[oneshot] The Night Before
Title: The Night Before
Fandom: D.Gray-man
Characters/Pairings: Lavi/Allen, mentions of others
Genre: Pseudo-Fluff!
Word count: 1,050
Notes: Christmas fic for p_sky. Very late, because I fail. No Kanda/Lenalee, also because I fail. I owe you one. XD
Despite being a Christian organization, the Black Order took no break to celebrate the birth of its founder. It never had; and the current state of the war against the Millennium Earl forced them to more or less pretend the twenty-fifth day of December was a day like any other. But some members of the Order had never liked the policy. And especially with the current state of the war, one person felt acknowledging "peace on earth and goodwill toward men" was absolutely necessary.
When Allen Walker saw the group he had been assigned to take through the Ark to search for Innocence in Bern, he thought he smelled a rat. For one thing, Howard Link, his perpetual second shadow -- on the outside, at least -- had been recalled to Central and would not be joining them. For another, he had been informed their Finder had already been sent to the German Federation by train and would be meeting them on the twenty-sixth. Bookman had been offered the opportunity to observe General Klaud Nine's mission to Seville the week before, and would join them at approximately the same time.
If anyone else thought these details strange, he saw no sign. Lavi had been positively gleeful at the idea of being without "Two-Spot" for a few days. And though Lenalee was much too polite to say so, from the way she smiled, Allen thought she concurred.
Kanda had glowered at him, hand curled around Mugen's hilt and said nothing.
They had travelled through the Ark with no incident, exiting into a small church near the outskirts of the city. A quick exploration of Bern came up empty; a majority of the shops, businesses and public buildings had been closed early in anticipation of the next day's festivities. The four Exorcists had regrouped at the church with no news, except from Kanda, who had tersely informed them of Komui's new instructions: stay put in the church until the Finder contacted them. The pastor had set up a room for them for the night in the adjoining rectory; in fact, it had already been prepared before they'd arrived. Allen had traveled with Cross Marian for too long not to recognize a set-up in progress.
However, he was reasonably certain Komui had not arranged for the blizzard, or for the church's gas lines to fail.
Allen wandered through the empty church, alit with candles in their wrought iron sticks, one stationed along the aisle at every third pew. At the foot of the altar, a nativity scene had been arranged. The church was not a wealthy one, so the Madonna and her child were rough-hewn; Joseph watched over the pair with paint flaking off his beard. Still, both parents were smiling down at the straw-filled manger. No animals in sight; an ass and a sheep and wooden shepherds were to have been added in the morning, before the mass. So, Allen stood before the humble scene with only three players and wondered what role he played by being there.
"Y'know, Christ probably was born in June."
Allen wiped at his eyes before turning, watching Lavi stroll up the aisle toward him. The redhead's hands were in his pockets, grin lazy and eye sharp. "No shepherd worth a damn would be pasturing his sheep in the middle of winter." He dropped his hand down on the top of Allen's head as he came to stand beside him, and it drifted down to rest on his shoulder. Allen smiled a little, then looked back toward the nativity.
"The pastor's going to box your ears if he hears you talking like that," he chided without much heat.
Lavi laughed and dropped his hand, then used his elbow to nudge Allen in the ribs instead. "Gonna snitch on me, choir boy?"
The white-haired teenager snorted softly. "They look happy," was all he said.
Clothing rustled as Lavi pulled a pocket watch out of his coat and checked the time. "Of course they do." The watch cover made a little click as it caught the latch that held it closed. "Bet they were both scared shitless, though." Allen blinked and glanced over at Lavi. He only saw the patch covering the redhead's eye, but the rest of his expression was soft, even thoughtful. "Only ones there who wouldn't have been terrified woulda been the damn ass and sheep. Otherwise, they wouldn't've been human."
"I suppose."
Another nudge from Lavi's elbow. "Pastor left out some dinner for you. It's not a lot, but at least you won't go to bed hungry."
As if on cue, Allen's stomach grumbled. "Why didn't anyone call me, earlier?" Dinnertime had to have been hours ago, judging from the color of the sky outside.
Lavi shrugged and flashed a grin. "You were too busy contemplating at the wood people."
Allen punched him in the arm. Lightly. "Next time, please, do feel free to interrupt me." He turned from the nativity scene after placing his hand to his heart; raised with no religious instruction whatsoever, making a sign of the cross seemed inappropriate. Still, it was something. Lavi made no similar offering. Instead, the redhead folded his arms behind his head as he fell into step beside Allen. "Did you celebrate Christmas before you came to the Order?"
"Nope." Lavi's eye wandered over the stained glass windows, their depictions indistinct without the daylight. "You?"
Allen shook his head and glanced down at his left hand. "I don't particularly like the holiday."
They walked in silence for a few moments, their footsteps echoing on the stone floor. "Bet you'd like it if it were in June," Lavi said as he ushered Allen into the rectory. Allen stopped short in the doorway, staring at Lavi blankly, then with a bittersweet little smile. Lavi's grin seemed softer, different from the carefree one he maintained so carefully. "Just a thought."
"Mm. Maybe."
The back of Allen's head touched the edge of doorframe as Lavi's mouth pressed against his, soft and sweet. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back as he felt a calloused thumb trace the part of his scar that marred his cheek. Lavi pulled back, resting his forehead against Allen's with a near-silent sigh. "Tomorrow'll just be 'Mistletoe Day'. What do you think?"
