Rhythm of Life

Chapter Twenty-Five

Cross, Tiedoll and Kanda remained in the room Allen was in before they whisked down to X-ray. They have been waiting almost an hour for him to return when finally an orderly rolled the young teenager into the room.

Without a word, the hospital attendant positioned the bed back near the wall, locked the wheels in place then left the room. Shortly after, the doctor walked through the doorway looking for Cross.

"Mr. Marion, I'm happy to tell you the x-rays showed Allen didn't re-break his arm. In fact, it is healing very nicely," he reported to the both of them.

"I'll send a nurse over to put another cast on his arm—"

"Oh no, not another one," Allen moaned.

"Sorry young man, but we need to keep the cast on for at least another couple of weeks. Than it can come off permanently," the doctor said as he smiled at Allen and patted him on the shoulder.

"I'll have a nurse set up an appointment for you to come back, and we'll take the cast off for good. I'll leave the appointment card with your release forms," he said then winked at Allen before he left the room.

"While Allen's cast is being done, I'll take Tiedoll home. By the time I get back, hopefully they will have Allen ready to be discharged," Cross said, and looked over at Tiedoll for confirmation that it was okay with him. Tiedoll gave Cross a nod with his head.

"I'm staying with Moyashi so you can take your time," Kanda said, grinning at the younger teen, and Allen returned a big smile.

"Maybe I will. I was eating when you called, so I'll finish my dinner and be back," Cross said, with a quick glance over at Tiedoll, whose face had tinted a shade of red. Kanda noticed the strange exchange of glances, but dismissed it when the nurse came in to re-cast Allen's arm.

Allen looked comfortable lying on the bed resting and he seemed happy with Kanda seated on the chair next to him. For some odd reason, Cross felt Allen was safer with Kanda staying with him. It had been hard enough when Neah showed up, but now with Alma's possible involvement, he knew Kanda would protect his charge.

"Oh, and Kanda, try to keep the brat out of trouble for the next hour or so—if you can," Cross said over his shoulder as the two walked out the door.

Cross almost put his hand on Tiedoll's back, near his waist, as if to escort him out of the room, but he quickly retracted his hand hoping it wasn't noticed. But Kanda had caught the attempt of the gesture, but decided to disregard it as well. He had other things on his mind right now—mainly Moyashi.

"What color bandage would you like this time?" The nurse asked Allen when she was ready to wrap his arm.

"Hmm … how about the neon green," Allen said smiling, and then glanced over at Kanda to see if he approved. Kanda just smirked and shook his head side to side in a teasing manner.

"There you go we're all done. Just be careful for a few minutes to make sure it has set," the nurse said, and then gathered the rest of the casting materials, putting them back on her rolling cart and then left.

When Allen's guardian and the nurse were finally gone, Kanda went over and closed the door. He finally had a chance to ask Allen what really happened after he had taken Alma home—now that they were alone.

"Moyashi, I know you're not telling me everything. What happened after I left you?" Kanda asked, looking Allen straight in the eyes, waiting for his response.

'Shit, what am I going to say? I'm not telling him I picked up all his beads. I need some time to think about that. Of course, I'll give the beads back to him once I get the bracelet fixed, but I would really like to know why the bracelet is so important to Kanda,' Allen thought as he looked back at the older teenager. 'I can't ask him now about it, or he'll be suspicious about the beads and he'll figure it out quickly that I collected them all.'

"Well … I'm not really sure … I might have been in shock for quite awhile … it seemed like I was in some sort of daze when you left. Let's see … I remember, after a while, I started to walk, to go back to Lavi's house, but I had forgotten about the curb. When I stepped down, I guess I lost my balance and fell down onto something sharp that ripped my coat and shirt. I think … it was when I tried to pick myself up that a sharp pain to my arm startled me which, I think it was then my hand slipped and it slid into the grates," Allen said, looking like he was trying to remember and at the same time make the story sound reasonable true.

Kanda sat there for a minute looking at him. 'He's a terrible liar I can see right through him. So what is he covering up? Could someone have shown up? Maybe roughed him up, or even threatened him in some way? The scrapes on the back of his hands is what puzzles me. They shouldn't look as bad as they do for just slipping through the grates that one time, I wonder—' Kanda thought, still perplexed as to what really had happened.

"So that's your story, eh? I suppose you're sticking to it," Kanda said, dubious of Allen's answer.

"Why? It's what happened," Allen responded, with a tinge of pink showing on his cheeks, and afraid he didn't sound convincing enough.

"I'll drop it for now, but we will discuss this at a later time, understood?" Kanda said, in a low, matter-of-fact voice.

"Okay Kanda, but now I have a question for you. Can you explain to me what tonight was all about with Alma?" he asked. He felt he deserved some sort of explanations from Kanda seeing he did have a knife flashed in his face.

"Oh, that. Well, it was personal business …" Kanda answered, trying to avoid having to say anything more.

"The personal business you have been having over these past few months? Is that what you're trying to tell me?" Allen asked. He wanted to hear Kanda say it to his face.

Kanda raised an eyebrow. He wasn't going to lie to Allen, not after what they had gone through tonight, "Yeah, as I said personal business."

"Well Kanda, if I'm going to be hanging around with you, like being tutored fencing, or anything else. I believe I have a right to know what is going on between you and Alma. Are the two of you still lovers? Or, are you two timing him? Because from what he said tonight he pretty much felt you were. So, are you cheating on him," Allen asked, startled at himself for having the guts to speak out—especially to Kanda.

