I was really tempted to leave it as it was in the previous part: a dream. Really, really tempted…

He woke up in the morning, momentarily confused by the high ceiling and the stained-glass window, through which the sun shone brightly. He sat up on the bed, looking at the austere room with no decorations whatsoever. It didn't look homey in the least but, as the memories of the previous day filtered through his sleepy brain, he felt his lips stretch in a slow smile. Surely the sixth of June could have hardly been more perfect a day. Surely he could make the seventh of June just as perfect as the sixth, he thought with a short laugh and jumped out of the bed.

He was eager to be out and about, discovering the place and meeting people. However, his usual, morning routine took him a bit more than usual, because he needed to open all the drawers to find the clothes he needed and then he got lost on the way to the common baths. He did not let that bring him down, nothing could bring him down. At least being somewhat later for breakfast meant that, by the time he was ready to eat there was a crowd in the canteen and it was easy to find just by listening. And the smell of food. The smell of food was usually a sure way to attract him just about anywhere, which, he has been told, was normal for a parasitic type Exorcist.

It explained things, Alma thought as he made his way down to the canteen. Back in the lab, when the only thing he and Yuu had been given to eat were sets upon sets of pills, Alma ate them because his stomach demanded to be filled. Yuu needed to be forced and even mayonnaise didn't do the trick, although Alma wasn't sure how it was possible. Nobody could dislike mayonnaise. Even when he started progressively getting real food, his body judged stable enough to sustain itself without the portions of vitamins and nutrients in the form of medication, he put mayonnaise on nearly everything.

He tried things first, of course. Mostly. That was how he discovered mitarashi dango, the first thing he and Yuu got to eat only a day before the tragedy unfolded. Then, coming back and starting to eat normally, he discovered cheese cake and carrot cake, neither of which needed the smallest drop of mayonnaise to be absolutely awesome. He was sure that he could convince Yuu to try at least the latter and enjoy it. Or, that failing, he would figure out how to make a green tea cake, since that was not sweet and Yuu's dislike for sweets has been clearly stated the previous day. It was slightly surprising, because Alma was sure Yuu had liked the sweet, gluey rice flour balls in sweet soy sauce. He would ask, eventually, but he would definitely get some carrot cake and make Yuu try as well.

The beauty of being judged grown up was in the free choice of food, Alma mused as Jerry the cook heaped omelette and pickles into a bowl, putting it next to the rice and miso soup and the day's breakfast salad on Alma's tray. He opted also for some Occidental dishes, wanting to try the fried bacon, cooked sausages and potato scones. Tomorrow he would try the scrambled eggs with the other kind of sausage instead of the omelette, he decided, picking up his tray after Jerry deposited a huge piece of carrot cake on it. Tomorrow he would also try the cherry pie, it looked good, he thought, seeing it on the tray of some random Finder as he passed. He easily found the table where the Exorcists were sitting, greeting them as he approached.

Yuu wasn't there.

Alma paused, unsure. Was he too late or too early? Should he continue or go to look for Yuu? He couldn't help the disappointment that flooded him, even though he genuinely enjoyed the company of the others. He should have thought to pass by Yuu's room and pick his best friend up, but it didn't occur to him that Yuu wouldn't be there. He pursed his lips and continued towards the table, deciding to not be rude on his second day in the headquarters. The other Exorcists, although they could never be as important as Yuu, would, after all, become his friends as well, or so he hoped.

'Yuu usually tries to avoid us at meals,' Lavi said as though he was reading in Alma's thoughts. 'Or he just skipped breakfast completely to train longer, since yesterday he didn't do his training quota,' he added with just a tiny hint of mocking in his tone. Next to him Allen rolled his eyes as Alma sat down. 'He does that sometimes. I can help you get to the training room he uses after we eat,' the redhead offered.

'Thank you,' Alma replied, smile coming back on his face. 'Does Yuu train a lot?' he asked. Allen snorted and told him that training and meditating were the only things "Kanda" did and Alma stared. 'Meditating? Yuu meditates?' he asked, surprised. In his head the memories of the impulsive and aggressive child did not fit with the idea of meditation. The previous day he saw that Yuu was still the impulsive, often angry person and it still did not fit with the image of him sitting motionless and clearing his mind.

