Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. All DN Angel characters belong to Yukiru Sugisaki.
Sakura-Angel: 'Ello, 'ello! Sakura-Angel[2] here with chapter four of 'And I Hate You So'. I just realized how hard it is to write a chapter in like, a week. Yeah, I know, it's pretty sad that I can't put out these chapters fast enough, considering that it's summer break and yadda yadda. But I'm a lazy bum, what can I say?
Dark: You are a bum. You know why? Because you had RED wine spilt on me last chapter!
Sakura-Angel: I'm so sorry. I love you, you know that. But the plot called for it.
Dark: Hmpf.
Sakura-Angel: You're just being a silly, pouty bishounen.
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Much to Dark's suprise, Riku called his show Monday to complain again about her record. If her voice wasn't so hostile while talking to him, he could've sworn she called him just to talk to him. But that was probably just wishful thinking on his part. After all, she split red wine on him. His purple shirt came back from the cleaners looking like new. The white shirt was looking kinda pink though. He'd never wear it again.
Riku was refreshing to banter with, mostly because she always had something to counter Dark's arguements. He'd never met someone as fast on their feet as her. She matched his sharp tongue well.
Unknown to the both of them, the public eye had become drawn to the pair. Riku was getting more readers for her column, and Dark was getting even more listeners. The public must've been interested in such a strange relationship - one between two individuals who were obviously attracted to each other, but would never think of getting together because of such opposing views on love.
Continuing the conversation, Dark asked, "So this guy, he just upped and left you?"
"That's going too far."
"Sorry, sorry," Dark held up his hands in some sort of defense, even though she couldn't see him. "What's too far then?"
"What you're doing right now. Interrogating me."
"Whoa, you should've said something sooner. I would've stopped."
"I actually figured that you wouldn't because you're just that much of an ass."
"Hey, that's going too far!" Dark grinned and supported his head with an elbow. "I'm not that insensitive."
Riku smiled and shook her head. "Yeah. Right. You have about as much sensitivity as a rock has smarts."
"Ouch."
She smiled and shook her head again. "Whatever," she checked her watch out of habit. "I'll leave you to your little station now."
"I anticipate your next call," he replied with a hint of amusement and sarcasm.
She rolled her eyes and promptly hung up. She didn't even know why she had phoned him, but convinced herself it was to force an apology out of him. It was a lost cause though, as he never apologized anyway. Riku was not as perturbed as she thought she would be over that. She wandered into the living room, ready to use the computer to type up her next little thought of the day. Her fingers started moving and her mind hardly registered what she was typing. But she finally concentrated and saw that she was writing about first loves.
My umbrella was like a companion that sheltered me. But when one of the shafts malfunctioned, I couldn't bring myself to throw it out. Just because my first love was no longer pure, it didn't mean I could forget it and throw it away.
I tried to, throw it away, I mean. But each time I'd look back and pick it up again, like nothing had ever happened. And sometimes, it'd find it's way back to me. I'd leave it in an old box when I'd be packing, discarding it like how I was discarding memories by moving house. But it'd always be at the new place. I keep using it because I don't want to forget it. I'm not even sure why. I feel like I'm frozen in time. I can't move forward and let my heart heal. How can anyone forget their first love so easily?
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Dark had finished reading the column.
This girl was deep.
After seeing her reasoning, he felt bad for what he had said to her. It was pretty obvious that she was talking about that Takeshi guy, even though her analogy was an umbrella. He didn't doubt that she owned an umbrella like that either, actually.
He sat casually, with his leg crossed over the other at his usual table in the cafe, playing with the straw in his Tazo passion iced tea, light ice. He liked the flavour of it strong and ice would only dilute it. He shot a glance at his drink when the line 'I feel like I'm frozen in time' came up in the column. 'Well, I'm sure not frozen in time. No use in dwelling on the past.'
He suddenly felt guilty for the second time after reading the column. He let out a little sigh and whipped out his cellular phone. Dark had managed to get Riku's number and called her, proposing a little sort-of-apology.
"Are you serious?" Riku asked a bit suspiciously, her tone very clear to the person on the other line.
"Yes."
"Okay. Fine. I don't know why you're doing this, but whatever."
"How about Premium?"
