A/N: This was chapter was just a bit of fun, a situation I found funny. I know this isn't particularly inventive, but I'm not really shooting for an awesome intense plot line. I just love Kid and love writing him. Hope you enjoy the chapter. I'm half way through my revisions. Only seven left and then it will be all new stuff. ^_^ Reviews are appreciated.
TRACK 007: Aya is Homeless and Kid is a Pervert
Light and shadows mixed together in the dark laboratory. The light was provided by the computer screen, and the only noise was clicking of fingers on a keyboard.
"Her power is growing. It will only be a matter of time." Stein blew smoke from his nose. He didn't know who he was talking to. Maybe just that narrative voice in his head. The one that tried to work through things and then order them into logical thoughts. "But how have we gone so long without any word or sign of her? So much of the witch is unknown at this point. It's a wonder that we even knew her name."
Stein sat back in his chair, the wheels rolling away from the desk as he put his hands behind his head. "She's done a good job of fading into the background. I wonder what kind of challenge this will create for us. Lord Death didn't seem as surprised as I thought he would about the information."
"Still." Smoke trailed up to the ceiling, circling and spiraling above his head. He watched the particles, the computer light reflecting off the dust and smoke. "I do love a good puzzle, though."
The metallic clink of coins would have been the most beautiful sound in the world right then. Currently, they didn't have enough to buy a slice of bread. Aya had bundled up her clothes and personal affects into her bag. Mack had even less stored in his. They left their small apartment and stood on the sidewalk looking up at the old building.
"Well, it was nice while it lasted." Aya mumbled. Not having anywhere else to go, Aya and Mack walked to the park, where they would be able to find a place to sit, at least. This wasn't the first time they had been kicked out of an apartment or hotel with no place to go. Sleeping outdoors was often the more affordable option and lying under the stars could be nice.
As night fell, and stars began to dot across the sky like a light bright, the wind grew colder. Aya pulled a jacket out of her bag and tucked up her legs on the bench. "We'll figure something out, Mack. I know we will."
"Who are you trying to convince, Aya?"
Aya huffed. "Myself, I guess. I was sure that we would be able to do better than before…"
"We've been busy. We're in school and no one wants teenagers working for them. I'm not that surprised." Mack's hands were laced through his hair behind his head. He didn't really care where they slept, personally. But he kept glancing at Aya, who had snuggled up into her coat. She was never one to tolerate the cold. "Take my jacket. I don't need it." He took it off and draped it over her like a blanket.
"Are you sure? Mack, you have to be cold…"
Mack shrugged. "I don't mind. Take it."
Aya opened her mouth to thank him, but stopped when she heard voices. It was late, so the park was deserted, but she could hear a distinct giggle and a female voice. Aya's pulse suddenly perked up as a male voice mixed with the others. Embarrassed about being seen sleeping on a bench, Aya leapt from her seat and tried to find a hiding place. Mack watched her, looking puzzled.
Before Aya could effectively disappear Liz, Patty, and Kid appeared on the sidewalk in front of their bench. For a moment, the three just looked at the scene in silent confusion. Liz was the first to break the silence.
"Mack," She purred, slinking up to him. "What are you guys doing out here so late?"
"Oh…just enjoying the weather." Aya said quickly, holding her hands in the air. Obviously, a terrible liar.
Kid stared at her, calculating. "But, it's freezing and you're wearing two jackets."
Aya looked at her boots. "I like the cold. It's refreshing." She took a deep breath of crisp air, only to start tearing when it stung her nose. "See…love it."
"Hm." Kid could tell she was lying. But why? He looked at the two bags, completely stuffed with who knew what. Something was not right about this situation.
"I love the cold too." Liz chimed, trying to sit next to Mack who kept scooting away from her. "Maybe we can sit with you until you head home—"
"No." Aya said quickly and loudly. Everyone turned to stare at her and she grabbed the edge of her coat and started twisting the buttons. "I mean, uh, no. You guys go on home. We'll probably be…awhile. You know, maybe get some homework done…"
Kid walked over to Aya, where his voice could be heard over Liz and Patty gushing over Mack. "You're not telling us everything. What is really going on here?" Her bright eyes were cast at her shoes.
"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Aya mumbled.
Kid wanted to tell her he couldn't not worry, but refrained. Instead, he cleared his throat and turned away from her. "You know, if there is anything you need you just have to ask. I-I like to help my friends, when I can. So remember, anything you need. It's no trouble."
Aya tucked her hands up to her chest and smiled. "Thank you. I'll remember." Her voice was quiet, but he heard her and nodded.
"WHAT?" Liz's voice brought Aya back to the situation. She had been too absorbed in the warm feeling in her stomach. She looked at Mack, cowering under Liz's figure, warding her off with his elbows. "What do you mean you're homeless?" Liz repeated what she had just heard.
