Chapter 1: Accidents happen.

It had been a few days since I met Rin. We sat at that little table everyday at lunch and we shared a few classes including gym. Today was a free day in gym in which we were allowed to basically do whatever we wanted. Lavi and short stack were playing basketball while Krory was attempting to get the ball from Lavi.

"Hey Kanda, do you wanna go outside?"

Rin came up to me smiling and pointing towards the open gym door. I stood up and walked outside with her. There were a few other students outside but most of them stayed inside. We sat down next to the side of the building. I had one arm rested on a raised knee while the other hand was flat on the concrete. Rin had both of her knees pulled up to her chest and her chin was rested on them.

"What made you want to come outside?"

"I like fresh air."

"Hm."

I was looking out over the field. Once you came outside there was a flat grassy area. At the edge of the grass there was a steep hill that leads down to the gravel in the baseball field. Past the baseball field there was the Soccer/football field that was surrounded by the track field. All together the school grounds were a decent size and the fields were well taken care of.

"If we're going to be outside we should at least walk around."

I stood up and offered her a hand. She took my hand and pulled herself up. I Walked down and jumped off down to the lower part of the field. I turned around just in time to see Rin slip. I ran back and slid across the gravel and fortunately got there in time. Rin landed safely on top of me instead of the hard gravel. Unfortunately she was heavier than she looked knocking the wind out of me.

"Rin!"

I heard Lavi calling out her name in alarm. He must have seen her fall. Lavi, Krory and short stack were all looking over the edge.

"Kanda!"

Damn what are they going to say?

"Are the two of you alright?"

Rin rolled off of me and stood up brushing the dirt off of her.

"Kanda thank yo- Kanda are you okay?"

Rin must have gotten concerned when I didn't get up after she did. I was still on the ground with my eyes closed and my face scrunched up in pain.

"Hey Kanda can you hear us."

I slowly and shakily sat up. I blinked a couple of times trying to get focus back.

"I'm fine."

I looked up at Rin who was staring horrified at my arm.

"Kanda your bleeding!"

"Huh?"

I looked down at my arm and sure enough it was bleeding all the way down to my wrist. That must have happened when I slid across the gravel.

"It's just a scratch."

"Oh Kanda I'm soo sorry! This is my fault!"

"Shut up Rin!"

She looked taken aback and I immediately regretted my harshness.

"Hey don't….don't be upset. It wasn't you fault alright."

I looked the other way not wanting her to see my face. What she didn't know was that she was the only person who could ever make me blush! I stood up and brushed the gravel off the back of my shirt.

"That's what I get for rolling up my sleeves all the time."

I saw that I had gotten blood on my shirt.

"I guess that also what I get for wearing a white shirt."

Still looking away from the three of them he smiled when he heard Rin laugh.

"Hey at least let me take you to the nurse so that you're not walking around with blood on your arm all day."

I was about to protest. I never went to the nurse for anything. Lavi, Allen, and Lenalee have all tried at some point to get me to go to the nurse when I got hurt but I would always refuse.

"Here come on you look ridiculous."

She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the building. As we vanished inside I could've sworn I heard Lavi laugh. We got a pass from the gym teacher and walked down the hallway to the nurse's office. Rin was still holding my hand which I can't say I didn't like. She opened the door and we walked in.

"What can I do for you?"

The nurse walked in and looked at me with a funny look.

"Yuu Kanda? I thought I would never see you in here."

I rolled my eyes and was about to say something but Rin beat me to it.

"He got hurt in gym helping me. I slipped out side and fell where the grass area drops off and he caught me. He had to slide across the gravel in order to get there before I hit the ground. He broke my fall but he scraped up his arm pretty bad."

"Oh I see. Kanda is there a reason you've got your arm around your chest?"

I hadn't even realized I had my arm around my chest but now that she mentioned it my ribs were sore.

"Come on sit down and let me fix you up."

I sat down on the edge of the small bed against the wall and Rin sat down in the chair on the opposite side.

"Now I can assume it's your ribs that are bothering you since Rin fell on you am I right?"

