A month passed, and Dark decided to stalk Krad again, to see if he was completely confined to Satoshi's apartment. But when he arrived Krad was locking up the place with a fresh bouquet of white roses in his right hand. Dark's expression was unforgettable- his eye twitched madly and his jaw dropped, showing his full lower teeth. ~Krad has a date?Not with my woman!~ (In Dark's mind, every woman between the ages of fourteen and twenty one within a five-mile radius qualified as 'his woman'.)
"KRAD!" His purple jacket flapped in the wind as he sauntered over, and Krad sighed, sagging. He'd been having such a good day. "It's you." Krad looked…not bad in a pair of jeans, a button-up shirt, and a thick blue jacket. "Is that any way to greet your baby's daddy?" He looped one arm over Krad's shoulders and the blonde visibly bristled. "If you ever utter the words 'baby's daddy' again while in my presence…" "So…Who's the lucky lady?"
Krad's eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise.
"Oh, these? I am going to pay respects to an old…friend. I'm not going on a date." ~Like anyone would even consider dating me in my current state. ~
He thought. Dark looked relieved-for now, his harem was safe. "Oh, ok, well…Can I come?" Krad shifted on his feet, zipping up his jacket. It toned down his baby bump, but not quite back to normal. "If you would like…" They made small talk, Dark informing him of Daisuke's dates with Riku and Krad telling him of the crackpot story he'd fed to Hiwatari's father to keep him out of trouble.
It was kind of sad in a way. Hiwatari Sr. didn't even seem that concerned, but showed an unhealthy interest in Krad's weight gain.
They arrived in the cemetery and Dark inched closer to Krad, trying to ignore the unlit candles and the deceased's favorite foods. He didn't like the prospect of death-it reminded him too much of the brief seconds inside the Black Wings. Krad stopped at one of the oldest ones, black with age and moss growing down its side. He took out the dead roses and gently
replaced them, crouching down on one knee and folding his hands underneath his chin. "So wha-"
"Quiet." Dark crossed his arms in irritation.
Krad's long fine hair blew away from his face in the wind and for a brief second Dark saw his through the eyes of a mortal: He was breathtaking. A fine oval shaped face, a nose that was uninterruptedly straight, and curiously long white eyelashes. Dark caught his own train of thought and shook his head, just as Krad stood up from his prayer (with a bit more difficulty than normal, Dark noticed.) "What?"
The saffron eyes were the only clue that he was anything more than simple, human perfection. "Who was she?" He'd already read the tombstone; Elizabeth Ookami, 1945-1965, beloved daughter. Krad's normally steely expression softened, his eyebrows rising as if from a pleasant memory.
He hesitated, and then admitted "She was… Everything worth having in this world to me. I loved her."
Going quiet, the weak sun shone brightly on the golden bangs of his hair.
"I still do."