#(Nea reaching for Allen food and having his hand hit though)

[sozotohakai]

MAKE A TEACUP BASED OFF YOUR MUSE !!

Tagged by: @skyfullofashes (thank you~!) Tagging: @weiwuxiian @xueyaang @forlorninquiry @shensheng-aoman @shuoshuzhe  @moon--wake  @ask-cross-marian @avellaturortem @jiangxiongdi @manadcampbellrpblog @night-light-sky if you want to (and with the muse(s) you want) and anyone else who wants to!

Allen’s teacup (with flower tea and, of course, something sweet to eat)

Nea’s teacup (with whatever tea, with lemon and mint added in)

Fun fact: Allen does like lemon-mint in his tea too, and Nea does like flower tea.

Which makes me think that when they drink tea together, they drink half of theirs before exchanging cups. Nea has to make a little bit of puppy eyes to earn the right to eat one of Allen’s sweet food, though. Thankfully (for Nea), he doesn’t actually often feel like eating while drinking tea, so Allen is willing enough to spare some bites when the mood does hit Nea.

[liketolaugh-writes]

The Dream of Man

Author: liketolaugh Summary:  You can take on the world by yourself, but it isn't easy. And Kanda and Link, Allen thought, made the best partners. (A series of drabbles through the series.) Birthday present for @nea-writes.

1. Introduction

“And your name is… Kanda, right?”

The newest exorcist smiled guilelessly and held out his hand, and for a split second, Kanda’s mind superimposed another person over top of him – Alma, shy and hopeful, telling Kanda his name for the first time. Then it was gone, and the white-haired boy was back, still smiling like an idiot.

The moment left Kanda shellshocked and irrationally angry. What right did this beansprout have to remind him of Alma? Kanda had known him for all of a minute, and he could already tell he was the same sort of naïve idiot that wouldn’t be able to take the pressure.

“Nice to meet you,” the boy continued, oblivious to Kanda’s thoughts.

Kanda scowled at him for a long moment. He was no expert on people – never had been, and never wanted to be, either – but he was sure he didn’t want to be around when reality finally hit the kid over the head. It wouldn’t be pretty.

Not if he broke like Alma, upset and enraged by the world, and not if he broke quietly, either.

“I don’t shake hands with cursed people,” he said curtly, and passed the startled beansprout by.

Never again.

2. Complicated

Allen was no stranger to attraction. Cross, with his obsession with beautiful people, had made sure of that. Over the course of their travels, Allen had met more people than he once ever would have dreamed. Sometimes, these people were awful, but just as often, they took Allen’s breath away.

Early on, it had been embarrassing and confusing, but later on, in out-of-the-way corners and empty rooms, he’d learned how to act on it, too, clumsy and fervent.

And Kanda, he was stupidly attractive. Allen would be hard-pressed not to admire the color of his eyes or the grace of his movements, and he dearly wanted to run his fingers through the man’s hair. His personality was sharp, but it was an edge that caught Allen’s interest and wouldn’t let go.

Allen was a bit of a stranger to relationships; he and Cross had moved around too often for anything to flourish. Most of his experience with relationships belonged to other people, far out of reach, and of those, most had been ensnared in grief, caught by the Earl.

And Kanda – for a moment, talking about ‘that person’, he’d sounded almost like the part of a relationship that had been left behind.

3. Making History

“But you barely know her,” Kanda objected, casting Marie a sideways frown.

Marie smiled faintly, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

“That’s true,” he agreed amiably. He played with a ring on his hand, thinking. “But, I know she’s kind and helpful, and very cute. I know that I want to know her better.”

Kanda scowled. He hadn’t met Miranda yet, but he already knew she would frustrate him until he wanted to kill something. Lenalee had even warned him against it.

If Marie liked her, though, he supposed he��d have to put up with her.

Still-

“It’s been, what, a week?” he argued. “You haven’t spent any time together. You haven’t done anything together. It’s not enough.”

Marie’s eyebrows rose, an expression of thoughtful surprise coming over his face, and then he reached over to pace a grounding hand on Kanda’s arm. Kanda didn’t move away, still frowning at Marie.

