To sir, with love

"You are a useless, pathetic waste of time!"

"Yes sir."

"I aint doing this for you, help yourself. Stop being so dependant on those around you and just do what you think is right!" Allen Walker, 16 years of age and graduating high school, found himself held back in his English class being reprimanded for his blatant inability to concentrate. He tried not to show it, but the words stung. It's not like he didn't care about school, he knew he needed good grades, despite that he only wanted to follow a music career, but he knew that if he got lower than a B his foster father would be furious.

His "parent" was Marian Cross, a violent, angry, and often drunk man at the best of times. He was also very much a womanizer and Man-Hoare, how and why he ever became a parent was beyond Allen, whom had never known the people who brought him to earth, but he was by far the worst role model ever to exist.

Allen needed to get good grades in order to escape the certain wrath he was doomed to be subject to with any mistake. And if a broken wine glass resulted in a black eye and bruised ribs, the teen didn't want to think what a failing grade would bring. He never did like hospitals.

Allen had been "cursed" at birth, Cross had often told him, countless times he had been called "useless" and "idiot" from this man, just like he was now be his teacher. Curse had come from a mix of the small boy's abnormally white hair, obscurely scarred (from unknown origin) left eye and wrangled left arm. His foster parent always claimed he was "half right" and laughed at the pun saying that the right side was the only side remotely normal. Upon entering high school the white haired teen seemed to forget to grow. And as others began to tower above him, he was teased. He wasn't a weak character, in fact he was stronger than most, though he never let anyone see it, it was like his little secret. He had made only two real friends; Lenalee, a cute Asian girl with lusciously long black hair, held up in pig tails, that shone green in the light. She was easily one of the most beautiful girls in the school, but she had her lucky guy. Her boyfriend, and Allen's other friend, was Lavi. This guy was odd beyond measure- always cheerful, with his bright smile to match bright fiery red hair. His emerald eye followed his smile, and he was always wearing the same bandana over an eye patch, which even Lenalee didn't know what it covered. Often Lavi had told his smaller friend that he should wear an eye patch if he was so self-conscious about his scare , and "then we could match!" he would smile with his white teeth.

But even these two didn't know the full extent of Allen's character which he hid so well under his smiling mask. They didn't know that he was being abused at home, and the fact that he was seen as a lazy student- incomplete homework, late assessments and falling asleep in class- was due to the child slave labour he wrought at home. He cooked and cleaned and served food, fed the animals. and he still had to work, he had a part time job to financially support the house hold- who was the real parent? At the worst times, the short teen would have to takes days off school for extra work hours in order to fix debts as well as afford the groceries.

And now who was this teacher to tell him, at the end of the year, right before his exams, that he wasn't trying hard enough?!?!

"Stop being such a sheep, you can't cope. Every one else is succeeding just fine, but you, you idiot, you're falling behind, you can't keep up, and if you are just going to continuously sleep in my class then get out! I am not interested in having you as a student. You disappoint me. You're supposed to be mature, and to be able to look after yourself, not this incapable shit. Look at you, when was the last time you slept?"

Yu Kanda, Mr. Kanda, or just Kanda. A Japanese man teaching English, young and emotionless. Young and handsome, the high school heart throb of all the girls, and even some of the boys. Although he complained non-stop about the Japanese man Allen respected him, in both his looks and methods of teaching. He was brash, and obvious and stated everything as it was. No fancy dancy words, telling students they were good when in actual fact they were absolute shit house. This may have gotten him up in the white haired teen's good books, but he was severely detested amongst other students. Though this was more due to the fact that he cared little for others' feelings, in his stoic manner which was more suited to the military, rather than the attitude of a teacher.

He cared very little for his students and seemed to stay in the classroom only to pass time. And now he was angry at one of his students, for wasting his time? He was young, early twenties and this was his first year of teaching. He cared not for any other staff members, and was more than often content with sitting by himself. All the time. He even managed to look annoyed, before every class, that his students had actually showed up. Lenalee had tried to explain to Allen once that he did care, he just pretended not to. Allen had disagreed, but it didn't change his opinion of his favourite teacher. Though his fondness was wavering a little at tis time unless; was this yelling at the white haired student his way of showing that he cared that he was paying attention?

"What? Are you crying?"

"No!"

"Grow up bean sprout-"

"Beansprout?!?!"

"Don't interrupt me. Listen up I don't like you, at all, you're a liar."

Allen's eye brows rose at this and he looked his frowning teacher straight in the eye. Glare met glare. And for some odd reason Allen didn't feel like he was looking at a teacher. No this guy, this guy was treating him as an equal- almost.

