az: Several days ago, I had a fever. My thoughts over it made me feel like doing a drabble of myself on LJ… but instead, I toss it and made this instead. Enjoy. And aren't you glad my muse being oh so creative? I had the ending of this shot on the way home in a bus later…

2010 Edit: Because I felt like it


Disclaimer: I don't own -man. I just based a story on the manga/anime/novel. Original plot and character designs are copyrights of Hoshino Katsura. No infringements are intended and plots are solely intended for leisure reading.


A touch of kindness

Written by Izzu aka Izumi Ishtar aka honou-no-izumi

o

o

He hadn't noticed anything wrong that time several days after he had returned home, after that lousy mission he received the moment the mission on Matel was resolved. But certainly… that wouldn't be the reason for this peculiar behaviour coming from him… right?

xxx

Kanda gave a small groan as he walked irritably towards his room. On his way, he stumbled onto Allen. Kanda groaned again.

"Oh… it's you Moyashi…"

Allen glanced towards him, almost in a daze. His eyes brightened a little as he noticed the Japanese lad.

"Oh Kanda… welcome back."

Kanda shrugged off the reply but then stopped in mid-stance before proceeding to his room when he noticed that there was no outburst coming from Allen about him calling the kid a beansprout again. He cocked his head.

"Hey, is anything wrong with you?"

Allen jumped at the question. "Huh? Err… nothing! Nothing really…", answered Allen nervously.

Kanda smirked, the brat could be so easy to read. Yes… there WAS something wrong with him, he thought gleefully. He noticed that Allen had hidden his weapon-arm behind his back and guessed it might be related to it.

"What happened to your arm—?", he asked as Allen squeaked in terror.

After much pestering and forcing, Kanda finally caught the hand. Allen gulped aloud as Kanda stared at the wounded arm.

"These marks… you don't tell me you haven't got it fixed already?", asked Kanda as he saw the nervous look of the young one.

"N-no… uh, hehe…", said Allen nervously before looking all scared. "But… but… Komui-san's evil drill!", Allen said in low voice before continuing, "…but just now he finally noticed that I haven't had it fixed-I really had hoped that he'd forget about it after the Komurin incident…"

Kanda sighed. But then, he could not help but sympathize. He patted the bean's head.

"Well… good luck then. With the drills…", he said as he turned towards his room.

xxx

He wondered if that kid was really okay. Err… not that he really cared about the bean. But the mission in Matel had brought the two of them together. Well... not really that close but Kanda realised even then that the lad was more than just a brat. And also, yeah... he was feeling a little worried about the kid. Since that time they last talked, he noticed that Allen had looked paler each day...

Kanda paused before the library as he saw Linalee. "Ah.. Linalee-!", he called as the girl turned towards him.

"Ah, Kanda! What is it-?"

Kanda stuttered. "Moyashi- I mean, have you seen Allen around?", he asked as Linalee blinked at him worriedly.

"Allen-? I've seen him practicing by himself these few days at the training area. Why? Is there something wrong with Allen? He's been a bit pale recently after all-", asked Linalee as Kanda chuckled nervously to mask his worries.

"Oh no... just wondering...", said Kanda off-handedly as he hastily left for his room.

Sighing nervously as he entered the residential floor, Kanda sauntered casually towards his room wondering about that little white-haired beansprout that had been the main concern on his mind at the moment. Usually if it was another person, he wouldn't have cared. But...

Kanda's thoughts froze for a moment as several paces towards his room, a small figure lying unconscious on the floor. He ran over the fallen Allen as he shook the lad's body.

Honestly, haven't anyone passed this place before him at all? How long have the kid lie here in the cold?-!

"Moyashi... Allen, Allen! Wake up! What's wrong with you...?"

Allen slowly opened his eyes in a daze as he noticed Kanda. He woke up in fright as he sat up. "Ahh, Sorry! I must have been very tired... sorry, I'll get to my room now-"

"Hey, baka. Wait-!", said Kanda as he tried to stop Allen before his hand brushed over Allen's right arm. His eyes widened at the sensation of the warm skin...

