My Chemical Romance

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With the Yule Dance approaching in a mere two weeks time, and Dark without someone to take, he fears he will not be going. But, when a mysterious stranger comes and grants him the 'answer to his problem', will Dark be able to handle the outcome of it?

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Chapter 6

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Dark let out a dry sigh as he settled down into the chilly seat. He threw his black backpack atop the desk and rummaged through it for a moment, looking for nothing in particular. A shrill voice from beside him caused his body to jerk up, and the male cast a slow glance over to the brunette smiling down at him.

"Why, Good morning, Dark! Did you have a good weekend? What did you do yesterday? School being cancelled, and all…"

Dark watched as the girl rocked back and forth on her heels, brushing her skirt down, occasionally. She looked down at him with a warm smile, and her eyes glittered with nothing but adoration. He wanted to be mad at her, so very badly, but he couldn't. The girl didn't mean to be annoying, he decided, she was just born that way.

He forced a smile. "Why I'm fine, Risa. I stayed at the house yesterday. What did you do?"

The girl seemed to be thrilled he'd asked. She clasped her hands together. "Riku and I went shopping for dresses. She said she wasn't going to go to the dance, but when Daisuke asked her, oh, how could she say no?"

"Daisuke? Niwa? The little red head?"

Risa gave a little nod. "Do you know him…?"

"Yes! We used to be best friends, until he moved. When did he get back?"

"Oh…I'm not sure. A day or two ago, at least. He's in my homeroom, I saw him just this morning," Risa said, tossing a look up at the clock. "Oh, but class is going to start in a few moments. There's not enough time for you to get to my class and back here before the bell rings…"

Dark tapped on his desk for a moment. "Right. You're right. Tell him to meet me on the roof during lunch, just like always. You'll tell him that for me, won't you?"

Risa gave a little smile. "If you promise to do something for me when I ask you to."

"Whatever. Just give him the message."

Risa gave a girlish squeal. "Oh! I'll tell him. Goodbye, Dark!" She cried, dashing out the room and down the hallway. Her little giggles still rang in Dark's ears, blocking out the sound of the bell. Class began, though Dark couldn't seem to focus. Even with the chance of meeting his old friend for the first time in what seemed like forever, he still couldn't shake Krad's image from his mind.

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Dark sat on the roof of his school, tapping his foot irritably. He had purposely skipped going to the lunchroom just so that he could be up here before Daisuke. He'd been waiting only a moment or two, but already it seemed like an eternity. Risa had told Daisuke to meet him up here, hadn't she?

A cold shiver swept over the older teenager. What if she hadn't? Or worse, what if she had, and Daisuke didn't want to see him?

A rush of thoughts swirled around in Dark's head, only to be dispelled when a rich burst of laughter rang from behind the door that led downstairs. The click of metal was heard as the door swung open, and a grinning redhead popped out of the darkness, followed by a very familiar blue haired boy.

"Daisuke!" Dark called, rushing over to his younger friend. "Oh, look how you've grown! You reach my shoulder, now!"

"Dark! It's good to see that you still haven't changed!"

Daisuke rushed over to Dark, swinging his arms around the other male as they embraced for a quick moment. "Did you work things out while you were gone?" Dark couldn't help but ask as he released the younger male.

The redhead smiled. "I did. And now, Miss Riku and I are going out, too! I asked her as soon as I got back, and she said 'yes'! I'm so excited…"

"That's my boy," Dark murmured, patting his friend on the head before tossing a careless look over to the melancholy boy still standing by the door. "And you, Satoshi! I haven't seen you around in forever. How's it going for you?"

"Just great."

"…Yeah. I can tell how happy you are to see me," said Dark, dryly. Satoshi only offered a grin as the three silently sat down in a circle.

"Sorry it took so long. I figured that you hadn't brought anything to eat so," Daisuke pulled out few wrapped articles and handed them to Dark, "I figured I could get you something. Was I right?"

Gratefully, Dark took the food. "Dai, you're always right. Except when we argue. Then I'm right."

"Of course. So, what have you been up to? Did you finally meet a girl that'll keep you in line? Are you grades good? How are you faring without…you know…"

Dark had unwrapped one of the packages and taken a bite out of a large sandwich. He chewed it for a long moment, swallowed, and then said, "Without my parents?"

