A/N So, I busted my knee, got kidnapped, got buried under a ton of homework, began my first painting of the year, colored with oil pastels for the first time, bought a ton of manga, learned that Advanced Placement Classes aren’t as fun as I thought they would be, almost got hitched with the ex again (so glad I escaped that horrible disaster), and finally, fell in love with Allen all over again when I saw him drawn in Hoshino’s new style. Ahh. Smell that? That’s the smell of a brand new school year…and it. is. painful. Yet somehow fun. Although I’m glad I finally had the chance to write again, even though there’s a huge pile of homework staring at me in the face right now, all creepy and whatnot…oh well. I’d rather be a procrastinator until I have to go back to Satan’s Playground. I missed writing; besides, I can always pull an all-nighter and finish my painting before the bus comes to pick me up tomorrow morning, right? Right.

Also, much thanks to Abreaction for always being there to help, support, and make me the happiest woman in the world. You are a wonderful person, always willing to go over my crap for me AND ALL YOU OTHER WRITERS BACK OFF SHE’S MINE.

Special Notes for this Chapter: Language, some plot development, and small hints of shonen-ai? Maybe? Perhaps a little? There are signs, small ones, but I’m sure they’re there somewhere.

Disclaimer: Not mine, but boy do I wish for it to happen. That, and for some goddamn sleep, because God, do I need it.

Your Eyes Only

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Chapter IV-Lady’s Slipper

The sky was a slowly moving mass of bleak, windswept gray. The clouds hung so low they seemed to cover the Water Kingdom in an all-embracing blanket, weighing heavily even on the white walls and towers surrounding the main city. For Kanda, to call them 'foreboding' would have been a huge understatement.

But he knew that wasn’t true. His anger was the reason the clouds were heavy with pent -up water, why the winds were sharp and cutting, why despite the Sun God being here, the weather was abnormally cold, even for his kingdom. That’s why even though it was still night, Kanda went back to his office despite his current appearance and dismissed everybody who was anywhere near it with a few sharp words.

There was always enough paperwork to be done and since he definitely needed to get his mind off what had just happened, he could as well tend to it. It wasn't new for him to sit in his office until late at night, working. Everything was better than to be alone in the huge mansion, a horde of servants waiting behind closed doors to run immediately if he had just the tiniest desire for anything. He had nothing to do there, nothing but feel like a spoiled child, which brought him back immediately to what that idiotic scientist had delivered.

That bitch, she was coming here tomorrow. Shit, and she was probably going to bring her whole parade with her too. If he wanted his home to look like a fucking circus he could damn well do it himself.

Running a hand in his loose hair, he scowled at the long tresses before scolding himself for thinking back on it. He knew his mother well enough to expect this from her. One day or another she was bound to come and collect her prize, so why was he so surprised? Maybe it was because he had never liked having visitors, specially if they were rude enough to send a day’s notice, and only a day’s notice, before arriving. This was his home, he had kept it safe for centuries, it was only natural that he didn’t like having people come whenever they damned pleased. He had never been one for sharing. Although, his mother did have a right to come whenever she wanted. Strictly speaking this was her home as well. Still, he didn’t like having visitors of any kind breaching the boundaries of his estate just because they felt like they had a right to.

Gripping his brush hard enough to turn his knuckles white, he muttered a few curses under his breath when he came to a certain stack of papers. Right, that kid never did show up for dinner. After Komui left (he’d had to kick the damn busybody off his estate to get him to leave him alone) he had completely forgotten about that little problem; holing himself in his room for hours as he waited for the moon to be replaced by the sun. Or at least, until he grew bored of waiting and came here. He lifted one of his hands to his forehead and tried to focus, tried to order the mess in his head, to calm down all the emotions that invaded his walls. He had to have a clear mind if he wanted to work out this problem in a way that could be called appropriate. Rolling his eyes at the word, he pushed aside the finished stack and reached for the next one.

Should he go look for him? It had been hours since dinner, he could be lost. Or, maybe he was lying dead in a ditch somewhere. That would be bad. Kanda had no time to go look for a replacement right now, not if he wanted to have everything ready by the time that bitch arrived. That woman was too damn strict for her own good, always pressing him to be same every time she came to visit. Their way of ruling was just too different, complete opposites; it was the cause of countless and endless fights between them. And if she didn’t like the boy, that was exactly what was going to happen today.

