Kanda's apartment was in an abandoned part of town, similar to Allen's neighborhood but on the opposite side of Limerick. The streetlamps above flickered as Allen attempted to peel his wet clothes from the leather seat. Rain continued to pour in sheets, the sky a dark swirl of clouds above.

"It's the door across the street. I'm on the second floor. The green one, to the side of the shop," Kanda said and pointed at the olive door.

Kanda handed the umbrella to Allen as he fished for his keys. Allen noticed Kanda's apartment sat above an abandoned shop. In fact, the whole street was a ghost town. It wasn't too late at night, but Allen noticed no lights on in any of the buildings.

"Kanda, do you even have neighbors? How exactly do you manage to let an apartment in the abandoned part of town? Is this where you reveal you're going to murder me?" Allen asked.

"Keep talking about my apartment and I'll only led you the halloween costume Lavi left here a couple years ago to wear," Kanda grumbled.

"Noted," Allen said.

Through the door led immediately to a steep set of wooden stairs, a barren entryway. Allen couldn't comment on the lack of decor; the motel art that the previous owner left still hung on his own apartment walls. Allen followed Kanda up the stairs with no light, nearly bumping into him when the other stopped abruptly. Apparently there was a second door at the top, complete with a deadbolt after the initial lock.

"You must entertain a lot," Allen muttered, invoking a glare from Kanda.

They entered the apartment and Kanda flipped on the lights. The space was similar to a studio loft apartment, flowing from the kitchen at the entrance to a bed against the back wall. A patio covered in greenery lay off to the left past the counter bar that boxed off the kitchen. Plants of all kind were strewn everywhere; herbs placed the kitchen counters, vines flowing down from windowsills, wooden shelves above the bed with tiny succulents, and an aloe plant hugging coffee table. A gigantic two paneled window stretched the center of the entire back wall.

"What?" Kanda asked, peering at Allen beside an open wardrobe near the bed.

Allen noticed the lack of decorations on the exposed brick walls, with no family photos in sight. A scratched leather couch lay in the center of the room, joined by end tables and a coffee table with a few candles atop. Everything was functional, with no TV even.

"Nothing," Allen replied quickly, realizing he was still standing in the entryway. "I like your apartment. I'm probably the first living creature to set foot in here, besides you, aren't I?"

Kanda stopped rifling through the wardrobe near the bed for a moment, as if Allen's words meant something to him. Then he continued as if nothing had happened, responded, "You're so lucky Lavi left a clown costume, since you want to keep cracking jokes. For the record, I have two dogs, so you aren't. They're just at the boarded until we finish this case, because I'm not here enough."

Allen rolled his eyes and said, "I should've specified human. Also, is this building too old to run heat?"

Kanda tossed a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt to Allen and closed the wardrobe.

"Here you go, before I change my mind. And I like it cold," Kanda replied.

Allen excused himself to the bathroom to change, finding it difficult to peel the damp clothes from his freezing skin. After managing to snake out of one arm of his soaked clothes, Allen stopped and stared at the T-shirt, then his left arm. He couldn't exactly expect Kanda to not question an arm covered in bandages, and Allen didn't have an answer as to why his arm was now jet black.

Peeling back the bandages just on his shoulder, Allen hoped he'd see the gnarled pink flesh he'd come accustomed to. Unfortunately the same tattoo ink flesh greeted him. At some point, he was going to have to deal with that, but tonight was not that night. Quickly covering the arm, Allen knocked on the bathroom door. "Hey, Kanda, do you have anything long-sleeved?"

"No."

"But, I'm just so cold, you see?"

"No."

"But-"

"No."

Allen sighed in defeat, leaning his forehead against the bathroom door.

"You could always hang yourself from the shower rod," Nea offered.

Allen opened his mouth to respond, then realized his voice would probably carry out to the living room through the old door. He begrudgingly put on the sweatpants and T-shirt, both black and a size too big. The T-shirt probably two sizes. The clothes smelled of Kanda, of African black soap and fresh citrus. He looked at himself in the mirror, gripping his left arm nervously.

Allen exited the bathroom and noticed Kanda on his laptop on the couch. He sat down beside him, although Kanda didn't look up.

"What now?" Allen asked.

Kanda finished typing a sentence then looked over at Allen. "We wait for Link to catch the guy. You can sleep in my bed; I have enough work to keep me up all night."

Allen shook his head. "I refuse to be some damsel in distress. How can I help?"

