Disclaimer: I do not own -Man or any of its characters.

Allen's POV:

As I was telling Komui through the wireless that we would need immediate medical attention when we returned, I felt Kanda's hold on his side slacken. Looking at his face, I confirmed that he was out. Lenalee checked his pulse and said it was a little weak but nothing to worry about yet. Blood still trickled from between my fingers; so warm. I knew we needed a better solution. I asked the others to help me lift him into a sitting position, and once they did I used my Clown Belt to wrap the injury tightly. From the brief glimpse I got of the exposed injury, it looked like it was improving - thank goodness. He really stretched himself too thin this time. It must have had something to do with that thing his Innocence created. "We're leaving right now," I informed the others.

"I would like to come with you to the Ark", informed the General. "Not only to ensure your safety but the safety of the Accommodator that you picked up as well." So someone filled him in on our reason for being here. It was clear he was sincerely concerned for our well-being, but his ulterior motive was something to consider.

I was pretty sure I had a concussion, and I didn't want to argue so I just made my stance clear. "We appreciate the help and you're welcome to come, General, and Chaoji too, but first I would like your word that you won't attempt to take the Accommodator with you when you leave."

"I can promise you that, Allen. But I don't promise that I won't try to convince you or the young lady in question otherwise. I suggest we see what the girl can do first."

"That's fine, General. Welcome aboard." At that, I opened a gate for us.

The next morning, I was discharged from the infirmary. All of the other combatants were released last night, but I had still been a little too easily confused for the doctor's liking - courtesy of the slightly fractured skull. I currently had a tormenting headache, but I wouldn't have been satisfied with lying down while there was so much to sort through.

I passed through the lounge on the way to the cafeteria and found Kanda, Lavi and Lenalee there. Where they waiting up for me, I wonder? Kanda looked up from the battle tactics book he'd been reading and was the first to notice me. Lavi and Lenalee were arguing about a move someone had made in their chess game.

Kanda looked me up and down as if checking me over to make sure I was alright. I did the same to him and it looked like he was at 100 percent once again. From the most to the least injured among us in only a few hours. Once I was satisfied about his well-being, I went back and looked him over again for selfish reasons.

I gave him a secret smile before greeting everyone at once. "Hi, everyone. I've been let out."

Lenalee and Lavi looked me over as well. I could see that they had no more than a few cuts and bruises. Lenalee said, "I'm so glad, Allen. How do you feel?"

"I've got a bad headache, to be honest," I said sitting down. But I want to eat, bathe, and then see, ah…what's the Accommodator's name, by the way?" I began.

"Millie Cooper," supplied Lavi.

"Right. Then I'll meet Millie, and talk to General Tiedoll and Chaoji as well."

Kanda said, "There's a meeting planned for two hours from now. You can just talk to all of them at once then."

"Sounds good," I said, putting a hand to my head in response to a particular stab of pain.

"You should rest up instead," said Lenalee. "You'll heal quicker if you do."

"Yea, you were actually pretty loopy last night," agreed Lavi. "Do you remember?" I didn't, really. He was smiling by now and I knew he would delight in telling me either way. "You were concerned that you left the oven on and told everyone you needed to check. Of course, there is no oven in your house. Haha! We managed to keep you in bed for a little while, but you eventually snuck away. Only you tried to leave through the linen closet so it didn't work out for you. Oh, and when you walked it was very wobbly. Then you asked where Link was, and when we told you he wasn't there you looked sad for a while. Then you kept trying to hug Kanda! Haha! He would get angry and move somewhere else in the room and you would follow him until the nurse forced you back to bed. After a few hours of that he gave up and sat there with his arms crossed while you hung off of him!"

Now that he mentioned it, I remember having perfectly good reasons for everything I did at the time, but I could no longer recall what they were. There was no use getting embarrassed. All three of them seemed to think it was funny, after all.

Lavi laughed a bit more and then took a more serious tone, "Seriously though, you were very out of character so I don't think you should strain your head."

"What were the doctor's instructions for you?" asked Kanda.

"I have a skull fracture - a very small one. He said no physical activity for a week, but didn't say 'You can't talk to a large group of people that are all in the same room'," I said grumpily. Before anyone could respond, I added "Look, I'm really hungry. Could we discuss this over breakfast?"

I didn't speak again until I was full. The fight from the day before, and the injuries I still had meant that I needed to eat much more than normal.

When conversation resumed: Generally, I conveyed that I would be participating in the upcoming decisions. And they conveyed that my decisions couldn't be trusted yet. My response to that was that if they couldn't tell the difference between a sound opinion based on facts and one based on nonsense then that didn't speak very well for anyone. And since I was able to make that argument in the first place, they finally believed I was sane enough to join them.

