~ Not what it looks like ~
________________________________________________________________________
"Oh my…"
It was a very awkward moment as the three friends stared at each other, Lenalee with one hand pressed over her mouth, eyes wide in something akin to shock.
The two male teens broke apart from their lip locked embrace, gasping.
"This is not what it looks like." Kanda said desperately, trying to pull himself as far away from Allen as he could in the confined space of the small storage room.
"I know this looks like we're making out in a locker sized storage room, but we're not. Just give me a chance to explain." Allen chirped in, eyes frantic. A plea Lenalee may have been able to take more seriously if he hadn't had his arms wrapped loosely around Kanda's neck.
Very slowly Lenalee took a step back. "Sorry for interrupting." She murmured red in the face as she shut the door on the two boys.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- A few hours earlier -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
"If it irritates you then move Bakanda!"
"Che! Everything you say pisses me off you damn Moyashi!"
"Hey, hey." Lavi said soothingly, attempting to placate the two quarreling teens.
What had started as simple dispute over who sat where while they ate, had some how digressed into a cut throat battle of wits and fists and Lavi found himself thanking the heavens that both boys were to preoccupied, well… fighting to recall they were in fact exorcist's and did in fact have much more damaging weapons at their disposal.
"You stay out of this." Allen and Kanda hissed in unison, the flames dancing behind them clearly letting Lavi know that his peace making attempts were currently not appreciated and they would rather continue tearing each other limb from limb.
The cafeteria had cleared out promptly the second Allen had spoken up "Hey Bakanda! I was going to sit there," and now it was just Lavi and his two brawling friends.
Lavi had had enough. In the past week or so the fighting had reached its peak. The smallest things could send the two exorcists spiraling into a cut throat battle which shook the head quarters and disturbed its inhabitants. That mixed with Koumi's impossible experiments did not make for a very happy living arrangement. Something had to be done. And as Lavi sincerely doubted that anybody was going to step in and assist, and Koumi never listened to a word anybody but Lenalee said, so he supposed the responsibility to do 'something' fell in his lap.
"You knocked over my Soba!" It was clear by the growl in Kanda's voice that Allen had crossed the line.
"You knocked over my food first!" Allen shouted back.
"MOYASHI!" Kanda roared, and seemed to remember his Mugen strapped to his side. In one fluid movement it was slicing through the air towards Allen.
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Lavi shouted, thumping his fist on the table and glaring at the two surprised teens, which were currently frozen with Allen's left arm in mid air and the tip of Kanda's Mugen resting an inch away from Allen's nose.
"Che." Was Kanda's response, he allowed his Mugen to drop and looked pointedly off to the side. Allen allowed his innocence to deactivate and folded his arms stubbornly.
"Oh for the… No one here cares about your petty squabbles." Lavi growled, clearly annoyed. "If you feel the need to slice each other to pieces to show your affection do it else--."
"—Affection?!" Kanda interrupted, spinning around to glare at the Baka Usagi.
"Yes, Yu-chan. Affection."
"What affection?" Allen demanded. "I was just trying to dismember that Bakanda."
Lavi looked like he himself was fighting the urge to pull out his own innocence and whack the pair around the head with it.
"Come with me." He demanded, in a threatening voice neither man had known him to posses.
When it looked like neither would comply Lavi stood up suddenly, making the table shake and Allen and Kanda start. Without waiting for a questions he stalked over and grabbed them both by the arms, hauling them out of the cafeteria and through the hallway.
"Where the hell do you think you're taking me Baka Usagi!" Kanda growled, trying to rip his arm free as they came to a jarring halt before a sturdy looking door.
"What the…" Allen trailed off as something registered. A foreboding feeling made itself known in his stomach.
"Isn't this an unused store--."
In one swift movement Lavi ripped Kanda's Mugen from his hand and opened the storeroom door, shoving both males inside and slamming it before they had a chance to complain.
Allen and Kanda was plunged into pitch blackness as the heard the heart sinking click of a lock being engaged on the other side of the door.
"You're not coming out until you think about what you mean to each other!" Lavi's muffled voice barely reached the crowded interior of the room. There was the sound of retreating footsteps as Allen's brain struggled to comprehend what had just occurred.
The storage room was no bigger then a closet and being able to fit two people in there was an accomplishment Allen did not know was possible. Of course, it meant it wasn't a comfortable fit.
"Uhh… Kanda? Your elbow's in my side."
"Well, your knee's in my gut." Kanda promptly retorted.
"I'm sorry." Allen replied, more then slightly miffed. "This space is not mean to have to people crammed into it."
"And whose fault do you suppose that is?" Kanda snapped.
"Yours, of course!"
"You damn Moyashi!" Kanda snarled.
"Okay, okay." Allen said hurriedly, making a move to raise his hands in passive defense, but due to the awkward positioning only succeeded in sliding his hands up Kanda's stomach.
