Archive of Our Own

It had been two months now since the destruction of Hel, since Dark had almost been killed at her hands, and since Krad had taken a life. Life had continued. It always did.

But in a way, it hadn't. Not in some areas. In small, hidden recesses of Krad's mind the time wasn't going forward, it also wasn't standing still. He was flashing back through three centuries of a torturous existence.

And he was doing it alone.

Satoshi had thrown himself into work. He was designing electronic security for special purposes, be it a single piece of valuable work or a whole building, and it was taking up all his time and thinking to keep himself in a business that didn't suffer failure well. Satoshi usually only tested existing security for weaknesses and leaks, but Dark had told him he could make a dime or two revamping those crappy systems, too. With Dark's help he had redesigned old blueprints and he had convinced a major company to give him a chance on a small scale. If this worked out, he'd get one whopper of a contract.

Daisuke had healed and his ribs were back to normal. He had thrown himself into his studies, spending days in the library, research facilities, and visiting museums with art work he needed for his doctoral thesis. Dark was always with him, happy within the ancient halls and looking at art that wasn't Hikari. Like his host he liked the intricate works, the love and devotion put into a piece that was now centuries or decades old, and sometimes, while Daisuke was pouring over books in the dead of night, the kaitou just wandered around the dark halls, gazing at the museum pieces.

He never touched anything, nor stole it.

Krad had kept himself occupied with something else, but it had proven to be more of a nightmare than even Hel, if that was at all possible.

Hiwatari Kei's laptop.

The man who had married Hikari Riu.

She had been so much older than him, alone with a child of only four. He had been enthralled by her beauty and he had fallen in love. The marriage had happened not much later and Satoshi had quickly taken to his step-father -- until the Hikari art had started to influence the new addition to the family. Until he had discovered the power, had been lured into its grasp, had found the family secret. From there on, things went down hill fast.

And with every little discovery made on the old computer, Krad's mind screamed in denial. The secret file he had read, the one about Project Black Wings, had turned his stomach.

It still did.

And it fuelled his nightmares.

‘You're my everything.'

‘You belong to me.'

‘Satoshi...' Honey-glazed and sweet, seductive and alluring.

He dreamed of the day he had first surfaced inside the young Hikari's mind. Krad still remembered the flash of brief fear inside the child he would soon get to know more intimately than anyone else could ever do. He remembered touching the bright young mind, feeling the energy, the power, the genius. It had been like a last triumph and he had known that he had to possess this soul, that it had to be his. He would never let go.

‘Mine.'

‘My everything.'

He dreamed of the deal he had made with Kei about the child's body to be his. Back then Krad had given the words of the man little thought. He would have a body, his freedom, a bright young man as his host. It had been a dream come true.

That dream had later turned into a nightmare.

He dreamed of the terror he had spread, the whispered words of jaded love, his icy touch on a child's mind. He remembered so much in his dreams, and each time he woke terrified, violently sick, and hoping to push away the past.

But he couldn't. This was their past, their history, and he would forever remember it.

And Dark wasn't there to help. He was with his host.

His anger at Kei rose, his hatred of himself, at every Hikari ever born, and at the Black Wings itself.

He had hurt so many, had nearly destroyed Satoshi in the process, but for what? For a body?

Krad felt the coldness settle again.

Yes, a body. A child's body who would grow into a young man. Krad would have eradicated a mind that was so bright and so in need of help, warmth and love. He had ignored all of Satoshi, wanting only what Kei had promised him.

He had never seen the lie within the offer.

‘Project Black Wings' as the man had called it. And he had seen his step-son as a subject. Not a person -- a subject.

Hiwatari Kei had never wanted either Satoshi or Krad to survive the final stages of the plan. He had wanted the power of the Black Wings, the incredible energy and magic inside the ancient work of art. He had wanted to reunite the two souls, not caring who won. He had told Krad that the demon could easily defeat Dark, and Krad had believed him. He had been too far gone in his own pain to realize that he and the kaitou would be evenly matched inside their home realm.

Krad had believed in his superiority over Satoshi, had thought the Niwa boy to be weak.

He had been proven so wrong.

Satoshi had been incredibly strong, able to push him away even while still just a young child. He had battled against an old enemy who he could only hit on the mind realm, and he had won often enough. His will had been incredible.

Today Krad knew why.

Kei had thoroughly researched his step-son, had documented everything, and he had matched Krad to the boy. Born for each other, made for each other, and they would have died with each other.

Now Krad knew that.

Now he understood that he would never have been able to take the body and destroy the mind. Kei had known, too. He had counted on it. He had wanted it all, for himself only, and he would have gotten rid of everything.

Even Krad.

The white-winged being felt his rage bubble up again and he hissed in frustration.

Kei had planned on letting him die.

Because Krad couldn't exist without a Hikari host. He couldn't exist without a soul linked to his own. He couldn't live without Satoshi.

An Kei had known.

The bastard had known!

A howl of rage escaped him and his wings spread. Something shattered, shards spread over the floor.

Bastard!

Fucking bastard!

He wanted me to die! Krad screamed in his mind. He wanted me to destroy Satoshi!

‘Mine!'

Even today, thinking of the atrocities, Krad was drawn between possessive need of his host and complete disgust at himself for hurting what he needed. Today, with the emotions he held for his host, with the love he felt for the young man, he could only hate himself even more for what his former self had nearly done.

And what he had done...

How he had tortured the child; psychological torture. Of the worst kind. Not to mention the tearing pain of each transformation, of the wings breaking out of Satoshi's back, the pain overwhelming him enough for Krad to push forward and take over.

He was just as much a bastard as Kei.

Krad whirled around, more things breaking in his wake. The wings sliced through the kitchen, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake. Magic sizzled at the edge of his senses.

And he let it lose.

° ° °

Satoshi woke with a start, feeling a little disoriented for a second, trying to figure out what had woken him. He had been deeply asleep after a long night of work, which had been preceded by a very long day, which again had been the end of an even longer week.

A loud crash from the kitchen made him jump. That, and the unexpected unguarded rush of emotions that weren't his own. It was followed by the distinct feel of magic being released.

Oh my god... Krad...!

Jumping out of bed Hikari almost ran into the kitchen -- only to stop dead in his tracks at the sight that greeted him. From what he could make out in the semi-darkness of the room, the kitchen was a mess, looking very much as if a tornado had run through it. Shattered china, glass shards and broken furniture as well as spilled liquid on the floor, which could be everything from cocoa to...

He pushed that thought aside.

The walls were riddled with holes and burn marks, the plaster shaved or burned off. The ceiling had once been white. Now it looked more like a gray scratching pad.