'Sure he does. Sometimes I meditate with him,' said Lenalee cheerfully. Right afterwards, her expression clouded over with something like worry for a moment, but it passed and Alma decided to consider it another time. He went about eating his meal as fast as possible, only leaving the carrot cake behind. He wanted to make Yuu try it and he would and Yuu should know better than hiding from him. It never worked in the lab and it wouldn't work in the headquarters.

Allen and Lenalee laughed when they realized that he planned to take the cake to the training room, teasing him for fighting a lost case. Lavi immediately made a bet with them, claiming that Alma would manage to feed some to Yuu. They took it just as fast, both betting against Alma, much to Alma's amusement. They were in for a surprise, he was sure, but he said nothing for the moment. Instead, all together they went to the training room only to find it empty and their moods fell.

'Well, he might have just finished and have gone to the shower,' Lenalee suggested helpfully, after a moment of heavy silence. She sounded like she barely believed her own words and Alma knew she was wrong. He should have realized that something was wrong when Yuu wasn't there in the canteen or didn't come to pick him up in the morning. Then again, neither did he, although the thought crossed his mind. He gave it up after getting lost on the way to the baths, figuring that it would be faster to just go to eat and meet Yuu there.

'He might have gone just to escape the cake?' Allen offered in an obvious effort to lighten the situation, but it came out unconvincing. Alma laughed shortly nevertheless, shaking his head. He thanked them and said that he would go and they let him. He could feel their gazes on his back as he walked down the corridor in silence. He heard Allen say something more after he turned the corner, but he didn't care to listen, thinking.

As he walked, slowly and aimlessly, it occurred to him that the previous day felt like a dream come true, which it was. With any luck it felt like a dream come true for Yuu as well and maybe even more so, since Yuu didn't know that Alma was alive and well and wasn't just waiting "for the right moment". Yuu had really lived the last nine years, the most of his life, thinking he had killed Alma. What if he woke up thinking the previous day was just a dream? Alma sure would if he had woken up in his old room and if he hadn't travelled for days upon days to reach the headquarters of the Black Order in a hurry to make it for Yuu's birthday.

More than once, during the eight years he was "back", Alma woke up from nightmares about Yuu dying somewhere on a mission before Alma managed to meet him, before they managed to make up for the time lost due to his madness. Just as many times he dreamt about the day when they would finally meet and waking up from those dreams left him with a feeling of longing and impatience, with nearly physical pain at their separation. How much would it hurt if he thought Yuu was dead? A lot more, he could bet. He didn't really want to know, but he did notice the caution in Yuu's reactions in the beginning of the day, as though he dared not believe in the reality in front of his eyes. He did notice the fear that Yuu tried so desperately to hide. It was obvious, now, what caused the fear and Alma really should have consider that more. But no, he was too drunk on his own happiness.

'You're so stupid, Alma,' he muttered to himself, directing his footsteps towards where he hoped Yuu's room was. Finders were giving him funny looks and it took a while to realize that he was still carrying a huge portion of carrot cake in his hand. He briefly considered leaving the cake behind, but it didn't seem polite to mess up the spotlessly clean castle. It occurred to him that he could just give the cake to any of the Finders he passed on the way, but it looked way too delicious to part ways with, stupid as the notion was, in the face of his current problem.

It took much too long until Alma finally recognized the corridor and, more precisely, the door to Yuu's room. For reasons completely beyond his understanding, there were no name tags on the doors, making it much more difficult to find a particular room, but he remembered the small defects of the wall just next to the heavy, wooden door. They looked as though somebody tried to chip away the bricks or stabbed them with a blade. He would ask about it one day, but for the moment he focused on the doors and knocked hard.

Nothing. He couldn't hear anything on the other side of the door, but that didn't mean anything because the doors in the Black Order's headquarters were thick, thicker even than the ones Alma was used to in the Asian Branch. If there was somebody inside, even if they were walking around, Alma didn't think he would hear anything. He waited for a moment before deciding to knock again, slightly harder.

Something smashed against the door with force, the sound making Alma literally jump. At least he knew that Yuu was awake, he thought, hopelessly trying to find humour in the situation. And he clearly doesn't want visitors, he amended with a wince. He knocked again: again harder and more insistent. Hopefully Yuu would realize that he wasn't going away any time soon and open. If he didn't, Alma would kick down the door eventually. He was sure he would manage, despite how sturdy it looked.

