Chapter 3
Harry was lying on his bed, drifting in and out of sleep. His eyes were shut and a hand lazily ran through Wilson's fur, the dog lying on his chest. He was, however, broken out of the pleasant daze as he heard the door crash open. His head shot up, causing a whine to escape from Wilson's mouth as the dog was dislodged from his comfortable position. Harry was met with a sight that he had not been hoping to see today. Before him stood Death the Kid. Harry recognised the familiar gold eyes that looked at him in shock.
"What the hell are you doing here!" Kid shouted, in what sounded nothing like a question and everything like a demand. Harry sighed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He was not ready to have to face the son of Death. He wasn't even sure what their relationship would be. He was the son of a man that he was Master of. Harry was also currently lying on the boy's father's bed. Nothing had happen of course. Harry had woken from his own room and gone to find the man, only to discover he was not there. This led to him lying on the bed, waiting for the man to return. Harry let out a sigh of exasperation. He was sure that there was no rule book for this kind of thing. Harry stretched his arms above his head with a sigh, ignoring the question for now.
Harry focused his intent, his eyes hardening as he did. Death had taught him how to contact him this way only a few days ago. Harry was now not only able to hide from Death but also find him whenever he needed to. Harry let his thoughts pass to Death. The feelings of need and worry as well as images of the man's angry son filled his head. He bombarded Death with the feeling of urgency, before he let his eyes focus back on the boy before him.
"Answer me!" Kid shouted again. Although Harry was not fazed. Compared to the real thing this glare was nothing. Harry had seen the real Death. His real anger, sorrow, regret and disgust. Kid was nothing compared to the force of nature that his father was.
"I'm here" Harry replied calmly. "because your father asked me to be here." Harry's voice was hard. Although it was quite, deadly even. He did not take well to being shouted at. Kid seemed to shudder as he met the sparkling green eyes that bore into him. He was filled with fear that he didn't understand. Seeing those piercing green sparkles caused him to freeze. To feel things that he had never felt before. He had never felt as though he could be smiled from the earth with a blink of the shimmering eyes. He felt like that now.
"Now" Harry said sternly. "I want you to sit down and wait down for your father to join us." Harry nearly growled. Kid could do little more than nod. He sat in the indicated seat. His eyes fuzzy, his actions not fully his own. He blinked repeatedly as he attempted to bring his focus back. However each time that he looked at the young man before him the green eyes led him back into the spiral of confusion.
Harry kept his focus on the fact that he wanted submission from the kid before him. He knew that this sort of magic was taxing. It would take a lot of energy for him to keep his focus on controlling anyone, yet alone the son of one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Thankfully Harry's concentration was only needed for a minute as the door to the room was opened to revel the man himself, Death, standing in the doorway. He was stiff, his head bowed. It was obvious that he was also feeling the side effects of Harry's powers.
"Death" Harry greeted, letting the intention on submission. Harry smiled as Death's posture relaxed and his head raised. However the moment was broken as Kid seemed to also be broken from the daze. He shot up from the seat his eyes filled with anger.
"What the fuck was that?" Kid yelled, his outrage back in full swing. He marched toward Harry, his breath coming rapidly as he spoke. Harry could feel the anger coming off him in waves. Harry only raised a brow and sighed in frustration.
"So, are you going to tell him?" Harry questioned, not even looking at the being that still stood in the doorway. "Or shall I?"
"I…I will" Death mumbled out. Harry gave a nod, this time looking at the being. The sympathy was clear in his eyes. He gave a small smile of encouragement to the being.
"What the FUCK is going on!" Kid yelled louder than before. Death gave a glare and pulled the mask on his face. That caused Kid to freeze. His father almost never took of his mask. He could count the number of times that he had seen his father's face on one hand. He looked at the man in awe, drinking in each line of his father's face.
"Kid. I need you to sit down and I need you to talk to you." Kid could only nod, in a daze. His mouth was open as he looked at the perfectly symmetrical face. His eyes glittered equally as gold. His hair was the perfect length hanging down to just skim his shoulders on either side. The white strands that ran through his hair were positioned perfectly on either side. His middle parting accentuated this perfection. His eyebrows were perfectly sculpted and his lips the perfect bow. Kid only stared as he plopped down onto the chair.
