A/N: I wondered once why Daisya wears those bandages of his, so this is my take on it. I think he's quite an interesting character! This story may end up being somewhat long, as it is currently broken into three chapters (this being chapter one)... so I hope you'll stick with me and enjoy it the whole way through!
"Hey, are you sure we're ready for this?" Daisya Barry asked, glancing over his shoulder at his companion, Yuu Kanda. He walked with his hands behind his head, thoughtfully kicking up dust in the road as they proceeded. "I dunno what that old man's thinkin', sending us off on our own like this…
Kanda rolled his eyes. "We have to start sometime."
"Yeah, I know, but still! What if we mess up and the Innocence gets lost?" The older boy seemed somewhat agitated. "I don't wanna have that over my head."
"You worry too much," Kanda said irritably. "Everything will be fine. Froi Tiedoll wouldn't have sent us if he thought we couldn't handle it."
In truth, Kanda also questioned Tiedoll's decision to send the two of them to retrieve an Innocence fragment from the English countryside. It didn't help his mood that his English was still poor; he hated the awkward feeling of having to search for words and most of all he hated tripping over his accent. Daisya, on the other hand, seemed to have had no problems adjusting – he was nearly fluent and his accent actually seemed to aid him.
The sun was starting to set when the pair reached the village, and the first place they went was the inn. Kanda was hoping somewhere deep in his heart that they would have two rooms available, but the inn was small and his luck had seemingly run out. The room itself was even worse – only one bed, and narrow at that.
Daisya walked in ahead of him and tossed his pack onto the bed, then opened the window and braced himself on the sill. "Ahh, it smells good!" he exclaimed. "Not quite as good as the sea, but close."
Kanda rolled his eyes and set his own pack in a corner. "We should start investigating. We're not on a holiday."
"No point," the older exorcist replied, resting his chin in his hands and watching the sun set contentedly. "It's going to be dark soon and nobody will be out… plus we've been on the road all day. We need to rest first."
"Are we children who have to go to bed early?" Kanda asked irritably. "We need to reach the Innocence before the akuma show up."
Daisya shrugged. "We're here, so even if the akuma do show up it's not like the town is in danger. Aside from that, anyone who might know something won't speak to us at this hour. Look outside."
Kanda walked to the window and peered out over Daisya's head, then raised an eyebrow when he saw people closing and locking their doors – and even pulling drapes and barricading windows. "Interesting," was all he said.
"Mm," Daisya agreed. "Interesting indeed. Once it's dark out, let's explore a little."
"Seems like a good way to get killed by a high-strung townsman," Kanda retorted.
Daisya chuckled. "Nah, it'll be fine. Let's rest a bit first, though… I'm pretty tired."
Kanda watched as Daisya pulled off his poncho-like coat and hung it over the back of one of the chairs, then stretched and yawned. He had to admit a bit of grudging admiration for Daisya; the older boy had pushed and kept going even when Kanda himself would have wanted to take a break to rest for awhile, all in the interest of reaching the village before nightfall. Now he understood why – Daisya had wanted to see what the villagers would do as the sun went down.
The older boy curled up on the bed like a cat, then smiled at Kanda. "You can lay down too," he offered. "We're small, we can both fit."
Kanda stared at him with his trademark have you lost your fucking mind expression, then shook his head and sat on the floor beneath the window. "I'm fine here."
Daisya grinned. "Suit yourself, but it's gonna get cold."
Two or so hours later, Kanda was growling under his breath. Daisya had been right – the cold seeping down from the window had chilled him to the bone. It was late autumn and while the day had been warm enough, the night was anything but. Annoyed, the swordsman pushed himself up off of the floor and stretched, then glanced out the window again. The streets were dark and deserted, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
This is ridiculous, he thought scathingly. We should have had the Innocence and been out of here by now! How hard can it be?
