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Title: A Somewhat Happy New Year
Author: DnKS – giRLs
Rating: PG
Pairing: KandaAllen
Disclaimers: The characters mentioned in this story are not ours and we have no intention to put any claim upon them
Warning: Pointless crack, major misuse on diazepam, OOC moments ensued, yeah, things like that.
Note: Done as what prompted by Iruka92, may she forgive us for taking her prompt into such cracky story.
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All things considered, Allen Walker could practically say that his latest mission had been bad, given that the definition of bad rendered to: searching for a single piece of innocence in some snow covered mountains with no means of communication while fighting a horde of Akuma along the way. Yep, if those things were what constituted the definition of 'bad', or something similar to that, than Allen could practically say his latest mission had been BAD with all letters written in capital.
It was bad enough that he got himself a mission when it was just a few days before Christmas, and his birthday if one wanted to consider. Holiday season had started, and it meant there was already a long line of finders asking for some days off under the pretence of 'spending Christmas with family'. The Headquarters had no other option but to allow them their much needed break. Taking into account the labour act that their country had adopted, it was the workers' right to get their share of days off. So the higher officials, with much grumbling, had agreed in giving those finders a break, even though everyone with eyes could see it was their least bit of interest whether those working under them could enjoy some Christmas meals with their family or not.
So, the finders got their break, but what about the exorcists? Did they get their much needed Christmas holiday too? Ha! Keep on dreaming, Mister! According to the labour act, exorcists fell within the very same category of Catholic priests. Ever heard of a priest taking holiday during Christmas? Of course not. So it stood to reason that during Christmas season, the Main Headquarters of the Black Order was still buzzing with exorcists going in and out of the building, carrying their missions while cursing in words not in the least bit befitting to come from the lips of some priests, when they realized they had to do their missions without the aid of any finder.
Allen Walker was one among those many exorcists. A day before Christmas, and there he was, doing a mission in the Alps. Oh, the mountain was beautiful and all, but it was a bit disheartening to think he still had to work while other people were cosy in their warm house enjoying the mouth watering supper in Christmas Eve.
Then there was a blizzard coming.
Then he lost his communication golem so he had no way to locate the innocence precisely.
Then the Akuma began attacking him so earnestly. And then after he defeated them, the transportation back to Headquarters was somehow delayed because of the snow storm. And he found out that all the inns just happened to be either closed or full. And then he was forced to stay in wilderness for two days, spending his Christmas and birthday with nothing but stars as company, before the dispatcher team found him and took him back to Headquarters.
Throughout the blizzard and battle and two-days-in-wilderness experience, Allen Walker remained strong and his smile was still placed upon his lips when the dispatchers found him. Yet during the ride back to Headquarters, he caught a plague from a little kid sitting beside him in the train and when he finally reached the Headquarters, he was forced to be isolated in the infirmary due to chickenpox.
Chickenpox, gentlemen! Chickenpox!
Oh the irony!
And to add to the irony, it just happened that there was a person sharing a room with Allen Walker in the infirmary. This certain person was forced to a complete bed rest due to somewhat quite severe injuries he suffered after his latest mission. This person, too, happened to be cranky since no one wanted to be forced to stay in the infirmary during the New Year celebration. And this certain person happened to be named Kanda Yuu, who wasted no time before he began laughing the moment he heard about Allen's predicament.
And Allen did not appreciate it. Not. At. All.
"Cut it out, will you," he snapped yet again to the direction from where he could hear a not-so-faint snicker coming. Rather than stopping, the snicker escalated into a full laugh and Allen thought he should be considered as a very tolerant man for not throwing his pillow to that stupid laughing bastard. That, or he was merely a nearly delirious man due to the combination of his high fever and medication.
It was a little bit creepy hearing Kanda laughed like that, when he usually didn't. It must be a sure fact that the analgesic that those doctors had injected into him earlier surely contained some diazepam in it. On a normal occasion, Allen would be amazed to hear a sound of laughter coming from Kanda's lips, but it only made him wanted to kill him now.