"Krad?" he breathed.

The dark figure standing in the middle of the chaos whirled around -- and Satoshi staggered back in shock. He tripped over his own feet and landed unceremoniously on his back. Large white wings snapped open, the feathers glinting. Inhuman feline eyes, glowing in the half light, glared at him, glittering with something that made Satoshi's heart miss a beat and he scrambled back involuntarily, especially when the creature made a step into his direction.

His heart hammered in his throat and his blood ran cold, his stomach cramping, and his head started to ache just from the teasing memories of a nightmare he had thought he had left behind. Satoshi hadn't been afraid of Krad for ages, but this look, this expression made his blood run cold with fear. The way Krad looked at  him as if not really seeing him, recognizing him, and then there was the sensation of an icy hand clutching at his heart with panic, the coldness he had been accustomed to years ago -- it was something far more frightening.

Something came across their bond, a connection that worked even when the demon was outside his host, though non-verbal communication was impossible. Now Satoshi felt emotions, and none of them were positive.

Hate.

Fury.

And -- despair?

The demon took another step into his direction and Satoshi felt himself draw back again, an old and almost forgotten fear making him whimper in terror.

Krad stopped, blinking once, twice... and slowly the unholy light died in his eyes, replaced by confusion and worry as something crunched under his feet. He looked around, clearly bewildered with what he saw.

"Satoshi?" he asked, voice rough.

Another step -- and Satoshi swallowed hard, losing against the urge to recoil again. "No," he stammered, hands rising automatically as if to ward off an attack.

"Satoshi...?"

The voice sounded small, confused.

"Krad..." he managed shakily. "What... what are you doing...?"

Golden eyes stared at him in confusion. "What... you're afraid of me? Why?"

Satoshi pointed silently at what was left of his kitchen furniture.

Golden eyes widened in shock and the slender frame trembled. The wings rustled, unnaturally loud in the silent house. Satoshi felt his breathing revert to a normal pattern, but the fear was still there, and he was still huddled against the wall.

"I did this...?" Krad lifted his hands, staring at the cuts that were oozing blood, nodding slowly. "Yes, I did this."

 Before Satoshi had a chance to say something Krad had whirled around again, pushing open the glass doors that led onto the terrace, and stormed outside. All Satoshi was able to make out were the pair of large white wings disappearing in the nightly sky.
 
 

Taking in a shuddering breath Satoshi tried to regain his composure, scrambling to his feet.  Looking around the war zone that had formerly been their kitchen he felt the shock slowly subside, making room for worry. Krad had never lost it that completely that he hadn't known friend from foe, let alone not recognized his host.

He staggered around the ruined room and finally made it to the fridge, which was relatively unharmed, and pulled out a cool soda. He gulped it down.

"What happened?" he whispered. "Damnit, what happened?"

He could still feel Krad's emotions like an echo. Sure, he couldn't read his symbiote unless they were merged, but this had been bad enough to radiate quite strongly.
Leaning against the kitchen counter, Satoshi fought the tremors that raced through him. Delayed reaction, he knew. Adrenaline was still coursing through his body, making him want to run.

"Hel," he murmured, barely loud enough to be a word.

It had to be Hel. What she had done had left deep scars with everyone, especially Dark and Krad. Dark was back to his old self on the outside, but Satoshi knew from the talks he had had with Daisuke that the kaitou was also still suffering from her torture. Krad was no better. He had been forced to kill her, take a life instead of sealing it, and his past had broken open again.

Walking back into the bedroom, the tremors still there, Satoshi curled up on the bed, wishing Daisuke was there. Right now, the need to be held was overpowering everything else.

° ° °

Daisuke had spent the day with his parents, working with Daikii on some background concerning his doctorate. It was late when they finally finished and he was just done packing his things and saying good-bye to his family when it hit.

Dark seemed to jolt out of his doze. He had been catching up on some sleep after roaming museums and the night in general for the past weeks with Daisuke. Dark might be a magical being, but he did need down time.

Daisuke stumbled a little as Dark rose abruptly to the forefront, short of taking over his host body, and panic flooded through him.

::Dark!:: he yelled.

::Krad..:: the kaitou breathed. ~Something's wrong!~

Worry immediately replaced the annoyance Daisuke had experienced. If there was trouble with Krad, it also meant Satoshi.

::What's wrong?'::

::I... don't know. Something touched the shared realm... something flooded it briefly... I think he used a larger amount of magic...::

Daisuke was running without even thinking about it. He felt another jolt and Dark gave a cry of denial.

::Yours:: he just said and moved back, surrendering his body for Dark to take over.

It was painless, smooth, and they were airborne no five seconds later, midnight black wings beating the air. Daisuke was a backseat rider, feeling carefully along their connection to Dark's mind.

::Dark?':: he queried.

::I don't know!:: the kaitou whispered. ::I just don't know. Something is wrong... I can't reach him!::

Which was very bad, Daisuke translated for himself. Very, very bad.
 
 

They were home not much later since Dark had been flying as if all the hounds of Hell were chasing after him. Their home lay in silence, barely any lights on, and Dark touched down on the terrace, skidding as momentum carried him forward. The wings flapped a few times, then disappeared, and Daisuke staggered a little as his symbiote separated abruptly. He fumbled for the back door keys and then Dark was running into the house. Daisuke followed.

The kitchen was a mess.

It was the first thing they noticed when entering and Daisuke stared at the ruins, stunned.

"What the..." he murmured.

Nothing had been left whole or standing. Even the kitchen fronts were slashed, burned or looked cracked. Glass and porcelain shards crunched under his feet and there were pools of liquids of all kinds everywhere.

Dark gave a little gasp and Daisuke followed his line of sight, and paled. There was blood among the debris. Larger or smaller puddles, cast-off, droplets... blood.

Blood...

"Oh my god... oh my god..." he whispered. "Satoshi!"

Daisuke rushed out of the kitchen, panic rising inside him.

"Satoshi!"

There was no one in the office or the living room, so he barreled into the bedroom and stopped. There, on the bed, curled up and with his back to the door, lay Satoshi. Blond hair spilled over his shoulders and the pillow, and there was, thankfully, no sign of blood that Daisuke could see.

"Satoshi?" he breathed, hurrying over to the bed. He fell to his knees, reaching out to touch his lover. "Sato?"

There was a soft groan, then a startled yell as Satoshi was touched, and the slender body bolted away. He collided with the wall behind the bed, eyes wide open, face ghastly pale, and panting in terror.

"Sato! It's me, Daisuke!"

Blue eyes blinked and for a moment there was no recognition, then Satoshi whispered hoarsely, "Dai?"

