While I Was Away

By: Naru-chan

Disclaimer: I don't own DNAngel!

Naru-chan: Look! Chapter 11! It's finally here!

Dark: Yay!

Satoshi: Big whoop…

Naru-chan: Okay, there's been a lot of confusion, it seems. Let me explain the last chapter. This is VERY IMPORTANT! So, please read!

Dark: Okay, basically, I carry Riku to bed.

Daisuke: Not me!

Dark: And I leave the letter and everything for Riku! Because I want her to be happy and…kinda read the letter.

Daisuke: HEY!

Dark: Shut up! I helped you!

Naru-chan: Many of the fans said that they thought the fic changed and it became Dai/Riku. Well…I already told you before…

Riku: THERE WILL BE ALTERNATE ENDINGS! ONE WHERE I'M WITH DAISUKE AND ONE WHERE I'M WITH DARK!

Naru-chan: Happy:smiles:

Satoshi:sighs: Don't I get a shot at getting Riku?

Risa:smacks him on the head: Shush, you!

Krad: And this chapter has a bit of me! Heh. I rock.

Satoshi: And I get to beat up Dark:smirks:

Dark: THHT!g24tyh0hg$G!

Riku: Sort of…

Daisuke:laughs nervously:

Naru-chan: And guess what? I'm off to China:puts on a traveling hat:

Daisuke: Soon anyway! She'll try to update one more time before than since she'll be gone for four weeks!

Riku: But she'll be back with more interesting experiences!

Naru-chan: Sorry it took so long to update…Life's tough! I'm in one of those situations where someone likes me and I…don't like him that way. GAH! Any advice? Lol But anyway, it's a long chapter! Really, it is! So please enjoy!

Chapter Eleven: Her Smile

Daisuke hesitantly slipped out of the bed. He brushed his hand over the warm sheets once more, just to feel its warmth once more. He let out a long breath. That was when he realized he wasn't in the clothes he had thought he had been in. He was in…pajamas? He felt himself blush as thoughts of how on earth he changed flooded his mind. He hoped…it wasn't Riku…who did it. He nearly fainted again at the though. He groaned and rubbed his hand wearily over his flushed face. He'd have to face everyone eventually. Might as well get breakfast while he was at it, he added in his mind, as he rubbed his growling stomach.

Carefully, he opened the door, only to find Riku standing there, carrying with her in her arms, a stool-like table with a tray of appealing food: jammed, toasted bread, steaming clam chowder, and a long, glass cup of apple cider. Next to all of this, was what looked like medicine. But Daisuke, despite his hunger, noticed none of this, but instead, stared at Riku. Her wide eyes stared back at him in astonishment. Both their faces glowed brightly.

Daisuke took in her lovely caramel hair that glistened in the messy bun she had hurriedly bundled her shoulder-length hair into. She was breath taking, for he could barely breath. Memories burned through his mind at the sight of her. At the same time, doubts and fears did as well, for what if she didn't recognize him? He had the urge to reach out and trace his hand over her soft, perfect face just to make sure this was all real. He wasn't sure how long he could take not touching her…

Meanwhile, she took in how much his face had matured. Last night, though she had done nothing but stare at him, she hadn't taken in his features. His presence had just been too overwhelming for her. His cheeks had shed its baby-like look and reminded her of…him, but she quickly shoved those thought away. His ruby eyes were less wide, but still held all the innocence she loved and cherished about him. His untamed scarlet hair fell in disorder over his pale, yet red, face. She had to look up for he had grown much taller.

They both swallowed nervously. Daisuke, with the sudden realization that he was blocking her way, stumbled backwards, only to bump into the bed. Riku cried out in surprise and concern.

"Are you alright?" She quickly scuttled toward him.

"I-I'm fine," he muttered, self-consciously. He looked up at her and smiled weakly. "I guess, ah, I'm still a bit woozy."

"You shouldn't be up at all," Riku scolded him in a motherly tone. "Hurry and get back under the covers!"

Daisuke couldn't help but laugh. When she demanded that he tell her what was so funny in an embarrassed manner, he apologized, smiling.

"I'm sorry, Riku. It's just that…you looked so cute when you said that, the way you're looking."

