Author Note: I have nothing to say.

Me: Reever, will you do the honors?

Reever: Crowsnight doesn't own DGM or the characters, just the plot. Will you take Komui though?

Me: In your dreams. Here's chapter 13!

Situation

Chapter 13: Symptoms and Suspicions

It's been a month now since the double date with Lavi and Lenalee. I had been on another mission and got back a few days ago. It was a success, retrieving Innocence and getting to go on the mission with Foxy. Kanda was by no means happy with the set up, and nearly skewered Komui for not letting him go. This forced Komui to send Kanda to another country some two-thousand miles away from me and he still hadn't gotten back, but was supposed to be here in a couple days. I didn't mind though. I mean, I missed him, but my life didn't stop or anything.

Another reason to be happy about him being gone was that I was vomiting almost every day and getting horrible cramps. I wasn't sure if I was sick or not, but had planned on seeing Komui later today. I was nearly out of the pills he told me to take, too, so I needed to get more. I sit up from where I was lying on the bed. It seemed empty without my boyfriend here, like the longer we were apart, the bigger the void in the room becomes. With a sigh, I stand from the soft bed and am hit with the pain in my stomach. I double-over, clutching my belly and sitting again. I had definitely felt worse, much more excruciating pain before, but this was different than anything I had every felt. It was like I could almost feel a part of me moving or something.

I inhale deeply before attempting to stand again, my need to move overriding the want to let the pain control my actions. Pulling on my exorcist coat, I open the door, making my way to Komui's office. He better not be drunk again and try to steal more cookies.

I stand in front of his office door, knocking. "Come in!"

Pushing open the door, I see the purple-haired scientist sitting at his desk. I take a seat on the couch and he asks, "What may I do for you, Allen?"

"First, I've run out of the pills you put me on. Second, I've been vomiting a lot, and having cramps. Is there anything you can give me to help with it?" I explain. A nearly devilish grin crosses his face as he replies, "I can give you the pills, but I'm afraid I can do nothing for the nausea and cramps."

I nod as he begins to look through the drawers of his desk, tossing a small bottle to me. Thanking him, I head back toward my room. After getting back and lying back down, I begin thinking. It wasn't as much of thinking as it was raising suspicions. I remember a few months ago when Lavi got sick, he told me the science division gave him medicine for the vomiting, and he was better in a couple of days.

If Komui can give Lavi something to help him, why can't he give it to me? Maybe it had something to do with my Innocence. The medicine he gave the rabbit may affect my arm or hurt the transition with getting it back and Crown Clown. For the lunatic's sake, it better be that. But with the look he had, something told me I didn't know the whole story.

The daylight was fading in the sky since the days were getting shorter. I had already eaten three times today, hurled the second, and slept the rest of the time. My sleeping was getting out of whack, too. It wasn't just sleeping more, but like I couldn't shake the feeling of drowsiness.

I knew I had to take a shower today, even though I didn't want to. The weirdness of my days had kept me from bathing in two days, and I'm pretty sure I stunk. I stood wearily, making my way to the bathroom and shutting the door behind me.

After undressing and testing the water, I step into the nearly burning hot water in the bottom of the tub. I had the water coming out of the bath faucet instead of the shower head so the tub would fill faster than it would otherwise. I sink down into the steaming liquid, its tongues lapping at my belly button. The pain came back again and I grab at my stomach, the feeling so strange and stinging my insides. I groan quietly, wishing the ache would leave me alone for one shower, or merely longer than five minutes.

I get the familiar feeling of bile rising in my throat. Giving up on anything more than the floor, I lean over the edge of the tub and pull back the curtain, spitting the liquid in my mouth. I gasp and fall back into the water. It wasn't vomit; it was blood. When did I start coughing up blood? It happens every now and then in fights, but never did I spit blood unless violence was involved.

I lay back in misery, waiting for the sickness to pass like it would in a few minutes. I just hope the horrid thing would leave me by the time Kanda got back. I didn't want to make him sick, too, and that's exactly what would happen if I was around him nonstop. Though, he was practically immune to anything. Last winter, the flu went around and everyone got it. I mean everyone got it, except Kanda. Plus, with all the body heat he gives off, I would need him to keep me warm at night and protect me from the nightly chills.

"Kanda, come back soon," I plea aloud. I raise myself up into a painful sitting position, switching the faucets and letting the shower head above me to soak me to the bone. It took ten minutes of discomfort and tenderness to get my hair and body washed and cut off the water. I was tempted to stay, but my stomach was protesting loudly with feral growls, and I knew the only way to shut it up was to eat. I didn't want to eat anything! I would only hurl it back up later.

Against my better judgment, I force myself to walk to the cafeteria after getting dressed and cleaning up the blood. I was wearing sweatpants and a turtleneck, which wasn't different, but I was starting to get hot. Stupid hot and cold flashes were killing me! It was painful to stand, and it wasn't any better to walk, so I was waddling the whole way to the dining room.

Jerry was more than happy to make me a fourth meal, though he seemed slightly worried, too. Tell me about it. I didn't want to eat, but I had to. In less than five minutes, I have it gobbled, and a little while after that, I'm lying on the bed with the blankets to my neck. It was like déjà vu of Cobalt when I couldn't get warm. This time though, Kanda wasn't here to comfort me, and I was alone in the bed. It takes a while, but I eventually drift to sleep.

"No! Get it out!" I scream at Komui. The pain was unbearable and I was seeing stars as I felt the scalpel slice into me. I screech in agony, digging my nails into Kanda's hand as he attempted to calm me. "Get it out of me!"

I bolt straight up, sweat running down my face. It was just a nightmare. It felt so real though, almost like it was reality. I look at the balcony. The sun was rising and the stars were gone. According to the clock, it was seven, which means I slept twelve hours, but I was still so tired. I flop back down on the bed, closing my eyes.