"By going to bed," Kanda replied, visibly satisfied as Allen's blood pressure rose.

"Surely you have some files from the case lying around here. I'm not going to just sleep while you do all the work."

"Allen," Kanda lowered his laptop screen, "You do realize the position you're in, right? I mean, you're a serial killer's prime target, and-"

Kanda stopped, staring directly at Allen's bandaged arm. Then, he looked up warily at Allen.

"What happened to your arm?"

Allen knew this was coming, but hadn't prepared an excuse somehow. "None of your business, I know that much."

Kanda instinctively reached out, and Allen recoiled back into the armrest of the couch. "You're always protective of your left arm, so I figured there was something wrong. Let me see."

"Drop it, Kanda," Allen said sternly.

"Drop it, just like the last thing you were being secretive about? Is your whole life a web of lies, Allen?" Kanda said, obviously still stewing about their earlier argument this morning.

"It really doesn't concern you, or this case, so I don't see why you care," Allen responded coldly.

Kanda gave Allen a very strange look, as if he had something to say but didn't know how to word it. Irritation soon replaced the odd glance. He folded his arms and replied, "A fellow officer keeping secrets is a problem. You don't trust anyone, do you?"

"Oh, here's the King of Trusting Friends here to lecture me now," Allen said in a grand voice.

"Why can't you just tell me what happened in the basement with the Entomber?" Kanda said, starting to get annoyed.

"You'll have to let that one go, because I'm never telling you. It doesn't concern you in the slightest," Allen replied.

"You're deflecting," Kanda narrowed his eyes, "You're always deflecting like you've done something wrong since day one. It's not outlandish to wonder why."

"If you keep using those interrogation skills on me I promise I will punch you in the face," Allen replied nonchalantly.

Kanda eyebrows pinched, but at the same time his eyes held something else deep that Allen didn't recognize. They were in a deadlock of glares, and then Kanda's eyes softened. He gingerly reached for Allen's arm, the soft touch foreign to Allen. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't pull away this time.

"It's grotesque," Allen said quietly, then looked away from Kanda's intense gaze.

Kanda didn't respond and carefully unraveled the top layer of bandages around Allen's hand. The revealed slate skin made Allen frown in chagrin, while Kanda continued to unwrap his arm. Once all of the bandages had been removed, save for the gauze wrapped around his palm, Kanda looked up at Allen in concern.

"My last apartment caught fire," Allen offered, trying to keep a fake, cheerful smile, "and the other day the skin just turned black like this. I'm not sure if its some form of necrosis, or what's going on, really. It's not a big deal, I just keep it covered because it's unsightly."

"Why do you always fucking do that?" Kanda said in exasperation, still holding Allen's wrist.

Allen looked at Kanda in confusion. "Do what, exactly?"

"It's not a big deal," Kanda said, repeating Allen, "it's grotesque, it's unsightly-you're constantly belittling yourself, or throwing yourself in harms' way, or, fuck, Allen. You act like you're the dog shit on God's shoe."

This took Allen by surprise, followed by indignation. Allen responded, "You don't know me at all, Kanda. Before you act all high and mighty-"

"You're right, I don't know you. I doubt anyone does, because for some reason you can't trust a living soul. Lavi's your best friend, but I doubt he even knows your middle name," Kanda snapped back.

Allen looked down at the obsidian skin, muttered, "If you knew me, you'd hate me too. You're better off-"

Kanda kissed him mid-sentence, clumsy from simultaneous desire and vexation. Allen didn't register what was happening at first, lost in a state of shock as if he'd been hit by a garbage truck. A moment later all his senses came back to him: the smell of his dark hair cascading around Allen, the taste of spearmint gum masking a lingering cigarette, the longing touch of Kanda's lips, the sound of rain picking up on the roof above. Allen kissed back with more force as Kanda cupped his face with one hand, realizing how much he'd ached to be touched like this by someone even if he assumed Kanda's main reason was to shut him up.

Kanda's phone on the coffee table began to ring, but they continued to kiss until Allen finally pulled away for air.

"I'm better off what?" Kanda said almost in a whisper, and Allen felt him smirk against his lips.

"Y-you should probably get that," Allen said breathlessly, unable to make eye contact as his cheeks were flushed enough already.

Kanda blinked, turning various shades of peach as if he was just processing what had happened. "Uh, get what?"