"Yes, it's me. It's okay. Everything's okay..."

Satoshi shook his head. "No, nothing is okay," he whispered. "Nothing."

"What happened?"

"Where is Krad?" Dark asked almost simultaneously, stepping into the room.

Satoshi visibly pulled himself together, trying for some of his old, habitual cool, but Daisuke saw through the pretense. His partner was severely shaken up.

"He... he lost it. I don't know why... He... did you see the kitchen?"

Daisuke nodded, crawling onto the bed to hold his lover, who had started to tremble.

"I woke to the noise and then his emotions... he was... aggressive... he... I'm not sure he really knew me there for a moment. It was like looking at... the Krad from before."

Satoshi tried to stop the tremors, but the memories were too vivid and he raked his fingers through his hair.

"Shit... shitshitshit. He left... He scared me to death and he left... I'm not sure where he is."

Daisuke exchanged a lost look with Dark, then the kaitou just nodded. "I'll find him," he promised softly. "And I'll find out what's going on."

Daisuke gave him a little humorless smile. "Good luck."

And then Dark was gone, leaving his host to deal with the fallout of Krad's aggression.

Daisuke stroked over his lover's body and smiled as Satoshi grew limp against him, as all the tension drained. He pressed a little kiss onto the dark blond hair.

"Want some tea?" he offered.

"The kitchen's battle field," came the wry reply.

"Still got your office coffee machine. It makes hot water."

"True."

"So?"

"Later. Right now... I just want to be here with you."

And that was all Daisuke needed to hear.

° ° °

Dark hadn't really needed to think of a place where Krad might have gone to. He had known. For some reason his blond counterpart sought out the rather depressive catacombs where the Black Wings had met its end. He had been here twice before, and twice before Dark had come after him. The whole place made the kaitou feel like he was about to be crushed, even though it was a cavernous room that had a high enough ceiling. There was no more magic left either; it was just a room. A dark, damp and depressive room.

Dark walked down the numerous stairs and found Krad sitting next to the broken seal. He was playing with shards of the stone skull. His wings weren't even out, which was a first indication as to how bad he was. Krad never dematerialized his wings if he was on the defensive; the wings gave him size.

"Hey," Dark said softly as he climbed up the altar-like contraption.

His eyes fell on the dead seal and he shuddered. He tore his gaze away, refusing to let memories of this moment flood him.

Krad didn't acknowledge his presence, just twirled the shard between his fingers.

"I'm  monster," he said after a while. "A killer."

Dark's brows dipped and he felt his hackles rise.

Not again! We just had that discussion!

But the nightmare that had been Hel was still spreading its evil. Krad had been catapulted back into his past, had been forced to kill the jaded work of art, the soulless creature that had delighted in inflicting pain. This was Hel all over again, the aftermath that was ongoing.

"No, you're not," Dark only said.

Golden eyes lifted to meet his own and Dark saw nothing but despair there. Whatever had launched the destruction of the kitchen and had frightened Satoshi, it had to be connected to Hel.

"Nothing will ever heal the damage I've done. I can't blame anyone but myself. I was a tool, but I learned to like the power I had over him, Dark. I loved to torture him with the knowledge that one day... one day he would be mine alone."

Satoshi. They were talking about Satoshi.

"It's the past!" Dark insisted.

"It'll never be the past. I've to live with it forever. I'm bound to him. He can never get rid of me."

"And he doesn't want to!" the kaitou argued, not really sure what they were discussing now. Satoshi? Krad? Hel? The past? The present? Krad seemed to be jumping around, his mind flashing from A to Z to A again.

"He fears me," Krad whispered in despair. "And I need him. I feed on his soul, I inflict pain, I will always torture him. I'm his worst nightmare."

"Damnit, Krad! Stop that already, will you? If you're a monster, so am I. We both rely on their souls! I leech as much on Daisuke's as you do on Satoshi's."

Dark felt desperation wriggle into his voice, watching his lover getting swamped by his own feelings, blind and deaf to the rest of the world.

"Krad, you can't overcome what you did, but you can learn to live with it. I know I said so before and I will say so again! We're neither angels nor demons. Okay, so we are demons in a way, but... neither one of us is solely good or evil. I hurt Daisuke as much as you did Satoshi, just in a different way. Will you... oh for goodness sake!"

The kaitou snarled in frustration as Krad continued to ignore him and grabbed his lover's arms. Krad was too surprised to react when he was slammed onto the ground for a second, then he hissed at him, feline eyes glowing with something near madness.

Straddling the furious blond, Dark shuddered. Yes, he could understand Satoshi -- this Krad was nearly the demon that had tried to kill him. Dark cursed inwardly -- and crushed their lips together in a mind blowing kiss, feeling the body grow rigid under his fingers.

For a second Dark feared Krad would fight him off -- but then the tension slowly left the other man, the body started to melt against his as his lover recognized him, responded to the kiss hesitantly. Dark sighed in relief and pulled back a little, giving them both a little breathing space.

"Dark?"

"Yes."

"Get off?" Krad requested softly.

He did so, sliding off the slender form. Krad sat up, rubbing dusty hands on his jeans.

"Krad? Love?" Dark prodded gently. "What happened? What's wrong? Why did you destroy the kitchen?"

"Dark, I... oh gods..." Krad stammered, suddenly losing all color as if he just now remembered the whole incident.

Dark touched him gently, pulled him close. "I'm here, everything is all right."

"I'm a killer... I... how could I let that happen? How could I've been that stupid... that naïve... Sato... I would have killed him... and myself..."

Oh not again...

Dark almost rolled his eyes. He thought he knew what Krad was referring to, and he knew they had to talk that over once more, but right now his lover was threatened to be overwhelmed by his depression -- so not good. These wounds would take long to heal. Again and again they were opened, by a memory, by a word, by a gesture, by art work tearing into their souls and trying to kill them.

Dark shuddered at the memory of Hel. She had been one crazy piece of work.

"Maybe I shouldn't be here... maybe he should've just killed me... I was insane... obsessed... cruel..."

Dark shivered at the lost tone of voice. "Krad, no... No, you weren't. And killing one of us would kill us all."

"That was the plan..."

The blond wasn't making any sense. Who had wanted to kill them? Hel? Sure, she had wanted to feed on Dark's pain, kill him after she was done or had grown tired of him. That had been her plan. But Krad was saying 'he', not 'she'. Maybe...

Dark felt his blood run cold.

