"I hope you're fucking pleased with yourself, bean sprout," Kanda hissed angrily as they entered the library through its gigantic door. They were currently trying to be as quiet and non-attention-drawing as possible. Which they admittedly weren't really accustomed to.

"Why do you make it sound like it's my fault? You wanted to get out of there as much as I did! Don't blame everything on me now. And I am not the one using drastic measures here, by the way," Allen bit right back. His hands were honestly itching to punch the bastard in his aggravatingly pretty face.

"You did the lock-picking. It's almost a fucking definition of getting away," the long haired man's expression downright screamed hostility.

"As almost as you almost know how to use a dictionary, I take it," Allen smiled his most pleasant smile in Kanda's direction, dodging the man's fist as they went.

Going through labyrinth-like aisles between the tall bookcases, all stealthy and shit, they didn't seem to notice how their bickering made all the discreetness go to hell. Some finders and scientists scattered around shot them glares for disturbing, but none of them spoke up. There wasn't a person in the whole Order who wouldn't know starting a fight with those two idiots was never worth it – Kanda especially. They were gradually moving towards the back end of the area. More specifically, the part of it which was usually unoccupied. It was rare for anyone to have any business there because it was ciphered tomes section. Not many besides Lavi and the Bookman could find there anything of interests.

Speaking of Bookman, his private research-or-something room was supposed to be somewhere close. If Allen remembered correctly what he was told quite a long time ago that is. And they could use a place like that. Nice and locked. No one would come looking for them there.

"Do you really even know where we're going? Or got lost again?" Kanda was honestly so pissed off that he was ready to resort to violence at any given moment. Real violence. Not just throwing kicks and punches, no no. Allen was about to have his whole foot shoved up his own ass if he didn't come up with something. And quick.

"Shut up. Of course I know," Allen answered him impatiently as he nervously looked around, praying for the door to suddenly appear somewhere. They were kind of on the run and Allen didn't have any other idea where they could go. Besides, it was too late for new plans. It had to work.

Kanda just stood close by, arms crossed on his chest, silently observing Allen as the younger male was obviously searching for something. Seconds ticked by and his scowl grew pretty nasty. "You done yet?"

"Jesus! What's your problem, Kanda? She won't come to look for us in the library anyway. I mean, just imagining you with a book is quite distur―"

Unfortunately Allen wasn't given a chance to finish his sentence, because they suddenly heard something that made them both break into goose-bumps.

"Mr. Walker, Mr. Kanda, I know you are both here somewhere!" Still somewhat distant voice of the angry Head Nurse echoed in the library. Which was, of course, a place where one should keep quiet, but no one was brave enough to reprimand the stern woman, apparently. It was clearly not a good day for readers enjoying peace. Allen cringed a bit, feeling slightly guilty for his feigned confidence.

"You fucking said something just now?," Kanda almost barked at him, but Allen just made a face. "What are you even trying to find?"

"The, uh, Bookman's room," Allen admitted reluctantly, hating himself right after when Kanda rolled his eyes and took a hold of his arm, dragging him in the right direction.

They got to the door in record time and Allen was ready to perform his awesome lock-picking skills any given moment, but the handle just moved freely under his hand and the door opened, surprising both men. And, well, whoever was inside – it wasn't looking good.

Hurriedly fumbling inside, they both groaned internally at the sight of their red haired friend. They hated talking to Lavi when being in the same room with one another, because―

"Ooooh, what are ya guys up to? Came looking for a private spot to smoochy-smooch? This room's already taken, sorry."

Yeah. Because of that.

"Please not now, Lavi," Allen whined before Kanda could kill the Bookman Junior with his bare hands. "We have to hide somewhere for a second."

Lavi knew that the moment he saw them, really. Their a bit pyjama-like clothes and the bandage wrapped around Allen's arm told him the whole story.

" 'Hide' ya say. Well, don' think no one gonna check here. But...," he grinned, getting up from the desk where he was reading until the duo barged in on him. He walked up to a tall cabinet that seemed a bit misplaced there and opened it, revealing a surprising lack of shelves and a broad enough space for the both Hospital Wing refugees to fit in. "Hop inside."

Both exorcist looked at him as if he suddenly started to speak another language, but Allen nodded after a few seconds, deciding it was not a time to be picky. Kanda apparently felt like being a bitch though.

