Hana: New chapter ready and here for your reading enjoyment!
Lavi: Cool. A lot happens here!
Allen: -sweat drops-
Kanda: Che.
Hana: ...XavierForest and myself don't own D. Gray-man! Just the story you guys get to read~!
Allen: Enjoy the new chapter, everyone!
... ... ... ...
+ - Chapter 26 - +
Fou caught the boy before he hit the ground, though just barely. "Damn! Oi! Brat!"
She'd been undercover when the alert came that a local store was being mugged. Being the closest, Fou had been first on the scene, or at least first to run to it. It wasn't until someone shot a gun when she hid in the alley that she soon saw Allen run by.
He was lucky she was there. She herself felt lucky that she grabbed Bak's phone for the day, after hers died on her before leaving the house. "OI! Fou Chang calling for an ambulance! I have a young male, 19 years old. He was shot twice in the left arm. He lost blood, and send Yu Kanda out."
"Yu Kanda, ma'am?" The operator asked, completely astonished by such a request.
"Don't ask questions! Do what you're told!"
"Y-YES MA'AM!"
The Japanese male, she knew, would blow a gasket when he found out about this.
But hey, at least she wasn't one of his co-workers. God she pitied them right now.
"...u...?"
"Stay awake, short stuff, c'mon, don't go to sleep, alright?"
"Fo...u...?"
The ambulance was taking way too long for her liking. She didn't have anything to at least slow down the blood.
"...y arm... urts..."
She cursed. Not only was there this to deal with, but she still didn't know whether or not the sniper had left.
"Damn it..." Surprised, Fou turned seeing the man she only ever saw through surveillance that one day.
"Tyki Mikk?"
"I'll answer any questions another time." He grumbled, before tearing a sleeve from his shirt, and proceeded to tear it long ways in half. "Wrap this around his shoulder. I'll wrap up the other wound."
"I know you're working under Kanda and all, but why are you here?"
"Oh? You know about that?" He was focused on the task at hand, tightening the sleeve scrap until it was secure. "That would explain why he was rather annoyed that one day."
"Yeah...that would do..." Fou was honestly weary at the moment. She went on to fastening the other scrap of fabric as best she could around Allen's injured shoulder. "Why are you here?" She repeated.
"I could practically smell the bloodlust from the man who passed by me a few blocks away. Normally, I wouldn't bother myself with scum like that, but something told me to follow him. I lost track of that son of a bitch, however, and moments later, I heard the gunshots...and here I am."
"For a guy who did unspeakable shit with the rest of the NOAH, you sure can be...dare I say it...humane?"
"Ha. Don't go believing that." Focused on his work as he was, he failed to see the woman's frown. "One of the reasons I'm doing this is to get back on Mr. Kitchen Knife's good side. I haven't been in touch lately, so I wouldn't put it past him to be pissed."
"'One of the reasons'?"
Tyki smirked. He and the brat went way back, even if their relationship had been a negative one. Of course, he couldn't just go around telling people that.
"That should slow down the bleeding. I assume you called an ambulance?"
"Of course I did, idiot." Four scowled. "What kind of woman do you take me for? Don't answer that."
"Believe me, I learned not to be while around Road and Lulu Bell." He stood, and eyed the rooftops. "I don't feel a sense of bloodlust anymore...seems they believe they got their target..."
It was then Bak's phone started ringing. She looked at the caller ID. "Super scary Jap?" Fou read out, before laughing. She opened the phone, "How's it going "Mr. 'Super Scary Jap'?"
"The fuck?"
"If you think of it, I'm making fun of Baka Bak by doing that."
"The hell did you call me for? I'm dealing with enough fucking shit as is."
"I'm gonna need you to meet us at the hospital."
Silence, before Kanda questioned the woman, "What do you mean by 'we', exactly?"
"A thing we use in indicating more than one person being—"
"Stop bull-shitting, you infuriating bitch."
"Allen."
Another silence. But Kanda doesn't reply as the line goes dead.
"I suppose that means he'll meet you there."
"You're not coming?"
