A/N: Yeah. So rather than at the beginning, I decided to put the trivia answers at the end (along with their explanations). Cuz I made a mistake: The "insult" actually does come up in the anime, apparently. (Thanks to spinninground for pointing that out!)
So this is your last chance to guess. For now, please (hopefully) enjoy chapter 7. ^_^
Allen had led his sulky samurai somewhere much greener and more 'private' —as far as can be said while still outdoors. Now, below the outcropping of rocks and dirt under which the two of them were secreted, Allen had backed Kanda toward the shadowy inner wall of the earthy alcove, and his hands pressed firmly into Kanda's rear so as to more effectively grind their hips together— slowly— as he kissed his Japanese lover senseless. If he were to look behind and to his right, he could appreciate the panoramic view of seemingly endless mist-covered treetops in the deep valley hidden far away in the distance below. But there was a much more breathtaking view directly before him, and nothing could take his eyes off it, at this moment.
Allen pressed his nose into the nape of Kanda's neck— inhaling Kanda's scent from there and in the long dark hair spilling along the side of his face. Laced within that already enticing fragrance, however, he discovered the unexpected but not unpleasant aroma of smoke and charcoal. "Mmm… You smell great."
Kanda snorted, but didn't laugh when Allen licked along his clavicle, only gasping in approval. Allen loved the smoky barbecue flavour Kanda had today. It complemented his heady musk of sweat, heat, and intensity surprisingly well, and stood out deliciously from the bouquet of loose dirt, wet grass, and fresh dew in the surrounding air.
"I want… to taste, more—"
Blushing as he realized what he'd just uttered aloud in his delirious ardour, Allen decided to bring the provocative taste back up to Kanda's lips. (It was the best way to head off whatever smart ass comment the guy was about to come out with.)
Judging by the fervour with which he soon returned that kiss, Allen became satisfied his snarky boyfriend was no longer in a state to be making fun. As if to confirm that thought, firm hands grabbed Allen's butt from behind in a mirroring gesture to Allen's own, grinding right back while teeth bit into Allen's neck at the same time. That'd be the man's unmistakeable way of demanding they get on with it.
"Ah, Kanda!" Hypersensitive as he now was, just that sort of gesture from Kanda was more than enough to make Allen start to feel impatient as well. So he shoved Kanda flush against the rocky, earthy wall behind him and began a fresh assault on his chest, kissing and biting seemingly at random, but actually starting above the bandages Kanda wore as a brace and then dipping his lips into the occasional small gaps in the rough, tightly drawn wrapping. He dropped lower and lower, with his hands trailing above his head, still pressing Kanda back against the rock face as flat palms continued sliding down that firm, toned, tan chest, recording the contrast of flawless skin and rough cloth there with his touch.
As his hands were catching up to his face, Allen eyed the sight before him through heavy eyelids: the bulge at the fork of Kanda's legs that was for him. Steadying himself on his knees, he took hold of Kanda's trousers, loosening and sliding them down gently while Kanda himself inched his back down just a little lower against the rock. When his hardness was freed, he let out a low sigh that made Allen shiver with lust.
Then Allen took hold and proceeded to drive the man wild, if the tensed muscles, swinging hair, and angled back head above were any indication. "Oh fuck… ahahhhh… Allen…"
After the first few times the two had fallen into bed together, Allen became accustomed to hearing his name called by Kanda only while in the throes of passion— and truth be told, he loved it how his name had come to be reserved for only that purpose. But he had to keep up appearances! Especially with Kanda, knowing what he'd say if he found out just what it might do to Allen now, if he heard Kanda call him by his given name at any other time.
Allen moaned appreciatively around Kanda's cock, which had the long-haired exorcist tensing up, pushing slowly forward, deeper into Allen's mouth and readied throat. Allen continued his work expertly and without missing a beat, as used to shoving things in his mouth as he already was.
"Ahhh, God! Allen!"
With this, Allen could no longer wait. He sent one hand into his own pants and began stroking himself furiously, even as he worked his tongue along Kanda's erection. Soon, he whimpered and sighed in ecstasy, as both began approaching a rapid climax. Allen went first, calling out around his mouthful of Kanda so fiercely as he came that it wasn't much longer before he felt Kanda spilling into his mouth, thrusting slightly while gripping the wall at his sides for dear life as he braced himself for the ride.
