AN: The film watched is Silent Hill (2006) and it and its characters are the property of its writers, directors, producers, etc., and I make no claims on it. I just chose it because I knew it had scenes that could be rough for both Allen and Kanda considering their pasts.
Chapter 13 ~ And the Winner is…
Kanda walked back into the movie room and immediately noticed that Allen was missing. He sat down on the left side of one of the loveseats. He wondered where the younger teen went, but he was relieved that seating would not be an issue. All he needed was for Allen to touch him wrong and end up getting hurt.
"Oi, Usagi, where's the Moyashi?"
"Hell of a long 'piss' you took, Yuu-chan. So I take it Lena gave you good advice?"
"Baka…why the fuck do you still call me that?"
"Because I know you love me anyway. And it's hilarious to hear you bitch about it."
"Che. So where is he?"
"Aww…you really like him. That's good 'cuz I told him you do."
"What?! I'm actually gonna kill you this time."
Kanda jumped up and headed straight for Lavi. Lena came in with the drinks and stepped between them before anyone could get hurt.
"Save me, Lena!"
"He told the Moyashi I like him! He has to die now."
"But you do. I'm just helping ya out."
"You weren't supposed to tell him that."
"Both of you shut up! Kanda, it's okay. It's not like Allen isn't interested in you, too."
"He still didn't have to tell him I like him."
"True, but at least there's no harm done."
"Yeah, and I only said it to encourage him so it really was to help. The lil' guy thought nobody would ever like him."
"Really? Why not?" Kanda was genuinely surprised to hear that. How could people not like Allen?
"He didn't give details, but he's obviously used to people only caring about what family he's from."
"Why should it matter what family he's from? I don't give a fuck. It's not like he has control over who he's related to. Should people like me for being adopted by an artist? No, because that's bullshit."
"A lovely sentiment, but unfortunately most people don't see it that way. They hear 'Walker' and think 'I can use him to get attention for myself.' At least the few guys who've asked me out in the past have done that."
As Allen walked into the room, Kanda quickly sat down again. He wanted to make sure he got the seat he needed. Allen saw this and sighed. He needed to sit there.
"Hey Kanda, can I sit where you're sitting? I don't like people sitting to the left of me. I get nervous."
"Nope. Sorry, Moyashi. You don't need to sit on my left side. Trust me when I say it'll be bad for your health."
"Bakanda! Please trade. How could sitting to your left be bad for my health? That makes no sense."
"Um, actually, Al, trust him on this. He gets violent when people touch his left arm. It's just a weird reflex he has."
"But I always sit on that side too."
"You could always sit in his lap. Ouch! Lena, what'd I do?"
"Ignore him. He means well, but he doesn't always think about what he's saying. Do you think you'll be okay sitting next to Kanda if he's on your left side?"
"Umm...I'm not too sure."
"If it's about your scar, don't worry. I'm not afraid of it or grossed out or whatever you're worried I might feel. I'm not gonna ask about it or stare. I just don't wanna accidentally hit you."
"That's nice of you. I suppose I can try sitting to your right."
"Good. That way, if I hit you, you'll know it's on purpose."
"Kanda Yuu! Don't say things like that to him!"
"Che. Whatever 'mom.' Can we just watch the movie now? I'm ready to see Moyashi lose."
"In your dreams, Bakanda!"
Allen cautiously sat down beside Kanda. He hated exposing his left side to anyone who was sitting that close to him. He grabbed a cushion and began playing with the fringe trim on it, twisting and untwisting the strands again and again.
Kanda watched Allen nervously playing with the cushion. It annoyed him so much that he soon snatched it away.
"Hey! Give that back!"
"You're annoying me with it. Quit being so damned nervous. I'm not gonna bite you...unless you want me to."
"Hmm, not right now, but that might be on my list of demands when I win our little competition."
"You're not gonna win."
"We'll see. Lavi, you ready to start the movie?"
"'kay. I just click the one I want, yeah?"
"That's right."
Allen decided to ignore his worries about his left side. Kanda truly seemed not to mind his scar. Allen hoped that he would not ask about his glove either. He got the feeling that if anyone would not question things like that, it would be Kanda. The Japanese teen appeared to be the rare type who leaves people alone when they do not want to talk about certain things. It made Allen feel better and he finally relaxed in his seat.
Kanda let out a breath he had not realized he was holding. Up until he saw Allen relax, he feared that the British youth would ask to trade seats again. He did not want the sprout to be uncomfortable, but he certainly wanted him to be safe. He was also relieved when his "reflex" was not questioned. Apparently, Allen was like him when it came to not asking people too many personal questions.
Lavi started the movie and sat down beside Lena. He put his arm across her shoulders and pulled her close to him.
"My money's on Al." He whispered in her ear.
"I'll take that bet. I've never seen Kanda freak over a movie."
Lavi chose Silent Hill. He remembered watching it with Lena and Kanda before and was pretty sure parts of it bothered Kanda.
"You sure about that? He tries not to show much, but you know Yuu does have his hang-ups."
"Yeah, he does, but I can't picture him losing a bet. He's way too stubborn to - Lavi, is this the movie I think it is? Kanda might kill you for this one."
"Yup. I chose it just for him. He won't really kill me, maybe beat me up some but not for real murder."
"And you're okay with him beating you? Because you'll deserve it, just saying..."
"It's worth it. I had to give Al a fighting chance. You know fire sets Yuu off, and there's definitely fire in this movie."
"You're evil. Like, really, seriously evil...That's using a traumatic experience against him."
"All's fair in love and war."
Lena smacked him with a cushion, hard.
