A/N: You think this took me long enough? So sorry about that, but I really hated this chapter. It took me forever to write out what I had in my outline, and I couldn't figure out how to get from place to place. I'm sure that Kanda is OOC (and Allen probably is, too), but this is really all I can hope to put out for a third chapter. You see, I have this problem with third chapters...they're not the end, but they're no longer the beginning. Like...there's a problem with them. But anyway, it was really hard for me to write this, and I really hate the way most of it came out. The end of the bath scene gets really hurried, and Allen is a little...weird. I'd like to thank Mikuzu and Hakufangirl1 for all their help (especially Mikuzu, for writing random sentences in her kitchen while her father prepared breakfast). Anyway, even if you hate this chapter, please review! Oh, and I went British twice in here due to lack of words in the American dialect of the English language. :P The next one will be better, I promise! (And the really Yullen-y goodness shall be making an appearance, soon!)
EDIT: The theme for this chapter was "Doll." It's down there when Lavi calls Allen a doll. Again, I reiterate how much I HATE THIS CHAPTER.
Much love! R&R
UNEDITED. It's almost midnight and I've got to get up in the morning. DON'T EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM ME.
"Come on, Moyashi," Kanda sighed, pulling on the chain that connected them. Allen fought it.
"But I don't wanna take a bath, Kanda!" he said, his voice sounding oddly childlike. The raven pulled again and the younger's feet began to slide across the hard floor of the hallway. Onyx eyes lit with an idea and he began to pull Allen behind him, leaving the boy in so much shock that he was unable to respond until they were well on their way to the outdoor bath.
"K-kanda, stop!" he squeaked, lifting one foot off the ground and pulling back with more effort. It stopped the dragging, but not the angry.
"What is your problem?!" Kanda spun around and looked at Allen with one eyebrow hiked up into his hairline. "Are you afraid of the bath, or something?" The corner of his mouth began to twitch in anger. Allen did not shrink away.
"I-I'm not afraid!" he whined. The raven rolled his eyes.
"Then get over whatever your issue is and let's take a bath." Allen opened his mouth and closed it, opened it again, then closed it once more. Then he nodded. Kanda looked at him for a moment with eyebrows raised and then turned around to traverse the rest of the way to the bath. Allen rode his nonexistent coattails all the way, a frown contorting his features. Said frown didn't leave until Kanda's hand touched the doorknob, and then it changed to a look of anxiety.
When the two entered the room, Allen felt the temperature raise several degrees, even though they were still in the locker room. The raven didn't even seem to register the change on his features, but Allen saw a bead of sweat slide down his back. He watched the drop move as they walked to the sectioned wall on their left. Allen felt too much regret when he was forced to tear his eyes away and concentrate on changing out of his clothes.
But even tearing his eyes away from the sweat bead couldn't get him to concentrate. He found new things to distract him as Kanda began to undress.
The raven unlatched the button on the front of his pants and began to slide them over his hips. He looked over at the white-haired teen, who'd been staring at him the whole time, and froze.
"Are...are you going to...?" he trailed off, assuming the younger understood. Allen flushed and nodded, beginning to unbutton his own clothing. Kanda slid his pants off the rest of the way and stuffed them into one of the cubbies that lined the wall. His boxers quickly followed and were replaced by a towel. All the while, Kanda never noticed how silver eyes lingered and the flush on the younger's face was mentally attributed to the heat in the room.
Once both the boys were firmly wrapped in towel, the older grabbed the small basket he'd brought and led them to the steamy glass door. Allen felt his blood pressure raise as Kanda's hand touched the doorknob, and his legs all but froze up as they walked through the door. The raven breathed an inner sigh of relief when he saw that the bath was deserted. He wasn't shy, but he was no exhibitionist.
Allen found himself staring at the steamy water, thinking less and less about his companion and more and more about how tense his muscles were. He actually started to feel like a bath wasn't such a bad idea. That is, until Kanda dropped his towel. Then Allen went back to feeling scared, depressed, and embarrassed and a healthy flush returned to his cheeks. He felt his muscles lock up.
Kanda waded into the water, stretching the chain that connected he and the white-haired teen as far as it would go. When he'd reached the limit, he was up to mid-thigh in water and anxious to get out farther but couldn't move at all until Allen followed. He turned around halfway, giving the younger a profile view. He reddened for an unknown reason.
"Moyashi?" Kanda asked. Allen's face was still red.
"Mm?" He responded through clenched lips.
"Are you going to get in the water?" The words hit the younger like a smack in the face. He shook his head and turned the color of burnt tomato, quickly allowing his towel to fall and stepping into the water.
