After Jerry had caught Allen and forced him to actually sit down and eat, Allen decided that it was probably best to begin his search for baby necessities with Kanda, Lenalee, and Lavi on another day. They settled for three days later, when the three of them were free again.
He didn't quite know what he was expecting when he began his search. But what he found out was that there were so many options out there for him and Kanda to choose from and it made his head spin. One look at Kanda told him that the samurai thought the same.
To say it was overwhelming was a bit of an understatement. He was glad that they hadn't been planning to buy anything that day. He was way too anxious about possibly buying the wrong thing, or buying too little or too much. There was much to think about, and luckily, they still had time.
Once returning back to Kanda's room, Allen let himself fall back onto the bed with a soft 'oof', limply covering his face with his arms.
"Oi, be careful." Kanda said, closing the door behind him. "Don't just flop down on the bed like that."
"Relax, it's fine. It's not like I dove on to the bed." Allen said, peeking past his arm to grin at his boyfriend. "It's flattering that you care so much, you big softy." Kanda's head whipped around, shooting a glare at the bean sprout. Allen couldn't help but notice the red tint to the other's cheeks and he smiled, snickering. He loved to push Kanda's buttons. "So… What did you think about today?"
Looking over at Allen, Kanda let out a sigh, crossing his arms over his chest as he began trailing over to the bed. "I think that we have a lot to think about." He said before sitting on the edge of the bed. "I think we should make a rule."
"A rule?" Allen repeated, moving his arms up to rest above his head. "A rule for what?"
"Waiting to buy most of the clothes and toys until after the baby comes." Kanda told him.
Allen narrowed his eyes at him. "Because you don't trust my judgement?"
"No, because I don't trust Lena's judgement. She is going to go off the deep end and before we know it, the entire Order is going to be filled to the brim with baby dresses and toys and God knows what else."
Allen couldn't help but giggle, moving his hands down to rest on his stomach. "I think she has baby fever."
Kanda groaned and closed his eyes. "She needs to knock it off. Her psycho brother will never allow it. Besides, what does a baby need thirty dresses for? It's a baby." Allen's giggle fit continued. Kanda couldn't help but grin at the genuine look of happiness on his boyfriend's face. It was so beautiful and natural and it pleased him to see it.
"That's why she's living vicariously through us, Kanda." Allen told him with a chuckle, moving to prop himself up on their pillows. "So what would your rule be to fix that?"
"That we don't buy anything besides a starting pair of clothes and furniture until after the baby is born." Kanda stated. "That covers us in case the baby is a boy, too." Before Allen had a chance to object, Kanda continued. "Again, I don't care what the baby is. I don't know about you, but I would like to at least have a chance to get to know the baby before we run out and buy a bunch of shit."
Allen's gaze fell to his stomach as he rubbed it gently, humming quietly. "Well… I guess that makes sense." He said. "Besides, the more things we have, the easier it will be for Central to find us out." He watched Kanda give a small nod. "I mean, my body might do that too."
"Shut up. Central isn't going to find out. I won't let them." Kanda said assuredly, keeping his arms crossed over his chest. "Besides, you've always been like a stick. I can't see you getting huge like you think you're going to get."
Another chuckle escaped his lips. "I don't know, Kanda. My appetite was big to begin with, but it's only increased since I got pregnant with her. And with the things I'm craving… I might be unrecognizable soon." Allen joked, lovingly running his hands over his bump, gazing down at it. "Right honey?"
Allen didn't really know what he was expecting in response to talking to the baby inside him, but he for sure wasn't expecting the thump against his hand. He suddenly let out a startled gasp, his eyes widening as sat up quickly and continued to stare at his bump.
"What?" Kanda asked, staring at him. Allen ignored him and stayed frozen in place, keeping one hand pressed to his stomach. "Moyashi, what?"
"She… She's kicking me." Allen told him.
Kanda blinked, eyes widening, though still holding confusion. "Hasn't she been kicking you for weeks?"
"Yes, but those were just flutters. She's really kicking me right now." Allen tried to explain. There was a certain look in his silver eyes, something akin to wonder and fascination. Kanda watched as those eyes softened and a warm smile graced Allen's lips, a soft breath leaving them. "Kanda, come here. Give me your hand."
Kanda turned to face him on the bed, looking at him with hesitation. "I don't know, Moyashi. Last time you told me to feel it, I didn't feel anything."
Allen huffed in annoyance. "Well, you'll feel it now! Come on!" He exclaimed, waving the swordsman toward him. "Come on! Don't be lame." Kanda sneered at him, crawling closer to him on the bed. Giving half of an eye roll, he gave his hand to Allen, who guided it carefully to his belly, resting it against it. The way Allen pouted was adorable. His cheeks puffed out a bit and he tried moving the hand around to get their child to kick again. "Come on, baby, don't prove me wrong."
Snorting, Kanda rolled his eyes again, a small smirk on his face. "See? I told you I wasn't going to-"
A strong jab against Kanda's hand silenced the both of them. Allen wished that he was able to capture the dumbfounded look on Kanda's face, the way he gaped at his hand, trying to form a coherent thought in his head. He couldn't help but let out a laugh in delight, shutting his eyes as he clutched his hand around Kanda's. "See? I told you she was really kicking hard!"
"I- Holy shit." Kanda muttered, moving his hand the smallest bit over, waiting to see if it would happen again. To his surprise, it did. "This is so weird. I didn't know this is what would happen."
Calming down a bit, Allen just watched as Kanda continued to stare at his belly with the same wonder that he had earlier. "What do you mean?"
