Hello! Yay, I got a chapter up faster than last time! (I think…)

Anyway, enjoy! OH! And OMG I HAVE OVER 2,000 hits on this story! Oh yeah, I so win. However, I'm a little sad to see that, despite the number of page views, there's only 42 comments. T.T But then again, I suppose I should appreciate those I have.

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As soon as Dark Link had gotten within view of the apartment building, all too familiar minions informed him that he was to wait in his room until summoned by the Boss. Not in the mood to argue, he just did as he was told. He made his way up the stairs, ignoring the jeers of drunks and bums alike. They were jealous of him, of "The Boss' favorite"; if only they knew the hell that such a place held for him. Coming to his door, he pushed a drunken man away from it with his foot and went inside, shutting the door behind him.

While in his room, staring up at a water-stained ceiling, he thought about how screwed he really was. The Boss was very controlling and hated it when his underlings didn't do exactly as they were supposed to; perhaps that was why Dark Link interested him so. Dark Link was always a handful, sometimes violently aggressive, other times passively aggressive. The Boss probably viewed him as a game, trying to see how to make the thief crack.

Not only was he controlling, he was also anxious about his true identity being found out. If The Boss learned that Dark Link was with a detective of all people, he would become furious at the man for endangering his façade, and would get his revenge either on Dark Link himself, or – heaven forbid – on Link.

Yet, despite all this, he wouldn't take it back; none of it. The Boss could take away everything he cared about, but he could never take away Dark Link's feelings. He had a lover who he truly cared for and he wasn't about to give that up.

"Oi, Thief, the Boss's waiting for yahs," barked one of the black suits, receiving an uncaring "fuck you" in response. Dark Link arched his back, stretching for a minute before moving off his bed.

He had already decided that there wasn't a point in kicking around the bush; he would just admit to it and take what may. Well, that was the plan anyway, but things rarely went like planned when it involved The Boss.

"Well, well, well… look what the cat dragged in," snickered a voice that Dark Link knew all too well. He looked up to see the large man lounging on an expensive looking couch with a whore at his side. And while he wore a smile on his face, it was obvious that he wasn't even trying to hide his anger. "Did you lose your way little one?"

"I don't see how that's any of your fucking business," Dark Link deadpanned, staring The Boss straight in the eye. The larger man snickered, which quickly turned into a full out laugh, the deep sound vibrating through out the room. Dark Link felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Oh, isn't it? Well that's funny, I could have sworn it was…" chuckled The Boss, the laugh dieing off rather quickly. Soon all enjoyment was drained from his face and replaced with anger to rival Dark Link's. "Now, the joke's over, so stop shitting me. Where the hell were you smartass?"

Why didn't he just say it? The Boss was bound to find out one way or another. Yet his stubbornness won out. "I told you, it's none of your fucking business. It's not like you're my mother."

"No, I suppose I'm not, thank god…" The man smirked as Dark Link's face darkened, his eyes narrowing.

"Don't you dare talk about her that way. You'd be lucky if you were ever near as good a person as her…"

"Oh yes, I suppose I could have learned a trick or two, hmm? But, then again, I don't really have a need for bedroom games…"

"Shut you fucking mouth! You don't know anything!" Dark Link yelled, taking a couple of steps towards the couch. Instantly minions stood in his way, and the grin on The Boss's face only grew. "Fucking bastard!"

"Yes, well while I love to talk about your mother, that's not the reason why you're here, is it?" Dark Link hesitated but let his fists drop to his sides, taking a step back. The Boss shoed the minions away and continued saying, "This is the third time you've been late this week and it's not a damned coincidence, is it?"

"No, I suppose it isn't," Dark Link replied bitterly. How desperately he wished to strangle the man, to watch those beady eyes pop out of their sockets, to hear his cries for mercy… No. He had to stop thinking like that. While he was certainly not the greatest of guys, he wasn't a murderer. He wasn't…

"Well then, do you mind telling me what you were doing, hmm? Perhaps you've been seeing a girly on the side?" Dark Link flinched which only amused the Boss more. "Oh? Am I getting warmer? Tell me Dark Link, is she good…"

"Shut the fuck up! My affairs are my own business so keep your fat ass out of it!" spat Dark Link, his anger flaring. The large man looked – if only for a second – mildly shocked. But he quickly resumed his amused façade and sat back into the couch.

