Hello every! Silverlight Neko here, didn't write something for the first chapter, so I decided that I should write something for this one, and the next chapters too! Anyways, I hope you guys like my fic so far. It might be a tad bit boring, but I think it should get more interesting as the chapters progress. Other characters will be introduced pretty soon, so keep reading! Enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own DN Angel. Yukiru Sugisaki- Sama does. May I share some? gets down on knees in front of Yukiru Sugisaki and starts to beg Please?

Half an hour later, Tori arrived, laden with gifts for everyone. The usual round of gift exchanges
ensued, with Dark commenting on every little action.

"And there he goes handing that nice blue wrapped up gift to the little kid. So what do you think is in it Daisuke?" Immediately, Dark changed his voice, an octave higher. "Well, I don't know Dark, we're going to have to wait until Christmas morning to find that out and-"

"SHUT UP DARK!" Daisuke screamed in his head for the umpteenth time, finally getting the thief to stop his play by play commentary. Dark retreated to the back of Daisuke's mind, snickering every now and then. Daisuke gazed at the ceiling, sighing in relief, his mind suddenly a very quiet place.

From the moment Tori had walked in to the room Dark had given a play by play account of the actions and movements of everyone in the room, throwing comments between himself and "Daisuke," whom he was imitating in a very high pitched squeak. Daisuke glanced over the whole entire room.

Miyu and Tori were talking to each other, catching up with each other. Toshi was playing with his little children while Riku was in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches to all the food. The red hair smiled ever so slightly. He just loved it when all his family could get together and enjoy each others

company. He missed the time when his children had been young and he had played at being Santa Claus for them. He glanced around the room again. Riku had done a wonderful job on the Christmas decorations again this year. Garland wound its way around the stair case railings, decorated with

colorful ornaments and wrapped up with white colored Christmas lights. The Christmas tree sat in a corner of the living room, decorated liberally with colorful ribbons and shining glass ornaments. A golden star graced the very top of the Christmas tree, sparkling in the golden glow of the living room

lights. The fireplace was decorated with two red and white stockings and another bunch of garland. A fire crackled merrily in the fire place while Christmas candles burned on the mantle piece, decorated with more rounds of garland. Daisuke smiled again, moving to help Riku with the last

preparations for the dinner. As they set the last of the dishes upon the table, he looked up and caught Riku's eye. She smiled up at him, a full, bright eyed smile, full of joy and love. A smile, Daisuke had not been graced with for months. At that moment, his heart melted, his face glowing a bright red. He

wanted that moment to stay where it was at forever, freeze so that he could keep it with him forever. He wasn't sure if he would ever get another moment like that ever again.

It was days later when the news came. Niwa Kosuke had died quietly in his sleep. There had been no disease, no sickness. No sign that he was about to die. A quiet death at a ripe old age, that's what

everyone said. Niwa Emiko followed soon after that, her grief over Kosuke's death beyond all consolation. Daisuke watched as they buried his vibrant mother in the ground, the gray tomb stone and wooden coffin showing nothing of the kind of woman that she had been when she was alive.

"Within two weeks of each other…" Dark's voice trailed off quietly. "I'm going to miss them." Daisuke could only nod in agreement.

"You guys are my favorite Niwa's out of the whole lot of them so far." Dark sighed heavily. "It's always so difficult to let them go." Daisuke only continued to stare. Riku came up behind him, taking his hand gently in hers. She looked at him soberly, saying nothing. She knew instinctively,

that Daisuke needed no words; he just needed some one to be there for him. The priest finished his service and then the diggers began to shovel the dirt back over his mother's grave. Daisuke stared, his eyes filling with tears. Riku hugged him tightly.

"I'll be fine," he whispered, hoarsely, leaning against Riku suddenly, as if she had become the only support that he had left in the whole entire world.

"I'll be fine." He repeated softly. The rain continued to fall.

Two years later

Daisuke glanced up from the newspaper he was holding in his hands. The red head was seated on the sofa couch, concentrating fiercely on the daily crossword puzzle when he heard Riku come quietly down the stairs. He smiled at her.

"'Afternoon Riku-chan!" He set his newspaper down, moving across the room to her. She flashed him a quick smile, the wrinkles around her mouth bunching up at the slight movement of her lips. Riku had aged substantially over the last two years, her brown hair now completely snow white, her every movement more painstakingly slow. She moved to slip her shoes on.

"I'm going out. I'll see you later." she said shortly to him. Daisuke paused, frowning at her.

"Ummm, may I ask where?" he queried.

"Just out." she said again, swallowing slightly. Daisuke frowned again. "She's doing it again." Annoyance flashed briefly through him. He had had nearly enough of this. Over the last two years, Riku had been acting more and more towards him. Daisuke could see nothing wrong that he had done. He had showered her with as much love and care as he had when they had gotten married all those years ago. As far as he was concerned, nothing had changed.

"That may be the problem." Dark stated from the back of Daisuke's mind. Daisuke started slightly, he had thought the thief was not awake yet.

"What?" Daisuke asked, confused.

"Ask her yourself. You've been planning to for a while anyways. Why not now?" Daisuke, frowned as he studied Riku. She was arranging the contents of her purse carefully, most probably searching for her car keys, Daisuke mused.

