Well. It's been awhile huh? If you can't tell, I'm taking this story off hiatus. YAY.

Kanda: About time.

Allen: Even I was getting a bit bored.

Shut up you two. Anyway. Here's a new chapter. I'll try and update this regularly btw. At least until I've run out of my prewritten material. When that happens... we'll have to see. Anyway. Enjoy the chapter, and as always, I don't own any of the characters; that belongs to Hoshino-sensei.

Lenalee poked at her breakfast, her head resting on her hand.

"Something wrong Lena?" Lavi asked, swallowing a bite of food.

"I'm worried. I haven't seen Allen nor Kanda all morning."

"I'm sure they'll be fine! Don't worry too much."

She stabbed a piece of chicken. "I can't help it. I care for them. They're like family."

Lavi sighed. "I think I worry more for Allen than for Yuu right now."

"Why?"

"I knocked on Allen's door last night, and Yuu answered. He seemed about ready to kill someone."

Lenalee was pale. "We have to go check on them. Allen's not in the mental state to…"

"Lenalee. Calm down. Allen can handle himself."

Lenalee stood up. "I'm checking on them. And you can't stop me."

"Here." Kanda said, placing Allen's second cup of tea on the table.

"Thanks."

Kanda sat across from him again, taking a sip from his own cup. "You've been through hell and back huh?"

Allen chuckled dryly. "Yeah. I guess so."

"Does it… bother you to remember it?"

"It…" Allen looked out the window."It's kind of melancholy. I had good memories with him but… his death just puts a sour taste over all of it."

"I understand how you feel."

"Really?"

"It's really fucking similar to my story with Alma. Yeah, I enjoyed myself while he was alive, and I had countless more memories before we were second Exorcists, but everything that happened put a major depression on that." Kanda explained.

Allen glanced back at Kanda and took a sip of tea. "You're…acting quite weird today Kanda."

"How so Moyashi?"

"It's Allen. And well, you seem more…" Allen struggled to grasp the word,"open…?"

"It's your own fault."

"How is it my fault?!" Allen whined.

"Che."

There was a knock on the door.

"This seems familiar." Allen remarked getting up to open the door.

"Kanda! Is Allen-" Lenalee worriedly said as the door fully opened.

"Am I what?" Allen asked, a small smile on his face.

Her eyes turned glassy. "Allen… you're…"

Kanda came up from behind him. "What do you want Lenalee?" He said gruffly, still holding his teacup.

The girl fell to her knees, crying.

"Lenalee?!" Allen called, panicked. "Are you okay?! Did something happen?!" He crouched down next to her.

"Che. Baka Moyashi. You've forgotten that you went mute for a good while."

Allen looked up to Kanda, then back down at Lenalee. "Oh."

Bridget came around the corner. "I heard yelling. Is everything alright?" She noticed Allen. "Ah! You're better I presume?"

He stood up. "Yes. I you for asking."

"That's good! When do you-" It finally hit her mid-sentence, her face becoming pale with shock. "You…" the woman stumbled and fainted to the floor.

"Bridget!" Allen scrambled over to her, trying to shake her awake.

Lenalee sniffled and stood back up, rubbing her eyes. "We should *hic* get her to the infirmary."

Allen nodded silently, terrified to continue speaking.

Kanda gave Allen his teacup and hoisted Bridget over his shoulder. "Let's go. "

Allen blinked, staring down at Kanda's tea. "Oh! My tea! Let me get my tea…"

Now happily carrying two cups of tea, Allen walked alongside Lenalee, chatting about various things.

"So… you're really going to start talking again?" Lenalee asked for the millionth time.

"Yes! I am. Do you not trust me when I say so?"

"It's just hard to believe. What exactly did Kanda do to make you start talking?"

"Uh… well…"

"Oh my goodness! What have you done to poor Bridget!" Screamed the nurse accusingly.

"Um-" Allen tried to explain, getting cut off once again.

"Allen! Hey! It's been a bit! How are you doing?" Johnny asked, bounding up to them.

"I'm-"

"Heya Yuu-chan! Oh! And Allen's come out of his room!" Lavi lazily said, sauntering towards their growing group of people.

"Don't you fucking dare use my first name Baka Usagi!" Kanda yelled, unsheathing Mugen.

"Wah! Have mercy!" Lavi shouted, running to shelter himself behind Lenalee from a seething Kanda.

Allen recoiled from everyone. He wanted to go back up to his room to hide. This was not good for his health.

Allen slowly began inching towards the wall, hoping to get as far away from everyone as possible.

"Lavi! Don't hide behind me. It's your own fault that Kanda's mad at you. Face him!" Lenalee scolded, pushing Lavi out in front of her.

"You didn't have to call him by his first name Lavi." Johnny remarked.

"Everyone's against me… oh wait! Allen! You're not against me- Allen?" Lavi looked for the whitette, but he was nowhere to be found.

Kanda sheathed Mugen. "Where did the Moyashi go?"

Lenalee looked down. "I think… we drove him away."

Johnny frowned. "He seemed better though? I mean, when I asked him my question, he was about to answer."

"Ehhhh?! Moyashi-chan is talking again?!" Lavi exclaimed in shock.