"The way…I'm looking…?" she blushed all over again. She was wearing a long skirt and a white sweater. "I'm not…wearing anything flashy. I'm not like…Risa."

"Of course you're not," was his immediate reply as he crawled back into her bed. "Besides, it's hard to move around in the kind of skirts Risa wear. You would never do that to impress anyone unless they really meant a lot to you."

Riku could find no words to say. This was not the Daisuke she remembered…the Daisuke that hadn't even noticed her. She didn't want to ruin anything by saying anything stupid, so bite her tongue from stammering something. She reached over and placed the stool-like table over his lap. He watched her intently with his scarlet orbs.

"W-What is it now?" she inquired, jumping back uneasily and settling in a chair. Every time she felt his gaze she flushed all over again, much to her mortification.

"It's…nothing really," he smiled cheerfully. "I'm just…glad you're here is all. Time to eat!" he said in Japanese before lifting a spoon of clam chowder to his lips. Just the site of his lips made Riku blush all over again. Unwanted thoughts clouded her mind and all he was doing was innocently eating!

"Neh, Riku…" Daisuke said softly. "It's Christmas today, isn't it?"

"H…hai," she consented. The teddy bear flowed back into her mind. It was so familiar, yet…she still couldn't place her finger on where it had come from exactly. Then it came to her. The present she had bought for him. But oh, how would she give it to him? He would know that she had been thinking of him this whole time, wouldn't he? But…he had traveled so far to see her and to bring her a gift as well… She had to gather her courage and give it to him. "Actually, Daisuke, I…I have a present for you!"

Too stunned to respond, he could only watch her through his ruby spheres. She rushed over to a closet that was a mess and kneeled down to rummage through the piles of bags she had carelessly thrown in before. Her face glowed with humiliation, knowing that Daisuke was seeing this.

So she quickly grabbed the bag containing the paint set and closed the closet door hurriedly. She paused, however, when the sight of the bag brought back memories of the day Dark had stormed into the same exact room and demanded who the gift was for…but she shoved those memories in the back of her mind, ignoring the slight tug at her heart. She turned, slowly now; hiding the bag behind her back, and hesitantly came back near the bed, where Daisuke waited for her.

"M…Merry Christmas!" She swiftly put the bag in front of his flabbergasted face.

"T…Thank you," he smiled, in his sincere manner, taking the bag from her hands. His eyes widened as he took out his gift. He swallowed hard and loudly. "R…Riku, this is too much! I recognize this brand…! This set must have cost a fortune! I can't accept this!"

"Y…You're going to have to," she answered, feeling her blush more, but contentedly this time. Daisuke was pleased with his gift, and he was only being polite by saying that he couldn't take it. This was why she had feelings for him. Inside, a part of her let out a sigh of relief. Her Daisuke was still the same; same in the parts she had loved. "I'm not taking it back!"

"Wow," he laughed slightly, still astonished. "I…oh my god!" he suddenly cried, nearly choking on the bread he was in the middle of eating.

"Are you okay?" she screamed, rushing to his side.

"F…Fine," he croaked. He turned and met her eyes with his clouded ones. She was so close… "It's just…I…for you…"

"I…" Riku started. "I…got your present if that's what you're asking."

"And…the letter? What are your thoughts…?"

"I…" she closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind as his scent washed over her. This was Daisuke, her first, innocent love. The one who had broke her heart…and yet… "I agree. I want to get to know you again. I want to…spend time with you. And then…I want to know what you want to tell me."

"You want to…get to know me," he repeated softly. But she didn't mention…so what did that mean? But the way she was looking at him…he could only think one thing. It was now or never. It was not as if he would be in Paris forever… Feeling a sense of numb coolness wash over him, he reached out and wrapped his arms around her slim body, much to her surprise. He buried his face in her caramel locks and could only feel his heart sing. He whispered gently, "I'm so…happy…"

Riku took in his familiar scent again. But all she could concentrate on was the snow falling outside.

"Me too…"

There was a knock and the door and the two separated so rapidly, it was almost as their touch burned. They both tried to hide their red, nearly guilty faces. Daisuke took a gulp of juice before he called, "C-Come in!"

"It's…me," Risa said, poking her head through the door. She glanced between the pair. She hadn't wanted to disrupt them…not really, anyway. "Is…Is it okay if I come in?"

