D.Gray-Man 1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own -Man. -Man is the property of the awesome artist and author Katsura Hoshino. I am simply burrowing the characters and not making any money off this story.

Unlike The Tainted Angel, this isn't an AU. Not sure what else to say other than hopefully you'll enjoy it.

**Title: **Stealing Kisses from the Unsuspecting

**Chapter one: **When They Least Expect It

Kanda scowled at everyone who dared to point or whisper at him as he passed by. He ignored the ever hyper Jerry and snatched his soba as soon as it was placed on the counter, hoping he would be able to gain some peace and quiet by sitting in a secluded spot. His hopes were dashed before he even had a chance to pick up his chopsticks when Lavi hopped into the seat across from his.

"'Morning Yu." He gasped when he caught sight of Kanda's face. "Holy crap Yu, what happened to your face!?"

He sighed mentally. He knew this would happen. You couldn't walk around with your entire right cheek covered in purplish black bruise without someone noticing. Other people might know not to say anything directly considering his personality, but he knew Lavi or Lenalee would want to know what happened. He had actually considered staying in his room until it healed to avoid this, but his stomach would not let itself be ignored and so he had ended up coming down for breakfast anyways.

After picking at his food in thought, he decided to answer the rabbits question now rather than endure relentless pestering later. "Beansprout.", was his cryptic reply.

Lavi scrunched his face for a moment in confusion and then it snapped into one of shock, "You mean _Allen,_ sweet, little gentlemanly Allen Walker with the patience of a_ saint_, hauled off and hit you!?" Lavi said this very loudly, causing several people to turn their way.

"Yes." Kanda hissed, annoyed at having even more attention drawn to himself. "It was a stupid argument and he overreacted. End of story." He did his best to ignore how Lavi's single eye narrowed at him. He started eating his soba, vainly hoping Lavi would drop it.

"What did you say to provoke him into that sort of 'overreaction'?"

".....it's not what I said."

"Fine, what did you do then?"

Kanda looked Lavi square in the face with a cold glare and said, "Its between me and the sprout, so stay out of it." He returned to his meal, now completely ignoring the stunned rabbit and everyone else in the room.

There was blissful silence for a several mintues until, "Oh, there's Allen, I'll just go and ask him what happened."

Kanda's head shot up and before he could stop him Lavi had sprinted across the cafetria to the doors were Allen had just walked in. He saw them exchange greetings, Allen's face showing a great deal of preoccupation. Lavi said something, gesturing towards Kanda, and Allen looked over at him in surprise. As soon as their eyes met though he looked away, anger and confusion in his eyes. He said something to Lavi, which must have surprised him because as he walked past him to the counter Lavi stared after him with his mouth hanging open.

Lavi wandered back over to Kanda slightly dazed. "Kanda."

Kanda looked at him, eyebrow arched in curiosity since Lavi always used his first name. "I say this with the best interest's of everyone in mind. You should apologize to Allen for whatever it is you did to him." Lavi shushed him before he could retort, "Its for the good of everyone. You must have done something really bad, because not only did he snap at me when I asked what happened, he actually cursed."

"So?" Kanda didn't get why that was such a big deal.

"This is Allen we're talking about. He doesn't raise his voice except when he argues with you, and he never say's anything crude to anyone. When have you ever heard him swear?"

Kanda opened his mouth then closed it. He set his chopsticks down and crossed his arms, his brows furrowing as he actually searched his memory for even one instance in which the polite fifteen year old had said a bad word. When he finally looked at Lavi again he said stubbornly, "So he doesn't usually have a dirty mouth, I still think that he's overreacting."

Lavi sighed, a dissatisfied look on his face. "Yu, its not just that. He looked confused about something, and said he didn't want to talk about it because he wasn't completely sure how he felt about the matter. Even if you don't apologize you should at least talk to him."

"Che." was Kanda's final response as he picked at his soba, suddenly moody like a child that had been told by its mother to apologize to a sibling.

"I knew you'd see things my way Yu," said Lavi brightly before leaving, taking his sudden sulkiness as a sign that he would talk to Allen, however reluctant he was to do so.

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"Pray, keep your nonsense for some luckier night-

Who can have put my master in such a mood?

What will become on it-I'm in such a fright,

The devils in the urchin, and no good-

Is this a time for giggling? this a plight?

Why, don't you know that it may end in blood?

You'll lose you life, and I shall lose my place,

My mistress all, for that half-girlish face."- suddenly a book went flying across the room and fell with fluttering pages after smacking against the wall.

Kanda turned over on his side, facing the broken window in frustration. He had been trying not to think about having to talk to the beansprout, but when he read that last line 'for that half-girlish face' he had instantly pictured Allen.

He groaned as he turned onto his back. It was all the sprouts fault. If he didn't have such a pretty face with that deceptively fragile looking but strong body, he wouldn't have done that this morning.

_He had just finished his morning training and was heading for the baths when he encountered Allen in the halls. He couldn't remember who said what now, although he was sure he started it this time, but they got into a heated argument. He recalled how Allen had been really worked up, his pale cheeks flushing pink and the normally passive and cheerful expression he wore replaced with passionate anger while his gray eyes flashed like a stormy sea._

_He looked so damn attractive right then, that without thinking Kanda gave into an impulse he had been harboring for months now._

_Yanking him forward by the front of his shirt, Kanda crushed his lips to Allen's. He felt Allen go completely still, and he wasn't sure how long it lasted before he found himself on the ground cradling a throbbing cheek in one hand._

_He looked up to see a wide eyed and crimson faced Allen, left fist still poised in the air and shaking, his mouth working soundlessly. And before Kanda could move or say anything he fled._

Kanda sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He really had disliked Allen at first. His reckless behavior caused countless problems while they were on missions and he couldn't stand how constantly polite he was. And he refused to back down when Kanda chastised him which irked him greatly. But then he supposed that Allen standing up to him was what made him start to admire him, because really, Kanda wouldn't have become so enamored if Allen didn't have something other than looks going for him.

Kanda hadn't been too alarmed when he first noticed the direction his thoughts were taking in regards to Allen. There weren't many women at the order, and the opposite gender didn't really hold much attraction for him anyways since they just seemed too breakable. He'd had sex before of course. He was a healthy, somewhat normal, eighteen year old male with hormones and urges after all. And it helped him relief tension and stress when he was away on missions.

But it was always one night stands, and never with men or anyone at the order. He was the type of person who didn't like to mix business with pleasure. He didn't want to be distracted on mission because the person he worked with was also someone he happened to have intimate relations with. Besides, no one at the order interested him that way. Oh, he thought Lavi was attractive with his flame red hair and emerald green eye, but he couldn't bring himself to think of him as anything more then a somewhat annoying yet dependable comrade.

But this strict and professional policy of not going for his coworkers was put to the test when Allen Walker came along. Snowy white hair, milk white skin that flushed so prettily when he was angry or embarrassed, and a thin frame that looked like a slight breeze could knock him over but was strong enough to stand up to a powerful gale. Storm gray eyes that annoyed him when he smiled because he could see how fake it sometimes was when it didn't quite reach them. But he loved them when he was angry because then the emotion coming from them was so raw and honest, he thought he might get electrocuted by the electricity flashing from them.

