DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN D.GRAY-MAN OR ITS CHARACTERS! RAWR!!
Summary: There are times in a man's life when he has to grow a spine, or what is commonly called a "backbone" or a pair of unmentionables, and after a year of angsting about it, Bak Chang finally gives in and steps up to the plate like a real man and asks his beloved out on a date…only to get shot down horribly. Fou, tired of seeing Bak sulk, sets him up on a blind date with the one and only Allen Walker. BakAllen.
A/N – This was written as a birthday fic for a friend of mine who is a HUGE BakAllen fan. I felt guilty about not remembering her birthday and decided to, since I was broke after bills and rent, write a story for her. It's only a crappy little one shot, but I hope she enjoys it even though it's horrible in my opinion!
Happy Birthday, AkaNoMarduk!!
Of Blind Dates and Farewell Kisses
By:
-Minosuke Ichigo-
She hated it when he was like this, and the sad thing was that she also found a morbid kind of glee when he was depressed, but a grown man crying like a little girl was just pathetic in her opinion. Fou pinched the bridge of her nose as Bak cried and babbled incoherently like a child over a tiny cut. As far as she was concerned, Rinali going on a date with Kanda was not the end of the world, and she was pretty sure Bak was gay anyway.
She doubted he knew it, though. Call it woman's intuition, gaydar or some other form of female sixth sense, either way she knew he couldn't be straight. No straight man would cry at a chick-flick or even go see a chick-flick. She shook her head and reared back her foot, kicking the man over as she snapped, her last shred of sanity shattering like a piece of china, "Oh, good god, man! Get a grip on yourself! You're what, five?!" He glared at her through his tears of pain and sorrow.
"I'm –sniff- twenty-nine!" He retorted, cringing when Fou glared at him again. Oh, she hated it when he got emotional. His common-sense went out the window and he became what she was convinced most men were: blubbering idiots.
Putting her hands on her hips and glowering down at him, she asked, her eyebrow twitching slightly, "And here you are crying like some little school girl! Baka Bak!" She smacked him on the head. "Why can't you do what any normal guy does and go out and get a freakin' girlfriend who isn't taken or, better yet, one who doesn't have a psycho for a brother!"
He cried into his arm as he wailed, waving his clipboard at the girl who just gave it an irritated look, "It's not that easy, Fou! I mean, where am I going to find a woman who's just as perfect and beautiful as Rinali!?" She sighed. This man was irritating. And probably had a Lolita complex.
The proverbial light bulb clicked on and she let a sly grin cross her face, glad the man was too busy crying into his sleeve to notice as she tapped her hands together as if thinking. Oh, Fou. She thought gleefully as she phased into the nearby wall with a wicked look in her eyes. You're such a genius. Time for project, "Get Baka Bak a Date" to get put into action.
Allen blinked when the news was finished being relayed to him by a giggling Rabi. Rabi plus giggling was never a good thing, but even he doubted the redhead could have made something like that up. To clarify the delivered message, he repeated, "So…I'm supposed to go to China," Rabi nodded. "Go to the China Black Order," Another nod. "And what with who?"
The redhead grinned. "When you say it like that, it sounds dirty, Allen-chan." The white haired boy glared at him, unamused. Rabi sighed and put his hands behind his head and re-explained the situation. "Alright. Fou says that Bak has been down and needs someone to cheer him up and you're the only one she can think of that could pull it off without killing him."
Allen sighed. If Bak was depressed, it was probably for a reason and the boy just couldn't let a friend in need wallow in self-pity or whatever it was that Bak was suffering from. He sighed again. Knowing Bak, he thought, feeling a growing headache coming on. It's probably self-pity. He nodded to Rabi, who cheered and handed him a boat ticket. Oh no…he had this on hand…which means he knew I'd give in. Allen twitched at the knowing grin on his friend's face and repressed the urge to bang his head against the wall.
The redhead turned on his heel and said as he wandered off, "Well, have fun in China, Allen-chan! If you'll excuse me, I have a date with Tiki-chan to get to. I hope I'm not late…" And, like the wind, he was gone, leaving Allen to ponder the meaning of his own existence as he turned and headed in the opposite direction to pack his bags.
