Blast from da past

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it, and never will...

With the aftermath of Lavi's shocked yell throbbing in his ears, Kanda stirred.

A slight frown crossed his features, small hands clutching at the edges of the blanket as ebony lashes fluttered against the smooth contours of his cheeks. Drowsily, a small noise rising at the back of his throat, his obsidian eyes fought to adjust to the bright sunlight streaming through the window, and the young child rose to sit up, half-drugged with sleep.

Slipping off a pale shoulder, Lavi noticed in all of his wide-eyed glory, was what was identified to be 18 year old Kanda's exorcist robes.

Hesitantly, doubtfully, he murmured, pushing the door open wider.

"…Yuu?"

It seemed to have been the wrong thing to do, he noted, just as the child instantly jerked out of his reverie almost visibly, silky dark locks whipping around harshly as said kid's eyes narrowed into an oh-so-familiar glare. It seemed as though Kanda had the same old instincts, him making to get his feet out of bed quickly to, with no doubt, inflict some form of pain unto him.

Unfortunately, as Fate would have it, dear Kanda's feet were caught in the embrace of his soft blankets, causing him to fall forward, surprised…

With a painfully loud "thud".

"…Itai.,"

"Yuu-chan!"

--

A few miles and lands away, Komui was, once again, doodling on a scrap piece of paper under the guise of doing his work. Humming happily, slender digits twined around the curved handle of his mug, and he lifted the aromatic dark liquid to his lips.

Before he could even take a sip, however, the phone rang.

A crease formed upon his forehead just as he reached for the phone. Who was it which could be calling him? Bookman, who was on a mission by himself for a change? Or perhaps, Bak, calling to update him on the situation at the Asian Branch?

Ah well, it can't be anything major whatsoever, can –

"– KOMUI!"

Immediately, Komui winced.

"L-lavi? What happened?"

"That's what I'd like to know!"

On the other end, it seemed almost chaotic, what with the scuffles, yelps, and incoherent protests more than audible.

Komui sweat-dropped as a frustrated sigh was heard, "Lavi…?"

"…just hold still… What? Oh, Komui, goddammit, send someone over, and fast!"

The mission…At that, the supervisor instantly snapped into serious mode. When he next spoke, his tone was immensely different, his voice woven with worry, urgently pressing the exorcist.

"What happened, Lavi?"

"…Ow, stop that – I dunno either! Just send someone over, alright? We've got it bad here… Please, Yuu, I just want to check for injuri –

– No! And don't touch me! "

Komui, who was starting to feel that he was missing out on a lot of things, simply blinked.

"…Lavi, is that a kid – "

" – I am not a kid!"

It seemed as though the 'kid' on the other side had really sharp hearing…

"…Kanda Yuu! Stop struggling and let me check for your 'friggin wounds! What am I supposed to do if you start bleeding all over the place again?!"

A hand clapped over Komui's mouth, "Don't tell me…"

"No! I don't want to!

Yuu! Please, I – "

"NO!"

A crash, a tinkle, a gasp.

Silence soon reigned, and Komui had the distinct impression that Lavi, and whoever it was with him, had… He really couldn't resist, as a supervisor, he felt the need to break the quiet which had settled. His face broke into a silly grin.

"Well, whatever it is, Lavi, I just hope you really enjoy baby-sitting someone as destructive as you..."

Lavi immediately started to whine into the receiver, but Komui thought he caught heard of the angry storming of feet across the room, an almost inaudible growl…

… Then the line went dead, and Komui was left to deal with the awkward silence which clutched to the air of his office. Blinking, his brain registering what he had heard, a nagging suspicion of what happened formed at the back of his mind as he instinctively made to call Lenalee. She was, afterall, at a nearby town and had just recovered the innocence. And if things were close to his beliefs, she would probably be the best person to help in that sort of situation…

Shaking his head as though to clear his thoughts, his free hand, once again, lifted his cup from the table.

Somehow though, he couldn't quite bring himself to diminish the smile upon his lips.

The drawing lay forgotten, but not for long.

--

Lavi all but glared heatedly at the small child before him.

"Look at what you did, you disconnected the golem!"

Kanda frowned, and small lips parted, unwilling, almost shyly, and Lavi instinctively leaned in to catch the child's next few words –

"…I do not need baby sitting."

Lavi couldn't help it. He laughed.

It seems that Yuu-chan will always be Yuu-chan, Lavi mused, reaching out a hand to ruffle Kanda's silky locks, much to Kanda's displeasure, its smoothness having dark blue strands to fall neatly back in place.

The miniature Kanda immediately deepened the frown upon his face, glaring up the redhead before him. Already sulking, he scowled cutely up at the Lavi before determinedly looking away- the usual and as usual- unintentional pout making him look like an adorably irresistible stuff toy.

As Lavi fought to overcome the ever-growing desire to cuddle Yuu-chan like a furry lil' teddy bear, he hazily realized the potential Kanda had to manipulate people if he put his heart into it. Unconsciously, he shivered.

At least Kanda won't ever use puppy eyes…

He seriously doubted he would be able to refuse anything if Kanda did, nor would anyone else, for that matter…

"Ah!" Lavi suddenly cried out, causing Kanda to jump slightly, alarming even himself, "Your injuries!"

A frown instantly marred young Kanda's smooth mien.

"No," Yuu muttered, mustering all that he could to turn his glare to full force, but to no avail. It really was too bad that the chibi-like cuteness he now bore no longer enable him to look as menacing as he could before.

Too bad for him, too good for Lavi, that is.

