Epilogue

On Its Own Time

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The day was sunny and cold, the snow-covered street all but empty. Shifting the cell phone against his ear, Kanda stared at the old brick building on the other side of the street and frowned. Allen was late – and the car was starting to get cold.

"You can make it work, you know that?" Lavi said on the other end of the line, voice almost careful. Kanda frowned harder and remained silent.

"You know I'm as sorry as you are about the way things turned out, but hell, no one saw Leverrier coming. And I know you won't leave him, so…" Lavi's tone changed into something that could have been helplessness and frustration if it had been anyone else. "You can make it work. It's not like… He trusts you, you do know that? He's never going to trust anyone the way he trusts you."

Kanda's fingers tightened around the phone and he was only half aware of the derisive snort that left his throat.

"Kanda, it's not-"

"Shut up", he finally muttered.

"You'd never hurt him", Lavi said quietly, and wasn't that just laughable.

"I already have."

"Not the way everyone else has. You care about him."

And that was the problem, wasn't it? Because he wanted what Lavi suggested and that - that made him feel sick. Just not sick enough to stop wanting it, and anything less than that simply wasn't…

"Doesn't make it right."

"Why?" Lavi asked as if they weren't talking about Allen at all, and Kanda opened his mouth to snarl about consent and pressuring and rape but Lavi wasn't stopping. "I know what you think, and you're wrong, Kanda. Maybe if you were someone else, I'd consider his trust to be misplaced or unwise, but I know you and I know you'll never use that trust against him."

"So what do you consider forcing myself onto him to be, then?" Kanda practically sneered.

"You wouldn't respect it if he said no?" Lavi asked, voice carefully free of sarcasm.

"He won't say n-"

"He will", Lavi cut him off flatly. "If he really doesn't want to. You think he'd agree out of some sense of obligation, but if that was true, wouldn't he then agree to everything? And don't try to tell me he's never said no to you."

Kanda opened his mouth, realized the only thing he could think to say was it's different like some spoiled little brat, and settled for frowning instead because if he though about it, Lavi was right. Allen had stopped being careful around him years ago, and whatever guilt or gratefulness he'd held for Kanda after finding out who he was – well, it didn't stop the Moyashi from playing dirty if that's what it took to get him out of washing the dishes.

Still…

Lavi sighed.

"It's been seven years, Kanda. People heal - and Allen's stronger than he seems. All I'm saying is that you should stop stalling and try. It might work or it might not, but you won't know until you see for yourself."

"I-", Kanda started to say, only to be interrupted by sharp rapping. Blinking in surprise, he found Allen peering through the window at him, gloved knuckles resting against the glass. The make up covering Allen's scar had faded somewhat and a few white hairs peeked from under a blue knit cap that had obviously been put on in haste.

"Kanda?"

"I have to go", he finished, not waiting for Lavi's answer as he disconnected the call and reached to unlock the door.

Allen got in, an inquisitive look in his gray eyes as he watched Kanda start the car. "Who was that?" he asked, frowning ever so slightly. "You looked like it was something serious."

"Just Lavi", Kanda grunted, eyes on the street as he turned the car around to get them in the right direction. "And not really. They've still managed to keep track of Mikk."

"Oh. That's good", Allen said, averting his eyes for a moment, and Kanda felt a rush of utter hatred at the man who'd once made Allen's life hell. Six years in prison was not enough time for what that bastard had done. If he ever saw Leverrier again, he was going to behead the man for screwing them up. Without him, they would've been able to put Mikk away for the rest of his life.

If he ever saw Mikk…

"Well -", Allen cut off his rather morbid daydream, eyes flickering back to him, "- how is everybody doing? Did he tell?"

"Wouldn't shut up", Kanda growled and watched a small grin tug at the corner of Allen's mouth at hearing the irritation in his voice. "Lenalee this, Daisya that. Fucking Tiedoll wants to actually have us at the goddamn Christmas party!"

Allen's smile widened, the shadows in his eyes receding as he pressed for more news, and Kanda really wanted nothing more than to kiss him for the first time in seven years.

Maybe he could make this work.

Maybe.

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That's it, then. Property is done. My first finished, full-length fanfic. And man, am I ashamed of it... -_-' Don't get too shocked if you one day notice I've removed it. This thing shouldn't be allowed, but since there seems to be a rather large portion of people who actually like it... Well, I know how it feels when writers delete stories I've really enjoyed because "they aren't good enough". So, Property's going to stay up for now.

Anyway, let's quit with the whining and get to the point! You people are all amazing. I mean, this has over 700 comments! O_o I love you and I never would have been able to get this far without the more or less steady trickle of comments and support - which I don't really deserve what with my updating schedule. Hugs to everyone!

To possibly clear a few things up with the epilogue. 1) Yes, I skipped seven years. 2) Yes, Kanda and Allen have been living together for those seven years... sort of undercover. At least very low profile. 3) No, they haven't been in a relationship. During the seven years that they've been living together, practically married for all intents and purposes... 4) Yes, Kanda can be a stubborn idiot. Especially when honor is in question. 5) Yes, Mikk got convicted - though, in my head I imagine it's because Lavi managed to pin him with tax evasion or something, since Leverrier managed to royally screw them up. 6) Also, depending on how long his trial took, he's either already out of prison or is soon going to be. 7) No, that does not mean I'm writing a sequel. If I ever thouch Property again, it'll be a rewrite. A thorough rewrite. 8) And yeah, they do get their happy ending.