"Sorry to bother you Kan-", Kanda immediately caught Allen as soon as he saw him starting to sway. He glanced over to see that Allen had passed out again. Kanda placed a hand on Allen's forehead. He sighed.

Hot. Very hot. It seemed that his previous instincts have not been baseless. There was something really wrong with Allen. And he was a little grateful to himself that he had decided to go looking for the kid. Kanda lifted Allen and headed toward the corridors leading to his room.

xxx

It felt warm... and so cosy...

Allen slowly opened his eyes towards his room as he felt a little lightheaded. He turned towards the wall beside him and wondered why that big picture of a clown walking under the moonlight was missing before realising that this was not really his room. Something wet was placed on his head as he gasped.

"Hmm?", came a familiar voice beside him as he turned. He exclaimed loudly again and tried to get up as the person forced him to remain lying down.

"Idiot. Sick people should lie in bed. Why did you never tell anybody that you had a fever?", asked Kanda as he replaced the fallen towel back on top of Allen's forehead. Kanda placed the bowl of water aside as he glared at him sternly.

Allen shrunk himself into the bed.

"Sorry. I started feeling all weird after Komui fixed my arm. But then, I felt a little better and I started practising with my arm. I guess... I overworked myself-", said Allen apologetically as he pulled the covers over his face to further hide his bare top and face. Kanda pulled it down again as his features softened.

"No, I don't think that was the real reason...", said Kanda as he held Allen's left arm gently. He remembered when he had watched over while Allen sleep on his lap that time, before he left for another mission; that there was one vertical slash on his wrist and-

Kanda sighed as he remembered it. That slash on the arm that was located so near towards Allen's flesh shoulders. He ran his hand over the shoulder, cursing at Komui silently in his mind. He turned towards Allen.

"You should have told me. I know that Komui was a little crazy about fixing stuff... but I can't believe that he clearly ignored the fact that he might cause trauma on your body that was not part of your Innocence! Now look at you...', said Kanda exasperatedly as he placed a hand on Allen's cheeks.

"Sorry Kanda... I shouldn't have troubled you-"

"Shh!", scolded Kanda as he buttoned back his shirt. "Wait here... I'll get some medicine for you-"

Kanda got up as immediately, Allen grabbed his wrist; shaking his head feverishly. Kanda frowned. "What? Don't you want to get better? You won't, if you don't take your medicine..."

Still, Allen shook his head. Suddenly, Kanda's memories reverted back towards the times when he had been a small child, under the care of his parents. He had remembered that one of his childhood neighbour had been bothersome because he had been afraid to take his medicine. That kid at that time, had been ill...

Kanda grinned. "Moyashi... are you afraid of taking medicine?", he asked and almost as if he had expected it, a faint blush emerged from Allen's cheeks.

"Don't tease me... you don't know what I had went through. The first few weeks when we first reached India, I had fallen sick. And Master gave me this awful Indian medicine and forced me to drink it. Yuck...", said Allen, making a very disgusted look. Kanda chuckled in amusement.

"Trust me. The medicine I'm going to get you won't even taste as foul as Komui's awful experiments. Rest a while. This is my room anyway... don't feel troubled-", said Kanda as he shut the door behind him. Allen stared at the door as he heard the soft click, meaning that the door was locked. Allen heaved a long sigh and tried to sleep...

xxx

Kanda shove his keys inside his pants pocket as he headed towards the cafeteria. To think that Allen was now inside his room, on his bed... locked in...

Kanda shook his head at the naughty thoughts that started to form on his head. He slapped himself for being random. And oh... what had he been trying to do-? Oh the cafeteria... cafeteria...

xxx

"Jerry-!", called Kanda as the Indian appeared before him. The man greeted him as Kanda asked. 'Do you still had some rice... and er, sake?', said Kanda as the man nodded.

"Yes... what do you want to eat? Oh... soba-", Kanda stopped him just in the nick of time.