"Of course," Daisuke smiled brightly as some of the color began to fade away from his face. He felt his heart calm. Seeing Risa didn't make his heart speed up, unlike with Riku. It was funny to him, sometimes, since it used to be the opposite.

Risa smiled, feeling her spirits lift slightly. No matter what, Daisuke was always willing to welcome her, even though he no longer carried more feelings than friendship toward her. As she walked toward her good friend, she glanced at Riku with a lingering feeling of envy, but quickly looked away before Riku read her like than open book. She stood on the other side of the bed, the opposite side of Riku. Risa frowned; her face etched with worry, and pressed her cool hand over Daisuke's forehead.

"Are you feeling better how?"

"Mmm, Risa. I'm fine," he smiled. He laughed slightly. He took a quick look toward his love before returning his gaze to his old love. "Riku is taking good care of me."

Risa smiled back at him tenderly. She knew how much this all meant to him. Also, his last comment meant that Riku wasn't trying to push him aside and that there was still a chance that she would return his feelings. Risa, as unintelligent as she seemed at times, understood all of this. Still she couldn't stop her feelings for Daisuke.

"That's great. Don't push yourself too hard… Anyway, Merry Christmas! When you feel better, I'll give you your gift." Here, she paused before a smirk appeared on her face. "I see that you've already received one. I'll just leave you two love birds alone!" she sang as she laughed on her way out, for the two blushed as scarlet as her crimson sweater she wore. She winked at Daisuke before she shut the door.

"D-Don't mind her," Daisuke managed after a moment.

"Yeah! I forgot how silly Risa can be at times," Riku added, trying to lighten the mood by changing the subject. She pressed a hand over her heart, trying to calm herself down, for just the thought of being, even mistaken, as a couple with Daisuke sent her pulse racing.

"But you know," he grinned, unknowingly reminding Riku of Dark. "Your gift is so special. I'll cherish it always."

"I-It's nothing, really," she smiled. The way Daisuke spoke of the painting set just warmed up her heart. So did the thought of the bear.

He felt the breath escape him. Her smile was so bright. Her eyes glistened with warmth and happiness… His heart ached. He longed to see that smile always. He wished to keep it with him always by capturing the timeless moment.

"Actually…I have a favor to ask you."

"Hmmm?" she blinked blankly.

"I want to paint a portrait…" his face began to blush again and as he leaned toward her, he was looking at her with such serious eyes.

"A portrait…?" she echoed.

"I want to paint a portrait of Riku."

"How are you feeling?" Satoshi asked, his voice full of anxiety. Even though he wanted Risa to love him back, it wasn't as if he didn't care that she was hurt over Daisuke. He weaved his arm around her, in his own subtle way of soothing her.

"I'm fine," she answered, smiling gratefully. She reached up and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I'm going to do what I have to, but I'll find a way to get this whole thing to disappear."

"Hey, what are you two lovers whispering to each other?" Takeshi groaned annoyingly. He, as indolent as always, was spread across the coach with a bored look on his face. He muttered under his breath about how he could be at home, scooping out stories about new couples. He flicked aside some stray decorations for the festive day dejectedly.

"Oh, shut up, you," Risa cried with dignity, as she slapped his on the head.

"Ow! That hurt!"

"You guys are here already?" Mio asked in French, popping her head out from her room. She received blank looks from Risa and Takeshi, but a slight bored one from Satoshi.

"Oui, Mademoiselle," Satoshi replied, much to the surprise of Risa. He continued on in French. "I hope we did not disturb you. Mademoiselle Riku, ma copain, (my friend) let us in."

"Oh, not at all," she smiled in return. This stunned Satoshi to some extent, for he was used to girls blushing and stuttering around him. Mio, however, was far too used to handsome men, such as Dark and Krad to be phased at the least. After a moment, she decided to be gregarious toward Riku's friends, for they had traveled a far way just to visit Riku. She switched to Japanese, and thought to herself it was a good thing Dark had taught her a long time ago. "Merry Christmas, all of you!"

"M-Merry Christmas," Risa managed, once again thrown off by Mio's change of language.

"Your friend…" here Mio halted briefly, trying to remember his name, "Daisuke. He is feeling better, yes?"

