E.H.

Phew! So, this is the second attempt for the same prompt. The first attempt was…well…it wasn't working well. I got such an AMAZING prompt to work with and TOO MANY IDEAS to sift through! This one…well, it really caught me by surprise. It really turned out so different then what I originally started with. I hope you all enjoy it. My prompt was:

"If you could do it all over again, would you change anything?"—Unknown source [Sent by cyclone5000]

So thank you so much to cyclone5000 for the prompt! Without further ado, here it is!

Ripples

There was just something about the revving of an engine, the pavement rolling under spinning tires, long blue skies, and the air whipping past. It was like a sampling platter of delectable flavors from freedom, to carefree, to even the palatable taste of escape. Sometimes, things were just too confined. Too tightly wound around one's being like a noose slowly creeping in through the night air. Tonight was no different for Kanda. It was another year with another confinement placed over him. If he'd had a home to run back to, he probably would have tried by now. The Lee's were the closest he had. Komui and Lenalee were orphans themselves. They understood, or so they believed, somewhat of what he felt. Though, their parents died in an accident; Kanda's were murdered. He never even knew his mother's face.

The long road stretched on and on before him as he sped through the back-woods on the deserted highway. He wasn't exactly caring for how fast he was going. It wasn't the law that mattered in that moment; it was the simple feeling of stretching his legs out completely. His Ducati Monster growled a deep throaty sound as he shifted the gears, leaning into the curve of the highway. His ponytail stuck out the back of his helmet and whipped in the cool rush of the wind. He was at least twenty miles from 'home' at that point. He took the winding path, enjoying the vertigo feeling that came with leaning far down into the curves one way and then the other the next. The moment he righted his bike again, he barked out a loud curse and slammed the break handle down. The beast he rode wobbled, losing its graceful lope, before skidding out from under him. He was deposited onto the pavement in a barrel roll that probably was the only reason he survived. He finally came to a still and let his head spin for a few moments before he even attempted to collect himself.

His brain clicked into motion and he rose slowly onto his elbows. Groaning, he rolled onto his side and slowly pushed himself up. When he was up on his hands and knees, he tested his joints and limbs. Nothing was broken, just banged up a bit. His leather jacket was scuffed but not damaged. His black jeans now had a lovely gaping tear down the left front from his knee down…but somehow he wasn't bleeding. His combat boots were also scuffed but all in all in decent shape still. He looked up and found what had startled him. A young man was standing off to the side of the road, staring at him in surprise and not a small bit of terror. Kanda growled and rose with only a slight bit of difficulty.

"Are you insane?!" He roared as he moved toward the young man. He didn't even bother to think of why the kid had white hair and a strange scar running over the left side of his face. "Why the hell are you out here?!"

"I-I didn't mean to! I didn't think—" The younger male's voice held a very distinct accent; British if Kanda had to guess. Which he didn't. He was too livid to care.

"Obviously! You could have killed me!"

"I said I didn't mean to!"

"I don't give a damn what you said!"

"Well that's bloody obvious now!"

"Shut up, beansprout!"

"I have a name, idiot!"

"Like I care, beansprout!"

"Stop calling me beansprout! It's Allen!"

"Get out of the damn road!"

"I will once you stop yelling at me, idiot!"

Kanda opened his mouth to argue back when he stopped and looked to where his bike was. He snarled and stormed toward it. He plucked it up and turned it off. It was badly scraped up and would need a new tire seeing as how the front was torn open. He shuddered thinking about it. Good thing it was the tire and not him. He turned and glared at the kid and then frowned.

"Where did you come from?"

The white-haired guy, Allen as he'd said, stared back at Kanda as if he'd grown another head. "That cabin up there." He pointed as if Kanda was an utter idiot for not seeing it.

Kanda turned. "There's no cabin up—" He blinked a few times before he turned back sharply. "When did that get there?"

"It's always been there." Allen stated and walked forward. "What is that anyways?" He asked, pointing to Kanda's bike.

Kanda looked down and back. "It's a motorcycle, you moron."

