D. N. Angel Fan Fiction ❯ Snippets ❯ Little Crooked Smile ( Chapter 12 )

Little Crooked Smile:

 

Disclaimer: DN Angel is not mine.

 

Warnings: Aw heck, do you need them? Irreverence galore: I'm trying to write this in a more cynical fashion, so pretty much everything sacred is trashed. OOC, POV.

 

A/N: This fic is not based on the series, so I guess it could be AU-ish. Or, you could interpret it as a `Behind Closed Doors' type fic, meaning that it focuses more on things that you don't see in the series.

 

That little crooked smile's always present on his face whenever he's thinking. It's funny how, for someone who smiles so much, the indication of his true feelings is a little crooked smile when his face is so suited for large, generous ones. His eyes are always dancing and it's clear that he's happy, but I will always remember the little crooked smile.

 

I think it was his fourteenth birthday when I first noticed his little crooked smile. We had just come back from stealing the `Sacred Maiden', and he was still dressed as me. He went up to his room to get his clothes prepared for a shower and I talked a little to him. At first, he was frowning; he highly disapproved of my antics. I talked him out of being so angry in the shower. I took the time to talk to him, to listen to his point of view and reassure him. I even cracked a few jokes along the way, at the expense of dear Commander Hiwatari and the local police force, but I don't think he took them very well. Certainly not the joke about the Commander.

 

“You know, Dark, he's not all that bad,” Daisuke protested as he stood under the stinging spray of the shower. I rolled my eyes in response.

 

No, of course not, not to you anyway, Daisuke dearest, I retorted. You're a law-abiding citizen. To him, people like me are classified as Public Enemy Number One. Daisuke sighed again and scrubbed at a spot of correction fluid on his arm, where it had been smashed against his paper by mistake. I continued fluidly for another couple of minutes; he swears that I can wax poetic about the oddest things; did he ever tell you about my monologue on Krad?-but that's a story for another day. The thing is, I made a joke about the good commander's mother doing something very improbable with a water cockroach, and my little Tamer rose to his defense with the utmost vehemence.

 

“That's so mean, Dark!” A somewhat inadequate response, but the delivery was most passionate and had I been a drama teacher, I would have given him ten out of ten for it.

 

Why? It's probably true! He glared and I decided to back off just a bit. It was then that the little crooked smile made itself known.

 

“Dark?” He asked softly as he was toweling off. He interrupted me from my sleep; I was just dozing off and then he woke me up again. He was still wearing that odd little smile on his face.

 

It was then that it morphed into the little crooked smile that I now know so well.

 

“Dark?” He asked softly as he was toweling off. He interrupted me from my sleep; I was just dozing off and then he woke me up again. He was still wearing that odd little smile on his face.

 

Yeah? I grumbled in reply, displeased at being woken up.

 

“Thanks.”

 

I roll my eyes, but am too tired to actually be bothered relieving him of the notion that I was trying to cheer him up. I wasn't. No matter what I say, though, that little crooked smile says that he knows so much more and so much better, which he doesn't. Supercilious little thing, Daisuke is.

 

The second time I saw his little crooked smile was when Satoshi Hiwatari, Krad's host, asked him if he wanted to share a room. Contrary to popular belief, I am not a pervert, and I did not make any cracks about Daisuke and Satoshi being pillow friends. Oh, I protested volubly. I threatened to sing '99, 999, 999 Bottles of Beer on the Wall' until he revoked his decision and stayed with Masahiro or someone nice and safe, but being the kind-hearted little thing that he is, Daisuke could not say no and he threatened to cut me off from my beloved supply of Gummi Bears until I accepted the fact that he was going to be rooming with my…well, not my arch nemesis, but the next closest thing. So, you know, I went along with it…but I digress. Where was I again…? Ah, yes, his little crooked smile. After I promised that I would `behave and not insult Hiwatari-kun', that annoying little crooked smile appeared on his face once more. I like to think that it was directed at me, but I think he was directing it at the Commander dearest.

 

Daisuke's little crooked smile, funnily enough, is as versatile as it is puzzling. It always appears on his face when he's trying to sort things out between Riku and Risa, who argue almost as much as Daisuke and I do. It's almost as though he's amused to see them squabbling, and is only trying to solve their problems because he doesn't want a fuss. I remember how he was being told off by Emiko one time, because he dropped a bowl of hot soup on the carpet after tripping over With, but…well, I guess he overdosed on Prozac that day (I'm kidding!), because instead of cowering under his mother's wrathful gaze like he normally would, he gave her that crooked smile. Okay, so there was a blush on his cheeks, but still…the look on his face was so enigmatic I began to rethink my opinion of my new host.