Argument ended, I could feel the tension leave us as we walked back to our homes.

Lavi filled the silence with, "So that you're prepared, Allen and Kanda, everyone will want to know how you pulled off your new moves in that fight with Tyki. It really was awesome, by the way."

"Thanks. I haven't had time to think about it myself," was all I offered.

"I have some ideas about that," Kanda said casually, making eye contact with me.

Taking the hint I said, "I'd like to hear them before the meeting with everyone. Do you have a few minutes to discuss them now?"

He paused believably before answering, "I guess." I had to hide my smile.

Kanda and I sat in my living room on adjacent couches, looking into the fireplace.

I began with, "You're a good actor; at least when you're pretending to be indifferent, anyway."

"Who said I'm pretending?" he responded teasingly.

"Are you really all healed?" I asked, looking at his side.

"Yea, not even a scar left." He lifted his shirt to show me smooth skin where he had been bleeding profusely from yesterday. For a moment, I remembered the large pool of blood that surrounded him and that I had knelt in.

I shook the memory and focused on what was in front of me – Kanda's still exposed torso that I developed the urge to touch. I leaned towards him and ran my right palm over the healed skin. The muscle underneath twitched in reaction. I slowly pulled away and sat back again.

I could see him smirk as he pulled his shirt down again. But after that he went deep in thought. "I pushed myself too far; I almost didn't bounce back that time." Then in a more put-out tone, "General Tiedoll wouldn't leave me alone. He visited maybe 20 times until I was discharged from the infirmary."

"Does he bother you that much? He cares about you."

"Not really", he said referring to whether the attention bothers him. "What about you? Really? Not going to fall down a rabbit hole are you?" he said referring to my head.

"You read that book?"

"Yea. Though I remember thinking the world that Alice fell into wasn't as scary as she made it out to be. More annoying than anything."

"How old were you when you read it?"

"Ten. Not long after joining the central branch of the Order."

"Well, I understand how the ten-year-old you could think that. When I read the book I remember thinking that maybe my strange arm meant that I was really part of a crazy world like that and I fell into the normal one."

"I guess you were right, more or less…Did the doctor give you a painkiller?"

"Yea, but I can't take it yet. Not while I want to think clearly."

"Idiot."

"If I'm an idiot, you are too. Which leads us into the discussion of what the hell happened yesterday? Was it as you thought? The sense of urgency that lets Exorcists evolve the connection with their Innocence; was it even stronger in this case because I was in danger? Stronger than if Lavi or Lenalee or Marcus or Michael was in danger?" The latter two names were of Finders that Kanda befriended more than the others.

"I just remember thinking that there was no way I could let Tyki take you with him. It was a stronger urge to protect than I've ever felt. And then I could see the Guardian clearly in my mind, and I was able to make it real using the Innocence and my own energy. I have little doubt that it was possible because it was you that was in danger. But now that it's been summoned, I know I can create it again if I need it."

He looked at me intensely, studying me. Maybe he was thinking, 'What does make this guy different from anyone else?' It made my pulse quicken. He did all things with such intensity, and now he was thinking of me.

I swallowed in attempt to alleviate my dry throat. "I think it's the same for me. I was able to split my Innocence into two sets of armor. I felt like I needed to attack and defend at the same time, and my Innocence met that need. Maybe, with practice, I could defend a small team like that. Give them each some armor to use in a fight…When I saw how badly hurt you were, and that you might be in real danger…well, it was a horrible feeling. Like my stomach dropped, and a bolt of lightning went through me."

I got lost in the memory at some point while I was talking, looking at the floor. When I was done speaking, I looked at Kanda again. The memory made me feel raw, and his eyes showed me that he was affected as well. I leaned across the arm of the couch and he did the same so that our lips met in a kiss. The contact soothed some of the rawness. I moved to sit directly next to him, never breaking the kiss. His arms were around me in an instant, and I wrapped my own arms around his neck. The kiss deepened, and our tongues fought each other.

It was only then that I realized that I had been holding onto the troubled feelings that the battle caused longer than I usually did. And not just because there are new emotions involved. I usually vented after a fight. And that was most often accomplished by fighting with Kanda, by both verbal and physical means. But we didn't fight this time. It didn't even cross my mind. Instead, we're pouring all of our frustration into this new connection we have. And I have to say that it's working very well.

"Beats kicking the shit out of each other", I said breathlessly when our lips parted.

He smiled challengingly as if to say he would enjoy both.

