Meet Death - Chapter 13
Title: Meet Death
Author: Aisu
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Akame
Genre: AU, comedy, romance
Disclaimer: I don't own Akame.
Summary: While Kazuya fights a losing battle for his life, a strange figure appears just as his heart beats for what should have been the last time. Introducing himself as Death, Kazuya is bound to the figure that brought him back from the dead.
A/N: For tia_junan; thanks for helping with the writer's block.
[ 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 ]
CHAPTER 13
"Ne, Sleeping Beauty," Jin called as he twirled his fingers in Kazuya's auburn locks. "How many hours do you plan on napping for?" An incoherent mumble was heard as Jin sighed. "I know you were studying all night, but... Is this really necessary?" he asked himself as he poked Kazuya in the cheek. "I thought eight hours of sleep was supposed to be sufficient."
"Looks like he's out," Jin's companion from The Underworld observed.
"Typical Kazuya."
"How about you just..."
"While he's sleeping? Hell no!" Jin shouted, though Kazuya showed no signs of stirring.
"You really think he'd agree to being possessed when he's awake?"
"He doesn't have to agree, I can just..."
"What's the difference between possessing him in his sleep and possessing him without his consent while he's awake? I can't even believe you want to do this. You're getting him too involved. He knows things he shouldn't. Jin, your parents don't believe that doctor, I told you this already. It might've been a nice thought at the time, but they haven't changed their mind. They probably think the hospital just wants more money out of them. It's been three years, and while you haven't shown signs of getting worse, you haven't shown signs of getting better, either. You know how it works. Either way, you know what's going to happen if you don't act fast. You've only put off the inevitable for a few days."
"No wonder everyone fails. There's always something stupid holding you back. A second chance? A second chance at what? Dying again? I get to die twice now instead of once? What the hell kind of 'privilege' is this supposed to be anyway?" Jin scoffed. "And I was the one asking Kazuya who the hell complains about getting a second chance to live."
"Jin..."
"I know, sorry, I can't help it."
"No, Jin…" The man nodded in direction of the bed.
Kazuya sat upright, his eyes wide, his lips parted. His gaze drifted between the others in his room before settling on Jin. "What's going on? And who is that?" he asked, looking at the unfamiliar man. "...And why is he in my room?"
"I... He's..." Jin glanced at the man beside him.
"I need to go now, actually." The man smiled at Kazuya. "The Grim Reaper; nice to finally see you," he introduced himself before he disappeared.
Kazuya silently pursed his lips before looking at Jin. "You're friends with the Grim Reaper?"
"Something like that," Jin said with a small smile.
Kazuya drew in a breath and pushed away his blanket as he digested his latest encounter. What was this all leading to anyway, he thought. Obviously it was that 'task' Jin had made a brief reference to before, but what was it? When would it take place? And why the hell was the Grim Reaper in his room?
"...Ne, Kazuya..."
Jin and his thousand questions, Kazuya thought. The boy stole a glance at Jin; he was staring hard at the floor, a thoughtful look upon his face. "...What is it?" Kazuya stretched his arms out as he yawned.
"...I need your help with something," Jin spoke softly.
Kazuya shot the man an inquiring glance. "What? What's going on? Is something wrong?"
"I'm gonna die. Kazuya, I'm gonna die if you don't help me." Jin listened to his own words; the reality of everything sunk into his mind. Time was running out, just as it had before.
"So I'll help you, and everything'll be okay," Kazuya comforted. "What is it? What's wrong? Tell me, Jin," he asked worriedly.
One week, Jin thought as he met the boy's eyes. That's what I'll aim for. If they give me at least one week, no matter what happens, I won't regret it. I've tried, that's more than some others can say. I'm not supposed to know the location of my body. I'm not supposed to know about my family. But if I didn't know about any of this I would already be dead, wouldn't I? I have to use all this to my advantage…
"You saw me in the hospital?" Jin asked.
Kazuya nodded.
"You know... I'm in a coma?"
The boy nodded again.
"You read that article... Have you figured out how it happened?"
"No." Kazuya shook his head.
Well that's good, Jin thought as he sighed in relief. If Kazuya discovered that, Jin wasn't sure the boy could succeed in his task at all. "You're gonna help me, right?" Jin asked for reassurance.
"Well, I'll try to..." Kazuya answered hesitantly, wondering what he had gotten himself into now.
"Let me borrow your body."
"Hah?" Kazuya's eyes narrowed as he recalled the previous use of that phrase. "Exactly what kind of help are we talking about here, Jin?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Jin asked. "Oh... No. Not that. I need to possess you."
"...Huh?"
"My parents are going to let me go," Jin explained. "I've been lying in that hospital room for three years. I'm stuck here, like this, as Death, but... I can't leave until you..."
"Until I what, Jin?"
"If I die in your world, I'll die in my world. I won't be here anymore. Not as Death, anyway. If my parents let me go..." Jin paused. If my parents let me go, I won't be the only one that dies, he silently thought as he looked at Kazuya's confused face. "I need to convince my parents to give me at least a week. I need to be here for at least one more week."
"I still don't understand; what do you need my body for?"
"I want to use your body when I go to convince them."
"...But why? What's the point in having a Human Form that doesn't look like you, then?"
"That's just it. You and I are the only ones that see me as me. If I look at myself, I don't see that other person... Look, I just want you to be there with me. I can't do it by myself, I'll get too frustrated at the fact that they can't see their own son standing in front of them."
Kazuya tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling. Doesn't want to go by himself, he thought. Could Jin be...? "Scared?" Kazuya asked; the word suddenly voiced itself. He found it to be an odd concept, Death afraid of death.
Jin himself had mentioned that he was once human. But truthfully, he had not died before. Not really. His body lie in another place, unconscious, while his soul wandered The World of the Living in search of something. This contract had to benefit both of them in some way, did it not? What was the point in giving Kazuya a second chance at life if Death could not gain something in return?
"Scared?" Jin repeated the question with a hint of amusement. If only you knew, he thought. "Does it matter? If I said yes, would you take pity on me and allow yourself to be possessed?" He smirked.
"Baka... Taking something so seriously and then acting like this," Kazuya muttered.