 

Throughout the course of our short (but interesting) escapades, I came to appreciate Daisuke's little crooked smile more than ever. I could recite four or five more instances in which the little crooked smile played in his favour, but I'm not going to go into detail. That would be boring, and Heaven forbid I bore you. I'm Kaitou Dark, for crying out loud.

 

It was one of those times in the library with Satoshi Hiwatari. Again they had been assigned to work together (I swear, the Big Guy up there has a weird sense of humour) and they were both poring through tomes of information. Daisuke was smiling happily as usual and Hiwatari…well, he was Hiwatari. Enough said. So there I was, keeping an eye on the commander just in case he decided to let his alter ego come out, and Daisuke was chatting to him. They stayed like that for a couple of hours, then I noticed my dear other half's host was starting to squirm. Now, I don't know if you've ever met him in person, but he is quite imposing. Not as imposing as me, but he's got something about him anyway (no, I don't have a thing for him. I appreciate art; doesn't mean I have a canvas fetish). The thing is, Hiwatari-san; to Dai that'd be Hiwatari-kun, was squirming like a little child. He of the many all-nighters, he of the still and patient disposition was wriggling like a little child in a theatre in the middle of Hamlet.

 

I prodded Daisuke a couple of times, pointing this out. Funnily enough, he didn't care. He just kept blowing me off with that little crooked smile and the words, “He's fine,” which in my opinion should be banned from the language.

 

Daisuke, I growled. He is squirming. If he acts like that, either he's trying to restrain Krad or else he wants to do something to you.

 

My little host shot me that crooked smile of his, and continued to repeat his new mantra whilst scanning through the book he was holding. “Hiwatari-kun,” at this point, he gently placed a hand on the other's arm and I swear, the blue-haired guy jumped. “Are you okay?”

 

He fixed Daisuke with that intense gaze of his, and true to form (guess he decided to lay off the Prozac, huh?) my Tamer started to blush under it. Then the most startling thing happened: Satoshi Hiwatari-or should that be Hikari?-leaned forward and gently grasped Daisuke's wrist and pressed his mouth against his (Daisuke's, dolts). The first thing that ran through my mind, funnily enough, was irritation. It wasn't irritation at such a weird thing; honestly now, in the course of three hundred years you see a lot of things; but I was irritated that he was moving in my territory. I tease Daisuke, and so do his mother and grandfather, and so do Risa and Takeshi and many of his other classmates, but that's friendly teasing. Only I'm allowed to tease Daisuke like that, and therefore the good Commander was intruding. Without thinking, I possessed Daisuke's body and shoved him to the back of my mind, telling him to behave. Time to teach the Commander a lesson, I gleefully thought.

 

Pressing forward further, I let the Hiwatari continue `giving me CPR' (I refuse to call it kissing) until he started trying to open my mouth. Now that was just a little too much; doesn't this guy know when to quit? I pushed back gently and scrambled away, trying to look scared. Funnily enough, it wasn't that difficult. I shut my eyes, pretending to be scared witless and ignoring Daisuke's shouting in the back of my head. I push him away almost brutally and concentrate on the Hiwatari, who looked…well, he looked like a kicked puppy. I felt sorry for the guy, I really did, but he was messing about on my turf, and what kind of Kaitou would I be if I didn't even defend my own treasures?

 

“You know,” I dryly observed, “it would help if you gave Daisuke some warning first, C-Hiwatari-san.” He flinched a little at the formality in my tone, and I decided to be a little nicer. Heaven knows Krad's not exactly Mr. Sensitive.

 

Satoshi narrowed his eyes. “What right do you have?” He hissed back. Ooh, venomous. Well, I was just fine with that, and Dai's guise helped me even more.

 

“Well, you know, usually the object of your affections should know what you're about to do,” I lightly replied. “Besides, Dai-chan's not at all interested in you.” Then I cursed myself for this careless remark, as my counterpart, one could say, was definitely going to challenge this.

 

“And just how would you know? You take everything, uncaring of the other's feelings!”

 

I leaned forward and gently tapped his nose. “Ah, so righteous. Tell me, Hiwatari-san, just because everyone does it…does it make the deed right?” For the first time since this whole fiasco, he actually looks a little…torn. I guess he realized that he dug himself into a hole. Then Daisuke snatched control away from me again and to my infinite horror, as soon as the detective looked up, he kissed him. Oh…bloody hell. Daisuke, what are you doing? I screeched, ignoring the fact that I now sounded like Risa. He told me to shut up.