Kanda was close to falling into a daydreaming state when he was roused by a knock on his door. He stayed still in the hopes that whoever it was would leave, thinking he wasn't there. But there was another knock and a tentative voice called, "Kanda? Are you there?"

He sighed. He hadn't thought of what to say to him, but he supposed that if Allen was coming to him, he could just let the sprout start the conversation and respond as needed. He fixed a blank look on his face and answered the door, looking down at a nervous and fidgeting Allen.

"Um, can I talk to you?"

"About what?" He knew what this was about of course, he just wanted to rile Allen up a little so he wouldn't look so pathetically nervous.

"About this morning you jerk!" Allen snapped, a bit of irritation taking over, but not completely erasing his nervous fidgeting.

Kanda left the door open in a silent invitation for Allen to come in while he went to sit on his bed. He had to fight down his amusement in order to retain his blank expression when Allen cautiously poked his head in the room and looked around slowly as if expecting some sort of hidden danger to pop out at him. He stepped in and quietly closed the door before leaning against it and looking at Kanda, chewing his bottom lip nervously.

He waited patiently as Allen stared at the floor, opening and closing his mouth a couple of times, seeming unsure of how to start. He looked up, and Kanda guessed his blank expression must have irked him because he let out a frustrated noise and asked, "Why did you do that? If it was some kind of joke then your sense of humor is more warped then I could have ever imagined."

Kanda scoffed, "You're confusing me with Lavi. I don't tell jokes."

"Then why for the love of god did you kiss me!?" Allen practically wailed.

Kanda frowned. He couldn't understand why the sprout was getting so upset. It was just a kiss. He decided to answer as truthfully as he could though, since telling lies or half-truths would probably just make things worse in the end, and he didn't really like lying anyways. He stood and took a couple of steps closer to Allen before answering, "I did it because I wanted to."

Allen turned red and the look on his face was one of disbelief, "But we're both male! And you don't even like me! Why in the world would you want to kiss me!?"

"Because I find you attractive. Why else does a person desire to kiss someone on the lips? And do I seem like the type of person to care about what gender the person I like is?" There. You couldn't get any plainer then that without actually saying something like I love you, which Kanda wasn't ready to do, or was sure he ever would be.

Allen looked stunned, "You-you"

Kanda stepped closer and bent slightly so that they were eye to eye. Curiosity and amusement shone from his eyes into startled gray ones. "Hmm? Are you the kind of person who can't accept the fact that other people might actually find you attractive?" By the look on Allen's face, he guessed that he had hit the mark. He had always had the suspicion that Allen thought people found him unattractive because of his scar and his pure white hair that made many people mistake him for an old man at a distance. But he also thought that maybe it was a little bit of naivety too.

"Since when did you"

Kanda braced an arm against the doorframe so he could lean over Allen easier. "Since when did I find you attractive? It happened gradually. I did hold a great dislike of you at first, but you have a lot of attractive qualities and charms besides your appearance. You could say you grew on me." Kanda surprised even himself. He didn't think he had it in him to say something so complementary out loud.

"Um, th-thank you." Allen stammered, blushing. "Um, could you not stand so close?"

He didn't really want to move away, but Kanda could sense the sprouts discomfort and gave him some space. "I've answered you honestly and sincerely, so would you please answer one question for me?"

"Well, if its something I'm able to answer, then yes I will." Allen was composed now, his blush having faded.

"Why did you get so upset when I kissed you?"

Allen's blush returned full force and he started to rapidly babble, "What was I supposed to do!? That was my first kiss! I've never even thought of kissing someone before in my life, and then suddenly not only does my first kiss get stolen by a guy, but by a guy who I think doesn't even like me! It surprised me so much that I just went with my first instinct, and by the way I'm sorry I hit you so hard but you really startled me and then I was just so flustered because I hit you with all my might so then I panicked and ran." Allen said all this in one breath, so when he finished his was breathing hard as if he had been running.

"Huh." was Kanda's first response. Then he smirked at Allen, "So your really just an innocent and naïve little kid."

Allen's face contorted into the same look he had the first time Kanda kissed him, "Why you pompous-"

It was just a quick peck on the corner of his mouth, but it was enough to silence Allen and leave him looking incredulous.

He reached blindly behind him for the doorknob while point shakily at Kanda who was smirking again, "Just cause you suddenly say you find me attractive and stuff doesn't mean I'll let you do as you like! Ask first!"

Kanda raised an eyebrow at this, "Would you actually say yes if I asked?"

"No." was the immediate response.

"Che." Kanda shrugged, "Then I'll just have to steal them when your guard is down. I won't even mind if you hit me again, it'll be worth it."

Allen paused half way out the door and gave him another look of incredulity. "You're nuts!" he said before slamming the door shut.

Kanda flopped down onto his bed and stared at the ceiling blankly for a moment. Then slowly a rare smile started to take over his face. He felt light, almost giddy. It had felt good to say some of the things he had been thinking about since he meet the sprout.

He knew it would not be easy, but now he felt as if it might be possible to try and see if he could get the younger boy to return some of these feeling he harbored. He wanted see how deep this could go, although there was also the most distant fear of outright rejection. A part of him even felt like this might be fun, watching for openings where he could steal a quick kiss on the sly. Yes, he thought this really just might be fun.

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Hope you all like it. See you later.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own -Man. -Man is the property of the awesome artist and author Katsura Hoshino. I am simply borrowing the characters and not making any money off this story.

I was both flabbergasted and pleased to see what a large response I got for this story. I hope I don't disappoint anyone with this chapter or the ones to come. Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far or added this story to their lists.

**Title:** Stealing Kisses from the Unsuspecting

**Chapter two:** Leap At The Chance

"You called for me, Chief Komui?" asked Allen after politely knocking and poking his head in the supervisor's office.

"Yes Allen. I want you to accompany Kanda on a retrieval mission to Germany." Allen noticed the older Japanese teen sitting on the couch looking bored. He sat almost nervously on the opposite end of the couch. This last week had been strange. He had been trying to wrap his head around not just what Kanda had done but what he had said. It didn't help that he suddenly seemed to end up in the same vicinity as the usually anti-social young man more than usual.

If it were anyone else, he would have thought he was being stalked. But this was Kanda and he was sure he had too much pride to do such a thing even if he did hold some sort of attraction towards Allen.

It unnerved him slightly though when he caught him staring at him from time to time, and what was worse he didn't look abashed in the slightest when Allen caught him. He just gave Allen this 'want to make something of it?' look before eventually averting his eyes and leaving. Needless to say, they were in public and he didn't want to make a scene (Allen wanted to keep anything to do with whatever it was that was going on between them private).

To Allen's relief Kanda didn't spare him a glance and just said, "Explain the mission so we can get going."

He didn't miss the odd look that Komui gave Kanda that then slid over to Allen before he cleared his throat and begin the briefing. When he had finished and handed them there briefing statements Kanda quickly left with only one brief glance at Allen. Allen was much slower to leave and had almost reached the door when Komui's curiosity laden voice stopped him.

