AN: Thank you to me-myself-and-me, winged nadeshiko, stormshadow13, Suishou Haruka, crizzy-chan and psycho-demyx is hearted, all of whom bothered to review. I would greatly appreciate it if you took the few seconds it took to review. :)

Well now, this was awkward.

Dark stared on as Ryuu hugged his queen – er, enemy. It definitely wasn't right in any way. He felt like throwing a little tantrum. No, forget the tantrum. The knives on the table seemed sharp enough to kill Ryuu.

He cleared his throat – VERY loudly.

Ryuu glanced at him, but he didn't take his arms off Krad. Krad just acted as if she didn't hear anything – still the same bastard.

"Good morning, kaitou." Ryuu replied, smiling.

"Morning. My wife – er, consort – er, I mean, my frenemy?" Dark mentally smacked himself for being so stupid as to stutter.

"Hm? What about her?"

Dark gave Ryuu a are-you-really-that-dense look. Ryuu ignored it, while Krad kept muttering something into Ryuu's clothes. Dark walked over casually.

"Well Ryuu, as a noble, don't you have something ELSE to do?" Dark said through his teeth, trying to pry Krad off Ryuu. He finally managed to make Krad let go.

"Actually, I don't."

"Well, MY queen and I have something to do, so if you don't have anything to do, please leave." Dark snapped.

"Actually, you're the one who does all the flirting, while I do all the work." Krad pointed out bluntly.

Ryuu seemed highly amused. "Flirting?"

"Well, pregnant women shouldn't be socializing with other men!" Dark shot back.

"Could it be that our little kaitou is…jealous?" Ryuu asked, smirking.

"JEALOUS?! HELL NO!!" Dark yelled. "I have other women, and I can't care less if Krad is going to marry you!"

"It's all right Dark. She's very beautiful."

Then Dark made his decision. No way in hell was he ever going to ask Ryuu for help, even if it meant being stuck here forever.

Then Sakura chose to burst in the room and bustle Krad out.

"You should rest, Rin-sama. You'd want to be in perfect health."

"But -!" Krad was pushed out of the room and the door slammed right behind them.

"Our little kaitou has problems, doesn't he?" Ryuu said silkily.

"Problems? What problems?" Dark snapped.

"You're stuck in this painting…with Krad as your wife." Ryuu drawled.

"I'd rather deal with it than ask you for help." Dark replied stubbornly.

"Are you sure? I'll let you out…with only one condition." Ryuu replied, eyes ablaze.

"…."

"I'll give you two months to win Krad's heart. If you can win her by then, you get to bring her back with you. If you fail, she stays…with me."

"…What makes you think I want Krad?"

"Think about it carefully, kaitou. I'll be back tomorrow, and be sure about your answer by then." Ryuu left without further ado.

Dark stared numbly. Maybe he should get some fresh air or something. Sighing, he went out…only to hear the piercing shriek of the Harada girl.

"KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-SAMA!!" She shouted.

"Holy crap." Dark broke into a run back into the castle, instructing the guards to never let a brown haired woman, no matter how pitiful or cute she looked, in. So, fresh air was now out of the question. Maybe he should just lie down and think. He crawled onto his bed and stared at the ceiling.

'Hey, idiot, are you all right?' A voice asked.

'Huh?' Dark looked up sleepily at the shadowy figure.

'Damn drunk thief. What made you go on an all-night drinking palooza anyway? It's…It's not like you.'

'The shame reashon yoooou're heeere – prooooblems.' Dark slurred.

'You don't even know who I am anymore, do you?'

'Who caresh?' Dark replied, gesturing to the seat next to him.

The person heaved a sigh and sat down. A beautiful human girl, wearing clothes that were in fashion at that time, with her blond hair covering her eyes sat down next to him. She propped up her head with one arm and looked at Dark.

'Yoooou're preeeeeeeeetty.' Dark was seriously drunk.

'I wish I wasn't, though.' She murmured. 'So, tell me all about it.'

'I'm in looooooove wiiiiiiith aaaaaaaa huuuuuuumann." Dark answered bitterly. 'Sheeee's dyyyyyying.'

'I see. Well, what are you doing wasting your time here?'

'Huh?'

'If she's dying, you should be with her.'

'Goood ideeeeaaa.' Dark stood up, but nearly stumbled. Luckily, the girl caught him. She was pretty strong for someone so frail.

'You'd want to sober up first.'

'Riiiiiight….'

oOoOo

Dark flew above the park a few months later. His beloved human was dead…But at least he had spent her last moments with her. Then, he saw a blond girl sobbing, her hair tied back into a ponytail. Could it be…? Dark landed and saw that it was the same girl who had helped him.

'Hey, why are you crying?' Dark asked.

The girl just broke into fresh sobs. Dark sat beside her on the bench and hugged her.

'Shhh…'

She turned and began crying on his shirt. They stayed like that until dawn.

'I…Thank you. I forgot to ask, how's your human?'

'She's…dead. But I have no regrets.' He finished, looking at the pretty colors of sunup.

'So you're fine?' She sniffed.

'Yeah…but I think I've found someone else.'

'… I have to go. Really thank you so much.' She pecked him on the cheek. 'But tomorrow…This is the last time you'll see me like this, kaitou.'

Then she ran off. Dark watched her leave. His mystery girl…His beloved mystery girl…He would never see her again, except in his dreams and when he recalled those two fateful nights…His one and only.

Dark woke up to somebody shaking him. He opened his eyes, and for a moment, he saw his beautiful blond… But it was only Krad, looking worried.

"Dark? You were crying in your sleep. I was afraid…" She bit her lip.

Dark knew his cheeks were wet. "I'm fine…" he mumbled.

"Are you sure? Anything wrong?" Krad's face scrunched up. "Did you impregnate the Harada girl?"

"NO!!" Dark shouted.

Krad pouted in response. Then she turned to leave. As she opened the door, she said: "Don't mistake this moment of kindness for love, kaitou. I just feel like…I owe you a favor from that night." She left.

Dark wondered what the hell she was talking about. Then, a light bulb flashed. His blond had never disappeared. She was never gone. She was always there in the guise of another. She was…Krad. The only one who had bothered to ask him about his problems when he was drunk… was the person he had despised for years.

He made a decision. He wasn't leaving without Krad. It was the both of them (with their child) or nothing.