He felt like microwaved chocolate as soon as he hit the water. It seemed to penetrate every muscle in his body, forcing the stress to melt off, leaving him feeling lighter. Allen ducked under the water and came back up, spitting a stream into the air. Kanda watched him with a smirk playing around the edges of his lips and made his own way over to the side, forcing the younger to confine his swimming closer to the edge.
As Kanda relaxed, his mind began to swirl. None of his musings made much sense in the end, but a few strange thoughts kept cropping up. Reflections on first kisses, Allen, and soba. The soba really has nothing to do with anything, but it was a repeated thought. Onyx eyes followed the white-haired teen as he attempted to float, but he was unseeing. He actually found himself wondering who the younger's "specific person" was. Was it someone he knew? Someone he'd approve of? Someone was good for Allen?
But why did Kanda care? He shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts away altogether, but that proved impossible. He sank back into thinking, the same contemplations twisting around inside his head. However, he wasn't allowed to muse for long. He felt the prickling on the back of his neck that told him he was being watched. He opened his eyes slowly and then jumped; Allen's face was close, and his mouth stretched into a wide grin at the raven's surprise. Kanda began to rub his temple and let out a sigh. The younger continued to smile.
"Moyashi," Kanda breathed. Allen couldn't help but maintain a simper.
"The name's 'Allen,' Kanda," the younger corrected, his eyes dancing with a sourceless mirth. The raven just rolled his eyes.
"Whatever, Moyashi." Allen's broad grin didn't falter. He settled in more comfortably next to the older, letting out a sigh of what Kanda assumed was relaxation.
"So, Kanda," said Allen, sounding distant. "Who was your first kiss?" To turn the color of a beet was the raven's unexpected reaction.
"Th-that's none of your business, Moyashi," the older stuttered. The white-haired boy frowned.
"Oh, c'mon. You know all about my fist kiss!" Allen argued. Kanda glanced at him sideways.
"That's because I was there to see it happen." Onyx eyes rolled around in their sockets.
"Beside the point." Allen crossed his arms. Kanda's blush had faded. "Besides, why do you care if I know?"
"Because it's none of your business."
"That's not fair."
"Life isn't fair."
"You're embarrassed."
"It's none of your- I am not." Kanda amended his automatic response.
"You are." Allen sounded surprised at his own acquisition. "You're embarrassed."
"I am not."
"Then tell me."
"Fine. I will." Kanda looked sort of mad and Allen's shoulders relaxed.
"So? Who was it?" the younger asked excitedly. He clenched a fist.
"Well, actually," Kanda said. He hesitated before continuing. "Actually...it was Lavi." Allen didn't look surprised, he looked confused.
"But-but that makes no sense."
"What's that supposed to mean?" the raven asked, sounding affronted. Allen raised his eyebrows.
"You mean Lavi's surprise kiss was your first?" the younger asked, as if checking to make sure. "You never kissed anyone before that? No girlfriends? Boyfriends? Strangers on the street?" Kanda sighed.
"I don't kiss strangers, Moyashi," he said crossly. "And, unfortunately, Lavi was." He didn't make eye contact.
"Who was your second kiss, then?" Silver eyes simmered with hope.
"Lavi again."
"Third?"
"That bastard."
"Fourth?"
"I'm not easily kissed, Moyashi." Kanda flipped his hair. "Lavi's never made it to four."
"Has anyone?" Allen's fingernails were digging into his palms.
"Hn."
"So, you've never kissed anyone but Lavi?" the younger found that he wasn't as surprised by this news as he should've been. It was almost expected.
"That...bastard." Kanda looked down at the water and scoffed. The two were silent for a moment, then the older reached out of the bath and grabbed the small basket he'd brought with him, pulling out a light purple bottle. He upturned the bottle into one hand. An almost clear, purple-tinted gel was in the palm of the raven's hand. He began to lather it between his hands after sitting the bottle down on the side. Allen sat in silence for a moment before reaching over to grab the bottle. "Lavender Scented 2-In-1 Shampoo And Conditioner," it said on the label. He brought the top to his nose and his nostrils were assaulted by a strong odor - the smell of concentrated lavender. A lighter, less undiluted version of this scent clung to Kanda's hair. The white-haired boy looked up to see the raven massaging the gel into his scalp, his eyes closed.
Allen looked back down at the light purpled bottle.
"Kanda?"
"Hm?"
"Can I used your shampoo?" he asked.
"Hn," was his reply. Allen smiled at the predictability of the raven's response and squeezed a smaller amount than Kanda has used into his palm. He returned the bottle to the side and began to scrub the gel into his white hair with was - perhaps - a bit too much force.
"Don't scrub yourself bald, Moyashi," Kanda cold voice from behind Allen warned. "I don't want to have to explain your baldness." Allen jumped at the sudden noise and looked around at the older with a blush on his face.