"That place?" he could tell Riku's eyebrows went up. Premium was a very nice restaurant. "Are you sure you know what you're talking about?"
Dark rolled his eyes, but she couldn't see. If she had, she probably would've done something like spill wine on him again. "Yes, you skeptic. You want me to pick you up?"
"I can walk."
"You're sure?"
"Yes."
Dark grinned. "So it's set. 12:30 tomorrow, at Premium."
"Yup."
"Great! Don't be late," and he hung up. He felt a lot better now that she had accepted his offer of a restaurant date as an apology for what he had told her. His opinions on the record situation didn't change, but his view on love had changed the slightest bit.
Dark believed in living in the here and now. It'd do you no good if you dwelled on what was over and done with. He thought that you shouldn't grieve over something that wasn't meant to be, even though the idea of destiny never suited him. But after reading her column, he saw that maybe looking back and reflecting helped heal a broken heart. Even so, he still didn't understand how a girl as attractive and smart as Riku wasn't on the rebound.
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Riku stood, a little bewildered, outside Premium.
'Whooooo...' She blinked twice and wondered if she was dressed too plainly to be admitted inside. Hopefully not.
A set of warm hands on her shoulders startled her.
"AHHHH!" She spun around, ready to kick off the person's gonads.
A head of stylish purple hair jolted back. "Hey! It's just me, Xena!"
Riku sighed, a little glad that the person wasn't a random psycho. She got out of her defensive stance, and pulled her shirt down to cover her exposed midriff. She fidgeted, a little relieved and a little flustered. "What was that for?"
"I just saw you and assumed you wouldn't try to kill me if I put my hands on your shoulders as a greeting, but I obviously thought wrong," he gave her a little eyebrow raise.
"You seem to be doing a lot of that," she said markedly, obviously referring to 'thinking wrong'.
"Thanks. It's nice to know you have such confidence in my mental capabilities."
"I don't."
"You could single-handedly butcher all the sarcasm in Japan."
"I try."
Knowing he wasn't getting anywhere, Dark took Riku by the elbow and pulled her towards the doors of the restaurant.
She was about to protest, offering her little lame excuse of not being dressed appropriately to stop and ask him why he'd done this, when she noticed what he'd worn. He was dressed in a fairly loose black shirt with lighter sections of grey around the shoulders. And he had on white jeans. He was, if that was possible, dressed more casually than her. So she put up no resistance and allowed herself to be pulled in.
"Table for two, sir?" a cultured voice inquired of Dark.
"Yeah, if you please."
The waiter turned his head so that Dark could catch a good look at his face and instantly, Dark grinned. "Krad!"
Krad mumbled something like an 'ohmygod' and turned around to face Dark fully. "Yeah?"
"You got a job!" Dark beamed, slightly smug for some reason.
"Yeah, what of it?" his formal tone of voice was strained.
Riku hung back a bit, not really wanting to get involved with Dark and his... friend? Acquaintance? Or, by the look in Krad's eyes, soon-to-be-murderer?
"Would you stop sounding like you've got a spoon stuck up your ass and talk normal?"
Krad, deciding he didn't feel like getting fired, dived down to calmer water. "Why don't I just lead you and your lady to your table?"
Dark placed both hands on Krad's shoulders and pushed him like they made up a train. Dark was clearly in touch with his inner child, and Riku had to giggle at that. "Lead the way."
Riku could see the blonde-haired Krad roll his eyes and start towards a table up on the platform near a window.
The atmosphere of the restaurant was somewhere between modern and cozy, which made Riku feel comfortable. The place was spotless. The lights were at exactly the right setting to match the time of day. The colours weren't bold, but they weren't drab, it was a feat if Riku ever saw one.
She continued scrutinizing the place even when Dark pulled out her chair. She sat down somewhat dumbly and went on with her staring as he pushed her in.
A deep chuckle broke her out of her trance. "You're impressed?"
Why did he have to laugh like that? She hated it because it made her blush, and no guy had ever been able to tint her cheeks pink like that. It seemed to come so naturally to him, being happy and amiable and carefree. He was suave, the kind of guy who could carry off a casual look or a sophisticated look successfully. He was the kind of guy that made every step he took seem certain and right. And while he radiated all these things, there was still something about him that tugged at her. He was mysterious underneath it all. He seemed too perfect.
