When You Wish To Be Wanted

By: Yidkirkin

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

SPOILERS

"Now, we just need to give you this vaccine, Harry-kun, and we're all done," Amara told him kindly, showing him the little needle filled with clear liquid.

Aimaru may have been able to eat the sources of illness, but after he nearly died from the effects of consuming Takimaru's Gourmet World disease, there had been some changes. The Gourmet Faith, while one of its tenants was rejecting man-made and artificial medicines, had always been a great supporter of naturopathy, and this had allowed for that sect of medicine to make great leaps and strides over the years. Once Aimaru had fully recovered from the Life medicine, he had made it mandatory that every child in the Knight's care be vaccinated and had thrown his weight behind a campaign for similar policies in the Faith proper. Many people did already, but with his weaker constitution Aimaru had needed a break –and that meant lessening the sicknesses in the immediate community first and foremost.

It helped that the country of Life had flourished alongside the development of the Faith –nowadays it was very easy for naturopaths like Amara to make a living even far away from the medicinal mecca. Especially close by to a population like Simple Diet Hill, where almost no one used artificial cures –Amara had fine-tuned many of the now commonplace natural curatives herself to give them more options. In the years since, Aimaru had started treating afflicted people once more, but stayed firm with his promotion of the truth –vaccination was entirely natural and simply boosted antibodies in your system, and it would help more than hinder in the long run.

"It's to protect you from a lot of Human World diseases that can hurt kids your age. There are only eight doses in there, which might not seem like much, but it's designed so that they overlap in your system and protect you from a whole slew of other stuff. All I have to do is sterilize your shoulder, and a second later I'll inject the vaccine. Are you alright with that?"

Harry nodded from his seat up on the examination table; they had gone through a full check up already, went over his options for vision-correction, drawn blood to do some quick tests, and so far she had explained everything to him as it was being done. They had even looked over Brunch's list of compatible ingredients in order to find a diet that would help him overcome his malnutrition as fast as they were able to, and the list was now safely inside Harry's backpack because he had insisted that he could take care of it. She had also prescribed him calcium pills so he could supplement his intake even when he was unable to eat properly. Harry held out his arm for the doctor to do what she needed to, and curled the fingers of his free hand into the fabric of Takimaru's sleeve while she inserted the needle methodically; Takimaru stood beside Harry, glad that they were getting this done so quickly and with minimal fuss.

"There, all finished!" Amara announced, putting the needle away and smoothing a bright purple bandaid over the tiny dark spot on Harry's shoulder. "You did great, Harry-kun! I'm very impressed."

"Thank you, Amara-sensei," replied Harry, smiling bashfully at the praise.

"Now, I need to talk with Takimaru-san about a few boring adult things. If you want to you can stay, but you can also go with Frill-san and he can take you on a quick walk. What do you think?" Amara asked, and Harry looked from her to Takimaru silently for a few seconds.

"...I'll stay here," He eventually decided, hopping down from the table and going to sit in the seat beside Takimaru's.

"Sounds good, sport. Okay, Takimaru-san, you have all the papers you'll need to sign –I expect them back with me by the end of the week, do you hear me?" Amara told him firmly –she was used to the forgetfulness of Gourmet Hunters, and Knights were no exception even if they were a tad more apologetic about it. "Stick to the diet and he'll be right as rain within a year, but if he doesn't stay that long then impress on him the importance of simply eating something. Even if you have to go to a Soup Kitchen, do you understand Harry-kun?"

"Yes, I'll make sure I go," Harry told her sincerely; he had been to the local Soup Kitchen during his two weeks away, but he had also used to go to a langar in Staines-upon-Thames when he had enough time and energy to walk that far, and they generally had healthier food than the Soup Kitchen (though he knew that both places were just doing their best with what they had).

"Good lad. I've already sent off the request for his Gourmet ID information, so since you're getting him registered tomorrow I'll let you know whether it goes through or not and we can decide on another appointment," Amara glanced at the computer for a moment, obviously understanding what looked to Harry like coloured squiggles from his line of sight. "We've eliminated a lot of the side effects from low volumes of natural cures, but Harry-kun's been given these, with the eight compatible vaccines all at once. He does have Gourmet Cells –I'm as far from an expert as you can get about those, but what I do know is that they generally lessen side effects and boost the desired outcome of medicines, especially natural cures. So he might experience minor muscle aches, soreness around the injection point, and a slight fever, but he also might not. If you're worried, give me a shout and I'll come back right away."