"Alright then, I'll let it go for now. You go and fuck your little sex kitten, but I swear to God Dark Link, if you try any goddamned funny business I will find her and see just how good she is for myself," threatened the Boss. Dark Link, feeling slightly relieved despite the threat, managed to scowl and muttered, but agreed to the deal. He then let himself out, heading to his apartment. While he wanted to celebrate with a visit to "her", he had a job the next day that would take some preparation.

'Looks like Ranmaru was right; things are looking better already'

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'Something's different…' Link thought to himself as he unlocked his door, half expecting Dark Link to be waiting there for him; but he wasn't. He was better off anyway; this would allow him to get a goodnights sleep.

His thoughts weren't on the absence of Dark Link though. Oh no, it was something else. All day there was this nagging feeling at the back of his head, like something was gone, was missing. It wasn't necessarily that he missed whatever it was; he was just struck by its absence. What was it that he was missing?

He shrugged to himself, deciding that there wasn't much point in worrying about it. Whatever it was would come up later or would just be forgotten in time. Besides, he needed to get prepared for the next day's assignment.

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The gigantic ballroom – or, at least, big enough to be one – was filled with tons of people, all laughing and chatting, dancing and flirting, the likes. There were gaggles of wealthy women in fancy dresses, giggling and showing off their expensive accoutrement while prides of rich men murmured to one another about the women, but not of their attire…

The huge chandler hung still, its glittering crystals washing light into the room, filling it to the brim with a warm glow. The stunning dresses only added to the sight, the shimmering colors blending into a bouquet of sorts, the sight pleasing to the eyes. On all the walls hung portraits of handsome men and women, abstract colors swirled into familiar faces and smiles, and some not so known; but all seemed welcoming.

And the center piece of the room was a glass case, in which sat the most dazzling of gems one could ever hope to see. One was a radiant red color, another a midnight black, and the last a pure white. The red gem – The Devil's Eye – had many different shades spiraled together to create a beautiful scarlet color that could never be recreated artificially. The black jewel – The Dark Soul – was pitch-black; it's lack of color and light making it seem to suck away the light around it, almost suffocating the viewer. The white gem – The Angel's Heart – though, was the most loved of the three. It was so light, so pure, it was almost blinding, but beautifully so. The three – which to many represented Satan, humans and God – were never separated. The triangle of life was not to be torn apart, whether by man or otherwise.

And, near the entrance to the awe-inspiring event stood three very distraught looking detectives.

"Why did we have to get stuck with watching a bunch of stiffs again?" asked Rikuo dryly, looking very uncomfortable in the black tux he was wearing. Yuki – in his matching outfit – sighed, shaking his head.

"Because Dark Link's supposed to show up; we've gone over this!"

"Even so, I have to agree with Rikuo; this sucks," Link muttered in agreement, pulling uncomfortably at his black suit. Yuki gave him a dirty look and Rikuo grinned.

"See, Link agrees with me. Majority rules, so I say we get out of here…" Rikuo's statement was interrupted as Yuki hit him with an even dirtier look than the one he gave Link; and it wasn't even the kind of dirty Rikuo liked. "Alright, I give. But can't we at least get a drink or dance or something? I doubt Dark Link's going to waltz through the front door."

"Well… I don't know… The Chief said to watch the guest coming in and going out…"

"And I'm saying that there's no way in hell that he's going to be dressed up to the ninth and walk through the front door. Anyone with common sense would know better then to think he would," reasoned Rikuo. He partner didn't respond, and looking down the man saw that Yuki looked pretty peeved. "Yuki? What's up with you babe?"

