Robin's eyes slowly flicker open. She groans and moves her body, still on the verge of sleep. She turns her head to the side and stares straight into a pair of dark, angry eyes. She jumps and suddenly falls over the edge of her bed. There's a loud thud as her head slams against the floor.
"OW!" She yells.
"Idiot." Kanda says.
"Don't do that!" She yells rubbing the back of her head.
"Do what?" He asks, slightly amused.
"Don't glare at me right as I wake up!" She yells. "It scares the crap out of me!" Kanda reaches for a book by his bed and cracks it open. She spots a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes, but soon his book blocks his face.
"Don't you have to get ready?" He asks.
"Oh, yeah!" She says, getting onto her feet. "We're going shopping for Lavi today! Crap we're going to be late!" She runs to her dresser and grabs the first clothes she finds.
"You mean you're going to be late." Kanda says.
"You're not coming?"
"No way." He says.
"Really?" She asks.
"Really."
"Your loss." She says. She hurries into the bathroom and throws on her clothes. She gives herself a once-over in the mirror than runs back into the room, looking for her shoes. She spots one of her converse in front of the end of the bed.
"Hey, have you seen my other shoe?" She asks.
"Nope." Kanda answers.
She peeks under her bed and spots the other shoe lodged behind her suitcase. How the hell did it get over there?! She frantically crawls under and reaches for the converse. From the door there's a loud knock and she jumps, hitting her head against the bed frame.
"Ow..." She whines. From where he sits, Kanda chuckles with amusement. "I'm gonna have a freaking aneurism." She mutters, cradling her head. She crawls back out with the shoe triumphantly in her hands.
"Kanda can you get the door?" She asks. "It's probably Allen."
Kanda groans and lets Allen inside.
"Morning Kanda." Allen says.
"Che." He says and goes back to his reading.
"Morning Allen." Robin says. "Looks like it's just gonna be you and me today. Kanda isn't coming."
"Oh," Allen says. "That's too bad. Are you ready yet?" She slides her other foot into her shoe and gets to her feet.
"Ready." She says cheerfully.
"Try to have fun without us." Allen says to Kanda.
"Yeah," Robin says. "See ya." Kanda grunts in reply and they shut the door behind them.
Once Allen and Robin reach town, Allen pulls out a long sheet of paper that unfurls down to his feet. Robin's jaw drops. Scribbled in bright red pen were nearly a hundred different items Lavi wanted them to buy.
"You've got to be kidding me!" She yells.
"I wish I wasn't." He says. "He also gave me money." Allen shows her a small pouch stuffed with bills.
"This is going to take all day." She whines.
"Probably." Allen admits. He peeks at the very top of the list. "Let's just get what we can."
"Okay." She says.
Her and Allen roam from one shop to the next, steadily crossing off items from the list. As they got closer to the bottom, the items became increasingly bizarre. They leave a toy store with a pogo stick and pink ballerina tutu, when Allen stops annoyed.
"What the-?" He says glaring at the piece of paper in his hands.
"What is it?" Robin asks. She sets a lamp and hamster cage at her feet.
"An anvil?!" He yells. "Where on earth would you get an anvil?!"
"Blacksmith?" She offers.
"Why would he even need one?! Gah, stupid Lavi!"
"This is a wild goose chase, isn't it?" She asks.
"Yeah." He says. Allen sighs.
"Want to just go back?" She asks.
"No." Allen says. "How about we go someplace fun? There's a park nearby." Robin scans the rows of stores and stops at a cheerful little shop painted bright purple. On the sign were the words; Sally's Sweet Shop: Candy, Cupcakes, and Fresh Baked Goods.
"Want to go there?" She asks, pointing to the store.
"A candy store?" He asks.
"They have cupcakes." She says. Allen's eyes light up.
"Do you think they have red velvet?" He asks.
"Let's go find out." She says.
Kanda closes his book and glances across the bedroom. He wasn't used to this kind of peace and quiet. He had already finished two whole novels. He had another one, currently sitting on the bed next to him. He could start it, but for some reason he didn't really feel like reading. He looks over at the clock which read two o'clock. Those two idiots have been gone all day. How long does it take to buy a couple of things anyway? He finds himself staring at the empty bed across the room.
Robin was a pain. He was always smiling and laughing, being a complete idiot. And yet, Kanda couldn't help feeling some sort of kinship for the other exorcist. Though he'd never admit it, Robin made Kanda feel calm. Lavi really wasn't kidding when he said how Robin could stop his rampage. No one else had ever made him feel so peaceful before. With him suddenly gone, Kanda couldn't help becoming more and more irritable by the second.
"Dammit." Kanda growls, throwing the book across the room. He gets up and slips on his shoes. Maybe a walk will relax him. He heads down the hallway toward the cafeteria when he nearly walks straight into Lenalee. In her hands is a box filled to the brim with decorations.
"Watch where you're going." Kanda says.
"Kanda!" Lenalee yells off guard. "What are you doing back so soon?!"
"I didn't go." He says. "Besides, why would it matter?" Lenalee smiles.
"We're planning a surprise party for Robin." She says. "You know, to officially welcome him into the Order. We're still getting ready. Want to help?" He pauses.
"A party?" He asks.
She and Allen sit down on one of the park benches, cupcakes in hand. She ended up picking out a vanilla-chocolate swirl with deep blue icing and rainbow sprinkles. Looking down at the frosting she couldn't help thinking of Kanda's long, flowing hair. If she had to pick one trait as her favorite, it would be his hair. She normally cringed at long hair on a guy, but for some reason it worked with him.