He pressed the brush onto the paper so hard it left an ugly black blotch even on the wood underneath. He forced his fingers to loosen, then put the utensil to the side and shuffled through some more documents just to keep his hands occupied. The tension in Kanda’s hands sent a shiver through the forms he held. He swallowed once and then forced himself to put them to the side with exaggerated care, arranging them neatly into an additional stack that would be sent back to Tiedoll first thing in the morning.

He scowled at the slight trembling of his fingers and short thereafter he scowled even more as he heard steps in the hall before his office. They were loud and cheerful steps, leaving no question as to whom they belonged. The one single knock against the door was energetic and relentless and almost made Kanda flinch in his chair.

“Just open the fucking door,” he near snapped, striving to keep his voice steady and calm.

To say that he was surprised to see the bubbly red-head sitting on his desk before the door even had a chance to fall shut would be a lie. He was, though, a tad bit curious about the droplets of blood staining the orange scarf the Sun God wore around his neck.

“Yo, Yu-dear, how’s it going?” Mock saluting, the redhead attempted to throw his arms around him and pull him into a hug, something Kanda skillfully avoided by planting his foot on the other’s face. Glaring at him, he cursed himself for leaving his sword in his room.

“None of your business. There, we’ve had a wonderful conversation, now leave,” he ordered, trying his hardest to ignore the disease sitting so close to him. “Your mere presence is making me sick to my stomach.”

Drawing a hurt look on his face at that, the redhead leaned even closer to him, the large pile of papers the only thing standing between the foolish rabbit and an early death. Kanda breathed hard through his nose, not making eye contact as he continued to work. He could feel the other’s gaze on him as he filled paper after paper, on edge because the redhead wasn’t saying anything. If anything, that only proved the idiot was up to something. Sighing, he tucked an annoyingly long lock behind one ear. He knew he shouldn’t have granted old Bookman permission to borrow some books from his library, specially if the springy coot was going to send his grandson in his place.

Dipping his brush, he stopped what he was doing when, as he raised his face, he came dangerously close to locking lips with the imbecile invading his personal space. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand when he felt Lavi’s hot breath warm his lips, a grimace of disgust appearing on his face the second he jumped back a couple of feet away from his desk. Back against the wall, he wiped his mouth for good measure. Eugh. Rabbit germs.

“I don’t like your attitude today, Yu-babe,” Lavi finally spoke, childishly kicking his legs back and forth at the same time Kanda felt something in his brain snap.

“I have the same problem with your face,” he spat, peering at the window in his office to check how much time he had left before he could go back outside. Staying here with this idiot would cause him permanent brain damage. Hell, his stupidity could be contagious for all he knew.

“It’s been raining so hard! There’s practically a freaking hurricane out there, have you noticed that? You need to learn to control your anger better,” the redhead let out, making exasperated, wild movements with his hands that despite what he thought, came closer to breaking something valuable rather than making any sense. “You don’t see me scorching villages just because Lena doesn’t want to go out with me, do you?”

“That’s only because if you did, she’d kick your sorry ass,” he deadpanned, wondering what he was still doing here. “Besides, her brother would skewer you before you could even hope to get close to her.”

“Yea, well,” the redhead crossed his arms over his chest, expression one of stubborn immaturity, “you just wait. One day Lena’s gonna be my woman. You can be my best man if you play nice and stop the rain. After all, it’s ruining my hair.”

Returning to his seat once he deemed it safe enough from the stupidity plaguing his office, Kanda rested his cheek on the palm of his hand. “Why don’t you just leave?” he suggested, voice dripping with cynicism. “That way I won’t have to keep seeing your stupid face.”

“Eh, but I leave before Mommy Dearest shows up, I won’t get to see any of the fun.”

Shoulders tensing, he scowled. “Don’t you ever get tired of being such a busybody, rabbit?”

Lavi smiled at his expression, “So, when’s she coming?”

“None of your damn business, so get out before I lose my patience.” Picking up his brush, he tried to erase the frown on his face, failing miserably when it only deepened as the redhead leaned back across his desk. Eyebrow twitching, he smiled a tight, razor-sharp smile. “Don’t start something if you’re not willing to finish it, imbecile. Don’t tempt me right now, I’m itching for a fight.”

