AN: I know I haven't said this much, but thank you for all the reviews! You guys make me smile, write more, and very happy. Please see the note below (like way below) for my long absence. 0_o
Disclaimer: I died because I threatened to steal Daisuke. Apparently, Dark didn't like that. He took out his magic feathers and stabbed me to death.
After up loading this chapter, Soulfightersu made a pretty good point. So...here's a quick recap of what has happened so far.
Daisuke meets the new student at school, Dark, who is basically sex on legs. Dark, angered by Satoshi's fuck-you-I-don't-give-a-shit attitude takes it out on Daisuke by playing pranks and mind games with the poor kid. While acting out the role of a womanizing pervert, Dark meets Krad at a cafe for some unknown reason and exchanges items. He then kisses Daisuke twice in the same day, but then he kisses Risa right afterward. Then Daisuke gets sick and Dark unwittingly takes care of him...leading to /gasp/ relationship development. Daisuke starts to realize he likes Dark (kind of) and runs out, meeting Krad. More events happen (I'm such a good summarizer...xD) and Dark gets a phone call from Krad who says Number 27 has died. And...this is it so far.
Hope it made sense so you're not totally lost on this chapter.
Chapter Eight: Encompassed Hopes
Normally, a soft breeze in a lazy summer day felt quite nice. Not only did the gust of air bring a slight temperature drop, but it also felt as if the wind was blowing a cool lullaby softly into one's ears.
Unfortunately for the occupants of the site, this wasn't the case.
The dry, harsh Sahara wind pelted them with sand, burrowing into the sensitive skin on their faces. While most workers wore clothes around their face as a mask, the ones who didn't felt the wrath of cracked skin and dry lips. Every time they tried to speak, the searing heat caught words in their throats and lips bleed, blood oozing in small beads.
They all had to work without goggles in order to spot fluctuations that they would otherwise miss. The seemingly insignificant ripples in sand could lead way to hidden tombs, treasures lost for centuries, and codes that carved out a piece of missing history.
The excitement and adrenaline that came from the job was all that Kousuke really wanted, but he had other agendas in mind.
Maybe in fifty, no sixty years when technology had advanced far enough to calculate precision and amount of objects would someone finally discover a certain number of artifacts were missing from each site.
Kousuke shrugged. After all, he was related to Japan's infamous phantom theif, if only by a marriage and child.
"Hey…bzt…we fo…d…som…th…"
"This is Black Falcon, over. Repeat your statement," he enunciated through the walkie-talkies. Kousuke blinked at the sudden loss of sunlight and deathly quiet. This sand storm was going to be a strong one.
The dull buzz of static murmured through the speakers until, "White Cloud in contact with Prime O1. We've found it, I repeat, we've found it."
The dark haired man smiled. Prime objective one, more commonly known as the Tomb of Anubis, had finally been found after twenty long, grueling months. After stumbling upon a small excerpt of an article, spending countless hours studying and taking down notes, Kousuke had found something rather interesting. Apparently, plagues and deaths had scared Egyptians to such an extent, a sacred tomb had been made in hopes of, quite literally, burying the god of death. Lost gold, unlimited rubies, and priceless treasures had been buried. However, an earthquake and sandstorms ravaged the land to such a point, the tomb was lost.
That was, until now.
Finally, a childhood dream of discovering a new world was complete. Kousuke felt a strange aura beam around him, hope and accomplishment flooding his heart.
Then, there was a snap. Small, nevertheless, it shot through the air and echoed. Suddenly, sand poured from the skies, swirling down on the workers, stray pieces biting into exposed skin.
Though most workers instantly dove facedown, hands protectively covering their necks, Kousuke stood, motionless with disbelief.
The simple ruby ring that sat on his left hand's index finger had cracked into a million veins, its iridescent light fading. Though the man had never been one for jewelry, this was a bit different.
Enclosed in the ring had been a single strand of his one and only son's hair. A feeling of omniment dread and fear shot through his body and Kousuke gulped.
"Get down, you damn foreigner," a worker shouted, slamming his worn body against Kousuke. Suddenly, Kousuke was aware of the blood running down the side of his face, piercing pain from the sand imbedded in his cheeks.