"The boy doesn't quite know about what's been going on." Tyki said, before walking out. "I still have much to do, and so little time remaining." He left the duo on that note.
The ambulance came fifteen minutes later. Fou was pretty sure Kanda was either already there, or on is way. Traffic, and said man's driving depending.
This would be hell... Kanda was hard enough to deal with one a good day, and now here she was, holding the man's bleeding fiancé...
. . - * - . .
He hadn't been in his office for five minutes when he got the call from some panicky clerk calling about something he was sure not even god knew. He hung up, and barely moments later had he received the call again, this time giving him a number he wasn't familiar with. He growled, and otherwise dialed it, this time getting the voice of Fou telling him to meet her and an injured Allen at the hospital.
That was why he was racing through the streets in hopes of meeting the ambulance that should contain both Fou, and more importantly, Allen. He had many questions racing through his mind the most prominent were about the younger's well-being. Why was he heading towards the hospital? What happened? Did he overwork himself?
That was a likely scenario, knowing the Brit. Why was Allen even working? It really didn't make any sense to the older male. He made enough for the both of them combined; Allen didn't need to work.
Granted...most of the money was from his late father when he came of age...but that was beside the point. He never completely touched that money, and had no intention of it, unless it was needed. The hospital was now in sight as he took note there wasn't an ambulance here yet. He must've gotten here before them.
This wasn't going to help his frazzled nerves, not in the slightest.
He parked the car nearby and climbed out, and then slammed the door shut behind himself.
Why was the ambulance taking so long?
About twenty or so minutes pass before he hears sirens. Sure enough, the ambulance comes into view, rushing to get its injured person into the building. Unwilling to wait around, he rushed over, just in time to seeing Fou hop out from the back.
What he also saw, however, was the smears of blood on her clothes, and the grim expression on her face.
"What happened?" He more so demanded than asked. Fou looked at the approaching Japanese man, and sighed.
"He was shot."
The first thing he felt was worry, and the next was unbridled anger. "Who shot him?"
The both of them watched as an unconscious Allen Walker was unloaded from the ambulance on a stretcher, and the orange-haired woman shook her head. "Don't know who they are, but there were two of them. One's dead, and the other got away."
"Two?"
"He was shot twice in the arm; one at close range, and the other via a sniper, meaning this wasn't just a convenience store robbery."
"God fucking dammit it all to hell!" He was absolutely livid at the current moment. Not just because someone outright shot his fiancé, but one of them had gotten away. "Fou, get Link, and tell him I have a high priority job for him. I need him to find any footage in the area the Moyashi was working."
"What'll you do?"
"I'm going to make sure no one tries anything while he's recovering. If that sniper is after him, I'm not taking any chances."
"Understood. Oh, that reminds me..." She glanced at the doctors wheeling Allen inside. "Your missing pet was in the neighborhood. He helped me slow the blood flow so he could get back in your good graces."
"Missing pet?" Realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "You mean..."
Fou nodded. "He said something about there still being things he has to do."
"Che. Of course he does." Kanda grumbled. Wisely, Kanda had learned, was horrible at keeping secrets. At least when it came to 'family'. And yes, he used that term rather lightly. "Get going."
"Aye-aye, sir." Fou saluted, before heading off. Kanda then turned his attention to the gurney being rolled away. Standing around wasn't going to do much, so he followed them, staying by the injured boy's side.
His sharp eyes took in his fiancé's slack pale features and the scraps of bloodied material tied around his left arm, before trailing back down his young love's body in search of any other injuries. There was nothing he could see, but then again, Allen was decked out in long sleeves and full-length pants, so that was normal. He'd have to have the doctors give him a full report when they were done.
"Sir, we're going to have to ask you to wait in the waiting room." The doctor said, having stopped him from continuing. "Are you in relation to him?"
"He's my fiancé."
"Alright then. We'll let you know when he's out."
Kanda scowled but otherwise did as he was asked, moving to sit at one of the chairs left there for visitors.
He didn't want to wait. He wanted to see the boy now, and get answers as to how and why this happened.