It really was starting to get too amusing, Lavi couldn't help but snigger silently to himself as young Kanda screwed his face up in distaste as he somehow managed to hold him still. Who knew Kanda could be so endearingly adorable when he was a kid, even with the usual scowls and frowns? And here he thought those expressions always served as good as threats on ones' life…

Meh, he really couldn't wait to check out the others' expressions.

…eh?

Blinking, the redhead gazed down at the smooth milk-white complexion beneath the loose clothing. It wouldn't have been surprising, under normal circumstances, but…

"Whaddaheck happened to your wounds from the night before?"

The raven-haired child blinked up at him quizzically, not quite understanding. Fine eyebrows immediately knitted together as Lavi frowned. It wasn't out of annoyance, but for something else entirely.

Finally, becoming uncomfortable with the sudden change in mood, Kanda uncertainly tugged at the corner of Lavi's black exorcist coat, his scowl more like anything but.

"Oi, mister…?"

The accent from childhood was back, Lavi noted. Something really wasn't quite right. First and foremost, how exactly did Yuu get turned into a kid? Why was it that his injuries had so mysteriously vanished overnight without a single trace or scar? His lotus enabled him to heal, sure, but Lavi was quite sure that not even it would have healed such wounds Yuu had the night before in a matter of hours.

The Bookman apprentice allowed himself to ponder over the questions which, as though a door had been unlocked, streamed in and filled his mind then. He dimly decided to take back everything he just said – or rather, thought.

Things weren't all that amusing, afterall.

Just as he was at a lost in his own little world, a soft knock sounded upon the door, followed by the elderly voice of the landlady, as she called out worried,

"Is everything okay in there, m'dear?"

Apparently, she had heard all the commotion and got concerned by the unnatural silence which followed.

The redhead instantly tensed. Somehow, he felt that he should really not reveal his plight, nor his companion's, to anyone out of the Order. Should the Earl get wind of this and actually tried to use Kanda to his advantage to lure Lavi into getting into some dangerous situation…

Lets just say Lavi would have leapt into whatever the ploy without a second thought to save Yuu.

"Err," his voice cracked slightly at that, and he cleared his throat awkwardly before trying again, "I'm fine!"

His actions, however, spoke otherwise as he gave the young child who now opted to scowl up at him frantic little shoves in an attempt to communicate silently with Kanda to get out of sight. Kanda, however, was clueless, and Lavi had to bit down the urge to groan when the door opened and the Landlady peeked in--

-- and her gaze fell on Kanda, eyes wide and surprised.

Lavi gulped, trying to search for a valid explanation as too why there was a little kid sitting in his lap. A sinking feeling of dread spread and coursed through his being like poison through his veins as he realized, with utmost horror, that the landlady might have had good enough memory to remember a certain redhead trudging into her inn late in the night, asking for a room with a half-dead man slung over his back…

"What a cute little kid!"

Blinking ensued in rapid succession.

"Is he yours?"

Before he could even get to laughing at the ridiculousness of the statement, Kanda interrupted, snapping almost a little too childishly.

"How many times do I have to say it?" a frown, "I am not a kid!"

The landlady chuckled as she let herself in.

"Course you're not," she smiled gently, kindness showing upon her old, wise face, "and I'll bet the lil' grown-up here hasn't eaten breakfast to kick off the day right, no?"

Kanda's face immediately lit up.

"D'you have soba?"

Laughing lightly about how she liked men who could make decisions, she turned towards the kitchen, walking slightly slower as she allowed Kanda to leap down from the bed to trail after her. There was silence as Lavi, for the millionth time that day, blinked, before something clunked into place and he whined, slipping down from the duvet to tag along,

"Why is it that she can tame him when I can't…?"

--

Kanda looked up, glaring deeply at the redhead which sat at the opposite end of the table.

His chopsticks were poised professionally over his bowl of soba (a treat from the nice old lady), but he stopped himself from continuing the meal he had, moments ago, been enjoying.

The redhead had been staring at him for the past few minutes – surely he wasn't all that interesting to look at?

But then again, maybe if he was, it would have been better. For he didn't like the thought that man's one-eyed was gaze, fixed so intensely and focused upon him, was scrutinizing him like some kind of lab rat being observed for experimental purposes. It unnerved him greatly, truth to be told, and if he didn't know better, he would have said he was afraid.

But of course, he was Kanda Yuu, so whether or not he was a kid, he would not let on this piece of information. Instead, he chose to snap rudely at the stupid bastard red,

"What are you lookin' at?!"

Lavi immediately snapped back out from his wonderings.

"W-wha? Yuu?"

Kanda scowled. "What were you looking at, I said. And don't call me that!"

Lavi couldn't help but grin at that oh-so-familiar demand, itching to squeal and glomp the poor child as he took in the childish tone of his voice as he went back into character. He had let himself slip, he knew full well and thus reprimanded himself silently. It would not do to have someone, whoever it was, knowing his secret.

It would be much later until he realizes that it was too late for that.

For that moment, though, he was contented to sticking to tussling Yuu-chan's hair (again), indulging in the pleasure of watching the adorable scowl and flush of embarrassment spreading across the smooth face, obsidian curtains framing it to perfection.

The questions he had pondered before still lurked in the darker avenues of his mind, waiting to be answered with morbid responses. But, as he firmly stated mentally as he watched Yuu tuck back into his neglected breakfast, he would not let the child come to any harm if he could help it, an unusual swell of protectiveness swelled within him.

He later comforted himself saying that it was because Kanda looked so adorable and vulnerable in his current chibi-like state. But it would not change the fact that he had felt a pang at that thought, not to mention the warmth that seemed to spread from within his being when Kanda sighed in contentment over his soba…

A/N: Weird, yes, I know... :Ducks rotten tomatoes: But still, I hope you enjoy it