Countdown

Chapter Two

Youko's second day at the Order started out seemingly normal. A nice breakfast was waiting for her downstairs, as Allen had offered to share his usual sized meal with her. She had taken notice that Kanda was nowhere to be found; she smirked with delight. There was an easier feeling in the room without the man, finders and exorcists mingled without any appendages being sliced off or threatened to be. Youko was actually carrying on a quiet conversation with a Finder named Toma when a loud yell echoed through the dining hall. Heads whipped around to watch Lenalee cross the floor, heading straight towards Youko. She had on her casual clothing, a signal that she was going to go out on the town that day, and Allen had warned the newest member of her intentions. His whisper had made it to her just in time, 'Shopping? No, no thank you,' she thought, skillfully gliding around Toma and another few Finders. She had just exited the two large doors when Lenalee realized the girl had disappeared. The woman didn't know how, but she had managed to make it all the way to the first floor, and was hiding behind one of the maroon couches. Youko relaxed after a few moments of silence, thinking that Lenalee had given up on the woman and had returned to her other duties. Footsteps were heard off in the distance, and the woman ducked back behind her seat again. She felt her heart beat with every thud of boots and felt her breathing still when the feet appeared just under the couch. There was a delightful chuckle from above her, and the woman's head slowly turned to meet it's owner.

"What are you up to, Yooooouko-chan?" he asked, cheek leaning against his palm and his red hair spiking up and glowing in the chandelier's light.

"Well, if you must know, Lenalee mentioned shopping. So I'm hiding from her until she can find a new doll to play with," she laughed at her own situation, crawling up from the floor and seating herself onto the sofa again.

Youko's head leaned back so she could view the Bookman-in-training. He had proven to be a form of comic relief in the past few days, and the young woman couldn't help but notice his boyish charm and soft eyes.

"But of all the places to hide, you pick the foyer? Isn't that a bit lonely?"

"Straight shot to the exit," she explained, tilting her head to the side with a wink, which he enjoyed.

"Then I shall grace you with my company!"

"I couldn't think of a better person to hide with," the woman laughed, watching as he swung over the back of the couch to settle into the cushions.

Lavi was innocent and harmless-a friendly disposition. His scarf draped over his shoulder and Youko grasped it with interest, noticing how the red fabric matched his hair, yet clashed with his green bandana. The ends of the fabric were frayed, and she torn a bit of stitches apart to test the strength of them. THe man maneuvered so that his left arm was resting on the back of the sofa and his leg curled onto the cushions to touch Youko's knees. His companion had pointed out the poor quality of his accessory, and offered to sew it back together for him.

"Oh, can you now?" his smile was soft and charming-not like she expected any difference.

"Yeah-it's one of those things you pick up while living in solitude."

"Hmm, and what else did you 'pick up' in those years of loneliness?" Lavi drew closer, hand entangling in his hair.

"Well, I enjoy reading... and well I suppose that's just about it."

"Oh, no it is not! Do you like music? I'm sure you can dance really well too," he exclaimed, sitting cross legged before her like a young boy.

"Um... I-I really like piano music-but I don't dance. Kind of clumsy," Youko explained, drawing back a bit from his prying.

"Then you're in luck! I happen to be an excellent dancer, and an even better teacher," his boyish charm had left and was replaced with a more sophisticated aura as he bounced from his seat and offered a hand to the lady, bowing deep at the waist.

"That's-That's really sweet of you Lavi, but-I just don't really think it's a good idea," she tugged and pulled for her hand back; his grasp was firm but gentle.

"Now, we just need to get these off of you," he had completely ignored her pathetic protests, and lifted off the thick black rimmed glasses from the small nose.

"Give those back!" her smile had widened, but she started to clamber up the taller man to retrieve the spectacles.

"No! Can you see me now?" he joked, moving his arm farther from her, as she was now clawing at his shoulders to pull herself up.

"Yes, actually, I can! Now hand them over!"

"If you can see without them, why do you need them?" he asked, humor replaced with curiosity as the two stumbled backward and onto the sofa again.

"I…look younger than I really should. These just make be look more professional," Youko pouted, grasping at the end of her black hair and examining it in embarrassment.

"Hmph- I think you look very cute without them," he blushed but his voice held confidence as the glasses were placed on the coffee table across from them.

"People should take me seriously-I don't want to be 'cute'."

"I think you can be both serious and cute," he beamed, hand coming up to scratch at his bandana.