The ride to China was longer than he had expected and by the time his feet touched land, he was tired of boats and decided that maybe staying in China for a while would be a good thing. Anything to avoid another boat ride. The storm hadn't helped either, and neither had the fact that the captain was a permanent drunk and had gotten them lost a couple times.
He looked around the busy docks for one of the scientists from the China branch. He spotted a small group of scientists, standing out of place among the casual wear of the boat passengers. Smiling, he grabbed up his suitcases and pushed through the crowd to reach them. After pleasantries were exchanged, the group headed off by carriage to reach the China branch headquarters.
Of course, the most confusing thing about the entire trip was when he was practically abandoned at the front door, suitcases taken by scientists to be taken to a room. He blinked a bit and looked around, trying to figure out why he had been told to remain where he was until Bak and Fou arrived. "Allen!" He turned to greet the speaker, only to get punched in the face by Fou's fist as the girl came through the wall, a huge grin on her face.
Holding his face, he stared at her for a moment, tears of pain in his eyes as he mumbled, his voice muffled by his hands, "H-hello, Fou…" The girl grinned at him, unfazed by the fact that she had just sucker-punched the unwitting Exorcist. "Um…" Once he was certain his face hadn't been rearranged, he lowered his hands and sighed, giving the girl a weak smile in hopes of being friendly enough not to warrant a second punch. "What's…up?"
She rolled her eyes and cocked her thumb toward the doorway as Bak entered the room, his eyes red from crying and a depressed look on his face. The boy blinked, confused. He had never seen Bak look so…pitiful before. He felt his heart clench and walked over to Bak, smiling up at the man in pity. "Hello, Bak-sama." The man looked a bit startled and looked down at Allen. "You look depressed."
The blonde stared at him for several minutes, the silence making Allen nervous. Just when he thought he couldn't take it any more, Bak turned his startled gaze to Fou and yelled, "You! You, you, you…set me up…! With him?!" Fou grinned at him, putting her hands behind her head and looking remarkably like Rabi had when he bid Allen farewell.
Suddenly, coming to China didn't seem like such a good idea. The Exorcist slowly raised a hand and asked, confused, "What's going on here? I'm…a bit confused." Bak ignored him, too busy spazzing to even notice that Allen was still there and Fou seemed to enjoy just letting the boy hang. With a sigh, he hung his head and waited for someone to look at him, crossing his arms and waiting patiently.
Finally, Bak looked down at the ground and mumbled, a rosy blush coloring his cheeks, "She…set us up." He didn't have to look at Allen to know that the boy was confused still. "On a…a…" He swallowed hard. "Date."
"Oh, really?" Allen blinked. It took a couple seconds, but it eventually clicked into place and he gave Fou a horrified look, his own cheeks reddening as he yelped, eyes wide in shock, "A date?!" Fou snickered and ten seconds later, Allen and Bak were outside and Fou was kicking the door shut behind them.
Bak looked at Allen, who looked dumbstruck, and sighed. A date with Allen Walker wasn't exactly the kind of date he had wanted, but he doubted Fou would let them back in until after they at least had dinner. Stomach growling, but wallet not full enough to handle Allen's appetite, the idea of dinner just didn't sit well with him and he settled to ask nervously, clearing his throat to snap Allen out of his daze, "Ahem. Well, she's not going to let us back in until later…do you…" Think, Bak! Think! What can we do that won't sound date-ish, just friendly? Um…Aloud, he hesitated for about five minutes before hanging his head. "I'm…all out of ideas."
Allen chuckled weakly and gave Bak a, 'I concur' look before saying, rubbing the back of his neck, "We could…" He sighed. "I'm out too."
Fou twitched as she watched the two awkwardly try to figure out what to do before sticking her head through the door and snapping, earning her startled yelps from both males, "GOD, you two seriously suck at this! Go eat! Go to the fair! Or a movie! Don't just stand there like a couple of idiots! I'm sure even the retards down the block could figure out what you're supposed to do on a date!!"