"Y-Yes," Takeshi spoke up. He was looking at Mio with hearts in his eyes. To him, her blonde hair was shinier than gold. She was so…cute! He felt color rise into his face when she aimed a smile toward him.

"You will join us tonight, yes? We're having a party and a sort of festival at our school. The school that Riku goes to," Mio supplied in case they didn't know. She was now looking at Satoshi, much to Risa's discomfort. "It's going to be very fun. There will be many cultures there for our school is rather diverse and takes students from all around the world."

"That's…nice," Satoshi managed. He wasn't used to talking openly with anyone aside from Risa, but Mio sparked some interest in him. Still, he couldn't help but feel rather suspicious. "We'll see if Daisuke's up for it before we make any final decisions, however."

"Of course," Mio laughed. Takeshi, at this point, was a mere puddle at her feet. The sound of her laughter rang like voices of angels singing gaily in his ear. She slid her eyes from Satoshi to Risa and back. As if a light bulb lit up on top of her head, she smiled. "You two…are a couple?"

"Ah! Y-Yes," Risa nodded shyly, feeling color flood her embarrassed face.

Satoshi, with his breath caught in his throat, turned to her and smiled warmly. At least Risa was trying. He averted his gaze back to Mio. "Yes."

"That's so lovely," Mio sighed with a smile still. There was a wistful whimsical tone in her voice. "You two look like one of those couples from a novel. It's so charming!"

Risa blushed deeply and stole a glance at Satoshi, who was looking away. Much to her surprise, his face was a tinted pink. He was blushing too! Inside, she giggled and slowly took his hand in hers. He looks at her sharply, and she smiled in response. This made Satoshi's lips curve up slightly, which was a huge smile for him.

Mio, who had been taking this all in, slowly smiled. "Well, I must be off now."

"Where are you going?" Takeshi, who had taken one of her hands, stared up at her adoringly, like a puppy. "May I come?"

"I'm sorry, I'm visiting someone," she informed him while patting him on the head and taking her other hand away from his. She smiled before continuing; "I'll see you all during the party I hope. Perhaps Sabrina and Krad shall come and entertain you."

With this, she crossed the room and picked up a bouquet of flawless, snowy lilies. On her other shoulder, she slung on her purse. All three watched her as she left the room; for some strange reason, none of them could speak. Then, suddenly out of the blue, the door squeaked opened.

"Hello…?" a gruff voice asked awkwardly. Then the door crept open to reveal Krad; he wore a white shirt with a black stripe through the middle and tanned slacks; his golden hair pulled back into a ponytail but one long bang frame his snowy face. A familiar frowned graced it, but it deepened at the site in front of him.

Sabrina held onto his arm, contrasting with her love. Her raven hair was knotted into a Chinese-style bun, with golden chopsticks sticking out of it. Her long bangs flowed freely over her shoulder less pitch-black dress, made by Riku. It was elaborated with lace and embroidered gold roses and veins across it. To cover her soft shoulders was a matching, small coat that only connected at her neck, where it ruffled up. Her rosy lips curved into a mysterious and welcoming smile.

"Hi there," Sabrina greeted them with a rather broken Japanese accent.

"H-Hi," Risa answered, bowing in a flustered manner. "A p-pleasure to meet you…!"

"Mmm," groaned Krad. For some reason, he didn't like the way the blue-headed boy was staring – more like glaring at him. This only aggravated Krad, yet at the same time it made him feel an odd sensation of smugness.

Satoshi couldn't help but glare icily at Krad with burning eyes. For some unknown reason the blonde boy's presence made him uneasy. It was a sense of instant dislike.

"W-What's wrong?" Risa whispered to Satoshi in concern, squeezing his hand as his tightened slightly over hers. He turned and blinked as he met her pools of chocolate. Instantly his grip loosened and his eyes cooled and warmed. Whatever amount of hatred melted from his body.

"Nothing's wrong," he answered her softly. He turned back to the pair at the door and nodded his head slightly. At this Sabrina's smile widened and Krad's smirk ebbed away to a slight grin. "Pleased to meet you."

"Same here," Sabrina laughed. "I'm Sabrina and this moody man beside me is called Krad. You are all Riku's friends, oui? We just saw Mio leave. She told us to come meet you all."

