Authors Note: HAPPY YULLEN WEEK! I feel bad for missing the previous days…I really did plan to update faster…but, things happen. I gotted sick! DX
Also, many thanks goes to Celestial Moonshine for organizing Yullen Week. =]
Disclaimer:….I wish.
Today's Yullen Week Theme: Comfort
"Inspire Me"
Chapter 9: Christmastime
"YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!" As you can see, Kanda was not having a good day. Lavi was persistently tailing him everywhere he went, insisting on referring to him by his given name, and not giving up, even when hit. Kanda back-kicked him for the 100th time that day, successfully knocking the wind out of the red-haired teen.
Prostrated, Lavi struggled for words, "Yuuuuuuu-kuuuuunnnn…."
Kanda kicked his head, hoping to unscramble his dysfunctional brain, "Stop it, Baka Usagi."
"Nyuuuuuuuu," Lavi curled up, protectively hiding his face, "You neeeeeeed to get Alleeeeeen sooooomeeeeethiiiing!"
Kanda just walked away.
However, Kanda found that he could not escape the bouncing red ball of energy known as Lavi. He popped up when Kanda was training, eating, bathing, dozing off…he was everywhere!
Using Mugen in a baseball bat like manner, he clubbed Lavi over the head. He knew that he was only going to ask him what he was getting Allen for Christmas, yet Kanda didn't even know himself—he only knew that he actually did want to give something meaningful to the kid, even though he wasn't the kind of person to sit down and get to know someone enough to give them something special like that.
"Che. When I know, you'll know." The beyond angry swordsman muttered before storming off quickly.
"Alleeeeeeeeeeeeen-kuuuuuun!" Lenalee screeched again, into Allen's ear. However, it seemed as if the white-haired boy didn't hear her, or was really got at ignoring things.
"Allen!" She pouted, trying to tap him on the shoulder, but would always just miss. He was hanging small red bows on the corridor that his room was located, trying to finish up the decorating.
Lenalee puffed out her cheeks, "What are you getting Kanda? It's almost Christmas, you know."
Allen just smiled sadly and went about his business.
Kanda roamed the Order, which was rare for him, seeing as he didn't allow himself to have this much free time. Evading the rabbit was hard business when you knew exactly where you were and where you were going, so the samurai just wandered, going wherever his two legs took him.
However, he wasn't expecting that they would take him to Allen, "Moyashi."
"BaKanda?"
"Che." They walked together, still without destination, "I guess I should just ask you straight, huh. Do you want anything for Christmas?"
Allen made a face as if tasting bad food, his once small smile turning into a frown, which Kanda quickly decided looked horrible on his usually smiling face, "No, Kanda."
Allen quickened his step and before Kanda knew it, he was standing alone in the hallway.
"Yu…that was a poor performance…" Lavi shook his head disdainfully.
"Fuck you."
"Language, Yu."
"Shut up." Kanda scowled.
"Well?"
"What?"
"GO AFTER THE BRIT!" The junior bookman shouted before kicking Kanda harshly in the shin and running away like a madman to save his life.
Kanda grumbled as he ran down the halls. He checked to see if Allen went to the cafeteria, to the science storage room, to Komui's creepy experiment closets, he even busted down Allen's door to see if he hadn't doubled up and went back there. Out of breath, he leaned against the wall, trying to think of where he hadn't been. A bit worriedly, he thought of Allen being lost, knowing that was the most likely case, but hoping it wasn't.
Watashiha inorituzukeru…
Kanda's eyes widened. He remembered that melody. Where was it? Not a dream.
Mou kakonnokotoni ai…
It was beautiful and sad. Clownish, yet somehow…some sort of lullaby.
Soshite bouyaha nemurini tsuite
Ikizuku haino nakano hono o hitotsu, futatsuto…
Wait…clownish?
Ukabu fukurami itoshi yakogao
Daichini taruru ilusenno yume, yume…
The ark.
Kanda swept past the team of sleeping scientist, grateful that they hadn't received their coffee from Lenalee yet. Boarding the ark, he took a deep breath and held it until he saw the familiar white buildings. He heard the melody even louder in here, and realized that it was Allen's song.