"…Yeah…"

Dark shrugged. "Good enough. It gets lonely, but I've got someone staying at the house with me, now."

"Oh?" Daisuke lit up, a smile cracking on his features. "Who is it?"

"…You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Go ahead, try me."

Dark shook his head, his smile widening. "All right, you asked for it…"

--

Daisuke followed a few paces behind his older friend, taking a loving glance at the snow-covered houses that littered the street. "Just like home," he commented, savoring the brisk air, and the fresh crunch of snow beneath his feet.

"That's because this is home."

Daisuke shrugged. "I guess. But I still don't believe you. There's no one at your house. Not anyone that you 'magically created', anyway, right?"

"Hey," Dark said with a gesture toward his comfy looking house, "Why don't you go in first?"

Daisuke rolled his eyes and hurried up to the front door, Dark leaping behind him. He turned the knob and stepped inside, flipping on the light switches. He shivered as he threw down his bag and slipped off his shoes. "Jeez, Dark. Could your house be any colder?"

Dark came in from behind him, throwing down his back and kicking off his shoes, much like Daisuke had done. "Not likely…" The darkness surprised the violet haired male; He had expected Krad to be up and moving, waiting to greet him when he came home… He was nervous. "Krad?"

Not a single sound came throughout the house, and Dark closed the door behind him. "Okay…"

"So, where is he?" Daisuke asked, smugly.

"That's what I'd like to know," Dark huffed, turning on a few more lights as he continued to the living room. He stalked toward the thermostat and glared at it for a moment. "It is not seventy-five degrees," he hissed, and knocked on the tiny tin box a few times. It gave out a loud hiss, before the sound of air passing through the vents could be heard. Soon, a bath of warm air would flow into the room, and Dark sighed as he rubbed his hands together. "Sometimes you just have to hit it a couple of times to get it working," he offered to his young friend, who stood, still, by the door.

"Right…"

"Now, let's see…Krad? Where are you? I know you're here." Of course he was here; His coat was still hung up by the door, and his shoes were placed nicely beneath them.

Silence, again, though movement on the couch caught Dark's eyes. Sure enough, from beneath the blankets piled up on the couch, Krad emerged, looking as tired as ever. "You're home…?"

"Krad! You're alive!" Dark said, rushing to the blonde's side. He made a move to embrace his guest, though quickly changed his mind when a burst of cold shot through him. "Krad, you're freezing!"

"I didn't want to bother you, but your heater kicked off this morning," Krad said with a shrug, slinking beneath the blankets, again.

"Yeah, but I got it to work again. Why didn't you just bang on it?"

"Because I didn't want to break it."

"You mean you've been sitting in this house, freezing, all day long?"

Dark's face gave birth to nothing but shock; his eyes were wide and his mouth round, and agape. Krad didn't notice from beneath his mound of blankets. "No. I've been sleeping all day. I think the cold makes me tired…"

"Well, thank God you didn't die! Here, Daisuke, come over here. This," Dark gestured to the male who stayed buried beneath the blankets on the couch, "is Krad."

Daisuke, by now, had made his way from the door to stand next to the couch, and was mildly surprised when a hand poked out from the mass of blankets and comforters. "Pleasure to meet you," Krad stated, and Daisuke awkwardly shook he other's hand. As soon as he released the cold limb, it slid back inside the little nest.

"Uhm…"

"I'm sorry," Krad apologized, "But it's so very cold out there. I'll come out from under here as soon as it warms up…"

Dark shrugged. "Whatever. Take your time. See, Daisuke? I told you."

"That's good. It's good that you're not alone, anymore…I thought a lot about you while I was gone with Grandpa, you know."

"Did you, now? Well, I'm touched! But never worry about the great Dark Mousy; He can take care of himself."

"Sure, whatever you say…"

"Of course, Daisuke. So, Krad…you say you slept all day?"

"Yes," came the muffled voice. "Why?"

"No…I was just thinking in school, though, you'll need a hobby if you're going to stay home all day, by yourself. I'm not getting you a pet."

"I don't want a pet. I don't want to be a burden…"

"You're not a burden. I like you! That's why I'm keeping you."