"So," I said, climbing back to my own couch, "I was thinking that when we get asked for the details about how we managed to get stronger, I'll put them off for a few days. Until every waking moment isn't one long headache."

"So that the power is still with us to reveal what we want to in our own time. I agree."

The more pressing matter discussed, I remembered something else I wanted to bring up. "By the way, I'm not trying to pick fights but you shouldn't have interrupted when Tyki was talking to me. He was giving us information that we didn't already know."

He half succeeded in hiding his anger. "My concern was that you were telling Tyki things that he didn't need to know. I wanted to stop you even earlier than I did, but I held back. And then he was trying to convince you to get to know you're Noah side better, and then sit and have a nice chat with him. "

I took a moment to hold back my own anger, and then said, "Do you think by his merely suggesting those things, that I'll actually do them?"

"No."

"Then give me some credit. Anyway, I've been thinking that it would be a good idea to know more about the two sets of foggy memories in my head. It might make me realize some things that I haven't yet. Maybe about how to defeat the Earl." This shouldn't be news to him.

"Or it might cloud your thoughts, and you'll want to join the Earl, or even usurp him." Oh. So now we were at the heart of it.

"I have everyone here on the Ark with me to tell me if what I'm thinking makes any sense before I act, including you." My voice started to reveal my concern. "Of course I'm scared of the possibilities. I've run them all through my mind so many times. Something you haven't mentioned yet: What if I'm no longer myself? I could already be slipping away and not even realized it. Am I acting like Neah? I don't know, and I haven't been able to ask anyone who's known him. And even if I'm still 'Allen' now, I could be more 'Neah' or 'Noah'-like down the road."

"You're Allen", he cut in. "I have no doubt of that. At least, you're character is the same since the time that I met you. You're experiences have molded you into a better Exorcist and stronger person, but you are you. If these other two influences changed you, it happened before I met you. If you want to go back farther than that, you'll have to ask someone else."

No one else talks to me this way. And I really needed it. "Kanda. You're right." Maybe I should go to see Mother. A visit is long overdue.

"Next time an enemy runs his mouth off, I'll let him. But you should be more careful about what you say."

"Ok."

"Lavi gave me an earful about interrupting too, by the way. But I told him it was no time to be thinking like a Bookman. It turns out he'll get his way, but I'll never tell him I was wrong."

I laughed.

I whispered to Lenalee, on my left, "Mille wasn't too traumatized by the whole thing, was she?"

"She's very resilient" she responded while looking at her across the table. Mille herself was talking to Johnnie about her life in America. "I think we'll be shown once again that the burden of this life is only laid on those that can adapt to it. She was most concerned about the safety of her family and townspeople. General Tiedoll, Komui, Johnnie and I have spent the most time with her, explaining what it is that we do and what kind of life she should expect to lead from now on."

With everyone now seated, the side conversations died down and Komui took the floor. "We have quite a few things to discuss, but I would like to start with our guest, Mille Cooper." He then addressed her directly. "Mille, we all apologize for the chaotic way in which you came to meet us. In more ideal circumstances, we would have met with you and your family on your own terms and discussed your joining of the Order or the splinter group that we're a part of. I hope you've become assured that your town is safe. There were indeed no casualties during our fight against the Noah and the akuma."

"I'll be more assured if I can see them for myself," she responded. She seems to have changed her speech. She had the same accent, but was now using what we would consider proper English.

"That can be arranged," assured Komui.

She looked appeased. "And I'll take that time to say goodbye."

Johnnie put a hand on her shoulder.

"When will I know which team I'll join? You just referred to yourself as a splinter group. Exactly how do you differ in fighting against those monsters?"

General Tiedoll spoke up. "The upper echelons of the Black Order don't trust some of the members of this group because they have some ties to the enemy. I would prefer to see you join me in the Order, but the decision is ultimately up to you."

Komui said, "I would like to wait and see what your Innocence allows you to do before deciding where you should go. From my discussions with you, I really think you have a support-type ability. Your emotions are strongest when talking about helping others. You also said you felt something within you when Tyki was near. Perhaps your power has something to do with dark matter.

Johnnie said, "Say, Allen. Could you, you know, be our dark matter test subject?" Everyone looked at me interestedly. I didn't switch to my Noah form very often in front of them.

I nodded and in an instant, the transformation was done. As always happened, I felt more focused and rational, giving less attention to emotional reactions. The slight embarrassment I felt a moment before was gone. I looked at Mille, and saw the fear on her face. I thought of soothing her with reassurance, since we wouldn't get anywhere if she panicked. But then I remembered that fear was good when connecting with Innocence. Ever better is fear on another's behalf. I opened a portal next to Lenalee, keeping a level gaze on Mille, and then pushed Lenalee through it with one arm, knowing that she would land on the overstuffed chair in the lounge.