"Where, exactly?" Daisuke asked as gently as he possibly could. Riku sighed.

"I'm meeting Miyu and Tori for coffee." Daisuke blinked. His lips thinned out. He hadn't been invited?

"Riku…" She turned to look at him, the look on her face like that of a busy mother being asked why the sky was blue by her rather annoying child.

"Yes?" she asked softly. Daisuke took a deep breathe, sighing. He bit his lip, annoyance flashing across his face.

"Riku, you've been acting different. Lately…" Daisuke bit his lip again, shifting his weight to the other foot. Riku gave him a blank look, looking at him, but yet not quite looking at him, all at the same time. Her eyebrows moved up a fraction of an inch, prodding him to continue.

"Lately, you've just been ignoring me. No, scrap that, it's been going on for nearly a year, two even, I think. Or you've just been treating me like I'm just some stranger. And all those outings of yours. I'm not against them, but…" Daisuke run a hand through his still flaming red hair in frustration.

"You've been spending less and less time with me. It's like we're just distant room mates or something now." Daisuke looked at Riku, his eyes imploring her.

"Please, tell me what I'm doing wrong? What's changed? What's going on? You hardly ever talk to me anymore. Tell me, what's wrong?" Riku continued staring at him, her expression the same distant blank look she had always worn when she was faced with something she was uncomfortable in dealing with.

"Riku?" A tear rolled down her cheek. Daisuke moved like lightening across the room, moving to embrace Riku, hold her close. But she looked up at him and something in her brown eyes stopped him. He froze in mid- stride, two steps away from her.

"Riku…" She swallowed again.

"It's just that…" She sniffed.

"It's not all you, it's me also." Her hand moved to her face, to wipe away the tears that were coming in a steady stream now. Daisuke stood there, frozen. He wanted to hug her, to hold her close, to comfort her and wipe away the tears. But he prevented himself from doing so. It looked like Riku needed her space now.

"What is it?" Daisuke prodded her gently. Suddenly, she turned to face him completely. Daisuke's widened in slight surprise. "Whaaa…?"

"Look at you! Then look at me! What do you see?" Daisuke stared at her, uncomprehending. She sighed, closing her eyes. The tears continued to fall.

"Daisuke, we're sixty-five, the both of us. And I look like I'm sixty- five. But you…" She looked at him, her face unreadable. "You don't look that way…" She trailed off looking blankly at him. Daisuke looked back, still not comprehending what was going on. Riku half- growled, half- sighed in frustration.

"Daisuke, you haven't aged a day since we got married! You're still as young and handsome as the day we got married! And here I am, looking like a wrinkled old pear, feeling my age catching up to me. My hair is white, I, move slower then I used to and I get exhausted more easily. Then I look

over at you, your skin's unwrinkled, your hair is the same color that it's been since middle school, you can still prance around like a ten year old, jump off walls like you did when you were still stealing art. Young girls flirt with you at the market, people think that I'm your mother, not your wife and you

haven't even realized all of this at all!" Riku stopped short, taking in a deep breath to calm herself. Daisuke's mouth worked up and down, like a fish on land, gasping for air. His mind had reached a blank. He didn't know what to see. So he opted for staring at Riku in complete confusion.

'Oh Daisuke! Can't you see? I'm jealous! And I can't handle this! I just wanted to grow old and die a happy life, see my children grow up. Have grand kids of my own. Have a nice little house and bake cookies for the kids every Christmas. I've been able to do all that. But the one thing I haven't been

able to do, is grow old with you. I don't know who has left who behind? Me, leaving you behind, or you leaving me behind. Oh Daisuke, it pains me every time I see you. You looking so young and perfect and me so old and ugly. It pains me that I can't give you the same thing as you've given me

and still can. I just can't handle it. It hurts me so badly. And I hardly think they are good reasons at all, but they were the only reasons that I could find about the way I feel right now. Oh, Daisuke, I love you, but I can't take this any more." Riku turned quickly to leave, reaching for the front door knob. Daisuke caught her hand, pulling her back in to a tight embrace.

"Riku, I love you so much. And I'm so sorry that I've caused you so much pain." He sobbed. "I don't know what I can do to fix this. I don't know why I stay like this." He pulled back, holding Riku by her shoulders. "But I promise you that I will find out why. Then maybe I can fix it. Somehow…"

They stared at each other for a long time. Daisuke's mind worked furiously. He didn't know what else he could say. Riku was the first to move.

"No." She said finally, moving gently out of Daisuke's grasp.

'No." She repeated. "It's alright. This aging thing is something that you can't fix." She moved to the front door of the house, opening it.

"You will age, when you will." She smiled sadly at Daisuke. "I can't change things, but I should accept them for what they are. You still love me; I still love you that should be good enough…but this is something I have to work out for myself. It's selfish really." Riku shifted her weight slightly. "They

way I'm feeling. You've done nothing wrong, just stayed incredibly young, for no apparent reason. I just need to work this out for myself." She smiled sadly at him again, before moving out the door and closing it softly behind her. Daisuke stood there, as if frozen in ice. He didn't know what to think, his mind was frozen, he couldn't think. "Riku.."

The youse goes everyone. The end of the chapter for you. I'm probably going to keep this up for a while, turning out chapters. It's winter break and I want to get lots of stories done before the end. And also many other things!