.

Half an hour later, he finally made it to his flat on the top floor, with Riku cradled in his arms. He managed to open his flat door, get through it, and use his foot and body to close the door as quietly as possible, without waking Riku up. After he closed the door, he walked over to his black leather sofa, and set Riku down on it, with her head on the armrest, and placed an afghan over his sleeping angel.

Dark looked at the peaceful form of his ex-girlfriend, lying there on his couch, in his flat. It all seemed like some kind of dream... but no, here she was, sleeping on his couch, alive and well. There was no doubt about it. She was here. And he was going to convince her to stay this time, and let him... no, allow him a second chance to be a family man.

'Riku...I have so many questions... but I don't know where to begin... should I start with when you left?' Dark nearly pulled his hair out in frustration, but kept his cool. He knew that the answers to his questions would eventually be answered. He loved her then, and his love had remained with her since their break-up.

He shook his head to rid himself of the frustration that was building and when into his kitchen, to get some tea brewing, then maybe take a nap. And figured that while Riku was asleep, he might as well get some shut eye as well. As soon as the tea water was on the stove to boil on low heat, he walked to the other end of the room and flung himself on his low king size bed.


Riku felt like she was dreaming. Dreaming that she had met with Dark in a park, that he had found out that she had given birth to twins.... Riku's mind remembered those very same events from earlier that day, and fought to wake herself up.

She slowly opened her eyes, and found that she was facing a door. She slowly sat up, and looked around.

She was lying on a rather comfortable black leather sofa with a blanket over her. In front of her was a decent sized tv and beside it on the right was a small rectangular wooden bookshelf that held DVD movies and CDs. On the tv's left was the entryway. On her left was a decent sized kitchen and dining room, and while there was a small hallway-- leading just behind her, on her right there was a somewhat large king size bed that had a frame that kept it at least a couple inches off the floor. It had purple pillow coverings and a black bedspread.

As she took in the amount of space in the room, she realized that she was in an apartment flat.

As soon as her eyes started wandering from the low king sized bed, they shot straight back to the bed again, and found the one person that she knew that she ought to have avoided from the very beginning:

Dark Niwa.

She heard a faint whistle of the kettle in the kitchen and couldn't seem to take her eyes away from the sleeping form of her ex-boyfriend on the low bed. She slowly got up and moving the blanket on the end, went into the kitchen to turn off the burner and let the kettle cool down some before using the hot water for some tea. She quietly walked through the flat, while passing bookshelves filled with either books, DVD movies, framed photos, and even trophies from when he was elementary school up to high school.

Riku remembered some of the middle school trophies he'd won. There was even a certificate from an Art Contest that he'd won too... even though it was second place... It was something that she knew that he was proud of winning. She stopped in front of his low dresser, where there were two framed photos...

She nearly dropped the photos, and only distantly realized that her eyes were watering with her tears starting to overflow... She remembered these pictures. The photo with her arms wrapped around his neck, posing for the picture. They had asked a passerby to take the picture. She looked at the other photo. That same passerby had made some insane suggestion about taking a picture of them kissing and Dark... he'd stood up and brought her to his front and kissed her, knowing that the passerby was enjoying that particular sight, but she had held up her hand to cover their faces just as the flash went off. To his credit, the stranger had looked slightly miffed and told them that the picture was ruined, when they had broken their kiss.

But Dark had only brushed off the stranger's comment and said that the picture was going to turn out just fine. She remembered blushing, and wanting to punch the guy for his gross comment, but Dark had held her back, and just thanked the stranger for taking the pictures and turning her, walked away down the boardwalk.

As she thought about those days when they were so happy, she was unaware that Dark was awake and watching her with keen interest... and wondering, just a little, about what was going on inside her head.


Dark was dreaming of his former high school sweetheart.. her sweet flower scent, her smile, the sound of her laughter, and touch of her skin on his... it was almost too much for his senses, even though he knew he was dreaming. But he couldn't help it, she was in his flat, and looking more beautiful then ever... in his eyes, she had the air of someone confident of what they were doing, of someone in control of their life.

And if he knew Riku, and he knew he did... Riku had always felt that she ought to have some control of her life... if any. At least, that was originally her train of thought, until he decided to wreck it all. But in the end, it was one of the few things that he loved about her. Her need for her own independence... and her vibrant feel for the life around her.