Mille screamed and the Innocence in her hands undoubtedly activated. I felt a great deal of pain, and I wasn't sure which was from my headache –exacerbated by her scream – and which was her Innocence acting upon me. I fell to the floor from my chair, and when I gathered myself to sit up I noticed that the Noah transformation was cancelled. I looked around me then. Kanda was on one knee next to me, asking if I was alright without words. General Tiedoll was at my other side checking me over, and asking me how I felt.

Through the disorientation, I tried to initiate the transformation again and couldn't. Then I tried to open a doorway, and was unable to do so. I couldn't feel the presence of the people on the Ark either. It made me feel very uncomfortable. "Turn it off" I requested of Mille. Then I explained to everyone how the Noah abilities were suppressed.

Mille wasn't sure what to do. She thought I was a real threat and didn't want to give me my power. She looked around the room for confirmation.

Komui told her firmly to deactivate, and assured her that I wasn't an enemy.

"What about Lenalee. What did he do to her?" asked Millie.

"She's fine. Probably coming back to this room right now." I confirmed. "I was trying to create a sense of urgency in you."

"Well, it worked." She said, put out. She concentrated for a few moments, and then I felt as I should again.

"Thank you", I said appreciatively.

"Well, I guess you're a dark matter suppressor," said Lavi.

"That's good. Cuz I can't stand the feeling of that stuff near me. I'm really tired," was her response.

"I have a good idea of how to make your weapon", Komui said with confidence. "By the way, when you visit your family, take your most precious possessions with you. They may help in the forging of the weapon. You did a great job, Millie. Why don't you rest now?"

Johnnie guided her out of the room.

"Now that that's settled, I'm going to have to excuse myself", I said. "I thought I felt bad this morning…"

"You shouldn't have been a guinea pig when you still have a cracked head", said Kanda. Of course, for Kanda that's showing a great deal of concern.

"It's not helpful to complain after it's done", said Lavi. "If you had a problem you should have said something earlier."

"Shut up."

"I'll walk with you, Allen. Don't want you passing out on the way home," offered Lavi.

My injuries were fully healed. General Tiedoll and Chaoji left us once again. Mille stayed with us on the Ark, and is practicing with her newly forged weapon.

I had made all of the preparations to the room and I stood there looking over my work. I told Kanda that what I was doing would be a surprise. The hot spring was large had a waterfall, and I had a cool pool next to it in case we got too warm. I decided to make a forest landscape around it. I set the sky to a perpetual sunset.

Now I just had to find Kanda. I concentrated, sensed that he was at home and then I opened a screen to see whether he was alone. I made it a rule never to look inside of the houses of others unless it was an emergency, but Kanda was expecting me at this time.

He was sitting on the flat porch railing, one leg on the floor and the other bent at the knee with his foot on the railing. His head was leaning against the frame and his eyes were closed. It took me by surprise when I noticed a small white kitten stretched out over his thigh, asleep. I wondered if he even knew that he had its company.

Without further delay, I stepped through a door into his living room. We agreed that this was our last night for stealth and I didn't want the light that emits from the door to alert anyone. I bunched up a discarded piece of paper on his table, got down low behind the window and threw it at his head. His first reaction, unsurprisingly, was to be pissed off. He sat up straight and looked in the general direction of the throw with a look to kill. The kitten jumped down onto the floor with surprise. Once Kanda realized it was me, however, his bearing became more neutral and he walked into his house.

I smiled and pointed my arm at the door in invitation to walk through.

He looked around at what I had set up, and I could tell he was impressed.

"It's a gift to everyone, but tonight it's just for the two of us," I said.

He looked back at me with gratitude. Then he turned towards the water and began to strip off his clothes. I struggled to do the same and not just stand there and gawk. I always loved his long, lean torso, and it was accentuated as he pulled off his shirt.

The water was perfectly hot against my skin, just right. It would relax my aching muscles, and the calming effect would keep my over-eagerness in check. Kanda sat beside me on a bench in the water. For a long time we just relaxed and said nothing, but his presence soothed me.

I thought back to how well we supported each other in battle the other day. Could the bond increase and make us stronger still? There was a real possibility.

I changed the setting to full nighttime, and then began the fireworks show that I had planned.

Kanda's hand covered mine in the water. Such a small gesture, and yet it was so much. His fingers began to idly graze and rub my hand. I turned my own hand over and responded with my own. This somehow turned into a game where we each tried to be the topmost hand, weaving and bobbing followed by firm grips, which grew further until it felt more like a strong-arming match. We were both laughing by now, and it didn't end until I pinned his wrist to the bench.

