While I Was Away
By: Naru-chan
Discalimer: I don't own DNAngel or "Teddy Bear" by Ayumi Hamasaki!
Naru-chan: Ta da! Chapter Ten!
Dark: Ooooo…mine?
Daisuke: Or mine…?
Satoshi: Technically…both…you figure it out.
Naru-chan: lol Look, this time it didn't take me two months to update! Heh heh…
Satoshi: She would've done this all sooner, but…
Dark: She's gotten addicted to Gun Bound.
Daisuke: …Mmmhmm…
Naru-chan: Hush:blush:
Dark: She should be addicted to me… :smirk:
Satoshi: Yeah…you're like a drug. Bad for everyone.
Dark: SHUT UP!
Naru-chan: Hey…I've realized…though I kinda realized it a while ago… Why is everyone using "Caramel" to describe Riku's hair…? O.O; Not that it's a bad thing, but…I don't recall any fic before mine using the word "caramel"…is all…
Riku:touches her hair: Yeah…
Naru-chan: I'm just curious if it's because people read my fic or not. I'm not mad…just curious why they used it. lol
Daisuke: And another thing! People review and leave their e-mail sometimes. Do you want Naru-chan to e-mail you? O.O
Naru-chan: Ah! Anyway, I hop you enjoy this chaper! It has a little of everyone! Except…Mio, Sabrina, Krad, and Takeshi. Lol
Mio, Sabrina, Krad, and Takeshi: HEY!
Naru-chan: Sorry! Anyway, hope you enjoy! And the song has to do with the chapter…!
From Ayumi Hamasaki's Teddy Bear
I fell asleep
With my heart full of hope
Anticipating
The coming dawn
When I awoke, on my pillow
Was a large stuffed bear
In the place next to me
Where you should have been
Long ago you said to me
As you brushed my hair
That when I woke up
I would find a wonderful present
By my pillow...
Chapter Ten: His Gift
Riku shut her door as quietly as she could. Just before it fully closed, she noticed the clock by her bed. The time read: 11:52 PM. Eight minutes until midnight. The door closed and she let out a sigh. Pressing a hand self-consciously against her flushed cheek, she hoped it wasn't obvious. She turned and propped her body against the door. Now where was she going to sleep with Daisuke in her bed? She had felt like sleeping next to him, sitting in her chair, but the thought of sitting and sleeping was rather unappealing. That, as well as having to actually be around him after…that…
She yawned widely. She hadn't realized just how tired she was… The room blurred and she felt her knees give up from exhaustion. Then, for some unknown reason, she felt warm arms enfold around her. She forced herself to look at who it was; the logically part of her mind thinking it might be a robber of some sort. But instead, she found herself staring into scarlet eyes.
"You shouldn't be up this late," a voice said cheerfully but not in a perky manner. Her mind slowly registered that the man was smiling. She blinked her drained eyes.
"I'm fine," she grumbled wearily. She tried to stand by herself, but her knees just wouldn't let her.
"Your body seems to say otherwise." The person gently lifted her. She unconsciously leaned her head against his chest. She just mumbled, not really protesting, but not exactly consenting either.
She felt herself lowered onto a fluffy bed. Someone lifted blankets and tucked her soothingly in. Immediately warmth spread through her body. Then, as he lifted to get up, for some reason she couldn't understand, Riku grabbed onto his shirt. She pulled him back, frowning.
"Don't go…" she murmured. She barely opened her eyes and saw a shocked expression slowly but surely form into a faint smile.
"I won't…"
There was a sudden weight shift in the bed and she sensed someone next to her. She snuggled against that person. A hand stroked her caramel hair. Almost instantly fell asleep. However, before she lost all her sense of conscious, she heard him say something that made her heart fill up with some emotion she couldn't place.
"When you wake up…you'll find a wonderful gift beside your pillow…"
Risa unhurriedly walked down the street in a warm, dark, furry long coat that hid her sweater and skirt because it reached to her knees, and from there she had black stockings. France was such a magical place…truly, it was! Her black heels clicked against the brick ground, which was damp from snow around. Someone had shoveled it to the side, but snow melts, of course. Risa looked up and watched the streetlights above her. They glowed, giving off an enchanted atmosphere. Carolers strolled by, singing "Jingle Bells". They offered smiles to her, which she returned half-heartedly.
She took in a deep breath and let it out. There was a large stream of white air. She halted for a moment. She blew out another breath and watched with awe as the hot stream flew up into the night air. It was such a little thing…but things full of wonder were usually those exact same things that no one noticed. Too little time did people take to watch and wonder.
