This story is for Momosportif and Sarahfreak's contest. (The contest is to use a room from the Dark Order's and write a story on that)
Disclaimer: No, no own.
Betareader: iloveyounowgoaway
Kanda's Room:
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"Allen, on the count of three, okay?"
"Well… I don't know-"
"Just do this with me! Ok?
"One…
"Two…
"Three!"
Lavi fell backwards from the impact. Slightly confused by what had occurred, he remained motionless, sitting on the ground. Allen glanced nervously between Lavi and the bounded door, wondering whether or not he did the right thing.
A few days ago, Kanda had left for an urgent mission to who knows where (1) and didn't seem as if he was returning any time soon. And because Lavi had always been too curious for his own good, he decided to take this opportunity to express his nosy nature.
Kanda has always been a reserved person, cool towards any sorts of intimacies and silent in the presence of personal questions –and this all made Lavi all the more curious. Deciding that since there was no way he could pry anything from Kanda's person, he should attempt to learn as much as possible from objects in his life.
-And a room usually reflects the personality (the fact that Lavi has always wanted to see how Kanda lived was a definite plus, too).
On a particular day, when Black Order's tower was relatively empty, Lavi decided to live out his recently concocted dream and sneak into Kanda's bedroom. And because Lavi rarely liked doing things alone, he decided to drag Allen along. But if he'd known Allen was going to be this much of a pain, he would have invited Lenalee instead.
…Well, not really. Lavi knew Allen wouldn't favor the idea, and that was the best part: it was always funnier with a hesitant Allen.
When Lavi first approached Allen with the idea of venturing into Kanda's room, Allen was curious as well; who wouldn't want to know what's in there? But after Lavi explained his plans, Allen's initial excitement turned into a fear for the inevitable consequences.
Allen had originally thought they would do no more than drill a hole into the door and peak through it, but Lavi had other plans. Lavi –crazy fool- planned to actually enter Kanda room! Kanda, the irreproachable and dangerous Kanda! Allen shivered at the thought.
If Kanda came back and realized that his room has been violated, he would be incredibly displeased. And a displeased Kanda was not a nice Kanda.
After Allen informed Lavi of his worries, trying to back down from the activity, Lavi wouldn't take "no" for an answer. After hours of public fighting and yelling, Lavi was finally able to drag a defeated Allen into his plans.
And that's where we left off.
After Lavi had inspected Kanda's closed door, he concluded that the only way they could enter the room was by breaking down the door. And after enlarging his hammer (2), he ordered Allen to hold onto it with him and use their combined force to slam the door.
But because Allen felt morally opposed to such a plan, he let go before the count of three, leaving Lavi alone to hold a hammer fit for two. Barely capable of lifting it, Lavi didn't realize Allen had left, and attempt to swing at the door by himself. And though he managed to graze the door, he didn't have enough strength to both lift and wield. The impact of the objects connection sent Lavi back, collapsing him onto his bottom.
"A-are you okay?" Allen asked nervously, offering a hand to lift his friend up. He had seriously considered running off before Lavi recovered but his conscious forbade him from doing so.
Lavi shook his head in a clumsy nod before dumbly grabbing onto Allen's hand. After recovering, Lavi quickly regained his fervor and pouted at Allen.
"Allen-kun, why did you do that?" he said through outstretched lips. "You could have really hurt me."
Allen, however, didn't have time to reply disdainfully because Lavi was off again. He rushed towards the door, leaning his ear onto the solid material as he knocked a few times onto it.
"What are you doing?" Allen asked. It seemed like he was trying to open a safe.
Lavi shushed him silent before returning back to his knocking. The knocking soon turned to scratching as he eyed the door like a mortal enemy. A few more minutes of vigorous action occurred before Lavi sighed and turned towards Allen.
"That wood is too sturdy –there no way I could open it without burning it down! I'm out of ideas!" he declared sorrowfully, as his hands shot up into the air in a sign of defeat. Then strolling up to Allen, he hugged him tearfully. "Now we'll never be able to get in. That bastard -I bet he planned all of this!"
Allen smiled sheepishly at Lavi, thinking that it would be best not to remind him that they can break the door down if Allen had put more effort in (think of Kanda's reaction to a broken down entrance).
"There, there," Allen reluctantly patted Lavi on the back, feeling as foolish as ever hanging out with the drama queen, "I-I'm sure there's another way?"
"No there isn't! I mean, if there was a way, my genius would have obviously came up with an idea by now!"
Allen snorted at that comment.