A soft whimper from the bed interrupted his train of thought, which caused him to glance over in surprise. Daisya was still curled up and asleep, but a frown marred his typically smiling face. He shuddered and rolled onto his back, putting his arm over his eyes and biting his lip hard.
Nightmare, Kanda thought grimly, watching his suffering friend. He sighed and walked over to the bed, sitting down and putting his hand on Daisya's arm. "Daisya," he called quietly.
Daisya stirred and woke with a gasp, sitting up and bracing himself on one arm. "Kanda!" He looked around, blue eyes frantic, then looked back at him. "What…?"
"You were having a nightmare," Kanda said curtly. "I didn't want you bringing the whole inn down on us."
The older boy sighed and ran his free hand through his short hair. "Sorry. I haven't been sleeping too well lately."
"I hadn't noticed," was the dry response. Kanda had, in fact, noticed – though he hadn't brought it up. His frown deepened when he saw Daisya shaking a bit, and he sighed and squeezed his arm comfortingly. "It's just a dream. They can't hurt you."
Daisya nodded. "I know," he said, his voice low and slightly hoarse. "It's just damn troublesome." He glanced at the window, then rose and stretched. "Come on, let's go… we've got work to do."
Kanda watched him put his coat on, amazed. His Charity Bell jingled softly as he adjusted his hood and walked to the window, boots clicking softly on the wooden floor as he went. For all that the older boy acted like an airhead, there was a way about him that signified that he was anything but at times – like now, for example, gazing out at the darkened streets with a grim expression on his face. He should be laughing, Kanda thought absently. Someone like that should always be smiling.
"Come on," Daisya said again, now crouching on the sill and glancing at Kanda over his shoulder. He turned away and jumped, leaving Kanda fuming at himself and feeling like an idiot as he grabbed Mugen and followed.
Daisya stuck to the shadows as the two prowled the silent streets. The only sound was the wind blowing, and Kanda couldn't help but feel somewhat unnerved. His experiences with cities at night were that they came alive – women with painted faces and scanty clothing, men with cigars and deep pockets, and boys draped across whatever available surface they could find. Kanda scowled at the memory and shoved it away, focusing on following Daisya and observing his surroundings.
"Over here," the older boy whispered, pointing at the woods. "There's a church back there."
Kanda looked at it and nodded slightly. "Think there's something there?"
"Don't know," was the murmured response. Daisya's brows were knitted together in worry or concentration, and he was tense as though ready to dive to either side at any second. "Do you smell that?"
The Japanese boy closed his eyes as though it would help him smell better, and they flew open seconds later. "Smoke, but… it smells… unclean."
"Come on!" Daisya was off like a shot, leaving Kanda to hurry after him.
The blaze was visible from the main street, and there were several people gathered outside the home, watching in horror. Kanda and Daisya skidded to a halt and assessed the situation. The older boy swore when he saw that nobody was bothering to go help, but Kanda knew better. You either fended for yourself or died, and counting on other people typically got you nowhere fast. In this case, it seemed that nobody had the guts to go into the burning house… which was unfortunate for the residents, but not entirely his concern.
"Why isn't anyone helping?" Daisya demanded, striding over to the crowd. "Are there people inside?"
One woman looked at him threw herself at him, trapped in a sheer panic. "My sister's family!" she cried. "Nobody will do anything… oh, please!"
"Daisya, stop!" Kanda yelled, horrified as the older exorcist ran headlong into the blaze. "Goddamn!" He started to run in as well, but as he moved forward part of the porch collapsed into the hungry flames. "Daisya!!" he yelled, the smoke hurting his throat. "Get out of there!!"
The inferno raged, and Kanda had heartbeats to make a choice. Pulling the collar of his coat up over his mouth and nose, he leapt over the ruined porch and through the flames. The intense heat caused his eyes to water and his nerves to scream in pain. Luckily the common room hadn't been entirely consumed, and he was able to slip into a hallway unscathed.
"Daisya!" he yelled, his voice hoarse and his throat protesting. "Where are you?!"