They all nodded. Soon everyone was sitting and chatting, getting to know each other. Even Krad and Satoshi began to get along, though every once in a while Krad felt like hugging the boy, just to annoy him. Risa and Sabrina talked away as if they'd been best friends their whole lives.

"So, Satoshi's your boyfriend, right?"

"Mmm," Risa nodded shyly, but smiled cutely. "And Krad's yours, right?"

"You could call him that," was the reply she got as Sabrina leaned on Krad's shoulder. "I've known him since as long as I can remember."

"How'd you two get together?" Risa asked eagerly, always willing to listen to some juicy gossip or romantic story.

"Wellllllll," Sabrina began.

"D-Don't tell!" Krad demanded, instantly turning an embarrassed red.

"This sounds…interesting." Now it was Satoshi's turn to smirk. He rested his cheek in his hand and his sapphire eyes narrowed with amusement at the blonde. "Do tell."

"You-!" Krad growled.

"Hush," Sabrina ordered, her eyes clouding with sadness, "it's nothing to be embarrassed about. Unless you're ashamed of loving me…"

"Of course not!" Krad answered instantly. He sighed in defeat. "Fine, just tell them…"

"I thought so," she giggled before turning back the enthusiastic group in front of her. "Well, as I was saying…I've known Krad since I was little. And the thing was, he always had a crush on me!"

"Awww!" Risa sighed happily. Satoshi coughed loudly behind his hand, while smirking.

"But the thing was, I never noticed," Sabrina chuckled a bit, sticking out her tongue. "He tried telling me before, but I never understood what he meant. He would start by saying 'I like…' and I would answer, 'You like what?' and then he'd say, 'I like…you know.' I would have no idea what he was saying and sometimes it'd take hours before he gave up and just ran away, blushing."

"HAHAHA!" Takeshi laughed heartily while the other two tried to hide their laughter.

"S-Shut up!" Krad cried, furiously blushing. "It's not my fault she was so dense…"

"Anyway, this continued until about…how long was it ago?" here Sabrina paused and tapped her finger against her chin. "Well anyway…had it not been for a dear friend of ours, I would never have realized anything. This friend loved Krad, but saw that he loved me. She confessed to me her feelings toward him and I felt confused. She then smiled and told me to open my eyes to what was there and that we were meant to me, so stop being so silly and naive. Krad then finally really confessed to me and I found I returned his feelings and we've been inseparable since."

At this moment, she looked up into Krad's eyes and they both smiled warmly. Their eyes shined of pure, undying love. Risa stared at them and her heart clenched painfully.

Would she ever feel that way?

During all of this, everyone was so focused on Sabrina and Krad, they didn't notice someone slip by.

"I want to paint a portrait of Riku."

"A-AH!" she gasped, color instantly flooding her face. She didn't know what to say. Her heart couldn't stop beating against her chest. Luckily, she didn't need to.

"Hi there!" came a cheerful voice that only made Riku feel twice as much palpitation.

"D-Dark!" both Daisuke and Riku exclaimed in surprise at the same time.

"W-What are you doing here?" Daisuke inquired, coughing.

"I could ask you the same," Dark grinned. He walked across the room until he was on the other side of the bed, the opposite of Riku. Then he leaned over Daisuke with an evil smile. "C-o-u-s-i-n."

"Y-You two are cousins?" she demanded, utterly lost.

"Y-Yes," Daisuke laughed nervously. "I haven't seen you in a long time, Dark. How long has it been since you moved away? Wiz is still doing well, if you wanted to know. Still eating all the strawberries he can get his paws on."

"Heh, I bet he still likes me more too," Dark laughed.

Riku was speechless. She didn't know what to do or say! Dark and Daisuke…were cousins! That would explain the red eyes…! And now that they were so close together, she could totally see the resemblance. Quickly, she got up from her chair and stumbled across the room.

"Y-You two look like you have a lot of catching up to do," she laughed uneasily. "So I'll just be going now!"

"Ah…" Daisuke uttered, but she had already escaped through the door. There was a moment of silence between the remaining pair.

"So…" Dark began, but drifted off. He leaned against a nearby wall, not looking at Daisuke.

"So…" Daisuke echoed.

They were both lost in their own thoughts. Daisuke knew Riku had kissed Dark, and Dark knew Daisuke obviously didn't just want to be friends with Riku.