Carelessly knocking over a rather valuable vase he had received as a gift from Lenalee herself with his right arm, the rabbit smiled up at him from his sprawled out position on his desk. “You’re always in a bad mood when you hear from her, I’m not surprised. I thought you’d be happy, after all, it’s still dark outside.”

Smile vanishing, Kanda narrowed his eyes at those words. “I don’t think anyone would be in a good mood if they constantly had a leash wrapped around their neck. After all, no matter how long that leash may be, you’re never free.”

Lavi whistled, reaching out to grab a stray black lock. Twirling the dark strands around his fingers, he grinned up at the older God. “Ma ma, you really are greedy. I can certainly see the resemblance now, between you and your late father.”

Kanda scoffed at that, batting the other’s hand away from his personal space. “My old man may have been a good fighter, but other than that he was a complete waste of air. Don’t ever compare me to him again or you’ll find yourself missing something important the next time you wake up.”

“Na uh! He collected brides, too! It seems it’s true what the humans say, the apple never falls far from the tree, heh?” Waggling his eyebrows at him, the younger God drew a lecherous grin on his lips. “By the way, that new bride of yours, he’s pretty cute isn’t he? And feisty, just the way your old man liked them. Maybe you inherited more than just his looks from him, Yu.”

Dealing with this idiot was just impossible. No matter how much you struggled, one way or another he always dragged you down to his own level and beat you with his stupidity. Rubbing his temples with the air of a desperate man around him, Kanda heaved a deep sigh. It wouldn’t do to lose his temper, not before that woman arrived. He knew himself too well, and knew he would take it out on her, which would then make breakfast a lot more uncomfortable than it had a right to be. So he settled on not saying anything. He knew the idiot would somehow, someway, twist his words around to egg this annoying conversation even further, so there really was no point in using words to best him.

“Hey, Yu, can I look at this for a bit?” Waving a heavy-looking book in front of his face, the redhead grinned from ear to ear. “It’s not every day I’m allowed to enter your office, much less your private library, right?”

“No one let you in you piece of-you know what, just take it and shut up,” he added, knowing this was a golden opportunity he shouldn’t just throw away. There were very few things that could hold the rabbit’s attention for more than ten minutes; books was one of them, and since Kanda had no women here, he would just have to settle for this. It wasn’t as if he was particularly fond of the books his mother had left here all those centuries ago. He’d never read them, and he was sure the redhead would cry when he saw the conditions they’d been kept on for all these years.

“Wah, Yu, how could you do this!” Sure enough, there it was. “Do you know how hard it is to find a copy of this book in this day and age?! You fiend! One day they’ll be calling you a book-murderer!”

“Shut up! I’ll treat my shit however the hell I please, you got that?!” he snapped, one second away from grabbing the lamp on his left and committing murder. So much for keeping his temper, but shit, this imbecile always pissed him off.

Giving the trembling redhead one last glare, he took a deep breath, sat back down, and folded his arms across his chest. Absentmindedly picking up his writing utensil, he looked at the window at his side for a lack of anything to do now that the rabbit had finally fallen silent, and frowned at what he saw. At the very least, he had four, maybe five hours tops before morning came. Looking down at his hands, he couldn’t help but feel irritation towards them. Compared to his smaller body, this one housed so much power, the scent of it ancient and long forgotten by this world. Yet all of it was useless if it couldn’t be used.

Gritting his teeth, he snapped the brush in half.

What good was all of this strength if he couldn’t even use it when the time called for it? One would think that after more than three centuries of this damn cycle he would be used to his weakness, but he wasn’t. Not when he knew what he had been, what he could be again, if he broke the damn spell.

Which brought him back to the matter at hand.

That stupid bitch, how dare she show her face here after what she had done to him? As if having him on a leash wasn’t enough already, she just had to come here and rub it on his face. Wasn’t sealing his strength away enough? Damn bimbo, how he itched to kill her and dine on her blood.

A small, amused chuckle escaped from his lips at that pleasant image, and he leaned back on his chair at the same time he placed a hand on his chest.