“Different people love differently,” Marie told him. “For me, this is enough to know that I want to love her.” He smiled slightly. “It might be different for you.”

Kanda twisted away, but kept looking at Marie, frown deepening.

“Don’t forget, though,” Marie added, “History has to be made.”

4. Rivalry

“And your storytelling is shit,” Kanda continued on doggedly, blue eyes sharp and intent on Allen’s. “I bet that fucking golem of yours even tells stories better, and it doesn’t have a voice.”

Allen gave him a terse smile, wondering whether to roll his eyes or do something drastic. “At least I tell stories,” he said loftily. “Instead of letting people wonder where the hell I’ve been. Like an asshole.”

“It’s none of your damn business what I’ve been up to!” Kanda huffed, scowling harder. “It’s not my fault you told the goddamn sky what you were doing!”

It was with effort that Allen kept himself from flirting, from moving in and touching and teasing in a different way. He liked arguing with Kanda – it made him feel alive, present and focused on now, on Kanda.

That was why Allen didn’t flirt; if he did, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep himself from trying for more. Kanda had caught his attention, and now Allen was interested.

But Allen thought – was almost sure, in fact – that Kanda didn’t want a relationship like that. Not now.

“I didn’t tell the sky, I told my friends. Have you heard of them?”

5. Unbreakable

Kanda was wrong.

He acknowledged this, if only to himself.

Allen wasn’t going to break, he knew that now. Something in him let him adapt without compromising his morals or his goals, let him grow. This hadn’t been at all apparent before, but after the Ark – Kanda was sure. Allen would die long before the world became too much for him.

The realization made Kanda hesitate.

“Something on your mind, Yuu?”

He glanced over at Tiedoll, who was smiling gently, pencil paused over his sketchbook. Kanda scowled, but Tiedoll just waited.

Dammit, Kanda hated asking for advice.

“…How do you know when to let go?” he muttered.

He would never stop looking for ‘that person’. But if he found her – shit, he didn’t even know how old she’d be. Or if she still-

Tiedoll was looking at him shrewdly.

“Is this about Allen?”

Kanda started, almost physically recoiling. “No!” he snapped reflexively, lying through his damn teeth.

Tiedoll considered him for a moment, and then smiled again, frustratingly kind.

“Only when you’re ready, Yuu,” Tiedoll told him with unwavering certainty. “If he wants you, he’ll wait.”

Kanda turned away without replying, scowling.

Was he ready? He had no fucking clue.

6. Obsession

“Lenalee?” Allen said suddenly. The infirmary was quiet; everyone but the two of them was asleep. “Do you mind if I ask you something about Kanda?”

Lenalee looked over at him curiously. “Go ahead,” she answered, setting her book down on the blankets.

Allen mulled over the words for a few more moments, and then asked, “Do you know anything about… the person Kanda is looking for?”

Surprise flashed across Lenalee’s eyes, and then they darkened pensively.

“Not really,” she admitted, tipping her head back to look at the ceiling. “I know he’s wanted to find them since before he came here, though. I think they used to be important to him.”

“How important?”

Allen’s tone made Lenalee glance back to him, biting her cheek.

“I don’t know,” she replied, voice low and soft. “More than anything, maybe.”

Allen was silent for a while, and Lenalee let him think. She wanted this for both of them, but she wasn’t going to let it hurt them, either.

“Alright,” Allen said at last, soft and thoughtful.

“You like him, don’t you?” Lenalee asked.

Allen visibly started, and then he smiled, sheepish but honest.

“Yes,” he confirmed without hesitation.

Lenalee smiled, too. “Good.”

7. Eternity

Kanda was dreaming of her again.

He almost wanted to cover his ears and close his eyes; he knew already that he would never find her through the swaying grasses, no matter how long he chased her.

“Yuu!”

That wasn’t her voice. He turned sharply, and lost his breath as he caught a glimpse of Alma, waving at him. Then Alma turned away and was gone.

“I’ll wait for you.”

That was her; he faltered, glancing over, and the ghost of her smile lingered behind her even as she vanished.

