A Promise Made
Fandom: Kamen Rider Kabuto
Characters: Daisuke, Gon
Rating:PG
Summary: Kazama Daisuke does not know why he even bothered, but from the moment he saw the child, his fate was sealed...
Author's note: For
fic_album table, Prompt #3: Kimi to Zutto (with you forever).
The girl sat all alone, staring vacantly into the distance.
Till this day, Kazama Daisuke does not know why he bothered at all, but his legs seemed to have a mind of their own, and in a few strides he found himself standing before her.
“Hey kid.” He greeted, wearing his most dazzling smile.
She did not respond at all, staying frozen in her position.
“Oi,” he said, raising his voice a little, “Can you hear me?”
This time she looked up at him, only to resume her previous pose a moment later.
Well, so much for that… but at least I know she’s not deaf. A frown crosses Daisuke’s face. He knows he shouldn’t feel annoyed at being ignored by a mere child, but she was a girl no less, and in his entire history, no member of the female race, young or old, had been able to resist the charms of Kazuma Daisuke, make-up extraordinaire.
I should just leave, he thought. But his feet refused to budge.
He studied her. She wore a pink blouse under a pale yellow cardigan and a short denim skirt. Her long black hair was styled into two side-ponytails held with cherry-red hair ties. Overall, she seemed like a pretty ordinary kid, except she didn't seem to be having fun despite the fact that there’s a playground right in front of her.
Why doesn’t she go and play like the other kids are?
Maybe she doesn’t have any friends. Or maybe she’s injured. That could be why she looks so glum. But she didn’t look all that glum; neither did she look bored, or upset. Daisuke really just wanted a word to describe her because that staring-into-nothingness thing she was doing was kind of creepy.
And even the girl lacked company, what was he to do about it? Should he even be talking to her? For all he knew, if he so much as took another step closer, she’d freak out and start screaming, and he’d end up in some police station, trying to explain to the cops that no, he was not some pervert with a Lolita fetish. Because who’d believe that a twenty-two year old man would talk to a random kid because he thought she looked lonely...
But you can’t leave… nagged that mysterious voice in his head.
But she’s not really responding… what should I do? I can’t be standing here all day.
Daisuke looked around some inspiration, there was a drink machine a couple of meters away. “I’m not going to run away ok, I’ll be back.” Oh gods, he was going nuts, talking to his feet.
Miraculously, he could move again.
He came back with two packets of strawberry milk, one for himself since he had no idea how long he’d be there. He held one out to her, and she actually looked down, and then tilted her head at him quizzically. Progress!
“Here,” he said, giving what he hoped was a reassuring smile, “Drink it.”
“It’s safe. Look, I’ve got one too.” He took out his own packet, opened it and took a drink. “It’s good~ try it.”
This time, she took the packet he offered.
For a while, they just sat on the rocky ledge, drinking their strawberry milk. Daisuke didn’t really know how to begin, and decided to just go with the flow. He leaned back on his elbows and looked at her. “So, what are you doing, sitting here all by yourself?”
The girl didn’t answer, just concentrating on her drink. Daisuke groaned inwardly. Don’t tell me I’m back to square one…
“Oi, I’m talking to you.” He said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Where’re your parents?”
“I don’t know.”
So she talks. But it wasn’t an answer he expected.
“Don’t be silly, surely someone brought you here.”
She shrugged.
His patience was wearing thin. “Oi, don’t joke with me…”
“I don’t know.” She said again, this time turning to face him. “Do you know?”
For the first time, he sees something else other than that blank expression in her eyes. A spark of something, hope.
Darn, she’s really not joking.
“You mean…” he said slowly, “you’ve lost your memories?”
She looked at him, confused.
“What’s your name?”
“I don’t know. I don’t remember anything aside from being here.”
Oh boy. Daisuke sat up. This was serious business. He felt a tug at his sleeve and looked down. “What is it?”
“Will you stay with me?”
Daisuke stares at her. “What did you say?”
“Stay with me.”
“Look kid, I’m not sure I’m the best person to help you. I should take you to the police. They’d know what to do.”
“I don’t want to. Can’t I stay with you?”
“Look, I really don’t think that’s a good idea. If your parents come looking for you I don’t want to look like a kidnapper.”
“I’d say I wanted to go with you.”
“That doesn’t…”
“My mother is dead!” The girl suddenly blurted.
“Now wait a minute, I thought you said you didn’t remember anything.”
“I don’t. All I can remember is woman screaming, and a loud noise. Then I woke up, and the next thing I knew I was here.”
“You must have been in an accident. All the more we should go to the poli---“
“No! I don’t want to!” She cried, gripping his arm with surprising force for a small girl, and to his surprise she looked frightened. “What if it finds me?”
Okay, this kid seriously had some issues. “It? What are you talking about, is someone after you?”
“I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!” She was in hysterics now. A few people who were still in the playground turned to look at the pair, and Daisuke blushed. “It’s alright. She just had a bad dream.” He told them, awkwardly putting an arm around her. That seemed to satisfy them, and they resumed whatever they were doing.
“Don’t kill. Don’t kill…” she was murmuring into his shirt.
Daisuke couldn’t help but pity the poor girl. Children shouldn’t be talking about dying and killing. She must have been through hell…
“Shh…” Daisuke said. “Nothing is going to hurt you… I won’t let them.”
Her sobbing stopped.
“Promise?”
“Huh?”
“Promise you won’t leave me.”
She looked up at him with wide eyes and a tear-streaked face, and he knew that there was no turning back. His fate had been sealed.
And that was how Kazama Daisuke met Gon (short for nanashi no gonbee, or nameless person - Daisuke was never good with naming things).