Kanda hesitated, looking like he wasn't sure if he should voice what he was thinking or not. "... I mean… I didn't know that babies actually did… This." He said. "Move like this, while they're still in the womb. It's strange to me."
"... You didn't know that babies moved?" Allen said slowly, looking for any indication that Kanda was messing with him. He, unfortunately, found no such thing. "Did you think that they just floated there without moving for nine months?"
"Tch." Kanda sneered, crossing his arms again as he turned his back. "Forget it."
"No, Kanda, wait." Allen said, putting his hand on the other's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to make fun of you." To his relief, Kanda stopped trying to get up off the bed and relaxed, settling back next to him. He reclined back against the headboard of their bed.
"Well then, stop making fun of me."
"Stop making fun of my height."
"Funny thing is that I was going to, but now I can't because Moyashi is a term of endearment." Kanda shot back, smirking when Allen pouted at him. "... It's not my fault that I don't know as much as I should. Sexual education and human reproduction wasn't exactly top priority when the Order was inhumanely manufacturing Exorcists."
Allen's heart ached for a moment and his gaze fell a bit. He moved to rest his head against Kanda's shoulder. "I know. I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget that." He admitted. His hand trailed down to grasp Kanda's hand in his own, locking their fingers together before placing the other on top. "I'm no expert either, you know."
"You know more than I do." Kanda pointed out, huffing. He looked at his hand in Allen's, then let his head come to rest against the other's.
"Comes from being Cross' apprentice." Allen said, grinning when Kanda snorted. "Anyway, I'm sure that there's more information we could read about in the library. Maybe that's something we could do together."
"There's only one problem with that." Allen quirked an eyebrow at him, waiting to hear Kanda's objection. "You can't read." The response made Allen gasp and the boy shoved his boyfriend away.
"Kanda, you jerk! I can read!" He explained. "Maybe not well, but I can read!"
Kanda began to laugh as Allen chewed him out, and as touching and delightful as it was to see the love of his life so happy, Allen desperately wanted to sock him in the face. That feeling quickly melted away when Kanda grabbed him carefully by the face and pressed their lips together. When he pulled away, there was another smirk on his face. "You're so cute when you're being a brat."
Before Allen could retort, there was a knock on the door, both of their heads turning to look at it, though Kanda glared at it.
"Yuu! Allen! You in there?"
"Will you keep your voice down?" Lenalee whispered loudly, the sound of a smack coming from the other side of the door.
"Go away!" Kanda shouted. Allen chuckled at him, sitting up completely.
"Come in, guys."
Not a second later, the door opened, and the two of them entered and closed the door before speaking again. "What were you guys up to?" Lavi teased, cracking an equally teasing smile.
"Nothing." Allen insisted, pouting at his friend, taking the chance to speak before Kanda and Lavi could begin to bicker with each other. "We were talking about the baby."
Lenalee smiled, walking toward them. Once she came to stand near the bed, Allen gently patted in front of him, urging her to sit down, even if Kanda didn't want anyone else on his bed. "Did you guys decide what you're getting? And when?" She asked, taking a seat in front of Allen on the edge of the bed. Keeping his left hand placed on his belly, Allen smiled sheepishly at Kanda before looking at her.
"Well, kind of, but not really. We decided that we're going to get started with a crib, diapers, and maybe a few simple pairs of clothes, but we're going to wait on everything else until she comes." Allen explained.
Lenalee gave the two of them a look. "Was that Kanda's idea?" Kanda clicked his tongue in annoyance, shooting the look right back at her.
"Yes, it was my idea. I want to get to know my child before I start spoiling her." He insisted, leaning back against the headboard again as he crossed his arms back over his chest.
"You're gonna spoil her?" Lavi asked with a giggle. Lenalee followed suit and Allen grinned over at him.
A blush rose to Kanda's cheeks and he scowled at them. "... N-No." He stated firmly. "That brings me to my next point. Like I was telling Moyashi earlier-"
"Allen."
"It's best if we keep the amount of things we buy the baby to a minimum. The rule is that we refrain from buying anything excessive until after the baby is born. Especially you, woman." Kanda explained, ignoring Allen's comment and the glare that Lenalee shot at him. "Obviously, we want to get her everything she needs, but not so much stuff that Central will become suspicious if they happen to stumble upon it. Which could definitely happen, with how nosey the watch dog is."
Kanda thought nothing of what he had said, so the way the bean sprout paled and gaped at him confused him. He then realized his mistake when Lavi spoke. "Watch dog? Are you talking about Link?" He asked, becoming confused himself.
"Kanda, did you… Forget that Link is dead?" Lenalee asked, her brows knitting together. She looked at him before looking at Allen, who was looking at the swordsman with wide eyes, shaking his head a bit.
It was too bad that Kanda didn't give two fucks about the little rat that worked for the scum bag Rouvelier. "He didn't. He faked his death." He responded bluntly. To say that their two guests looked shocked was an understatement.
"Kanda-"
"Go ahead, Moyashi. Tell them how he faked his death and threw you into the lion's den." Kanda said bitterly, gesturing for Allen to speak.
Allen's expression hardened a bit and he lowered his head. "He didn't… He didn't throw me into the lion's den… On purpose." He muttered at the end. Lavi crossed his arms and Lenalee turned her body toward him, the two of them feeling frustrated that Central had lied to them once again, waiting for him to explain himself. "I really thought he died."
"That's what 'faking death' is, Allen." Lavi said sarcastically, a look of displeasure on his face.