She looked around and discovered that she had approached a park. Unknown to her was that this was the exact place and spot where Dark had confessed his love to Riku. Unknown to her that this was the place they kissed. She trotted over to a bench and settled down quickly. The cold night air nipped at her face and she subconsciously rubbed her arms for warmth. The stars above twinkled to comfort the lone girl.
Risa looked around her setting, with nothing else to do. Though there was many people, couples, family and friends, for some reason the tree next to her caught her eye. Carved all over it were hearts with initials in the center. She reached out and traced a hand over the markings. Usually, or perhaps in the past, they would have seemed terribly romantic and lovely. But now, as she stared, all she felt was deep melancholy.
"This should be beautiful," she said aloud, as if to the tree. She smiled sadly at it. "This should signify undying love…and if not that, just love itself. Yet…it's not. It's hideous. Disgusting. So what if they had loved each other? So what if they were happy? They harmed you in the process…what's so beautiful about that…?"
What was left of the tree's leaves, for it was covered with pure white snow, rustled, as if in agreement; and the branches seemed to bow its head in contentment of being understood. Risa stroked the heart again.
"It hurt, didn't it? It still does…doesn't it?"
"No, it doesn't…"
Risa's eyes widened for a moment, but she continued to caress the symbol. She knew who was behind her. Even she, as silly as she was, knew the tree couldn't have actually spoken. Yet somehow she felt the tree had sent him here, to her. Had led him…to her…
"Why…would you say that?"
"Because…the pain goes away. No matter how much pain you feel…or felt…it goes away for one reason or another, be it time, or other pain, or…love. All the same, it goes away."
"How can you be so sure…?"
There was a pause. Then, "Because I've been there. I thought I could never love. Not after all I had been through…after being abandoned by my family and being used as a tool to my new father… I wasn't allowed to love. No one would let me. I wouldn't let me… But love isn't something you can wish away or not allow. While there is pain, there is also happiness. Where there is always someone who causes pain, there will always be someone who washes it away."
"I don't…know if anyone can," she whispered, feeling her eyes burn. "Even you… I'm so sorry…I never knew this would happen. I knew I felt this way…! I know I love you…but…"
Satoshi's ice sapphire eyes melted by the warmth and caring that entered them. Somehow he had found her here. Somehow he had known she would be here. Somehow he knew that would have this talk. So he knew what to do next.
He walked closer, until he was at her side. He slowly lifted a hand and rested it on her head, where he caressed her dark, silky hair. He knelt on the cold ground, leaned nearer and whispered softly into her ear, as the town clock began to toll.
"If he…doesn't return your feelings…may you try to truly return mine…?"
Dark took a long gulp from the bottle in his hand. He finally stopped to catch his breath and wiped his mouth with his hand with a sigh. He was sitting on the roof, which probably wasn't the wisest choice, for it was snowing. He usually didn't drink. But it wasn't like it was illegal in France. He could've drunk at the age of five! No. Only when he was at the lowest of the low did he drink. The icy cold liquid burned his throat as it went down. All the better. Anything to make the aching in his chest stop. He let out a long breath and it looked like the snow around him.
He wasn't sure if the tears were a good sign or a bad sign for the hot tears slipped down his cold cheeks, but after a while they would cool over and leave his face ice-numbingly frozen. But he didn't care. It was just a thought. A thought to get his mind off the pain…
He knew what he did was a good thing. It truly was! Now if only he believed it. But he had told himself countless times that if Riku was happy, he was happy. Now there was this whole mess, but in the end maybe she would be happy. But he felt anything but.
Did someone from above damn him? Was he forever to be alone? Would no one he loves return his love? Was it that bad to have feelings for him? …Was it that impossible for him to be with the love of his life? Or was it just his fate to forever be alone, by himself, drowning in his loneliness…?
The clock of Paris struck. It was midnight. People below him listened with anticipation and eagerness for the twelfth stroke. One by one the bell rung. At the last one, people cheered as loudly as they could. They hugged, they kissed, they sang, they laughed… He felt their affection for each other.
"Merry Christmas Dark," he sang sadly, lifting his bottle, saluting himself, tears streaming from his ruby red eyes and down his flushed cheeks.
Daisuke slowly opened his woozy eyes. The room around seemed familiar…yet he did not recognize it. He blinked a few times to clear his clouded red orbs. He took in a deep breath. It smelled like…spring… He turned his head on the soft pillow and realized it was snowing. So spring was still far away…or was it?