 

When we got home, Daisuke looked-and felt-as smug as a lion with a juicy antelope on one of those nature programmes. Well, the little bugger would; he just had a make-out session with Azumano's favourite fourteen-year old! Needless to say, I was a bit riled. No, I wasn't jealous, stop with the conspiracy theories already will you! I was just annoyed by the fact that after being smooched without warning, Daisuke was throwing himself into the active person's arms! I mean, seriously. He's going to be known as the town bicycle soon, what with Azumano's gossip circles and his mother. All right, so he didn't sleep with him. So what? You know what gossip's like. So I decided to teach him a lesson. Of course, his little crooked smile popped up again and…well, you know. Things didn't work out so nicely.

 

Daisuke, I whined. You little…

 

-Sorry?- He responded. He opened his eyes wide and gave me the `innocent' look, but I knew better.

 

You know full well what I'm talking about, I snapped back, irked by how lightly he was taking everything. Why on earth did you let him…continue? Daisuke just gave me that blasted enigmatic crooked smile, and I glared even harder. It didn't occur to me until later that our roles seemed to have been reversed.

 

He continued to smile at me, not saying a single word. Oh, Lord, you have no idea how infuriating it was. Normally I don't lose my temper that easily, but something about that little crooked smile just rubbed me the wrong way. I growled and yet he continued to smile as though nothing had happened. His thoughts, however, were the main trigger. He kept focusing on how good a kisser the Hiwatari was, and it was really getting on my nerves. Shut…up, I grated to him. At the rate I'm going, I'll probably end up with a migraine by the end of the day, and so will Daisuke. We share a lot of physical feelings, you know, and headaches aren't an exception.

 

Of course, Daisuke having that little mean streak in him (ha, I bet you didn't know that, did you?), he continued to focus on how…hot and heavy the session was. In my humble opinion, the Hiwatari was a terrible kisser-technique was sorely lacking-but I guess it's good, as it means that Daisuke hasn't `been around the block' yet, so to speak. Wait…I'm digressing again, aren't I. Anyhow, Daisuke's still wearing that little crooked smile and calmly picking out a shirt from his wardrobe for tomorrow, so I decide to give him my take on the whole incident. Not that he didn't get the gist of it in the first place, but you know…Daisuke, I say. Why on earth would you think that the Hiwatari is a good kisser in the first place? He has no technique or finesse whatsoever. The only thing he has is determination and the point of kissing is not to see how quickly you can get your partner to play tonsil hockey! I pause and check his feelings, but to my surprise there's not much embarrassment. Instead, there's…exasperation?

 

-Dark, you don't get it, do you?- His voice was somewhat patronizing, but all right; I can take things with a grain of salt. -His…enthusiasm…- I cut him off at this point, catching the hesitation in his voice.

 

Oh, the enthusiasm, eh Dai-chan? I wink and…score! He's turning slightly red now. I continued blithely, ignoring his now growing embarrassment. So you like enthusiasm, Daisuke? He blushed further and mumbled something, and I couldn't help but snicker slightly at the reversal in our roles. You know, love, I purred, I'd be more than happy to show you `enthusiasm'. With a roguish wink, I block him off and settle back to watch the ensuing frustration. Daisuke didn't disappoint me, but he wasn't exactly in a great mood afterwards, so I left him alone for the rest of the evening.

 

Towards nightfall, I re-appeared in his consciousness to see whether he was still a little riled up. No, you dolts; I wasn't concerned for him in that way. Quit with the conspiracy theories already, will you? I just wanted to see if he'd be a little more…amenable. To my surprise, he was all perky and cheerful again, and he welcomed me back with an open mind. -Hi Dark!- I blinked, not expecting such an exuberant welcome.

 

Ne, Dai-chan. What's up? Did you get a love letter? I mocked him even though it was clear from his attitude that he would much rather not discuss his love life with me. Normally, I wouldn't be interested, but when Hiwatari got thrown into the mix…oh boy, it became the hottest gossip of the day. There was no theft tonight though, so I had all the time in the world to bug him. No? Oh, I know. You got a phone call from your boyfriend. I ignored the tension in his shoulders, even though it was clear that he would much rather not discuss the issue further.

 

C'mon, I beg shamelessly. You can tell me. He ignored me, only stopping to give me one of those patented glares he has down to an art. Aw, I feel special. Tell me, does Hiwatari see that face? His expression faltered for just a moment and I almost felt bad for him. Note the almost. Hey, he's my Tamer; it's my job to make sure he knows exactly what he's getting into each time. Well, Dai-chan? So what? I'm blunt. Better than those people beating about the bush.