"My name is Allen! Allen Walker! And I'm no moron!"

"Could have fooled me."

"You know what? You're a jerk!"

"So?"

"Gah!" Allen threw his hands up into the air in frustration.

Kanda snorted and made a 'tch' sound. He looked back at the cabin and sighed. If he was lucky, he'd be able to find a spare tire or something up there. He looked back to the white-haired man before him. "I'm at least twenty miles away from home. I need to fix this tire." Allen looked puzzled. To this, Kanda growled in his throat. "Well?"

"There's…nothing around here for much farther than twenty miles."

"You don't get out much do you?" Not that Kanda was one to speak…but at least he knew what civilization was. From the guy's get-up, he had no blasted clue they were in the twenty-first century now.

"Nowhere to get out to." Allen grumped before he planted his hands on his hips. "Fine. Follow me…I'm sure Mana and Cross will be highly pleased to have guests." The tone of the boy's words told Kanda just how false the statement really was. However, seeing that his options were finite to none, he rolled his bike behind Allen and up the mostly hidden path. He'd never seen this place before.

With as much as he'd ridden out on this highway, he was pretty damned sure he'd have noticed it by now. A shiver ran down his spine. This path felt…weird. He paused long enough to look back and nearly fell over. The highway he'd been on was no longer paved but was a well-worn dirt road. The curves he'd swerved off his bike on were nowhere in sight. Instead, the dirt path went straight on and then dipped downward. He spun and looked at the white-haired man ahead. Allen had stopped and was staring at him exasperatedly. Kanda turned back and blinked several times to try and clear his vision. It stayed the same.

"What happened to the road?!"

"It's always been that way…" Allen replied slowly.

"It wasn't like that ten minutes ago!"

"Look, either follow me or don't. But you really don't want to be caught out here after dark. There are many beasts that travel through here and love to eat people." Allen turned again and shook his head, muttering to himself. Kanda managed to pick up one word that made his hackles raise. "Crazy…"

"Tch! I'll show you crazy, beansprout!"

"I told you! It's Allen!"

"I don't care what your name is!"

"And you want me to lead you up to my home? What manners!"

"Hn." Kanda shut up. Sadly, the kid was right and that pissed him off more than usual. Giving in and up, Kanda followed him the rest of the way in silence. The hike up the hillside was rather tedious. He leaned the Ducati against the barn. He glanced at his unexpected host. "Is this safe out here?"

Allen laughed a short, dry chuckle. "Of course it's safe. No one would want that thing anyways."

"It's a Ducati." Kanda ground his teeth. "It's worth more than your life."

"Nothing is worth more than someone's life." Allen argued while motioning agitatedly at Kanda to follow him.

Kanda rolled his eyes. What a pint sized pain in the ass. He crossed the threshold and came up short. Where the hell had he just stepped into? This was…well, a bit old fashioned. It wasn't something he'd expected. The lamps were all lit by fire, not electricity. He shook his head and blew out a slow breath between his lips. As long as they weren't some screwed up back-water people who were going to try and force him into a cult of some sort… He followed the short male through the cabin. Allen pushed a door open and stepped in.

"Hey…I have someone with me."

"What's that, brat? You brought someone home?" One gruff voice answered from within. Allen blocked Kanda's view.

"Marian…" Another, softer and kinder sounder voice answered. Footsteps sounded across a wooden floor. The door opened wider. "I see. Well, use your manners, Allen. Invite him in for some dinner."

"Oh…yes. Sorry about that. Please come in and sit. I'll have dinner out in a few minutes." The white-haired male nodded and motioned him to a seat. Kanda found his way to the seat and sat down hesitantly. Allen then turned and damn near fled the room.

"Hey, you." Gruff voice stated, drawing Kanda's attention. An older man, maybe forty or so, with bright red hair, a beard, and a strange half-face mask like covering glared at him. He raised his hand, holding a hammer in it and pointed to Kanda. "Where the hell'd you come from?" Kanda glanced down at what he was working on. It looked like a birdhouse. What kind of man made birdhouses in a cabin in the woods? Crazy men. That's who.

