D Grayman College

Reunion

(Kanda POV)
I prowled the space. The stupid one eyed rabbit perched on the edge of the chair. Allen, my little short stack, hiding behind him. Hiding from me. I gripped the bracelet I had made him. It had hurt more than I would tell him when he had thrown it back at me. How had I messed all of this up? I was trying to do the right thing. Relationships were hard. I sighed as I pieced together the last week. I began to talk to the pair huddling in the grimy chair.
“Sunday morning…” I began to tell them. I had woken early. Allen was still asleep. Lavi wasn’t in the room. Who knew where he had spent the night. I had slipped out thinking I would gather some breakfast. Maybe Allen and I could just stay inside, have a day together. I was thinking about that as I walked out of the dorm building heading off to the food court. I didn’t get far.
“Kanda, right. Sota Koyama’s boy?” Looking over I saw the tall red haired general from the dark hall step out from under a tree. He walked up to me.
“He is not my father.” I growled at him. I began to walk away forcing the general to walk with me.
“That is not why I’m here.” The tall general stated. He was playing with some golden ball in his hand. When I glanced at it, he tucked inside his coat.
“Look, you are a strong fighter. You already know how to activate your innocence and are very good with fighting with it. That has not gone unnoticed by anyone.” We had walked in silence for some time. The leaves crunching beneath our boots. Already I was getting the feeling that my day in bed with Allen wasn’t going to go as planed.
“You are a team player right? You want what’s best for everyone?” He had asked. I had answered him honestly.
“I don’t give a shit about the others. Just leave Allen alone.” He blinked at me. He opened his mouth I lengthen my stride making him rush a bit to catch up.
“Ok, ok. Look I have a problem. We need fighter. Good ones. You are our best right now.” He rushed out. His breathing puffing out in the chilly morning air. “You want us to leave Allen alone. I can get the others to do just that. We will train him, but keep him safe. Only send him out on the easy missions. What do you think of that?” He smirked at me. I stopped turning to face him. My hands pressed deep into my pockets had been balled into fists. It was taking much of my self control not to hit the guy.
“What do you mean by missions?” I asked. He waved a black gloved hand in my face.
“Oh don’t worry about that yet.” He chuckled. “I see you are a man who wants to get to the point, so here it is. I will get everyone to leave little Allen alone. Keep him safe from the big bad demons if…” his voice trailed off as he held up one finger. He had my attention now. He knew it with that smirk on his face.
“…if you train one of the others who is having difficulty.” He paused spreading out his hands. I looked at him. If that was all they wanted, I didn’t see how that could be too bad. I nodded my head slightly. Cross clapped his gloved hands together. Rubbing them to warm them up.
“Great, see I know you would come around. Alma will be waiting in the dark hall at noon today.” He clapped a hand to my shoulder. “Good talk, good talk. You are a true fighter.” He patted me before disappearing into the crowd. Alma? The name rang in my head as I headed into get breakfast.
The day we had gone to train he had been in my group along with Daisya. He had activated his weapon easily enough. I had fought with Fo first. Then she had gone to show Alma some moves. Daisya had asked me to spare with him. So we had. I hadn’t watched the other pair fight. I had no clue just what the other kid’s ability was. I knew he was a parasite like Allen. Training over lunch would not be good. He would need to eat.
With a soft growl I gathered as much food as I could then returned to the dorms. Allen and I had a pleasant morning. We ate the food, made out, talked. It was nice having him there close to me. As lunch time came I walked Allen to the food court. We had gone early since I hadn’t been able to carry enough food for his breakfast. We ate together. It amazed me the amount of food Allen ate. He was so small how could he devour the entire menu of one restaurant? He had asked me to do something with him that afternoon. I told him I had a study date but that we would meet up later. He looked sad but had agreed.
I watched him walk away. He headed off to the library looking for Lavi, he had said. I gathered some food before going to the dark hall. Alma meet me by the trap door. I let us in and we went down to the open grounds.
“This is really great that you are doing this for me Kanda. When I had asked Cross I thought they might kick me out. I am hopeless with this thing.” He activated the flowing cloak that looked to have tendrils coming out of it.