"I'm not fucking going in there, you're going to infect me with your shortness," Kanda said snappishly, watching Allen as he climbed inside the thing. It had ridiculously long legs.

"Suit yourself, BaKanda. I'm not going to get caught. And in your place I would hide at least until they're less mad about that knocked out Finder."

Kanda clicked his tongue. He really hated to admit it, but bean sprout was right. He scowled.

"Ya can always hide under my desk instead. Won't stomp on ya, promise!" Kanda didn't even bother to react to Lavi's stupid comment. He quickly went to gracefully lift his one leg to prop his knee inside the damned cabinet and then lifted himself with the help of his arms, purposefully ignoring Allen's stretched out helping hand. The albino just rolled his eyes at that.

"Hurry, hurry. I think they comin'," Lavi rushed them and then shut the heavy door as soon as Kanda was fully inside, but not before saying "try not to be too rough with each other or she'll hear ya." He also blinked with his one eye in Kanda's direction and then it suddenly became completely dark.

The swordsman felt irritation built up in him as he realised it must have been a fucking wink. He cursed under his breath, knowing perfectly well what the redhead was on about. The stupid rabbit had somehow gotten an idea that he, Kanda, had hots for Allen. Which was completely stupid and unreasonable and true. The moron was just mocking him, knowing perfectly well why Kanda was so reluctant to hide together with the bean.

Meanwhile Allen swallowed with difficulty, which sounded obnoxiously loud in his own ears. Feeling Kanda's vicious whispering in a form of hot puffs of air against his skin wasn't making him all that comfortable. He was painfully aware of every part of the swordsman's body that was touching his in this cramped space.

"You know he's just trying to provoke us," Allen spoke up softly in an attempt to calm the man down, but it only caused him to stiffen up, the albino's words tickling his neck.

"Is it supposed to make that better?" Kanda was set on ignoring the pleasant feeling. "He's just really asking for me to maim him," he growled, but then they both heard a muffled, angry knocking to the room's door, immediately falling silent.

Listening carefully as Lavi told the nurse he haven't seen them at all today, they both relaxed when the woman seemed to believe him. But soon it became apparent that something was wrong. When Lavi started asking her about the weather, Kanda felt an urge to just burst out and strangle him.

"That fucking...," Kanda growled, barely able to keep his voice down. Lavi was probably having a great time prolonging this hell.

"Shh." Allen's breath was suddenly a lot closer and Kanda felt a little unwanted shiver pass through him. "Kanda, please," the younger male added for a better effect and the swordsman wanted to put at least a tiny bit more distance between them, but his body obviously disagreed with him, moving in the exact opposite direction.

They stayed quiet then, not even listening to Lavi's blabbering anymore, but― the silence somehow served to make the situation feel more intimate and Kanda was really not okay with that. He knew he should not speak though. Pressing his lips into a thin line, he tried to just stay still.

But Allen noticed how strained his stance has became. "Kanda...?," he whispered, preoccupied.

He wasn't sure what he was trying to achieve by calling out to him like that exactly, but surely not what he actually got. He took his guess Kanda must have automatically turned his head to him, because he suddenly felt an exhale tickle his lips. Involuntarily letting out something like a half-gasp, he leaned closer. What was Kanda going to do, he wondered dazedly. Because he sure couldn't escape like he always did. Not just yet at least.

His heart jumped a little as he felt the other body move closer to him in the darkness. Oh he was not expecting that. Encouraged, he angled his face close to where he supposed Kanda's lips were. The man's scent and the heat radiating from the body before him called forth a ticklish feeling somewhere in his abdomen. And when he could swear the man inched closer again, he could barely stand the burning on his lips anymore. God, he needed to touch him so bad. Raising a hand tentatively, he let it rest against the hard chest and when he felt fingers slide slowly against the underside of his wrist in response, he honestly had to swallow a moan. He felt so stupid for that, he really did. It was nothing, a tiny little touch that he would probably not even notice if the finger's were anyone else's.

Maybe he could just do it. It shouldn't mess things up too bad. Just one simple kiss. He wasn't asking for anything more. But when he leaned in to make it happen, when he could almost feel the softness of Kanda's lips, everything disappeared. The swordsman must have backed away, feeling what was coming. All Allen was left with was a sound of the man's slightly quickened breathing and the bitter feeling of disappointment he was trying hard to fight down.

