"You idiot! What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Oh, so the placement isn't to the Great Kanda Yuu's liking? Too bad."
"Shut up and put it down."
"It is down; it's been on the ground the whole time."
"You know that's not what I meant!"
"Isn't it? You should be more specific."
"You should be less annoying. But we both know that's not going to happen."
"You shut your mouth, Bakanda!"
"'Bakanda?' When the hell did you start talking to the Moyashi?"
"I have no clue who that is; I'm just incredibly smart unlike a certain-." A sudden breeze rushed past the two bickering men and a blurry mass went with it. The ball disappeared from under the tattooed man's foot and he fell over as his balance went askew, eyes wide in shock. Kanda glared daggers at the old man currently kicking the soccer ball into the goal. He paid no heed to the idiot gasping on the ground.
"Old fart." He muttered dejectedly as Daisya stood up stiffly beside him, trying to breathe properly.
"Too bad he doesn't move like one, eh Yuu?" He laughed. The old fart in question was jogging over to them as he dribbled the ball between his feet, a victorious smile plastered on his face.
"Tch." He said, not noticing the use of his first name. His attention was focused on their used-to-be professor.
The gray-haired man was well into his sixties but could still beat the shit out of two of them at a simple game of soccer.
How pathetic.
"If you two hadn't been fighting, you might have beaten me this time." He said encouragingly, as if he hadn't already scored every goal possible during their play. He giggled when he remembered that. "Or not."
"Screw you, old man!" Kanda growled, storming off in the opposite direction. Hearing Daisya cracking up behind him just made him angrier. He plopped down on the metal bench on the side of the field and took a swig from his water bottle, ignoring the other two.
"Oh come on, Kanda! I thought you would have gotten over your anger management problems by now." Daisya taunted. Kanda whipped his head around to scowl at the tattooed man.
"What anger management pro-?"
"Leave my poor Yuu-kun alone!" Tiedoll wailed, throwing his arms around Kanda's neck. Daisya roared with laughter. Kanda sent him a 'tell anyone about this and you die' death glare that the other ignored.
"Calm down, Tiedoll. You're squeezing little Yuu-kun over here too hard; he looks terrified."
'Fuck you,' Kanda mouthed. Daisya grinned as Tiedoll reluctantly released his old student.
"Let's head over to that café and get something to eat." Daisya said as he rubbed his stomach affectionately. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm starved."
"Whatever." Kanda said, setting off in the direction of the café, still pissed at Daisya for setting him up for the fall.
The fall being Tiedoll's… fondness.
He shivered.
Daisya and Tiedoll exchanged an amused glance before jogging to catch up.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"So this guy…"
"Leverrier." Daisya nodded thoughtfully.
"Yeah, Leverrier. You think he's up to something?" Kanda nodded.
"Yes. He visited my work yesterday without any notice, which is suspicious in itself, seeing as it was him." He spat distastefully. Tiedoll raised a finger, interrupting Kanda before he could continue.
"It only sounds to me as if you dislike the guy, not like he's planning anything cynical. You shouldn't just assume things."
"I'm not assuming anything." He growled, picking up his spoon. He jammed it into his tea and stirred it up forcefully. "It wasn't just the fact he showed up. There was something else, as well." He stared at a tree on the other side of the street as he brought the cup to his lips. He took a quick sip and continued. "The way he was talking, his tone of voice was almost… I don't know, sinister? He was acting like he knew something we didn't. He even tried to get us to give him our plans for the competition. And besides, it wasn't just me; Lavi thought something was up, too."
"Did you ask him?" Tiedoll inquired with a raised eyebrow. Kanda winced at his disbelieving tone.
Why couldn't one of the people closest to him tell that he wasn't just making things up in his head?
Not that he was admitting he had a heart or anything…
"No, I didn't, actually." He grit out. "But he was-."
"Since when are you good at reading people's emotions Kanda?" Daisya said around a mouthful of bagel. He swallowed loudly. "Especially that Laney character's emotion's?"
"Lavi." Kanda corrected immediately, stirring his tea distractedly in his annoyed state. He glanced up at his suddenly quiet companions and found them both giving him strange looks. "What? His name is Lavi, not Laney. There's a difference."
"'There's a difference?' Who are you and what have you done with Kanda Yuu?" Daisya stated incredulously. Tiedoll smiled.
"It seems to me as if you care about Lavi, hmmm Kanda?" The businessman gaped at them, not knowing what to say.
Did he care about Lavi? He knew he wasn't completely closed off from the redhead, that there was some sort of connection between them that he couldn't shake off.
He wouldn't go so far as to call it friendship.
But it was there, and an ever-present concept drifting in Kanda's mind. And as much as he didn't like it, he knew it was growing, getting larger and, somehow, warmer.
Oh great. He was starting to care for another person.
Fuck. His. Life.
"He's hesitating; that means it's true!" Tiedoll giggled, bringing his thoughts back to the present. He was just in time to be met with the lovely reality of Daisya shaking him roughly by the shoulders.
"Kanda are you in there? Can you hear me? Hello? Helloooooo!"