He felt flustered and frustrated, frozen and unsure of who to chase. Even though it didn’t matter – neither of them were really here. He’d killed Alma, ‘she’ was nowhere, and he was dreaming.

“Kanda.”

Kanda turned again, and Allen was right beside him, smirking, silver eyes dancing with amusement.

“You dumbass, you can’t wait here forever.”

Allen’s laugh wasn’t dreamlike in the least, and his hand was solid as he shoved Kanda playfully, making him stumble.

“Fucking watch m-”

Kanda’s eyes opened, and then he was sitting up, the covers spilling off him. After a moment, he snarled, tugging irritably at his hair.

He didn’t know. He didn’t fucking know.

8. Gateway

Allen couldn’t sleep.

Things had changed, abruptly enough that he’d been caught completely off-guard. He’d fallen under suspicion, Kanda had started to avoid him, and his room was no longer just his own.

Keeping quiet, he shifted so that he could see Link without waking him. He needn’t have worried – Link was still awake, not trusting him enough to fall asleep before Allen did, and Allen only just kept from jumping when his eyes met Link’s.

“Why are you still awake, Walker?” Link asked, voice low and irate.

Allen smiled apologetically.

“Can’t sleep,” he offered halfheartedly.

Link didn’t answer, still frowning at him, and Allen watched him, thinking.

Link was a person too, of course. Allen wondered, vaguely, what had brought him here in the first place – why he was loyal to someone like Leverrier. And just as much, he wanted to take his mind off Kanda’s sudden change in behavior, and the swaying loyalties of the Order.

“Do you always bake pies for suspects?” he asked, keeping his voice light.

Wariness and suspicion flashed through Link’s eyes. But he answered anyway.

“Often. Most people enjoy baked goods. I understand you appreciate food in general.”

Allen smiled. “I do, yes.”

9. Death

Once a week, for about twenty minutes, Link left Allen to his breakfast and delivered his report to Leverrier. It made him wary, but he was confident that Allen would not abandon his food.

On the third week, he was cornered by Kanda Yuu.

“I don’t trust you,” the exorcist told him, face set in a fearsome scowl and hand on his Innocence.

Link, with his back to the wall, held Kanda’s gaze with only a touch of irritation.

“I would expect no less, Kanda Yuu,” he said evenly. He knew Kanda had no love for the CROW.

Kanda’s glare intensified. “I don’t want you near him,” he hissed, eyes boring into Link’s as he stepped closer, using his larger size to loom. “You’d sooner see a knife in his back than let him walk.”

Link’s eyebrows rose; Kanda sounded- protective, maybe, or possessive. Certainly angry.

“If Walker has no ill will for the Order,” Link said at last, “then he has nothing to fear.”

Kanda snorted derisively. Link’s lips thinned.

“Of course,” Link tacked on, “he’s still under investigation for now.”

Link broke away, but he felt Kanda’s gaze boring into his back as he walked down the hall.

10. Opportunities

Kanda was furious.

He’d missed his chance. If he’d just tried, he could have- done something, with Allen. Been something. And he hadn’t.

But now that fucking CROW was with Allen all the time, so he wouldn’t have been able to get Allen alone even if he wanted. And he sure as fuck wasn’t going to be around the CROW more often than he had to – which, because of the Noah, was much more than he liked.

It had him on edge, made worse by the extended time on missions with the two others.

“You talk too damn much,” he snapped, cutting Allen off.

Allen started, and then his gaze hardened unpleasantly. “You can leave if you want,” he sniped back, arms crossing. “Since you do the rest of the time anyway.”

Kanda was hard-pressed not to flinch, but was back to scowling as Link gave him a sharp sideways look, expression disapproving.

“He does not want to,” Link said, brown eyes unwavering, subtly challenging.

Kanda scowled harder, unwilling to admit he was right, and a little surprised. That was the second time Link had stood up to him like that.

“See if I don’t,” Kanda muttered, and looked away.

11. 33%

“Link, why do you trust the church?”

Link’s expression was more resigned than suspicious now, though a tinge of displeasure remained. Allen still felt a little better knowing that Link no longer guarded his every word.

