The next two months were a flurry of activities and changes. Daisuke flew to Prague again since his old teacher had made it possible for the young man to repeat his studies. Daisuke didn't lose much time with preparations. He packed lightly since he had been to Prague before, and he knew what to take. Some of his stuff was still there. He had some convincing to do when it came to Satoshi, though. He wanted his lover to come along, to be there with him, and finally Hikari said yes. He would come for four weeks, then fly home.
It was a compromise.
The four weeks were over in a flash and Daisuke asked him to reconsider his decision, but Satoshi was firm. He would go home.
"It's not like before," he told his lover at the last evening they spent together, walking the streets, enjoying the autumn air. "I'll be fine."
And he was fine. Krad's presence was no longer feared and hated. It was a co-existence, even if the demon was sometimes very quiet and laid back. Unlike his prior possession, Krad was holding himself back, letting Satoshi lead, and the young man was very much at ease around his old nightmare. He trusted him. Enough to let his guards down, to sleep deeply, and to let himself fall into the strong, reassuring embrace in his mind.
He didn't lose a word about the artwork, the single piece of creative expression he had given life. Neither did Krad.

Daisuke's return home was a day to celebrate and while he was severely jet-lagged, he was also in good spirits. Emiko and Kosuke were at the airport with Satoshi, greeting their son, and Daisuke talked about nothing but Prague and the museums and all the art for hours, until exhaustion hit him.
Satoshi looked down at his lover, smiling gently, brushing long bangs of dark hair out of his eyes. It was so good to have him back.
--You missed him-- Krad's low voice whispered.
--Yes, I did. Four weeks and it felt like four years. What does that say about me?--
--You love him very much-- the entity answered simply, smiling.
Satoshi was stunned, then just sank into the mattress, Daisuke at his side. Yes, he loved him. He loved with all his heart and soul and strength. He had missed the warmth at his side, the smile, the shining eyes. He had missed Daisuke in his life, in their home, everywhere.
Shit, I'm so dependent on him.
--Which isn't bad-- Krad murmured. --Love is never bad--
He turned to look at his demon, intrigued by the emotions he picked up. Neither said anything and Satoshi finally smiled, snuggling closer to the muscular form at his side, slipping off into sleep.

Krad watched as he settled back, casting a contemplative look at the connection he had with Dark, then decided against it.

It was two days after Daisuke's return home and both Dark and Krad had decided to separate from their hosts' bodies to give the two men some privacy. While Dark liked the positive flood of emotions from the actual love-making, he also enjoyed a few hours alone. He could have that solitude when he walled himself off from Daisuke's mind, but the two had discovered that, like Krad, he could leave his host. Unless he depleted his energy with magic, he could last outside for a long while.
And Dark had grown adventurous, much to Daisuke's growing headache in the beginning. Dark had lost nothing of his spirit, his dare-devil attitude and devil-may-care behavior. He was open for anything and anyone, and keeping him in check was a piece of hard work. He enjoyed himself way too much and he tried to pull Krad along, which was rarely effective. Of the two of them, Krad showed a lot more responsibility and thoughtfulness. And maturity.
"Balance," Satoshi had one remarked. "They need each other."
At the moment, neither was needed with their respective host, and Dark had taken the chance to make plans for a day out and about, dragging Krad along.
"I had plans," the demon groused, glaring at his other half.
"Sitting in some old, boring library and reading?" Dark teased.
"Education would do you a world of good, kaitou," came the snapped reply.
"Ouch. You're in a good mood. Lighten up, okay? They want to have some fun alone and be at it like starved bunnies. We do the same."
Krad's face was priceless. "What?!"
Dark grinned cheekily. "We'll have fun. Now come on."
So Krad went. Reluctantly, with a sour face, but he followed his other half through the streets and alleys, shades hiding his inhuman eyes. They ended up in one particular street, in front of one particular house.
"I'm not sure I'm welcome here."
Dark sighed and looked at the Niwa home. He liked dropping by once in a while. Niwa Daikii had been his host a long time ago and talking to him now was like talking to an old friend. They had been one for quite a while. Emiko was always fussing over him, which Dark secretly enjoyed, and though he would deny it, he thought of her as an older sister… close to a mother-figure. He liked being around her. It gave him a warm feeling.
Krad on the other hand was his antithesis and while Emiko had accepted him, the demon felt unwell in the home of his former enemy clan.
"I just wanna say hello to Daikii and Emiko, okay? I mean, you can stay out here and wait…"
Krad frowned, then nodded. "That's exactly what I'll do. I wonder why I went along anyway."
"Because, my dear Krad, there is a whole world out there that we never experienced. It's about damn time."
Dark rung the bell and waited. It was Emiko who opened and she smiled widely at him.
"Dark! What are you doing here?"
"Was in the area. Daisuke gave me some time off, so to speak." He grinned.
"Perfect timing, dear. I think I could need your help."
Dark tilted his head. "What for?"
She smiled and was about to answer when her eyes fell on the solitary figure on the other side of the street, standing a few houses away, eyes closed, face tilted toward the sun. Dark followed her gaze and opened his mouth to say something when Emiko touched his chest in a silencing gesture. She left the house and walked up to the tall blond whose only resemblance with the Krad she had seen before were the feline eyes and the long, blond hair. Now those golden eyes met dark brown ones and she held the neutral gaze. Finally Emiko smiled and nodded invitingly at the open door.
Krad's expression changed. He blinked a little, strangely unsure, and her smile grew warmer.
"You're welcome," she said softly.
With that she turned and walked back to where Dark had been watching, rooted to the spot, fascinated by the small exchange. Krad followed her, looking reluctant, confused, and Dark smiled with the same warmth Emiko had used.
"Told you," he murmured only loud enough for his other half to hear.
It got him a dark look.