Riku had issues with being perfect. As a member of the media, people had their eye trained on her. If she messed up, if she got into an accident, people would notice and care. They would give her more attention than she needed, and she was never one for the limelight.
So she gave them nothing to cover. She was perfect, which, strangely enough, did not attract attention. She hid her feelings about Takeshi and all that had happened between them away, crammed and folded and pushed all into a suitcase she'd never unpack. Or so she thought.
The second she met him, something happened to her. She didn't know what it was. Maybe it was his easy mannerisms, his always-changing tone of voice, his sharp tongue, his put-together-but-still-casual look, the way he displayed every emotion so clearly on his face. Whatever it was, her suitcase came open as easily as if it had been blown open by a breeze. It was almost soul-bearing, and she didn't like it that he could break through with so little effort. So she convinced herself that she didn't like him either.
"You home in there?" a hand waved in her face.
"Stop that," Riku snapped as she snatched up a bun from a basket.
"Hey, you just looked like you were spacing," he smiled his I'm-amused-because-you're-funny-to-watch smile and said, "Just wanted to make sure you were there."
This guy wasn't dettered by anything. Riku had just snapped rather viciously at him, and still he smiled at her. Maybe he was some sort of psycho...?
He wasn't, of course. It was just Riku's brain dreaming up an excuse to run out of the restaurant and maybe even out of Tokyo, so she could get away from the man who had managed to break open her suitcase.
And while all these questions and stirred-up feelings were whirling around inside her, he sat there as causually as possible, oblivious to her sudden uneasiness. He was flipping through the menu in a slightly subdued manner, hair falling over his face in a way that made him seem more mysterious and even more of a paradox.
"What'll you have?"
Riku snapped out of another stare-fest, although this time, what she was staring at was Dark. She quickly averted her eyes to a menu she discovered she had opened and had no recollection of opening. "Um..."
He smiled rather lopsidedly and his eyebrows came together.
"Don't look at me like that!" Riku snapped again, tearing a piece off the bun she still had.
Dark just gave a slight shake of his head and tilted his head down to look at his menu again.
Riku didn't bother yelling at him again, even though it was her impulse. Instead, her eyes scanned a page of the menu and she stuck her menu on Dark's side of table so it would catch his attention. Her finger stabbed a familiar number. "This one."
He took it in and nodded. It was the same number as his station...
The awkwardness seemed amplified in the silence after. At least, that's what it seemed like to Riku. She sat with a straight back, leaning on the table with her forearms. Her feet were crossed beneath her and she fixated her eyes on the two -- no, three -- different kinds of forks offered.
Dark's eyes were trained thoughtfully on a painting on the wall closeby. It was of a row of trees, backlighted, and in black and white. Streaky clouds lined the horizon and leaves lined the ground underneath the branches.
"May I take your order?"
"Yeah," Dark responded immediately to Krad, almost as if he knew he was coming back. "Number eighty-eight and number sixty, medium."
Krad didn't bother bringing a notepad since he had a fabulous memory. "Drinks?"
"Hm. How about some of your best, pure Chardonnay?" he turned to Riku, who looked a bit wide-eyed, but cute. "You okay with that?"
She nodded a little uncertainly.
"Chardonnay it is," Krad confirmed and spun around on his heel to report this to the kitchen.
Dark settled comfortably back in his chair as Riku also relaxed.
Silence settled in again, which, oddly enough, made Riku go nuts. Just when she thought she was going to blurt out something stupid just to break the silence, he spoke.
"You want to know why I invited you here, right?"
Riku seemed taken aback for a short while, although he was unsure of the reason. Was it the question? Was it the tone? Was it her thinking that he was a complete idiot? No matter.
"Yeah, I don't really want to know, I'm just curious."
"Sure you are," Dark started leaning forward on the table. "You've got this funny look in your eyes."
Riku masked her surprise at how observant he was with a squinted eye and a raised eyebrow. She noticed she was leaning forward too now. "Really?"
"Uh huh," Dark nodded for emphasis. He leaned forward even more now, enough so that his mouth was pressed against her ear so she could smell his cologne, his breath was making goosebumps on her shoulder. She didn't know why she didn't jerk back. It was like being in his proximity held her fast to him, kept her eyes wide open. "You're just dying to know why I invited you here, aren't you?"
