A bit late, but here's 06!
Cave of Poppies
Chapter 6
Alma messily dropped his keys onto an end table as they walked into his house, chattering about everything under the sun. Kanda rolled his eyes and immediately made for the stairs. He desperately wanted to brush his teeth and maybe take a shower, but before he could get up one step Twi appeared at the top.
Kanda looked up at her coolly, noting the almost cold look in her eyes as she stared down at him. Alma grinned when he saw her. "Hey mom!" He said, bounding up the stairs to kiss her cheek exuberantly. "We just got back! You should've stayed, Link has the best pancakes, seriously, they're like made with the touch of God or something or maybe he sold his soul to the devil because I have never tasted pancakes as good as-"
"Alma," Twi said bluntly, cutting off the flow. "Kanda, you too," Twi added, nodding down to him as he slowly ascended the stairs. "Don't get too close to that boy."
Alma stilled, still smiling. It was just an echo of his earlier enthusiasm. "'That boy'? You mean Link? Oh, mom, you haven't met him yet! He's a bit stiff and old-fashioned but he's really nice and-"
"Alma," Twi bit out, a flicker of emotion burning in her eyes. "I don't mean that one. I mean Allen Walker. Stay away from him, both of you."
Alma reeled back, stepping away until his back pressed against the banister. Kanda's shoulders tensed and he climbed the rest to stand a step below Alma. "Away? From Allen?" Alma repeated, eyes wide with confusion, before narrowing in anger. "Is there a reason why?"
Twi's lips thinned, before purposely pursing. "I don't need to explain myself to my child. You know I never do things without reason."
"Exactly," Alma retorted, shifting to rest his weight on one leg and crossing his arms. Kanda remained silent, watching the scene unfold uneasily as the tension built. "So explain why. Give me a legitimate reason to avoid my best friend and I'll do it." What a lie, Kanda thought. The whole world could be at stake, and Alma would rather save his few friends than them.
"That boy is a curse," Edgar said, and Kanda jerked. He twisted and met the doctor's stare from the bottom of the steps. Kanda felt his chest tighten as he remembered the words he'd said before - and felt almost sick as they were thrown back into his face. "He won't be here long, Alma, Kanda. Don't stay with him."
"Edgar!" Twi snapped, and the doctor abruptly closed his mouth, looking as if he'd spoken too much.
"What do you mean?" Alma demanded. "What do you mean he won't be here long? Do you… do both of you know something we don't?" Kanda steadily watched as Edgar grew paler and paler, and then jerked his head aside as Twi pushed passed him to head downstairs.
"Mind my words, Alma, or you'll regret it," Twi warned and Alma hissed angrily, breath whistling between his clenched teeth.
"You can't tell me all this and just walk away!" Alma shouted at his parents. Twi merely shook her head and led Edgar away by shoulder. Kanda abruptly left, heading to the restroom and ignoring Alma's heated cries behind him. All of this was just fucked up, in so many ways.
Kanda had the sinking feeling they were way in over their head… and that even they were involved. He felt like he was being made to dance to an unheard tune, jerked around on marionette strings as beyond him the puppeteer grinned and led the whole show. The Chans knew. They knew much more than Kanda was even suspecting of.
He splashed water on to his face, ignoring the way his hair dripped wetly onto his clothes, and then angrily began to brush his teeth. When he tasted blood he spat it all out and rinsed his mouth, chest heaving. What the fuck was going on and why didn't anyone want to tell them anything?
"Yuu," Alma said gently, and he lifted his head to meet Alma's eyes in the mirror. "I promised Allen I wouldn't dig anymore…" He looked pained, and Kanda realized Alma must hurt even more to have his own parents keep a secret from him.
Kanda snorted and jerked the hand towel of its hook, drying his face and hands. "I didn't promise shit."
Alma smiled, thin and trembling and wan. He hesitated, looked away, and then faced Kanda again. "Allen won't be happy to have you looking around, either."