Satoshi had tried to kill himself in their final battle ten years ago. Killing his body through magic, taking Krad with him in turn. How far was the blond demon gone if he was by now thinking of that again? He had once before claimed everything would have been better if he had been killed right away; sealed, exterminated, destroyed. Satoshi had been close to doing that, succeeding in what his ancestors had failed in.

"Krad?" he probed fearfully.

"It was all about power. Never about something else," the demon whispered. "All that power..."

He sounded almost feverish, slightly delirious. Dark was trying to understand, but he had the faint impression that maybe Krad was talking about something else. Something he had yet to grasp. Whatever had launched the destructive run in the kitchen, it was rooted deeply inside the jaded and fractured soul. A soul Dark loved very much. Despite the ugliness, the darkness and the pain, all the past experience and the hurt, he loved Krad. He hated to see him in this much pain. He wanted to help.

"I was such an idiot," Krad murmured. "Wanting to take over Satoshi... hurting him so much. I never knew the consequences."

Yep, Krad was talking about something else alright, but also about Hel. Right now, a lot of things were suddenly rising back up and they created one ugly mess in Krad's mind.

"It's the past," Dark insisted. "You wouldn't hurt him now."

"Yes, but... "

"Krad!"

"What?"

"Will you marry me?"  Dark blurted.

 Golden eyes snapped open wide, staring at him in utter disbelief. "W-what?" the demon stuttered.

"I asked if you will marry me."

Krad blinked. "W-why?"

Dark grinned cheekily. "Well, given that we're as good as married, being two souls of the same art work and all, and given the fact that we shared this one place for quite a while before getting... well... divorced...," another wide grin, "why not make it official."

Krad blinked again.

"And I think three hundred years of engagement time are enough. What do you think, would you like a limousine or a carriage with four white horses?"

Krad let out an explosive breath, shaking his head in confusion. "Are you nuts?

Dark pouted. "No horses?"

"You are completely out of your mind, kaitou! Marrying?!"

Dark did his best to look outright disappointed  "So you don't want me?"

Krad made a little noise that sounded suspiciously like a choked snort. "I want you, but..."

"But you don't want the horses, okay, I can live with that. A limo then?"

"This is ridiculous!"

Dark didn't stop the infuriating grin. "What?! After three hundred years I finally find the courage to propose to you, and all you have to say is 'ridiculous'?!  Now I'm hurt."

Dark almost laughed at the expression on his lover's face. Gotcha.

"Dark..."

"I love you, Krad," he said softly, catching those pliant lips in another, much softer kiss, feeling his lover melt into him almost immediately.

Holding him close afterwards, Krad let his head rest on his shoulders.

"You were kidding, "he breathed.

"Well... "

"Dark!"

"Did work, didn't it?" he asked slyly.

Krad shook his head, chuckling slightly. "It worked. Yes, it worked." He leaned into Dark, needing his strength. "Only you...."

"Yep, only me. So... now that the marriage plans are off and in the wind... What happened, Krad?"

All humor fled again. "I felt his fear, Dark. Satoshi always fought me in the past, but he didn't really fear me that much. I was his nightmare, but not like then... not like just now... He's afraid of me... after everything... but I need him and I don't want to feel that fear, to see it... and have him push me away. I can't be without him, Dark. I need him so much..."

Oh boy -- here came the difficult part.

"He won't push you away. He loves you," Dark said quietly, "but right now I think he's more irritated about the kitchen."

Krad's head shot up. "Kitchen?"

So his lover hadn't really seen what he had done.

"Well, your, err... little redecorating project?"

For a moment Krad looked distant, then the inhuman eyes widened. "Oh no... I remember hitting something, but... that was the kitchen furniture, wasn't it?"

Dark nodded.

"I recall... I was so furious... and I felt... oh my god..." Krad paled, glancing at the dried blood that still stuck on his skin.  "Satoshi! He was there...I saw him ... on the floor ..."

Dark caught the hand before Krad could pull from his embrace. "He's all right. Listen to me, Krad, he's fine. This isn't his, it's yours."

Wide eyes searched his, agitation clear in them.

"Believe me. Sato's okay. Rattled and wondering what happened, but he's fine. Let's go home. Please?"

"How can I face him ever again?"

"You will have to. You're a part of him."

Krad shivered. "Yes. So much. Bound to him."

Dark kissed his head and stroked over the blond hair. "We both are. Come... he needs you, too."

°

They hadn't returned home right away. Krad had refused to, so Dark had stayed with him, both of them watching the sun rise from their look out point. Finally, with Krad dangerously low on energy, they had gone home. Krad had merged with his host, leaving Dark wondering what was really going on. This was far more than Hel.
Looking into Satoshi's exhausted, tired blue eyes he read the same question there. Both men were intimately bound to the blond demon and neither really had an idea what this was in detail.

"Daisuke fell asleep," Satoshi only said. "You should rest, too."

"Same to you, Sato," Dark replied. "Go and get some sleep. You won't be in any shape to handle whatever comes next when you're dead on your feet."

Satoshi just nodded and Dark prodded him gently to go into the bedroom with him where Daisuke lay sleeping. The kaitou merged with his host, shooting Sato a last look that told him to please do the healthy thing: sleep.

And Satoshi did. He fell into bed beside his lover and was out like a light no five minutes later.

° ° °

Krad didn't talk.

He huddled in a corner of their shared mind and all Satoshi saw was a small, almost indistinct presence, curled up and suffering silently. It was almost as bad as in the beginning when Sato had consciously wanted to hurt the nightmarish creature he remembered from his childhood.

Now, hurting Krad was farthest from his mind. Actually he wanted to help, wanted to comfort him, wanted to know what was going on.

It was two days after Krad's outbreak and the subsequent problems that Satoshi had enough. Daisuke was again spending the night at the university or the library, and Satoshi had finished his own stuff for the day. He settled down on the couch and closed his eyes, turning inward, looking for his symbiote.

The mind realm was bleak. He hadn't expected anything else. Like before, when Krad was completely out of it, the mind realm would revert into something akin to a blank slate. There were a few shades of dark white or light gray, but no hills or valleys, no sky or real ground. All was a uniform nothingness. And in this nothingness he saw Krad.

All in white.

Satoshi bit his lower lip.

Damn.

White pants, white shirt, white coat. Not the outfit of before, but also not the more colorful clothes he had taken to wearing now. The wings were out, but drooping, and there was barely any life in those golden eyes. Krad was staring at nothing, sitting with his legs drawn up and his wings creating a feathery shield.

Satoshi knelt down before him and when Krad didn't react, he reached out and placed two fingers under his demon's chin. He gently lifted the blond head.

"Krad? Talk to me."

Golden eyes gazed at him, then Krad swallowed heavily.