"Did something happen between you and Kanda?" Allen looked back at Komui, trying to keep his expression from showing any distress.

"What do you mean, sir?" he asked, keeping his voice light. He sincerely hoped Komui wouldn't press too hard. He didn't need the whole order knowing that not only had a guy stolen his first kiss, but that it was none other than Kanda Yu who had done it.

"Well, when I told Kanda that you would be the one to accompany him he didn't even grumble about it. In fact, if I didn't know better, I would almost dare to say that he was _happy _that you were his mission partner. Do you know something I don't?"

"Something did happen earlier this week, but I would rather not discuss the details." He really honestly didn't want to discuss it with anyone but the other involved party.

"It must have been something good. He seems to have been in a good mood lately, and he is behaving more civilly around you."

Allen opened his mouth and than shut it with a frown. Kanda had been less insulting this past week and seemed to be trying to reign in his temper. Moreover, if Allen was already in the dinning hall, Kanda would actually voluntarily sit at the same table as Allen, albeit a few seats away, and he never said anything.

Allen was brought back from his musing by Komui. "Anyways, I've kept you from preparing for you journey. Have a safe trip."

"Thank you, sir. See you soon." He said with a smile before leaving, mentally sighing in relief that the supervisor hadn't pressed for details.

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In Kanda's mind, he thought he was being a little ridiculous with his behavior even if he had admitted his feelings for the most part. It seemed like that incident from the beginning of the week had turned a screw loose in his head or something. He found himself wandering the halls after his early morning training and breakfast, rather than retreating to his room like he usually did when he didn't have a mission.

Sub-consciously he sought out the places where the beansprout would most likely be (he refused to think that he was purposely searching for him, or to wonder when he had taken note of his daily habits like some sort of creepy stalker). When he did find the beansprout he didn't approach him, just stared for a bit until the other noticed, gave him a challenging look to his questioning one and then would leave, feeling satisfied for some strange reason.

He figured that sitting at the same table as the beansprout was an innocent enough gesture, though he thought that he should wait until the beansprout didn't look as uncomfortable with his presence to actually sit next to him.

And now that they were alone on the boat going through the canals for their latest mission, he felt like smacking himself for the way he was behaving. He just couldn't seem to stop himself from glancing over his shoulder at the unusually quiet boy every five minutes as he pushed the boat along with the long punting pole.

He normally welcomed silence when on missions, and in the past he had often snapped at the beansprout when he had attempted to start conversations pertinent to anything other than the current mission. Now though, he found the silence awkward, because Allen had turned contemplative and would look away if their eyes meet.

Kanda wanted to break the silence, but he had no idea what to say. He'd spent the last week contemplating the snowy haired boy on a regular basis, and realized he didn't know that much about him other than small things he had observed about his habits, appearance and personality.

The one thing he had discovered in his searches for the boy was that he visited the library a lot. Kanda himself only read occasionally to distract himself or kill time, and mostly poetry at that. He found poetry easier to put down and come back to. If he read a novel and had to stop in the middle for too long, he would get confused when he picked it back up again because he wouldn't be able to remember all the details from what happened earlier in the story.

Much to his surprise the beansprout seemed to read mostly non-fiction. He had always pictured him as the type who would like reading novels as a way to escape everyday life. In reality the sprouts reading materials where more of what he would consider educational, like books from the history or culture sections, although he never chose anything overly heavy looking.

He wondered if they could talk about books? It might be worth a try. He had to resist the uncharacteristic urge to blush after thinking this. Here he was, Kanda Yu, the stoic, uncaring, most anti-social exorcist in the order who went to great lengths to avoid conversations, fretting over how to start one. And with Allen Walker no less. While the boy wasn't a chatterbox, he would usually welcome any conversation.

But the problem for Kanda was that he didn't want to sound stupid, as silly as it might seem. When it came to battle he could talk with confidence because that was his area of expertise, he knew it inside and out. However, he had to admit that he wasn't the sharpest blade when it came to matters that required more brains than brawn. Allen might not be the strongest or most experienced in matters of war, but he defiantly had a brain, and he was sure it contained more intelligence than his own. But than he thought of the sprouts generous nature and figured he'd probably forgive a lack of intelligence as long as the person had some personality to balance things out.

He had just resolved to put the matter out of his mind to avoid getting a headache when he glanced over his shoulder again only to catch Allen staring at him in an almost dazed manner. He didn't notice how he had stilled his hands at seeing the almost dreamy look on the boys face, and as the boat continued to move forward the pole stayed in place, pulling Kanda's arms back until he lost his balance. He quickly steadied himself before he could fall and pulled the pole forward. He glanced back at the other boy again to see a small smile of amusement on his face.

"What?" he practically hissed, not liking being laughed at even if it was by the boy he had feelings for.

"That's the first time I've ever seen you stumble." came the simple statement.

Kanda scowled, "Tell a soul and I'll do something dreadful."

Allen raised his eyebrows at this, his smile growing, "How vague and uncreative. That didn't even sound scary."

Kanda clucked his tongue in disdain, "It leaves room for improvisation." He felt put out that Allen hadn't taken him seriously, but then again the sprout hadn't taken his threats seriously for a while now so he supposed he shouldn't be too surprised. Allen actually had the nerve to giggle at him as if he had said something terribly funny. He stopped though when Kanda added, "It's your fault anyways for staring at me."

He smirked a little when Allen's face turned pink and he started fidgeting. "I didn't mean to. I was just thinking about something."

"Thinking about me?" Kanda's smirk grew as Allen's blush darkened. He turned back to the task of pushing the boat forward, since he could feel it starting to drift off course.

"Why would I be thinking about you? My eyes just happened to be resting in your general vicinity." Allen stammered.

"What were you thinking about then?" They finally came out of the tunnels into the morning sunlight, the stone waterways giving way to the naturally embanked river. They both squinted in the sudden brightness after the dark of the tunnels, and when they entered the current Kanda put away the pole and sat down pulling out the oars while Allen manned the rudder.

For a few minutes the only sound was the gurgle of the river and the swishing of the oars. But then Kanda broke the silence, "Oi, are you going to answer my question?"

"Its nothing interesting really, you'd probably think it was stupid even." said Allen lightly, trying to deflect Kanda's interest.

"You're avoiding the question." Kanda said, but he decided not to press it. He had been making an effort to avoid provoking the beansprout into arguments like he usually would, and he was sure that if pressed they would head in that direction.

Neither of them tried to break the silence that fell now, as Kanda built up a steady rhythm with the oars to move them quickly along the slow current, and Allen kept the boat on a steady course at the center of the river. They were heading down a different branch of the river then what they would usually take since they needed to head to a town further down from the nearest one to the order.

About three hours passed before Allen chose to speak. "Kanda?"

"What?" he said with a grunt. The back of his coat was soaked with sweat from the quickly building noontime heat and the last three hours of non-stop physical exertion. His back, shoulders and arms were burning and aching, and his was terribly thirsty, however he refused to say anything about his current discomfort out of pride.

