Well, the feedback I got from the reviews for TMT was incredibly supportive and positive, so thanks for that, those of you who did read and review. For those of you who didn't, you may want to go and read those oneshots first, though I suppose that this will probably make sense on its own. Anyway, since there seemed to be quite a few people eager to see more from the 'Yearn' universe (and because it was the first prompt) I decided to start there. This is how I envisioned Allen (or, in this case, Ailen) seeing Kanda for the first time. Have fun reading!

PS updates will be erratic and irregular at best. Just a warning. I will also be requiring prompts, so anyone who revies, if you would be kind enough to leave a word or two as a prompt, and I will pick one for the next chapter - thanks!

Disclaimer - what's the point? You all know who I'm not, and I'm not KH.

Oneshot numero uno - Once

Ailen puffed his cheeks out, swinging his legs back and forth childishly as he waited in the branches of an old oak with characteristic impatience for Adam to show up. He still wasn't quite sure why the king of the First Court had such a human-sounding name, but he had never questioned it, fearing for his life if he did. Ailen had a strong instinct for self-preservation, honed by years of living with Cross, his father's most trusted advisor (though the title left him somewhat concerned for his father's mental health; who in their right mind would trust Cross?). The tall fey man was, Ailen believed, some form of rare elf that existed for the sole purpose of making his life miserable.

A vague feeling of irritation bled into his skin, coming from the base of the tree, and Ailen ceased his movements when he realised that he had unwittingly offended the ancient faerie that dwelled in his perch. Murmuring a quick apology, he jumped down, the twenty feet or so nothing to a young faerie such as himself – he landed lightly on his feet, long white cloak trailing on the ground.

He hated his official attire – though comfortable, and spun from the finest gossamer threads it was impractical and annoyed him to no end. The heavy silver mask lay at the base of his throat rather than on his face as it would during official business, and his crown was partially woven into his wavy, white hair. Long, pale fingers rubbed agitatedly at his reddened eyes as the prince cursed his lack of sleep and that irresponsible bastard Cross. He was going to rip every last one of the elf's long, red hairs from his head and use them to stuff his pillow.

Timcanpy settled himself on Ailen's shoulder, contentedly wrapping his tail around the boy's neck; his golden body was so light that Ailen barely noticed his presence until the sprite began chirping in his ear. Ailen sighed and turned his face away, silver eyes scanning the clearing for any sign of Adam.

The young prince tensed when he heard the sound of footsteps in the distance, coming steadily closer to the clearing. They were too heavy and clumsy to belong to a faerie, and he shrank back into the shade slightly, despite the low likelihood of the mortal being able to see him. He eased his double-sided sword an inch or two out of its sheath, in case he had to draw it quickly, his entire body tensed and ready for attack. The footsteps were drawing closer, their pace unhurried, and Timcanpy left his perch on Ailen's shoulder to flutter nervously around his head.

However, the mortal that stepped into the clearing certainly wasn't what Ailen was expecting. A young male, possibly a couple of years older than Ailen himself – his hair was long and dark, his features sharp and strong. He looked to be almost fey, but Ailen couldn't sense any faerie heritage in him. Curiously, the young prince took a couple of cautious steps forward, re-sheathing his sword and pulling his bow free of its case on his back. What was a human doing this close to Fourteenth territory?

He settled himself in the centre of the clearing with a soft huff, and Ailen crept closer, an arrow nocked to his bowstring, though he didn't draw it just yet. He watched the stranger warily, frowning when he realised that the man wasn't moving – that was unusual for mortals. They scurried about their lives at super-speed, rushing through everything because they only had a very limited amount of time in which to live their lives.

The mortal was breathing slowly, his hands resting upon his thighs, and Ailen's grip on his bow tightened when he saw the sword that lay by his side. He wasn't sure what this meant – he didn't think he'd ever been this close to a human before; he had only ever observed them from a distance, though he knew that many of the fey liked to mingle amongst the humans and cause havoc. However, Neah was far too overprotective to allow his only son to do something like that.

There was a strange white rectangle pinned to the mortal's shirt, and Ailen leaned closer curiously, taking a few moments to recognise each of the letters and match it up with a sound in his head – he was glad that his uncle Mana (bless his immortal soul) had thought to teach him the mechanics of human script. There were so many languages and variations – it was all so complicated and unnecessary.

"Kanda Yuu," he read slowly, tilting his head to the side and scrunching up his eyes slightly, gaze flicking between the square and the oblivious mortal's face.

Was that the mortal's name? It wasn't one that he had heard before, but then again, he'd be the first to admit that his knowledge of the humans was severely limited. He tried the name out again, and was pleased with the way it rolled off of his tongue so easily. Ailen's eyes traced the mortal's features with such intensity that it was surprising the human didn't feel his gaze moving across the pale skin.

Stupidly, foolishly, he reached out a hand to brush against Kanda's hair, curious as to whether mortals' hair was as rough as his friends claimed it to be. He jerked backwards, his heart hammering in his chest when Kanda's eyes opened, swiftly reaching for the unfamiliar sword that lay beside him, glaring around the clearing though he could see nothing out of the ordinary. Slowly, painfully slowly, his grip relaxed and his eyes closed again, though he still held the sword loosely in his right hand. Ailen heaved a sigh of relief, wondering why he had been so careless.

Timcanpy bit his ear, sharp teeth digging into the tender flesh and Ailen shouted at the pain and shock, clamping a hand over his ear so that blood would not stain the collar of his cloak. He could feel the magic in his blood working, and the wound quickly closed over, but even so, his hand was slick with dark blood. Ailen's face twisted in distaste, and he wiped the offending hand on the grass. He glared at Timcanpy angrily, puffing a breath at the small sprite and sending him tumbling through the air.

Ailen had always been curious, too curious for his own good, and he wanted to know more about this human. Perhaps it was because it was the first time he had been so close to one without and armed guard, or perhaps it was because he'd never heard of a human coming this close to the Fourteenth territory without having been lured there.

Violently, Ailen shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts. Mortals didn't matter; they lived and died in the blink of an eye. He should really just return to his position and wait for Adam, as he'd been instructed.

Ailen settled himself down opposite Kanda and imitated his position. Well, Adam wouldn't be here for a little while, and it couldn't hurt to be so close to a mortal just this once.