-scene-

Daisuke whistled to himself distractedly, strolling to the dressing rooms to re-hang the half-finished costumes. All in all, it hadn't been a bad day. There had been a few bumps, but things had gone off considerably well.

"It's probably Satoshi!"

He paused at the girl's dressing room. He hadn't expected anyone to be there. He flushed. It didn't feel right to just barge in. Maybe he'd wait until they came out and just hand them the costumes. Yah, he decided, that's what he'd do. He leaned against the wall, shifting his feet and trying not to eavesdrop, that is, until he heard,

"-giggle- Then I bet he'll really be enjoying this play!"

"I know! -squeal- Can you imagine it? Do you really think Daisuke left Riku for Satoshi?"

"Well, they do spend a lot of time together…"

"Do you think they've…?"

"Well,"

Daisuke flushed, his eyes widening in shock. They were talking about him! Him and Satoshi, no less! He could feel the blood tingling in his cheeks. He was so embarrassed he wasn't sure what to do. He hadn't expected Riku to tell anyone about his little confession, let alone for them to be talking about it, speculating about it! And Satoshi! He blanched. And the things they were insinuating! He hadn't even done those things with-

"Dark."

He blinked, snapping out of his reverie.

"Well, he wouldn't." Risa's voice was saying in a very self-satisfied way. "It's just too bad for my sister. I mean, Daisuke's a nice boy. Too nice." That brought about another fit of giggles from the girls. "But with a man like Dark, you wouldn't have to worry about things like that."

Things like what? Daisuke wondered, but Risa went on to explain.

"I'm saying, Dark is the type of man that a woman can really rely on, you know? He'd never leave the woman he loved, especially not for another man."

Daisuke could hear the haughty overtones in her voice and it made him burn.

"He doesn't have those kind of weaknesses."

The redhead could feel his fist tightening around the wad of fabric in his hand.

"And that's why we'll be so happy together. I'm going to see him tonight. We have plans." She rolled the word in a very presumptuous way, making Daisuke's hackles rise even further. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. They were sitting there, talking about him and his personal life as if it were their business! And Risa! He could feel his teeth grinding and he didn't care. Who did she think she was to talk about Dark like that; like she knew him? Like she knew anything about him! Who was she to claim to be perfect for him, to talk about his strengths or weaknesses to talk about his… plans… Daisuke deflated, suddenly nervous, unsure. What sort of plans would Dark have made with her, and why hadn't he said anything to Daisuke? He swallowed, his throat suddenly tight.

Just then, he heard the door open. They were coming out! He couldn't let them know he'd heard them talking! He ducked quickly into the boy's dressing room, shutting the door behind him and waited until they passed. He set the costumes down slowly and peered out of the room before being satisfied that the coast was clear. Maybe he'd ask Dark about it… or maybe he'd just see for himself…

-scene-

Dark ran his fingers through his hair nervously. Normally, he wouldn't get this worked up about a theft, but tonight was different. He sighed loudly. Well, he decided, he wasn't going to get any more ready than this. He spun around and jumped. There was Daisuke, right behind him. "Dai!" he yelped. "Wow, you're getting good at that!" he grinned, wrapping his arms around the younger man.

Daisuke hugged him back, but Dark couldn't help but notice that it seemed a little stiff. "What's up, baby?" he asked. "You okay?"

"What? Yah," Daisuke replied in a clipped manner. "Um… but.." he shifted slightly.

"But what?" Dark asked, hesitantly.

"I um… I wanna go… tonight."

"Go?" Dark asked. "To the museum?"

Daisuke nodded.

"Dai…" the older man protested feebly. "We talked about that-"

The cinnamon haired boy shook his head quickly. "No, I mean, I wanna go to watch. My… all my friends are going and I thought, well… it'd be a chance to seem normal, y'no? They all wonder why I don't go to your theft's and…" he shrugged. "Well, I'm gonna go."