Still, he had to hand it to her. Taking his power away during day, and giving them back to him at night; what cruel torture, even for her. He still didn’t know how the damn thing worked, or else he would have broken the curse centuries ago. It was a big fat pain in the ass, the one thing that always kept him up at nights, grumbling and cursing the bitch’s very existence. If only, if only he could get his hands on the damn woman’s archives. But that was too big a hope; even he himself knew such a feat was more than impossible. She kept those things under a tighter lock than any other person he knew, the barriers surrounding her mind more than he could ever hope to break. Of course, she had centuries of knowledge over him. Everything he knew he had learned it from her; her secrets and her spells, all the knowledge she had acquired and collected throughout the years as the world changed from one setting to another.

He should have known though, that the witch would never teach him all of her tricks. Hell, he wouldn’t have either. Deception, deceit and intrigue were his bedfellows. They were fickle lovers, but still, she had taught him better than to ever let them leave his side.

‘Those who do not fear the sword they wield have no right to wield a sword at all, Yu.’

She was a fucking bitch as a person, but she had been a good teacher, he would never deny that. And he would never forgive her, no, he would kill her with his own two hands one day. He had never been fond of her, had never held any sort of appreciation for her other than her strength; he wouldn’t miss her. A student had to surpass his teacher at some point, even she should know that.

Taking out a new brush from one of the drawers, he set to work again while he tried to ignore the memory of that bitch’s disgustingly arrogant voice.

‘Stop trying to act like a grownup.’

The God’s eyebrow twitched and the corner of his mouth pulled down. Silently, he gritted his teeth hard enough to grind his molars into dust, filling paper after paper in hopes of getting rid of that stupid haunting voice.

‘You’re an animal.’

His jaw set with his lips pulled tight.

‘Animals have no right to any strength.’

Glaring at the pale moon outside his window, he wondered when the heavy silence had set. You could never go wrong with silence, yet Kanda had never liked it much. Most of all when it was dark; one never knew when enemies would attack, and for a man like himself, silence meant danger. Sound was better; with sound you knew where your enemies were, what they were doing, and where to strike to kill them. He had never quite liked the silence of the night.

Of course, he could always count on this idiotic fool to break that silence.

“Are you going to introduce them?” Lavi asked, voiced serious all of a sudden from behind the book he was reading. The curiosity in his voice wasn’t anything new, the wariness, though, was. Kanda raised an eyebrow at the out of place emotion. “Allen and her Highness, I mean.”

“Allen? Who the fuck is Allen?” He rattled his head to try and remember if he knew anyone by that name. “Shit, is he that new guy those old farts are sending over from the Capital City to inspect how I’m treating my workers? Che. Whatever, it’s not like I’m not paying them to work.”

Lavi gave him a look, the kind of look that said he couldn’t believed he was here of his own free will. “If my memory doesn’t fail me, I believe Allen is your 9,999 bride. Remember, he came in a couple of days ago? Cute, small, does it ring a bell?”

Kanda closed his eyes, fleetingly remembering silver eyes, achromatic tresses, pale skin and a warm body next to him in the past couple of mornings. He gave himself a shake and a pursing of the lips and opened his eyes to see Lavi was once again sitting on his desk and was now staring at him. They both regarded each other silently. Kanda let one arched black eyebrow rise. Lavi snorted and started to raise his fingers to his nose, and then thought better of it.

“Idiot,” he finally said, irritation coating his voice. “You know damn well he’s going to have a front-row seat when she comes, so stop asking stupid questions.”

“And how are you going to do that if Allen is lost somewhere in the wild, alone and defenseless?”

Despite popular belief, he didn’t always favor fighting. Specially at night. So he sighed, drumming his fingers on top of his desk, thinking. “I’ll just send someone to go look for him,” he finally settled on saying, not knowing why he was even having this conversation with this certain idiot out of all the other people he could be discussing this with. Smart, intelligent, pleasing people. “He can’t have gone too far.”

“I think you should go,” Lavi voiced out, scratching his chin and, for some reason, avoiding looking straight at his eyes. Burying his nose in the thick book when Kanda tried to make out his expression, the redhead cleared his throat rather loudly. All in all, very suspicious behavior, even or him. “Something tells me he might take being found by his spouse a lot better than some random stranger you send after him.”