Kanda shifted in his seat and raised his eyebrows. "I almost ran over that kid in there."

"Oh my. That's unfortunate." The gentler voiced man moved to sit not far from Kanda or the other man. "The situation, I mean. Not that you didn't hit my son."

"Son?" Kanda looked at the man. His voice matched his face. Gentle and kind, but something…else laid at rest beneath. Something that promised great pain and harm to anyone who dared to cross him or his own. Oddly enough, this man made Kanda nervous.

"Yes. Adopted, but still. I am Mana Walker, that there is Marian Cross. And as I'm sure you already know, my son's name is Allen."

Kanda nodded and frowned. "Why don't you have electricity out here?"

Mana's face changed then. Something…unreadable crossed his features before a large, well-practiced but still fake smile pasted onto his face. "We can just say we prefer it that way."

That was a way of saying 'don't pry or else' if Kanda ever heard one. He cleared his throat and shifted slightly. "Do you have any spare tires here?"

"What's it to you, brat?" Marian asked, positioning a nail before smacking it with his hammer. Kanda shot him a peeved look. Komui didn't even dare to call him a brat.

"I have a flat. Usually a spare fixes that." He answered drily.

A bark of a laugh sounded from Mana. "I like this boy, Marian. He's willing to bite back."

"Heh. Yeah. And then some." Marian rolled his eyes and stood. "Goin' for a smoke. Allen! Hurry the hell up! I'm hungry already!"

"Patience is a virtue!" Came out from the way Allen had disappeared to. Marian snorted and turned, leaving with several loudly placed foot thumps before the front door creaked open and shut with a slam.

"Marian is a bit…rough on the outside."

"I hadn't noticed."

Mana smirked and nodded to Kanda's jacket. "If you don't mind my asking, where are you from boy?"

"I prefer to be called Kanda." He wasn't pleased with this labeling crap. Boy, brat…no wonder this Allen guy got so irritated when he'd called him beansprout.

"Ah, I'm sorry for my rudeness. Kanda, where are you from?"

Kanda shrugged.

"Your name sounds like it is from Asian descent. Would I be false?"

"No. I'm Japanese."

"I see. So Kanda would be your surname…correct?"

"…yes…"

"I take it you're not fond of being called your given name then."

Kanda ground his teeth and shifted again. "What are you, a profiler?"

"In a sense. I'm a retired circus clown. You learn to read people quite well."

"Hence the convincing fake smile."

Mana smiled. "I see you are decently adept at it as well."

"You learn not to give a damn after a while as an orphan."

The older man nodded slowly in understanding. "Yes…you do. The sad looks and pity begin to tire oneself, don't they?"

"Would you know?" Kanda meant for it to be snappier, but it came out more curious than that.

"Yes. My brother and I were orphaned when we were young. Nea died from a most unfortunate accident. Ironically, I found Allen in the same spot fourteen years later…"

"Dinner's ready." Allen walked in a set a large steaming serving bowl down on the table. "I just need to grab the rolls and place settings.

"I'll help." Mana rose and nodded to Kanda before leaving Kanda alone for a few moments.

…..

With a belly full of what was, begrudgingly, some of the best beef stew he'd ever had…Kanda laid upon the guest room bed with one arm under his head while his other was draped over his chest. He stared up at the ceiling. The sounds of animals trilling, howling, and moving around in the night weren't as annoying or oppressive as he'd thought they'd be. The moonlight was actually fairly comforting as it streamed into the room in gentle arcs of light. For all intents and purposes…he should have been asleep. There was an odd sort of tugging that stirred in his chest, keeping him wide awake. He felt unsettled. Like a wave tossing about on an angry ocean. He blew out a long sigh and rolled onto his side. He closed his eyes only to snap them back open. He laid utterly still as he heard a strange creak. He didn't dare breathe or move. He evened out his breaths and waited with his eyes closed, feigning sleep. The door moved open slowly on old hinges. The wood made the slightest sounds of sighing as someone crossed the room to the bed. The bed sank just barely with weight. He fought against the need to tense his body. Something lightly brushed over his forehead, moving his bangs from his eyes. He wanted so desperately to shoot upright and deck whoever dared to touch him. A long sigh blew out past the person's lips.