I'm more scared for you than myself, Jin silently thought.
"So... How does this work, exactly?"
"How does what work?" Jin asked.
"Being possessed... I mean, do I have any control over my body once you've possessed it?"
Jin smiled at the worry Kazuya expressed. "Nope," he answered.
Kazuya grimaced, second thoughts made their way into his head. "Don't think I trust you that much," he joked while looking out his window. "Then can I at least see through my own eyes?"
Jin shook his head. "I guess... It's like sleeping," he described. "You can't see, can't feel, can't remember anything." Jin watched as Kazuya mouthed his words.
"You're crazy," the boy concluded. At least you can remember things in your sleep sometimes.
"But you're going to do it anyway." Another smirk.
Kazuya hated how the other said it with so much confidence. "I don't have a choice, do I? If you die then I wouldn't be able to fulfill our contract and I would die as well. Isn't that how it would work?"
"Smart boy."
"When are you going to do it?" Kazuya asked.
"Now."
"Right now?"
"Right now."
"Wait!" Kazuya held his hands up. "Your parents aren't at the hospital right now, are they?"
"Probably not."
"Then how are you going to find them? I thought you only knew your name and how you became Death."
Jin's head angled downward as his dark eyes stared mischievously at the boy.
"Not going to tell me?" Kazuya sighed.
Jin shook his head.
"As expected," the boy mumbled. "How long is this going to take?"
"That depends," Jin replied as he neared Kazuya.
"You better not do anything weird, or say anything stupid, or ruin my reputation by doing anything I wouldn't normally do while you're 'borrowing my body', understood?" Kazuya waited for a confirmation before letting Jin wander any closer to him.
"Hai," Jin answered. "Now stand up," he instructed as he beckoned the boy to come closer.
Kazuya was tense, his steps unsure. He watched curiously as Jin's hands found his own and their fingers were interwoven. "What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?"
"Uh, holding my hands?" Kazuya said as he raised a brow.
Jin rolled his eyes. "Relax. This is really very simple, it'll all be over before you know it."
"Well of course, if I'm not there to witness anything that'll happen."
"You're ruining my concentration," Jin informed, "do you want your soul to pop out of you and roam The Underworld for all eternity while I inhabit your body?"
Kazuya's mouth gaped as if to say something, perhaps one of his smart aleck replies, then quickly shut as he shook his head.
"That's what I thought. Now just calm down and let me do this. I understand that you may have an idea as to how this will go based on some work of fiction, however, I assure you it's nothing like that. You feel nothing and it takes but a second. Okay?" Jin reassured the boy. "Now close your eyes. And don't give me that look."
The next time I open my eyes I better be alive, Kazuya silently said to himself as he waited for something, anything to happen. He was becoming impatient despite the fact that only a few seconds had passed and nothing appeared to change. He was tempted to open an eye, but refrained from doing so when the thought of wandering The Underworld crossed his mind. Before he could continue his internal rambling he felt himself being kissed, the grip that Jin had on his hands tightened and he could have sworn a rush of heat surged throughout his body; he could feel himself surrendering. This was it, he thought. A kiss? You can possess someone with a kiss? How simplistic, how ludicrous, how... obvious? But then something fell out of place. Suddenly Kazuya could feel a smile pressed upon his lips and his eyes snapped open, and sure enough, there was Jin stifling a laugh. It was all a joke.
"Calm down!" Jin insisted before the boy could vocalize any complaint.
"I can't believe you," Kazuya said as he slapped Jin over the head, the latter making no effort to evade Kazuya's hand.
"Come here." Jin pulled the boy into an embrace. Live each moment like it's the last, he thought. Every time he left Kazuya there was no guarantee that he'd be back, and all the times before this he had taken his time in The World of the Living for granted, something he thought he'd never do. Jin did not realize how easy he had forgotten the importance of time. He knew how crucial each second was, yet somehow it still managed to slip his mind. Kazuya, he thought. It's because of Kazuya that he would forget the essence of time, and it was because of Kazuya again that he remembered its importance.
"This has nothing to do with being possessed either, does it?" Kazuya spoke in a monotone voice.
"Nope."
"Is something wrong? Why don't you just get it over with?"
Jin let out long, dreary sigh. He rested his chin upon Kazuya's shoulder and glanced out the window thinking of all the things he had yet to experience. He would walk into a countless number of glass walls if he could have another week. He would take up the role of a real door-to-door salesman, whom Kazuya said people hated, just to have another week. This way of thinking would do nothing for him, though. Things did not work this way. With a heavy heart, Jin smiled his handsome smile. He backed away and reached out with his open hand, the palm directly in front of Kazuya's heart.
Kazuya felt as though every ounce of energy he possessed was being drained; his eyes fell shut, and Jin took a step forward to let his soul merge with Kazuya's body. This was normally a difficult task. If Jin's soul merged with a body too fast, he would experience a feeling of whiplash after he exited the body. If the body was unwilling to accept his presence, then he would be ejected, or there was always the possibility that the two souls would have an internal struggle over control. Usually if it was unexpected by the other party, then succeeding in a perfect possession was quite simple. Jin found no trouble when he stepped into the boy's body however, which is exactly what he had expected. Their souls were bound, after all.
Jin cocked Kazuya's head to the left, and then to the right. He clenched his fists a couple of times and rolled his shoulders to get a feel for the new body he possessed. "Definitely shorter than me," he said, taking note of the new perspective. "He's so small..." Jin glanced down at Kazuya's arms, and then his hands, turning them palm side up. He reached a hand up and placed it over the boy's chest, feeling the heart beat. He was alive. He felt Kazuya's blood flow through his body to the tips of his fingers. He wasn't trapped within some artificial life form; he was within a real live human. Jin loved this feeling, yet it always had a way of depressing him. Whenever he possessed someone he couldn't help but wonder if it was the last time he would truly feel alive.
"Time to visit the parents..." Jin sighed as he strode out from Kazuya's room through the front door of the apartment. One thing he didn't like about possessed bodies: No materializing.
x♠x
Walking at a brisk pace for well over an hour straight did nothing. Kazuya's body was in great shape, and he showed no signs of fatigue. Apparently running around school to make it in time for classes and working at Kazen as a waiter helped build his stamina.
