Kanda stared into Allen's eyes, the stillness of the room silencing him. He almost didn't even want to breathe. Though, he knew that he needed to. Allen was shifting in his place, and was glancing from the tray of food to Kanda's deep blue eyes. Kanda finally stood up straight and peered back at Allen through his black bangs.

"Feel free to start talking whenever you want," Kanda muttered, lowering his arms down to his waist. The glass of water on the tray swished with the movement of his hands. Allen glanced at the water.

There was a short pause before Allen finally decided to speak. His hand was still on his chest, but now, he slid it downwards and it laid in his lap. He looked sideways, staring at the crease of the walls near the floor. Where two ends meet, and another begins, he thought suddenly. His face began to feel warm.

"Why are you here," he said, question-less. Kanda regained posture.

"Now, I'm no stupid person, but if I was in your place, I would only assume as to why I'm here," he tilted his head and gave Allen a condescending look. Allen flared.

"Look, you jerk-" Allen grumbled, grasping his pants. He wasn't so comfortable with Kanda there...with a tray. Of food. Though- Allen didn't finish.

There was an awkward silence as Kanda waited for the answer. It didn't come. So, Kanda walked over to Allen's beside and softly laid the food down. He didn't bother to get a lot. In fact, the food was meant for him because he had intended to eat it while he watched Allen sleep, but now that he was awake he might as well give it to him. Not that it would have been enough; Allen loved food like a fat kid liked cake...lots of cake.

Kanda was only an elbows length away from Walker. He looked at him, those eyes that he had still so complex. Allen couldn't even describe it. As he looked at his face, the one that was so set on himself so straight-forwardly, he saw another one of Kanda's unexplainable looks. It had worry in it and a bit of concern, but it was hidden behind a mask of sternness and...Allen didn't want to admit it, as other things that had happened in the past few weeks, but it also had a touch of need. Like Kanda needed to do something to Allen to make sure of something, to get something done. Allen, in all of one tenths of a second, looked away. Wasn't he going to say something? Even though Kanda had only been looking at him for 15 seconds, it felt like 15 hours.

Allen blushed. Why?

Kanda turned away from Allen and sighed. Allen, finally away from his eyes grasp, glanced at the back of his head. His neck was so strong, and yet so narrow. His long, black hair that he was known for hang patriotically down his back, like how a flag waves in the wind. He stared at his shoulders, which were square, and his arms that were crossed in front of Kanda. He was still in the clothes that he had seen him in the garden: the fitting black, long sleeved shirt and Black Order pants. Allen noticed his gawking and jolted his head to the metal bed across from him. Is that what it was? Gawking?

Allen closed his eyes. Sadly, he thought, focusing on the feeling at the pit of his stomach, I don't have a problem with that.

Damn.

"Allen," Kanda said out loud. The way he said it was bold, like he wanted Allen to answer him. So he did.

"What?" Allen sighed, a little piercing. He didn't want to get any more of the warm feeling in his stomach, especially from Kanda. He didn't want it! It was weird, and it felt so much more foreign to him that anything that he had ever felt before. Though it felt so comforting and right, he didn't know it and didn't want a part of it. What could possibly be the feeling? Was it hate? Was it repulsiveness? For all he knew, it was a sick reaction. He wanted that feeling, the warm lovely feeling, to only come from Lenalee. Why? Well, because he-

"I've been meaning to talk to you," Kanda said, bold again. Allen clicked out from his thoughts and paid attention to Kanda. Talk to me? He thought, almost smiling. Oh great, what now? 'I've just got news that I'm going to die tomorrow.', Allen let out a chuckle. That would have been rich. Kanda was going to confess that he was guilty of some grand offense and then was sentenced to death. Would that make things so much more simple?

"Y'know what," Allen said, like he didn't have a care in the world. "I've been meaning to talk to you too. About the last couple of weeks."

Kanda spun around. Not quickly, but gradually. He crossed his arms again and stared at Allen. He opened his mouth to start to speak before Allen cut him off, taking advantage of the pause.

"The last couple of weeks, more like the last month really, you've been acting really odd."

Kanda stared at him. His eyes were wider than it was, when it was lowered, and he looked at Allen more attentively. Aha, Allen thought, smirking inside his head, I hit something.

