Auttie: *hides behind Star* I-it wasn't my fault! I swear!

Star: Tch. Well for once it wasn't mine so that only leaves you, liar.

Auttie: It's not a lie! I hadn't meant for it to take this long to edit it... If anything it's Lyrics' fault!

Star: Sure~ Blame the muse, 'cause that always ends so well for you.

Auttie: He owes me for saving him from Dia.

Star: Yeah, because he always repays his debts, doesn't he?

Auttie: If that was the case then we'd be much farther than this... *sigh* but... Moyashi, you're not supposed to be joining in with the angry mob that wants to eat me for taking so long... Even if you said you would...

Star: My point exactly; if he repaid his debts your last reply to our first born wouldn't have been in July. And you're not supposed to take over a month to edit. *Sigh* Sorry Ai, but I have a feeling a few of them already wanna murder me for taking so long with Blood and Lust, and if their trying to eat you then they're too busy to try and murder me in the bloodiest way they can think of so... sorry, but it's self-preservation.

Auttie: ...is it too late to disown you?

Star: It's never too late. Although I think we both know you'd be crawling back to me within the hour ^_^

Auttie: ...let's just let them get to the chapter...

Star: And just as I thought, the BaKanda doesn't deny it~ Hehe :P After you, Ai~

Auttie: I don't own and neither does the other idiot.

Star: I think we all know what would happen if we did... HEY!

Auttie: Hay is for horses, grass is cheaper.

Star:... I live in a desert moron, grass isn't exactly everywhere you look =_="

Auttie: and I have too much of it. Want some?

Star: *Rolls eyes* Oh, just shut up and let them read, little miss Baka.

Auttie: Tch. As if you have room to talk.

S2 S2 S2 S2 S2

Pain, white, hot, blistering, shooting agony ripped through him, tearing a scream from his already raw throat rip through the stagnant air of the darkened room, the resounding sobs struggling to break free from gritted teeth, their struggles only growing more desperate as pale arms tugged uselessly and desperately at the binds that tied his wrists above his head, crimson staining harsh rope and pale flesh just as tears stained sunken cheeks.

Another burn, another scream, another tear in an already abused throat and battered body, another wave of brutal agony as the smell of burning flesh permeated the air, and he bit down harder on his scream, struggling desperately not to cry out again, but he couldn't help the choked sob that escaped as the heated metal was removed from his skin, leaving the seared flesh to burn and sting and throb with every beat of his heart in the aftermath as his tormentor pulled away the grin still there as he watched the tears run down the boy's face in vicious tracks.

It hurt; it all hurt so much, the pain only being added to alongside the smell of blood that tainted the air and the blistering agony that ripped through his veins. He clenched his eyes shut tight, praying to whoever would listen that it would just go away, that it would all just end.

But nothing happened.

Nothing ever happened.

Burn by burn, and cut by cut, his pain continued to build and build until his entire body was nothing more than a mass of tears and sobs and writhing agony, and just when he thought it was over it began again, and again, and again, until even unconsciousness was no longer a reprieve from the pain and even death seemed like it would have been a blessing – a blessing his captors would never allow.

S2 S2 S2 S2 S2

Kanda shifted, body jolting awake within seconds. There was noise, noises he wasn't used to, that weren't supposed to be there. He hadn't realized he had fallen asleep, but he wasted no time in becoming fully aware once more. Blinking around, he heard the noise again, this time distinguishing it as a soft whimper of pain, and turned to his side, eyes widening a fraction at the sight that greeted him. The Moyashi had tears trailing steady streams down his face, which was contorted in obvious pain, his body shaking slightly, the whimpers and nearly inaudible sobs escaping every now and again. It took a few moments for the shock to leave his system. He jerked to his feet, whirling and setting one knee on the couch in front of him while he stared down at the boy. He placed one hand on Allen's face, the other on his shoulder.

"Oi! Moyashi! Wake up!" He said, shaking him slightly, the hand on his face keeping his head still and facing Kanda.