"I could switch with you if you wanted to take a break." Allen offered.

"I'm fine." he said stubbornly, despite actually wanting to say yes.

"Don't be stubborn. Even if you keep up this pace, it will take at least two or more hours to get there, and then we will have to walk for about four hours to the next town over to catch the train. Why not save some energy for later instead of completely wearing yourself out now?" Allen said, sounding perfectly reasonable.

Kanda didn't say anything right away. He made a few more strong strokes with the oars before shipping them with a sigh. "Fine."

He carefully stood, trying not to rock the boat as he stepped over the middle seat towards the back to take Allen's place. And perhaps today his lucky stars were out of alignment or something, because he lost his usually rock solid balance for the second time that day much to his dismay and was unable to stop himself from falling forward. He crashed into a highly startled Allen who ended up falling backwards from the sudden weight with a pained yelp as his head collided with the edge of the boat.

Kanda slowly raised himself up as the boat's rocking calmed, bracing his hands on either side of the boat as he half leaned on and over Allen.

Allen had his eyes scrunched shut as he clutched the back of his head. "Ow.." he muttered.

Kanda could smell the scent of lavender soap coming from Allen with how close they were, and he found it rather soothing. He could feel warm puffs of air on his face and those pink lips just looked so irresistible. Their faces were only a couple of inches apart and Allen hadn't opened his eyes yet. Surely this was an opportunity not to be missed. Kanda pressed his chapped lips to the younger boy's and enjoyed how soft and moist they felt against his. He felt Allen snap to attention at the touch, hands immediately coming up to push at his chest in an attempt to dislodge him. However, he stayed firmly in place, taking Allen's bottom lip into his mouth and sucking lightly, ignoring the muffled protests.

Than he suddenly found himself going over the edge of the boat from the combined force of a booted foot in his stomach and two hands pushing at the center of his chest. Luckily the current was slow and the river only chest high, so he was able to stand without any difficulty. The first thing he heard upon gaining his footing was the irate statement, "You jerk, I told you to ask first before trying to kiss me!"

Kanda swept his dripping bangs out of his eyes and said non-chalantly to the seething and blushing fifteen year old, "And I told you that if I'm going to be denied anyways that I'll just steal them when I have the chance."

"Hmph." Allen crossed his arms in a huff with and pouted. Kanda grabbed the edge of the boat and pulled it over to the shallows so he could climb back in without the risk of tipping the boat over. He sat down, unbuttoning his now sopping wet exorcist coat and discarding it on the floor of the boat. He could feel water sloshing inside his boots and was in the process of unbuckling them so he could dump it out when he heard a quiet laugh.

He looked up to see Allen with a hand pressed over his mouth, eye's shinning and shoulders shaking as he tried to repress his laughter. Kanda furrowed his brow, wondering why Allen was laughing when he figured he would still be upset with him.

Allen removed his hand , revealing a bright smile and letting out another laugh before saying, "Sorry, its just that you have no idea how many times I've thought of pushing you into a lake or river to see if it would cool off that violent temper of yours, and the one time I actually do it is when I didn't even mean to." He gave one more light laugh before adding, "And you just look so funny right now."

Kanda grumbled something under his breath that sounded like 'didn't mean to my ass' while he finished removing his boots and dumped the water back into the river. Then he started smiling while he began wring the water out of his hair.

"What are you happy about?" asked Allen, surprised to see the rare smile when he had only ever seen Kanda smirk or frown.

"It was worth being dunked in a river to kiss those soft lips, even if it was only for a moment. And you smell good, by the way."

Allen flushed a fetching shade of pink and said, "I said it before and I'll say it again, you have got to be bloody crazy."

Kanda just continued to smile as he started wringing out his coat. _I might be crazy, but its a madness that only you can induce in me, _thought Kanda.

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I actually had a lot of trouble writing this chapter because I kept finding myself trying to put a bunch of emotional stuff in it that bogged down the story. I feel mostly satisfied with how it turned out though. I just hope you all think so as well. See you in the next chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own -Man. -Man is the property of the awesome artist and author Katsura Hoshino. I am simply borrowing the characters and not making any money off this story.

**Note: **I'm adding an extra disclaimer for the quoted poetry. In the first chapter, Kanda was reading verse 171(sorry if I miscounted, it's really long [this does not include the dedication]) from the first Canto of _Don Juan_, written by Lord Byron, which he started in 1818.

This chapter includes _The Broken Heart_, written by John Donne (1572-1631). I tried to make sure I didn't use anything written after 1900 since the series is set at the end of the 19th century.

**Title:** Stealing Kisses from the Unsuspecting

**Chapter three:** Self-control makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Allen was becoming a little worried about Kanda. He hadn't said anything since the boat incident, and he had taken to his usual brooding silence after he had calmed down from whatever it was that had made him so happy after being soaked. Only this silence had a different quality to it as he was frowning in a manner that suggested he was thinking hard about something.

So distracted was he that he actually let Allen take the lead as they left the town they had docked in to walk to the town with the train station. Allen was just glad that the road was straight with no turn offs, because he was certain if he had to decide on a place to turn, that he would turn the wrong way.

He actually had to stop once and shout at Kanda because he suddenly stopped walking. The other had just wordlessly started walking again with barely a glance at Allen.

Allen made sure to stay by Kanda's side after that in order to prod him if he showed signs of stopping. He wasn't sure if he should allow himself to get used to this Kanda who didn't pepper him with insults and death threats, but he would have to enjoy it while he could. He let his own mind wander a bit as he recalled the earlier part of the boat ride when they first left.

He let out a tiny sigh, thankful that the other was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice. _I'm glad he didn't press the issue before,_ he thought. _I couldn't exactly come out and say that I was trying to decide what I thought of him as a person._

Allen was at a loss as to how to act. He didn't hate Kanda, but he had never given him more thought than what he gave to any of his other comrades either. No, that wasn't right, he realized suddenly, his brows furrowing. They argued a lot, and this caused him to pay more attention to Kanda then he had previously realized. When it came to Kanda he would often drop his almost ingrained politeness, and would become almost passionate in his anger and irritation. He sometimes felt invigorated after their arguments, would often be thinking about how infuriating the other was long afterwards.

He had never seriously _looked_ at him before today though. He had subconsciously acknowledged that he was above average in looks, but only in passing. He couldn't ever properly recall now the thought process that brought him to try and decide what he thought of Kanda's looks. All he knew was that he found himself admiring how straight Kanda's posture was, how he pushed the boat forward so easily and smoothly with his strong arms that had been honed from hours of sword practice, the shine of his straight smooth hair in the torch light, the perfect complexion with that exotic tint that had not been completely erased by years of living in England. He had found himself thinking, _Well, I suppose getting my first kiss stolen by a guy isn't so bad if it was by someone handsome like Kanda._

Suddenly he blushed, his eyes widening. _That doesn't mean I like him does it? I mean, its the first time I've thought about how he looked, and I never would have thought about it in the first place if he hadn't done that._Allen was pulled out of his thoughts by Kanda calling him.