"This is Harry, Kid. He's my Master" Kid was snapped from his daze of perfection at that. He choked on air.
"W-w-what?" he breathed heavily. His eyes were wide, his shock clear on his face. "What are you talking about?" Kid groaned. His mind was now even more of a mess. He didn't understand. "You can't have a master; you're…your'e Death." Kid whispered. His eyes flickered to Harry in slight fear and slight annoyance. Who was this boy that appeared only a few years older than he was?
"He is worthy Kid." Death said with a small smile. "He completed tasks that I had set out centuries ago, before I even imagined your existence. He is the first and only one to succeed. He is not blinded by greed for power or fame. He is not blinded by riches and he holds true to what he believes in. He is strong, powerful and beautiful. He is perfect for me Kid. He can be perfect for us if you let him." Death whispered out.
Harry could only listen in wonder as the man spoke. He had not known that Death valued him so much. He had always seen himself as a burden, as someone that had forced himself into Death's life. He had tried to be there for Death and tried to help him in any way that he could. He hadn't realised that Death actually valued him. It was amazing to hear such words spoken to him. He hadn't known anyone that had ever spoken such kind words.
Kid was still utterly dazed as he heard his father spoke. The words coming from the perfectly symmetrical lips was something that he had not expected. They were baffling, confusing, mystifying. He didn't know how to cope. He looked to his father, looked to Harry and then buried his head in his hands. Tears began to drip down his face as he tried to find any way of coping with what had just been revealed.
Death stood there awkwardly looking at his distraught son. He didn't know what to do. He had not seen Kid act this like this since he was a small child. Now he was sure that a lolly and a pat on the head would not stop the tears this time.
"Kid…I…" Death trailed awkwardly attempting to find some sort of inspiration as he spoke. But no words came to him. He did not know how to comfort his son. Thankfully his Master did. Harry stood from the bed, gently shushing Wilson as the dog let out a wine at the movement.
"It's okay Kid. It's all going to be okay" Harry soothed as he made his way toward the sofa that Kid was on.
"No! No it's not!" Kid cried out in an attempt at anger. However it came out as little more than a sob. Harry ignored him. He sat down by the boy. He looked younger now than Harry had seen him in lessons. He was still a little boy with too much responsibility and fame. Harry knew how that felt.
"I promise you" Harry whispered as he pulled Kid into his arms. He ran a hand along the back of the little boy. "You're okay" Harry soothed. The boy was stiff in his arms. However Harry persisted. He kept his movements slow and gentle, running the hand up and down soothingly. Finally after more than a minute the boy seemed to relax. He collapsed onto Harry's shoulder and let the sobs rack his body. The fear and responsibility that he had shielded himself with him had finally dropped to the floor and smashed. The pieces were now scattered, unfixable, all over the floor. All that was left was the naked Kid, free from his shields. Revealed to the world. He sobbed.
Harry woke to the sound of soft breathing, the gentle in and out of three sets of lungs. Wilson lay at the end of the bed, while Kid was to Harry's right. Harry's arm was on his shoulder, Kid still clasping at Harry's hand as a life line. Death had Harry in his arms. Harry had his head rested on the man's chest, able to hear the beats of his heart. Harry gave a smile. He wondered if this was what it felt like to have a family.
Harry spent several minutes luxuriating in the warmth of the two shinigami and the dog that surrounded him. However soon he was in desperate need of the toilet. He gently pushed himself up, ensuring not to wake the three sleeping beings on the bed. After relieving himself he made his way toward the kitchen, intent on making breakfast.
Kid woke half an hour later to the smell of bacon tickling his nose. As he sat up he noticed that his father lay beside him, his mask still off and his face at peace. Kid spent several seconds just looking at the perfection that was his father's face. It was perfect symmetry, even when he was asleep. As though Death could feel the eyes on him his own matching gold flickered open. As he saw Kid he let a smile grace his face. Kid's eyes widened. He had never seen his father smile at him before. It was off putting.