She flushed, suddenly embarassed, and pulled back quickly.
He pulled back slowly, with a hint of a smirk on his face. He plopped down into his chair and sat in a very relaxed fashion, with his arm slung around the back of his chair and with his legs apart. His eyes were brought out with the way the lights shone on him, and they were an incredibly striking shade of red. Those very eyes were focused solely on her, which made her very self-concious. She realized that every time she looked at him, she noticed something new. She just had to pull his beautiful eyes on herself now. Why couldn't it have been how he wasn't shaved, or what a slob he was? But he was neither, which was unfortunate, because how horrible he was would've been a way to get him off her mind.
"Would you stop that?"
He continued looking at her, with renewed interest. "Stop what?" His smirk was a full-fledged one now.
"Looking at me like that!"
"Like what?"
"Like... I'm some sort of dessert."
He blew air out his nose, visibly amused. "Interesting comparison."
"Shut up."
"I don't think I will," he pushed on before she had time to open her mouth. "I think I will explain why you're here."
Riku sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Alright."
Dark either ignored her defiant look or wasn't intimidated at all, and she was willing to bet on the latter.
"You are obviously here because you wanted to meet me again."
"Excuse me?"
"Why else would you say yes?"
"I haven't been out to eat for awhile. Thought it'd be nice."
"But with the enemy?"
Riku threw a skeptical look his way, and replied, "Did you notice the price of my meal? How often does your 'enemy' offer to buy you lunch at the most prestigious restaurant in the city?"
Dark raised an eyebrow and leaned forward again. He looked straight into her eyes and she froze again. "That is a cover. You are trying to avoid something," he said, sounding scarily professional. God, did he read minds?
She made her best effort to mask what she was feeling - confusion, lightheadedness, distress. Her mouth straightened, her eyes became steely. "Why did you decide to do this?"
He leaned back again, putting his hands behind his head. "I read your column."
"You r--"
"Lunch is served," came Krad's voice from behind Dark. Krad walked calmly over to Riku and placed a long plate in front of her with one hand while doing the same for Dark. The man obviously had poise, but judging from what Dark had said earlier, this wasn't the normal Krad. "And your drinks," he had the cork out in a blink of an eye and the pure, white, fruity alcohol poured out.
Riku knew how much that stuff cost. She felt guilty about saying what she had said before. She had sounded like she was taking advantage of him.
"I bid you adieu," and Krad left as quietly as he came.
Riku picked up one of the forks. She didn't really care which one she used. She started slowly, "I want to say that..."
Dark looked up from his dish.
"... I'm sorry about what I said earlier. About you taking me out. It was untrue and... spiteful."
Dark gave a nonchalant smile and shrugged it off. "Don't worry about it," and he picked up a fork and knife and started cutting apart his steak.
This guy was definetely weird. He was laid-back pretty much all the time, constantly laughing or smirking. And when he wasn't being a charmer, he was being serious. He was really intense when he was serious, it was like his eyes had become red diamonds and they had a weird effect on her, like they were hard enough to slash through any walls she put up. She watched him cut his steak with ease with... his left hand? Wow, she really did notice something new about him everytime she looked at him.
"So you're left-handed I see," the words tumbled out of her mouth.
"I'm ambidextrous," he said breezily, and switched the knife to his right hand and continued cutting with skill.
She blinked, a little impressed. But then she started blinking to clear her vision, to make that familiar outline disintegrate before her eyes. She felt the accompanying familiar pang in her gut and knew what it all meant. 'No. It's him.'
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Sakura-Angel: Ohohoho... who could that possibly be?
Dark: Could you make it anymore obvious? I'd roll my eyes if it were worth the effort, but it's not.
Sakura-Angel: You're so cynical, my ambidextrous bishounen.
Dark: Of course I'm ambidextrous. I developed it over time you see. Since I'm a thief and all, I need to make sure I'm equally skilled with both hands. For awesome get-aways and such. And as for the cynicism...
Sakura-Angel: Dark, I love you, but shut up so I can cut this off.
Dark: You suck. Darling.