"You think you can hide forever under that little façade of yours? What you think people don't notice? Do you really hold yourself in that much self importance that you think no body can help you? You think you can get by, by just smiling and pretending every thing is ok? Let up kid, it will never be ok and its time you realised you need to get help, cause it aint gonna come to you! Your smile is disgusting, and it means nothing with your lie. Start trying harder!"

It was amazing. Despite the fuming anger rising within him, Allen was almost happy. Some one had noticed his mask, albeit the teacher that treated every one like shit. But that was what made it matter all the more. That this guy actually cared for some one, and that was Allen. He wasn't picking out any one else's problems. Like the fact that Lenalee's boyfriend, Lavi, had severe insomnia, or that that other guy's uncle was in trouble with the local thugs, and the family was in crisis. No this guy had noticed Allen above all the rest.

"I do not think that I am important you insufferable JERK! You don't know anything about me. What gives you the right to say this shit bastard!" he snapped, five years of torture and lies and when it was almost over; he broke, every little piece of him was about to be displayed in a glass case for this English/Japanese teacher to examine and probe. But Allen couldn't help it, this teacher that held Allen's respect and admiration, had inserted so much anger and rage; that had, for so long, been held at bay, behind a wall in his heart. But now the gates were open and the flood escaped;

"You think I'm not trying?!?! I try so fucking hard just to stay alive! Each day is so pointless with all of this. You sit up there on your chair all high and mighty but what do you know? You wouldn't shed a tear if an elephant trampled your mother in front of your very eyes, you uncompassionate dick. I don't need your bullshit!" he was losing now, all his energy was dissipating as his teacher looked at him unblinkingly. He seemed almost pleased about something.

"You bastard! I am trying. I'm trying so hard." He gave up. He was useless, he couldn't do anything right and this teacher knew it. Allen knew it all along, but like his bruises; he had been trying to hide it.

"Useless..." he muttered into his hands, he couldn't look his teacher in the eyes anymore. Couldn't bare to see the understanding and... was that respect? That was lying deep within those oceans.

"Are you finished?" the Long ebony haired Japanese man asked, folding his arms. The broken student just weakly shook his head into his hands and slumped onto the desk, hair falling over the hands that were covering his face.

His teacher took the shaking head as an "I give up" rather than a "no" because it was in his better interest.

"Good. That was needed out of the way. Do you feel better now?" he didn't wait for a reply. "cause now you're gonna talk. And you're going to tell me everything, and as annoying as it is..." he sighed and leaned back on his desk; "I'm gonna help you."

At this Allen looked up, eyes a little red, and into the navy stones staring at his dull grey.

"Che. This is so annoying." He said as he looked away.

"God well no one's forcing you to!" Allen was so riled up, why was this teacher even bothering.

"Finally he speaks! Now spill the beans bean. I'm sick of your attitude and I wanna get to the bottom of this." But Allen just pouted.

Kanda stood up, walked to the entrance of the classroom and locked the door. Allen's eyes widened as he followed the process, his teacher walked back to him and stood right in front of him wrenching him up by his collar. OMFG! This guy cannot seriously be a teacher.

"Did you mishear Walker." He tipped his head inquisitively, breath ghosting the students cheek, sending a tingling sensation down his spine; "I want to get to the bottom of this. And I always," he whispered menacingly, but some what enticingly, into the other's ear; "always get what I want."

Allen swallowed.

Kanda dropped his student onto a seat at the desk he had been previously sitting on, and wrenched a chair in front of the boy and sat.

"So?"

Allen sighed in resignation, he could see no other way out of this so he started by pulling the sleeve of his right arm up. It was purple and yellow, and the teachers eyes widened slightly. At first Allen was awkward and embarrassed, he found himself looking anywhere but at his teacher as he gave the run down on his life. But he found that eventually, it became easier and easier to talk about. Before either of them knew it, the sky was a dark purple and both gentlemen had stiff legs and rumbling stomachs. Finally Allen finished and he gave a large sigh.

"well that's a mouthful." Was all Kanda could say. This was heavier than he had expected. That was when Allen looked out the window.

"shit." His hands clenched his hair.

"What?"

"Shit shit shit shit shit SHIT!" Allen was panicking now, eyes wide and fearful, skin pulled tight at the scalp as he attempted to pull his hair out.

"What? Shut up and calm down beansprout!" he grabbed the small boys shoulders and refrained from slapping him; "tell me what the fuck is wrong!"

"It's late! I can't go home. Omg I'm dead. He'll kill me for sure."

"What? Who?"