"It's never impossible. You wouldn't be here if it was."
The Grim Reaper's words ran through Jin's head as he continued his walk. Every Death had the chance of successfully completing the task they were sent out to accomplish. The circumstances varied, but they had the same opportunity. That is what he had been told.
"It's no coincidence that your body was in the same hospital you found that boy in."
It was all set up, Jin determined. Everything was put into place the moment he passed into a coma and assumed the role of Death. His Savior was pre-chosen. It was destined that Kazuya would be his Savior three years after he entered The Underworld.
"This street..." Jin spoke as his eyes wandered down the road. His fast-paced walk quickly broke into a run, and Jin found himself flying down the street, the air rushing past his body. His eyes jumped from house to house, each one more familiar than the last. "I've been here before," he confirmed, his eyes widening in realization. The plain neighborhood was nothing special. Nothing about it stood out or made it great in any way, but Jin felt as if he were discovering a lost city. He felt a connection with this world, The World of the Living. For once, he recognized something. His head swung from left to right as he examined each side of the street. His legs carried him as fast as they could, as if what he was chasing after would disappear should he slow down for the briefest moment. Jin's lack of attention toward the pavement resulted in a setback, however.
"Shit," Jin cursed as he found himself sitting upon the ground. His scratched hands flew to a knee that would no doubt bear a darkened bruise within the next hour. "It hurts," he mumbled before he looked back up, stunned. His movements froze. Jin's eyes settled upon a pale blue house in the distance. His jaw dropped as he hurried to raise himself from the sidewalk, brushing the dirt from his hands and jeans.
When he reached the house, he didn't even need to check the address. He knew this was it. "I wonder if they're here," Jin said under his breath. He glanced around before he walked up to a window and peered inside.
The room he looked into had white walls and a brown-carpeted floor. Both chairs and the couch faced the TV placed in a corner. Various books and magazines were scattered across a table, and seated in one of the chairs was a woman. Her face was buried in the palms of her hands; her light brown hair fell over her pale shoulders.
"Mom," Jin whispered as he watched. His hand crept up onto the glass and he traced a finger around her figure. He couldn't tell if she was just resting or if she was really asleep. When she began to raise her head Jin felt Kazuya's heart jump; he should turn away before she saw him staring at her through the window. He shouldn't let himself be caught in such an awkward position. But Jin could not bring himself to move; he continued looking at her until he could see her peaceful face. It appeared that she too was lost in a world of her own. She took no note of Jin. "She's so beautiful," Jin said to himself. A smile had made its way onto his face, but it left as quickly as it had come. Someone was standing behind Jin; he heard them.
"Who are you?" a man asked.
"…Dad?" Jin guessed as he turned around. It would be you, Jin thought as he took in the appearance of his father. Apparently the man had heard Jin's comment; his brow was furrowed and there was a clear look of irritation on his face.
"Excuse me?" he snapped. "Who are you?" the man repeated as he suspiciously eyed Kazuya's figure. "And what do you mean by 'Dad'? I only have one son, and he's in a coma."
"I..." Shit, this isn't starting off well at all, Jin said to himself.
"Go away, you're trespassing," the man ordered.
"No!" Jin instantly shouted. "I-I can't leave," he said in a panicked voice.
"I'll call the police then."
"What?!" Jin yelled. "What for? I haven't done anything!"
"I've already asked you once, I won't ask again." The man pulled a cell phone from his pocket as he spoke to emphasize his point.
"You can't call the police, I have to talk to you!"
"About what?"
"About Jin!"
"I don't want to hear it. I don't know if you're a friend of his, or whatever, but it doesn't concern you. Leave-Now," the man instructed as he headed toward the front door.
"Dammit old man!" Jin shouted in frustration. Always so damn stubborn, Jin complained to himself. Never even frickin' listens to anyone, always does whatever the hell he wants. I'll just have to make you listen, then.
Jin strode toward his father, a short distance separating them. He grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt and reared back a fist, ready to impale his father when he found that he could not move. Kazuya's hand hovered in the space between them. In that mere second it was as if time had froze; Jin's father stared with fury in his eyes, unbelieving that this strange young man who appeared at his house dared to act in such a manner, and Jin himself had raised a brow before he realized what had happened.
"Bull freaking shit! Won't feel a thing?! You damn liar! It feels like you just took a hammer to my head!" Kazuya shouted. His eyes widened when he realized the one before him was not Jin; it was the man he had seen by Jin's hospital bed, his father. He instantly lowered his fist and looked around in panic.
"Shit!" Jin cursed himself, stomping his foot into the ground. I need to learn how to control myself, he noted. "Punch him Kazuya!" he ordered. "Right in the fucking jaw!"
Kazuya glanced at the man and drew in a quick breath as he took a step back. He felt a sharp pain in his knee, glanced down, and saw his jeans with traces of dirt. He then noticed the stinging pain from his hands, cut and bleeding. He looked at Jin again. "What the hell is going on?" he asked.
"Just punch him already!"
"I'm not punching him!"
"IF I CAN'T SOMEONE HAS TO!"
"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU DO IT WHEN-" Kazuya quickly took another glance at the man on his doorstep; he stared at Kazuya as if the boy were a psychopath.
"I'm calling the police," the man stated before he walked into his house and slammed the door shut.
"What the hell did you do?!" Kazuya demanded.
"Get in there!" Jin said as he walked through Kazuya's figure.
"What?!"
"GO IN! NOW!" Jin roared.
Kazuya's heart raced as he followed Jin into the house. He was still trying to figure out why Jin was in his Spirit Form. What was the point of the possession? Did something go wrong? Why didn't Jin just do his business like he said he would? Kazuya did not like this; he did not want to be the only visible one standing before these people, full of fury because of who knows what.
Kazuya found a woman staring at him the second he passed through the doorway. Jin's mother, he instantly recalled her.
"What? Are you breaking and entering now?!" Jin's father accused as his eyes fell upon Kazuya.
"Breaking? What?" Jin asked, confused. "What did you break?" He turned to Kazuya.