I nodded.

"Alright let's have a look then, can you take off your shirt?"

I unbuttoned my shirt and slid it off. It wasn't very white anymore.

"Yup, looks like it starting to bruise. That's going to be sore for a while but nothings broken so your fine. Now all I have to do is clean up your arm and wrap it up and you can go back to class."

"Fine."

When she was done wrapping my arm up I started to put my shirt back on when the nurse stopped me.

"Oh no no no you don't want to wear that around for the rest of the day. Here go in that closet and I have a box of clothes in there you can wear something that's not so dirty."

I slid my arm back out of the sleeve and walked into the closet. I found the box labeled spare clothes and dug through the box until I found a shirt that was similar to the one I was wearing except it was light blue instead of white. I put it on and buttoned it up leaving the top two buttons undone. As I walked back out of the closet I rolled up the sleeves.

"Are you ready to go Rin?"

I looked over to where she sat and saw that her cheeks were red. It must be because I took off my shirt. Since she wasn't looking I smiled at the thought.

"Rin?"

She looked up seeing that I had a shirt on this time her shoulders relaxed. I thought the whole thing was pretty entertaining. She stood up and we started to walk back to the gym. We passed Lenalee in the hall.

"Hey Kanda, Rin where are you guys headed?"

"Gym."

"Oh where'd you come from?"

"The nurse."

"Why did you go there did one of you get hurt?"

I held up my arm for her to see. She looked shocked at first and then looked at Rin.

"You actually got him to go to the nurse? Rin your amazing!"

I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks Lenalee."

"What happened to your arm anyway Kanda?"

"Rin slipped and I caught her but my arm got scraped up by the gravel on the baseball field."

"Oh….hey wait I thought you were wearing a white shirt today?"

"I was until it got covered in dirt."

"Hm well I gotta get back to class see ya at lunch."

"Bye Lenalee."

We got back to the gym just in time for the bell to ring. I walked into the boy's locker room to get my stuff. As soon as I put the combination in the lock and opened it I was attack by Lavi.

"Hey man you okay?"

"I will be when you get off of me."

"Aw Come on Kanda you're such an antisocial bum."

"Sorry to disappoint now move Lavi!"

I didn't really care that much but my ribs were hurting and Lavi didn't help. I got my stuff and we walked to the lunch room. As of yester day Rin had started sitting with the rest of my group in the chair that used to be empty. I was watching the door for Rin since she hadn't gotten to the lunch room yet. Eventually I saw her walking in smiling. She got to the table and was about to sit down when this kid ran past knocking her over. She landed in my lap and I had to wrap my arm around her back so that she didn't hit her head on the table.

"Are you okay Rin?"

"Yea I'm okay."

She moved to sit in her chair beside me.

"Hey Rin how many times do you think you're gonna fall on Kanda today."

Her cheeks went red again and I reached over and smacked Lavi.

"Dumbass."

Allen and Lenalee laughed while Lavi rubbed the back of his head. We went to get our food once our tabled was called. I was glad that the school had tea. Being in a privet school had some advantages. Lunch was over in what seemed liked no time at all. I walked Rin to her next class and from there I went to mine. The rest of the day flew by and before I knew it I was at my locker grabbing my bag at the end of the day. I walked outside and stood against the wall and waited for Rin to come out.

"Hey Rin what are you doing for the rest of the day?"

"Nothing. Unless you had something in mind?"

"Actually I do have something in mind. I was planning on going to the park today and I wouldn't mind some company."

"And you want me to come with you."

"Only if you want to go."

"Well what are we waiting for?"

"Hm."

We walked down to the park and sat down on one of the benches.

"Have you ever climbed a tree?"

"Yea why?"

"Can you climb the trees here?"

"Sure."

I got up off the bench and walked over to the nearest tree. It took me a little longer than usual to climb all the way up but I still got there.

"You coming?"

I looked down and saw her try to climb the tree. She struggled a lot but she got close enough for me to help her, the rest of the way.

"How do you climb so easily?"

"Experience."