"It seemed that Harry has made us breakfast" Death said, another smile. Kid was again left breathless. His father was not one for genuine emotion. He may give off a heavy facade to the student s at the academy, but sincerity was a rarity for the man. Kid found himself thrown by the freely shown affection for Harry, a man that, according to their discussion last night, he had known for less than a month. It was a ridiculous notion. Kid didn't know how to deal with it. Death's chest rumbled in a groan as he stood up from the bed, his arms stretching above his head.
"Come on Kid. It's not good to keep Harry waiting." Death said as he made his way to the door. Kid watched him go, the man in a pair of black pyjamas. He felt as though he were in a dream. However it was a dream that he did not want to wake up from. In his own pyjamas, perfectly symmetrical, Kid stood up and followed after his father. He was curious to what it was that Harry had cooked.
Harry smiled as the two people walked into the room. Wilson was already at his feet whining in a bid for food.
"Good morning" Harry said brightly, attempting to create an atmosphere of calm. To maintain the tentative relationship that he had struck up with the young man last night. Kid gave a wide eyed look before giving a tiny smile back to the man before him. Kid let his eyes roam the boy. He was a mess. His hair stuck up in odd directions, the shoulder of his pyjama top hanging off one shoulder. His head was tilted as he smiled and even the smile itself was wonky, one of his teeth being slightly wonky, only emphasising that fact.
However Kid didn't seem to mind. For the first time that he could remember he didn't find a deep desire to rush over and fix the man. He didn't want for the man's hair to be perfectly aligned, didn't want for the smile to be straightened and the shirt in order. In fact the man was…perfect just the way he was. Kid had to hold back a gasp at the realisation. This man that was shambolic with no regard for the glory of symmetry was still perfect.
"If you two sit down then I'll plate you up some breakfast." Harry said with a bright smile to the two men that still remained standing awkwardly in the kitchen. The pair continued to stare, looking awkwardly for several seconds.
"Come on" Harry smiled, his eyes revealing the strain that he felt. This was an extremely difficult situation. "It's almost ready." Death and his son finally sat down, the tension heavy in the room.
Harry turned around, resuming his cooking. The eggs a perfect consistency as he began to set them on the plate. Harry spent the next few minutes perfecting the look of the dishes before placing them before the two people seated at the table. Death gave a small smile of thanks, however Kid could do nothing but stare at the plate in front of him.
Before Kid was an almost symmetrical dish. In the centre, an egg, that was perfectly circular, Kid guessed that Harry must have used a mould to get the shape. Two pieces of bacon circled the egg. There was a slight discrepancy in size, but that was only to be expected. Two roasted tomatoes, one above the egg and one below were rotated as to have a perfect line running down their centre. A line of baked beans stretched from top to bottom of either side of the plate.
Kid had never had anyone make a meal for him like this. One that he could actually eat without having to spend fifteen minutes setting the food in order. This meant that by the time that he ate it, it was always cold. Even the food that he made himself had not been to this level of symmetry and still in a state where it was edible.
"T-thank you" Kid managed to mutter out after a solid minute of staring at the food on his plate.
"It's no problem Kid. Enjoy your meal" Harry grinned, sitting down in front of his own plate. He felt that he had made progress with the boy. The fact that he had put in the effort to make the boy a breakfast that was up to his standards would have definitely earned him browny points. Harry didn't even feel bad that he had used magic to help him in a little bit.
Harry sat in his first lesson of the week. It was a remedial class, one that Harry had decided that he should take. Normally these classes were reserved for those that were members of the EAT classes that had failed to complete their missions. However, Harry had not been given any missions, therefore meaning that he was not eligible to the classes. So when Harry had heard about the classes he had asked Death for permission to attend. He could have ordered the being, but he did not like to. Death had, of course, acquiesced to Harry's request.
That was how Harry found himself sitting at the back of the room, Wilson keeping his head in his Master's lap, letting Harry run his fingers gently through the messy fur. Harry's notes were scattered across the table as he watched the rest of the students file into the room. Harry smiled a small smile as Death entered the room, the man running the sessions for the day. Death gave Harry the smallest nod as the being caught his eye. It was imperceptible to the others in the room but Harry had seen it.