"I-I was just scrubbing," Allen said, freezing in his washing movements. The raven smirked at the younger with a hint of pity.
"Then you're scrubbing all wrong." Kanda removed his hands from his own hair and scooted closer to Allen. The younger reddened as the older reached up and grabbed his own hands, bringing them down into the water. The raven let his fingers entwine themselves into white hair. The younger was pleasantly surprised at the tenderness with which the raven massaged his scalp. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. He didn't see the older boy smirk.
"Turn around, Moyashi. Face away from me," Kanda commanded. Allen opened his eyes slowly as Kanda stopped his ministrations. He was almost misty-eyed, but he complied. Once settled into their new position, Kanda's fingers knotted in the younger's white hair once more.
Allen nearly melted with each movement of the raven's dexterous fingers. He felt more relaxed in this moment then he'd felt in his entire life, and he was slightly disappointed when Kanda marred it by speaking.
"You do it like this, Moyashi," he said, his fingers still dancing around the younger's scalp. "Gently. Take care with it." He twirled a strand of white hair around his pale finger, looking at it with what could almost be construed as tenderness. Allen's eyes closed again.
"Mmm," he said, not bothering to hide the light moan. Kanda smiled behind him, his hands still at work in the younger's hair. But the lather was starting to get too lathery.
"Lean back," he said quietly. Allen made a questioning sort of noise. "I need you to lean back so you can rinse." The younger made a grumpy noise and opened his eyes, turning his head to look at Kanda with a look of discontent. He was disgruntled at having this moment interrupted, but he did as instructed. He felt Kanda's strong hands on his back, holding him as he leaned back. His hair submerged in water and he saw purplish suds begin to float away from his head. They lay still for a moment, with Allen's head practically in Kanda's lap, before the older began to massage the clinging soap out of the white hair. The younger closed his eyes once more and let out a sigh, feeling air whoosh out of his lungs just as pale fingers left his scalp for a second time.
"Augh," he groaned, knowing that his treatment was over. He sat up before he could be instructed to do so and felt water almost fall out of his white hair. Kanda smirked at the younger's oh-so-obvious disappointment and felt his stomach clench as an idea struck him. He teetered on the edge of ignoring the impulse for a moment before he spoke.
"That's how you do it, Moyashi," he said softly. Allen looked at him quickly before turning away once more.
"I see," was the only response the younger could conjure on the spot. He stared down at the surface of the water longingly. Kanda was silent for a moment.
"Do you?"
"Do I what?" Allen asked. Jerked from whatever thoughts he'd been thinking, he was uncertain of the topic of conversation.
"Do you see? Understand?"
"Er...I-I assume so." The white-haired teen looked confused and raises his head a little.
"Then prove it," the older suggested. Onyx eyes landed on the shampoo bottle on the side of the bath and then back to Allen, who was biting his lip.
"Like...Like wash your hair?" the younger stuttered. Kanda smirked.
"Sure."
"But you already started," Allen said, gesturing towards the suds that still remained perched on top of the raven's hair. For the first time he really noticed the effect of not having a ponytail had on the older's face. It made him seem more effeminate, if that was possible, and cast him in a light of almost gentleness. Silver eyes lingered, dumbstruck.
"I have a lot of hair, Moyashi. You'll find something to wash." The combination of this weird phrasing the smile playing on the edges of the older's face made something in Allen's stomach jump up into his throat. He felt his face heat up, but he ignored it.
"O-okay, then." His shaky hands went through the same motions that Kanda's had, and when he buried his fingers in raven locks, he was surprised at how smooth it was. The whole ordeal of washing the other's hair was awkward and embarrassing for the younger, and he prayed to whatever heavenly being there was or wasn't that no one would walk in on the scene. He felt a lump in his throat throughout the entire experience and couldn't wait until it ended...despite the enjoyment that he got from being able to clutch his fingers into Kanda's hair. When he'd finally succeeded in getting the majority of the older's hair covered in suds, he instructed Kanda to lean back and rinse, which he let the raven do on his own. The close proximity in which they sat became uncomfortable only when Allen saw the ghost of Kanda's hips beneath the surface of the water. He swallowed a lump and waited with eyes fixed on a decorative rock.
"Not bad, but not good." Allen raised his head quickly, looking at the older with an expression of surprise. He had trouble finding the words to reply for a reason he couldn't understand and instead suggested they get out because he was turning pruny. Kanda gave him a look before nodding and allowing the younger to lead him out of the warm water.
