I glanced at the man across from me, his blue black hair slightly longer than my own boyish hair cut as he sat with his arms crossed glaring out the window.
"I'm sorry Kanda," I sighed kneeling on the carriage floor in front of him, placing my hands on his knees. "It was stupid and reckless of me. Forgive me?" I asked batting my eyes and pursing my lips in my best 'puppy dog' face.
"Tch." He glanced at me before sharply turning back to the window. "Only if you promise to never do that again."
I placed my right hand over my heart and held my left in the air. "I Janine Restic swear to never do anything that would make you worry about me ever again." I promised with a slight grin.
"Good." He pulled me into the seat next to him resting a hand on my knee, slowly sliding it up and down my leg from my knee to the hem of my skirt in a slow soothing gesture. I'm not sure who it comforted more, me or him. Probably him. His head drooped to my shoulder, his eyes closed. "You know if you keep your hair short like that people will think you're a boy right?" He asked yawning.
"Yes. And the more you keep your hair long people will think you're a girl." I chuckled. "How about this, you wear your hair long and I'll keep mine short to balance it out. And with you in pants like that and me in a skirt no one can mistake us for the opposite gender. Sound good?"
"Okay," he yawned hand still rubbing my leg.
"Get some sleep," I whispered brushing his hair from his face.
"But the innocence."
I took his free hand and placed it on my pocket opposite him. "Is right here." I moved his hand to feel the bump the bundle made in my Exorcist coat. "And Mugen is right here." I moved his hand to the sword on his other side. "And Ever is with me." I placed his hand against the smooth wood of my bow on the other side, next to the innocence. "Everything is where it should be, now get some sleep I'll wake you when we get back." I spoke slowly and softly lulling him to sleep.
"Okay."
I waited about ten minutes after his breathing deepened and evened out before turning to the compartment door. "He's asleep General."
General Tiedoll slipped into the compartment and looked between the boy asleep on my shoulder and me. "I don't know how you do it Janine but 15 minutes with you and he's out like a light."
"I'm just magic." I smiled at the small joke.
Kanda's arms wrapped around my left arm holding onto it like a life line muttering in his sleep. "You broke your promise."
I sat up with a muffled scream eyes darting around the room. The door was locked, curtains closed, blankets thrown off the bed and lying on the floor, dresser pushed against far wall, drawers still closed, vanity table sitting beside it. I was still alone in the small bedroom, everything was how I left it before going to bed last night.
I crawled out of bed and moved carefully to the dresser pulling out a simple dress that stopped about mid calf, it was a deep forest green and buttoned up the front. Sitting down in front of the mirror at my vanity table I stared at my reflection. My chocolate brown hair had grown out and now swept my shoulders, my breasts had filled in since that night on the train, my hips too, honey colored eyes took in the girlish figure as I fingered my hair. "Time for a hair cut." I decided. "I look enough like a girl now, I don't need it long."
I frowned remembering my dream, it had been years since that day, and years since I'd dreamt of it or Him. Maybe it's safe to go back now, I mean there's no way The Earl's still looking for me. I sighed softly, "I miss You, Yu."
*Kanda POV*
I glared at my soba noodles, that day again. The day She left. The day Janine died.
"What's wrong with Kanda?" Beansprout whispered behind me. "He seems angrier than usual."
"Don't worry, he gets like this around this time of year." Leanalee whisper answered.
"Tch." I wish they'd both shut up. I missed Her, missed Janine.
The way she'd smile. "Hurry up Yu." The determined set of her jaw as she aimed. "Get down." And I'd never admit it but I missed being able to curl up next to her and sleep.
(Author's comment: sorry if Kanda is kinda OOC. Haven't read DGM in forever so most of this is pure authorial speculation. Hope you enjoy this more than how I first wrote it. Let me know what you think. Rewritten chapter 1)