Allen glanced over at the coffee table, and Kanda finally registered the ringtone blaring in the room. The Iphone showed Link's name across the screen.

"Shit," Kanda muttered, grabbing the phone and attempting to regain his composure before answering. "Y-Yeah, Link? Any news?"

As Kanda talked with Link on the phone, Allen absently brought two fingers to his own lips trying to figure out if that had really just happened. It hadn't been an awful experience, much to Allen's dismay. In fact, he wouldn't mind kissing him again, a thought that didn't help the blush Allen was currently fighting off. However, Allen couldn't process why Kanda would want to kiss him, Allen Walker, chief annoyance in Kanda's life.

Surprisingly, Nea provided no off hand comment or snark. Allen assumed Nea was probably just waiting to pull out every quip he had once he was alone. For right now though, there was only Allen and his confused thoughts.

Kanda placed the phone back on the table with an exasperated sigh and said, "They still have no fucking clue where he is, but a bunch of officers are combing the Aran Islands for the kids. We have a roadblocks on every exit in Limerick. There's no way he made it out of the city. Link interrogated the imposter that switched with Chaoji in the gas station. Some religious nuts have decided that Chaoji's a prophet carrying out "God's mission", whatever the fuck that means, and they're doing everything they can to help him."

"They probably won't find the kids alive, will they?" Allen said faintly, remembering the state of his apartment.

Kanda frowned, then responded, "You're only saying that because of the bible verse at your apartment, right? Did you get a good look at the verse? Maybe we can figure out his next move."

"Yeah, it said Matthew 10:28, I think," Allen said.

Kanda pulled his laptop closer and began typing. He looked up at Allen with the Kanda version of excitement, a small spark in his eyes and a half-smile.

"No, I think the kids may still be out there. This bible verse isn't like the others," he said.

Allen leaned close to Kanda to read the screen. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

"You're right, that's not anything to do with angels or eyes," Allen said, almost chipper for the first time this evening.

"What's weird about it," Kanda looked at Allen, "It seems like a warning more than anything else. A warning meant for you."

Allen fell silent as he pondered the verse, thoughts eventually tumbling back to this morning. Anita had mentioned a group of people who purged ghosts and people alike, and he couldn't help but to wonder if Chaoji really was trying to warn him. Especially when coupled with the "HELP" written in blood on his apartment-Chaoji was scared of something, something worse than the ghost inside him. What didn't make sense was that Chaoji had carved the same message for help when he was in the interrogation room. He should've been safe in there.

Unless someone on the force also knew Chaoji was possessed and was a part of the group Anita mentioned earlier.

"You look like you know something," Kanda said.

"No, I just-" Allen stopped mid-sentence.

Chaoji was purposefully released so that they could purge the ghost, then execute him. Since Link was fixated on tailing Chaoji, it made him the prime suspect.

"Was it Link's sole decision to release Chaoji?" Allen asked rather suddenly.

Kanda gave him a strange look, then said, "No, I think he consulted with some people higher up. I overheard him talking on the phone with Lavi about it, too. Why?"

"No reason," Allen replied a little too quick.

"Bullshit," Kanda said while glaring, "Tell me what's going on. There's a reason they released him, isn't there? I knew that decision didn't make any sense."

He knew Kanda wasn't going to let this go. Allen bit his lip, deciding that a partial truth might work. "I think they released Chaoji so that they could kill him."

Kanda fell back against the couch. "Which is why you're asking if it was Link's decision. But why release him and attempt to kill him when we already have him in custody? It's not like people escape prison often."

"I don't know," Allen lied, continued, "But that's why he left the message of 'HELP' on my apartment wall."

"So he just randomly chose your apartment, you, to ask for help?" Kanda asked warily.

"If you're going to accuse me of conspiring with the Entomber-"

"I'm not. But something happened in that basement, didn't it? You two have some kind of connection. Chaoji trusts you," Kanda said.

"I can probably use that trust to find the kids, if I can speak with Chaoji alone. We have to find him before they do," Allen said, ignoring Kanda's attempt to pull information about the basement again.

"We are following orders and staying put. This is all speculation. For all we know you're still Chaoji's target," Kanda replied, grabbing Allen's wrist.

"Fine, I'll find him without you. Besides, what are you going to do, handcuff me?" Allen said sarcastically.

