Title: Hidden

Rating: T

Pairing: DarkKrad.

Warning: Shounen-ai. OOC-ness. Selfish and insane and broken.

Disclaimer: I've told you already. Sugisaki-sensei hates mental freaks.

Somehow, in this endless dimension of loneliness…

… I long for you.

He was never supposed to be more than a soulless art piece.

That was what he had learned to himself, or at least, been told consistently by his tamers in a routine which never seemed to stop. You can't feel and that's it, they stoically and ridiculously repeated, with an unchanged tone, an unchanged expression. As if they were possessed with a permanent fear that he would forget everything they uttered the moment they turned their backs.

As if he needed more than just the emptiness in his chest to be reminded, that the place where his heart should have been, was hollow.

Mortals were, seemingly, intelligent fools.

He would have laughed till his stomach ached in disgust, if he had known the definition of what called amusement. But no one had ever taught him of it. So he had no choice but to sit in his silent, lightless corner, watching uninterestedly as flows of emotion from his masters swayed before his golden orbs. Happy, anger, remorse, love, jealousy… Some were warm and some were cold.

But that was it. Warm and cold. Warm and cold.

After some time, he started to wonder. How would it feel to, well, feel?

The Hikaris sensed his question. And didn't seem so pleased with it.

You can't feel and that's it, they stoically and ridiculously repeated, with an unchanged tone, an unchanged expression.

Mortals were, seemingly, intelligent fools.

I love you.

It was those three words that had given him his first breath.

He hadn't quite got what the sentence actually meant at the moment. Yet, there was this warmth that had enveloped him when he opened his eyes, the warmth that had spread vividly through the darkness he resided, shining so brilliantly that it could be envied by the light at day. So brilliantly that he felt suffocated. And so warm, that it burned.

He hadn't quite got what the sentence actually meant at the moment.

But it was uncomfortable and painful.

…

The Niwas explained to him, that I love you was what people would say when they wanted to be close to one another. Hearing it would make the ones you loved happy, and thus, they would stay.

It was those three words that had given him his first breath.

So, to him, they worked like some kind of chains.

I love you, Dark. I love you.

And so they said, their smiles were brilliant, their voices were tender, and their eyes were cold.

And now the chains were formed.

He could almost hear them dangling happily within every piece of his coal-like realm.

Clack, clack.

So happily that it was painfully nauseating.

When he took the first life, it felt like nothing had come out of their daily ritual. Except that the blood was sticky, and his host was a tad trembling.

His dull golden gaze dropped down to the corpse, as his mind started to wonder boredly. How should he clean this mess up? His brain, for some reason, had advised him not to use his magic, and it seemed like he would have to do it by hands.

His host shivered.

You killed my brother. He quietly accused, his tone slowly broke.

He was trying to harm you. I was trying to protect you. The blood was sticky, and he still didn't know how to deal with the corpse.

And you expect me to believe in those words? You filthy monster…

Such a cold feeling.

Hatred.

The blood was sticky.

It was kind of a new experience when he fell and injured himself during one of his thief-trainings. The crimson liquid dripping from his flesh would be quite fascinating, if the pain which followed wasn't count, and his host wasn't shrieking in his head like the world had been thoroughly damaged.

Dark, please be more careful! This is not a game, you know!

Calm down, kid. We're still alive, see?

But if you don't pay serious attention…

That kid could be, sometimes, really annoying.

The day was damn hot.

"Dark!"

He lifted his head up only to find the Niwas rushing towards him, worry evident in their ruby orbs. Their anxious voices sounded so sincere that his face tensed in surprise, before slightly softened.

Maybe, they did care for him after all.

"I…" He opened his mouth, but was immediately cut off.

"Dark, is my son okay?"

Maybe… they did care for him after all.

"Ah, he's fine…"

The day was damn hot.

And then the night came.

He had failed to count the number of those nights when he could sleep.

How, why, he did not know. Perhaps there was so few of them that he forgot. Perhaps there was simply none to add up from the beginning. Or perhaps it was much easier to count how many nights he had been wide awake, waiting for the moon to die her glory death as the sun rose from the horizon.

During such time, they appeared.

"Keep this a secret between us." Cold breath hitched greedily into his skin. "Don't ever tell my son, will you?"

He nodded, closing his eyes while the air slowly thickened against sounds of ripped fabric.

"Very good, my little doll…"

The moon sneered.

The night continued to bleed.

Very good, my beautiful little doll…

He hated stumbling upon the Niwas' old memories, and there wasn't even a proper reason. The only thing he knew was that he hated it, and whenever he bumped into one, he would make sure the same thing would never happen again.

Maybe because he had become more of a narcissist, so the fact that those memories held no part of him was something unforgivable.

Perhaps because he had no memories of his own to treasure, and seeing what he could never have was too much.