Taking a deep breath, Kanda willed himself to calm down. Losing it wouldn't do him any good.
All he could do was wait.
(* - *)
He tapped his foot impatiently against the ground, glaring at anyone who happened to walk past.
They were taking too long.
It was around this time, when four people barged in. Three of whom were frantic, while the fourth was just annoyed. Great. Just great.
"Allen! Do you have an Allen Walker here?!" Neah's voice was panicked, perhaps more so than Lenalee's and Lavi's, who also asked the same moment the boy's uncle had. The poor clerk was at a loss.
"You three are scaring the girl." Cross growled, pulling Lavi and Neah away by the scruffs of their shirts. "Act your damn ages, will ya?"
"Che. I take it Fou called you four?" Kanda guessed, making his presence to the four known.
"She called me and Cross..." Neah admitted.
"We saw it on the news." Lenalee said... "Lavi and I..."
"Che."
The green-haired woman sat down in the spare seat beside her Japanese friend. "How is he?"
Kanda, whilst glowering at nothing in particular, grumbled, "He hasn't come out yet."
"How long ago was he in there for?" Lavi asked.
"About an hour."
Neah looked as though he was ready to cry. Kanda supposed he couldn't blame the man, Allen was literally the only family he had left. He didn't even want to imagine the damage his psyche would be if he lost him...hell, Kanda himself would probably be in a messed up state if he lost the younger.
He ended up in a pretty bad state after he lost Alma, but Allen was... He didn't even want to think about how life would be without the Brit.
Damn...you really don't know what you have, until you've either lost, or nearly lost it.
"Excuse me, but are either of you Mr. Walker's family?"
"I'm his uncle." Neah spoke up, "But I feel Kanda should go first, because he is my nephew's fiancé."
"That's sweet, but Allen Walker won't be taking visitors just yet. I only came to inform you all that we have successfully removed the shrapnel in—"
"Shrapnel?" Kanda interrupted the doctor, completely taken off guard. "There shouldn't be any, I was told they were just bullets."
"Well, the one in his forearm, yes that was a bullet. But the one in his shoulder, it's safe to assume it wasn't used in a barrel meant for it."
Kanda's hands clenched into fists. "Give me the bullet and shrapnel."
The doctor confused stepped back a little. "Excuse me? We can't jus—"
"I'll have them taken to the office and run through the systems."
"S-systems?"
"Yu, maybe you should show her your badge." The younger red-head suggested. "I mean, the doc here ain't gonna cooperate otherwise."
"Che." The Japanese male reached into his back pocket, and pulled out his ID. "I'm Special Agent Yu Kanda. I work in the FBI."
"Ah! I'll bring them to you right now then!" They rushed off in a hurry. Re-pocketing his badge, he looked over at the other four with him.
"Cross, why are you even here?"
"To be an unwitting chauffer." Cross muttered. He glared pointedly at Neah, who seemed to have ignored him all together.
"Someone dared to harm my nephew..." Said man grumbled. "The idiots don't know who they're messing with..."
"Actually," Lavi spoke up, "Maybe they do, and, just maybe, that's why they targeted him."
"I don't know, Lavi." Lenalee said, crossing her arms, "Maybe Allen was just in the wrong place at the wrong time? It could've been his employer they were after too."
Kanda quirked a brow, "Who is his employer?"
"Uh...Turner, or something?" Lavi supplied
Neah sat on Kanda's other side, arms crossed unhappily across his chest. "What I wanna know is why there was a sniper."
"We're going to have to ask Allen what he knows." Lenalee pointed out.
"Hn."
"Excuse me? I have them." The doctor from before had returned, holding a Petri dish with the evidence Kanda had asked for. "Also, Allen Walker is doing well, he's awake now."
Kanda pulled out a small bag, and dumped the pitri dish's contents into it. "I'm going to see him."
"Ah...very well. Room 4-B, second floor, third hall on the left. Second door down...er, all of you are allowed to visit at once."
Kanda was up in an instant, already walking away before the others could react.
"Wait up Yu-chan!"