“You realize that is a very suspicious question?” Link murmured without looking up from his notebook.

Allen gave him a wry smile. “I’m hardly the only exorcist to dislike the church,” he pointed out. Kanda had a special hatred for it, and so did Lenalee, for that matter.

Link sighed, and Allen took it as a victory.

“Their judgement is above my own,” Link said after a moment.  “To believe that one man can determine the right of the world themselves is folly. The Church knows God’s enemies better than I do.”

Allen gave a half-smile. Well, Link had one thing right – morality was a tricky, fickle thing.

Allen wouldn’t give away the choice for anything, though. Churches, after all, were populated by humans.

“Then who protects the humans who deserve to live?” Allen asked quietly.

Link frowned. “Those are not my concern,” he said, but his voice was low.

Allen really did smile this time.

“You sound like Kanda,” he said, without explaining.

12. Dead Wrong

“He’s unconscious, and you still can’t leave him well enough alone.”

Link, caught unawares for once, started sharply and then shot Kanda a deep frown.

Kanda was in the doorway, scowling at him. After a moment, he stormed in and sat down in a chair opposite Link’s, legs crossed at the ankle. His eyes landed on Allen, and his entire body seemed to deflate, eyes turning pensive.

Despite himself, Link glanced down too. Allen looked awful, bruised and bandaged and limp.

Link thumbed his [useless] blade and held back a grimace.

“I’ve been asked to monitor his condition,” Link offered, without looking away.

Kanda glanced up and huffed.

“Probably for the best,” he admitted grudgingly. “He’d die if no one was looking, the idiot.”

For a while, both of them were silent, and Link turned his attention onto Kanda, studying him.

He’d so far only seen Kanda on missions, save once – and he’d certainly never seen Kanda like this. Link hesitated to say it, but the exorcist looked unsettled. Anxious.

“Head Nurse said he’d recover,” he said quietly. Not fully, perhaps, but-

Kanda’s head whipped up, and he snarled at Link. “I’m not worried!”

Link’s fingers curled. “Neither am I.”

13. Running Away

“You’ve been watching Link an awful lot lately,” Lenalee observed.

Kanda’s eyebrows furrowed. “I thought you’d be avoiding him,” he muttered. She had enough reason to.

Lenalee frowned. “I don’t like him around Allen.”

Kanda didn’t say anything. Before, he would have agreed, but in that infirmary room- Link’s face had been the most human Kanda had ever seen it. That wasn’t a CROW’s face.

Lenalee, who knew him better than anyone, caught on quickly, and turned to face him, looking surprised. She watched him a moment, and then asked, “Are you jealous?”

Kanda scowled. “Jealous of what?”

A smile played on Lenalee’s lips. “I guess not.” Her smile faded, thoughtful. “Do you think he’s cute?”

“He has a bowl cut,” Kanda pointed out, disgusted, and Lenalee laughed.

“Alright, it’s not that. What is it, then?”

Kanda shrugged. “He’s weird,” he said, unable to explain.

Lenalee shook her head. “Alright, don’t tell me.” Her eyes turned serious again. “Are you going to talk to Allen, at least? He’s worried.”

Kanda stood up abruptly. “No,” he snapped, and at Lenalee’s startled look, shook his head sharply and left.

This was too fucking confusing, and he didn’t even know what he wanted.

14. Judgement

Allen couldn’t think. His head felt filled with cotton, and his body shifted restlessly. He read the words in front of him, but they didn’t mean anything. His mind kept picturing Cross’ bloody room, or Mana holding his hand, saying, I love you, I love you, or Kanda, still avoiding him.

With a soft moan, he leaned back in his chair and gave Link a sideways glance. Link was rather unforgiving when it came to paperwork, but Allen always considered it worth a try.

“Link,” he began, shaping his voice into a playful whine, “Please can we do something else? I promise I’ll finish up later today, please?”

There wasn’t any spirit in it. He hoped Link wouldn’t notice.

Link’s expression was already turning towards exasperated as he looked up, but then his eyes landed on Allen and lingered. After a moment, his eyes dimmed. Allen held his hopeful smile.