Kid looked at Aya sharply. She hid beneath her hair.
"What?" He strode up to Mack and Liz. "What's going on?" He demanded.
Mack looked at Aya and closed his eyes. She would thank him later, once she stopped being angry. "We couldn't afford the rent. So we're sleeping out here tonight." She raised her palms. "It's not that big a deal. We've done this plenty of times before—"
Liz had her hands on her cheeks. "That's horrible. You poor dear. And it's so cold outside, too."
Kid's fists were clenched, but he held his tongue until he felt calmer. She should have told him something this serious. Sleeping outside was hardly 'nothing.'
Liz clasped her hands together and placed her wide eyes on Kid, "Hey. They could stay with us. Can't they, Kid? It won't be any trouble. You have a million rooms, we can spare two more. What do you say? Can they? Please?" Liz continued, not knowing Kid had already made his decision on the matter. Still, her pleading made it easier to play it off as her idea.
He pretended to think it over. "Well, I suppose we do have the space."
Liz clapped her hands quickly. She was ecstatic that Mack would now be sleeping under the same roof. Maybe, she could sneak into his room and…
"Are you sure there won't be any problems with Mack being a guy and Aya being a girl?" Everyone stared at Patty, who put a finger to her lips innocently. Blushing she smiled and giggled. "Just wondering."
Kid blinked, still confused that Patty had concocted a question containing more than five words. "I don't see how that would be an issue. We've never had a problem before, with the house being so big."
Patty's eyes danced with cheerful abandon. Aya was cheerful because she was a nice person, Patty was often cheerful because she didn't know any better. "If you say so, Kid." Kid tried to imagine why Patty would suddenly bring up a subject like that, but he disregarded it quickly. He would never understand anything Patty did.
When they arrived at Gallows mansion, Aya's eyes were wide with awe. It was the biggest house she had ever seen that belonged to a single person. While the decorations might have been off-putting or even scary to an ordinary outsider, Aya immediately set off to take in every detail, finding no faults with anything. As she would expect, the house was as perfect as its owner. They followed Kid down the hallways, Liz hanging onto Mack's arm and Patty drifting behind them, trying to only step on the black squares of tile.
Kid opened an ornate wooden door. "Mack can stay in here. I'm sure you'll find the room adequate. I don't use all the rooms in the house often, but I make sure they're cleaned regularly."
Mack nodded and looked at Aya. They had always shared their living space and he didn't like the idea of her being in a separate room. He wouldn't be close enough to hear if something happened. But Aya gave him a warm smile and he conceded without an argument. He had only brought up the subject of living spaces to Liz because he knew Kid would offer to let them stay with him. Aya couldn't sleep on the streets all night. This was better for her.
Liz, now losing interest in the group without Mack's presence, wandered off with Patty. She even made sure to give Kid a wink before leaving him alone with Aya. Kid sent her a glare in response, but didn't complain.
"Thank you again for letting us stay here. I promise, we'll help out any way we can. If we can find work, we can pay you back. And I fully intend to help out here however—" Aya prattled as she followed Kid to her room.
Kid held up his hand. "There is no need for any of that. I keep this house meticulously cared for, you don't need to do a thing. And as for paying me back, we're friends. I would never make you pay to stay here. You owe me nothing."
Aya smiled but remained silent, her cheeks growing red.
Kid stopped outside another unnecessarily large door. "This will be your room."
Aya walked up to the door. "Thank you." She put her hand on the handle of the door and looked over her shoulder. "You know, we've never had friends apart from each other. It's nice."
Kid nodded. "Yes. Well. I'm glad I could help."
"Good night." Aya said quietly.
Kid was growing anxious. He didn't want her to disappear into her room for the rest of the night, but he had no reason to give her to stay. "If you get hungry, the kitchen is down the main stairs and just beyond the dinning room. You may help yourself to whatever is down there."
"Thank you."
"Yes…well…good night." He stalked away quickly, making Aya giggled quietly.
She closed her door softly behind her and set her bag on the soft carpet. Never in her life had she stayed in a room so nice. It was warm, with a queen sized bed filled with thick comforters and plush pillows. Candles flickered from a few sconces and there were other pieces of furniture laid out around the room and some paintings on the walls, but what stood out the most was the room's less than subtle symmetry. Before, Aya would never have noticed it, but now she admired the way everything fit perfectly together and the way everything was placed with purpose and intent. She moved her bag next to the bed and rummaged through it for some clean clothes. After all that time outside in the cold, she was desperate for a hot shower. The room, thankfully, had a full bathroom attached.
Kid paced in the living room downstairs. She was no doubt tired and it was very late, but the idea of her being just upstairs had his nerves on edge. Calm down. Let's think this through. She'll be living here for awhile, so there is plenty of time to spend with her. You don't have to see her right this second.