"Care to explain why you've been stalking me?"

Kanda gaped. "Stalking?" he growled. His temper was starting to boil. "Heh, do you really thing that I've been stalking you?"

Allen tsked. Kanda gritted his teeth. "Well, of course! Though I may not think like your 'uber-superior ways', I'm not a complete idiot!" Kanda backed a step away.

"I haven't been stalking you, you ass!" he said under an angry tone. Allen knew that he had hit at least something. Kanda was hiding something. He knew it. It was the answer to all the things that were happening in the past months. He had to find out. It would take one more confusion away from his mind, which he needed.

"Yes, you have! In the Library, along the halls, in the cafeteria-"

"- Look, stupid, I've only been sitting with you because my ' table is being repainted, and you know that. What would ever give you the slightest idea that I would want to sit with the likes of you?"

Allen glowered. "I heard from a certain someone that you-" he smiled, "-issued the table to be repainted."

Kanda stiffened. Yep. One target down, another hundred to go. But suddenly, his plan backfired.

"Or is this the other way around?" Kanda growled, putting his hands in his pockets and leaning back. "Have you been following me? I must say, it's been getting extremely-" he got right into Allen's face. "-annoying lately."

"What? I haven't been following you!" Allen barked, scooting back on the bed. "And with that said, how the hell can it be annoying if I haven't even been following you?"

"Don't even try to hide it Allen, you want something from me! We both know it!"

"I don't want anything from you! God, are you insane?" he leaned on his shoulders, just like how he had in the garden. In the position with nowhere to run, and oddly with Kanda right there with the authority.

"You obviously want to tell me something, Walker." Kanda continued, ignoring his comment. "So now that we're alone, with no one in this whole freakin' vicinity," he leaned closer to Allen's face and whispered the last of his sentence. "Say it. Come out with it, Bean sprout."

Allen roared and glared at him with fire in his eyes.

"My name is Allen you dolt! ALLEN WALKER. Do you not understand that simple concept?!" He grabbed Kanda's shirt and threw him to the other table. He collapsed onto the table backwards with his back hitting the bed, and quickly regained composure. Allen almost fell off of the bed because of the rage that he saw in Kanda's eyes. As soon as he stood back up, he lunged for Allen's neck and pinned him up against the wall with both his fists screwed tightly around the collar of Allen's shirt. Allen yelped in pain. His head was taking a dive for the worst- especially since Kanda didn't be polite as to place him on the wall- he slammed him.

"Never, ever, do that again, you hear me Bean sprout?!" he shouted, right in Allen's face. If Allen didn't know better, he would have thought Kanda was going to chew him up by the way his lips were pulled back over his teeth to reveal his razor sharp canines. He flinched away, Kanda's hot breath swooshing over his cheeks. Ewww... he thought. "I can call you whatever the heck I want, whenever the hell I want, and to who ever the damn I please!" His fists tightened around Allen's shirt, which pressured his neck. Oh dear- he's doing the choke strategy...he thought, remembering the past times when they somehow ended up like this in a fight. It always stopped right here, with Kanda throwing him away and storming off. Inside the safeness of his own mind, Allen sighed in relief.

But Kanda didn't let go.

He just stared at Allen with another one, (yet again), of his unexplainable looks. He looked...tranced.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Allen spat, gripping onto the metal bed, his nails digging into the coolness of the metal. Kanda closed his gaping mouth, which was still open from shouting at Allen. His eyes were a bit wide, like before.

"I..." he started to say. He loosened his grip, which was relieving to Allen. But suddenly, it didn't feel so nice, because Kanda was staring at him, still. "I'm..."

Allen suddenly felt chills go down his spine. Kanda was still staring at him with his deep blue, traced, wide eyes and still gripping Allen at the shirt. His face was so close that he could still feel his hot breath against his face. He could feel as much as Kanda's own body heat radiating from his skin because he was so close. His deep blue eyes almost began to trance Allen before he snapped out of it and came back to reality.

"Your heart's beating hard." Kanda muttered, glancing down at Allen's chest. Allen stiffened in embarrassment. Had he felt that? Through his clenched hands? Allen colored up in red as he pretended to look down at his chest too, but was really shading his blushing face with his white hair.