"I have to leave now," Kousuke mumbled into the walkie-talkies.
"W-what?" came the outraged cry. "You can't just leave us. If you do, your greedy partner'll take all the credit. Two years of effort and work, gone."
"My son, he-"
"He what?" the man cut in. "Kousuke, as your long time friend, I'm advising against this. I'm also advising you to stay. Are you really going to choose instinct over your life's ambition?"
Kousuke clenched his both of his fists. In the left with the ring and in the other was his life and purpose. An ironic chuckle left his throat. Funny how figurative speech had suddenly become realistic.
In a split second, Kousuke made his decision.
His left hand loosened and ring fell, swallowed by the endless sand.
---
The sounds of strained chirps floated through the window, reaching the sleeping figure's ears. The listless melody rang sweetly, slowly dragging a half-conscious mind back to reality. A finger twitched slightly, moving in a dream like state. A stream of sunlight shone through a slit in the heavy cream colored blinds. A burst of light struck the dazed boy's face as bleary eyes opened, effulgence nearly blinding them.
"Too...bright...." he groaned. An arm lifted, lazily shielding himself from the illumination. After a few seconds of contemplating whether he should get up or not, the boy kicked off the sheets and shot up from the warm caverns of his bed. He gingerly stuck a toe onto the floor and instantly recoiled.
Damn. He really needed to buy some slippers at some point.
He stood up, wincing as the heat concentrated at his feet was swept away by the icy floor. Absently, he walked over to the window and wrenched off the shades, smiling as the room turned a warm honeyed color.
Eyes looked hopefully into the sky, softening at the sight of pure cerulean and azure tipping the heavens above. Not a single speck of white dotted the blue and the sun shone with what seemed like an everlasting flow.
Today, Daisuke decided as he raked fingers through his crimson, lithe hair, was going to be a really nice day.
---
"Daisuke!" a familiar voice shouted.
Daisuke turned his head and smiled warmly. "Good morning Riku. Haven't seen you for a while. How's school been so far?"
Riku blushed, averting her eyes from the redhead. "Nice to see you too! School's been pretty good. But not as interesting as last year I guess."
The two students walked together in silence, enjoying the peaceful morning breeze. A particularly strong gust of air scattered petals and matching sepals across the grounds.
"Uh, Daisuke?" Riku paused timidly. She stopped in midstep and appeared to have a very special interest in the ground.
Daisuke stopped, curiosity clutching his back. Or was it Riku's hands?
"Daisuke, I-I..." she trailed off, uncertain of what to say.
Daisuke waited quietly, a strange calmness brimming at the center of his being. For some reason today, he felt invincible. It was if anything could cross him and he'd be able to counter it, or at least twist it to his advantage. So he waited, body and mind already predicting what the brunette was going to say.
As the tension grew, Riku cracked up the pressure and suddenly, she couldn't bear it any longer. Words burst from her mouth in a "Daisuke...IthinkIlikeyou!"
Her face suddenly steamed, bright shade of scarlet staining her cheeks. She looked practically mortified and almost disgusted with herself for the confession.
With a pained pang of regret, Daisuke carefully blanked out his face before replacing it with a fake smile. He spun around, grabbing the girl's shoulders. Ruby eyes met chocolate ones as Daisuke answered, "Really? I like you too."
Riku's breath hitched and she smiled until she realized Daisuke wasn't done speaking yet.
"That's great. Let's be friends forever."
Riku's head snapped back as if stung and unconsciously tightened her grip on Daisuke's shirt. Then her grasp slackened and she released the redhead and backed away.
She hesitated, ignoring the churning feelings within her and sucked in a deep breath of air.
"Thanks, Daisuke." Riku fought back the tears that threatened to flow and her bottom lip quivered.
Without warning, something soft and warm slid over her shoulders and around her back. She blinked, shock short-circuiting her mind when she realized Daisuke was hugging her.
No words were exchanged and not a sound was made. Only a simple understanding filled the air of rejection. Through closed eyelids and tenderly wrapping arms around Daisuke, she silently thanked him. She savored the moment, knowing it would probably never happen again.
It would take weeks, perhaps months for her torn heart to heal, but there was no doubt about it. Even if it took forever, Daisuke would always be there for her with an open hand extended. And for that, she thanked him one more time.