(* - *)
Allen awoke to a sterile white room, and instantly heard something beeping annoying him to his left. Next to the monitor that kept track of his breathing and heart rate was an IV drip...that also happened to be connected to a vein in his arm...how were they able to find a vessel to put the needle in?
More pressing questions that wracked his brain was, how long was he out for? How will Kanda react when he sees him in this state? Where was Fou?
These questions were only giving him a headache.
Though, the whole thing did invoke a sense of déjà vu. It was similar to a year ago when he'd woken up in the hospital after oh-so-many months' unconscious. Except, this time, he didn't think he'd been out that long. The doctors had said so themselves.
On the other hand, he somewhat wished that he was still sleeping. Lenalee, Lavi and Neah... They would be difficult to deal with after this. And then there was Kanda...
The Brit groaned.
Either his lover would be scary as hell, or more perverted than usual. At least, the latter was how Kanda had acted the last time he'd been stuck in here... Allen shuddered.
As odd as it sounded, he'd much rather prefer a scary fiancé right now.
...Scarier
"MOYASHI!" Allen's monitor spiked when he heard Kanda yell at him like that...maybe yell wasn't quite right. With a free hand over his startled heart, he looked to his right seeing a dishelmed Kanda in the door way.
"Um...hi?"
"God dammit, you stupid fool..." Kanda sighed, before walking in, and sitting at the edge of Allen's cot. "I can't leave you alone without you getting into shit trouble, can I?"
"Ah...you heard about that?" Kanda wasn't being scary...nor was he being his perverted self. He knew he said he'd rather deal with a scary Kanda, but the elder himself seemed more scared. Scared of losing me? Now he was feeling like an idiot. "Um...at least...I didn't die?"
"If you had died, I'd kill you myself."
"You can't kill what's already dead, you know." Lavi's voice sounded as he and three others filed into the room. He was pushed aside when Neah and Lenalee both rushed over to their hospitalized friend.
"ALLEN!"
"OI! Shut up!" Kanda growled, "This is a fucking hospital, you can't as well yell as much as you please."
"He's...kinda right about that...Lenalee...Uncle Neah..."
"But Aaalllleeen!" Neah cried, and pushed past Kanda — who very nearly fell off the cot- to wrap his arms around the boy's lower half the best he could.
"H-Hey! Cut it out! I'm still injured, Uncle Neah!" Allen was glad he raised his arm when he did. Hurt like hell, yes, but at least it wouldn't had been worse off if Neah had grasped it in his surprise hug.
Kanda grabbed his fiancé's uncle by the collar and yanked the man back, glaring down into worry-filled golden eyes.
Allen sighed.
"Watch. What. You. Do." Kanda warned, before dropping the doting uncle on the floor.
"Ompf!"
"That was a little much, Yu." Lavi pointed out.
"He was being an idiot," the Japanese male muttered in defense, before turning his attention back to the white-haired boy in the cot. "And you..."
The Brit froze. There was the scary fiancé he remembered. "U-uh... Yes?"
Kanda scowled and looked away.
"Yu?" When his lover didn't respond, Allen reached out with his right hand and tugged on the man's sleeve. "Yu...I'm fine, see?"
Narrowed dark eyes focused themselves back on the boy, and Allen released his partner's sleeve as he shrunk back into the cot. "Fine? I fail to see how this is fine, Allen."
While normally the younger liked it when his lover referred to him by his name, this was not one such occasion.
"I-I'm so-sorry..."
"Cut the idiot a break." Cross finally said, hating the two acting that way. "Listen, no one knew there'd be someone after his head. If it makes you sleep better at night, I'll make sure no asswipe will be able to repeat what happened today."
"I don't need a bodyguard." Allen pouted.
"I'm considering his offer." Kanda bluntly stated. "You don't even need to work, why do you bother?"
"I don't like feeling like a freeloader, Yu." The younger told his fiancé, "I want to be able to help you pay rent, buy groceries, with the money I earn...Yu...aren't we...equals?"