"Please?" Satoshi begged, voice soft and gentle. "This is hurting you. It's hurting all of us."

"Sato..."

He felt waves of desperation emitting from the blond, felt the pain and need, and he just knew that the farthest from Krad's mind was the intent to hurt him. There was nothing false about Krad's love and devotion, his words about Satoshi being 'his' any more. Satoshi knew his demon's past and he had long since come to understand that what had passed as love ten years ago had been the only kind of affection Krad had ever received from his past Hikari hosts. Things had changed profoundly since then.

"Please," he whispered.

And Krad finally did talk.

°

He had expected a lot. He had expected screams and tears, anger and outrage. What he hadn't counted on was a complete silence, the neutral expression on his tamer's face, and the empty blue eyes.

"Satoshi?" Krad asked carefully.

Sato blinked. "That explains a lot," he murmured.

Too calm, Krad thought. Way too calm. But Satoshi had always been a rather controlled young man, even as a child. He had rarely let his emotions out, though after the end of the curse, after living with Daisuke, things had changed for the better.

"Are you okay?" Krad asked, his worry about his host pushing aside everything else.

"Yes. Yes, I'm okay." Satoshi dredged up a smile. "Thank you for telling me."

Krad studied him and finally reached out, cupping the narrow face. "I'm so sorry, Sato. So very, very sorry."

Satoshi smiled more, leaning into the caress. "It's okay. It's the past. Don't worry."

But Krad did worry. He worried a lot.

Satoshi retreated back into the real world, leaving a thoughtful Krad behind. Something was terribly wrong with Satoshi's reaction, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Too calm. The thought came again and again.

When Satoshi drowned himself in work once more, ignoring every and all attempts of Krad to talk about the revelations, the demon pulled away. Not to wallow in guilt, but to give his host the necessary space to think .

Maybe that was what he needed.
 
 

It took a week for Krad to realize that Satoshi's way of coping was to push everything away until his subconsciousness could no longer bear it. By then it was too late. Things had accumulated and the dam was about to break.

° ° °

A week had passed. Krad had been watching his host, but Satoshi had shown little signs of reacting to the horrifying news of his past, of Hiwatari Kei. He didn't talk to Daisuke about it, which had Krad mystified since the two young men shared everything, and he didn't ask his own demon for more details.

He did start reading the files on the computer, though. It was the only sort of confession Krad could get out of Satoshi that the news had touched him.

Hovering in the background, watching, guarding, keeping a very close eye on the soul he was bound to for life, Krad wondered if the other shoe would drop.

It did.

In the most unexpected way.

° ° °

Daisuke came home from his latest museum stint, which had lasted almost all night, feeling tired but pleased. He was on the last leg of his thesis and if all went well, he would be able to hand over the first draft to his professor soon. That meant he would have a few weeks off to do as he pleased as long as his professor was reading through his work.

Yawning, dropping his bag in the hallway, he went into the kitchen to get something to drink, then catch up on sleep. He would check on Satoshi later on, knowing his partner was most likely holed up in his office already, hacking away at the computer.

As he sipped the orange juice there was a loud clattering noise, followed by a soft curse. Daisuke hurried out into the hallway and found Satoshi struggling to untangle himself from the bag Daisuke had put down there. Folders and paper was strewn all over the floor.

"Sato? Oh damn!" Daisuke exclaimed.

Blue eyes flashed up and a glare was directed his way.

"I'm sorry," Daisuke went on. "Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?" Satoshi snarled, kicking the bag away.

Daisuke frowned at the uncharacteristic temper outbreak, but he knew what long nights could do to one. And with Krad's recent loss of control, Satoshi was probably experiencing echoes.

"I'm sorry," he just repeated.

His lover just snorted. "It wouldn't do you any harm to put your stuff somewhere I don't fall over it, right?"

"I was going to take the bag with me when I went to the bedroom. I was just getting a drink." Daisuke felt defensiveness flare for a moment.

Sheesh! he thought. What's wrong with him? Sure, they had had fights before. All couples had and they were no different. But it had never been this venomous from Satoshi's side.

Picking up the bag, Daisuke was about to help his lover, but Satoshi just pushed him away.

"I'm perfectly capable of doing this on my own!"

So Daisuke removed the bag to the bedroom, confused as to what was going on. Maybe it was lack of sleep, he decided. Unpacking, he stowed his books and papers, then stripped and took a shower. He was tired enough to sleep for a week.

When he walked back out to check on Satoshi before he went to bed, he found his lover puttering around the kitchen.

"Are you okay?" Daisuke asked as he stopped at the other side of the kitchen island.

"Of course. Why shouldn't I be?" was the sharp reply as the dishwasher was banged shut. Blue eyes that weren't really Satoshi's glared again. "You leave for days, you get home for a little bed rest and something to eat, and then you're off again, right? And I stay here, working all day, nothing to worry about!"

Daisuke blinked at the words. What? Huh?

"I'm sick and tired of waking up alone! Sick and tired of going to bed alone! And when you eventually get home, in the middle of the day, you fall asleep!" Satoshi went on.

"Sato...?"

"I'm here all day and I do the work, and all you do is expect me to wait on you hand and foot!"

Daisuke stared at his partner, speechless. "What?"

Okay, now he had officially lost track concerning what was going on.

"What am I? Just a tool? Until you have what you want and then you leave?" Satoshi demanded.

He was frozen in shock and then Daisuke noticed the tears in the blue eyes for the first time. They spilled over, running in single tracks down the pale cheeks.

"I'm not a toy!" Satoshi went on, voice trembling. "I'm not! I'm my own person and you can't expect me to just take it!"

"Sato, I never..."

"No!" came the scream. "No! You're never here! You don't know anything! What do you see? A fuck buddy at best, right? I'm a Hikari and I can't do anything about it! I can't be anyone else but who I was born to be! And everyone just uses me!"

The last was shouted, Satoshi's voice breaking, and the slender body fell against the wall, pale as a sheet, trembling so hard he was unable to stay upright. He was crying and probably completely unaware of it.

"I'm not a tool," he whispered again.

Daisuke came carefully closer and knelt down beside his so totally confused partner. He reached out and gently touched the blond.

"Sato?" he murmured. "You're not. I love you."

"I'm no experiment, no lab rat," Satoshi continued. "I'm not. I never wanted to be born that way..."

And then Daisuke had him in his arms, crying, shaking so hard Daisuke tightly wrapped him in his embrace. He had no clue what was going on. He murmured soothingly to his lover, stroked over the shoulders and back, buried his hands in the longish strands of the blond head, and pressed little kisses against the wet cheeks.