---
As the Azumano students filed into class and settled into their seats, Daisuke felt sick. Half of it was from staying up all night watching Korean dramas which were really quite addicting, and the other was from anticipation of seeing Dark again.
The last time he had seen the playboy was a week ago when that happened. Of course that, referred to Dark passing out on top of Daisuke, leaving him in a rather uncomfortable situation.
Blood rose to his face and his cheeks darkened. Though Dark had skipped out on school, hence lack of contact, the image of tantalizing lips hanging barely a few centimeters from his lips was vividly burned in his mind.
What am I going to say? Daisuke wondered, panicking. Possible responses, all ending with rather steamy circumstances erupted and the redhead willed himself to gain back control. No! I'm not a pervert! I'm totally, absolutely, completely normal!
Though Daisuke didn't know it at the time, 'normal' people of both genders had fallen for Dark. Later on, Daisuke would back on this and mentally strangle himself. That, and physically strangle Dark for a large number of reasons.
By noon, the brisk fall winds had scattered golden, tangerine leaves into a swirling dance. Warm sunlight filtered past the branches, drawing the world into an almost heavenly glow. Every detail, every fine line had been sharpened to a crisp, clear image. A halo of effulgence warped the school grounds, transforming it into something that would've been perfect for a painting.
Daisuke spun a pencil in his hand, grinning as images filtered through his head.
A loud smacking sound reached his ears before the pain did. Or maybe it was the other way around?
The redhead didn't know. All he knew was that a gleeful Saehara had pounced and attacked by whacking Daisuke's ears.
Daisuke growled lightly. Sure, he was a bit of an airhead at times, but it was starting to get annoying.
He walked over to Takeshi who, for the millionth time, had been busy asking out (and getting shot down) Mio Hio. The blonde haired girl waved back enthusiastically. It was a well-known fact that she had boldly stalked Daisuke for two years despite the faithful suitor she had since transferring schools from America. Her vigorous methods and unusual ninja like skills, such as appearing out of seemingly nowhere and moving from one place to another in a blink of an eye, had said to originated from training in a secret military program. But then again, rumors were rumors.
Daisuke winked at the amused blonde, lightly placing a slim finger over curved lips. He silently shuffled over to the babbling dark-haired boy, dragging an object off of a desk.
Then very slowly, he lifted his arm and swung.
"GYAHHHHHHHHH!"
An unearthly shriek filled the room as a blunt, hard object made its way up Takeshi's, well... Let's just say the reporter would have a hard time climbing trees for a while.
The occupants of the room stared first at the raven who writhed in agony, then at the blonde and redhead who had fallen on the floor, nearly choking with laugh.
Five minutes later found the trio sitting, or in Takeshi's case, laying in the grass, enjoying the sparse sunbeams.
"Fuck. Daisuke! My poor ass!" whimpered Saehara, gingerly and unabashedly feeling himself up front of the two. "I think you tore something up there man!"
Mio only giggled louder. "Your virgin ass is probably taking it up a little too seriously. I mean, Daisuke only jabbed."
The raven had the audacity to blush darkly. "Aw princess! Why'dya gotta go and make fun of my sex life?"
"Or lack thereof," Daisuke added cheerfully. No mercy, Evil Daisuke smirked.
Takeshi merely groaned in response. He slammed his forehead into the nearest hard object, namely the ground, and mumbled incoherently to himself for the next few minutes.
"You're both insufferable."
"Oo. Takeshi knows big words!"
"...Shut up."
Daisuke sighed, not unhappily. He grinned as Mio threw her lunch at Takeshi for "accidentally" touching her bosom.
Friends made life more interesting all the time.
---
School ended quickly as the afternoon passed almost instantaneously.
"Daisuke?"
The said redhead blinked, eyes focusing on a worried Mio Hio who waved her hands in an array of circles.
"Uh, hi?"
An arm swung around Daisuke's almost bony shoulders while the other hand focused on tweaking his ear.
"Don't 'hi' me! Live a bit more! You should be full of energy like all the other high school boys!" Mio exclaimed before proceeding to jump onto the boy's back. She then dug those ever so painful but fashionable pointy flats into his ribs and urged the 'pony' to run faster.