"I do thank you for this, and on such short notice, Amara-sensei," Takimaru said. "We always appreciate your accommodation."

"Eh, I owed Ai a favour. Now, I'm sure you have things to do –get out so I can pack up," Once Amara turned back to her computer, Takimaru took Harry's hand and left the temporary doctor's office, bidding Frill goodbye on their way down the hall.

"Are you ready to go into town, Ha-kun?" Takimaru asked Harry once they got more than a few paces away from the room. Harry nodded and hitched his nearly empty pack higher onto his shoulders, excited to be getting a few things of his very own even as he was still trying to wrap his head around the concept –it wasn't as if he didn't own anything, but most of what he did own used to be Dudley's.

"Well, it is not too far a trip from here to Simple Diet Hill proper... chance about ten minutes. What do you feel about heading there now?"

"I don't mind walking," said Harry. "Ten minutes is really close, isn't it?"

Takimaru nodded but didn't answer right away. He led Harry through the hallways easily –Harry was still unfamiliar with how the Knights' buildings were laid out, so he stuck to the older man's side like glue. It took them no time at all to reach the front of the administrative building, and once they were outside Takimaru paused, tapped Harry on the head and lifted him up with no trouble at all so he could sit on Takimaru's shoulders. Harry squeaked in surprise and flailed for a moment before he realized that with Takimaru's hands on his shins, he wasn't about to fall off any time soon.

"We do not want to tire you so soon after getting those vaccines," Takimaru told him as he started walking down the gravel and dirt path, Harry's eyes swivelling around to stare at all the rocky pillars and cliffs that surrounded them. "If you feel up to it you may walk on the journey back, but do now enjoy the view, alright? Simple Diet Hill has eluded you as of late."

"Okay," Harry agreed, hands hesitating a few seconds before lowering to rest on top of Takimaru's turban. "I... I think I'm going to wait until I'm all better, before I think about my eyes."

"If you so wish so, Harry," Takimaru said seriously. "Do not feel pressured from my suggestion. It is your body after all, and you should be comfortable in it."

Harry was silent for a few steps, staring down at the cheerful orange fabric under his hands, the crunch of the gravel under Takimaru's feet relaxing him. "Is it the Faith that says you should wear a turban? I remember that Akimaru-san didn't..."

"Many different cultures in the Human World incorporate turbans or similar head coverings, like the people who live in Sand Garden, for one. In the Faith, it is more of a personal choice," Takimaru explained. "It is standard to teach adherents about pressure points from a young age, and to a lesser extent teach about pre-shot routines along with that; so it is common for those who are less proficient in that area to wear a turban. There are bones and pressure points on the head that benefit from being wrapped, and different wrapping styles reflect that –once you have a grasp on how to tell the difference, that is. Nowadays, it is also a starting tradition for Gourmet Knight members to receive one at their induction from a family member –though just like 'maru', it is also gaining popularity in the Faith as a whole."

"What does yours mean?" Harry asked.

"I did once have attention and anxiety problems as a child, so Aimaru-san started me on pre-shot techniques to try and lessen the burden. It was not enough at the time, so he taught me this style, which does put pressure on three separate points that promote focus, tranquility and self awareness –I am speaking simply, it is more to do than that. I am a bit different among the Knights, because I have a better grasp on pressure points than most, but I still wear one."

"D-Did you know... that there're people who wear turbans where I'm from, too?"

"Really? As ours?"

"K-Kind of, the styles are different from the ones here, and they're called Sikhs... and they wear them 'cause it shows that they're all the same in the eyes of Waheguru. Everyone who's taken the Amrit –er, been baptized –is supposed to wear them..." Harry trailed off a little uncertainly, having not needed to remember things like this for a long time; Takimaru squeezed his shin to show he was still listening. "...my mum and dad were Sikhs, Aunt Petunia says."

"That is... thank you for telling me, Ha-kun. I do think I have heard about this same thing somewhere else before, but I shall have to speak with Aimaru-san to be sure. How do they differ from mine?"

