Cleaned the house - check. Did my homework - check. Got my hair cut - check. Took a shower - check. Dressed nicely - check. Placed money in wallet - check.

Today is Miss Riku and I's six month anniversary and I've been working overtime to make everything perfect. Shortly after Dark and Krad disappeared, I got a part-time job at the local pet shop. I didn't work a whole lot, so my paychecks were pretty small, but it was a good start. I've been saving my money like crazy - mostly because mom won't let me spend it - and all that saving is going to pay off today.

I've been planning this date out for a little over a month now and the only thing left to do is not screw it up. I decided that I wanted our date to be a little more than casual, but not really fancy. There's no way I could afford to do anything extravagant at fourteen years old, but I think what I've come up with will really impress Miss Riku. Since our anniversary fell on a Saturday, I was fortunate enough to get to plan something for the entire day. My checklist started last night and continued through this morning. I had to make sure the house was clean for mom and that my homework was already done before today came around. I also had to spend some of my hard-earned money on a last minute haircut yesterday after school.

So here I am, standing in front of the bathroom mirror, giving myself a quick look-over to make sure I did everything right. I ran a comb through my now neatly cut red hair and straightened out my shirt. I have on a pair of dark jeans, a brown and white striped dress shirt, and a pair of black tennis shoes. It was simple, but nice. The only reason I was able to pick out something so nice was because Miss Harada (Risa) came over and helped me out. She went digging through my closet for over an hour just to pick out possible outfits. After another hour and a half of debating and having me try them all on, she settled on this one and deemed it perfect.

I put my hands on both sides of the sink and let out a determined sigh. I was prepping myself for what was hopefully going to be an amazing date. Miss Riku is one of those girls that's hard to impress and even though she claims she loves just going out and being with me, I've noticed that nothing ever really makes her think, 'Wow, this is really amazing.' I want to see that twinkle in her eye and her face light up when we go out. I want her to be more than content today.

I finally decided that I was as ready as I'd ever be, so I walked out of the bathroom and went downstairs. Thankfully, mom is at the market getting groceries with dad, so I don't have to worry about her fussing over how I look or anything. Grandpa is watching TV and the only thing he said to me was "good luck and have fun." I nodded at him and headed out the front door. I had twenty five minutes before I had to be at Miss Riku's house and I had a few stops to make along the way.

On my usual route to her house, there's a small flower stand with all sorts of pretty bouquets and balloons already made. I knew that Miss Riku liked pink lilies, so I stopped and bought a small arrangement of them wrapped in white paper and tied with a pink bow. There were three flowers in my bouquet, but I thought it looked really nice with the ribbon and all. The nice thing about that stand was that the flowers were always fresh and they always had good prices. That was just stop one, though.

My next stop was a little ways down the road. There was a nice little restaurant that sold bento boxes of food. I checked the sign again to make sure the prices hadn't gone up and that they still had their special going on. They did, so I smiled to myself and kept walking. The last stop I had to make was at the movie theatre, which was only a few blocks away from my current location. I walked inside and paid for the tickets I pre-ordered a few days ago. Miss Riku had mentioned wanting to see this new romance/adventure movie that was coming out and I made sure that she was going to get to see it. The movie didn't start for another few hours, but I wanted to make sure they still had our tickets. The lady behind the counter gave them to me and told me to just flash them as we walk in.

So now that everything was still on track, it was finally time to get to Miss Riku's house and pick her up. I told her that she needed to dress casual, but nice and as far as she knows, we're only going for a walk in the park. We've been known to spend a lot of time there and I usually bring my sketch book with me so I can do some drawing. She loves to watch me create stuff, so whatever I draw, she usually ends up keeping. We are going for a walk in the park, but that's only the beginning. I know that she hates surprises, but Miss Harada told me that nice ones like this are more than O.K.