Once inside it became clear pretty fast that what Emiko needed was more than just a favor. She was cleaning out the basement, the huge underground construction that housed countless stolen art.
"It needs to be sorted. No one's done anything but pile it everywhere since you started, Dark," she explained as they descended the old stone steps.
Dark couldn't deny the smaller woman the request. He just shot his counterpart a quizzical look, got a barely perceptible grimace in return, and then they set to work.

Krad's golden gaze swept over the stacks and shelves full of art. "You've been busy," he remarked.
Dark shrugged, but he was kind of taken by the display. He had rarely spent a lot of time down here. He knew he had acquired a lot, but to see the size and numbers… it was breathtaking, awe-inspiring and filling with him pride. A silly, childish pride.
"Yeah," he murmured. "Never figured there to be so many."
"Three hundred years are a long time to collect things," the demon told him. "You rarely failed."
Dark shot him a mock annoyed look. "I never failed. I always got what I wanted."
Krad grinned. "Of course. You are the famous kaitou Dark after all."
"Yep, that's me."
"Not that it ever impressed me."
Dark chuckled. "I wasn't trying to impress you. I was trying to impress the girls."
"Doesn't make any difference. You didn't get them either."
Dark gave him an odd look, then quickly turned for the next piece of art, a figure of a winged horse caught in mid-flight. For just a moment he had felt something, something strange. He pushed the feeling away and handed the horse to Krad to carry upstairs for Emiko to clean and sort out.
He reached for the next piece, which was hidden inside a crate. The kaitou frowned at the bland packaging, wondering why Emiko hadn't put this piece on display like everything else. She was immensely proud of her collection and of everything Dark had ever stolen. It was a regular museum down here and contained some of the most priceless pieces of Hikari and other art in the country, maybe even the world.
Curious, he opened it.
He gaped.
It was… beautiful.
Two male figures, without features, winged, embracing each other. A pair of black wings, a pair of white wings…
"What the…?" he murmured and reached for the figurine.
The moment his fingers touched the surface, a prickle coursed through him. The seal reacted to his own magic and the surprise turned into shock.
Not his own seal.
Not his own magic.
"Krad," he hissed.
But why would his other half seal a piece of art? It was a Hikari, that he saw right away and… Dark frowned more, feeling confusion double… it was recent! Shit, that thing wasn't older than a few months at all!
Steps behind him announced the arrival of the other 'helper' and Dark turned around.
"Krad," he said, voice holding a tightly controlled note.
The demon noticed it because his eyes narrowed a little and he tensed. "Yes?"
"Care to explain this?" Dark gestured at the open crate.
Krad's reaction was rather… surprising. His face lost all color and his eyes went wide. Shock, guilt and something else flashed over the handsome features, then those golden feline eyes met Dark's violet ones.
"You sealed that thing," Dark only said. "Don't try to deny it."
"I won't."
"When, where and why?"
Krad curled his hands briefly into fists. "I can't tell you, Dark."
"What?! This is a piece of Hikari art, a new piece! It's not some of the old stuff! You had to have sealed it just after its creation and…" Dark trailed off, realization hitting him like a ton of bricks. "Satoshi!"
Demon eyes flared, but before Krad could reply, Emiko's voice reached them.
"Boys, I'm done with the rest. Could you bring up the next load?"
"Sure!" Dark yelled back, never taking his eyes off the blond demon. "Later," he whispered only loud enough for Krad to hear.
The other just nodded. "Later," he murmured.