"I mean that it was real." Allen said firmly, keeping his expression hard. "It wasn't a set up. Link was attacked, too. It wasn't just Tyki and Road who helped me escape. Link helped me too. And I thought when I left that Apocryphos had killed him for good."
Being a Bookman, Lavi had been caught up with the Apocryphos situation and had knowledge of who and what it was. Lenalee, on the other hand, was not. It was just another thing that they were keeping from her in an attempt to protect her. She clenched her fists on her lap as they continued.
"I found out that he was alive because I found him stalking us outside of the inn we were staying in when Johnny and I went to look for Allen." Kanda added, keeping his arms crossed.
The group was silent for a minute or two. Then, Lavi let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed his head. "I don't get it," he started, "Link pretty much betrayed you. He let you think that he was dead and then continued to spy on you on Central's behalf. Why does it seem like you're protecting him?" Allen stayed silent, keeping his head down. "Does Link know about the baby?"
Much to Kanda's pleasure, Allen immediately shook his head. "Good. The last thing we need is him telling Rouvelier that two of the Order's male Exorcists conceived a child."
"Out of wedlock." Lavi added. "Can't forget that."
"Oh, right. Because I'm sure Central would allow us to marry even if we wanted to." Kanda shot back sarcastically. Lenalee couldn't help but notice the way Allen looked at Kanda, his eyes softening a bit before looking away, his expression looking somewhat melancholy.
Did Allen want to marry Kanda?
Lenalee hadn't realized that that was something that her friend could have wanted. But in that moment, her heart ached because what she did realize was that the way Kanda had worded it sounded like he didn't want to get married, even if they could. And maybe he didn't. The thought pained her even more.
She was snapped out of her thoughts when Allen spoke again. "Link knows about Kanda and I. And he's trying to help me get information on something that I'm curious about. I was skeptical of him when he came back, too. But he's trying. And even if he got pulled back into working for Central, he still helped me escape. He talked to me like a human being when the rest of Central had me restrained like I was some kind of feral animal. So, even if we don't completely trust him right away, we should still give him a chance."
"No offense, Moyashi, but I'm never going to trust him. Never have, never will." Kanda said, firm but calm. Allen looked over to Lavi, who rubbed the back of his neck.
"I don't know, buddy… I'm kind of with Yuu."
Allen sighed heavily, shoulders slumping a bit. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back.
"... Maybe Allen is right."
Allen opened his eyes and looked at Lenalee, who was looking at the other two on the opposite side of the bed. Before they could question her, she spoke again.
"When you guys had that mission in Paris, where you met Timothy, I remember that Link was also injured because he tried to help you guys protect the orphanage from the Akuma."
"That's because he was doing his job." Kanda said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"No, he wasn't." Lenalee said pointedly, raising her index finger. "His job was and still is to shadow Allen. As an Inspector, he knew that he'd never be able to defeat the Akuma, and yet he still risked himself to protect Timothy." Allen grinned widely when her response shut the two up, neither of them able to come up with a viable argument. "So, I agree with Allen. We should still give him a chance, cautiously." Turning back to look at Allen, she smiled. "If he betrays you again, I'll have no choice but to break his spine."
Allen laughed, smiling brightly. "I wouldn't expect anything less."
Kanda sneered and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Fine. I won't beat the little snot into a bloody pulp next time I see him, but I still don't trust him."
Another chuckle left Allen's lips as he rested back against the pillows, cupping his hands over his stomach. "I think the baby agrees with what you said about breaking his spine, Lena." He said, Lenalee tilting her head curiously.
"Hm? What do you mean?"
Oh, right. He hadn't had a chance to tell her yet. Reaching his hand out, he grinned innocently. "Give me your hand."
After blinking at the hand outstretched to her, Lenalee put hers into it and let him pull on it gently, pressing it to the front of his stomach. He'd never done this before, let her touch his stomach, but not a second later, she felt why he had done it. Her eyes shot up and widened as they looked at each other, Allen's smile widening. "Oh my God, Allen." Lenalee said, beginning to tear up, covering her mouth with her free hand.
"What? What happened?" Lavi asked, placing his hands on Lenalee's shoulders from behind, looking over her head. "Is she kicking?"
"Mhm." Allen hummed, his eyes lidding. "She just started before you two came in."
Lavi's face lit up as Lenalee let out a short, delighted laugh when she felt another little tap against the palm of her hand. "Oh my God, I'm so happy." The woman said, pulling her hand back. When Allen smiled at her again, she threw her arms around him and embraced him.
"Me too. It feels so much more real now." Allen said, glancing up at Kanda as he hugged his friend. He couldn't help but notice how proud his boyfriend seemed to be, a small smile even gracing his normally stoic lips. Once Lenalee and Allen had broken the embrace and pulled away, Allen let out a yawn, covering his mouth, followed by a quiet 'Jesus'.
"Tired, bean sprout?" Lavi asked, ruffling the head of white hair, earning a pout in return.
"You two wore him out earlier. Get out." Kanda said bluntly, Allen snickering at them.
"I am pretty tired. I'm going to try to take a nap." He told them, settling back on the bed. "Thank you for taking me out today. I really do appreciate it."
"Of course, buddy." Lavi said, letting Lenalee take his hand as she stood from the bed.
"Have a good nap, Allen. We'll see you at dinner." Lenalee told him, the two exchanging smiles before they finally left, Kanda laying back down next to him.
"Christ. I thought they'd never leave." The swordsman grumbled. Allen giggled at him, moving to cuddle closer, resting his head against his shoulder. Kanda pulled his lover closer, pressing a kiss to his forehead. His hand came to rest on the side of Allen's belly, which made the younger's heart swell with love and affection.