Youko blushed at his confession and began to reach towards the dark rimmed glasses. Her companion saw this movement, and reached to grasp her wrist and wrap his free arm around her stomach to pull her back. The fingers that dug into her side caused her to giggle loudly and she crumpled under the butterflies in her stomach. Lavi had seen this triumph and continued his assault, towering over her on the couch and jabbing at her belly and ribs. A few feet behind them, a pair of boots stopped dead in their tracks, watching a bush of red hair bobbing up and down from over the sofa. Kanda watched the scene for a few more moments, hearing the laughter of a female just underneath him. 'What a perfect chance to ruin his day,' the man figured, drawing closer to the two. The table came into view, and he noticed that glasses as they flashed in the light. He had seen those before-but where? He coughed loudly, the choke resounding throughout the hall and caused the Bookman to jerk upwards. Youko smiled from beneath the red-head, but it fell as soon as she met Kanda's eyes. Lavi greeted him by his first name, which angered him further. The woman playfully pushed the man off of her and then began to straighten her uniform. After she was sure that everything was settled, she attempted to reach for her frames again. Lavi, however, had known of this action well beforehand and was wearing the glasses. Kanda looked between them, watching a pale, pouting face from his peripheral vision. Her lips were light pink and the thick lashes that covered her dark blue eyes made his own droop for a moment.

"Give them back," the swordsman suddenly barked, tearing his eyes from Youko and towards his 'friend'.

Lavi attempted to hand them back but played cat and mouse for a few chances before the new exorcist lost her patience, kicking his shin with her trusty worn boots. She caught the accessories as they fell from Lavi's hand, they slid back onto the bridge of her nose effortlessly. Lenalee was watching the fun from around the corner, snickering at the flirtatious man's pain.

"Are you going out, Kanda?" Youko asked, situating her glasses again and watching as he nodded.

"How about we join you!?" Lenalee exclaimed, popping out from behind a column and snatching Youko's jacket collar before she could make a run for it.

"S-Shit…" she grumbled reaching behind her to attempt to release the exorcists grip.

"Ch"

"Alright! Alright! Release your iron grip! I guess a change of scenery would be nice, plus I didn't get to meet a lot of people when I first arrived. Maybe Lenalee can introduce me to a few men," she surrendered, nudging the mentioned woman in the ribs while following Lavi to the doors.

Lavi jumped up from his withering pain, sad eyes begging to attend the outing as well. Kanda only stared after Youko as they walked towards the exit. She didn't exactly seem like the kind of woman to fawn over the opposite sex. Kanda would have to take extra precautions when watching Lavi from now on. Heaven knows what he would do out in public with the woman. In his musings, the man failed to notice Lavi grasping Youko and running down the winding path to the Order's ledge. He felt his feet jump a little upon seeing them together, pushing his legs a little faster than usual to keep the two in his sights. Kanda suddenly caught himself, though. Why should he care if Youko was going to go running off into the distance with an ignorant, clumsy, overall piece of... What was he saying? The man resumed with his usual calm pace, one hand poised on his sheathed weapon with Lenalee a few steps in front of him. At the end of the walkway, he watched on as Youko leaned over the edge, hands tucked in to her body as the height struck fear into her. She was then brought in to Lavi's chest, and leaped from the ledge within his arms. Kanda felt his stomach drop as he watched her go out of range, and her screams filled the air. Lavi laughed as they descended, his hammer lowering them towards the ground easily. Youko's grip around him was so tight that she couldn't feel her hands wrapped around his coat sleeves, and dark blue eyes slammed shut as soon as she realized she was falling through the morning air. The woman only peeked once she realized that they were 'falling' slowly.

"Damn you, Lavi! Don't scare me like that!"

"Don't make me drop you," he threatened causing her to yelp and cling to him further.

He quite liked that face that her face was deep in his chest, and that her hands gripped his biceps with a delightful force. Lavi also felt the heat of Kanda's stare from across the way as they landed, confused yet satisfied with the response. Lenalee wasted no time in snatching up the other female, giggling while dragging her towards a few stores. The red-head noticed Youko's silent pleas for help, and responded quickly.

"She doesn't have many female friends to do this kind of stuff with! Just humor her a little, huh?" he sent the words off with a sharp wink.

"You've got to be kidding me!?" and the two women disappeared into a dress shop.

Needless to say, a group of young men had been passing by when they entered the shop, and fluidly followed. Kanda had noticed and uncharacteristically entered the store. His neck rocked side to side, seeing Lenalee chatting up a store clerk and Youko leaning against a wall, seemingly trapped by one of the men who entered moments before him. Kanda disguised himself behind a rack of clothing, tall enough to peer over the metal.

"So you're a model? Really?" he heard her sarcastic tone, and grinned.

Her dark brows furrowed as the liar continued to speak and Kanda found this reaction much more like he had seen the night before. Youko's hands were placed softly on her hips, and then moved to bat away the two women who appeared next to her with tape measures. They continued their onslaught, yellow and black numbers encircling Youko's waist, traveling the length of her body and arm span. The two women were shouting information back at each other, and the model was continuing his flirting just next to her ear. The swordsman would have helped the woman had it not been so comical.