"They cover all of the hair, usually, because hair is important –you aren't supposed to cut your hair at all. There's all kinds of different ways to wrap them too, but I can't remember if they mean anything," Harry coughed gently. "The book on the Faith you gave me said that... when you commit to the Faith you add 'maru' or 'suke' to the end of your name, but not everyone does it. Sikhs have the same thing; boys have 'Singh' as a last name, and girls have 'Kaur', but sometimes people just have them as a middle name. Aunt Petunia doesn't because she didn't take the Amrit, but someday I might want to –they were always nice to me when I went to the langar to eat."

Takimaru felt as though he should be writing down everything Harry said to remember for later, as some of the things he was divulging about his home were absolutely fascinating, even if Takimaru didn't fully understand a lot of it. For now Takimaru was just thankful that he had a bit more information to go on in order to narrow down where Harry had come from –he was sure that he had heard of a similar sounding group before, if he could only remember where...

"Ah, is that it there?" Harry piped up, poking the side of Takimaru's neck softly to try and get his attention back. Takimaru looked up from the path and saw that they had lefty the rocky area behind, and the wall surrounding Simple Diet Hill was few dozen feet in front of them; distinctive golden coloured plaster rising up to their waists, interrupted every hundred feet by a dark brown gate. Beyond the wall were a few single story buildings made of the same dark wood and gold plaster, parted by the path leading from the gate nearest to them to the small central courtyard which housed the market. Before the two of them passed the gate, Takimaru swung Harry carefully off of his shoulders and onto the ground, opening the little door for him to walk through.

"I-It's sandy!" Harry exclaimed in shock, standing on the boardwalk that snaked between the small grassy patches behind each house, but which rested almost entirely on sand the colour of saffron. "But it was just rocks and forest back there! Otousan?"

Takimaru chuckled at his charge's confusion –Harry did so remind him of his younger self. "Simple Diet Hill does lie in the middle of an area with a much divided environment. Presently we are sat on the beach of a small sea, whereas the Lodgings dwell in the cliff and forest area, then there is the craggy desert area I found you in, and Eco Land is beyond that, in the grasslands. There is also a swamp over yonder and a snowy mountain more ways off –you should be able to see it on the way back,"Harry stared at a tiny ruby coloured lizard in the sand a few feet away, before he noticed another not too far off, and then another and another. "That is the reason for buying you a few heavier clothes straight away; while Simple Diet Hill itself usually remains fairly warm all year, the Lodgings experience a brief winter and are a bit cooler on average."

"Okay," Harry agreed easily, eyes flitting around to spot the small lizards wherever they popped up, holding Takimaru's hand so they didn't get separated –Simple Diet Hill was neither large nor bustling, but caution had its merits. "And I'll keep a few in my pack, right? With other stuff?"

"Mm, exactly," Takimaru replied. The boardwalk in front of them widened abruptly to turn into a large circular deck about a city block in diameter. There was an incredibly old Sand Ginkgo tree rising out of an opening directly in the middle of the circle, and along the edges were either the entrances to stores or temporary stalls; you could get any essentials you needed here, though nearly ninety percent of wares adhered to the Faith in some manner. The market was slightly less busy than usual today, so as they began their circuit past the stores they didn't have to wait to see much.

The first stop they made was a small shop that sold glasses, where they picked out two separate frames and a case and left the optometrist with Harry's prescription. They would pick up the completed glasses on the way back to the Lodgings, but for now they headed on so that they could get the rest of their shopping finished.

"We shall do a quick walk around now so you can see what is being sold, Ha-kun," Takimaru said as they exited the glasses shop. "Then we shall do a second round to choose what you want. You will pick out the clothes and a few new books while I take care of the more technical things, okay?" Takimaru asked as they wandered by a stand which sold Humble Cabbage and nothing else. Harry made an affirmative noise but his eyes were fixed on the stands and storefronts –trying to remember where the things he was interested in were located. Occasionally he would get a longer look, as many of the shop owners or their employees knew Takimaru personally and he never refused a chat.

