Goddammit no! says in an exaggeratedly patient tone I have been through this so many times. I am a poor student. I don't own anything. I'm living on 8p instant noodles and cuppa soups. Get it?

Chapter 6- To keep a secret?

Kanda paused on the threshold, looking around the piano room cautiously. It didn't look to have changed since the last time he had been in there, save for the addition of a strange, tall thin individual with shoulder length pale green hair and eerie light purple eyes that were fixed on him with mild interest. Allen was no where to be seen.

"Who are y-" he began to ask the figure who was still regarding him mildly, only to stop, startled by a gentle touch to the side of his face. He looked down, having momentarily forgotten he was holding Allen's empty body in his arms. Only he was no longer holding an empty shell. Allen's bright silver eyes were watching him carefully, a small smile playing about his mouth. "Hello."

Kanda dropped him.

If he hadn't just been dumped unceremoniously on the floor (a rather painful experience now that he actually had a body again), Allen might have laughed at the look on his partner's face- the dumbfounded expression was a picture. He got to his feet, rubbing his backside grumpily. "It's nice to see you again too."

Kanda just blinked at him, as if he couldn't quite process the fact that Allen was back with him.

Allen, on the other hand, was examining his face in the mirror, quietly relieved that his own usual reflection was looking back at him. "Christ Lanel, what did you do to me?" he asked, probing his black eye tenderly. "I didn't think this would show on my real body too!"

The look the angel gave him was almost scornful. "I told you that you were still connected to your body."

"There's no need to get snippy with me. You're really getting too involved, aren't you?"

Lanel sniffed, turning up his nose. "Don't concern yourself with me. My affairs are nothing to you."

Allen put his hand out towards the angel, concerned. "Are you going to get into trouble for helping me so much?"

"I believe I may have overstepped my mark" Lanel gestured to Allen's bruised face. "I fear I may be punished for my indiscretion."

"Who is this?" Kanda asked, determined not to be forgotten. He did manage to stop himself from posing the question that surfaced in his mind- 'What is this?'

Allen smiled as though he sensed what Kanda had nearly asked.

"I am Lanel" the angel said, rather unhelpfully answering Kanda's question and nothing more.

"He's an angel" offered Allen.

"Shouldn't he be all in white, with wings and a halo?"

"No!" snapped Lanel moodily, muttering under his breath, so quietly that the exorcists couldn't pick out what he said, although what sounded like a name "Quine" and several words such as "kill her" "costume party" and "laughing stock" could be made out.

Deciding not to question the angel further, Allen looked at Kanda who was still eyeing the angel suspiciously. "Come on Yuu, I want to get out of here." He cast a brief glance at Lanel. "I'm fed up of being stuck in this room."

"Leaving so soon? Don't you want to see what you can do?"

Allen scowled, eyes flashing gold for a moment. HE wondered if Kanda had noticed, but didn't dare to spare him a look, worried that traces of the Noah lingered on his face. "No, I just want to leave this Goddamn room and go home." The door swung open soundlessly behind him.

Aw, come on, let's have some fun!

'Shut up. Why are you still here?'

Just because we became one doesn't mean I'm going to go and crawl back into that prison you kept me hidden in all these years!

'It's not like I did it on purpose!'

All the same, this is something you're going to have to learn to live with, because I'm not going anywhere.

"yashi? Oi, Moyashi!"

"He's talking to himself. Don't worry he'll be back soon."

"Talking to himself?"

"Indeed."

Kanda waited, but Lanel didn't elaborate further.

Yuu thinks you're crazy commented the Noah offhandedly

'What?'

You've spaced out.

'It's your fault!' he mentally snapped angrily. "Sorry, zoned out for a minute there" he said out loud to Kanda, who smirked at him. "Talking to yourself Moyashi? Missed me so much you actually went crazy?"

Allen frowned. "I was not talking to myself" he denied vehemently.

"That's not what fairy-boy said."

"Hey!"