Daisuke winced as the blonde girl nearly crushed him in her grip despite being a good three inches taller than her. He really needed to work out at the gym more often.
"Reality check Mio. Takeshi's the only one who's super energetic. Everyone else is normal!"
Mio stubbornly stuck out her bottom lip and shoved two fingers into her ears.
"LA-LA-LA! Me no speaking yous langrage! I from far aray rand of Amelica!"
Daisuke nearly chuckled at Mio's horrible slaughter of the English language. Maybe Middle School Daisuke would've been confused out of his mind, quite tilting his head to the side in exaggerated wonder, but High School Daisuke who had taken English classes at cram school understood perfectly.
And so, he unceremoniously dumped the blonde girl onto sidewalk and watched, grinning as a string of obscenities left her mouth.
He walked almost a block before Mio finally managed to catch up with him.
"...ha...stupid...Daisuke...ditching...me...gahh"
Silence wafted through the air, surrounding the students as they walked on. Though one had a longer stride, the other was faster in pace and almost matched the taller one evenly. As steps increased, the edge of a building let a burst of blinding whiteness that could've only come from the closest worldly star stun the two.
But the words that left Mio's mouth had more of an effect than the sun.
"You. You like him, don't you?"
Daisuke didn't bother feigning ignorance or confusion. They had been friends too long for that childish method.
The answer was almost immediate, but there was a pause. Maybe there always had been.
"I don't know," he answered quietly. The emotion barely withheld in the scarlet eyes sang a similar melody, only with a flash of something else.
Mio stared uncertainly at her redheaded friend and sighed heavily.
"FALCON PUNCH!(1) TCHA!"
"WAHHHHHHHH!"
Flailing limbs filled the air before Daisuke landed painfully on the sidewalk. He moaned, rubbing his sore arm. A sharply placed kick followed suit, landing on Daisuke's stomach. Then another. And another.
For the second time in his life, the first being an incident where he had accidentally given Riku's lunch to stray dog (how the hell was he supposed to know she liked to save lunch for after school?) Daisuke Niwa found himself getting beat up by a girl. Something was very, very wrong with this picture, and it didn't take a genius such as Satoshi Hiwatari to figure it out.
-Somewhere in a hotel room-
Satoshi sneezed, unceremoniously spraying the golden-haired male next to him with water, saliva, and quite possibly, germs.
"Ew! Gross! Don't tell me you're sick!" shrieked the blonde, hyperventilating hysterically. "Oh god oh god oh GOD. Do you have STDs? Shit! We should've taken a test! Damn!!"
He began wailing louder as if screaming at the top of his lungs wasn't enough. "No!! I don't want to die young! Satoshi, please tell me you're clean! Clean as... a virgin! Wait no. What if the virgin's parents had STD's and gave it to their kid. No. Nonononono. No!!!! N-"
The blonde's words were effectively silenced as a pair of lips clamped themselves over his own.
He blinked, feline-like eyes widening at the sight of Satoshi's tongue slowly licking his lips.
"Relax. I think I'm just a little too popular." Satoshi grinned (evilly) at the pale figure's outraged expression. Attempting to look pensive, he slyly added, "Maybe I should take up some of those girl's offers. I just might get to sit back and enjoy the ride."
With a deep growl, the blonde jumped atop the boy in retaliation and began taking his revenge.
-Back on the sidewalk-
Scarlet eyes suddenly hardened, blazing with a strange sort of determination. Seething, Daisuke grabbed a swinging fist and pulled, knocking Mio off balance.
"Mio. What. Was. That. For?" he growled, grounding out each word. Fingers roamed, gently caressing the already forming bruises that adorned his stomach.
He sniffed, evidently miffed. At least Mio had aimed at places where it would be easy to hide. Being beaten up by a girl didn't exactly help his reputation.
Mio merely smiled, something akin to amusement clouding her expression for a moment until it was quickly replaced by a grin.
"You fought back right?"
Daisuke nodded bemusedly. Where was she trying to get to?
Mio poked the redhead in the cheek, smirking as her finger encountered soft skin before reaching hard muscle.