Oo_oO_Oo_oO

"Allen," I hear someone whisper softly in my ear before kissing my forehead. I force my eyes open, finding no one there. I glance around until I see the suitcase beside the bed and the bathroom light on. I smile, overjoyed that Kanda was back a day before he was supposed to be. As I stand slowly, I wince at the pain, but overpower it, knowing I can't seem in pain or else the bluenette will ask questions I can't answer.

It was noon now, and my stomach was very unhappy to be ignored as I push the door to the bathroom open. My boyfriend was brushing his teeth quietly, and I lean against the door frame, waiting for him to finish. When he was, he turns around and embraces me, "I missed you."

I nod, "Me, too." I only barely managed to keep the pain out of my voice. His arms were crushing me against him, which I wouldn't have minded, but the pressure on my sensitive stomach was nearly unbearable. He pulled away and began leading me back into the bedroom, "Do you want to go get lunch?"

I was about to decline, not wanting to submit to the nausea again, when my stomach answered for me very loudly. He smirks, "I take that as a yes?"

I smile, nodding happily. I wasn't letting this sickness stop me from spending time with my boyfriend. We made our way to the cafeteria, and in a few minutes I sat across the table from Kanda. I ask, "How'd your mission go?"

He shrugs, "I had to take out a few level threes, but other than that just a hunt-and-find."

I shake my head, "I would never be able to take out a level three by myself."

He smirks, "You did, and it would be easy for you now that you're stronger."

I roll my eyes, but don't press it any further, scared that if I do, my voice could give away the pain I was in. He says, "What about you?"

"About the same except it was part training for Foxy," I reply. He scowls at her name, "Good to know. She wasn't entertaining you while I was gone, was she?"

I giggle and immediately regret it, the pain searing my body. I say, "No, I haven't been doing much. I've been sleeping a lot."

He looks like he wants to say something, but whatever it was, he kept it to himself.

We finish eating a little bit later, and begin to make our way back to the room. When we get to there, I jump into bed, the chills returning. Kanda tells me something about taking a shower before going into the bathroom and closing the door behind him. Wrapping the blankets around my small frame, I nuzzle into the warmth that seems so far away.

I shiver despite the heavy blankets, my hands like ice. I wasn't sure what sickness would cause all the symptoms, but I wasn't going to mention it to the showering bluenette. All I needed to do is look it up on a computer, the answer to everything. The library should be open tomorrow, so all I would need to do is go sometime in the long day.

My eyes drift close, the pain in my stomach melting away slowly.

Oo_oO_Oo_oO

Someone stirring at my side causes me to open my eyes, my gaze meeting a dark one. Kanda looked down at my body and I followed the glance, realizing what the issue was. I had all the blankets wrapped around my body, not leaving any for my boyfriend. "Sorry!" I quickly uncurl myself from my cocoon, my pain returning from the movement, but I ignore it.

The bluenette chuckled quietly, crawling under the blankets next to me, "It's fine. You weren't kidding about sleeping a lot."

I nod, "Komui said it's something that parasitic-type exorcists go through some times." I hated lying to him, but I had no choice. He had no part in this, and I didn't want him to be dragged into it. He worries about me anyways, and he didn't need another reason to. Kanda returned to his book, using the afternoon light to see and wrapping an arm around me, our bare chests touching. I cuddle closer to him even though my stomach protests and it takes every bit of self-control I have to not grimace.

Whether or not he liked it, the night he bonded us forever, he launched himself into a very complicated life. I would know. I live it every day, and I dealt with it poorly to say the least. So I lay there next to Kanda, clinging to him like he was part of my soul and body. He was the part of my soul and body now, though. He was the unscathed part of my body and the healed, unbroken part of my soul.

Never, I tell myself, never will I let go of him. I won't become that person before. I'm not sure how long the promise will last, but I won't be the one to let go. Kanda has the final say, and that doesn't bother me. I'm not normal in any way, and he knows that as much as I do. He still loves me though. He still saved me that night. He still took me that night. He still accepts me. He was still lying beside me, allowing me to sleep in his arms.

I feel a tear slip down my cheek and I sniffle, the realization hitting me like an akuma's bullet. That tear I shed, it's tattooed on my heart. The hurt and sorrow mixed with love and passion falling on Kanda's chest. He looked down at me, worry in his eyes, "Why are you crying? Did I do something?"

Happily, I nod and more tears flow from my eyes. I say, "You accepted me. Thank you, Kanda! Thank you so much!"

He was speechless, staring at my joyous and tearful face. I push myself up enough to give him a quick kiss on his cheek before laying my head on his shoulder. He never said anything as my tears ran down his chest. I fell asleep like that, the drops of happiness pouring out of my eyes.

I woke up once for dinner and ate nearly twice as much as normal. After that, I went to sleep again and didn't wake up until dawn the next morning.

I walk to the cafeteria, the pain in my stomach worse, but I refuse to say anything about it. Kanda was still asleep, hardly moving when I pried my small body from his firm grasp. I got another deluxe serving of what I normally eat, gobbling it down in close to fifteen minutes. I had been so hungry, and the vomiting had ceased for now, but with my luck, it wouldn't last long.

After I eat, I head out to the library, determined to figure out what I was sick with. Of course, it wasn't going to be easy finding anything like that in the books, so yay for computers! I open the doors to the Order, slowly making my way to the library about a half-mile away.

Author Note: I know it was a short chapter, but I will have the next update by Thursday, maybe two. After that there should be one by Friday. I'm going to be taking a five hour journey to Kentucky, so I'll have plenty of time. Please, Please, PLEASE R/R!