Kanda laughed shortly and dryly and without any humor. An ugly short bark of laughter. "Since when do I care what the beansprout thinks of me? If we're involved in this, then I'm going to find out what the fuck it is." No one was going to jerk Kanda around and make him play a fool.
"I know," Alma smiled, then, and it was a much better version of the sad facade he'd put on earlier. Without warning Alma surged forward and wrapped his arms around Kanda's neck from behind, and Kanda spluttered indignantly. "This is why he trusts you, too," Alma said into his ear, and Kanda abruptly stilled before finally shoving the teen off with a muttered curse.
Monday rolled around without a fuss, and homeroom was the same as ever. Fermi gave a short lecture on announcements and also mentioned something about homecoming. The student council was looking for help as they organized the event, and Alma wondered briefly if he should volunteer. Maybe he could convince Allen to join him, too! Lenalee wouldn't mind either…
The moment Fermi finished and before Alma could turn and corner Allen, Link stood, drawing the teacher's attention. "Yes, Mr. Link?" Fermi asked tiredly.
"Walker and I need to see Mr. Lee," Link said sternly, and Alma mourned his chance lost. Fermi raised his brow and leveled Link with a searching look, before sighing and nodding.
"Very well, Mr. Link. Let me write you a slip." Link nodded his thanks and glanced at Allen, who gave him a confused frown. Without a question Allen grabbed his bag, Link tugged his on, and they left with the pass Fermi gave them. As if it were a cue, once the door closed behind them the class began to chatter, dismissing the rest of homeroom.
With Link and Allen gone, their seating arrangement was very odd, and Lavi and Lenalee moved forward to occupy the vacated seats. "Wonder what that was about," Lenalee said, head canted towards the door as though she could glean the answer from there. "My brother didn't mention anything… but then again he never says much in the first place."
Alma grimaced, then smiled. "It's probably about gym. Link and Allen were arguing about it on Friday, I think. Allen doesn't want to do it." He glanced at Kanda for clarification, but the surly teen shrugged and looked away.
"Why not?" Lavi asked, tilting his head curiously. "I mean, I know Sokkalo is a hard ass and all, but he's not that bad. Is Allen really bad at sports?"
Alma frowned thoughtfully, thinking back. "No… I mean, not that I remember. He was never really clumsy or anything - in fact, I think it'd be the opposite: Allen's actually pretty good at physical things."
Lavi wagged his brows. "Pretty good at physical things, eh? What you know that we don't, Alma?"
Alma spluttered with laughter and Kanda frowned. "I know lots of things, Lavi," Alma teased, and Lavi wolf-whistled, and they laughed until Fermi bit out at them to be quiet for once. Lenalee shot him an apologetic smile and then hissed at them to lower their voices.
"Aw man, this is why we need Allen," Lavi complained, slouching in his seat and stretching his legs out, shoving Kanda's aside. "He's good at getting us out of trouble."
"Asshole," Kanda hissed, and shoved his back in place, which started an abrupt and particularly violent game of footsie. Lenalee and Alma continued to chat, steadily moving the conversation away from Allen as the topic. Alma hadn't told neither Lenalee nor Lavi what had happened, but a guilty churning in his stomach told him he should. He'd wait until Allen was back.
Homeroom was nearly over by the time Allen and Link re-appeared - with Allen looking particularly pleased. As they headed over and took Lenalee's and Lavi's empty seats, Lenalee commented, "It looks like someone ate the canary. What're you so happy about? Something happen?"
Allen nodded, wearing a truly shit-eating grin. "Link got us out of gym!"
"What!" Alma cried. "How? I thought it was mandatory to have two years of gym!"
Allen smiled a closed-lip smile, looking even more smug and elbowed Link, and now that Alma was focusing on him he could tell the usual stern expression was actually dipping more into a… a pout? Lips slightly pursued and looked aside, ignoring Allen's many pokes. "Link won't tell me what he said to Mr. Lee. But, he also won't tell me the secret ingredient he puts in his apple pies, so I'm not sure how bad it is."
"Speaking of pies," Alma piped up, gesturing towards Link. "His pancakes? The absolute best, like, I would make an altar to his pancakes. Right, Yuu?" Kanda's lack of response was enough answer, and Alma beamed.
