*Insert repeated disclaimer here*


Chapter 7 – Bonds of Trust

The ringing noise was seriously getting to him. It sounded far away, slightly muffled, but every ring sent a pounding throb to his already aching head. Tyki groaned and cursed that infernal racket that was ringing in his ears.

Then it was gone. Thankful for the silence, he tried to return to sleep.

Something cold and wet splashed all over him and Tyki woke up with a start, dripping wet. "What the heck?" He spluttered.

He looked up to see Kanda standing over him with a killer glare in his eyes and a dripping bucket in his hands. Tossing the bucket casually aside, the Japanese didn't even bother to apologize to the man he had just drenched in cold water. All he did was fold his arms as if he didn't give a damn.

"There was this weird metal contraption in the hallway that was making an infernal ringing noise and I didn't know how to turn it off. So I assumed it was broken and just decided to get rid of it. I thought I'd wake you up to tell you."

Without another word, Kanda stormed out of the room leaving an extremely wet and shivering Tyki lost for words. Then everything clicked into place.

"Oh dear… Kanda, get back here!"


Kanda didn't look up when Tyki entered the storeroom. He just continued to polish one of the swords in silence, even though it was already gleaming.

To be honest, he really didn't know what to say. He hit himself mentally as he recalled the events of last night. He couldn't deny that it felt good, but a nagging conscience kept telling him it was not his place to ask for more. Besides, he wasn't sure if he was supposed to be feeling this way about that sadistic bastard. In a way, he did get some revenge last night, but by doing so, Kanda had snared himself into a tangle of emotions that he found hard to get free of.

Tyki sat down opposite him and observed his work. "If I didn't know better I'd say you're trying to sharpen the sword, not polish it. And the next time the telephone rings, please refrain from smashing it."

At his words, Kanda felt his face burning and he polished the sword even more furiously, nearly snapping the metal in his frenzy. Tyki didn't say anything for the next few minutes, causing a growing silence to form and it really ticked Kanda off. 'How can that bastard stay so quiet with nothing better to do than stare at me?'

"Can I ask you a question, Kanda?"

Kanda slowed down his polishing just enough to show that he was listening. He wondered what it could be that Tyki Mikk of all people would want to ask him. Come to think of it, it was a little alien to refer to the magician by his name, even though it was in his head. He usually reserved terms such as 'pervert' and 'bastard' for him, so why now the familiarity?

"Do you miss your homeland? As in, are you desperate to return no matter what the consequences?"

"Che. What kind of question is that? Of course I want to go back. I never even liked this fucking place."

"If I free you, and give you the liberty to choose your path, you're saying you'll go back?"

Kanda paused, but he didn't know why he stopped. Of course he'd go back, wouldn't he? Tyki was forcing all this on him, that had to be it. It wasn't his own choice to stay here, was it?

After hesitating, Kanda muttered softly. "That will never happen anyway, would it? So I've never given a damn thought about it."

"I see… Tell me, Kanda. Was there anyone back home who loved you?"

Kanda's hand slipped on the sword, which he begun polishing again. "My… Parents… I guess…"

Tyki chuckled and shook his head. "No, I mean like a lover or something. Or anyone in particular that you liked."

"Not that I can recall. And why the heck are you asking me all these stupid questions? You never cared before, what's making you care now?"

Before Tyki could answer, Kanda got up and chucked the sword back together with the other equipment before storming out. Tyki called after him. "Hey, run an errand for me, will you? I need you to deliver a letter for me."

"Whatever. Give me the damn letter and I'll go."

He snatched the envelope roughly from Tyki and went out. He didn't go far when he saw a carriage pulling up at Tyki's residence and stopped. A small figure got down and made its way towards the house. Kanda recognized her. It was the girl from the ball who called the magician her uncle, Road or something. Upon seeing Kanda, Road waved gleefully and came towards him.

"Ah, it's the pretty boy that Tyki is so fond of. I didn't quite catch your name the other day. Is Tyki home?"

Kanda nodded and then went on his way. The girl pouted. "He really could do with some anger management classes."


He checked the address on the envelope. Shouldn't be about two more streets away. Turning up his collar in the wind, Kanda kept to the sidewalks. A flash of red followed by a bit of white caught his eye and he stopped.

"Master, wait up!"

"Idiot apprentice, can't you walk any faster?" The man grumbled. His apprentice came up, panting.

Kanda narrowed his eyes. That was the moyashi he had met at the ball as well, along with his infamous master Cross Marian. Kanda decided that he would pretend he didn't notice them. Unfortunately for Kanda, Cross noticed him. He smirked and slowly approached Kanda, who tried to avoid crossing paths with them. When it proved unsuccessful, Kanda stopped and glared at him.

"Why the hell are you trying to block me?"

Cross leaned in closer to him and tilted his face up. Kanda swatted his hand away. "Hands off, baka."

"A foreigner, I see… You're rather attractive. Care to have a drink or two with me?"

"No, I don't. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a job to do."

"Ditch the job and spend some time with me instead. How about it, my dear?"

