Disclaimers: Seena58 does not own DNAngel, or the story/concept and/or characters. Storyline and title belong to panatlantic.

A/N: Chapter 2 written by panatlantic; additional junk by yours truly. And a large thank you shout out to chrnoskitty and xpeachiex. Love you— (glomps) On with the chapter then.

Chapter 2:

He was dead, wasn't he? Oh yes, that excruciating and painful feeling… oh wait, he was unconscious; these thoughts shouldn't be running through his head. Anyway…

"Daisuke? Daisuke?" Emiko chanted with concern, grasping at the limp hand of her son. The white of the hospital walls were something that the short-haired mother would have normally attacked with a paint brush, but her son was more important than that. At least, that was what one hoped.

Oh yes. Dark was going to be on the receiving end of some royal-Niwa-retribution for this one. Not only destroying the artifact he had been sent to steal and bring home safely (which Emiko may have overlooked with a little fast talk) but damaging Emiko's precious first (and only) born son and personal dress-up doll… it was UNFORGIVABLE.

The nurse had called it a mild concussion and the advised Emiko to let Daisuke rest. Without the Niwa's extensive medical insurance (one could never be too careful when one also happened to be a phantom thief) Emiko even suspected he would have been sent home already instead of being kept overnight for observation.

The Hiwatari boy had already left the hospital.

Make no mistakes, Emiko knew exactly who he was.

Solemnly he had come to the room to ask about Daisuke. Grudgingly she replied he would be okay. Hiwatari nodded and then left.

Emiko felt bad right after that.

Daisuke had failed to mention Hiwatari-kun was the chief of the squad set up to catch Dark. He'd also failed to tell Emiko Hiwatari was a Hikari… no, not 'a' Hikari, 'The' Hikari (which, of course, made it much worse). Thankfully Dark was a lot more obliging with the information.

Daisuke had however told her about the boy in his class who had already graduated college but was the same age, nay – younger (!) than himself. That's why she felt bad: a boy that age signing himself out of hospital in the middle of the night; no parent or guardian to make sure he got home safely - recovering from a concussion no less. It was wrong! She cursed herself for not making him wait - perhaps it was that part of her that looked at the Hikari as the enemy but it was poor comfort that she let that kid go alone.

… And she had that baby blue sweater (the one with the kittens) at home that was too big for Daisuke and Dark refused to wear that would just look so adorable…

"O… okaasan?" Murmured Daisuke, clutching at Emiko's hand, that had been resting on top of his own.

"Shhhh!" Purred Emiko, smoothing Daisuke's hair back from his eyes like he was five. "You're okay, your friends found you unconscious in the park. You have a boo-boo but you'll be okay." She murmured, in super-mom mode. Then there was the sudden switch to super-bitch mode. "You're in a world of trouble Dark." Hissed Emiko, looking into, and yet through, Daisuke's eye's at the same time.

"He's sleeping," replied Daisuke, not bothering to check since he didn't really want Dark and his Mother arguing in such a public place. Wrinkling his nose slightly at the use of the word 'boo-boo', Daisuke prompted, "Hiwatari-kun?"

"He's fine too; he left about an hour before you woke up."

"Aa…" he scratched his neck slightly, "Is it okay to go now?"

---

Satoshi looked at himself in the mirror as he brushed his teeth. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Very, very, very wrong and incredibly disturbing. Before he couldn't work it out – as he had been quite out of it at the hospital – but now it hit him like running into a brick wall.

Sometimes Krad would not talk to him for days at a time. He could live with that. In fact, it was preferable to anything else.

Sometimes Krad would bounce around his mind like a madman throwing himself at the walls of a padded cell. That one was extremely annoying.

Most of the times Krad would just talk his ear off on how fantastic it would be to let him out and how much he loved Satoshi and how much he fancied killing… well… everyone.

But… of all things…

Krad never, ever snored.

:Stop that: Ordered Satoshi mentally. He regretted it almost immediately since being forced to listen to Krad snore had to be infinitely preferable to listening to him practice his latest speech.

No response… no wait, Satoshi cringed… was it possible it had actually gotten louder… ?

---

Daisuke awoke with a start to the blaring alarm clock beside his bed. He had gotten home somewhere after 3am and hadn't done much more than assure his mom he was alright then crawl into bed. Hence, why he hadn't thought to switch off the alarm, since surely that concussion was worth a day off school at the least - and maybe 'Dark' wouldn't send out any notice cards for a few days… maybe (that being a large maybe, but it was still worth hoping for).