Yuki didn't reply, but simply turned on his heel and walked away, making his way through the crowd. Surprised and confused, Rikuo looked from Yuki to Link and back to Yuki, looking for an answer. Not getting any though, he said, "Link, could you take over for a bit? Thank buddy, you're a life saver!"

"Huh? Wait, Rikuo!" Link called, but it was obvious that Rikuo wasn't taking no for an answer. Sighing, Link leaned against the wall; it wasn't like he had anything better to do anyway. The only reason they were there was because there was a tip off that Dark Link was going to sneak into the grand opening party for a new exhibit on the priceless jewels and, surprise, steal the jewels. But Link doubted that Dark Link would, and even if he did he would stand out like a sore thumb in this crowd; hell, Link felt like the odd man out. He wasn't ever one for fancy shindigs like the one he was currently attending. Something told him it was going to be a long, boring night.

One can only laugh at man's ignorance.

Minutes went by like hours as Link looked on in disgust at the filthy rich people around him, joking about things that really torked the officer off. But he knew better then to say so; a person of his position had to be careful about what they said and to whom. There were people with enough money to wreak revenge with a simple wave of their hand.

"And I commented to her, 'My, he sure is a queer fellow, isn't he,' and she told me that he was indeed; as in he was a homosexual!" a woman to his left exclaimed to her group. The other women proceeded to gasp in horror while Link rolled his eyes; great, homophobes.

"What does she see in him? I wouldn't give a man like that the time of day, let alone allow him in my home!"

"No joke. If I were her, I'd send him to one of those groups… oh I forget what they're called now, but I've heard they help people like him."

"Oh yes, I've heard of those. Charles went to one, and now he's all better!" Link twitched slightly, not appreciating his sexual preference being talked about like it was the plague or something. But still, his comments were kept to himself.

"Oh please, don't be ignorant. People like them aren't worth the trouble. They are a disgrace to our country and as far as I'm concerned have no right to call themselves human," an older woman stated, not saying it like it was an accusation but as if it were fact! Link, his last straw snapping, made his way towards the women to give them a piece of his mind. He didn't get the chance.

"Now, now, that's no way for fine ladies like yourselves to talk. Gays" – the woman flinched at the casual way the word was stated – "have the same rights as anyone else, including being bitchy; a right that you ladies are taking advantage of if I'm not mistaken," quipped a young man, his scarlet eyes sparkling despite the slightly venomous undertone he was using. Link blinked at the familiar man, taking in the shiny leather shoes, the clean-cut tux, the dashing face, the ruby eyes and dark black hair. It couldn't be…

"Ah, but if you ladies will excuse me, I see my date's here," the man said as he walked up to Link, his hand outstretched. "I'm sorry I'm late love, but the traffic was awful. But my, don't you look ravishing this evening!"

If not for Link's confusion he would have snickered at the horror-struck looks on the women's faces, evidently unable to think of anything to say.

The couple walked away from the bewildered group and, once out of earshot, Link whispered, "Is that really you Dark Link?" The man merely grinned.

"Like the tux? It cost an arm and a leg, but it was certainly worth it to see that look on your face. Oh, and what about my hair? Does the black look natural?" inquired Dark Link, grinning at the confused look on Link's face. It became obvious that the blonde was unable to form sentences in his befuddlement, so the disguised thief held out his arm saying, "A dance?"

Link merely nodded and took hold of Dark Link's arm, following the man to the dance floor. It seemed so surreal to him, seeing his lover like this. With his unusual hair colored and attire normalized, he seemed like a completely different person. But the way he walked with confidence and that spark of mischief in his eyes; it was still Dark Link through and through, no mistaking it. And, unlike him, Dark Link seemed to easily blend in, seeming like one of the many patrons there. If Link didn't know better, he would have believed that Dark Link was a young heir to some big time company or something.

Link continued to ogle curiously when familiar voices reached his ears; and it wasn't his lover's. It couldn't be…

"Yuki, I said I was sorry! I didn't mean it like that!"

"Oh, well I guess I just couldn't tell since obviously I have no common sense!" Link knew those voices perfectly well; it was Rikuo and Yuki.