Possibly because whenever he looked at them, he acknowledged that he was alone and that he felt lonely.

Maybe, perhaps, possibly, maybe, perhaps… He never found an answer.

.

.

"I resent that man, grandpa. Why can't we just get rid of him?"

"He will die for us when needed. That is all he existed for."

.

.

But all in all, he hated stumbling upon the Niwas' old memories.

"The Niwas have set their plan in motion. We need your help, tomorrow night…"

"The battle has begun. Want it or not, you're an essential part."

Their first meet was on a rainy day.

Neither of them longed for it. Both of them would have much rather moved on without it.

But they met, and that, was final.

"You are Krad of the Hikari, correct?"

Between the soft lullaby of the rain, his voice sounded strangely low.

Tanned fingers brushed across his pale cheek, as light as the brush of a butterfly wing on a delicate rose petal. He looked up at the stranger in silence while his skin slowly warmed up to the touch, and after a while, a slight smile started to form on the man's childish yet handsome feature.

An odd one, though. It was not cold, but it was not warm, either.

His smile was grey.

"Not a wordy one, I see…"

The purple-haired man tilted his head in amusement when he got back no answer. Amethyst eyes shone.

Within that deep violet light, he saw darkness.

And his own reflection.

"It's a pleasure to meet you then. I'm Dark."

Between the soft lullaby of the rain, his voice sounded strangely low.

To his surprise, the man didn't flinch away.

There was no anger, no fear, no hatred. Only honey eyes pinning at him like a question he knew he had not an answer to. Awkward silence spread, and if he had paid as much attention as needed to mind, he would have actually felt annoyed.

But then again… he had never cared enough.

A friendly chat was not his purpose, after all. His purpose was to bring the artwork from the Hikaris' territory back to the hands of his tamers, and all the bullshit that happened during the process would only be, in the end, bullshit.

Such as destroying that white-winged guardian.

Regret? Already did. He had always been an appreciative creature, while the man was an artistically ethereal being.

A well-made doll, so to speak.

He smirked lazily.

"Smile up, will you? At least try to be happy when we annihilate each other."

A blink. Before it melted quietly into a sarcastic look.

"… What is happiness to you then, sir?"

The rain moaned calmly. Hauntingly.

"People can't try to be happy, mister thief. And it seems, to me, neither can you."

Somewhere in the deepest void of the night, his smirk faltered, then widened.

It was him.

He found him.

Their first meet was on a rainy day.

Dark considered it an interesting change in his damn boring existence. Krad considered it a sole mistake.

But they met, and that, was final.

He didn't even remember when all this started. And so what he desperately wanted to know, was how.

But it didn't matter. Not completely so, just not anymore.

…

A small gasp escaped from him when he was pinned down on the cold stone surface, blinded as an exquisite shade of violet overwhelmed his vision. Warm lips grazed over his, but withdrew gently as he turned his face away.

"You're so mean." Pouted. "Why not giving in a little and let me have my first kiss?"

Even though he had prepared for a glare, his brow arched at the question.

"And why should I?"

"Isn't it obvious? I love you."

He could never understand that man. Him and his irresponsible words.

And yet…

"Why do you keep saying that, Mousy?" He heard his reluctant voice resounded, penetrating through the still air. "You don't even mean it."

Something stirred.

Amethyst liquid dropped into his golden orbs, before a cocky smirk announced its appearance on the man's mouth corner. A slight kiss was placed on his forehead, followed by a whisper more velvety than the night itself.

"Because you want to hear it."

He remembered clearly when all this started. So, of course, he knew perfectly how.

But it didn't matter. Not completely so, just not anymore.

…

"You just need something to cling on to, don't you?"

"Perhaps. And perhaps that 'something' happens to be you."

He laughed and buried his face into silky golden locks, ignoring the frown which he knew was adorning the man's angelic features. That was probably the lamest excuse he had ever come up with, but as long as he could have him all to himself, everything would be just fine.

As long as he stayed, everything would be just fine.

"You are disgusting."

"I love you, too."

The blond grumbled. He smiled, inhaling the sweet vanilla scent before pressing his lips against a pale earlobe.

And now the chains were formed.

The thought of being tied to him was painful, but comfortable.

No matter how many times he had told him to stop, Dark still gave himself the right to find him in their lightless little void. No matter how many times he had told him to leave, the idiot still flopped down next to him, sitting there until both their hosts awakened.

He was never really fond of seeing that purple-haired thief.

Nor was he ever really fond of waiting for him.

It didn't take him as much time as before to find the golden seraph, for the man had no longer attempted in changing his location. It was almost as if Krad was waiting for him. That, or the blond had become tired of playing hide and seek.

Either way, it was still good to have somewhere – someone - to return to.

"Honey, I'm home."

He knew what would habitually come after that, but there were things he simply couldn't help doing.

"Go somewhere else and die, thief."