"Chickenpox," Kanda's voice, unusually, held an amused edge in it, "You're trapped in the infirmary during new year's eve because of some stupid chickenpox."
"You're also trapped in the infirmary during new year's eve, stupid," Allen retorted. "And it's not my fault that I got to sit next to a kid with chickenpox during my ride back here."
A snicker was the immediate response to his words. "I'm not here because of chickenpox."
"Yeah, I can see that," he sneered. "What happened during your last mission, eh? Were you daydreaming or something until those Akuma managed to mutilate you?"
"I was not mutilated," Kanda screeched sharply. "It's merely a scratch."
Allen eyed Kanda thoughtfully. Then, even more thoughtfully, he extended his hand. Their beds were placed so very close from each other and when he extended his hand, he could very easily touch Kanda's (bandaged) left side. But Allen Walker did not merely touch Kanda Yuu. Nope, he did more than that.
"Fucking hell!" Kanda screamed and Allen had a gleeful smile hearing the curse the other threw. "Just what the fuck do you think are you doing, bean sprout!?"
"Hmmm," Allen said, continuing his press-press-nudge-nudge gesture to Kanda's (bandaged) left side, not at all concern that Kanda might catch his sickness. "I'm merely feeling this so-called scratch but judging from your reaction, I think it's more than 'merely a scratch'."
Kanda jerked sharply so that his body was out of Allen's reach. "Go to hell."
"After you, please," Allen said back with mock courtesy.
Judging from Kanda's narrowed eyes, Allen could say that the Japanese was more than ready to speak some curse words at him but before he could even utter a syllable, a loud sound of explosion made them both jump a little in their respective beds. Blinking, Allen had not yet managed to calm his heart beat when another explosion resounded.
"What the hell is that?' Kanda nearly screamed to get his voice over the sound of explosion and for once, Allen found himself sharing the very same sentiment with his companion.
"I don't know," he said. "Do you think that…"
Allen was just about to ask if it was an attack to the Headquarters when a very loud cheer erupted. Amidst the sound, they both could make out some shouting of 'happy new year' being exchanged amongst people. And hearing that, Allen and Kanda suddenly found themselves staring into each other's eyes.
Some moments passed before Allen forced out a chuckle.
"New year celebration," he said.
"Seems so," Kanda said.
Another cheering slash explosion sound was heard.
"They sound like having fun," Allen noticed.
"Yeah," Kanda agreed. "And I bet they forgot about us."
"I bet they have all kinds of delicious food," Allen sulked. "And they spare nothing for us. So much for being comrades in battling the evil in the world."
"Do you always think about food most of the time?" Kanda said with sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"Hey! Even you have to admit that the food they serve in infirmary is so disgusting," Allen retorted. "They surely have sumptuous feast out there, celebrating the New Year, and we're stuck here with liquid food. How unfair."
Kanda stared at Allen for a while then he released a long sigh.
"I really hate to be in the same opinion with you, but for this case, I have to agree," he said. "Some friends we have."
"Yeah…" Allen played with his bed sheets, definitely sulking. "And in New Year's Eve no less!"
"They didn't even wish us a happy new year," Kanda scowled. "All too busy making those stupid explosions…"
"And eating," Allen added.
"And eating," Kanda agreed. "What a happy new year, if you excuse my sarcasm."
That seemingly innocent statement made Allen think. He stole a glance at Kanda's direction, secretly, of course so the other would not notice. He saw how his Japanese companion had a scowl on his face. He stared at the bandages. He heard the explosions again that let him knew that it was indeed the beginning of a new year.
He sighed. He knew that he was not in best term with Kanda most of the time. But it was New Year's Eve, he reasoned in his heart. And surely he was enough of a decent person to at least forget their oh-so-many differences for one night.
"Hey, Kanda," he called Kanda, trying to look nonchalant. "Happy New Year."
Kanda stared at him. Then he blinked. And he continued to stare with the kind of look that somehow made Allen very self conscious of the fact that they were the only people in the room. He gulped and tried so hard not do any kind of embarrassing things like stuttering or averting his gaze or, worse, blushing.
