The weekend had been glorious and Daisuke was walking with his head in the clouds. Emiko, influenced by her son's recent love life, decided that it would be romantic for her and Kosuke to go on a date to the theatre. Kosuke had, grinningly, agreed, and Daichi had insisted that he chaperone, but Daisuke figured it was only because the old man wanted a free movie ticket. In short, the house had been empty and the boys had the entire afternoon to cuddle, kiss and experiment.
"Lemon," Daisuke guessed.
"Mmhmm," Dark purred, untying the boy's blindfold. "That's three, right? Now it's my turn" he grinned.
The older boy had introduced Daisuke to a sort of 'kissing game'. The rules were simple. One partner would be blindfolded and the other partner would put a fruit drop candy in their mouth. By kissing them, the first partner had to guess which flavor the candy was. The benefit for Dark was that Daisuke hated to lose at games, and so, he would take his time to make sure he guessed right, and his kisses were much longer than his shyness would usually allow.
"Is it on?" Daisuke asked, implying the blindfold.
"Yeah," Dark replied.
Daisuke leaned down, brushing his lips over Dark's before kissing him softly. "Well?" he asked.
"… Dammit!" Dark grumped. "No matter what, you always just taste like strawberry!"
Daisuke grinned triumphantly, pulling the blindfold down. "Grape," he told him. "I win."
"And what do you win?" Dark asked playfully.
Daisuke blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," Dark traced his fingers lightly over the boy's abdomen. "You win, so you get to pick your prize." He punctuated the word prize by allowing his fingers to traipse dangerously low along the hem of Daisuke's pants.
The younger boy quickly flushed. "I- I don't… Dark!" he whimpered, feeling trapped.
Dark chuckled. "It doesn't have to be something like that, Dai, it can be anything."
"Anything?" Daisuke asked hesitantly.
Dark nodded. "I could clean your room, or I could do your math homework. I could draw you a bath or buy you something…"
"Could you…" the boy began, sheepishly, "Could you do that thing to me… that thing you did earlier?" he flushed, kneading the tails of his shirt between his fingers nervously.
Dark paused a minute before comprehension dawned on him. "Ah, that thing." He smiled. "I could do that."
Dark shifted so that he was kneeling in front of the boy and tilted Daisuke's chin up slightly. He leaned in, brushing his lips softly over the boy's neck, directly below his ear, working his way down the boy's throat. He flicked his tongue out softly then exhaled. Daisuke shivered, reaching out to clutch the front of Dark's shirt.
The older boy pulled away slowly, gazing into Daisuke's eyes. "How's that?" he asked.
"Nnn… yeah…" Daisuke whispered, unable to make his voice louder. He closed his eyes, taking a minute to catch his breath before looking back up. "What other games do you know?" he asked.
"Daisuke Niwa, you Jerk!"
Daisuke was jerked from his memories by a very upset voice. There in front of him, blocking the school gate, stood Riku Harada, her cheeks red with anger.
"You think you can just run off in the middle of a conversation and then ignore me for two days?" she demanded. "Well you've got some nerve! You're gonna answer me once and for all!" she declared. "What's going on between you and D- mmph!"
Daisuke clapped a hand over her mouth. "I'll tell you, I'll tell you!" he hissed. "But not here; in private."
She shoved him away. "Don't touch me. I'm still mad at you."
Daisuke sighed, but lead the way to the bike garage where they would have some privacy. Once there, Daisuke looked around suspiciously, making sure that there was no one around.
"Daisuke?" she asked nervously. "Why are you acting so strange? What's going on?"
"Look," he began, "the thing about Dark is…" He couldn't just tell her. How could he? As far as she was concerned, he was still her boyfriend. How could he just tell her he'd been making out with another man all weekend? His face flushed at the thought. How could he tell anyone that!
"Is what, Daisuke?" she prompted.
Daisuke rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I mean… he…" he cleared his throat. "Dark and I…" are lovers? This was going to be harder than he'd thought.
"Look, Daisuke. I don't know what you're on about, but I'm getting fed up." Tears sprang to her eyes. "I thought you trusted me. What are you hiding? Why are-"
"Oh there you are Riku!"
The girl turned suddenly towards the door, catching site of her twin sister. "Risa!" she hissed, "I'm a little busy…"
The girl looked between Riku and a furiously blushing Daisuke. "Oh… oh OOoooh!" Risa exclaimed with realization. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything but… we need to get to class. We have a presentation first period."
"It's okay." Daisuke said hurriedly. "Go ahead. We'll finish this later."
"But-" Riku protested.
"But nothing!" Risa grabbed her arm. "My grade won't suffer for your macking time." And with that, she proceeded to pull her sister away.
Daisuke had never been more grateful.
He knew he'd have to face her when the time came, but what would he tell her? How could he tell her? "I'm sorry Riku, but I'm in love with another man." "My connection to the Phantom Thief is… well, he's my boyfriend." Daisuke shook his head to clear it. There was no way. No matter what he told her, she was going to freak out. He shifted his bag uncomfortably. He'd have to face her in class as soon as break came. He couldn't just skip class… could he?
Daisuke's mind raced. He'd never cut class on purpose before. Where would he go? What would he do? How long could he hide before someone would realize he was gone? He couldn't just play sick because Riku knew he was there and he wouldn't be able to get the homework! He glanced up, catching site of the wide window ledge outside of the classroom. That was it! Daisuke grinned, impressed by his own prowess. He'd sit outside the window and just listen in to the class! Then he wouldn't have to miss anything, and he wouldn't have to face Riku just yet!