Satoshi clung to him like a drowning man, hiccupping now and then, the sobs drying off after a while.

Daisuke just waited.

And finally, his lover quieted down, inhaling deeply as if to center himself.

"Satoshi?" he asked softly.

The blue eyes, red-rimmed and swollen from the crying, rose and met his own. Satoshi swallowed, the pale face reflecting exhaustion and so much pain, it hurt Daisuke in turn.

"What happened?" he wanted to know.

Satoshi closed his eyes, shivering a little. "Not here," he whispered.

Daisuke nodded, slowly getting to his feet. He held out a hand and pulled the slender form of his lover to his feet, holding him close. He pressed a kiss against the pale lips.

Whatever this was, they would get through it.

Satoshi began to tremble again and Daisuke gave a soothing murmur, embracing him tightly.

"Satoshi," he whispered. "It's okay."

"Nothing is okay," was the hoarse answer. "Nothing..."

Daisuke moved them over to the couch and cradled the suddenly so fragile and vulnerable body in his arms. Satoshi continued to trembled, but the tears wouldn't fall again. It was minutes before Daisuke finally heard the softest of whispers. It was his name.

"Yes?" he answered.

"I know now," Satoshi whispered.

"Know what?"

"Why it all happened to me. Why I could keep him at bay."

Daisuke frowned, confused. "Sato?" he queried.

And Satoshi started to talk. Daisuke listened, his horror growing at the first stumbling words that soon grew firmer. Satoshi's voice was flat, distant, but he remained in Daisuke's embrace, seeking the solid comfort of his lover.

° ° °

Krad gazed at the warm light in his mind that represented his host. Satoshi was curled up, asleep from exhaustion and the strain all that had put on him, and Krad was like a guardian angel, hovering over the vulnerable mind. He reached out carefully and stroked across the soft representation of the agile mind, smiling gently as Satoshi turned toward him, seeking comfort.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured.

Settling down beside the other, he prepared himself to wait until Satoshi woke, ready to do whatever was needed to help him through this horror.

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the moment. All that had happened since he had come back to be with his host had led to this, to the ultimate truth about what
Kei had wanted to do. There had been so much pain and so many tears already, but nothing could have prepared any of them for this.

Stroking over the exhausted presence, Krad whispered softly, reassuring Satoshi that this changed nothing, If anything, it tied them even closer together, if that was at all possible. The physical contact, even if it was in their mind realm, calmed him somewhat. He had always needed that contact, had craved it, but before the final battle it had always come out wrong.

Double Hikari heritage, he mused, still shocked about that. The power... the sheer power of it all... It was frightening.

He had felt this power so often before, but he had never realized it.

"Krad?"

Krad had been aware of the presence, Dark's gentle aura, inquisitive and warm, wanting to be close but not daring to simply barge into this tender moment. Golden eyes met deeply violet ones.

"May I?" the kaitou asked.

Krad knew that if he said 'no', Dark would go and wait for him in turn. But he didn't deny him entrance, just lowered the protective shields around him and Satoshi.

Dark came silently closer, settling down next to him.

"Since when did you know?" he asked.

"Kei's computer. I read through the emails and files. I found out about a week ago." Krad never stopped stroking over Satoshi's presence. "I lost it then."

He had never told Dark why he had destroyed the kitchen. His lover had assumed that it had had something to do with Hel, with those nightmares, and he had left him in that belief.

"Tell me?" Dark asked.

A sigh escaped Krad. "How much did you hear?"

"Uhm, not much. I was actually sleeping." Dark smiled sheepishly. "It was a long night."

Krad smiled a little. "I bet." Then the smile faltered as he tried to decide how to start. Finally he inhaled deeply, "Kei was Satoshi's step-father. He had fallen in love with Riu and while he was very young, they married and he adopted Satoshi. Hence the name of Hiwatari. It was also a good cover." A sardonic smile crossed his lips. "The art of the Hikari changed Kei, made him into the cold-blooded bastard who was killed in our final confrontation over the Black Wings and our hosts. But what he did before... until it came to this... was much worse."

Dark waited when Krad fell silent, the blond visibly fighting for composure.

"Kei looked into the history of the Hikari blood-line and discovered their unique artistic talent. He found out about their power and it drew him in. What he also looked into was Satoshi's birth father. That was when it all began."

"His father died?" Dark hazarded a guess.

"No. Satoshi's father's name is Kentaro Kinji. And he is a Hikari himself."

"What?!"

Golden eyes darkened a little. "He and Riu are related. Second degree cousins. Back when they met and fell in love, this little tid-bit hadn't been known. Riu became pregnant. She disappeared from the face of the earth and Kentaro moved away. He never knew he had a son, Dark. He never realized that when his girl-friend disappeared, she was carrying his child."

Dark looked pale but composed, nodding at Krad to go on.

"Satoshi inherited an incredible power. Not just the blood-line of Riu, but of a second Hikari gene as well. He became a double Hikari, Dark. I never knew why this child had drawn me so much, or why he was powerful enough to fight me. I never understood, Dark. When we were fighting, over Rutile for instance, he took over, even after I had so violently made my way to the forefront. He should have been weak, but he wasn't."

Dark nodded. "Yeah. He was always a rather strong personality."

"And now I know why. He's a Hikari, through and through. Like a pure-bred."

Dark reached out and curled his hand around Krad's wrist, squeezing it gently in reassurance.

"But Kei didn't stop with the knowledge that his step-son was powerful. He experimented with him. He knew Satoshi was a double Hikari, with powerful genes. He had found out about the family curse. Me. I was a tool for him to get the ultimate goal, the ultimate price, and he didn't stop at that. He wanted to know if Sato could influence me. Maybe the genes would draw me out even earlier than the fourteenth birthday."

Krad shuddered and felt Satoshi stir with his emotions rising. He calmed down forcefully.

"He hadn't realized that I had always been there; waiting. I never slept," he whispered roughly. "So he just experimented. He thought that maybe he could break the seal of the Black Wings without you being present, Dark, or even without me. Or maybe he could create something as powerful as the Black Wings itself."

Another shudder and this time Satoshi gave a murmur of pain. Krad spread his wings a little, encasing the trusting soul, radiating more calm than he felt. He sensed Dark's wings coming out even before the kaitou shielded them both with the pitch-black appendages, and the hand around his wrist uncurled, starting to stroke him soothingly.

"Krad..." he whispered.

"It's okay... I want you to know..."

Dark leaned forward and kissed him softly, lips brushing over his cheek.

