Disclaimer: DGM is not mine.
Warning: Cursing and kisses!
Note: I dislike how this chapter came out. I've written and rewritten it so many times, that I finally gave up and settled on this one. Sorry it took so long for me to get this out…
Reflection
"I'm not going to play this game with you all night, little boy. Name your price and let us be done with this. I'm bored and have something else I'd rather be doing." Road stated bluntly as she rested her cheek in her hand. This uppity brat was beginning to get on her nerves.
"I don't know if you can afford me. The Order paid a good amount of money to get me to join their academy. You'd have to double that amount at least." Timothy Hearst crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, grinning at the bored looking girl across the table from him.
"I don't care much for money, so how about I triple it and toss in an added bonus?" The golden eyed girl matched his haughty gaze. "Sign these papers and switch to our academy, and I let you keep all ten of your fingers. Does though sound like a good deal to you?"
"Quadruple it." The cheeky boy demanded, barely flinching at her threat.
"If I quadruple it, I'll only let you keep eight out of ten fingers." Road smiled pleasantly at Timothy. "It's your choice." A triumphant smirk lit up her face as the boy realized the reality of her threats.
"T-Triple is fine." He stuttered, face becoming pale.
"Excellent! Just sign your name on the line."
---
Kanda pressed the gas pedal harder and the sleek black car sped up, blasting through a yellow light. He weaved through the traffic skillfully and made a sharp turn, nearly taking out another car. The raven-haired man cursed as he recalled the reason for his rush.
***
Kanda smirked as Allen suddenly joined in the kiss. As the boy's arms wrapped around his neck, Kanda dropped his hands down to rest on his hips. He grinded against them and chuckled deep in his throat as Allen gasped for air. At the time, nothing else mattered. Their lips were together again and the younger male was becoming more and more aggressive. Kanda opened his eyes for a moment and saw it.
The mirror on the wall adjacent to them didn't hold only their reflection. Just a few feet away stood a dark figure with a white cloak and an eerie smile. Its eyes were like large white orbs that looked as if they saw everything. The smile on its face grew, and Kanda knew that no one else in the club could see the creepy apparition. Its knowing eyes focused on him, and raised its hands. A single lotus flower sat delicately cupped between them. Kanda's midnight eyes widened at the sight of it.
No.
He growled, then quickly pushed away from Allen. He wanted nothing more than to continue embracing the younger male, but knew that he had to leave. Turning, he quickly left The Ark, barely noticing the Noah that sat only a few tables away, watching their every move.
***
"Fuck!" He hit the stirring wheel with his fist. "Damn it! Why is it showing up now?!" The Asian yelled as he slammed on the gas pedal again.
---
"Tyki." Road called after her so-called Uncle as he passed her in the hallway of their home.
"Yes, Road?" He asked, not bothering to turn and face the little girl.
"Let's work together."
"What?"
"Let's work together on your assignment." The spiky-haired girl waved the photo of Allen she stole off of Tyki as he finally turned to face her.
"Why?" He asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Lulu and Skin are working together, and Jasdevi are a team so I figured I'd help you out." The Noah of Dreams smiled pleasantly.
"What about your job?"
"I just finished it tonight." Road grimaced at the thought of that irritating child attending their school. I wonder if I should have taken one of his fingers anyway.
"No thanks." The tanned man turned and began walking away. Things always got more troublesome when Road was around.
"Why not?!" She called after him only to receive no answer. "Fine, then. It's a game now. The first one to get Allen wins." The small golden eyed girl giggled maliciously as she walked away, staring at Allen's picture almost lovingly. "What a cute new toy."
---
Allen sat on his bed curled into a tight ball. It was almost lights out, but he could still hear a few voices from the common room. The happy sounds drifting through the dorm made him feel worse. The only relief he received was that instead of being tormented by the thought of Mana, now all he could think about was Kanda. The memories of his first kiss crashed back into him, and his face turned a brilliant red. Feeling like a teenage girl, he buried his burning face into his pillow.
"Why did he have to kiss me like that?" The boy asked into the fluff still pressed against his chest. "Stupid Kanda." He muttered as he flopped onto his side. I'll wake up early and meet him in the kitchen again. Allen decided as a sudden wave of tiredness washed over him. "I'll demand an answer." He said aloud after a yawn. Feeling a bit better, the snowy haired boy drifted off to sleep.