"Oi, beansprout, we're almost there, quit spacing out." Kanda seemed to have snapped out of his own daydreaming and gone a bit ahead of him. He was standing facing towards Allen, with the town just visible over the horizon behind him.

"Ah, sorry. I'm coming." He walked forward quickly and would have passed by Kanda if the other hadn't stopped him with a hand sitting firmly on his shoulder.

"We need to talk." He said, expression serious and at the same time slightly uncertain, which worried Allen because he often found himself subconsciously depending on the older and more experienced exorcists unwavering confidence.

He looked up at Kanda, giving him his full attention, hoping that this would be less troubling then he felt it would be.

* * *

Kanda took a slow, subtle breath. After he had calmed down from his strange euphoria earlier he seemed to have more or less come to his senses and realized that he was going about things all wrong. He had to take the others feelings into consideration more, and the fact that they had a mission to complete made his thoughtlessness worse.

He willed his heartbeat to settle when he realized that the beansprout was paying full attention to him without the irritation he usually showed, or more recently confusion, but with a slight bit of concern. It made him feel warm to see such a feeling directed at him from the person his thoughts had been revolving around so much lately.

"I'm not going to apologize for what I did, because I don't regret it." he began soberly, his face showing nothing but stubborn sincerity. "But I do realize that it's unfair of me to force my attentions on you in such a manner. These feelings I have," he paused and started again, "I didn't say it clearly back then. I don't just desire you physically. I-I-" he couldn't help hesitating here, having never said something like this to anyone before, "I like you. Not the way a friend or a comrade should, but the way a man does when he courts a woman."

Allen's mouth opened and closed, a look of shock on his face. Put that plainly, even someone as naïve as Allen could understand.

"You were right, I was being a little crazy. But I can't let this get in the way of the mission or the ones that follow. And it will do no good if you're distracted as well because you're fretting over what I've said and done. So tell me straight out, do you honestly want me to stop making advances on you, or would you be willing to give me a chance as a-" he paused for a moment, searching for the appropriate word and feeling his cheeks heat up when he finally said, "as a lover?"

He watched as Allen turned red first, not saying anything. Then he stammered out quietly, voice full of uncertainty, "I... I don't know. I don't hate you. And um," he twisted his hands nervously, face going redder as he looked down, "I do think youre a very handsome man, but I," he stopped and wavered, "I don't know what I think of you. I've been so confused since that first time you kissed me. I'm not angry or disgusted, but I'm not sure what it is I'm feeling right now. I..." he trailed off, not sure how to convey how mixed up he felt.

Kanda sighed and startled Allen by gently placing a hand on his bowed head. "It's alright. You don't have to say anything now. I'm not saying that I want you to forget about it, far from it, but you can take your time to think about it and decide. I've never felt this way about anyone before, so I sometimes feel a little confused myself, but I'm sure about the fact that I like and want you. I'll wait until you've decided before I do anything else."

Allen gave him a tiny smile, "Thank you Kanda. You're actually pretty nice."

"Che, don't go telling anyone." Kanda scoffed, sounding a bit more like his normal self.

"Don't worry, I won't. I doubt anyone would really believe me anyways. Except maybe Lenalee or Lavi."

"_Especially_ don't tell those two." Kanda insisted vehemently. "They won't leave either of us alone if they hear even a word about this."

"Fine, fine." said Allen as he started to walk towards the town once more, finally feeling at ease for the first time in over a week. "I'd rather not talk to anyone else about this either." _Not yet anyways_, he added silently.

"Good." said Kanda, striding past Allen to lead the way. "Now let's hurry before the last train leaves. We've wasted enough time with these delays."

"Yes, yes." said Allen, following dutifully with a small smile of relief, because things finally seemed to be somewhat normal again.

* * *

Silence reigned in the train compartment. After reviewing the mission briefing once more, Kanda had turned to look out the window, and Allen had pulled out a book. Eventually Kanda got bored of looking at the scenery flashing by and found himself looking over at Allen, intrigued by how the boy's brow seemed to knit in concentration, and his lips moved silently as he read each word.

He recalled what he had thought of earlier, and figured what better time than now to try it out. Even if he was going to stop trying to physically accost his younger coworker, he could still try to get to know him better without stepping over the line. Right?

"Beansprout, what are you reading?" He asked in a neutral tone.

Allen looked up startled, "Why do you want to know?"

"Curious." Was all Kanda said.

Allen bit his lip, face pinking a bit as if embarrassed. "Its, um, well..." he trailed off, and silently held the book out to Kanda.

Kanda took the thin book and opened it, as the cover was blank. He stared at the front page.

'_A Primer for English speakers who wish to study the Language of Japan'_

He looked back at the beansprout who was twisting his fingers nervously, face still flushed. "You're studying Japanese." he stated, face blank.

"Well, I think it's useful to learn about different places when you travel a lot, because you never know when the information might come in handy. I wanted to try reading about Japanese culture and history, but there aren't too many books written in English that have much useful information. So I thought if I learned the language..." he trailed off again, looking down at his lap.

"Are you having any luck with it?" asked Kanda as he held the book out. Allen peeked at him through his bangs which had fallen into his eyes, and when he only saw a sincerely curious look on the others face he took it back with a small smile.

"Its kind of hard, but it fun too. I never stayed anywhere long enough to learn another language so I want to keep trying." He set the book in his lap and gave Kanda a thoughtful look. "What kind of books do you read Kanda?"

Kanda was glad that he had managed to start a conversation, it had been easier than he thought it would be. He was also pleased by the revelation that the sprout was learning his native tongue. But now he couldn't help feeling a bit of embarrassment when he the beansprout asked that question because the only people who knew about his reading preferences were the rabbit and the old man. But this was the beansprout, and it would be unfair of him to ask something without answering in return.

"I mostly read poetry." he said, and he cursed himself as he started to blush.

_"_Really? I never had a chance to read much before coming to the order, and I've mostly just been studying history and other countries. What's poetry like?"

Kanda wondered what sort of education Allen had growing up that he hadn't experienced poetry before.

"It's- it's-" Kanda made a frustrated noise as he tried to put it in words. He searched his mind for what to say, as Allen looked at him expectantly. _Crap, I'm not some damn teacher, how does he expect me to explain something so vague!?_

"There are lots of different kinds of poems." he finally said, cringing inwardly at how lame he sounded. Allen just nodded, waiting for him to continue. "Some tell stories, others simply describe a vague notion or idea, and some are written in praise of a person or object. Some don't even make any sense what so ever. But they all get a little closer to your emotions then a regular book will."

Allen nodded and then asked, "Are you reading any right now?"

"_Don Juan_. It's by some lord called Byron. Some kid about your age has an affair with an older married woman. Last part I read someone tipped the woman's husband off about the affair and he gathers a mob to try and catch them in the act."

"The 'act'?" asked Allen, confusion on his face.

_Is he really that naïve? _wondered Kanda. "Do you know what adultery is?" asked Kanda slowly.

Allen blinked, and then realization came into his eyes as well as a blush on his face as he gave a very eloquent, "Oh." After a moment he asked, "What happens next?"