"So you did find him then, Taki-san?" An elderly man asked, peering around his stacks of Box Melons so he could see Harry in full. Harry flushed at the reminder of his absence –and the concern it had caused. "Good lad you are, always knew you should be a father at some point. Ever since you and Korosuke had your first date..."

Harry looked up at Takimaru to see that he was blushing red, free hand on the back of his neck in an action Harry somehow knew meant he was embarrassed. "Yes, well, it's –it is certainly a blessing for Ha-kun to return. Give Korosuke-san my regards, Ujisuke-san!"

They went through the next few stands somewhat quickly, and Takimaru's blush lessened the further they got from the old fruit vendor; Harry wondered a little why he was acting like this, since it wasn't like Ujisuke said anything too odd. But Harry didn't want to pry into things that weren't his business, so he let Takimaru hurry him along since it seemed like it would make him feel better. The last store they needed to look around in on this first check sold bedding and camping supplies, so Takimaru had Harry peruse the travel beds while he spoke to the store manager about putting together a few things for him before they came back.

There were all kinds of beds here, from the incredibly fancy fold outs that only a professional Gourmet Hunter could afford to the cheapest items that may have only been layered cuts of sacking. Harry took one glance at the flashy and colourful displays for the more complicated or expensive pieces and disregarded them near instantly –instead he wandered over to the corner display that sold the travel hammocks and thin bed rolls. He didn't need anything more, really, especially since he was already used to kipping on a thread bare mattress in his cupboard and indeed, had grown almost fond of it. As he picked up and inspected each item, he considered the places that he had woken up in or been transported out of; the forest, the ridge of the cliffs between the Lodgings and Eco Land, the Dursley's backyard and the Artisan Forest to name a few. All varied in climate and how long he had been there, and that may be a problem.

"A touch of trouble, Ha-kun?" Takimaru asked from behind him, startling him slightly. "Tell me your thoughts?"

"Uh –I was just thinking about the places I ended up, because of my cells," He told Takimaru promptly. "When I first... passed out, I was in a forest. But when you found me, there were no trees around, and I just didn't know whether I should pick a hammock if I could go to a place with no trees to tie it to."

"In every way, Ha-kun, that is just the sort of thing you should be thinking about," Takimaru praised. He took a quick look over the discount display and then shook his head –he moved a few feet away to another shelf and glanced up and down the length of it. "Here," He eventually said, picking up what looked to be a rolled up mat. "This is called a Swag. See here," He turned it over to show Harry a diagram printed on the side. "It rolls out into a bed and is covered in a waterproof case that you can prop up to make a tent if there should come rain. And what is handy about this one is that it has pieces on the end, so that it can be a hammock if you want it to be, and the tent can become a tarp for the rain, too."

"Oh..." Harry picked up another from the shelf that was army green and was surprised at how light it was. "I-It's not too expensive, is it?" All the zeros on the price tag worried him, but the money symbol was different from the British Pound, so he didn't know if it was even the same.

"No, not particularly," Takimaru told him, setting the red one back. "Even if it were to cost me an arm, I would still consider it, because you want it to last as long as it can. Do you like it?"

Harry inspected the example diagrams again. "It looks nice... I've never had to choose one before though, so I don't really know."

"Then let us get it. I have used one of these before and while they are not luxurious, they do make things more comfortable," Takimaru said. "We can leave it up at the front with the things that Abutsu-san is collecting, and if you wish to look a little more when we come back then we shall do that."

They were on their way again, and little by little Harry's backpack was being filled up with new or nearly new things he'd never had before. He got several more shirts, sweaters and pants as well as a pair of rubber, insulated boots and some under-things, and then a coat, a hat, a wallet, and a small but well stocked first aid kit which Takimaru promised to sort through with him soon. He received a hunting knife that he would be shown how to safely handle in the coming days, a book to write phone numbers and addresses in, and he picked up several books from the second hand shop, all of which he'd neither seen nor heard of before. And there was also a pack of tools such as a compass, hammer and pliers, a flash light and batteries, a reusable Gourmet Case and Water Bag, a Human World map, a collapsible cooking set, and then finally the Swag, which fastened onto the top of his bag by some buckles so that it would cushion his head if he ever fell backwards.

