Taboo

Disclaimer: I don't own D. Gray-man. If I did, Alma wouldn't have died. Why did you have to die, Alma?! Why?! Sob sob

Note: I actually don't like modern AU

It was taboo. Frowned upon by everyone. No matter where he went or who he asked, it was always a shake of the head he got. "That's taboo. It's unlawful and goes against all our beliefs," they'd say. Of course, each answer varied. Some had more "colorful" words added in while some others were really long and rambling. He didn't care. All he wanted was a "yes". He wanted to hear someone say it wasn't taboo. That it was all right for a man to love another man. Of course, none of them knew his dirty secret. The dirty secret that Kanda Yuu loves Alma Karma. The dirty secret of a man that loves another man. Now, this secret led to a series of events. Events that would change the lives of only a select few. But in great ways…

"Honestly, would you stop bothering me?!" a boy with blue hair snapped. He looked about 13.

"But… I just want to be your friend," a boy with scruffy, brown hair protested. He seemed to be the same age as the blue-haired boy.

"There are plenty of other students to bother! Why me?!" the blue-haired boy growled.

"Because I like you, Yuu! You're interesting."

"Don't call me Yuu! It's Kanda."

"Okay…" The little boy faltered. "I just want to try and be your friend."

"Go away you little $*!*," he hissed.

The brown-haired boy's eyes widened. "Yuu! If the nuns hear you saying stuff like that, they'll wash your mouth with soap!"

"Do I care?" Kanda asked sarcastically.

The brown-haired boy glared at him. "Well fine! I don't need to be your friend anyway!" He stomped off, leaving Kanda at the desk.

Kanda leaned down over his paper. I will not smart-mouth the teachers, he wrote over and over again.

Alma looked up as the wind blew his hair into his face. The school grounds were very serene during lunch. The pretty flowers bloomed all over the hills in many shapes, sizes, and colors. He knew Yuu's favorites were the lotus flowers. Yuu would never admit it to Alma, but Alma knew Yuu better than anyone else.

Kanda flicked his hair casually. "What do you have for lunch?"

"Mayonnaise sandwich," Alma replied. "You?" He already knew the answer.

"Soba," Kanda answered. All the nuns at their Catholic school thought Kanda was a strange boy. At the age of 15, he had exhibited behaviors unlike all the other boys his age. Of course, he attracted the girls. He was certainly a looker, after all. He had the charm with his long, dark blue hair. The way it was tied up in a long ponytail with two long side fringes going all the way down to his chest. But what was unlike the rest was that he rejected all the girls' approaches. He only hung out with his friend Alma Karma. Now, the nuns knew of men liking other men. This was the 21st century. But even though the concept of being gay was starting to be accepted by Catholics, this specific school wasn't budging on their policy. Tradition was their motto and they weren't about to stray from it. Even though the New Testament said it was all right for a man to love another man, the school wasn't ready to accept that.

Kanda stood up. "I just remembered I have a chat scheduled with Headmaster Sinclair," he told Alma.

"Aw, you're going?"

"Just for the rest of lunch."

"What are you talking about?"

"Stuff." Alma frowned at Kanda's vague reply. Kanda walked off, not saying another word. He headed straight to the headmaster's office, sparing a second to grab a drink. Kanda entered the room confidently. It was a rather small room. The only things inside it were a desk and a chair. The headmaster sat behind it. A sour man with wrinkles and a balding head. He looked as old as the Pope. His strict face froze younger students in their tracks. However, Kanda always seemed unaffected by the harsh glare. In fact, Kanda's ever-present scowl rivaled even the headmaster's. Perhaps it was that reason why he never seemed afraid or nervous near the headmaster.

The headmaster fixed his classic glare on Kanda as Kanda walked through the door. "What is it, boy?" he growled irritably.

"Headmaster. What is your opinion on men liking other men?" Kanda was careful not to show any weakness in his question. Trying to seem as if he was just a curious student. As if he had nothing to do with the question.

The headmaster's eyebrows rose just slightly. "Hmmm," he rumbled for a moment. "It's forbidden," he finally replied.

"What about the New Testament?" Kanda challenged politely as he could.

"We follow the Old Testament. Love is between a man and a woman; not between a man and another man, not between a woman and another woman. As passage 18:22 of the Leviticus says, 'Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.'"

Kanda tilted his head downward. "I thought so…" he murmured.

"Why?" the headmaster questioned.

"I was just curious," Kanda replied. He got up from the chair and started walking back to where everyone was having lunch. His heart sped up a bit when he saw Alma. God, he's so beautiful, he thought. He shook his head. What's wrong with me? It's not allowed. It's taboo! I can't love him.

Alma waved Kanda over. "Yuu!" he yelled.

Kanda slowly made his way over and sat down next to him. The two didn't say anything for a while.

"That was a short chat with the headmaster," Alma said.

"There wasn't much to discuss," Kanda replied.

Another awkward silence ensued. "Can you meet me at the lotus pond tonight?" Alma asked.

Kanda looked back at him in disbelief. "I have early curfew. It's my punishment for mouthing off to the teachers."

"You're always mouthing off to the teachers. Anyway, please!"

"Why not just talk to me in the dorm?" The boys' dorm was ordered in alphabetical order. Since Yuu was actually Kanda's first name and not his surname, he was right next to Alma.

"There are too many guys there. Please. Just the two of us."

Kanda's heart once again sped up at the mention of, "the two of us". "All right," he agreed. They set the time to midnight when lunch ended and they headed to their afternoon classes.

Kanda waited silently in his cot as everyone slowly went to sleep. He slowly crept out of his cot and tiptoed out of the room. He silently headed to the lotus pond. He saw Alma leave a few minutes earlier.

Eventually, he came to the beautiful scene of the pond awash in moonlight with Alma sitting by the edge. He tried to contain his excitement as he quietly walked up and sat next to Alma. "What did you want me here for?" he asked grumpily.

"I heard it was your birthday today," Alma replied.

Oh yeah. He forgot it was his birthday today. "So, did you get me a gift or something?" Kanda asked.

"Well, it's something from the heart," Alma said. He leaned over and kissed Kanda. "Happy birthday, Yuu," he whispered.

"This is forbidden," Kanda said.

"I don't care," Alma replied.

Kanda looked at him in confusion. "But… it's taboo."

"I don't care if it's taboo. You can't stop yourself from falling in love with somebody. And anyway, there are people out there who accept this sort of thing. Maybe not this school, but somewhere out there people accept it. In fact, it's more common in the eastern states. We could go there." Alma scooted closer to Kanda. "All I know is that I want to be with you," he breathed in Kanda's ear.

Kanda sat there for a moment digesting the information. He finally wrapped his arms around Alma. "You know, it's been a good birthday," he said.

Alma laughed.

Fin

I'm sorry if I got some details wrong. I'm not Catholic. I'm agnostic.

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