"Oh my goodness-please stop talking! I am obviously not interested Mr. model. And when on Earth am I going to be wearing a dress, Lenalee?"

Oh, this was interesting... The model stood still, a shocked expression spreading across his features as he pulled away from the snapping woman. Lenalee watched on as the two dress makers receded into the back room again, fear striking through their eyes. Komui's sister huffed and snapped at the newcomer, angry that her playtime was now over. Kanda had left his hiding spot to stand before the fumbling model, practically suffocating him with the intense stare. Youko sauntered by the exorcist, nudging his elbow in a silent 'thanks' before exiting the establishment. The model was left to gather himself in the empty store as Kanda quickly followed after her.

"Kanda! Would you like to join us?" he heard her voice call to him from down the street, Lavi offering his arm to her.

She had looked back, her hair catching the daylight and shining in his direction. Youko accepted the offering, and Kanda picked up his pace to join the two. Lavi began complimenting the newcomer, mentioning how her eyes were so large and beautiful and how she laughed at the simplest of things. The Japanese man was beginning to hate the sound of his voice, echoing through his mind and drawing attention to others on the street. His slender fingers reached behind Youko to slap the red-head-successfully cutting off the stream of praises. Youko giggled and turned her attention to him for the first time during their outing. It was only natural to speak to someone who didn't think he was getting enough attention, right?

"Kanda, is there something specific you needed to accomplish today?"

"Ch"… the usual.

"Why are you always so cold, Yu?" Lavi asked, rubbing his head from the earlier smack.

"Oh, hush. Don't listen to him," she encouraged, arms still locked with the red-head.

"When do I ever?"

She stifled back a laugh, opting to smile broadly instead. Youko was then introduced to the town, mainly by Lavi; there was a small cafe that she promised herself she would visit again, and a few boutiques that she vowed to never shop in. They were waiting for Kanda outside of the post-office, as he was instructed to pick up a package for Komui earlier that day.

"So… do you like going to parties?" Lavi asked, kicking his boot through the dirt.

"Um… no. I'm not very good at socializing," she opted, leaning against the brown, brick wall and awaiting the swordsman's return.

'So she's not gonna be very happy when we get back. Heh! ^-^;' At that very moment, a welcoming party was being orchestrated by the all famous Komui

"Is something wrong Lavi?" she asked, interrupting his thoughts, and rejoining Kanda as he stepped from the building with a heavily wrapped box.

"N-No. Everything's fine; just thinking."

She let that lie slide on the way back towards headquarters. Kanda would listen in every now and then, eventually just hearing the different tones in their voices. There was suddenly a comment about a female body, followed by a loud slap that was not his doing. Kanda's smirk broke and a deep chuckle emanated from the back of his throat. It was a noise that made Youko shiver, an enticing sound that she could have listened to all day and night. A blush formed on her cheeks but she kept her eyes straight ahead, praying that the dark haired man wouldn't notice the flush.

Lenalee had made it back to the Order before the others, not as planned-but it ended up working out in the end. Komui was just finishing the preparations for the party, going overboard as always. An ice sculpture of Youko was set off to the side on one of the tables, most of the food surrounding it. Jerry and Allen were on streamer duty, with Bookman and Reever arguing over where the punch bowl should be settled. Poor Johnny was juggling the decoration boxes in the background, confused at the orders being barked at him by Russell and Komui.

"Where is everyone?"

Youko's voice bounced off all of the walls int he building, and everyone had stopped dead until she drew into the view of the cafeteria. She entered the cafeteria under the assumption that everyone was busy in the Science Department or out on missions. Over 50 faces stared back at the woman, all easing into smiles as they registered her surprise. Streamer cannons erupted in the background and party hats flew into the air; her new boss posing at the front of the group with a large gift box in his hand.

"We officially welcome you to the Black Order, Ms. Shirogane!" Komui exclaimed, offering her the colorful box with a huge smile.

"Oh-um... wow... Thank you! But, uh-this isn't necess-"

"Nonsense! We're just wanted to show you how happy we are to have you here," Lenalee explained, placing a comforting hand on Youko's back and ushering her towards the crowd.

"Well, thanks again! But really... I am very tired from this morning... so..." the woman had attempted to exit the cafeteria, struggling against the other woman's hold as she was being almost propelled forward.

All of the men jumped in front of the doors before she could escape, including Yu Kanda-of all people. 'Well then... he seems to enjoy the friend or foe flip-flop method,' she hissed to herself. The woman turned harshly, her black hair twisting around her body as she did so. This was simply not her day. A small tuft of hair waded into her field of vision, and she bent her neck down to look at the tiny aged man.

"I hope you find your stay here pleasant," Bookman bowed, hands buried deep in his sleeves.