Neither of them said anything. There wasn't really much to comment. The suddenly heavy atmosphere made them both just want Lavi to hurry the fuck up. And sure enough, before the awkwardness could get any worse, the door flew open, letting in the light and revealing a cheerful-looking redhead.

"Hope ya guys done feeling each other up," he practically sang, but Kanda predictably jumped back down on the floor and shoved him aside before he could add anything else.

"I'm going to go train. Have fun, morons, " he snarled and Allen could just trail his steps with a thoughtful gaze until the man was gone, angrily shutting the door behind him as he left.

"Well, I get ya couldn't get that stick out of his ass, then," Lavi commented and Allen just sighed.

"I'm starting to doubt it's even doable," the albino joked weakly, more to himself than anything.

"Mmm? Wanna share sumthin' with yo best friend?" Lavi's tone was nothing but mocking, his smile telling more than words ever could.

"Nothing you wouldn't know already," Allen said simply, a bit amused.

Not many could hide anything from Bookman Junior and the albino knew that. Besides, it wasn't like he even tried to hide his feelings toward Kanda much. Not from Lavi anyway. Which didn't mean he necessarily wanted to talk about them.

"What even is this thing? It doesn't look like it belongs here." He pointedly looked at the cabinet, feeling like a good ol' topic change was what he needed.

"Ooh, that. Ya know, I have to do some research 'bout when and where it comes from. Boring stuff." The goofy redhead was considerate enough to let the obvious attempt to distract him pass without as much as a blink. But only this time, he told himself, the emerald eye twinkling.

"Are you sure it was okay for us to even touch something like that?," Allen asked, honestly a bit concerned, but Lavi just waved his hand dismissingly.

"Don' worry, pal." He patted his shoulder supportively and the albino had a strong feeling he wasn't at all talking about the piece of furniture anymore.

"Thanks."

He nodded his goodbye after this short conversation and left, planning to go about his day like nothing happened. Though he still had one angry Head Nurse to avoid.

#$%

Kanda was mad. Fucking angry like hell. He was facing problems he really shouldn't be, God damn it.

He didn't need anyone in his life. He didn't need a fucking partner. And his damned hormones should just calm the hell down and understand that already.

The whole thing was he would gladly accept sex. Really. But his stupid body decided that apparently anyone besides the moronic bean sprout was no good. And he wasn't going to get himself involved with this shithead. He knew exactly what would happen. Allen and his planet-sized heart wouldn't let it be just fucking. He was sure of it.

And what was he even doing, touching his wrist? Was he stupid? He should just grab his dick and be done with it. Solve the tension and then clear this damned situation up. Tell Allen to find himself another victim for his stupid infatuation. Well... maybe he wouldn't do it all in a fucking cabinet and within the stupid rabbit's earshot, but the concept was there.

He said to those idiots that he was going to train, but he felt like having a cold shower first. He already went to his room earlier; to get clean training clothes he could change into. His thing for Allen was honestly getting ridiculous. A couple of minutes too close to him and he was already like this, all hot and bothered. He knew it was probably because about a year worth of an almost constant sexual tension was just becoming too hard on him. He felt irritated just thinking about it. Somehow he knew he should have started avoiding the albino at some point, but it just wasn't fucking happening. He found himself spending time with him more often than not. They even had a lot of damned missions together!

He went to rage at Komui about that once, after a particularly hard week of sharing a room with the bean somewhere in eastern France, but all the explanation he got was that they 'complement each other in matters of abilities'. Surely he meant to say that Kanda was good at fighting and Allen at... whatever made up for being the weakling he was. Fucking wimp. Anyway, Komui apparently didn't care that they were fighting all the time as long as none of them killed the other. Which Kanda was just tempted to do, especially recently.

Having stripped fast, he angrily threw his things onto one of the many wooden shelves that were right next to a long row of shower cabins. Taking a towel and wrapping it securely around his hips, he stomped his way to one placed the furthest from the door. It didn't look like anyone was using the stalls right then, but he would just feel more comfortable tucked into a corner anyway.

He wavered just before screwing the tap to let the cold water flow. Well. He did plan to cool himself off, but since no one was there to eavesdrop on him... Purposefully ignoring the fact that anyone could just come in any moment, he let the warm water relax his pissed-off stance.

A sight left his lips when he let himself rest against the cold tiles that quickly became warm against his hot skin. It was okay. He was going to just make the tension stop running so insistently in his system, it was all there was to it. Done making excuses for now, Kanda lowered his eyelids, letting one of his palms caress his abdomen before unhurriedly sliding it down the muscled thigh. He wanted it to be surprising how quickly the white-haired doom of his existence invaded his thoughts, but he was far too used to it by now.