"Moyashi! Fucking, brat! Wake the hell up! Allen!"

He froze, the scent hitting him like a freight train. He choked on his air as it surrounded him, filling his senses with its appealing smell that begged and pleaded for someone to help him. He swallowed thickly, breathing hard as he forced his racing heart to slow and calmed his voice. "Wake up, Moyashi."

The boy's eyes slowly flickered open to stare up at the other male, silver irises glazed with a mixture of fear, confusion, and pain, the tears continuing to flow freely from his eyes, a soft, broken sob escaping his throat as he flinched away from the contact.

"N-no mo-re," he begged brokenly, voice cracking from the force of the sobs he tried to keep from escaping, though a few still escaped as his trembling worsened and dazed eyes widened, as though the position he and Kanda were in did no more that terrify him more, "I-I'm s-sorry... P-please no m-more... please, I'm sorry..." His voice trailed off, soon becoming another broken sob as he clung tighter to the blanket that was still draped around him, all color draining from his knuckles at the tight hold.

Kanda slowly raised his face, keeping a firm hold on him without being forceful.

"Moyashi. Whatever happened before isn't now. Now wake up." He said, lowering his voice. The scent was beginning to overpower him and he couldn't understand what it wanted from him, what it was trying to make him feel. Steeling his nerves, he gazed at the boy with steady eyes.

"Isn't... now," the boy repeated slowly, blinking his eyes a few times as the daze cleared, his shaking growing less consistent as though he were trying to stop it, uncertainty clouding his eyes at the older male's touch as he attempted to avert his gaze. "Just... just a dream...?" he muttered more to himself than to the other as the tears began to slow.

"Yes, Moyashi, it was a fucking dream." Kanda said, tilting his face so that Allen had no choice but to look at him directly. He put more intensity behind his gaze, trying to get him to calm down. He leaned close so he was all Allen would be able to see.

His eyes were like mercury. Soft, but with so much experience it was a wonder he hadn't offed himself long ago. 'The brat isn't a coward after all. Damn. Now I can't chuck him onto the street for being weak...'

"It was nothing but a bad dream. Understand, Moyashi?" He asked lowly.

Allen remained still for a few moments, eyes wide as the tears finally slowed to a halt, before nodding hesitantly, trying to hide the spark of fear that came to light in his eyes. He swallowed again, before speaking, barely managing to choke the words out, "Just... just a dream... I-I understand..."

He took a deep, shuddering breath, his hands relaxing slightly so that they were no longer fisted in the cloth although he still kept it held tight around himself.

Nodding, Kanda leaned away and straightened himself up. "Good."

He stepped away and stretched, watching the timid male out of the corner of his eyes. 'Even his breath smells sweet. The hell kind of products does this kid use?'

He looked at the clock. He only had a few more minutes until he had to get ready for the night-shift. He looked back at Allen. '"But what am I going to do with you...?" He slowly asked aloud.

Allen slowly pushed himself up into a proper sitting position, watching Kanda out of the corner of his eye as he situated himself into a similar position to the one he'd been in before falling asleep. "I was wondering that myself..." he mumbled lowly, keeping his eyes down as he curled tighter in on himself and wiped the tears away with the back of his hand.

Kanda glared over at him and Allen flinched at the sharp gaze. "How the fuck should I know? I don't even know why I brought you here in the first place." He frowned and looked at the clock again. He then looked back at Allen. "Can you behave yourself for a few hours?"

Allen's brow furrowed slightly and he chanced a glance up at Kanda out of the corner of his eye. "I-I think so..." He mumbled lowly, shifting his weight nervously.

Kanda eyed him for a full minute before nodding and wandering into his bedroom for his uniform. He reemerged soon after with the black attire. There was going to be a concert where he was working. Not only was it going to be a busy night, but a loud one. He looked back at Allen and frowned, still not completely sure about leaving the sprout alone in his house.

