Disclaimer: I OBVIOUSLY do not own -Man or anything affiliated with it. I just write stuff because I like it, like everyone else.

*I didn't realize you weren't supposed to fill the main theme as a prompt. Still, not gonna get rid of it.

Hope you enjoy!

Main Theme: "Until the End, I'll fight alongside you."

Allen POV:

When was it, I wonder, that you became more than just a wannabe samurai with a stick up his ass? When was it that I began to see you in a different light?

Maybe it had always been that way. Maybe I'd been deluding myself right from the start, telling myself that I hated you. Maybe I just feared to admit the truth, even to myself: that when I looked at you, I saw myself.

Yeah, that must be it. I saw myself in you, in a different life. In the beginning, I had nothing. Mana, when he found me, became my life. He was my father, my teacher, my world. Losing him was… Catastrophic. Traumatic. Agonizing. Even now, all these years later, I still can't explain the pain, not really. The only reason I could keep going at all was his mantra: Keep walking. And as for Master Cross… well, I certainly wouldn't give him a Father of the Year award, that's for sure. Do I care about him? Probably. But he was nothing like Mana. With Cross I had to learn to hide my pain, to smile and move on, to do whatever it took to maintain the image of a strong person. The world punishes weakness; I learned that the hard way. I learned to act nice to others, because if you smile bright you gain the ability to bewitch and beguile. Since so long ago, I've worn a mask, and no one's ever managed to see through it. That is, until you came around.

Those piercing black eyes of yours seemed to bore into my very soul. In a moment they recognized me for what I was, and I have never felt so exposed.

And it terrified me, honestly, to be seen so clearly by someone I had just met. So I struck out at you. Of course, it helped that you insulted me first…

Nonetheless, I got to know you slowly, but surely. Not that I wanted to; it just sort of happened. In Mater I realized that you were dependable, trustworthy. That despite your cold exterior, you were loyal to your allies, would fight for them to the last breath. And that after they're gone, you grieve for them, for the people you couldn't save.

And I guess it just kind of snowballed from there. Before I knew it, I began to look forward to our little spats. Sure, they bother other people, and I'm not too big on that, but I get to spend quality time with you, so it's worth it. And I think you feel the same.

After all these years, I feel I've come to know you. You still won't talk to me much, and any talking we do tends to end in destroyed buildings, but hey, that's just how it goes.

Our relationship isn't like the ones you find in books. I care for you, Kanda, but I can never tell you how much. And it's not just our complete inability to have a normal conversation. You're too stiff, too cold, and even though I know you care, deep down, you could never see me the way I see you. I love you, Kanda, with all of my heart. Forever and ever, that will remain my most jealously guarded secret. Even should you find love one day, I'll never speak a word. I'll just keep doing what I've always done.

Until the end, I'll fight alongside you, you stupid BaKanda.

Kanda POV:

When was it, I wonder, that I began to see you as more than must a cursed child? When did I begin to see you in a different light?

To be honest, in the beginning, I feared you. I'm not talking about the white hair or the hand or the scar. I feared your curse. I saw it right away. You smiled at me as you extended your hand in greeting, but I brushed you off rudely. Because I have my own curse, and I was afraid, terrified, in fact, that you too would realize what I instinctively knew from the moment I met you; that we were kindred spirits.

Our past and our histories are too similar for us to get along. Were I to shake your hand, get to know you, I might end up relying on you, letting you into my heart. And I couldn't do that. I've done it before, and not just once. Each time, I only end up losing them, that precious person.

Call me a coward, if you want. You'd be right. But Alma was everything to me. Losing him was… Horrible. Dreadful. Excruciating. I… I can't even explain it properly.

I couldn't save him, I couldn't save anyone. I still can't save anyone. Forget the Lotus Blossom. Forget the tattoo that enhances my ability to heal while it steadily drains my life force. My true curse is that I always lose the people I hold dear.

And that's why I can't come near you. If I do, you'll die like all the rest. And I couldn't take that. Not you.

Because you are beautiful and bright. You have your darkness sure; I know that better than anyone else. But somehow, even after all the pain you've been through, you still manage to smile. That is what true strength is. Me, I can't do it. All I can do it be haughty and cruel, hoping that it'll make other people hate me. If they stay away, they won't die. Even better, if they hate me, I'll have no reason to care for them. At least that's what I tell myself…

The two of us, we are like yin and yang. Except we could never coexist like two glistening koi fish that circle each other in a pond. If I'm lucky, we'd both be destroyed, but let's face it, I'm usually not, so it would probably only be you. And then I would stay here alone, lost without my other half, doomed to carry the burden and the guilt of your death on my shoulders as well, along with all the others.

That's what you are, you know: my other half. We're the same really, a perfect match set. We complete each other. Not because opposites attract. That's just bullshit. It works between us because we are the same, we understand each other, in a way nobody else ever could.

But I'll bet you don't know that. I'll bet you never realize how perfect we are for each other, how amazing we could be together. And I don't just mean as comrades, but as something much, much more. Not that I ever want you to realize it, not really. Like I've already said, if you'll get too close, you'll end up dead. So what I want is for you to find someone, someone who can love you, and be with you, and heal your wounds. I'll never say a word, never tell you that it could be otherwise. I'll continue to do what I've always done.

Until the end, I'll fight alongside you, Moyashi.

I hope you enjoyed!

No matter what you thought, though, I would certainly appreciate a review. Pretty please?

Starting next chapter I'll be filling out the themes. I intend to do all of them, but I can't guarantee they'll be on their specific deadlines. I have a lot of school stuff around this time. Still, I will get it done, during the break if all else fails.

Hope to see you again!

- Red