They were so often sweaty together while training that imagining one of those play-fight sessions to have a much more exciting final than usual wasn't all that hard. Like a few weeks ago when Allen won just because he used a dirty trick. He remembered the feel of the albino's thigh pressing between his to distract him, provocatively rubbing the erection he admittedly had by then from watching the bean sprout's lean body move for too long. He was honestly too sexy when they sparred, showing off his flexibility every time an occasion presented itself. And in a situation like this Kanda should have just grabbed his hips, better yet his ass, and make the younger male grind down on him again. Would he be surprised, he wondered. He felt a little smirk quirk his lips at the thought and let his eyes close completely, tugging at his already hardening member languidly. He probably would be, but then Kanda could just silence him with his tongue if he wanted to make any smartass comment. But maybe he would just pull his shirt off before kissing him, those tattoo-like things he had around his Innocence-arm were always an intriguing sight. Or maybe he could just wrap his legs around Allen's hips, moving impatiently until the friction became too much and made them free their cocks and start jerking each other off – much like Kanda was doing to himself right that moment, breath quickening as his spine arched away from the tiles.

"Shit," he whispered, his mind getting wilder ideas.

He was damn sure having the other exorcist suck his cock would really be something. With as much food as the brat managed to basically swallow whole, he probably didn't even know that gag reflex was supposed to exist. The wetness of water easily became Allen's saliva in his mind, he could just imagine that tongue. But what if...

Kanda's other hand reached behind him, his fingers rubbing the furrowed entrance and the albino's tongue followed suit obediently. The swordsman's jaws clenched, stubbornly not letting out the moan that wanted to come through. Fuck, fuck. The wet muscle did wonders to him in his mind and he pushed a finger inside of himself as far as it would go, quickly deeming it not enough and adding a second one. He honestly was probably just doing it too often.

Already knowing his body well enough, he easily found his prostate and started probing it restlessly. His head lolled to the side, chest heaving wildly and he managed to push in another two fingers, pretending that the burning feeling was Allen's cock entering him. His lips parted in a soundless moan, whole body shivering. God, he was really going crazy over this idiot. Fucking himself harshly, he was all the while palming his throbbing erection, feeling intense waves of pleasure wash over him. He kept it up just a while longer and then had to bite his lip really hard as he was coming, all the evidence disappearing under the stubbornly flowing water as quickly as his strength. Not even caring anymore, he let his body slide down against the wall. His brain and muscles felt useless as he basked in the aftermath. Fuck. If he could say anything good about Allen it was that his conjured up by Kanda's mind self sure delivered some mind blowing orgasms.

It took him a moment to fall right back into his normal thinking patterns, but when he did, reality hit him hard. He did it again. Jesus. He felt like some kind of a perverted slut. It was just ridiculous. He banged the back of his head against the wall, elbows resting on bent knees.

Hating himself quite a bit, he couldn't shake off a feeling that he was falling too deep into something with his fellow exorcist.

#$%

In the morning two days later Allen and Kanda found themselves in Komui's office. It was a bit awkward to say the least.

They kind of had a habit of avoiding each other every time something too obvious happened between them. Just to let all the messed-up feelings calm down. At least that's how it was on Kanda's part. Allen just seemed to notice and go along with that. But it looked strongly like this time they weren't going to be given a chance to do so.

"It's a really simple clean up job. You were both recently hospitalized, so I made sure you could take it easy," older of Lee siblings explained them shortly.

Both exorcists were sitting in a love-seat in front of the man's desk. The swordsman angry as always, as far away from Allen as he physically could and the latter was oddly quiet. Which, by the way, wasn't worrying Kanda at all. Or at least that was what he told himself.

"You should always give bean sprout missions like that. That's the best he can pull off without coming back half-dead," Kanda commented snappishly, his muscular arms crossed on his chest, not giving the albino as much as a glance.

Aside from being stupidly embarrassed for obvious reasons, he was still mad at him for their last mission. Allen guarded Kanda from a fatal blow using his sword as a make-shift shield, but was still wounded badly enough to end up in the Hospital Wing. And no amount of tongue-lashing and threatening with Mugen seemed to make him understand how stupid it was of him. The only thing he managed to achieve by that was making them less efficient as a team.