Kanda was taken aback by Allen's assertiveness on the subject and it didn't look like he wasn't going to be pushed aside without some sort of explanation.

"So you think you have a right to know what my relationship is with Alma," Kanda said, crossing his arms, staring at Allen, his blue eyes turning a shade darker.

'Shit, Moyashi does have the right to know, seeing we are in each other's company a lot, and I did kiss him tonight,' Kanda thought, thinking about this for a moment.

"If I tell you, I'll have to kill you," Kanda smirked, trying to keep things on the lighter side than what they were sounding like right now.

"Then kill me after you tell me," Allen retorted, annoyed at Kanda toying with him.

'Damn this little shit. He is definitely not like any fifteen years old that I have ever met. Nor was his kisses like anything I've ever experienced either,' Kanda thought, thinking back to their kiss in the woods.

"Okay, Tiedoll will probably suggest I tell you anyway," he said defeated, but deep down he really felt Allen had a right to know.

"No, Alma is not my lover, and if you must know, he has not been since February my junior year. The problem is he won't accept it. He has badgered and stalked me constantly for months now. I've been trying to get him to understand that it's over.

You've saw the bruise he had given me, a few weeks back, the damn idiot can't get it through his thick skull that's it's over! Then, with him showing up tonight it was just another one of those episodes with him," Kanda said, agitated, looking straight into Allen eyes, wondering what his reaction will be.

Even though Allen had heard this earlier tonight, about Kanda ending their relationship in February, for some reason he still felt shocked with hearing the facts again. He couldn't believe Kanda had ended his relationship with Alma a month after he showed up at the high school.

'I thought it ended when Alma graduated in June. I wonder if Kanda does or did ever love Alma?' Allen thought, hoping Kanda didn't love Alma, because it would shatter his heart.

Looking over at Kanda, still a little shocked, he whispered softly, "Did you ever love him, or—do you still love him?" Allen asked, while his heart raced, his stomach flip-flopped and he felt breathless waiting for Kanda's answer. Did he really want to know the answer? Could he live with what the answer will be?

Kanda shuddered at the sound of Allen's voice whispering this question to him. It sent ripples of negative emotions throughout his body even thinking about Alma and their relationship. But, this question from Allen, even though it had taken him off guard, he just hoped Allen felt the same way about him as he did for Allen.

His thoughts were answered when Allen's eyes betrayed him and allowed Kanda to see into his very soul how he felt about him—there was a hitch in Kanda's breathing. Why did this surprise to him? It's not like they hadn't shared feeling before with their eyes. But for some reason, knowing this right now—felt special. Kanda will answer him honestly, because the feelings he has for Allen are special and he wants him in this life more than he's ever wanted anybody else.

He brought his chair closer to the bed and took Allen's bandaged hand into his. Kanda's eyes never left Allen's questioning, worried ones when he whispered back, "No … I don't love him, nor do I think I ever did."

Allen, slowly and softly, released a sigh. Fuck, ever thing about Allen screamed at him to take him—hold him—kiss him—because he wanted Allen and he knew Allen wanted him! He would show Allen just how much he cared about him.

The two stared passionately into the other's eyes, both knowing they really didn't need to say how they felt; they were already conveying that to each other through their eyes, but they wanted more this time to confirm it.

Cross walked in on their intimate moment they were sharing, gazing at each other, all guards down and their passion openly flowed between them. It was a moment in time that should, by all rights, have been a private time for them as the intensity of affection was emulating off the both of them.

"Well it appears I've walked into another one of your fucking drooling moments together," Cross boomed out for all to hear.

"Alright brat, I've signed all the paperwork, now let's get you home. The doc said that headache of yours will probably last the night," Cross grumbled to Allen, putting his stuff in a bag the nurse had given him.

"If you have any complications through the night I'm to call here, so you better let me know and not hide it," Cross bellowed then suddenly realized the two had never taken their eyes off each other and Kanda had gotten up and now held Allen in an embrace, kissing him deeply. They had been so impassioned; they were locked into their own world. Neither had heard a word Cross had said, nor did they care.

Cross watched the two of them. He thought of Tiedoll and said nothing more until their kiss had ended. Then He scowled over at the two.

"Ahem," Cross said loudly, getting their attention," and as I was saying I'm putting him to bed when I get him home, so if you want to see him it'll have to be tomorrow, lover boy."

Kanda was in a daze for a moment, but once he found his voice he turned to look at Cross and let him have a piece of his mind.

"I don't want to show up tomorrow and find Moyashi with any other bruises, are we clear Cross," Kanda challenges, still touching Allen.

"It's Allen, Kanda, Allen. Doesn't anyone ever listen to me?" he said irritated that no one calls him by his name. Kanda pulled his eyes off from Cross and turned back and looked at Allen affectionately and gave him a happy smirk.

To be continued …

A/N: Well, this time it didn't matter to our young couple if Cross saw them kissing or not. I don't think anything could have interrupted that moment for them. Hmm, even Cross almost messed up, oops! He must have forgotten about Kanda's keen eyes, ha-ha. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed your reading of this chapter. And another big, big, thank you to all my wonderful readers! Until next week, my friends! Have a great weekend!