Now that I had everything taken care of, it was finally time to begin our date. I walked up to the front door of the Harada's mansion and knocked as loud as I could without being obnoxious. I heard a set of footsteps racing towards the door and before I knew it, Miss Harada swung the door open and yanked me inside. She grabbed my arms and was looking me over, making sure I was dressed like I was supposed to be. Once she was satisfied with that, she took my bouquet and inspected it, making sure I grabbed flowers that her sister would actually like. Once she finally finished scrutinizing me, she smiled brightly and hugged me.

"Oh, Niwa, this is perfect! You did exactly as planned! I think you're going to like what I did with Riku, too."

I was rather confused when she said that. What did she do with Miss Riku? Then it dawned on me that she would be the type of person to "help" her sister get ready for a big date. I was honestly kind of scared to see what she had done. I always thought Miss Riku looked beautiful on her own. I never thought she needed help from anyone to pick out what to wear or anything like that. Although, I'm sure she didn't have much of a choice but to comply with her younger sister. Miss Harada could be quite persuasive.

I watched as Miss Harada walked over to the bottom of the stairs and called up to Miss Riku. Then some loud footsteps could be heard and doors were being opened and closed. Finally, she steadily made her way to the top of the stairs and descended down slowly.

I was completely stunned by what I saw. I didn't think it was possible for her to look any more beautiful than she already did, but there she was proving me wrong, yet again. She wore a plain white, knee-length skirt with a light blue u-neck shirt with a white flower pattern on it and some white sandals. Her short red hair was gently curled to have a nice wave to it and it was apparent that she had been forced to put on make-up. It wasn't anything major, but boy did her eyes look especially pretty right now.

"Wow, Miss Riku..."

I wasn't sure if she heard me, because I could barely hear myself with how low my voice was. It was almost like a whisper. But she looked me in the eye and I think I saw her blush as she smiled at me. I could only stare at her in awe like an idiot until Miss Harada nudged me and reminded me of the flowers in my hand.

"Oh, um... these are for you!"

Great, first I was whispering, now I was practically shouting at her. My nerves were starting to act up and my palms were getting a little sweaty. If this was a normal date, I'd be perfectly fine. I've only gone out with her dozens of times. There was just something about her that stopped me in my tracks and made me feel like this was our first date all over again. It was crazy that after all this time, she could still make my heart race like this.

"So are you ready to go?"

I refocused my attention on the lovely lady in front of me and realized that she had already gone off and placed the flowers in a vase. Now she was just waiting on me to come out of my trance so we could begin our date.

"Oh, of course! After you."

I held the door open for her and then took her hand as we walked down her driveway. Miss Harada stood in the doorway, waving us off and smiling like crazy. There was a part of me that wondered if she was more excited about this than we were.

We walked all the way over to the park and just started walking around, talking about everything and nothing. I was glad that I was starting to calm down and get a hold of myself. Our usual conversation and joking around eased my nerves and made me feel more comfortable. After walking around for a bit, we found our way to our usual spot at the water fountain. We sat down and talked some more before she asked me why I didn't have my sketchbook with me.

"I just didn't think I'd have enough time to draw you something today."

"What do you mean? We've got the whole day together."

"I know, but I've got a few other things planned that'll take up quite a bit of time."

She looked at me with confusion and tilted her head in the most adorable way to show that she didn't understand what I was talking about. Pretty soon she narrowed her eyes in a wary, questioning way and looked me square in the eye.

"What are you talking about? You know I hate surprises."

"I know, but it was a risk I was willing to take. I think you'll be more than delighted with what I've got in store for the rest of our afternoon and evening."

Her eyes widened a bit, but I knew she was still confused. I laughed slightly and took her hand and pulled her up off the edge of the fountain. I started walking in the direction of the movie theatre, but I could feel her slightly resisting my pull and I had to turn around a reassure her.

"Just trust me, Miss Riku. I promise you won't be disappointed."

I could feel her ease up and just walk with me normally. She looked in every which direction, trying to figure out where it was I was taking her. I could see her eyes lock on the theatre and she looked back and forth between me and it, hoping I would confirm her guess. Only when we walked inside the building did she perk back up a bit. She looked at the list of movies playing and then back at me and asked me which one we were going to see. I kept silent as I pulled out the tickets from my wallet. I grabbed her hand again and flashed our tickets as we walked past the ticket counter. The same girl from earlier nodded at me as we walked in.