"So you're not afraid if hitting a girl or getting beat up, but you're afraid of admitting you like someone?"
Outraged, Daisuke grumbled, "I'm not a coward."
"But you sure act like one."
A pregnant pause went by until, "I hate you."
"Love you too Daisuke!"
"..."
"What? In America, people say I love you to each other all the time!"
Daisuke stared in disbelief at the grinning blonde who raised a glittering thumb.
"Oh, and before I forget..." Mio trailed off and began rummaging her backpack. She grinned and tossed it over her shoulders.
With a loud "oof", Daisuke was knocked back, eventually sliding to a stop after a few inches.
Recognizing the object ruby eyes grew, rivaling those of a tennis ball, and he shouted incredulously, "No way! This is..."
Mio nodded her head and smiled triumphantly. "Yes way. I can assure you this is one hundred percent genuine."
"Awesome! Thank you so much! Thank you!!" he hollered. "I promise to return it to you on Monday!"
Mio grinned, putting two fingers in a victory pose. She watched as he sprinted across the street, nearly crashing into a baby carriage, and apologize before resuming his previous task.
The grin hovered for a few moments before swiftly transitioning to a worried expression. Lips whitened from the pressure of teeth and eyebrows furrowed.
Such an innocent boy should never have to live through that again.
---
"Here! This is for you Dark!" Daisuke exclaimed. He holding out of the folder while bowing, head faced down.
Dark didn't respond. The feelings within him hurt too much to talk. If a single word managed to make it out, he wasn't he could control the rest.
A few seconds slid by before Daisuke lifted his head and gazed at his neighbor.
"Dark? Are you okay?" he asked worriedly. He frowned, giving the teenager a quick glance over. Heavy rings circled the violet eyes while a red tinge showed sleepless nights. Dark didn't look like his normal, happy-go-lucky, smirking self. Instead, he seemed haggard, worn and even fragile, like a twig that could snap from the slightest pressure. Even his messy disheveled hair seemed out of place, falling over most of his face.
Daisuke lifted a cool hand and placed it on his own forehead. Then he felt Dark's.
A calm feeling immediately dissolved the exhaustion and Dark found himself swaying. Violet eyes widened and suddenly, he snapped. He pushed the redhead's hand away from him and backed up.
"Go away!"
Daisuke stared as Dark drew in deep breaths, trying to calm himself.
"Dark?" he asked, taking a step forward. "Have you been sleeping for these past few days?"
Dark shook his head and took another step back. "Damn it! I said go away!"
The redhead refused to listen, stubbornly taking steps forward. "Why? Why don't you want me near you Dark?"
Pain shone clearly through his eyes.
"Fuck off," Dark growled. He slammed a fist into the wall, breaking through the plaster in a white, powdery explosion. "I don't want you, no one wants you, and no one ever will."
Daisuke's smile cracked. He stared, frozen as Dark continued to yell.
"You're useless. You're a horrible mistake that I never should've made. Just fucking leave and die somewhere already!" Dark shouted as he picked up the package and flung it at Daisuke.
It hit the boy on his chest hard, exploding into a whirlwind of flying leaflets.
"GO!" he roared, seething angrily.
"O-okay. I-I'm going to go now. See you." Daisuke said, a ghost of a smile still etched on his face. He turned around and took off. Before the last paper had fluttered to the ground, the redhead's light footsteps against the cement could no longer be heard from Dark's room.
Dark gazed at the open door and loose papers that covered the floor. He pulled himself up and shook his head, feeling slightly dazed.
The words on the papers caught his eyes and Dark bent down to read them.
Make-up work for every day he had been gone. Detailed notes. Even hints on what would be good for studying on the test. All painstakingly written in Daisuke's curvy handwriting.
Then, he noticed a purple post-it note.
Thanks for everything Dark!
Love, Daisuke.
Love.
Dark slid to the ground, grabbing his head.
The simple-minded idiot loved him.
---
Daisuke was beyond the point of hurt. Tears kept streaming from his eyes and he couldn't stop running. No matter what, his legs refused to quit working. So he ran, not knowing where to go.
He ran past the fountain in the middle of the plaza.
He ran past the school, ignoring the familiar, concerned cries from those who recognized him.
He ran past the convenience store that sat ten blocks from his house.