"Shut up," Kazuya growled, "that's not what he means."
"Who the hell are you talking to?!" the man demanded.
Kazuya's mouth gaped; he looked at the woman whose gaze bounced between her husband and himself, then shot Jin a questioning glare.
"Tell him you're not leaving until he listens to what you have to say," Jin instructed.
Kazuya relayed the message only to endure another unwanted shout of protest. Jin watched with widened eyes as his father started dialing on his cell phone.
Jin, Kazuya shouted in his head, what am I supposed to do?! The boy looked desperately at the only one who could offer any help, but Jin was lost. He was too caught up in his own thoughts. "JIN!" Kazuya yelled, waving his hands to catch the other's attention. It was no use. Jin was too occupied, watching as his last chance slipped away. "I can't believe this," Kazuya said under his breath.
"Why are you calling for him like that?" the woman asked in curious voice.
"Dammit." Kazuya took a step toward Jin's father, snatched the cell from his hand, and threw it upon the floor before turning back to the mother. "Because he's standing right there!" Kazuya shouted, pointing at a man who was nonexistent as far as anyone else was concerned, pointing at a man who he could see as plain as day, pointing at a man who would die if he just stood by and watched this mess continue.
The woman's eyes were filled with tears; her husband was filled with rage.
"Just ask something," Kazuya hurried to say. "Just ask something, one thing, anything. Ask about Jin, something that happened in the past, whatever."
"No, Kazuya!" Jin protested. "I can't remember anything, I can't help you..."
So now you're back, Kazuya glared. Shit, he's right, why'd I say that? "You have to remember something," Kazuya insisted. "There's got to be something."
Jin began to shake his head in response and then froze. He had recalled his house, his neighborhood, and his parents upon sight. He was not told of their significance, yet he remembered. Jin wandered over to his mother and glanced down at her. There's got to be something, he thought. He looked over her, studied her attire, any accessories she wore. He tried to find something that would be of significance, that would bring back some memory he could attach himself to and bring forth for evidence to prove Kazuya's ridiculous claim.
The couple exchanged a quick glance.
"Ah!" Jin pointed at his mother's hand. "Here, Kazuya," he called. "This scar, the one below the knuckle on her left hand. I gave her that."
"Do you remember how?" Kazuya asked.
"I was..." Jin furrowed his brow as he turned. There was a door connected to the dining room that led to the kitchen. Jin slowly approached the doorframe and peered in before he began nodding his head. "I was playing soccer in the house," he said. "I kicked the ball down those steps and scared her. She was making curry." Jin smiled. "She was cutting the carrots, and I startled her when I kicked the ball into the wall, and she cut herself."
"You have a scar on your left hand?" Kazuya asked the woman.
Jin's mother nodded, and then protectively covered the scar with her other hand.
"You were making curry? Cut yourself because Jin kicked a ball in the house and scared you?"
She nodded again.
"He could've told that to anybody," Jin's father interrupted.
"You prick," Jin said through gritted teeth. "You can be so stubborn." Jin swung his hand through his father in frustration.
"Damn..." Kazuya whispered.
"HAH! Got it," Jin shouted.
"What is it?" Kazuya asked.
"Ring, that ring, it's his wedding ring."
Kazuya blinked unbelievingly. "No shit," he mouthed.
"No, I mean, it's his wedding ring, but it's not the ring Mom gave him. He lost his and had to go out and buy an identical one. He told me to never tell her. And I didn't. But now you're gonna have to, and it serves him right because it's his own damn fault."
Kazuya sighed. Now he's getting me involved in his family affairs, he grumbled to himself. "Your ring..." Kazuya started.
The man looked down at the band encircling his finger and then glanced back up at Kazuya. "What about it?" he asked suspiciously.
"It's not the one your wife gave you..."
"Oh come on, say it with a more accusing tone, make him feel guilty about it," Jin complained as he looked for anything else that could help Kazuya win his argument.
Kazuya glared. "Shut up," he mouthed again.
"All that tells me is that my son can't keep his mouth shut," the man retorted.
Jin caught sight of something and walked over to Kazuya. "Let's try this again," he whispered to himself. "Let me possess you once more." He did not wait for an answer before doing so, and within seconds he was within the boy's body.
Ahh, shit, Jin whined to himself. His knee... hurts...
"Is that all you have?" the man asked in impatience.
"No, that's not all I have," Jin replied, resisting the urge to add a mocking 'father' at the end of his sentence. "The necklace around Jin's neck, the one he always wears beneath his shirt. The cross he got back in middle school. After he collapsed at the train station and was sent to the hospital, you picked it up during a visit. He used to wear it so everyone could see it, but some kid at school had one exactly like it. He accused me of stealing his and you had to come to the school to talk with my teacher. Remember? You stood up for me. You told me that day that you would've believed me even if the whole world were against me. You know I wouldn't lie. You know I wouldn't steal anything. You taught me not to be a liar. I never was. Err, well, you know what I mean... I'm here, I'm standing right here, you know it's me.
"I saw you holding it in your hand when you came back, on the day you were going to let me go. I saw the chain dangling from your hand. The doctor told you I had a chance, and you let me live a few days longer, but then you thought you were being played with. After all, it had been three years. Too long for anyone to really come out of a coma, right? You think you're just being played with. You think they just want your money, so now you're going through with what you had originally planned. You're gonna let me go." Jin paused to take a breath and watched his father process everything that had been said before resuming. "I don't care anymore. You can let me go-but after one more week. After one more week, okay? After that, you won't even have to decide. I'll either be back, or I'll die. You'll get a call from the hospital and that'll be it."
Jin's mother remained stationary in her chair. She did not miss the point in Jin's dialogue where every 'he' and 'him' became an 'I' and 'me'. The tone in which this strange young man before her spoke was anything but foreign to her. She knew, as any mother would. This was her son standing before her. Her husband's denial was hesitating; he too recognized the tone in which this boy spoke. Even as the 'Dammit old man!' phrase had left his lips earlier on the porch, he noted the eerie resemblance.
"Jin..." the woman spoke in a softened voice, "is that you?"