"You haven't changed a bit, Yuu." He knew that voice, the accent; it was Allen. Why the hell was Allen touching him?! "Well, at least your personality hasn't changed. I don't know if I'm happy you don't remember me or not…"

That was it. Kanda sat up and shoved Allen away. "Stop touching me!"

"Y-You…were awake?!" Allen asked suddenly, looking like a frightened kitten.

"Does it matter?! You were touching me while you thought I was asleep! That's messed up!"

Allen blinked before he glared. "Oh?! That's messed up?! Yeah, you're right! But so is disappearing one night and never coming home; making me worried sick over you! Then, one day…out of the blue, BAM! There you are! Skidding on the pathway and then yelling at ME! With no memory of who I am!"

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?!"

"It should!"

"Why?!"

"Because you—bah! This isn't going anywhere!" Allen rose only to have Kanda grab his wrist with a befuddled expression. "What?"

"I…I don't want you to go." Kanda answered in a small, very hesitant voice. Then he frowned angrily. "And I don't know why."

Allen heaved a sigh and sat down. "You'll be the bloody death of me, Yuu."

"Promise?" Kanda answered with a snort and froze. He noted that Allen did as well. They turned and looked at each other slowly. "That…it's like Déjà vu."

"It should be, you always used to say that."

"But I don't know you! How could I…and how do you even know my name!"

"Trust me, I know a lot about you. Your birthmark is just on the backside of your left thigh. It's shaped like a sword."

"But—I don't…this makes no sense!"

"No, it doesn't."

"Explain to me what you meant by my 'disappearing' one day."

"…That's a…long story."

"You woke me up. You tell me the damn story, beansprout."

"It's Allen."

"Tch, like I care."

Allen rolled his eyes but looked to the side and pursed his lips in thought. "You…kind of just appeared here one day. It's really weird, and that's all I can say. I was only ten at the time. Not long after Mana had found me. You were angry and grumpy all the time. We fought so much that I thought I hated you. At least…until I hit fifteen. Then…things…changed."

"…changed how…?"

"We…" Allen turned red and wrung his hands together. "Um…well, we kind of…became…romantically inclined. That's the best way I can word it without either of us…blushing madly."

Kanda looked away sharply. "Oh…" He felt his cheeks heat and a sense of awkward settle over him. "So…we…" He glanced at Allen pointedly.

Allen nodded and looked away. "A year later, you just…vanished. You went for a walk and never came back."

"But…why?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Allen snapped, but beneath it, Kanda could see something akin to hurt on the younger man's features.

"This makes no sense. I was born in Japan, my parents died in a car wreck ten years ago. I was twelve when it happened. I…" Kanda faltered as he blinked and tried to remember everything from then until the present. The only thing that really was clear was when he arrived at the Lee's residence on his eighteenth birthday. He didn't really remember much and figured it was due to the fact he'd never remembered much after the wreck. Komui had not only brushed it off as normal, but he'd never pushed Kanda for any details. Now it struck him as odd; sad it took four years to figure that out. "I…don't remember up until then…"

"Maybe…you repressed it?"

"Why would I repress that?"

"I don't know! People do weird things for weird reasons!"

"Look, whatever happened, I don't think I'm this guy you're talking about. Maybe there's some other guy that looks and acts the same."

"With the same birthmark? Name? Age?"

"I don't know! Okay?!"

"Okay!" Allen stood up and turned, storming across the room. "Sorry I bothered you."

Kanda watched the door close before flopping back onto his back. He stared at the ceiling and wondered if he'd ever be able to sleep a proper night again…

…..

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"Exactly what you showed me to do!"

"No, I showed you to turn the wrench this way! Not to break my damn bike!"