Allen laughed.
Fandom: D.Gray-man
Characters/Pairings: Lavi/Allen, mentions of others
Genre: Pseudo-Fluff!
Word count: 1,050
Notes: Christmas fic for p_sky. Very late, because I fail. No Kanda/Lenalee, also because I fail. I owe you one. XD
Despite being a Christian organization, the Black Order took no break to celebrate the birth of its founder. It never had; and the current state of the war against the Millennium Earl forced them to more or less pretend the twenty-fifth day of December was a day like any other. But some members of the Order had never liked the policy. And especially with the current state of the war, one person felt acknowledging "peace on earth and goodwill toward men" was absolutely necessary.
When Allen Walker saw the group he had been assigned to take through the Ark to search for Innocence in Bern, he thought he smelled a rat. For one thing, Howard Link, his perpetual second shadow -- on the outside, at least -- had been recalled to Central and would not be joining them. For another, he had been informed their Finder had already been sent to the German Federation by train and would be meeting them on the twenty-sixth. Bookman had been offered the opportunity to observe General Klaud Nine's mission to Seville the week before, and would join them at approximately the same time.
If anyone else thought these details strange, he saw no sign. Lavi had been positively gleeful at the idea of being without "Two-Spot" for a few days. And though Lenalee was much too polite to say so, from the way she smiled, Allen thought she concurred.
Kanda had glowered at him, hand curled around Mugen's hilt and said nothing.
They had travelled through the Ark with no incident, exiting into a small church near the outskirts of the city. A quick exploration of Bern came up empty; a majority of the shops, businesses and public buildings had been closed early in anticipation of the next day's festivities. The four Exorcists had regrouped at the church with no news, except from Kanda, who had tersely informed them of Komui's new instructions: stay put in the church until the Finder contacted them. The pastor had set up a room for them for the night in the adjoining rectory; in fact, it had already been prepared before they'd arrived. Allen had traveled with Cross Marian for too long not to recognize a set-up in progress.
However, he was reasonably certain Komui had not arranged for the blizzard, or for the church's gas lines to fail.
Allen wandered through the empty church, alit with candles in their wrought iron sticks, one stationed along the aisle at every third pew. At the foot of the altar, a nativity scene had been arranged. The church was not a wealthy one, so the Madonna and her child were rough-hewn; Joseph watched over the pair with paint flaking off his beard. Still, both parents were smiling down at the straw-filled manger. No animals in sight; an ass and a sheep and wooden shepherds were to have been added in the morning, before the mass. So, Allen stood before the humble scene with only three players and wondered what role he played by being there.
"Y'know, Christ probably was born in June."
Allen wiped at his eyes before turning, watching Lavi stroll up the aisle toward him. The redhead's hands were in his pockets, grin lazy and eye sharp. "No shepherd worth a damn would be pasturing his sheep in the middle of winter." He dropped his hand down on the top of Allen's head as he came to stand beside him, and it drifted down to rest on his shoulder. Allen smiled a little, then looked back toward the nativity.
"The pastor's going to box your ears if he hears you talking like that," he chided without much heat.
Lavi laughed and dropped his hand, then used his elbow to nudge Allen in the ribs instead. "Gonna snitch on me, choir boy?"
The white-haired teenager snorted softly. "They look happy," was all he said.
Clothing rustled as Lavi pulled a pocket watch out of his coat and checked the time. "Of course they do." The watch cover made a little click as it caught the latch that held it closed. "Bet they were both scared shitless, though." Allen blinked and glanced over at Lavi. He only saw the patch covering the redhead's eye, but the rest of his expression was soft, even thoughtful. "Only ones there who wouldn't have been terrified woulda been the damn ass and sheep. Otherwise, they wouldn't've been human."
"I suppose."
Another nudge from Lavi's elbow. "Pastor left out some dinner for you. It's not a lot, but at least you won't go to bed hungry."
As if on cue, Allen's stomach grumbled. "Why didn't anyone call me, earlier?" Dinnertime had to have been hours ago, judging from the color of the sky outside.
Lavi shrugged and flashed a grin. "You were too busy contemplating at the wood people."
Allen punched him in the arm. Lightly. "Next time, please, do feel free to interrupt me." He turned from the nativity scene after placing his hand to his heart; raised with no religious instruction whatsoever, making a sign of the cross seemed inappropriate. Still, it was something. Lavi made no similar offering. Instead, the redhead folded his arms behind his head as he fell into step beside Allen. "Did you celebrate Christmas before you came to the Order?"
"Nope." Lavi's eye wandered over the stained glass windows, their depictions indistinct without the daylight. "You?"
Allen shook his head and glanced down at his left hand. "I don't particularly like the holiday."
They walked in silence for a few moments, their footsteps echoing on the stone floor. "Bet you'd like it if it were in June," Lavi said as he ushered Allen into the rectory. Allen stopped short in the doorway, staring at Lavi blankly, then with a bittersweet little smile. Lavi's grin seemed softer, different from the carefree one he maintained so carefully. "Just a thought."
"Mm. Maybe."
The back of Allen's head touched the edge of doorframe as Lavi's mouth pressed against his, soft and sweet. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back as he felt a calloused thumb trace the part of his scar that marred his cheek. Lavi pulled back, resting his forehead against Allen's with a near-silent sigh. "Tomorrow'll just be 'Mistletoe Day'. What do you think?"
Allen laughed.