It was some time later, the sun climbing slowly up the morning sky, when Hiwatari untangled himself from Daisuke. Daisuke had drifted into a light sleep again, lashes dark against the pale skin of his cheek. With a regretful smile, Hiwatari ran a finger lightly over Daisuke's lower lip, then pressed it against his own as if trying to save that cinnimon-sweet flavour for later. Silently, Hiwatari stood and pulled Krad's crumpled white robes around himself.
Daisuke stirred, stretching his arms in the air and yawning, then opening his honey-amber eyes. "You're leaving?" he asked Hiwatari, somewhat plaintively, lips forming a bowlike pout.
Hiwatari nodded, tearing his eyes away from Daisuke's face. He was never yours to keep, he scolded himself harshly, be grateful for what you had. "I have work to do at the station," He heard himself say cooly, pushing his hands into Krad's sleeves. "And you're already missing school."
Risking another glance at Daisuke, his heart lurched at the sadness on Daisuke's face. Quelling the desire to snuggle the small red-haired boy in his arms and forget all about his duties, Hiwatari adjusted his glasses and looked away. Forcing the normal icy chill back into his voice, he added, "Risa is probably worried about you. You wouldn't want to disapoint her."
Daisuke lept to his feet, a small sound like a wounded bird escaping his lips. Colour burned high in his cheeks now, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "It meant nothing to you, did it? Just some kind of a trick to get Dark..." Daisuke's voice sounded oddly strangled.
I should leave it at that, Hiwatari thought, feeling his heart crumbling in his chest, I should just go...
Instead his feet propelled him two steps forward, and his arms caught Daisuke and pulled him close to his chest. The dam inside of him broke, and he pressed his face into the red hair, dropped a light rain of kisses down Daisuke's cheek and pressed his lips to Daisuke's.
Tenderly, Hiwatari tasted Daisuke's mouth one last time, savouring the spicy sweetness of the other boy's lips. Taking a deep breath, his hands trembled slightly as he pushed Daisuke's hair away from his face and rested his forehead against the smaller boy's.
"It meant everything to me, Daisuke-kun," Hiwatari said, pressing Daisuke's hand against his heart," But I can't..." He closed his eyes. "I have my duties. I can't let Dark go because...Because I can't live with Krad inside of me."
Daisuke opened his mouth to speak, but Hiwatari put a finger across his lips to stop him. Without saying another word, Hiwatari turned away and dissapeared down the crumbling steps of the old lighthouse. His smile was bittersweet as he thought of what it might have been like without Dark and Krad. Hiwatari shook his head to clear away the image. He knew his life was nearing it's end, and that Krad would never let go while he lived.
It was nearing noon, and Daisuke still hadn't left the lighthouse. The sun was high in the sky, and bright, and the wind whipped off of the ocean and through his hair. Daisuke closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, letting the chill from the ocean settle in his lungs, then pushing it back out again. The arc of the blue sky sang with birds, and below the ocean roared and grumbled as it beat against the rocks.
A black feather blew into Daisuke's lap, and he brought it's silken softness absently across his lips as his eyes tracked a passing ship, so far in the distance it looked as if he could have cradled it in his palm. He wore Dark's clothes, rumpled and oversized on his smaller form, and shoes that felt too large on his feet. He had missed most of school today, and he knew his mother must be frantic with worry. Still, he couldn't bring himself to move, and instead let his thoughts wander freely.
Last night... Last night had been frightening, something surreal and brutal. He didn't understand how two people who hated eachother could ever do something like that. And yet-- This morning, with Hiwatari, was different. I could have stayed here with him forever.
Daisuke sighed. His heart felt as torn and bruised as his body. It was hard, realizing that you loved someone, consumating it, and losing that person all in one day. Still though, his heart kept beating. The blood would continue to flow, and he would be fine in the end. For now though, every beat was fresh agony. He wondered if his lips would always feel lonely without Hiwatari's.
"Kyu?" Daisuke looked down in suprise to find With nuzzling his hand, looking sleepy and sun-warmed. He smiled lightly and picked up the little creature, snuggling his face into the feather soft fur. He had forgotten With had been there this whole time, serving first as wings, then finding an out of the way corner to sleep in.
Stroking his fingers against the strawberry scented whiskery face, Daisuke sighed. No matter what, there are still people who need me. Daisuke thought, This guy still needs me, and Mom, and...Daisuke's thoughts skimmed over Risa before focusing on her twin. Riku-chan. Remembering, Daisuke pictured how she looked with her hair glinting in the sun, and the laughing looks she had shared with him on a warm afternoon. He remembered her blushing when she touched his hand, and the tiny studs she wore in her ears. And how beautiful she was when she smiled. Riku-chan is-- special too. Daisuke stared for a moment off into the distance, trying to puzzle through his emotions. He knew that he loved Hiwatari, he could feel the aching hole left in his heart. But Riku was there too, somehow she had made her way into his heart without his realizing it. Can I love two people?
In the back of his brain, Daisuke felt the liquid swirl that was Dark awakening and stretching. Not many people could, Dai-kun, Dark replied, yawning but you can.
What is that supposed to mean? Daisuke thought back, confused and somewhat peevishly.
Dark laughed. Your emotions are pure, Dai-kun.
Daisuke sighed and stood up, stretching his legs. His brain felt addled, and his heart felt like it had been in a blender. It was time to go home. Carefully picking his way across the crumbling stone toward the stairs, a flash of light caught Daisuke's eye. The old beacon, long unlit, had caught the sun's rays and reflected them back. The metal seemed remarkably uncorroded, having stood so long unused. Idly, Daisuke walked closer, intending to run a finger over the uncorrupted metal.
Pausing with his hand outstretched, Daisuke caught sight of a small metal figure at the heart of the becaon. Made of the same gleaming metal as the reflection plate that had caught Daisuke's eye, the figure stood about six inches tall. It was of a bird with intricately carved plumage that swept gracefully back, the tail flowing flawlessly into the reflection plate. It's head tilted upward at a sharp angle, and the elegantly slender beak was open as if the bird was singing. The eyes were made of some deep yellow stone that glinted in the light. Looking at the bird and the beacon, Daisuke thought that the whole thing seemed very small to serve as the light in a lighthouse. Daisuke reached for the bird to slide his fingers over it's smooth back.
Dai-kun, don't--! Dark said sharply, but Daisuke's fingers had already made contact with the little bird. Daisuke's body stiffened sharply, as if shocked with electrical current, then slumped forward. Eyes glazing over, Daisuke crumpled to the floor. Frantically, With jumped from Daisuke's arm and nuzzled the unmoving figure.
After a few heartbeats, Dark sat slowly up from where Daisuke had fallen. Carefully, he tested each limb to make sure nothing had been damaged. Dai-kun? Dark felt strangely alone in this body, it seemed as if Daisuke wass completely gone. Troubled, Dark turned back to the beacon. Where it had stood unlit before, a stream of pure golden light poured from the beak of the little silver bird and bouncing from the reflection plate.
Eyes narrowing, Dark studied the beacon again, something in the back of his memory nagging at him. The bird had somehow taken Daisuke, and was now lit--
Dark's eyes snapped wide open again as his memory came flooding back. Calling to With, Dark carefully pried the beacon from it's mooring. Without a second thought, he took two steps and lept from the side of the tall lighthouse tower, falling for a few seconds before With unfurled into a huge black wingspan. With the beacon still burning steadily, Dark flew straight toward the Niwa residence, knowing there was no time to waste. With every passing second, more of Daisuke's spirit was being burned away by the beacon.