"I'm not trying to break it! It's just such a stubborn piece of—"

"Don't you talk about my bike like that!"

"Seriously?! The bike is not going to get its feelings hurt."

Kanda stopped what he was doing and looked up at Allen from where he was crouched below the seat of the bike. His face painted rather easily just what he thought of Allen's question.

"What?" Allen frowned, shifting his weight.

"Are you a moron?"

"No! Are you?"

"My bike doesn't have 'feelings'. It's not living, idiot." Kanda rolled his eyes while returning to his task. He ignored the flash of coloring on the white-haired man's face.

"That's it! Forget helping you!" Allen growled and spun to leave. His foot caught on the grassy ground. His arms pin wheeled around as he stumbled backward; into the bike. Kanda had just enough time to shove his hands against the side of the bike to keep it from toppling over onto him and crushing him as Allen flipped over the seat and promptly atop the dark-haired man. Both groaned in pain as Allen landed roughly over Kanda.

"You're heavy, get off!"

"You're not exactly the most comfortable pillow either! Like cuddling a cactus!"

"I'd prefer an anvil to your heavy ass."

Allen rolled to the side and sat up on his knees, glaring down at Kanda. His small hands clamped over his hips as he ground his teeth. Kanda sneered until he saw the beginning puddle of tears in the set of grey-blue eyes that were narrowed upon him. His mind blanked as his hand reached up and set gently over the smaller man's cheek. He ran his thumb over Allen's cheekbone. Allen stared at Kanda in mild confusion before he shifted closer to Kanda.

"My butt is not that heavy." Allen pouted.

"No…it's not."

Allen looked away before swearing under his breath. "Screw this…" He turned back to Kanda suddenly and pressed his lips to Kanda's. Kanda froze. Everything he grew up with knowing flared up in his mind screaming at him to shove the other male away. That it was 'wrong'. But there was something else…a tiny bubble floating through his mind and a blanket enveloping his heart that sang a different tune. He let go of the warning in his mind. It was holding him back and keeping him from something that he wanted to know. Like a heavily fortified wall surrounding a cottage that he could only get glimpses of from time to time. He could feel the wall begin to crumble. With each nip of Allen's teeth on his lip to the way his small hands slid over his hip or side. Spider webs spread throughout in a series of cracks and fissures in the wall until it came down with a resounding roar.

Kanda gasped and moved away from Allen all too quickly. He gulped air at his head exploded with images and memories and feelings. They rushed him at once like a giant tidal wave. He could hardly hear Allen asking him something in the back of his consciousness. Allen…that name brought such a bittersweet sense of falling to him. It broke him while it built him. It tore him apart while it stitched him together again. He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted to laugh and run. He moved to look at Allen more fully.

His Allen. How could he forget that face? How could have have…forgotten everything?

"Allen…" He said softly before tackling the white-haired male. His kiss was needy and passioned. It didn't stop. Allen cried and clung to Kanda. It wasn't long before their bodies were fevered and rushing for that moment of ultimate bliss with one another. Allen's moans were muffled in Kanda's hand while Kanda's were muffled on Allen's back. They collapsed on the grassy floor just outside the barn. They were out of the sight of the house. Kanda wrapped Allen in his arms securely. Allen snuggled into his embrace fully. He allowed a long sigh to escape in content. Kanda smiled into Allen's shoulder.

"That was…unexpected."

"Tell me about it, Moyashi."

"…" Allen stiffened before he rolled over. "Mo…yashi? You…do you remember?"

"Of course." Kanda smiled at him mischievously. "I guess it just took a little 'refresher' to remember."

Allen snorted and sat up, grabbing for his pants. "Do you think you'll be staying long this time?"

Kanda heard the slightly bitter tone in Allen's voice. "I didn't intend to leave in the first place, Moyashi."

"From Beansprout to Moyashi." Allen rolled his eyes. "You and your weird names for people. What does Moyashi even mean?"

Kanda grinned. "Beansprout."

