"Phew! Another hard day's work of some mission and all we get to do is go back home in tattered clothes and Yu's pouting-"

"Are you hard of hearing? Don't call me by that name."

"Kanda, don't be so rough."

Beside the three, Allen smiles, somewhat bitterly. "At least you're called by your name. I mean, would it kill you to call me by my own. Allen Walker. It's only four syllables. I even look like an Allen." The second part may be a bit of a stretch, but Allen is sure someone who goes around saying how he doesn't die easily isn't going to suddenly go into cardiac arrest at calling him his first name.

Boy is he not surprised by the stubborn silence he gets in return.

Lenalee's just glad these boys have calmed down.

Meanwhile, Allen receives a sympathetic pat on his shoulder from a laughing Lavi. "I guess ya look more like a Beansprout, Beansprout."

"Don't you start that too!"

"Whoa! Maybe Alligator Face fits more!"

"That doesn't even make sense? If anything that fits Kanda more than me." Seriously has anyone actually looked at Kanda's features he looks like an angry reptile. At least Allen thinks so.

Lenalee covers her mouth. Don't laugh at Kanda's expense, Lenalee, it isn't nice.

And now the white-haired male is being yanked at by his coat's collar. Said "Alligator Face" appears more irritated than normal.

Is that even possible, actually?

"Hey. That offer's still up. I'll take all the hair off your head and give it to the elderly masses."

"I keep telling you, black hair's more valuable."

"Yours is a head far less likely to be missed."

"Hey you two, we're almost back at Headquarters, don't start fightin'." Despite what he's saying, Lavi doesn't seem too keen on actually interrupting the conversation.

Lenalee, on the other hand, has a stern expression. "Kanda, put Allen down. And you don't need to take someone's head just to take hair."

Kanda doesn't respond, but he keeps scowling at Allen because something is off.

"What's with that stupid expression, Beansprout?"

Allen has a very, very self-satisfied smile on his face. It rivals the sun and he's not even making up a clever response to Kanda right now.

"You're close to losing that other arm, Beansprout."

"Somehow I'm okay with that."

What is his deal.

Lavi's gone back to just resting in his seat by now, but Lenalee keeps a careful eye on Allen and Kanda. Mostly because something is definitely.

Very off.

"Hey... Allen?"

Still being held by his collar by Kanda, Allen looks over at the girl. "Yes?"

"Are you wearing heels or something?"

Uh.

Allen shakes his head.

Lavi's caught on as well, and points at Kanda. "Say, Yu, doesn't Allen usually dangle a bit when ya grab 'im like that?"

"Don't call me that, and what's your point?"

"It's just that he ain't right now."

Kanda raises an eyebrow. "So what?" That's not gonna stop him from knocking the shit out of him.

"Heh."

There's a gleam in Allen's eyes and he still has that devilish smile on his face.

"Beansprout?" This is annoying Kanda even more.

It's only because Lenalee finally gets fed up with their shenanigans and whacks both of them on the head with a case of luggage that he releases Allen and straightens up with a huff.

Whatever, he's going to sit down and leave these two idiots and Lenalee to whatever conversation they're trying to have.

Allen keeps standing with a sunny expression.

"Allen?" Lenalee's ready to keep him from antagonising Kanda and vice versa if she must, but also Allen seems pretty odd right now.

"I think I know what's got 'Beansprout' here so smug," Lavi announces. He stands up and extends his hammer, tall enough for a human, short enough to not cause damage to the train cart.

For one godforsaken reason or another, he also has a piece of chalk with him. "Hey, Yu, stand back up."

Why would the man do that? Kanda remains sitting, arms crossed over his chest and his eyes shut. If one's stupid enough to look that closely, they'll notice his eyebrow twitching.

"Heh, so ya did notice," Lavi chuckles, "C'mon, stand up and we'll see if it's true."

Kanda snorts. "I'm not playing along with this."

Allen maintains his smile and shakes his head. "It's alright Lavi. He'll have plenty of time to notice once we get back home."

"Beansprout." A fair warning.

"Talking to yourself aloud is kinda creepy, Kanda," Allen points out.

"Beansprout."

Lavi remains calm but haha did the air get tense or what. "Yu, if ya just stand up then maybe Allen will stop talkin'."

That's always promising, but also far-fetched.

Hell, Kanda'll take it.

He stands up with a heavy sigh, his arms still crossed, and he makes an obvious point not to look over at Allen.

Lavi has now marked Allen and Kanda's height on his hammer. Yes of course this is a legitimate use of his Innocence.

"Lookit that, a full three centimetres," Lavi whistles.

Lenalee stares at Allen with a mixture of disbelief and awe. "I guess all of your pigging out was worth something after all."

Kanda.

Is getting increasingly irritated.

He shoves his hand down on Allen's head and seems to be trying to drive him into the ground and the lethal tracks below the train.

Will the floor or Allen's neck break first, who knows, but hey Kanda'll find out.

"Ow! Kanda! Hey stop that!" Allen didn't sign up for this.

"You're still a beansprout, Beansprout."

"How does that work out when I'm tal-"

"It works out because I say so, Beansprout."

"It's Allen Walker! Stop trying to crush me!"

"There's no 'trying' involved."

"Kanda! Quit it!"

Try arguing with Lenalee.

Geh.

After an extended period of thinking, Kanda finally releases Allen and resumes sitting.

It takes a lot of head rubbing for Allen to feel like his head isn't getting crushed anymore. He sits down, but after a minute of recovery, his smile returns.

"So, Kanda, this means you can't call me that stupid nickname anymore, y'know."

"Try and bring that up again and I'll make sure you won't be able to walk, let alone grow, Beansprout."