Behind Death, Franken Stein walked in, the creepy grin placed firmly on his face. Harry was sure that it was little more than a scare tactic. However he was also sure that it worked well for any unruly students. The insanity that twinkled in his eyes was indeed threatening. The rest of the students were now present, Stein being the last person to enter the room.
"Good morning students" Death said with a wide smile, his friendly atmosphere countered harshly by the insane looking man that stood next to him, giant screw in his head. Harry wondered if there was any magic involved in its insertion. He would have to ask Death later.
The lesson passed at a quick rate, the topics interesting and new for Harry. However it seemed that the material was old for many of the students in the room. One student in particular, by the name of Hero, did nothing more than complain and moan at each task he was set for the entirety of the two hour class. Then during the tasks the boy merely fiddled with his blonde hair and twisted one of his numerous piercings that lined his ears. Harry wished that he could punch the boy for disrespecting Death in such a way. It was insulting that he failed to listen to the words of wisdom that the being bestowed on them.
However Harry managed to restrain himself. Instead working at the tasks at hand. He looked down at the worksheet and let his hand flow over the page in a neat and precise scrawl as he looked in interest to the questions on soul wavelength. Harry knew that there was never a chance of any weapon rejecting him, his power as Death's Meister allowing him to yield any weapon he desired. However it was still interesting to learn about the process of it and the intricacies of Soul compatibility.
Wilson let out a small growl and Harry looked up from the sheet to see Stein standing in front of him. He gave the man a look of curiosity, tilting his head as he wondered what he wanted.
"Hello there" the man said, turning the screw in his head, concentration clear in his eyes. "Harry…yes?" he questioned. Harry gave a nod, noticing from behind Stein that Death's eyes were pinned on him.
"Well" the doctor said in a sing-song voice, drawing out the 'l' at the end of the words. He suddenly cut himself of and in a quick fire tone he rapidly shot the words "What are you doing here then?" at Harry.
Harry looked at the man with suspicion in his eyes. He didn't know what Stein wanted and he didn't want to let any information slip that Death may think of as confidential. However the man himself was very quickly standing behind Stein, his overly large hand on the man's shoulders.
"No need for such interrogation Frank" Death said in a joking tone. However Harry was sure that Stein could hear the threat under it, just as Harry could hear it himself. "Harry here was allowed in the remedial classes, simply because he asked." Death smiled. Well at least Harry assumed that he did; under his mask it was difficult to tell.
"Ah I…see" Stein said, obviously not seeing at all. That was clear in his tone. However he did not press the matter. He simply turned the screw in his head several times before wondering off to interrogate another student. Death's eyes followed Stein as he made his way toward Hero. Once the man was fully focused on the other student, Death leaned forward, his head close to Harry's as he spoke.
"Do not worry about him Master. He is all bark and no bite" Death let his hand gently run over Harry's, his fingers temporarily loosing their gloved appearance. "Just ignore him. I'm sure that smiling at him will be more off-putting than anything else" Death said with his own smile, the corners of the mask seeming to turn up as if portraying the true smile that hid underneath.
Harry gave a nod and a smile in return to the advice, careful to keep his movements discreet. He needed to look as though he were little more than a pupil taking advice; in awe of the man that stood before him. Harry was sure he was pulling it off well. He had always been a good actor after all.
Harry ran forward, his legs pumping, Wilson hot on his heels. He made his way toward the two students that stood, ready to fight. Dr Stein stood by them, ready to umpire the fight. Harry was sure he would be unneeded. He was not about to let a fight break about between the pair. He had been in a class with the pair when they had decided that a fight would be the only way to establish which one of them were the stronger. BlackStar's facade of strength and Kid's need to prove himself did not make a good combination.
Harry watched as BlackStar lunged for Kid, ready to attack. He pushed Death's son back, before knocking him to the ground with a punch to the stomach. However before he could get further Harry stood between them, facing Kid as the boy prepared for the counter attack.
"Stop Kid, no!" Kid froze, his eyes going wide as he saw Harry before him. He could do little more than stare at the sparkling green eyes and the desperate tone. However before Kid could respond to him another voice broke through the silence that had formed between them.
"Hey!" BlackStar shouted out angrily. "Don't try and stop MY fight" he growled. As he said this he shoved Harry to the side, not paying attention as Harry's head came down on the stone with an audible crack. Instead the blue haired boy lunged for Kid, intent on finishing his fight.
