Disclaimer : D. Gray Man is Hoshino Katsura's property.
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Chapter 4
Kanda watched through the train's window as the landscape rolled past endlessly. Finally, a mission. Right after he had talked to Komui about the apathy that had struck the Order, the supervisor had decided to react and sent Lavi and Kanda on an Akuma extermination mission. Finders had reported Akuma swarming in the neighbourhood of a city in the south of Scotland, and Komui had judged it to be a good opportunity to resume the Black Order's activities.
So there he was, sitting with Lavi in an empty train compartment. It seemed that the Ark wasn't functionning properly while Allen was unconscious, so they had to use regular transport. Oddly enough, the apprentice Bookman wasn't very talkative, which actually did Kanda no harm at all.
« Say, Yuu-chan… »
« It's Kanda, rabbit. »
« When do you think Allen will emerge from coma ? »
« Beats me. »
« Do you even care a bit about his state ? »
« Che. »
Lavi sighed heavily and said no more. For his part, Kanda wasn't really keen on telling the red-haired Exorcist about his feelings for Allen, so he simply crossed both his legs and arms and closed his eyes. Of course he cared. On that morning, he had paid Allen a quick visit before leaving to the train station, telling him that he'd be back very soon and that his condition had better not deteriorate while he was away. As Kanda was deep in thought, he didn't realize time passing by, until Lavi had to squeeze his arm :
« C'mon, we're here. »
According to the Finders' report, the Akumas were sighted at the outskirts of a small remote town, so both Exorcists and the Finder who was accompanying them had to walk a bit to their destination.
« Lavi, watch out ! There are more coming your way ! »
« 'the fuck ! Where are they all appearing from ! Where's the Finder ? »
« Dead. Damn this, the report didn't mention so many Akumas ! »
It was like déjà vu for Kanda, except that it wasn't snowing this time. Level 3 Akumas kept popping out of nowhere as both Exorcists were destroying them. The only thing that was missing was a level 4, not that Kanda really wished for it. The whole scene was a total mess of fire, smoke and scraps of Akumas. Kanda was cutting, slicing everywhere but it seemed to have no end to the battle. Lavi had some trouble dealing with the flow of Akumas, but both Exorcists were holding out well.
While fighting, Kanda didn't notice the Akuma coming from behind him.
« Yuu-chan ! Behind you ! » Lavi screamed as he rushed to Kanda.
The Japanese man barely turned his head, to see Lavi jumping in between the Akuma and him, ready to take the blow.
« Kanda ! » Allen screamed as he took the attack which was originally meant to hit Kanda. The latter watched in horror as blood spurted from the boy's body.
'Not again. Hell no, not again !' Kanda thought.
A sudden urge of anger rose within him, which gave him some sort of new invisible strength that made him react as quickly as lightning. In less than a second, he had turned the Akuma into nothingness, and destroyed most Akumas around him. Lavi was simply stunned.
« Wow… Yuu… I didn't think you could be any scarier than what you usually are… What's gotten into you ? You looked like an infuriated demon ! »
Kanda didn't reply, but inside him, he knew that he had been blinded by his feelings for a couple of seconds. That almost made him want to laugh at himself. Not so long ago, he utterly rejected that way of acting, and now he had just been doing it, to protect somebody else. 'It's the moyashi whom I should have protected back then.'
« There are still more. Let's finish the job and talk later. »
« Sure. »
A few minutes later, both Exorcists were breathing heavily, injured and exhausted, but alive. The job was done.
« Oi. We should tell Komui the cleaning is done and get back to the Headquarters. »
As soon as Kanda was done reporting to Komui (since Lavi was being treated), he headed for his room and litterally collapsed on his bed. He wanted to sleep but couldn't, for many flashbacks were coming to his mind.
« Hopefully we complete this mission soon, so we can go back to our home, it's freezing cold here. » Allen said.
« Che. Just concentrate on your mission and try not to act stupidly and we may have a chance to come back early. »
« Bakanda ! Stop being so mean. »
…
« They keep coming ! Kanda, there are Akumas everywhere ! »
« I know, dumbass ! Just shup up and focus on your work ! »
Kanda was busy cleaning his spot, and didn't really worry about the moyashi, that brat would manage well anyway. But what he hadn't really expect was to be the careless one. He hadn't seen the Akuma coming from behind him, and he barely had time to turn round that Allen was already between the Akuma and him.
« Kanda ! »
The Japanese Exorcist punched the wall. He was angry towards himself, because of his weaknesses that had made someone else hurt. And above all, that someone had to be Allen Walker. He was unforgivable for being careless, and he blamed himself for letting the one dearest to him pay the price of his carelessness. Worse, the same thing almost happened again today.
It was past midnight now, and Kanda still couldn't sleep. Upset, he got up, put his coat on and headed to the infirmary room he had been going to every morning for more than a month now. The nurses and doctors were already sleeping so he was alone in the small and quiet room.
He kneeled next to Allen's bed and gently caressed his smooth face, wishing that these closed eyes would open to reveal the two grey orbs Kanda had fallen for.
« Baka Moyashi. I did tell you not to act stupidly, didnt' I ? Why can't you just listen to what people say sometimes ? »
Kanda sighed as he let his head rest on the bed, next to Allen.
Later on, if someone had entered the same room, they would have seen an uncommon scene : Kanda sleeping peacefully, kneeled on the floor, his head lying next to Allen's, and their hands holding, fingers intertwined.
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Ok, I suppose that you're all disappointed that Allen still hasn't woken up. It's just that I'd like to enhance Kanda's own impatience by letting you wait a bit more. Don't worry, I don't plan to make it last forever, only a few more chapters, so please bear with it. And thank you again for those who still read this story.
And I'll try to update as quickly as possible, so you won't get too bored !