 

Now I'm here, sitting inside his head, and that pretty much brings you up to speed with everything. Daisuke, I prod. Why did you kiss him? You can't seriously be thinking about a relationship with him. Riku Harada, ring any bells? He continues to ignore me, and I'm left to wonder why he's so defensive all of a sudden.

 

-Dark,- he says after a pause as he slams the cup of water on the table. -Why do you care?-

 

I chuckle, although it's more to hide my hesitation in answering than anything else. For some funny reason, the words that come to mind in response to his question aren't the ones that I tell myself. I wonder why? Well; it just means that this whole thing is getting to me more than I thought. It's my job to keep an eye on you. Part of the Angel job description, don't you know. He didn't accept the answer; I feel dissatisfaction thorough our little bond before it's hastily covered up. Fine; I can take the silent treatment just as well as anyone else can.

 

Throughout dinner Daisuke continues to treat me as though I don't exist. I mean, it doesn't hurt as much as it would normally, seeing as I'm invisible to the human eye for the most part, but still…you know, it's annoying being ignored by one of the few people who can see you, no matter what. When that treatment comes from Daisuke, you have to wonder whether you did something wrong. Especially when it comes from Daisuke.

 

The little crooked smile didn't make its way onto his face in the next few days, where he was constantly with the Hiwatari. Honestly, it's almost unnerving. Daisuke didn't seem particularly inclined to talk to me about anything even remotely related to the annoying detective, so I left things in that state. Then, of course, Emiko had to go and throw a spanner into the works.

 

It was just another day where Daisuke was at school and I was mooching around in the house. After the Dual Plate…you know, it got easier to get away from Daisuke and all that. No, seriously. I guess that we both just needed some time away from each other, that's all. So anyways, I was lying on the couch with With in my lap and channel-surfing when Miss Mother of the Year comes in, bearing a plate of cookies and a glass of Pepsi. “Dark!” She merrily chirps, “I brought you a snack!” I groan in reply and without missing a beat, she joins me on the couch. All right; so normally you wouldn't think much of that, would you, but in this case, I know something's up. Unlike my last guess, this one is deadly accurate. “So, Dark. Care to tell me `what's up' with you and Daisuke?” She serenely ignores my choking, passing me the glass and patting me on the back with that omnipresent, inscrutable smile on her face.

 

I right myself and stare at her blankly, hoping to confuse her. It doesn't work. Her enthusiasm isn't dimmed one iota and I'm starting to fear that she'll worm everything out of me. Casting around in my mind, I look for a suitably ambiguous and puzzling answer that will take five minutes to process and five more minutes to reply to. Dangit, I think to myself, Why can't Daisuke be around at times like these? “…you don't have to worry Dark, your secret's safe with me!” My head jerks up at these ominous sounding words and I gawk at her. Has this woman no shame?

 

“What are you talking about?” I manage to say with a semblance of smoothness. I try to laugh her words off, but even to my ears the sound's fake and forced. “Emiko-san, it's not as though…” She briskly cuts me off, even waving a finger in my face like she would to Daisuke.

 

“Now now Dark, there's nothing to be ashamed of. I know you and Daisuke's relationship is on the rocks, and I know something's bugging you. So why don't you just tell me? After all—“ My turn.

 

“After all, my secret's safe with you,” I say wryly. Grabbing a cookie, I turn it over in my hands a little before wrapping it up in some tissue from the box on the coffee table and placing it to one side. Heaven alone knows if she put Truth Serum in it; I know she'd be more than capable of the deed should the occasion arise. And I'd much rather not be spilling my guts out to my Tamer's mother, thank you very much. “Emiko-san…” I try for charm this time, but my heart's not in it. “Please don't worry about me.” The elusive phrase from earlier comes to mind and I don't hesitate to use it. “It's just a little thing. It's made between two people, and it should stay between two people.” I pat her hand for extra reassurance, but I don't feel as confident as I should. For some reason, Daisuke's little crooked smile comes to mind and I can just imagine him standing there, smiling away whilst I try to explain everything without giving away too much. She flaps her hand dismissively at me and for a moment, I can pretend that I'm real and that she's my mother in every sense of the word.

 

“Of course, of course. But sometimes, we all need a little push, hm?” I look at her again, but of course she's wearing that inscrutable look. Just like Daisuke.