"Allen is of one of our best exorcists, Kanda. As much as I worry about his methods, I can't have him kept away from danger," Komui answered him in an unimpressed tone, already used to the swordsman's sharp tongue. Though he seemed worried about how Allen was still silent despite the obvious provocation. Kanda, in turn, only grew more irritated.

When a 'tch' was all Komui got in response, he carried on with more detailed information.

As he talked, it became obvious that the mission was going to be extremely boring. There was no innocence involved, all they had to do was find and exterminate one low level Akuma that was causing problems in a village few hours by train away from the Head Quarters. With Allen's eye it was honestly like killing a bug.

Two young men parted without a word when the debriefing was over. The departure time was ASAP since they didn't really need to prepare in any way – barely change into uniforms – and the faster they get job done, the more villagers they had a chance to save. And while Allen valued people's lives like nothing else and understood they needed to go do what they had to, he could already tell it was going to be a really bad day for him.

Having barely slept for two nights in a row because of chaotic thoughts not letting him rest, the albino was tired. And worse yet, completely lost on the right way to act. Kanda honestly wasn't going easy on him. Not that it sounded like something the vicious man would do, but Allen just felt so confused.

He refused to believe that he was nothing to his fellow exorcist. Too much has changed between them since they met for Allen not to see it as some kind of progress. He wouldn't go as far as to say they were friends now, but it wasn't what he hoped them to become anyway. He realized it was probably unhealthy to want someone just as much as hate them, but it wasn't like he could just change that. Though hate was a bad word by now, probably. Over time he just got used to Kanda's antics, going as far as to find the way he threatened everyone around almost constantly short of charming. In the strangest way. He saw the little differences between how Kanda treated him and others, too.

Like, for example, he didn't seem to mind them eating at the same table. And that was saying something with Allen's eating habits and the swordsman's surprisingly serious approach to the table etiquette. He's been bitched at by the man for being gross multiple times in the past, sure. Now he admittedly caught Kanda staring a few times as he ate though. Shoving a stick full of dango down his throat seemed to be doing the trick especially well.

Kanda also obviously thought the albino was the best choice for a training partner. It really flattered him a little. What with how the swordsman always said that he was so weak and all. He couldn't really be thinking that – Kanda didn't struck him as the type to like the easy win, he preferred challenge. Besides, the man's training pants often weren't tight enough for it to be obvious at the first glance, but Allen felt that rock-hard erection against him a few times. He could not even describe how much will power it cost him every time to just ignore it.

And it was not only that. Kanda also seemed to generally don't mind spending time with him much. At least when he wasn't meditating, that is. It was the only time the man would literally manhandle him to make him go 'the fuck away', as he put it. It was also hard not to notice how the swordsman sometimes smirked when they were bickering. He seemed to really enjoy it and Allen did, too. Especially since it was rarely as vicious as before, when they hadn't yet known how to deal with each other.

Okay, so Allen admitted those probably weren't serious signs of anything at all, but he always kept in mind that Kanda was severely socially challenged. It wouldn't make sense to expect him to follow normal people's behaving patterns. But even if Allen just over interpreted the man's behaviour, one thing he was sure of was that Kanda's body resonated with his.

And then again, if the gorgeous male really did want him for some reason Allen couldn't comprehend, then― why was he pushing him away so insistently?

Kanda was a damned hothead, everyone knew that. So it would be only logical to expect he was just going to snap one of those times and fuck Allen's brains out or something, right? Well, he didn't do it, obviously. And Allen wasn't even sure how many months it's been since he started trying to provoke the man. It took an enormous amount of guts to try to kiss him the first time. He felt high when Kanda's lips started moving against his then and― the kiss ended as abruptly as it started, with the older male fleeing the scene. It was Allen's only success so far. And however hard he tried, the albino couldn't think of any reasonable explanation for that.

He then had half a mind to confess once, but just couldn't wrap his mind around the concept of feelings winning Kanda over more than a prospect of sex. And he still didn't regret his decision to shut his mouth about it.

So― what he was supposed to do? Was it already time to try to give up? He didn't know if he could do that. Not with situations like the one in the cabinet inciting him all the time. But maybe he really was just stupid, getting his hopes up like that.

Snapping out of his thoughts only about the time he saw the sour swordsman waiting for him in a gondola at the water passage, Allen wished that this mission was over already.