Don't own this.

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'Alright, spill; why you keep disappearing at breakfast and dinner with a bucket of fish?'

The prince swallowed nervously and forced a shaky smile speaking with a slight tremor in his voice.

'W-what ever do you mean Yu-Chan?'

'I mean...' the Japanese boy glared, his dark eyes glinting, 'That when I asked for sushi for dinner, Jerry said they had already run out of salmon. I wouldn't normally care what weird habits you get up to during the day, but when it interrupts my lifestyle you damn well better have a good explanation.'

'Um...' the redheaded teen racked his brain for a story to satisfy Kanda, desperate to keep Allen's existence a secret. Unable to come up with anything, he decided to stall. 'Um... I thought you only ate soba? What's with the sudden change in diet?'

'Sushi is good as a dessert after soba. I wanted sushi, but there wasn't enough fish left over to make any. Why are you taking them?'

It was obvious Kanda wasn't going to be tricked by a change of subject; after all, the slightly older teen was impossible to argue with, and almost always got his way when they got into 'lovers spats' as Lavi fondly called them. The redheaded prince sighed, and looked up smiling.

'Looks like you caught me Yu-Chan! You see, the other day I found this injured dolphin and I've been feeding it until it heals!'

Lavi desperately hoped Kanda couldn't pick out his lie. The other teen stared at him up and down for a moment, a look of slight disbelief on his face, and was about to speak when somebody knocked on the door. The redhead could have kissed whoever it was for interrupting tem, at least, until he saw who it was...

Tyki pushed the door open without waiting for Lavi's answer with a seductive smile painted on his face. 'I thought I heard you Prince Lavi. How was the trip to the doctor yesterday?'

'Eh? Doctor? Oh right!' the redhead suddenly remembered the cover story Kanda had told his fiancé, 'It was good. My cold has cleared up.'

Tyki nodded, and then glanced over at Kanda who was glaring heatedly at Tyki, not shy from showing his dislike. The lord glared back, and the prince could have sworn the temperature got several degrees colder. After a moment however, the oldest of the three smiled again. 'Pardon me Kanda; could you please give me a moment alone with my fiancé?'

'No. We were talking. Wait your turn.'

'Oh come now,' his smile widened, twitching slightly. He grabbed the teen's arm and started pushing him towards the door, 'This will only take a minute! We ARE getting married after all.'

Kanda's glare increased as he looked at the hand of the shoulder.

'If I were you I'd move that hand, scumbag.' kanda growled, looking thoroughly disgusted.

Tyki sweatdropped, took his hand back and looked at the redhead skeptically, who was inwardly doubled over in laughter though his face only showed a polite look of interest. 'My prince, please tell your friend to leave so I can talk to you privately.'

Lavi didn't like the way he said "privately" but decided if the twenty-five year old tried anything he could just tell him to back off. He nodded and sent a meaningful look at Kanda. The Japanese teen looked unsure but shrugged and left, muttering a quiet "whatever it's none of my business" as he did. The prince couldn't help but notice, however, that the door was left a crack open, and he could still see a dark eye peering in.

'My,' Lord Tyki smiled as he rubbed his arms and looked around, 'I think the room just got warmer don't you agree? I don't know why you keep that Kanda boy around; he leaves such an angry and depressing aura.'

'Yu is my friend,' Lavi said, almost snapping, 'If he wishes to leave, he can, but until then he stays.'

'He only came here for companionship right? Well why would you need him since you're marrying me? I think you should get rid of him.' Tyki said in a tone that implied Lavi couldn't think for himself as he shrugged casually.

Lavi's eye twitched. Damn that panda for choosing this guy to engage him to! He could tell Kanda was getting angry too, since he could practically see the door burst into flames. He folded his arms and smiled at Tyki sweetly.

'Kanda isn't some dog I'm taking care of due to loneliness. What is it you came here for Tyki?'

He regretted asking that question instantly. Tyki's gaze turned lusty and flirtatious, and he stepped forward, placing his hands on Lavi's hips, reaching around slightly. Lavi jumped back in surprise at the unwelcome touch, which only made Tyki's smile widen.

'Aw come now my prince, no need to be shy anymore! We're getting married remember?'

'So?' Lavi's one green eye rolled in exasperation, 'Doesn't mean I like you that way.'

'But you were so enthusiastic in the caves...' the lord reached out to cup the teen's cheek, but Lavi slapped the hand away, thoroughly pissed off. He stalked past him angrily towards the door.

'Yeah, well I changed my mind.'As he walked past the man, Tyki reached out and gripped his arm, pulling him roughly back. The door was suddenly thrown open and Kanda ran in, holding a sword which he had seemingly pulled from no-where.

'Oi! The rabbit said he doesn't want you touching him! So back off, or you'll find yourself missing an important part of your body!' He threatened angrily and raised the katana in a fighting stance, keeping it pointed downwards in the direction of a... sensitve area on all males. Tyki blinked, then smiled sadistically and let of of the mildly frightened redhead. He bowed, and excused himself politely from the room. Once he had left, Kanda resheathed the sword.

'Che, you should really keep a leash on that freak Usagi, he's bad news.'

'Yeah...' the prince smiled weakly, 'Trouble is I think he wants me to put a leash on him. Thanks Yu.'

'Stop calling me that.' He said flatly. Lavi chuckled as they walked out into the hall. Lavi didn't have time to change before dinner now; besides, he didn't count Tyki as a guest worthy of him dressing formally for, after that perverted display in his bedroom. However, just as they rounded the corner that lead to the dining hall, Kanda started going down another corridor which led to the outside path. Lavi blinked.

'Eh? Aren't you coming to dinner?'

'Not hungry. That crazy bastard you have to call your fiancé caused me to loose my appetite. I'm going for a walk.'