On their way back to the Lodgings, Harry insisted on walking beside Takimaru as opposed to sitting on his shoulders, citing that he didn't feel at all faint from the vaccines so he should be able to. It didn't seem even half as long as it had taken to go the other way before they were coming up on the circular courtyard and Harry was blushing as a few unfamiliar Knights waved them over and asked him about himself and how he was faring.

When Takimaru finally excused them from the conversation, the first place they went was back upstairs and into Harry's room, where Takimaru had him lay out all his purchases onto the bed so they could properly sort it into his pack or his dresser. Most of the books and about half of the clothes went over and into the drawers while everything else was folded up and arranged so it would fit easier and the weight was distributed better. Then Takimaru slipped in the letters he was to give his aunt and uncle if he went back (Aimaru would speak with Harry about them later), and they spent about a half an hour writing in his address book, putting in all the telephone numbers of Knights that Takimaru knew, along with Monchy, Toriko (at Aimaru's request) and Match (though Takimaru stressed to only call Match if it was life or death).

Lastly, once all of that was over and done with and the pack was safely fastened around Harry's torso again, they found that they had a few hours to go before supper so Takimaru took the opportunity to go over why Harry had been given a hunting knife. Whether it was nice to think about or not, there might come a time where Harry transported himself to the middle of nowhere and needed to use it to either keep himself safe or fed. It was not a toy, as Takimaru told him quite seriously, and if he didn't take it, or the rules about its handling seriously then they may as well stop now and forget about it. But Harry was determined to learn how to use it and swore he would listen and follow whatever Takimaru had to say on the matter –so up until dinner they stayed in the room and went over everything so that by the end Harry could practically recite it himself.

After dinner had passed and Harry had gushed about Oumaru's meal to his satisfaction (they would be having dinner in the kitchen until Harry was a bit healthier, so Oumaru could monitor his intake), Takimaru decided to take him out and over to the Gopher Cow colony. It was still fairly light out so they had little difficulty taking the cliff-side staircase, though Takimaru chose to carry Harry at some points due to how narrow it became. When they finally came upon the cave that had been carved out of the rock wall –separated into two portions by a low fence that supported a feeding trough and sheltered a water pool, which had several Cows milling about as it was –Takimaru lowered Harry to his feet and drew him over to the Gopher Cow's head caretaker.

"Takimaru-kun! I have not seen ye in a long while!" Yukimaru greeted amiably, pushing his hair out of his eyes as they came closer to him. It had been quite a while, Takimaru thought as the older Knight stood and leaned easily on his cane, prosthetic leg taking a few seconds to follow him before it moved smoothly. The last time Takimaru had really seen the other man it had been a few weeks after the battle at the Cooking Festival and Yukimaru had still been wracked with phantom pains then –he had lost his right leg from the knee down to one of the cannibalistic Gourmet Corp. members and had asked Takimaru to deliver his transfer request from the Four Seasons Group to the livestock supervisory. After that, Takimaru started going to Nerg and Jiddal to help and they always seemed to miss each other by scant minutes.

"Yes, I am sorry I have been so absent of late, Yukimaru-san," Takimaru replied, conscious of Harry gripping his pant leg and his curious gaze directed at the Cows. "But I shall be back more often now, so I will be by to see you, truly."

"Glad to know it," Yukimaru brightened minutely. "I heard tell from Ai-san that ye're joining second-tier, congratulations."

"Thank you, Yukimaru-san... Ha-kun and I did come up here to visit with the Gopher Cows, if we are not keeping you?" Yukimaru laughed, which actually managed to draw Harry's eyes away from the Fauna and up to look at the blue haired man before them –Takimaru was glad to see that he didn't look as nervous at the prospect of a new person as he had come to expect.

"So, Ha-kun, ye've taken interest in the Gopher Cows have ye?" Yukimaru asked; Harry nodded and stepped slightly away from Takimaru's leg. "Then come over here, lad, and I shall introduce ye. I think one of Kir-eh's calves is around ye'r age..."

"Okay!" Harry chirped, and adjusted his pack and giving Takimaru a parting look before he hopped over to where Yukimaru was waiting. Takimaru followed behind the two of them by a few paces and opted to listen in on their conversation.

