Title: Sugarplum

Author: DnKS-giRLs

Rating: PG

Pairing: Kanda-Allen

Disclaimers: you have a dictionary right? See what the meaning of disclaimer is yourself, please!

Warning: well duh… OOCness seems to follow us wherever we go…

Allen had always been confused as to why Kanda always called him with the name 'bean sprout'. As far as he could see, he resembled nothing of a bean sprout. That cold man named Kanda Yuu could have taken any word else than 'bean sprout' to address him; yet why did he choose that one?

Of course it wasn't like he really accepted that nickname Kanda gave him at first. But after days and even months passed, his detestation of that nickname Kanda used had somehow vanished. Now he even did not have any repugnance whenever Kanda called him with that name. He had somehow become adapted to those words to be associated with him.

But still, why bean sprout?

Allen knew it would be plain weird if he just suddenly asked random guys at the headquarters about whether they know why Kanda always called him bean sprout or not. Furthermore, he became conscious that Kanda was not so much of a socializing person himself. He doubt that there would be someone in the headquarters dared to say that they were close to the person named Kanda Yuu and thus, he doubt more that they would know the answer for his question.

But that was before he met Rabi. Now after he had befriended the said teen for some time, he realized that Rabi was Kanda's closest friend who still breathed on earth. He had some thought that maybe Rabi would be able to answer the greatest question ever came to his mind: why Kanda always called him bean sprout?

"Huh?" was the first word came from Rabi's lips as soon as Allen uttered his very question. That time they were riding a train to head back to the headquarters after finishing their mission. By looking at the boy in front of him, Allen knew that Rabi was tired and had nothing in mind else than to sleep. But he would not let the other sleep before his question was answered, and thus, he repeated.

"I am wondering why Kanda always calls me bean sprout," he said. "It has been confusing me and I thought maybe you know what's the reason behind it."

"Ummm…" Rabi scratched the back of his head, thinking. "How am I supposed to know?"

"Well, you're Kanda's closest friend, right?" Allen said.

"You can say that, but as close as we are, we never had any chat about why he gave you that nickname," Allen saw Rabi snickering. "From what I remember he just suddenly seethed about you during our conversation after you went on a mission with him, addressing you as 'that stupid good for nothing bean sprout' and swearing all the time."

Though he did not know why, Allen found himself blushing at Rabi's words. He should be angry to know Kanda talked bad about him behind his back, so why did he blush like that? Maybe he was flattered to know that Kanda was actually remembering him and talking about him with his best friend, though he could not come to any reason why must he get flattered in knowing that Kanda spoke badly of him.

"Yeah… we did not get along very well…" he smiled somewhat sadly. No matter what, Allen loved company and was still in attempt to make Kanda Yuu his friend though the task was proven harder than what he previously imagined.

"But tell you what, that was the first time I heard Yuu talking about somebody, for a good deal of thirty minutes non-stop as well," Rabi laughed impishly and Allen's blush was growing more intensely. "You know Allen, there seems to be some kind of bond between you two."

"Right…" Allen rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Rabi, I just need to know why Kanda always calls me with that stupid nickname. Has he never called you with one?"

Rabi was silent for a while, "Now that I think about it, Yuu neither ever gave nor called anyone else than you with any nickname… hell, he even rarely ever called anyone with their real name! He's someone who thinks that just the words of 'hey, you' was enough to adress anyone."

"So why does he always calls me 'bean sprout'!" Allen sighed in frustration.

"Maybe you're his special case," Rabi said in a somewhat teasing tone. "But… let me tell you something… Yuu is picky with his food, yet he always eats his bean sprouts…"

Allen's brow furrowed, "But he cannot possibly want to eat me, right?"

At first there was silence. Then Allen noticed how Rabi was laughing so hard until he was bent on his chair. Feeling confused since he could not see where the funny part was, Allen simply waited until Rabi's laughter subdued.

"Dear God, Allen… you sure have said something that is doing no good to my mind…" Rabi said with the remnants of his laughs. "To imagine Yuu eating you… dear me…"

"What's so funny with that?" Allen asked. Somehow he was a bit irritated at the fact that Rabi seemed to know something that he did not. He just wanted to know the reason behind Kanda's name calling but so far, he felt like going nowhere.

He saw as Rabi did not make any attempt to actually answer his question. The older teen just laughed more and yawned before he casually laid his face against the window glass and closed his eyes. Seeing that Rabi was preparing himself to sleep, Allen reached forward and shook the other's shoulders roughly. He would not let him sleep before his question was answered.

"Rabi… oi, you cannot sleep! Help me in finding the answer for my question will you!" Allen frantically yelled. He saw Rabi opening one lazy eye and stared at him with pure irritated face.

"Allen, I'm tired here, can't you just forget about it?" he said.

"But I still don't know why Kanda calls me that!" Allen retorted.

"So?"

"I'm bothered…"

"Then just call him names as your payback… geez, I want to sleep…"

Just that and Allen saw his companion falling to the realm of dream. He frowned as he thought about Rabi's suggestion. Should he do like what Rabi had said? It seemed childish to take revenge like that but Kanda was the one more childish because he called him with that stupid nickname, Allen reasoned.

And so the sound of the train moving was his only companion as Allen thought of whether he should follow Rabi's suggestion or not. Even if he decided to follow it, Allen realized that he was no good in calling names. His vocabulary of cursing words were so limited that he once just stared with blank expression after hearing one of the akuma he was supposed to kill calling him 'dickhead'. He even remembered how Kanda's face twitched as if he was confused whether to laugh or not when he asked him what was the meaning of the word.

