Hello! So, I'm back and I'm writing this story again. (After 3 years, wow!) Along with this new chapter, I've also put an update on all the other ones. If you would be willing to get into this story again, I encourage re-reading previous 12 chaps. I've changed a few things and even if most are minor, some aren't.

Also, I'm thinking about stopping to post here and using only AO3 instead. I will post a note if I make this decision, but before that – I would really like to know if someone is not using AO3 (I have this idea that people abandoned ffnet, but I would like to check if I'm right).

/

May 8th, Friday

It was one of those rare days when Allen actually needed coffee. He stayed up way too late last night, working, and he was forced to do something to be able to function. He could also, of course, just sleep until noon or something, but that would just make him fall short with time for his commission. He really did waste too much time yesterday. And so, today he was determined to do better.

It was going fairly nice. But then, sometime in the afternoon, Allen found himself bombarded with text messages. He sighed as he realized that all of them were from Steven. Well, he already ignored him yesterday, didn't he? And he supposed that was not how one should treat their date.

'Hey, Alex! So, I was thinking, would you maybe want to go eat something before we meet at the bar tomorrow?'

'I mean, you know, it's not that good to drink on an empty stomach, no?'

'Haha, what am I saying? I don't need an excuse. It's a date, after all B)'.

'I just thought I want to spend more time with you.'

Steven was, Allen decided, the most hilarious mix of shy and confident. He also typed way too fast. Obviously fast enough that his brain was not catching up with his fingers. I mean – that could have been one message, right? It was a tiny bit endearing though. Then, Allen stared at 'B)' for a moment. B-bracket? Oh, of course, it was that silly glasses emoji. He was, admittedly, a bit slow with them sometimes. He still kind of liked using them, but some symbols just seemed too abstract. Now that he thought about it, 'emoji' was a Japanese term, wasn't it? Which made sense, since the ones used in Japan actually seemed most logical to him – at least they properly looked like faces. He suddenly wondered if Kanda ever used them. Oh God, that would be so hilarious and the man was Japanese, so…

This actually reminded Allen that he didn't take Kanda's number from him yesterday. It was all the man's fault, honestly - he came back home so stressed that it was distracting. And later, when Allen was already back on translating, Kanda looked very busy browsing. That was whenever Allen popped out of his room to grab a snack at least. He wondered if the browsing had something to do with his earlier advice to Kanda. Hopefully yes, the man surely wasn't looking for a new apartment again since that one time when—

Shit. Allen should probably answer Steve to his messages, shouldn't he? What was it about again? Ah, yes.

'Sure, why not : )' was all he texted back.

He saw no harm in going to eat first. Honestly, it was not like Allen wanted to get too drunk anyway. Whenever he did, he always got this nasty feeling that it made him a bit too horny. Plus he kind of got an impression that sometimes he acted disturbingly like Cross – meaning like a serial ladykiller. Well, with guys though. Hell would freeze over before he was okay with that kind of thing.

He received another text. It read 'I could always cook for you at your place, by the way. We don't really need to go anywhere ; )'.

For a second, Allen had this horrifying image of them eating and laughing at his kitchen table, while Kanda just sat on the couch, obviously hearing everything. No fucking way.

'Well, my flatmate is always home on the weekends, so I don't think It's a good idea.'

Reply from Steven was almost instantaneous. 'Flatmate? Didn't you live alone?'

Uh. Allen must have mentioned something about it in the past. And then, well, he wasn't exactly updating the guy on everything in his life, so—

'Yes, right, I used to. This now is recent. I was just' Allen's fingers stilled for a moment. He was what? His mind unhelpfully supplied him with 'lonely', but he discarded the thought quickly. What he settled on was 'needing extra money'.

'I see, I see. Too bad you got someone that stays in on the weekends, huh. Must be a real party animal lol' was the reply.

Allen laughed shortly. An animal, indeed. That kind that you better appreciate from afar, otherwise he could easily bite your head off. Like maybe a panther or something. Actually, yeah. That was pretty close, wasn't it? There was definitely something cat-like in his movements, and his body was—

Well, fuck, nevermind. Uh.

'He can be a bit grumpy' Allen sent after a moment, smiling to himself.

'Wow, that's a real shame. Sorry to hear that D:' the next message read.

Sorry? Allen frowned. In his opinion, there was nothing to be sorry about.

'No, no. He's okay. We get along.' Well, sort of. Maybe used to and it was complicated, but there was no need to be so precise.

'Haha, okay then :) I suppose you can get along with anyone.'