"You know, it would have been a lot easier if you just unhinged the door," Allen said, regretting the fact that he spoke up when that sentence finished leaving his mouth; Lavi instantly perked up and smiled.
"Why didn't I think of that?" And with that, Lavi disappeared down the halls, in search for tools.
Allen glance timidly at Lavi's retreating figure, but he didn't have to wait long before Lavi came rushing back, with a toolbox at hand.
Setting furiously to work, Lavi fumbled through the box for a screwdriver. And when one was found, he carelessly jammed it into the screws, twisting off the pins with amazing speed.
This was it! This is when Lavi would finally realize his dream! And though Allen look on in anxiety of Kanda's wrath, he felt too curious to want to pass up this opportunity.
After all, Kanda didn't have to know. They would simply install the door back and, if Lavi had ruined any hinges with his eagerness, they'd just go about replacing them with a new set.
Yes, Kanda doesn't have to know...
"Got it!" Lavi's shout of triumph pulled Allen away from his thoughts. And as Lavi dramatically removed the door, Allen hurried to his side to witness the unveiling.
Both peered into Kanda's room with eager eyes but all that met their site was darkness. It was the sort of darkness that symbolized a lack of warmth, affection, and trust, the same sort of darkness that expressed loneliness of the soul.
Allen shivered at the sight of such emptiness. The pitted black radiated like an illuminated lamp, waving off all visitors with a cold warning. The room seemed devoid of life, missing of all moths and cobwebs. Everything in the room seemed satisfied with itself yet it longed for light… or maybe it was just Allen who longed for light.
While Allen stood at the doorway, trying to shallow the spectacle, Lavi proceeded into the room. Frowning upon the sight of such emptiness, Lavi mentally shook his head in disappointment.
He had hoped that Kanda's room would hold all his dirty secrets –or at least, it'd have something revealing about the man (Lavi highly doubted Kanda would have dirty secrets). Pulling back the curtains, to allow light in for a better view, Lavi surveyed the room.
But the place seemed as empty with the lights on as without. This deepened Lavi's frown.
In the room sat a plain bed, a lamp desk, a dresser cabinet, and a wooden chair. All were ordinary objects, furniture that came with the room itself (courtesy of Koumi and the Black Order). In fact, there was absolutely nothing special about the room at all, maybe except the lotus near the window.
The flower caught Allen's attention but not Lavi's. Though the fact that Kanda kept a locus in his room interested Lavi, he felt that he wasn't terribly fascinated in it; after all, things like this were expected of men with such long hair and feminine physique.
Lavi glanced the room once again, childishly pouting his lips. There was nothing here! No embarrassing photographs, no diary, nothing! Lavi paused to flip through his dresser, only to find a plain set of neatly folded pajamas. Even his dresser was boring (where was the embarrassing underwear and socks)!
"Allen!" Lavi's voice shook the silence of the room, "Allen, come here!"
As Allen reluctantly approached Lavi, he found himself roughly stuffed into an one-armed hug. Allen tried to protest against such affections but his voice came out muffled through the arm.
"Allen, I need you to do me a favor," Lavi said as he fumbled Allen's hair playfully. "I need you to stay here and guard the room while I run out for a bit."
"W-wait!" But Lavi was already out the door.
After a few minutes of silent waiting alone in the semi-bright room, Allen felt he couldn't take it anymore; he could almost swear that the furniture was coming alive and moving in on him, trying to sap him of all happiness.
How could Kanda live in such a room? he thought with a shiver as he walked out. Was he really like his room –empty, dark, and alone?
Allen peered back into the room before smiling nervously. Well, his room wasn't that bad. In fact, it reminded him a bit of his own room; it was basically the same with the layout and furniture.
So why did Allen's room seem so much more comforting than Kanda's? I mean, he even has a flower.
Allen glanced the room once more before the answer hit him. He's missing something.
By Allen's bedside, he always kept a picture of his friends. It was the one that they –him, Lavi, Lenalee, Krory, Miranda, and even Kanda (though he was standing in the far back, looking away from the camera and into the sky)- took after their second mission together, and it was the picture Allen always looked to when he was feeling down.
That was it! That was what Kanda's room was missing!
-No, no, not the picture itself (though having one would be nice). He was missing what the picture symbolized.
Hearing a loud 'clank' outside, Allen rushed to the entrance and peered outside. Sure enough, Lavi had returned, wheeling a cart of miscellaneous items.
"Allen-chan, did you miss me?" Lavi asked through a good-natured grin. Before Allen could utter a scornful reply, Lavi continued on. "It's ok, because I come baring presents!"