"Hey, Yuu."
"What, Moyashi?"
Allen's smile grew as his eyes trailed up to look at him. "You referred to the baby as 'she' when we were talking to Lavi and Lenalee. Three times, in fact." He began to giggle when Kanda's face turned red.
"... A-And? What's your point?"
"You think that she's a girl, too. You just don't want to admit it." Allen teased, curling up against Kanda's chest and nuzzling his head under his chin.
"Shut up and go to sleep."
Letting out one last chuckle, Allen closed his eyes, the smile still on his face. "I love you."
Kanda rolled his eyes as he sighed, resting his cheek against the top of his head. "Love you too." He mumbled, letting his eyes close.
As the two of them drifted off to sleep, things felt perfect. It was calm, peaceful. And for the next couple of weeks, it stayed that way. And then, suddenly, everything came crashing down.
The day started off normally. Kanda was then called urgently to Komui's office. Allen was sure that Bak had found a way to strengthen his seal and eagerly insisted that he go with him to find out.
When the two of them arrived, Timcanpy in tow, they were once again greeted by the two Branch Chiefs. By the optimistic expression on Bak's face, Kanda had a feeling that Allen had been right. So, after they had sat down, and after Allen poured himself a glass of water, the pair listened to what the Chief had to say.
"Good news. I found the spell that my parents used to put that seal on you in the first place." Bak said with a grin, arms crossed over his chest. "It was pretty well hidden, but I managed to locate it."
Allen's eyes lit up and he smiled brightly, looking over to Kanda, who had a look of surprise on his own face. Bak squinted a bit.
"You both look surprised. Did you not think I would find it?"
"Nope. I thought you were just wasting your time." Turning his head to the side, Kanda caught the confounded look that Allen was throwing him. "What? Did you want me to lie to him?"
Allen merely rolled his eyes at the statement. "What happens next?"
Komui cleared his throat. "Well, you're going to have to spend some time at the Asian Branch, Kanda. We'll set up in one of the labs there and then Bak will be able to conduct the spell. As for how long it will be…" Komui trailed off, looking to the blond to finish.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. I've never done it before. But I'm certain that I'll be able to do it."
"Am I going with him?" Allen asked hopefully, looking up.
Komui's face softened and he looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry, Allen. But I don't think I'll be able to send you with him. I may be able to have you escort him, probably with another Exorcist, but that may be all that I can manage."
Allen looked down at the near empty cup in his hand, eyes lidding with the disappointment he felt. He understood, even expected the answer, but it still wasn't what he wanted to hear.
Rubbing his index finger against his chin, Bak started to think. "Well… I'm sure there's something that I can come up with. Just give me a little time to think."
Allen grinned thankfully, looking back to his cup again. He finished off his last bit of water as the others continued before standing up to get some more from the pitcher that Komui had on his desk, standing a bit to the side between the two Chiefs. Tim trailed behind him, floating by his head.
Kanda watched him for a moment before looking back to his Superior. "So, then what? Do I finally get to go back on active duty?"
Komui's face fell, taking on a more serious expression. "Ideally, once Bak completes the spell, I'd like to keep you for another week or so, just to observe you and make sure it worked. But Central insists that I've kept you too long and they want you to go back as soon as possible."
Crossing his arms and rolling his eyes, Kanda grumbled, "For once, I agree with something Central said." He deliberately ignored the glares sent to him by the three of them.
"Until then, we just need you to sit tight. We'll be ready for you in a few days, maybe three or four." Bak told him, a proud and confident smirk on his face. "Then we can finally stop worrying about you, Kanda. You have a baby to look forward to, you know."
The lighthearted and joyous feeling in the room instantly dissipated as the glass that Allen had been holding shattered on the floor. Things seemed like they started to move in slow motion, even as Kanda launched himself out of his seat in an attempt to catch the boy before he collapsed on the ground. Luckily, Bak, who was closer to Allen, managed to do so, gently helping Allen onto the floor. Timcanpy was freaking out, filled with concern for his Master, flying lower to see if he was alright. When Kanda fell to his knees in front of his boyfriend, he watched as he pressed his palm to his temple, shutting his eyes tightly.
"Allen?! What happened?" Komui questioned, kneeling on the unoccupied side of the young Exorcist.
"I have a headache." Allen said, releasing a heavy breath. "It wasn't bad a while ago, but then suddenly I felt light headed and it felt like someone shot an arrow through my temples." Allen didn't resist when he felt Kanda pull him into his arms, his body slumping against the samurai's.
Looking at the shattered glass on the ground, Komui's brows knitted together in concern. "Are you dehydrated?"
"He shouldn't be." Kanda answered for him. "He's been guzzling water since the moment he woke up." He felt as Allen began to pull away from him, sitting back on the floor.
"I'm okay. It's just a little headache. I feel fine." He insisted, trying to hide behind that smile of his.
Kanda didn't believe him for a second. He then noticed the rosy tint to Allen's face and he raised his hand, pressing the back of it carefully to his left cheek. "Moyashi, your face is warm. Why didn't you tell me that you had a fever?"
"I didn't have one until now." Allen insisted again, pressing his own hand to his cheek. Pain pulsed through his head again and he moaned, leaning into Kanda once again for support and to hide his face against his neck.
"Kanda, take Allen back to his room, please. We'll continue this conversation later. I'll alert Head Nurse or Adelina to check him out there." Komui ordered, helping Kanda to lift Allen up off the ground. "Allen, can you walk?"