After, a panting Kanda slipped wordlessly down the inner wall of soil and rock, eyes closed, and they sat side by side against it, catching their breath. Allen was certain he'd never felt such contentment before in his life. It was never quite like this with anyone else before. Shit, he couldn't even get through blowing the guy without touching himself!
Soon, Kanda indulged Allen's small series of sweet, grateful kisses; their heads slowly tilting this way and that. Kanda's kiss, too, seemed to unconsciously communicate things the man would never say. If Allen's spoke 'Thank you for letting me close to you,' Kanda's answered with a begrudging 'I'm glad you dared come near me.'
To Allen there was— at least for him— something else between the two of them. It was in how he admired Kanda's strength, his form, and his uncompromising honesty. How they'd always understood each other in ways no one else at the Order could. They helped vent each other's stress. They fed, gluttonously, off each other's energy. For the majority of their time spent together, they argued, brawled, or both; a good portion of the rest, they engaged in… similarly strenuous activities…
Yet underneath all these vigorous antics and all the intensity between them, being with Kanda brought him peace.
oOo
Barely a minute had passed before the idyllic atmosphere was torn apart by the cry of a wounded animal in the distance. No wait, it was human. Still, Kanda thought, the voice's owner could pass for a moose in heat, or some shit like that.
"Ooohhhh woe is me! My Eliaaaade!"
Fuck, it's getting closer!
The tone-deaf serenade now came from near the grassy cliff directly above them. It didn't seem as though he'd noticed their presence at least by virtue of the fact they were hidden in a recess beneath him. All the same, Kanda kind of wanted make the presence of his fists known to the fucking vampire's face.
But he'd rather not be seen right now.
"Way to ruin the moment, Krory," Walker whispered quite faintly into Kanda's hair, sighing breathily.
Kanda's eyebrows furrowed in offence at Bean Sprout's vexed exhalations. He turned his head and glared a silent warning: 'Shut up, Bean Sprout!'
"Precious Eliade," Krory sobbed on. Fine trails of soil and a few loose pebbles were falling by the opening to the boys' hidden cove. Kanda guessed he was at the very edge of the cliff right above them, the shuffling drag of his stiffly pacing feet causing a rain of dirt to fall. "How this grand forest reminds me of the day we met! Its splendour is as your great beauty. The flowers in the Order courtyard— how dearly I wish I could have shown them to you too, Eliade! But akuma on the grounds of the Black Order—"
As the clueless man rambled on unaware of his captive audience, Walker rolled his eyes, shooting Kanda a defeated-looking glance. He shrugged, communicating a resigned 'Guess we'll just have to bear with this for a while.' with a mischievous closed-mouth smile. Kanda wasn't feeling particularly happy about all this. Walker's eyes and playful smile remained trained on Kanda, but he could only raise two grumpy eyebrows back.
Then Allen started to rub his arms, in straight, but gentle and soothing motions along the outside. Kanda felt his tightened muscles begin to go lax. As hands shifted to press away the tension along his spine, he relaxed into those sensations. Maybe waiting here wouldn't be so bad, after all.
"Father never told me life in the outside world might be like this!"
xXx
Raphael was in the men's room. Having always been rather on the shy side, he had elected to use one of the old (but sanitary) wooden stalls, rather than a urinal. As he was just concluding his business there, however, he took a step he hadn't needed to for quite some time— until recently. He (literally) stepped onto the toilet, crouching down with feet on the seat, arms around his legs, and chin tucked into his knees.
It was strange of him to do, he knew. He'd long since given up the habit. Truthfully, he hadn't even needed to in a long time… but then he became an exorcist. He'd led a satisfying, solitary (if somewhat lonely) life as a Finder. Then suddenly overnight, half the women in the Order were interested in him. (Literally, the night he'd come back with Lenalee and Miranda was all it took.)
He couldn't help it. Having been unexpectedly thrust into the role of one of the heroes of the Order, he'd been slung like a rubber band from a solitary (and lonely) life of supremely remote obscurity into untold fame and scrutiny. In order to recover the energy the crowd had leeched from him, he needed to recharge for a few minutes. So he assumed the comforting ball shape, while enjoying the quiet of the restroom. The empty restroom. The empty, quiet, peaceful, restroom.