Kanda brought his hands together and laced his fingers, elbows on his desk. Neither of the two men said nothing, the tense silence only stretching. Then, “You’re up to something.”

The look of fake surprise on that stupid face didn’t make him feel less suspicious. He spoke before the other had a chance to open his mouth. “I better not walk out of this room and find the rest of my house burned to ashes, rabbit.”

A green eye widened, its twin hidden behind an eye patch as the imbecile quickly shook his head and drew a mortally offended look. “I have not done anything to merit this kind of distrust from you, my friend. Really, sometimes the way you treat me is fiendish. Just fiendish.”

Kanda smirked easily and put his chin on his laced fingers. “Just letting you know that if you do anything stupid today, I’m going to have to kill you.”

“Why, the little trust you put in me hurts me dearly, Yu,” Lavi drew a pained expression on his face, having been stabbed in the back by his loyal best friend. Well, best friend in his mind. “I would never plan anything behind your back, you know me.”

“Che. This coming from the idiot who every day makes my life a living hell by being an incompetent moron with half a brain,” he snorted, placing a hand on his desk. “If I could, I would exile you.”

“You’re so charming,” Lavi chuckled behind his book, “Sometimes you make me breathless.”

Picking up his brush again, he began to separate his papers into neat stacks. His work was never done, and no matter how much he hated it, someone had to do it. Besides, irresponsibly was not something he tolerated. “Tell you what, I’m going back to work, when you have something bordering on sanity to say, come and see me.”

Which would hopefully be never; the redhead was known for his constant bouts of insanity after all. Kanda really had no idea how that woman put up with him (then again Lenalee knew how to take care of herself), and hopefully one day she would be merciful enough to pass on the secret. But just to spite him, the Gods (that fucking drunkard bastard was a sore loser), had to go and make this night even worse.

“Oops. Sorry, Yu!” Laughing, Lavi tried to hide the mess that had once been half of his finished paperwork, not dripping with ink, behind another large pile of unfinished paperwork. “Don’t worry, I’m sure they’re still legible.”

“That’s what I hate about you,” Kanda drawled out, voice incredibly dry, “Always on the ball, never a dull moment with you,” and the man folded his arms on his desk and leaned over the stacks, “so, what are you still doing here? You’ve got what you came here for, scram, bookworm.”

“If you’ll pardon me, your Highness, and not to inflate your already precariously balanced ego,” the redhead grinned, undaunted, “but you are not, despite what you believe, the reason I am still here. You may be cute and all, but I’m not masochistic enough to go for you. You’re too tall for me, not enough height difference to kiss right. Unlike your bride, who may I say is just at the perfect-”

“No. You are not staying,” he sharply cut him off, eyes narrowed and fixed on the bane of his existence. “I don’t want you here when that woman arrives. One of you is enough for the day.”

He should have known, right from the very beginning, that the rabbit was only here for gossip.

“Lena also sent me to keep an eye on you. She says she’s had enough of you killing her children when you’re throwing one of your little fits.”

He also should have known that nothing he could say would stop the idiot from being here on this miserable day to help make it even more miserable. “Look, idiot,” he began, positive he was about to have a small stroke, “listen up, and listen good. I will kill you if I see you here when that stupid woman sets foot in my house. I will skewer you with your own damn intestines, I will-”

“Of course, I could always just ask my drinking buddy good ol’ Mikk to bring me as his second,” Lavi cut in, confidence dripping from every one of his pores. “He has every right to come here, after all, it’s his job.”

The dark-haired man’s eyes never moved from the younger God’s face, but they did, in fact, flash in intricate eye morse code, obviously saying that the redhead was treading very dangerous ground and should perhaps duck and cover within a very few moments.

“He’ll be absolutely delighted to come,” throwing him a smirk from behind the heavy book in his hands, Lavi’s one visible eye flashed wickedly. “Specially since he’s taken such a liking your new bride and all.”

Kanda’s skin went the color of pure driven snow, on the first day of the first fall, in a place very far away, where no human had ever set foot. He slowly began to curl his fingers around the hilt of his sword-only to remember that said sword was somewhere in his sleeping quarters. He cursed everything and everyone’s existence before turning his narrowed eyes to the smiling redhead.