Kanda didn't know what to do with himself. Allen got a sense that he couldn't believe it, like it was the most weirdest thing in the world to be so close to him and have his heart beating hard like his was. He didn't let go of Allen. but rather let his hands rest on Allen's chest while still holding the collar of his shirt. Allen was confused, to say the least. Why didn't Kanda let go of him already? Him being so close to Allen like this, staring at him, and mentioning his own heart beat...it made Allen feel so embarrassed and nervous.

He couldn't think of anything to say to him, because oddly...he didn't want him to push him away. He didn't want Kanda to leave like he always did, muttering the name that Allen hated but still saying it because, well...Allen hated it.He glanced down at Kanda's bangs that laid loosely over his face. Suddenly, each individual black thread of hair seemed to interest Allen. He'd never seen Kanda's hair up close. Lavi was always tugging on it profusely like it was some sort of bell ringer, but Allen had never cared to glance at it, until now. He noticed that his hair was unusually thin, not like Lenalee's thick, clumpy hair. He noticed how shinier it was than Lenalee's, beside the fact that he washed it with soap. The creases in his head were so perfect, so straight, that it was hard to imagine that he just threw it together because he simply didn't care. Without a thought to back it up, Allen placed his hand atop of Kanda's head and brushed his fingers along Kanda's hair. Hey, it is silky. He thought, staring at it.

Kanda jerked his head up, enough to stare at Allen, shocked.

"What are you doing?" Kanda said rather quickly. His voice changed octaves, almost like it was cracking, but Kanda said things so smoothly that Allen couldn't tell. He took of his hand and stared back at Kanda, scared.

"I wasn't...I mean...I" Allen tried to say. He was fumbling with his words so much that he couldn't make a single sentence. Get yourself together! A voice screamed inside his head.

"Allen, how can I..." Kanda mumbled softly, behind his silky hair. Allen sat there petrified. "How can I manage myself when you..." Kanda cringed, his fist tightening again around his shirt. Allen could tell that he was biting his lip, holding back the words he wanted to say. His whole body posture was retreating, but he didn't run away. It was like turning away from a scary movie- you look away and hide your face, but you always peek through your fingers to see what was happening. Though- Kanda didn't show any sign of retreating, but rather...he came closer to Allen.

"Allen..." he said, in a crisp voice. As fierce as silence could be, Kanda inched closer to Allen's face, or more importantly, his lips.

Allen was white in shock. He didn't know what to do. He pressed up against the wall with no where to go. Closing his eyes to try to wish himself away, he felt Kanda's breath hovering over his lips. He cringed.

Right as Kanda was centimeters away from Allen's face, a loudspeaker rang with halting, cranking noise.

! Will Allen Walker and Kanda please report to Head Advisor Komui's office A.S.A.P. I repeat, will Allen Walker and Kanda please report...

Kanda stayed where he was, stiff and frozen into place. Allen, with his head still backed up against the wall, tilted his head in just the right moment to hear the announcement over the speaker. Kanda stayed there with his hair dangling, frozen like ice.

Allen sighed in relief, closing his eyes to keep away from looking at Kanda's glowering face. He was annoyed. And not only that, Allen could only assume that he was...embarrassed.Kanda didn't blush, didn't skit away, but rather stayed in place and just stood there, leaning over Allen's body. His eyes were staring at his lips, glaring at them with such rage. Finally, he broke away with a huge leap.

"Damn it all!" Kanda barked, grabbing Mugen and heading towards the infirmary's door. Allen watched Kanda go with wide eyes.

"What the hell was that?!" Allen screeched, covering his mouth. Kanda was going to...going to...he didn't even want to admit it! Kanda was going to...kiss him?!

"Just stay the hell away from me, got it?!" Kanda hissed, his voice distressed. He clenched the door-frame with such intensity that Allen thought it might snap under his fingers. "Just...stay the fuck away..."

Allen grabbed his coat that was being used as a pillow, breathing hard. He was going to do that. Oh my God. he thought, his face becoming red. Oh my God, he was going to...he bit his lip.