Allen tapped Cross lightly. "Um, master… He's a… He's a guy…"

Cross pushed Allen away from him and pinned Kanda against the wall. "He's a guy? Wow… You're hot…"

"Call me hot another time and I swear I'll kill you."

"Ooh, you're turning me on… Feisty…"

Just then, another woman caught Cross's eye. Dropping Kanda, he went after her instead. Kanda straightened his coat a little, not too unnerved by the encounter. He had too much experience with Tyki to let this pervert get to him. Allen came up to him.

"Hey, you alright?"

Brushing his sleeves, Kanda retorted. "I see why you're so desperate to escape. Does he do this to you all the time?"

Allen scratched his hair. "Not that often… He's usually too busy sleeping with women to bother harassing me. Hang on… You remember me from the ball! We're friends now, aren't we?" He said excitedly. Kanda slapped his forehead.

"No we are not friends. Now I've got an errand to run so leave me."

"Delivering a letter? I could tell you where to go in case you get lost. Where are you headed?"

"Get lost, moyashi. Wouldn't your master be wondering where you went?"

"No, he's off flirting with that lady over there so he wouldn't miss me. Besides, even if there's going to be punishment later, I'll take it. You see…" Allen dropped his voice to a whisper. "I've already secured my way out of here. That friend of mine I was telling you about? He's already got me a job and he'll be coming to get me soon. I mentioned you to him and he said that it wouldn't be a problem for you to come with us. I was thinking of finding you to tell you but since you're here now…"

Kanda stopped in his tracks. "You're asking me to run away with all of you?"

"Um, yeah… I thought you'd want to. You're still working for Tyki Mikk, aren't you? That guy will never let you go, I heard he's a very dangerous guy! Don't you want to go back?"

Kanda gripped his fists tightly and heaved a deep breath. Tyki's words came back to him with a pang of guilt.

'Do you miss your homeland? As in, are you desperate to return no matter what the consequences?'

'If I free you, and give you the liberty to choose your path, you're saying you'll go back?'

His fists were shaking. When he had first arrived and was brought to Tyki's house his only desire was to escape from this Godforsaken place by any means possible. So what was stopping him now? He had so many chances to escape, even now, as Tyki sent him on this errand alone, he had the perfect chance to run away and never go back. Why the hell was he even delivering this letter anyway?

"Kanda? Are you alright? Did I say something wrong?" Allen asked in concern.

The Japanese shook his head. "Where's the 4th Avenue again?"

"Go down this street, take a left turn and then enter the second street to your right. I'll come with you…"

"I'll be fine on my own." He strode off, leaving Allen by the sidewalk. After a few steps he paused and turned back to face the boy.

"When will your friend be picking you up? And where will you be meeting him?"

A smile lit up Allen's features. "So you'll be joining us after all? Great! We'll be meeting at the bridge beside Madison's Square at 6 in the morning on Thursday. My friend says it's better to leave when my master is still sleeping or hung over from too much drinking."

Kanda nodded and turned away. Thursday would be 3 days away. Plenty of time to prepare and think over this decision. He forced the uneasy thoughts and guilty emotions down and told himself that he was doing the right thing.


There was a knock at Tyki's door. As he answered it and threw it open, someone flung herself onto him squealing his name and knocked him to the ground, also knocking the breath out of him. He gasped for breath and registered the image in front of him.

"Road? What are you doing here? There's no magic show today, and I'm not going to perform any tricks for you now."

"I just wanted to see my favorite Tyki, that's all… And I wanted to talk to you too." She glanced at Tyki's collar. It was slightly unbuttoned and there was a faint bruise at the bottom of his neck. Road frowned.

"Have you been having rough sex with a woman last night?"

Tyki shoved her off roughly. "Um… No."

Road gasped. "Have you been having rough sex with a man last night?" She asked disbelievingly.

"Um… What makes you say that?"

Road placed her arms on her hips. "You've got something on your neck."

Tyki's hand went subconsciously to the place where Kanda had roughly nipped him the night before and pulled up his collar. "I had a shaving accident, that's all. My hand slipped."

"It slipped so far down?" She raised her eyebrow.

The older man placed his hands on her shoulders. "Road, what would my brother say if he found out I was having discussions about such stuff with his lovely daughter?"

"Fine, forget I asked. But if you really were having sex with a woman, tell me who it is. Because Father's going to pick a fiancée for you soon."

Tyki's jaw dropped. "What's he thinking? Forcing me into marriage? If this is another elaborate plot to get me settled down and stop performing I'm going to tell my dear brother exactly what I think of it."

"It was the Earl's idea too."

Tyki straightened and frowned. "And let me guess, all the others are all for it too? Nice family we are, really supportive, thanks…"

"Don't get mad at me, Tyki! I just thought I'd tell you before they spring the surprise date on you! But honestly speaking, it was a lot nicer when you spent more time with us though…"

"It's not that I don't like spending time with you, Road. It's just that I'm busy with my performances and visits and all. I'm just a bit different from the rest of the family, especially my manipulative brother. No offence to your father, Road."

