'Kid and Crona are sent on a mission to kill and collect a particularly dangerous kishin soul. But after an innocent soul is killed, Kid begins to question his ability to be a reaper. MaleCronaxKid. Rate T for violence and gore in later chapters.'
It wasn't supposed to end up like this. This was supposed to be an easy job, just a average mission for Kid and another trial mission for Crona. How did everything fall apart so fast?
"There is a beast causing havoc in Mexico. It is not only eating human souls, but draining humans completely of their blood and organs and leaving them, quite literally, bone dry." Shinigami-san explained. "The creature is called… Elchooo…chupocobra….ummm..What was it called again Kiddo?"
"El Chupacabra."
"Ah yes! Elchukoopa! You see I'm sending you two to Mexico to take care of it. I figured this could be a nice challenging beasty for Crona and Kiddo here can show you some pointers!"
Crona nodded then turned his head to face Kid, who stood next to him.
"It will be n-nice to fight along side you this time." He said with a tiny smile.
Although Kid was tired (and annoyed by his fathers inept ability to pronounce words) he returned the smile and placed a hand on the boys shoulder.
"It will certainly be a pleasure."
The plane ride to Mexico was a long one. Liz and Patty were in the two seats behind Kid and Crona. Liz was sleeping in the aisle seat the whole time and Patty was watching the plane fly in and out of clouds through the window. Crona "did not know how to deal with flying in a machine" and spent most of the time curled up in a ball and shrieking when the flight attendant tried to offer water.
Kid usually would have difficulty tolerating such strange behavior but he learned to have sympathy for the boy. After all he had been through a lot, including sacrificing his own life for a friend. Kid knew all to well what Crona had done to Dr. Stein, but in the end was it really him who did it? Crona really had no courage back then. Medusa took advantage of that.
Kid's grip on the plane's seat tightened.
Medusa, what an awful excuse for a mother. Kid had never known his mother but he did have a father. He knew his father loved him through everything.
From when Kid was 6 and was found bawling in the kitchen because there was an odd number of cookies on his plate but he was too full to eat another one. To when he was 10 and began hyperventilating and vomiting when a drop of unwanted purple paint accidentally fell on his green picture of a apple in art class.
Did his father ever doubted him as a reaper when he had OCD breakdowns. Would he ever regret having a son? Of course not! His father loved him like a father should. Parents love their children no matter what happens. This is what makes Kid question if Medusa was Crona's mother at all. Perhaps she had just found Crona crying in a box in an alley somewhere when he was a baby. That sounded more believable then a mother using her own flesh and blood for painful testing.
Kid peeked at Crona who was sitting next to him in the window seat. He sat hugging his knees to his chest and breathed in and out slowly, a technique Maka had taught him for when he got anxious. His shoulders would rise and fall with every breath, he had his eyes focused on his hands which fingers made little twitching movements. Kid thought maybe he was counting his fingers over and over again to get his mind off of whatever was bothering him. The dark blue eyes darted from one finger to the other. Kid could just barely hear the counting in his own head.
Inhale.
4, 5, 6-
Exhale.
7, 8, 9, 10-
Inhale.
1, 2, 3.…
He saw something strangely familiar about Crona's little act to calm down. The tear filled eyes that reluctantly counted over and over again, hoping that maybe the anxiety will go away if he tried hard enough to forget it. The twitchy hands that would occasionally fold into tight fists of irritation when he would loose count. The shoulders that would immediately tense when a noise interrupted his counting or rhythm of his breathing. The whole act reminded him of someone he knew that would do that same actions.
Suddenly he realized who it reminded him of.
Himself.
Kid would do almost the exact same ritual when ever he became stressed or when something just "was not right!" The twitching, the fidgeting, the counting, all of it! It was a couping mechanism he used on himself when his OCD acted up. Crona felt it too. All of the stress and paranoia and anxiety. Kid was not the only one!
Kid wanted to cry when he realized this. He watched the boy shiver and twitch a bit more until he leaned closer and took Crona's shaking hands in his.
Crona's eyes shot to the reaper's face, a pink blush creeping onto his cheeks.
Kid looked him dead in the eyes and spoke softly but clearly.
"It's going to be okay. We will land in an hour. There is no need to worry I promise you."
Crona's eyes didn't leave Kid's but his lip began to tremble and he opened his mouth to disagree and to name all of the worries that was going through his head.
But Kid spoke before he could make out any words.
"The odds of dying on a commercial airline flight are 9 million to one. I promise we will be okay."
He wrapped his arms around Crona's neck and pulled him into a hug. It was slightly awkward and uncomfortable considering they were both buckled into their seats and there was little room to actually hug. But Crona could feel the warmth in his chest he felt when Maka offered to be his first friend. He hesitated for a moment but eventually returned the embrace.
For the rest of the flight Crona sleepily rested his head on Kid's shoulder. Kid had let him listen to his iPod, for music was a good was to distract yourself from stress. The young shinigami stroked the pink hair in a comforting way until Crona's eyes slowly closed and he was able to sleep.
A/N: Cute no? It will get more action-y in the next chapter. Originally this wasn't supposed to be a KidxCrona fic but...yeah... Also originally this was supposed to be a oneshot but...yeah. I have anxiety myself and some things that calm me down are listening music and counting my fingers. I'll try not to make this story too long (maybe 2 or 3 chapters?) but you never know.