Encounter

Sunlight streams through the glass window. The sudden brightness causes Pamela to shift underneath the white sheets and eyes to flutter open.

She blinks twice, getting used to the light in the room. Speaking of rooms, dark brown orbs scope her surroundings, taking in the unfamiliar bare walls and even more unfamiliar bed.

"Ungg," she groans, covering her eyes with her forearm.

Something heavy drops onto her stomach. She lifts her arm, only to find the one and only Kanda sleeping soundly beside her. Her eyes widen - she begins to recount the events from last night but finds it difficult to do so.

The dark haired boy emits soft snores, that almost permanent scowl has disappeared from his face for once and he finally looks at peace. Strands of his hair stick to his face and, on instinct, she reaches out to brush them away from his eyes. This time, she can clearly see his expression and, even to this day, she's still struck at how a boy could be so goddamn beautiful.

Her fingers twitch and crave to trace the outline of his lips, her heart aches to place her own upon his. It hurts, a little, knowing that will never happen.
Pamela has always been attracted to him but to a certain point; there's a part of her that yearns to understand the emotions she knows that he's hiding and he's doing so, because of his past. She wants him to know that she cares even if he doesn't give a damn about anybody.

With a sigh, she pulls back, afraid that she might do something regrettable.

His arm tightens its hold around her waist, pulling her closer. He bends slightly, causing for his face to be buried into her shoulder. Pamela believes she may stop breathing soon - her heart pounding loudly.

Before embarrassing herself by almost stroking his long, silky locks, he shifts again. "Why didn't you wake me earlier?" he murmurs, his warm breath coating her skin and voice vibrating down her spine.

"Kanda," she whispers. It's all too much. The close contact, the both of them in his bed, his voice soft and small for once.

In a quick second, he detaches from her and is out of the bed. He grunts, clutching his lower stomach, where most of the area has been covered by layers of bandages. The fast movement must've caused a sharp shot of pain through his torso.

Kanda stares at her through his fringe, dark eyes boring into hers. She immediately averts her gaze, only to meet the creamy, flawless skin of his chest marked only by his tattoo - which she has always found remarkably attractive. She has no choice but to stare at the wall behind him.

"I let you sleep on the bed," he explains. "You fell asleep outside and I didn't want to wake you so I just carried you in."

She can't help it. The only vision in her mind is the image of Kanda, picking her up from the floor and carrying her bridal style to his bed - his bed. If only she'd been awake. Awake to experience his arms wound around her, her head so close to his chest, allowing her to take in his scent. It's so inappropriate and embarrassing to be thinking about this but it can't be helped.

"So what did you want?"

Pamela struggles to find the will to talk. She's been so bothered by his shirtless presence and lingering stare that everytime she opens her mouth, she falters. "I uh-" she stutters out, further spreading the faint colour on her cheeks. "I wa-wanted to return the jacket."

The dark haired boy raises an eyebrow. "Jacket? You waited all night, to give me back my jacket?"

She nods, feeling pathetic. She must look at that way, too. Who falls asleep outside a person's door to do something as stupid as returning a measly piece of clothing?

"Ok, take it off and give it back. I need to go see Komui."

That's Kanda. Snappy and to the point. She doesn't know why she expected a different reaction...a thank you, perhaps, but this is Kanda...nothing will change.

He gives her a final look before slipping on his clothes for the day. Pamela feels awkward just pulling the jacket over her head even though she's wearing a singlet underneath. But she doesn't want to take advantage of her time in his room and places the object on his bed before heading out.

"Pamela-san?"

She freezes but her heart does the exact opposite; its pulses accelerating rapidly. He rarely says her name when they are in conversation so for him to address her in that way...it's like a dream.

"Y-yes?"

Their gazes touch and it sends a warm buzz along her nerves. How someone so seemingly cold as he is manages to warm her up, she will never know.

He sighs. "You shouldn't do that." He takes a step closer towards her, placing his hand on the wall beside her head, bodies so close as he towers over her and she longs for their body heat to mingle again as it was five minutes ago. "You shouldn't waste your time on such petty things as a jacket."

She swallows. "I-I...Komui's probably looking for you, now."

Kanda grunts, glaring at her. "He can wait."

"You're not going on another mission are you?" she asks, voice almost pleading. "You're still injured." And, without another second of thought, places her palm against the bandages on his stomach.

He takes in a sharp breath at the sudden intimate gesture. Nobody dares to touch Kanda unless they wish to experience death and he almost, on instinct, reaches for mugen, which isn't even on him yet, fortunately.

"I heal quickly," he snaps. "And besides, I feel like I need to do something today. I finally had a good rest last night."

Pamela sends him a curious expression. "What do you mean?"

"Pamela-san, you ask too many questions. Now go before I kick you out of my room."

There it is again. She can't stop the feeling of happiness that takes place in her heart as she replays him saying her name in her head over and over again. A smile settles on her lips. "Okay, I'll go, um th..."

"What?" he breathed out.

His eyebrows are arched up in an almost curious way and she can't resist the sliver of hope crawling into her bloodstream. Hope that he, even a little bit, may actually care. But Pamela, even hopelessly hopeful Pamela, knows that is too much of wishful thinking.

Their close proximity continues to bother her to no end; as she attempts to cease the spread of blush on her cheeks and as the infuriating tight knot in her stomach proceeds to grow the as same size as the Asian continent.

"I meant th-thank you for letting me sleep."

His lips purse into a tight line, forcing her eyes to stray from his mouth before her mind conjures up inappropriate images. It seems as if he's offering a smirk...a horrible smirk. "You think I'm that cruel?" he queried.

"N-no..I just-" The stutters simply won't stop.

Kanda rolls his tantalisingly dark eyes. "I won't have a person sleep by my door, Pamela-san. And besides, I think having someone else there helped me sleep. Maybe you absorbed the nightmares."

Now, that, means he's absolutely making fun of her. She frowns at this but the fact that he's joking around - in his own strange way - with her, soothes the slight insult. "That's mean."

"Tch."

"Okay, thank you again, Kanda."

He acknowledges her being grateful with a curt nod, peeling himself away from the bubble she had created around them two. Disappointment curls within her but she, too, pulls away before he can notice the effect of this in her expression.

She gazes up at him, their eyes connecting for the nth time this morning and, still, her heart's rhythm falters. She sends him a soft smile, one that he isn't going to return - never has, never will - before turning away to walk back to her own room.

"You absorb the bad, Pamela-san."

She pauses. Turning around, she contemplates a reasonable reply to that statement but when she looks, he's already gone. On the way, she realizes that it isn't an insult but more of a compliment.

Kanda is pondering the same thing as he watches her walk away from around the corner. She made the nightmares disappear for once - what an odd, girl.