"No, I wasn't in an appetite for that, at the moment...", Kanda explained. Loooking cautiously around him, he whispered to Jerry of what food that he wanted to order.

"And also... can you add this into it-", said Kanda again as he whispered in the details as the Indian looked at him curiously.

"Kanda... are you sick?", said the man as Kanda innocently shook his head.

"No... just a little cold. Can you have it done?", he asked as the cook gave his affirmative. Kanda sighed in relief as he added. "And can you put it in a container? I wanted to eat it in my room instead-", he said as the man cheerfully said yes.

Kanda smiled as he watched the cook do his magic just as someone slapped him at his back. Kanda jumped.

"Yuu-chan!", cried Rabi cheerfully as Kanda glared at him.

"What- Lavi?", he asked sourly as Lavi pouted at him.

"Whoa... Yuu-chan, you're cold! I just wanted to greet you only! I tried to catch you earlier but I can't find you anywhere...", he said as Kanda scowled.

"Not now... Lavi. I have no mood to entertain your nonsense today-"

Lavi whined. "Oh... and Kanda. Have you seen that new kid around? I've only had been back a while, but I can't see the kid anywhere also-"

Kanda raised an eyebrow. "Huh, you mean the beansprout?", said Kanda as Lavi looked at him curiously.

"Bean- ah, Yuu-chan, you knew him already? Where is he... I wanna greet him. You know... Panda is evil. Tomorrow, he wanted me to go somewhere else again for that... Bookman job thingie. That's so bad! I wanted to hang around longer-!"

"Good...", hissed Kanda under his breath as he smiled innocently at Lavi. At that moment, Jerry popped up with the food container, wrapped in cloth. Kanda gave a cry.

"Oh, thank you... Jerry-", said Kanda as he grabbed the bento. "And Lavi... please excuse me..."

"Ah, Kanda... returning to your room already? Can I join in too... it's been a while since we last hang togeth-"

Mugen's tip immediately hovered inches from his nose in a flash, as Lavii shut his mouth in alarm. Kanda gave him a warning glare as he exited the hall, hastily.

xxx

Kanda locked his door behind him again as he placed the bento on the side table. He walked towards his bed as he gently nudged Allen's cheeks.

"Allen, Allen... I'm back."

Kanda helped the kid sit up as he sat beside him. Allen blinked away his sleep as he looked up towards Kanda.

"Huh, back already?", he asked as Kanda nodded. He took the bento on his lap and smiled at the sight of it.

"Something... wrong?", asked Allen as Kanda shook his head. "Not at all. I just... reminisced a little of times when I'm small. My mum used to wrap my bento like this every time when she sent me to the kendo dojo. It's... a little nostalgic-", he explained as Allen smiled in a daze.

"Oh? So nice... Kanda's mum-"

Kanda slowly opened the ties as he glanced towards Allen. "And how did you feel now? Any better?", he asked as Allen shrugged.

"A little. A bit light headed... but-", Kanda pulled the kid closer as he placed the opened container on the lad's lap.

"Eat it. It should ease the fever a little...", he said as Allen gave a delighted smile at the smell of the food.

"Waah! Chicken porridge! Thanks!", cried Allen happily as Kanda handed him the spoon. The lad grinned again as he ate several spoonfulls.

"So tasty-!", said Allen so happily as Kanda smiled. He patted Allen's head fondly as he watched the sick kid eat his fill.

"Allen-"

"Hmm?", asked Allen with a spoon in his mouth as Kanda chuckled.

He shook his head. "Let's... keep this thing between the two of us only, okay? I don't want the rest of the people here to find out that both of us had become so close and friendly together. We'll be nice to each other ONLY when it's just the two of us around...", Allen nodded happily as Kanda eyed him fondly.

Who can't be fond of this oh-so-adorable kid? Despite their initial rivaltries, both of them kind of clicked together. After all, unlike other people, Allen did not give up so easily when approached roughly by the likes of people like him. And well... perhaps, that was the main reason that had opened his heart to accept Allen by his side.