Sucking in a breath he shouted, "MOYASHI!"
The swordsman was surprised at how loud his voice was and how well it resounded throughout the white town. He smirked when he heard the playing abruptly stop on a sour note.
Allen stuck his head out of one of the white doors, "BaKanda?!"
"Gonna let me in?"
Allen shied away from Kanda uncomfortably, feeling as if his cool gaze was scrutinizing the 14th's room. The white-haired boy went back to the piano and covered the keys respectfully, protecting it from accumulating dust.
"Why did you run away?"
Allen jumps a little, "I didn't run."
Kanda scoffed and rolled his eyes, "Okay, why did you 'briskly walk' away?!" His temper wasn't something he could easily control.
"I'm…not sure."
Allen walked over to the large standing mirror and stared sadly at the odd man in the reflection. However, Kanda only saw Allen's forlorn and tired face.
The strange figure smiled eerily at Allen, his dark eyes widening the slightest, his large mouth seeming to only grow as the seconds ticked by. Allen sighed as he studied the dark shadow, and the shadow mimicked him, sighing, but never letting go of that sickening smile. Allen touched the mirror, and the shadow came up to cover Allen's hand, standing behind the boy, mocking the younger's small stature. Allen grimaced.
Kanda stared at Allen as he stood in front of the mirror. What was he seeing as he looked at himself? Kanda knew what he saw. A small, tired boy who's perfect face had been marred by stress and worry and war. Paler than usual, it made the gray bags under his eyes stand out and the scar on his face even more red. His silver locks seemed a bit dulled, and so did the sparkle of his eyes. Allen's frown didn't suit him at all, making him look like an entirely different person.
Soon Allen came back to reality and took a seat on the floor, despite there being a couch on the other side of the room, "You know I'm being watched because of this song, right?"
The question caught Kanda off-guard. Furrowing his brows, he answered with a small yes.
"Could I be the 14th? I'm not sure."
Kanda looked at the boy, wondering where he was getting at.
The boy let out a single dry laugh before continuing, "I had a foster father, Mana. He was the 14th's brother."
Kanda's eyes widened a fraction at this new piece of information. He sensed a story coming on, so he plopped himself next to Allen, hoping that he could keep his temper in check—he didn't like stories all that much.
"I lived on the streets when I was younger. Mana adopted me on Christmas. He was a good man with a big heart, so I was always happy to travel with him."
"Then…why don't you like Christmas?"
"Oh, it's not that I dislike it. Mana always made sure we celebrated. He also made it my official day to celebrate my birthday, since neither of us knew when it was. But…" Allen leaded back, letting gravity pull his body to the ground. He kept his hands at his sides, tilting his head to stare at the mirror again.
"Where is he now?"
"Mana…died on a winter day near Christmas. I just…stopped having a reason to celebrate."
Kanda was at a loss for anything to say. He wasn't a very sentimental person, but it wasn't like he didn't really care.
Kanda growled at the mirror, wondering what was so important to Allen within that mirror.
"This mirror, Kanda…" Allen began, surprising Kanda again. The swordsman was beginning to hate that about the boy. He glared at Allen through his reflection in the mirror.
"I can see the 14th Noah, Kanda. He's always standing right behind me. Mirrors allow us to see each other."
"Well, what does the bastard look like?" Kanda demanded harshly.
Allen laughed slightly and pondered on what he should say. The small exorcist turned his head to look at Kanda as he whispered, "He looks like a nightmare…"
Kanda was disturbed by this. He looked at the mirror, but only saw his and Allen's reflections. He cursed, standing hurriedly, grabbing the mirror and placing it in a corner, the glass facing away from Allen. Satisfied, he dropped down next to Allen again, swiftly learning over the boy and placing a chaste kiss on his lips. The boy's face brightened and let out his first real smile in a few days.
"Thank you, Kanda." Kanda "che'd" and, taking Allen's hand, guided him back to the younger's room for some rest.
"Yuuuu," Augh, Lavi again, "What are you going to give Allen?"
"Shit."
"It's Christmas!!!!"
"Merry Christmas!"
"Yay, presents!"
