Kanda Yuu was in hell, a waking nightmare, some sort of torture… despite already being wound up tenser than he'd like on his own.

These days, whenever he attempted to begin his day with a tranquil meditation, one Lenalee Lee would arrive to jabber on about new Exorcist Raphael's newfound popularity with other female workers at the Order, and how anxious she is about keeping their relationship secret from her brother. What good would come of sharing such things, Kanda didn't know, but thanks to her guerilla confessionals, he missed out on time to focus his mind… and was learning there was much more to the quiet, nerdy Finder-turned-Exorcist than initially met his eye. Of course, if Lenalee ever came crying to him because of something Raphael did, Kanda would be sure to make him pay for every second of quiet contemplation lost comforting her.

Whenever he found time to roam the Order's courtyards and gardens, a disquieting Krory was there, oblivious to Kanda's presence as he either talked to himself or chatted with the flowers. Kanda wasn't sure which of the two he believed he was doing. Both possibilities were equal parts irritating and disturbing.

Lately, whenever he went to the gym to train, he'd keep catching himself checking the mirrored wall for the familiar form of one Allen Walker. To… spar with.

Worse than that, he wasn't ever there.

For two months straight— two months from the conclusion of the fateful assignment that brought the two of them together in the most intimate way— they were always on different jobs. Never were both at the Order for long enough to do much more than exchange meaningful looks. He would never admit it to anyone, but once he'd finally indulged the ludicrous desire to (non-violently) touch that idiot Bean Sprout, bothersome feelings emerged. Like a thirsty man given a drop of water, he craved more.

When the day finally came that he had just returned from a mission, was sitting alone in the food hall, and an ethereal, white-haired, silver-eyed creature suddenly sat across from him, Kanda could hardly believe it. His heart leaped and words left his mouth before he could think: "You're… here."

"Yeah. So you missed me?" Seductive smile, chin cradled in hands, elbows on table.

Walker's eyes were clearly undressing him. Kanda found himself retaliating. The room temperature seemed to jump about ten degrees… "I managed fine."

Walker's voice dropped low, so none at neighbouring tables could hear: "Jerk. I've been dying to get my hands on you. I'd wager you're not feeling all that different."

"Pfft. Awfully smug for someone with so little self control."

Walker scowled and leaned back, crossing his arms. It looked like this would escalate, until Lenalee and Lavi arrived to join them. Instead, Walker held his tongue, starting in on his gargantuan meal with a wrinkle of frustration between his brows.

Did I go too far with denying it…?

"Yuu! Allen-chan! So you two really can have civilized conversations after all. Well, you do both look a little heated up already but hopefully—"

"Don't call me that!" Kanda snapped by way of greeting.

"Believe it or not, Lavi, it seems even Kanda here has some self control!" Walker observed acidly, exchanging a defiant look for Kanda's sour one.

"More than you, dumb Bean Sprout."

Walker simply rolled his eyes at that.

What was I worried about? He's as thick-skinned as he's thick-skulled, after all…

As Kanda's traitorous thoughts turned to longing remembrances of the touch of that skin against his own, he was startled by the soft brush of fabric over his leather-booted foot— up his ankle— along the outside of his leg— and finally over his thigh, all hidden beneath the table.

Moyashi? No. way. You've got to be kidding me…

Lenalee, to his left, lightly scolded Lavi for provoking Kanda. Lavi, to Walker's right was wearing an embarrassed smile and scratching the back of his head. But directly across from him, Allen Walker hadn't missed a beat since tucking into his meal. He was a completely inconspicuous shameless deviant.

Now he shot Kanda a glance that dared him to say something or try leaving the table. Of course, Kanda wouldn't. He could only imagine what humiliating words might come out of the aggravatingly attractive Exorcist's mouth, as soon as he tried. Tiny beads of sweat began to form on his forehead.

"Soba extra spicy today, Kanda?" The nonchalant Allen asked while his foot rubbed up and down Kanda's inner thigh. "You seem a little… overheated?"

"I can handle it fine," he snarled, looking daggers at the smirking Bean Sprout while simultaneously fighting to regulate his breathing.

