Chapter 14

There was a gasp, and Daisuke watched as Risa's hands flew to her mouth as she spotted Dark sitting on the loveseat. The girl swallowed, and then spoke. "M-mister Dark!"

Dark blinked slightly. He didn't remember this girl very well… He knew that she was Riku's sister, and she looked an awful lot like his beloved Rika, but he knew very well that she wasn't. He watched as the girl moved forward, and then flinched as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Oh Mister Dark, it's so good to see you!"

Dark attempted to push her off, but she didn't let go. Panic flooded into the thief's mind. 'Too much contact for too long… Got to get her off…' Dark whimpered slightly, pushing at Risa again. 'Only Daisuke is allowed to touch me this long! Too much contact!'

The girl was pulled off of him an instant later by Daisuke, and then redhead pulled her to the side. "Miss Risa, I know you're happy to see him, but you need to understand something. Dark is not in the best of conditions mentally. He probably doesn't remember you very well, and a lot of contact scares him. Understand?"

Risa opened her mouth to say something, but when she looked to the side she found her gaze caught in Dark's frightened violet eyes. She blinked, and then nodded slightly. "I'm sorry." She looked back to Daisuke, letting her voice drop slightly. "Riku explained it to me, but I don't think I really believed her until I saw Mister Dark with my own eyes. I'm sorry, I really wasn't thinking."

Daisuke nodded to her. "It's alright. Just remember from now on, okay?"

Risa nodded, and Daisuke turned to Satoshi. "Hello Hiwatari."

The blunette nodded to him. "Niwa."

Dark shrank slightly as the boy's blue eyes focused on him. Dark swallowed thickly, and then nodded to the boy slightly, not trusting his voice to speak.

Satoshi smirked slightly. "Dark. A pleasure, I'm sure." Satoshi didn't ask questions, he knew. Daisuke had explained it to him a while ago, wanting to know what the blunette did about doctoring while Dark had still needed it.

Dark opened his mouth, and then shut it. Daisuke sighed, knowing perfectly well that Dark was connecting the blunette to Krad, and that it would take the violet-haired man a while to be able to calmly interact with Satoshi. Daisuke sighed. "Well now, thanks for coming everyone, but there's really nothing happening."

Riku snorted. "Are you kidding Niwa? It's your 17th birthday, I'd call that pretty exciting. Your Mom said we could all come over for cake and ice cream."

Daisuke grinned. "Yea, I figured that much."

Emiko poked her head out of the kitchen. "Come on kids, it's time for a celebration!"

The group stood, but Dark remained pinned to the couch by Satoshi's presence. The thief couldn't help but feel afraid around the boy, he still remembered clearly the pain that Krad had inflicted on him, and some part of him knew that Satoshi and Krad were connected.

Satoshi frowned, and then reached forward, putting a hand on Dark's shoulder. "Dark? Are you alright?" The blunette knew well that Dark was no more a threat, and he would treat him as another peer.

The touch from the object of his fear caused Dark to let out a scream, flinching away from the boy and curling into a ball. The thief tucked his head against his chest, trying to shield his head and neck from attacks he expected to come.

The instant the scream escaped Dark's lips Daisuke was at his side, reaching for the thief's face. Daisuke held Dark's face in both hands, running his thumbs over the pale skin. "Look at me Dark." The thief's eyes were still clenched shut. "Look at me!"

Dark's eyes snapped open, and Daisuke could see tears shining faintly in those violet depths. Dark's hands came up to wrap around Daisuke's wrists, and the thief whimpered.

Daisuke's thumbs ran soothingly over Dark's skin as the redhead spoke. "It's only Hiwatari. You remember him, don't you? He won't hurt you, and neither will anyone else. I'm here to protect you, you remember?" Daisuke paused, and then smiled. "I'll always be here to protect you, I promised. I said that I would always stay by your side." Daisuke placed his forehead against Dark's trying to further calm the thief through more contact. "I'm here, and no one is going to hurt you. Understand?"

Dark whimpered again, and attempted to snuggle close to Daisuke's chest. The redhead allowed the action, wrapping his arms around Dark's shoulders and holding him tightly. Dark closed his eyes, still shivering slightly, but he was calm.

Risa let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, and Riku's eyes were sparkling slightly with unshed tears. Even Satoshi looked as though he felt for the frightened version of the once proud Phantom Thief that he had known and chased for a long time.

When Dark's shivering stopped Daisuke pulled away from the thief, standing. Dark followed him an instant later, reaching out to tangle his fingers in Daisuke's for the comfort of contact. Daisuke squeezed his hand gently, and Dark relaxed.

Risa cleared her throat slightly, wondering in the back of her mind what was going on. The embrace had been simple enough, but holding hands? That induced something more.

Riku smiled slightly. She knew, she had known on the beach. The way that Daisuke looked at Dark, it was way too obvious. Every time the redhead even glanced at the thief, his crimson eyes would fill with love. And Dark looked back on the boy with a sense of near worship. Daisuke was his savior in this tough time, and Riku knew that the both of them were well matched.

Daisuke noticed the looks they were getting, and he decided not to beat around the bush. But he didn't want to say it, so he merely reached out and pulled Dark to his side, pressing a kiss to the thief's forehead through his thick bangs. Dark leaned against him unconsciously, and then gasped, trying to pull away. "Daisuke, not in front of your friends!"

Daisuke shook his head, pulling Dark back to his side. "They need to know eventually. Besides, Satoshi already knows that I'm not quite as straight as I would seem." The redhead grinned at his friends. "Dark and I are a couple now. If you have anything to say about it, be glad to bring it to me, and I'll happily tell you that I really don't give a damn. I love him, and nothing's going to change that."

Riku smiled. "I've known for a little bit now Niwa, and I really do think that the two of you are a perfect match. Two halves of one soul, just like the old days, right?"

Dark smiled slightly at the girl to show his appreciation. "Thanks Miss Riku."

Risa studied the two, and then grinned and clapped her hands. "That's so adorable! You two are so cute together!" She smiled. "I'm behind you all the way!"

Satoshi was silent for a moment, and then he spoke. "You love him?" the blunette asked Dark.

Dark nodded, blushing deeply and looking down. But he responded all the same. "With everything I am."

The blue-eyed boy turned to Daisuke. "And you said that you would always protect him?"

Daisuke tightened his hold on Dark's shoulders. "With my life, if necessary."

Satoshi nodded. "Then I deem this a good match. Let's get on with the cake and ice cream."

Riku laughed. "Wow Hiwatari, I never thought you would be the one to want to get to the sweets!"

The boy looked down slightly. "I'm… fond of ice cream. I can't help it."

Daisuke laughed, and Dark giggled slightly. The violet-haired thief already felt more at ease with the situation, now that the group was aware of his relationship with Daisuke, but some part of him couldn't help but feel that something was going to go wrong, and soon…