And he ran until his legs gave out, quivering pain.
Daisuke tripped, landing in the middle of someone's yard.
Violet sobs wracked his thins frame as he sat, too tired to move. This physical pain was nothing, nothing compared to Dark's biting words.
Daisuke had trusted him! He had worn his heart on his sleeve, allowing only one feeling to enter his heart.
He began crying even harder, unable to stop shaking.
Dark absolutely hated him. Besides, how could anyone ever like a quiet, weird short kid? It was just like back th-
Daisuke shook his head. He scrambled to his feet, wincing as searing pain ate his legs.
Never again. The promise made long ago had been broken, and the only thing he had ended up with was pain. This time, Daisuke wouldn't get hurt.
Slow, tears still stung his eyes as he pulled himself towards home. Daisuke attempted to walk slowly, trying to keep the pain to a bare minimum. However, uneasiness ate at his stomach. Following his gut feeling, Daisuke walked toward a closed store and stared at the mirrored windows.
A black van was creeping silently behind him no more than twenty feet away.
Daisuke began to panic, but quickly shut a lid on the emotion. No. Maybe they were headed in the same direction?
He took a right turn, immediately noticing that the van also took a right turn. Then he stopped and made another turn.
The vehicle did the same.
He broke into a sprint and ran, feeling his heart furiously pump.
Wide eyes turned around and quickly faced back as the car began speeding up. It raced ahead of Daisuke, cutting him off in mid-stride. The backseats flung open and two tall, strong-built men jumped out. He quickly spun around, gravel and loose rocks grinding against his shoes as he pushed off. However, the momentum he had lost cost him dearly and the Daisuke felt the kidnappers hot on his heels, panting on his back with heavy breaths.
Work! C'mon legs! he screamed in his head, trying to ignore the burning sensation. Please just run!
A loud, audible clicking sound echoed from behind Daisuke and somehow, his legs moved even faster. But his two assailants were prepared. They threw a rope across him and pulled.
No. This can't be happening. NO!
Daisuke punched at the men, aiming a well-placed blow at one man's stomach. As one of them seized his wrist, Daisuke twisted his own sharply, freeing himself from the strong grip. Then he grabbed the man's thumb and bent it back. There was a horrible breaking sound that seemed much too loud from one digit before the man screamed. (2)
But Daisuke hadn't calculated a third captor.
He was thrown into the van, a loud crack coming from his head. Something warm and wet immediately began to drip from his face and into his eyes.
As Daisuke's hands were being tied, he used all the power left in his legs and kicked the door open.
He opened his mouth and in a bloodcurdling voice, screamed. He screamed a single syllable until a sharp blow to his head rendered him unconscious.
He screamed for Dark.
Eep. Crappy chapter and cliffhanger. Reviews? Haha
(1) A falcon punch is where the attacker tries to hit the target as hard as fucking possible - hopefully dislodging several vital organs along the way. One of my friends also said it was used to abort pregnancy. WTF?
(2) Just took self-defense unit. This is entirely possible. xD Nearly broke my friends thumb while practicing?
A/N: To reinspire myself, I was reading the first chapter and well, I just realized how melodramatic I was as a freshman. Man, I'd love to meet my freshie self.
Freshman Mayu: OMG! POKETRAINER DAISUKE HAS JUST RELEASED DARK. H-hey wtf…DARK IS TAKING OFF HIS CLOTHES. IS THIS A SEDUCTION ATTACK?
Sophomore Mayu: Uh no. It's called Daisuke and Dark are getting it on. See? That right there is called penetration.
FM: HOLY SHIT. *FAINTS* *NOSEBLEEDS* KYAHHHHHH!!
SM: "…" I'm just…going to go now.
-_- So I'm going to keep this chapter almost exactly the way I wrote it…a year ago, but the next chapter will have a bit of a writing style change. Still witty, as usual /coughs/ but more poetic?
Anyways, onto my lameass excuse. Sophomore year is fucking me in the ass. And as appealing as the thought sounds (replaced sophomore year with Dark and me with Daisuke), it's hell. My school's pretty serious, like ranked 40th in the nation. Crazy, crazy. Gotta' pull through with my chem grade.