Allen and Bak exchanged nervous glances. The girl wasn't going to let them off the hook easily, and they were certain she would probably just follow them and kick their asses until they finally gave in and went on a date.
Finally, they went on their way and spent the majority of the next hour and a half in awkward silence, neither able to think of anything to say other than the occasional, "Nice weather."
Eventually, over dinner in a quiet but busy restaurant over green tea and wonderful smelling Chinese food, Allen broke the tension as he poked at a plate of food, unable to quell his nervousness enough to take even a single bite, and said suddenly, startling Bak, "So…why were you sad?" The man stared at him for a while before dropping his gaze again, not hungry enough to eat anything.
"Rinali…" He mumbled nervously. His gazes flickered to Allen's face, the boy's kind eyes urging him to continue. "She…she started dating Kanda, right?" Allen nodded slowly, looking at his chopsticks as he tried to pick up a piece of food.
"Yeah…" The boy smiled at Bak sweetly, a reward winning smile that could probably melt the sealed heart of an Akuma. "But I don't really think you and her would have hit it off too well…especially with Komui-san." Bak nodded slowly, taking a bite of food even as his stomach protested. Allen grimaced when he dropped a piece of meat he had been fighting with and sighed. Even if he was hungry, he wouldn't be able to eat anything. Unlike Kanda and Bak, he had no clue how to use chopsticks correctly.
Bak chuckled a bit at Allen's awkwardness and flipped his chopsticks around and grabbed up the finicky piece of meat from Allen's plate and held it up to his mouth, an amused smile on face. "Here." The boy felt his stomach tighten and blushed a bit. Slowly, as if unsure of himself, he accepted the help and parted his lips to claim the meat that had eluded him. The blonde blushed and swallowed hard as he watched Allen eat. The atmosphere must be getting to me…was he always that cute? He wondered as he fed Allen, content for once in his life.
Finally, he set his chopsticks down and stood, moving to sit next to Allen. The boy seemed surprised for a moment, but it quickly faded when Bak replied to the unspoken question, "I'm just showing you how to use chopsticks. That way you'll be able to survive your stay in China." Allen smiled gratefully and allowed the man to help him.
By the time they left the restaurant, Allen had effectively eaten the rest of his meal by himself with few accidents. The two, forgetting about Fou or even their reason for being together that evening, spent the rest of the evening talking and walking around the city, the two simply enjoying each others company and learning about each other.
In fact, Allen learned that Bak hadn't stuck his hair through his hat, and that the golden tassel that hung from his hat really was a tassel. This interesting fact had been discovered when Bak tripped over a stray cat and found himself face-to-face with pavement. In exchange, Bak found out that Allen had some major issues with his master and couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy when the horror stories of being Cross's pupil came up.
Eventually and reluctantly, the two returned to the order at around midnight, and Bak walked Allen to his room, the two continuing their conversation quietly so as not to wake anyone. Bak was actually quite surprised with himself: normally he was dead tired, but he and Allen both seemed to be wide awake and the topics continued to come to mind. Their conversation ended when they reached Allen's room and the boy gave Bak a bright smile.
They stood there, silent and unsure of what to do. Bak swallowed hard and bowed to Allen as he said quietly, "Well, sweet dreams, Allen." The boy blushed.
"Um…same to you, Bak-sama." After a moment of thought, Allen turned entered his room, closing his door silently behind him. Leaning against it, he sighed, smiling softly. Bak really was sweet. At first he had thought he was just a weird guy who tended to stalk people, but he had learned a lot about him. His favorite food, his dreams, his fears, even his favorite music. Maybe I'm…feeling a bit too much for him after this evening…The boy's gaze saddened. We're just friends. Right? I mean, we only did that because Fou forced us…
Outside in the hall, Bak sighed, rubbing his neck as he turned away from the door and made his way toward his own room, feeling almost empty and very, very cold without Allen at his side. The boy had led an interesting life, and even if Allen hadn't realized it, Bak had seen a glimmer of something in the boy's eyes and it made his stomach twist and he couldn't help but smile at the thought of Allen feeling something for him. He paused, a look of shock crossing his face. Oh god. I'm not gay! I'm…I'm straight! Very, very straight! Oh, god, his smile's so cute! I can't…GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! The last part was accompanied by Bak banging his head against the stone wall, tears in his eyes and face red. He froze in realization, eyes wide and face turning a shade of red unknown to man and beast alike. Oh sweet mother of God…don't tell me I l-l-lo…oh, this is NOT happening! Not to me! Not for Allen! No, no, no, no, noooooooooo!!