"I stopped at the part where the woman's maid is trying to hide the boy so they won't be discovered. Its a really long poem and I haven't found the time to continue it yet." Kanda managed to hold back his blush as he remembered why he had stopped at this particular part. He noticed the disappointed look on the others face and found him self adding before he had fully thought about it, "I'll tell you the rest after I finish reading it."

He couldn't help the happy feeling in his heart when the other smiled excitedly. "Really?"

"Yes. Although it would be better if you read it. I'm stripping it down to the bare bones and it's not as simple as its sounds."

"mmh." hummed Allen in thought. "So what's your favorite poem?"

"I don't have a favorite. It's just something to pass the time really." said Kanda with a shrug.

"Really? There isn't a single poem that stands out in your mind?"

Kanda sat silently for a moment. It wasn't like he never remembered anything he read afterwards. _Was _there a poem that he remembered more than others? His thoughts started to flow and whirl together, and he started to wonder idly about different things. Allen still hadn't given him a clear answer, which gave him hope, but what would happen to him if he did get out right rejected? He felt a tightness in his chest as he imagined the beansprout telling him he didn't want anything to do with him, and without realizing it he started murmuring something he'd read a long time ago out loud.

"Ah, what a trifle is a heart,

If once into love's hands it comes!

All other griefs allow a part

To other griefs, and ask themselves but some;

They come to us, but us love draws,

He swallows us, and never chaws:

By him, as by chained shot, whole ranks do die,

He is the tyrant pike, our hearts the fry.

If 'twere not so, what did become

Of my heart, when I first saw thee?

I brought a heart into the room,

But from the room, I carried none with me:

If it had gone to thee, I know

Mine would have taught thine heart to show

More pity unto me: but love, alas,

At one first blow did shiver it as glass."

Kanda blinked, wondering why his eyes stung and rubbed at them, and was stunned to find that he had let a few tears go. Suddenly he realized what he had just repeated and was shocked to realize that it fit properly. The thought of Allen not liking him hurt so much, he wondered when this feeling had become love, or had it been love all along?

A light touch on his arm brought him back to reality, and he realized with horror that he had forgotten Allen was there with him. He stood leaning towards him, hand hovering over his arm uncertainly and eye's filled with concern. "Are you alright Kanda?" he asked, voice soft as if he was afraid he would upset him if he talked any louder.

Kanda turned away roughly, and in a voice sharper than he intended snapped, "I'm fine!" He regretted it immediately as he saw a slightly hurt look on the beansprout's face out of the corner of his eye. He wasn't mad at Allen, but it was the ultimate embarrassment for him to actually cry in front of someone, especially the beansprout.

He was surprised when Allen sat down beside him instead of going back to his own seat. He turned his head to look at him and saw him staring at his hands folded in his lap. "Um, that stuff you said before, was that poetry?" he asked timidly, not looking up.

Kanda was silent for a while trying to calm himself down before answering since he didn't want to see that bit of hurt in the others eyes again. "Yeah, that was poetry. It was written by a guy named John Donne. It actually has four verses, but I only repeated the middle two. I think it was called _The Broken Heart_."

"It sounded really sad." said Allen. He looked thoughtful for a moment, and then he laid his hands on Kanda's arm, holding it as he looked up at him in worry. "Are you really alright? You looked so" he bit his lip before continuing, "Is it my fault? Is it because I'm being so indecisive? I-" he stopped as Kanda made a shushing gesture.

"Don't fuss so much. My heart isn't broken." He looked away, scratching his cheek as he admitted with great embarrassment, "My imagination got away with me and I got a little emotional as I thought of that poem." He placed a hand over one of Allen's which still rested on his arm, giving it a light squeeze while looking at him seriously, "I told you before that I would wait until you knew how you felt, and I meant that. I don't want you to feel obligated to try and return my feeling just because you think I might be upset if you tell me no. My heart isn't made of glass."

Allen stared at him, searching his face as if to make sure he really would be alright, before giving a small nod and saying, "Alright. I'll think about it longer. I can't help worrying though since youre an important friend to me."

Kanda felt his heart thump a bit faster at this. "You really think of me as a friend? Even with all the fighting and how mean I am?"

"Yeah. Youre a good person in your own way, and well," Allen turned away with an embarrassed blush, leaving just his one hand in Kanda's as he mumbled, "I kind of admire you as an exorcist. Even if I don't always agree with your views, I have to admit that you never loose your head in battle. You're very reliable."

_If he keeps saying stuff like that, my ego will be bigger than the rabbit's before we get back._ Kanda thought as his heart swelled with pride and happiness. He didnt say anything, he just took the hand still on his arm and held it firmly with both his in his lap. Allen didn't try to take his hand back, just looked questioningly up at Kanda who was staring straight ahead with just the hint of a smile hovering around his lips.

Suddenly Allen gave a huge yawn which he failed to cover up fully with his free hand. Kanda glanced at him and said dryly, "Tired, beansprout?"

"mnot-_yawn_-a beansprout." he said through another large yawn, rubbing his now watery eyes.

"Go to sleep." said Kanda closing his eyes and settling more into the corner of the seat by the window, all the while still holding Allen's hand.

Allen waited a minute. "Kanda?" He asked tentatively.

"What?" the other asked, not moving or even cracking an eye open.

"Are you going to let go of my hand?"

There was a pause, and then a very decisive, "No."

Allen was stumped on what to do. He wasn't really used to this sort of thing, since even Mana had never really held his hand before, and he wasn't if he would be able to sleep comfortably like this. _But, it does feel kind of nice._ he found himself thinking. Kanda's hands felt big and warm around his smaller right hand. It gave him a strange sense of security, as if knowing that the strong and recently not so aloof samurai was there would keep him safe from anything that might harm him.

A solution to how to get to sleep popped into his head, but he immediately blushed at the thought. _No way could I do that! Even if he likes me, it's still Kanda! But then he is holding my hand, so maybe he won't mind too much?_ Allen debated with himself for a couple of more minutes before coming to a decision. He looked at Kanda, who hadn't moved the entire time since he had made himself comfortable.

Very tentatively, he shifted closer, until his leg was touching the others. When there was no reaction, he slowly leaned towards him until his head was resting against the samurai's muscled shoulder. Only when he was fully certain that there would be no retaliation did he allow himself to relax against the other, shifting until he was comfortable.

Kanda waited until he felt the sprouts breaths even out before fully relaxing himself, letting out a small sigh. _Took him long_ _enough_. he thought. He opened his eyes and looked down at the peaceful face next to him, admiring for a moment the way the setting sun played off the white hair and pale skin. He closed his eyes again and gave another sigh before carefully shifting to make himself more comfortable and his last thought before falling asleep was that he hoped he would be the first to wake so he could see the sprouts face in the morning light as well.

_

* * *

_

The more fan fiction I read for this series, especially the ones where the author tries to maintain the time period setting, the more I want to learn about the Victorian age and nineteenth century.

I know it might seem like Kanda's wimping out by not aggressively pursuing Allen like he had been, but I like to think of it as him having some sort of an epiphany and strategically retreating for the moment.