"Get off, idiot!" He shouted, shoving him forcefully while an image of Lavi grabbing his tie flashed through his mind. He shook it off as fast as he could, a little unsettled.
Now he was getting annoyed by Lavi, although he wasn't even graced with the other's presence. If graced could be used to describe him at all…
This was just getting ridiculous.
"I do not care about Lavi, old man. Don't get that idea stuck in that ancient mind of yours." He said, not completely sure if he was lying or not.
"'Ancient?' Is that what you think of me? After all those tutoring lessons and all that dating advice I gave my poor little Yuu-kun?" Kanda blushed furiously as Daisya burst out laughing. He glared daggers at Tiedoll while the teacher looked back at him guiltily. "Oops I wasn't supposed to say that, was I? Oh well!" Kanda scoffed incredulously. Daisya continued to roar loudly, tears beginning to stream down his face.
And to top it all off, the redness in Kanda's cheeks wouldn't go away.
"Really, Tiedoll, really?" He tried to look as menacing as possible, but it was kind of hard with a blush dusting his cheeks and an idiotic Daisya rolling on the ground behind his back. He groaned and buried his face in his hands.
"Sorry, Yuu-kun."
"You… don't have to apologize." He slowly grit out, eye twitching as he tried to control his anger.
Kanda didn't want to do anything he would regret, especially to Tiedoll of all people.
"Oh, God, Kanda! How have I never heard of this before?" Daisya guffawed, holding his stomach tightly as if it pained him.
Kanda sat as still as possible, not sure if he wanted to curl up in embarrassment and die, or punch Daisya in the face, and then go curl up and die.
Decisions, decisions.
Just as he was about to open his mouth and deny the obvious color in his cheeks, his phone rang, thankfully saving him from further humiliation. He quickly took it out and answered, jumping out of his seat so he could hear over the obnoxious noise.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Yuu. We've got a problem." Lavi's voice said over the phone, sounding unlike his usual care-free Lavi attitude. Something was up.
"What's wrong?" Kanda inquired, a tad bit concerned.
"We've had a break-in at Akuma. Do you think you could come over? I need your help with something." Kanda froze.
A break-in? At Akuma? Who the hell would want to steal something from a fucking car company?
He frowned as he responded. "Yes, of course. I'll be there as soon as I can." He ended the call and glared at the street. A bus roared past. A bird swooped down to peck at a newspaper on the opposite sidewalk. Kanda's scowl deepened. He turned back to the table, noticing the curious stares of Daisya and Tiedoll.
"It seems I have to go." He dropped a twenty on the table. "I'll see you two soon… maybe." He shoved his hands in his pockets and strode away.
"Hold up!" Kanda paused. "You're just going to leave without saying goodbye?" Daisya whined as he threw his arms around Kanda, tackling him to the ground. Kanda's surprise wore off almost immediately. He shoved Daisya's surprisingly heavy body away from his and jumped up.
"Leave me alone." He huffed out, darting away and around the corner. He paused and shouted over his shoulder a quick "Thanks" before disappearing.
Daisya threw himself back down in his chair. He glanced over at Tiedoll. "I think he's gained a few manners since we last saw him." Tiedoll didn't answer. He stared off after Kanda for a minute.
"That Lavi boy is good for him. He's a lot more talkative now…" Tiedoll "But…"
"'But' what? You don't actually believe what he says? It's just paranoia. He needs to relax and stop stressing over work." Daisya said, resting his head in his arms on the table. He glanced at Tiedoll out of the corner of his eye to see him still lost in thought.
"I think there's a little bit of truth in it… in fact this may turn out to be a-"
"Don't you dare say it." Daisya hissed. "It can't be that. It just can't." Tiedoll sat back, a bit surprised at the outburst.
"Daisya, we have to consider all the angles. It's most likely nothing, but… it could be what we've been waiting for. I may even have to call-"
"No!" The tattooed man slammed his hands down on the table and stood up. "We are not going to do that."
"And why not?"
"B-Because, I… I just don't want him getting involved in this shit. He has a life that I would prefer for him to keep…" The grey-haired man scoffed.
"What kind of life do you think he has?" Daisya winced and bowed his head. Tiedoll sighed. A clap of thunder sounded in the distance. "Come on; let's go." Daisya nodded. With a sweep of his coat, Tiedoll strode off, his companion following close behind.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As soon as he slammed the door to his car, he knew something was up.
Akuma was usually a well-reserved company. At least, from the times he had visited that's what he'd assumed. There weren't many people bustling around. In fact, he hadn't seen anyone, save the receptionist who barely bat an eyelash at him.
It was a bit confusing at first. Not only were there no people present, but he didn't hear a sound as if he were in a place devoid of human life, even though that was impossible. He would never admit this to anyone, but it put him a bit on edge. He wondered how his number one competitor was right up beside him if there weren't any goddamn people working.
It was a stupid assumption to make because, of course there were people working, but aa he ascended the elevator, he saw that every one of them was working diligently. He fumed silently, wishing his employees were as good as Lavi's. But with Allen as his VP, nothing was going to get done.