"What is wrong with you?!" Allen cried, his voice cracking. Of course. Only Kanda has the smooth talking, while Allen cracks under embarrassing pressure.

"Stay the fuck away!" Kanda roared, his voice booming in the room. It echoed, leaving Allen shocked again. He'd never heard Kanda yell so loud, with such meaning behind it. It freaked Allen out as Kanda screamed in anger, thrashing Mugen into the wall until it gave way to a huge hole. He breathed heavily as he turned his back to Allen while holding the door.

"Why do you have to be so damn..." Kanda mumbled angrily under his desperate breathing. "...clueless?" As he walked out of the room, he slammed the door so strongly that cracks zapped up to the ceiling. Allen sat there on the bed, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Yep.

Didn't understand a thing.

Kanda and Allen sat in Komui's office, both sitting on opposite sides of the blush, red couch. Kanda's legs were crossed, to further the distance, while Allen faced away from him, laying his face in the palm of his hand while his elbow rested on the chair's armrest. Komui could tell that both had them had a really huge fight. They both usually did this when they were angry at each other. Komui sighed in frustration. When were these two idiots going to stop?

"Will the both of you please stop acting like a married couple and act maturely for once?" Komui said aloud, not afraid of Kanda's sudden twitch to grab his sword. Allen jerked his head towards Komui while his hand twitched, his innocence glowing. Komui took a hint and hid behind his desk.

"I-I mean-" Komui stuttered, standing behind his chair. The rage was rapidly growing with each second. Komui smiled sheepishly and grabbed the files. "Anyways"

"There have been some strange occurrences in the East Atlantic region. The complaint states that people have been dieing off of a disease they call "Edmund's Touch". It's been happening activley for over 5 months now, and everyone is severely worried. Edmund, the suspected perpetrator, has been put in solitary confinement about a decade ago, but even still people are still affected by it. The society there is suffering, and the Black Order is interested that it might be the case of some sort of allergic innocence. Any questions?"

Allen raised his hand. "What does "Edmunds Touch" do to the victim?" he asked professionally.

Komui shifted through his papers. "Right, about that..." he finally brought out a red sheet of paper and held it to his eyes. "Right, okay now...The "touch" is a growing virus, not specified, that starts at the specified place of growth, such as an arm, leg, face, neck...it grows towards the heart and then basically splits the heart in two. After the heart stops, though, the person lives on for a couple more months, but eventually "bursts" from the inside out and dies. People, even the victim, doesn't know they're goanna die before they do, when they're splattered all over the floor. Pretty gruesome, I'd say." Allen pondered the thought.

"So basically, it's heart failure?"

"More like someone's heart breaking." Kanda said nonchalantly. Allen glanced at Kanda, surprised by the comment. Heart...breaking? He bit his lip and wondered. Does he mean anything by that?Komui nodded his head.

"Yes, like someone's heart breaking. Although, the virus is very strange. The eerie thing about it is that it only happens between lovers."

Both Kanda and Allen piped up. "What do you mean, between lovers?" Kanda said sharply, leaning back in his chair.

Komui continued on. "The virus is only called "Edmund's Touch" because the first victim was Edmund Thully, the supposed perpetrator's, wife. She was pregnant with a child before suddenly, the virus got to her and she died during housework. The society blamed Edmund for it, and therefore they banished him to solitary confinement. Even then, people were still affected. Presently 17 people have died because of it, 11 men and 7 women, all of them connected with a lover. They all suppose that Edmund must have touched someone at one point. I just don't see how he could do it, since he's stuck up in that jail cell."

"So, it's our job to find the source and delete it?" Kanda growled, like usual. Allen shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He was acting like nothing had happened- like everything was back to normal and Kanda was being his own, pissy self. He leaned on his chair again.

"You know the drill. Get the innocence, if there is any." Kanda nodded and left the couch.

"Same shit every week." He grumbled, Allen following close behind him.

The train ride was bumpy as Kanda stared out the window, the green hills and blue sky whizzing past him like a picture book. Allen sat across from him, uncomfortably playing with his hands. Kanda and himself were in the same cubicle. Together. Was he going to try anything on him? Was he going to try and kiss him like he had in the infirmary? Allen thought of the possibilities while staring at the floor.

