A/N: Alright. This is SOOOO late. It's not even funny. But it's here, and I'm really pleased with it. I had help with a few parts. So, thanks to Mikuzu and HakuFangirl1. Also, thanks to the dubbed of Yu Yu Hakusho. I stole a line from one of the episodes, but I don't think they'll mind.

The theme for this chapter was "Games." It's in the first part, where they're sparring. The next chappy should be out relatively soon.

Also, thanks for all the favs and story alert subscriptions on the last chapter! It meant a lot. But I only got one review, and that makes me sad. So, please, review this chapter. Even if it's one word! Much love!

"You can't be serious, Kanda," Allen murmured. "There's no way you can train. We're handcuffed together, in case you'd forgotten."

"I haven't forgotten, I just don't care," the raven returned sharply. He was dragging the smaller, still shirtless, boy down the hallway towards the training area. His arm was held out behind him with the effort it took to get Allen to move at his quick pace.

"What are you hoping to accomplish? It's not like you'll be able to actually do any sword training with me at your side," the white-haired boy pointed out. Kanda smirked, but Allen couldn't see it.

"Well, that's obvious enough, Moyashi," Kanda said, turning his head and slowing down a bit. "I was actually planning on sparring today." There was a glint in those onyx eyes.

"Sparring?" Allen echoed.

"Yes, sparring."

"But no matter how you look at it, we're still handcuffed together," Allen muttered, just as they approached the door to the training room. Kanda smirked again and dragged the younger through the door. A hint of understanding prodded at Allen's mind.

"You don-"

"Just who did you think I was planning on sparring with, Moyashi?" An evil tone laced the edges of Kanda's sentence and Allen flinched.

"You know that's not going to work," he said. "We've both only got one hand! And we're still cuffed together."

Kanda looked at him from the corner of his eye. "That's what makes it a challenge."

With that, the battle began.

Kanda jerked his arm backwards, sending a stunned Allen stumbling in his direction. A well-aimed punch pegged Allen in the stomach, causing the air to whoosh out of his lungs. He recovered quickly enough to dodge the next strike- one aimed at his head. The smaller boy squatted and spun around, knocking Kanda's legs out from under him, sending him falling. But the raven caught himself at the last moment, balancing with one hand on the ground. He swung his fist around in the air, but his hand only connected with the hard, stone wall of the room; Allen had jumped up to avoid the hit. The smaller boy maneuvered in the air so that he was above Kanda's form and he landed unceremoniously on Kanda's back. The raven scowled.

"This isn't a game, Moyashi, it's a match," the raven spat, reaching his hand back to smack Allen lightly. The white-haired boy just clung tighter.

"I'm no match for you in hand-to-hand, Kanda. You know that," Allen said.

"So you won't get off voluntarily?"

"No," Allen said, resolute. Kanda frowned.

"Fine, then." Allen screamed as Kanda lurched backward, feeling himself fall. The two didn't fall far, but when they did fall it wasn't pleasant. All of Kanda's weight fell on Allen, knocking the breath out of him for the second time. His grip around Kanda's neck loosened and the raven used the opportunity to wriggle out, flipping over and pinning Allen to the ground, his knees on either side of the younger's hip bones.

For a second they were silent, doing nothing but panting. Kanda's breath evened out first, coming to a point where he was still breathing deeply, but not abnormally so.

"Not bad, Moyashi," he breathed. He was still straddling the younger, heat emanating from his bare skin. Both their faces were flushed, and Allen's breathing was gradually slowing. But it sounded odd, not his regular breathing. It was closer to a harsh intake and then a slow letting out. Kanda looked down, confused.

Allen's eyes were red in places they should have been white, and water glistened in the corners while teardrops slid down his cheeks, into his ears and hair, as he was laying on his back. Kanda was taken aback at the sudden onrush of tears, and immediately felt guilty for a reason he couldn't understand.

"W-what's wrong, Moyashi?" he asked urgently. The smaller took a moment to answer, and sniffled before he did so.

"Why do you hate me, Kanda?" he asked gingerly, tears still rolling down his cheeks.

"I don't hate you," the raven said as gently as he dared.

"Then why do you treat me like dirt? Why do you act like I'm nothing but a burden, nothing but a pain in the ass?" His voice has grown louder, but not much.

"I-I don-"

"I never did anything to you, Kanda Yu, and you act like I'm the worst human being on the face of this planet! You set this sparring thing up knowing you would win!"

"No, I-"

"You're just stroking your ego, aren't you?" Allen said, his voice biting. Kanda was confused and clueless, not really sure how to proceed. "You're doing all this for yourself. You don't care about anyone else but yourself." This was followed by a sniff and Kanda suddenly felt weird for having stayed on top of the younger as he said all this. He slowly pushed off, going to sit Indian style on the ground next to the white-haired boy.