"You already have the tickets?"

"Yep. I knew this movie was going to be popular and I didn't want to risk not being able to get in. So I pre-ordered them a few days ago and picked them up on my way to your house."

"Where'd you get the money for this?"

"Well, you know I've got that job at the pet store. I just saved my money."

"But you don't make a whole lot."

"That doesn't matter. Besides, I've been working there for awhile now. I've had plenty of time to save and believe me, I'm not going to be broke after having one date with you. Even if I did, you're more than worth it."

I saw her blush again and she smiled. She looked so cute with color in her cheeks. Her gaze dropped to the floor when she did that and it gave me just enough time to pull her into the right theatre without her seeing the sign for the title. We walked up the aisle and I let her pick the seats. She settled us somewhere in the middle and then reminded me that we didn't get anything to eat or drink. I told her that she could tell me what she wanted and that I'd go get everything. She protested, but eventually told me she wanted a small popcorn and drink. So I got up and went out to the concession stand, feeling like a complete moron for forgetting in the first place.

Stay calm, it's not that bad. You haven't embarrassed yourself and this can be easily overlooked. Just try not to forget anything else and everything should be fine.

As I was trying to convince myself that things weren't so bad, I remembered that because this movie was supposed to be so big, the previews were going to be cut short and I didn't have a lot of time to get the snacks and get back inside. I pulled my wallet out and quickly gathered everything, thanking God that the lines weren't that bad. I hurried back inside and took my seat right as the movie was starting.

"Just in time."

She smiled at me again and took her drink and the bag of popcorn. I saw her jaw drop as the title was displayed on the screen and her eyes lit up in excitement. She looked over at me again and grinned while reaching over and squeezing me to death. She was trying her best not to be too loud and when she finally calmed down, she kissed my cheek and gave her complete attention to the big screen.

Now that's the kind of reaction I was hoping for. So far, so good.

We sat through the two and a half hour long movie and by the end, Miss Riku was almost in tears and she was raving at how amazing the movie was. Despite her being a tomboy and having her tough-girl attitude, she was a softie at heart and she loved romance movies. They couldn't be the cheesy ones, though. The story had to be plausible and original, both of which this movie was. As we walked outside, the sun was setting and both our stomachs growled. She quickly put her hand over her stomach and looked casually off into the distance, hoping I hadn't heard her.

"Are you getting hungry, too, Miss Riku?"

"Well, now that you mention it..."

I chuckled in response and led the way to the restaurant. She linked arms with me and walked calmly by my side, clearly no longer wary of any surprises I might throw at her. In fact, she looked rather anxious to see what else I had in store. So I brought her inside the small restaurant and we were seated. We looked through our menus and I was praying to God that she would pick the special they had going on. Lucky for me, she did and we placed our orders and waited patiently for our food.

"This was quite a surprise, Daisuke. I really wasn't expecting all of this. You didn't have to go all out for this, you know."

"I know, but it's our anniversary. Today was supposed to be special and I really wanted to surprise you."

"Well I'm definitely surprised. How long have you been planning this?"

"It's not really important. All I know is that it was worth all the effort I put into it to see your eyes light up like that. I know how badly you wanted to see that movie and I know you don't like eating at noisy places."

"I can't believe how much thought you put into this. It's really sweet."

I couldn't help but stare at her as she talked some more about how much fun she was having. I heard every word she said, but I couldn't help but let my eyes drift over her face. Something about her sweet-smelling hair, glossy brown eyes, flawless skin, and perfectly painted lips held my attention and I couldn't bring myself to look away. Of course, after some time passed, she noticed my fixed gaze and waved her hand in front of my face.

"Um, hello, Earth to Daisuke. Is something wrong?"

"No, of course not. Why would something be wrong?"

"Well you've been staring at me for the past ten minutes. Have you even been listening to me?"

"Of course I have. I'm sorry if I seem distracted, Miss Riku. There's just something about you that really has my attention."