Just as Kanda was thinking of shifting just enough to the right to escape Walker's reach, that option was robbed from him. Noise Marie had materialized out of nowhere to sit at his right, while Miranda Lotto carefully seated herself at Walker's left. Damnit! I'm trapped.

When the new pair greeted him, Kanda nodded in acknowledgement. Walker managed to juggle smiley greetings with stuffing his face, and driving a certain Exorcist positively insane. Bastard juggles as well with this stuff as he does with things in his hands…

Kanda mentally reproved himself for beginning to think about other 'stuff' Walker was good at doing with 'things' in his hands…

Distracted though he was, Kanda noticed Lavi's eyes had barely left their soft-focused gaze on Lenalee since the two of them arrived. The redhead appeared to be telling an anecdote that often had her laughing aloud. Marie and Lotto, on the other hand, were simply mooning at each other as if there was no one else in the room, a youthful blush gracing the woman's cheeks. Well, at least we're not like them…

Kanda's attempts to primly cross his legs turned out rather weak-willed, as they involuntarily slackened and slid apart at Walker's touch anyway.

"Can I try one of these?" Even as he spoke, Walker snatched a tempura battered prawn from Kanda's tray, and rolled it until it emerged, dripping, with dipping sauce.

No… he wouldn't—

Oh god… he would?

Kanda was barely able to swallow one last lump of noodles before his jaw went slack. He was now transfixed by the young man opposite him who had just swivelled ever-so-slightly into profile and begun to lick droplets of the sweet, tangy soya/mirin blend from the oblong swell of golden batter, tongue swirling around the tip to catch them all.

"Mmmm… Kanda, it's good." Walker smiled deviously, looking him in the eye and licking his lips with that slick, hot, wet muscle in his mouth; "Really good."

That was it. He was a goner now. There was no way he could hold back the particular physical reaction that twisted Brit was seeking, thanks to the dual attack from above and below the table. Meanwhile, everyone else proved to be absorbed in their own conversations. Kanda wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Somehow exuding innocence all the while, Walker proceeded to suck and lick at the long, slightly curved shaft of fried shellfish. Kanda's incredulous eyes were now glued to the goings on in front of him. As half the thick, rounded stick of seafood thrust into his mouth, Walker slid his foot firmly against Kanda's thigh. He immediately pulled it partway back out through his lips, foot mirroring this action as well. Then he finally plunged it back in again until it disappeared with a single big swallow.

Mesmerized as the brazen Exorcist slooowly licked crumbs off his fingers, Kanda dropped his chopsticks— and he was almost too turned on to care.

"Y'alright there, Yuu? You look a little uhh… feverish," Lavi observed.

"Oh no, you dropped your chopsticks Kanda! Here, let me get this one for you—" Allen easily bent backward to reach one that had rolled behind him, without his foot leaving Kanda's thigh. In fact, as he gripped the table for support and lowered his upper body parallel to the floor, the delinquent gymnast's fully extended foot was able to reach far enough to stroke lightly along Kanda's growing erection.

He huffed with what he hoped appeared to be annoyance, and sent Walker a glare that he hoped looked angry. His provocateur only stuck out his tongue in answer.

Fuck! Shit! Fuck!

Having lost— for now— Kanda bitterly announced: "I'm going to finish this in my room."

Careful placement of his food tray would help him make a getaway from his pervert of a boyfriend without attracting unwanted attention to the renegade bulge in his pants. He stood up to walk toward the canteen entrance, turning his back to Walker.

"You're going?" Kanda had braced himself for triumphant laughter or further veiled teasing about what he intended to 'finish,' but instead, the Bean Sprout now sounded markedly disappointed.

Kanda glanced back over his shoulder. Walker wasn't smiling anymore. In fact, for a second there Kanda could have sworn he looked utterly forlorn.

"Then see you around, Kanda. After lunch, I leave again directly. With Toma."

Like our first assignment together at—

After another second's brief eye contact, Kanda continued on his way, realizing just how badly he must have put his foot in it earlier, for Moyashi to look at him like that. He felt like a total asshole— it even bothered him. But asshole or not, he would get his revenge after losing the battle of the lunchroom.