"Kir-eh is one of our older Cows, and is also the one who has given birth the least in the colony. One calf every fifteen years since she was old enough to carry, where most have a calf every seven years or so; that's mainly because Gopher Cows develop rapidly at first and then age at the same rate as humans do," Yukimaru explained to an attentive audience, drawing up short as they reached the fence. "But Kir-eh is more docile than the others, so she dotes on the calves longer. This one's her latest and he seems to take after her quite a bit... Kir! Kir-eh!"

At Yukimaru's call, one of the Cows further back tilted her head and made a rumbling chirp-chatter sound not unlike that of a giant baby Raccoon. A second later she made the same sound again and slowly shuffled forwards towards Yukimaru, followed closely by a black puff of fur about a quarter of her size.

"Here, Ha-kun, this is Kir-eh," Yukimaru told him, hand on his shoulder so he didn't make any nervous moves as Kir-eh lifted her head up and settled it on the fence, blinking down at the two of them for a moment before she shifted forward and nuzzled her large nose into Yukimaru's extended hand. "Gopher Cows don't really rely on us for food or water –they can find all of that underground on their own, though we do provide it. They're very social Fauna, and consider the humans that care for them to be a part of their colony on the same level as siblings, or sometimes offspring."

"Otousan said that Gopher Cows have small colony nests though," Harry said, surprising Takimaru again –he barely remembered telling Harry that himself.

"They like big families, but truly can't support them and I do think they are aware of this. See here, by all accounts ye've a visitor," Yukimaru smiled as the calf came up to the fence mirroring his mother –if on the lower beam –and its long white tongue snaked out and licked Harry's hand. Harry made an odd giggle-shriek but let the calf do as it pleased, and after a minute of tongue-inspection the calf retracted it and began to nuzzle his hand. "He should be about ye'r age in Gopher Cow years, if I've any to say of it. See his tail?" Harry craned his neck and saw that it was shaped like a shovel and was about the same size on the calf as it was on the adult, just without so many ridges on top. "The number of ridges is usually how we tell. Their tongues and tails are the same size when they're 90 as they are when they're 9."

"What's his name?" Harry asked, and then abruptly sat down and scooted closer to the Fauna –and the calf copied him exactly, shuffling its six little legs so it could rest on its stomach and put its head on Harry's crossed ankles. It let out a snuff through its nose and Harry cooed lowly at it.

Yukimaru and Takimaru shared a look. "We don't name them until they turn brown –it's easier to keep track of them in such way. But, how about ye name this little fellow? He's nearly there and he seems to like ye well enough."

"Really?" Harry asked incredulously, swivelling slightly to stare up at Yukimaru; the calf didn't like that and started making a gurgling whine, not stopping until Harry comforted him.

"Why not? The names need to be chosen anyhow. It's fine, right Takimaru-kun?" Yukimaru glanced at him again and Takimaru affirmed.

As Harry fawned over the calf, Kir-eh lost interest in Yukimaru and made her way a few feet over to the water pool. The two Knights took a couple of steps back from the children but kept a watchful eye on them regardless.

"Look at that, Takimaru-kun. He is ye'r son, isn't he?" Yukimaru asked wistfully. "Oh, blood shan't matter when it comes to children, not when ye see ye'rself in them. How misguided I've..."

Takimaru didn't respond except to incline his head, and after a few minutes Yukimaru had composed himself enough to ask Harry if he had thought of anything for the calf.

"Bonnet, like a Black Bonnet cookie," He said, scratching behind the calf's ear now. "Is that one alright?"

"I think is a splendid, rounded name. But daytime is waning, so how about ye get to bed and come back to visit another time? I'll get a necklace for Bonnet to wear so ye can tell him apart if ye need to."

Vvv

When Takimaru tucked Harry in a little bit after they left the colony, promising that they would be getting him a proper hammock when they went into Eco Land tomorrow and cocooning him in blankets to try and lessen his minute Agoraphobia, Harry felt a now familiar sensation start to bubble in his chest. Takimaru smoothed Harry's bangs away from his eyes and smiled at him warmly, and Harry felt so overwhelmed in that moment he wanted to cry. But he didn't, and when Takimaru clicked the lights off a minute later he settled for smiling into his pillow and snuggling deep into the burrito of safety surrounding him.