For Missa, who rocks my world and has hopefully had the best birthday ever. Love you.

Disclaimer: I own nothing someone else does.

-Elucidate-

Lavi knows Kanda likes Lenalee more than as an acquaintance, because Kanda can’t stand him.

Lavi likes to take Lenalee’s hands in his, or grab her around the waist from behind when she doesn’t notice him creeping up behind her. He’s not the affectionate type, but Lenalee’s too cute to resist.

And of course, he loves when Yuu’s eye twitches and he looks resolutely away.

He is so bad with girls.

--

“Yuu!”

Kanda glowers at Lavi, but he doesn’t pull out Mugen, because Lenalee is sitting beside Lavi, and trying to stifle her giggles. Instead, he sits down across from them both in the cafeteria with his soba. Beansprout sits on Lenalee’s other side, and the vampire who’s so scared of him sits two seats down.

“You need to start wearing shirts more,” Lavi goes on. There are ladies present.” He grins when Lenalee reddens and pokes her in the side so she squirms and tries to bat his hand away.

Kanda glares.

Allen hides a grin. As far as he can tell, Lenalee doesn’t really mind Kanda’s bare chest.

--

Allen knows Lenalee likes Kanda, because he is her best friend and knows everything about her. Sometimes she smiles to herself when he walks past her, and her face always brightens when she sees him in the room. She says his name quietly, so that he won’t hear, because if he looks over, her face will heat up.

Allen likes to draw Kanda’s attention to her as often as possible, and watch her blush so he can tease her about it later.

--

“Is it straight?” Lenalee calls down to Allen. He shuts one eye peering up at the banner.

It is Komui’s birthday and Lenalee has the Order decorating the cafeteria for a little celebration. She is up on a ladder, hanging up a large white banner Lavi drew up, while Allen “helps.”

“Yeah!” he shouts back. But he isn’t so sure, because he’s watching Kanda, who has just walked in, trying to ignore everyone decorating, and trying to remain ignored himself.

“Hey! Kanda!” he yells across the hall.

Kanda shoots him a look of pure venom when Lenalee whips around, hair flying, to scan the room for him. Allen almost snickers at her flushed cheeks but doesn’t because he has more pressing matters to attend to: namely, that Lenalee appeared to forget she was on a ladder when she looked around, and lost her balance.

The ladder wobbles. Lenalee stumbles. And she falls.

But before Allen can move, before Lenalee, shocked, can think to activate her Innocence, Kanda is already there, having sped across the room to catch her, effortlessly.

“Lenalee! Are you okay?” Allen cries, horrified.

“I—” She’s still disoriented. “Yes, I’m fine.” She slips out of Kanda’s arm and offers him an embarrassed smile. “Thank you.”

Kanda doesn’t seem to hear. He’s already turning away.

And Lenalee doesn’t even have time to be hurt, because her brother is standing in the doorway. She groans because her surprise has been ruined.

Allen groans, because Komui is glaring at Kanda with all the fury he possesses.

--

Komui is horrible to Kanda, or as horrible as Komui gets. He sends him on ridiculous missions, with the most annoying partners he can find, because Kanda has something with his baby sister and that is not allowed.

But he knows Lenalee misses him sometimes, so he’ll let him stay as long as he is able to supervise. But Kanda never touches Lenalee, barely even speaks to her, so he feels like he can breathe a bit more easily.

If she’s going to be in a relationship with anybody he would prefer for it to be with Kanda.

--

Kanda is on a mission, and because he has to send her, Komui tells Lenalee to go with him.

Kanda crosses his arms over his chest and doesn’t look at her as she approaches the boat he’s sitting in. When the finder – young overeager, and a bit of a lech – reaches over to help her in (or, anyways, that’s his excuse), Kanda casually shifts Mugen slightly to the side, so the tip is pointing at the finder. It can’t hurt him, but it serves its purpose as a warning. The finder sits down again, and Lenalee climbs in, oblivious to what just occurred.

Komui smiles.

--

Krory is terrified of Kanda, but he adores Lenalee, and he wonders how two such different people can be so perfect for each other. She is sweet and he is bitter, but both are beautiful and dangerous and incredible.

He always feels safer around Kanda when Lenalee is with him, because he knows Lenalee will protect him. And he thinks they should hurry up and get together – as soon as Lenalee notices the glances Kanda sneaks at her, and Kanda notices the way she smiles at him.

He wonders how they can be so oblivious when they’re so obviously meant for each other.

--

Krory sets down a mug of coffee in front of Lenalee. Usually she brings it for him, but today he wanted to treat her; she looks tired.

“Thank you, Krory,” she says brightly.

“You’re welcome,” he replies. “Are you okay?”

“Just a little tired,” she admits, smiling. She stifles a yawn. “I didn’t get much sleep last night,” she adds unnecessarily.

Krory regards her thoughtfully. “Kanda comes back from his mission today,” he comments offhandedly, waiting for her reaction, which is to very nearly drop the mug she was raising to her lips.

She wipes her mouth. She hasn’t had any coffee yet, but she needs something to distract him from her obvious preoccupation with the dark-haired Exorcist. “Oh, that’s right. He is.”

Krory looks more closely at her. Lenalee’s skin is pale, and there are bags beneath her eyes.

“You don’t need to worry about him so much,” he reminds her, standing up. “Kanda can take care of himself.

Lenalee doesn’t answer, too flustered by the way everyone can see straight through her.

--

Kanda considers himself a master at disguising his emotions. Some people say he doesn’t have any, but they’re wrong. He hates a lot, he feels sad on occasion, and he does have feelings for a girl with pigtails and nice legs.

But he thinks he’s pretty good at hiding all this.

So, when Lavi passes him by and smirks, with a, “Nice job, Yuu. You’re learning to speak to girls!” Kanda almost impales him.

Almost. Because Lenalee is still smiling at him.

Kanda curses. He thought he had such good control. But he doesn’t. Because Lenalee has him so whipped.

--

Lenalee never thinks that her crush – because of course that’s all it is – on Kanda will go anywhere, but she can’t control it, because Kanda is gorgeous and strong, and he sends shivers down her spine when he looks at her; her heart races when he touches her; and whenever he speaks in that low rumble of his, her stomach ties itself into knots.

But it’s after he drops a silver-and-pearl comb on the table beside her plate of food, with a mumbled, “Here” – no romantic words, no affection, no anything – and her breath catches in her throat, that she knows it must be more – and that she has a chance.

Because when Kanda walks away and Lavi speaks to him – what, she doesn’t know, but judging from his mocking grin, it can’t be good – he doesn’t reply to the redhead; he turns to look at her.

She beams at him. And she could swear – even with her thumping heart and red face and the singing and fireworks in her mind – that he smiles back. Just a little.

--