A/N (Aisu): Wow, I am such a quick updater. ;D C&C = ♥
Author: Aisu
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Akame
Genre: AU, comedy, romance
Disclaimer: I don't own Akame.
Summary: While Kazuya fights a losing battle for his life, a strange figure appears just as his heart beats for what should have been the last time. Introducing himself as Death, Kazuya is bound to the figure that brought him back from the dead.
A/N: For tia_junan; thanks for helping with the writer's block.
[ 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 ]
CHAPTER 13
"Ne, Sleeping Beauty," Jin called as he twirled his fingers in Kazuya's auburn locks. "How many hours do you plan on napping for?" An incoherent mumble was heard as Jin sighed. "I know you were studying all night, but... Is this really necessary?" he asked himself as he poked Kazuya in the cheek. "I thought eight hours of sleep was supposed to be sufficient."
"Looks like he's out," Jin's companion from The Underworld observed.
"Typical Kazuya."
"How about you just..."
"While he's sleeping? Hell no!" Jin shouted, though Kazuya showed no signs of stirring.
"You really think he'd agree to being possessed when he's awake?"
"He doesn't have to agree, I can just..."
"What's the difference between possessing him in his sleep and possessing him without his consent while he's awake? I can't even believe you want to do this. You're getting him too involved. He knows things he shouldn't. Jin, your parents don't believe that doctor, I told you this already. It might've been a nice thought at the time, but they haven't changed their mind. They probably think the hospital just wants more money out of them. It's been three years, and while you haven't shown signs of getting worse, you haven't shown signs of getting better, either. You know how it works. Either way, you know what's going to happen if you don't act fast. You've only put off the inevitable for a few days."
"No wonder everyone fails. There's always something stupid holding you back. A second chance? A second chance at what? Dying again? I get to die twice now instead of once? What the hell kind of 'privilege' is this supposed to be anyway?" Jin scoffed. "And I was the one asking Kazuya who the hell complains about getting a second chance to live."
"Jin..."
"I know, sorry, I can't help it."
"No, Jin…" The man nodded in direction of the bed.
Kazuya sat upright, his eyes wide, his lips parted. His gaze drifted between the others in his room before settling on Jin. "What's going on? And who is that?" he asked, looking at the unfamiliar man. "...And why is he in my room?"
"I... He's..." Jin glanced at the man beside him.
"I need to go now, actually." The man smiled at Kazuya. "The Grim Reaper; nice to finally see you," he introduced himself before he disappeared.
Kazuya silently pursed his lips before looking at Jin. "You're friends with the Grim Reaper?"
"Something like that," Jin said with a small smile.
Kazuya drew in a breath and pushed away his blanket as he digested his latest encounter. What was this all leading to anyway, he thought. Obviously it was that 'task' Jin had made a brief reference to before, but what was it? When would it take place? And why the hell was the Grim Reaper in his room?
"...Ne, Kazuya..."
Jin and his thousand questions, Kazuya thought. The boy stole a glance at Jin; he was staring hard at the floor, a thoughtful look upon his face. "...What is it?" Kazuya stretched his arms out as he yawned.
"...I need your help with something," Jin spoke softly.
Kazuya shot the man an inquiring glance. "What? What's going on? Is something wrong?"
"I'm gonna die. Kazuya, I'm gonna die if you don't help me." Jin listened to his own words; the reality of everything sunk into his mind. Time was running out, just as it had before.
"So I'll help you, and everything'll be okay," Kazuya comforted. "What is it? What's wrong? Tell me, Jin," he asked worriedly.
One week, Jin thought as he met the boy's eyes. That's what I'll aim for. If they give me at least one week, no matter what happens, I won't regret it. I've tried, that's more than some others can say. I'm not supposed to know the location of my body. I'm not supposed to know about my family. But if I didn't know about any of this I would already be dead, wouldn't I? I have to use all this to my advantage…
"You saw me in the hospital?" Jin asked.
Kazuya nodded.
"You know... I'm in a coma?"
The boy nodded again.
"You read that article... Have you figured out how it happened?"
"No." Kazuya shook his head.
Well that's good, Jin thought as he sighed in relief. If Kazuya discovered that, Jin wasn't sure the boy could succeed in his task at all. "You're gonna help me, right?" Jin asked for reassurance.
"Well, I'll try to..." Kazuya answered hesitantly, wondering what he had gotten himself into now.
"Let me borrow your body."
"Hah?" Kazuya's eyes narrowed as he recalled the previous use of that phrase. "Exactly what kind of help are we talking about here, Jin?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Jin asked. "Oh... No. Not that. I need to possess you."
"...Huh?"
"My parents are going to let me go," Jin explained. "I've been lying in that hospital room for three years. I'm stuck here, like this, as Death, but... I can't leave until you..."
"Until I what, Jin?"
"If I die in your world, I'll die in my world. I won't be here anymore. Not as Death, anyway. If my parents let me go..." Jin paused. If my parents let me go, I won't be the only one that dies, he silently thought as he looked at Kazuya's confused face. "I need to convince my parents to give me at least a week. I need to be here for at least one more week."
"I still don't understand; what do you need my body for?"
"I want to use your body when I go to convince them."
"...But why? What's the point in having a Human Form that doesn't look like you, then?"
"That's just it. You and I are the only ones that see me as me. If I look at myself, I don't see that other person... Look, I just want you to be there with me. I can't do it by myself, I'll get too frustrated at the fact that they can't see their own son standing in front of them."
Kazuya tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling. Doesn't want to go by himself, he thought. Could Jin be...? "Scared?" Kazuya asked; the word suddenly voiced itself. He found it to be an odd concept, Death afraid of death.
Jin himself had mentioned that he was once human. But truthfully, he had not died before. Not really. His body lie in another place, unconscious, while his soul wandered The World of the Living in search of something. This contract had to benefit both of them in some way, did it not? What was the point in giving Kazuya a second chance at life if Death could not gain something in return?
"Scared?" Jin repeated the question with a hint of amusement. If only you knew, he thought. "Does it matter? If I said yes, would you take pity on me and allow yourself to be possessed?" He smirked.
"Baka... Taking something so seriously and then acting like this," Kazuya muttered.