Roughly shoving Allen aside, Lavi directed the cart into the room before promptly dumping its contents onto the floor. A few paint cans, a couple of brushes, a camera, a plain empty book, bundles of clothing, sheets, tape, and …beansprouts??
"What is this?" Lavi grinned at Allen's reaction.
"Why, there are things we're gonna use to redecorate his room!"
Allen looked at Lavi, as if he was about to break out into protest. But instead of actually launching into one, Allen paused for a few seconds in thought.
"You know… that may not actually be such a bad idea," he replied, supporting his words as he peered at the depressing room through the corner of his eye.
"Eh? Really?" Lavi pouted. "I had a whole speech prepared, in case you backed out."
Allen smiled at the sentiment before checking out the items littered on the floor.
"But I have to ask," Allen said, picking up a beansprout carefully between two fingers, "what is this for? –Or even, where did you get it?"
"From Jerry"
Lavi's grin widened, to the point where it didn't seem like it could widen anymore. Stealing the beansprout from Allen, he strolled over to the mess and picked up a bucket of paint.
"And to answer your first question –Why Allen, don't know you that when decorating a room, you always need a theme?
"And 'beansprout' is going to be the theme of this room."
-o-
Kanda stumbled into the tower, with one hand on the wall for support and the other clutching his head. Exhausted, he dragged himself through the halls in his tattered wear.
At least I got the innocence, he thought with a hint of haughty pride.
As Kanda continued up the stairs, towards the left wing and in the direction of his room, he was greeted with the sight of Lavi and Allen, sneaking down the other parallel stairs as if they were sneaking off before they were caught doing some wrong.
Put off by the mischievous air around them, Kanda stopped his walk and ducked down, successfully hiding himself behind the stair's stone handles, and attempted to eavesdrop into the conversation. However, he couldn't pick up more than a few incoherent phrases.
He frowned at the idea of being left out, though he quickly let it go when he realized that he didn't care.
After all, why should he be interested in anything that those two idiots did?
After those two descended the stairs and disappeared from sight, Kanda emerged from hiding and continued up the path. He shook his head in contempt towards himself. He must be worn out: why else would he be remotely interested in whatever they were doing?
I need some rest, he thought, with the innocence still on his person, I'll go to Koumi tomorrow.
But Kanda's weary state was short-lived upon nearing his room. –Because the first thing he noticed was the missing door.
"What's going on here?" he muttered instinctively, feeling a tinge of anger. As he neared his pitched-dark room, he felt that tinge erupt into fury.
Though he could not see anything, he felt something wasn't right.
Where's the light? -And where the hell is my door?!
The answer to his latter question was soon answered when, upon entering the room, he tripped and fell flat on his face.
Crawling up indignantly, he carefully went to the windows and threw back the curtains. Though it was still late out, the moonlight still managed to brighten the room.
-And when he saw the interiors of his room, he felt his eyes widen to an impossible length.
What he had tripped over was his door, taken down from its hinges and laid horizontally on the floor. There was a bright, yellow smiley face painted on it, along with a few words graffiti underneath:
This is your welcome mat. Now feel welcomed, you cold ass bastard.
But that wasn't it. Kanda tore his furious eyes away from his destroyed door to view the rest of his room. –Starting with his walls.
Stomping over to the newly decorated wall, his eyes caught sight of a written note, taped to the wall. Peeling it off the wall, he began reading:
"We left this note in case you couldn't tell what we painted on your wall."
Kanda stopped the reading to glance at the wall. He grunted disdainfully as he saw the sloppy paintings.
The wall was colored sky-blue, with random lines of green and dots of yellow scribbled on. Kanda returned back to the letter, unable to decipher the pictures.
"Originally, we wanted to go with bright pink wallpaper but I figured someone as girly as you wouldn't mind that (because, seriously, even though you don't have any clothing in your room, you have a flower –What's with that?).
"Everything that's not blue are beansprouts -So that every time you feel lonely, you can look up at the vast skies and flocks of beansprouts and think: 'Wow, I've never felt more relaxed in my life'.
"-Oh, and you can never have enough Allen around! Too bad you're not here right now or else you could see his blushing face.
"Anyways, moving on… There's no need to thank us! We were just thinking of you."
Kanda was ready to storm out and murder the idiots before something at the bottom of the page caught his eyes.
"Note #5"
There's more? And it was then when he realized that all the other decoration changes made to were accompanied by numerous little white pieces of paper. He started grabbing the nearest sheets and began reading them.