The Exorcist in question gasped as Kanda swept him off his feet, holding him bridal style. "Don't care. I'll carry him to his room."
"Yuu Kanda, put me down this instant." Allen demanded, face burning worse than it already was from embarrassment, trying to ignore how dizzy he felt.
"Shut up, Moyashi. You're not gonna make it two steps without collapsing." Kanda said firmly, walking toward the door. "Oi, one of you get the door."
Allen sighed as Bak rushed over to open the door for Kanda, closing his eyes. After a few steps, he was glad that he let Kanda carry him. The pulsing in his head returned, now becoming steady. He didn't care about the people who stared as they passed them in the hall. In that moment, all he could think about was the pain of his headache and the aches that were beginning to spread through his whole body. Without even noticing that they'd arrived at his room, he let out another moan as he was lowered onto his bed. Timcanpy rested next to his head, laying the end of his tail on Allen's forehead, feeling how warm it still was.
The other two stared down at him, both concerned over the boy's sudden ailment. Bak glanced over to see the uptight and perturbed expression that Kanda wore as he stared blankly down at his partner. "I'm going to get him more water." Bak declared, getting no sort of response from the General. Still, he went to the bathroom and filled a glass with water from the sink, bringing it back into the bedroom. "Here, Walker. Keep drinking water."
"That's all I've been doing." Allen said, a hint of frustration in his voice. Still, he sat up, taking the glass from the blond and taking a sip from it. "No matter how much I drink, I'm still so thirsty."
Bak began to think as Allen put the glass on the side table and laid back down, closing his eyes. On top of the pregnancy, there were a list of reasons as to what could be causing a persistent thirst from the Exorcist, dehydration being one of them. But given the insistence from both Allen and Kanda that he'd been drinking enough water, he ruled it out. Maybe the nurses would know more than him.
"You guys, it's just a headache." Allen said, opening his eyes. "You're worrying too much."
"You don't get this sick, this fast, Moyashi." Kanda grumbled. "You don't get sick period."
Allen rolled his eyes, folding his hands on his chest. "You're being dramatic. It's just a headache and a little fever." In response, Tim bit down on Allen's ear, clearly disagreeing. "Ow! Timcanpy!"
"See? He's sick of your pretending, too."
Before the two could start bickering back and forth, Bak interjected. "Still, it's best if you have a health check, just to be sure. Komui said that he was going to alert the nurses. Will you be alright until they get here?"
"I'll keep an eye on him." Kanda responded, sitting down on the edge of the bed, crossing his arms and one leg over the other. He looked over when Allen closed his eyes again, pressing his hand back against his head. His eyebrows furrowed, letting out a tense breath through his nose as Bak left them be.
Allen's condition only worsened by the time Adelina arrived to check on him. His skin was hot to the touch and, from the consistency of moans and groans that the boy continued to vocalize, she could gather that his overall pain had increased. It took a few minutes to take his temperature, so she asked him a few questions in the meantime, holding the thermometer in place. "Is the baby acting normally?" When Allen opened his mouth to speak, she scolded him. "Keep your mouth closed." He merely nodded, breathing out through his nose.
"She's as active as she normally is." Kanda added, watching from over the Italian woman's shoulder. Adelina hummed in response, finally removing the thermometer to look at it. Her brown eyes widened for a moment, keeping the serious look on her face.
"His temperature is climbing. He's at one hundred and two right now." She said quietly, carefully pulling the blankets back. Kanda watched with wide eyes as she unfastened the first few buttons on Allen's shirt before putting on the stethoscope and pressing the metal piece to his chest. She listened to his heart race for a few seconds before she pulled the piece back. "Allen, I'm going to unbutton the rest of your shirt and check the baby's heartbeat."
"O-Okay…" Allen whimpered softly, opening his eyes a crack. He rested his head to the side as he watched her do as she said she would, staying silent as she worked.
Kanda looked at Allen's face, his heart aching for a moment from seeing how weak and in pain his lover was. He couldn't help but reach over, brushing his bangs away from his face. Silver eyes looked up at him, lidding as he gave a small appreciative smile. When Adelina stood up straight and removed the stethoscope, he questioned her. "You can give him something for the fever, can't you?"
Letting out a sigh, she turned to face the tall Exorcist. "I can, but I'm concerned about the baby." She told him. "I'm afraid of what will happen if his fever persists." A chill fell onto the expecting parents. Allen moved his hands to protectively cradle his growing middle.
"It won't kill her, right?" Kanda asked. Another chill ran down his spine when she looked at him sternly, seriously. His heart nearly stopped in his chest for a moment, and he was sure Allen's did the same.
"I don't know. But I don't want to wait and find out." Adelina said, opening and rummaging through the bag she had brought with her, pulling out a small container. "I'm going to give him something now to try to bring his fever down. Hopefully it helps with the aches and pains, too." She told him, placing one of the pills into Allen's hand and then folding it closed. Kanda helped him sit up as carefully as he could, waiting until Allen took the medication before handing him his glass of water. "If it doesn't go down by tomorrow morning, I'll give him another. And then…" She trailed off, looking at the two of them. "... We'll take it from there."
After drinking most of the water, Allen laid back down and settled against his pillows, keeping his hands on top of his stomach. Kanda sighed and gave Adelina a nod before she gathered her things and left the two of them be. After she closed the door, Allen let out another moan and tilted his head back. Kanda carefully crawled onto the bed and onto the other side of Allen, doing as he did before and starting by brushing his bangs out of his face and pulling him closer.
"What are-"
"Shut up, Moyashi. Just rest."