I think I might work on the next chapter of this story right away instead of The Tainted Angel. I should be able to finish this one more quickly since the plot isn't as complicated, and it's easier to focus on putting out one story at a time than two. That's not to say that I'm abandoning the The Tainted Angel, it'll just be a bit longer before I release another chapter for it is all. See you next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own -Man. -Man is the property of the awesome artist and author Katsura Hoshino. I am simply borrowing the characters and not making any money off this story.

Well, it took me a lot longer to get this out then I thought it would. It was a combination of factors, including the fact that it took me three tries to figure out how I wanted this chapter to go. I hope you will all forgive me though.

**Title:** Stealing Kisses from the Unsuspecting

**Chapter four:** Reciprocation is Always a Plus

Kanda grumbled as he tried to support a swaying beansprout as they walked along the icy sidewalk. "What kind of beansprout are you, getting tipsy from one glass of hard cider?!"

"So-_hiccup- _sorry. I wouldn't ha-_hiccup-_have drunk it if I knew it was alcoholic." Allen muttered out as he heavily leaned on Kanda's arm, hiccupping steadily with a pink flush on his cheeks.

"That stupid Finder had no business offering alcohol to someone underage to begin with, even if he was younger than you when he started drinking." Kanda said in a pissed off tone. In Kanda's mind, it really was the entire fault of the Finder. After taking the innocence that had been under a group of Finder's supervision into their possession, one of the Finders had talked them into joining him at the town's pub for dinner.

The Finder had ordered a round of drinks, and while Kanda had ignored the one placed in front of him, Allen had drunk his rather quickly because of how thirsty he was. It wasn't until Allen had started complaining about the room being too warm and had begun hiccupping that Kanda noticed the mostly empty glass and upon sniffing the contents found out that someone had given the fifteen year old alcohol. Knowing that no good could come of a tipsy beansprout in a public place, Kanda had promptly dragged the unsteady boy out of the pub and back down the road towards the inn they were staying at.

However, it was slow going as the beansprout kept slipping on the ice and couldn't seem to keep his balance. When Allen actually fell on his bottom, Kanda decided that enough was enough and threw him over his shoulder.

"Ah! Kan-_hiccup-_Kanda, put me down! This is un_-hiccup-_undignified!" said Allen as he feebly struggled.

"So is getting drunk on cider and hiccupping non-stop, but you haven't complained about that yet." said Kanda dryly, as he carefully picked his way over the ice. Allen slumped and didn't say anything else.

The innkeeper looked at them funny when they walked in, but Kanda ignored his curious gaze and went straight up to their room. He sighed mentally as he was reminded of the fact that they had to share a bed. Normally this wasn't such a big deal, just a necessary evil of time, place, and circumstance. He had shared a bed with the beansprout before on missions, albeit reluctantly. But this would be the first time since confessing his feelings that he would have to share the bed with him, and the time on the train didn't count in his mind.

It wasn't as if he was planning to do anything, especially when the beansprout was under the influence of alcohol. It just felt weird.

He walked over to the bed and set Allen down. He sat down to remove his boots but paused when he felt thin arms warp around one of his, and a head of white hair settling against his shoulder. "Are you mad?" Allen asked quietly and steadily, his hiccups seeming to have died down.

It took Kanda a moment to answer, as he was startled by the fact that Allen had initiated the contact. Nothing had happened on the train after the handholding scene, although they did talk from time to time.

"No." he finally managed, relaxing his tense posture. He resisted the urge to play with the fine hair tickling his neck and tried to sound scolding. "But I am annoyed. Couldn't you tell it was alcoholic?"

Allen sat back a bit and frowned. "Not really. It was kind of sour tasting at first, but after a couple of swallows it just tasted sweet."

Kanda groaned. "You probably would have been dead drunk with out realizing it if you had drunk anymore. You really are a child."

Allen's frown deepened. "Why do you like me if you consider me a child then?"

Kanda didn't know what to say to this, and thought that maybe he had touched a nerve by referring to him as a child but stopped this thought when he felt Allen's hold on his arm tighten and heard his quiet voice. "I have been thinking about it you know. Youre a serious person and don't say things most of the time unless you mean them, so I wanted to make sure I could give you a proper answer."

He could see the flush on Allen's cheeks deepening as he spoke, and detected a barely held back stutter in his voice. "I, um, I didn't mind it when you held my hand before. It made me feel safe and secure. And I like the way we've been talking without getting into big arguments. You don't always say much, but I can tell that you're actually putting some thought into the things you do say, which I really appreciate. I don't really mind that much when we fight either actually, because sometimes its kind of fun. And um, as to, um..." At this point Allen sat back, putting his hands in his lap where he started to twiddle his fingers nervously, "Um, as for kissing. Those times before were really brief and I was caught off guard so I can't say if I liked it or not, but if you still wanted to, and if its really alright for me to like you too, um..." he trailed off again before taking a deep breath and looking up at Kanda and said, "I wouldn't mind trying to, to-" he frowned, trying to find the right word.

Kanda took one of his hands in his. "Will you allow me to be your lover?"

Allen ducked his head before nodding. He entwined his fingers with Kanda's and spoke again, his words coming more easily as if he had now relaxed after having gotten what he wanted to say out. "I don't really know much about what a person is supposed to do when their together with a person as more than just a friend."

"Just what we've been doing." said Kanda with a shrug. "There aren't any special rules for how two people have to act when they like each other. Just don't let anyone else try to kiss you or touch you intimately."

Allen nodded in agreement to this and things fell silent for a moment. Kanda turned towards Allen who looked at him questioningly. "Is it alright for me to kiss you now?"

Allen seemed to think about this briefly, his cheeks flaring as he eventually nodded his assent. Kanda moved closer, bring a hand up to the side of his face. The skin of Allen's cheek felt smooth and warm under the calloused tips of his fingers except were the line of the scar ran, the skin a little distorted and rough.

He did everything slowly and with great care. He started with an experimental brushing of the lips that gave a faint tingle, and then lightly pressed them together so he could fell the soft warmth from the other. Out of curiosity he touched the tip of his tongue to his beansprouts lips to see how they would taste and feel.

He heard a surprised intake of breath, felt the lips under his part, and only hesitated briefly before sliding his tongue past to explore further. There was a sweet and and sour taste of apple from the cider that Allen had drunk earlier along with a hint of alcohol, but it wasn't unpleasant. He was briefly surprised when he felt the other's tongue hesitantly touching his, and a bit of added pressure as Allen pressed their mouths together more.

Allen sighed when Kanda pulled back and when he looked at him questioningly he said, "It was kind of strange, but it felt nice. I guess I can see why people would want to do it now."

"That's good." said Kanda, not able to mask the note of relief in his voice. "To be honest," he started hesitantly, which caught Allen's full attention, "I have had physical relations with women before, but you're the first person I've ever truly kissed. I," he hesitated again before finally confessing, "I wasn't sure I would be any good at it."

"Don't worry, I liked it. Didn't you?" asked Allen frowning slightly.