She sighs and looks up at the sky. The sky was clear blue, with occasional patches of fluffy white clouds carried by the wind. It was a beautiful day, but for some reason she couldn't stop herself from wanting nothing more than to go home. The candy store was fun. She got a handful of lollipops and a bag of gummy bears she was planning to have later. She even got a box of sweets called Pocky. She had never seen it before and Allen insisted they buy some, saying how it was really good. Maybe Kanda would like it. Stranger things have happened.
"It's a beautiful day." Allen says glancing up at the sky with her.
"Yeah." She says. Allen turns to her and smiles. Robin bursts out laughing. Smeared across one side of his face was a streak of chocolate frosting.
"You have chocolate all over your face." She says.
"What?!" He says blushing. He rubs his face trying to wipe it off, but fails miserably.
"Here," She says. "I'll get it." With one hand she gently wipes away the streak of icing.
"Thanks." He says.
"No problem." She says with a smile. "What are friends for?"
"Would you believe I never had a single friend before I met Master Cross and became an exorcist?" He asks.
"Really? But you're such a nice guy."
"I wasn't always." He says. "Most people ended up avoiding me because of my arm and my cursed eye. No one ever wanted me, so I pushed everyone away. I was pretty messed up back then."
"My parents abandoned me at an orphanage when I was an baby." She says. "The couple in charge were horrible. One day I was finally able to run away and I lived on the streets. It was a hard life and I was all alone. I had to work to survive everyday and at one point I thought I wouldn't make it. But then Master Cross found me and trained me to become an exorcist with the Black Order." She smiles. "The Black Order is kind of like a second chance for me. I don't want to let anyone down."
"Yeah. I know what you mean." Allen glances down at his watch."Well," He says. "It's about time. You ready to head back?"
"Time?" She asks. "Time for what?"
"You'll see." He says with a smile.
Once Robin and Allen return to the Order, right away she notices that something is amiss. The Order's corridors were eerily silent and the usual number of finders walking around were nowhere to be seen. She immediately puts her guard up. Did something happen? Is it an akuma?
"Robin! Allen!" Lenalee calls from a lit doorway. She and Allen run over to greet her. She looks over at the various objects they brought back for Lavi.
"Wow." Lenalee says. "Lavi really went all out for this plan of his."
"Plan?" Robin asks. "Wait, what's going on? Where is everyone?"
Lenalee and Allen exchange a look and smile at each other. Lenalee walks through the doorway next to her and then Allen follows. Robin cautiously follows the two, wondering what it was that was in store for her.
"SURPRISE!" Everyone yells. A cloud of confetti is thrown at her head and she's surrounded by smiling faces. Hanging across the ceiling is a huge banner that say: "Welcome Robin!" in big letters. Along the tables were plates upon plates of Jerry's cooking that made her drool just seeing it.
"Robin." Komui says from the center of the crowd. "Speaking for the rest of the Black Order, I'd like to formally say welcome." He smiles at her. "Welcome to the Black Order!"
"Welcome to the family!" Lavi says coming up behind her.
"Yeah!" One of the finders say. "You're one of us now!"
"Yeah!" The rest of the crowd yells raising their glasses in a toast.
"You guys..." She says. Before she even realizes it, tears begin to pour out of her eyes.
"Welcome home idiot." Kanda says. All eyes turn to him leaning against the wall.
"I'm home." She says back with a smile. Kanda places a hand on top of her head. Her and the rest of the Order stare at him, taken back by the suddenly show of affection.
"Yuu and Robin," Lavi begins singing.
"Shut up baka usagi." Kanda growls.
"Oh yeah!" Lavi says shrugging off Kanda's death glare. "Did you two get everything on my list?"
"Yeah about that," Allen says. "I realize it was just a way to get Robin out of the Order for the day, but couldn't you have requested normal objects? Why would you ever want an anvil?!"
"Why wouldn't you want an anvil?" Lavi says laughing. She and Allen roll their eyes. No one ever really knows what goes on in that rabbit's head.
"Oh yeah." Robin says remembering the candy she and Allen bought. "I got you something Kanda. I don't know if you'll like it." Kanda looks over curious as she pulls out a box of Pocky.
"You got Pocky?" Kanda asks.
"You've had it?" She asks.
"You haven't?" She shakes her head. Kanda peels open a package and offers it to her. "Try it." He says. "It's good." Robin grabs a piece and takes a bite. Kanda watches as her face lights up.
"It's good!" She says grinning.
"You're so cute Robin!" Lavi says pulling her into an embrace. "If you were a girl I'd kiss ya!"
"Like I'd ever kiss you." She says. Lavi pouts and everyone laughs.
The rest of the night Robin spends wandering around the party, talking and laughing with the others. The food was delicious and there wasn't a single person who wasn't smiling. Well, the exception being Kanda of course, but even he appeared to be enjoying himself in his own silent way. As the party slowly died down, finders began to return to their rooms for the night. Robin says her good-byes to Allen and the others and she and Kanda return to their room.
"That was so much fun!" She says going straight to her bed.
"Good." Kanda says. He shuts off the lights and plops down on his own bed.
"I hope you weren't sitting around missing me all day." She says.
"You wish." Kanda says. "I was fully enjoying the peace and quiet."
"Thank you." She suddenly says.
"For what?"
"Lenalee told me that you helped out when they were getting ready."
"Oh," He says. "Yeah. No problem."
"Hehe." She says, curling up in her blankets. "Night Kanda!"
"Night." He says.