Kanda grunted as he observed the way his lover's downturned lips quivered, and how big silver eyes appeared ready to be filled with fresh tears. "Don't you make that face; it won't work," he deadpanned. "Yes, we're equals, but this is a completely different matter."
Allen sighed. "The gunner thing, or..."
The Oriental male nodded. "You're injured now, too, so you'll need someone with you t—"
"I can look after myself," Allen interjected, put off by the notion of someone watching him 24/7. Not only would it would make keeping things a secret from his fiancé all the more difficult, but it was also an invasion of personal space and privacy!
"And you did a perfectly good job of it," Kanda countered, laying the sarcasm on thick in his words.
The youngest in the room bristled, and spat, "That's because I was having a hard time knocking the guy out without killing him!"
It went quiet.
"You said 'no more killing', so that's what I was trying to do! But I'm sorry if I'm incapable of doing that without harming myself in the process."
"It wasn't his fault, Kanda." Lenalee gently said, placing a hand on her oldest friend's shoulder, "How many times have you had to subdue any criminal? Haven't you yourself got hit at least once or twice?"
"That—"
"Is the exact same thing." Lenalee interrupted, "Allen's not as weak as you want to believe him to be. As much as any of us don't want to think of it, he was trained by the NOAH...and despite the horrors they put us all through, at least with their training, Allen is still here."
"Lenalee..." It was times like this Allen was thankful for his Chinese female friend. He smiled, before turning to Kanda, his gentle smile still in place, "Yu, I know you worry about me...and I'm sorry to make you go through such a thing...but...you don't have any reason to do so. But if it helps you sleep at night...maybe you could have Wisely keep an eye out?"
"Wisely?" Kanda asked, skeptical.
"Think of it...if he's nearby, he can easily pick out anyone with thoughts of killing me." Not that he would mention it, but at least with Wisely it'd also make a great compromise. He'd have someone to keep an eye out on him — For Kanda's sake — all the while unknown to his lover, he'd be able to get any information Wisely had on the AKUMA killings a little more easily.
Kanda considered it. It wasn't like Wisely was doing anything right now, what with Tyki still AWOL, and the boy needed a bodyguard, if only a temporary one... "Che. Alright."
"Really?"
"Yes, really." Kanda sighed. "You will have to listen to his orders if your life is ever in jeopardy again. Understood?"
"Yes!"
He eyes the boy's left arm. "And no overexerting yourself."
"Of course!" Allen smiled, pleased with the new developments.
"I'm serious, Moyashi." Kanda was now warning the younger, "Rest, heal, and for the love of whatever sanity I have left with you, don't do anything reckless."
"Yu's pretty serious if he didn't curse every other word..." Lavi mused.
"I'm in agreement with Kanda." Neah informed his only nephew, "Allen, swear on Mana's grave you won't do anything foolish. My poor brother must be turning over in his grave ten times over by now."
The boy let his smile drop. "Wisely'll be there to stop me from doing anything over the top, so you don't have to worry."
"Then, let's be sure he knows that, shall we?" Kanda said, pulling out his phone. He dialed the number with practiced ease.
"Hullo?"
"I got a little job for you." Kanda began, "You're going to play 'babysit'." He grinned when Allen pouted at the wording.
"I…am?"
"I'm not a baby," Allen grumbled, though all it did was cause Kanda's grin to widen.
"You are." He answered both at the same time. After getting the satisfactory pout from his fiancé, he then continued talking with the Brit on the phone. "I'll explain it when you get to the hospital."
"...hospital? Are you serious!?"
"That son of a bitch ain't here."
"Even so, who's to say there aren't others? I wouldn't trust leaving Road of all people there in the confines of those walls...and that's saying something."
"Just get down here," the Japanese male ordered with a shake of his head. Why were these people so difficult to deal with?
"...fine. But you better explain what the hell happened." Wisely hung up right after.
Allen huffed and relaxed back into his cot. "Happy now?"
"More or less."
Neah rolled his eyes, "Honestly, I don't need to be Wisely to get an idea of what you're thinking right now."
"It's pretty obvious at this point..." Lenalee and Lavi both stated.