The elder man twitched, and Allen attempted to find something to do with his hands now that they were up and he most certainly did not feel like sliding his hands over Kanda's stomach again in a way that could be deemed sexual.
"Move!" Allen demanded.
"You!"
"Just…"
"- Your arm."
"- To the left."
Eventually the two managed to work themselves in to a position though highly awkward, used the space to the best of their advantage.
Allen felt Kanda's breath lightly brush across his cheek and he felt blood rush to his cheeks.
They both had their backs pressed up against the walls, legs entangled and Allen's hands were planted on the wall just above Kanda's shoulders, Kanda's own hands resting lightly on Allen's waist because – well, heck. There was nowhere else to put them.
It was hard to tell in the dark, but Allen supposed their faces were only inches apart judging by the light tickle Kanda's exhales were making on his skin.
"I'm going to kill that damn Usagi when we get out of here." Kanda growled, breaking the uneasy silence that had fallen between them.
"I'll join you." Allen offered and he felt Kanda's hands on his waist tighten slightly. Instantly his face flooded with blood again. Thank god it was dark.
"Why the hell are you blushing you damn Moyashi?"
"How the hell did you know?!" Allen demanded.
"Our faces are barely an inch apart, I can practically feel the heat radiating off you."
Allen grimaced in embarrassment and muttered something under his breath, all Kanda caught were a few words such as close, uncomfortable, awkward.
"You're muttering Moyashi."
"I said, it's awkward and uncomfortable being this close." Allen snapped back
"Che. You think I like being stuck in a closet with a Moyashi like you?" Kanda scoffed and Allen growled under his breath.
In truth, it wasn't just that that was responsible for the color painting his cheeks. True, it was uncomfortable and awkward being this close… but Allen didn't necessarily dislike it. And that made him all the more uncomfortable.
'You're not coming out until you think about what you mean to each other.'
Could this perhaps be what Lavi meant?
"Oi, Moyashi. What are you thinking." Kanda asked, jarring Allen from his thoughts. Allen frowned.
"What do you care Bakanda?" He shot back, his arms wobbling alarmingly for a second, almost falling on to Kanda's shoulders.
Was it just Allen or did Kanda's breath hitch a little bit?
"Just answer the question."
"I'm thinking that if somebody doesn't open the door soon my arms are going to give out." Allen muttered.
O__________________________________________________O
It had been at least an hour since Lavi crudely shoved Allen and Kanda into the closet like space and Allen wasn't sure his arms could keep pressed up against the wall for much longer. He had long since lost all feeling in them and neither he nor Kanda had spoken a word since the 'what are you thinking' conversation a while back. The silence was becoming almost unbearable.
"Uhh… Do you think Lavi would come and rescue us if we shouted loud enough?" Allen said just to break the awkward silence.
"…"
"Yeah. Didn't think so."
The silence fell between them again and Allen was becoming acutely aware of every single breath that passed Kanda's lips and of every single shift of his body. It was hard not to in such a confined space. Allen would bet Kanda could feel every single move no matter how small he made too.
Allen groaned. "My arms are killing me."
"Che. Like you have any right to complain." Kanda growled back.
And with that retort being said Allen's arms promptly gave out and fell around Kanda's shoulders.
"What the hell are you doing, Moyashi!" Kanda snapped, voice panicking.
"It told you my arms were going to give out." Allen replied numbly.
"Get your arms off me!"
"Well get your hands off my waist!" Allen snapped back.
Kanda quickly tried to withdraw his hands, but the attempt at raising them off Allen's waist resulted in the solid thunk of them immediately hitting the wall. Clearly, the space between Allen and the walls either side of him was non existent.
Grudgingly the hands returned to Allen's waist.
"Can't." Kanda grunted.
"Yeah. That's what I thought."
It was silent for a moment.
"When we got out of here and I have my Mugen, you are so dead Moyashi."
"Suck it up like a man, Kanda. We'll probably be in here a while."
Kanda's only response was some low grumbling and Allen felt a superior smirk slowly worming itself onto his face. A smirk that almost instantly vanished when Kanda's hands slipped from their respective position on his hips to slid in behind him, wrapping around his waist, and hence their already tangled legs pulled them even closer.
"K-Kanda?"
"Shut up. It's not as tiring on my arms this way. If you're allowed to rest your fucking arms so am I."
Kanda's breath skated lightly over Allen's skin and the younger boy felt himself shiver slightly. Allen was sure he was not imagining things this time. He was one hundred percent certain that Kanda's breath was hitching.
The stood like that for a moment, Allen with his arms draped around Kanda's shoulders, and Kanda with his arms wrapped around Allen's waist, legs entangled and their breathing irregular.
"This is --." Allen cut himself off abruptly, flushing red. Kanda cocked an eyebrow.
"Is what, Moyashi?"
"No. Never mind. Forget it." Allen said hurriedly, turning his head, a few stray strands of hair gently brushing Kanda's cheek.