"Will you stop acting like a pissy little kid?" Kanda seethed, glaring at him with his usual glare. Allen flinched. Why was he acting normally? It was freaking him out!

He didn't answer, but rather stared at Kanda attentively. He didn't want him to try something tricky. He crossed his legs and looked out of the window too, still keeping him in his peripheral vision.

"Look, you can stop the acting now. It's annoying."

Allen still didn't reply, staring out the window. He didn't want to talk to him. Now that he thought about it, he was mad at Kanda. Really mad. He figured that Kanda would never try to kiss him on purpose, he was just trying to play around with Allen's mind! He was just trying to see what Allen would do, how Allen would react. He grit his teeth. Kanda was up to something. Something no good. He couldn't believe that Kanda would go that far as to embarrass Allen. That good for nothing...

"Y'know what, you just go ahead and pout like a spoiled brat." Kanda gruffed, standing up. He grabbed Mugen and held it by his side. Before he could walk out of the cubicle, Allen spoke.

"You think this is fun, don't you?" he murmured, still staring out of the window. He didn't look at him. "You think this is all just some funny joke, huh?"

Kanda turned around, surprised at what Allen said. Joke? Since when was this a joke?For all he knew, Allen was just trying to test him. He faced Allen once more and gripped Mugen.

"Since when have I done anything I didn't want to?" he said, lowly. Allen glanced at Kanda, but only caught the back of his cape before he left the room. He sat there, his hand off from his face.

They scowled the town, Kanda's black golem twirling around his head. For something so annoying, he didn't mind it, but when Tim's golden wings flew across his face he swapped it with his hand and growled.

"Get that stupid thing away from me." He glowered, his leather gloves squeaking as he clenched his hands. Allen frowned.

"It's not my fault that Tim is curious. I don't control what he does."

Kanda sneered. "Well it's yourgolem! You own him, so you get him the hell away from me!"

Allen frowned. Flipping out his white gloved hand, he demanded that Tim come towards him and Tim did, landing sheepishly on his fingers. While petting him softly, he glared at Kanda. I don't even know why I listen to him anymore. He thought. Suddenly, a blood-stained little girl in a dress came up to him.

"Mister! Mister, please!" she cried, tugging onto his Black Order uniform. It tucked Tim inside his hood and looked down to her. She was crying. Kanda stopped walking and looked to see what was wrong. The little girl held onto Allen's clothing like it was refuge.

"Please Mister, please help my mommy!" she wailed, gripping his cape. He frowned. He knew where this was leading as soon as he noticed her. He placed his gloved hand onto her head and brushed back her hair so that he could see her face. She looked up, red marks under her baggy eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked, in his kindest, softest voice. She cried.

"My mommy...I couldn't help my mommy, and now...!" she dug her face into his clothes. Kanda got sick of the sob-story and came to Allen's side.

"Look, little girl, tell us what's wrong so that we can help you. Otherwise, I'm goanna kick you aside. I got things to do." Allen's mouth gaped as he faced Kanda. How rude! Inhumane! His little girl is crying and all he thinks about is himself! Allen glanced away and looked at the little girl who looked at Kanda like he was a monster. He patted her head.

"Don't listen to the big, fat, idiot. I can help you." he said with a smile. Kanda held back the urge to sock him in the head.

"C-come with me!" the little girl said, grabbing Allen's gloved hand. "Help my mommy!"

Allen followed the girl as Kanda frustratingly followed behind, huffing a huge fit over it. Why the hell does he have to be so generous? he thought, stomping. That stupid little girl is going to get in the way of our mission.

Suddenly, he felt something tug at the corner of his mind.

You're jealous, aren't you.

Kanda chuckled.

None of your fucking business.

Allen and Kanda arrived at the little girls house, the front porch steps covered in blood. Allen tip-toes over it while in complete awe. He knew these steps were painted white. He saw a but of white color in the un-touched corner that wasn't splattered in blood. The rest was a deep maroon red. Kanda just stomped right through it, his leather black shoes dripping with blood. He didn't even look twice. Typical. Allen thought, as he lifted the girl up from the street so that she wouldn't get her nice shoes wet with it. Disgustingly typical.