He chuckled.

Oh yes, Krad was definitely waiting for him.

"So, how about kissing me back now?"

"No."

"What about now?"

"No."

"You're heartless."

"That is because, Mousy, I don't have a heart."

Amethyst eyes deeper than the ocean peered at him, shining with the same curiosity that was obviously crawling through the owner's head. Dark tilted his head to the side in his usual playful manner, before another grin bloomed.

"But I've already given you mine, have I not?"

Under the dark fabric of their void, he could tell that his eyes had widened a little.

"Idiot…"

"Maybe. So, how about kissing me back now?"

"No."

"You're so mean."

"What's the point in pretending to be happy?"

He cocked an eyebrow at the sudden question.

"So that people don't know you're weak."

"What's the point in pretending to be happy in front of me, then?"

Silent.

Then a smirk.

"Because you're cute."

He snickered as the frown he had been so familiar with deepened on the man's face, flexibly moving himself to dodge a violent energy ball. Uttering lies to that golden beauty was what he found irresistible to do, and yet, incredibly sucked at.

So, really…

… What was the point, anyway?

The thief was annoying when he was awake, but when he drowned himself in his peaceful slumber, he was even more annoying. The idiot would snuggle to him and smile and snore and sleep-talk, and then he would acknowledge that getting a nap of his own was close to impossible.

And the man never let go of his hand when he slept. That, too, was annoying.

Dark shifted, smiling his childish smile and snuggled closer.

He released a sigh in defeat.

The hand was still not letting go.

Sometimes he woke up in the middle of the night, searched through his barely-rose eyelids and pleasantly found that their hands were still tangling together. He then smiled and happily returned to his sleep, burying his face further into the sweet vanilla scent.

He knew the blond would once more adopt that annoyed look, and while smirking internally, he squeezed the pale hand a tad harder.

"Idiot…" He heard Krad mumble in the soft, alluring silence. "We'll still have to suffer each other, you know…"

So I won't leave you just yet.

His lips curved, and he fell asleep again.

Don't you feel it, too? The loneliness that we share…

Years dropped.

He knew something had changed.

It might be when the rotten rivalry between the Niwas and the Hikaris decayed into pure hatred. It might be when their bloody power began to slam with much more ferocity onto each other. It might be when he first shouted to his face that he hated him.

It might even be when he smiled back.

His smile was not cold, but it was not warm, either.

It was colorless.

.

.

How would it feel to, well, feel?

.

.

Years dropped.

He knew something had changed.

It might be when the rotten rivalry between the Niwas and the Hikaris decayed into pure hatred. It might be when their bloody power began to slam with much more ferocity onto each other. It might be when he first leaned in and kissed those unyielding lips.

It might even be when he was pushed away.

"What's the matter, angel? I love you, and you know that…"

Both of them knew it was a lie, and yet, neither of them cared.

He just didn't understand why his voice had faltered.

.

.

They said that when one lied too much, he might as well start to believe.

.

.

He struggled weakly beneath him as his cloak fell over his shoulders.

Dark took both his wrists on one hand as he continued, in his own agonizingly casual way, to lift up the thin cloth that remained. He protested once more, before giving up in suppressing a gasp which was then lost to the darkness, when tanned fingers reached out and traced soothingly along his damaged skin.

He heard amethyst eyes narrow.

"Where did you get these?" A whisper, another brush on the unhealed wounds, then he roughly shoved the man away.

It was ugly enough that they were there. It was even uglier that he knew it all from the start.

"There's no failure without punishment, Mousy. Why do you play innocent?" His voice sneered, and he knew it was also very ugly.

The thief stayed silent for a while, before he softly spoke up.

"It is my fault, isn't it?"

"No, thief. It is actually mine."

He responded monotonously before turning on his heels, but his steps fell into pieces as strong arms suddenly wrapped themselves around his waist. There was a quiet rustle of clothes, then Dark rested his chin on his shoulders.

"Would you rather it… if I disappeared?"

"… I suppose you've already known the answer."

He had never gathered enough courage to turn around.

It hurt.

"The Hikaris have set up a trap, so don't come tonight."

"Why are you telling me, then?"

"I just feel the need to."

"I know… so you do care about me a lot."

Krad threw his glare at him and looked away, his pale cheeks briefly brightened with a tint of red.

"You healed my wounds. I'm only paying back."

"God, was that a 'thank you' that I heard?"

The glare darkened.

"Just listen to me and don't come tonight."

"Fine, fine… I love you too, honey…"

He glanced at the blond's bruised neck, putting on his usual grin before stealing a quick kiss from the frowning golden angel.

… So, now what?

He blinked into the death of the night, trying to grab something that made sense to his mind from within the crimson darkness. He tried, and tried, and tried and tried and tried, and his head was still as empty as the metallic scent that was starting to cloud his blinded vision.

So, now what?