Allen blinked up at him curiously, subconsciously pulling his knees tighter to his chest and tightening his grip on them as he drew back into the blanket as though trying to make himself as small as humanly possible. "Wh-what...?" He asked tentatively when the other's frown remained etched into his features.

"I don't trust you." Kanda stated easily, brow furrowed. He placed a belt on the table, a gun strapped in a holster attached to it. He tapped his fingers against the table, stare intensifying.

"Wh-what'd I d-do?" the white-haired asked in a small voice as he shrank back against the couch, his body beginning to tremble once again under the intense gaze as though it pressed down on him with the weight of the world.

"Came into my life for starters." Kanda growled. "Now I have to find something to do with you while I'm at work."

"I-I didn't m-mean to..." Allen mumbled shrinking back farther as though trying to press himself into the back of the couch, his eyes widening a fraction, the first light of fear and confusion reemerging in the pale irises.

"Tch. I guess it doesn't matter." Kanda sighed heavily, glaring off to the side. He put his belt on, putting his gun into the holster before putting his jacket on over it. "Just...stay there. Don't move. At all. I don't care if you fall asleep or anything, just don't be wandering around. If I find anything missing I'll send you to hell in pieces."

"I-I'll be g-good," the boy whimpered quickly, eyes gleaming with a mixture of fear and sincerity as he stared up at the other male. He wanted so badly to cower farther back into the couch and curl his body tighter in on itself, make himself smaller in hopes of escaping notice and making himself seem like a lesser threat, but he knew it was impossible, that doing so would only result in a wasted effort and more unwelcome pressure on the injuries that already littered his pale skin.

Kanda still wasn't sure he wanted to leave him alone here, but he had to get to work. Besides, he doubted the brat would be all too eager to go out into the night. It was a chance he had to take and he couldn't call in sick. Hell, he wasn't even supposed to be working but he had to fill in for someone he owed a favor to.

"Don't even scratch your nose." And with those words, he walked out of his apartment, not giving the boy a second glace even as he watched him go.

Allen continued to stare at the door for a few minutes after the elder had gone before pulling the blanket tighter around himself and leaning his head on his knees, hesitantly allowing himself to relax and closing his eyes as he tried to fend off sleep.

As tired as he was he just didn't want the dreams… he just didn't think he could handle them again.

S2 S2 S2 S2 S2

Kanda felt uneasy the whole time. He didn't like leaving a stranger alone in his house, especially one he knew right to the marrow of his bones was not quite normal. It was almost like he was something else. Something more than what he was thinking.

He shook his head. What was he doing? Did he think he was a demon or something? He needed to stop leaving the TV on when he slept.

When he finally arrived at his work, the place was packed. He showed his ID to one of the security and they let him in the back door. It was closed behind him, leaving him in almost complete darkness. But he knew his way around, having been working here long enough to not need the light to navigate the familiar corridors. The locker rooms were empty and he sat on the bench, waiting. The rabbit usually showed up around now and he'd prefer to talk to him in private about such matters. It was his chance to try and pawn the brat off to someone else.

Closing his eyes, he waited. There was still time until they were actually needed, so he didn't mind wasting it here. It was quiet in the room, and he was none too eager to face the roaring noise and huge, chaotic crowd he knew awaited him soon enough. But a job was a job and it paid his bills, so it was bearable, even with all of its 'flaws.'

Kanda waited at least ten minutes or more before the usagi finally decided to make an appearance. He slipped inside, not seeming to notice Kanda on the bench. The redhead was in too much of a hurry, stripping off his jacket and shirt, replacing them with his uniform.

"You know, I can have you docked time for being late." Kanda said, deciding to break the silence. He examined his nails as the redhead turned, eyes wide in surprise.

"Yuu! What are you doing here?" He asked, making his way over and flopping down on the bench beside him.

"Don't call me that!" Kanda snapped. He clenched his fist, fighting the urge to hit him for the use of his first name. He cleared his throat. "I work here, dumbass."

The redhead rolled his eyes. "Well I know that. I meant here, in the room. You're usually at the gate by now."