"Kei... he had never counted on the balance between the two boys," Krad went on, voice steadier. "Even back then they had balanced each other. They were friends. Niwa had refused to hate the enemy, and Satoshi had refused to play the ultimate evil. So Kei had to work on getting the two of us into the Black Wings after all. He lied to me, used me, and I followed his orders like a good little pet." Disgust rose inside him. "Because of my hatred for you, I didn't see the danger. I had his promises of an existence without chains and I was so desperate, so hungry for it. But things went wrong again. You didn't enter the Black Wings alone. You had Daisuke with you."

"Not voluntarily," Dark murmured softly.

"Yes, but it probably saved us all. Satoshi was in the back of my mind, fighting to stop this madness... even by killing himself." Krad swallowed as that bad memory rose once more. "And Daisuke was there with you, clinging to your soul, making you so much stronger. If we, the two souls of the Black Wings, had been alone, the plan would have worked, Dark. Kei would have had the magic of the art work at his disposal, Satoshi would have been destroyed, and with the death of his soul, I would have perished as well."

Krad gazed at the spark of life curled against him, the soul of Satoshi represented in such warm light.

"I understand our connection now. I understand that I cannot live without a Hikari to be my host, to be my guide, and to be my friend."

Dark was silent, probably thinking about his own connection to the Niwas. He couldn't be without them either. The four of them were bound together. Unbreakable.

"And I don't want to," Krad added softly. "I don't want to be without Satoshi. Maybe that makes me a possessive son of a bitch, but it's what I feel."

Dark chuckled. "Yeah, so do I. I know what you mean. I feel just the same."

° ° °

Daisuke didn't know what to say when he finally heard the full story. He was speechless, then he just hugged Satoshi close, whispering softly he loved him. Nothing would change that. Not his blood line, not his genes, not his ancestors. Nothing at all. Satoshi just held him tightly, then their lips met in a close to desperate kiss.

So much had happened to them in the close to two years Krad and Dark had been back. So much had been revealed and not all was positive. This... this Daisuke didn't know what it was. His lover was a Hikari; he had always known that. But that he had Hikari genes from both sides was... astounding. It had shocked him a little, then his mind had gone into overdrive, flashing back to Unity, the innocent little piece of art work that had radiated such strong magic -- after existing for only a brief time.

Satoshi wielded a lot of magic because of his bloodline and now it was a dangerously high magic because of the double gene.

Their love-making had been intense. Satoshi's expression had been one of need mixed with fierceness, the blue eyes glowing with something deep inside his soul. Daisuke had retaliated the kisses and touches, had fought the mock battle for dominance in their encounter, and had finally surrendered. He had arched into each touch, moaned and whispered his pleasure, had whimpered at Satoshi's strokes and licks and little bites, and he had protested each time his lover refused to let him reach his peak. When he finally did, it was like an explosion and Satoshi came with him, crying out Daisuke's name.

Lying together, sweaty, hot, deeply satisfied, Daisuke tiredly stroked over the slender, muscular back, feeling each of Satoshi's breaths.

It was how they fell asleep. Messy but too exhausted to care, and Daisuke knew they would pay for it in the morning. Not just the soreness that he felt already, but everything else.

He didn't care.

Only the man in his arms mattered.

° ° °

Satoshi sat at the kitchen counter, a bowl of ice cream in front of him, with warm chocolate sauce on top of it, and was eating it spoonful after spoonful. Daisuke was still sleeping and Satoshi had let him. They had woken a few hours ago, cleaned up the mess, and Satoshi had watched Daisuke roll over and drop off into sleep once more. He envied his lover, since all he could do was doze a bit more. Part of him had looked inward and seen nothing but a small figure far away in the recesses of their shared mind.

Krad was still there, watching him carefully, guarding him, but he wouldn't touch him. So Satoshi had left the bed and gone into the kitchen for a little snack.

//Krad?// he coaxed gently.

There was a little movement and the demon came carefully closer.

//Wanna share?//

Krad hesitated, then he came even closer. Satoshi kept his mind calm and even, his emotions steady, but when Krad finally separated, a little gasp escaped him.

"Oh Krad..." he whispered.

His symbiote's state was... bad. It wasn't the pale skin or the tight lines in the handsome face.

It were the scars.

Satoshi was on his feet, the ice cream forgotten, and with Krad without thinking. Wide blue eyes took in the marks around his neck, his wrists, and he knew there would be more on his back. Everywhere the chains his family had tied this proud being down with had left the scars.

He reached out and his palm touched the scarred neck.

"Krad..."

The blond flinched a little, but he didn't move away. Satoshi knew that those marks only came out when his symbiote was exhausted, could no longer keep up the flawless appearance, and right now Krad had reached his limit. He hadn't really touched Satoshi in the last few days, keeping away, alone with his own hurt and anger and confusion. He had gone through hell, at the hands of Hel and later with the knowledge gained from Kei's files, and he had born the weight of the knowledge and the memories alone.

Satoshi let his hand stroke over the soft skin.

"I'm not angry, Krad. Just shocked. And a bit confused. But not angry. You should have come."

The golden eyes lowered. "I didn't think you'd take it... very well."

"I'd never push you away. We were all victims. I knew that even before this was revealed. Nothing changes, Krad. Nothing at all. I'm your host. I'll remain your host."

Krad swallowed. "Thank you."

Satoshi smiled. "Hey. We're one. You're bound to me, I am bound to you. It's in my blood and in your soul. Krad, I love you. Nothing changes that, not even the truth about my heritage. I knew I'm a Hikari. Finding out that I'm twice a Hikari, from both sides, well, it only makes me glad that my mother didn't sleep with a closer relative. It might have left its marks somewhere else, too."

Krad grimaced and grabbed the hand cupping his cheek. He pulled Satoshi into an embrace.

"I can never repay you for what you've done for me. Never. I owe you a lot."

Satoshi chuckled softly. "There are no debts, Krad. There never were. "

"You had no obligation to take me back," the demon reminded him.

"No, no obligation, but it was the right thing to do."

"To sacrifice yourself to an insane killer?"

Satoshi looked into the feline eyes. "Yes. Back then I did it for Daisuke. Today I know it was also for you to heal. You're not insane, Krad. But you always were possessive." He smirked a little.

"Can't help that," was the soft reply.

"I know." Satoshi smiled. "Ice cream?"

Krad grinned. "Sounds good. Vanilla?"

"With chocolate sauce or chocolate chips? And if we do it right, we can even steal some of Daisuke's double chocolate chip ice cream and he'll never know."

Satoshi watched with satisfaction how the scars seemed to fade a little. Krad heaped ice cream into a bowl and both settled down, talking and eating. Looking at his former curse, Satoshi suddenly tilted his head.