Road sighed and looked around the place. "I saw that assistant of yours leaving just now. You sent him on an errand?"

"Yeah, so did I. Is there a problem with that?"

The girl shrugged. "No, nothing. He's got temper issues, that guy. I don't see what you like about him that much. You should've gotten someone else to replace Maria."

Tyki hesitated a little. "Kanda has been… A little hard to manage, yes. But at least he won't betray me, that's a good thing."

"How do you know, Tyki? He doesn't look very pleased about the place, and he's certainly not very fond of you. I mean, if you give him a chance, he'd probably ditch you and return to his homeland!"

"Are you certain that's how he feels?"

"Positive. When I met him just now, I kinda…"

"You used your powers and read his mind?"

Road shuffled her feet. "I didn't mean to… There was just such strong emotion pouring from him I couldn't help but prod around. He's a little messed up though, he's experiencing too much at one go."

The magician sighed and ruffled his hair a little. "I worry about that guy… But he looks like he's handling it well."

His niece turned to go. "I'll be leaving now, Tyki. Be a little more careful, alright? There's a dinner gathering tomorrow night, and you'd better be there because the Earl's going to be attending. And you know how he's like when people miss important dinners."

"Yeah, I get it alright. Thanks, Road." He dropped a kiss onto her forehead, much to her annoyance. "Stop treating me like a kid, Tyki!"

"But you are, and give me a lift, will you? There's somewhere I need to go before Kanda gets back."

"Alright but first tell me if you were sleeping with that assistant of yours last night."

"Damn you, Road. You know I can't say that..."


Evening was fast falling and Kanda hastened his steps. Sure, he had taken his own sweet time strolling around the streets since it was his first time outside without Tyki. But he knew he didn't want to be back too late either so he quickened his pace and made for home as soon as he could.

The place was dim as he entered, and Kanda looked around for Tyki. Strange, the magician didn't seem to be home. Great, more alone time. Kanda returned to his room and sat down on the bed, his head in his hands. He wanted to be able to have time to think about his next move. Freedom was so close now, but every time he thought about leaving a strange feeling like guilt would seemingly grab him and drag him back into a pit of uncertainty.

Firstly, he needed some money to survive. He would have to convince Tyki that he needed allowance, he figured. But what if he suspected anything? And then again, he was never sure of the man's schedule. What if he left at an inconvenient time and the magician caught him? Kanda shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts.

'Tell me, Kanda. Was there anyone back home who loved you?'

Kanda sat up straight with a jolt. What exactly was he returning for now? His village had been burned to the ground, and he wasn't sure if there were any survivors or if they had been taken captive like him. He got up shakily and leaned his forehead against the wall. If he left now, what would Tyki say?

He kicked the wall furiously and rammed his fist into the boards. He gave the wall another punch and felt something wet trickling down his fist. Just then, the door opened and Tyki stood there with his eyebrows raised.

"My, my… You destroyed my telephone this morning and now you're trying to destroy my house. What's gotten into you, my dear?"

His eyes wandered to Kanda's bloody fist and he sighed as he walked over. "Let's get this bandaged. And while we're at it, you could make a mental reminder to yourself to stop trying to hurt yourself."

Kanda sat there quietly as Tyki slowly cleaned his wound and wrap a bandage around it. The man was muttering to himself as he wound the cloth around the boy's palm.

"I let you be alone for just a couple of hours and you start beating things up. You're just like a 3 year old kid with a tantrum."

Kanda snapped out of his trance and looked away angrily. "I'm not a kid. I was just a little tired."

"Tired enough to bully the wall? Road was right, you've got some issues."

He stood up and motioned to Kanda. "Come on, I brought you something. But you've got to promise me you'll never do something this stupid again, alright?"

Nodding dumbly, Kanda followed Tyki to his room, wondering what it could be that the man wanted to show him.

Tyki pulled out a long thing and handed it to Kanda. "Now don't try to hurt me with it, because you know you can't. And don't try to hurt yourself with it, because I will make sure I'll hurt you even more."

Shakily, Kanda unwrapped the thing and gasped. Sleek and sharp, the katana was beautifully decorated and skillfully forged. It looked like the ones he used to see his father wield back in his homeland. He ran his fingers along the curved blade and something prickled in his eyes.

"What… Why…"

"You seemed to love the swords I used for my tricks so I thought you'd like one. Took me a while to find a Japanese sword, mind you, but it was worth it. Now will you be a good boy and stop hurting yourself?"

Kanda sheathed the sword and muttered. "A… Arigatou… I mean… Thank… Thank you…"

Long fingers lifted his chin and brought his gaze to meet Tyki's golden eyes. "I want you to stay by my side, forever…"

He let Tyki's lips close in onto his own, and his hands wandered to the man's shoulders. All thoughts were abandoned, and he gripped the fabric of Tyki's coat tightly, not wanting to let go.

There may not have been anyone back home who loved him, but Kanda was quite sure that there was somebody here who did now.