--When Daisuke came home after the talk it was already dark. He had walked through town, trying to get the images Emmett had drawn for him out of his head.
Satoshi …
His friend had changed so much during the last five years, from a scrawny pale boy who didn't seem to know how to smile, let alone laugh, to a healthy young man with a nicely shaped body and both sharp wits and sharp humor. Daisuke knew one thing for certain – he didn't want Satoshi to lose that. And he didn't want to lose Satoshi or hurt him.
But obviously he already had hurt him.
Every day anew, just by being there.
Daisuke screwed his eyes shut against the sharp burn he felt inside.
What to do?
He sighed. Where was Dark when he needed him?

Entering the apartment, he all but ran into Satoshi. A very much worried Satoshi.
"Dai, where the hell have you been? We wanted to meet after the last course, remember? Did you turn off your cell?"
Right… they had made plans… and he had run off to see Emmett, while Satoshi had waited.
"Daisuke?" Satoshi touched one shoulder. "You okay?"
Hands on his shoulders, an almost painful grip.
'Daisuke, are you feeling any different?'
Intense blue eyes hidden behind large glasses.
'Daisuke, are you all right?'
'Daisuke, look after yourself.'
A half smile, a look out of the corner of blue eyes.
'I wanted us to be alone.
Hands on his shoulders, lips near his ear, a voice whispering.
'Niwa-kun … ''
God… he had been so blind.
"I'm fine," Daisuke murmured. "Forgot to switch it on."
He was like in a daze. So much was making sense now. So much was clearer now.
He loves me, Daisuke thought. He loves me… Hikari Satoshi loves me…
"Niwa Daisuke, that thing is supposed to be on so you can be reached – or call others for that matter!" Satoshi scolded him, brows drawn over annoyed eyes. "Where have you been? What happened?"
"I needed some time to think, Sato. I'll tell you, okay, but not now. Please?"
Satoshi had never been able to deny him anything, and it wasn't any different now. The other withdrew a little.
"You're really okay?"
"Yeah, really. Promise."
But it was a lie. Nothing was okay. Well, not everything anyway. Something had changed, had opened his eyes about his best friend, and it would take a while to be 'okay'. But Daisuke was intent on dealing with it.

Daisuke needed another two days to build up the courage to finally go through with his decision – a decision he knew he had made long ago. And it was time to tell Satoshi now.
"Sato?"
Standing in front of his roommate with two bottles of cool beer Daisuke looked down on the man his heart had finally come to recognize. His one true love. It had taken only five years to realize. If Dark had been with him, they most likely wouldn't have found each other – or faster, depending on how Dark would have reacted to a same-sex love. Knowing the kaitou, he would have dealt with it the same way he dealt with everything. Diasuke smiled sadly with the memories of his other half. He had Satoshi now, he reminded himself. All Daisuke wanted was to never let go.
He just had to tell him.
Blue eyes looked at him from behind a pair of much smaller glasses than in the past. Satoshi didn't really need them, but his eyes grew tired more easily when working at his computer.
"How about a break? It's such a nice evening…"
"Sure. Wanted to take a break anyway, thanks."
Satoshi reached for the offered drink and followed him onto the balcony, stretching out on the lounger beside him. Daisuke sighed inwardly at the sight of the long legs clad in butter soft, tight jeans. He took a swig from his beer.
"Sato…" he began hesitantly.
How to say something like this? By the way, I finally recognized I love you? Uhn-uhn, bad idea.
"Yeah?"
"I… I… you know when I came home late a few days ago… "
"Yes?"
"I said I needed to think a few things through… well, I'm done, and now…"
"You want to talk to me about it."
"Yeah," Daisuke breathed, playing with a droplet running down his bottle.
Satoshi just looked at him, waiting.
"That day… when I had the cell switched off… I… I was with Emmett."
There was a slightly strangled sound coming from Satoshi, but otherwise the other man kept quiet.
"I…" Oh for goodness sake… Daisuke looked at Satoshi openly. "Sato, why don't you sleep with men?"
Satoshi almost spewed out his drink, coughing. "What? Why don't I sleep with… men? Dai, news flash – I'm gay. I'm only interested in men."
Daisuke shook his head. That had come across wrong. "I know. What I meant is – you've never taken somebody home, you've never had a boyfriend. Why?"
"Dai… I have my reasons, okay?" Satoshi answered evasively, not meeting his eyes.
"Don't tell me it's because you don't have time for that kind of thing. You have."
"Daisuke…" Now there was a definite warning there.
Niwa didn't heed the warning. He just plunged ahead. "Emmett told me."
Blue eyes grew cold and narrowed into slits. "That guy's toast."
"Don't. He's a good guy. He did it to help you. Sato, you've never brought anybody home because you… you couldn't care enough, right?
"Daisuke, where is this going?"
Okay, Daisuke, that's it. Say it. Tell him. Then duck and run for cover.
"Is it because you… love me, Satoshi?"
His friend froze, then slowly put his bottle onto the floor. He didn't say anything, he didn't move a muscle, and the blue eyes were hard as diamonds.
"Sato? Please?" Daisuke begged.
Satoshi looked at him. To Daisuke he was suddenly the older version of the Satoshi he had met so many years ago. Closed off, face bland, mouth a thin line, eyes distant.
Distance.
No! Not after all that time! Not after all that crap that had happened to them!
"Sato…?"
"Yes… yes, Daisuke, I love you."
It wasn't much more than a whisper, but it was said out loud finally. Emmett had been right, and Daisuke inhaled deeply. Satoshi loved him.
He had heard him say it.
"And you have for five years?"
"… yes…"
It made sense. Suddenly it all made sense. Daisuke wanted to cry with joy and happiness. Satoshi sat silently, staring at his own hands.
"Dai, I… I don't know what to say. I'm sorry, maybe I should have told you."
"Yeah," Daisuke agreed, voice soft. "Maybe you should have."
"I… tomorrow I'll move out."
Huh?
Daisuke's brain made a full stop and came to a screeching halt. "What? Why?!"
Blue eyes regarded him sadly. "Maybe because I can afford a house on my own? Because I can't stay here? You wouldn't want to live with a faggot who's lusting after you, now would you? I knew it would come to this sooner or later. I cherished our friendship. It… meant more to me than you'd ever be able to understand. Thank you…"
Daisuke's eyes had widened in shock as he heard his friend talk that way. Oh god, he had taken it all wrong! No, no, no! He didn't want that, he didn't want him to move out. And why was he talking so derisively of himself?
"Sato, that's not what I want. That's not what I meant… I… god, I don't know how to say it…"
He leaned over to the other man and shyly brought their lips together.
He kissed Satoshi.
Satoshi froze.
And then he pushed him away roughly.--