Dark paused, realizing that Daisuke wasn't asking his permission. "Um, Dai… er… tonight's not… I mean, it won't be anything spectacular, it's just…"

Daisuke stiffened slightly. So the man was hiding something from him. "I'm going." He replied evenly, a steely glint in his eyes. Then a little more unsure, "I want to go."

Dark thought a moment then sighed, there was no getting around it, Daisuke would find out soon enough anyway. "Alright," he replied. "But I love you, be careful."

Daisuke swallowed, nodding. He hated being like that… suspicious. He knew what Dark said was true, but he just needed to know what Dark was hiding from him, what he felt he couldn't trust Daisuke with.

-scene-

The sun had quickly set and just as quickly, a crowd had gathered outside of the museum. After a long hiatus, another note had finally been received. The police were out in full force, swarming the old, marble building, surrounded by a ring of reporters and spectators. After what seemed like far too long, the city's favorite celebrity was about to give them a show.

"I can't believe you fianally came with us!" Takeshi crowed. "We've only been trying to get you to for, what? A year!"

"Well it only makes sense that he should come." Yumi replied, pushing her glasses up on the bridge of her nose. "He owes it to his public to do a little research." She sighed. "But really, Satoshi should be here. If he's going to play Dark, he really should at least watch."

Daisuke shifted his feet, glancing up to the tall building. He was sure Satoshi was watching.

-scene-

The blonde haired man hooked his fingers lightly under the metal console, sliding off the cover and setting his gently on the floor. Once the wires were exposed, it was a lot easier to work on cracking the security device. Damn… he thought, Daisuke was a lot better at things like this. Sure, he had the natural talent, but Dai had the skill. The boy had trained his whole life for things like this, and Dark had usually just relied on Daisuke to pull him through. He looped his pinky under a red wire, considering. Usually, this would be the one, but the system was more complex than most of the alarms he was used to.

Part of him wondered why he really bothered. Alarm or not, Satoshi would be there waiting, but then again, it could be a trap, and that was something he wasn't willing to risk, not now, not with all of his dreams falling into place.

He examined the wiring a little more closely, trying to imagine what Daisuke would do in such a situation. Finally, he lifted a black, ground wire and cut through it. There was a slight pop and the door slid open. He grinned. Piece of cake. But apparently not, as he felt a gun press to his temple. "Damn." He breathed. "I didn't think you'd resort to something so military."

Satoshi grinned, lowering the weapon. "I didn't recognize you." He replied. "Trying to appeal to a younger generation?"

Dark grinned. It was a deliberate jab, not only at his teeny-bopper fan base, but also his pedateric relationship with Daisuke. "Whatever works." He replied. "So you've decided not to shoot me?" he smirked.

"Daisuke doesn't deserve that," the younger man replied. "But I will stop you."

"I doubt that." Dark returned. "Not without the help of your little pet."

Satoshi frowned. "I don't need him."

"That's fine." Dark replied. "I'm just letting you know that you won't stop me alone… not that he could either."

"Don't underestimate me." Satoshi returned.

"I don't." Dark replied. "My estimations are usually right on."

The brawl started with a growl.

-scene-

By the end of it, Dark had to admit that maybe he had underestimated the boy, but just a little.

Panting and out of breath, he leaned in the doorway for support, the necklace now safely in his satchel. "You did well." He remarked to the boy sprawled on the floor. "But I'm still taking this." He patted the satchel, leaping from the window.

Satoshi lay panting a moment longer before punching his fist into the floor. If it weren't for the extra energy he'd been exerting to control himself, he'd have had Dark this time.

-scene-

Daisuke found that he really was enjoying himself. He'd missed just being a kid, hanging out with his friends. It was an experience he hadn't been able to enjoy since Dark had become a part of his life, not that he regretted it!

He caught sight of Risa out of the corner of his eye. She was making her way to the back of the museum. So it was about time. He glanced around quickly to make sure that no one was paying attention before following her.

Daisuke was suddenly very grateful for his thief training as he shimmied behind a bush, keeping a safe distance from Risa, but close enough that he could hear. He began to wonder what sort of meeting this was to be, but he didn't have to wait long as he caught sight of Dark approaching the girl from around the building.