The next week was the happiest time in Bak's life. Whether he realized it or not, he found himself seeking out Allen and the two would spend hours at a time talking or just sitting quietly in the library, each other's company enough to fill the silence which had long since gone from awkward to comfortable.
It was during Allen's last day in China that Bak finally decided to act, though he knew he would regret it. He stood outside of Allen's room, knowing that the boy was busy packing for his trip home the next day, and held his stomach. He felt like throwing up, and it was only because of some weird medicine one of the other scientists had created for him that he wasn't breaking out into hives.
Swallowing hard, he raised a hand and knocked lightly. The door opened after a few seconds and Allen blinked up at Bak and smiled. "Bak-sama!" The man nearly cried. He loved it when the boy said his name! It was always so cute and exhilarating and it probably made him happier than it should have. "Um…it's a little messy…but you can come in…" The boy moved aside and Bak, suppressing the urge to cling to Allen and beg him to stay, entered the room and chuckled. Only Allen would consider a single piece of clothing, a sock, on the floor to constitute as "messy." He heard Allen close the door and turned slightly to look at the white haired Exorcist. "Did you need something?"
The man blushed and coughed a bit, rubbing his neck nervously. Alright, Bak. You can do this! You're Bak the Awesome! Encouraged, he captured Allen's chin in his palm and, before he could get second thoughts about the whole thing, leaned forward and kissed his lips softly. The boy's surprise was evident, but Bak didn't look, keeping his eyes closed as he held the kiss.
Slowly, he started to pull away, hesitating when he felt Allen return the kiss, the boy's lips, soft and warm, pressing against his own. Suppressing a cheer, Bak lowered his hand to the back of Allen's head as he deepened the kiss. Allen, blushing, sunk against Bak, the man catching his waist with his arm to keep the Exorcist from hitting the floor as the world spun and Allen was left feeling light headed.
To keep from falling over a second time, he closed his eyes and sighed softly in the kiss, sliding his hands up Bak's arms to grip his shoulders as extra support. He could feel Bak's heart racing, his own pounding against his ribs as he was pulled closer and Bak, encouraged by Allen's reactions thus far, ran his tongue across the boy's lips. Shyly, Allen parted his lips, shuddering when he felt Bak's tongue rub against his own and returned the affection eagerly.
He squeaked when he felt the wall against his back and Bak's hand slide under his shirt, but didn't complain, only returned the kiss and ran his hands through the man's hair, letting the hat fall to the floor. Neither noticed or cared as they pressed together and spent the rest of the evening in each other's arms, touching and kissing the way lovers do.
Allen, face still flushed after the night before, smiled shyly at Bak at the docks, the blonde's face red as well as he mumbled, "Um…well, I suppose…I'll see you soon, hm?" Allen smiled and nodded, shuffling his feet nervously. The man cleared his throat and leaned down, lifting Allen's chin and kissing his lips lightly as he added softly, smiling, "Be safe, Allen."
The boy nodded and kissed him back, pulling away when the boat horn sounded. He glared at the boat as if damning it for interrupting them, but said nothing about it, instead asking, "You'll visit me next time, right?" Bak chuckled and nodded, looking quite pleased with himself. Allen's expression brightened and he asked, "When?"
Bak, laughing, nudged Allen toward the boat. "How's next week?" His answer was a grin and a quick peck on the cheek as the boy grabbed up his bags and ran onboard. Then, he was gone, leaving Bak to stare after the boat, excited about the up-coming week when he would see the boy again.
Owari
A/N - Oiya! This story was a bit weird and fast paced even by my standards. I didn't wanna bore anyone with date details or p0rn, so I just choked out a quick one-shot BakAllen.
Again, Happy b-day, AkaNoMarduk!!