Lenalee nodded. "We were having a conversation on the way here, but I think he and Kanda have been talking all morning. "

"We have." Kanda confirmed reluctantly. Kanda blinked. "Wait. That bastard took my tea with him." He growled and stalked off back the way they came.

"Yuu seems off." Lavi said in confusion.

"It might be because of what he and Allen talked about?" Johnny suggested.

"Maybe."

"Anyway. I'm surprised to see you Johnny. I heard that you've had a lot of work recently." Lenalee said.

"Ah actually. That's what I'm here for. I need to get an updated list for all of your measurements. You four were the last I needed. "

"Even Allen? I thought that he was out of action for a while?"

"Actually. He's physically back in shape according to his check ups. Kind of. At least enough to take a mission. We were kind of waiting for him to start speaking again. "

"Ah…"

"Oi Moyashi! Let me in!"

"No!"

"Then at least give me my fucking tea!"

"Go away!"

"I swear to god…" Kanda grumbled and walked away, making sure to make his footsteps extra loud. After he was far enough away, he silently stepped back in front of the door.

"Is he gone…?" Allen said to himself as he opened the door, only to yelp when he was shoved back inside, the door closing behind them.

"What the hell-" Kanda muffled his next word with his mouth. Allen struggled for a bit, before finally giving in and closing his eyes.

Kanda broke the kiss. "Calm now?"

"Hell no."

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to keep going-"

"NO! Please don't. I'm calm. Totally calm."

Kanda smirked and kissed his cheek. "You're burning up."

"Shut up. And don't kiss me."

Kanda turned serious. "Why did you run away?"

Allen sat on his bed with a sigh. "It was getting claustrophobic and just plain uncomfortable. It was too much."

Kanda grimaced. "Sorry."

Allen stared at him like a deer caught in headlights. "What did you just say?"

"I said sorry."

"What?"

"I said sorry. S-O-R-R-Y." Kanda answered, annoyed.

"No. I know what you said. But… why? And what hell is going through your mind for you to say 'sorry' to me of all people?"

Kanda was exasperated as he sat next to Allen. "I answered this yesterday."

"I never asked this yesterday."

"It was a similar question."

"I still never asked that."

"Do you like putting yourself down by the way?" Kanda asked.

"Oi! Answer my bloody question first!"

"Why should I?"

"Because it's more important."

"I don't think it is."

"I do."

"Moyashi! Answer mine and I might answer yours."

" 'Might'?"

"Maybe, possibly, do you need more synonyms?"

"Stupid Kanda…" Allen muttered under his breath.

"Answer Moyashi."

"It's Allen! And fine."

"Well?"

"I'm getting to it…" Allen thought for a moment. "What was the question again?" Allen said blankly.

Kanda face palmed. "Do you like putting yourself down?"

"Eh? God no. When have I put myself down?"

"You've asked multiple questions now that have the statement 'me of all people' in it. Which insinuates-"

"Yeah yeah! I get it. I guess… I have been…"

"You didn't even notice yourself doing it? "

Allen shook his head slowly. "No. I did not."

Kanda sighed. "You're such a fucking idiot."

"I know."

Kanda flicked his cheek. "You're doing it again."

"I know."

"You… actually don't have a lot of self-confidence, do you?"

"Probably not. "

He sighed. "The answer to the question you asked me is that I like you."

"Again?"

"I feel as though one of my previous points has been validated."

"Shut up Bakanda."

"Right back at you Moyashi."

Allen cracked a smile. "I hate you."

"I hate you too."

Kanda slid his hand over to grasp Allen's, squeezing slightly.

"Kanda?"

"Hm?"

"...can I... talk to you?"

Kanda turned towards him, "About what?"

"About… " Allen looked at him helplessly.

"Moyashi. Be more clear."

"Can I talk to you about anything?"

He blinked. "What? Why?"

"Because… I just want to! Is there something wrong with that?!"

"Now you're the one who's acting weird."

Allen huffed in annoyance, then became awfully silent.

"What? What's wrong Moyashi?"

"What… what am I to you?"

That question caught Kanda off guard.

"Well?" Allen looked at Kanda expectantly.

"What do you want to be to me?" Kanda asked gruffly.

"I…" Allen thought for a moment. "Boyfriend seems like a stupid word that I don't want to use. So… lovers? Partners?"

"Old fashioned aren't you?"

"You were the one that asked!"

"Che. Just use whatever you want Moyashi. All the world needs to know is that you're mine."

"Possessive, aren't you?" Allen mimicked.

"Shut up Moyashi."

Allen flopped back onto the bed. "Are we ever going to be normal? Like… is it ever going to all just end? The war… the fighting… will we ever see the end of it?"

"I don't know Moyashi. I don't think anyone does at this point. "

"Thanks for the encouraging words."

"Che. I don't want to say this, but we've just got to trust that everything will turn out fine."

"Hm…"Allen put his arms over his eyes. "Trust…"

"Moyashi? Is something wrong? Because you'd better fucking tell me if there is."

Allen chuckled. "No. Just thinking a bit."

"About what?" Kanda leaned over Allen.

"Well I don't know…" Allen wrapped his arms around Kanda's neck, "Maybe I was thinking about what you said."

"That's obvious."

"Don't ruin the moment Kanda." Allen brought him down for a kiss, just as the door burst open.