"But I might get you sick." Allen fretted, looking up at him, his eyes filled with concern. Kanda resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of course the little brat was more worried about him than he was about himself. He pressed a kiss to Allen's burning forehead.
"I don't get sick, Moyashi. I'll be fine." He told him, resting his hand on his lover's waist. "It's you that I'm worried about. We need you to get better."
Allen became quiet for a moment. "... Do you think I hurt her?" He asked softly, eyes lidding. Kanda's expression hardened.
"The fever only just started, Moyashi. And if she's anything like either one of us, she's not gonna let that get to her." Kanda responded confidently. Their baby seemed to agree, placing a well-timed kick near the front of Allen's belly, causing him to laugh lightheartedly.
"She agreed with you. You're both right, I just need to focus on getting better." Allen said, letting Kanda pull him close against his chest, relaxing as another kiss was pressed to his head.
"And I'll be with you until you do."
Krory had thought for a while now that something strange was going on with Allen, but today had only increased his concerns. On his way back to his room after returning from a mission, he was nearly run over by Yuu Kanda and the Asian Branch Chief. He briefly caught sight of the young man in the General's arms, and from what he saw, he was looking a bit worse for wear. When he arrived at the medbay, the other nurses had told him that Chief Komui had sent Adelina to check on Allen, so he waited for her to return. When she did, he questioned what was wrong with the young Exorcist. "High fever and a headache," is what she told him.
In all his years of knowing him, Krory knew that Allen didn't get very sick, if at all. So to hear that the boy had fallen so suddenly ill troubled him.
"Something strange is going on." The older man said out loud.
"Hm?" The nurse hummed, putting the things that she had brought to Allen's room away.
"This never happens to Allen. It's been a few months now that something has been off with him." He said, crossing his arms. And then he remembered something else from a few months back. "Oh!" The Count exclaimed, Adelina and another nurse jumping. "I nearly forgot about how ill he was just about… Four or five months ago, and even that lasted a few weeks." He explained, watching the brunette woman continue to set herself up in the infirmary. "Adelina, you spend quite a bit of time examining Allen, right? Do you know what's going on?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Arystar." Adelina answered calmly, straight faced. "Five months ago, Allen was sick with a stomach flu, and now he has another."
Somehow, the answer didn't satisfy him. "Are you absolutely positive that there isn't anything more going on with him?"
Her answer wasn't something that he was expecting, nor did he quite understand what it meant. "If something is going on with him, it's better to let him tell you when he's ready."
The statement was something he thought about on his way to the cafeteria, even as he lined up to order his meal. Even when he took a seat with Miranda, Linnea, and Christine, he continued to try to decipher the deeper meaning of it.
It was better to let Allen tell him when he was ready?
Right off the bat, that told him that if there was something wrong with Allen that Adelina did know about it. That only confirmed his suspicion in his head that something was off.
"Krory, is there something wrong? You hardly touched your food. You just keep pushing it around." Miranda noted.
Krory placed his fork down next to his dish and decided to question his friend. "Ladies, may I ask you a question?"
"Of course." Miranda said, blinking. Linnea looked at him with confusion, but nodded. Christine did the same.
"Do you think that there is something a bit off about Allen lately?" He asked.
Linnea quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I heard that he recently fell ill. I even saw Kanda carry him off to his room." Krory explained. "I just feel like he hasn't been himself, physically and health wise. I'm worried."
"Well, I'm sure it's hard for him right now." Miranda said, taking a sip from her mug. "Carrying a baby isn't an easy thing to do."
Both Linnea and Christine's heads snapped toward Miranda, flabbergasted by the words that left her mouth.
"Come again?" Krory asked, staring at Miranda with the same expression as the two Nordic women.
Miranda realized her mistake as soon as the question left his lips. Oh no. None of them knew about Allen's baby.
And she just blabbed it in front of the three of them.
"N-Nothing!" Miranda exclaimed, clamping her hands over her mouth. "J-Just ignore what I said!"
"You said that Allen is carrying a baby?" Krory repeated, quickly being shushed by the three women.
"I-I thought you knew. I didn't mean to just blurt it out, I thought you knew." Miranda fretted, beginning to sob. "O-Oh, Allen and Kanda are going to kill me!"
Allen and Kanda?!
When Miranda saw a fresh look of shock in the man's eyes, she realized once again that she had just revealed another one of the young couple's secrets: their relationship. Miranda wailed and covered her face, slamming her head against the table.
"M-Miranda, where on Earth did you get this information from?" Krory whispered loudly to the woman in front of him, still trying to wrap his head around it.
"Marie told me!" Miranda exclaimed, albeit as quietly as she could manage, picking her head up. "I-I mean, I already knew that the two of them were together, but Marie told me that Kanda told him and he told me not to tell anyone and yet, here I am, just spewing their information in the middle of the cafeteria!" Miranda cried, covering her face again. Linnea scooted closer to her, putting her arms around her to comfort her.
"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay, Miranda. Calm down." The Finnish woman coaxed softly, rubbing her shoulder. "You didn't mean to do it, they'll understand that." She said. Then she thought for a moment before correcting herself. "Yes, Allen will understand that."
"And if Kanda gets mad at you, just lock him in a time bubble until he cools down." Christine joked, chuckling. Linnea snorted and turned her attention back to Miranda as she sniffled and wiped her eye.
"I'm just… So stupid." Miranda muttered, sniffling. "They don't even know that I know and all I had to do was keep a secret until they told me, and I couldn't even do that right."