I'm more scared for you than myself, Jin silently thought.
"So... How does this work, exactly?"
"How does what work?" Jin asked.
"Being possessed... I mean, do I have any control over my body once you've possessed it?"
Jin smiled at the worry Kazuya expressed. "Nope," he answered.
Kazuya grimaced, second thoughts made their way into his head. "Don't think I trust you that much," he joked while looking out his window. "Then can I at least see through my own eyes?"
Jin shook his head. "I guess... It's like sleeping," he described. "You can't see, can't feel, can't remember anything." Jin watched as Kazuya mouthed his words.
"You're crazy," the boy concluded. At least you can remember things in your sleep sometimes.
"But you're going to do it anyway." Another smirk.
Kazuya hated how the other said it with so much confidence. "I don't have a choice, do I? If you die then I wouldn't be able to fulfill our contract and I would die as well. Isn't that how it would work?"
"Smart boy."
"When are you going to do it?" Kazuya asked.
"Now."
"Right now?"
"Right now."
"Wait!" Kazuya held his hands up. "Your parents aren't at the hospital right now, are they?"
"Probably not."
"Then how are you going to find them? I thought you only knew your name and how you became Death."
Jin's head angled downward as his dark eyes stared mischievously at the boy.
"Not going to tell me?" Kazuya sighed.
Jin shook his head.
"As expected," the boy mumbled. "How long is this going to take?"
"That depends," Jin replied as he neared Kazuya.
"You better not do anything weird, or say anything stupid, or ruin my reputation by doing anything I wouldn't normally do while you're 'borrowing my body', understood?" Kazuya waited for a confirmation before letting Jin wander any closer to him.
"Hai," Jin answered. "Now stand up," he instructed as he beckoned the boy to come closer.
Kazuya was tense, his steps unsure. He watched curiously as Jin's hands found his own and their fingers were interwoven. "What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?"
"Uh, holding my hands?" Kazuya said as he raised a brow.
Jin rolled his eyes. "Relax. This is really very simple, it'll all be over before you know it."
"Well of course, if I'm not there to witness anything that'll happen."
"You're ruining my concentration," Jin informed, "do you want your soul to pop out of you and roam The Underworld for all eternity while I inhabit your body?"
Kazuya's mouth gaped as if to say something, perhaps one of his smart aleck replies, then quickly shut as he shook his head.
"That's what I thought. Now just calm down and let me do this. I understand that you may have an idea as to how this will go based on some work of fiction, however, I assure you it's nothing like that. You feel nothing and it takes but a second. Okay?" Jin reassured the boy. "Now close your eyes. And don't give me that look."
The next time I open my eyes I better be alive, Kazuya silently said to himself as he waited for something, anything to happen. He was becoming impatient despite the fact that only a few seconds had passed and nothing appeared to change. He was tempted to open an eye, but refrained from doing so when the thought of wandering The Underworld crossed his mind. Before he could continue his internal rambling he felt himself being kissed, the grip that Jin had on his hands tightened and he could have sworn a rush of heat surged throughout his body; he could feel himself surrendering. This was it, he thought. A kiss? You can possess someone with a kiss? How simplistic, how ludicrous, how... obvious? But then something fell out of place. Suddenly Kazuya could feel a smile pressed upon his lips and his eyes snapped open, and sure enough, there was Jin stifling a laugh. It was all a joke.
"Calm down!" Jin insisted before the boy could vocalize any complaint.
"I can't believe you," Kazuya said as he slapped Jin over the head, the latter making no effort to evade Kazuya's hand.
"Come here." Jin pulled the boy into an embrace. Live each moment like it's the last, he thought. Every time he left Kazuya there was no guarantee that he'd be back, and all the times before this he had taken his time in The World of the Living for granted, something he thought he'd never do. Jin did not realize how easy he had forgotten the importance of time. He knew how crucial each second was, yet somehow it still managed to slip his mind. Kazuya, he thought. It's because of Kazuya that he would forget the essence of time, and it was because of Kazuya again that he remembered its importance.
"This has nothing to do with being possessed either, does it?" Kazuya spoke in a monotone voice.
"Nope."
"Is something wrong? Why don't you just get it over with?"
Jin let out long, dreary sigh. He rested his chin upon Kazuya's shoulder and glanced out the window thinking of all the things he had yet to experience. He would walk into a countless number of glass walls if he could have another week. He would take up the role of a real door-to-door salesman, whom Kazuya said people hated, just to have another week. This way of thinking would do nothing for him, though. Things did not work this way. With a heavy heart, Jin smiled his handsome smile. He backed away and reached out with his open hand, the palm directly in front of Kazuya's heart.
Kazuya felt as though every ounce of energy he possessed was being drained; his eyes fell shut, and Jin took a step forward to let his soul merge with Kazuya's body. This was normally a difficult task. If Jin's soul merged with a body too fast, he would experience a feeling of whiplash after he exited the body. If the body was unwilling to accept his presence, then he would be ejected, or there was always the possibility that the two souls would have an internal struggle over control. Usually if it was unexpected by the other party, then succeeding in a perfect possession was quite simple. Jin found no trouble when he stepped into the boy's body however, which is exactly what he had expected. Their souls were bound, after all.
Jin cocked Kazuya's head to the left, and then to the right. He clenched his fists a couple of times and rolled his shoulders to get a feel for the new body he possessed. "Definitely shorter than me," he said, taking note of the new perspective. "He's so small..." Jin glanced down at Kazuya's arms, and then his hands, turning them palm side up. He reached a hand up and placed it over the boy's chest, feeling the heart beat. He was alive. He felt Kazuya's blood flow through his body to the tips of his fingers. He wasn't trapped within some artificial life form; he was within a real live human. Jin loved this feeling, yet it always had a way of depressing him. Whenever he possessed someone he couldn't help but wonder if it was the last time he would truly feel alive.
"Time to visit the parents..." Jin sighed as he strode out from Kazuya's room through the front door of the apartment. One thing he didn't like about possessed bodies: No materializing.
x♠x
Walking at a brisk pace for well over an hour straight did nothing. Kazuya's body was in great shape, and he showed no signs of fatigue. Apparently running around school to make it in time for classes and working at Kazen as a waiter helped build his stamina.