"You're so getting cut off for a while."
"How long?" Lavi pouted but Lena appeared to be immune.
"Depends on how upset Kanda gets. You better pray Allen can comfort him."
Lavi shuddered at the threat. He really did not think his plan through very well, but it was too late to change it now. He hoped Kanda would not get too upset, and even found himself hoping Kanda would win the bet.
Kanda cringed when he saw Lavi's choice of movie. He made a mental note to strangle the Usagi in his sleep later. For now, he forced himself to take slow, steady breaths and act like everything was perfectly fine. Watching someone burn to death, even if it was only a movie, made him think of what happened back in Japan.
Allen silently cursed his bad luck. Of all the movies, Lavi picked one that never failed to scare him. He only had this movie because he liked playing the games. The games sometimes frightened him too, but he always played them when Lucy was around to joke with him and keep him from thinking about his own past too much. There were far too many knives involved in the film and it made him remember things he wished he could forget.
Lavi no longer had his arm around Lena because she shoved him off of her when the movie began. He hated that she got angry about it but he understood why she did. Knowing that there was zero chance of making out with Lena now, he decided to watch Allen and Kanda closely so he would know who won their bet. He carefully observed every movement each boy made and knew that Kanda would end up putting his arm around Allen soon.
Kanda found himself paying more attention to Allen than to the movie. The young musician was truly beautiful and captivating. Kanda noticed that Allen moved constantly: crossing and uncrossing his arms and legs, playing with his hair, straightening his clothes. The never-ending fidgeting grew to be more than he could handle. Without even thinking about it, he placed his arm around the smaller, younger teen and pulled him close.
Allen tensed up when Kanda placed his arm across his shoulders and drew him close enough that they were pressed together. He really wanted to be in Kanda's arms but the move was so sudden that it startled him.
Kanda shifted slightly, bringing his mouth near Allen's ear.
"Relax, Moyashi. You're so nervous that I can't watch the movie."
Allen suppressed a moan. Kanda had softly whispered the words in his ear and it made him want to kiss the elder teen. He resisted the urge because he thought it was too soon and he really needed to focus on the film. He wanted to win and have Kanda at his beck-and-call for the remainder of their visit. However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized he would most likely enjoy losing just as much, if not more. He relaxed against Kanda's side and thought about how good and right it felt to sit there.
Lavi smiled to himself when Kanda did exactly what he expected him to do. Sometimes he thought he knew Kanda better than Kanda knew himself. The stubborn Japanese teen never stood a chance against Allen. He lost his resolve to stay single the instant he saw the white-haired beauty, and Lavi realized it immediately even though Kanda did not. It thrilled Lavi to see his friend with a genuinely nice guy. After the hell that was his relationship with Alma, Kanda needed someone like Allen in his life. Lavi knew this display of affection did not guarantee that the two boys would become a couple, but it was definitely a good sign.
Lena watched Lavi as he stared at Allen and Kanda. Heaven help her, she loved the idiot, even though he made a very poor decision when he selected Silent Hill. It was not what she had agreed on when they looked through the movies together and it angered her that he switched without asking her. She meant it when she said she was going to cut Lavi off for a while, but the length of time was not really dependent on how much the film upset Kanda. She wanted to make sure Lavi regretted what he did, but she did not wish to punish herself in the process. She knew she could not stand to avoid touching him for long. Besides, it looked like his evil choice was actually helping bring Allen and Kanda together. The two boys were certainly cozy looking as Allen sat snuggled up against Kanda's side.
Allen and Kanda were both quite happy to be sitting like they were. Though each of them was afraid of certain scenes that were to come, their closeness provided some reassurance and comfort.
Kanda felt at peace with Allen cuddled against him. The boy brought out a strong protective urge and he loved it. With Alma, Kanda played the more submissive role but it never really felt right. With Allen, he felt free to play a more dominant role and it came to him naturally.
Allen was comforted by Kanda's touch. Nobody else had ever made him feel so safe and warm. He hated to admit it to himself, but he wanted someone else to be the strong one sometimes. He put up a tough front, but he secretly desired a relationship where he would be taken care of.
As the film continued, it came to the scene where Rose saw Colin crawling toward her. She fled, only to meet Red Pyramid. The giant man wielding a massive knife scared Allen. Even though the teen had seen the movie before, he could not stop himself from being frightened when the monstrous figure appeared. His thoughts drifted to another man with a knife, looming over a younger version of himself and causing his much-hated scars. Not even realizing he did it, Allen buried his face in Kanda's chest and began to cry.
Kanda was shocked to find Allen crying into his chest. He had no idea why the scene triggered such a reaction in the younger, but he knew it must be related to something horrible that Allen had endured. He wrapped his arms around the boy and held him tight, rubbing gentle circles on his back. He continued the soothing motions until the sobbing subsided and Allen looked up at him with a tear-streaked face.
"You just lost, Moyashi." Kanda smirked at him but his tone was gentle and slightly teasing.
"I'm not so sure I can consider it a loss. I still get you, right? I'm fine with you being in charge as long as you hold me like this when I need it."
Allen's voice came out sounding tiny and somewhat broken and the raw emotion in it made Kanda's heart ache. He hugged Allen as close to him as possible and sighed as he let himself completely give into his strong desire to give Allen a chance.
"Yes, my Moyashi, you still get me. I'll even go easy on you to begin with. For now, all you have to do is sit here and let me hold you."
Allen looked into Kanda's deep blue eyes and saw that the older teen was serious. He was thrilled to be with such an intriguing and caring man. He smiled at Kanda, and this time his smile finally reached his silvery gray eyes.