"I'm...not sure what to say, Moyashi," Kanda said after a long moment of silence. Allen's head turned toward him slightly as the younger scoffed.

"I wasn't expecting you to say anything." Allen raised up a hand and wiped his eyes harshly. Kanda watched his movements.

"What made you think those things?" Kanda asked, his voice quiet. Allen shot a glare at him, almost like he wanted to roll his eyes. Inside, the younger was wondering just how clueless Kanda really was.

"The same things that makes everyone think those things. It's no secret that you hate me, you know," Allen said scornfully. His silver eyes had hardened over the last three minutes.

"Che, Moyashi," Kanda scoffed. "People don't think that."

"Right," Allen said sarcastically, rolling his eyes and sitting up. "That's why someone always makes sure that we sit at different tables in the cafeteria and why Komui made me switch floors a few months ago. They know how well you like me."

"But I don't hate you," the raven sighed. He pulled his knees up to his bare chest.

"Then why do you treat me ten times worse than you treat everyone else?" Allen asked, his voice raising half an octave. Somewhere deep down in his stomach, something fluttered. He looked down.

"I don't know what to say, Moyashi," the raven sighed. He found himself wishing that he was someplace else. Allen smiled a small smile and sat up straight, looking down at the ground with the expression still in place.

"I wasn't expecting you to say anything, Kanda. I already said that." Allen said. "Honestly, as I was saying all that I was thinking that you'd probably ignore me forever." Kanda rolled his eyes.

"I couldn't ignore you forever," the older sighed. Then, on realizing he may have actually said something kind, he amended it. "Komui sends us on too many missions together." Allen's face fell before it even had time to lift. Kanda wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Right," the white-haired boy sighed. Just then, the door squeaked open and voices drifted in. It sounded like Lavi and, suddenly, Allen's chest was clawing for him to get out before the red-head had a chance to make any jokes. He scrambled up, jerking his arm to signal Kanda to do so as well. They were too late to hide, so Allen sidled over very close to the other and shoved his cuffed hand behind his back. He saw Kanda do the same just seconds before Lavi entered, Krory at his side.

"Good afternoon, Kanda-san, Walker-san," Krory said, inclining his head slightly. Allen nodded at him.

"Well, well, well!" Lavi crooned. Allen flinched at his tone of voice. "If we don't have the cutest little couple here!" The red-head sashayed over to the two (because walking is overrated), his head tilted. He cast a wary look at the raven before leaning forward, a wily glint in his eye. His lips had connected with Allen's before the boy saw what was about to happen, and his eyes went wide with surprise. To his wonder, Kanda felt something complain in his lower abdomen at the sight of the embrace. Allen's head pulled back, but not so soon that Kanda could be sure he hadn't enjoyed it. For some reason that he couldn't explain, Kanda was sure that he would be angry if the Moyashi had liked it.

"L-lavi?!" Allen stammered, stepping back. Kanda's blacker-than-night eyes followed his every move. Lavi grinned.

"Sorry, Allen! Couldn't resist," the red-head said, as if that explained and excused his actions. He licked his lips. "And, by the way, you're a much better surprise kiss than Yu ever was or will be. Well, goodbye!" He smiled one more time before grabbing Krory's arm and dragging him away. When Kanda next looked, Allen's fingers were on his lips and a far off expression danced in his gray eyes. A pang whispered through Kanda's limbs for an unknown reason.

"What...what was that?" Allen asked after a moment. Kanda sighed.

"Just Lavi being stupid." He waved a hand and started for the door. Allen followed after.

"B-but he kissed me!" the smaller complained.

"He does that to whichever poor soul is the closest whenever the mood strikes him," Kanda supplied. "He used to use me as his...victim. That is, until I made good on a threat." Allen gulped. "He never did it again, after that. In fact, I thought I'd broken him of the habit, but whatever." Allen brought his hands up to his lips again.

"What a weird guy," Allen murmured. They were silent for most of the trip back to Kanda's room, but something hung over them that the raven didn't seem to be able to comprehend. By the time they were back things had grown awkward. Kanda searched for something to say; then, it hit him.

"Well, Moyashi, are you hungry?" Kanda asked. Allen looked up, surprised at the sound of the older's voice.

"Of course," the white-haired boy said. It sounded like an afterthought.

"Would you like to go get some dinner?" Suddenly, the raven was struck with the thought that dealing with a distracted Moyashi was like trying to deal with an apathetic toddler.

"That'd be nice," Allen muttered. Kanda sighed and look around his room, as if checking to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. Seeming satisfied, he turned around and launched slowly back out into the hallway. Allen was still preoccupied, but followed behind obediently. It may have been Kanda's momentary insanity that caused it, but the raven was almost positive that Allen's hand traveled to his lips again. He rolled his eyes, wondering about the younger's fascination with the kiss Lavi had so unceremoniously placed on this unsuspecting lips.

