Title: Harsh Awakening
Author: Yami no Kaiba
Fandom: D.N.Angel
Rating: R
Characters/Pairing: Satoshi/Daisuke, Krad
Themes: #4 Dark & #23 Cat

Summary: Krad is possessive of all his hosts. This one will be no exception.
Disclaimers: I do not own the characters or the concepts of D.N.Angel. Yukiru Sugisaki owns them.
Warning: Psychotic and homicidal Krad.
Note: For Livejournal's DNAngel Yaoi Community Contest.

*---*---*---*---*

Hiwatari Satoshi used to have many, many things he had held dear to himself. Yet ever since he had turned fourteen, nothing he held dear was sacred.

Though, if he was particularly honest with himself, it wasn't actually *Krad* that had started that trend. Fourteen was just the age where everything had gotten worse in its concentration of loss.

Yes... If he was honest with himself -- and being the genius that he was Satoshi had a very hard time fooling his brain into believing things he wanted to have faith in but analytically could not -- Satoshi had actually had a long precedence for losing those things, whether contrived by outside influences or just a random whim of fate.

First his father by the man's own choice before Satoshi was born, then his mother from the illness that had struck her weakened immune system, and then his stepfather from Satoshi's very own inherent magical abilities --

For even though his stepfather was still alive, that twisted shell of a man was not the one that Satoshi remembered fondly as playing hooky for a day and taking Satoshi to Azumano's Amusement Park for Satoshi's sixth birthday.

These things were all important and losing them all before Satoshi was even seven had taught the boy not to give anything he came across, even if it was an object in his possession, any particular significance.

Unfortunately, although it was a perfectly well acknowledged lesson, living things tended to have more determination than the inanimate. Thus, Satoshi found that although he tried to discourage them, animals wormed their way into his heart from then on. Cats in particular.

And then Satoshi had turned fourteen and met Niwa Daisuke, and it was no longer just animals that managed to gain his affection.

In the beginning, Satoshi hadn't loved Daisuke. No, it had been far, far less of an attachment then what it was now. Which was fairly relieving, because Satoshi wasn't sure what he would have done if he'd been the type of person to 'fall in love at first sight' like all of the girls in his classes swooned and giggled at the idea of.

In the beginning, Daisuke had merely reminded Satoshi of his current cat. Small, cute, curious, klutzy, and very touchy feel-y. The obvious likeness between the two had caused an instant fondness towards Daisuke, even though Satoshi knew analytically that he shouldn't feel anything towards the boy beyond clinical detachment, as a hawk must when observing the mouse they are set on diving on and devouring.

As the weeks went by, and Satoshi observed and interacted with the boy more, he didn't notice it himself as the affection he felt became deeper. It wasn't until the seal was breaking and Krad was wrenching control of his body away from him this first night of what would become many, that Satoshi realized that his knowingly misplaced affection had become love.

*---*---*---*---*

All the journals he'd read since he was eight, had spoken in passing that the first transformation was the hardest. Groggily coming back to consciousness in the twilight of the dawn, his muscles twitching spastically and bones aching in ways he had never realized could happen, Satoshi didn't see why his ancestors would say that. It merely felt as if he'd gotten into a bar fight and came out much the worse for wear.

And then the stink of drying blood and infected flesh assaulted his nose.

Eyes lifting from the floor, he stared at the wall opposite him that no longer held a painting. Instead, it held a message -

Greetings, Satoshi-sama. While I am certain we will meet soon, know that I wish to leave you with the knowledge that I do not like sharing my hosts. As such, I am sure that you will understand the significance of the present I have left you.

- and the dead, skinned carcass of his cat.

--Fin.