"Back here!" the older exorcist yelled back, his voice breaking from the strain. "Hurry! I can't carry them all by myself!"
Kanda ran through the black smoke, following the sound of the older boy's voice. The roaring of the flames seemed to be getting louder, and he knew they had precious little time to escape. One of the memories he'd tried to block from his childhood was one of the whorehouse across the street from his own burning down… the screams, the smoke, the way the fire had turned the sky red… and the victims, staggering out with their skin half melted, charred and seared, carrying bodies of those less fortunate. He stumbled a bit as the vivid memory swept through his mind, but forced himself to continue forward.
He found Daisya crouched in the corner of the bedroom, speaking soothingly to two panicked children and an injured woman. "We're going to get you out of here," he said, his voice calm and gentle despite the smoke. "Have no fear. You're safe now. Kanda, take the girl, will you?"
Kanda moved forward and lifted the little girl into his arms. She was terrified, but thankfully not screaming in his ear – instead, she clung to him for dear life and hid her face in his neck. "I've got you," he told her awkwardly, not good at offering comfort. The smoke was starting to become suffocating, and his eyes watered and stung.
"Now, love, up you go," Daisya was saying, carefully helping the woman to her feet. "Anyone else in here?" When she shook her head, Daisya lifted the boy into his arms and smiled. "Let's go, then. No reason to stay." He carefully tucked the child's face into the fold of his hood to protect him from the smoke and started towards the window.
The Japanese boy didn't have time to be amazed; instead he turned to the window and smashed it with his booted foot. He winced as the glass shattered and sliced through his trousers, but that could be handled later. He jumped lightly to the ground and put the little girl down, directing her to run to the trees and stay there. When he turned back, his eyes widened in horror.
"Daisya! Hurry!" he cried, seeing the flames encroaching on the room. "Hurry! Give him to me!"
Daisya passed the boy through the window to Kanda, who set him down and pushed him towards his sister, then carefully started to pass the mother along when an explosion rocked the house. Kanda was thrown backwards and stunned when his head bounced off of the corner of another house, and slumped momentarily as he saw stars.
Something forced him to move, and he ran over to the burning home once more. The woman had been thrown free, but there was no sign of Daisya. Kanda's heart leapt into his throat and lodged there, and sheer panic gave him wings. He leapt up and hurled himself through the window, and a scream of agony was wrenched from his throat as a shard from the broken window sliced clean through his hand. That was nothing, though, compared to the pain of what he saw next.
Daisya was kneeling, screaming, his coat on fire. He struggled to extinguish it, but the blast had injured him so severely that he couldn't do so. Sickened and horrified Kanda struggled out of his own jacket and threw it over his friend, smothering the flames as best he could. Thankfully, Daisya lost consciousness, his body unable to deal with the pain. Drawing a deep breath and praying to the God he barely had any faith in, Kanda lifted him up and threw himself from the building as it was fully consumed.
The first thing Kanda noticed when he woke up was that he hurt. That was unusual, as his healing abilities typically kicked in quickly… but judging from the fact that it was still dark out, he hadn't been asleep long. Groaning, he forced himself to sit, only to be eased back down by gentle hands.
"No, you mustn't," a soft voice said. "You'll make your injuries worse. Don't you know how badly you were hurt? Just rest…"
Kanda forced his eyes open and tried to speak, but was dismayed when all that came out was a breathless croak. "Da… Daisya?" he managed to ask, forcing the name from his abused throat.
The young woman tending to him smiled gently. "Just rest," she soothed.
"No," the Japanese boy replied, struggling to sit up again. "Daisya…!"
"Your friend is still with the doctor, lad," a new voice said. An older man strode into the room and stopped at his bedside, looking down at him. "Adrienne, go fetch some water." When the young woman left, the man took her place and looked Kanda in the eye. "What you boys did was brave," he said seriously. "Nobody else would have dared."