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In reality, Kanda was in fact, heading down towards the caves near the rocks, his keen eyesight guiding him through the clouded salt-smelling darkness. He could hear waves breaking loudly down by the shore as he carefully picked his way along the rock strewn path. He didn't believe that dolphin story one bit, since dolphins never came to this area, and was now hell bent of finding out why Lavi had lied. He'd seen Lavi heading down here a few times with the buckets of fish, and though it was none of his business, that was his fish goddammit and he wanted to know where it was going.

When he made it down to the shore, he crept carefully along the rocks, making sure not to slip and fall in. He'd come here a few times as a child with Lavi, albeit reluctantly since he'd had better things to do then explore caves, but he knew a little bit about navigating around them thanks to those forced trips with The prince so he was confident he wouldn't get lost. He frowned as he came to the mouth of the first one and walked along the rocky path. Tyki had mentioned kissing Lavi here, and although he often pretended not to care, Kanda hoped the stupid usagi wouldn't get cornered by the sleaze again. He couldn't always be there to threaten someone for him when the idiot got in trouble.

'Che, idiot should have taken up sword fighting like I did...' He came to the back of the cave and started along the second tunnel. It was a full moon tonight, so the holes in the roof of the stone created enough light for him to see once the clouds in the sky passed over.

At last, he came to the second cave at the back of the first, then one dominated by a lake. He blinked in surprise as the surface of the lake rippled even though there was no breeze as if something was moving around in it. Cautiously, he tucked a loose strand of dark hair behind his ear, picked up a small stone by his feet, and threw it into the water. Seconds passed by with nothing happening, but then, the surface of the way broke, and a head covered in snowy white hair appeared.

'HOLY SHIT!'

Kanda cried out loudly and stumbled back in surprise, clutching his rapidly beating with one hand and the cave wall with the other for support. Staring up at him was a merboy with clear pale skin and a curious, slightly frightened look on his face.

'U-Uh... are you a hunter?' he asked in a panicked voice. The Japanese boy raised an eyebrow in surprise. He'd never seen a fearful merperson before, let alone one that could talk. He shook his head, and the merboy gave a small smile. 'Oh, so did Lavi send you? He's really nice; he always wants to make sure I don't go hungry. Are you his friend too?'

Kanda anger veined. This was where his sushi was going?! Lavi was taking care of a freaking merperson?! Taking care of something that could very well kill him!? He pushed himself off the wall and walked forward, making sure to stop before he came too close. The boy stared up at him politely. Again, he blinked. Around the small figure's neck was the locket he remembered Lavi throwing into the water when they were both kids. He raised his eyebrow sceptically.

'You the kid who saved the prince from the other mermaids nine years ago?' the merboy nodded happily. 'Right. So Lavi has been taking care of you and hiding you from his fiancé?'

'Yeah...'

'And you haven't tried to suck out his soul?'

The younger creature tilted his head. 'Um, no... why would I try to kill the person who is taking care of me?'

Kanda kept up his sceptical glare, though he had to admit he was surprised. The boy wasn't lying; since Lavi had been feeding him for at least three or so days and still had his soul. Experimentally, the Japanese teen took a few steps forward. Rather then reach out to pull him into the water; Allen actually backed away a little, as though afraid. Maybe Lavi had a point when he went on about how not all Merpeople were evil. This one sure as hell wasn't 'evil'.

'Che....' he sighed and glanced back down at the teen, 'Look. You don't seem evil so I'm not going to tell anyone you're here. However, I don't want you here, because you will cause trouble if anyone else ever found you. So you have to leave, got it?'

'But...' the smaller boy's silvery eyes widened for a moment, 'I... If I go back into the ocean the other Merpeople would try to kill me if they saw me.'

'Just don't let them see you, moron. You seem to care about that idiot Lavi right? If anyone found you he would get into so much crap for hiding you. They'd think he was in league with the mermaids and he might get arrested, even if he is the prince.'

'Oh...' the merboy looked sadly at the water beneath him. He didn't know what "arrested" meant, but he could tell from the way this older boy said it that it wasn't something that Lavi would want to happen to him.

Kanda glared down at him in annoyance. He didn't want Lavi to get in trouble, even if he'd never admit it, not to mention he didn't want his fish disappearing into a damn merperson's stomach anymore. That meant this kid had to go. Fortunately, mentioning the trouble the baka usagi would get into seemed to have struck a cord with this boy, for he looked up a second later looking depressed.

'Does... Does Lavi want me gone because of the trouble I could cause him?'

'Not at the moment, but he'll regret helping you once he has to deal with the consequences.'

The merboy nodded slowly and sighed heavily. He held out his hand, dripping wet with salty water.

'Please carry me to the ocean? This lake doesn't connect outside and I can't crawl out myself.

Kanda hesitated, still suspicious of the boy, but pushed aside the feeling as he growled in irritation, grasped the hand and pulled the merboy out of the water, picking him up in his arms as he did. He didn't attempt to suck out his soul as he carried him back down the tunnel, and he felt a little guilty kicking him out like this, as he seemed innocent and genuinely scared of hurting Lavi. He set him down in the ocean once they came outside, and the boy turned to smile.

'Um, my name is Allen. You must be a really close friend of Lavi's, to want to protect him like this. Weren't you afraid of losing your soul?'

'Che, yeah right. I aint afraid of a little moyashi like you.'

The merboy blinked confusedly for a second, 'Well, anyway thanks for carrying me!' Allen smiled, waved, and dived under the crashing waves. After watching the dark water for a second, Kanda turned and started running back up to the castle he called home. The rabbit was in so much trouble when he got there, but at least the merboy was gone and he'd be able to eat sushi all he wanted.

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I will repost this once it has been beta'd and examined.

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