The cold air hit them like ice, mixing with the water on their skin to make it seem like walking into a refrigerator. Allen forgot all inhibitions and began to run out of the shallow water, grabbing up his towel as soon as it was in reach. He wrapped it around himself and turned to see that Kanda had done the same before walking back into the locker room. His hair was sticking to the back of his neck in a soppy mess, causing him great annoyance. He shook his head, hoping to release some of the water but was unsuccessful. Finally giving up, he let it stick long enough for him to pull his pants on before bending over and wrapping his hair up in his now unneeded towel, turban-style. Straightening up, he felt slightly self-conscious and his cheeks flushed, but he didn't let it show. He felt Kanda's eyes on his back as the older struggled against the chain to get his pants on.
"Can I turn around now?" Allen asked the wall, crossing his arms across his chest as best as he could.
"I never said you couldn't," Kanda replied tersely. When the younger turned his head he was met with the sight of the raven attempting to pull his trousers up with lopsided boxers and an expression of smugness. The white-haired teen yelped in surprise at the older's slightly compromising position before turning around and flushing deeper. Kanda smiled to himself at the younger's reaction, and as a surprise to himself, he was almost glad he'd been able to spend time with the younger. When the thought struck him, his eyes widened and he nearly fell over as he pulled his pants up to his hips. He slammed his shoulders into the wall and groaned, causing Allen to look up sharply.
"What'd you do?" the younger asked, his voice uneven as he was jerked backward slightly. Kanda's eyebrow twitched.
"Nothing," he said quietly. Just as the raven managed to button his pants, Allen tilted his head (nearly unbalancing himself due to his unusual topheaviness) to a sound. Just as Kanda directed his eyes at the door it burst open loudly, revealing a very naked and very happy looking Lavi.
"Allen! Yu!" the red-head yelled, bounding into the room. Allen's eyes were as big as saucers when he registered the other's nudity and Lavi's green eyes danced as he followed the younger's gaze. "Hello, Allen-chan!" The white-haired teen started and looked up at Lavi's face, taking one more quick glance down at his...nether regions before resting his gaze firmly on the red-head's eyes.
"Uh...hello, Lavi," Allen said, sounding reluctant. "Why aren't you wearing clothes?" He gestured minutely toward the older's exposed bits.
"Because, I was just about to get into the bath! Lenalee-chan said that she'd seen you guys head over here, so I thought I might join in with whatever fun you were having." He waggled his red eyebrows suggestively, snagging a glance at Kanda, who was leaning against the wall, hiding his face. "But I see that you've already finished and...er...dried up." He looked up at Allen's slightly out of the ordinary headwear before smirking cheekily. "And aren't you just a doll?" Allen's eyebrow began to twitch as his cheeks colored.
"Well, we'll just be going, then," Kanda said suddenly, pushing past Lavi roughly and attempting to drag the white-haired teen out of the room by the chain. "See you, Lavi."
"Bye, Yu-chan, Allen-chan!" Lavi said cheerily, waving. Allen twitched one hand noncommittally and closed his eyes, allowed the older to lead him. "Oh, wait!" the red-head called. He bounded the few steps between them and grabbed Allen's wrist, forcing Kanda to stop.
"What?" the younger asked, slightly angrily.
"I'm assuming that you've already told Kanda about lik-" Lavi was stopped as a small hand connected painfully with his cheek. The red-head stumbled backwards a step or two before reaching up to touch his face gingerly and staring at Allen wide-eyed.
"What was that for?!" Kanda was staring at the whole scene, transfixed, as a more-than-healthy blush covered Allen's face and most of his neck. The raven would later swear that even the tips of the younger's hair turned a light shade of pink.
"Stupid Lavi!" Allen screamed. He went to lunge at the other but was stopped when strong arms wrapped around his own, holding him back. He lashed out, kicking his legs and fighting against Kanda with all his might, to no avail. He only managed to hurt his foot and fling his turban-towel to the floor in all his thrashing. He fought for no more than a moment once the door to the locker room slammed shut behind them and then collapsed like a limp rag in the older's arms. He expected to fall to the floor, but Kanda continued to support him as a tear leaked out.
They were silent for what would normally have been an uncomfortable amount of time, but no longer was.
"You must hate me, now," Allen said, finally. It was so quiet Kanda wasn't sure he was supposed to hear it. He paused before responding, a nervous hitch in his stomach.
"I told you I didn't hate you, Moyashi," he said. Allen stood up, allowed Kanda to straighten up.
"But after what Lavi said..."
"Well, Lavi's an idiot. I don't care about your turban." Kanda smiled lightly, not feigning the obliviousness that Allen was now gawking at.
"Turban? You mean you didn't...?"
"Didn't what?" Allen's eyes were disbelieving.
"Uh...nothing." Kanda stared at Allen quizzically for a moment as they stood in silence. "I'm hungry again."