"Um, Dark Link, let's go this way," Link urged, pulling at the man's sleeve. Dark Link looked at his curiously, looked to the source of the noise as a grin crept across his face.

"Friends of yours?" he asked innocently. Link grimaced and looked away. Grinning, Dark Link continued forward saying, "Well then, why not say hello?"

"Wha—No!" protested Link, pulling his hand from his lover's arm. This did him no good though as Dark Link simply grabbed him by the hand and continued despite the complaints. Not giving up, Link continued, "At least listen to me would you? Have you forgotten what we're here for; to find you!"

Dark Link contemplated this thought, but whether or not he would have followed through didn't matter as Yuki's face turned slightly, catching sight of the other bickering couple. "Link?"

The young detective twitched slightly, looking like a deer in the headlights. He wanted desperately to run, to avoid confrontation, but knew that he'd have to face up to the fact sooner or later, and the tight grip that Dark Link had on his hand pushed him towards sooner.

"Oh, h-hey Yuki. Are we interrupting something?" Link said, taking a step or two toward the lovers. At this point Rikuo turned, his expression unreadable.

"Oh no, it's nothing that important at all," snapped Yuki, giving Rikuo one last dirty look. Rikuo sighed.

"Look, babe, what do you want me to say?" asked Rikuo. Yuki pursed his lips before sighing himself. He shook his head before looking up at his partner with a smile.

"Nothing you haven't already said Rikuo, so forget it." Yuki emphasized this point by leaving a chaste kiss on Rikuo's cheek before looking back to Link and Dark Link. "Sorry about that. May I ask who your friend is Link?"

"Oh, um well, he's, uh…" Link mumbled incoherently, his facing turning red. Dark Link snickered at the adorable sight while Yuki and Rikuo smirked at each other knowingly.

"I get it; you don't happen to be Derrick do you?" asked Rikuo, his hand outstretched. Link had to think a moment before he remembered that Derrick was the name that Yuki and Rikuo knew Dark Link by. But Dark Link didn't know that! Shit, they were screwed now…

"Oh, then you've already heard about me?" asked Dark Link, taking Rikuo's hand and shaking it firmly. Link shot his a 'what the hell?' look, but the two officers didn't seem to notice. "But yes, I'm Derrick Ater. Nice to meet you."

"You too. I'm Rikuo and this is my boyfriend Yuki. We work with Link."

"Oh, so you're the couple that Link talked about. Well then, I suppose I should be asking you for some advise, considering you've been doing this longer than we have," joked Dark Link causing Link and Yuki blush and Rikuo to smirk.

"Well, I don't know. Link looked pretty worn out on Monday, so you must be fairly good."

"Rikuo!" Yuki gasped, hitting him lightly in the arm. Link merely stood nailed to the floor, mortified beyond words. And Dark Link? Well he looked down right pleased with himself.

"Why I'm flattered. But really, you think it was that good?"

"Oh yeah; he was grinning all afternoon."

"Really? Love, why didn't you tell me? If I'd have known you liked it so, I would have made time for later tonight…" purred Dark Link, smirking at the bright red face of his lover.

"Dar--!" Link started, unwilling to stand another moment of this torture, when suddenly his body moved and his words were lost in a pair of soft lips. His eyes widened as his brain finally caught up with it all and realized he was being kissed. However, his brain wasn't able to register the sudden silence that fell upon the crowd near them, or that his friends were a mere three feet away. Oh no, the only thing that registered is that Dark Link had randomly kissed him.

At least, for a good five seconds. Then the rest fell into place.

Link's face was an even deeper scarlet now, his blush threatening to take over completely as he sputtered incoherently. Rikuo grinned to himself and Yuki, though to a far lesser degree, was also blushing to see his companion being smooched. And of course Dark Link was grinning like the rebel he was. "Now, now love, it's all in good fun. Don't take things so seriously hmm?"

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WHOO! This story is finally getting somewhere! The plot twist should kick in either the next chappie or the one after, so yeah. PREPARE YOURSELVES! O.o;;…………I'm going to bed now.