"You're not stupid, Miranda." Krory said, shaking his head. "You would never expose them on purpose to anyone who wasn't supposed to know. We're Allen and Kanda's friends." Miranda's gaze fell to the table as she played with her food, pushing it around her plate.
"I know… I'm just afraid that I'll tell the wrong person."
"You won't. I know you won't." Linnea assured her, giving her arm another reassuring rub. "Like Krory said. You felt comfortable enough to say it because you're friends, and we're all Allen's friends."
"And we've got to do our best to protect his business from those who wish to pry." Krory added. From there on, he was determined to do just that, just like he had done from the moment he met the young man. "I owe that boy my life. It's the least I can do."
"Me too…" Miranda said quietly.
"... Me three…" Linnea added.
Christine looked at the three of them. "... Well, I haven't particularly been on a life-changing mission with Allen yet, but I really like him, so I'm in." She said with a smile.
Krory smiled at the three women before getting back to his meal. "I just hope he gets over his sudden sickness soon, though."
Watching Allen throughout the evening was heartbreaking. His fever stayed at a consistent one hundred and two degrees, but his headache had worsened severely. Kanda could only watch silently as his lover continued to pant and moan in pain, writhing occasionally on the bed and desperately clutching at his head in a feeble attempt to stop the pulsing that radiated through it.
It continued well into the night, even as the two of them tried to get even a hint of sleep. Allen tried to quiet down so that, hopefully, Kanda could get some sleep. It helped a little, but at best, Kanda only managed to drift off for a moment or two, never really falling into a deep sleep. Even if he was exhausted, he wanted to be alert in case his love needed anything from him.
Kanda felt himself beginning to drift off again, still listening to Allen's panting behind him. As he fell deeper into sleep, the panting seemed to slow down with his brain activity, even seeming to stop completely.
Wait, had Allen really stopped?
Kanda urged himself to wake back up despite how tired he was. Opening his cobalt eyes, he was greeted by darkness. As his eyes adjusted, he noticed how Allen was silent. He vaguely saw him sit up from his spot on the bed without a word, his weight shifting on the bed.
Allen sat still for a moment, seeming almost to have fallen asleep sitting up. A second later, he moved his left hand in one slow, circular motion on his belly, letting it rest near the front. A smirk followed suit as he mumbled to himself. "Ah, so that's what it was..." Timcanpy had woken up and began flying around his head and a smile curled at his lips as he raised his other hand. "There you are, Tim…"
Kanda picked his head up and propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes lidded still. "Moyashi? What's the matter?"
Allen turned his head to look at him, his expression blank for a moment before he smiled. "I remember you." He said smoothly, a mocking tone coming through in his words. "You're the one who had your glorified butter knife pressed to my throat."
Kanda's blood ran cold as those bitter, poison laced words sunk in and he fully woke up, finally noticing the golden eyes staring down at him. In an instant, he sat up, but was unable to make another move as he gaped at the person in front of him, a bead of sweat rolling down his face. 'No.' Kanda thought to himself. 'This can't be happening right now.'
Raising his arms above his head, the Noah let out a small yawn. "My apologies, I don't recall your name." He said politely. "I've seen you before, from Timcanpy's records. Quite a lot, actually." He started out. "I didn't think I'd find Allen in bed with you. From what I've seen, the two of you are the textbook definition of incompatible. I would have thought that he'd go after that pretty young woman with the black hair."
As the Fourteenth prattled on, Kanda remained tensely silent. He was barely holding himself together. Feelings of both rage and fear were filling up and threatening to tear him apart. He was enraged that after months without an incident, the Fourteenth had managed to snag a hold on his lover, no matter how hard they tried to keep him away, but more than anything, he was afraid. He was afraid for Allen's safety, and even more so, his innocent baby who didn't stand a chance against the Noah if he decided that he wanted to play dirty. He could feel his racing heart beating nervously in his chest, in his ears, drowning out the Fourteenth's words as he spoke.
Each syllable that came out of his mouth was foreign to Kanda. Though they were from Allen's mouth physically and they were spoken in his voice, they were so cold and different. His heart twisted painfully in his chest as he thought of his lover, how delicate and sweet he was, and how wrong this current scene felt to him.
"What's wrong, handsome?" Nea asked with a sly grin. "Cat got your tongue?"
The rage bubbling inside him finally began to overcome the fear that he felt and he glared, his eyes becoming ice cold with the rest of his demeanor. "If you don't bring Allen back immediately, your next words will be the last you ever speak." The laughter that left the other's lips only served to anger him worse.
"Is that so? Are you going to kill me, Exorcist?" Nea questioned, tilting his head as he leaned back on his left arm. "That won't be easy, will it? Not only will you have to destroy Allen to kill me, you'll have to destroy the child that the two of you have managed to conceive." Nea said, his grin widening as he watched the swordsman's eyes widen. He then traced his fingertips along the curve of Allen's belly where their baby resided. "Congratulations, by the way. I wasn't expecting another wrench in my plans like this, but what are another few months? I can wait."
As soon as the last word left Nea's lips, hands were around his throat and his head was slammed against the back of the headboard before being pinned down to the pillow behind him, narrowly missing the golden golem who had last second managed to throw himself out of the way and tumble onto the floor. "O-Ow! Ow!"
The whimper alarmed Kanda. He saw the look of pain and the tears that prickled in the corners of his eyes. Was that Allen? Had the Fourteenth relinquished his hold on Allen just before he grabbed him on purpose? He relaxed his grip around the boy's throat. "Moyashi-"
When laughter erupted from underneath him, Kanda tightened his hold once again and glared, waiting for him to speak again. "You're an absolute sucker! How tight does Allen have you wound around his finger, boy?"