As she opened the door and led them inside her house, Allen took a look around to see that the front porch wasn't the only one dripping in blood. It was also the living room, the fireplace, the dining hall, the kitchen...the little girl started to cry again as she walked up the stairs and down the hall. Kanda crossed his arms, annoyed by the journey. There's no point, there's no point, there's no point...He kept on thinking to himself, rolling his eyes every time he had to leap over a pool of blood. Allen kept with his gentleman-ly self and helped the girl reach the door at the end of the hall. When she stood there, she looked at Allen, tears rolling down her face.

"Can you fix my mommy?" she cried, holding the door handle. Allen grasped it in his hands and pulled the door open, revealing a small, shadowed room. Even Kanda flinched when he saw the sight.

There, a woman no older than the age of 30, was laying there on the bed, her chest flapped to the sides to reveal her ribs and her heart brown and shriveled. Blood was dripping at all angles of the bed that she lay on. Even though most was dried up, there was still a trickle dripping off of the corner of the sheet. Allen didn't want to walk in there. The smell was horrifying, but the sight was even worse. This woman had died of the disease that Komui had talked about.. "Edmund's Touch". He noticed that her hand was white and paler than the rest of her blood-stained body. That's where she must have received it...he thought, bringing his hand up to his mouth. The little girl looked up to Allen.

"Can you fix her?" she asked again, tugging at his sleeve. "Please say you can fix mommy!" Allen's eyes started to gather up in tears.

Kanda brushed past him, entering the room and surveying the scene. Allen took a brave step and entered the room too, lifting up the little girl and carrying her in his arms. Kanda growled.

"Edmund's Touch." was all he said, bringing out Mugen so that he could move the sheets away from the dead woman. The little girl whimpered.

"But mommy was with me the whole time!" she wailed. "Daddy died a couple months ago. And then Auntie Milly, and Uncle Bo, but mommy was with me the whole time!" she clung onto Allen.

Kanda bit his lip as he thought of the words to say. "Look kid," he started off, tilting the woman's head aside with Mugen and feeling for any source of life. "Your mom's got no life left in her. I would know. Mugen here senses life. And your mother doesn't have any." The little girl stiffened.

"Your wrong!" she screamed, tears bubbling out of her eyes. "Mommy didn't die! Mommy is just sick! She needs your help! Help mommy!" she shook Allen before hitting her head against Allen's shoulder, sobbing in grief. Allen held her as he glared at Kanda for the 15th time that day.

"Nice going, jerk." he mouthed. Kanda twitched.

"What was I going to say? Oh yeah, your mom's fine?" he mouthed back, spitting on the floor. Allen swelled up in rage and grit his teeth.

"Look, little girl-" Allen started to say.

"My name is Chelie." she mumbled through her hics and sobs. Allen rubbed her back.

"Chelie, do you know where you father got the sickness from?"

Chelie bit her lip to try and stop the crying. Allen wiped a tear away. "Daddy's neck was white after he died. Mommy said he deserved it because Daddy was cheating on her...but...Daddy wouldn't cheat on Mommy..." she slumped in sadness. Allen held her.

"The neck, huh?" Kanda muttered, looking towards the woman. He wouldn't dare touch her. Who knows if the blood of the victim might be contagious?

Then, it struck an idea. Kanda swung his face around and looked at Chelie.

"Chelie, how long have you been wearing that dress?" he stared at it, beginning to become in shock.

She sniffed. "I haven't changed out of it. I don't know..."

Kanda roared. "Tell me when! When was the last time you wore something else?!" she backed away from him in Allen's arms. He didn't get what was going on.

"M-maybe 3 weeks...a month?" she stuttered, gripping onto Allen. Allen suddenly caught on.

Oh no...

"Why does that have to do with any-" Chelie started to say before she choked mid-way of her sentence. She grasped her chest, and her eyes enlarged like moons. Kanda piveted in his stance and backed away. Allen stared at her in her eyes, afraid about what was going to happen. Kanda braced his Mugen, seeing it from the start.

And suddenly...

Her chest ripped in half, her blood spewed out from her, right from the inside out.

Just like her mother. Dripping in blood...

And all over Allen.