As they walked, Kanda tried to figure out what made it so interesting. He'd been kissed by Lavi a few times and had never found it to be anything but disgusting and annoying.

Perhaps the answer wasn't Lavi, but Allen himself. Maybe the amazement lay not in having felt Lavi's lips, but in having his own kissed. With that on his mind, Kanda soon found himself imagining what it might be like to feel the Moyashi's lips against his own, moving in tandem and filled with passion. He felt his cheeks heat up and was glad that Allen was unable to see his face clearly.

He scowled. Where had that image come from? It couldn't have come from Lavi's chaste kiss: that had been anything but lips moving in tandem and filled with passion. Lavi's kiss had surprised and disgusted Allen.

Kanda looked back at him to see that he was touching his lips once more. Well, surprised was right, but had it disgusted him? It sure didn't seem that way, but anything was possible. It could just be that Lavi's kiss had...disgusted him so much that he was actually trying to wipe it off each time he touched his own lips. Yes. That could be it. The raven looked back again. Both of Moyashi's hands were at his sides, but he was smiling. No, it hadn't disgusted him. But that didn't necessarily mean that he'd enjoyed it. It just meant he was accepting. Or stupid.

But it could mean that he'd liked it. Kanda shook his head as they entered the large dining hall, letting out his breath in a steady stream. Allen gave him a look, but the moment passed. Kanda looked at the line, then at the clock on the wall.

"It's six o' clock and everyone's just getting here. The line is really long," the raven observed. He glanced toward Allen to see that the younger was staring at a random finder's plate. He looked hungry, and Kanda wanted to smile but refrained. Sometimes, the Moyashi was truly interesting.

"Er...we could wait until the line clears up a bit, if you like," Allen said, but he sounded a bit like a child offering half of a cookie he'd been particularly excited about having to himself. His eyes darted around the room, landing on each person's meal and trying to decide his order before he even saw today's menu choices.

"We don't have to if you'd rather wait in the line," Kanda sighed. Allen's eyes lit up.

"Can we, Kanda?" he asked. "Great, because we would take about ten extra years if we waited outside of the line. We might as well wait in it, maybe get in front of a few pe-"

"You shouldn't talk, Moyashi," Kanda said, "it makes you sound stupid." Allen frowned, but didn't say another word until they ordered a few minutes later. The line had taken a lot less time than Kanda would have guessed it would and they were sitting down at an empty table after no more than ten minutes. Allen's plate was, as usual, massive, and Kanda's soba was steaming.

"I'm so hungry." Allen bowed in thanks before digging into his pile of food with great vigor. Kanda watched him for a moment before he turned away and started to eat his own noodles. Every now and then, onyx eyes would glance at the white-haired teen.

It took Allen less time to eat enough for three people than it took for Kanda to eat his bowl of soba. The younger waited patiently in silence before he felt the itching need to speak. Lacking any better topic of discussion, he turned to the kiss that Lavi had bestowed on him earlier.

"You know, that was my first kiss," he hummed. Kanda looked up.

"What was?" he asked, confused. Allen sighed.

"When Lavi kissed me, that was my first kiss." Allen looked up at the ceiling, slightly embarrassed by this fact. But he assumed it would move forward to a different topic.

"That explains why you were so...odd about it, then," Kanda said, shoving a bite into his mouth. Allen raised an eyebrow.

"Odd?" he asked. Kanda nodded.

"Yes, odd."

"Odd how?"

"You kept touching your lips. Your eyes got glassy." He shoved another bite of soba in.

"I did not!" Allen said angrily. He couldn't help but think the anger was more from embarrassment than from actual negative feelings.

"Yes, you did." Another bite.

"Alright, so I did." Allen crossed his arms over his chest. "It's just because I was trying to decide something."

"What were you trying to decide?" the raven asked through a full mouth. The younger looked at him.

"What?"

"I said, 'What were you trying to decide?'" he clarified.

"Whether that counted or not."

"Counted as what?"

"As my first kiss," the teen sighed. He looked down at the table. "I always wanted my first kiss to be with a...specific person and I was sort of disappointed when Lavi took it away from that person." He looked up at Kanda for a split second, then back down at the table. The raven didn't notice the flush that now covered his cheeks. "So I was trying to figure out a way to disqualify that kiss. But there was no way out of it."

"Hn," Kanda said, pushing his empty bowl away from him. "I see."

"What do you see?" Allen asked. Immediately, he wished he hadn't spoken. It was a stupid question.

"I see that you're an odd one, Moyashi," Kanda said. "And not in a bad way." The white-haired teen smiled a little as they picked up their dirty dishes and almost all the way back up to the room.

The smile would come easily for hours afterwards.