The branch we were sitting on was short making the space to sit limited. Rin was sitting next to the trunk while I was barley sitting all the way on the edge. Our legs were right next to each other's and at some point I was beginning to doubt the branch would hold up.

"So Kanda I've been wondering….why do you keep your hair so long?"

"It's just how I've always had it."

"I like it the way it is but I was just curious."

"There's nothing wrong with that. I know it seems girly but I don't really care."

"It is pretty girly."

"Thanks."

Rin laughed.

"You're welcome."

I rolled my eyes. I was getting a little nervous not like I would ever admit that. There was a reason I asked her to come with me although I was having trouble getting to it. Lavi was right to a degree. After this first week of school with her I was starting to like this girl. I wouldn't be stupid enough to say that I loved the girl I just liked her. It's just nice to be around her.

"Hey Rin can I tell you something that no one else is allowed to hear?"

"You can tell me whatever you want but why am I the only one allowed to hear it?"

"Because if other people knew I would never hear the end of it."

"So by people you mean Lavi?"

"Basically."

She laughed a little.

"So is this something that makes you seem anything but the macho man you think you are?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well your rude, stubborn, easily angered, and you act like you don't care about anything, and you hardly show any emotion."

"Alright I get the point."

"So what do you want to tell me?"

"Well I….like you."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Like more than a friend?"

"Well yes but I wouldn't go as far as to say I loved you."

"Good if you said you loved me I wouldn't believe you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that you hardly know enough about me to say that you loved me."

"Oh."

I was definitely uncomfortable. I'm not exactly great with this sort of thing. I'm used to being silent and stoic and indifferent. I don't know what it is about her that makes me act like the complete opposite of my usual self. It is irritating in a way.

"So are trying to ask me to be your girlfriend or did you just think I would fine it nice to know."

"Well I had just planned on telling you but if you want to be my girlfriend than I wouldn't object."

"Hmmm…. I think I do want to be your girlfriend."

"Oh really?"

"Really."

"Hm."

When it started getting late we got out of the tree and walked back to the school grounds. At the school there were dorms. Living at high school sounds like it can't be all that great but when you don't really have anywhere else to stay it's considered home sweet home. I shared a room with Lavi, Krory and short stack. Rin shared a room with Lenalee and Miranda. When I walked into my dorm I saw the usual. Short stack had his head in the refrigerator while Lavi and Krory were on the couch watching TV.

"Hey Kanda's back."

"Where have you been?"

"None of your damn business."

I laughed a little in my head. It seemed like that was my answer for every question Lavi asked me.

"You were with Rin all day weren't you?"

"I said it was none of your damn business."

"That means yes."

I about to go to my room when short stack called my name.

"What?"

"I was just gonna let you know that the nurse dropped your shirt by. She said you can keep the one you're wearing to."

"Alright."

When I got to my bed I saw the shirt washed and neatly folded on the corner. I picked it up in put it away. Since I was tired I just collapsed onto my bed not bothering to change out of my jeans. I kicked off my converse and laid there thinking about earlier. I figured at least one of the guys needed to know. Lavi was out of the question and Krory never was good with secrets. Sort stack it is. I got up and walked over.

"Hey short stack I need to talk to you for a minute."

"Alright."

We went back into my room and sat down.

"Now listen if you tell Lavi I'll kill you!"

"Rin is your girlfriend isn't she?"

"Damn."

Was it that obvious? Now that I think about it we are together at lunch and in all of our classes. I wouldn't doubt Lavi already had the idea.

"Hey come one it's not like it's a big deal or anything. I mean we all expected it was going to happen anyway. And I promise I'll try and keep Lavi's mouth shut."

"If I hit him hard enough he can shut his own mouth."

"Yea but then Lenalee would hit you."

"Well whatever I'm going to sleep."

"Okay goodnight."

Short stack left and I laid back on my bed with my hands behind my head. I'm sure that me having a girlfriend will the highlight of the lunch conversations tomorrow but I decided I really didn't care. If anyone had a problem with it, it was their problem not mine