Auugh...Hate math tests. Passionately.
When Krad returned to Satoshi's apartment he was immediately greeted by Daisuke who was cradling Aisoku and exclaiming,
"You were gone for so long Dark actually did start to worry! Where were you?" He approached the shorter redhead in his smooth gait, "Nowhere in particular."
and bowed his head to nuzzle the baby, his heart thudding when tiny amethyst eyes locked on his for a brief moment.
"I think he missed you. He's been on the verge of crying the whole time." Daisuke admitted and held the infant up for him to take. Krad did and realized that it felt good to be back home. Usually the only thing he and Satoshi had to look forward to was a silent house and a word or two from Hiwatari before he left. The child grabbed one lock and twined it through his tiny fingers, and as the Niwa watched White Wings with his baby he said "You know… Back when we first met I never thought you could- care for someone at all but you've really changed." Krad hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps when you have a child you will understand… Most likely you will create one with that Riku Harada correct?" Krad waited as the verbal bomb hit Daisuke's ears and then smirked at the delayed, but none the less satisfying reaction.
"Wh- WHAAAT? N-no, I mean, m-maybe someday but-!" His cheeks warmed until they turned the color of his hair and his body stretched and bloomed into a lithe muscular figure he knew all too well. "Aah finally." He eyed the blonde with one eyebrow raised and asked "Did that on purpose didn'cha?" Krad merely pushed his hair over one shoulder, then startled when the Phantom slapped his forehead and groaned "Man, you gotta come down and see all the shit Emiko got for us. I dunno how she fit it all in one bag." Even with Dark's warning Krad was unprepared for the sheer amount she had managed, and each new item was pulled out with renewed relish. "Oh you have to see these-"She placed fuzzy back and white socks on the table and brought out the piece de résistance- Two one piece outfits, one purple with the black writing 'Daddy's Little Thief' and the other white with gold 'Daddy's Little Hunter' stitched across it. Dark covered his face with his hands his, purple hair hanging dejectedly over his visage. " Emiko…" He sighed dramatically and Krad merely colored. "Um, Mrs. Niwa…" She flipped her hand.
"It was no trouble. Oh and Krad about earlier…" She lay the outfits down and said softly,
"I'm sorry I didn't make it clear. I just want you to know if you need to talk… I'll be here to listen." She smiled nervously and glanced at him, then continued,
"I never thought that I'd be able to have a conversation with you… it gives me a little hope that someday relations between our families will be different." She was still smiling and he couldn't help but stare at her, yellow eyes wide. The thought that they would ever get along never occurred to him-the thief had stealing in his blood, and so Krad had an almost obsessive desire to protect said pieces. It was…unthinkable. Aisoku wiggled up in his grip and began sucking on his collar bone with his soft toothless gums and he was spared answering by turning to the Phantom. "Could you get him something?" Behind the couch Argentine said unexpectedly,
"Why is he doing that?" Krad put his hand between the child's tiny shoulder blades and rubbed gently. "It's just a habit-" He began but Dark interrupted,
"He's just hungry is all." getting up and heading for the kitchen, then froze as the artwork mused "But Krad doesn't have any food on him." The thief turned around stiffly and walked right up to Argentine. "Are you just playing with me or what?" He looked confused and a little nervous. "Um, no…" "Dark!" Emiko warned, but he snarled "Dammit Emiko, someone's gotta teach him these things! Ok, Arg', " He continued joining him behind the sofa. "What do girls have that guys don't?" The entire Niwa family was listening in by now and both females had blushed severely. "Um, curvy figures?" Argentine tried, bronze eyes glimmering.
"No!" Dark exclaimed, his face flushing. "Boobs, man! Ok…"He tried to calm down. "Now what are they for, Argie? Think hard." And he did. "I know!" He shouted excitedly, sure he was right this time. "For the pleasure of their lovers!" Dark lifted his hand and yelled "Yes!" before the artworks answer processed fully in his brain. "Wait-NO!" He seemed then to realize the entire family was listening in and grabbed the artwork forward, whispering something feverishly in his ear. "But Krad doesn't-" Argentine objected and Krad colored and crossed his legs discreetly. Dark muttered something else in his ear and realization dawned on the Hikari artwork,
"Oh. Oooooh…" The thief left in a huff and Argentine settled back into his chair looking as if he'd just learned the secrets of the universe. "It all sort of makes sense…"
He mused and stroked his chin thoughtfully, and to change the subject Emiko said "I almost forgot- I brought you this too." She took out a small simple lock and handed it to a confused Krad just as Dark returned with a bottle of warm milk. He gave it to the blonde, who managed to persuade Aisoku to let go of his delicious skin and as he drank contentedly, Dark noticed the lock. "Emiko!" She looked at him innocently "What? We might as well find out if he's going to be a good thief or not!"
She then gasped as she checked her watch and turned to the family. "We should probably go – you know it's not good to visit new mothers for too long."
"Fathers." Krad corrected with a slight twitch of his eye and Dark and Emiko both waved off his comment flippantly. "Whatever. You're technically a mom, so accept it." The Niwa's packed up their things and Emiko paused and took one of Krad's free hands in hers. "Thank you for letting us come and visit today." He smiled, his lips barely parting, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Dark waved to them "Yeah, whatever Emiko see yah!" He shut the door and said "See that wasn't so bad was it?"
Then paused and met his gaze." So?" Krad blinked in confusion. "So what?" Dark crossed his arms and Krad watched the sinewy muscles ripple, wondering briefly if Aisoku would inherit that strength of body. "Your little disappearance. It was a bit of challenge to come up with a lie that fast, you know? So what was that about?" Krad looked down and hid his eyes with a curtain of finely woven gold.
"I'd think it would be a small challenge considering the way you can…mask your emotions while around them." Before his other half could speak Krad rasped,
"Do you ever still wish… You could really be a father to him?" and his hands tightened gently but possessively around the infant in his arms.
Dark's violet eyebrows drew together and yellow eyes bored into him.
"Not like this, you understand- like humans, with as much time as we could ever want to watch him grow…" Dark swallowed thickly and his mouth suddenly felt like it was stuffed with cotton, blocking all words from escaping.
But what could he say to comfort him, really….if there was nothing they could do about it, which seemed pretty much the god-damn case.
Aww...