---
"I saw it again." Kanda stated as Zhu Mei Chan sipped from his tea.
"What?"
"The lotus flower. I saw it again." His midnight gaze lingered on the beaded bracelet wrapped around his wrist.
"Huh?" The old man asked after another drink.
"Would you fix your fucking hearing aid?!" Kanda snapped. "This is important, damn it!" The Asian tried to bite back his anger as the old man adjusted the bud in his ear.
"What were you saying Kanda Yuu?" He set his cup down.
"I saw the lotus again tonight in a reflection." The raven-haired teen repeated himself yet again.
"In a reflection? Has that ever happened before?" Old man Zhu became serious abruptly.
"No." Kanda slipped the bracelet off his wrist and the room was instantly filled with dozens of flowers only he could see. He resisted the urge to put it back on and placed it in the center of the table. "Can you fix these?"
"There is nothing wrong with them. The magic is still intact…" Zhu Mei picked up the beads and toyed with them in his hands. "The reoccurrence could have been triggered by some sort of change." He placed the bracelet back on the table between him and Kanda. "Have you met someone new who you are close to lately?"
"Moyashi." Kanda accidentally spoke aloud the first thing that came to his mind.
"Who?"
"No one." The Asian stood and snatched the beads off the table. Sliding them back onto his wrist, he stifled a sigh of relief as the flowers faded and then disappeared. Silently, he reached for the door.
"You mustn't dwell on it."
Kanda paused.
"It is only an illusion. That flower is an illusion."
A rare tormented expression betrayed the teen's usual uncaring mask as he remembered the day Old Man Zhu first gave Kanda the charmed bracelet. 'Kanda… Do you still see the flower? I see…Let's keep this a secret, just between you and me.'
"Thanks." He muttered before leaving, knowing that Zhu Mei's hearing aid was already turned off.
---
"Brother?" Lenalee knocked on the door in front of her before poking her head into the room. "Are you awake?"
"Lenalee!" Komui Lee smiled at his younger sister from behind his desk that wasn't covered in papers for once. "What can I do for you?"
The petite girl stepped all the way into Komui's office and stared down at her feet. After a moment of silence she finally spoke. "I saw a Noah tonight." Lenalee refused to look up and meet her brother's worried face.
"Which one?" He gasped. "Please tell me they didn't approach you."
"No. It's not me." The Chinese girl bit her lip, not wanting to have to admit the next part. "Tyki Mikk was talking to Allen at The Ark."
"Wh—" Komui was interrupted as the door suddenly flew open with a bang.
"Headmaster!" Johnny Gill, the new student teacher from the science department, burst into the room with a single sheet of paper in his hand. He pushed past Lenalee and quickly handed it to Komui as he struggled to catch his breath. The man's face grew dark as he read and reread the paper before him. "Timothy Hearst has—"
"Fallen." Komui finished Johnny's sentence with the term used whenever someone withdrew from the Order to join the Noah. "Damn it." The older male sank his face into his hands. "Not another one." He dropped the paper onto his desk and the room grew quiet.
"Brother… Why are they doing this?" The violet eyed girl asked the question that had been on her mind ever since her friends began disappearing, taking a part of her world with them.
"I guess it's about time I told you." The older sibling motioned for his sister to sit in one of the two chairs that occupied the area in front of the desk. Once she was seated, he began. "I assume you know that much like our students, those in the Noah Clan are also 'gifted individuals', correct?"
"Yes."
"Do you also know that the Noah are supernatural beings?" Komui only needed to glance at his sister's confused face to know that she had never heard of it. "The Noah are not normal humans. They're superhuman. Things aren't as simple as they appear, Lenalee. There is magic in this world." He stood and turned to stare out the window. The Chinese man rested his forehead against the cool glass and continued. "The Millennium Earl is a vain and arrogant existence. That man is threatened by our school."
"But why?" Lenalee didn't like seeing her brother so pained. She never would have troubled him like this if it didn't involve one of her closest friends.
"The Earl fears that if we continue to develop our student's skills, they could evolve into something more. In order prevent this, he bribes or threatens students and teachers to switch into the Noah Academy where he slowly drains them." His hand clenched into a tight fist at the thought. These are my students. It's my job to protect them, yet I can't do anything. I'm powerless. Komui could feel the slight pain of his nails digging into his palm, but his grip did not loosen. Damn it all.