Kanda grinned at this, and Allen paled in complexion. He desperately attempted to free his wrist from Kanda's grip. Allen had his back to the armrest of the leather couch, nearly knocking over the lamp on the side table as Kanda attempted to lock the metal cuff around Allen's captured wrist. Allen cursed as the cuff clicked around his right wrist, then held his other arm out of Kanda's reach. Kanda straddled Allen's hips and his chest pressed against Allen's as his fingertips brushed Allen's wrist.

"Stop squirming, Walker. This is for," Kanda hissed as he strained for Allen's left wrist, "your own good, idiot!"

"You'll never take me alive," Allen countered.

"You know what?" Kanda said as he stopped reaching for Allen's wrist. "I have a better idea."

"Does it involve getting off of me and letting me go stop a murder? If not, I'm not interested, but thanks," Allen said angrily.

Kanda sat up, still on Allen's lap, and handcuffed his own left wrist. The chain links jangled between the two cuffs as Kanda smirked at Allen.

"You're joking," Allen yelled, jerking his wrist now attached to Kanda, "Oh my God, I hate you! Uncuff me!"

"Hate me all you want. This is the only way I know you won't sneak off in the middle of the night," Kanda said in a haughty tone, obviously pleased that he'd won.

Allen fumed silently, trying to find a way to escape this situation. Eventually, he calmed down and let out a heavy sigh in displeasure. "At least get off, will you?"

Kanda blinked, then looked down and realized the risque position they were in. A blush crept up his face like chameleon in a rose bush. He clumsily dismounted Allen and retreated to the other side of the couch, accidentally jerking Allen via the handcuffs.

"Watch it, idiot," Allen said while glaring.

"You're the idiot with no self control and no sense of danger," Kanda muttered back, although unable to make eye contact.

They exchanged a few childish insults ("idiot" was thrown back and forth at least four times) before silence fell over the room, aside from the rain beating the roof. Allen yanked his wrist a few times while Kanda tried to type on his laptop, responding to Kanda's glowering with a few pretend, "Oopsies." However, annoying Kanda soon lost its appeal and boredom flowed into a restless sleep.


Allen awoke due to a vibration in his pocket. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he realized he'd fallen asleep on Kanda, with Allen's head in his lap and Kanda's hand tangled in his hair. Kanda was passed out at the moment, head slumped to the side and his long, raven hair, loose from it's usual uptight ponytail, in a waterfall covering the side of his face. Kanda hadn't even changed out of his uniform, although that could've been Allen's fault for falling asleep on him.

Carefully taking out his phone with his free hand, Allen noticed he had a missed call from Fou, along with a text.

"send officers to the alley near old clatmore st & galtlee ave to arrest me in 15 min"

Allen looked up at Kanda to make sure he was asleep still, then texted back, "Fou what's going on?"

Nea appeared out of the shadows with a yawn. "What's got you upset at 3 A.M.? And don't think we aren't talking about your new boyfriend. After you fell asleep on him he ran his hand through your hair for like, an hour, before dozing off. You truly are a heartbreaker, Walker."

Allen rolled his eyes, then silently held out the phone for Nea to read Fou's text.

Nea looked perplexed. "Weird. That's only a few blocks away, right? Wait, didn't that new desk attendant at the garda station say she took a few days off? Oh, hold on, you have a new text."

Allen turned the phone back towards him and read the new text from Fou.

"tracked down entomber. anything else I tell u could get u in trouble, prior knowledge and the sort. love u, stay safe"

Eyes wide, Allen nearly jumped off the couch but remembered the handcuffs at the last moment.

Nea read the text and responded, "She's going to try to kill Chaoji, isn't she? Normally I'm against charging straight into stupid situations, but she is definitely going to get herself killed. We're close enough to that intersection to probably get there in time. Here, hold out the handcuffs without moving Kanda's arm."

Allen sat up carefully, detangling Kanda's hand from his hair. Nea came close to the chain links between the handcuffs. The lamp on the coffee table flickered a few times, and then the chain broke, separating Kanda and Allen's wrists. Allen looked at the broken handcuff on his wrist in wonder, then at Nea.

"It would take too long to explain how I do things like that, so you can just say thank you later. Grab your coat and hurry up," Nea said.

Allen tucked his borrowed sweatpants into his boots and slipped on his damp coat and gloves. He glanced back at Kanda, who was most definitely going to kill him, before quietly exiting the apartment. A thunderclap disguised the creak of the door as he left, the evening's storm beginning to take a turn for the worse.