Allen couldn't help but chuckle upon seeing Kanda's bewildered expression. "S-sorry Y-Yu~!"
"Oi..."
The boy grinned, then tried to pull the crisp white sheet up to cover his expression.
"...brat..."
"But you love me, right?"
It was a valid point. Kanda noted. As much of a brat as he was, yes, Kanda loved Allen a lot. "Of course."
"So~ how long until the mind picker comes?" Lavi asked, not wanting things to escalate while they were there.
"Hell if I knew." Kanda muttered, "What he does is none of my business, nor do I care."
"Of course." Neah grumbled.
"Mind picker, though?" Allen asked.
"Lavi's newest nickname for Wisely." Lenalee sighed.
"Ah." The Brit raised a hand to his chin. "Lavi comes up with a lot of weird nicknames."
"Hey!" Lavi pouted. "Y'know, Yu came up with yours."
"You're point?"
"My point is, I never came up with a nickname for ya, 'sprout!"
"Yeah? Well you gave Sachiko the nickname 'Chomesuke' and actually thought it was her name for a year," Allen shot back.
"Tsk, tsk, little bean!" Lavi said, "That's her, not you. I said I never came up with an original nickname for you."
"I-I...w-wha—? You! God Dammit..."
"He got you pretty bad, Allen." Neah told his nephew. "And he's correct. Kanda was the one to Christian you with the nickname of 'beansprout', after all."
If he could've crossed his arms, he would've, but as it was, all the boy did was pull the hospital sheet over his head to hide his flushing red face.
"Well~ that was fun." Lavi said with a chuckle. "Seems everything is just fine and dandy, yeah?"
"Che."
Beneath the sheet, Allen's face only went redder.
The group conversed with one another, while Lenalee had coaxed Allen out of hiding. It took a while, but when she finally did, it was with the promise of as much dango as he wanted. Kanda had groaned in frustration because he just knew he was the one to buy out the store's supply of it later.
Almost two hours passed before Wisely managed to get to them, he was panting, flustered, and—
"My god, what happened to you?" Lenalee questioned, taking note of how he was currently looking.
"I need...to talk to Kanda...really quickly..." He wheezed. "Privately..."
Said Japanese male, reluctant to leave his fiancé, glanced at the boy, who smiled at him.
"Go," Allen urged. "I'll be alright."
Nodding once, he gestured to have Wisely lead the way. Once they were out of earshot of any eavesdroppers, the younger turned to the elder. "We may be in trouble."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I was targeted...by Crowned Clown."
Kanda's body went rigid. "You... Just now?"
"He thought I was Allen. His exact mental words were, 'kill his happiness'. There wasn't anything else. Except for…"
"What—"
"Kanda, your face showed up in a flash before the phrase."
The dark-haired man rested his back to one of the white hospital walls, staring at the ground thoughtfully. "My happiness? Why would... Who would..."
"I don't know. But I do know this. He needs two things. First, he needs to be behind bars. Second, he needs psychiatric help. His mind is screwed up."
Kanda nodded once. "I want you to stay with the Moyashi at all times. He can't be left alone."
"After what I just went through? I'd be crazy not to."
"Good."
"In other news...what do we do about the eavesdropper hiding around the corner?" Startled they were caught, Neah falls forward, groaning when he made contact with the floor.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me."
"Um...hello?"
"Told you that was a dumb idea." Cross's voice sounded as he too came out of hiding. He smirked at Wisely's confusion, "I happen to be a master of not wanting to be found."
"More like a master of being completely empty-headed," Neah muttered from the ground.
Cross promptly kicked Neah clear across the hall. Wisely blinked. "We sure he's an adult?"
"I knew him since childhood. So, much to my personal annoyance...I have no clue."
"That was anticlimactic." Kanda bluntly stated. "How much did you two hear?"
"Enough to know the brat ain't gonna be happy when he finds out about all this."
"Then we won't tell him."
Cross pushed his glasses up his nose, from where they'd slipped, eyes solely on the Oriental male. "Why?"