He slowly pressed his hands against the pure white sheets, pushing himself up. Silence filled the room, but it was a peaceful quiet. He sighed and ran a hand through his scarlet hair. His head hurt… He closed his eyes again, and tried to remember what happened the day before, and why he was where he was. As memories flooded back suddenly, he swallowed hard. Now not only did his head hurt, so did his heart…
He sighed, letting sorrow seem over him. He laid his head back on the pillow gently. So…Riku had met someone new. She was…happy… She probably hadn't even given him a passing thought the past months… He turned over in the bed, and sniffed, knowing his crimson eyes burned but tried to force the tears away. But after all this time, what had he expected? Riku…was special. Of course someone would realize that…! Of course they would…
Daisuke felt there was no hope. A kiss was more than just two lips touching… It meant so much more! It meant affection…warmness…love… The sharing of those feelings! And Riku wasn't the type to just go around kissing everyone. Not that way… He groaned as jealousy flood through Daisuke. But he pushed it back. He sighed, wiping the tears away. There was noting he could do… He should just give up…
Suddenly a fierce feeling made him clench his hand into a fist. But…he didn't want to give up! Not on Riku! He loved her! No way was he just going to roll over die…! With that on his mind, he shoved himself back up. Then, after a pause, he fell back onto the pillow. But what was he going to do, just waltz back into her life, saying he loved her! She would think he was crazy!
He frowned and pulled the covers over his head. Perhaps he could get close to her…see if there was still a chance…it wasn't like a Niwa to give up on his or her love. They fought 'til the bitter end! A sudden sense of calm washed over him and his grip on the blankets loosened slowly. His heart began to beat faster…slowly… Who would have thought that he, the shy little redhead who blushes at almost everything, would be chasing after someone with his heart and soul? Usually he would be meek and just watch silently and painfully, as the one he loved was held in the arms of another, as he had done with Risa. But no…not this time… Riku meant far too much to him.
It was at times like this he felt it. True love. The love that you feel once in your life. It wasn't that he hadn't felt it before, but it was just that he never realized it. This was it. Real love. Not crushes, or "liking", or attraction. Love! His heart sang and he felt a smile form. Such a warm feeling…spreading through his body.
"Riku…"
"Mmmm," Riku turned in her bed. She subconsciously reached out, while struggling to open her eyes. Without knowing what she was doing, she called out softly, "Dark…"
There was an ach in her heart when all she could find no one else. But her eyes opened when all she found was something furry. Her eyes immediately widened and she propped her elbow against the mattress to lift herself up. In front of her…was a scarlet bear…with a bag. The bear had a checkered bow…and somehow looked familiar. She carefully picked it up and swallowed hard. For some reason she didn't quite understand, she pressed the bear against her flushed face and took in a deep breath. Another recognizable scent washed over her.
Slowly, Riku put down the bear and lifted up the bag. Inside…was an envelope. Cautiously, she took it out and opened it to find paper. Not having the slightest clue what was going on, she unfolded the paper and stared at it. It was a letter. In Japanese. To her…from…Daisuke.
Dear Riku,
How are you…? Ha, that seems such a silly thing to write. I mean, you'd think after not seeing each other for so long, I'd be able to think of something more poetic. But no, I'm not capable of such things. Besides, if you're reading this, you'd probably have seen me already.
I'm a…very straightforward person. I try to be, anyway. Ha, ha. Hard to believe though. Sometimes I can't get out a sentence without blushing or stammering.
Well, you must be wondering why I'm here. In Paris. Well…I wanted to see you. You, Riku. I've missed you dreadfully since you've left. You probably think I'm stupid since we weren't really friends when you left… But I…needed to see you.
I need to tell you something. Which is the reason why I traveled millions of miles to get here.
So…please try to talk to me and get to know me more. When the time comes…I really need to tell you something. But I want to get…acquainted with you once more before that. I hope…you feel the same way. About getting to know each other!
Yours Truly,
Daisuke Niwa
P.S. The teddy bear…is for you. Well, technically, it's always been yours. If we talk…I'll tell you its story. Merry Christmas.
Riku continued to stare at the letter after she read it over and over. Her heart wouldn't stop pounding against her chest. Daisuke…wanted to talk to her…?
"When you wake up…you'll find a wonderful gift beside your pillow…"
Naru-chan: What do you think…?
Daisuke: In the next chapter or so I'll be getting closer to Riku! Sorry Dark fans…
Dark: Boohoo!
Satoshi:smacks Dark: You've had all those chapters before…you selfish son of a…
Dark: But Riku's MINE!
Daisuke: But…but…I love her too…!
Satoshi: What happened to "if she's happy I'm happy"…?
Naru-chan:holds Dark from strangling Satoshi: Hurry and review while I can still hold onto Dark! Thank you everyone who does and have before! (Review that is!) lol