"You dyed your hair…" she smiled.

He nodded. "Mmhm."

"Oh Dark, I…" she glanced to her feet. "I'm really glad you wanted to see me."

Daisuke could see the older man take a breath.

"Risa… It's about time that you knew something… about my love."

Daisuke froze, gritting his teeth, hating the stupid, hopeful look on the girl's face!

"Dark, are you saying..?" she smiled demurely.

He shifted. "It's hard for me to express what I'm feeling." He told her. "I'm not very good with my emotions around most people."

"That's alright," she purred. "I understand."

He shook his head. "I don't think you do."

She looked up to him, puzzled, waiting for him to continue.

"Around the person I love, I get choked up with my emotions," he explained. "I lose the ability to be as… effusive as I would like to." He smiled charmingly.

Too charmingly. Daisuke lamented from his vantage point in the bushes.

"You don't have to explain to me, Dark." Risa offered with a shy smile.

"Yes, I do." He replied, "Because I think you've got your head filled with some silly notions about us being together."

"Huh?" she and Daisuke uttered in unison before Daisuke could clap a hand over his mouth.

A slight smile twitched at the corner of Dark's lips. "Risa… I really hate to disillusion you, but… there's someone else in my life."

Daisuke could feel his cheeks burning. Oh you rat… he scolded himself. So this was the type of meeting that Dark had had planned.

"What… what do you mean?" Risa whimpered. "I… I've been here, I've been in love with you for so long! How could somebody else… how could you love some other girl?"

"I couldn't." he replied evenly. "But then, I never said I did."

She blinked, puzzled. "Yes you did!" she protested. "You just said you loved another girl!"

"No." he replied, strolling languidly towards the bushes. "I said I loved somebody else." With that, he plunged his hand into the bushes, puling Daisuke up by his shirt-collar.

"Eep!" the redhead exclaimed. "How did you know I was there!"

"I always know where you are." Dark replied with a smile, brushing his knuckles lightly over the boy's face before leaning in to steal a quick, passionate kiss.

Daisuke could feel his cheeks burning, but he gave in anyway, too relieved to be upset.

"You see?" Dark replied, turning back to Risa after a moment. "There was never anything between us, Risa. It's always been Daisuke."

The younger boy flushed, kneading the material of his shirt between his thumbs.

Risa shook her head, opening and closing her mouth silently. "How… how could you do this to me?"

"I didn't do anything to you." The older man replied evenly. "You imagined I was something I wasn't. You got too caught up in your own fantasies. You did this to yourself."

"You…" she stammered. "You're spiteful! You're aweful! You lead me on!"

"I tolerated you." He replied, "I never pretended to like you."

"Dark!" Daisuke scolded.

The older man glanced down, surprised. "Dai…"

"Don't talk to her like that!" Daisuke reprimanded him. "Her feelings are as valid as yours or mine, and it's mean the way you're talking!"

"I don't need you to stand up for me!" Risa shouted, angry tears streaming down her face. "You made a fool of me, Daisuke! And you made a fool of my sister! You're horrible! Don't try to act like you're my friend now!"

Daisuke blinked. "Risa, I… I never wanted you to get hurt."

"Don't give me that! You knew! You knew how I felt about Dark and you just let me go on believing there was a chance when you knew!"

"Risa I… It isn't easy for me to… I mean, you were making fun of me!" he shouted back. "You and the other girls! You think the way I feel is funny! How could I tell you about this!"

"I never-" she protested.

"I heard you!" he cut her off. "I heard you making fun of me in the dressing room…"

She paused. "Well…" she took a step back, caught off her guard. "You… You shouldn't be with him, it's wrong!"

"No it's not." He retorted strongly. "If you really think so, then you don't know the first thing about love." He reached down, slipping his hand into Dark's. "Don't say you love Dark. Don't insult the word like that. You don't even know what love is."

