Involution

Emiko remained another night, making chicken soup to last a
year and helping Daisuke with taking care of one very sick Satoshi. Krad
had retreated, kept out of the way, and generally pulled away from company,
especially Daisuke's.

"Is something the matter?" Emiko asked quietly as the two cleaned the
kitchen and ladled soup into the containers meant for the freezer.

Daisuke sighed. "Dark and Krad had an argument. A rather bad one that
nearly ended with one or both of them as road kill."

"What about?"

"Uh… something private."

Brown eyes regarded him, then Emiko nodded, accepting that. "So now
they evade each other?"

"In a way. Dark's incommunicado at the moment, too. And you know how
Krad is."

Emiko glanced toward the stairs leading into the attic. Krad had walked
up and hadn't been seen since.

"I would never have thought that I'd say something like it, Dai, but
I'm worried about him."

Daisuke smiled a little. "Yeah, me too."

"He has a lot to deal with," Emiko mused.

A nod. "He's getting the hang of emotions, but I think it's pretty
much overwhelming him now and again. And then there's his past, which hasn't
been pretty."

He had never told his mother what Krad had been through at the hands
of the Hikari. It was Krad's secret to tell and the demon would never disclose
it.

Emiko sighed. "These things will take time. He needs Dark and if they're
at odds… it has to mend, Dai."

"Yeah. I know."

 

Emiko, wrapped up ir wir winter coat, shawl and woolen hat, left late
that morning after she had looked in on Satoshi. She gazed at the tall,
lonely blond demon, noticed the strain in the pale face, the tiredness
and exhaustion, and she walked up to him, smiling.

"Krad?"

Surprised, he looked at her.

"You're not meant to be alone," Emiko said softly. "You two are part
of the same world. You need each other. Separation will only drive you
further apart."

She placed a hand on the t-shirt clad chest, patting it gently.

"Sometimes making the first step takes more courage than facing your
worst nightmare, but it can be worth it."

With that she left the bemused demon alone, hugged her son on the way
out, and stepped into the freshly white world outside.

* * *

It took another day for Satoshi to be able to leave the bed and by then
he was doggedly announcing that he would be taking a shower first thing.
Daisuke smiled in amusement as his lover made his way to the bathroom on
wobbly legs, clutching Niwa's arms with whatever strength he could muster.
Krad had returned to his host and Daisuke suspected it was for two reasons:
be close to Satoshi and evade a confrontation with Dark. Damn, they really
had to work something out.

"You'll collapse in the shower and where will that get you?" he asked
rhetorically.

"Clean," came the answer.

Stubborn. Persistent. Single-minded. Hikari Satoshi.

Sighing, Daisuke finally surrendered to the unstoppable force that
was his sick lover and he climbed into the shower with him. Satoshi insisted
to wash his own hair and it almost burned up the last of his energy. Toweling
off was left to Daisuke, who bundled the slender man into a towel and rubbed
him vigorously, drawing a faint protest. When Satoshi was finally in the
bedroom again, dressed in sweater and pants, he settled him in a chair.

"Stay. I'll get something to eat and we have to change the sheets."

"I can go into the living room," came the protest.

"You're not going anywhere."

Satoshi glared at him with all he had; granted, at the moment that
wasn't much. "I'm fine, Daisuke!"

Daisuke scowled, but something dark inside him decided that if Satoshi
wanted to end up flat on his face, so be it. He wouldn't stand in his way.

 

He had to give it to him: he was more than stubborn. Satoshi had slowly
made his way along the wall, using a hand to keep himself upright, and
into the kitchen.

"Whatcha up to?" Daisuke wanted to know, giving the fridge a closer
look.

"Toast," came the soft answer and he turned around.

Satoshi sat slumped in the chair, looking beat. Daisuke was drawn between
amusement and worry.

"Toast with what?"

"Just toast."

Another scowl, but Daisuke pulled out the bread and walked over to
the toaster. In the end, he threw in a bowl of soup and glared at Satoshi
long enough to make the reluctant patient eat it all.

~You'd make a good nursemaid~ Dark remarked with a grin.

He shot him a dark look.

Satoshi finished the last spoon of soup. Daisuke just refilled the
bowl.

"I can't eat all of that!"

"You can."

"Daisuke!"

"Eat. You were sick, you lost weight, you have to get your strength
back. Now eat."

Daisuke smirked as Satoshi ate a few more spoonfuls, then pushed the
bowl away. He hadn't expected his lover to be able to finish the second
bowl, but he was glad to see he had managed a bit more. Satoshi really
needed to strengthen again and if he played it stubborn, so would Daisuke.

*

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Satoshi shot his lover an annoyed look from behind the reading glasses.
There were smudges under those dark blue eyes and they were red-rimmed.

"I'm working."

"No, you're sick. You're supposed to be in bed!"

"I'm fine, Dai. And I've to catch up on things."

Daisuke muttered something uncomplimentary. "I thought you had more
common sense! And if not you, then Krad!"

Satoshi frowned. "I don't see what he has to do with it."

"A lot since you're his host, sick as a dog, and you should be resting
and getting better!"

~Krad won't take over, Dai. Don't forget that. He would never force
Satoshi to submit and do something against his will~

~I know~ he sighed. ~But to let him work himself into a relapse doesn't
help!~

"Sato," he said, voice softening. "I don't want you to get worse. You're
just healing. Please…"

Satoshi looked at him, then closed the laptop with a sigh. Long strands
of light brown hair fell forward and Daisuke automatically pushed them
back.

"I just want you to be healthy," he murmured.

"There's so much to do…"

"I know, I know. And we'll get it done."

"What about the Ferris Stone?"

Daisuke grinned a little, feeling a wave of excitement from his partner.
"Dark's already all hyperut iut it. We'll take a look at it tomorrow night,
seal the damn thing and be done with it, okay?"

"But I'm your back-up…"

"And you still are, but you do it from here. No sitting outside and
provoking a relapse."

Satoshi sighed in defeat.

"Love you," Daisuke murmured and kissed the warm forehead.

No fever, just warmth.

Blue eyes glowed with the same emotions.

Satoshi fell asleep not much later, comfortably ensconced in his winter
blanket. Daisuke stayed where he was, watching the man, caressing his hair
and face. When it was clear that Satoshi would remain asleep, he left the
room again to prepare for tomorrow.

* * *

"Figures," Daisuke sighed as he looked at the fat snow flakes lazily
drifting to the ground.

The sky was dark, which had nothing to do with the time of the day,
and there were clouds coming in. Big clouds, coming in fast. For two days
the weather had been great, but now the coast waperiperiencing another
storm and the first fingers were reaching toward their town. Everyone had
been warned to stay at home, close the windows and sit tight. The ships
had been tied down and no one who didn't have to be out was on the streets.

"You should wait," Satoshi advised, a worried frown on his features.

"We'll be okay," was the simple reply. "No one's up and about. No one's
in the museum. It'll be easy to get in and out. We'll be back before the
real thing hits."

Blue eyes shot him a dubious look and Daisuke gave his lover a cocky
smile before he zipped up.

"Don't worry, Sato. Dark's the famous phantom thief, right? A little
weather won't bring us down."

~Yep!~ Dark agreed cheerfully.

Satoshi sighed, but he couldn't do anything except sit back. "Don't
risk too much," he only begged.

"I won't."

And with that Daisuke was on his way.