Kanda shook his head, wanting to speak, wanting to blame it on Daisya's foolishly soft heart… but he couldn't get the words out, and even if he could have, he would have hated himself for speaking that way. "Please," he croaked, speaking starting to be a bit easier. "Daisya… how is… he?"
The man looked at him sympathetically. "Bad," he said, speaking bluntly. Kanda appreciated the honesty, but the words were like a lance through his already aching heart. "He's burned real bad… his torso, his neck, and up the sides of his face. Got a broken leg and arm each, and a few broken ribs from where the blast threw him against the windowsill… not to mention all the cuts and bruises… and the fact that he was breathing smoke longer than's healthy."
Kanda sucked in a breath, his already-aching throat feeling as though it were going to seal off. He wanted to scream, wanted to deny it, but he knew it was true – he'd seen it himself. "Will he live?" he asked, his heart threatening to burst as he formed the words.
"Don't know, laddie," the man replied sadly. "Don't know. He's in God's hands now."
There were no words to describe it. Kanda clenched his hands in the sheets, ignoring the pain from the one that had been impaled by glass. He'd seen death in all its grisly glory, coming to the old, the young, the weak, the strong… it didn't matter. Everyone died eventually, but thinking of Daisya in that state was more than the normally stoic swordsman could handle. The girl returned shortly thereafter with a glass of water, which he accepted absently.
"I want to see him," Kanda said firmly after the water was gone. He started to stand, and when his legs threatened to give out the old man caught him and helped him stay upright.
"Are you sure?" he asked, frowning. "Like I said…"
"I'm sure," the Japanese boy snarled. "Take me to him!"
Each step was a new shade of agony, and by the time he'd reached Daisya's room he was ready to pass out again. Willpower and stubbornness kept him going until he was at his friend's side, and only then did he allow his legs to give out. Sweaty and breathing hard, he collapsed to his knees and stared, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Daisya was still unconscious, and wrapped in so many bandages that he looked like a mummy. A low wail filled the room, and Kanda didn't even realize he was the one who was making the sound until it cut off abruptly when a gentle hand touched his shoulder.
"Stay a little while, but then you need to sleep." The voice was new, and Kanda looked up through blurred eyes – though not from tears, dammit! – to see a man in a white coat looking down at him.
"You're the doctor?" he rasped, knuckling his eyes to clear his vision. "How is he?"
The doctor smiled faintly. "He's doing better than I would have thought. I knew he had a strong will the moment the two of you were brought here, after hearing what he did to save those people. You, too. All we can do now is watch him closely and change his dressings often to keep infection from setting in… the rest is up to him."
Kanda nodded slowly and returned his dark eyes to Daisya. "I've spent weeks telling you to shut up, and you finally do it this way?" he asked, his voice catching painfully. "You're going to live, you bastard! We have a fucking job to do, so… you can't leave now!"
There was no response, so Kanda reached out and carefully wrapped his unbandaged hand around Daisya's. The older boy's touch was typically rough – sparring, bandaging minor injuries, or whatever else – but now his hand was limp and lifeless, though warmth still flowed from the soft skin into Kanda's own. "You're going to live," he said again, his tone fierce. "You're going to live!"
After a little while, the doctor returned with two bowls and a roll of bandages under his arm. "You should go now," he said softly. "This won't be pleasant, and you need to rest."
Kanda turned to stare at him, dark eyes flashing a warning. "I'm not going anywhere," he said flatly. His injuries were well on the way to healing, and neither hell nor high water was going to remove him from Daisya's side.
The doctor shrugged, setting his materials down on a nearby table. "Suit yourself. I will have to ask you to at least get out of my way." He looked up, surprised, when Kanda swiftly stood and backed up, standing at the head of the bed and looking down at Daisya grimly. "You're able… how?"
Kanda glowered at him. "I'm an exorcist," he said coldly, his tone brooking no more conversation on the topic.
After a moment, the doctor moved the table to the bedside and glanced at him. "If you've healed enough, you can help me by holding him down."