'Go away,' shouted Yuu from the other side of the door. Alma winced, because he didn't sound happy and not even as angry as he should be, from what Alma remembered. At the same time he felt somewhat relieved: he did get the right door for sure. The answer came automatically:

'No can do, Yuu,' he sang as loud as he dared, glad that there was nobody around. The last thing he wanted was to create a scene in front of Yuu's room. There was silence on the other side and, resigned, he raised his hand to knock again but something stopped him. He waited as patiently as he could make himself, while seconds trickled by. He was rewarded, after what seemed like an eternity, by the clicking of the lock. The doors cracked open slowly to reveal Yuu. Alma's heart broke at the sight.

Dark eyes, reddish from crying looked at him, wide and hopeful and scared at the same time.

'Oh Yuu, I'm so sorry,' he whispered, taking in the rest of Yuu's dishevelled appearance. Without thinking, he pushed the door open further and enveloped the other in a tight hug, mindful of the cake only enough to not slam it against Yuu's back. Yuu remained rigid in his arms and it felt like a dagger twisting in his heart. He forced himself to let go, moved them both further into the room and closed the door, locking it even, to make sure that they will not be disturbed. He put the cake on the bedside table, smirking slightly at Yuu's incredulous gaze directed towards it.

'This is a dream,' the swordsman said finally, his hoarse voice barely above a whisper, as he looked back at Alma, more despairing than hopeful now. Alma shook his head vigorously. 'I cannot do this anymore. I cannot, I- I miss you so much, Alma, but if I believe in this and then I wake up alone again, I-' he paused and swallowed thickly. Tears welled up in Alma's eyes as he listened to the broken voice. 'I cannot even kill myself and be done with it,' Yuu breathed, barely voicing the horrible words. A chill ran down Alma's spine.

'Well then you will not wake up alone,' Alma promised, blinking rapidly to dispel the tears that were blurring his vision. Yuu looked at him with surprise and hope, but the emotions quickly dissolved into resignation, lips pursing into a thin line. 'I will stay with you as long as you need. As long as you want,' Alma amended.

'Don't promise things you cannot keep,' Yuu mumbled, looking away. Oh, but I can keep this one, Alma thought. There was nothing in the Order, nothing on the Earth that could force him to leave Yuu. He smiled sadly and hooked a finger under Yuu's chin, gently but firmly turning his head so that he was facing him again. He waited patiently until the dark eyes locked with his before speaking.

'I promise,' he said simply, his tone firm. Yuu's eyes widened slightly for a moment. Then they glazed over with tears and closed and Alma took that as a cue to hug Yuu again, this time getting hugged back almost immediately. 'I'm sorry Yuu, I wasn't thinking yesterday. The headquarters felt so much like home that I forgot you really thought I was dead. I forgot how easy it is to believe in dreams when you want something so much. I-'

'Just,' Yuu cut him, the word coming out as half a sob. 'Don't say anything more,' he requested in a broken whisper. Maybe he still didn't believe that he wasn't dreaming. He looked like he hadn't slept much the previous night and so, after a while, Alma guided his best and only friend towards the dishevelled bed. He sat against the wall and forced Yuu to pretty much lay on top of him, cradling him close. He wrapped the cover loosely around them and, much to his embarrassment, fell asleep himself in a matter of minutes.

})i({

First, he became aware of the warmth. It was an alien feeling and very confusing but nonetheless very much welcome. He was half laying on top of something warm a ribbon of warmth wrapped around him as well, which was in itself bizarre and brought images of situations in which he definitely didn't see himself. However, when the warmth under his cheek moved slightly, up and down, he recognized it for what it was: breathing. And breathing meant a person and-

He sat up abruptly, awkwardly, because his legs were somewhat entangled with the legs of the person on whom he was sleeping. The person who was now blinking himself awake, confused but content, smiling softly at him. And Kanda could only stare, taking in the smallest details. The way the warm, brown eyes focused slowly. The sparkle in them. The scar that he knew so well, running across the cute nose. The smile that seemed to light up the other person's face.

Wait a moment! Did he just think that Alma's nose was cute?

'Good morning. Or probably: good afternoon. Would you like to try a carrot cake, Yuu?' Alma asked as though them waking up together on his bed was absolutely normal. Kanda blinked, the implications of the situation slowly sinking in. He had dreamed about Alma coming to the Black Order, hadn't he? He definitely remembered waking up in despair, painfully aware that it was just a dream. He remembered crying, he thought, hating the blush that warmed his cheeks. He remembered the other dream only- Only it didn't seem to be a dream after all.