"Yes. You were the one I was doing it with after all." Kanda felt his cheeks warm up slightly after hearing himself say something so mushy.

Allen blushed as well at hearing this and looked away. His eyes fell on the clock. "Ah, its this late already? We have to get up early to catch the train, we better get some sleep."

Kanda glanced at the clock and sighed as he disentangled his hand from Allen's. "I suppose so." He moved to the other side of the bed and removed his boots and coat. He debated for a moment on weather or not to take off his shirt, it was chilly in the room after all. He decided to take it off in the end, it would just help him toughen up more if he felt a slight chill. He let his hair loose so he could lay his head down more comfortably.

Allen on the other hand he noticed kept his shirt on as well as his socks and gloves. When Allen noticed him looking at him with a raised eyebrow he said, "Its cold. My hands and feet will freeze if I don't leave them on."

Kanda didn't say anything, he just shrugged and got under the covers, turning so that he was lying on his side facing to the right of the bed away from Allen. It wasn't that he didn't want to look at him, it was just that this was the way he always slept. He went to sleep in that position every night and woke up in that position, and some things he just wasn't willing to change. The only times he didn't sleep in this manner were when he had to sleep out on the field, and then he usually slept sitting upright, preferably with something to his back so no one could sneak up on him.

He felt a slight pull on the blankets as Allen slid under the covers too and the shifting of the mattress as he settled in. "Good night, Kanda."

There was over a minute of silence before Kanda said, "Oyasumi, moyashi." Kanda couldn't help smiling when he heard a muttered, 'not a bean sprout', before things went quiet. He kept smiling as he listened to Allen's breathing slowly evening out and finally allowed himself to fall asleep himself.

* * *

Kanda sat comfortably slouched on a couch in the library, one arm hanging over the back while the other was draped over his bean sprouts shoulders. He had his head resting against the back of the couch with his eyes closed as he listened to the bean sprouts reading aloud from a volume of compiled Japanese myth's he had found for him. He only occasionally interrupted with a murmured correction to his pronunciation. Sometimes he would crack an eye open to glance at the pages if it sounded like he had said the wrong word.

It had taken them a few months to get to this point of comfortable companionship. No one knew what had happened between the two people who had seemed to hate each other so much before. They now spent most of their spare time together. Everyone seemed to think it was for the better since they didn't have to bare witness to their heated arguments anymore, although they did occasionally bicker from time to time still. Even better was that Kanda didn't seem quiet as grumpy anymore, at least when Allen was around. They both silently agreed that it was a private matter between the two of them however, so no matter what people said or asked they would just tell them that they had gotten used to each other and didn't see the point in wasting energy on silly fights.

Kanda started to idly play with Allen's hair, lips twitching into a smile at the barest hint of a pause in the beansprout's reading as his fingers brushed his ear. It had taken a while before they could sit comfortably close like this because while Allen didn't really mind the physical contact, he still hadn't been used to it and would sometimes be startled when Kanda would sit close enough for their arms or legs to touch. It didnt help that Kanda, who had never been much of a touchy feely person to begin with (he didn't count sex since he had never had feelings for any of those women) would feel anxious about weather Allen would reject him being this close to him, and would be tense and awkward.

Eventually though things just seemed to work themselves out. By spending time together when they could Allen got used to having Kanda near, and Kanda started to relax as it became evident that Allen wasn't going to push him away. Although there was one slight bump when he broached the subject of sex. He had been curious as to weather Allen even knew about sex and how it worked. Allen had been very embarrassed at having this topic brought up, and had admitted that Cross had given him a lecture on it when he was thirteen. However he had no clue that it was possible for two men to engage in sex with eachother as well and had been very flustered after Kanda explained how it worked (at least the way he had heard it worked anyways). Allen had barely been able to look him in the eye afterwards until he made it clear that they didn't have to do such a thing unless he wanted to, and that he would rather wait until Allen was older anyways.

After that, it was smooth sailing, although he still asked permission to kiss him. Allen didn't scold him for kissing him anymore, but he couldn't help feeling the need to ask first since kisses were the one thing he still had to initiate himself. He wondered if that would ever change.

* * *

Kanda was down at the docks getting ready to leave for a mission with Lavi. He wished it were Allen he was going with, but at the same time was glad since it would be a bit more of a dangerous mission this time and he wouldn't have to worry about Allen getting hurt.

He was just about to step into the boat when he heard his name being called. He looked back to see Allen leaning in the entrance to the canals, gasping for breath as if he had been running. He walked over, and only raised an eyebrow when he was insistently tugged out of sight of the Finder and Lavi, who were both looking curiously over at them.

He waited patiently for Allen to catch his breath. When he did he looked up at Kanda with pink tinted cheeks, twiddling his fingers nervously, "Um, I heard that you're going to be gone for a while, and that it might be rather dangerous where you're going, so I wanted to see you off properly." He then quickly leaned up on his toes and gave Kanda a peck on the cheek.

Kanda was speechless, since Allen had never made any move to kiss him and always waited for him to do so.

"I heard that kissing some one you like before they leave is supposed to bring them luck so that they can come back safely." Allen mumbled as he looked at his feet, his faint blush intensifying.

Kanda pulled him forward into a gentle embrace, face buried in his hair so he could smell that soft and soothing lavender scent he had become so familiar with. "I'll come back alright, I always do. I'll even make sure to bring the baka usagi back in one piece. Knowing you're thinking of me will make it that much more bearable."

He pulled back and gave his beansprouts forehead a kiss before fully releasing him. "A kiss for luck if you get sent out while I'm gone."

Allen smiled happily and bid him farewell before rushing back up the stairs. When Kanda came back to the boat, he had the hint of a smile hovering over his lips, causing both the Finder and Lavi to look questioningly at him. "What?" he asked when he noticed the stares, reverting to a look of indifference.

"Nothing, just wondering what you where talking to Allen about, you looked happy." said Lavi, curiosity evident in his face.

"Nothing you need to worry about." said Kanda. He turned so he had his back to Lavi, and let the smile he couldn't hold back out. Allen had been filling his cold world of fighting and destruction with so much warmth that he couldn't understand how he had survived without him before. The care and concern implied by Allen's words and actions gave him hope for the future as well. Just maybe, he would be able to muster the courage to say three little words to his bean sprout that would show just how much he had come to mean to Kanda. But for now, he would savor the littler things like small kisses and sweet words of well wishing.

The End.

* * *

Yes, for better or for worse, this is the last chapter. I had intended to keep this story short from the beginning, and I also wanted to maintain a light tone which was why I kept the rating lower and didn't go for anything beyond some light kissing and affectionate touching for the physical side of the relationship (although I had originally imagined some more sexual scenes, I guess you could say I chickened out). All in all I hope everyone who read this story through to the end enjoyed it and I thank you for reading, and extra thanks to those who took the time to review.

On a final note, I will now try to focus on The Tainted Angel. I don't know if I will start posting another fic or not. At the very least I won't until the next chapter of Tainted Angel is up. I do have several ideas, and some fics that are partially typed or written out. See you all then.


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