"Sorry, it must have been the effect of my painkiller but somehow I had the impression that you just wished me a happy new year," Kanda said with a look of slight disbelief on his face.
"What's so hard to believe about that?" Allen almost snarled. At least if he pretended vehemence, he could fool himself into thinking that the heat on his cheeks was due to his anger and not because of… something else, whatever it was. "It's only logical to wish people a happy new year during the changing of the years, right?"
Kanda blinked, "It's hard to believe that someone who a moment before has just poked at my wounds would wish me a happy new year."
"Well, it's…" Allen tried but decided not to continue. "Never mind…"
Kanda seemed to stare at him more intently and Allen so wished he could pull his blanket and hide underneath it. Just why he had to say those stupid words to Kanda, he wondered. It had to be some kind of a fleeting moment of irrationality caused by his fever. And speaking about his fever, Allen thought as he checked the temperature of his forehead with his palm, it seemed said fever was beginning to flare up again.
He scrunched his face. He needed to get up and take his medication before his somewhat still mild fever turned worse. Yet the thought of leaving the warmth that his bed provided was really unappealing to him. And when he was still debating whether he should get up and take his medication or simply try to sleep and pray that his fever would get down by itself, a glass of water was presented to him.
Blinking, Allen looked up and saw Kanda Yuu standing beside his bed. His right hand was clutching at his side and his left hand was extended to his direction, holding a glass of water and a bottle of his prescribed medication. Seeing such unnatural scene, Allen could only utter a single word.
"Huh?"
"Just take your medication, bean sprout," Kanda said harshly, thrusting the glass nearer to his direction and almost made the water inside spill out. "I don't want to be held responsible if you died when it's only the two of us in this room."
Allen sat up on his bed. Somehow warily, he accepted the glass and the bottle full of accursed white pills from Kanda's hand. He took two of the pills and down them with a full glass of water.
"Uh…" Allen said as he put the glass to the nightstand beside his bed. "Thank you."
"Yeah…" Kanda somehow averted his eyes, "You're welcome."
Well, Allen thought, it was the kind of situation that was best described as awkward.
"How did you know that I needed my medication?" he asked.
Kanda snorted. "Different from you, I'm observant."
Allen snorted back. "Yeah, so observant until you let those Akuma wound you because you knew it would make you confined in the infirmary during New Year celebration."
"Shut up, bean sprout!" Kanda said. His eyes then fixed themselves on Allen's and he said, "Happy New Year for you too."
Allen blinked and somehow felt rather stupid. Then he blushed which made him feel even stupider. And then he smiled which was… more than stupid really, because why did he have to smile as if he was happy hearing Kanda wishing him a happy new year?
…or was it possible that he was indeed happy?
"Yeah…" he said with a hint of laughter in his voice. "Let's hope for the best during this year."
"Hn…" Kanda said. "I'm only being civil with you because this is New Year's Eve, understand?"
"Yes, whatever," Allen chuckled. "Thank you for the water and medication."
"Don't mention it," Kanda said as he walked the short distance back to his bed. Allen watched his companion climbing his bed with a slight wince and slipping under the blanket.
"That scratch really seems like a very bad scratch," he commented with an impish smile.
"Someone so idiotic as to catch chickenpox from a little child has no right to comment on my condition," Kanda grumpily said.
Strangely, Allen felt nothing sort of malice from those words. To him, those words just felt like a joke that might pass between two good friends without any intention to cause hard feeling. He knew the relationship between him and Kanda was not really something that people viewed as friendship. He knew they were not really enemies. He knew they were more than just accomplices. They were… something.
Chuckling, Allen closed his eyes and tried to sleep. His New Year Eve did turn out somewhat quite nice. Though he still resented those jerks for partying without him and forgetting to share the meals with him, no less.
- end –
(A/N: yes, that's it. It has been so long since the last time we wrote for this fandom but our love for -Man has not died out. To tell the truth, this fic was born from one of us who suffered the fate of being high on medication during New Year's Eve due to her cold. We hope you had a great reading time and like always, reviews will be much appreciated.)