A/N: I may seem like I'm rushing this fic but I feel so inspired lately that I can't help but put it up and plus I think that reviewers will like that I've updated, I guess. Also, Allen is fifteen in this fic whereas everyone else is eighteen. Anyway, so please read and review!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Behind the Mask is a Reason

"Wait, so he's not mute?" Kanda asked again. All through the night, the child had refused to release him and demanded silently that the man stay with him. In the morning, both Lenalee and Lavi found him sleeping next to the boy and after dismissing all accusations with a few strongly worded statements, they alerted Komui that the cursed boy was awake.

"Not exactly," Komui explained, throwing down another file, "His name is Allen Walker and he is an exorcist. His 'mutated' arm is his anti-akuma weapon. And according to these reports, the destroyed city you rescued him from was his temporary home. He also seems to be suffering from brain damage."

"So how does this tie in with him being mute?" Kanda growled.

"He's not," Komui folded his hands, "Rather, he doesn't want to talk because something in his brain is keeping him from speaking. It could be anything: an traumatic accident, the death of a loved one, maybe even a simple knock in the head."

"So he's basically retarded to the point where his mentality is akin to a one year old," the swordsman reworded bluntly.

"Kanda!" the man scolded, holding a hand over his heart dramatically, "That's no way to say that! In fact, I demand that you see the poor lad now!"

"No way in hell!" Kanda frowned, "I have a new mission tomorrow. There is no way I'm gonna spend any time with that bean sprout."

"Then you are relieved from your old mission and you have a new one," Komui smirked almost triumphantly, "You will take care of Walker-san until he can speak again. Until then, you won't have missions."

"WHAT?!"

Despite how loud his stomach growled and how painful it felt, Allen had no intention of eating. He disregarded the girl sitting next to him, begging him to eat. Instead, he yearned for the person that had woken him up and looked at the door almost desperately.

"Please, Allen-kun," Lenalee pleaded, holding up a bowl of rice. "Eat a little. You haven't had any food for three days straight. You're going to be very weak if you get some food in your stomach."

He shook his head, dazed and continued staring gauntly at the door.

"You have to get some nourishment," she held a spoonful to his lips. He turned his head away and pressed his lips together tightly. She sighed, giving up and putting the rice bowl down. "I'm going to leave now but Lavi-niisan will come in a few minutes! Please eat something. You don't want him unhappy."

Allen made no motion that he had heard her. His silver-grey eyes stared blankly at the door.

She got up and stepped outside, giving one last pitying at the pale boy.

"How is he?" the future bookman asked worriedly from outside. He had heard everything.

"He won't eat," Lenalee mumbled, "He doesn't want to eat even though he's obviously hungry. It's like he's waiting for someone to come and I can't tell who since he can't answer me."

"Maybe Yuu-chan can try!" his lips cracked into a small hopeful smile. "God knows how much the kid loves him!"

"I told you to stop calling me that!" Kanda snarled, pointing Mugen at Lavi's face.

"Ack!" he cried, jumping away, "Where the hell did you come from?"

Kanda ignored the idiot rabbit and stormed into the room. Lavi and Lenalee looked at him, confused at his anomalous behavior.

Allen looked up from his hands, almost dreading the sound of the door opening and slamming closed. It was probably the girl or the redheaded teen again, telling him he needed to eat. Midnight blue eyes and long raven hair greeted him instead. His stormy grey eyes immediately brightened. A warm feeling rumbled in his stomach and he smiled sweetly at the Japanese man. He didn't know why but he took an instant liking in the stoic man and his heart always burst with happiness when he saw him.

His lips moved in a greeting but no sound came out.

"Oi, beansprout," Kanda held up the bowl of rice, "Eat this!"

Allen nodded but his eyes strayed to his hands, lying useless at his sides. Kanda stared back at him, puzzled for a second before a thought hit him.

"Oh hell no," Kanda snapped, "I am not feeding you! Eat this by yourself."

Allen rolled his eyes and glared pointedly at the swordsman.

"He can't move his arms yet, Yuu-chan!" Lavi called from behind the safety of the door in a matter-of-fact tone, "You're just going to have to help him!"

He emerged from the door after he gauged his safety. Lenalee followed him in, giving Allen a comforting smile.

"Shut the fuck up, damn rabbit!" he shouted, "Why don't you feed him?"

"That's the problem," Lenalee stood next to Lavi, "He won't eat when either of us feeds him. But he seems to react fine with you. He's fond of you since you're the one to find him and the first one he saw when he regained consciousness."

"Oh hell no," he frowned, shooting a glare at Allen. "This is all your fault."

Allen smiled naively and opened his mouth as Kanda shoved a spoonful of rice. Allen choked, spitting out the food onto the raven-haired man's face.

"You did not just do that," he glared at the small boy as both exorcists behind him laughed to the point where tears were coming out of their eyes. Allen smiled warmly, a hint of embarrassment in his face.

"Kanda!" Lavi laughed, "Be more gentle! You're going to choke him!"

The Japanese man mumbled a string of curses under his breath and held up another spoonful, letting Allen's lips enclose around the spoon. As it turned out, Allen had a very big appetite and cleaned off 10 bowls of rice, 50 plates of mitarashi dango, 20 bowls of soup, and 10 plates of barbequed ribs before he was satisfied.

"How did you eat all that?" Lavi's one eye widened in amazement and slight disgust, "That was enough food to fill you for a week!"

"Che," Kanda snorted, holding out another piece of dango for him. "For a small beansprout you sure eat a lot."

"How adorable!" Lenalee squealed, unaffected by Allen's large cast iron stomach. "You're so cute!" She attempted to hug Allen but he pulled the samurai in front of him, hiding behind the man in fright.

His lips moved again, mouthing words at a lightening fast speed.

"Who are you?" Lavi translated just as quickly. Everyone stared at him. The future bookman blanched and laughed sheepishly.

"You could lip read all this time?" Kanda barked, drawing out Mugen, "And you never told us?"

"W-Well!" Lavi backed away, laughing joyfully as he avoided Kanda's wrath, "Y-You never asked!"

"I'm Lenalee Lee," she introduced herself to Allen. She pointed at Lavi. "The one with the eye patch is Lavi. And the one trying to kill him is Kanda Yuu."

Allen watched merrily as Kanda waved Mugen threateningly at Lavi.

"Aah!" Lavi shrieked, grabbing Allen by the shoulders and hiding behind him, "Don't be such a meanie! Set a good example for our little brother Allen!"

"Good example my ass!" Kanda brandished his sword at Lavi, "I am going to cut off your head!"

"Ah!" he feigned screaming, "He's going to kill me! Save me, Allen-chan!"

Allen grinned and hesitantly reached out for Kanda's face. His quivering hands touched his cheeks and his thumbs caressed them softly.

"O-Oi!" Kanda turned a bright shade of red. "W-What do you think you're doing, you stupid beansprout?"

Allen opened his mouth.

"K-Kan... da," he spoke, his voice ragged. Allen winced and tried again, licking his lips to moisten them. "K-Kanda."

A/N: Please read and review! I have 23 supporters and let us see if all of you can review!