“Alright,” Link said at last, quietly. “Just this once.”

Allen sat up, startled, and found Link standing, cocking an eyebrow at him.

“You have half an hour,” Link told him, avoiding his gaze.

Allen smiled, honest this time. “Thank you.”

Link’s gaze flicked back to him, and he just nodded.

15. Seeking Solace

Allen was asleep, for once, but Link hadn’t been able to to follow yet. He was too occupied by his own thoughts.

It had been some time since he’d started to believe in Walker’s innocence, and therefore start observing Walker himself more closely. Meanwhile, Kanda couldn’t seem to decide whether or not he hated him, by turns caustic and passive.

And Link felt his damnation creeping up on him.

Silently, he slipped off the bed to kneel beside it, facing carefully away from Allen, and took a deep breath. He clasped his hands together and bowed his head.

Allen was… kind. Kinder than Link would have believed possible. This had become even more prevalent recently; Link’s own ease seemed to have granted Allen confidence, and casual gestures of thoughtfulness and gratitude came often, and so did his smiles.

Kanda, meanwhile, was aggravating. Aggravating, but… He had an honesty to him that Link couldn’t help but fixate on. It was in his roughness, his words- He even turned away rather than tell a lie. When he believed no one was looking, even his expression betrayed his thoughts.

He wanted both of them, and his sins crawled on his back.

Link prayed.

16. Excuses

“Stop smiling like an idiot,” Kanda snapped.

He didn’t even have to look at Allen to know he was smiling – he had been more often lately, around Link – but he did anyway, just in time to see it flicker away, replaced by a scowl. Then Allen smiled at him, sickly sweet.

“Maybe if you smiled more often you’d get that stick out of your ass,” Allen replied, eyes flashing.

Link exhaled, tinted with exasperation, and gave Kanda a look that made Kanda scowl. “Do try not to be childish,” he said, tone reprimanding. “It doesn’t suit you.”

Kanda’s brow furrowed instantly, and almost as quickly, Link looked surprised with himself, while Allen gave him a thoughtful glance. Not looking at Allen, Link forged on anyway.

“You needn’t act like a pigtail-pulling toddler,” he said, and then, “Despite your attempts to prove otherwise, Walker knows full well-”

“I damn well know he does,” Kanda cut him off, arms crossing defensively. “And his name is Allen.”

The words came out without thought, Link’s distant ‘Walker’ sitting wrong, but as soon as it dropped Kanda wanted to take it back.

Then Allen smiled, and damn it, it may as well not have mattered.

17. Vengeance

“Do you know how much of a pain in my ass you are?”

The mild-toned voice made Kanda stiffen even before he turned around. Allen was standing a few feet behind him, just the two of them in an abandoned hallway, with no Link in sight.

“Where’s your watchpuppy?” Kanda bit out, stance shifting.

Allen was unimpressed. And unapologetic. “In my room. He thinks I’m in the bathroom.”

“You’re such a lying asshole,” Kanda snorted, shaking his head roughly.

Allen stepped close, and Kanda had to force himself to keep breathing, their gazes fixed together.

“You don’t care,” Allen dismissed with certainty. “You see through all of them anyway.” He refocused. “Why are you avoiding me, Kanda?” He smiled. It was strange. “Aren’t you interested anymore?”

Kanda’s eyes darkened. “None of your business,” he snapped.

Fire blazed in Allen’s eyes, and Kanda had no time to react before Allen had reached for his shoulder, and then he was leaning up and they were kissing.

It was wet and rough and quick, and it took Kanda’s breath away.

“Figure it out,” Allen said, not unkindly, and walked away, seemingly satisfied.

Fucking weirdo.

Kanda swallowed, and tried not to think too hard.

18. Love

With each day, Link felt worse, more aware of the erasure of everything sentimental in his life.

It had started with his friends – two of them dead, three of them gone with the Earl, under the influence of something they could not control.

And then Kanda, first reunited with Alma Karma – ‘that person’, as everyone else knew him, and now dead.

And finally, Allen, locked up on Leverrier’s orders, refusing to eat.