“Eat first, I don’t want you passing out on me.” I had growled at him tossing him the food I had brought down. He talked around the food as I went to warm up. I didn’t listen to a word he said. I stretched out my muscles did some sit ups and back bends. He never told me when he was done eating. I finished my thirty minute warm up to see him leaning against a tree watching me.
A stupid grin was on his face as I looked at him. I glared at him. “What are you doing just standing there, get warmed up!” I yelled. He shoved off the tree, frowning. I pulled Mugen free doing some exercises with her. After another half hour or so I turned to see if he was ready. He said he was.
He activated the stupid cloak again. I tried hacking it with Mugen. He just stood there like an idiot. I had to teach him basic defense techniques without his stupid cloak just so he could get out of the way. It took hours to get him to learn one simple move. He talked the entire time.
“Worse than you, you dumb bunny.” I hissed at Lavi. He was sitting forward on the chair. His elbows on his knees holding his head in his fists. Allen was leaning across his back watching me talk. I sighed. It was apparent they weren’t ready to forgive me yet.
The training continued night after night. We met with the entire group in the dark hall during our regular sessions. Afterwards I worked with Alma until the early hours of the morning. The first night I tried to leave after an hour.
“I have to go. I have plans with Allen tonight.” I had told Alma.
“Oh. I thought we would have more time.” He pouted. I had already put Mugen away.
“I have other things to do!” I cried at him. I turned my back on him to walk away. I heard him cry out behind me. He had been following me when he tripped over something twisting his ankle. He couldn’t walk. I had to take him to the emergency room. By the time I got back to the dorm, Allen had been asleep. It was two in the morning.
The next time I tried to leave he insisted I stay until he got the move I was teaching him right. He kept messing up the footing. “You would have gotten it faster than him.” I growled at Lavi. The stupid rabbit just grinned at me.
Each time I would start the session telling Alma I had to leave at a certain time. That I had plans with Allen. Each time he found ways to make me stay later and later. I even tried telling him I would met him after breakfast to continue working. Well that was a mistake. He had Cross come see me again when I didn’t show up Wednesday for our morning training. Saying it had been my idea.
“Now I was stuck training him after our group sessions and in the mornings.” I growled. Lavi laughed.
“Damn you are stupid.” The lanky teen stood up. He still kept himself between Allen and me but he was smiling at me. He came up to me placing a hand on my shoulder.
“Alma is smooth, I have to give him that. He fucking played you man. You fell for every little trick. I bet he was laughing each night at how gullible you are.” I blinked at him. What was he saying?
“Daisya may not have been in on it.” Allen said softly from his chair. “I bet he just wanted the practice with you, but it worked to distract you from seeing what Alma was really capable of doing.” I blinked at him.
“You believe me?” I asked. My heart racing. Could he? I mean I would never lie to him.
“I never lied Allen, I swear.” I said looking at him. Pleading with him. Why do I sound like a freaking girl begging? Because I am. I am begging this boy to love me.
“You are not a monster. I find it adorable how much you eat. I can’t fathom how you eat so much and not gain an ounce. You are all skin and bone. I try to get you to eat more. You used to laugh at me about that.” Allen blinked those blue silver eyes up at me. He uncurled himself from the chair. He didn’t stand up just leaned forward pressing his elbows into his knees.
“I guess I am just as guilty as you with how things went.” He said in a tiny voice. “When you left Sunday, Tykki was waiting. He was at the library. I went there to find Lavi. But I never got inside.” I saw the red blush coloring his cheeks.
“Tykki is so different.” He mumbled. Lavi snorted. The stupid rabbit moved over to the bean sprout.
“Tykki is an asshole who knows how to find people’s vulnerabilities. He exploits them until he had total control over the person! Trust me, I know.” Lavi laid a hand on Allen’s knee. I wanted to go comfort him too, but I didn’t dare  move yet.
“Tykki put his arm on my shoulder, sneaking up on me. I tried to get away from him but…” his voice trailed away. Lavi rubbed his knee. “… he forced me to walk with him. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t get him to let go. I didn’t know where anyone was. He was took me to his car. We went for a drive. He refused to bring me back to campus until it was dark.” Allen stammered. I felt like punching something.  I would have if I thought it was safe.