"It's never impossible. You wouldn't be here if it was."
The Grim Reaper's words ran through Jin's head as he continued his walk. Every Death had the chance of successfully completing the task they were sent out to accomplish. The circumstances varied, but they had the same opportunity. That is what he had been told.
"It's no coincidence that your body was in the same hospital you found that boy in."
It was all set up, Jin determined. Everything was put into place the moment he passed into a coma and assumed the role of Death. His Savior was pre-chosen. It was destined that Kazuya would be his Savior three years after he entered The Underworld.
"This street..." Jin spoke as his eyes wandered down the road. His fast-paced walk quickly broke into a run, and Jin found himself flying down the street, the air rushing past his body. His eyes jumped from house to house, each one more familiar than the last. "I've been here before," he confirmed, his eyes widening in realization. The plain neighborhood was nothing special. Nothing about it stood out or made it great in any way, but Jin felt as if he were discovering a lost city. He felt a connection with this world, The World of the Living. For once, he recognized something. His head swung from left to right as he examined each side of the street. His legs carried him as fast as they could, as if what he was chasing after would disappear should he slow down for the briefest moment. Jin's lack of attention toward the pavement resulted in a setback, however.
"Shit," Jin cursed as he found himself sitting upon the ground. His scratched hands flew to a knee that would no doubt bear a darkened bruise within the next hour. "It hurts," he mumbled before he looked back up, stunned. His movements froze. Jin's eyes settled upon a pale blue house in the distance. His jaw dropped as he hurried to raise himself from the sidewalk, brushing the dirt from his hands and jeans.
When he reached the house, he didn't even need to check the address. He knew this was it. "I wonder if they're here," Jin said under his breath. He glanced around before he walked up to a window and peered inside.
The room he looked into had white walls and a brown-carpeted floor. Both chairs and the couch faced the TV placed in a corner. Various books and magazines were scattered across a table, and seated in one of the chairs was a woman. Her face was buried in the palms of her hands; her light brown hair fell over her pale shoulders.
"Mom," Jin whispered as he watched. His hand crept up onto the glass and he traced a finger around her figure. He couldn't tell if she was just resting or if she was really asleep. When she began to raise her head Jin felt Kazuya's heart jump; he should turn away before she saw him staring at her through the window. He shouldn't let himself be caught in such an awkward position. But Jin could not bring himself to move; he continued looking at her until he could see her peaceful face. It appeared that she too was lost in a world of her own. She took no note of Jin. "She's so beautiful," Jin said to himself. A smile had made its way onto his face, but it left as quickly as it had come. Someone was standing behind Jin; he heard them.
"Who are you?" a man asked.
"…Dad?" Jin guessed as he turned around. It would be you, Jin thought as he took in the appearance of his father. Apparently the man had heard Jin's comment; his brow was furrowed and there was a clear look of irritation on his face.
"Excuse me?" he snapped. "Who are you?" the man repeated as he suspiciously eyed Kazuya's figure. "And what do you mean by 'Dad'? I only have one son, and he's in a coma."
"I..." Shit, this isn't starting off well at all, Jin said to himself.
"Go away, you're trespassing," the man ordered.
"No!" Jin instantly shouted. "I-I can't leave," he said in a panicked voice.
"I'll call the police then."
"What?!" Jin yelled. "What for? I haven't done anything!"
"I've already asked you once, I won't ask again." The man pulled a cell phone from his pocket as he spoke to emphasize his point.
"You can't call the police, I have to talk to you!"
"About what?"
"About Jin!"
"I don't want to hear it. I don't know if you're a friend of his, or whatever, but it doesn't concern you. Leave-Now," the man instructed as he headed toward the front door.
"Dammit old man!" Jin shouted in frustration. Always so damn stubborn, Jin complained to himself. Never even frickin' listens to anyone, always does whatever the hell he wants. I'll just have to make you listen, then.
Jin strode toward his father, a short distance separating them. He grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt and reared back a fist, ready to impale his father when he found that he could not move. Kazuya's hand hovered in the space between them. In that mere second it was as if time had froze; Jin's father stared with fury in his eyes, unbelieving that this strange young man who appeared at his house dared to act in such a manner, and Jin himself had raised a brow before he realized what had happened.
"Bull freaking shit! Won't feel a thing?! You damn liar! It feels like you just took a hammer to my head!" Kazuya shouted. His eyes widened when he realized the one before him was not Jin; it was the man he had seen by Jin's hospital bed, his father. He instantly lowered his fist and looked around in panic.
"Shit!" Jin cursed himself, stomping his foot into the ground. I need to learn how to control myself, he noted. "Punch him Kazuya!" he ordered. "Right in the fucking jaw!"
Kazuya glanced at the man and drew in a quick breath as he took a step back. He felt a sharp pain in his knee, glanced down, and saw his jeans with traces of dirt. He then noticed the stinging pain from his hands, cut and bleeding. He looked at Jin again. "What the hell is going on?" he asked.
"Just punch him already!"
"I'm not punching him!"
"IF I CAN'T SOMEONE HAS TO!"
"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU DO IT WHEN-" Kazuya quickly took another glance at the man on his doorstep; he stared at Kazuya as if the boy were a psychopath.
"I'm calling the police," the man stated before he walked into his house and slammed the door shut.
"What the hell did you do?!" Kazuya demanded.
"Get in there!" Jin said as he walked through Kazuya's figure.
"What?!"
"GO IN! NOW!" Jin roared.
Kazuya's heart raced as he followed Jin into the house. He was still trying to figure out why Jin was in his Spirit Form. What was the point of the possession? Did something go wrong? Why didn't Jin just do his business like he said he would? Kazuya did not like this; he did not want to be the only visible one standing before these people, full of fury because of who knows what.
Kazuya found a woman staring at him the second he passed through the doorway. Jin's mother, he instantly recalled her.
"What? Are you breaking and entering now?!" Jin's father accused as his eyes fell upon Kazuya.
"Breaking? What?" Jin asked, confused. "What did you break?" He turned to Kazuya.