"…" Allen turned and play-hit Kanda repeatedly. "I'm not a beansprout! My name is Allen!"

Kanda laughed and caught Allen's wrists. "I know! And trust me, I have no intention of leaving again without you…"

"But what if…you do?"

"You'll be with me. So there's no chance I'm going without you again."

"Promise?"

"I swear it, Moyashi."

"Agh! It's Allen!"

…..

They walked with their hands connected through the long underbrush pathway. Neither of them were sure of what to make of that morning. They'd gotten up like the usual for the past month and headed downstairs for breakfast. Marian had made some disparaging remark that had Kanda ready to attack, Mana deflated it, and they ate and then sat down for another day of…not much. It was one of the few that stuck with Kanda from his time in…wherever it was he'd gone. There was movement. Time flowed and there was usually something to do. Sitting in a cabin in the abandoned woods for miles was…well…dissatisfying. Sure, he had Allen…but still. Boredom wasn't avoidable.

That morning had been different though. Mana approached them both with a satchel for each. He smiled and told them they should take a nice long watch to the blackberry brambles in the valley. The look Marian had tossed them was puzzling. It was loaded with…something. Neither knew what. They'd taken the satchels and asked why they had to go all the way there and not just to the brambles nearby. Mana had merely smiled and shook his head.

"The blackberries from the valley are the best." Was the only answer they'd received. So they'd gone without another question. They were already almost to the bramble. They'd been walking slow and easy for the past hour. Allen suddenly stopped and groaned, grabbing his stomach. Kanda paused to ask him what was wrong when he too was hit with a rather vicious stomach cramp. Both crumbled to the ground. Allen clutched Kanda's hand roughly. Both men writhed in pain for several long moments before they fell utterly still. If any had stood to watch, they would have seen the air shimmer and ripple around them. Within a few seconds, they would have distorted completely until they vanished and the air returned to normal. There would be no indication of their passing except for the crushed down underbrush where they'd fallen.

The air shifted around them. Kanda moved first with a long, low groan. He opened his eyes slowly and blinked several times. The surroundings cleared from their blurred state slowly until he could make out some tree tops, the sounds of splashing and laughter and the heat that rolled over his skin. He moved his head and looked to see Allen lying beside him with their hands still entwined. Allen's eyes slowly opened. He watched at the younger man blinked repeatedly until his own vision cleared as well.

"Yuu?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah…what happened?"

"If I remember correctly…we've shifted places. I think I went through that last time…when I disappeared."

Allen gasped and sat up quickly. "Mana!"

"…if…we are where we think we are, then Mana's far away from us now."

Allen looked at Kanda and closed his eyes. Pain flashed over his face before he took a deep breath. "You're right…"

"Come on. Let's go. If I know anything, I know the Lee's will be looking for me and they'll be anxious to meet you."

"I thought you didn't remember me until you came back. So why would they be anxious?"

"Komui will be more than ecstatic to find out I'm not after his baby sister Lenalee…"

Allen paused before he blushed and laughed. "I see…"

Kanda led the way back off the path toward the road. If they were lucky, they might be able to hitchhike the twenty miles back to the Lee's place.

…..

"Well?" Marian grumbled as Mana came back into the cabin after a long hike back from the brambles himself.

"They've gone back."

"Huh."

"You've something on your mind, Marian."

"Would you do you all over again?"

"Take him in? Raise him? Help both boys? Give them the safe place to realize and nurture their love?"

"You know what I meant. No more philosophical bullshit. If you could do it all over again, would you change anything?"

Mana smiled and looked out the window as the sun set below the many treetops. The colors painted over the branches turning the green leaves and pine into hues of oranges, golds, reds, and purples. "Who knows?"

My first idea was to end this cliché like with him saying 'I wouldn't change a thing' but…really? Is that really Mana? From what I know of him, he's rather mysterious and very aloof with his answers. I couldn't picture him giving Marian a straight answer. A question? Yes. I hope you all enjoyed it! Thanks so much for the read! As always, feel free to leave a review on your way out!

Love,

Erika Hearken