Author's note: Another chapter! Hoorah! Umm…yeah. I realized I've got like forty reviews, and that's the most I've ever gotten on a story, so thanks so much to those who've reviewed and those who have read!
This one's really bad actually; it was just sorta spur of the moment and didn't turn out anything like I thought it would.
Disclaimer: Rub it in Hoshino. Rub it in.
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Need
It was times like these when Kanda almost appreciated Lavi's existence. When his muscles were aching and numb, and he was sweating and bleeding. When the cracks and scratches really started becoming visible on Mugen. When he couldn't stand the villagers who looked at him, angry and in tears.
"Why did you kill him?"
Their ignorance was astounding, Kanda thought. The small town had been plagued for days by ashen killings, and when he had finally tore down the akuma responsible, every single, moronic, person had turned on him for slaying the man who murdered their children; because they didn't know what akuma were.
Turning away from the village in a hurry to avoid the pitchforks and torches, Kanda, Lavi and some finder (whose name Kanda didn't care to remember) broke into a run.
But after ten minutes or so, the chasing stopped, and all of the twenty men and several women stopped running and sourly turned back to their small village that was now one person smaller.
"Phew!" Lavi let out a breath as he continued gasping, hands on his knees. "I didn't think they were ever gonna quit!"
The finder nodded in agreement as he too had to catch his breath.
Kanda didn't even bother agreeing, or nodding for that matter. He just stared at his feet, noticing how torn his boots were; the wound in his side that was healing a bit slower than usual; the dents in Mugen he knew were hidden under the sword's hilt; and he pictured the villagers' faces once more.
"We're never really thanked." Lavi said, walking towards Kanda and giving him a pat on the shoulder. "Same thing happened to Kro-chan on his first mission, I remember." Lavi stuck his bottom lip out at the sour look on Kanda's face. "You know," He added softy, so the finder wouldn't hear, "there's not a single person who can stand something like that for long, Yuu."
"Like I care what stupid villagers think." Kanda spat.
"We should get moving." The finder reminded the two of them curtly; he had a wave of uncertainty as he wondered how close the exorcists were to one another.
"Alright." Lavi said. "We still have to lie low for a while until Yuu's injury heals, so we don't want to draw attention to ourselves lest the remaining akuma notice us."
"I'm fine." Kanda spat, glaring right through Lavi to the path leading through the dark woods. Taking a step further was easier in theory then in practice and Kanda stumbled to his knees as blood trickled down his side.
"You're not fine!" Lavi snapped. He sank to his knees and peeled away Kanda's coat to get a good look at the gash in the samurai's side. "Why didn't you tell me the level two hit you?!"
Kanda mumbled something inaudible as blurry splotches began dancing before his eyes. A small gasp escaped his lips and Lavi pressed his scarf to the open wound to try and stop the bleeding as Kanda tilted his head back, teeth clenched.
The finder hurried over as well, brining out some bandages he kept under that large coat of his.
Kanda felt his vision sway and tilt as he clung to Lavi's shoulders in an attempt to steady himself and all he could see. The hurried and pained shouts coming from Lavi meant nothing to the samurai's ears as he felt himself start to sweat more, and he was having trouble breathing. The whole, "breathe in, breathe out" concept was a little hard to follow when the person you need in your life more then oxygen is pressed up against you and you're leaking vast quantities of blood.
Until, Kanda got a hold of Lavi's teary face and crushed their lips together, like maybe it's the last time. Lavi seemed to understand and wrapped Kanda in his arms as best he could, keeping their lips together as he tried to brush some dirt of Kanda's forehead.
The finder just stood there like a third wheel, staring dumbly as he remembered now he was going to lose several dollars because – yes – Kanda was kissing Lavi.
But the fact that there was someone watching didn't seem to bother the two exorcists as they explored each other's mouths like it was uncharted territory. Kanda found himself moaning in both pain and pleasure, one from the warm mouth on his own and the hand on his stomach, and another from the burning sensation of dirt getting in his open wound. He could've been content to die there…
…had a baffled Krory and a paralyzed Miranda not arrived in a the cliché nick of time and Kanda suddenly had the urge to run himself through with his own sword to prevent that blasted, unholy redness from spreading over his face.