"Shut up," Kazuya growled, "that's not what he means."
"Who the hell are you talking to?!" the man demanded.
Kazuya's mouth gaped; he looked at the woman whose gaze bounced between her husband and himself, then shot Jin a questioning glare.
"Tell him you're not leaving until he listens to what you have to say," Jin instructed.
Kazuya relayed the message only to endure another unwanted shout of protest. Jin watched with widened eyes as his father started dialing on his cell phone.
Jin, Kazuya shouted in his head, what am I supposed to do?! The boy looked desperately at the only one who could offer any help, but Jin was lost. He was too caught up in his own thoughts. "JIN!" Kazuya yelled, waving his hands to catch the other's attention. It was no use. Jin was too occupied, watching as his last chance slipped away. "I can't believe this," Kazuya said under his breath.
"Why are you calling for him like that?" the woman asked in curious voice.
"Dammit." Kazuya took a step toward Jin's father, snatched the cell from his hand, and threw it upon the floor before turning back to the mother. "Because he's standing right there!" Kazuya shouted, pointing at a man who was nonexistent as far as anyone else was concerned, pointing at a man who he could see as plain as day, pointing at a man who would die if he just stood by and watched this mess continue.
The woman's eyes were filled with tears; her husband was filled with rage.
"Just ask something," Kazuya hurried to say. "Just ask something, one thing, anything. Ask about Jin, something that happened in the past, whatever."
"No, Kazuya!" Jin protested. "I can't remember anything, I can't help you..."
So now you're back, Kazuya glared. Shit, he's right, why'd I say that? "You have to remember something," Kazuya insisted. "There's got to be something."
Jin began to shake his head in response and then froze. He had recalled his house, his neighborhood, and his parents upon sight. He was not told of their significance, yet he remembered. Jin wandered over to his mother and glanced down at her. There's got to be something, he thought. He looked over her, studied her attire, any accessories she wore. He tried to find something that would be of significance, that would bring back some memory he could attach himself to and bring forth for evidence to prove Kazuya's ridiculous claim.
The couple exchanged a quick glance.
"Ah!" Jin pointed at his mother's hand. "Here, Kazuya," he called. "This scar, the one below the knuckle on her left hand. I gave her that."
"Do you remember how?" Kazuya asked.
"I was..." Jin furrowed his brow as he turned. There was a door connected to the dining room that led to the kitchen. Jin slowly approached the doorframe and peered in before he began nodding his head. "I was playing soccer in the house," he said. "I kicked the ball down those steps and scared her. She was making curry." Jin smiled. "She was cutting the carrots, and I startled her when I kicked the ball into the wall, and she cut herself."
"You have a scar on your left hand?" Kazuya asked the woman.
Jin's mother nodded, and then protectively covered the scar with her other hand.
"You were making curry? Cut yourself because Jin kicked a ball in the house and scared you?"
She nodded again.
"He could've told that to anybody," Jin's father interrupted.
"You prick," Jin said through gritted teeth. "You can be so stubborn." Jin swung his hand through his father in frustration.
"Damn..." Kazuya whispered.
"HAH! Got it," Jin shouted.
"What is it?" Kazuya asked.
"Ring, that ring, it's his wedding ring."
Kazuya blinked unbelievingly. "No shit," he mouthed.
"No, I mean, it's his wedding ring, but it's not the ring Mom gave him. He lost his and had to go out and buy an identical one. He told me to never tell her. And I didn't. But now you're gonna have to, and it serves him right because it's his own damn fault."
Kazuya sighed. Now he's getting me involved in his family affairs, he grumbled to himself. "Your ring..." Kazuya started.
The man looked down at the band encircling his finger and then glanced back up at Kazuya. "What about it?" he asked suspiciously.
"It's not the one your wife gave you..."
"Oh come on, say it with a more accusing tone, make him feel guilty about it," Jin complained as he looked for anything else that could help Kazuya win his argument.
Kazuya glared. "Shut up," he mouthed again.
"All that tells me is that my son can't keep his mouth shut," the man retorted.
Jin caught sight of something and walked over to Kazuya. "Let's try this again," he whispered to himself. "Let me possess you once more." He did not wait for an answer before doing so, and within seconds he was within the boy's body.
Ahh, shit, Jin whined to himself. His knee... hurts...
"Is that all you have?" the man asked in impatience.
"No, that's not all I have," Jin replied, resisting the urge to add a mocking 'father' at the end of his sentence. "The necklace around Jin's neck, the one he always wears beneath his shirt. The cross he got back in middle school. After he collapsed at the train station and was sent to the hospital, you picked it up during a visit. He used to wear it so everyone could see it, but some kid at school had one exactly like it. He accused me of stealing his and you had to come to the school to talk with my teacher. Remember? You stood up for me. You told me that day that you would've believed me even if the whole world were against me. You know I wouldn't lie. You know I wouldn't steal anything. You taught me not to be a liar. I never was. Err, well, you know what I mean... I'm here, I'm standing right here, you know it's me.
"I saw you holding it in your hand when you came back, on the day you were going to let me go. I saw the chain dangling from your hand. The doctor told you I had a chance, and you let me live a few days longer, but then you thought you were being played with. After all, it had been three years. Too long for anyone to really come out of a coma, right? You think you're just being played with. You think they just want your money, so now you're going through with what you had originally planned. You're gonna let me go." Jin paused to take a breath and watched his father process everything that had been said before resuming. "I don't care anymore. You can let me go-but after one more week. After one more week, okay? After that, you won't even have to decide. I'll either be back, or I'll die. You'll get a call from the hospital and that'll be it."
Jin's mother remained stationary in her chair. She did not miss the point in Jin's dialogue where every 'he' and 'him' became an 'I' and 'me'. The tone in which this strange young man before her spoke was anything but foreign to her. She knew, as any mother would. This was her son standing before her. Her husband's denial was hesitating; he too recognized the tone in which this boy spoke. Even as the 'Dammit old man!' phrase had left his lips earlier on the porch, he noted the eerie resemblance.
"Jin..." the woman spoke in a softened voice, "is that you?"
A/N (Aisu): Wow, I am such a quick updater. ;D C&C = ♥