When Love Wins From Hatred

Chapter Four

Road: "I don't like this story..."

Me: 'Why not?"

Road: "You should pair Allen up with me. Why don't you write a story of the two of us? That would be a far more interesting one. Rather than this weirdo called Kanda taking my spot."

Me: "Oh, I'm sorry, Road, I shouldn't have asked. Well, maybe I will, but not anytime soon, I've got a lot to write already and this story will become pretty long. I'm also still busy with school too and I don't have a family like yours that helps me with my homework."

Road: "hmpf, how boring. And you're right, I always make Tyki and the Earl help me with my homework. You just have to be sweet and firm, that will persuade them, but of course I must admit I DO have the most wonderful family there is."

Me: "... well, I don't think that will work for me... But good for you I guess..."

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He woke again in the middle of the night. The sudden awakening left him confused at first, not knowing what had caused him to leave the deep, peaceful sleep that had taken him over.

That moment didn't take long though, because he felt his insides cramp and he coughed severely. He moaned in pain as his body seemed to be ripped apart from the inside out. His lungs seemed to want to push out all the air inside of it. He could hardly breathe.

He coughed again and rolled himself into a ball, his hands clamped around his chest. He didn't get any air! He was going to die like this for sure. His lungs just refused all cooperation.

"Moyashi, are you awake?"

Allen looked up, but he couldn't see anything but darkness. He was sure he had heard Kanda's voice coming from in front of him. "Kanda," He gasped in desperation, "please, I can't breathe." The last words seemed to disappear as the coughing tortured his wounded body again.

He heard footsteps closing in then two hands picked him up. His back was straightened by them and he felt how his cheek rested on Kanda's chest. Now that he was sitting upright and his face was slightly tilted upwards he felt some of the burden in his chest fall away, making space to take in the fatally needed air.

He panted, too busy with fighting to breathe to notice the alarming wheezing sound he produced. However the problems still weren't solved. He screamed when pain shot through his body and made him cough again.

"Moyashi, hold on, you can't die here yet."

Allen tried to concentrate on the voice that was talking to him to be able to forget the pain, but it didn't help enough. He coughed again, this time the taste of iron filled his mouth and he was aware of red liquid splattering on his clothes.

"Oi, Moyashi" The other exorcist grunted now, "get yourself together. We can't have you leave yet. Besides you're making my clothes dirty too."

Normally it would have surprised Allen that his companion was worried about him, but he could think of nothing else than surviving right now.

"Tsssk." Kanda said when Allen coughed blood again and moaned when it felt like a knife was being buried in his stomach. "Come on now, Moyashi."

"It's Allen, make sure you remember it so I won't kill you when I feel better again."

The soft whisper seemed to surprise Kanda, then he smiled. He actually SMILED!

Allen tried to fake a smile too, but another wave of pain stroke his body and made him grimace.

"hmpf." Kanda protested, but it sounded light-hearted for once. "Like I'd let you kill me. You'd better make sure you will recover so I can kill you instead."

Another stream of blood left the boy's mouth. "I won't let get myself killed so easily." He panted. He clasped Kanda's shirt in his hands and closed his eyes. His lungs felt raw and like an open wound. They hurt with every breath, they nearly made him want to cry. "I'm sorry, Kanda." He whispered softly. "I shouldn't have been so stubborn. I should have told you about it before I fell ill."

The eyes of his companion revealed a second of surprise, but he recovered quickly. "I guess I could have acted different as well." He answered reluctantly.

Allen knew this was as close to an apology he would ever get and felt a bit better. "Maybe we should try to be nicer to each other sometimes."

"Tsssk, don't get cocky now, Moyashi."

Allen grinned, then winced as all his muscles cramped again. "Fine, only when it's really needed then."

Kanda met his eyes then turned his gaze away again. "No... you're right. We could at least act like we're on the same side."

"Really, are you? I always thought you were on your own side,' Allen teased.

"Shut up, Moyashi."

"Maybe you should first begin with calling me 'Allen' for once." He coughed.

"Why would I?"

"Because it's not that hard. Actually it's a shorter word. And it would make it easier for me not to try to kill you."

"hmpf..."

It stayed silent for a moment, except for the sound of Allen's heavy breathing and coughing.

"Fine then, ALLEN, does this sound better to you?" Kanda groaned.

The boy managed to smile. "Yeah, a lot better. See, it wasn't that hard, was it?"

"hmpf, it sounds weird. Moyashi is more suitable to you. Especially when you're nearly dying like this."

Allen grimaced. "Well thank you, that sounded really nice. I can see you're trying to get along with me better."

Kanda turned his face away again.

"Okay, let's make a deal. I won't kill you for calling me Moyashi if you call me by my name when we're with only the two of us. That should help you to get used to it."

"heh?' Kanda smirked at him. "So you won't get mad anymore when I'll call you that in public?"

"I said I wouldn't KILL you, I never..." He hissed to keep himself from crying out loud when another pang of pain shot through his body. He needed a few seconds to recover from it before continuing what he had wanted to say with even a weaker voice than before. 'I never said anything about getting mad."

"Fine." Kanda answered with the same amused smirk on his face. "That's a deal. Then you should stop calling me 'idiot' or 'jerk' or 'Ba-Kanda' in those times."

Allen clamped his lips together in disagreement, but he understood that it was the only way to make the other keep his promise. "Fine, I will."

Then they stayed silent again. Allen still got tortured by attacks of pain and coughed up blood, but slowly the intervals between them became longer.

He was sure they already sat there for hours when he finally noticed he was falling asleep. He looked up at Kanda who was eyeing the environment. "Mind if I sleep a bit?"

The other shook his head. "It's probably better if you do."

Allen slowly let his eyelids drop and let himself get carried away by the darkness again, that seemed awfully comfortable after all the suffering he had been through.