She balled her fists tightly. "I hate you!" she screamed before turning to run off into the night.

Daisuke stared after her for a minute and his heart twisted painfully. "I didn't want to hurt her feelings…" he said quietly.

Dark gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Neither did I, baby… but sometimes, that's how it is."

They stood in silence a minute before Dark spoke again. "You didn't trust me," he accused with a smile.

"What! I did!" Daisuke protested.

"Oh? Then why did you follow her?"

Daisuke flushed. "'Cause I was curious." He replied. "I just… I wanted to know what you were going to say to her. I know you love me. I really do!" he looked up, desperately wanting Dark to believe him. "I-"

"Shhh," Dark chuckled, silencing Daisuke's excuse with a quick kiss. "I was teasing."

"Ah." Daisuke replied. "Jerk."

"Mmm, yah. Let's go home." Dark replied.

-scene-

"New bed." Daisuke commented, staring at the new frame in his room. It was a beautiful, oaken frame with a queen-sized mattress. "Big…"

Dark sat on the edge tentatively, then grinned. "It doesn't squeak." He commented with a lecherous waggle of his eyebrows.

Daisuke flushed at the implication, but refrained from comment as any protest he made would be of a contrasting opinion to the ache in his loins.

Dark grinned. "Want me to do what I did this morning?" he offered in a sultry voice.

Daisuke took a deep breath, approaching the bed, standing between Dark's knees and shook his head slowly. "No…" he replied quietly.

"No?" Dark repeated, caught off guard.

Slowly, and as though he'd been rehearsing it in his mind a thousand times, the younger man slid to his knees, glancing up to the older man. "I… wanna try something different."

In a very rare moment of surprise, Dark felt his own cheeks flush. "Dai… are you saying..?"

Daisuke chewed his lower lip nervously. "Nn-hn." He replied. "I want to do this. I want to make you feel like you make me feel."

"Dai… you sure?" he asked.

"Yah." Daisuke replied quietly. "But you gotta um… you have to unzip them." He indicated Dark's trousers, embarrassment evident in the color of his cheeks.

Dark nodded, doing as the boy instructed, drawing the zipper down slowly, feeling oddly shy about exposing himself to the boy like that, not that he hadn't before.

Daisuke took a deep breath, hesitating. "I… I might not be any good." He apologized. "So don't… don't be disappointed or anything."

"If you don't want to…" Dark offered.
"I'm going to." The redhead replied firmly. Taking only a moment longer to steady his resolve, he slid his hands to the older man's hips, leaning forward to the task.

Dark gasped sharply at the touch. Already, his heart was pounding in his throat. It didn't seem real, and he was almost terrified it wasn't. The boy's mouth was hot and soft, dangerously more so than he had expected. He groaned deep, suddenly and unexpected. If this kept up, it wouldn't matter if the bed squeaked or not!

"Dai," he protested with a throaty growl. "I… I'm not gonna be able to-"

Daisuke pulled away momentarily, panting heavily. "It doesn't matter." He replied breathily. "I don't care."

"Wha-?"

"I don't care if they hear." He ran his tongue lightly over his bottom lip before returning to the task.

Dear god… Dark thought, leaning back on his elbows. He made an effort to control his groans at first, but eventually gave in, giving himself over to the passion. He could feel his muscles tightening in response to the younger boy's expert attentions. His lower stomach was aching with the strain of holding back. He felt a shock of pleasure travel up his body and he grabbed the boy's chin, yanking him away suddenly. "Dai- pant- wait." He swallowed thickly. "You won't like that, trust me. I'll finish, alright?"

Daisuke blushed, unsure. "Was I… doing it wrong?" he asked innocently.

"No, god no." Dark replied. "You're fucking amazing, but baby, trust me on this one." With that, he stood quickly, jerking his pants up and making a hasty exit for the bathroom.

-scene-

The blonde haired man gripped the edge of the sink to steady himself, grunting as he finished the task, sighing deeply. Shit. He thought, cleaning up. There is no way the kid is that good!