“Don’t you dare,” he growled with vindictive fury, “bring that thing into my house-wait, what did you just-”

“That’s right!” Throwing the book behind him, which miraculously landed unscathed on top of the bookshelf, Lavi jumped up, hand pumped in the air as he stood on Kanda’s once upon a time neat paperwork. “While you were away, being all moody and whatnot, Tyki seduced your bride and swept him off his feet faster than you can kill people!”

Now Kanda could care less about the human boy, to him the child was just a means to achieve his goal, nothing else. But he had always been competitive by nature, and he had never been one to share. These two factors combined with the universal knowledge that was his ultimate hatred for one lousy, conniving and filthy Tyki Mikk (it was a long story) could only end up in one way, and one way only.

Even if Kanda himself wasn’t aware of this, the truth was that sometimes he could be very childish.

“I mean, seriously, even I smelled Tyki’s scent on the kid,” shaking his head, Lavi sighed. “But then again you were never very bright, were you?”

Slamming a fist on his desk, Kanda growled out his words, “That brat is mine, he has no right to even look at him, much less touch him. I’ll rip off his throat if he dares.”

Muffling his snorts of laughter, the Sun God caught himself before he fell off he desk. “Ha ha! This is too rich! One minute ago you couldn’t care less for the human boy, and now you’re practically staking your claim over him. Damn, I can’t wait to tell Lena about-gack!”

Tightening his grip around the other’s throat, Kanda glared down at him, shaking him once or two for the hell of it. One eye wide with apprehension, the redhead avoided looking at those dark eyes, knowing if he did, it would be the end of him. Any other day, Kanda would find some sort of amusement in making the rabbit jump like this, but not today. “Listen to me good, imbecile, because I am not going to repeat myself.”

Swallowing with difficulty, Lavi quickly nodded his head while his eye wandered to the only exit out of this room. A rough shake made him stop. “If I smell that no-good bastard here, see hide or tail of him, I’ll make you regret the day you were ever appointed as that old man’s successor. Are we clear?”

Deep frown on his face, he grimaced at the bad taste the mention of that man’s name had left in his mouth. Hand still wrapped around the redhead’s throat, he glared at nothing in particular while he tried to get rid of it. It was no use; it never was when that bastard was mentioned. That asshole, an annoyance almost as big as the stupid rabbit. Tyki-fucking-Mikk, that bastard. How he tired of that man, always sticking his nose into other people’s business, ruining one reputation after another one. If only he wasn’t that goddamn Emperor’s nephew, he would have killed him a long time ago. So of course he wasn’t going to allow that thing to step one foot in his land, much less come close to his precious human sacrifice.

Thump. The unique sound of a body collapsing to the floor echoed down the hall outside. Kanda paused in the middle of chocking the stupid rabbit to death, who used this opportunity to press himself against the farthest wall away from his psychotic friend. Looking sideways at the door, the dark-haired man made a face before barking out, “Get inside and stop that ruckus at once, idiot!”

He would recognize that presence anywhere, so he wasn’t surprised to see his General enter the room, bowing a second before he straightened. He tensed for the slightest of seconds though, not sure if the other man would recognize him in this form or not. A quick look at the other’s reaction made him relax. His face was as stoic as ever, no emotion or recognition on his handsome features as he pulled something from behind him. Stumbling, the small figure had to catch himself so he wouldn’t fall on his face, hair ruffled and clothes ruined. Kanda’s eyes widened the slightest bit. What the hell-

Sharp eyes inspected the neat, tidy office while a hand shot out and stopped the human boy from leaving his side. Turning to the only face he recognized, Madarao finally spoke, “Courtier Lavi, I was not aware you had come to visit the Master’s estate.”

Still rubbing his sore throat, said redhead coughed a bit before answering. “If that’s your way of asking where Kanda is, don’t worry. He’s, um, off picking flowers for his new bride.” It outstood Kanda how fast the rabbit could forget about his own wellbeing to act like a complete idiot, truly it did. “Who, may I say, is forever in your debt for helping him find his way back home. Isn’t that right, Allen?”

