Where the Current Leads
Chapter 4: The Spark
I'm back! *gasp* So soon! I owe it to whoever reads this story to have quick updates for not posting for so long before… please forgive me! I know. This situation calls for a little… YULLEN ACTION! (Of course, as far as I'm concerned, every situation calls for Yullen.
Recap: And that was when, recklessly, Allen threw his arms around Kanda's neck.
Allen's reason for hugging Kanda was actually quite a simple one—putting a thank you into words just wasn't enough, not for what Kanda had just done for him. So, he'd wrapped his arms around the older boy's neck, lightly resting his head on one of the strong shoulders. Kanda found himself at a loss. By all means, physical contact of any kind should mean at the very least a strong death threat for the perpetrator, hugging especially. But he just couldn't bring himself to do it. The warmth of another body against his was so foreign, so new- but those thoughts were interrupted when he felt tears slipping down his chest.
"Are you crying?" His voice came out sounding unsteady. Allen's arms only tightened around him. There was no help for it; Kanda knew he wouldn't be able to push Allen away, not when he was like this. He wasn't sure why this was okay, but he sure as hell was not going to acknowledge the warmth coiling tightly in the pit of his stomach. With a sigh, he allowed his arms to wind around the still-trembling Allen, who buried his face in Kanda's chest.
Ta-thump, ta-thump, ta-thump—Kanda's heart beat strongly inside his ribcage, and Allen shut his eyes and contented himself with the comforting, steady rhythm. This was beyond strange. Never in his most impossible dreams would he have been held by Kanda, and yet here he was, in all honesty, not minding one little bit. The older boy was warm; he had undeniably hot skin compared to his own, which was frequently ice-cold. Right now, though, he could feel a definite heat building up within him. Finally, his own voice cut through the silence.
"Kanda… do you remember?"
"Remember what?" Slightly, Kanda pulled away, trying to convince himself that was what he'd wanted to do the whole time he was holding Allen.
"When they gave you all those drugs before your surgery…" the other boy wasn't quite following, so Allen continued, "Do you remember what you did… what you said?"
Kanda furrowed his brow. He had a sneaking suspicion that something very significant had occurred, but he could not for the life of him pluck it from his foggy memory. Allen must have seen him trying to remember and sensed that it was in vain, for he shook his head and sighed in defeat.
"Never mind, then. I should forget it too, actually…" he let his voice trail off.
"Damn it! Forget what, Beansprout? Do I have to strangle it out of you?"
"There's no need to get violent."
Kanda fixed the younger boy with a piercing gaze, the best he could muster, which was quite frightening at so close a distance. He felt Allen shudder.
"Do you really want to know?"
Kanda set his mouth in a firm, stubborn line. The white-haired boy swallowed nervously before bringing his hands up to rest on Kanda's shoulders. Wide-eyed, the older boy could only watch as Allen leaned into him, eyelids falling delicately to conceal his silver irises. Kanda unconsciously held his breath, completely hypnotized by Allen's actions.
Heat ignited and overflowed from where Allen's lips brushed his collarbone, and his voice broke unbidden from his open mouth.
"Ah…! Kanda forced himself to believe it was a sound of realization, and nothing more. The instant that warmth had spread, he had matched it to that which he'd felt in his recent flood of memory.
At least, that was what he told himself, as the heat engulfed his senses, and he fought to hold back his voice. Something else escaped, though; a whisper, but the most dangerous utterance of all:
"Allen..."
The contact of skin broke, and Allen looked up as he heard that voice speak his name for the first time. He loved the way it sounded, the way it seemed to flow so easily, so naturally, in Kanda's voice, the way that even Kanda's midnight-colored eyes seemed to whisper his name. At the same time, they both leaned in again. Kanda's mind and thoughts were a blur. He was consciously aware of what he was doing, but only subconsciously aware of the reason why. It all crashed and burned away as he felt warm breath on his lips, the tight heat within him doubling again and again.
It had barely been a kiss—for just as their lips brushed lightly together, the door was thrown open, and there stood Lavi, bearing Kanda's breakfast and sporting an incredulous expression. That is, before he burst out laughing.
"Oh—oh my GOD! Am I seeing things?"
Allen was pushed back onto his behind by Kanda, but he didn't seem to notice. He just stared ahead with a blank expression. Kanda was reeling for a moment, but then his fists clenched, and he came back to himself.
"LAVI! YOU IDIOT! WHAT THE HELL?!" Kanda's screaming brought Allen back from his reverie, and with a blush so red it put a rose to shame, he gasped and covered his mouth with his hand.
"Way to go, Yuu-chan!"
"Lavi, get the hell out of here!" Kanda lunged, grabbing his IV stand and brandishing it at the redhead. Lavi ducked, the makeshift sword missing his head by just a few inches.
"Woah there! What's the problem? Yuu-chan, I thought you said you loved Allen? So what's wrong with kissing him?"
Kanda blinked, the IV stand nearly slipping from his grip.
"What… did you say?" From behind Kanda, Allen shook his head vigorously at Lavi, his face still cherry-red. Lavi paid him no mind.
"Come on, don't you remember? You told Allen you loved him this much." He spread his arms in imitation of the gesture, complete with the loopy grin. This time, Kanda really did drop the IV stand, but it didn't stay grounded for long; Allen picked it up and brandished it in Kanda's stead. Lavi decided that when Allen started swinging things, it was time to leave, so he shoved the breakfast tray he'd been holding into Allen's arms and took off running.
Allen and Kanda were left in a blinking stupor, and Allen meekly offered the tray to Kanda, who shook his head.
"I don't—I mean, I didn't… did I?" The dark-haired boy glanced at the white-haired one. Allen sighed.
"You kind of did…"
Kanda smacked his forehead and cursed vehemently.
"Goddamn drugs! I should have told Komui not to give me too much!" Allen fussed, waving his hands in the air.
"Kanda, Kanda! I understand! It was only the drugs talking, right? I knew that all along…" Allen's smile was incredibly forced, even more than usual. "I knew it." It was probably meant to sound like relief, but to Kanda, Allen sounded disappointed. He stared at the younger boy, trying to name the feeling that was surging up inside him, slow and insidious.
"You think I didn't mean it. Is that it?" There was a spark of hope in the boy's eyes that made Kanda's heart do weird things he didn't care to mention.
"Well, what else? You can't stand me!"
"Idiot. What are you raising your voice for?"
"You're playing with my feelings, you jerk!"
Kanda was taken aback for a moment, but then he cupped Allen's face in both hands, smirking.
"Could it be that you want me to— " Allen's cheeks warmed in his palms, and Allen tore away, trying his best to look angry.
"You… !" Tears gathered in Allen's eyes, spilling over as he hung his head. Then, unexpectedly, he stepped forward and kissed Kanda, hard. Kanda had just closed his eyes when Allen jerked away, murmuring, "It's all your fault." The words reverberated against Kanda's lips before Allen slipped away and bolted, leaving Kanda standing in the middle of the room. Only after the boy had left did Kanda realize there were tears on his face that weren't his own, and he wiped them away with a humorless laugh.
"Che. Idiot Beansprout."
And that's all for now. Hope you enjoyed!