 

“What do you mean, `a little push'?” I mildly ask. The key here is to act uninterested; knowing Emiko's sadistic nature, she'll probably dangle it in front of my eyes tantalizingly and when I jump, she'll yank it away. Unfortunately, having a son has versed Emiko in the ways of men and…and let's face it, she's not stupid. Smiling cheerfully, she gets up, taking the now empty glass with her.

 

“You know,” she says before she returns to the kitchen, “I could help.”

 

“Everyone says that,” I call back before returning to my previous activity: killing my brain with bad daytime soaps and quiz shows. I decide to squander today in front of the television.

 

Afternoon:

 

“I'm home!” Daisuke cheerfully calls. I silently count to three in my head and shortly after, I hear the metallic clanging of the gate as it closes down. Judging from the yelp, I guess it barely missed him.

 

The door swings open shortly and he bursts into the living room, only to be smothered by Emiko. I almost laugh at this; it seems that he has one extra obstacle to deal with now. Then I catch sight of…you guessed it, dear little Hiwatari-kun. Fortunately, he hasn't seen me yet and I hastily return to Daisuke's mind.

 

“So you add this to five and then divide it? What happens to the 7x then?”

 

Satoshi patiently explains that the 7x no longer exists, as it has been cancelled out by the 14x for the fourth time. Daisuke is still scratching his head, completely baffled by the numbers and letters. I snickered at his obvious bewilderment; after all, the concept wasn't difficult and for the short time I had attended school properly, I had been told that I had an inordinate talent for numbers. Then again, I'm good at everything. I'm Kaitou Dark; it's part of the job requirement.

 

Time goes by and I notice that the distance between the two is slowly narrowing. Just like in that cheesy soap…oh wait, all of them are like that, I think to myself sardonically. I can just picture the entire scenario, complete with me as the spirit of the dearly beloved, departed boyfriend hovering above them, giving them his blessing with arms outstretched like that biblical figure people are always banging on about nowadays. I snicker to myself. Yeah, right. Like I'd give Hiwatari my blessing. The only thing he can look forward to getting from me is a raspberry.

 

So anyway, the two lovebirds (that word makes me sick) are gravitating towards each other and I'm sitting there, watching. Nothing interrupts them, sadly, and they pretty much forget about the homework after a minute or so. Right there and then, I resolve to make Daisuke's life a living hell, even if it's just for the night. Hey; misery loves company.

 

As embarrassing as it may be, the young couple (can't you hear the sarcasm dripping from that phrase?) are rudely interrupted by Niwa Daiki. I must say, the old man wasn't particularly pleased by what he saw and I'm honestly surprised Hiwatari didn't meet his end at the hands of the Niwa clan that night. Or maybe not; I hear he was asked to join the track team five years in a row and if the demonstration given was anything to go by, he had a nice career as an Olympic track athlete ahead of him should he think of leaving the police force. Not to mention all the practice I've been giving him. Emiko went berserk, Daiki lost control of himself (as well as a certain bodily organ) and even Towa-chan looked a tad homicidal that night. Daisuke was grounded and if it weren't for the fact that I was miserable too, I would have consoled him. As it was, I merely rubbed it in until he snapped.

 

I told you the Hiwatari bugger was a bad choice, but did you listen? Oh no, God forbid, you just had to do things your way! Now look at this mess. We're not going to be able to perform for a long time, Daisuke, I can tell you that right now. I would have continued, but I was interrupted at this point.

 

-What the hell is your point, Dark?- Seems like Daisuke's feeling the pinch too. -Is there a problem or something? I know you don't like Satoshi, but he's a perfectly nice person! It's just that you're forever bickering!- I sense that I've gone too far, but Daisuke's letting everything out. -If this is the kind of thing I have to look forward to in life, doing things for everyone but myself, then I don't want to be a Niwa!- Woah, now that was something. -Mom's obsessed with you and Dad runs himself ragged just to find things for you to steal!- I think he would have said more, but he stopped himself. Eyes blazing with fury, he glares at me and I guess it wouldn't be far off the mark if I said that he was a lot more than just agitated. Giving up, I decide to have that long overdue tête-à-tête with him. I appear before him in a column of light and land on the floor with a thump. Dang, I always forget that I appear and solidify three inches off the floor.

 

“Now we can talk properly,” I casually say as I lean against the leg of his desk chair. I stretch lazily, ignoring the glare that he's giving me. “Just what's been eating you, anyway?”