There was an expression of utmost annoyance on the boy’s face, somehow managing to look dignified covered in mud and grime while he tried to yank himself free from the grip Madarao had on him. His struggles were in vain; Madarao didn’t even seem faced by the glare the child was giving him. Nodding at the redhead, the tall man then turned to Kanda, who had already been expecting this from his right-hand man. He had taught the man well, maybe too well he sometimes thought.

“And this?” The smallest amount of emotion passed over his face at the same time the fingers of his right hand caressed the hilt of his sword. It was an action Kanda had seen on himself many times in the past before he killed one of his enemies.

“Flesh and blood of your Lord,” he replied without the slightest sign of hesitation, knowing if the other detected any lie in his words he would probably be attacked on the spot. He couldn’t afford to lose Madarao, but he also couldn’t afford the danger of someone else sharing his damn weakness. “You could almost call us brothers.”

Lavi chortled, tears on the corners of his eyes. Muffling his laughter as best as he could, he took a second to compose himself while he straightened up. Noticing all eyes were now on him, he gave a weak smile. “Eh…now that we all know each other what do you say you let Allen go, Ma-tan?”

If Kanda needed any more proof to know Madarao was perfect for his second-in-command, it was that the man didn’t even bat an eyelid at the horrible butchering of his name. Hand still gripping the human boy’s wrist, the stoic man refused to let go of the child go. “I found him in the stables, frolicking with one of the servant boys.”

Ah. Now he saw what the problem was. Taking a step forward, he yanked the boy out his General’s firm grip. If he was surprised at this, Madarao didn’t show it. “I’ll see to it that he receives a fit punishment for leaving the Master’s bed,” Kanda lied, wondering when the hell this man had become so damn loyal to him. For some reason, this amount of devotion unnerved him. “You can return to your post now.”

At first, he thought the man would protest. But he should have known better. Madarao was anything but a bad subordinate; if he knew anything it was how to follow orders down to the letter. Bowing his head, he gave the human boy one last, undecipherable look before he returned to guard the gates. Running a hand in his long hair, Kanda sighed. That had been close. Sometimes Madarao was just too perceptive for his own good, and no matter how good of a general he was, Kanda wouldn’t touch his heart for him if he knew about his ‘special’ condition. Anyone who knew of his weakness had to die, there was no way around it. Or at least, until he broke the damn curse.

Bad mood returning, he frowned when he remembered he still had something else to deal with. A problem of lesser concern, but still pretty important. Little brat, didn’t he know Kanda couldn’t afford to lose him? As his last precious human sacrifice, this kid was his only ticket to freedom.

Loosening his grip on the boy’s shoulder, he turned the human around so he could properly look at his face. His silver gaze was downcast, the messy white tresses hiding his face from view not allowing Kanda to get a good look at the expression he was currently wearing. Stubborn and stupid, never a good combination. Tilting his chin up, he brushed the child’s hair from his eyes. Silver eyes looked away from his own, glaring at the wall as those thin arms were crossed over a slim chest. Cupping his face, Kanda turned his face back to himself. His annoyance only grew though, when the boy continued to refuse to look at him.

“Oi, idiot, look at me,” he ordered, a hint of steel to his voice. Still not budging, the stubborn frown on the child’s face only deepened. “Don’t make me whip you, boy.”

“You’re his cousin,” the human finally said, a note of disappointment in his voice. Kanda was a little surprised to see that hidden in that disappointment, was also a hint of sadness. “Liar. You said you were the gardener.”

“What I am is none of your concern.” This kid was weird, no doubt about that. “You, on the other hand, are a possession. And as such, your place is at the foot of your owner’s bed. So get to it, human.”

Heat flooding his cheeks at Kanda’s words, Allen sputtered in indignation. “W-what, you bastard,” he hissed, gray eyes narrowed in anger. Despite himself, Kanda took a step back. “I looked for you everywhere and this is what I get for my efforts? I don’t even know what I was thinking anymore, you’re no better than-”

“Than who?” Grinning, he sat back down on his chair, finding himself surprisingly amused by the human’s antics. Maybe it was the tension hanging thick in the air, the knowledge that once the sun rose, that woman would arrive. Either way, he was never one to pass up an opportunity to simply laugh at another person’s pathetic attempts to aggravate him. Those moments were so rare nowadays after all. “Kanda?”