Allen sat calmly on a couch in the corner of the room which contained the big Christmas tree that he and Kanda decorated not too long ago and watched happily as many finders, scientists, and exorcists exchange gifts and find their presents under the tree. He had received his presents early from Lavi and Lenalee, whom both loved Christmas dearly and couldn't restrain themselves. Lenalee had gave him a scarf not unlike the one she had made Kanda, and Lavi thrust a mystery book upon him, claiming it was a very good read and how it was his favorite book to read, and one of the first at that.
"Yuuuuu…" Lavi whined when he met up with Kanda.
"You must want to die or something, using that name," Kanda responded.
"Go talk to Allen, at least," Lavi pestered, trying to urge Kanda over to the couch. Kanda fought the urge to cut the annoying rabbit's head off, but decided, being that it was Christmas after all, he would spare him.
Kanda made his way over to Allen, Lavi and Lenalee trailing a safe distance behind him. When Allen saw him and smiled a bit, and Kanda did his best to smile back without looking scary…or twitching…or killing someone because someone else is bound to see that smile also.
"Happy Christmas, Moya----….er, Allen."
"Happy Christmas…Kanda."
Kanda arched his eyebrow, realizing that Allen almost called him "Yu" but stopped himself. The samurai then came to the conclusion that he really wouldn't have minded if Allen had said his given same.
Lavi smacked Kanda on the back, "Let's try that again, shall we?"
Kanda shoved him away and sat on the couch next to the boy, "Merry Christmas, Allen."
Allen giggled at the sound of his name, "Merry Christmas, Yu."
Kanda smiled his best again before leaning in gingerly to whisper into Allen's ear, "Happy Birthday, too." Kanda slipped a bracelet onto Allen's right hand—one that resembled Kanda's own. It had a few Japanese characters on it, but Allen decided he would ask about them later.
Allen's eyes teared up a bit and brought the bracelet up to his eye-level, "Thank you very much, Yu." The small boy then brought the bracelet to his chest, hugging it gently.
A little to happy at Allen's reaction and filled with some sort of adrenaline, Kanda bit out, "Ah, to hell with it."
Grasping Allen's chin, he captured the boy's lips in a passionate kiss, immediately seeking entry into his small mouth. They stayed there, locked together for a minute, ignoring gasps, stuck in their own world. The hand that had grabbed Allen's face was now stroking it, feeling the soft skin, and the mouth that captured his lips were now drinking in his taste.
When they broke apart, they found the Order staring back at them. Allen's face easily grew red, and Kanda was just annoyed, whether it was more at the crowd or his outburst he wasn't really sure.
But Kanda had decided what he was going to give Allen this Christmas was the little bit of the comfort he always needed.
"So, Kanda…" Lavi drawled out, a little sleepy from the party.
"What?!" Kanda snapped, he was tired from the redhead's antics the past few days. He didn't want to do anything with the rabbit, especially since the swordsman was already comfortable at Allen's side on the couch, the boy curled up at his side, holding onto Kanda's arm and intertwining their fingers.
"I just realized, I haven't given you your present."
Kanda was handed a large square object wrapped up festively. He looked at it suspiciously, "Is something going to jump out at me?"
"No!" Lavi was offended at Kanda's thinking.
"Bite me?"
"Nope."
"…..kill me?"
"Honestly, Kanda…"
Shrugging, he was about to open it when Lavi slapped his hands away, "Ah, ah, ah, Kandy-kinns!"
A blood vessel definitely popped in Kanda's brain, "Fucker!"
"You can't open it yet." Lavi wagged his finger at him, "It's actually for you and Allen…but still, neither of you can open until you become a couple…before New Years!"
"That's in like…a week, Lavi!" Allen protested.
"Where's the catch?" Kanda interrupted.
"Hehehe," Lavi giggled at his new game, "if you don't announce and prove to the whole Order that you're a couple and can stay a couple, then you can't open the gift, and instead, this gift will become everyone in the Order's. Trust me…you DO NOT want them to have what's in this."
Lavi took the present back for safe keeping, and both boys sat there, flabbergasted at what to do.
"Let's kill him," suggested Kanda.
Author's Note: So yay, Christmas! Although….I have no tree…and I kinda wrote this in a rush…and I'm dirt poor.
Please review and make me feel better!