"Lanel!" Allen said sharply, and he could have sworn the angel actually flinched a little. He leaned in close, lowering his voice so Kanda couldn't hear. Since he had his back to the other man, Allen allowed the Noah to come forward, inwardly marvelling at the level of control he had.

Of course it's easy, we're as one now

'Shut up'

His golden eyes fixed upon the angel, Allen let a slightly sinister smile slide onto his face. He stopped the transformation before his skin and hair changed colour, and whispered into the angel's ear. "I will decide who I tell and when I tell them. It is not up to you to make that decision for me, you understand?"

Lanel nodded "Of course. I apologise."

"Good." Then in a louder voice he said "I'm starving!" He watched his reflection in the pale lilac orbs of Lanel's eyes, and when he was finally sure the faint outlines of the crosses had completely faded, he turned back to Kanda. "Let's go then!"

Kanda didn't argue, but suspicion lingered around his slightly narrowed dark eyes. He wasn't going to push the issue right now, since he was too eager to get Allen back to their room and welcome him back properly. After all, it had been several months since they had spent any decent amount of time together, what with one mission or another, but he sure as hell wasn't going to let Allen get away with not telling him what was going on. He nodded, wanting to get away from those pale creepy eyes of the angel that seemed to follow him everywhere. He followed Allen through the door, which vanished immediately once he had stepped through.

"What, no goodbye?"

Kanda spun round to find the angel standing in front of Allen who had his fists clenched at his sides. Kanda growled at the angel angrily. "Fuck off, we're finished with you." He didn't know this Lanel character, but it was obvious that his presence was bothering Allen.

"Do not forget Allen Walker, the Avira are always watching."

"Yes, yes, fine, whatever. No please leave me alone."

"We will meet again." The angel paused, eyes flicking to Kanda for the briefest of seconds. "Do not wait too long, this is not something to be kept hidden from those you love."

You bastard the voice snarled in his mind.

Allen heartily agreed with the Noah's curse. 'Damn it, now Kanda will know something's going on.' He didn't dare look at the other man. "That's a bunch, Lanel."

The angel nodded once, as though Allen's thanks had been genuine, and then vanished.

Allen stared at the spot for a moment, and then raised his head to look at Kanda, who returned the gaze blandly. "Are you ready to leave?"

Allen nodded, unsure whether Kanda ignoring what Lanel had said was a good or a bad thing. He couldn't take it. "Aren't you going to ask?"

Kanda smirked. "I figured you'd tell me in your own time."

"Oh."

"I can't pretend to understand what's happened to you- why you ended up here and what happened while you were stuck in that room but I trust you'll tell me eventually."

Feeling a little humbled, Allen grinned and flung his arms around Kanda and burying his face in the junction of his neck and shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent that he hadn't smelt since that day on the battlefield. It all seemed such a long time ago now, but it had only been two short weeks. "Thank you."

"Tch. Idiot."

Allen laughed quietly. "Love you too."

"Shall we?"

Allen paused for a moment. "No. There's no rush. Lanel was right, I need to tell you, sooner rather than later."

Felling curious, but slightly annoyed that his plans were being delayed, he nodded and drew the golem from his pocket. "Hold on then." He switched it on and immediately a cacophony of noise was transmitted through the tiny device. It sounded like Kanda turning the golem off had thrown the whole science department into hysterics.

"I take it you should have been keeping in touch" Allen commented sardonically.

"Perhaps" Kanda replied, completely unabashed.

"Kanda is that you?" Lenalee's voice caught the word and rose above the hubbub.

"Yuu-chan!" Kanda twitched and reached for his sword, as though he could somehow slice Lavi up through the electronic device. "Why did you turn the golem off?" Lavi whined in an annoying plaintive tone. "Didn't you want us to hear you shouting for your dear Moyashi-chan?"

"Tch." Despite himself Kanda felt his face glowing with embarrassment.

"Lavi, don't embarrass him!" Allen laughed as he watched his lover trying to control his flaming cheeks.