Link’s stomach churned, and he pressed a gloved hand over tired eyes, taking a deep, shuddering breath.

He could still save three of his friends, maybe. If they tried, if Leverrier-

Link jerked his thoughts away, and they landed somewhere just as unpleasant. This time, he let them ruminate, hand drifting back from his face to tug at his hair.

He wouldn’t have thought he’d mourn Kanda. But it was… hard, to imagine Kanda lying somewhere, lifeless and limp. It was unbelievable that something could put him down. And it hurt that Link had not helped him.

And Allen- Link was just as useless to Allen. He didn’t want to think about that image, either.

He admitted then, silently, that they’d meant more to him than he’d thought.

19. Tears

Kanda was quiet after he finally left Mater behind. Numb, maybe, or thinking, but quiet.

Within a few days, he’d resolved to go after Allen, somehow. The stupid beansprout had probably gotten in trouble, and Kanda- Kanda owed him. With luck, he’d have two-spot on his side, too – Link cared about Allen.

About a week after that, it sank in.

Alma was dead. The person he’d spent so long searching for, his old friend, was dead.

He clenched his jaw, pressing his forehead against the glass of the window, but it didn’t stop the tears. He closed his eyes against his reflection. For a while, he just sat there, and he mourned. He let himself miss his friend, and miss what could have been.

And then he took a breath, he sat back, and he realized that his head was clearer than it had been in a long time.

He knew what he wanted.

Allen was Kanda’s mirror image, matching him spirit for spirit, yin to yang.

Link, though it was harder to find, was in many ways as soft as Allen, with a mentality much like Kanda’s.

And Kanda wanted both of them, and he would go after them.

20. My Inspiration

Allen smiled faintly at Tim, who was fluttering around, exploring the room.

Allen was too tired to look around, really – he was just glad to have settled down for the night. He couldn’t sleep, though, an unsettled, restless feeling preventing it.

Eventually, he started to talk, and Tim, the loyal friend, turned his attention toward him, fluttering inquisitively.

“I used to be sure, you know?” he said abruptly, knowing Tim wouldn’t mind his starting in the middle of his thought process. “Mana used to be my only reason for moving forward. I wonder… I wonder what he’d think, now. I mean, I know I’ve changed… I’ve changed a lot, Tim.”

He tipped his head back, smiling vaguely at the ceiling, wistful.

“I’m not sure he is anymore, though. My only reason, I mean.” He glanced at Tim, warm. “I have so many friends now.” He turned his gaze away again, distracted. “I hope Link and Kanda are okay.”

He wasn’t sure if Kanda was still alive, but either way, he probably wouldn’t see him again. He hoped Kanda found happiness, wherever he went.

And Link-

Worry twinged at him, but he took a deep breath.

He had to stay strong.

21. Never Again

Link followed Allen for weeks, trying not to worry overmuch and barely refraining from reaching out, before Kanda and Johnny came.

He knew Kanda would come – if Kanda was alive, he would come, so long as he still owed Allen. Kanda’s honor was one of the things Link admired most about him. Link was less sure about the ‘alive’ part, but in the end, it didn’t matter.

Link had been thinking, and-

He didn’t want to lose everything. Not again.

Leverrier would do anything it took to win the war.

Allen, on the other hand, would save everyone he could, and Kanda would follow him.

As much as he hated himself for the thought, he knew which he preferred, and… he knew which one stood the best change of bringing his friends back.

He cornered Kanda as soon as Johnny went after Allen.

“What took so long?” Link asked first.

Kanda snorted. “What took you so long?” he countered.

“Some choices to make.”

Kanda looked at him for a long moment, and Link looked back, steady.

Then Kanda nodded, and to Link’s surprise, went and kissed him, slow but hard, like a test.

When he pulled away, he said, “Good.”

22. Online

It was satisfying, for all of them to be here together, without the hostility that had colored so many of their previous interactions. The tentative peace was… nice. Kanda liked it.

Allen had hugged both of them as soon as he’d come enough to himself to do so, and then yelled at both of them, and then broken down crying. Now that that hell had stopped (Kanda thanked God for Johnny) it was probably up to Kanda to make his move.