White-haired brat.
The memory flashed through Kanda's head as red and blue colored his vision. He turned around, taking in the police cars and uniformed men scattered everywhere. A sharp breeze hit him hard, sending his long ponytail gushing out with the wind. It reminded him of the oncoming storm and he glanced up at the swirling clouds overhead. He unconsciously tucked a strand of hair behind his ear.
He headed towards the front door, paying no heed to the 'Do Not Cross' tape. He lifted it up and ducked underneath. A strong hand landed on his shoulder, pulling him back.
"Excuse me, son. Where do you think you're going?" A loud, commanding voice boomed. Kanda was not daunted.
"Into the building."
"Yeah, well, sorry to cut your dream short, but no one's allowed in here."
"I don't think I count as 'no one' seeing as I'm the owner of this building's partner."
"I didn't know Mr. Bookman had a boyfriend." The officer sneered. Kanda narrowed his eyes at the disrespectful man.
"Partner as in business partner. I'm Kanda Yuu, sir." He snarled. The man looked him up and down.
"You don't look like a wealthy business owner to me." Kanda glanced down at his black jeans and dirty white T-shirt. He hadn't had time to change into an actual business suit, so he'd just threw on a pair of jeans before coming here.
"Yeah, well I-" He was saved from giving the man an excuse he didn't have when Lavi appeared beside him. The redhead regarded them both with an amused flicker in his eyes before settling on Kanda.
"Yuu-chan." He purred, wrapping his hand around his wrist. "I'm glad you came; I was getting worried. Let's go inside." He shot a look at the other. "Martin you're excused."
"Y-Yes sir." Martin stuttered and stepped away, not before shooting Kanda a small glare.
"Well, it looks like you two have gotten off to a less than desirable start, huh?" Lavi grinned dragging him away by the wrist. Kanda had no choice but to follow.
"You seem rather… happy for someone who was just robbed." The redhead stopped in his tracks, the dark-haired man almost colliding into him. Kanda shuffled back rubbing his nose, a sharp insult on his tongue. Lavi cut him off before he could say anything.
"That's the thing… we weren't robbed. They didn't actually take anything, they just screwed around with our stuff…"
"What do you mean?" Kanda questioned, gazing intently at Lavi. The other dropped his stare and looked up at the building. Kanda followed his line of sight.
On the fourth row from the top, two of the windows were broken, right next to each other. It wasn't a large hole, but it was noticeable and probably dangerous to get close to, what with the hazardous winds. A stray sheet of paper shot out of the gap, proving Kanda's theory.
"C'mon." Lavi said, meeting his gaze. "There's no use standing out here in the cold. Let's see if you can find anything that my gorgeous eyes missed."
"And the police's eyes?" The redhead's smile seemed to blaze in the dimming light.
"They don't count." With that, he took off toward the front door. Not running, but a sort of half walk, half skip. The long-haired man followed with a roll of his eyes.
Thunder rumbled angrily in the distance. The first drop of water smacked into the pavement. His body began to slow down without him even realizing it. The soft pad of his feet stopped all together as a rush of foreboding overcame him.
Lavi walked ahead, clueless as to what was happening to Kanda while he babbled on about nothing in particular. A strong wave of nausea overcame him and he clutched his stomach with a gasp. He had no choice but to sink to his knees. The long-haired man breathed in deeply as he waited it out, for there was nothing he could do, and wondered what the fuck his body was trying to tell him. The wind picked up even more, whipping his hair back.
"Eh? Yuu! Yuu, what's wrong?" Lavi exclaimed. Kanda looked up just as the redhead dropped down next to him. He gently placed a hand on the other's back, not sure what to do. "You look like crap." Kanda grimaced.
"Thanks for the boat of confidence." His voice came out strangely tight. A glance around showed that he was getting a bit of unwanted attention. He definitely was not going to any sort of hospital or goddamn doctor. "I'm fine." He lied. He shakily rose to his feet with Lavi's help under a few interested stares. "Let's just go."
They went.
But Kanda wasn't fine. Far from it, actually.
At the time, he had no clue what was happening. Even later on, he was still stuck in a state of nostalgia, wishing his life hadn't veered so far off the one and only track he had ever known.
It was beautiful in its own twisted way. At least he would have some sort of change, even if it wasn't one he would have ever asked for.
But life is funny like that.
It spirals and turns away from you.
It keeps going no matter what is thrown in its path.
Ever on and on.
Until one day.
It stops.
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Hello, my pretties. Sorry for such a long wait, im not really sure what happened o.O
Yeah, anyway I know this chapter is a bit short and I had more to write, but I just needed to get something out to my lovely readers…
I think ive mentioned this before, but since last time the story has taken a COMPLETELY different turn than I thought it would (get it? ahahahaha ^^)
All I wanted to do was write a nice little romantic comedy, but my brains like NO YOU ARE ADDING MORE PLOT AND ACTION TO THIS AND YOU WILL BE FUCKING HAPPY ABOUT IT.
My brain is so mean… until next time! (which will be sometime in the next week, I promise!)