There was suddenly nothing but ringing silence from the other end. Then, inevitably, what seemed like a hundred voices shouted at once: "ALLEN!"

Allen grinned, though he knew no one on the other end could see him. "Hey everyone."

"Are you coming back now?" Komui asked, mentally congratulating himself on a job well done.

"Shortly. There's something I need to do first."
"What do you mea-"

"See you soon!" Allen said cheerfully as he turned off the golem, cutting off any further protest.

Kanda raised an eyebrow curiously, but Allen just grinned at him. "Come one." He grabbed Kanda's hand and pulled him towards one of hundreds of identical doors that lined the streets. A momentary look of concentration crossed Allen's face, and Kanda was quick to catch the golden gleam that shone briefly in the liquid silver depths of his eyes.

"In here." Allen motioned to the door, which swung open without being touched.

'I could get used to this' he thought as he watched the door swing inward at his mental bidding.

Do you think we could do this sort of thing on the outside of the Ark as well?

'Why are you asking me? This is your area of expertise.'

It would be great fun if we could the Noah commented wistfully, and Allen got a mental picture of endless practical jokes being performed, mainly on Lavi.

Allen laughed at the thought.

"Moyashi, are you talking to yourself again?"

"Oh, sorry. I kind of drifted off for a minute there."

Kanda rolled his eyes and watched the door close by itself, then looked around the room. There was no other door save the one through which they had entered, and it was beautifully furnished with a wide bed piled high with fat colourful pillows, with a sumptuous squishy couch placed next to window over looking an impossibly blue ocean and an ornate solid oak desk and chair. Upon the desk a single golden candle was burning steadily.

"What is this room?"

"I just made it."

"You made it? How?"

"I just willed it to exist."

Kanda shook his head, his expression revealing his confusion.

Allen looked at him with wide, worried and slightly frightened eyes. "Could you do me a favour, and hear me out before you say anything, do anything? This might come as a bit of a shock, and I need to know you'll at least listen to me before you decide to chop me up" Allen pleaded; worried that Kanda might see the Noah an attack first and sod any questions that might surface later. He only just about refrained from asking Kanda to put Mugen down first, afraid it might make Kanda think that Allen didn't trust him.

Still confused, Kanda nodded. He was now very concerned, though he didn't show it. He wondered what could be so terrible that Allen was so anxious about telling him, for he recognised the expression on Allen's face as poorly concealed fear.

Allen swallowed nervously. 'It's now or never' he muttered to the Noah. It was surprising how normal talking to another version of yourself inside you head became after a while.

He won't be able to kill you especially not in here. This is your element.

'You're right, but I don't think I could kill him either.'

Not even if he was trying to kill you? The Noah sounded a little unsure, as though suddenly being inside Allen's body didn't sound all that fun.

'You're asking me a question you already know the answer to'

Slowly, Allen allowed the Noah to come forward. His silver eyes bled to molten gold, pale skin darkening to grey as his hair completely transformed from white to black with an odd rippling motion. He raised his eyes to Kanda's face, already cringing from the expression he expected to find there.

Kanda managed to keep his face neutral as he watched the familiar features morph into those of his enemy. He could hardly believe his own eyes. In fact, until the row of crosses had blossomed across Allen's forehead, overlapping his pentacle scar which seemed so much darker contrast with his ashen skin, he still didn't believe it. Allen was watching him nervously, the same nervous expression on his face that Kanda had seen before many times, familiar despite the changes to his looks. He was biting his lower lip worriedly.

Kanda didn't know what Allen was waiting for- it was obvious he wanted Kanda to say something, to reassure him, comfort him in some way, but Kanda honestly couldn't of a word to say about the situation, so he said nothing, keeping his face carefully blank.

"Say something, please. Stop looking at me like that!" Allen begged softly.

Snatching onto this lifeline Kanda allowed a small frown to crease his forehead. "Like what?"