Kanda didn't answer at first, just letting his gaze fall to the side as he thought of how to bring up the topic. "I have a favor to ask." He sighed. "Lavi, what would you do with a rape victim?"

When he received no answer, he looked up, only to jerk away in surprise at the sight of a teary-eyed redhead. "What?!"

"Who?! Who did this to you?! What did they look like?! I swear I'll hunt them down and tear them apart!" Lavi cried, throwing his arms around Kanda's shoulders.

He tried to push him off, pressing his hand against his face as he did so. "Wha-? NOT ME, YOU FUCKTARD!"

The redhead froze, eyes narrowing and taking on a serious glint as he pulled back to stare at the Japanese male. "Kanda, what did you do and who did you do it to? Were you feeling like yourself when you did it? What did you do with the body?"

Kanda gave him a deadpanned look, the use of his preferred name quickly alerting him to just what the rabbit meant. "Are you fucking stupid?! I didn't do anything! I found this brat in an alley and patched him up and-"

The redhead looked relieved for a moment before freezing once more, eyes going wide. "Wait, you helped someone?!" He demanded, cutting him off. "Are you okay? No fever or anything? Have you had a bloody nose or anything? Slept well? OH MY GOD! IT'S A CASE OF THE BODY SNATCHERS!" He grabbed Kanda's shoulders and began shaking him, much to his annoyance. "KANDA! ARE YOU IN THERE?! YUU-CHAN! DON'T WORRY, I'M GOING TO GET YOU BACK! IT WILL BE ALRIGHT!"

Finally, he'd had enough. Pulling back his arm, he snapped it forward, hitting Lavi square in the face with a satisfying crunch.

"SHUT UP, YOU RETARD! FUCK YOU'RE ANNOYING!"

"W-welgome bagk..."

"I never left, dumbass. Now pick your stupid ass up and pay attention. I picked a kid up off the street, patched him up, and now I'm trying to get rid of him. And so help me God, if I can't find a place, the police will be finding a body."

"Well, bib you asg 'im where 'e libs? Maybe just seb 'im home." Lavi asked, standing up and clutching his bleeding nose. He walked to his locker and fished out some kleenex, pressing it to his face.

Kanda didn't reply right away, remaining silent for a moment before sighing. "'Home' is where the kid came from." With that, he stood and walked out the door, leaving a shocked redhead behind.

S2 S2 S2 S2 S2

Auttie: Well Moyashi, I'm gonna run for my life now that they're done reading...

Star: Have fun with that then. ^_^

Auttie: I will. Watch me.

Star: will do. Although I almost feel inclined to mention to them that this story also dies if you do...

Auttie: Then maybe you should mention it!

Star: Huh? Why? It probably won't make much of a difference...

Auttie: Or it could make all the difference!

Star: *Sigh* Fiiiine. *Turns to readers* The idiot dies so does this story and the other three fics we're RPing right now... Doesn't mean you can't try to eat her though.

Auttie: WHAT?! Moyashi how could you?!

Star: Didn't we just go over this at the top? Besides, you know I wouldn't let them... Least not until after you finish The King And His Men... And Silver Rain... And whatever you end up doing for Second Chances... And In The Light Of The Full Moon...

Auttie: ...Thank you for your support. It's so generous of you.

Star: Considering you're usually the first person to throw me to the wolves the instant my muse starts harassing me with MORE story ideas? You're right. It is.

Auttie: I don't throw you to anyone. I just don't stop your muse.

Star: Same thing!

Auttie: Hardly!

Star:...We both know how this is gonna end, so is it really worth continuing?

Auttie: Depends if they would enjoy it or not. But for now, I guess not.

Star: Thought so. Well, seeing as how I left off last time, would you care to do the honors, Ai?

Auttie: Tch. *grumble* Well, guys, I really am sorry for taking so long. And it shouldn't happen again. Until next time, tootles~!

Star: Au revoir~

Auttie: *waves*