He blinked again.

Dark was still not moving.

The idiot had come with his usual cocky smirk, despite all his warning and thread, and now he was lying on the floor, bloody and not moving.

He had warned him about the trap.

It was the idiot's fault.

So, now what?

He should probably deal with the corpse. No, maybe with the blood first. What about his tamer? The Hikaris? The artwork? He should go and wake the thief up, and tell him that it was not the time for his little play.

He blinked again.

Krad… What's wrong?

Dark was not moving. He had warned him about the trap. It was the idiot's fault. Dark was not moving. The blood. The metallic scent. His tamer. The Hikaris the artwork the metallic scent the blood.

Dark was not moving.

Krad? Krad!? Answer me!

Something broke.

.

.

'Would you rather it… if I disappeared?'

.

.

… So, now what?

He wondered through his foggy mind as darkness descended around him, wincing slightly when his brain gave back no reply and his body ached for an answer. His wounds burned, and he suddenly wanted to see him again.

He smirked. It was pathetic, honestly. Getting addicted to something so human, while both of them was not even earthly creature to start with.

And it was not like Krad would very much enjoy the idea of seeing him anyway…

He pressed a hand tighter onto his abdomen.

It hurt, really. The wounds.

So, now what?

Now what? Simple. Rest and tried to be alive until he was well enough to go there and bother the fallen seraph again. To pull out that usually annoyed expression. To steal a kiss or two from the hunter then bury his face into that sweet…

… vanilla scent…

Why was he sensing vanilla scent?

Great. Now his brain was starting to give him illusions. Did it mean he was going to die? In this beyond crooked of a place, alone and without Krad? Damn, that even sounded painful. Perhaps he should just get up, find the angel, put aside all his normally perverted purposes and just hug the man until his last minute or something…

Cold hand pressed against his skin. He smiled a little and leaned into the touch.

"Your hand is freaking cold…"

"I can very well stop the healing process and let you rot here if you want, mister thief."

He grinned. So it was not an illusion.

Krad was there.

A gasp escaped from the golden beauty as he pulled him into his arms and pressed his head contentedly against the smaller man's chest. He briefly saw golden eyes widen, before his other half began to struggle in his embrace, his voice barely above an irritated whisper.

"Idiot, your wounds…"

"I don't mind, so why do you?" Nuzzled, nuzzled.

He batted his eyelashes in astonishment as he felt slender arms raised up and wrapped gently around his head. Krad heaved out a reluctant sigh, hiding his face into his purple strands while his embrace unconsciously tightened.

It was simply uncharacteristic of the blond.

It was as if…

"You were worried about me, weren't you?"

"No." A grumble.

He chuckled softly. They were both terrible liars.

"Thanks… I didn't know you cared that much."

There was a pause of time. Then a whisper. "… Thief?"

"Hn?"

"I told you about the trap… Why did you still come?"

"Because I can't resist the power of love?"

"Perhaps I should have killed you back then…."

He laughed quietly, tightening his arms around the man's waist.

"If that trap hadn't worked… wouldn't they hurt you again if they found out?"

Silent.

Smack.

"… Ouch! What was that for?"

"For being an idiot."

"I don't understand you…"

"I never asked you to care, so why do you bother? You could have died back then!"

"So you were worried…"

"That is not the point."

"It isn't?"

He asked back teasingly and tucked a hand into golden locks, bringing Krad's face closer to his own. Their breath mingled.

"But you're crying…"

"I am not."

"Fine… It was because of the rain, then…"

He smiled somewhat smugly, licking away a crystal drop which was slowly trailing down the porcelain face. His lips brushed along ivory skin, and again he noted that pinkish glow on those smooth cheeks as he found the man's rosy lips.

"I love you…" He murmured.

"… Was it a lie just now?"

"Do you want it to be?"

"Your sweat is disgusting."

"You're damn not romantic."

At least, for now, the blond wasn't protesting.

Somehow, in this endless dimension of loneliness…

… I long for you.

I replaced the original ending. The real ending was supposed to be more of a tragic one, since I'm not really fond of putting a happily-ever-after epilogue in my angsty fics (and a sad ending might get me more reviews, to be honest XD…), but in the end, I changed my mind. For some reasons, it just makes sense to end the story there (in a very non-sense kind of way, that is…). So, I hope I haven't disappointed you readers too much because of my decisions, and hope you still enjoy reading the fic.

Finally, my special thanks to: The Lantern, AnimeProtector, Akurei. Tenshi23, Stormshadow13, sinful ang3l, Domini-chan, Shira the fluffy llama, simply anonymous, Rose, animeannie, Thrimidge, eli for their reviews on "Horrid innocence", arisa kojite on "Here by me", and luna moon girl on my other stories (My sincere apologies, I should have thanked you the last time I posted up a one-shot. I couldn't believe myself that I've forgotten).