Chapter Four "Pain Seems the Only Cure"

The door clicked shut behind him, and Satoshi collapsed into a nearby armchair, trying to catch his breath.

"I can't even move around the house without getting exhausted, this is so pathetic…"

It had been three days since Satoshi had discharged himself from the hospital against the advice of the patronising doctors who had no way of curing him. He had accepted the gravity of his condition, in his mind at least, where logic reigned. But when it came to matters of the heart, he almost wished that the pain would return to distract him from the pain. Almost.

He hadn't seen or heard from Daisuke since he had woken up at the hospital days ago…There had been so many times where Satoshi had picked up the phone, desperate to hear his voice, but then the indecision would take over, and he couldn't go through with it.

Satoshi sighed heavily. For all his intellect and knowledge, this was truly a situation whereHe had he honestly didn't know what to do, or how to react. It was a situation he didn't want to be in, and yet he couldn't escape. Fate? Coincidence? Whatever it was that had led him here, it was a dark and lonely path that was causing pain at every turn.

His mother had died when he was too young to remember her properly, his father didn't care about him, and made him live in isolation, and his only other companion had proved…unsettling. He had no experience of what love was like, and it wasn't something he could have ever studied in a classroom, or read up in long hours spent alone in some library somewhere. Especially not these kinds of feelings…

For the first time in his life, Satoshi couldn't even begin to comprehend his problems, and as they slipped further and further from his control, he felt more and more lost, vulnerable, alone…

The hallway clock chiming brought Satoshi out of his thoughts. It was getting late, looking out of the open window it was dark outside, and little breeze was flowing through the hot, stuffy air.

Satoshi was tired, but it was so exhausting to climb all those stairs to his bedroom…he shuffled over to the sofa. It was worn and old, but comfy enough, might as well doze off here…his eyelids drooped and he slipped lightly into a gentle sleep.

Satoshi fell asleep so quickly that he didn't notice the small creature that hopped in through the window which he had left wide open in unusual carelessness…

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"Chu?"

"Wiz? WIZ! What are you doing in Satoshi's house! Oh man, why'd you have to come here…?"

"Chuu…"

"Come on, get out of there, don't make me climb in that window and get you."

"Chu."

"Damn it, Wiz, you led me here on purpose, didn't you?"

"Chu!"

"…"

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Daisuke stumbled through the open window, tripping on the edge of the rug underneath it and landing very unceremoniously in a heap on the floor by the sofa.

"Chu Chuuu!" giggled Wiz, perching on the sofa arm.

"S'not funny…" muttered Daisuke, pulling himself up. "Come on, get out of here, you're supposed to be helping me find Dark, not breaking and entering at Satoshi's place, what if some neighbour hears us and thinks…" He cut off, seeing Satoshi curled up asleep on the battered old sofa, the picture of innocence.

"What the--! He's not supposed to be out of the hospital…is he? Maybe I should wake him; he should be in bed…but he looks so peaceful...and if I disturb him, he'll wake up, and then we'll have to talk about…Maybe I'll just leave him where he is…Damn, he looks so cute…"

Daisuke pulled a blanket off the back of the armchair and laid it over Satoshi's sleeping form, reaching out and brushing a few strands of stray hair out of his sleeping face. He was so close…

"I want you," Daisuke whispered. "I want you more than anything in the world." And he kissed him as he slept, wishing the moment could last.

A loud crash came from upstairs, and Satoshi awoke with a start.

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Chapter end again. Thanks to past reviewers and please review this chapter while I go find some tissues!

Lia