"I hadn't expected that," Daisuke continued softly. "Not at all. I didn't know what to expect but not that… maybe I thought he'd sink into my arms, no idea… but, well, he was right. From his point of view I was kidding him, cruelly."
"You'd never do that," Krad told him, voice serious.
Daisuke gave him a surprised look. The golden eyes that met his were calm and full of conviction.
"No," he said softly. "No, I'd never hurt him intentionally."

--"What the hell are you thinking, Niwa Daisuke?"
Satoshi's voice was hoarse, and he sounded angry and hurt. Turning his back to Daisuke he stood at the railing, staring out into the night. Hands clenched, knuckles stood out white against the skin.
"Why are you making fun of me? Of my feelings for you? I hadn't expected that from you!"
"God, Sato…no…"
Daisuke rose, carefully stepping behind his friend, reaching out to touch the stiff form, to comfort the pain he had inflicted without intention, but he curled his hand away.
Wrong move.
Talk, explain.
"Satoshi, remember the night before Riku moved?"
A sharp glance, but no reply.
"We were out. We visited several bars."
"So?"
"I saw you, Sato."
The back grew even more rigid. Satoshi didn't need to ask what he meant.
"I saw you in that bar with an older guy, and he was touching you…"
Satoshi's figure crumbled a bit.
"I…saw that look on your face when he did, when he kissed you, and…"
Daisuke stepped closer, slowly laying his hands on the stiff shoulders. Fingertips brushing over the skin at his neck, slowly pushing the pony tail aside.
"I shocked myself that night. I grew jealous."
He breathed over the exposed neck, seeing Satoshi shiver briefly. Brushing down his friend's arm and carefully, slowly curling his arm around the other man's waist he feather-like kissed that neck. He more felt than saw Satoshi close his eyes, inhaling.
"Nobody should touch you like that, put that look on your face but me, Sato-chan. I have been blind all these years, but I heard the wake-up call. Emmett can be very convincing."
Daisuke kissed that neck again, tightened his hold of the other man. When Satoshi turned his face a little he brought their lips together again, fully embracing the slender body, pulling him against himself, caressing the man he loved gently through the shirt.
"And then…" he whispered, finding Satoshi breathing harder. Now or never. "He touched you here."
One hand slid down a flat abdomen and further south, teasingly, caressing.
Daisuke blinked.
Satoshi was hard.
"And he wouldn't have stopped if you hadn't told him to, right? Would have continued to…"
He rubbed slowly, increasing the pressure and felt Satoshi's hips twitch against his hand. He turned Satoshi in his arms, initiating a kiss again, slowly coaxing the other man into opening up, while he continued.
"Nobody ever touches you again like that, Sato, if I have a say in it. Nobody but me."--

"And they called me possessive…" Krad interrupted him, almost grinning.
Daisuke smiled. "You were possessive, Krad. I just couldn't tell him I loved him. I had to express it otherwise. And I hardly thought about you that moment."
"Hn."