Youko nodded to the man, trying not to stare too long at the deep black circles around his eyes or the wrinkles around his mouth. Lavi sneaked up behind her to reassure her movements. As emotionless as that man was-he really did care for the exorcists in the Order-and everything he said had meaning to it. She appreciated that knowledge, and looked back towards the line of men-who were thankfully dispersing. They all began to return to the party, except a certain blue haired man. 'Is he leaving? Why is he leaving?' the woman dashed back towards him, fingers grasping at his coat neck.

"If I have to suffer through this, so are you," she whispered so as not to upset the people who organized the event.

"Ch"

She had asked herself why she had done such a thing-taking his freedom of choice right from under him. But he had put up no fuss at all, following her through the crowd. Kanda watched on as she mingled with the rest of the employees; a smile on her face-which he knew was a fake, light airy voice-also faked. But he was envious of those people-but also pitied them. For none of them knew her true identity.

"I'm not sure what's creepier," her voice startled him, "The fact that I'm having a little bit of fun… or that Lenalee is chipping off my neck," Youko said, glancing over at the Ice sculpture and cringing as Lenalee plunged a large knife into the jugular.

'Remind me never to cross her…' Youko thought, watching her iced head roll across the table and the female exorcist holding it up with an eerie smile. Even Kanda cringed at the sight.

"I think she's jealous," Kanda's monotone voice started next to her ear-he had stooped down to her level to converse with her silently.

"Why would she be? That's probably the dumbest thing I have ever heard come out of your mouth."

"There's a higher possibility that you will have a life outside of the Order. She never will."

"And why not?"

"Have you met her brother?"

"Ah yes… but she still shouldn't be jealous. I may have a chance at a life but I have a feeling that it will be a great disappointment."

Kanda glared in her direction, confused. How could she not have a good life ahead of her? She was kind, witty, beautiful… 'Ah! Damn it! Stop Yu!' the swordsman scolded himself while turning his stabbing eyes towards Lavi across the room. But the question still burned in his mind. Surely any male with a pulse would jump on the chance to be in her presence. His already angered aura was intensified by that thought-specifically the verb choice. The woman could feel the heat roll off of his body and flood around him, making a majority of the party push further away from them.

"Kanda? Is there something wrong?" Youko was disturbed that their pleasant conversation had turned sour so quickly.

"No, Youko. I am enjoying myself," he answered crossly.

'How the hell could I tell? You show no emotion!' "You look pretty tired, maybe you should try to catch some sleep. I was just planning on sneaking away from this shin-dig," she winked, tilting her glass upwards a moment to hide her lips from the prying eyes of the guests.

Without hesitation, Kanda sauntered towards the door as quickly as possible without drawing attention towards himself. He had unconsciously reached for Youko's hand, dragging her out the door as well. As soon as their boots touch the hallway floor, Allen's voice was heard asking where the VIP was. Seeing as how neither of them wanted to be there in the first place, neither wanted to be sucked back in. They ran, Kanda's fingers still clasping her own tightly. After a sharp corner was turned the two halted, Youko noticing how their fingers had intertwined. Kanda also saw, and let the smallest of smiles grace his lips for a fraction of a second-he prayed she did not see. She had, and did not make any more to change it quickly. But as they began their treks to their rooms, they slowly fell apart as the two walked together. They came to her door first, Kanda even waited beside her instead of continuing on to the next staircase. The young woman blushed as she watched him, watching her, and tried to focus on her doorway. But she did have a lot of joy looking at a tall, mysterious, handsome… 'Wait! Youko-girl-what are you thinking!?'

"I'll see you tomorrow then," she coughed, hand wrapping around the doorknob and giving a small shove.

"Possibly."

She was wide eyed and fish faced at his reply. It was the softest his voice had been all night, and it made her quiver inwardly. Youko steeled herself quickly, nodding and pushing into her room. 'I'm losing my mind! I don't like him… do I?'

'I think I'm going insane. Or at least not feeling well... God, my heart is pounding. Maybe I should stop by the hospital wing tomorrow? No... no I don't need to,' Kanda told himself, counting the stairs he ascended while making his way to the floor above. He walked around the floor, stopping directly across from Youko's room. He found himself peering over the railing, lingering-as if he was waiting for her head to pop out and glance across the walkway. Kanda shook himself to his senses, slamming the door shut and pressing his back against it. His fingers tangled in his hair for a moment as a sharp puff of air blew by his lips.

'I can't like her.'

Youko was staring at her door, hand poised above the handle and determined eyes set. She breathed deeply, clearing her mind and imagining the blue haired man walking out of his door-directly across from her own-and maneuvering through the halls to the garden. Instead of following through with her deepest desire to peer out of her room, Youko placed her back against the wood with a thud and slid down. Her legs bent and elbows resting on her knees.

'I can't like him.'

A/N: You guys will find out what Komui got in the next chapter... and it's something pretty obvious. Let's see if you can guess what it is! Review Please!