"So you…you and Riku have been getting along," Daisuke stated in a semi-cheerful manner.

"Yeah…you could say that, and you two…knew each other." Dark now was examining his shoes.

"Oh, yeah, you could say that…"

After another awkward pause, they both let out a long sigh.

"Look…we both know, don't we?"

"Yeah, we do," Dark nodded.

"Want to share…?"

"…Yeah…"

"I want to paint a portrait…"

"A portrait…?"

"I want to paint a portrait of Riku."

"Whatcha doing?" Risa's voice asked, causing Riku to jump up, startled.

"N-Nothing!" Riku answered, covering her red face. She had been leaning against the door of her room. Not that she was trying to listen to what was inside (she couldn't hear a word), but for some reason, all she could think about was what Daisuke said. Of course… seeing Dark just then didn't help her at all. How could Dark be okay with her talking to Daisuke? But then again…just how much did Dark know anyway.

"You don't look like you're doing nothing…" Risa said suspiciously. She eyed her older twin.

"The…the party! Yes, I need to prepare for the festival!" Riku improvised. "I just can't stop thinking about it!"

"Right," Risa answered sarcastically while she, out of habit, flicked some of her long, brunette hair over her shoulder.

"Wait…but how long are you guys staying?" Riku suddenly asked. She had just realized that they had rented a place a hotel not too far from the apartment plaza.

"For a few weeks. We only have until winter break is over," Risa explained. She watched as Riku glanced away, surely thinking of just how long she could be with Daisuke. "But…it wouldn't hurt if…once in a while you came and visited us. Everyone at home misses you…"

"They…do?"

"Of course! You were so popular in school," Risa smiled warmly. "Who can forget all your lecturing?"

"Hey!" Riku laughed while waving her fist as if she were threatening Risa, who duked away, also laughing.

"Hey yourself," came a laugh behind her.

"D-DARK!" Riku choked, quickly jumping a few feet away.

"What am I, a monster?" he looked at her with an arched eyebrow.

"No, but you're a pervert! Sneaking up on a girl like that…!" Riku answered angrily.

"Now, now, love, no need for that," he smiled, making Riku's pulse speed up. "Come on. Let's go out for a walk."

"A walk…?" she asked skeptically.

"Oh come on! It's not like I'm going to jump you!" Dark cried, exasperated. "Besides, I want to show you something before the festival and the after party and the party after the after party!"

"So many parties…" Risa laughed.

"Oh my, and who's this?" Dark asked, now noticing Risa. He turned on the charm and smiled at her, making her blush. "Surely this wonderful maiden has a name? Or is she not a mortal, but a goddess from above, sent here to grace us with her presence?"

Once the last word was uttered, Riku's fist solidly contacted with his right cheek while Satoshi's met Dark's left cheek. He had wrapped a protective arm around Risa, who gasped at how much emotion he was showing.

"She's mine," Satoshi smirked at Dark.

"You perv!" Riku growled at Dark. She turned away and marched off, dragging Dark with her. "Sorry Satoshi." Then she glared at the purple-head and added bitingly, "I'll just take out the garbage!"

"All I did was compliment her!" whined Dark. He rubbed his stinging cheeks while sniffing dramatically.

"You were trying to seduce her, that's what!" huffed Riku. She pulled him to his feet and sighed. "Come on. Now that you've had your little fun, show me what you wanted to."

This was actually a very good thing for Riku. It was an opening. There was many things she wanted to discuss with him…and there was no better time than the present.

Dark blinked a few times, surprised before he smiled a sincere smile. Riku swallowed hard. It looked like Daisuke's smile. Though her face flushed, she smiled back. This made his eyes soften. One thought flew through his mind…As long as she's happy…

"I'm glad you want to see it," he said gently. He put his arm around her shoulder, for it was snowing outside. "Actually…it's more like there's someone I want you to meet…"

Naru-chan: What do you think? Please review!

Dark: Yes! Please!

Daisuke: We're wondering just who's till reading this fic…Naru-chan wants to know all her efforts are not for nothing.

Riku: So please Review! And remember, ALTERNATE ENDINGS!

Naru-chan: Please review! And reading the beginning is important sometimes!