"Krad?"

"Hm?"

"Did you change your looks?"

Spoon stuck in his mouth, Krad looked almost comical in his expression. "Change?"

"When I was younger, you looked like an older teenager. Older than Dark anyway, but not that much. Now... Maybe it's my point of view, but you look.. more like my age."

Krad played with the spoon. "We can adjust," he murmured. "I can look like whatever I want to. Well, almost. There are limits. When I first showed myself to you, I chose to be older... intimidating..." He shrugged with embarrassment. "Now... we're equals."

So he looks more like my age, Satoshi added silently.

"Thank you."

Golden eyes blinked and Satoshi just smiled.

°

It was how Daisuke found them two hours later, with an empty carton of ice cream between them and fresh coffee brewing. Satoshi gave his lover a good morning kiss, smiling at Krad who by now looked like his old self. The blond merged back with his host and curled up, a warm weight against Satoshi's mind.

° ° °

Shock was too mild a word to describe the state of Daisuke's family. Well, most of it anyway. Emiko was flabbergasted, Daikii just stared at Satoshi, and only Kosuke seemed to take it with his usual calm and total acceptance. He was the one who smiled at Satoshi, nodding.

"I suppose we now have the answer to a few more things," Daisuke's father remarked.

Satoshi nodded slowly.

"It doesn't change who you are, though."

"I wonder if Riu was aware what this meant," Daikii murmured, stroking over his beard. "Two blood lines of Hikari, unified in one child."

Satoshi bit his lower lip and Daisuke interlaced their fingers, squeezing them reassuringly.

"It's the past," he said out loud. "It has nothing to do with anything any more. The curse is gone, the fight is over."

Brown eyes glowed with determination.

"Yes, you are right," Kosuke agreed. "It changes nothing for this family." He met Satoshi's unsure gaze. "But will it change something about your birth father?"

"What? I... I don't even know if he's alive," Satoshi replied. "Kei's notes ended about a year prior to the destruction of the Black Wings. He never really knew much about Kentaro, just that he and my mother had an affair, that he was my true father."

"But Krad said he knows about him, too. That he read some files..." Kosuke reminded him.

A shrug. "I asked Krad not to tell me more."

"Do you want to know more now?"

Another shrug. "I don't think it's important."

Emiko stepped forward. "He might want to know he has a son, Satoshi. I know I'd want to in his place."

"Maybe," Satoshi conceded. "I need to think about it."

She cupped his cheek, rubbing a thumb over it as if he was a small child to be comforted.

"You do that. But Kosuke is right; nothing will change because of this. You're still who you are."

He looked into her warm, brown eyes and smiled valiantly. "Thank you."

"And I'd be delighted if you stayed for dinner."

Daisuke chuckled and rubbed a hand over his lover's back. "I think we could eat."

"Skinny as you are, you should," Emiko muttered.

"Mom..."

She smiled and winked at them. Daisuke just sighed dramatically. Emiko had always been complaining how thin Satoshi was, had tried to make him fill out more when he had come to live with them after the whole near-armageddon, and she had done a great job. Satoshi looked healthy and strong.

Emiko walked into the kitchen, commandeering her husband into assisting her, and Daikii just returned to his spot in the living room where he spent a lot of his time reading. The two young men decided to get a breath of fresh air and went into the garden.

Daisuke looked out over the ocean, glancing at his lover now and then.

"Will you look for him?" he finally asked, the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks far below a distant thunder.

"I don't know," Satoshi answered, not looking at him.

Daisuke didn't reply to that. It was Satoshi's choice. He would stand behind him whatever he did.
Inside his mind he felt Dark stir for the first time and smiled a little at him. Dark just brushed over his senses, then continued to rest inside his host's body. Krad had refused to separate from Satoshi and Dark kept him company in their shared realm.

Things would heal.

Somehow.

° ° °

Wings the color of the darkest sky, even more black than that. Wings the color of ebony, large and elegant in their form, each feather gleaming and healthy, rustled softly in the breeze. Attached to a slender form, muscular and athletic, lithe and wiry, they curled like a protective shield over and around the body.

White wings stood in total contrast to them. Snow-white with a silvery touch, just as large as their black counterparts, they were folded on the back of an equally slender man.

Both were sitting on the roof of the Niwa-Hikari home, overlooking the silent town around them, watching lights go out as people went to sleep. The stars were out, but clouds covered most of the sky and only occasionally could they catch a glimpse. It smelled of rain, of an approaching thunder storm far in the distance, and their senses could easily pick up the charged air that would soon hit this town.

Dark gazed at his lover and partner, his counterpart, and smiled a little at Krad's almost wistful expression. Blond hair moved lazily in the breeze that would soon by a strong wind. The pony tail was impeccable, held tight against the playful winds. Dark's own unruly mop was easy prey for all kinds of bad weather.

"Wanna go inside?" the kaitou asked after a while.

Krad shrugged. "It's still nice."

"It's going to rain."

"Not yet."

"Okay."

For the past hours they had done nothing but keep each other company, silent, each lost in his thoughts.

It was how they continued to sit together until the rain began, a light drizzle that peppered the gleaming wings.

Standing inside the house, Dark looked outside into the ever-increasing rain. Krad stepped close and wrapped his arms around Dark's waist, the wings dissolving almost automatically. He kissed the other man gently, lips opening to taste his lover. Dark closed his eyes and just concentrated on the feel and taste and smell of the man he loved.

"Love you," he whispered against the warm lips. "Very, very much. Whatever happens."

And a lot had already. Three hundred years of fighting each other, of hating, of trying to kill the other half. What had happened now was moderate compared to that.

"Satoshi loves you, too. He won't ever hurt you."

"I know," Krad murmured, half-lidded eyes regarding Dark. "It was just too much on top of everything. Hel... Hel triggered something and I couldn't stop it all from happening."

"I understand." Dark slipped his hands under the shirt and caressed warm skin. "Make love to me?" he whispered a plea.

Krad's eyes seemed to darken in color, a rich golden hue. There was a promise in there, a need, and a gentleness that took Dark's breath away.

They fell onto the bed of Dark's room, a tangle of arms and legs, kissing each other, hands roaming, and he inhaled softly as Krad undressed him. Nothing could compare to what he felt with his lover; nothing at all. It was a thrill, a tingle, an arousal of such proportion that even the hunt of some precious Hikari art paled in that light. Krad was power and tenderness, fierceness and love; he was Dark's other half, a soul he knew and loved and wanted.

No matter his past.

No matter their history.

They belonged together, just like Satoshi and Daisuke.

Unbreakable.