Allen gasped as Kanda tightened his grip around his waist.
"Is what, Moyashi?" Kanda repeated slowly.
Allen – cheeks still painted a bright shade of red – stammered as he looked for the right words.
"Is … Uh… Uh…"
"Moyashi…" Kanda's tone held a threatening under tone.
"Is actually kinda, well it actually feels kind of… Good?"
The storeroom fell into a kind of shocked silence following Allen's admission.
"Moyashi…"
"See. I told you to forget it." Allen tried to back away in the limited space offered and looked up in was surprise when Kanda's grip on his waist tightened, refusing to allow him to back away.
He was even more surprised – no, stunned – when he felt Kanda's lips press against his own.
Allen was too shocked to do much more than tighten the grip his arms had around Kanda's shoulders.
And then abruptly there was the sound of a lock being disengaged and bright light flooded the storeroom.
"… Oh my…"
There was the sound of something clattering to the stone floor as Lenalee dropped her clipboard and it was that sound that finally broke Kanda and Allen out of their oh shit trance separate.
"This is not what it looks like." Kanda hissed, even though it sort of was and wasn't at the same time.
Lenalee was bright red, so much so she didn't appear to me listening to Allen stuttered explanation.
"Sorry for interrupting." She muttered and backed away, shutting the door with a resounding click.
"No! God damn it Lenalee! Come baaack!" Allen howled after her as they were once again plunged into blackness.
"It's no use." Kanda groaned.
"…"
Silence.
Kanda's lips returned to where they had been and what they been doing before they had been so rudely interrupted.
O____________________________________________________O
"Oi! Lenalee!"
Lavi grinned as he approached his female friend and was slightly taken off guard by her red face as she hugged her clipboard tight to her chest.
"What's up?"
"N-Nothing." She stammered, blushing furiously and looking at her boots. Lavi raised an eyebrow.
"Have you seen Allen and Kanda? I just need to check if…"
Lavi trailed off. Was it just him or did Lenalee go from a light blush to full blow bright red at the mention of Allen and Kanda?
"I-I've gotta go see Ni-san."
Lavi watched Lenalee go with concern.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ The next day -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Lavi had fully been expecting to die for the stunt he had pulled. Seriously.
So he was pleasantly surprised when he saw Allen in the cafeteria the next day and was greeted with a distracted smile as the British teen dug into the meal sitting in front of him. Cautiously, Lavi took a seat beside him.
"Soooo… How did you sleep Moyashi?"
"My names Allen!" Allen replied in his usual irked tone as he devoured an entire apple pie in two bites. "And I slept fine."
"Uh…"Lavi was slightly unnerved by Allen's casual demeanor.
"Are you feeling alright?"
"I just said I was feeling fine." Allen replied, all his attention focused on his food.
"No, you said you slept fine. Not you were fine."
"Did you say something?" Allen asked as he wiped his mouth clean on serviette. Lavi shook his head.
"Nah… Nothing." If the gods had granted him permission to live, who was he to deny it?
"Ah! Oh crap!" As Allen had gotten up to rise from the table, he had somehow succeeded in knocking over the drink of the finder next to him, spilled red wine all down his black vest.
"I'm so sorry." He apologized, sliding out of his vest. Lavi raised an eyebrow at Allen's unusual show of clumsiness.
"That's a white shirt man, did you stain it?"
Allen quickly looked down, adjusting his collar so he could slide his ribbon back into place after removing his vest. It was in that split second where Allen folded his collar down to slide the ribbon into place that Lavi caught sight of something very interesting. So interesting in fact he could do little but sit in rapt amazement, staring at Allen.
The younger boy looked at him. "What? Did I get some on my shirt after all?"
Lavi was already on his feet, crossing the cafeteria and on his way out, grin plastered on his face, completely ignoring Allen calling after him.
He quiet literally bumped into the person he was seeking as he turned his first corner.
"Watch we're your going Baka Usagi." Kanda hissed between his teeth, newly recovered Mugen at his side.
Lavi did naught but smirk and lean casually against the wall.
Kanda eye him suspiciously before striding past him.
"I saw Lenalee yesterday." Lavi called out and Kanda froze in his steps.
"What had that got to do with me?" Kanda replied in a guarded tone. Lavi grinned. Oh, oh. He was so having fun right now.
"She looked seriously freaked out."
"…"
"Did something happen between you guys? She went bright red when I mentioned you and Allen…" Lavi trailed off, feigning curiosity.
Kanda turned to face him, his expression unreadable. "She simply misunderstood something." He replied cautiously.
"Oh really?" Lavi asked. Kanda remained silent. Lavi pushed himself off the wall and sauntered over to his friend.
"Yu-chan?"
"What." Kanda snarled back.
Lavi grinned innocently.
"Next time you and Allen want to pass something off as a misunderstanding; perhaps you shouldn't leave hickies in such obvious places, ne?"