"He's done." Kanda met the man's gave evenly, expression grave. "No more NOAH. No more killing. He's trying to live a normal life; he doesn't need this right now."
Cross could've snorted. "Right, because you've done quite the excellent job so far."
"Now, now, there's no need to fight." Neah spoke up, upon getting back to the group. "Getting caught up in an attempted mugging could happen to anyone...but the whole Crowned Clown business is rather concerning."
"There's no real reason to attack the Moyashi."
"True." Neah murmured. "I mean, why would anyone ever want to kill Yu Kanda's happiness?" His fist met his open palm as if realization had struck him. "Oh wait, I can think of a dozen rea—OW!"
The man had been cut off by a deft kick to the shin.
"I suggest you don't finish that thought." Wisely pointedly stated. "Listen, fighting won't do anything. Kanda, you'll have to be on high alert. We need to be sure to sort out the huge mess out."
"Che. Like I don't already know that."
Cross sighed, "I don't like the fact there's a lunatic out there ready to strike down my charge."
"My nephew, Cross." Neah said.
"Fine, our damn charge. Better?"
"More or less."
"I take it you're going to help out?" Kanda asked, perhaps slightly amused by the turn of events.
"He's one of my only family I have. I'll look into old ties and see what information I can get."
"Since when do you consider me a second nephew?"
"Get out of my head, dammit!"
Wisely shrugged, and his lips twitched up into a slight grin. "Well, anyway, I'm on babysitting duty, right?"
"When I'm not there to look after him, yes."
"Fun. Don't worry, I'll be sure not a single hair on his head will be harmed while he's under my care."
"I would hope so. Otherwise you might find yourself in the morgue downstairs."
Wisely visably paled, and held up his hands, "A-ah, no need for violence, you have my solemn swear!"
Grinning, Kanda turned tail back to Allen's room. With curiosity getting the better of him, Neah looked to Wisely.
"Y-You don't want to know the horrors I just saw..." He managed to say, "I'll take the perverted thoughts any day..."
"Really?"
The white-hair turned a shade green, then shook his head. "On second thought, I'm more used to the blood and gore; they're probably better than his fantasies..." He shuddered.
(* - *)
"I'm back."
Allen looked up and smiled brightly at the Japanese male. "Welcome back, Yu...uh, what...exactly was that about? Cross and Neah—"
"I know." Kanda sighed. "Idiots will be idiots...but I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
"Hey!"
"Eh...is it really okay to be insulting him, Yu?" Lavi asked, scratching at the back of his head. "I mean, he does have the power to—OOMF! The hell?! Did you seriously throw a book at me, Al?!"
"Well...I thought you liked books."
"Reading them, not getting them thrown at my noggin!"
"Serves you right, Lavi." Lenalee was smiling in amusement.
"Lena, not you too!"
"If you don't shut up, we'll be thrown out." Kanda warned, though it was only half-heartedly.
He then turned his attention back to his fiancé, and grabbed at the boy's chin, before tilting the face in his hand up, and then to the side, inspecting his young lover. "Where are you injured?"
"It's only my arm, Yu..." Allen sighed, carefully removing the hand from his chin. "Uh...the bullets...what happened to them?"
"I have them. They're going to be sent to the lab when I get back."
"I get a feeling you won't find prints on them, to be honest..." At this point, Allen was examining Kanda's hand, having not released it yet. "If that attack was planned...for whatever reason, then they may have made sure to use as minimal evidence as possible."
"Even minimal evidence can help put the second bastard in jail that shot you."
"Mhm." The Brit watched his partner, seeing dark blue eyes trail down his form and drink in what they were able, as if trying to locate any cuts, scrapes or minor injuries that hadn't been mentioned. "Don't worry so much. I'm alright, y'know."
"It's my job to worry, baka," Kanda stated, and before Allen could respond, he pecked the boy's lips. "Besides, if I didn't, I don't think you'd be here right now."
Allen only pouted. "How would you know for sure?"
"Because I know you. You'd put yourself second to help others, even if it means your life could very well end."