Shit.

He’d spent months thinking about this, but he rolled the words around one last time before he finally, at Johnny’s gentle nudge and encouraging smile, pushed them out.

“You know,” he said, quiet and almost hoarse with repressed anxiety, “three people can have a relationship.” All of them already knew where the feelings ran, so- He looked up, gaze flicking between them.

Allen’s eyes were wide, and he leaned forward slightly. He seemed to pick it up faster than Link, which was no surprise. He seemed to be holding his breath.

Link looked over, and there was no hostility, only curiosity and expectation.

“What are you proposing?” he asked, and Kanda knew already that the deal was done.

23. Failure

Allen had wanted to do this alone.

Well, ‘wanted’ was maybe the wrong word. Allen never wanted to be alone, but it had seemed… seemed like the best option, when he was such a danger to those around him.

But Kanda’s idea… Allen found himself hard-pressed to resist.

And with Link agreeable, with Kanda looking hopeful, he had completely failed to defeat temptation.

Both of them could take care of themselves, he rationalized. Themselves and Johnny, too – he gave the man, currently hanging back, a grateful smile, and Johnny beamed back warmly.

Then he winced as Link pressed his hand against the Innocence stab wound, still wriggling with painful feathers, and Link gave him an apologetic look.

“Clumsy jerk,” Kanda snorted, sitting by Allen, with one hand on Link’s shoulder in a half-possessive gesture.

“As if your powers of destruction would be at all useful here,” Link sniped back, nudging Kanda’s knee impatiently without taking his eyes off the wound.

No… No, Allen couldn’t bring himself to regret… anything.

Link looked up, and his brow furrowed. Allen smiled, and then reached out and pulled Link awkwardly up, and he kissed Link, clumsy and impulsive.

Link didn’t mind, he was sure.

24. Rebirth

After Allen kissed Link – Link’s second, though he wouldn’t tell Allen that just yet – he turned aside and kissed Kanda, and that was visibly rougher, though Allen smiled against the kiss and Kanda growled softly, and when they pulled apart, Allen was still smiling, tired and dazed but pleased.

Link was glad that Allen was so happy, at least for the moment. It made him a little more sure that he could do this – that this was a good idea.

He glanced at Kanda, who was looking somehow satisfied, and somewhat relieved. Kanda looked up and met his gaze, and then nodded.

Johnny, meanwhile, let out a sheepish chuckle.

“I’m not so sure I’m needed here,” he commented, though it sounded almost like a question, his head tilted slightly and hand reaching up to scratch at his neck.

Allen’s eyes widened, and he straightened up, turning straight to Johnny.

“No, no,” he insisted, and crossed the room without a second thought. His hug to Johnny was swift, but sincere, and he pulled back to smile at Johnny. “I’m glad you’re here, Johnny. I mean, I’m worried, but-”

Johnny’s smile softened. “I’m glad you’re happy,” he said, and it was earnest.

25. Breaking Away

“You look calmer.”

Johnny’s words startled Kanda, and he looked over at the scientist, who watched him expectantly.

Then Kanda sighed.

“Shouldn’t you be asleep?” he asked quietly, glancing over at the room’s other occupants – Link and Allen, asleep side by side on the bed, Link turned away as Allen clung to him like an octopus.

“Shouldn’t you?” Johnny countered with a smile. “I never sleep, anyway.”

Kanda snorted. He could believe that.

“I want to keep watch,” he said. He’d been… surprised, at how easy this had been, once he’d decided. He didn’t want to risk it being snatched away somehow.

Johnny studied him for a moment, and he smiled again.

“Thanks,” Kanda added after a moment. It was hard to say, but he had to. He avoided Johnny’s gaze and continued, “It’s… good for him to know there’s more people here for him than just us.”

He stiffened slightly as Johnny hugged him, but then he relaxed.

“You’re welcome,” Johnny said, “and so is he.”

Kanda nodded, numb.

Then he got up, nodded at Johnny, and crawled into bed beside the other two, shoving Link aside lightly. Within moments, the other two shifted around him, and he settled.