He was so deep in thought that he was taken aback at the sudden emergence of Allen's hand in front of his face. "Huh? what?", he gasped as he saw that Allen was showing him his pinky.

"It's a promise then...", said Allen as Kanda grinned. He felt a little bit out of character today for all the grinning and smiling, but it felt good for a change after all...

Kanda linked his pinky with Allen as he sang the Pinky swear song.

"Yubikiri genman, uso tsuitara... hari senbon no-masu-", sang Kanda as Allen looked up to him, curious. Kanda smiled as he explained. "It's a promise then, so Allen... you tell others, I'll poke your eyes with Mugen. It's a Pinky swear!", said Kanda almost too cheerfully as Allen cringed.

Allen laughed half-heartedly as Kanda shrugged it off. They unlinked pinkies as Kanda reminisced again. It felt like being back to his childhood again, he thought as he remembered doing the Pinky promise with his parents. Kanda immediately wiped the expression off his face as he turned towards Allen.

"Hey... finish that porridge...", he said as Allen yawned. There was still a little portion left.

"But Kanda... suddenly, I felt so sleep-ee-", said Allen in a daze as Kanda caught Allen's hand. He placed the bento on the side table as he held Allen's sleeping form.

"Of course you are. I asked Jerry to add tamagozake in the porridge. Sleep well..."

xxx

Kanda brushed a strand of white hair to the side as he planted a soft kiss on his forehead. Allen gave a resigned sigh as he tucked him securely in bed. Timcanpy hovered beside his head.

"Watch over your master now, Tim. I'm going back to sleep", said Kanda as the little golem nodded. "And never replayed the scene in front of Allen after this on how I carried him back to his room... or you'll be sorry-"

Timcanpy gave a startled flutter as it flew away. Kanda sighed as he turned to watch Allen again. The little twerp already oblivious to the living world now and hopefully did not cause any more trouble. He sighed as he gave a look at the picture on the side of the wall before heading out. Tim flung its tail at him as Kanda glared at him, irritatedly.

"What!", he hissed as Tim gave him a key. Kanda frowned as he realized what the golf ball wanted to say.

"Lock the room after me? But... then Allen would later-", Tim pointed its small arm towards the small gap under the door as Kanda replied with a small oh. Kanda nodded as he shut the door and locked it. He slid the key back under the gap as he wondered just how intricate Timcanpy's machineries go. I mean... it's not like the other golems, come to think about it. As if, Tim was alive in a way...

"Kanda... Kanda? You're in?"

Kanda hid himself at the side of the wall as he heard Lavi's voice, two blocks from where he was. Which was the narrow corridor leading up to his room. He held his breath as he heard Lavi's footfalls coming out into the main corridors.

"Aah... where did that guy go-? And this was my last chance today... and we're going out tomorrow early in the morning. Sheesh, Kanda is so sneaky... hiding out so well from me...", said Lavii as his voice grows fainter. Kanda took a peek out and saw that Lavi had already walked further from his room. He took a long silent dash into his room's corridors as he pressed his back against the walls.

Lavi paused as he looked around his back. Empty. And what was this sneaky feeling as if he had just being duped? He sighed to himself as he walked towards his room.

Kanda grinned as he entered his room and locked the doors. He snorted with amusement as he sat on his bed, delighted at the fact that Lavi had failed to bother him much today. And the fact it had been so fun, sneaking away like that. Like a skillful ninja.

Kanda laughed again as he eyed the almost empty container filled with left over porridge. He smiled fondly.

"Well, I might as well finish it..."

xxx

Morning.

Allen yawned as the sun shone brightly into the room. He smiled as Tim greeted him. "Good morning, Timcanpy-", he said cheerfully as the gold gollem twirled happily around him. Allen smiled. He turned towards the hanging picture beside his bed as he sighed.

Good morning Mana. Sorry if I made you worry..., thought Allen as he glanced towards the window...

xxx

"Ha-ii!", sighed Allen as he stretched himself. "What a nice day today!", he exclaimed happily.