But, I can't treat this like I have all the time in the world…someone is bound to get to her first and I can't have that.
Don't be ridiculous. You spend more time with her than any other boy at that school. Who could possibly talk to her first?"
There's always Mack…Well, not really. He's more of a brother figure, really.
Kid ground his teeth in frustration. He was letting his thoughts get carried away and he was only making himself stressed. He was the son of Death. He had no reason to worry. However, neurotic obsession didn't usually stop just because you wanted it to.
With the pretense of seeing that she had settled in and was comfortable, Kid started walking back upstairs.
A perfectly rational idea. He could get away with that and not look obsessive or creepy. Setting himself to the idea he pressed forward. Only stopping to argue with himself a few more times before he was in front of her door again.
Alright. This is it. Not a big deal. Just an innocent query. Perfectly acceptable. There's no reason for me not to see how she is settling in…
Kid raised his hand to knock on the door. What if she's sleeping? I don't want to wake her.
There was a moment's hesitation and then he brought his knuckles down gently on the wood. He waited. There didn't seem to be any sound coming from the room. Just a humid heat creeping out from under the door.
She must be asleep. Kid turned to leave, but only managed to put his back to the door before stopping. He looked at the door again, which suddenly much larger than he remembered. He swallowed quickly. Was there any harm in just checking?
Kid shook his head. That was crazy. He couldn't open that door without Aya's permission. That would be wrong…
If she's asleep she'll never know. Kid reached his hand for the door. I'm just checking on her. Nothing more. I won't even step inside.
Insanity had gripped him temporarily and his fingers closed around the handle as he turned it. He was almost moving backward he moved so slowly. When he felt the door click open, he held his breath and carefully pushed it open a few inches.
Inside, the mirrors and the glass on the pictures were rimmed with steam. Kid squinted as he peered inside. The bed was still made and uninhabited. At the foot of the bed was Aya. Her hair was wet and hanging down bare shoulders, a towel hovering just above her waist. Her moist skin glistened in the dim lighting. Her back muscles taunt as she dried herself with the towel.
Frozen panic and shock stopped Kid from moving. He forgot basic motor functions and the concept of breathing had left him entirely. Aya, still wrapped in only a towel from the waist down as she dried her legs, began to turn. Her figure was almost completely silhouetted in the small crack in the door. If she continued to turn, there wouldn't be much left to his imagination. Kid fell backwards, blood exploding from his nose as he landed with a horrified smile on his face. His limbs were weak and lifeless, his face red from the blood both outside and underneath the skin on his cheeks. His face was twisted with pain and an almost school boy giddiness. In the back of his mind, behind the sophisticated gentlemen and the honor bound son of the Grim Reaper, the teenage boy inside him was grinning and repeating, "That was so worth it." Even though he felt like a dirty pervert.
Still, unable to move, Kid stared at the ceiling. He couldn't decide if he was happy or horrified with himself, and kept wrestling with his conscience when he heard footsteps by his head. His gold eyes shifted to Liz's un-approving face.
"Why are you lying out here with blood all over your face?" She raised an eyebrow. When Kidd didn't answer, Liz looked through the crack in the door and then shut it immediately. "You know, of all the men in the world, I never figured you for the dirty pervert type, Kid."
"I…you don't…accident…" He mumbled, his head still swimming with the images he didn't want to remember…or forget.
"Whatever. Don't try to explain. I guess, despite everything, you're still just a guy." Liz flipped her hair, holding her nose in the air smugly. She made sure to step on his lifeless form as she retreated down the hall. "Pervert." She muttered.
Kid swallowed and felt his head clearing. Guilt was beginning to override his earlier excitement. He was about to sit up when another pair of steps stopped him. Patty leaned over his bloody face and poked his cheek.
She looked up at the door she knew belonged to Aya and then back at Kid and his obviously bloody nose. She shook her head. "See, I told ya."
Kid sat up. "Shut up."
Patty only giggled. "Boys can't be with girls when they like them. Always a mistake."
Kid stood. "Yes, thank you Patty." He snapped, wiping his face on his sleeve.
She poked his cheek again. "Did you see her changing?"
His throat closed and for a second he couldn't get any air. "Shut up, Patty." He managed to growl through his teeth.
"Yep." She giggled. "Kid's a dirty pervert." She laughed.
Kid's eyebrow twitched. "If you don't shut up this instant—"
"Pervert. Pervert. Pervert. Hahahaha!" Patty sang.
"That's it!" Kid reached out to strangle the annoying girl, but she had anticipated the move.
Patty skipped down the hallway. "Pervert." She stuck out her tongue and then sprinted off, Kid reaching for her with murder in his eyes.
"If you don't cut that out you'll be out on the streets again!" Patty's giggles filled the hall. "One more word and I will remove every ounce of sugar from this house! PATTY!"