"How?" The petite girl's voice was barely a whisper as her eyes stared at her brother's trembling form. She hated herself for being so selfish. She knew that this was a difficult topic for her brother, but she still continued to ask.
"Sorcery." Johnny answered, taking Lenalee by surprise when an uncharacteristic shadow fell across his face. Tapp Dop and Suman Dark contacted him after they had 'fallen' and warned him about the Noah. They had noticed that there was something wrong with the school and investigated it, getting in too deep. A week after they told him about the Earl's secret, they both died. Tapp's death was labeled an 'accident' while Suman was said to have committed suicide.
"Then all those people who fell recently—" The pig-tailed girl stopped mid-sentence when Komui faced her, his dark eyes filled with anguish.
"You cannot tell anyone about this Lenalee. It's dangerous to know too much about the Earl. I didn't want to tell you this, but with the Noah's increased activity, it's best that you know." Komui dropped back into his chair. "You're the only family I have left. I cannot lose you too, little sister."
"I know, brother." Lenalee stood and embraced Komui, attempting to sooth him and hide her own tearing eyes. "I won't tell anyone. I promise."
Johnny watched silently as Lenalee Lee hugged her older brother, her fingers crossed behind his back as she made a promise she had no intention of keeping.
---
Kanda was alone in the kitchen when he heard the Moyashi's soft steps coming down the hallway. Fuck. The Asian braced himself for the three things he knew were going to happen next. First, Allen was going to demand an explanation, then he was going to bitch at him, and finally, Kanda was going to do something stupid. Maybe I can escape out the window…
"Kanda?" A head of messy white hair peeked into the room.
Damn, too late. The raven-haired teen took a deep breath and met the younger male's grey eyes. "What?"
"Um…" Allen's pale skin took on a rosy tint at the thought of bringing up the events from the night before. "Last night…"
"Spit it out, Moyashi."
"Why did you leave so suddenly last night?" The British teen blurted out the question that occupied his mind ever since he was left standing alone in the corner of the Ark.
"I saw something." Kanda responded in a calm voice that no one would believe was forced.
"Saw something?" The snowy-haired teen was obviously surprised by the answer. "What did you see?"
"It's none of your damn business." He got up from his seat at the table, smirking to himself when the Moyashi's face became red with anger. And now, he bitches.
"What do you mean 'it's none of your damn business'?! You're the one who stole my first kiss out of nowhere, BaKanda! You're also the one who left me standing alone and confused! I'll never hear the end of this from Lenalee. I demand a proper explanation!" Allen was fuming. He couldn't believe that Kanda would do something like that then try to brush it off. Who the hell does he think he is?!
"So you want a proper explanation, hmm?" Kanda quickly crossed the room to grab Allen by the shirt then pushed him down onto the table. Step three, I do something stupid. Before the boy could make any noise of protest, the dark-haired teen crushed the younger male's lips with his own. As if picking up from where they left off, Allen threw his arms around Kanda's neck, weaving his fingers into the now loose hair and pulling the body on top of him closer. The grey-eyed boy parted his lips and let the older teen slide his tongue past them. His rage from earlier was completely forgotten.
Allen opened his eyes for split second and immediately froze, surprised when Kanda mimicked his actions. The other male's eyes were also locked on their blurred reflection on the aluminum refrigerator's door. The metal didn't reflect much more than a vague image, but the eerie shadow that stalked him could still be made out. I should have been more careful! The white-haired teen scolded himself and looked up at Kanda's emotionless face. The Asian was staring directly at the apparition as if he could see it too. That's impossible. I'm the only one who can see it.
"Is that," he pointed at the cloudy figure smiling back at them, "a proper explanation, Moyashi?"
***
Once again, I'm sorry this took soooo long! I've been a bit busy with school and life in general. I promise the next chapter wont take six months ^^' Also, my other story should be updated sometime within the next week or two. Does Kanda even wear that bracelet anymore? I noticed he has one in volume 2 (also on the volume 15 cover) and thought 'Eh. Might as well use it!', but it's kind of hard to tell if he still has it because of the new outfits...
~Captive Nightingale
'The delicious happy fluffy pink cupcake of redundant happiness' says: Review!