"Well... you looked like you've recovered your health this morning-"

Allen turned towards the voice as he smiled. "Good morning Kanda! I've had a wonderful dream last night!"

Kanda cocked his head at him. "What did you mean?"

"I dreamt that my dad was tucking me to sleep. But the guy scolded me saying that he wasn't my father and made me call him onii-chan instead-", said Allen happily. He missed the slight smirk on the other's face.

"That's what you call a nice dream?", asked Kanda in amusement as Allen shook his head. "But it made me feel so happy! Like a ray of sunshine!", said Allen as Kanda ruffled his head.

"You seemed as if the fever had never happened yesterday. Okay... today I'm treating you to a soba. Take it as reward to you for getting well!", said Kanda.

Allen's eyes shone. "Really...?"

Kanda grinned. Perhaps he shouldn't have made the offer. But Allen was so cute right now... and Lavi was already off on another study trip with his old guy...

"Yes. I'm in a good mood after all! Let's go...", said Kanda as he dragged Allen away.

"Oh... and I want to order Nasi Goreng some more, Tosai with hot curry... mashed potatoes... it's been a while since I had any appetite eating them..."

"-haii... hai-", replied Kanda as Allen continued with the list of food...

xxx

Acchoo!

Lavi sneezed as old Bookman called towards him. He sighed as he ran up towards him. And where the hell they got that big elephant from?-! The young exorcist sighed as he wondered over the people back at Headquarters...

xxx

"Reever, do you want some help on tha-"

Reever Wenham shook his head as he carried the stacks of paper. "No worries, Komui would probably- eh, Lenalee?', asked Reever as he noticed the girl's surprised look. Lenalee pointed towards the cafeteria as he turned to look. And Reever almost dropped his papers at the sight of what he saw...

Several emptied plates stacked as the side of the empty table, ignored; while the rest of the finders and Jerry watched with apt interest as two exorcist happily enjoyed their breakfast. Err... make it too happy.

Kanda laughed as he tried to stuff the fried gyoza into Allen's mouth as Allen tried to escape with his full mouth. Allen retailated as he broke the gyoza into two with his fingers and stuffed it into Kanda's mouth. And to the shock of everyone, Kanda smiled as he chomped on the gyoza and the two acted like very good friends of many years.

Lenalee grinned as she watched the two from afar.

"A-ah... it seems the two of them did get along despite whatever both of them said before. Ah, let's get back to work!", said Reever as they left for the library. And the two exorcist continued to enjoy their meals as the rest of the occupants around them shied further to allow no disturbance that might disturb the harmony...

The end.


az: Lol. To think that I had wrapped it up in the bus while holding on to D. Gray-man volume 2... hahahahaa...

Omake

After they have eaten their fill. Home.

Allen: Oh... Kanda, how did you know that I had been a little ill?

Kanda: -shrugs- Well... I saw the most obvious of signs...

Allen: -looks at Kanda curiously- What signs?

Kanda: -grins- The last few days, you hadn't ordered so many food at once. And yesterday at breakfast... you only managed to half-finish that fried rice...

Allen: -blushs- Oh... and come to think, Kanda. Did you called me Allen last night?

Kanda: -tensed- Err... no! When I ever- honestly, your head must have been muddled by the fever...

Allen: -disappointed- Oh. But Kanda... thanks for taking care of me last night... -Kanda nodding and humming a tune- Err... Kanda? Are you drunk?

Kanda: lalalalalalalaaaaa-


2010 A/N: Leaving that random Omake because I don't want to give false alarm on people.

This old piece had been written few years ago back when the official name spelling and stuffs weren't released yet. And obviously this was written without knowing what could have happened in the Alma Karma of DGM so pretend that memory Kanda was referring to was actually him mixing up his past life's memory and his current life's memories. And well, that aside... probably in the past I had been reading too many doujins so that should explain the random off-characters.

Ja.