Harry's vision began to swim, his head becoming fuzzy as he tried to sit up from the floor. He reached up a hand to his head, letting out a wince as he touched his forehead. He brought his hand back down to see blood trickling through his fingers. He distantly heard the sound of Kid and BlackStar fighting as he attempted to clear his vision. He pushed himself up, his arms shaking as they attempted to take his small weight. They couldn't. He let out a whimper as his arms gave way, his elbows jolting against the cold stone beneath him. He heard Wilson whine equally as pitifully as his vision began to swim.
The next thing Harry knew a pair if arms were around him, pulling him up. The gently helped him to his feet, keeping him steady. One arm clutched around his waist, the other holding Harry's hand tightly, helping to keep him balanced.
"Harry. Harry are you okay?" Kid, Harry's fuzzy brain registered. He attempted to shake his head, no he was not okay. However, as he did so a wave of pain rippled though him. He let out another whimper and his knees buckled under the weight of his head. Kid's hands were there, his arms quickly pulling Harry up, keeping him standing.
"Come on Harry. We're going to move very slowly toward that bench. I know that you can do that for me." Kid's voice was gentle, his tone caring as he helped to guide the young man in his arms toward the bench. Each step felt like a stab in Harry's brain, the pain rising more and more with each jolt. Harry was gently set down, although his head was filled further with pain as he sat. His vision was beginning to blacken at the edges. His eyes began to flicker shut as the pain began to engulf him.
"Harry, Harry please stay with me." Kid's voice broke through the fog. Harry's eyes flickered open, before flickering shut again. The blackness swam before his closed lids. Harry could hear voices, murmurs that seemed wordless and meaningless to Harry's ears.
"Master" a deep voice growled out in little more than a whisper. The owner of the voice was close enough to his ear that Harry could hear the breath on his ear lobe. The feeling and the voice snapped him out of the daze and his eyes flickered open. His blinks were heavy, disorientating as he attempted to control himself.
"D-d-dea" Harry stumbled as he attempted to get his words out. However his head began to swim more as he attempted to say Death's name. The man's shoulders hunched at Harry's pained eyes.
"Shhh" Death soothed gently. Harry felt himself being picked up into Death's strong arms. "I'm going to take you to get help Harry." Death said gently. He rocked Harry gently as he let the boy fall into a comfortable position in his arms. Harry let the rocking motion soothe him, his eyes flickering shut once again. The soothing words that fell from Death's lips journeyed with him as he let himself slip into unconsciousness.
Kid watched his father go, Harry in his arms. He knew that he should go with him. He was worried for Harry. The man had become a part of his life in only two days. He did not want to loose that. He wanted to get to know Harry better. Harry made him feel appreciated. Kid had seen his father's face more in the past two days than he had in the last three years. He had seen the perfect face adopt the perfect smile more than he had in his entire life. With Harry Kid felt like he was a real person. He felt as though he was not just the son of Death who had issues with control. No, Harry saw him for who he was. Kid was real with Harry. He could be a teenager. He could be who he had always wanted to be. Kid needed to protect someone as pure as Harry. He would never let anyone hurt someone that saw him as more than the son of Death.
"BlackStar" Kid growled out, prowling toward the boy seated on the bench next to his weapon, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa. The girl was comforting the boy who now had a black eye, to match his name. It was a mark that Kid had kindly given him after the boy had lunged at him. Kid grabbed the blue haired boy's shirt with force, causing the material to rip slightly and BlueStar to be pulled forward.
"You listen and you listen good." Kid growled out. His voice was dangerous, the air of anger, disgust and danger emitting from him in waves, washing over BlackStar's skin. "If you ever touch Harry again, then you will no longer have any hands to touch him with." He growled out.
BlackStar only let out a short nod before Kid took off. He marched back to the school, anger rolling inside of him. He needed to blow off some steam. He had been on the verge of strangling BlackStar. The thought that Harry may disapprove was the only thing that kept him from it. Kid therefore made his way toward the training rooms. He needed to hit something and a punching bag seemed better than a fellow student.