Each paper revealed a new change made to the room. From bundles of new socks and underwear in his closet (with ridiculous designs of naked dancing beansprouts, with big anime eyes, on them) to the new carpet (and "carpet" simply means a bunch of beansprouts poured onto the floor, in the shape of a squiggly circle).
-Kanda even found a beansprout plant!
…Well, it wasn't really a beansprout plant but rather, a peapod plant labeled "Beansprout" underneath with a black marker ("Sorry Yu-chan but this is all we could find") –but it was the thought that mattered.
This is too much, he thought as he sat down on his designer beansprout covers –courtesy of Koumi's sewing skills- when he realized there was a lump in the bed. He jumped up and stared at the bulge.
It had the outline of a person. What the- and Kanda's imagination ran wild. Cautiously, he reached out and pulled down the sheets.
It was just a bamboo stick rapped in enough cloth to give it a human shape, with a picture of an very ill composed Allen taped to the top (must have been a surprise photo). It was labeled "beansprout" and came with another note.
Kanda reached out for the note and crumbled it, without bothering to read the message (he could guess what would be on it anyways; something like: "No such thing as life-sized beansprout and had to improvise"). Then with one hand, he flung the object off the bed and laid down. With all the insanity, he had almost forgotten how worn out he was.
-And then he noticed the beansprouts, dangling from the ceiling on pieces of glue strings. Frowning again, he tossed over to his side, to avoid looking at them. His eyes, however, caught sight of something else.
By his bed side laid a small notebook. Kanda picked up the book and opened the cover.
Property of Kanda Yu
Kanda once again slipped back into a scowl.
This is my diary, containing sentimental, disclosed information (and dirty secrets). If you dare to look inside, I'll hunt you down and kill you.
My threats don't sound that corny, he thought as he stared at the ugly drawings. There were a couple of stick figures, attacking each other with poor drawn daggers.
Kanda's scowl slipped slightly as a light smirk appeared. He turned the page.
Dear Diary,
I've always wanted to keep my own personal diary but never gotten around to it. And since I have some of the bestest friends in the world, they got me one –the diary that I've always dreamed of!
I love them! Especially Lavi, who, by the way, is much more handsome than his albino sidekick.
Kanda's sneer widened. Skipping the rest of the entry, he skimmed the pages of the book (his sense of humor had its limits). And as he flipped through the pages, a piece of paper flew out.
Kanda' picked it up, thinking that it was just another annoying diary entry. However, his mood once again turned murderous as he began reading.
All that Beansprout: Estimated 5400 yen
Underwear: Estimated 2490 yen
Paint Used to Make Those Really Nice Wall Designs: Estimated 3400 yen
And the list went on. Flying up off the bed, Kanda began stalking out. This was just too much! They wrecked his room and expected him to pay?
However, after getting up in such a hurry, he accidentally knocked into the side table, in a loud crash. Hearing the fall and breaking of some sort of glass, he inhaled deeply and unwillingly stopped to survey the situation.
A picture frame. Carefully brushing away the glass, Kanda slipped the picture out of the frame and examined at it.
It was a picture of Allen and Lavi, taken in the room. Covered in paint and each with a playful arm around the other, they were smiling stupidly into the camera. It seemed like they must have worked really hard… destroying his room.
They look ridiculous, Kanda thought scornfully.
And though he didn't really know why, he couldn't help but want to break off into a grin. In fact, after looking at the picture, he felt to be in an oddly good mood.
Glancing at the "beansprout" labeled banana clock, Kanda realized how late it was.
I'll find them tomorrow…
…But only because I'm tired! Nothing more!
Even though his room was ruined, he felt it was ruined in a laughable sort of way. Climbing into bed once again, he looked around the room one last time before his eyes settled on his locus.
The locus –that was the only thing left untouched. Guess they deserve some credit for that.
And when he registered the thought that had just flew through his head, he tiredly shook his head.
He was getting soft.
…Maybe he could sleep it off.
-
End
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(1) aka. I'm too lazy to think up a place.
(2) If his weapon isn't called a hammer… well, let's just pretend I was right :)
-ooo-
Ok, for all the fluff lovers who thinks there wasn't enough YULLEN in the story, then pretend the ending was like this:
Kanda falls asleep and suddenly Allen Walker jumps out the closet. Pinning Kanda into a unwanted kiss, the heartless beauty (cough) tries to struggle away. Feeling the weariness from his mission draining his energy, he decides to give in and let Allen have his way.
Audience: Awwww. Now that you've made us happy, we all want to review.
-ooo-
A/N: Anyways, this contest was fun :)
Kinda makes me wanna have a contest of my own (though I doubt many of you will join since I'm so new to this site…-cry)