When putting it that way...there wasn't any argument on Allen's end. The younger sighed to himself, before looking to his fiancé once more. "Alright, I guess you have a point."
"Damn straight."
The lovebirds were interrupted by a distinct 'ahem' from a certain eye-patched male. "As sweet and cute as it is to see you two this way, wait until ya get a room, yeah?"
"Oi..."
"Yes, my dear Yu-chan?"
Allen, in sensing his lover's change in attitude, remained quiet.
"Die." Kanda drew his sword, as Lavi paled considerably. Half a second later, the red-head was running with a demon on his tail.
Lenalee sighed, before crossing her arms. "I don't know if I want to scold him or save him.'
"I...don't want Yu getting in trouble...so um...Lenalee...?"
"Alright, I'll save Lavi, and then scold him right after." The Chinese woman decided, following after her two friends.
"Lavi's going to wish he let Kanda catch him after what Lenalee has in store for him." Wisely says, as he enters only moments later. "I feel bad for him, really."
"He probably had it coming...again." Allen reasoned.
The older white-haired male leant against the foot of the younger's cot, giving the boy a lopsided grin. "There's no probably about it. He riled your homicidal fiancé up on purpose."
Allen sighed heavily. "Thought so."
"I'm sure he'll survive." Wisely added.
Allen shrugged, "You've never faced Lenalee's wrath before, have you?"
"I don't think I want to."
"You're correct." He winced, remembering some of the things that'd happened when he'd angered the girl. Her so called 'punch of love' was lethal... As were those deadly kicks... "It's best to stay on her good side."
"I'll keep that in mind for future references."
Allen nodded, and then sighed. "So...did you find anything out about the AKUMA killings?"
"No, I can't say I have. There's been quite a bit of a hurdle in recent events."
"Hurdle?"
Wisely nodded, before sighing himself, "Seems like Lenalee is back with the others...Neah and Cross are close by too."
No sooner were the words said, Kanda and Lavi were being dragged in. Lavi by his ear, and Kanda by his hair, both begging and threatening — respectfully — to have the Chinese woman release them. Cross entered the room clear amusement on his face, and Neah appeared to be gaining a headache.
"What I wouldn't do for a picture of this..." Allen mused, grinning when his fiancé shot him a death glare.
"Lena! My ear's gonna fall off! Please let go!"
"I'll release the two of you if you swear you'll BOTH behave."
"I swear! I swear!"
"Che. Just let go of my hair already, woman!"
"Yu~ that's not asking nicely at all~" Allen chimed, perhaps enjoying the scenario too much.
"Fuck you!" Kanda hissed.
The red-head tutted. "We all know that's what you'd like to do, Yu-chan, but maybe you should save that for later." Then he winced when Lenalee pinched his ear harder. "OW! Lena-baby!"
"Don't 'Lena-baby' me, Lavi Bookman Jr.!"
"Ouch...full name." Wisely commented. "Never good..."
"Er...never at all, really." The youngest agreed.
While Lenalee was scolding Lavi, Kanda manage to remove his hair from her grip, and walk back to where both his fiancé and Wisely were. "What?"
"Nothing, nothing at all." Allen said. "Just saying how much Lavi had that coming to him."
"I'd do ten times worse." Kanda muttered. "Alright, I'm going back to work. I'll come back when I'm done, alright?"
"Be safe, Yu..."
"I should be saying that to you, baka moyashi."
"Will do~" Lavi said. "Well make sure he's staying in one piece for ya~"
"I'll keep them in line, don't worry about a thing, Kanda." Lenalee said.
"...why do I fall under the category of 'them'?" Wisely asked.
... ... ... ...
Woo-hoo! We're back! It's Wednesday, and I had gotten a B on my American Lit midterm paper~ (I got it back yesterday, actually)
R&R ain't for rest and relaxation, but let's face, I'm pretty sure I need it xD Leave a review, and let us know how we're doing, and please feel free to follow this story to stay up to date with what's going on with Allen and Co. in this thing...if you hadn't already, show this story some love, and add it as a favorite!
We'll see you all next week on Fade to Gray!