He tried to shake his train of thought, but couldn't quite shake the image of that auborn haired and caramel-eyed beauty from his mind, and so quietly sighing, slowly opened his eyes. Which only a moments later, flew wide open when he caught sight of her by his dresser, and holding what seemed like the photos that he knew that she remembered well.

Though, it looked as if she was shaking. No... as though she were crying.

He slowly sat up and quietly moved across his bed until he was able to swing his legs over the side of the bed, and stand... quietly walking up behind her, and sliding his arms around her waist, and burying his face in her hair, breathing deeply.

He knew he missed the scent of her hair... and her skin. While they were still in high school and no one was looking, Dark had kissed Riku- who had at first protested, but had falled right into Dark's arms and kissed him back. And while those fleeting kisses were something that he treasured... sometimes those fleeting kisses had turned into passionate make-out sessions, which was also something that he treasured, before they quickly remembered that they were still on school grounds.

God he missed having her in his arms. And tightened them around Riku's waist, and it seemed as if she fell into his body willingly.

"Riku?" he whispered, and was rewarded with a small nod of her head. Dark then noticed just over her head, what she was looking at. He couldn't help but smile at them. "You remember that time... don't you?" he asked quietly, as he moved his head from the top of hers to her shoulder, so he could whisper in her ear and get a better look at the pictures she now held.

"Yes. I remember them. I remember I wanted to punch that pervert so hard, at least his teeth would come loose." she gave a watery chuckle, remmebering the feeling. Dark grinned. He remembered the look on Riku's face, when he saw that she had made a fist and in an attempt to save the guy from his girlfriend's wrath, turned and walked away with his camera and girlfriend in tow.


As Riku stood silently crying and shaking, she felt strong arms encircle her waist and mometarily stiffened, but just wanted to be held. And willingly pressed her back against his chest. But the moment she felt his breath by her ear, her knees nearly buckled. But she managed to keep herself upright, but only held up by Dark's strong arms.

Oh, how she had wanted to be in his arms for so long... wanted him to comfort her when she was hurt... to be there for her when she went into labour... and to kiss her when they were so very happy just to be together.

She snuggled deeper into Dark's embrace, and leaned her head into his shoulder, sighing in contentment, but in the back of her mind, her inner self was screaming that she shouldn't be here and yelling that it was Dark that had broken her heart and that he could use her and break her heart all over again. She'd always known that she'd never forget him... even more so, since the twins were born. God, Harumi was Dark's spitting image and Hina had her image, but her eyes were that same dark plum violet that were a variation of Dark's wine coloured eyes. How she loved those eyes, of her boyfriends... no, her ex-boyfriend's and her children's.

Mentally shaking herself of thoughts of the past, she slowly opened her eyes and sighed, knowing that sooner or later, she and Dark would have to have a nice long talk.

"Dark?" she murmured, as she exhaled his name and inhaled a shaky breath to keep herself awake.

"Hmm?" he asked, as he nuzzled her neck. His breath on her skin made Riku shiver from the warmth.

"Before anything happens... we really need to talk..." she told him. But her sentence was broken due to Dark suddenly planting soft kisses along her neck.

"What do we need to talk about, Riku, that needs to be discussed right at this moment?" he asked, his voice deepening, while planting kisses along the side of her neck and on her shoulder. His arms gentle, as they tightened themselves around the girl that constantly haunted his dreams at night. His hands skimming her slender waist to her midriff.

Riku's breathing was turning shallow and it was hard to think, while Dark was holding her and kissing her neck and shoulder, and his hands running softly around her belly and sides. But she managed to get out on a gasp...

"The children..."

Surely that would be enough to distract Dark from his erotic attentions.

She was wrong.

Dark skimmed her front, while softly kissing her neck and shoulder... knowing that would be enough to make her incoherent.

"What about them?" he murmured in a deep baritone whisper by her ear, knowing that his breath on her ear would make her want more. Or so he thought.

Riku knew that her thoughts were going to be nothing, if she didn't stop what Dark was doing to her. She reluctantly turned in his arms, making his mouth run along the skin of her neck, and rested her hands on his chest.... tried to push him away from her.

But not before Dark planted his mouth on hers.


A/N: Konnichiwa, Minna-san! I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. I will try to get this story updated soon. So all I ask is that everyone who reads: Please be Patient AND Please R&R!

Hope to get some good Reviews!
'Til next time,
~Marina StormFire~