Blush intensifying, the boy squared his shoulders and huffed. The God raised an elegant eyebrow at that behavior. “I’ll have you know that Kanda has been very good to me.”

A smile almost escaped him. Almost. Resting his chin on his hand, he stared straight at the boy. “Really?”

He thought it impossible, but the child’s cheeks grew rosier. “Yes, really. The first time he saw me he said I was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.”

It was his turn to muffle his laughter, and from the corner of his eye he saw Lavi doing the same thing. Gutsy and stupid. That was an even worse combination. “Humph. From what I know of him, Kanda’s nothing but a brat. I’m not surprised to see that his taste in lovers is as bad as his personality.”

Clutching his stomach, Lavi hit the floor repeatedly as he tried to control his laughter. Cheeks still flushed, Allen averted his gaze, visibly embarrassed. “How crude, your cousin is still just a child.”

Looking at the window to deduce how much time was left until sunrise, Kanda couldn’t help but grin. He could see why that woman preferred virgins, they really were very gullible. “It doesn’t matter if he is a man or a child, you should return to his room before he notices your absence or else you‘ll get a good whipping.”

Eyeing the boy up and down, he wrinkled his nose. “And take a bath, you reek.”

Stupid, gutsy, and stubborn. So not cute, not cute at all. Although he had to admit the boy’s temper was amusing, the kid was fun to rile up. Having lived many centuries, finding things that amused him were hard to come by now. It was nice to know there were still some of those rare amusing things out there in the world. Looking at the window again, he felt that anxiousness return. He had two, maybe one hour before the sun rose, and then she would come. Tardiness wasn’t like her, so he knew better than to hope she was late. Tapping his desk, he frowned as he tried to organize the turmoil that was his mind. He had to get rid of Lavi, that was a no-brainer, and the kid would have to stay somewhere close at hand so he could call for him when she arrived, but not close enough to see him change. She didn’t tolerate anything less than perfection, again, one of the many reasons why he couldn’t stand her for more than three seconds. Just thinking about her made him gag in disgust.

“You should also make the child change into something decent, Yu,” a cold, amused voice cut through his thoughts like a knife, and Kanda had no time to prepare himself before he was suffocated with the overpowering scent of orchids. “As one of the many brides to the Water God he should present himself with poise and grace, and not as a common harlot you bought off the street.”

He could almost taste the blood in his mouth from how hard he clenched his teeth. Not looking at the woman standing in front of his desk, or at the two idiots stuck dumbstruck by the men garbed in black clothes standing at her side, Kanda allowed an icy smile to grace his lips. “I don’t think that’s any of your business, woman.”

Ever the epitome of grace and elegance, Reni Epstein, Goddess of Punishment and Torture, hid her amused chuckles behind her hand. She tucked a stray blond lock behind one ear, the small movement making him tense in his seat. Her ruby lips curved into a coy smile at that, and her light colored eyes looked straight at his dark ones without even the slightest trace of fear most people’s eyes held when they so much as felt him near. Unwillingly, he felt a shiver run up his spine.

“Why, Yu, is that any way to address your mother?”

Now he really regretted leaving his sword behind.

To be Continued…

-

End Notes: Okay, actually, this chapter was supposed to be out by Friday of last week. But, one of my assistants (I won’t mention any names, but you know who you are!) recommended I read Bleach and FullMetal Alchemist. I told her I didn’t have the time for it and she immediately got on my case about it: “You bastard, what color is your blood?!” to which I replied with “Fool! Black ink flows through my veins!”

…but in the end, I gave in. I’m a sucker for my two assistants. Anything they say goes, I just love them too much. So, I wasted the whole weekend reading/watching Bleach and FullMetal, fell in love with RoyxEd and GrimxIchi, which thus ended with me neglecting my babies. So, I wrote all of this today, and, eh, well, it didn’t quite turned out like I wanted. Oh well. Que sera, sera. At least Lavi got more screen time this chapter, and Madarao-chan too. Also, bet you weren’t expecting her to show up, were you? Kaboom, points for me :D

Until next time! Comments are loved and help wake me up in the horrible mornings, also, pray I won’t die from work-overload this weekend~