Dark and Sen finally convinced Satoshi and Risa to go to bed. It was almost one in the morning and both grandparents were worried about Ness.
"It isn't like her to just skip a meal like that," Risa said before yawning. "I mean…it isn't good for her."
"I agree dear," Satoshi answered. "Perhaps we should go check on her."
"I did that already," Sen said smiling. "She was so surprised by the day's events that she passed out due to exhaustion. I managed to wake her up slightly, and before she went back to sleep she asked me to tell you both 'goodnight' for her."
Dark raised an eyebrow at her obvious lie, but said nothing. Satoshi, however, bought it.
"Very well," he said before helping Risa up. "Come along dear. It's time for bed."
Risa nodded before yawning again and leaning her head on her husband's shoulder. They walked out of the room and went straight to bed.
Sen sighed and turned to Dark. "What a day," she said as she began to tidy up a bit. Dark began gathering up the coffee cups and other miscellaneous dishes.
"I agree," he said walking into the kitchen. Sen followed before noticing the mess Risa had left in the kitchen.
"What did you think of dinner by the way?"
Dark shrugged. "It was better than what Daisuke had to eat before. When she was fourteen, the poor girl couldn't cook at all. Her food was uneatable. At least now I can eat it and not feel sick."
"I liked it, but it was so messy. I don't even know what the dish was."
"I don't care to know," Dark said as he placed the dishes in the sink. "You wash and I'll dry."
Sen nodded as she gathered the rest of the dishes up and began washing them. It was a tight fit in the kitchen with two people, both with wings, trying to clean up, but somehow they managed it.
Finally Dark dried the last dish and put it away. "I have never been one for housework," he said, "but that wasn't so bad."
Sen smiled. Then she looked back at her wings. "Hey Dark? Would you do me a favor?"
Dark shrugged. "I guess."
Sen smiled even wider before motioning for him to follow her outside. Once there Sen took a few steps away from him and began flapping her wings.
"I'm going to try flying and I want you to keep an eye on me in case I fall or something."
Dark nodded. "Alright, but don't go too high now."
Sen rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she said before taking off into the air. Once in the air, Sen realized that she didn't have to flap her wings they would just glide. It was a wonderfully free feeling being up there without a care in the world.
Sen shut her eyes and just flew around for a while.
Then a voice spoke near her ear. "You're doing quite well."
Sen gasped and almost fell, but a hand gently grasped her elbow. Sen looked up into Dark's eyes and relaxed.
"You scared me," she said gently slapping his arm. Dark laughed and released her before flying around her.
"It is so easy to do that. You should really pay more attention."
Sen narrowed her eyes in mock anger and fly towards him until she was nose-to-nose with him.
"So should you," she whispered. She tried to move away, but at some point Dark's arms had encircled her waist.
"Dark?" she said.
"Your wings are disappearing," he said. Sen looked behind her and sure enough her wings were gone.
"Oh, thank you for hanging onto me. Falling would not have been much fun."
"It depends. You have to trust that someone would catch you."
Sen looked at Dark, who had an evil grin on his face, and gasped. "Don't you dare."
Dark smiled wider before releasing his hold on Sen. What he wasn't expecting was for Sen to wrap her body around his. The moment his arms released her, her arms were around his neck and her legs were around his waist.
It took them both all of three seconds to realize how close they were, and even three more seconds to realize that they weren't in any pain.
Dark was doing his best not to touch her, but it was proving to be very difficult. "Sen," he said in a calm voice, though he was anything but, "I'm going to lower us to the ground. When we get there please let go of me."
Sen just nodded. She didn't trust herself to say anything. Dark carefully lowered them to the ground until he was standing on the lawn again. "Okay," he said. "You can let go now."
Sen unwrapped herself from Dark and took a few steps back. The memory of their kiss came flying back to her and she turned several shades darker. Luckily it was dark and Dark couldn't see her clearly.
"I'll just go inside," she said before rushing into the house.
Dark just stood there, thinking. She had looked so terrified, and yet so sad when she had left.
His mind went back to Rika, his first and only love, Risa's grandmother. She was so beautiful and kind, and he had to hurt her in the end, to protect her.
Was that what he was doing now? Protecting Sen from being hurt later? He loved her, had for a while now, but was he purposely distancing himself from her? Dark shook his head at the thought. Sen and Rika are different people. Sen is beautiful and kind too, but she has a chance to have something that Rika never could.
Sen has a chance to have all of him, not just part.
Dark's head snapped up. That was it, what he needed to know. Krad was right when he said that they were free. They were free, to do what they never could before.
Dark moved into the house silently, using his skills acquired from being a thief for so long. This time however, his goal was much higher.
Sen had changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top, both gray. It was what she usually slept in and it was what she was most comfortable in.
She sighed as she slid into bed and closed her eyes. She tried to sleep, but it evaded her. Her thoughts were solely on Dark and the look in his eyes before. There had been desire, passion, but he was also afraid. There had been fear in his eyes and sadness.
Sen groaned as she flipped her pillow over her face. The soft pillow over her face was a comfort and it allowed her to scream out her frustrations without waking the whole neighborhood, including the slumbering couples on either side of her rooms.
Sen sighed before lifting the pillow from her face. Her gold eyes met with amethyst and she almost let out a scream, but a hand quickly covered her mouth.
"It's just me Sen," Dark said. Sen calmed at the sound of his voice as he removed his hand. Instantly he was hit with a pillow.
"What the hell were you doing? You scared me half to death."
"Sorry," Dark whispered before taking a seat next to her on the bed. "I wanted to talk to you about something."
Sen sighed. "You don't have to say anything Dark. I get it."
Dark narrowed his eyes. "Get what?"
"That you don't love me," Sen said in a serious voice. Dark looked at her with confused eyes.
"I didn't say that," he said.
"You didn't have to. I could see it in your eyes. You're afraid, I can see it."
Dark nodded. "I'll admit that I am scared, but not for the reasons you seem to think." He took her hands in his. "I have to tell you a story and I want you to try and understand."
Sen nodded and listened to Dark's story about his first love and how it was never meant to be.
"We cared deeply for each other, but I wasn't free to be with her. I understood that and she knew that I was bound to my fate. It still hurts knowing that I never had a chance with her, not really."
"I'm sorry. It's hard when you love someone so much only to learn that you can never be with them," Sen said with tears in her eyes. She tried to turn away from Dark, but his eyes held hers making it impossible for her to move.
"Why are you crying?" he said as he gently wiped a stray tear from her cheek. That opened the floodgates and she found herself pressed against his chest, crying, with his arms wrapped around her.
"I love you Dark," she whispered so quietly that he almost couldn't hear her.
Dark smiled as he held her, before he was engulfed in darkness and the pain started.