"Alma Karma!" Link cried, scandalized, pleased, embarrassed, and flushed all at once. Alma laughed.
"Wait, wait, how do you know about Link's pancakes? Ooh, that sounds kinky for some reason - but no seriously. Where was I during this supposed pancake party?" Lavi demanded, and Lenalee tittered.
"It wasn't a pancake party," Link said stiffly, and Allen chuckled, leaning forward in his seat on his bent elbows.
"He's embarrassed because you keep praising his pancakes," Allen whispered with a treacherous grin in Link's direction. The blond shuffled unhappily in his seat, casting a quick glare in Allen's direction. They laughed, and Link flushed.
The bell rang, dismissing homeroom, and it was with light chatter that the group collected their bags and made to leave.
Allen was one of the last, preceded by Link, when Alma grabbed his elbow. Startled, Allen turned to face Alma, expecting a last joke or comment, but his easy smile died when he caught sight of Alma's face.
There was no smile, or bright eyes, or even a pleasant expression at all. It was serious and stern, almost sad. Alarmed, Allen turned to full face Alma, and Link stopped, watching them curiously. Kanda stood just outside the doorway, watching Alma and Allen with a wary gaze. Past him, Allen met Lavi's worried glance, and smiled and nodded towards the visible staircase in the hall. Lavi saluted him with a wary grin and left.
"Alma?" Allen asked, confused and worried. When he caught Fermi's eye he smiled at Alma and grasped his forearm gently. "Do you want to tell me something? Let's walk and talk, yeah?"
Alma hesitated, then nodded minutely, following Allen's lead out the door and into the bustling hallway. Rushing from classes to lockers and back, no one took notice of the strange tension settling over their little group. Link stayed quiet, as did Kanda, and so Allen was left to figure out what had bothered Alma. They meandered in silence for a while, Allen heading towards Alma's locker for lack of any other place to go.
"Allen," Alma said, pausing as his face screwed up in something Allen was startled to recognize as anger. Had he done something wrong? "Allen, you remember how my parents reacted yesterday?"
Allen frowned, stomach churning uneasily. "How did they react?" He asked obliviously.
Alma's lips twisted unhappily and he shot Allen a quick glare. "Don't pretend you didn't see it. They acted like you were back from the grave or something! When I got home… I promised you, right? I wouldn't dig anymore? I didn't!" He added hastily, even though Allen hadn't made any notion - bad or good - at Alma's confession. "But, when I got home, my mom said… to stay away from you. Dad said you were a curse. They said you were trouble…" and that you would be gone soon. The last part lingered in the air unspoken, and Allen felt his lips tilt up - a habit.
"Thank you for telling me this, Alma." Allen's voice was quiet in the small space between them, almost lost in the cacophony around them. Alma looked even more distraught. "But Edgar is right."
Alma's eyes widened, round and soft and mouth falling open. Allen watched mutely as his brows slowly drew up, lips trembling and drawing back. "What?" Alma breathed. "What?" He said louder.
The warning bell rang, and Allen was grateful when Link came forward, a patient hand on his elbow. He smiled back at Alma. An apology. "I'll see you later, Alma, Kanda!" He turned to include the other teen, but his smile faltered and fell at the stormy expression that greeted him. By sheer force of will he brought it back up, nodded at them both, and turned to leave with Link.
It felt awful to turn his back on Alma.
Study hall came much slower than Kanda could bear. He was tempted to just skip his classes until then - and almost did, but Alma caught him, then Lenalee did, and by then it was more effort than it was worth.
His anger was festering under his skin, boiling and roiling and burning him alive. He couldn't stop his fingers from trembling, and more than one student flinched and ran to get out of his way, which was just as well, since he was liable to just snap and lose all patience.
Allen was such a mess. Alma was too, for that matter, but it was because Allen.
Allen's quiet voice echoed in his head, over and over and over, until he almost wanted to ram his head against a wall to simply stop the echoing.
Edgar is right.
I don't matter.