With his plan in mind, Daisuke shimmied up the drain pipe to the closest window ledge and worked his way around the building to his classroom. Once there, he sat down, a little out of breath and wishing he were a third year so that his classroom would be on the ground floor. After regaining his composure, he snuck to the window, forcing it open just a crack and pulled out his notebook. He could see the board and take notes and no one would be the wiser.
The morning classes came and went and Daisuke stretched his legs, knowing he'd have to get down before lunch, or somebody was bound to see him on their way to the cafeteria. Just then, the window yanked open, almost knocking him off his feet in shock.
He spun around and found himself face to face with Satoshi Hiwatari.
"So there you are." Satoshi smiled a bit patronizingly.
"Sa- satoshi!" Daisuke yelped, unsure of what to say, but he was saved the trouble when Satoshi decided to respond first.
"It's true, isn't it Daisuke." He sighed, a hint of sadness in his voice. "You have separated."
"Well… yeah." Daisuke replied nervously. Satoshi had a way of making him feel very off balance, both physically and mentally.
Satoshi gazed at the other boy a moment, observing the blush on his cheeks and across the bridge of his nose. "Meet me on the ground," Satoshi commanded with an air of authority. "We'll go to the A&P for lunch." ((A/N A&P is a convenience store in Japan, kind of like a gas station without gas. They sell all sorts of meat buns and instant noodles and things and usually locate within walking distance of high schools.))
"How…"
"Hm?" Daisuke asked over his bowl of noodles. Satoshi hadn't spoken since they'd met up on the ground, but it was obvious he had wanted to.
The blonde looked up. "You broke the curse, Daisuke… and I can't figure out how. That I could be free of my own curse, I would sacrifice everything, so how did you do it?"
Daisuke took a moment to respond. He wasn't sure how much he should tell, and he wasn't sure how much would even help. "I think…" he began. "That maybe that's why you can't."
Satoshi cocked his head to the side, waiting for an explanation.
"You said," Daisuke set his bowl down. "you said that you would be willing to sacrifice anything to break away from Krad, right?"
Satoshi nodded his agreement. "Anything in the world."
"But maybe that's why you can't." Daisuke finished. "I… wanted to be free too… but not free from Dark, just the curse… and I wasn't willing to sacrifice Dark for my freedom. Maybe that's why it happened. Isn't there something in this world that… you couldn't sacrifice?" he asked. "Something you couldn't live without?" He met Satoshi's eyes with his own imploringly.
Satoshi swallowed hard. You. He thought, but it was too late for that. He looked away, the pain in his heart so great that he feared Daisuke might see it in his eyes. He wanted it… he wanted to be loved. He wanted to be something special to someone. The look in the redhead's eyes when he even thought about the Phantom Thief… it was more than he could bear.
"If you love something… let it go." He finally replied.
"What?" Daisuke asked, confused.
"If you love something," Satoshi repeated. "Let it go. If it comes back to you, it is yours, if it doesn't, it was never meant to be." He stood. "You were able to let him go because… you love him."
"God, that's so unhealthy!" Risa stuck out her tongue as Riku picked a cream puff off the shelf.
"Nothing looked good at school." Riku grumbled in reply. "And I need some comfort food right now." Daisuke hadn't been in class. What had he been trying to tell her? Was he going to… break up with her? She couldn't bear to think about it. It hurt too much. She'd go to his house after school, she decided, and he'd have to tell her. She made her purchase, exiting the store.
"I guess that makes sense."
Was that Daisuke's voice? Riku peeked around the corner of the building. Sure enough, there was Daisuke, talking to a very flustered looking Satoshi. She knew she shouldn't be spying, but she couldn't help it, Daisuke was making her so insecure.
"Do you Daisuke?" Satoshi was asking.
Daisuke flushed.
"Do you love Dark?"
Riku froze. Love Dark! What on earth was he talking about?
"… Yeah." She heard Daisuke reply. "I really do."
She froze. Daisuke… loved Dark? The Phantom Thief Dark?
"You won't go out on the nights he steals, you show up wherever he's just been, Daisuke, what are you hiding from me?"
"Riku… I'm… That is, I mean… you may find it hard to believe, but I…Riku, how would you feel about me if you knew that..."
"Daisuke..." she breathed in shock.
He glanced up, startled. "Riku! How much… what did you hear!"
Tears welled up in the girl's eyes. This couldn't be happening. Daisuke was in love with someone else, another man! Worse, he was in love with Dark! She shook her head, trying to shake the thoughts away, but she couldn't, so she turned and ran. She couldn't face him. It was too humiliating. I thought he loved me. I thought I was special but really, I was just… a cover!
"Riku, wait!" But she didn't stop. Daisuke turned to Satoshi. "I've gotta-" he apologized.
"Go ahead." Satoshi told him. "I understand."
"Thanks!" Daisuke ran off after the girl, leaving Satoshi by himself… almost.
"Stop it." He ordered in an even voice.
Krad was exercising his control over the boy's mental faculties to tap into his kinetic reception. In short, he was mentally caressing Satoshi in a way he had not been given permission.
It would be easy enough for you to be free… he purred, unhappily obeying his tamer. All you have to do… is love me.
"Ha." Satoshi laughed mirthlessly. "You say it as if it were possible."