The conversation kind of just died there, because Allen wasn't sure what to answer. 'Thanks' would be very lame, plus he wasn't even entirely sure that the comment was accurate. Could he really get along with anyone? Well, maybe. But Kanda was just— well, Kanda. They have always been like this. Not that he could explain it so easy. Allen wasn't even entirely sure himself what he meant by that, so he settled on distracting himself by getting back to translating. It actually worked, too. He only got called back to reality when he heard his entrance door sort of bust open. He immediately left his room.

"Hi," he greeted Kanda with a mocking smile, seeing as the man seemed even more annoyed than yesterday.

"Fuck off," he spat at him and, to Allen's surprise, pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket.

"You managed to buy some! Were you stressed? Did they ask you for ID?"

Allen got no reply. He got a cigarette though, which was awfully nice.

"Look, give me your number." He said as soon as he lit up on the balcony, wanting to be quick this time, no to forget or miss the chance.

"No way," Kanda snapped. As expected.

Precisely because Allen knew it would be like that, he reacted so quickly that the other man had no time to retaliate. Cigarette dangling from his lips, he started patting Kanda's pockets for about three seconds and, in record time, managed to fish out his phone. The Asian barely scoffed at him though and soon Allen knew why. There was no pin or anything but— the whole damn interface was in Japanese. It was his lucky day though, in a way. Because it turned out they used the same brand.

"Kanda, you underestimate me," he mumbled with difficulty, his mouth occupied as it was. The other man obviously still understood him, because he frowned in response.

Allen started backing away a bit, for safety, and he took his own phone in the other hand. Trying to be as fast as he could, he started comparing the menus. It was taking its time, but he knew he could get there. Or at least that's what he thought before Kanda just sort of thrown himself at him, annoyed.

"Asshole!" Allen's cigarette fell out of his mouth as he called out, but he didn't care, just turning around. Strong arms reached around him, trying to blindly wrestle the phone out. Allen didn't plan to give in, he was almost there. He squirmed and raised his leg, all the while focusing his eyes only on the screens. He managed to push his assaulter away just a bit, foot firmly planted on his stomach and pressuring insistently. He was navigating the interfaces from distance by now, arms stretched out just to make it more difficult for Kanda.

He got to the number!

In only a few seconds, Kanda had him on the cold floor. Allen winced a bit from the pain of falling on his side. The phones were safe though and he was just— almost—

"Fucking bean sprout!" With a feral growl, the man got his phone back. But it was too late, Allen already dialing the number.

Instead of fanfares, there was only buzzing of a call, very clear in the sudden silence.

Allen was laughing and would be surely almost rolling on the ground if the other's body wasn't crushing him. With last clear thought, he locked his own phone with one button press. It was right on time, too, because soon it was in Kanda's hand. Allen did have a pin though.

"Brat," a hiss sounded somewhere next to his ear, but he felt far from threatened. The sudden rush of adrenaline had him light-headed. Only now he was slowly calming down.

"You're such a sore loser, Ka—" Allen wanted to further affirm his victory, but quickly realized that he made a terrible mistake. He definitely shouldn't have turned his head to face the other as he said that. Their faces were way too close now and Allen could only stare tensely, both of them unblinking.

The stunned moment passed maybe faster than it really should have, Allen's thoughts racing. He was suddenly painfully aware of a few particular memories he's been trying so hard to repress ever since Kanda moved in.

"You're such a smartass," Kanda mumbled, making Allen's insides just crumple into an unorganized mess with every word, tickling his still open lips with hot breath.

Allen mentally slapped himself before the situation could really get to him. He might have had a few very uncomfortable conversations with Kanda in the past, but it definitely wasn't something he should be thinking about. Those were darker times than now and Allen wasn't dwelling on it for far too many years to afford doing it now. But the mental slap thankfully worked.

"I still have your number though." Allen squinted daringly, heart in his throat as he spoke and eventually Kanda just rolled his eyes, backing away and standing up.

"Whatever you plan to do with it, I'm not gonna answer." He crossed his arms, as if to accentuate his words and Allen didn't believe him even for a second. If Kanda could ignore him so easily, they would never argue in the first place.

"Sure you won't." Allen smirked a bit, easily accepting the other's hand that was offering to help him up. Now standing, he scanned the floor for his cigarette, but could not locate it. Well, maybe it fell down the balcony in all this chaos.

Only later, already in bed, Allen couldn't help congratulating himself for remaining as calm as he did. He wouldn't admit it even to himself, but honestly – this was a way closer call than it really seemed.