“He started showing up everywhere I went. He was at the building my classes were in, or hiding in the trees.” Allen rushed on wiping at the tears in his cheeks. I growled. His white head snapped up to look at me.
“He told me that if you loved me you wouldn’t be leaving me alone like this. He kept saying things like a real relationship meant you made time for each other no matter what. Or where were you when he was around. He kept telling me he cared more for me because he was there and you weren’t.”
Lavi caught my hand just before I smashed it into the support beam. “You do that and we all die. Come on, can’t you see how Tykki manipulated him?” He waved a fingerless gloved hand at my short stack.
“You guys were both played by master manipulators.” He said. “Trust me I learned from Tykki.” He glanced between the two of us.
“I think we can fix this.” He smirked. He was still holding my fist.
“How?” I growled in his ear yanking my hand back. “All I want is Allen to forgive me and take me back.” Lavi reached out cupping my chin in his hand. He turned it so I was facing Allen. To my surprise he was standing beside me.
“Don’t tell me that, tell him.”  Lavi said. Allen’s watery eyes looked up to me. He reached out one gloved hand to take ahold of mine.
“I forgive you.” He whispered sniffling a little. “Can you forg…” I yanked him into my arms. Cutting his words off with my mouth pressed to his. I clung to him. His arms curved around my neck. Small hands tightened into my hair. I lifted him up. I hardly registered Lavi’s laughter as I clung to the boy in my arms.
When my chest hurt from lack of air I released him. We were both breathing hard. He smiled at me. “I have nothing to forgive you for. This was all my fault, Allen.” I told him. His legs curled around my waist as he laid his head on my shoulder.
“At first I used to compare Tykki to you. I thought you both had similar looks. But you don’t” he weaved his hand into my hair. “You are way better. I love you Kanda.” He kissed my neck. I felt the shiver run through my spine. I clutched him tighter if that was possible.
“Ok, so all put back together here?” Lavi asked. He was standing a few feet away leaning against the wall that lead to the stairs. His booted feet crossed at the ankles as his arms were crossed over his chest. There was a soft chuckle from the boy in my arms.
“Yeah, all good. You can go now.” Allen said.
“No he can’t.” I cried. “I only got in here by following him. One wrong step and we could be buried here.” I looked at my short stack with wide eyes. They both laughed at me then. I curved my lips up a little. To see that smile on the white haired boys face. It always lifted my heart.
Lavi came up to us. He took my hand, pulling something from it. Oh I forgot I was still holding Allen’s bracelet. Lavi held it up, spinning it around one finger.
“You want to put this back on him?” he asked me his emerald eye smirking at me. I yanked it off of his finger. Carefully setting Allen back onto his feet. I picked up his left arm. I held the damaged hand in mine.
“Do you…” I began. Allen’s smile split his face crinkling his eyes. It made his scar scrunch up. The light that beamed out of him had me smiling too.
“Yes, please Kanda!” He begged thrusting his hand up to me. I chuckled. I slipped it over his hand replacing it against his wrist.
“Um, I think other hand. Otherwise it may get broken when he fights with that weapon.” Lavi pointed out. With a low snarl I switched it to his right hand. I kissed his palm.
“Don’t ever take this off again.” I told him. Allen shook his white head.
“I won’t I swear!” He pressed his mouth to mine. How did I deserve this gentle caring creature? I thought as I pulled him into me.
“Ok, now.” We pulled apart looking over to Lavi. He rubbed his hands together. “I get you guys out of here we met with the others. We need to plan our revenge on two little manipulators.”
He looked positively evil as I watched him. I smirked back at him. “What do you think, short stack?” I asked the boy still hanging onto my hand. He smiled up at me. All sweet and innocent. Then his face changed. He ducked his head slightly, a look that could only be pure evil covered his charming face.
“I’m in.” he agreed.
“Yes!” Lavi cried.
“Aren’t you still sleeping with Tykki though?” Allen asked.
“What!?” I looked between the two. Lavi waved his hand at Allen as he moved to the steps.
“Not since Wednesday. I have other interests now. It’s time Tykki Mikk get’s taken down a few pegs.” With that we carefully walked out of the bell tower. We found the others in the dorm rooms. The planning began that night.