From there, I straddled his lap slowly while keeping a distance between our chests. The look of want and good humor he gave me was very encouraging. I leaned forward, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him softly and thoroughly. I felt like a starving man though I had kissed him just yesterday. And it wasn't long until I was hungry for more than kisses alone.

I pushed myself forward so that I sat closer against Kanda's body, and our cocks would bob against each other in the water. We were each snaking our hands along each other's bodies, like we wanted to feel all we could at the same time.

I wrapped my legs completely around his middle and pulled him closer still. Our kissing grew urgent, tongues plunging deep. I grabbed his cock with one hand and rubbed it slowly under the water. His resulting groan made me desire him all the more; it was so deep and wanting. He took my dick in his hand with a firm grip and matched the pace I had set.

It was getting difficult for my body to sit still, so I rocked my hips as we continued. I licked and sucked his throat as he kept his head tiled back. I decided I liked the way he looked when he did that. And then he moved his head forward and bit at my ear. First on the lobe, then around the shell, then on the top of the ear, and around the shell again, ending by focusing behind the ear. When he realized the last was the most responsive of all, he didn't let up for a long time.

All of a sudden we were kissing again, and that hunger was intensified. I stroked his cock gently and I swallowed the resulting hitch in his throat. He grabbed the back of my head with one hand and pulled it tighter to him. His other hand went to my erection and more or less matched the pace I was using with him. I loved every second, but after a time I wanted more. As I was deciding what I wanted 'more' to mean, Kanda's hand traveled down from the back of my head, along my back, and grazed at my entrance.

It shocked me out of all other actions and thoughts. What was left behind was a deep thrill at the implication of the touch mixed with fear of the unknown, and then confidence as I looked at the sincere expression on his face. He was always a man that used actions and bearing better than words, and I heard him. He rubbed in a slow rhythm and I closed my eyes for the power of it. In one sense we might be letting off steam, the same way that we used to fight at every opportunity. But he let me see just now quite plainly that this is something more. It put a lump in my throat, and I decided that I would make sure to tell him in his own language how I felt as well. It's not very difficult. I just had to let go.

I opened my eyes and I could see him read the confirmation and the pleasure on my face. I pushed away from his body some, which gave him better access to my entrance. The sheer intimacy of it all was nearly overwhelming. I attacked his mouth with my own and then we each resumed the attention to each other's cocks. The combination of sensations was starting to melt together for me.

I pushed against his fingers without thinking about it. And his response was to probe just inside that tight ring. Just inside. Pressing gently against the sides with first one finger and then two. I was breathing deeply but I refused to stop kissing him. The kisses were short and in between breaths. When the sensation of stretching lessened I couldn't help but to push against his fingers again, forcing them deeper inside. The water offered too much resistance to make the friction pleasurable though.

I stuck my hand out to the side and into the window I knew I had made. I reached for the oil that was on the table in my house and pulled it through, dissolving the window behind me. I pushed the bottle onto Kanda's chest and said, "I want you to keep doing that, but not in the water." It took him a moment to understand my words, but he nodded once he did.

I stood up and pulled him along by the wrist out of the hot spring and to a bench I had thought to include in the room. The air seemed cool against my hot skin. "Just as we left off," I told him and I pushed him just enough to make him sit down. I climbed on top of him and put my legs around him again, resuming as quickly as I could so that it was as if there was never an interruption. He followed suit and found use for the oil that he had placed on the bench beside us before long.

His arms left my body for a short time. Then one hand was holding my hip while the other was stretching me in the way it had before. Only now it was slick and moved more easily. I pushed against his fingers and felt them go deeper inside of me. He went for the oil again. With both hands well lubricated he rubbed his own erection and then focused on mine. He also pushed two fingers into me again and pumped them in and out. I got lost in those feelings easily, and I closed my hand around his oiled erection in return.

I struggled not to pump him too quickly. It wasn't nearly time to come yet. As Kanda rubbed and stretched me inside, I knew I wanted it all. I wanted him inside me, and I wanted to see what his face looked like when he was. I broke our lips apart, leaned closer to his ear and said with the little breath I could gather, "I'm going to take you now." When I pulled back to see his reaction, I saw that his face was more flushed than I had ever seen it, his eyes were wide and his lips were slightly parted.

He replied, "You can take me any time you want. Right now. And tomorrow. And next month. And…" He didn't seem to want to finish his words, so I took them for what they were and kissed him impatiently.