 

He scowls at me before turning away and crossing his arms. I roll my eyes and sigh, uncaring of whether he hears or not. “Are you finished with your tantrum yet?” I ask after two minutes or so. He's still simmering nicely, but a lot better than when he started out. “First off,” I begin, “Emiko loves you, you dumb prick. Stop thinking that she doesn't love you, because she does! If she didn't, she wouldn't have taken care of you half as well as she did, and she wouldn't try to protect you from Hiwatari! She drove him away because she's worried about you, Daisuke! Second of all, your dad is helping everyone else. Do you think he looks for artwork just for pleasure! It's a thankless job, Daisuke. You don't get paid very much, if anything at all, and no one knows what you do. Do you want to know something, Daisuke? Remember the time Hiwatari disappeared? Do you know what he was doing? He was looking for your father because he knows that he's the source of information for us! Your dad risked getting hauled in for aiding and abetting a known criminal just so that we'd be able to seal artwork away! Grow up and think about that, Daisuke! They did it all for you! Kosuke threw himself in front of Hiwatari in that van when Krad took over and he took the full impact of that energy ball! They all did. They all risked everything for you and you just can't be bothered to see that!” Taking a deep breath, I stare at him. That's got to be the longest speech I've ever made in my life, I think to myself. Daisuke stares at me wide-eyed, completely bowled over by my vehemence. I told you I'm charismatic.

 

“Stop gawking,” I tell him shortly. Suddenly, without warning, he throws himself into my arms and starts sobbing. For a moment, I'm stunned into silence and shock, but then my arms come up and wrap themselves around him. Shutting my eyes, I allow myself to indulge in the fantasy that he does this on a regular basis. Without the tears, of course. Then I remind myself sternly that dreams should be left as dreams, and besides, he's got a lovely, /physical/ boyfriend who can satisfy his every whim better than I ever will. He looks up at me with teary red eyes and I smile, ruffling his hair. “Come on, little rabbit,” I tease him gently, “Don't be like that.” He sniffs and little and gives me a watery half-smile. My breath catches in my throat and I lean forward just a little before catching myself.

 

I have never claimed to know my host inside-out, and at this very moment I am glad. I despise lying, even when it is mere exaggeration, for he surprises me once more as he grabs my shirt and jerks me downwards. I'm not going to lie; it's a clumsy kiss. His mouth slips off mine and leaves a moist trail across my jaw whilst I end up kissing air. We pull away and I chuckle quietly whilst he gives me that little crooked smile of his again. This time, it doesn't infuriate me; it rather…turns me on. Still, no matter how hot under the collar I am, no matter how much I want this, I refuse to do anything with him until he gets that business with the Hiwatari sorted out. “Daisuke,” I whisper. “What about Hiwatari?” I then cringe at myself for sounding like the hero of a cheesy romance novel. Come to think of it, this whole scenario's just like one, isn't it.

 

Daisuke laughs freely and I wonder fleetingly if he was just stringing the detective along. “Were you, Daisuke?” I urgently ask. Not that I care, you understand. It's just that if he was, well, who was to say that he would not do the same thing to me in the future? “Were you just stringing him along?” The laughter dissolves in a sort of gurgle and his eyes widen.

 

“I…I don't know.” He lowers his eyes, ashamed, and I guess I've pushed things too far. Still, I can't bear the thought of sharing my Tamer with the detective, especially when we despise each other so, and so I turn against my instincts, even though I know they've been honed from over three hundred years of thieving and avoiding the Hikari.

 

I shut my eyes, but before I return to the recesses of Daisuke's mind, I tell him, “Make up your mind.” His little crooked smile appears fleetingly on his face for a split second before he buries his face in his hands and sobs once more. This time, I don't do anything, for I, too, am close to tears.

 

If you tell anyone about this, I swear, I will hunt you down and kick your ass. Shut up already…no, I don't care! Wipe that smile off your face, now!

 

Heh, hope you liked this one. Thanks to the one person who reviewed the last chapter; I guess it didn't really come up to par, huh? Well, I hope this one tickled your fancy more, and remember guys, please review, as I would really like to know what you liked about this one-shot. Thank you for finishing this part and reading the whole collection (if you did); it really means a lot to me. Thank you for your support, and please review!

 

NB: The bit at the end is Dark telling the reader (a. k. a YOU) to not laugh at him, pretty much. I just thought that it would be fitting after everything he's said, as he's constantly trying to be a tough guy.

Believe it or not, I actually have another chapter already finished. However...it shouldn't be coming out until September. You're free to guess when. So until then, see you guys! Thank you for reading and please leave a review!