"Like I'm a stranger, I'm still me, no matter what I look like!"

"Ah."

"Is that all you can say? Dammit Yuu!" he looked close to tears.

"How did this happen?" Kanda asked, determined to t least listen to what Allen had to say, even if every instinct was screaming at him to attack.

Allen looked relieved that Kanda wasn't slicing him up already and gave him a weak, watery smile. "I was born like this" he paused, trying to sort through what he knew so he could explain it properly. "Born a Noah with innocence- it doesn't make sense, I know" he said, anticipating Kanda's interruption before he could make it. "Apparently my innocence has been subconsciously suppressing my inner Noah all these years, and it's only come out when I've been at the end of my strength, or when I've lost control…" he trailed off as the memories of those times came back to him, giving his golden eyes a glazed haunted look.

Kanda saw him reaching up to his left shoulder, the old wound left by the Noah of Faith, Francesca, and understood immediately. He had been there for the aftermath, after all. "So, that time, when you" tore apart "killed that Noah…"

"Yes. Both times when I killed those Noah, actually." He released his unconscious hold of his shoulder and rubbed his right lower arm, where Kanda knew there was an odd coiling scar running from wrist to elbow.

It seemed hard to believe, yet something he saw in Allen's face made doubting him impossible. Ignoring the part of him still urging him to attack this individual, (who could not be his Moyashi, because Moyashi was not a Noah) Kanda stepped up beside him and wrapped his arms around him, resting his chin on Allen's shoulder. The unruly black hair tickled his cheek, feeling coarser than Allen's usual white locks. The thought made him uneasy, but he did not pull away. Not that he thought he'd be able to if he did try- Allen was clinging to his desperately, head buried in his shoulder and sobbing so hard it made Kanda's heart clench to hear it. That more than anything convinced him that no matter how profoundly alien he might look right now, underneath it all, this Noah was still Allen.

He ran a hand through the rough black hair, watching with interest as it returned to it's usual colour even while his hand was still moving through it.

Allen's watery grey eyes blinked at him. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" Kanda asked surprised at the apology.

"I didn't want this to happen, but in the end I didn't have much choice."

"Tch, then don't apologise for something out of your control."

"I don't want anyone to know," he whispered urgently, gripping Kanda's coat tighter. "Not yet anyway. I need some time to get used to this myself before everyone starts asking questions."

Kanda nodded slowly, a mental image of Komui doing untold experiments while poking and prodding at Allen pushed its way to the forefront of his mind. "Alright, if you can hide it, it can stay secret for now." His duty as an exorcist was to tell his superiors what he knew, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Allen didn't deserve what they would do to him, Noah or not. He would be punished when they found out he had failed to report it, but as he felt Allen lean back into him, sighing with relief, he knew whatever they would do to him would be worth it if it kept Allen safe for now. "They'll have to know eventually" he warned, hating that he had to push this issue while Allen was so obviously distressed.

Allen sighed "I know. Just- not yet."

"Not yet" Kanda agreed knowing this could not end well. He cast his eyes lazily around the room and suddenly smirked. "Any particular reason you brought me into a bedroom?"

Allen looked at him, eyes wide and shocked. Then he grinned lecherously. "Not really, but it would be a shame to waste that bed, wouldn't it?"

"I was thinking the desk."

"You're so unromantic!"

"Tch. Is that a yes?"

Allen eyed the unforgiving expanse of wood speculatively. "Alright, but you'll owe me big- that thing's going to be torture on my back. Or front" he added with a wink.

Kanda brushed away a stray wisp of hair from Allen's face, realising he'd never asked how he'd come by the black eye. Tucking away a mental post-it note to ask later he pushed Allen up against the edge of the desk, licking his finger and thumb and pinching out the candle. "I'm sure we'll think of something."

Now, to lemon or not to lemon? That, dear readers (whom I love dearly) is the question.

No seriously, it is. I have two versions of chapter 7 sitting here. Which one do you want?

LOVAGE!