Allen looked up and yelled at his teacher; "weren't you listening before?!?! Cross! My master! He's gona kill me I haven't been home to cook or clean or do anything!"

"Alright just calm down-"

"No no no no no this can't be happening."

"Fucking hell beansprout it's not that bad" he couldn't hold back any more this was ridiculous slap!

And then silence. As Allen stood stock still, silent and stunned and a red mark in the form of a hand started to form on his cheek. Kanda felt an overwhelming sense of guilt at what he had just done, but it was the only way he could calm the other down. And it worked- because the boy had spent his entire life being abused it was what he reacted to. The only problem was that Kanda now felt that he had betrayed the trust. Which he would now need to work to get back.

"ok are you calm?" the white haired teen rapidly shook his head, eyes still wide in fear, added to the tears of pain- both physical and emotional- but said nothing, Kanda closed his eyes and let out a breath. "ok, here's the plan. I'm gonna drive you back to your house and have a word with your master so you can escape for tonight. Then I'm gonna call the police-"

"Wha-" the teacher held up his hand to silence the distressed teen before him.

"Shut up. This is bullshit, you are a student, a child not a slave. And it's gonna stop, you'll probably get sent to a new family." The teen looked a little down cast at the prospect of being moved away from his friends and the school he grew up in. "don't worry they'll probably let you graduate, rather than moving you to a new school, just to take exams. But anyway that's the plan. No questions asked."

And he dragged Allen by his wrist to his car. Which was an old thing, black and dirty, smelled like dust on the inside. Allen didn't complain, it was working just fine. The teacher was always all about efficiency, not beauty anyway. Despite his own good looks, which he seemed oblivious to, but Allen had not failed to notice. The student directed his teacher to his house which was a dingy place with chickens out the front. And the teen heaved a sigh of relief, as there were no lights on. But his teacher still got out of the car.

They went inside together but the Asian waited by the front door while the pale skinned boy ran around the house.

"it-it's empty" he called to his teacher; "there's nothing here! I don't understand."

Kanda walked further into the house and went to the kitchen, indeed the house was empty save a few items, such as a couch, a cabinet, fruit bowl on the kitchen bench with one lonely apple sitting in it. He raised an eyebrow at a note on the fridge.

"Beansprout!"

"It's Allen! And what?!"

"Come and look at this." The teen ran in, cheeks slightly red, one more so than the other, and Kanda watched his pupil intently as he read the letter.

"H-he's gone." Kanda wasn't really paying attention, more or less taking this opportunity to take a good look at the student he had admired for so long. The pale skin, soft silky hair of snow, and the innocent curve of his features. The way his cheeks were a little puffy, as his body still needed to mature according to his age, but he was still slim. He blinked trying to concentrate on his student.

"I can't believe. He's just taken everything and gone."

"Is this good? Or bad?"

"I, I can't tell. I don't have anything left but he's gone. I'm free." And he laughed sheepishly before suddenly jumping forward and hugging his teacher. Who, seemingly reluctant at first, hugged him back taking this one chance to feel his hair.

It really is as soft as snow.

He smelt nice, and their hug fitted like jigsaw puzzle. Kanda never was one for physical contact, but this he didn't mind. He felt cold when Allen stepped back.

"What will you do?"

"I dunno." The young boy shrugged his shoulders and looked at the house that now belonged to him.

"Where will you go?" the teacher was worried, and his student looked at him quizzically.

"I'll stay here I guess..."

"Alone?"

Allen worried at his bottom lip. It felt so nice to have some one worrying about him, and the hug, it was so warm. It was unexpected that his teacher, the coldest bastard known on the planet, would hug him back. But the fact that he did made the younger boy so happy, he'd never felt so accepted before.

The teacher was distracting his eyes now, looking anywhere but at his pupil, and even shuffled his feet a little.

"Che. Well, um ahem" he tried again, "come stay with me then."

"What?" Allen was genuinely surprised though far from shocked.

"Despite what you think you're still a kid and you need some one to look after you. So come stay with me."

Allen blushed. This couldn't be happening, this was great, the greatest day/night of his life; "ok" he barely managed to squeal before running in for another hug from his hot teacher.

But instead of a hug, he was pulled up for a kiss.

end

A/N well I hope that wasn't too boring. And I'm sorry if the end was a long time coming. I seem to always to write introductions that are too long but yeah this came to me over dinner while I was discussing with my parents and their friends this old movie called "to sir, with love" and I realise that this story pretty much has nothing to do with the title... oh well

Yay for student teacher relationships! Hope no one has any qualms with Kanda being a teacher! And sorry if the ending was abrupt, but I kinda like abrupt endings, leaves it open :P

Please please please review!