I'll be gone soon.
Did Allen think they were stupid? The hell they were going to act all buddy-buddy after he dropped a bomb like that on them! He couldn't expect them to actually ignore this and pretend nothing was wrong. That Allen disappearing again like last time - and Alma's parents knowing! - was going to go over alright with them.
He slammed the door open into the classroom so hard it bounced off the wall and came swinging back. So he kicked it and forced it back open. He glared when the teacher opened her mouth, and she abruptly snapped it shut.
Allen and Link were already seated, and Kanda wasted no time in stomping over. Allen looked up at him, and Kanda seethed at the tired expression he wore. He thought he was tired? Kanda was tired of this never ending bullshit surrounding Allen and his fucking need to complicate shit. If he was going to lie all the damn time, couldn't he be consistent about it?
But that would piss Kanda off too anyways, so either way Allen was getting on his last nerve.
"Yes, Kanda?" Allen asked, as though just seeing Kanda had made him bone-weary. He sounded as if he were on the last leg of a twelve hour shift and Kanda was a persistent customer. It infuriated Kanda even more to be treated this way - like an angry insistent child. Link had the blankest expression Kanda had seen on him yet.
But, Allen's tired exhausted response drew Kanda up short and cut his warpath off. He shook off the strange reluctance and glowered down at Allen, ignoring the teacher clearing her throat.
"What did you mean that the doctor was right?" Kanda demanded shortly, focusing on Allen's wary gaze.
"The doctor?" Allen tried, and Kanda hissed.
"Stop with that bullshit!" Kanda growled, swinging his bag onto the table with a loud thud and placing his hands on the table to lean over into Allen's face. "You know exactly what I mean!"
Allen scowled, leaning away and glancing around the suddenly very curious classroom before meeting Kanda's glare. "I don't think this is quite the time for this," Allen said with only the thinnest veneer of courtesy.
"I don't give a fuck," Kanda spat and felt a vicious surge of satisfaction when Allen almost snapped. He could see it in his heaving chest and flashing eyes, and in the bright color rising to his cheeks. "What?" Kanda ask, smirking. "You thought me and Alma would just roll over after that? That we would just ignore it?"
"Shut up," Allen said.
"No. You're telling us you're going to leave again and think that's the end of that conversation? Fuck," Kanda breathed, laughing shortly and softly. "If that was going to be the case-"
"Shut up!"
"I wish you would've never came back!" Kanda snapped, and Allen was breathing heavily, eyes bright with anger.
"Fuck you, Kanda!" Allen slammed his hands onto the table, standing and sliding his chair back with an obscene sound of metal on tile. "I don't owe you anything!"
"Yes you do!" Kanda yelled back, meeting his mounting rage with his own fiery anger. "If not for me, than at the least for Alma!"
Allen reared back and quieted, eyes wide and the fight immediately gone. Somehow, Kanda felt awful. When he saw Allen trembling, Kanda began to panic. "Hey, wait, you-"
"Shut up, Kanda," Allen said, eyes flashing. "I know all this. You don't think I do? You don't have to rub it in my face and-" he laughed, dry, ugly and coarse. Kanda flinched. "-in front of everyone like this!" He rubbed a hand across his face, and though he wasn't crying, it still felt like he was. "I can't," he said, stopped short, and then grabbed his bag and left, Link quickly hurrying after him.
Kanda remained standing, staring at the space Allen had been in. When he breathed, it seemed to flow into every crevice in his body, and he felt strangely empty. He'd gotten Allen to finally break the mask, to actually speak the truth for once.
So why did he feel so unfulfilled?
He dragged his bag off the table by a strap carelessly, slung it over his arm, and left the room without a word or backwards glance.
A/N: Tell me why I was half-finished with chapter 7 before I even was a thousand words into chapter 6? More things being revealed, and at the same time even less. I'm sorry to say things will get worse before they get better!
I'm glad everyone like that little aside with Link! If the chance ever arises again, then perhaps I'll do it again. Also, someone mentioned KandaxLink and while I had never considered it, well - ship as you like lol