But so far as he knew, bean sprout was really nothing sort of a harsh word, right? Rabi even told him that Kanda liked eating bean sprout. Should he just call Kanda with the name of his favorite food then, Allen wondered.

His session of wondering lasted for more than two hours later. And even after that, the only one stopped him from continuing his wondering was the fact that they had reached their destination.

With a sigh, Allen disembarked the train and finally decided that he could think no more. He decided that whatever thing he might do or say to Kanda regarding his irksome habit of calling him with his stupid nickname could wait until the time he met him in person. But it seemed his waiting would not be long. Just in the evening of the day on which he arrived, he met the person in question as they came out from the chapel after the evening service.

Allen, who in time being was not really paying attention to his direction; felt that he bumped into someone. He raised his face and he met the sight of a very annoyed face of Kanda Yuu hovering above him.

"Move aside, bean sprout, you're in the way," Kanda said coldly.

Allen felt something snapped in him but he smiled sweetly nonetheless when he said, "As you wish, sugarplum."

Though Allen could not understand why, he watched as the crowd around them suddenly turned silent. He blinked his eyes and looked around only to see the somewhat amused faces of the exorcists and finders around them. He was just about to ask them what was wrong when he felt his hand taken rather harshly by Kanda.

He could not protest as Kanda dragged him avoiding those people who by then had been giggling at the sight of them. Allen was confused by their act, but more so, he was confused with Kanda's act. Where the other would bring him, he wondered.

When they finally stopped, Allen saw that they were standing on an empty balcony. There was no one else than the two of them on that place. It was then Kanda finally released his grip on Allen's hand.

"What's wrong with you?" Allen grumbled.

"What's wrong with you?" Kanda seethed.

"Huh?" Allen said in confusion.

"Why did you call me that?" Kanda explained.

"You call me bean sprout!" Allen said. "It's only fair if I do that…"

Allen saw how Kanda stared at him in disbelief before the other cursed with a word that almost made him get embarrassed in hearing it. He could not understand why Kanda was so tense over the situation then he remembered how the people around them turned silent after they heard him calling Kanda some moment ago. His eyes widened in shock.

"It can't be… that 'sugarplum' is some kind of harsh word… right?" Allen fearfully asked.

"No," Kanda said in anger. "God, if stupidity is sin, I'm sure that there must've been a spot in hell reserved with your name."

"What are you…" Allen tried to speak but Kanda cut him.

"What will you feel if I suddenly call you 'my sweet beloved' in front of everybody?" Kanda asked.

Allen blushed ferociously. Seeing that, Kanda smirked, "Now you can pretty much guess what's behind my uneasiness."

And Allen could do nothing more intelligent than just slumped over one of two chairs situated on that very balcony where they stood. He saw Kanda followed his acts and sat on the other chair. He was feeling so uneasy, so embarrassed that he thought it would be best if he could just disappear from that place. He was sure that he would love to hear Kanda calling him his sweet beloved, but not in front of people. It was just too… embarrassing…

And to think that he had done that just some moments ago…

They were silent for some time. Allen pretended to look at the stars that shone above them but he could no longer stand the silence. He wanted to say something to Kanda, no matter how random it was, just to fill the silence.

"I like sugarplum," he said. "I'm always wondering why you call me bean sprout, I even asked Rabi but he did not give me the answer. In the end he even told me just to call you names instead."

Allen chuckled and he saw Kanda's attention was fully directed to him.

"So I call you sugarplum because I like it," he stopped for a while and breathed in deeply to calm his heartbeat before saying, "And I think I like you too."

They fell to silence again but this time it was Kanda who broke it first.

"I like bean sprout too," he said.

Allen chuckled again, "I know, Rabi told me so…"

He felt Kanda's hand hold his chin and draw their faces closer, "Did he also tell you that I like you?"

Allen gaped. It was not the outcome that he had previously imagined. But he managed to say, "No."

After that, Kanda released his chin and he was left marveling of what had just happened. Allen could only stare as Kanda remained silent with seemingly no intention of explaining his act.

"Do you?" he asked.

"What?" Kanda asked back.

"Like me." Allen explained.

"I like bean sprout," Kanda said as he stood up from his chair, "And you're my bean sprout, right?"

Allen stared at the standing person in front of him for some times before he burst out laughing. He was not stupid enough to not realizing what the meaning behind those words Kanda said to him was. He satisfied himself by laughing for some more time before he saw a hand reached out to him.

He looked up and saw Kanda staring at him with the softest expression he ever saw upon the other's face. He then looked at Kanda's outstretched hand and took it with a smile.

"It's getting late, we should get back," Kanda explained as he hold Allen's palm and help him get up from his seat. "You sure have caused a great deal of commotion back then."

"It's not entirely my fault," Allen retorted as they walked back to the inside of the building.

"So whose fault is it, you stupid bean sprout?" Kanda said.

"Don't call me that!" Allen frowned. "You know, back then I had something else in my mind to call you with."

"Hn?"

"Pork cutlet," Allen grinned.

"Pardon?"

"Why? I like pork cutlet as I like sugarplum. Or maybe grilled squid…"

Kanda's face twitched dangerously, "Don't you dare…"

Allen just laughed that time. He knew he still had not got the answer for his most important question yet but he thought that maybe he could let it pass. Somehow the event that took place that evening had made him feel knowing Kanda's reason as to why he always called him bean sprout was nothing of any importance.

And besides, he knew then that Kanda liked him. It was enough, right?

- the end -

(A/N: yeah… one more of our stupid fic for you guys… hope you like it! If you do, please leave a review saying how much you like it. If you don't, please leave a review saying how much you hate it. If you feel nothing, please leave a review saying… well, that you feel nothing (get shot) oh well, enough rambling… we love you all and thanks for reading!)