"Why?" the Japanese boy asked suspiciously. "He's unconscious."
A sad smile curved the young man's lips. "Yes, but that doesn't mean he isn't in an incredible amount of pain… and peeling these bandages away is going to hurt him more than getting the wounds in the first place. We're just lucky the burns didn't go all the way around…"
Kanda stared down at Daisya again, the tightness returning to his throat. "He's in pain?" he whispered.
"Having you here is undoubtedly a help," the doctor replied encouragingly. "He can hear your voice, feel you holding his hand. He may not remember it when he wakes, but he knows it now."
Kanda scowled, if only to keep himself from breaking down – which he would not do – and nodded. "Very well. What do you want me to do?"
Nearly two painful, heart-rending hours later, Daisya's bandages were changed and fresh salve was applied to his wounds. Kanda wiped at the still-damp trails on his face that marked his reaction to the situation and knelt again, resuming his position by his friend's side. Since the ordeal Daisya hadn't moved. He'd just sunk back into the blank unconsciousness he'd been in when Kanda had first seen him. Outside, the sun was beginning to rise, and the two were left alone.
"… can you hear me, Daisya?" Kanda asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "The sun is rising… we have to go get the Innocence, so you… you have to wake up!"
There was no response, so Kanda closed his eyes and rested his head against the mattress, pressing Daisya's uninjured hand to his cheek. He was exhausted, and though he wanted to stay awake, the world was fading out. The last thing he knew was the warmth of his friend's hand and the vague aching of the last of his wounds, and then he gave over into sleep.
He didn't know what time it was, but someone was kneeling next to him. That person was whispering a prayer, and Kanda jolted to full wakefulness with the horrible realization that Daisya had died. His movements caused the other to finish his prayer and look at Kanda with sad eyes, and Kanda resisted the urge to curse in surprise when he saw who the newcomer was.
"I came as soon as word reached me," Froi Tiedoll murmured, turning his gaze back to Daisya. "Poor boy… but the two of you are heroes to these people!"
"That doesn't matter," Kanda said harshly. He looked down at Daisya, still sleeping, and shook his head. "We don't know these people! We owe them nothing, and now… now Daisya…!"
"Shh," Tiedoll soothed, wrapping his arms around Kanda and holding him tight, just as he had when the Japanese boy was a child. "It's all right… my dear boy, you've been through too much, haven't you…"
"I don't want your pity!" Kanda yelled, but there were already tears streaming down his cheeks. "I… I want Daisya to wake up! I want him to throw that stupid bell at me! I want him to break your glasses, I want him to taunt us, I want… I want…!"
Tiedoll held him close and sighed, stroking his loose hair. "I know," he murmured. "I know. I want that, too. Well, my boy, all we can do is wait… God is watching over Daisya. You and I, though… we have a job to do."
Kanda looked up at him, startled. "The Innocence… I… I forgot!"
"I hope you will forgive me for the cruelty of forcing you from Daisya's side, but you are an exorcist first," Tiedoll said quietly, all signs of his normal absentmindedness gone. "We have a mission, and it must be accomplished."
At that moment, Kanda found a new respect for his master. He nodded and stood. "Let's go," he said. "The akuma could be here at any time."
Tiedoll nodded and stood as well. "Farewell, Daisya," he said to the unconscious exorcist. "We will meet again, either in this world or the next." With that, he turned and walked out, leaving Kanda to say goodbye in private.
Kanda slowly knelt again, his face inches from Daisya's. "I have to leave, knowing you might die," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "I hate you for doing this to me… and you damn well better be alive so I can kick your ass when I get back!"
Pausing only for a moment, Kanda leaned forward and brushed his lips against Daisya's. The older boy's lips were dry and cracked, but that didn't matter. He hesitated and kissed him once more, then stood. "I've given you enough reason to make fun of me for years," he said hoarsely. "Be awake when I get back!"