Maybe not: Mom had been pretty angry at Dark due to the fact that Daisuke had been injured; and the wrath-of-Emiko generally involved dressing Daisuke up in impossibly cute outfits with heavy emphasis on pastels - and sending out notices. Never mind Daisuke's embarrassment - Dark was mortified.

Daisuke face vaulted in front of the full length mirror glaring at his reflection when he turned to face it.

"Oh my god!" He murmured to himself. These were not his clothes. He couldn't remember anything between being in the park and waking up in hospital… what could have possibly prompted Krad and Dark to swap outfits? NO WAY! No! THAT couldn't be it… even if Satoshi's wardrobe was kind of drab… he giggled to himself at the thought; it was more likely that Krad and Dark had been making out than… eep!

(Dark? Dark! What the hell happened last night?) He quickly divested himself of the clothes hoping his mom hadn't noticed, and packed them in his school bag to return to Hiwatari-kun. No response. Not even snoring.

Dark didn't believe he snored with a vengeance. This worked to Daisuke's advantage since it was a fine indicator for when Dark was actually asleep and for when he was faking. Daisuke never did figure out why Dark snored at all, seeing as snoring was a by-product of breathing and all and breathing was not just unessential but impossible when one was incorporeal.

So basically Dark was faking it. Bastard.

---

:Your snoring is driving me insane: Screamed Satoshi in his head. Who knew how long he had tried to sustain it, but it hadn't work and he was sure that it would be the last strand to make him mentally troubled.

The snoring stopped. Just… stopped: no evil cackle at having gotten to Satoshi. No diabolical explanation. Satoshi had complained, and the perpetrator had complied. It was… practically civilized. Freaky.

((I do not snore.)) Replied Dark, miffed at the accusation.

Satoshi screamed (in real time and space).

Dark screamed (virtually).

((What… what the hell did you do?)) Dark asked, trying to regain some semblance of control. And probably dignity, as he wasn't in the best of moods at the moment; especially after finding himself with a completely different host (not to mention this particular host was the one he constantly insulted).

:I didn't do anything: Replied Satoshi, trying to remember anything at all about what happened last night, but coming up blank.

((Daisuke!))

Satoshi was generally surprised to hear the concern for Daisuke in Dark's voice. He supposed he shouldn't be - Dark had gone out of his way to protect Daisuke before.

:Was recovering when I saw him.: Did this mean Satoshi would have to turn himself over to the police? They'd think he was insane if he turned up at the station claiming he was Dark. He could just imagine Saehara exclaiming to the press that the stress must have gotten to him as they dragged him off to a mental hospital.

:Is… is Krad in there with you: Asked Satoshi into the silence that followed. A horrible thought had just occurred to him. If Dark was here, then…

((DAISUKE!)) Screamed Dark in agony. That was all the confirmation Satoshi needed.

---

Daisuke was putting his shoes in the footlocker when he was forcefully turned about by a leather clad Satoshi (confirming his earlier suspicions).

"Ohayo gozaimasu Hiwatari-kun!" He beamed happily. Thankfully the school had a dress code so he'd managed to avoid most of his Mom's sudden obsession with bows. "Ano… I have your things…" He offered the parcel containing Satoshi's cloths while flushing slightly.

"Niwa-kun, do you remember anything that happened last night?"

"I blacked out in the park and then just the hospital." Supplied Daisuke nervously.

"Is Krad with you?" Demanded Satoshi, shaking the shorter boy's shoulders slightly to emphasize the point. And the desperation (most likely for the sanity of them both).

"I don't understand, Hiwatari-kun. I haven't seen Krad since last night," responded the redhead in a whisper under the intense scrutiny.

"…" Satoshi was dumbfounded. It had been logical progression that if Dark had somehow been magically put in his mind that Krad would be bumped into the nearest receptacle. "Is Dark with you?"

Daisuke nodded, clearly uncomfortable with the public interrogation.

"Umm… I have to get to class, Hiwatari-kun." He pulled away from the taller boy, pausing in mid-step, with his head tilted slightly like it usually did when he was talking to Dark Mousy. "Dark says those pants are his favorite and he wants them back." He added.

---

:I hate you.: Krad snarled, in the back of Daisuke's mind.

(… I know.) What else could one say in reply?

TBC