As the thought occurred to him, he pinched his forearm hard and hissed. It didn't really hurt as much as surprised him: he was completely sure he would wake up instead. Alma looked at him with obvious amusement, hiding worry in Alma's eyes, and he scowled, because he didn't like to be mocked nor did he like to be pitied. The scowl had less effect than it did on Lavi, unfortunately, and Alma picked up the cake he brought before, for reasons known only to himself. The absurdity of this situation was not lost on him, but he found himself beyond caring.

'You really are here,' he said, annoyed at the incredulity in his own voice. Alma's smile widened and brightened. It could easily rival the beansprout's, except Alma's looked so much better. Alma's smile was real, warm. It was the same smile he remembered from the rare, cheerful memories he had from the labs, the smile he thought he had killed in his selfish folly. 'It really was not a dream,' he muttered, unable to look away from the blinding smile.

'It wasn't,' Alma confirmed, his tone torn somewhere between joy and seriousness. 'I'm sorry I left you yesterday evening. I should have known it wouldn't be easy to believe that I was back after nine years,' he added, but Kanda shook his head. He didn't want to think about it and he didn't want Alma's apologies. Alma, and only Alma out of the whole world, had nothing to apologize to him for. Rather he should apologize and he would, one day, when a forkful of carrot cake would not be pointed at him, disturbingly close to his mouth.

'What do you think you're d-' he started, but Alma used it to stuff the food into his mouth and Kanda was entirely too proud to spit it out again. Not to mention that they were still sitting on his bed and he would be damned if he was the one to dirty it with cake. 'If you leave any crumbles on my bed I'm going to make you regret this stupid idea,' he threatened half-heartedly, because he was also too proud to admit that he actually liked the cake. All the same, he voluntarily ate the second forkful, blushing at Alma's smug expression.

He regretted eating half of the cake, watching Alma enjoy the other half, only when they showed up in the canteen, sometime later. The place was full with people, it being dinner time already, and apparently Alma hadn't been very discreet when he took the cake. Quite the opposite, Kanda found, Alma had accepted the idiot rabbit, stupid beansprout and Lenalee to bet whether he would eat the cake or not. He wished dearly he hadn't. However, when Lavi asked he answered truthfully, feeling his reputation crumble a tiny bit.

He should be angry, he knew. Maybe, probably, one day he would be, but for the moment he was too content to close a chapter of his life. It was a long chapter and full of pain and guilt. It was a chapter of blood on his hands and hate in his heart. And although the hate wasn't gone and would probably never be, the blood was. The pain would fade into a distant memory and the guilt was already forgiven. One day he would accept that forgiveness.

And the world would be perfect if only his food tray did not arrive, brought by an overly cheerful Alma, containing not only his preferred zaru soba but the gluey, sweet treat he remembered from the Asian Branch. It was the first "real" food he and Alma ever ate and it had been delicious back then, but became irrevocably tied to the tragedy that occurred the day after. He refused to eat it since, scowling when beansprout swallowed one after the other.

'What is this thing doing on my tray?' he asked, not even having to pretend his anger. Alma pouted and it took effort to not react to the expression. He refused to let himself be swayed by so little. 'Don't give me that look, Alma. I-'

'Used to like it before,' Alma finished for him, his pout gone, replaced by a truly devilish smile. Kanda pursed his lips into a thin line, glaring at the incredulous exclamations of rabbit, beansprout and Lenalee. 'Remember when we tried it the first time? I've been thinking about that day every time I ate it afterwards, waiting for the time we're going to eat it together again,' he said. Something inside of Kanda melted at those words and, fearing it would show, he glared harder at Alma.

'How can you even say such a cheesy thing?' he asked, keeping his voice cold and controlled. 'I want to puke now, before I even try this, this thing,' he added, face twisting in disgust. Alma smiled at him with an infuriating kind of understanding and, if he was upset by his words he didn't let it show. The same couldn't be said about the other Exorcists at the table, unfortunately.

'That's harsh even for Yuu-chan,' Lavi scolded him, half mockingly.

'BaKanda, you're such a heartless asshole,' beansprout exclaimed at the same time, the shock in his tone mirroring the one on Lenalee's face. Kanda told them all to shut up and went about eating his meal, ignoring the conversation that restarted around him. And in the end he ate the mitarashi dango, without Alma even having to poke him about it. And of course Alma didn't miss that fact, eating his own sweets and smiling as brightly as the sun.