Ignoring the jab at him, Kanda's glare hardened. "If you even think for a second about causing harm to my child…" His blood began to boil as the bastard continued laughing at him. He wanted him to stop and he could just feel his fingers itching to clamp down harder on his throat, but he kept reminding himself that physically, this was his Allen, and he would regain his consciousness soon.
"I've no qualms with your child." Nea said, that sickening smirk still on his face. "Nor do I with Allen, actually. It's just frustrating to continuously have things go wrong in a plan that was so meticulously thought through. But, as annoying as it is to have yet another set back in my plans, I can wait another few months. Accidents happen, after all." Kanda's grip around his throat tightened, and though it caught him by surprise and it was becoming somewhat hard to breath, the smirk remained. Nea's eyebrows furrowed as his demeanor became more serious. "What I won't do, however, is wait another eighteen years. I can't. I'll let the two of you have your moment. But as soon as it's over, I'll have to continue on with my schedule."
"In your dreams, bastard." Kanda growled. "I'll stop you."
Another chuckle resonated from the Noah as he closed his eyes for a moment and managed a shrug. "You can try, if you'd like. This is a war, after all. There are bound to be casualties and sacrifices."
The finger's around his neck twitched lightly and Nea watched as the dark haired man above him froze, his eyes glazing over for a moment. 'Perhaps I hit a sore spot.' Nea thought to himself, feeling amused.
For a moment, at the mention of casualties and sacrifices, Alma's face had flashed in his mind, as well as Allen's. Both of them, with bright smiles gracing their faces. Both of them being sacrificed to this God forsaken war without either side caring.
But Kanda couldn't let this bastard Noah continue to push him toward the edge. He wanted him to lose his cool.
Kanda shook the thoughts of both Alma and Allen out of his mind, his cold, blue eyes cleared as he glared again.
He could play dirty, too.
"Is that the same way you felt about that woman? Was she just a casualty?" He asked. The question came out more bitter than he had intended, but he didn't care. He knew it had struck a nerve when the Noah's golden eyes widened and he felt a silent gasp leave him. He felt satisfaction in the reaction, even if he didn't outwardly show it. He remained stoic, even as the Fourteenth's aura turned completely dark, hatred and anger seeping out of him. "Did you kill her?"
Nea remained silent, as expected. The fun was over. "I won't stop until I've succeeded in my mission. And you won't be able to stop me from awakening. None of you will."
The two of them glared at each other for a few seconds longer, neither of them letting up. Then, Nea spoke again.
"I'll leave the both of you for now. Just remember that I won't wait any longer. I've given you all enough time."
The threat managed to send a chill down Kanda's spine as lids closed over golden eyes and Allen's breathing pattern had changed, becoming soft and steady. Timcanpy returned to the bed, nuzzling close to the white haired boy's head.
Suddenly, it was hard to breathe. Kanda hadn't realized that he had been holding his breath. He exhaled shakily, sitting back on his legs and burying his face in his hands. He bit back his urge to let out every single curse word he knew and scream at the top of his lungs.
Why was this happening?
The question repeated itself over and over again in Kanda's mind. Things were finally going well for the two of them. Earlier that day, they spoke about finally strengthening his seal so that he had a chance to see his child be born and grow. That morning, they laid in bed, in each other's arms, feeling their unborn child move and kick inside of his lover's womb, the both of them still amazed by the small feat. The image of Allen's proud, smiling face was burned into his mind.
That was just this morning. So why had everything turned to shit so suddenly?
"Why?" Kanda questioned out loud, only getting silence in return. He moved his hands away from his face when he heard Allen sigh, fearing that he'd woken him up. But all he saw was the boy's innocent, peaceful face as he continued to sleep. Reaching a hand out, Kanda carefully laced his fingers through his ivory hair and brushed it back out of his face, repeating the motion a few times as he tried to calm himself down.
"I'm okay, Kanda." He could hear Allen say in his head. "I think… I think I'm doing better. That was the first time in ten days."
"I'd prefer it to be zero." Kanda remembered the confident smile that graced the boy's lips in that moment.
"Then I'll make it zero."
Shutting his eyes tightly, he held tightly onto the hand that Allen had resting near the front of his belly, trying to find reassurance in it. Allen tried so hard to fight against that psychotic Noah and it felt like he had nothing to show for it, and it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair. And it wasn't just the two of them suffering over it anymore, either. Now their baby was becoming part of the heartbreak and she wasn't even born yet. Unable to stop the stray tear from spilling over and running down his cheek, Kanda pulled his hand out of Allen's and rested it on his belly, feeling their baby move against his palm.
She was wide awake now, but she was okay. Right now, they were both okay, but the Fourteenth's threats continued to circulate in his head. Finally, he leaned down and wrapped his arms around Allen, pulling him close as he silently let the tears that he was holding back go. Allen remained asleep, and Kanda was grateful that no one would see him break so easily. It was impossible for him to fall asleep now. Not with his mind racing the way it was. He replayed the conversation in his head over and over when Allen made the promise to keep the Fourteenth locked away. After Timcanpy had caught his attention by nuzzling against his arm, he found himself muttering the same thing he told Allen that morning.
"I'll hold you to your word, Moyashi..."
This was one of the scenes I was excited to write. This is basically the first thought I had when I wanted to start this fic, what started it all. This chapter was going so well at first. I was on a roll. And then I started realizing all the road blocks I'm about to run into and how much of a dumbass I am. Hopefully, you still enjoy it.
DGM belongs to Katsura Hoshino