Krad's head poked up from the mess of blankets. "You make it sound like I'm your pet."

"Maybe you are, maybe you aren't. The world may never know."

Daisuke gave a subdued giggle, and Dark couldn't pass up a grin at the blonde's confused expression. "Hey, Krad. Don't worry about it. But…all kidding aside, isn't their some sort of activity you'd like to get interested in? You know…a sport? Want me to hook you up with some video games?"

"…Painting."

"Painting?"

"I was thinking about it today, actually. While I was trying to get to sleep…and I really thought it would be interesting to paint something."

"Painting, though? Painting's for girls."

Krad flushed a bit, and Daisuke threw his jacket at the older teenager. "I paint, and I'm not a girl."

"Are you sure of that, Daisuke?" Dark questioned with a grin. He threw the boy's jacket back at him, stripping off his own chilly coat and tossing it into a corner by the door. Warm air circulated, now, and Dark found that he didn't need his jacket for warmth, anymore.

Daisuke crossed his arms. "You only say that because you can't paint at all."

"I was just teasing, the both of you. So what if I can't paint, I don't like it, anyway. I'll pick you up some paints from school, Krad. I've got connections," Dark said, winking.

"Just don't go out of your way for anything."

Dark waved his hand. "I won't, I won't. So, you guys want something to eat…?"

"I can't—My mom's going to want me to come home. She wants to spend more time with me, since I was gone for a while. I'll see you tomorrow, okay, Dark?"

"Yeah. We up for lunch, again?"

"That sounds great. You don't mind if Satoshi comes along?"

Dark watched as the redhead scurried to slide on his jacket and slip on his shoes. "Nah, I don't mind. So the kid's a little creepy—I don't care. Want me to walk you home?"

"I'll be fine. It was nice to meet you, Krad."

"The pleasure was mine," the blonde said through a yawn.

"Okay. Bye!"

The door clicked firmly behind Daisuke, and the teenager drifted quickly down the road. Dark watched through the window, a confident smile plastered on his face. "Great kid," he murmured to Krad. "I missed him."

"Why did he leave…?"

"Oh, that's nothing. There were some…family problems, and the kid just couldn't handle the stress. His mom loves him, so she shipped him off to his grandfather's for a bit, and now he's back, I guess. He told me during lunch that he was just overwhelmed by everything and just had to get away—his father came back, and there were a lot of changes around the house. One of his friend's passed away in a car accident school wasn't going so swell. The girl of his dreams was in the hospital with a coma from a sports accident…Lots of things. He just needed a break."

Krad's voice grew a bit quieter. "Oh. He said something…about your parents…?"

Dark turned from the window. "Yeah? My parents. What about them?"

"…What happened to them?"

"It's a long story," Dark said with a shrug. "I'd rather not."

"Of course…"

"Maybe another time?"

Krad looked up at Dark. "It won't bother you to talk about it?"

"Nah. I'm done grieving them. They're gone, but it's still a little hard to talk about. I'll tell you, someday."

"You don't have to. Not if you don't want to, anyway."

"I want to. I'll tell you—it's nothing."

Dark looked at the clock. "It's late, already. Almost six. You want some dinner?"

"I'll help make it," the blonde offered, and Dark grinned. "You're help would be very much appreciated. I've got a sort of deficiency in the kitchen…"

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Dark lay in his bed, staring at the dark ceiling. Shadows darted across his room, and he let out a small sigh. His door open a bit, he rolled over and leaned to get a peek into the living room. Krad was sleeping on the couch, again, snuggled up in a mass of black and white. The high-school student couldn't suppress his smile as he sank back down in his bed.

"Definitely going to get those paints, tomorrow," he said, closing his eyes. Sleep came swiftly, sweet dreams following shortly after.

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Eh. Well, another update. I say it as I always do, 'I love getting reviews!' It seems that this story isn't as popular as it used to be, but I'm not going to complain. As long as someone out there is still enjoying this, I will continue to update. Thank you for reading this; I'm pleased to announce that I know how it's going to end! That means that there isn't going to be even the slightest chance of writer's block—and you all know what that means: No writer's block: quick updates. Ha ha! How splendid. Well, thanks for reading! I'll try to throw in a little more information about everyone in the next chapter.