Stillness and solitude.
Calming thoughts… calming thoughts… like that last mission I did as a Finder. Wasn't that nice? Lenalee's sweet smile, and Miranda's surprising resourcefulness, and Allen's gentlemanly kindness, and Kanda's… um…
Maybe I'll stick with Lenalee's smile—
But a loud SLAM! interrupted the proceedings in Raphael's mind.
The restroom door banged open before returning squeakily on its hinges to its natural resting position. Heavy footfalls stomped across the room, echoing angrily off the tile mosaic floor. The door to the painted wood stall he was in rattled slightly in the wake of whoever had just stormed inside. But that person wouldn't know he was here while he was sitting in his 'Safety Crouch.' The draining attention from all those girls was bad enough but now even in the toilet it was starting to sound scary.
A faucet squeaked on, and splashing sounds came from one of the sinks.
BANG! …BANG! …BANG! Bang-bang-bang! BANG!
Raphael ran nervous fingers through his chestnut hair.
Oh god, now what? So loud…
Loud noises continued to enter his range of hearing from just outside in the common area. Then came a blood-curdling screech. A man's voice? Though it sounded rather un-manly just then— not that Raphael would judge him for that, of course.
Lavi, the apprentice Bookman?
"How did it get here so FAST?!" The young Bookman wailed in evident despair.
"Damnit, Komui!" an angry voice bellowed from close by and Raphael nearly performed a small rabbit hop on the spot, he was so startled by the proximity of that shout.
Mr. Wenham? He's the one at the sink? What on earth is going on?
"I told you to stop making those damn robots! But do you listen to anything I say? Oh noooo, of course not. Instead you've got to call your latest deranged monstrosity at the slightest hint of someone showing interest in Lenalee— the poor girl. 'You can't keep doing this,' I said! 'Somebody might get killed,' I said! But did it make any difference? Noooo… "
"Brother~~," Lenalee addressed the Branch Head using a sickly sweet voice that Raphael was recently warned the girl only used when especially enraged.
"Yes, Lenalee~chan?"
"WHAT is THAT?"
"My latest masterpiece: 'Lenalin I.' The spitting image of my darling little sister~"
"Niii-san! How could you!"
"I wanted it to be a surprise~~!" was the cheerful reply.
There was an eerie silence lasting an eternity of seconds, it seemed to Raphael.
"Innocence, ACTIVATE!"
Additional noisy crashing sounds issued from the common area.
"Lenalee~~~ you don't like it?"
"And every time I tried to make you see reason, you'd make me lose my concentration with your damned... distractions." Mr. Wenham had gotten so into his rant, Raphael suspected he could (literally) leave the stall and exit the restroom without him noticing, until he added in a pathetically small whine: "Komuiiii… you can't just use sex to get away with whatever you want…"
Raphael blanched at Mr. Wenham's unexpected revelation. Not that anyone could see.
BANG! …BANG! …BANG!
"OH MY GOD, ANOTHER ONE?! Save me, Panda-jiji!"
Mr. Wenham let out a mighty sigh…
Raphael was going to need to stay in his Safety Crouch for a while longer.
A/N: The answer I was looking for on the insult in Chapter 6 was "straight-cut fringe," which you can see used toward the end of the hilarious little omake at the end of chapter 85. (If this doesn't ring a bell, then go check it out, right now!)
The "unusual object," which I'd be surprised if anyone guessed, really (unless they noticed the scarcity of of any named objects in the chapter), was the "false eyelashes," from chapter 211 (p.9, the first panel- I randomly noticed つけまつげ written there, with an arrow pointing to the loose eyelashes falling down).
Tough questions, huh? But hey it was totally optional.
Anywho it would be nice to see some reviews? (Those of you have been reviewing regularly, thanks so much for your support!) I'd love to know what you think of my silly attempts at humour! Anyway this story's not been interesting all that many people it seems so I think I'll be giving some love to my other projects for a short while (but more feedback will motivate me to update sooner).
NEXT: A bit more comedy, but things will start to get serious, when our favourite exorcists take on a new mission...