I could feel my face heat up as I said that. It's not really my style to say things like that, but I felt the need to be completely honest with her. I really don't think it's the fact that she's all dressed up that I can't seem to take my eyes off her. There's something else that's captivating me and it refuses to let go.

"What, is there something on my face? Or are you just staring because I'm all dressed up?"

"No, your face is perfect. I really hope you don't think I'm that shallow. You look stunning, Miss Riku, but I've always thought that of you. There's something else that has my attention. I don't know, I think it could just be the fact that you look so happy. Happiness looks good on you."

"I'm always happy when I'm with you, though."

"Yeah, but not like this. I tried really hard to think of something that would impress you without it being too cheesy. Granted, dinner and a movie is a classic, typical date, but I worked diligently for a long time to find a way to make this particular date really stand out."

Our food arrived shortly after I said that and I immediately began digging in, hoping to let some of the color fade from my face. Like I said, talking like that isn't really my thing. I'm used to telling her that she's beautiful and cute and funny and all that sort of stuff, but to go this far? It's just not how I do things. I guess that was another thing my subconscious was doing to make this date special. It was telling my mouth to flatter her and make her feel special. I sure hope it was working.

After eating in silence for a bit, I had an unsettling feeling that something was wrong. Maybe I had said something to upset her or she was mad that I let the conversation die and just began eating. But when I looked up to ask what was wrong, I saw her staring at me with soft eyes and a small, warm smile. I blinked at her a few times, trying to figure out what to say, but she beat me to it.

"You're really something else, you know that? You went to all this trouble, just to surprise me and make me happy. It's wonderful and I love it. Today has been very special and I'm glad I got to spend it with you. But I want you to know that even if all we did today was go walking in the park, I'd still consider it the best anniversary date ever."

She had once again found a way to stun me completely. I was relieved to know that she wasn't mad at me and I was overjoyed with the fact that she enjoyed this date so much. It's good to know that all my planning didn't go unnoticed. That all my days of being completely nervous and all the work I had to do to psych myself up for this and not make any mistakes was more than appreciated.

We finished eating and left, satisfied with our meal. It was about eight o'clock and I knew I had to have her home soon. So we decided to take the long way back to her house. I grabbed her hand for the hundredth time that night and walked happily with her in silence. I could tell that she was enjoying my company just as much as I was hers. She looked around at the beautiful scenery around us, while I couldn't stop glancing at her. Happiness seemed to just pour out of her, but she also had this calm essence about her that made me think she was in silent bliss. I smiled, feeling accomplished with myself until I realized that the date wasn't over yet. I had one more obstacle to overcome: the goodbye kiss.

I've taken Miss Riku home a bunch of time before and I always kiss her goodbye. But something told me that this kiss was going to be different and that if I somehow screwed it up, all the progress I'd made earlier would have gone to waste. I was starting to become nervous again and I could feel my palms getting sweaty. I was praying that she couldn't sense my nervousness and was grateful to see her house in sight.

We walked up her driveway and to the front door and stood on her front porch like we always did. She was staring at me expectantly, like there was a procedure I was supposed to be following. I knew that there was, in a way, but something about this kiss had to be different. I couldn't just give her a quick, simple kiss. No, it had to be more intense than that. I mean, nothing crazy and heated, but something a little more meaningful and passionate. So after we said our goodbyes, I backed her into the door and softly pressed my lips to hers. We stood there like that for at least a minute before I backed away and stared into her eyes. I had her pinned to the door between my arms and before I pushed myself away and started walking home, I whispered something in her ear.

"I love you, Miss Riku."

"A/N: So, I had this really bad urge to write something and something told me to write a DaiRiku fic. I write a lot for DN Angel, but this is only my second story for this couple. Third, if you count that Daisuke was the implied character Riku was dancing with in my Cinderella story. Anyway, I know Daisuke was kind of out of character, but that was the idea and I tried to explain why he was throughout the story. So I really hope you liked this short little one-shot and I'd be grateful if you'd leave reviews. Please and thank you."